Disclaimer: Minor Spelling, Grammar, and Other Mistakes May Be Present.
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[Maiami Championship Arc Opening Theme (Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V Opening 2: Burn)]
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Scale 016: A Battle Against a Familiar Face
Two days later…
Yuzu could be seen walking alone with a bag of groceries, a solemn expression present on her face.
It's been three days since that day, and yet they still haven't woken up. Yuzu thought. Could they be…
No, they couldn't be. They were still breathing, so they had to still be alive.
…
But that didn't make her any less worried.
"What happened on that day to make them like this?" Yuzu wondered aloud.
If that wasn't enough, Sora had also gone missing. Things were spiraling out of her control, and she just wasn't sure about what she should, or even could, do about it.
Yuzu stopped walking, arriving at the Sakaki Household. She knocked on the door a few times. Shortly after, Sakaki Yoko, a tall blond woman and Yuya's mother, opened the door to let her in. After Yuzu helped Yoko put the groceries away, the two of them made their way to Yuya's room.
Upon entering, one could see Yuya resting on his bed, while Yuuji could be seen resting on a mattress that was placed on the ground nearby.
"Nothing about them has changed since yesterday," Yoko stated. "They're still in a deep coma."
"..." Yuzu clenched her fists. "What if they never wake up—?"
Yoko suddenly grabbed Yuzu's shoulders, holding her still.
"Don't think like that. The sooner you lose hope in them; the worse things will be."
"...But what else can we do? Nothing we've done has worked."
"All we can do is wait," Yoko said. "And maybe, eventually they'll just magically wake up as if nothing had happened."
As if it planned by god himself, both Yuya and Yuuji rise up from where they were sleeping, fully conscious.
"*Yawn* I don't think I've slept that good in a while," Yuuji said as he stretched his arms. When he looked around, he noticed that he was in an unfamiliar setting. "Huh? Where am I?"
"I'm…back home?" Yuya said in a daze. "How long have I been out?"
[...] Yuzu and Yoko both look at each other, blinking silently before shouting. [Ehh!?]
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"You're telling me we've been out for three days?" Yuuji's looked surprised. "Damn…no wonder I don't feel tired."
"Yeah. You both were in a deep sleep," Yoko nodded. "Though it's only natural. You both had be working hard even before the tournament, so it make sense why you might be tired."
"Even so, three days is a long time to be sleeping," Yuya said before he realized something. "Wait? Doesn't that mean we might've missed our upcoming matches?"
"No, you haven't," Yuzu shook her head. "The second round has only recently started today, and you both have matches near the end of it."
"That's good to hear," Yuuji let out a breath of a relief. "I don't know what I would've done if I got myself disqualified because I was stuck in a coma for too long."
Yuuji then tried to stand up but stopped as he felt a sharp pain from both his back and his left arm.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Yuuji quickly sat back down.
"You should rest some more Yuuji," Yuzu suggested. "From your first-round match to what happened three days ago, your body has gone through a lot."
"I-I'm fine, t-trust me," Yuuji reassured them as he tried to stand up again, this time managing to do so. "Yoko-san has already helped me out too much by letting me recover here, I don't want to leech off her anymore than I have to."
"Oh, don't be like that," Yoko smiled. "Any friend of Yuya is always welcome here."
"You heard her," Yuzu said before putting her hands on Yuuji's shoulder's and pushing him back onto the mattress. "You need to rest."
"Ow! Fine!" Yuuji hissed in pain as he rubbed his left shoulder.
"Besides, I still want to know what happened that day," Yuzu said. "What happened to Sora? Did you guys find him? Why did both of you fall into a coma?"
[...] Both Yuya and Yuuji were silent.
"What's wrong? Why won't you guys say anything?" Yuzu asked.
"I'm not too sure myself," Yuya replied. "My memory is kind of hazy."
"C'mon, you have to remember something," Yuzu frowned.
There was a slight moment of silence until Yuuji decided to speak up.
"Well for starters, we saw Yuto, along with another guy who looked like us," Yuuji explained.
"Oh yeah," That seemed to jog Yuya's memory. "I was talking with Yuto, and a bright green light filled the area. When we looked to see what it was, that guy suddenly appeared riding on some kind of motorcycle."
"A Duel Runner to be more precise," Yuuji corrected.
"A Duel what?" Yuya raised an eyebrow.
"It's basically just a motorcycle specialized for dueling," Yuuji explained. "My mentor happened to own one, so that's why I know of it."
"A motorcycle specialized for dueling?" Yuzu was surprised. "Never heard of that before."
"That does sound pretty cool, now that I think of it," Yuya commented.
"I know right," Yuuji agreed. "She told me that back where she's from, duels were mainly conducted on Duel Runners."
"So, if what your mentor said was true, that means that this Yuya lookalike probably came from where she's from," Yoko said.
"That's possible, but I can't really confirm it until I have a real conversation with him," Yuuji stated. "Our first encounter…wasn't really that pleasant."
"I heard Yuto call him a 'Pawn of Fusion'. But then the lookalike got mad at being called that and said his name was Yugo or something," Yuya said. "After that, the two of them began dueling. As for what happened during the duel, I can't remember any of it."
"I showed up in the middle of their duel. By that point, the two of them, along with Yuya who was off to the side, looked completely possessed." Yuuji chimed in. "But then I blacked out for a moment. And when I came to, I was suddenly dueling against then."
"Possessed?" Now this was something Yuya wasn't aware of.
"Yeah, it's almost like the three of you were taken over by some malevolent spirit," Yuuji explained. "I'm not sure how else to explain it."
[...] Yoko and Yuzu glance at each other, not sure how to digest the information.
"That's concerning…" Yuya commented before continuing. "As for Sora's whereabouts, Yuto told me that he went home."
"Home? To where?" Yuzu asked.
"Academia," Yuya said, shocking both Yuzu and Yuuji. "In the Fusion Dimension."
"Fusion Dimension?" Yuzu raised an eyebrow.
"Yuto told me that there were five dimensions," Yuya began explaining. "Standard is where we live right now. Along with it, there's an Xyz, Synchro, Ritual, and Fusion Dimension."
"This is sounding much more serious than I thought," Yoko commented, completely lost. "I'll go make some breakfast while you guys talk about…that."
Yoko left the room, leaving the three of them alone to talk about the recent revelation.
"Yuto also told me that this Academia invaded his homeworld, the Xyz Dimension," Yuya continued explaining. "They…treated it like a hunting game, turning people into cards."
"Turning people into cards?" Yuzu's face turned blue. "That's horrible."
"Yuto said that they kidnapped someone important to them. A girl named Ruri," Yuya added. "That's also the main reason why they came here into our dimension in the first place, to find her."
"Ruri?" Yuzu recognized the name. "That's what Shun called me when I first encountered him."
"..." Yuuji was silent for a moment, as if his brain was computing all of his recently acquired information in real time. "Wait, I think I'm starting to figure something out."
"What did you figure out?" Yuya asked.
"I think I know why there are multiple people who look like us," Yuuji answered. "There are five dimensions, right? Yuto uses Xyz and is from the Xyz Dimension. Yugo, the guy on a Duel Runner, is probably from the Synchro Dimension due to him making use of a Synchro Monster. That also means there's probably a lookalike of us from the Ritual and the Fusion Dimension."
"What about you and me?" Yuya asked. "That would make six lookalikes and five dimensions, that doesn't add up."
"Damn, that's a good point," Yuuji rubbed his chin. "But it's probably just because one of us is an extra, or there just happens to be two of us in the same place."
