Chapter Number 12. We are now in the second part of the Standard Dimension Arc (which will be like twice as long as the first part).
And with the new part, comes a new opening!
...
Yeah, let's just get into this.
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)
(A/N: Not sure if you were doing this already, but you don't have to listen to the song to read the opening. Just read it if you're curious .)
(A/N II: Minor spoilers ahead, though this opening doesn't really spoil too much if you look at it on a base level. A lot of stuff will probably be different to how they're shown in the opening, but some stuff may be the same.)
Rettsu sutāto! Isshun no senkō kara
(Reiji could be seen in a V.I.P booth, looking down at Maiami Stadium with a serious expression.)
Rettsu faindo! Sō, boku ga iku beki Wei
(The scene shifts down the center of the arena, where Shun could be seen looking towards the V.I.P. booth.)
Rettsu sutāto! Otanoshimi wa kore kara
(The screen is then covered in flames as it transitions, with Sora appearing with a sly smile.)
Redī gō! Riaru no maku ake
(The flames behind Sora disappear; revealing that he is also at the arena, standing face to face with Shun, who activates his duel disk. The camera pans up to the sky as the logo for the series appears.)
Kitai, fuan no mirai ga ima ugokidasu
(Yuuji could be seen in a blank void walking forward with a determined expression. Surrounding him are all of the monster cards currently in his possession.)
Tashika na negai ga koko ni aru kara Donto wōrī
(The scene transitions seamlessly to Yuya, who was running in a similar blank void with his own monsters following closing behind him until a bright, blinding light covers the screen.)
Akogareta ano hi mezashite boku wa tatakau
(The scene shifts to Yuzu, who is walking through the streets of Maiami City towards the stadium, her hand over her chest as she takes a deep breath. Looking at her from an alleyway is Shizuka, who watches her for a moment before turning around—disappearing as passerbys walk past the alleyway.)
Kirameku tsuyosa ga Kādo ni yadoru
(Yuzu then notices Yuya, Yuuji, and the rest of her friends, running to catch up with them.)
Appu/Daun wo kurikaeshi nagara
(The next few scenes shift quickly at this part, showing quick scenes of different characters. The first shows Gongenzaka, who is walking away from his Dojo with a serious look. The second shows Yuto resting on the rooftop of a building with one eye open.)
Fīru Itto! Kodō ga Ba,Ba,Ba,Bān!
(The third scene shows Ryouga walking through the hallways of Academia, a wide grin on his face. The fourth and final scene shows Leo Akaba, sitting on his throne. Bowing beneath him are the silhouettes of four people.)
Furikitta genkai wo mata norikoete. Boku wa tsuyoku naru
(The scene shifts to Shun who was still at the arena. He could be seen drawing a card from his deck before summoning Rise Falcon. Nearby, Sora could be seen drawing a card with a crazed expression on his face, before summoning his own monster, Frightfur Bear. The two monsters rush towards each other, clashing as the images of their users appear on opposite sides of the screen.)
Akirametaku wa nai kara
(In a frozen arena, Ryo could be seen summoning Ice Princess Zereot while locked in a duel against a woman with long, dark green hair.)
Kasoku suru kaze ni notte mukaerunda
(Elsewhere in the frozen arena, a green flash of light flooded the area as Yugo appeared from it, swerving to a stop before removing his helmet and looking into the camera seriously. The camera transitions to Yuri, who is shown in a similar camera angle with a sly smirk before the camera moves outward, revealing that the two of them are looking at each other.)
Ashita sura ito'oshikunaru hodo no boku no yume
(Four scenes flash in this section. The first shows Yuya with a smile on his face while he engages in a duel against Sawatari. The second shows Yuuji, who had a sly smirk on his face while engaged in a duel, though who he was dueling could not be seen. The third returns to Yuya, in an Ancient Ruins area, a dark aura surrounding him as he engages in a duel against three men in blue uniforms. The fourth shifts back to Yuuji, in a Volcano Area, who also had a similar dark aura erupting from him, however, he couldn't be seen dueling anybody.)
Ano kumo wo tsukinukete mabushī yume wo aozora ni egakō
(The scene transitions to Yuuji, who could be seen falling through the sky. Flashes of shattered memories flash on the screen throughout the scene, including one of a ruined city, one of a massive dragon, and one that showed a picture on a desk, with two people who look like him being depicted on it.)
Rettsu sutāto! Isshun no senkō kara
(The scene then shifts to Yuuji and Reiji in a hallway, activating their duel disks as they face off against two hooded figures.)
Rettsu faindo! Sō, boku ga iku beki Wei
(Sawatari could be seen in his room, a conflicted expression on his face. Scattered across his bed with the carded forms of his lackeys. Nearby, the image of Shun could be seen in his room with darts pinned into it.)
Rettsu sutāto! Otanoshimi wa kore kara
(Reiji could be seen leaning against a wall in his office, his fists clenched. A tired expression could be seen on his face as he let out a sigh.)
Redī gō! Riaru no maku ake
(Yuuji could be seen shooting up from his bed in a cold sweat, clutching his stomach as the scene soon fades to black.)
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Scale 012: Prelude to the Maiami Championships
—Thud. Thud. Thud.
Yuuji could be seen walking through a ruined city. The area around him is devoid of any signs of life. In the distance, one could see a massive dragon monster terrorizing other parts of the city.
I'm back here once again. Yuuji thought as he continued walking with an aimless expression. I've somehow gotten used to seeing this whenever I sleep.
Though, this time, the nightmare seems to have changed a bit.
First of all, there were no other signs of life around him aside from the massive dragon. Secondly, the phrase that had been repeating constantly in his mind was no longer there.
This fact should've unnerved him more since it meant that he was now moving into uncharted territory, but he felt nothing. He was just counting down the minutes until he eventually woke up.
Eventually, he came to a stop and looked up at the massive dragon being, who looked back down at him. This stare-down lasted for a few moments before one of them began to act.
—Splrch!
"—GUH!" Yuuji instantly coughed up blood as he felt something pierce his stomach.
His mind nearly went blank as he felt pain surging up within him. When he looked down to see where the pain came from, he noticed a dark tendril submerged into where his stomach was, piercing out through the other side of his body. Yuuji was then lifted up towards the mouth of the massive dragon.
Right before he was dropped into the mouth of the dragon, that same voice that had appeared in his previous nightmares spoke in his mind once again.
"Five boys with their fates strung together hang in the balance. On the night of the crescent moon, the Supreme King of Destruction will awaken once again."
Yuuji is then dropped into the mouth of the massive dragon. He could feel himself falling deeper and deeper into an unknown abyss as his vision faded, along with the rest of his senses.
