Previously, on Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing!
After LDS' assault on You Show Duel School, Yuya and Zarc continue to go about their daily lives. The Maiami Championship quickly approaches, and with it, new challenges! Pendulum has finally begun to make its debut to the rest of the world, thanks to the data Reiji Akaba collected from Zarc and Yuya's past duels.
Yuto and Shun, members of the Xyz Resistance, have thrown their lot with LDS in the hopes of strengthening Standard's fighting ability against the impending threat of Academia.
However, as our aspiring duelists continue to grow stronger, other forces begin to move. Shun and Yuto's acts of Fusion Summoning do not go unnoticed as Leo Akaba, the leader of Academia, sends Berrett to investigate the odd Fusion readings. In the midst of Berrett's investigation, he and his student, Serena, are discovered by Zarc and Yuzu.
Where will the Pendulum swing now…?
A Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Fanfiction:
"Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Pendulum's Fifth Swing"
Scale 13: The Girl with the Bracelet (Part Two)
DUEL!
Zarc & Yuzu – LP 4000
Berrett & Serena – LP 4000
'Serena?' Zarc read the names listed on the duel disk's information. 'And Berrett, huh? Well, at least we know their names. But who are these guys? Their Duel Disks look different compared to ours, and they don't look custom-made. And, what's this feeling I'm getting? The atmosphere feels like it's changed somehow, but why…?'
"I'm taking the first turn!" Yuzu declared before Serena could.
Turn 1: Yuzu/Hand: 5
"First, I summon Duet, the Melodious Songstress!" Appearing at Yuzu's behest was a woman with multi-colored hair and a vivid cobalt-blue dress, musical notes adorning her shoulders and hips.
[Duet the Melodious Songstress / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1500]
"If I have a "Melodious" monster out on my field, I can Special Summon Canon the Melodious Diva from my hand once per turn!" Another woman appeared at Yuzu's side, attire more normal and skin pale blue with goggles over her eyes and musical note decorations.
[Canon the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 2000]
"When a "Melodious" monster other than Duet is Special Summoned, I can add another "Melodious" monster from my deck to my hand!" Yuzu continued. "Also, if that card is a Ritual Monster, I can add the Ritual Spell listed in that card's name to my hand as well!"
Serena frowned and muttered to herself. "Ritual? Is that Standard's native summon?"
"I activate the Ritual Spell: Dies Irae Concierto and offer up Duet the Melodious Songstress and Canon the Melodious Diva from my field and Score the Melodious Diva from my hand as sacrifices!" A ring opened up beneath Yuzu's feet as the spectral image of Score, a girl wreathed in white and carrying a blue music sheet folder in hand, appeared at her side. The three monsters were consumed by a dark red flame that separated into ten pieces, encircling the glyph beneath her feet which began to glow.
Dark red musical notes began to swirl around her. From behind emerged a spectral ghostly orchestra comprised of solid white figures, all playing a haunting melody while a figure began to form behind Yuzu. "Weep and wail in revenge, o songstress who sings the retribution of the Man in Gray! Curse the son of god's name and create the Requiem worthy of hell! RITUAL SUMMON!" The wreath of musical notes dispersed and formed into a new figure, a pale-skinned woman in a jet-black dress with butterfly wings stretching out from her back, shimmering in a myriad colors. Lustrous black hair spilled down her shoulders while a Papillon mask over the upper half of her face. "Level 10! Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony!"
[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony / DARK / Level 10 / Fairy / Ritual / Effect / ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2500]
Serena gasped at the sight of the new monster, one she had never seen before, while Berrett narrowed his eye at it and its owner. 'So, this is the power of Ritual.' He knew of its existence, thanks to the Professor. A summoning that required the use of a spell card and monsters of a certain Level, sacrificing them to call forth a more powerful monster. Seeing it first hand for himself, he couldn't help but notice the beauty behind it and wondered if all Ritual Summons were like this.
Yuzu continued, "When Requiem Diva is Ritual Summoned, she gains 300 ATK for every monster tribute for the Ritual Summon! I sacrificed three monsters, therefore she gains 900 ATK! Resonance Opera!" The monster let out a sorrowful hum as an aura of power began to form around her.
[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony: ATK 2500 + 900 = 3400]
"I activate Requiem Diva's effect! Once per turn, I can Special Summon a "Melodious" monster from my deck, but its ATK and DEF are reduced to zero! Furthermore, during my End Phase, it's sent to my hand! I summon Shopina the Melodious Maestra!" Requiem Diva sang another hymn, calling upon a woman garbed in regal clothing, a translucent keyboard in front of her that she played with relish.
[Shopina the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Level 7 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 2300 / DEF 1700]
"When I have a "Melodious" monster on the field, Requiem Diva is treated as a "Melodious" monster. And speaking of having "Melodious" monsters on the field, since I have one out, I summon Sonata the Melodious Diva in Defense Position!" A woman with green hair appeared at Yuzu's behest, blue musical notes attached to her arm, leg, and back.
[Sonata the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 3 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1200 / DEF 1000]
"When Sonata is Special Summoned, all Fairy-type monsters on my field gain an extra 500 ATK and DEF!" Sonata's hymn joined alongside Requiem Diva's and enveloped the whole party in a light red aura, strengthening them in the process.
[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony: ATK 3400 + 500 = 3900 / DEF 2500 = 500 = 3000]
[Shopina the Melodious Maestra: ATK 2300 + 500 = 2800 / DEF 1700 + 500 = 2200]
[Sonata the Melodious Diva: ATK 1200 + 500 = 1700 / DEF 1000 + 500 = 1500]
"Duet the Melodious Diva's effect!" Yuzu declared. "I can banish this card from my graveyard in order to return 1 'Melodious' monster in my graveyard to my hand! Return, Score!"
Appearing briefly to the field in a phantasmal form, Duet and Score rose up from a graveyard portal, singing in harmony before Duet vanished and Score transformed into a card before returning to Yuzu's hand.
"I set a card face-down and end my turn." Yuzu said. "As Shopina was summoned through Requiem Diva's effect, I send her to my hand."
Berrett turned to his young charge. "Be on your guard, Serena." he advised her. "Do not underestimate her or her partner."
"I won't," Serena nodded before taking the initiative. "My turn! Draw!"
Turn 2: Serena / Hand: 6
"I summon Moonlight White Rabbit!" A woman appeared at Serena's side; hair vivid white with two long strips standing straight up that resembled rabbit ears and wielding a silver mallet.
[Moonlight White Rabbit / DARK / Level 2 / Beast-Warrior / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 800]
Yuzu stared at the monster. 'Is it just me, or does that thing look like one of Ray's monsters?'
"I activate White Rabbit's effect! Once per turn, I can send any Spells or Traps on your field back to your hand, equal to the number of "Moonlight" monsters on my field!"
"I don't think so!" Yuzu countered. "I activate the Trap: Legato! I reveal a monster in my hand, then summon a "Melodious" monster from my hand, deck or Graveyard that is one Level higher than the Level of the revealed Monster! I reveal Shopina the Melodious Maestra and Special Summon Mozarta the Melodious Maestra from my deck!"
A regal woman appeared before Yuzu, garbed in a vibrant red dress with butterfly-like wings stretching from her back, vaguely resembling music notes like all the others.
[Mozarta the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Level 8 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2000]
"Legato also raises the ATK of the summoned monster by 100, equal to the Level of the monster I revealed in my hand. Shopina is a Level 7 monster, therefore Mozarta gains 700 ATK, as well as the bonus ATK and DEF increase from Sonata!"
[Mozarta the Melodious Maestra: ATK 2600 + 700 + 500 = 3800 / DEF 2000 + 500 = 2500]
Serena frowned. "Two monsters with close to 4000 ATK, huh? Not too shabby… But I'm not about to let that stop me! I activate the Spell: Fusion!"
"Fusion?!" Yuzu gasped.
