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Yu-gi-oh 5Ds: Rise of Darkness and Corruption (Athene/ImaginaryMuse & Razgriz)


Hajime gave a quick nod as Mei inquired if she'd had the open wounds when she was found. Yeah. Guess someone was with her before we arrived; or at least forced her to self-wound herself. She had twine on her joints in place of the usual hemp.

It wouldn't be until the stitches started registering to Yuna's body that she reacted. Her eyes widened as she fought to stay still. She whimpered and winced, grabbing tightly at the cot.

Shhh. It's okay, Yuna.

For the briefest of seconds, an irked glare entered her eyes. But ... he did know of pain. Maybe not from stitches, but enough to know how badly something could hurt while one was conscious. That was enough to make the stare vanish, her eyes softening as she shook lightly.

Hajime would wait for Mei to leave. His left hand would begin working on the compresses. His right, meanwhile, took a hold of Yuna's hand, lightly squeezing it.

See? You need this. Promise me you'll wait before finding this comrade of yours. Fayth, you said?

Y-Yeah. I will, I promise. Thanks, Hajime ... oh god. I've never felt this shitty ...

... Yuna? I know the details probably aren't pleasant. But ... please tell at least me everything that happened. When you're ready. It'll help Mei and all to us figure out necessary reactions. Fro how she can help you to just how badly we need to kick this Kiryu's ass.

Yuna sighed. Hajime was right; she would not like doing that. But ... much like she had her points, so did he. Okay. But I'm warning you now, none of them are ... pleasant. If you have a weak stomach, I highly suggest getting someone else to listen. 'Cause you ain't gonna like most of what I've got to say.
Everyone would have their own expressions.

Ling was trying to keep a decent strong front; but honestly, she was nervous. Crowds weren't something she usually enjoyed. Thankfully, she did have a solution for that, and it came in the form of being able to sneak glances at Yamichi.

Fayth - or Celeste, as per her alias - wasn't much better. In fact, it was worse in some regards. There was the constant feeling of eyes upon her, for one. Two - and just as importantly - her mind was going back to the gift she'd gotten a few days ago. Her own runner, bought and slightly customized courtesy of Yusei and Fuyu themselves. She had, as one could guess, cried; at home, but still. That was not at all what she expected, even less when Fuyu admitted some of the funds had been her own and not all from her job.

I have to thank him when this is over. It wouldn't be right otherwise.

She nodded firmly to herself, trying to feel more of the resolve and determination instead of the anxiety flowing through her.

Judai was beside the other Disciples, and just as ecstatic as Takeshi. If anyone didn't know better, they could probably pass off as blood brothers with how similar they were with their energetic mood. "Holy crap. This is ... wow. Breathtaking."

From all the people to just the setting in general, it really was quite a sight in its own rights.

"Hah! Guess you're right. But ... aren't you a tad annoyed? I mean, it is in the first round. I was hoping for a rematch later, not quite this soon." Still, he was right about one thing; it would definitely be a match to look forward to, regardless of the result.

Aki, meanwhile, was in her own corner. She'd hidden away for ... quite some time. As far as she knew, Divine wouldn't wish to see her again. Even less than that were probably Hotsuma and Yuna ... at leastt the latter for sure. And truthfully? That had pained her, haunted her. But ... well, she had brought it upon herself. She had gone too far, particularly with Hajime. So, even if somewhatt begrudgingly, Aki acceptted her fate; solitude. She had no one to blame but herself.

If it weren't for the fact she earned her spot, she honestly would have skipped this tournament altogether.

But who knew? Maybe nothing would even happen regarding her abduction crime. It was another reason he bothered taking the chance at all.

Last, but certainly not least, was a confused Luca in the stands. She even told Lua she didn't want to accept the invitation. This would be too much on her body. So when her name appeared anyway, she blinked ... and tilted her head. Why ... ??

When the answer walked forward, she face-palmed, groaning weakly. "Lua!" she hissed lowly, moving her head in disbelief. "Why .. oh my god. Only my brother would be that desperate."

And, as luck would have it, he was going immediately against Yusei.

... Well, ask and thou shalt receive.

Well, here goes, Yusei thought, stepping forward at the same time the disguised Luca was doing so.

"You did want this," he murmured in a lowered voice, "So ... let's do this, shall we?"

Allowing his voice to be higher, Yusei declared, "Duel! I'll call heads."

And heads it was.

"I'll go first then. Draw! I'll set two cards and summon Sonic Chick. Turn end!"
 