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—THUD!
Yuuji fell out of his bed.
"Ow…" Yuuji rubbed his pained face. "That was not a fun experience at all."
He didn't expect that nightmare to change all of a sudden. Nor did he expect to get a firsthand experience at what being stabbed through the stomach felt like.
"And what's up with that ominous message?" Yuuji wondered. "'Five boys with their fates strung together hang in the balance.' What does that even mean?"
One thing is for sure, these nightmares can't be chalked up to a coincidence. As for the reason why he was the target of these nightmares, he had no idea.
—RING! RING! RING!
His alarm clock began to ring. Yuuji quickly went and shut it off.
I guess that's my cue.
It had been a few days since the events of his duel against Shun. In that time, Yuya had managed to win his final qualification match against Gongenzaka of all people, making use of a new Fusion Monster, Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to make a dramatic comeback in the end.
This also meant that he was now the only member of You Show who still hasn't managed to qualify for the Maiami Championships. To make things worse, today was the last possible day he could qualify since the tournament would be happening tomorrow.
Fortunately, his duel against Shun didn't seem to count, similar to his duel against Ryouga. So, he wouldn't have to start from scratch like he thought he would.
Thankfully, an opportunity for him to find one final opponent had appeared recently.
Yesterday, Sora and Yuzu approached him for a favor. Basically, Sora wanted to give Yuzu a chance to test out her skills by using Fusion Summoning against an actual opponent. Yuuji agreed to help them, under the condition that their duel could be counted as an official duel.
Yuuji went to wash up a bit, putting on his usual clothes and fixing up his hair to get himself ready. Once he was done, he returned back to his room, picking up his duel disk and attaching it to his left arm. When he picked up his deck to place it into his duel disk, an idea appeared in his mind.
I should give my deck a revamp in preparation for the tournament.
That duel against Shun made it obvious that his deck needed some major reworking, to address some glaring weaknesses with his cards.
First of all, he had way too many Level 5 or higher monsters. If he drew only monsters like that, without a good way to Pendulum Summon them, they were practically useless in his hand. He couldn't afford to put himself in a terrible position like that, especially if he may encounter a duelist like Shun again.
I should probably remove some of the non-Pendulum Monsters in my deck, huh? Yuuji thought as he took some cards out of his deck, placing them in his side deck. Right, that should be good.
Next, he should probably swap out some of his weaker Pendulum Monsters that don't do much to help bring out his stronger monsters like Revolution Commander and Freedom Rider.
But what should I replace them with? Yuuji wondered as he picked up his side deck to take a look at his options. Woah, there are so many more cards in here that weren't there before. That makes things easier.
Yuuji spent the next few minutes weighing the value of each card, swapping cards between his main deck and side deck until he was satisfied with what he had. He put his side deck in his deck holder and attached his main deck to his duel disk.
"Okay, that should be everything," Yuuji said. "I should get going now, I shouldn't keep those two waiting for too long."
With everything in order, Yuuji left his hotel.
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At the abandoned harbor…
A while later, Yuuji arrived at the abandoned harbor. When he makes his way to their designated meeting spot, he sees Sora and Yuzu, who were chatting about something until they notice him approaching.
"Ah, Yuuji. You're finally here," Yuzu addressed him.
"What took you so long?" Sora asked. "We've been waiting here forever."
"It's only been five minutes, Sora…" Yuzu sweatdropped.
"So what? That's still too long," Sora replied.
"I think you just need to develop some patience," Yuzu sighed.
"Sorry if I kept you guys waiting too long," Yuuji said. "I had to make some last-minute changes to my deck before coming here."
"Changing up your deck?" Yuzu was confused. "You don't need to go that far. It's not like this is going to be a serious match or anything."
"It is for me," Yuuji said. "Remember what we agreed on yesterday? This would count as an official match, so if I lose this match, my chances of joining the Maiami Championships will be zero."
Yuzu's eyes widened with surprise, "What?"
"Don't think too much about it, it'll be a win-win for both of us," Yuuji casually remarked. "You get to actually put your newfound strength against a truly serious opponent, and I get a chance to try and qualify for the tournament."
Yuzu was still a little unsure about it, "But if I win, that would mean that I'm the reason why you couldn't qualify for the tournament. I can't do that to a friend."
"You should do it, Yuzu," Sora said as he pulled out a lollipop to snack on. "It'll be a good experience for you."
"But…"
"If he does end up losing to you, that would just mean that he never had what it takes to win the tournament anyway," Sora bluntly stated.
That's a little harsh. Yuuji thought. But he is right.
Yuzu remained quiet for a moment, deep in thought. Once she finally made a decision, she slapped her face to psyche herself up.
"Okay, I'll do it."
"That's the spirit," Sora smiled.
"When you're ready, we can get started," Yuuji said before walking a decent distance away from them. Yuzu soon followed suit, walking to her own post on the opposite side.
Sora stood a decent bit away, silently licking his lollipop while deep in thought about something.
"Do you want to go first, or should I go first?" Yuzu asked as she drew her first five cards.
"You can go first," Yuuji said as he too drew his first five cards. "This duel is more about you getting to test your skills after all."
"Fine with me," Yuzu smiled as she activated her duel disk. "I'll show you both just how much I've grown."
"I'm looking forward to it," Yuuji smiled back as he activated his duel disk.
After her declaration, the duel soon began.
[DUEL!] The two of them shout in unison.
Yuuji — LP: 4000
Yuzu — LP: 4000
[Turn 1: Yuzu] [H: 5]
"I'll start by activating Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards," Yuzu declared as she drew her cards. "Next, I activate the Field Spell, Sanctuary in the Sky!"
The area around them transformed, bringing them to a floating island, with a massive temple erected behind Yuzu.
"A Field Spell…" Yuuji muttered. "That'll be annoying."
"You won't have to worry about its effect right now," Yuzu stated before continuing her turn. "I now activate the Spell Card, Dramatic Opera!"
Appearing all throughout the area around them were colorful music notes which brought life to their surroundings.
"When Dramatic Opera is activated, I can summon two Melodious Tokens (Light/Fairy/Token/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000/LV: 2) to my field!"
Two large, glowing music notes appeared in front of her.
"Sonata the Melodious Diva's effect activates!" Yuzu announced as she revealed the card in her hand. "When I control a 'Melodious' Monster, I can Special Summon it to my field!"
A feminine monster with long green hair and wings appeared. Scattered all over the monster's body were countless dark blue music notes.