Yuuji then turned to Yuzu.
"Shun confused you for this Ruri girl, right?" Yuuji asked. "If that's the case, then maybe just like us, you might have lookalikes from other dimensions as well."
"...That sounds unlikely," Yuzu frowned.
"It's just a guess," Yuuji shrugged. "If it happened to us, who's to say it can't happen to you too?"
"I guess that's true."
"More importantly, whatever's going on goes a lot deeper than we could've ever imagined," Yuuji continued. "Like Sora being from this Academia, who from what Yuto said, invaded and wiped out their entire homeland, killing most of their residents."
"Killing? But they're just being turned into cards, right?" Yuya asked. "They're not dead."
"You probably think that because you haven't seen somebody get turned into a card," Yuuji said. "It happens in the blink of an eye. A blinding, purple light is emitted from a duel disk. When the light dies down and you can see again, you don't see a person there anymore, but a card, with the expression of their last moments engraved into it."
Yuya and Yuzu's faces turned blue.
"There's no coming back from it unless the person who traps you lets you free," Yuuji continued. "And that's if they're even able to reverse it in the first place. The perfect way to silence somebody indefinitely."
"Academia turned the people of the Xyz Dimension into cards…" Yuzu muttered. "And if Sora is from there, that means…"
"...He's probably turned people into cards too," Yuuji finished her thought. "Now that I think about it, that's probably why I felt like he held back during our duel. It would be stupid for a spy to reveal themselves by going all out."
Ryouga must also be a part of Academia too then, since Yuto did mention Academia when he dueled him. Yuuji thought. Which also means…
…if Yuto didn't step in, Yuuji would've been sealed into a card.
Yuuji felt his body begin to shake, a chill coursing through his veins at the thought.
I was so close to dying, and I didn't even realize it. Yuuji's face turned blue, his breathing quickening the more he thought about it. To make things worse, I was completely powerless to stop it.
He was powerless. Completely powerless to change his own fate. Just like when his father—
"—That can't be true!" Yuya shouted, bringing Yuuji back to reality. "Sora isn't like that at all! He's our friend. We've all seen him, right? That guy couldn't even hurt a fly."
"The Sora we've befriended isn't the real Sora," Yuuji stated. "He's just a persona that Sora adopted to blend in with us."
"So, you're just going to believe what other people said about our close friend?" Yuya frowned. "Some friend you are."
"Yeah. I am. Because I'm not as naive as you." Yuuji frowned back. "Everything we know points to Sora being two-faced. From him holding back against us, his duel against Shun, and the fact that he's from an organization who wiped out an entire dimension of inhabitants. All of these factors point to him not being the person we thought he was."
Yuuji then scoffed.
"Besides, we haven't even known Sora for that long, he can't be considered a close friend," Yuuji commented.
"You guys, stop fighting," Yuzu tried to say something, but the two didn't even pay her any mind, continuing their argument.
"I could say the same thing about you then, Yuuji," Yuya retorted. "We've only known you a week longer than we've known Sora. If what you're saying is true, we can't be close friends either!"
"And you would be right, we aren't," Yuuji bluntly said. "I don't remember ever saying we were."
"What did you say?" This set Yuya off.
"You heard me," Yuuji doubled down. "I thought it was obvious."
"You supported You Show in its time of need," Yuya clenched his fists. "You taught us new ways to duel. You laughed with us. And you're saying that it doesn't make us close friends."
"Yeah, it doesn't," Yuuji stood up from the mattress, ignoring the pain as he glared at Yuya. "Tell me. Do you even know anything about me?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"I mean do you even know anything at all?" Yuuji asked. "My past. Where I'm from. Or even what foods I like."
"Of course I do," Yuya said. "Your father was the one who gave you your deck. You moved from…uhh…you moved…you moved to Maiami City to find more opportunities to duel. You have a mentor…who has a Duel Runner. Your favorite food is…uhhh."
"See what I mean?" Yuuji frowned. "You barely know anything about me, like I barely know anything about you. I'm sure you barely know anything about Sora too. How can we be close friends if you don't even know me as a person."
"..." Yuya was silent for a moment. "Okay…you got me there. But can you blame me? You've barely opened up about yourself!"
"Oh, so you're shifting the blame onto me now?" Yuuji raised an eyebrow. "You can't blame me for what's your fault. If you wanted to get to know me more, all you had to do was ask. Where are you from? Can you tell me more about your father? What's your favorite food? But no, you didn't. You didn't ask a single question."
"You could've asked me the same questions too," Yuya frowned.
"But I didn't, because I didn't really want to know," Yuuji admitted. "It's definitely a flaw of mine, my apathy. I don't care enough to form deep, meaningful bonds with other people. The most I can maintain is a base level friendship."
"..."
"Thinking about it now, that's probably why I had no friends in the first place," Yuuji commented before shrugging. "I struggle to express my own feelings to other people."
Yuuji picked up his duel disk, which was placed on a desk next to Yuya's duel disk. He then turned around, walking towards the door to the room, only stopping right before he left the room.
"I'm done talking," Yuuji stated. "If you want to discuss more about the Sora matter, discard your naive preconceptions. Otherwise, we have nothing more to discuss."
Yuuji shut the door behind him, leaving Yuya and Yuzu, who was in deep thought, alone.
"That jerk…" Yuya clenched his fists. "Who the hell does he think he is?" Yuya then turned to Yuzu. "You agree with me, right Yuzu?"
"...Huh?" Yuzu was startled by Yuya suddenly addressing her. "Oh…uhm…yeah? Maybe…?"
"Don't tell me you agree with him too," Yuya frowned.
"It's not that. I'm sure he's not completely correct about Sora, otherwise why would he agree to genuinely teach me Fusion Summoning," Yuzu explained herself. "But…he's also right about us not being close friends too. We may be friends with them, but it's not like we've gotten the chance to really get to know them."
Yuzu pulled out her deck from her pocket, pulling Polymerization from it.
"We especially don't know much about Sora," Yuzu said as she stared into the card. "At least Yuuji told us something about his past, even if it was barely anything. Sora has always been very secretive and has basically told us nothing about him."
"..." Yuya was silent.
"If what Yuto had said was true, Sora definitely supports whatever this Academia group is doing," Yuzu continued. "And that comes with the implications that he's either participated in or is complicent in Academia's invasion of Yuto's homeworld."
"..." Yuya placed his goggles over his eyes.
Seeing that her words weren't doing much to reach Yuya, Yuzu sighed.
"Well, I'll give you some space to digest your thoughts. Everything that has happened is honestly so confusing, and I'm still not sure of how to process any of it."
"..."
Yuzu makes her way to the door, opening it. She pauses, taking one last glance at Yuya before walking out.
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A few hours later…
Yuuji could be seen back at his hotel, lying flat on his bed as he stared up at the ceiling. His mind was completely fixated on his recent fight against Yuya.
Yuuji covered his face with his hands.
"Dammit, why did I even say that to him?"
While what Yuya said was very naive, it's not like he had bad intentions. He just was going about things the wrong way.
But somehow, the whole conversation devolved to them arguing about their friendship.
"This is why I avoided making friends in the first place. To avoid the trouble of maintaining it."
…
But at the same time, I feel like this is just my fault. Yuuji thought. I could've opened up to him about myself. I could've asked more questions about him to get to know him. But I didn't.
…
"Thinking back on it, maybe what I said back there wasn't true…" Yuuji muttered. "I just blamed it on my apathy and called it a day when that really isn't the case at all. I do want to develop deep emotional connections with people."