And with the first Duel underway, the rest of the Duelists would be ushered to another section of the arena. Namely specialized seating on the field level right on the other side of the racing track, more than enough chairs to have them watch the series of Duels from. "Me, upset? No way, Judai; I've been looking forward to fighting you again!" Takeshi declared excitedly, Yamichi just shaking his head, "Ad here I thought you would say it's bad luck to get matched against him again." Takeshi just grinned, "Normally, yeah...But I'm glad today! This is going to be awesome!"

And with their seats taken, Yamichi had somehow wound up next to Ling...Not that he minded at all. He was extremely happy to see her, even more so since she made it here to the tournament. "So...Pretty crazy atmosphere, huh Ling? I didn't realize there would be so many people, it's pretty unnerving." he would start off; she seemed to be holding up well, and honestly he kind of admired her for being able to do that. His face showed quite the variety of nervousness, anxiety and general unease...But not because of her, it was more the fact that all eyes would be upon him once he got his turn on the stage.

Goodwin, meanwhile, watched from on high in the tower at the very center of the stadium. Arms behind his back as he looked down at the two contestants; this would be the ultimate proof. He was more than sure he had all the Signers here, but part of it was also to see if he could get the Crimson Dragon to appear and have them all recognize each other. Only a strong front would stop the coming catastrophes. At his side was another man along with Jack Atlas, seated behind a laptop that had its own set of foldable legs. "Akutsu...Are the sensors online yet?" Goodwin asked, Akutsu replying "Just need to calibrate them to filter out the Solid Vision bleed...Done. We should be able to detect and verify any of the Signers. I've placed them all around the stadium, so they won't even be able to use the restroom without us knowing where they go."

It was here that Jack crossed his arms, "So...Aside from Yusei, Fayth and myself, how many do you expect there to be?" Goodwin just smiled, "Not entirely sure; Fayth herself being one was a surprise of its own, so there could be others. But...We shall see." And when Yusei made his first move, summoning Roadrunner in Attack Mode, Jack scowled, "Yusei...Don't get yourself eliminated by making such rookie plays."

Lua just grinned as Yusei would start things off; what kind of plays would he make with that? He didn't know...But those two sets had him worried, and with his deck, he wasn't sure he could take a risk attacking. Even still, he could make a play.

"My turn! Draw!" Lua declared, "I'll set one card face-down, then I summon Deformer Cameran in Attack Mode!" And when his monster materialized, it seemed to be an ordinary camera but quickly unfolded itself to be a small mechanical droid with the flash module on its left arm. "And with that, I end my turn!" It was admittedly a slow start to the Duel...But against Yusei, he was more than sure that this would turn around real quick.

And with the both having taken their turns, Goodwin then said, "Akutsu...We know about Yusei, but what can you tell me about Luca?" A few minutes were spent trying to get a read on the young woman, not knowing who that really was, but frowned. "Hmmm...Not getting anything sir. Maybe once the Duel starts pushing them more, I'll get more accurate readings." Goodwin nodded, "Excellent, just keep watching. I want to be sure I have all of them accounted for."
 

"Ehh. I don't need to say anything about bad luck; you've been great about keeping track of that." Judai shot back, smiling slyly at Takeshi. "Well ... since we were paired up in the first round, whoever wins has to go on as far as they can for the other person. Deal? Because you already know I'm not gonna hold back, nor do I expect you to."

Ling grinned as she took note of Yamichi sitting beside her. She eagerly scooted closer, giving him a quick hug. "Hey, Yamichi! I hope your group hasn't been working you to death or anything. Seriously though, you look well ... save for nervous." Her voice lowered as she whispered, "It's okay. I am too, even if I don't look it. This ... yeah. This really is quite the crowd. Sorta the problem, hehe. Audiences like this ... those are the real challenges for me to deal with."

If they were at a restaurant of any kind, that would be a lot simpler to deal with.

But this was at least ten - probably much more so - bigger than a mere eating establishment could ever begin to hold.

"I'm sure you'll do great. Don't fret too much, okay?"

It was only somewhat odd that Lua didn't attack. Yusei could understand to some extents. Even he had his own moments in the past where set cards had made him hesitate. For the most part, though, he had a much easier time detecting when a card was a bluff or not. Poor Lua though ... he was young and naive. This was probably a bit tougher on him than any other contestant due to age and - likely - lack of experience. At least compared to himself and the other Enforcers, or other contestants in this duel for a better analogy.

"Very well. Draw! I'll shift Sonic Chick to defense and set a card. Your turn."