[Sonata the Melodious Diva (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1000/LV: 3)]
"My preparations are complete," Yuzu muttered with a smile as she picked out one of the cards in her hand, revealing it. "I activate the Fusion Spell, Polymerization! With it, I choose to fuse Sonata the Melodious Diva with one of my Melodious Tokens!"
"..." Sora silently watched the events unfold with a bit of pride.
Sonata the Melodious Diva rises into the air together with one of Yuzu's Melodious Tokens, fusing together with it as Yuzu begins chanting.
"Note strung onto pages! Flowing melody! With guidance of the baton, gather your power!" Yuzu clasped her hands together. "I Fusion Summon! Make your debut onto the stage, Level 6! Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (Light/Fairy/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 2400/DEF: 2000/LV: 6)!"
A feminine monster with large, orange hair, wearing a red and black dress appeared onto Yuzu's field.
"A Fusion Summon right off the bat," Yuuji smiled. "You've really done your homework."
"And I'm not done yet!" Yuzu announced. "I activate the effect of my remaining Melodious Token! By tributing it, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or lower Melodious Monster from my hand! Appear, Elegy the Melodious Diva (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1200/LV: 5)!"
A feminine monster with green hair and skin, with one large purple wing sticking out from its back appeared on Yuzu's field.
"Elegy the Melodious Diva's effect activates!" Yuzu declared. "When she is Special Summoned, all 'Melodious' Monsters on my field gain 300 ATK!"
A purple aura appeared around Yuzu's monsters as they powered up.
(Elegy — ATK: 2000 → 2300)
(Schuberta — ATK: 2400 → 2700)
"I also activate Schuberta's effect!" Yuzu continued. "I can banish up to three cards in either of our graveyards; increasing her ATK by 200 for each card I banish. I banish Sonata the Melodious Diva, Pot of Greed, and Dramatic Opera to increase Schuberta's ATK by an extra 600!"
(Schuberta — ATK: 2700 → 3300)
"I end my turn," Yuzu concluded before turning to Sora. "What do you think? Did I do a good enough job?"
"It's too early to rate it. You still need to see if that'll be enough to stop that guy," Sora stated as he casually pointed at Yuuji with his thumb. "If you can stop him from plowing through your defenses this turn, then I'll say it was a good start."
"Right," Yuzu nodded.
"If you guys are done chatting, I'll start!" Yuuji declared. "My turn! Draw!"
Yuuji drew a card as his turn began.
[Turn 2: Yuuji] [H: 6]
"I'll start by setting Antique Golden Carol into one of my Pendulum Zones!" Yuuji declared as a golden bell rose into one of his empty Pendulum Zones. "Antique Golden Carol's Pendulum Effect activates! When I control no other cards in my other Pendulum Zone, I can place 1 'Antique' Pendulum Monster directly from my deck into that zone!"
Yuuj added a card to his hand, revealing it.
"Using the Scale 1 Antique Maker - Swinging Soul and the Scale 8 Antique Golden Carol already in my Pendulum Zone, I set the Pendulum Scale!" Yuuji announced as he placed the card on the opposite end of his duel blade, the word [PENDULUM] appearing in the center in rainbow font as a magician in a white robe rose into his other Pendulum Zone. Above it all, a giant, silver pendulum, swung.
"Here it comes…" Yuzu braced herself.
"With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I can summon monsters Levels 2 through 7 all at the same time!" Yuuji declared as the silver pendulum above him drew a portal in the sky. "Shine, Pendulum of Destiny! Draw an arc across the ether, and reflect onto me a path to victory! Pendulum Summon! Come forth, my monster companions!"
Two beams of light shot out from the portal.
"Appear, Antique Maker - Mira (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5/SC: 8) and the Tuner Monster, Antique Maker - Reverend Architect (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 600/DEF: 1500/LV: 3/SC: 4)!"
Appearing on Yuuji's field was a woman in all black holding a pristine mirror in her hands, and a mage in a purple cloak holding a stone scepter.
"At this time, both Antique Maker - Mira and Antique Maker - Reverend Architect's effects activate," Yuuji stated. "Mira allows me to add an 'Antique' Card to my hand when she is summoned, while Reverend Architect allows me to add an 'Antique' Spell/Trap Card to my hand."
Yuuji added two cards to his hand.
"Now the Level 3 Antique Maker - Reverend Architect tunes the Level 5 Antique Maker - Mira!" Yuuji announced as the aforementioned monsters transformed into green rings and orbs respectively, lining up as he began chanting.
"Sonic gale winds that move at the speed of sound. Ride the speeding current as you pave a path to victory!" Yuuji chanted. "I Synchro Summon! Accelerate, Level 8! Antique Maker - Freedom Rider (Wind/Spellcaster/Synchro/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1500/LV: 8/SC: 1)!"
A man riding a grey and green colored Duel Runner, wearing similarly colored gear appeared on Yuuji's field.
"That's the Synchro Monster you used to defeat that Reiji guy," Yuzu's eyes widened.
"I hope you remember its special effect," Yuuji smiled. "When Freedom Rider is Synchro Summoned, I can destroy cards on your field equal to the amount of materials used to summon it. I used two monsters as materials, so I get to destroy your two monsters! Freedom Gale!"
Freedom Rider revved up his engine as it drove in circles at sonic speed, creating a green tornado that threatened to suck up and destroy all of Yuzu's monsters. However, to Yuuji's surprise, Elegy the Melodious Diva began singing a melody, creating a shield that protected itself and Schuberta from Freedom Rider's effect.
"While Elegy the Melodious Diva remains on my field, Melodious Monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects!" Yuzu declared.
"I should've known that it wasn't going to be easy," Yuuji sighed. "But it's not the end of the world. There's still more I can do."
Yuuji revealed a card in his hand.
"I activate the effect of Foolish Burial!" Yuuji declared. "Thanks to its effect, I can send 1 monster from my deck to my graveyard. I choose to send Antique Lightbulb to my graveyard!"
Yuuji takes a card from his deck and sends it to the graveyard.
"And now with my newfound target, I activate Freedom Rider's second effect!" Yuuji continued. "Once per turn, I can target 1 'Antique' Monster in my graveyard and banish it, granting Freedom Rider that monster's effects and granting it 1000 ATK—!"
"I won't let you!" Yuzu interrupted. "I chain Schuberta's effect, banishing Antique Light Bulb and Foolish Burial in your graveyard along with the Polymerization in mine before your effect resolves!"
"A Quick Effect!?" Yuuji cried out in shock.
Schuberta's hair began to ignite once again as its power increased.
(Schuberta — ATK: 3300 → 3900)
She's trying to completely shut me off from doing anything to threaten her field. Yuuji assessed.
But it's not the end of the world.