And he knows exactly how he should go about it to do so. So why doesn't he?
I've just established that I do care. So why? Yuuji wondered.
For some reason, an answer to the question just wouldn't appear in his head.
…
"I need to take a walk."
Yuuji grabbed his duel disk and deck before storming out of his room.
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A while later, Yuuji could be seen exploring the city. Shortly into his walk, he realized that he hasn't been doing much exploring recently, due to him being so laser focused on trying to qualify for the tournament.
It's moments like these that make me appreciate living. Yuuji thought with a smile.
"Yo bro, did you see that recent tournament match today?"
"Yeah man, that was insane. I knew LDS was strong after Kurosaki Shun and Ibarahana Yuga's matches, but I didn't know they had female duelists who were just as good."
"Maybe I need to try and get me and my girlfriend into LDS."
Yuuji sweatdropped a bit at their discussion.
I mean, I already knew it. But it sounds like there are definitely a bunch of threats coming from LDS. Yuuji thought as he pressed a few buttons on his duel disk, bringing up a certain screen.
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Maiami Championships Round 2:
Junior Youth Match 10:
Haruki Yuuji vs Shijima Hokuto
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Shijima Hokuto was definitely going to be a challenge, since he even made Yuya struggle during their duel.
Hmm. Thinking about it now, it would probably be more productive if I fixed up my deck a bit before my match tomorrow. Yuuji thought. But I still can't get my mind off that argument.
Yuuji randomly stopped at a bench, taking a seat. He was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice that there was another person on the bench with him.
"I'm not even pissed off at Yuya anymore. I'm more pissed off at myself…" Yuuji muttered.
"Been there before," A feminine voice suddenly said, startling Yuuji.
When he looked to see where the voice came from, he noticed a young woman around his age (possibly a little older), smiling at him. She had long, golden brown hair, and had yellow highlights on her bangs. As for the clothes she wore, wore a white T-shirt with a white and blue coat. She wore a long yellow skirt which reached barely past her knees. On the back of her coat was the logo of the Leo Duel School.
"Oh…uh, sorry about that," Yuuji apologized, blushing a little from being embarrassed. "I tend to just say some of my thoughts aloud."
"No need to be sorry, I tend to do it sometimes," She reassured him before introducing herself. "I'm Sawatari Haruka by the way. It's nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you, Sawatari-san," Yuuji politely returned the greeting until he paused, realizing something. "Wait? Did you just say Sawatari?"
"Yup," Haruka nodded.
"S-So. That means you're his sister? Like actually?"
"You know little Shingo?" Haruka smiled. "I'm surprised to actually meet somebody he knows. He rarely ever tells me stuff that goes on in his life."
"It's a small world," Yuuji commented before remembering. "Oh right, I almost forgot to introduce myself back, Sawatari-san. I'm—"
"—Haruki Yuuji, right?" Haruka finished his sentence. "And there's no need to be so formal with me, just call me Haruka."
"Okay…Haruka. How do you know about me?" Yuuji asked.
"It would be stupid if I didn't know you." Haruka chuckled slightly. "You, along with my brother and Sakaki Yuya, have been the main talk these past few days," Haruka explained. "As if Pendulum Summoning wasn't already the hot topic these days, you three managed to triple the amount of hype for it."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," Yuuji sighed. "Damn, this was one of the reasons why I wanted to keep it a secret in the first place."
"I don't see why you need to hide it," Haruka said. "I mean, people have been talking non-stop about your match against Kurogane Shouma in the first round. That final Fusion Summon into a one-turn kill while only having 1 Life Point remaining was incredible."
"Oh, uh…thanks," Yuuji wasn't sure how to take the compliment.
"No problem," Haruka smiled before leaning in. "Ever since that match, I've wanted to have a chat to learn more about you. To learn more about this mysterious Pendulum User."
"..." Yuuji just silently blinked at her, completely at a loss for words.
"Anyway…" Haruka backed away from him. "I can tell from that earlier mutter that you have a lot on your mind. Do you need someone who'll listen?"
"Only if you won't laugh," Yuuji said. "If you do, I'll knock you out."
"And risk getting kicked out of the tournament?" Haruka asked. "As you probably know, I actually happen to be the daughter of a pretty powerful man in this city. If you get caught laying a hand on me, you might get your dueling license revoked permanently, or worse."
"Oh no, scary~. As if I'm scared of the law," Yuuji rolled his eyes before looking at her seriously. "Do you promise or not?"
Wait? Why am I even thinking about entertaining her? Yuuji thought. I don't even know her, why am I trying to confide in her right now?
"You have my word, I promise," Haruka said.
…
Ah, what the hell? What's the worst that can happen? If she's willing to listen a little, who am I to turn her down?
"..." Yuuji was silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I'm not going to waste too much of our time. I just want to ask you one question."
"What is it?"
"I'm feeling a little lost. I've already figured out that deep down, I want to make deep connections with people. I already know what I need to do to achieve that," Yuuji explained. "But…I don't. I don't even try, and I can't find out why?"
"..." Haruka was silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. Once she put the pieces together, she snapped her fingers. "Sounds like you're just scared."
"I'm…scared?" Yuuji raised an eyebrow. That was not the answer he was expecting at all.
"You want to form deeper relations with people, but for some reason you can't. I've felt that way before," Haruka explained. "You must've lost quite a few important people throughout the course of your life, huh? You're probably scared of forming new connections with people because you think you'll end up losing them. In order to avoid this, you end up distancing yourself from people, so you don't get hurt when they do leave your life."
"...You actually might be right," Yuuji was surprised by her deep analysis. "But how do I overcome this fear?"
"You have to get uncomfortable," Haruka replied. "Get out of your comfort zone and actually communicate with people. There's not much else to it."
"..." Yuuji fell into deep thought.
Get out of my comfort zone, huh? Yuuji thought. Yeah, that could work.
Yuuji stood up, a smile forming on his face as he did.
"Thanks, Haruka," Yuuji thanked her. "I don't think I would've been able to figure this out without you."
"No problem," Haruka smiled. "I can't let any of my potential opponents fizzle out before I get to them after all."
"Potential opponents?" Yuuji raised an eyebrow before realizing. "Wait, that means…"
"I'm also a participant in the Maiami Championships," Haruka revealed. "I guess that calls for a more formal introduction then."
She turned around, pointing to the LDS logo on the back of her coat.
"I'm Sawatari Haruka, the daughter of this city's future mayor, and an LDS Student duel-enrolled in the Xyz and Fusion Course," Haruka introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"You definitely rehearsed that line a lot."
"Caught me," Haruka smiled before pointing at him. "Why don't you try and introduce yourself like that?"
"I pass," Yuuji rejected the idea.
"Aw, you're no fun," Haruka pouted.
—Ring! Ring! Ring!
Haruka's phone suddenly began ringing. She pulled it out from her pocket and answered it. Yuuji couldn't quite hear what they were saying, but it wasn't like he cared enough to eavesdrop anyway. A small frown formed on Haruka's face as she ended the call.
"There goes my manager once again ruining my mood," Haruka sighed. "I have to go."
She began walking past Yuuji, only stopping for a moment to say one last thing.
"It was nice meeting you, Haruki Yuuji. I hope to see you in the third round of the tournament."
"Likewise," Yuuji replied as Haruka walked away. Once she was out of viewing distance, Yuuji began walking the opposite way.
I'll try and talk to Yuya about this after both of our matches tomorrow. Yuuji decided.