"The cat prowling in the azure darkness! The lively white rabbit illuminated by moonlight! Swarm in a vortex of the moon's gravity and revive with a new power!" Behind Serena, a whirlpool of swirling lights opened up. The white-haired monster, along with a girl dressed in a leotard with a gold mask covering the left side of her face, fell into the whirlpool, losing their forms in the process. Inside the swirling mass of power was the beginning of a stronger creature, one Serena was all too happy to unleash as she clapped her hands together. "FUSION SUMMON!"
Stepping out from the whirlpool, the result of the fusion between two monsters, was a voluptuous woman garbed in a beautiful satin dress that flowed with her movements, akin to a professional dancer. Long scarlet hair flowed past her shoulders, a fiendish smile present on her face while carrying two wicked-looking daggers in each hand.
"Come forth! Level 7! Moonlight Cat Dancer!"
[Moonlight Cat Dancer / DARK / Level 7 / Beast-Warrior / Fusion / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2000]
"Sir! We've detected a powerful Fusion Summon reading in the city! It's power matches Sora Shiunnin, but it's not from him!" Nakajima immediately informed Reiji the second he barged through the door in a frenzy. "It's the same one that appeared only moments ago!"
Reiji narrowed his eyes. Beside him, Ray stilled and became tense. "Do we have any surveillance cameras in the area where we're getting the reading?"
"One moment, sir!"
In no time, the monitor lit up. The view wasn't as Reiji hoped, only showing a portion of a street somewhere in the city with an open view of the mouth of an alley across from where the camera was. It only showed two duelists standing side by side, implying a tag duel, though he thankfully managed to recognize the two.
"Yuzu Hiiragi and Zarc?" Ray questioned. "What are they doing there?"
Reiji didn't respond to her question. He had a feeling why they were there, but it filled him with dread. If the readings were true, and they belonged to who he thought it did, then this was the worst possible situation. Yuzu Hiiragi, as good as she was, wasn't prepared to face them, and Zarc withholding his own power to follow Yusho Sakaki's ideals was a handicap he did not need when facing against such opponents.
"Nakajima, take Kurosaki and head to these coordinates," Reiji ordered immediately. "If my guess is right, those two are dueling members of Academia!"
"Yes sir!"
'Why now of all times?' Reiji thought, gripping the fabric of his sleeves to the point they threatened to rip open. 'Has the invasion already begun? No, if it had, Leo would have sent a full battalion. A stealth operation?'
Regardless of what was happening, he could not afford to lose Yuzu or Zarc. They were too promising to be defeated here. He just prayed Nakajima made it in time.
"I activate the Spell: Moon Light Perfume!" Serena continued. "I target a "Moonlight" monster in my Graveyard, then Special Summon it! Return, Moonlight Blue Cat!"
[Moonlight Blue Cat / DARK / Level 4 / Beast-Warrior / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1200]
"Blue Cat's effect! When Special Summoned, I can double the original ATK of a "Moonlight" monster on my field until the end of the turn, except Blue Cat!"
Zarc gritted his teeth. "Cat Dancer has 2400 ATK… If it doubles, that makes it…"
Serena smirked. "4800." Blue Cat raised one of its hands towards its companion, enveloping it in a moon-blue aura, causing the blades in its hands to grow in size. What were once daggers were now deadly swords.
[Moonlight Cat Dancer: ATK 2400 X 2 = 4800]
"I hope you're prepared for this, because I won't be holding back! I activate Cat Dancer's Effect! By tributing a "Moonlight" monster on my field, Cat Dancer can attack all monsters you control twice each, but they won't be destroyed on the first attack!"
Yuzu paled. "Tw-twice?! All of them?!"
"Battle!" Cat Dancer struck down its comrade, eyes glimmering maliciously behind its mask, before it leaped into action. "Moonlight Cat Dancer! Attack Sonata the Melodious Diva!" The first strike broke Sonata's guard, leaving it vulnerable to the second blow that destroyed it easily. Serena smirked again. "And with that, your monsters lose their bonus 500 ATK and DEF gain."
[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony: ATK 3900 - 500 = 3400 / DEF 3000 – 500 = 2500]
[Mozarta the Melodious Maestra: ATK 3900 – 500 = 3300 / DEF 2500 – 500 = 2000]
"Now you're wide open! Cat Dancer, attack Requiem Diva!" Cat Dancer closed the distance and swung with one of her blades. Requiem Diva raised a hand and created a wall of red musical notes, defending her from her attacker.
Yuzu immediately scrambled to protect her best monster. "I activate the effect of Score the Melodious Diva from my hand! By sending it to the Graveyard during damage calculation, I can reduce my opponent's monster's ATK and DEF to zero until the end of the turn!"
"I don't think so! I activate Moonlight Ghost Bat's effect! When my opponent activates an effect from the hand or Graveyard while there's a "Moonlight" Fusion Monster on my field, I send Ghost Bat to the Graveyard from my hand and negate your effect!" Serena countered with ease, albeit scowling. "Although my opponent gains 3000 Life Points as well…"
Cat Dancer pushed forward and slashed straight through the wall of musical notes, kicking up a gust of wind that blew against Yuzu and Zarc. With Requiem Diva now defenseless, Cat Dancer wasted no time and struck with the sword in her left hand. The blow struck and knocked Requiem Diva back slightly.
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 4000 + 3000 – 1400 = 5600
"What was that just now?" Yuzu asked, startled by the sudden gust of wind. "That felt like wind… But that can't be right! We're not in an Action Field!"
Zarc scowled. "This is just like when Yuto dueled against Sawatari… Are they replicating the effects of Solid Vision with their Duel Disks? But how is that possible?!"
"And now for the second attack!" Serena ordered. "Cat Dancer, take out Requiem Diva with your second Crescent Slash Parade!"
Yuzu gritted her teeth. "If a "Melodious" monster on my field would be destroyed by battle or by card effect, I can banish Dies Irae Concierto from my Graveyard and negate their destruction!"
"But you'll still take damage!" Serena reminded her as Cat Dancer swung its second sword. Requiem Diva barely managed to defend against it by throwing up another wall of musical notes, though the monster was clearly winded and barely succeeded in knocking her back.
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 5600 – 1400 = 4200
"And last but not least, Cat Dancer, destroy Mozarta the Melodious Maestra!"
Cat Dancer wasted no time in cutting down Yuzu's last monster. The two struck each other at once, but Cat Dancer overwhelmed Mozarta and proceeded to bring down both her swords upon her enemy, destroying them with a crescent downward strike that left behind a gold, sparkling trail in the process. The swords tore into the ground, leaving behind a fresh cut in the concrete.
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 4200 – 3000 = 1200
"I'll set a card face-down and end my turn." Serena finished. "Moonlight Blue Cat's effect ends as well, so Cat Dancer's ATK returns to normal." The aura surrounding her monster faded and its swords shrunk back down to their regular size, once more curved daggers.
[Moonlight Cat Dancer: ATK 4800/2 = 2400]
'Not bad,' Berrett noted. 'Before, Serena would have attacked with reckless abandon the moment she got Cat Dancer on the field, regardless if her opponent's monster had increased ATK or not, nevermind setting up some kind of defense to protect her monsters in case things went south. Even so, she still has a lot to learn.'
"T-the ground…" Yuzu stared at the deep cut in the concrete and turned to Zarc, face paled. "Zarc, how is this happening?"
"If this is like what happened with Yuto and Sawatari, then that means we're in for a world of hurt if any of those attacks hit us." Zarc replied.
He still couldn't believe things had turned out so dire for them on the second turn alone. Whoever this Serena woman was, she was downright fierce in her attack. And if her partner was just as strong, then he couldn't afford to underestimate them for even a moment!
Zarc exhaled and calmed himself before stepping up to the plate. "It's my Turn! Draw!"