She may have stopped me from doing most of the things that I wanted to do, but that doesn't mean she's in the clear yet.
"From my hand, I activate the Equip Spell, Power Lance!" Yuuji declared. "By equipping it to Antique Maker - Freedom Rider, I can increase its ATK by 1200!"
A metallic lance materialized in Freedom Rider's hand.
(Freedom Rider — ATK: 2000 → 3200)
"Furthermore, Antique Maker - Swinging Soul's Pendulum Effect activates!" Yuuji added. "Increasing Freedom Rider's ATK by an additional 800!"
The magician in white swings his pendulum around, which begins to glow as it grants additional power to Freedom Rider.
(Freedom Rider — ATK: 3200 → 4000)
"4000 ATK!?" Yuzu's cried out in shock.
"Battle!" Yuuji shouted as Freedom Rider began to accelerate. "Antique Maker - Freedom Rider attacks Schuberta the Melodious Maestra! Hyperstream Rush!"
Freedom Rider accelerates, driving straight through Schuberta, destroying the monster and creating a massive explosion.
"Sanctuary of the Sky prevents me from taking battle damage in battles involving a 'Fairy' Monster I control!" Yuzu declared as a barrier formed around her, protecting her from the shockwaves of the attack.
"I'll set one card and end my turn," Yuuji concluded as a card appeared on his field facedown.
"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Yuzu drew a card and began her turn
[Turn 3: Yuzu] [H: 2]
Yuzu looked at the card she drew and smiled.
"I summon Soprano the Melodious Songstress (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1400/LV: 4)!"
A feminine monster with green skin, dark red hair, and a violet dress appeared.
"Soprano the Melodious Songstress's effect activates!" Yuzu declared. "With it, I can perform a Fusion Summon without the need of Polymerization! I fuse Mozarta the Melodious Maestra from my hand together with Soprano the Melodious Songstress!"
"A Fusion Summon without Polymerization!?" Yuuji was surprised.
Yuzu's two monsters rise into the air, fusing together as she began chanting.
"Angel's song! Supreme genius! With the guidance of the baton, gather your power!" Yuzu chanted as she clasped her hands together. "I Fusion Summon! Now come here to the stage, Level 6! Sing the song of victory, Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir (Light/Fairy/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 1000/DEF: 2000/LV: 6)!"
A pink flower appeared in front of Yuzu. Emerging from within was a beautiful monster with lavender hair and countless pink ribbons floating around her.
(Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir — ATK: 1000 → 1300)
"Battle!" Yuzu moved into her Battle Phase. "Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir attacks Antique Maker - Freedom Rider!"
Bloom Diva floats towards Freedom Rider, who revs up its engine as it shoots toward the Fusion Monster.
"What? But its ATK is so low?" Yuuji was confused before realizing something. "Unless, its effect…"
"Right on the money!" Yuzu confirmed. "Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir's effect activates! Bloom Diva cannot be destroyed in a battle involving a Special Summoned Monster. Also, your monster is destroyed, and you take battle damage equal to the difference in our monster's ATK! Reflect Shout!"
(Bloom Diva — ATK: 1300)
(Freedom Rider — ATK: 4000)
The two monsters were locked in a standstill as an invisible barrier forms right between the two monsters. Bloom Diva begins shouting, creating a green cyclone that destroys Freedom Rider and blows Yuuji away.
Yuuji — LP: 4000 → 1300
"Now to finish this! Elegy the Melodious Diva attacks you directly!"
Yuzu's monster begins singing, forming dark blue music notes that are then shot toward Yuuji with great speed.
"No mercy, huh? Unfortunately for you, I can't afford to lose this early," Yuuji smirked as he got back up on his feet. His set Trap Card is then activated. "I activate the Counter Trap Card, Special Antique Delivery! When my opponent declares an attack while I control no monsters on my field, I can Special Summon an 'Antique' Monster directly from my deck in defense mode! Appear, Antique Wishing Lamp (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 3)!"
A golden genie lamp appeared on Yuuji's field with a faint blue aura surrounding it.
"Furthermore, when a monster is summoned via the use of Special Antique Delivery's effect this turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle," Yuuji stated.
A barrier formed around him and his monster, protecting them both from the music projectiles.
"I end my turn," Yuzu concluded her turn, seeing that there was nothing else she could do.
Obviously, it wouldn't be that easy to win whenever that guy is involved. I'm glad I likely won't have to face him seriously any time soon. Sora thought as he bit down on his lollipop. Even though I know I would win, I'd rather avoid getting into a duel against him, or any of my friends.
However, if the time ever came when they became enemies, he wouldn't hesitate to wipe them out for the sake of Academia.
While Sora was deep in thought, Yuuji collected himself, stretching his arms as he began thinking as well.
That monster of hers is definitely a big threat. Yuuji thought. Not only is it immune to card effects thanks to Elegy the Melodious Diva's effect, but it also can't be destroyed by battle.
He would have to be smart about this, or else he'd end up losing before even dealing a single point of damage to her Life Points.
"My turn! Draw!" Yuuji began his turn.
[Turn 4: Yuuji] [H: 3]
"Oh?" Yuuji looked at the card he drew with intrigue. "This is…"
The Ritual Monster he bought a while back when he decided to update his deck a bit. It's not a powerful card, having 0 ATK and DEF just like any other 'Antique' he had, but its effects surely make up for it.
Okay, I see a way out now. Yuuji smiled. Time to try this guy out.
"With my currently set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon!" Yuuji declared as three beams of energy shot out from a portal above him. "Return from my Extra Deck, Antique Maker - Mira (ATK: 2000/DEF: 100/LV: 5) and Antique Maker - Reverend Architect (ATK: 600/DEF: 1500/LV: 3), both in defense mode."
Yuuji's two monsters returned to his field with a faint blue aura surrounding them.
"And from my hand, Antique Crescent Breeze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7), also in defense mode!"
A floating ice blade with a silver hilt appeared on Yuuji's field with a faint blue aura surrounding it.
"Reverend Architect and Mira's effects activate! Upon their summon, I can add an 'Antique' Spell Card along with another 'Antique' Card from my deck to my hand!"
Yuuji added two cards to his hand.
"Next, I summon the Tuner Monster, Antique Resonance Mirror (Light/Fairy/Tuner/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 2)!" A pristine, silver mirror appeared. "Antique Resonance Mirror's effect activates upon its summon, allowing me to Special Summon another Antique Monster directly from my deck! Appear, Antique Maker - Lilac Magician (Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1300/LV: 5/SC: 1)!"
A feminine monster in a purple magician's robe appeared.