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The next day…
Yuuji could be seen walking through a dark corridor alone, a determined expression present on his face. As he exited the hallway, he was stopped by security personnel who did a quick check on his identity before letting him walk onto the arena. As he did so, he almost went deaf as he heard the deafening roars of the crowd.
Haruka wasn't kidding. This is ludicrous. Yuuji sweatdropped.
Yuuji came to a stop, staring down his opponent who was already present at the arena.
"It looks like fate wasn't really on my side, pitting me up against you of all people so soon, Haruki Yuuji," Hokuto addressed him with a smile. "I was planning on testing out my new strength against Sakaki Yuya, but you'll do just fine."
"Oh, so you're not looking down on me," Yuuji raised an eyebrow. "I thought you would try and use that superiority complex of yours to look down on me."
"I can't underestimate you when I watched you defeat Akaba Reiji of all people in front of my eyes," Hokuto said with a serious expression.
"Well that's good," Yuuji smiled. "It means that we can have an actual fun duel then."
"Both duelists look like they're ready for battle!" Nico Smiley announced. "Which means, it's time to choose an Action Field for their bout!"
The giant Field Spell Card above the arena began spinning a few times before eventually coming to a stop. Nico Smiley announced the results.
"Action Field, on!" Nico Smiley exclaimed. "The wonderful Action Field that these two duelists will duke it out in is—Starlight Battleground!"
The Real Solid Vision Machine began glowing as it transformed the surroundings of the arena. Yuuji and Hokuto found themselves on a singular island which floated in the middle of the cold cosmos. Old monuments of various shapes filled the area.
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Meanwhile…
"Hey, have any of you guys seen Yuya," Gongenzaka suddenly asked the group.
"He said that he wanted to prepare for his match, that's all he told me," Yuzu said, though it was obvious to others looking at her conflicted expression that someone was amiss.
"That doesn't sound like him at all," Gongenzaka was surprised to hear this.
"Yeah…" Yuzu simply muttered. She decided to not tell the others about what happened earlier, as to try and not make them worry as much.
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Elsewhere…
Shun could be seen silently observing the upcoming duel from his vantage point near the top of the stadium. Nearby, a pink-haired youth wearing a black mask could be seen observing with him.
Shun raised an eyebrow to the youth, addressing him.
"Shouldn't you be preparing for your upcoming match?" Shun asked.
"Why would I miss the chance to watch this duel?" The pink-haired youth took off his mask, revealing himself to be Yuga (oh wow, who would've guessed). "This guy, along with Sakaki Yuya were the main reasons why I even joined this tournament in the first place, remember?"
"I tend to ignore things that don't concern me," Shun stated. "And besides, I don't trust this guy in the slightest. I don't get why Akaba Reiji has such high hopes for him. Especially when he made use of that detestable Fusion Summoning last round."
Yuga dropped his enthusiastic look for a second, adopting a more serious expression.
"You think he might be a spy from Academia?" Yuga proposed.
"Possibly," Shun responded. "Though, unlike Shiunin Sora, Akaba hasn't said anything about him being a potential Academia agent, so I can't guarantee it."
"Well if that's the case, there's probably nothing to worry about," Yuga shrugged. "Let's just watch the match and do our job."
"..." Shun stared at him for a moment before looking back at the arena. "Fine with me."
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Back in the arena…
This Action Field is rather open. It'll be hard for either one of us to hide from each other's attacks. Yuuji thought before smiling. This'll be fun.
After assessing his surroundings, Yuuji began to Action Duel Chant.
"Duelists locked in battle!"
Hokuto continued the chant.
"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!"
"They storm through this field!"
"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of Dueling!"
[Action—!] The two activate their duel disks.
[DUEL!]
Action Cards were dispersed around the arena as the duel began.
Yuuji — LP: 4000
Hokuto — LP: 4000
[Turn 1: Hokuto] [H: 5]
"I'll take the first turn!" Hokuto declared. "I summon Constellar Pollux (Light/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 600/LV: 4)!"
A massive warrior wearing white and gold armor, with a white cape flowing behind it appeared.
"When Constellar Pollux is summoned, I can Normal Summon another 'Constellar' Monster to my field!" Hokuto announced. "Appear, Constellar Kaus (Light/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 600/LV: 4)!"
This time, an armored centaur holding a bow and arrow in its hand appeared.
"Next up, Tellarknight Lyran's effect activates!" Hokuto declared. "When a 'Constellar' Monster is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!"
An armored warrior wearing a silver, armored cloak appeared, brandishing a fencing sabre.
[Tellarknight Lyran (Light/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)]
"Tellarknight? But didn't you just use 'Constellar' Monsters before?" Yuuji's eyes widened in surprise.
"After my loss against Sakaki, I decided to change a few things," Hokuto explained. "I refuse to face such a humiliation ever again."
Makes sense. Yuuji thought. Though, it's probably not too far of a stretch to believe that he has some anti-Pendulum tactics in his deck now. I should be careful.
"Tellarknight Lyran's effect activates upon its summon!" Hokuto continued. "I can add 1 'tellarknight' card to my hand from my deck! I add Constellar Tellarknights to my hand!"
Hokuto added a card to his hand. He then took a moment to organize his cards before making his next move.
"When I control a 'Constellar' Monster, I can also Special Summon Constellar Caduceus (Light/Warrior/Effect/ATK: 1600/DEF: 1550/LV: 4) to my field!"
A warrior in gold and black armor, holding a giant golden lance in its hand appeared.
"Constellar Caduceus' other effect activates!" Hokuto announced. "Once during my Main Phase, I can 1 'Constellar' Spell/Trap Card to my hand." He added a card to his hand and revealed it. "I add Constellar Star Chart to my hand!"
A few moments later, two Continuous Spells appeared in front of Hokuto.
"I activate my two Continuous Spell simultaneously, Constellar Tellarknights and Constellar Star Chart!" Hokuto declared.
Upon their activation, countless constellations filled up the sky above them, illuminating the arena.
The crowd was in complete awe of how the Action Field transformed with new light to it.
"Woah," A child's eyes sparkled in awe.
"Beautiful," A girl in the crowd commented.
"I think it's time for me to up the ante!" Hokuto smirked. "I overlay the Level 4 Constellar Caduceus together with Tellarknight Lyran!"
Here it comes. Yuuji braced himself.
Hokuto's aforementioned monsters transform into energies which were absorbed into a galaxy vortex that appeared in front of him. A pillar of light shot out from the center as he began chanting.
"Machine warrior representing the constellation of the beehive!" Hokuto chanted. "I Xyz Summon! Come forth and descend, Rank 4! Constellar Praesepe (Light/Machine/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 800/R: 4/OU: 2)!"
An armored machine warrior with golden guns that stuck out from its shoulder appeared on Hokuto's field; two golden Overlay Units orbiting around it.
"Once per turn, while Constellar Star Chart remains active on my field, I can draw 1 card whenever a "Constellar Xyz" Monster is Special Summoned onto my field!" Hokuto declared as he drew a card. "Next, I activate Constellar Kaus' effect! Up to twice per turn, its effect allows me to raise or lower the Level of a monster on my field by one! I choose to raise both it and Constellar Pollux's Levels by 1!"
(Constellar Kaus — LV: 4 → 5)
(Constellar Pollux — LV: 4 → 5)
"Now, I overlay my two Level 5 Monsters in order to Xyz Summon once again!" Hokuto declared as his monsters were absorbed into another galaxy vortex that appeared in front of him. "Shining light of the stars above, descend and shake this very earth! I Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 5! Constellar Pleiades (Light/Warrior/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 1500/R: 5/OU: 2)!"