Turn 3: Zarc/Hand: 6
"First, I'll set the Scale 2 Supreme King Royal Armament Sword and the Scale 9 Supreme King Royal Armament Shield in the Pendulum Zones!"
As Zarc placed the two cards at the edges of his Duel Disk, the word 'PENDULUM' formed in rainbow-colored letters alongside two pillars of light on either side of him and Yuzu. In the left pillar was a jet-black sword with neon-green markings running down the blade, the head of a wicked-looking dragon resting on its pommel. To the right pillar was a heater shield with neon-green markings surrounding the edges of the shield. Branded on the shield's surface was the top-half of a dragon's head, dark green eyes glaring out at its master's enemies. Above him swung the cracked giant pendulum.
Serena reeled back in surprise. "W-what is this?!"
"With this, I can now summon any monster between Levels 3 and 8 simultaneously!"
"W-what?!"
Berrett grimaced. "I see… So, this is the Pendulum Summon mentioned in Sora's report."
'Time to see if the cards Reiji made for me are as good as he says!' Zarc thought to himself. "While Royal Armaments Sword and Shield are in the Pendulum Zones, their Pendulum Effect prevents me from Pendulum Summoning any monsters that aren't "Supreme King" monsters. Swing, pendulum of eternity! Back and forth, towards the unseen future! PENDULUM SUMMON! Come forth, my monster servants!"
The pendulum swung back and forth, creating a portal that unleashed two dark lights that manifested into twin dragons, each bearing neon-green markings over their dull gray bodies.
"Level 4! Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwurm!"
[Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkwurm / DARK / Level 4 / Dragon / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 1200]
"He summoned two Level 4 monsters at once…? What is this power?" Serena questioned in shock. "I thought Standard's native summon was Ritual?!"
"When Darkwurm is Normal or Special Summoned, I add a "Supreme King Gate" monster from my deck to my hand. Since I summoned two, I add two Gates!" Zarc took two of the aforementioned cards before he heard a violent roar emanate from his duel disk. A small smile formed on his face and nodded. "Yeah, I hear you. You want to fight too, don't you? In that case, I'll fuse my two Darkwurms together!"
Berrett's eye widened. "What? But you aren't using a Fusion Spell Card!"
"For the guy I'm about to summon, I don't have to use one since his effect lets me tribute two monsters on my field so long as they match the requirements! Furthermore, it's counted as a Fusion Summon!" The same whirlpool of lights that Serena used opened up behind him, swallowing his Darkwurms and reforming them into something more powerful, more dangerous. "Loyal vassal beasts to the absolute Supreme Dragon! Offer yourselves and give rise to a truly gluttonous beast! FUSION SUMMON!"
Zarc clapped his hands together. At that same moment, a purple dragon marked in neon-green lines emerged with a thunderous roar. The many orbs that decorated its body glowed in tandem with its large wings, which unfurled to create a powerful gust of wind. It stomped its foot on the ground and let out another roar, this one far more primal and full of bloodlust.
"Insipid dragon who bears the ravenous fangs! Level 8! Supreme King Servant Dragon Starving Venom!"
[SKSD Starving Venom / DARK / Level 8 / Dragon / Fusion / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2000]
The one-eyed duelist took a step back. "Starving Venom?! Here?!"
"Royal Armament Sword's Pendulum effect raises the ATK of all "Supreme King" monsters I control by 100, equal to their Level! Starving Venom is Level 8, therefore it gains 800 ATK!" Zarc informed as the green markings on both the sword and Starving Venom began to glow while a murderous aura enveloped his dragon. "On the other hand is Royal Armament Shield's Pendulum Effect, which lowers the ATK of all your monsters by 200 for every "Supreme King" monster on my field!"
[SKSD Starving Venom: ATK 2800 + 800 = 3600]
[Moonlight Cat Dancer: ATK 2400 – 200 = 2200]
"Then I activate Starving Venom's effect! I can either target a monster on the field or in the Graveyard, then have Starving Venom take on that monster's name and effects until the End Phase. Afterwards, my monsters can inflict piercing damage for the rest of the turn! I target Sonata the Melodious Diva!" Starving Venom's eyes glowed and bellowed a low roar as a subtle shift made itself present, the orbs on its body turning dark purple. "And if you recall, Sonata's effect allows it to raise the ATK and DEF of all Fairy Monsters on the field by 500 when it's special summoned. And effect that now applies to Starving Venom!"
[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony: ATK 3400 + 500 = 3900 / DEF 2500 + 500 = 3000]
Zarc glared at Serena harshly. "Time for some payback. Battle! Requiem Diva, attack Moonlight Cat Dancer!" Yuzu's Ritual Monster smiled before it raised its voice, singing a damning hymn as the ghostly orchestra behind her rose in volume and sending forth red musical notes towards Serena's monster. "When Requiem Diva battles an opponent's Special Summoned monster, it can destroy that monster at the start of the Damage Step!"
"What?!" Serena's eyes widened and watched as her monster was overcome by the attack, consumed by the musical notes that tore her apart and destroyed her in an instant. "Cat Dancer!"
"I activate Requiem Diva's other effect! By tributing a "Melodious" monster, she can attack again!"
"But you don't-" The girl stopped and remembered what Zarc did earlier. "No… Your dragon took on her monster's name and effects! That means-!"
Zarc smirked. "That's right! I tribute Starving Venom!" The dragon growled as it faded away, displeased by Zarc's action in merely summoning it to be used as fuel for another attack. He mentally apologized and promised his monster that it would have another chance later and resumed. "Since Starving Venom left the field, the effect it gained from Sonata no longer applies."
[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony: ATK 3900 - 500 = 3400 / DEF 3000 – 500 = 2500]
"Then I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Supreme King Mandate! This lets me summon a "Supreme King" Dragon monster from my Graveyard or face-up from my Extra Deck that was Special Summoned this turn! Revive, Starving Venom!" On cue, the purple dragon emerged with a triumphant roar signaling its return and set its sights on Serena, who was defenseless. "You're wide open!" Zarc aimed a finger at Serena. "Requiem Diva, attack Serena directly!"
The blue-haired girl scowled fiercely, unwilling to give even an inch. "I activate my face-down Trap: Moonlight Waxing! I summon a "Moonlight" monster from my Graveyard in Defense Position, then equip it with Moonlight Waxing! Return to me at once, Cat Dancer!" The cat-themed warrior returned to Serena's side and stared down Zarc's dragon, raising its blades in defiance.
"I'll continue the attack!" Zarc said. "Even though Starving Venom was sent to the Graveyard earlier, its effect is still in play! Man In Gray Dissonance!" Requiem Diva sung another hymn of destruction that made its way towards Serena's monster.
Serena quickly countered. "If the monster equipped with Moonlight Waxing would be destroyed, I can destroy Moonlight Waxing instead to negate its destruction! Even though it won't stop me from taking damage…!"
The swarm of murderous musical notes tore through Cat Dancer who weathered the storm, though the same could not be said about Serena who was also struck by the onslaught of notes, some even tearing through her jacket in the process. She ignored the pain, finding it tolerable compared to the pain she suffered in training with Berrett.
Berrett & Serena – LP 4000 – 1400 = 2600
"Next up is Starving Venom! Do it! Ravenous Poison Flare!"
A violent stream of dark-purple energy shot out of the dragon's mouth, burning through the ground in its pursuit. Unlike before, Serena could do nothing to protect her precious monster and watched as she was engulfed in flame before promptly exploding. Serena quickly shielded her face from the impending explosion and found herself being forced back. Once the resulting smoke faded, she lowered her arms and glared at Yuzu and Zarc, who returned the glare in equal measure.
Berrett & Serena – LP 2600 – 1600 = 1000
"When you take Battle Damage from a "Supreme King" monster I control, Royal Armament Sword gives me Life Points equal to half of the damage you took." Zarc informed her as his Pendulum Monster began to glow and heal the wounds Yuzu suffered previously thanks to Serena's attack. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 1200 + 800 = 2000
"I set a card face-down and end my turn here. As Starving Venom was summoned by Supreme King Mandate, it's returned to the Extra Deck during the End Phase." The dragon promptly vanished and faded, though not before giving Serena another nasty glare.