Jack would know best that even - especially, perhaps - when Yusei took up more defensive-based plays those were as dangerous when he was on the offensive. It tended to mean he was building up. And sure enough, that was exactly his plan. He had several cards in his hand still that would help for when it arrived. All he had to do was make his creatures add up to eight.
 

"You got a deal, Judai...And don't worry, once I move on, I'll make sure to keep going just for you." Takeshi would reply, smiling innocently at the brunette as the playful teasing went between them. Of course, he meant no real offense by the remark; it was more to make Judai want to fight him even more. Still...He was actually hoping he would win this time, but wouldn't be too upset if he didn't. Judai had a tough deck, one that would give anyone's trouble for sure.

"I know...But it's still pretty overwhelming. Even so, I am happy you're here at least. Will make dealing with this even easier." Yamichi welcomingly replied; he never did good with crowds, especially not so out in the open like this. However...He looked back over to the redhead that was seated at the end of the field-side section. "Hey...Isn't that Aki? How'd she get in?" Yamichi asked; he wasn't trying to be rude at this point, but he honestly thought she would have been arrested for her crime of abduction. Takeshi looked over as he heard Yamichi mention her name, a grimace on his face now and seeing that she was indeed here. "Well, hopefully Goodwin's got a close eye on her. I've got no problem punching her in the face if she tries to lay a hand on anyone." Takeshi mumbled bitterly; great, so people like her got passes for abducting? What a crock of shit...And now the mood was spoiled. "I liked it better when I didn't know she was here."

Yamichi felt a bit of a sweat bead on his neck; sure, she'd helped him and Hotsuma out by getting him out...But what were the guarantees she wouldn't try something like that again? "Oi, Takeshi...Just chill, yeah? We're here to do this for fun...Let's at least give her a chance."

Lua noted Yusei going on the defensive; he must be planning something huge, he thought. "Aww, come on, Yusei...Why don't you show me what you already?" Lua teased; he wanted them both to go all out, his relative immaturity - mostly excusable given his age - showing through like a diamond in the sky. It was youthful energy that he had in spades, something that drove his sister crazy and helped keep her happy at the same time. Of course, he was sure she wasn't overly happy with him right now; he had told her to come here because he had a surprise for her.

"Surprise, sis!" he shouted mentally, grinning as he verbally stated, "Alright then! Let's rev this up! My turn, draw!" Looking through his hand, he knew there were some plays he could make. But Yusei still had his two sets, as well as another monster face-down. Ah well, he had 8000 Life, he could do with a little risk.

"Battle! Deformer Cameran, attack his face-down! Flash Develop!" he shouted, Cameran throwing its right arm forward, blasts of light leaving the flash module on its arm before the monster would be flipped face-up, revealing its identity as Turbo Booster before it shattered. "Alright, alright! Turn end!" Lua shouted happily, even if he didn't ding Yusei's Life in the slightest.

Jack watched on, that same scowl on his face; if he had Turbo Booster set, he was indeed planning something big. "Yusei...Is this how you plan to bring it out?" he mused, Goodwin raising a brow "Oh? You actually went through with giving it back to him? Interesting...Why the change of heart?" Jack gave a small 'Hmph' and replied, "Yusei's a strong Duelist...I want him to show me what he can do now that his ace is back in his possession."
 

... Well, that was to be expected, Aki supposed. She didn't need to turn her head. However, she did so ever-so-slightly ... and caught sight of everyone else who had been at the tournament when she took Hajime away. Ling just wasn't directly with the group and, of course, Hajime didn't advance far enough. Otherwise, she knew a few things; those were indeed the exact same people. Two, they were technically correct on recognizing her. But three - and this was the important part - they had absolutely no proof whatsoever. Not even her voice nor red hair meant much. She could have made a clone and had it duel in her stead. Hell, there were some other women in the ranks of Arcadia.

True, none looked anything like her.

But they didn't know that. Worse off, they could alter their appearance with a mere blink of their eyes.

With Psychic powers - something only mayhaps Judai, now that she could sense he had his own powers from here, could begin to understand - anything was possible.

"Habeus corpus," Aki calmly replied; none of them had exactly whispered to one another. Especially not Takeshi. "Present the body - or evidence, in this case, since we're not talking about an actual murder. Now really, do shush. No sense in causing a public scene, is there? Besides, I'm here. If I were guilty, it's exactly as Yamichi-kun says; I would have been arrested."