A tall, powerful warrior wearing white and gold armor; brandishing a massive golden staff appeared.
"Two consecutive Xyz Summons, he isn't playing around at all…" Yuuji muttered.
"And I'm not done yet, Haruki," Hokuto stated. "At this time, I activate the effect of my Continuous Spell, Constellar Tellarknights! Once per turn, I can target 1 'Constellar' or 'tellarknight' Xyz Monster on my field, and use it as material to Xyz Summon a 'Constellar' or 'tellarknight' Xyz Monster of a different rank from my Extra Deck!"
"What?" Yuuji's eyes widened in surprise.
An Xyz Summon using an Xyz Monster as material…that's similar to what Kurosaki and Rio do in their duels. Yuuji assessed.
"I now overlay my Rank 4 Constellar Praesepe!" Hokuto declared as his Xyz Monster transformed into a golden energy which was absorbed into a galaxy vortex that had formed in front of Hokuto for a third time. A pillar of light shot out from the vortex as he began chanting. "Evolved power birthed from the amalgamation of constellations, come forth and descend! I Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 5! Stellarknight Constellar Diamond (Light/Wyrm/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2700/DEF: 2000/R: 5/OU: 3)!"
A massive, armored wyrm with massive wings that captured the vast expanse of the universe appeared on Hokuto's field. Orbiting around it were three yellow Overlay Units.
"Incredible! Player Shijima has managed to perform three consecutive Xyz Summons in one turn!" Nico Smiley announced in astonishment.
"Not holding anything back, huh?" Yuuji smiled upon seeing the massive monster.
"Like I said before, you were someone who managed to defeat Akaba Reiji, even if he wasn't completely serious the whole duel," Hokuto stated. "It would be naive of me to underestimate you."
Two set cards appeared in front of Hokuto.
"I set two cards and end my turn," Hokuto concluded. "You're up, Haruki."
"Right," Yuuji nodded as he placed his hand on the top of his deck. "My turn! Draw!"
He drew a card and began his turn.
[Turn 2: Yuuji] [H: 6]
"I'll start by activating Relic of the Antique," Yuuji stated. "I pay 1000 of my Life Points and discard the Level 5 Antique Wishing Lamp in order to add Antique Maker - Mira and Antique Kuriblock to my hand!"
Yuuji grit his teeth as his duel disk briefly shocked him, adding two cards to his hand from his deck to his hand.
Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 3000
He then took a moment to organize them together with the rest of his hand before continuing his turn.
"Next, I activate Pendulum Call!" Yuuji announced. "With this Spell Card, I can place 1 Pendulum Monster directly from my deck into an empty Pendulum Zone! I choose to place the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol into my Pendulum Scale!"
Yuuji added a card to his hand before immediately placing it on one end of his duel blade. A golden bell which rang a jolly tune rose into one of his empty Pendulum Zones.
"I now activate Antique Golden Carol's Pendulum Effect!" Yuuji continued. "When I control no cards in my other Pendulum Zone, I can place another 'Antique' Pendulum Monster from my deck to that Pendulum Zone!"
Yuuji added another card to his hand, revealing it.
"I set the Pendulum Scale with the Scale 1 Antique Mimic Chest and the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol already set in my Pendulum Scale!" Yuuji declared as he placed the cards on opposite ends of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appearing in between in rainbow font as a chest with sharp fangs rose into his other Pendulum Zone. A giant silver pendulum swung around above it all.
"Player Haruki has just set his Pendulum Scale!" Nico Smiley exclaimed. "Does this mean that a Pendulum Summoning is imminent!?"
"You bet it is," Yuuji smirked. "With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters between the Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!"
Yuuji's pendulum necklace began to glow as he began his chant.
"Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory!" Yuuji chanted as the giant silver pendulum in the sky drew a portal, with two beams of energy shooting out from it. "I Pendulum Summon! Appear, Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8), and the dragon bearing my very soul, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"
A woman in all black holding a pristine mirror in her hands and a purple-scaled dragon with bone-like armor surrounding it; with countless colorful gemstones scattered around it appeared.
"Antique Maker - Mira's effect activates!" Yuuji continued. "When it is Normal or Special Summoned onto my field, I get to—!"
"Stellarknight Constellar Diamond's effect activates!" Hokuto declared as the massive, armored wyrm absorbs one of its three Overlay Units (Stellarknight Constellar Diamond — OU: 3 → 2). "When a DARK Monster activates its effect, I can detach one Overlay Unit from this monster to negate that effect and destroy it!"
Antique Maker - Mira bursts into particles, causing Yuuji to wince a bit from the shockwaves.
"That's a nasty effect…" Yuuji frowned.
Just like in his duel against Shouma in the first round, he was locked out of a good portion of his deck's effects now thanks to the presence of Stellarknight Constellar Diamond.
To make things worse for him, Hokuto still could use Constellar Pleiades effect to return Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon to his hand.
I need to find an Action Card. Yuuji thought as he hopped on Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon; the two of them running off to search for one.
"Looking for an Action Card, how naive," Hokuto extended his hand forward. "Constellar Pleiades's effect activates! By detaching one overlay unit, I can return one card from your field back to your hand! I choose to return Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon to your hand!"
Constellar Pleiades absorbs one of its Overlay Units, its golden staff glowing as a result. Using its power, it causes Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon to glow before it disappears from Yuuji's field. However, before it does, Yuuji leaps off Phantom Dragon, grabbing an Action Card that was lodged into one of the stone monuments nearby.
(Constellar Pleiades — OU: 2 → 1)
Yuuji rolls onto the ground, landing relatively safely. He takes a moment and glances at the card for a moment before three set cards appear in front of him.
"I set three cards and end my turn," Yuuji concluded his turn.
"He managed to stop Yuuji from establishing any semblance of a board," Gongenzaka commented. "He's definitely improved a lot since we've last seen him."
"Yeah, definitely…" Yuzu nodded, though she didn't seem to be entirely engaged in the duel.
"You don't have any monsters on your field to protect. I hope for your sake that you know what you're doing," Hokuto said.
"If I look so vulnerable, why don't you try and attack me?" Yuuji responded with a sly smile.
"That's just what I plan on doing!" Hokuto shouted. "My turn! Draw!"
[Turn 3: Hokuto] [H: 1]
"I activate one of my set Trap Cards, Xyz Reborn!" Hokuto declared. "Thanks to its effect, I can Special Summon an Xyz Monster from my graveyard and attach this card to it as material! Return to my field, Constellar Praesepe (ATK: 2400/DEF: 800/R: 4/OU: 0 → 1)!"
The golden armored machine with gun-like shoulderblades emerged from a portal that appeared on the ground in front of Hokuto.
"Constellar Star Chart's effect activates again! Since a 'Constellar Xyz' Monster was Special Summoned to my field, I can draw 1 card!"
Hokuto drew another card. He smiled when he saw what he drew.
"I now summon Constellar Sombre (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 1550/DEF: 1600/LV: 4)!"
A feminine armored monster with fairy-like wings sticking out from its back appeared on Hokuto's field.
"Battle," Hokuto stated, moving into his Battle Phase. "Constellar Sombre attacks you directly!"
The feminine monster with fairy-like wings flies into the air; its wings begin to glow as rays of light shoot out from it, exploding upon contact with the ground all around Yuuji. Yuuji winces from the shockwaves and rising smoke as his Life Points drop.
Yuuji — LP: 3000 → 1450
"Now to finish you off!" Hokuto continued his assault as his armored machine warrior shoots out missiles from its shoulders. "Constellar Praesepe now attacks you directly, Yuuji!"