Serena grimaced and turned to her teacher. "I'm sorry, Berrett," she apologized. "I wasn't able to…"
Berrett shook his head. "You did well, Serena. There is nothing for you to be ashamed of. Think of this battle as good learning experience."
'However, I did not expect him to possess Starving Venom of all monsters…' Berrett looked warily at Zarc. His image faintly overlapped with another – that of a red-eyed youth with a smile that seemed pleasant, but otherwise hid the vicious beast that laid in wait behind the mask. 'And this feeling of animosity I feel from him… What is this? I feel a sense of danger coming from him, but at the same time, there is melancholy. It's as though there is a war waging on inside of him.' This made Berrett curious about this young man, this Zarc, but for the moment, he put his focus on the duel.
"It is now my turn. I draw." Berrett began.
Turn 4: Berrett/Hand: 6
"As I no control no monsters, I summon Micro-Sentinel." Appearing in front of Berrett was a metal machine, humanoid in design with bipedal legs and three long claws extending out from its wrists. Its head was reminiscent to a feline, albeit with long fangs that resembled tusks.
[Micro Sentinel / DARK / Level 1 / Machine / Effect / ATK 100 / DEF 900]
"Then, I summon Panther Warrior." A dark-furred monster appeared next, clad in armor and wielding a sword in one hand and a shield in the air. Though its form was human, its head was that of a feline, bearing its fangs and snarling at its enemies.
[Panther Warrior / EARTH / Level 4 / Beast-Warrior / Effect / ATK 2000 / DEF 1600]
"Panther Warrior?" Yuzu frowned slightly. "If I remember right, that monster can't attack unless he tributes a monster. It has pretty good ATK, sure, but it has a lousy drawback."
The corners of Berrett's lips twitched. "You are not wrong. Panther Warrior does not make an ideal soldier, but who said he is to fight? Micro Sentinel's effect allows me to perform a Fusion Summon, using itself and any monsters I have."
"Another Fusion Summon." Zarc noted. "These guys must favor the method, like Sora." He paused at that train of thought. "Wait… Like Sora…?"
"Ferocious black panther, merge together with the machine of war and bellow a new war cry! FUSION SUMMON!" Berret slammed his hands together when his monsters were pulled into the whirlpool of lights behind him, forming into a brand new monster. Its form was that of Panther Warrior, but half of its body was encroached by metal. A red optic sat where its left eye should be, flesh and fur replaced by steel. "Come forth! Beastborg Panther Predator!"
[Beastborg Panther Predator / DARK / Level 6 / Machine / Fusion / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 2000]
"When a Fusion Monster is summoned with Micro Sentinel's effect, it gains an additional 400 ATK." Berrett stated as the red wires exposed on its left side began to glow. In turn, Panther Predator let out a low growl that sounded less natural and more like steel being grinded together.
[Beastborg Panther Predator: ATK 1600 + 400 = 2000]
"Panther Predator's effect. Once per turn, I deal half of its ATK to my opponent as damage. Tactical Strike Blitz!" Before either Zarc or Yuzu could prepare themselves, Berrett's monster was already upon them. It leaped into the air and swung its sword, sending forth a crescent arc that hit them dead on in the chest, knocking them flat to the ground and the wind blown straight out from their lungs.
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 2000 – 1000 = 1000
"I set four cards face-down, and end my turn." Berrett relented, seeing no reason to continue. "It is your move."
"Okay, ooowww!" Zarc groaned as he sat up, rubbing his chest. "And right after we got all those Life Points back."
Yuzu was the first to get back on her feet. "Yeah, no kidding." She stared at her opponents' field warily. Why go through all the trouble of bringing out a Fusion Monster whose power was lower than their monsters? While she was confident she could take out the monster no problem, it was the man's face-downs that worried her. Chances were at least one of those cards was a Trap, waiting to be sprung and blow up in her face.
One thing was for sure, however, it was do-or-die now. She had to make a counter-attack, and at the very least, find a way to defend themselves from Serena's next assault. She was not confidant she could defeat them this turn, but she could set up some defenses.
"My turn again! Draw!"
Turn 5: Yuzu Hiiragi/Hand: 2
"I activate Requiem Diva's effect and summon Serenade the Melodious Diva from my hand!" Yuzu summoned another woman, skin a light shade of purple and garbed in a yellow dress with a red cloth wrapped around her waist decorated in musical notes.
[Serenade the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 400 / DEF 1900]
"When Serenade is Special Summoned, I can perform another Normal Summon! Serenade also counts as two Materials for a Tribute Summon! I release Serenade and summon Shopina the Melodious Maestra!" The woman bowed as she was engulfed by a flurry of gold musical notes. When the storm of music ceased, the purple-clad Shopina stood in her place and immediately began to play her phantasmal piano. "Next, I activate Shopina's effect! Once per turn, I can add a LIGHT Fairy monster in my Graveyard to my hand! In exchange, however, I can't activate any non-LIGHT monster's effects the turn this effect is used."
'Which means I can't use Requiem Diva's effect to tribute one of my monsters so she can attack again.' Yuzu was fine with that, however. Her strategy wasn't to do as much damage as she could, but formulate a defense that could withstand Serena's assault and give Zarc a fighting chance.
If anyone could beat these two, it was him.
"I activate the Continuous Spell: Coda! When its activated, I add a "Melodious" monster in my deck to my hand! Then I normal summon the monster I just added; Anthem the Melodious Diva!" At Yuzu's side was a woman with cherry-pink skin and vibrant yellow hair, wearing a red dress with a corsage and music notes decorating the skirt of her dress.
[Anthem the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 800]
"I activate Anthem's effect!" Yuzu continued. "Once per turn, all "Melodious" monsters on my field gain 100 ATK equal to the number of "Melodious" monsters I control! As an added bonus, I gain Life Points equal to the total ATK gained from this effect! Including Requiem Diva, which is treated as a "Melodious" as I have a "Melodious" monster on the field, I control three "Melodious" monsters! Therefore, all my monsters gain 300 ATK, and we gain 900 Life Points!"
[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony: ATK 3400 + 300 = 3700]
[Shopina the Melodious Maestra: ATK 2300 + 300 = 2600]
[Anthem the Melodious Diva: ATK 1800 + 300 = 2100]
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 1000 + 900 = 1900
'Okay, this should be good.' Yuzu thought to herself. It was time to see just which of their defenses was stronger!
"Battle! I attack Beastborg Panther Predator with Requiem Diva!"
"Naïve!" Berrett snapped. "I activate the Continuous Trap: Beastborg Medal of the Razor Net! When my opponent battles a "Beastborg" monster I control, I can negate that monster's attack, then equip Medal of the Razor Net to them!" Before Requiem Diva's attack could connect, the trap card flipped up and glowed, shooting out a literal net that easily dispelled the oncoming musical notes and fell upon the singing monster, causing it to flail about and attempt to remove the net. "Medal of the Razor Net prevents the equipped monster from battling and prevents them from being destroyed by battle. Not only are its effects negated, but when that monster is targeted for an attack, its ATK is reduced to zero until the end of the Battle Phase!"
Yuzu gritted her teeth. "I should have figured he had something to protect his monster, but a trap like that?!" Forget setting up a defensive line, she had to prevent either of those two from abusing her Requiem Diva just to bring their Life Points down to zero! "In that case, I'll attack Panther Predator again! This time with Shopina the Melodious Maestra!"
The woman smiled and played a beautiful, if violent tune that sent out shockwaves towards the metal beast. Unfortunately for Yuzu, Berrett was equally as prepared for this assault as well.