"Now I activate the Ritual Spell, Antique Sacred Rites!" Yuuji declared, shocking both Yuzu and Sora. "With it, I can Ritual Summon an 'Antique' Monster from my hand as long as I provide the appropriate tributes. I tribute the Level 2 Antique Resonance Mirror along with the Level 5 Antique Maker - Lilac Magician to Ritual Summon a Level 6 Monster!"
The area around them darkened as a massive shrine appeared behind Yuuji. The shrine had countless stone statues around it, depicting different monsters. Yuuji's aforementioned monsters transform into flames, which ignite the unlit stone candles scattered throughout the shrine.
"Forged in a lost time long forgotten, the forbidden tool that governs the passing of time lies locked away," Yuuji chanted as the altar behind him began to crumble. "Break free from your chains, and bring about your legacy! I Ritual Summon! Come forth, Level 6! Antique Forbidden Hourglass (Light/Fairy/Ritual/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 6) in defense mode!"
A floating hourglass appeared from underneath the altar. Stick out from both sides of its body were two large, ghastly purple arms. Surrounding its whole body was a faint blue aura.
"Forbidden Hourglass's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "When this card is Ritual Summoned, I can target 1 monster on your field and negate its effects until the end of this turn. I choose to negate your Bloom Diva's effects!"
The floating hourglass extends one of its ghastly hands, which goes through Bloom Diva, who had a terrified expression on her face from the action.
"Now Bloom Diva is just a monster with only 1300 ATK…" Yuzu grimaced.
"I'm not done yet, Yuzu!" Yuuji announced. "I now overlay my Level 5 Antique Maker - Mira, Antique Wishing Lamp, and Antique Crescent Breeze!"
The aforementioned monsters transform into energies that are then absorbed into a galaxy vortex that forms in front of him. A massive pillar of light shot out from the portal's center as Yuuji began chanting.
"The will of the oppressed who die on the battlefield burns bright. They wait for the one who guides the will of the fallen to victory! I Xyz Summon! Rise up, Rank 5! The courageous leader who fans the flames of rebellion, Antique Maker - Revolution Commander (Fire/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Xyz/Effect/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 5/SC: 5/OU: 3)!"
A tall man with striking red hair cloaked in black, with a similarly colored mask covering his mouth appeared.
"Revolution Commander's effect activates!" Yuuji declared. "By detaching one Overlay Unit from it, I can Special Summon Antique Dawning Blaze (Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect/ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5/SC: 7) from my deck to my field!"
A fiery blade with a golden hilt appeared on Yuuji's field.
(Revolution Commander — OU: 3 → 2)
"Antique Dawning Blaze's effect now activates!" Yuuji continued as Revolution Commander grabbed onto the fiery blade. "I can equip this card to Revolution Commander, increasing its ATK by 500 for every monster on both of our fields excluding itself! You and I have 2 monsters on each of our fields, so Revolution Commander gains 2000 ATK!"
The flames from Antique Dawning Blaze surround Revolution Commander, increasing its ATK.
(Revolution Commander — ATK: 2500 → 4500)
"Furthermore, Antique Maker - Swinging Soul's Pendulum Effect activates as well, increasing a Revolution Commander's ATK by an additional 800!"
(Revolution Commander — ATK: 4500 → 5300)
"5300 ATK!?" Yuzu was shocked.
"Thanks to your Field Spell's effect, you won't take any battle damage," Yuuji stated. "However, I can at least destroy your monsters!"
Revolution Commander leaped towards Yuzu's monsters.
"Battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Revolution Commander attacks Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir! Blazing Revolution!"
Revolution Commander slashes its sword through Bloom Diva, destroying it. A barrier formed around Yuzu thanks to her Field Spell, protecting her from the shockwaves.
"Thanks to Revolution Commander's effect, it can make a second attack during the Battle Phase!" Yuuji continued. "Go, Revolution Commander! Attack Elegy the Melodious Diva!"
Revolution Commander sets its sights on Yuzu's other monster, slicing through it and destroying it. Once again, a barrier formed around Yuzu, protecting her from the battle damage.
"Main Phase 2," Yuuji concluded his Battle Phase. "I activate Forbidden Hourglass's other effect. Once per turn, I can tribute an 'Antique' Monster on my field to draw a card from my deck. I choose to tribute Antique Maker - Revolution Commander."
Antique Forbidden Hourglass's ghastly hands move towards Revolution Commander, surrounding it and crushing it into particles. Yuuji then drew a card from his deck.
"Huh? Why would you destroy your Xyz Monster?" Yuzu was confused.
"Keeping him on my field will only keep me vulnerable, especially if you have a way to bring back the Fusion Monster I had just destroyed," Yuuji explained.
A face down card then appeared on Yuuji's field.
"I set one card, and end my turn," Yuuji concluded.
"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Yuzu announced as she began her turn.
[Turn 5: Yuzu] [H: 1]
"I activate the Field Spell, Melodious Last Chorus, replacing my other Field Spell!" Yuzu declared.
She placed the card over her other field spell. The area around them transformed back into the abandoned harbor, before it then became filled with countless colorful music notes and scores, which looked like ribbons.
"Once during my turn, this Field Spell allows me to Special Summon as many 'Melodious' Monsters from my graveyard to my field as possible," Yuzu explained. "However, monsters summoned by this effect are returned to the graveyard during the End Phase. Also, Melodious Monsters I control cannot be targeted by my opponent's card effects."
That's an interesting effect. Yuuji thought. Maybe I should get myself a Field Spell?
As for how he would end up acquiring one, he wasn't really sure.
As he was deep in thought, a massive portal appeared in front of Yuzu.
"Return to my field, Mozarta the Melodious Maestra (Light/Fairy/Effect/ATK: 2600/DEF: 2000/LV: 8), Elegy the Melodious Diva (ATK: 2000, DEF: 1200/LV: 5), Soprano the Melodious Songstress (ATK: 1400/DEF: 1400/LV: 4), Schuberta the Melodious Maestra (ATK: 2400/DEF: 2000/LV: 6), and Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir (ATK: 1000/DEF: 2000/LV: 6)!"
Yuzu's monsters swarm her field.
"Thanks to Elegy the Melodious Diva's effect, all of my monsters gain 300 ATK!"
A green aura surrounds all of Yuzu's monsters as they power up.
(Mozarta the Melodious Maestra — ATK: 2600 → 2900)
(Elegy the Melodious Diva — ATK: 2000 → 2300)
(Soprano the Melodious Songstress — ATK: 1400 → 1700)
(Schuberta the Melodious Maestra — ATK: 2400 → 2700)
(Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir — ATK: 1000 → 1300)
"Battle!" Yuzu moved into her Battle Phase. "Soprano the Melodious Songstress attacks Antique Forbidden Hourglass!"