One of Yuuji's set cards flips face-up.
"Sorry to tamper with your flow, but I activated my Trap Card, Special Antique Delivery!" Yuuji countered. "I get to Special Summon 1 'Antique' Monster from my deck, and the monster I summon cannot be destroyed by battle for the rest of this turn! Appear, Antique Maker - Lilac Magician (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1300/LV: 5/SC: 1) in defense mode!"
A woman in a purple magician's robe, holding a purple staff in her hand, appeared with a faint blue aura surrounding it. A barrier formed around her, protecting both her and Yuuji from Constellar Praesepe's attack.
"Like that'll stop me!" Hokuto shouted, unphased by Yuuji's play. "Stellarknight Constellar Diamond attacks Antique Maker - Lilac Magician! Stellar Tempest!"
"You're going to attack without making use of Constellar Pleiades's effect? But that attack won't do anything?" Yuuji's raised an eyebrow.
"Constellar Caduceus has an extra effect when it is used as Xyz Material for a 'Constellar' Monster," Hokuto explained. "When a monster with it as material battles a LIGHT or DARK Monster, that monster is banished before damage calculation!"
"What!?" Yuuji cried out in shock.
Stellarknight Constellar Diamond begins to glow as it shoots a beam of light at Lilac Magician, who could do nothing as she was engulfed by the beam of light and banished. Yuuji winces, covering his face as he hides away from the blinding light.
"Now you're completely wide open! Stellarknight Constellar Diamond's attack now continues!" Hokuto declared.
Hokuto's monster shoots another beam of light at Yuuji.
"As if!" Yuuji shouted back as he sent a card from his hand to the graveyard. "I activate Antique Kuriblock's effect! By discarding it from my hand, I can—!"
"—I already saw that play coming! Don't think you can use the same tactic that you used to survive your first-round match here!" Hokuto cut him off. "I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, Called by the Grave! I can target 1 monster in your graveyard and banish it. Furthermore, a monster banished by this effect cannot have its effects be activated until the end of the next turn! I choose to banish your Antique Kuriblock, negating its protection effect!"
He had that card!? Yuuji's jaw dropped. Okay…I'm actually starting to get worried now.
This also gave him an idea to buy some more cards later, but nows not the time to think of that.
Yuuji's second set card was flipped face-up.
"I activate the Counter Trap, Odd-Eyes Phantom Barrage!" Yuuji declared. "Thanks to this card, I can negate your monster's attack, as well as Special Summon 1 'Odd-Eyes' Monster directly from my deck to my field! Appear, Odd-Eyes Surge Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2100/LV: 5/SC: 1) in defense mode!"
A small, blue-scaled dragon with a set of blue wings made of water appeared on Yuuji's field with a faint blue aura surrounding it. A barrier formed around the two of them, protecting them from Stellarknight Constellar Diamond attack.
Constellar Pleiades then absorbs its second Overlay Unit, its staff beginning to glow with its power.
"I activate Constellar Pleiades' effect once again (Constellar Pleiades — OU: 1 → 0)!" Hokuto continued. "By detaching another Overlay Unit, I can return 1 card from your field to your hand. I choose to return Odd-Eyes Surge Dragon to your hand!"
Odd-Eyes Surge Dragon is enveloped by Constellar Pleiades' power, forcing it to return to Yuuji's hand.
"Constellar Pleiades now attacks you directly!" Hokuto wasted no time, commanding his final monster to attack.
However, much to his surprise, Yuuji just smiled. His final set card flipping face-up.
"I activate my final set card, the Action Spell, Final Frontier!" Yuuji declared.
"You set an Action Card!?" Hokuto's jaw dropped.
"It was just in case you decided to let Constellar Pleiades' effect snipe one of my set Trap Cards," Yuuji stated before explaining his card's effect. "Final Frontier allows me to draw 1 card. If the card I draw is a Level 5 or lower monster, I can Special Summon it to my field. However, if it is not, I take 500 points of damage for each card currently on the field."
"Wowzers!" Nico Smiley exclaimed. "Player Haruki has decided to put everything on the line with this draw!"
"That's like 4000 points of damage! Are you crazy!?" Hokuto cried out in shock.
"Playing it safe just isn't my style, that's something I learned from my duel against Akaba," Yuuji stated as he put his hand over the top of his deck. "Putting everything on the line for victory, that's my style of dueling! I…DRAW!"
Yuuji drew with all his might, his deck glowing in response to his will. As he looked at what he drew, he smiled and revealed it.
"I drew the Level 3 Monster, Antique Light Bulb, meaning that I can Special Summon it to my field in defense mode!" Yuuji announced as a small, floating light bulb appeared on his field with a faint blue aura surrounding it.
[Antique Light Bulb (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 3)]
Constellar Pleiades swings its staff, slicing right through the light bulb monster and causing it to burst into particles—Yuuji being left completely unscathed by the attack.
"And in a fantastic showing of defense, Player Haruki has managed to escape Player Shijima's relentless assault!"
Hokuto's mouth was left agape for a moment before he composed himself, shaking his head.
"I should've expected something like this from you of all people," Hokuto remarked. "I end my turn."
"Phew," Ayu sighed a breath of relief. "He managed to survive."
"Barely," Tatsuya pointed out. "If things had gone any slightly differently, he would've lost there."
"Oooh, this duel is giving me the shivers!" Futoshi commented as he did his little dance.
<><><><><><><><><><>
In the V.I.P booth…
Reiji could be seen watching the ongoing match with a neutral expression. His mother, Akaba Himika sat in a seat nearby, with a young girl holding a stuffed animal timidly standing next to her. A bit further in the back stood Shizuka, who was also watching the ongoing match with intrigue.
"See what I mean," Reiji suddenly spoke.
"Yeah, I do. I'm surprised at how well he's been handling this duel," Shizuka commented. "Granted, the duelist he's up against isn't anywhere near as strong as the forces that Academia has, but it's still impressive."
"In your honest opinion, how much stronger do you think Academia is compared to the duelists you've seen here so far?" Reiji inquired.
"From what I can tell, if Academia were to invade Standard, I doubt you'd be able to hold them off without many casualties," Shizuka stated. "...Though, you definitely have some duelists here who might be strong enough to face them."
Upon hearing this, a brief smile formed on Reiji's face.
"Glad you could see their potential like I can."
<><><><><><><><><><>
Yuuji took a moment to stop and think.
Back into a corner once again, what's new? Yuuji joked in his head. This time is different though. I feel…calm?
The pressure that would normally fill his mind is completely gone, as if he had everything under control.
He wouldn't know until much later, but this feeling that he had.
He was in the flow.
I know I can win from here. I just need to put the pieces together.
He placed his hand on the top of his deck, taking a deep breath.
"Let's do this," Yuuji said. "My turn! DRAW!"
Yuuji drew with all his might, his deck glowing in response to his will once again.
[Turn 4: Yuuji] [H: 3]
As he looked at the card he drew, he smiled.
"I don't like that look," Hokuto frowned. "You must've drawn something good."
"Maybe so~," Yuuji replied casually. "Why don't you see for yourself! I activate the Spell Card, Pendulum Exchange!"
The two monsters in Yuuji's Pendulum Zones suddenly burst into particles.
"By tributing two cards from my Pendulum Zones, I get to not only draw 1 card from my deck, but place 1 Pendulum Monster from my Extra Deck into one of these empty zones!" Yuuji explained. "However, on my next Pendulum Summon, I can only summon at most two monsters! I choose to place Antique Maker - Mira into my Pendulum Zone!"