"I think not! The Continuous Trap: Beastborb Medal of the Flashing Rifle!" Panther Predator suddenly brandished a rifle somewhere from its person, raising it in opposition to Shopina as her attack drew closer. "When my opponent battles a "Beastborg" monster I control, I can reduce that attacking monster's ATK, equal to half of the current ATK of a "Beastborg" monster on my field!"
[Shopina the Melodious Maestra: ATK 2600 – 1000 = 1600]
"What?!" Yuzu paled and watched as Panther Predator took aim and pulled the trigger, piercing the shockwave and shooting her monster square in the forehead, destroying her instantly.
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 1900 – 400 = 1500
Serena scoffed at seeing Yuzu's dismayed face. "You talked pretty big at the start, but you ended up getting overconfident."
The pink-haired girl wanted oh-so-badly to punch Serena in the face, but knew it wouldn't do her any good. She not only made their Life Points even lower, but they were backed into the proverbial corner. She wanted to scream at herself.
Nothing had changed. She was still so damn useless! What was with all that talk about protecting herself and Zarc and helping him prepare for his next turn?! She practically shot herself in the foot just by testing out Berrett's defenses.
She had no idea what would happen if they lost, only the chilling implications by what her blue-haired doppelganger had spoken before. Would they die if they lost?
"I…" Yuzu's hands shook. She bit her lower lip, unable to meet Zarc's eyes. "I end my turn."
Serena smirked viciously. "It's my turn now! Draw!"
Turn 6: Serena/Hand: 1
Berrett watched Serena closely, wondering what she would do. If she used Panther Predator's effect, along with Flashing Rifle's, they would wipe out their opponents Life Points easily. Granted, he was wary of that face-down card, but he was still fairly certain their victory was assured. Even so, he did not want to direct Serena. If he directed her and forced her to follow his commands, how could she grow as a duelist? As a warrior of Academia?
So instead of telling her what was the safest course of action, he would allow her to do as she pleased. He only hoped her overconfidence would not become her undoing.
'This is bad…!' Yuzu thought. 'If she gets Cat Dancer back…!'
"It'll be alright," she turned her head. Zarc smiled at her confidently. "The game's not over yet."
How? How could he smile in a situation like this? Wasn't he angry at her? Did he still have faith in her in spite of her screw-up? Her eyes drifted to their field and saw the face-down. Was that it? Did they really still have a chance?
'If…' she swallowed the lump in her throat. 'If Zarc still thinks we can win this…!'
At that moment, something in Yuzu's head clicked.
"When Moonlight Ghost Bat is in the Graveyard, I can banish it and Fusion Summon a "Moonlight" monster from my Graveyard by banishing monsters on my field or in my Graveyard!"
"What!? A fusion summon from the Graveyard, using monsters from the graveyard!?" Yuzu sputtered as Selena's Moonlight Ghost Bat, a small white-haired girl with bat-ears, vampire fangs, blood-red eyes, and a semi-translucent ballet tutu and cape shaped like bat wings, appeared the field as a phantasm before summoning a fusion portal above her head.
"I banish the Moonlight White Rabbit and Blue Cat from my Graveyard and Fusion Summon Moonlight Cat Dancer!" Selena declared, the spectral images of her monsters appearing before they fell into the whirlpool, giving rise to Serena's ace monster. "Then I activate the Spell: Lunar Shadow! This only activates when there's a "Moonlight" Fusion Monster on my field and lets me summon a Moonlight Token!"
A small blue cat appeared on Serena's field, garbed in light armor and wielding a small dagger with a hood pulled over its head.
[Moonlight Token / DARK / Level 4 / Token / ATK 2000 / DEF 2000]
"Unfortunately, my Moonlight Token can't attack since it was summoned through Lunar Shadow. On the flipside, however, I can banish Lunar Shadow from the Graveyard to activate its second effect! On the turn Lunar Shadow is banished, all "Moonlight" monsters on my field are unaffected by your monster effects, and they cannot be targeted by those effects!"
'A defensive measure.' Berrett noted. 'Even should her assault somehow fail, her monsters will be protected. It seems you have been taking my lessons to heart after all.'
"Let's finish this!" Serena roared. "I tribute Moonlight Token to activate Cat Dancer's effect! Battle! Cat Dancer! Destroy Requiem Diva!" Cat Dancer let out a war cry and charged at her opponent. "Razor Net's effect activates and reduces your monster's ATK to zero! You're finished!"
"No, we're not!" Before Yuzu's brain caught up to what her body was doing, almost on instinct, the words rose from her mouth before she could stop herself. Where did this burst of confidence come from? "I activate Coda's effect! I tribute as many "Melodious" monsters on my field as I want, and for each I tribute, I gain 1000 Life Points! I tribute Requiem Diva and Anthem and gain 2000 Life Points!"
"What?!"
Both aforementioned monsters faded into light that washed over Yuzu and Zarc. The wounds they suffered previously from Berrett's assault slowly began to fade, as did the cuts and bruises on their bodies.
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 1500 + 2000 = 3500
"You…" Serena gaped at her. "Don't tell me, you gave up your monsters to restore your Life Points and to keep Cat Dancer from attacking you twice?!"
Zarc smirked. "Your Cat Dancer's pretty strong, no doubt about that. But it's flaw is that its effect only works on monsters."
"So even if you attack us directly, Cat Dancer can only attack us once!" Yuzu finished.
Serena stared at them in bewilderment before she shook her head. "Idiots. Did you forget Cat Dancer has 2400 ATK?! Once I hit her with you, Berrett's Beastborg Panther Predator will be more than enough to finish you off! Cat Dancer!" The feline monster lunged at the duo, prepared to leave them vulnerable so Berrett's own monster could deal the finishing blow.
In spite of this, Yuzu smirked. "Don't think so~"
Clang!
Serena gaped and stared in shock. Beside her, Berrett's lone eye widened. "What?!"
Cat Dancer's daggers were intercepted by wicked curved horns, belonging to a very angry-looking dragon that was glaring down at her before shrugging her off and sending her away, letting out a earth-shaking roar.
"Supreme King Pendulum Renaissance!" Yuzu revealed the face-down card Zarc had set during his turn. "It's a Continuous Trap that activates only when "Supreme King" monsters occupy both Pendulum Zones. This card enables me to, if there are no monsters on my field, summon up to 2 'Supreme King' Pendulum Monsters from the Extra Deck while also letting me use the summoned monsters for a Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Summon. The cards I summoned were the two Darkwurms in Zarc's Extra Deck!"
"So Starving Venom, you…" Selena gasped.
"I used those monsters to fusion summon him with Renaissance's effect!" Yuzu replied.
Berrett grimaced. "I see… So in addition to restoring your Life Points, you also summoned your dragon back to the field… Not bad. However!" He swung his arm forward. "I activate the Continuous Trap: Beastborg Medal of the Crimson Chain!" A set of chains lashed out and wrapped around Starving Venom, much to its frustration and anger. "When my opponent Special Summons from the Extra Deck, Crimson Chain prevents that monster from battling or change its position. Also, you can no longer summon anymore monsters or activate Spells or Traps!"
Yuzu frowned. "So we managed to stave off total destruction, and now we can't summon anymore monsters or activate any of our spells or traps. Isn't that just perfect?!"
'What's gotten into Yuzu all of a sudden?' Zarc noted with a wry smile. 'Well, at least she's cheered up. Still, talk about a quick 180… Must be a girl thing or something.'
Serena gritted her teeth, frustrated by the two's actions. If she were to attack with Cat Dancer, she'd end up hurting herself instead. "I activate Panther Predator's effect!" At her call, the robotic monster readied its rifle. "When my opponent takes damage from a "Beastborg" monster's effect, Flashing Rifle deals an extra 500 points of damage!"
Panther Predator fired off two shots that struck Yuzu and Zarc, causing them to wince and recoil from the attack.
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 3500 – 1500 = 2000
"I end my turn." Serena said with obvious distaste and frustration for being unable to defeat the two as she had hoped.