The songstress begins singing, creating a gust of wind with her voice that is sent towards Yuuji's monster.
"At this time, I activate my set Trap Card, Emergency Barrier!" Yuuji announced as his set card was revealed. "When I have fewer Life Points than my opponent, I can reduce any battle damage I take to zero for the rest of this turn!"
A barrier appeared around Yuuji.
"Furthermore, I chain Antique Forbidden Hourglass's effect!" Yuuji declared. "By tributing it from my field, I can draw 1 card from my deck."
Forbidden Hourglass's ghastly arms surround its body as it then crushes itself. At the same time, Yuuji drew a card from his deck.
"Tch," Yuzu clicked her tongue before continuing. "I change Soprano's target to Antique Maker - Reverend Architect!"
The songstress' song destroys the magician.
"Main Phase 2," Yuzu concluded her Battle Phase, seeing that she couldn't do anything else. "I activate Soprano the Melodious Songstress's effect once again! I fuse it along with Schuberta, Mozarta, Elegy, and Bloom Diva!"
"A Fusion Summon with five monsters?" Yuuji gasped in surprise.
"..." Sora smiled.
Yuzu's aforementioned monsters rise into the air, fusing together as she begins chanting.
"Musical geniuses, convene together! By the guidance of the baton, assemble your power!" Yuzu chanted as she clasped her hands together. "I Fusion Summon! Light up the stage, the song of passion! Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir (Light/Fairy/Fusion/Effect/ATK: 1900/DEF: 2000/LV: 7)!"
A smaller woman with blue hair in a yellow dress, wearing two green flowers which pointed out from its shoulders appeared.
"Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir gains 300 ATK for each monster used as material for its summon," Yuzu stated. "Since I fused five monsters to make her, she gains 1500 ATK!"
(Bloom Prima — ATK: 1900 → 3400)
"Furthermore, my Field Spell's effect activates!" Yuzu announced. "When I Fusion Summon a 'Melodious' Monster, I can draw 1 card from my deck."
Yuzu drew a card.
"I now set the card I had just drawn and end my turn," Yuzu concluded.
"Then it's my turn! Draw!" Yuuji drew a card as he began his turn.
[Turn 6: Yuuji] [H: 3]
Yuuji couldn't help but smile.
"You seem happy," Yuzu pointed out. "Did you draw a good card?"
"No, it's not that," Yuuji replied. "It's just that you've just sealed your fate this turn."
"Huh?" Yuzu was surprised. "What do you mean?"
"You forgot to banish stuff from my graveyard using Schuberta's effect."
"But you can't make use of them anyway, right?" Yuzu asked. "Why would I need to banish anything from there?"
"It'll be easier to explain if I just showed you," Yuuji stated.
A portal appeared above Yuuji as three beams of light shot out from it.
"Pendulum Summon! Return from my Extra Deck, Antique Maker - Revolution Commander (ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000/R: 5), Antique Maker - Reverend Architect (ATK: 600/DEF: 1500/LV: 3), and Antique Maker - Lilac Magician (ATK: 1700/DEF: 1300/LV: 5)!"
Yuuji's monsters swarm his field.
"Reverend Architect's effect activates," Yuuji stated. "Thanks to it, I can add another 'Antique' Spell/Trap Card to my hand."
Yuuji added a card to his hand.
"Now, from my hand, I activate Antique Reborn!" Yuuji declared. "Thanks to this card, I can Special Summon an 'Antique' Monster directly from my graveyard!"
"No way…" Yuzu gasped as a portal appeared on the ground in front of Yuuji.
"Return to my field, Antique Dawning Blaze (ATK: 0/DEF: 0/LV: 5)!"
The fiery blade with a golden hilt returned to Yuuji's field. Yuzu's eyes widened when she realized what Yuuji was about to do.
"I'm sure you know what comes next," Yuuji smirked. "Just like before, Antique Dawning Blaze equips itself to Revolution Commander!"
Revolution Commander grabs onto the fiery blade; the flames of the blade begin to envelop the man.
"Revolution Commander gains 500 ATK for each other monster on the field," Yuuji stated. "There are two others on mine, while there is one on yours, meaning Revolution Commander gains 1500 ATK!"
(Revolution Commander — ATK: 2500 → 4000)
"Furthermore, Antique Maker - Swinging Soul's Pendulum Effect activates again, increasing Revolution Commander's ATK by an additional 800!"
(Revolution Commander — ATK: 4000 → 4800)
"4800 ATK…" Yuzu muttered. "Not to mention, it can make a second attack since it has that monster equipped to it…"
"Battle!" Yuuji moved into his Battle Phase. "Revolution Commander attacks Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir! Blazing Revolution!"
"Not yet!" Yuzu countered as her set card was flipped face-up. "I activate the Quick-Play-Spell, De-Fusion! Thanks to this card, I can target 1 Fusion Monster in my field, and tribute it to Special Summon all of the monsters used to Fusion Summon it—!"
"I won't let you!" Yuuji interrupted as Lilac Magician's staff began to glow. "Antique Maker - Lilac Magician's effect activates! When my opponent activates a set Spell/Trap Card, I can tribute this monster to negate that effect and destroy that card!"
Yuzu's De-Fusion bursts into purple particles along with Lilac Magician.
"N-No way…" Yuzu was shocked.
"Now go, Revolution Commander!" Yuuji pumped his fist forward. "Blazing Revolution!"
Revolution Commander leaps towards Bloom Prima, slicing through the monster with its fiery blade, creating an explosion that sends Yuzu flying back.
Yuzu — LP: 4000 → 2600
"And now for the second attack!" Yuuji declared as Revolution Commander rushed towards Yuzu. "Revolution Commander now attacks you directly! Blazing Revolution!"
Revolution Commander stops just short of Yuzu, flicking her on the forehead to reduce the rest of her Life Points to zero.
Yuzu — LP: 2600 → 0
Winner: Yuuji
The Field Spell around them dissipates, returning them to the abandoned harbor. Yuuji approached Yuzu, who sat on the ground while rubbing her pained forehead. He extended his hand out to her.
"Here, let me help you back up."
"Oh, thanks," Yuzu accepted his hand.
Yuuji then proceeded to pull her back onto her feet. As that happened, Sora approached the two of them.
"It looks like you lost," Sora commented. "Though I can't really blame you, since Yuuji always seems to find a way out of terrible situations."
"If I had banished his equipped monster, I could've kept myself in the duel longer…" Yuzu muttered as she clenched her fists. "If only I had known…"
"There's no use in beating yourself up like that," Yuuji said. "It's not like forgetting to banish it was the main reason you lost; I had other ways to win from that position as well."