A transparent blue pillar appeared behind Yuuji as a woman in all black holding a pristine mirror in her hand rose into that zone.
Yuuji then proceeded to place his hand over his deck, his deck glowing as he drew a card. He then reveals a monster in his hand.
"Now with the Scale 1 Odd-Eyes Surge Dragon and the Scale 8 Antique Maker - Mira already set, I rebuild my Pendulum Scale!" Yuuji declared, placing the cards on opposite ends of his duel disk.
The word [PENDULUM] appeared in rainbow font as the blue-scaled dragon with wings made of water rose into his other Pendulum Zone. The same giant silver pendulum swung back and forth in the sky above him.
"Now I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji declared as his pendulum necklace began glowing. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Come forth, my monster companions!"
A portal is drawn in the sky, with two beams of energy shooting out from it.
"Trickster mimic created to punish wrongdoing thieves, Antique Mimic Chest (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 1)!"
A treasure chest with razor sharp fangs appeared.
"And finally, amber-eyed dragon bearing my very soul, Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/LV: 7/SC: 4)!"
Yuuji's signature purple-scaled dragon with bone-like armor appeared on his field once again. It let out a triumphant roar as it was brought out.
"Odd-Eyes Surge Dragon allows me to draw 1 card whenever a 'Odd-Eyes' Monster is Pendulum Summoned onto my field!" Yuuji announced as he placed his hand over his deck, which glowed for a fourth time in a row. "DRAW!"
Yuuji drew with all his might for one last time.
With this, everything is set in place for my victory. Yuuji thought.
He then revealed a card in his hand.
"I activate the Fusion Spell, Pendulum Fusion!" Yuuji declared. "With it, I can fuse two monsters in my Pendulum Zones together!"
"Fusing monsters in your Pendulum Zone!?" Hokuto's jaw dropped.
"I now fuse Odd-Eyes Surge Dragon with Antique Maker - Mira!" Yuuji declared as his two monsters rose into the air, fusing as he began chanting. "Pristine maiden. Fuse together with the dragon born within the ocean currents and give birth to a new power!" Yuuji then clasped his hands together. "I Fusion Summon! Appear, Level 8! Crystalline dragon with amber colored eyes, Crystal-Eyes Phantom Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500/LV: 8)!"
A large dragon with purple-colored scales, dawned with crystal armor that surrounded most of its body, and an amber-color orb on its chest that matched the color of its eyes appeared on Yuuji's field.
"There it is! The same Fusion Monster that won Player Haruki's first round match!" Nico Smiley announced. "It looks like this duel is finally coming to an end!"
"Crystal-Eyes Phantom Dragon does have a summoning effect, but I won't be activating it this time," Yuuji stated.
"Huh? Why isn't he using his monster's effect?" Ayu wondered.
"If he tried to, Hokuto could've just used Stellarknight Constellar Diamond's effect to negate Crystal-Eyes' effect and destroy it." Tatsuya explained.
"Ohhh," Ayu nodded in understanding.
"Next up…" Yuuji pointed at Antique Mimic Chest and Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon. "...Antique Mimic Chest's effect activates! Once per turn, I can change its Level to match the Level of another monster on my field. I choose to make Antique Mimic Chest's Level equal to that of Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon's Level!"
(Antique Mimic Chest — LV: 5 → 7)
(Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon — LV: 7)
"Now that I have two Level 7 monsters, can you guess what happens next?" Yuuji smiled.
"An Xyz Summon, right?" Hokuto replied.
Yuuji snapped his fingers at Hokuto, "That's right! With my two Level 7 Monsters, I build the Overlay Network!"
A galaxy vortex appeared in front of Yuuji, his two monsters transforming into energies that were then absorbed into the vortex. A massive pillar of light shot out from the portal's center as he began chanting.
"Cruel black dragon relentless in its destruction. I now call upon the emanator of annihilation!" Yuuji chanted. "I Xyz Summon! Appear, Rank 7! Dark Anthelion Dragon (Dark/Dragon/Xyz/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500/R: 7/SC: 10/OU: 2)!"
Appearing on Yuuji's field this time was a massive black dragon with silver metallic armor that covered countless parts of its body, with massive jagged wings, long metallic horns, and a singular metallic tusk. Orbiting around the massive dragon were its two Overlay Units.
"Incredible!" Nico Smiley exclaimed. "Player Haruki has not only managed to Fusion Summon, but also Xyz Summon all in the same turn!"
"Now that's a new dragon. When did Yuuji acquire such a monster?" Gongenzaka wondered.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Yuzu replied, equally shocked.
Unlike others' awe or confusion, Shun on the other hand had a much different reaction.
"Woah, that's a pretty neat monster," Yuga commented.
"That dragon…" Shun's eyes widened in surprise, alerting Yuga's attention. "It's just like Yuto's dragon."
"Yuto? You mean that friend of yours you came into the Standard Dimension with?" Yuga asked.
"..." Shun was too stunned to answer, his eyes completely focused on the ongoing duel. This prompted Yuga to pout.
"Fine then, ignore me…bastard."
He muttered that last part to himself as he too returned his attention to the ongoing duel.
"A new monster this late into the game," Hokuto could be seen visibly sweating. "Judging from how all the other matches I've seen you in went, this can't be a good sign."
"And you'd be right. But first I equip the Equip Spell Power Shield to Dark Anthelion Dragon!" Yuuji declared as he played the final card in his hand.
Countless glowing blue spots suddenly appeared on Dark Anthelion Dragon's body.
"Now here comes the climax! Battle!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward. "Dark Anthelion Dragon attacks Stellarknight Constellar Diamond!"
"Not so fast!" Hokuto shouted. "You may have summoned a new powerful dragon and all, but that doesn't mean that I'll just let you do as you please! I hope you haven't forgotten about Consteller Caduceus's effect. While it is an Overlay Unit for a 'Constellar' Monster, during the start of the Damage Step against a LIGHT or DARK Monster, that monster is banished!"
Stellarknight Constellar Diamond shoots a beam of light at Dark Anthelion Dragon, hitting it head on and creating a massive explosion. However, much to Hokuto's surprise, Dark Anthelion Dragon appears from the smoke, completely unphased.
"What?" Hokuto's jaw dropped again. "How is it still here?"
"Power Shield's effect," Yuuji stated. "While a monster is equipped with it, it is completely unaffected by card effects!"
"So, I can't do anything to stop it directly…" Hokuto frowned. "No matter! I activate Constellar Praesepe's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit when a 'Constellar' Monster is being attacked, I can increase the ATK of that 'Constellar' Monster by 1000!"
(Constellar Praesepe — OU: 1 → 0)
(Stellarknight Constellar Diamond — ATK: 2700 → 3700)
Stellarknight Constellar Diamond begins to glow, charging up its attack.
"Uh oh. Player Haruki is in trouble now!" Nico Smiley announced. "Dark Anthelion Dragon now has fewer ATK than Stellarknight Constellar Diamond. If he lets this attack go through without doing anything, this duel might be over!"
"As if I'd let it end like that!" Yuuji shouted. "I activate Dark Anthelion Dragon's effect! By detaching one Overlay Unit from it, I can halve the ATK of one monster on the field, and grant that ATK to one monster on my field! I choose to give Stellarknight Constellar Diamond's ATK points to Crystal-Eyes Phantom Dragon! Static Void!"
Compartments in Dark Anthelion Dragon's wings begin to open up, as a wave of blue electricity is shot out from it, wrapping around the armored wyrm and sapping away its strength. Crystal-Eyes Phantom Dragon begins to glow as it gains the stolen power.