Yuzu and Zarc shared a look with each other before smirking and turning their attention back to the field. "My turn!" Zarc took the top card from his deck. "Draw!"
Turn 7: Zarc/Hand: 1
Zarc looked at the card he drew and stared at it before he found himself laughing, startling Serena and Berrett. "W-what the? Has he finally cracked?" the former wondered. "A bad draw?"
"Far from it!" Zarc grinned. "Ladies and gents, iiit's SHOWTIME! Since I control a "Supreme King" monster, I can send Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkdraconius to the Graveyard from my hand in order to activate its effect and increase the ATK of all "Supreme King" monsters on my field by 500!" Starving Venom growled as a faint red aura enveloped it.
[SKSD Starving Venom: ATK 3600 + 500 = 4100]
Berrett frowned. "Why increase the power of his monster when it cannot attack?" A moment later and he realized why. "Don't tell me… It's effect?!"
"Glad to see you remember Starving Venom's effect! I choose Darkdraconius and have Starving Venom take on its powers for itself! And speaking of, I activate Starving Venom's new effect! Once per turn, I target a card on the field and destroy it! I choose Beastborg Panther Predator! And since it isn't one of your friend's "Moonlight" monsters, it isn't protected by Lunar Shadow! In other words, it's fair game!"
Starving Venom growled and opened its maw, sending out a small ball of dark-purple fire that obliterated the beast-machine hybrid easily.
Berrett grimaced. "Had it been destroyed in battle, I could have summoned Panther Warrior and Micro Sentinel," he mumbled and watched as his traps shattered one after another after the loss of his monster. "When there are no "Beastborg" monsters on my field, my Beastborg Medal Continuous Traps are destroyed."
"Except for this one!" Serena roared, countering Zarc's move with her own. "I activate the face-down Trap: Beastborg Medal of Heroic Sacrifice! If a "Beastborg" monster on our field is destroyed, I can destroy two cards on your field in exchange! I choose Supreme King Royal Armament Sword and Supreme King Servant Dragon Starving Venom!" The card flipped up and fired off two blasts of light that exploded on impact. When the smoke cleared, the pillar on Zarc's right and his dragon were gone. Despite this, the amnesiac teen was still grinning, confident he could win. The grin made Serena angry. "You… Just how arrogant can you be?! You don't have any monsters left, no more cards to play! You've lost!"
"That's where you're wrong," Yuzu rebutted. "A duel is not over until our Life Points are gone and the last card has been played! And we still have plenty of Life Points left over!"
"And I still have one last card left to play." Zarc continued. "And it just so happens to be the card Yuzu happened to play. Our key to victory. You didn't seriously think Yuzu would just play a card that would give us more Life Points and take away her only line of defense, my own face-down aside, did you?"
Serena gaped. "No, don't tell me-!"
"Yuzu tributed Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony and Anthem the Melodious Diva with Coda's effect," he reminded her. "And by tributing Coda, I can summon those monsters back from the Graveyard! It's time for an encore, you two!" On cue, the two monsters appeared in a flourish of light and musical notes. The ghostly orchestra that accompanied Requiem Diva began to play a triumphant tune as victory began to loom over them. "Then I activate Anthem's effect! I raise the ATK of all "Melodious" monsters on my field by 100 for each "Melodious" monster I control, and gain Life Points equal to that amount!"
[Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony: ATK 2500 + 200 = 2700]
[Anthem the Melodious Diva: ATK 1800 + 200 = 2000]
Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc – LP 2000 + 400 = 2400
"Battle!" Zarc declared. "As of this moment, I banish Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkdraconius from the Graveyard to activate its effect! I target a monster you control and lower its ATK by 800! The monster I choose…is Moonlight Cat Dancer!"
Serena paled. "What?!"
[Moonlight Cat Dancer: ATK 2400 – 800 = 1600]
Berrett scowled. "This is bad…!"
"Anthem! Requiem Diva! Time for the grand finale! New World Concierto!"
There was no stopping the attack. All either of them could do was brace for impact as both Requiem Diva and Anthem began to sing before letting out a single, combined shout that carried with them a destructive shockwave aimed directly at them. Cat Dancer stood in front of Serena protectively, but could do nothing was it was unceremoniously blown away by the combined attack. Serena and Berret were knocked off their feet and the chains binding Zarc and Yuzu's Duel Disks broke apart the moment their bodies hit the ground.
Berrett & Serena – LP 1000 – 2100 = 0
WINNER: Yuzu Hiiragi & Zarc!
Zarc breathed a small sigh of relief and watched as the monsters faded, though not before giving both him and Yuzu peace signs and grins in congratulations for their hard-earned win. "Thank god that's over..." he muttered before he looked at Yuzu. His friend looked out of it and was staring off into space. "Yuzu?"
"W-what?" Yuzu blinked, her mind coming back into focus. She saw Serena and Berrett on the ground and stared in surprise. "Wait, did we...win?"
"You're surprised?" Not that he blamed her. With the way these two fought, it was touch and go for a minute. They fought like no other duelist he went up against. And they way they conducted themselves, there was no doubt about it. They fought exactly as Sora had. Were they connected somehow? Yuzu's doppelganger was wearing a jacket that looked similar to the one Sora wore, but that could just be coincidence.
Regardless, it was time to get some answers from the two of them. Whoever they were, they definitely weren't from Maiami if they easily talked about making them disappear.
Before he and Yuzu could interrogate the two, they heard rushing footsteps coming towards them. To their surprise, Nakajima and someone else they didn't recognize came into view. "Are you two alright?!" Nakajima asked in concern.
"We're fine," Yuzu assured him before turning her gaze towards Serena and Berrett, who by now had recovered from the attack and were back on their feet. She noticed how Nakajima's companion stiffened upon seeing her and Serena, no doubt because of their remarkable resemblance. Even she wanted to know why the two of them looked so alike.
Suddenly, the man's face twisted the exact moment he saw Berrett. "Academia!" he snarled with absolute hatred she had never heard in anyone before, his Duel Disk raised and a holographic board forming over his forearm. Seeing this, Berrett frowned and tapped on his own terminal a few times. Just as Nakajima and a few other men in suits rushed towards them as if to apprehend them. Just as they reached them, the two were engulfed in a bright flash of light, forcing everyone present to shield their eyes. After a few seconds, the light show ended. When they lowered their arms, the two were gone.
"Dammit!" Nakajima cursed as he quickly searched the alley. "Spread out! They couldn't have gotten too far!"
Zarc and Yuzu watched in confusion as the men in suits scrambled about the alleyway. The unknown man scowled and quickly began the search. 'I don't understand what the heck is going on here,' Zarc thought. 'Who were those two? And why is the Leo Corporation after them? Just what's going on...?'
'What happened back there?' Whereas Zarc's thoughts were on the duelists, Yuzu's was on the duel itself. More specifically, the last leg of it. She was vaguely aware of what happened - she managed to stop Serena from destroying them outright and even gave Zarc the means to kick their ass, plus a little luck of the draw (literally), but something was off. For a while, it felt like she wasn't in total control of her body. Like someone else was sitting in the driver seat and she was the passenger. She swore someone was here with them.
She couldn't remember them clearly, only the feeling of a soft breeze that happened to brush past her and the faint image of green hair...
Elsewhere, a girl with dual-toned green hair and orange eyes blinked rapidly and looked about her surroundings. "Rin?" her cellmate called out in concern. "Is something wrong?"
"I don't know... I could have sworn I was..."
"So, they escaped..." Reiji frowned. "I had hoped we would have apprehended one of them, but I suppose I was being optimistic."
"I'm sorry, sir."
"You're fine, Nakajima." The young corporate president paused when he noticed someone missing. "Where is Kurosaki?"
Yuto sighed. "He hasn't come back yet. If those two really are from Academia, he won't give up trying to find them until he drops dead from exhaustion."