"Then doesn't that mean that there was no way I could've possibly won," Yuzu frowned.
"That's not what I meant," Yuuji replied. "I had other ways to win, but you also had potential counterplays for those plans that could've given you a more favorable position, hence why I went with the easier option of just using Revolution Commander to take you out as quickly as possible."
"Yuzu also had an easy way to win as well, though this is all with hindsight," Sora commented. "If she had just activated De-Fusion before you had Pendulum Summoned Antique Maker - Lilac Magician, she could've gotten Bloom Diva back on the field along with Schuberta. Then she could've used Schuberta's effect to banish your Dawning Blaze if you tried to activate Antique Reborn. And you couldn't use your Synchro Monster to destroy them since her Field Spell along with Elegy the Melodious Diva protects Yuzu's monsters from being targeted by your effects. On her next turn if you had Revolution Commander or your Synchro on the field, Yuzu just would've attacked them with Bloom Diva and won."
So, I was a lot closer to losing than I thought. Yuuji thought. And I blatantly told her she could've done something like that with Schuberta to stop my plans during the duel. If things had gone a little differently, I would've lost before I could've even done anything.
He couldn't let a situation like that happen again. At least not without him being aware of it.
"So, if I had been smarter, I could've won?" Yuzu asked, feeling a bit relieved from hearing that.
"Pretty much," Sora said as he opened another lollipop. "So, take this as a learning lesson for your next duel."
"Got it," Yuzu nodded.
<><><><><><><><><><>
A while later…
Yuuji could be seen right in front of Maiami Stadium, his eyes glued to his duel disk screen. On it, he could see a giant green check mark next to his profile, signifying that he was officially entered into the Maiami Championships.
"Just in time," Yuuji smiled. "It's good that I decided to come straight here before they closed registration."
Just as he was about to walk off, he heard a voice call out to him.
"Yo, long time no see."
Turning to the source of the voice, Yuuji immediately froze upon recognizing them.
It was a tan-skinned young man around his age, with a similar height and build to him as well. The young man sported rough-looking, but also surprisingly clean clothing.
"Shouma…" Yuuji immediately frowned.
"Aw…is that the way you should react to seeing your old friend again?" Shouma responded.
"You and I both know we were never friends," Yuuji stated. "Cut the bullshit."
"Still as bad-mouthed as ever, Yuuji," Shouma shook his head. "I doubt you could ever find yourself a girlfriend with an attitude like that."
Shouma then shrugged.
"Though, not like that matters much. What girl would want to hang around a duelist that loses as much as you anyway?"
"Not like you would have much luck either, dickhead," Yuuji rolled his eyes. "You'd probably scare off any girl with whatever the hell you're wearing right now."
"I'd rather do that than suck at dueling like you," Shouma scoffed. "You're that bad of a duelist to the point where you needed to be bailed out by that new Pendulum Summoning to defeat my father."
"Your father?" Yuuji was confused for a moment before realizing. "Wait, your father is…"
"...Black Death," Shouma finished his sentence. "The King of the Underground…or I guess the former King now thanks to you and that cheat of yours."
"Pendulum Summoning isn't a cheat," Yuuji retorted. "Our duel disks find it just as legal as any other summoning—"
"—Yeah, yeah, cut the bullshit. You said that at the match as well," Shouma suddenly interrupted. "Even if that Pendulum Summoning of yours is legal, it still doesn't change the fact that you were bailed out by it."
Shouma then stepped up to Yuuji, glaring daggers into him.
"If you didn't have that stupid cheat of yours, you would've died there. A fitting end for the son of a cheater."
"My father was not a cheater," Yuuji held his ground. "It was obvious that he was framed."
"You only think that because you're his son," Shouma stated. "The evidence makes it obvious that he cheated. While you are a horrible duelist just like your father, you of all people should know just how taboo it is to sabotage your opponent's deck before an official tournament match."
"He…didn't…do it," Yuuji said with a dangerous glare.
Shouma put his hands up playfully, "Hey now, no need to get all mad. I'm just making use of public information like any person would."
"I'm like this close to punching your teeth out right now," Yuuji said with clenched fists.
"Right here? In front of hundreds of people? Please," Shouma shrugged. "I saw you register for the tournament earlier; you wouldn't want to give up your spot in the biggest tournament of the year just because you got a little mad, right?"
"Tch…" Yuuji clicked his tongue as he unclenched his fists.
"Smart choice," Shouma smirked. "Must be a shame, right? Being powerless in the face of things completely out of your control. Just like with what happened to your father."
It took everything Yuuji had to not just lunge at Shouma after what he had just said, something the Shouma could tell very easily.
"Well, whatever, I'm bored now," Shouma shrugged before walking away. However, just before he did, he stopped right next to Yuuji. "I hope to see you at the tournament, Yuuji. That is…if you even have the balls to show up at all."
With that last comment, Shouma walked off.
"..." Yuuji stood there quietly for a moment.
He then took a deep breath. And another. Again, and again, and again.
It was the same thing Tanako, his mentor, had always done when she was angry to keep herself composed.
With one final deep breath, Yuuji opened his eyes.
"A cheat, huh? Maybe so, but I swear I'll prove to you…no, the world itself, that I am worthy to carry this blessing."
After saying that aloud to himself, Yuuji began walking back home.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Meanwhile, at LDS Tower…
Reiji sat on his desk, examining a multitude of documents written about people that caught his interest. The one he currently held in his hand was a document about Haruki Yuuji's father, Haruki Gin.
"A rising-star duelist with incredible talent at first…" Reiji read. "...who had disappeared from the dueling scene after a scandal where Haruki Gin had allegedly messed with his opponent's deck before the match to steal an easy victory."
Reiji looked at a photo attached to the document, which showed Haruki Gin messing with a deck that the document claimed to be the one his opponent used. After looking at the photo for a moment, Reiji placed it back down, picking up the document again to continue reading it.
"He moved to the Outpost ten years ago together with his six-year-old son, where he raised the youth until he was killed in a riot incident five years ago. Info about the cause of the riot is still unknown…"
That was the end of the document.
That was surprisingly short. Reiji thought. As if most of the info surrounding this man had been lost many years ago.
Before he could reflect more on it, he heard a knock at the entrance of his office.
"Come in."
The door opened up, revealing the person knocking to be Nakajima.
"Reiji-dono…" Nakajima bowed to his boss. "The guests you've been expecting have finally arrived."
"Good work, Nakajima," Reiji put down the document in his hand as he stood up. "You can let them in now."