(Dark Anthelion Dragon — OU: 2 → 1)
(Stellarknight Constellar Diamond — ATK: 3700 → 1850)
(Crystal-Eyes Phantom Dragon — ATK: 3000 → 4850)
"Now go and destroy it, Dark Anthelion Dragon!" Yuuji shouted. "Dark Annihilation!"
Dark Anthelion Dragon creates a massive ball of dark energy, hurling it towards Stellarknight Constellar Diamond, who shoots a beam of light from its mouth to counter Dark Anthelion's attack. The two attacks collide, illuminating the arena in their clash. In the end, Dark Anthelion Dragon's attack overpowers the armored wyrm, crashing down onto it, destroying it, and causing Hokuto to be sent flying back from the shockwaves.
Hokuto — LP: 4000 → 2850
"Damn…" Hokuto curses as struggled back onto his feet, his set card flipping face-up. "I activate Constellar Meteor! Since your monster wasn't destroyed in a battle with a 'Constellar' Monster, it is shuffled back into your deck!"
Dark Anthelion Dragon is struck by falling meteors, falling to the ground and bursting into particles as Yuuji places the monster back into his Extra Deck face down. After that, Hokuto begins running, searching for an Action Card that could save him from this situation. Yuuji does the same, running off for an Action Card as he commands his remaining monster.
"Now for the final blow!" Yuuji announced. "Crystal-Eyes Phantom Dragon attacks Constellar Pleiades! Crystal Breath!"
Crystal-Eyes shoots a breath of shiny, violet flames, threatening to engulf Hokuto's monster. At the same time, Hokuto finds an Action Card, immediately playing it.
"I activate the Action Spell, Stance Change! Changing Constellar Pleiades to defense mode!"
The armored warrior takes a defensive stance as a faint blue aura appears around it.
"I activate my own Action Spell, Stellar Booster!" Yuuji declared as he found his own. "I can target 1 monster on the field and increase its ATK by 500! I choose to increase Constellar Pleiades's ATK!"
(Constellar Pleiades — ATK: 2500 → 3000)
"Huh? Why would you increase my monster's ATK—wait," Hokuto paused as he realized what Yuuji had done.
"Caught on, huh?" Yuuji smiled. "Crystal-Eyes Phantom Dragon's effect! When it battles and destroys a monster, you take damage equal to its ATK points! Constellar Pleiades has 3000 ATK points while you only have 2850 Life Points, it's pretty obvious what happens next."
"I lose…" Hokuto frowned.
"That's right," Yuuji smiled. "Finish him, Crystal-Eyes! Crystal Burst!"
Crystal-Eyes Phantom Dragon's flames explode, destroying Constellar Pleiades and creating shockwaves that send Hokuto flying into a nearby structure—his Life Points being depleted to zero.
Hokuto — LP: 2850 → 0
Winner: Yuuji
The Action Field, along with all of their cards and monsters, disappeared. Yuuji approached Hokuto, who was still sitting on the ground, extending his hand to his fellow duelist.
"That was fun, let's do it again someday," Yuuji said with a smile.
Hokuto accepted his hand, allowing Yuuji to help him back up.
"Yeah," Hokuto agreed. "But next time, I'll be the one who wins."
"I'd like to see you try," Yuuji smirked in a challenging manner.
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Meanwhile…
Yuya could be seen watching the aftermath of the duel from the waiting room's TV. His goggles that he usually wore around his neck covering his eyes.
"..." Yuya was silent, staring at the two cards which were glowing brightly in his hand
Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon…
…and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon.
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Elsewhere…
Hokuto could be seen exiting the waiting booth, scratching his head lazily as he was making his way back to the stands. Suddenly, two cloaked figures appeared in front of him.
"..." The shorter of the two figures stepped forward, activating their duel disk.
"Um, what the hell are you doing?" Hokuto asked.
"You're a remnant from the Xyz Dimension, right?" The figure with a feminine voice said before removing their hood, revealing themselves to be Serena. "As a member of Academia, it's my duty to put you down like the rest of your comrades."
"What the hell are you babbling about?" Hokuto looked at the girl like she was crazy. "You still didn't answer my question—"
"—Shut up and duel me, Xyz!" Serena interrupted. "I don't have time to be wasting with your comrades still being on the loose elsewhere!"
"Hmph, rude," Hokuto scoffed before activating his duel disk and smiling. "Fine then, I'll knock some sense into that thick skull of yours."
…
—Thud!
Hokuto fell to the ground, his Life Points depleting to zero.
Hokuto — LP: 4000 → 0
Winner: Serena
Serena walked forward, grabbing Hokuto by the collar.
"Tell me where your comrades are, Xyz!" Serena demanded.
"Comrades? What comrades—ACK!" Hokuto yelped in pain as Serena tugged on his collar.
"Stop playing around! Tell me where your fellow Xyz brethren are!"
"I swear I don't know anything about what your talking about—"
"—Tell me!"
"I don't know! Haruki Yuuji maybe?" Hokuto just blurted out a random name. "If you're looking for a guy who uses Xyz Summoning, he summoned a powerful Xyz Dragon in our recent match. Now can you please let me go."
"..."
—Thud!
"Ow!" Hokuto yelled in pain as Serena let him drop to the ground. She then proceeds to stand up, pressing a few buttons on her duel disk before pointing it at Hokuto.
"Ratting out your fellow comrades is rather disloyal of you. Allow me to do them a favor."
"Say what—?"
Hokuto couldn't finish his sentence as Serena's duel disk produced a bright purple light, engulfing the surrounding area. When the light died down, a card floated down from the sky, falling right into Serena's hand. After she shook the card a bit, the image on the card changed into that of Hokuto, whose unaware expression was printed onto the card.
Serena then proceeds to toss the card to the taller cloaked figure nearby, who catches it with two of his fingers.
"Why are you giving this to me?" A man with a deep voice asked.
"I don't want to hold onto worthless baggage, it'll only hold me down," Serena stated. "And besides, since you decided to tag along even when I wanted to go alone, this is the least you can do, Barrett."
Barret took off his mask, revealing his face. He was a tall, burly man with short, spikey teal-colored hair. A defining feature of his face was the scar on the left side of his face, which was briefly covered by an eyepatch.
"Serena-sama, the Professor ordered me to keep watch of you at all times. I can't just let you go into another dimension alone without supervision."
"I didn't ask to be pampered by him. I'm a strong and independent woman, I can do things by myself."
"This is serious, the Xyz Remnant's you're looking for are most likely those with experience fighting on a battlefield. They're a threat if you happen to underestimate them."
"Don't go trauma dumping on me because you let yourself be caught off guard one time," Serena crossed her arms. "And besides, that Xyz remnant was a complete joke. Some experienced fighter he was."
"That's because he wasn't the one we're looking for," Barrett revealed. "If you took even a moment to read how he reacted to what you were saying, you would've realized that he had no clue about us or the Xyz remnants."
"Maybe so, but at least we got a clue from him," Serena pointed out. "Haruki Yuuji. He said that guy summoned a powerful Xyz Dragon in a duel against him. It's the only semblance of a lead we've got so far."
"...I'll just do as you say, Serena-sama. My job is just to make sure you don't jeopardize yourself, as well as to make sure you return home safely," Barrett simply stated.
"That's fine with me," Serena said before walking.
Barrett pocketed the carded form of Hokuto before following after Serena.
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Chapter is too long for Webnovel so I'll have to split it in half.