That, and if what Shun told him was true, then there was another reason why he couldn't give up the chase.
During the initial days of the invasion, Shun and him had been out on the front lines doing everything they could. Sometimes they managed to push the enemy back, sometimes they failed and had to pull back. On each and every occasion, they always found themselves fighting against Academia's forces. They did the best they could, but they suffered more losses than wins. It was depressing, not to mention a serious blow to morale. Even now, after months of getting stronger and fighting back, those losses still weighed heavily on his mind.
For Shun, though, some of those losses were far more personal. Comrades, friends, teachers, family... Every person he ever watched be defeated or turn into a card. Each one of those losses weighed on his shoulders like burdens.
Among those many losses, some were incurred by a singular individual.
'And to think, he came to Standard as well...' Yuto thought with a frown. 'I never encountered that man myself, but I've heard more than a few stories about the Beastborg Duelist. He's incredibly powerful, and if the rumors are true, he's one of this "Professor's" most trusted officers. His skills are impressive, and he's defeated some of the best duelists in Heartland. Some of the people he defeated were Shun's closest friends. If what Academia did to Heartland and its people was bad enough, Berrett taking your friends is worse.'
"Still, why did Academia send more agents?" Ray questioned. "Have they begun?"
Reiji shook his head. "I doubt it. If they had, they would have attacked more ferociously. However, it's also possible they could be performing a stealth mission. Why, I couldn't say. Regarding Yuzu and Zarc, how are you handling the situation?"
"We've told them that the two were dangerous criminals and are working with the police to apprehend them. We've asked them to come to the station when it's convenient and plan to retrieve the data from their Duel Disk." Nakajima informed his boss. "We hope to retrieve the data from their duel."
Yuto looked at the Akaba siblings in confusion. "You haven't told them?" he questioned. "Wouldn't it be better to tell them about Academia?"
"Considering our enemy hails from another world, I doubt they'd believe us off the bat," Reiji answered coolly. "Also, we can't have them blab their mouths or go off in search of them. As they are now, they aren't prepared. That's also why we're holding the Maiami Championship. It isn't just a recruitment drive; it's a test to see who has the potential and capability of growing stronger."
Ray hummed. "Even so, I doubt either Zarc or that Hiiragi girl will be satisfied with our explanation. And considering Shiunnin is with them..."
Ray raised a good point. Chances were they would tell of their encounter with the rest of You Show, thus alerting Sora that his comrades were here. That would make monitoring him more difficult, as well as observing him if he ever went out in search of his allies.
For now, they'd simply have to continue playing the waiting game, as well as deal with that other issue.
Reiji turned to Nakajima. "Any word on that group using the illegal cards yet?"
"This day was awful..." Zarc sighed deeply as he and Yuzu returned to You Show. "Seriously, what was all of that about anyhow?"
A few hours ago, they had been in what had to have been one of the weirdest duels in their lives. Nakajima, Reiji's assistant, told them the two they dueled earlier were criminals involved in the disappearances of other duelists, but the hasty explanation and look of uncertainty on the man's face told the two there was a lot more than what he was saying. There was a lot for them to take in and digest, but at most they definitely that they were trouble. Whoever they were, the Leo Corporation was after them. The question was why.
The two had been asked to come to the station at their earliest convenience in order to discuss what transpired in the alley and help provide any information they could about the two mystery duelists. For the time being, they decided to head on home, or at least that was the plan until Shuzo rang up Yuzu telling her to come over to You Show Duel School right away. As far as they knew, renovations to the school were not completed, but Shuzo's voice told them it was urgent. Perhaps a complication arose or something big cropped up. Regardless, Yuzu and Zarc arrived at You Show as requested.
Zarc looked at Yuzu, noticing the conflicted look on her face. "Still thinking about what happened back back there?" Yuzu shook her head. He frowned. "Is it about that girl? Serena?"
"That obvious, huh?" Yuzu smiled weakly before she sighed. "I just don't get it... Ray was one thing, but now there's someone else who looks like me. It's like deja vu, only instead of Yuya, it's with me."
"I admit, it was pretty shocking, but you two definitely aren't alike. The way she dueled was downright aggressive, not to mention completely focused on the offensive." Zarc offered her some solace. "Whoever she is, I doubt we've seen the last of her. Something tells me we'll likely run into each other again sometime soon."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. Call it a hunch."
Yuzu stared at him for a moment, then sighed and shrugged. "If you say so. Honestly, I hope we never see those guys again."
Still, the duel was an eye-opener for her. She definitely couldn't afford to get sloppy. Zarc seemed to think that she just got a burst of confidence when Serena and Berrett pushed them up against the wall, but the truth is she barely remembered any of it. And the fact remained that she nearly made them lose. On the one hand, her attacking them revealed Berrett's traps, but on the other hand, they likely wouldn't even have needed to attack them outright. They could have simply used the strategy they did at the end, but in a better position. In fact, now that she thought about it, it was only pure stupid luck that Serena had decided to try and attack them with her own monsters instead of using Berrett's cards.
'If she had used Panther Predator and Flashing Rifle at the start of her turn, we would have lost then and there...' Yuzu clenched her teeth. She had to get stronger. She couldn't afford to be weak or let the others carry her like she was baggage. If she couldn't stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Yuya and the others, then what good was she as a duelist? What good was she as a student of You Show Duel School?
The first chance she got, Yuzu was going to train herself to the bone and wouldn't stop until she dropped dead in exhaustion!
With burning resolve in her eyes, Yuzu carried onward. Zarc, confused and a little off-put by the intensity in her eyes, followed after her. The two eventually reached the main area where they found Shuzo and Yuya speaking with someone. He looked to be of the same age as Zarc, hair dirty blonde and unruly and wearing a blue-and-white striped shirt beneath a green jacket and denim jeans.
"Ah, Yuzu! Zarc! There you guys are!" Shuzo exclaimed and waved at them, beckoning them over. "You made it!"
"What's going on?" Zarc asked as they approached. "And who's this?"
Yuya grinned. "Remember how Reiji said he was going to send out applications for You Show? He followed through on his promise!" He gestured to their guest. "This guy's from the States. Er, where'd you say you were from?"
"Brooklyn," the new student replied. "I'm Japanese, but I was born in the U.S. My folks moved there thanks ta my dad's job and all that." He grinned as he held out his hand to the two. "The name's Katsuya Jonouchi, but my friends back home call me 'Joey.' Nice ta meet ya! Hope I'll be able to keep up with ya!"
Reiji: So, they're finally making their move.
?: I am not handing over my cards to you, so paws off!
?: If I beat you, I can take your rare Pendulum cards for myself! I hit the jackpot!
Yuya: Yuzu!
Zarc: Who are these guys?
Next Scale: The Rare Hunters' Assault
Card Information
Duet the Melodious Songstress / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1500 / If you Special Summon a "Melodious" Monster (other than this card): You can add 1 "Melodious" monster from your deck to your hand, also, if that monster was a Ritual Monster, you can add 1 Ritual Spell Card listed in that card's name from your deck to your hand. You can banish this card from your GY; Add 1 "Melodious" monster from your GY to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Duet the Melodious Songstress" once per turn.
Anthem the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 800 / If you Special Summon a "Melodious" monster: You can Special Summon this card (from your GY). You can only Special Summon "Anthem the Melodious Diva(s)" once per turn this way. You take no damage from battles involving "Melodious" monsters you control. Once per turn: You can activate this effect; Increase the ATK of all "Melodious" monsters you control by 100 for each "Melodious" monster you control, and if you do, gain LP equal to the total ATK gained from this effect.