"Yes, Reiji-dono," Nakajima bowed before walking out of the room.
A few moments later, three people enter the room. These three people were Yuga, Shizuka, and Shun. It was faint, but if one looked closely, they could see a bit of unease laced in Shun's expression as he briefly glanced at the young woman beside him who looked just like his younger sister, Ruri.
"Good, it seems like you're all here," Reiji greeted them.
"Cut to the chase, Akaba," Shun immediately said. "Just what are you planning?"
"I have an important task for the three of you," Reiji answered. "Obviously, it relates to my plan to take down my father."
He takes out a remote from his pocket, and presses a button which lowers a screen down behind him. A video feed featuring an aerial view of Maiami Stadium was present.
"That stadium…" Shizuka seemed to recognize it. "I heard that was the stadium where the Maiami Championships would be taking place."
"You've done your research. Saves me the time of having to explain what it is," Reiji commented before continuing. "What I want from the three of you is simple. Enter the tournament and sift through the participants to find those who are skilled enough to fight against Academia."
"So, you plan on picking out certain people and ship them off to battle?" Shizuka frowned "Putting your people in harm's way, how cold of you. Especially people who are our age, who never had to fight in a war before."
"There aren't any other options, unfortunately," Reiji stated.
"What about the top duelists of LDS?" Shizuka inquired. "Surely you could make use of them for this."
"That's not an option either," Reiji stated before glancing at Shun. "Thanks to a certain somebody, most of our strongest duelists are out of commission for the foreseeable future. Aside from LDS's Top Team, we don't have any other potential fighters."
"Tch…" Shun looked away.
"And besides, this generation of duelists has proven to be far more talented than its predecessors," Reiji stated, pressing a button to show images of both Yuuji and Yuya. "They're the first generation to grow with the power of Pendulum, and I'm almost certain that they have what it takes to use that power to defeat Academia."
"..." Shun's face twitched a bit upon recognizing Yuuji's face.
"But still…" Shizuka still looked unsure.
"Wait, I have a question," Yuga suddenly spoke up. "If I were to join the tournament, would I get a chance to fight one of those two?"
"If that's what it takes to convince you to join, we can make arrangements," Reiji replied.
"Sweet. I'm in," Yuga agreed.
"Yuga! You can't be serious!?" Shizuka yelled at her friend.
"What? It's a good deal though," Yuga said. "We can increase our numbers in the war, and I get to duel against actually interesting duelists. It's a win-win."
"..." Shizuka looked at her friend with an exasperated expression before sighing. "Whatever. Do what you want. I'm still not okay with this."
Ignoring the two's little argument, Shun addressed Reiji.
"What's in it for me?" Shun asked. "This whole thing just sounds like a waste of time, since Standard is the weakest of the four dimensions. They'd be of no use to us."
"Then would this interest you?"
Reiji pressed another button, pulling up a picture of a certain cyan-haired youth wearing a blue school uniform.
"Who is this exactly?" Shun raised an eyebrow.
"Shiunin Sora," Reiji answered. "A spy from Academia."
"What?" Shun's eyes widened in shock.
"He's one of the participants who will be participating in the tournament," Reiji continued. "If you agree to join, I'll give you a chance to confront him in a duel."
"You have yourself a deal then," Shun agreed with zero hesitation.
Reiji smiled.
"Good, I'll be expecting great things from you, Kurosaki Shun. And you too, Ibarahana Yuga."
The next day…
Yuuji could be seen on a bridge, looking off the horizon towards Maiami Stadium, which was being swarmed with countless spectators. In his hand was his pendulum necklace, which he gently swayed side to side.
"The time has finally come," Yuuji smiled. "My chance to finally prove myself on the big stage."
Everything he had done had been for this exact moment, the chance where he could prove to the world that he had what it takes to become the best.
"I just wish you guys were here to see me, Father, Tanako…" Yuuji solemnly said. "But even though you guys aren't here right now, I promise to do my best to make you guys proud anyway."
"Yuuji! What are you doing over there!? We're going to be late!" He heard Sora shout from a little ways away.
"Right! I'm coming!" Yuuji shouted back, wrapping his necklace around his neck again before running off to join the rest of the group.
<><><><><><><><><><>
Custom/Altered Cards:
Monster Card/s -
Schuberta the Melodious Maestra
ATK: 2400, DEF: 2000, LV: 6
Light/Fairy/Fusion/Effect
Monster Effect: (Quick Effect): You can target up to 3 cards in either GY; banish them, and if you do, this card gains 200 ATK for each, permanently. You can only activate this effect once per turn.
Antique Maker - Reverend Architect
ATK: 600, DEF: 1500, LV: 3, SC: 4
Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Tuner/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster on the field; it gains 500 ATK until the end of this turn.
Monster Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Antique" Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand.
Antique Crescent Breeze
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 5, SC: 7
Light/Fairy/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Pendulum Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects.
Monster Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster you control; equip this card to that target. It gains 1000 ATK. If the equipped monster would be destroyed, you can Tribute this card instead.
Antique Maker - Lilac Magician
ATK: 1700, DEF: 1300, LV: 5, SC: 1
Dark/Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters you control as material.
Monster Effect: (Quick Effect): When your opponent activates a Set Spell/Trap Card while this card is on the field, you can Tribute this card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card.
Antique Forbidden Hourglass
ATK: 0, DEF: 0, LV: 6
Light/Fairy/Ritual/Effect
Monster Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with "Antique Sacred Rites." If this card is Ritual Summoned: You can target 1 card on the field; negate its effects until the end of this turn. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can Tribute 1 "Antique" monster; draw 1 card.
Spell/Trap Card/s -
Dramatic Opera
Normal Spell
Special Summon 2 "Melodious Tokens" (Fairy/LIGHT/Level 2/ATK 1000/DEF 1000) in Defense Position. These Tokens cannot be Tributed, except for the Tribute Summon of a "Melodious" monster, or used as material for a Fusion or Synchro Summon, except for the summon of a "Melodious" monster. You can Tribute 1 "Melodious Token"; if you do, Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower "Melodious" monster from your hand.
Power Lance
Equip Spell
A monster equipped with the card gains 1200 ATK.
Antique Sacred Rites
Ritual Spell
This card can be used to Ritual Summon any "Antique" Ritual Monster from your hand. You must also Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal or exceed the Level of the Ritual Monster you Ritual Summon.
Melodious Last Chorus
Field Spell
While this card is on the field, "Melodious" monsters you control cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects. Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can Special Summon any number of "Melodious" monsters from your Graveyard. During the End Phase, destroy all monsters Special Summoned by this effect. Each time you Fusion Summon a "Melodious" monster, draw 1 card.