Requiem Diva of the Salieri Symphony / DARK / Level 10 / Fairy / Ritual / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 2500 / You can Ritual Summon this card with "Dies Irae Concierto." If you control a "Meodious" monster: This card is treated as a "Melodious" monster. This card gains 300 ATK for each monster tribute for its Ritual Summon. (Quick Effect): Once per turn: You can Special Summon 1 "Melodious" monster from your deck, but its ATK and DEF are changed to 0, also during the End Phase, return it to your Hand. If this card declares an attack against a Special Summoned Monster your opponent controls; Destroy that monster after damage calculation. Once per turn, if this card destroys a monster by battle or its effect: You can tribute 1 other "Melodious" monster you control; This card can make an additional attack in a row.
Moonlight Ghost Bat / DARK / Level 1 / Beast-Warrior / Effect / ATK 500 / DEF 300 / If your opponent activates a card or effect from the hand or GY while you control a "Moonlight" Fusion Monster: You can discard this card; Negate the activation of that card or effect, and if you do, increase your opponent's LP by 3000. You can banish this card from your GY; Fusion Summon 1 "Moonlight" monster from your GY by banishing Material from your side of the field or GY. Each effect of "Moonlight Ghost Bat" can only be used once per turn.
Supreme King Royal Armament Sword / DARK / Level 6 / Fiend / Pendulum / Normal / ATK 2500 / DEF 0 / Scale 2
Pendulum Effect / You cannot Pendulum Summon monsters except "Supreme King" monsters. This effect cannot be negated. Increase the ATK of all "Supreme King" Monsters you control by their Level/Rank X 100. Each time a "Supreme King" monster you control inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent's LP, gain LP equal to half the damage inflicted.
Normal Monster Flavor Text / The blade of the Supreme King drips with the blood of vengeance. In its demonic hate, it yearns for the day when its master will take it up once again.
Supreme King Royal Armament Shield / DARK / Level 5 / Fiend / Pendulum / Normal / ATK 0 / DEF 3000 / Scale 9
Pendulum Effect / You cannot Pendulum Summon monsters except "Supreme King" monsters. This effect cannot be negated. Decrease the ATK of all monsters your opponent controls by 200 for each "Supreme King" monster you control. Each time you take Battle Damage from a battle involving a "Supreme King" monster you control: Inflict damage to your opponent's LP equal to half the damage you took.
Normal Monster Flavor Text / The Supreme King delights in the fury of his enemies. Let their power be turned against them as they clash uselessly against the avatar of victory.
Supreme King Servant Dragon Darkdraconius / DARK / Level 6 / Dragon / Pendulum / Effect / ATK 2300 / DEF 2100 / Scale 6 /
Pendulum Effect / You can only Pendulum Summon up to 2 Dragon monsters per turn. (This effect cannot be negated).
Monster Effect / If you control a "Supreme King" monster (Quick Effect): You can send this card from your side of the field or your hand to the GY; Increase the ATK of all "Supreme King" monsters you control by 500. Once per turn: You can target 1 card on the field; Destroy it. (Quick Effect): You can banish this card from your GY to target 1 monster your opponent controls; Reduce its ATK by 800.
Micro Sentinel / DARK / Level 1 / Machine / Effect / ATK 100 / DEF 900 / If you control no monsters or control a Beast-Warrior Monster: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Micro Sentinel(s)" once per turn this way. Once per turn, you can Fusion Summon 1 "Beastborg" monster from your Extra Deck using monsters you control as Material, including this card. The monster summoned by this effect gains 400 ATK.
Lunar Shadow / Spell / Normal / Activate this card's effects only if you control a "Moonlight" Fusion Monster. Special Summon 1 "Moonlight" Token (Beast-Warrior Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 2000/DEF 2000). The monster summoned by this effect cannot attack. You can banish this card from your GY; This turn, "Moonlight" monsters you control are unaffected by and cannot be targeted by your opponent's monster effects.
Supreme King Mandate / Spell / Quick-Play / Special Summon 1 face-up "Supreme King" Pendulum Monster from your Extra Deck or 1 "Supreme King" monster from your GY. That monster is shuffled into the deck during the End Phase. You can only activate 1 "Supreme King Mandate" per turn. You cannot Special Summon monsters the turn you activate this effect except "Supreme King" monsters.
Coda / Spell / Continuous / When this card is activated: You can add 1 "Melodious" monster from your deck to your hand. (Quick Effect): You can tribute any number of "Melodious" monsters you control; Gain 1000 LP for each monster tributed for this effect. You can tribute this card to target any number of "Melodious" monsters tributed for this card's effect; Special Summon those monsters (Ignoring their summoning conditions). You can only control 1 "Coda".
Legato / Trap / Normal / Reveal 1 monster in your hand: Special Summon 1 "Melodious" Monster from your hand, deck, or GY whose Level is 1 Level higher than the Level of the Revealed Monster, and if you do, increase its ATK by the Level of the revealed monster X 100.
Moonlight Waxing / Trap / Normal / Special Summon 1 "Moonlight" Monster from your GY in face-up defense position and equip that monster with this card. If the equipped monster would be destroyed, you can destroy this card instead.
Beastborg Medal of the Heroic Sacrifice / Trap / Normal / If a "Beastborg" card you control is destroyed: You can target up to 2 cards your opponent controls; Destroy them.
Supreme King Pendulum Renaissance / Trap / Continuous / Activate only if you control a "Supreme King" card in each of your Pendulum Zones. During your opponent's turn, if you control no monsters, you can Pendulum Summon up to 2 "Supreme King" monsters from your Extra Deck, and if you do: Immediately after this effect resolves; Fusion Summon, Synchro Summon, or Xyz Summon 1 "Supreme King" monster from your Extra Deck using cards you control. You can only activate this effect once per turn.
Beastborg Medal of the Razor Net / Trap / Continuous / Destroy this card if you control no "Beastborg" monsters. If an opponent's monster declares an attack against a "Beastborg" monster you control: You can target that monster; Negate that attack and equip this card to that monster. The equipped monster cannot attack or be destroyed by battle, also, its effects are negated. If the equipped monster is targeted for an attack, change that monster's ATK to 0 until the end of the Damage Step.
Beastborg Medal of the Flashing Rifle / Trap / Continuous / Destroy this card if you control no "Beastborg" monsters. If an opponent's monster declares an attack against a "Beastborg" monster you control: You can target that monster; Reduce the ATK of that monster by half the ATK of 1 "Beastborg" monster you control. If your opponent takes damage from the effect of a "Beastborg" monster you control: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent's LP.
A/N: This duel was brought to you by Donjusticia. Also, oh wow, holy shit, this actually updated? And, wait, what?! Joey's in this?! How the fuck did that happen?!
Well, there's a good reason for that. And whether or not Joey will be the only OG Yu-Gi-Oh character to appear is currently up for debate at the moment. Honestly, part of me wants to see what would happen if I pitted Kaiba against Reiji. My god that would be fucking epic.
Anyway, made a small change to Requiem Diva and changed her to being a Fairy monster instead of a mix of Fiend-Fairy, since that type doesn't exist unless it does without me knowing it.
As for Yuzu somehow synchronizing with Rin… Well, that ties into Zarc and Yuya synchronizing, and may or may not have something to do with Ray, but that explanation will come at a later time.
The Rare Hunters arc won't be long. At best, maybe three to four chapters, as it's mostly to give the spotlight to some characters who have been on the back burner for a while now and haven't had much of a chance to shine. That, and it's also to help remind you guys that, while Zarc may be a good guy now on account of his amnesia…he's still the Demon Duelist.
To give you a spoiler of what's to come, and what might arguably be one of the few moments Pendulum's Fifth Swing gets as realistic and drastic as the original Yu-Gi-Oh manga:
"You act high and mighty…but insects WILL ALWAYS BE INSECTS!"
Also, a quick heads up that I'll be going on a temporary hiatus to focus on my school work and help out my fam. I never thought I'd say this, but my god do I miss being in a classroom. Don't get me wrong, online classes are pretty cool, but come on man! I do better with a physical hands-on approach.
That's it for now. Friendly reminder that this story has a TV Tropes page, so kindly check it out and maybe add to it?
See You~