Ling frowned slightly, as did Judai. Both brunettes seemed to silently agree the mood had definitely been better before Aki's presence had been noticed. Ling lightly hooked her arm around one of Yamichi's while Judai looked with a serious expression to Takeshi.

"For now ... ignore her," he replied in a hushed voice. "If it was her, she'll get Karma later. I've seen it enough times. But ... she does have a point. Making a scene in public, let alone here of all places?"

Judai shook his head.

"That really wouldn't be good. Least of all for you guys. You've kept yourselves under Sector's radar, haven't you? And from what I have heard, the Director himself is here. Just please ... don't say or do anything rash, okay? Sure, we technically have the place fortified, but that doesn't mean they haven't figured some sort of back-up location out. So just ... please. Think of literally anything else; our fight, something else. But don't let her ruin this for us, okay?"

Yusei smiled, both silently praising Lua and not worrying too much. The loss of his Turbo Booster had been inevitable. If push really came to shove, that was exactly what one of his sets were for; to assist with that. Not yet, though. Now wasn't the right time to use them.

"Draw! I summon Road Synchron. He'll attack your Deformer Cameran!"

His head nodded, noting nothing had stopped Lua's monster from being destroyed.

"For now, turn end!"
 

Takeshi knew he shouldn't get pissed; but he could feel it in his gut it was her. And Yamichi knew first hand it was, having encountered her from the Arcadia building. And given he was there when Hajime basically pointed the finger, he would definitely have the evidence needed. But...That would unfortunately also paint them as having broken the law, going over into the Satellite. And despite everything she had done...She'd also heeded Hotsuma's wishes and gotten him back safely.

"Just remember that you *are* guilty, Aki...I was there with Hajime, remember?" Yamichi warned her mentally, even if he had no real intention on turning her in, smiling at Ling as she hooked an arm around his.

"I get it, Judai...Just doesn't seem fair. I know in my guy that's the same Aki from the earlier tournament." he grumbled, resolving himself to watching the fight. Yeah...Watching a Duel would take his mind off of her. "Your friend's not wrong, Judai...I'd recognize her anywhere. I recommend caution around her; she appears to not be here with malicious intent, but even so, keep your guard up." the Academy Duelist would hear his spirit chime in; Yubel was ready this time, in case the woman tried anything to harm her vessel and friend.

Lua just grinned, even as his life dropped to 7200. "When Cameran's destroyed in Attack mode by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon another Level Four Deformer from my hand! Blast out, Deformer Radion!" And with that, a handheld music player would materialize, before long transforming just like Cameran had done before. "And with Radion's effect, all Deformers gain 800 Attack Points!" he then added, Radion's power rising to 1800.

"Alright, my turn, draw! Deformer Radion attacks Road Synchron! Earphone Shoot!"

And this time instead of light, Radion's attack involved a massive bombardment of sound, shattering his opponent's Tuner and lowering his Life to 7800. "Alright, yeah! I set one card face down and end my turn!" And with this trap, Lua had a fairly good chance he could win this...His monster might not be the strongest, but he had a good idea on how to use them effectively. Most people probably wouldn't appreciate his Deck's strategy...But that didn't matter. He then pointed a finger at Yusei, "Alright, now show me what you got!"

Goodwin kept watching; this Duel needed to be moved along. "Akutsu...Is there anything you can do to provoke a response?" Goodwin asked, the researcher nodding, "Sure...I just need to boost the output a little and we should see something happen." Typing a series of commands in, the D-Sensors inconspicuously started to pump out D-Energy...With his time as the Head Researcher of the RRD, Akutsu was able to find the wave-length that would cause their Signs to react. Symptoms would probably range from the aches of their Signs going off to mild headaches; even with the boost, it shouldn't cause them to be overly ill. Something that Goodwin had instructed from him. "Ok...Now we should see something happen." Akutsu added, watching his monitors to see if there were any responses from Luca on the field.

Jack looked at his arm, seeing his own Mark glow; wasn't painful, but it certainly itched. At this Goodwin smiled, his gaze returning to the Duel at hand. "Well...At least it works on Jack. Now...How about the others?"
 

Once Aki was satisfied that none of the group would be stupid enough to come over, her attention went back to the duel. True, she could just as easily use her powers. But that would be what they'd want - and need - to make their accusations come to life. Then again, that was why she still had her pin in her crimson locks. There would be a bit of extra 'oomph' when she went against this Bommer person ... but no one would be able to pin that on her either. Especially since she had no intentions of removing the restrainer; then it'd be a completely different story.

Ling sighed, grateful no one had decided to try to be a hero. Now just wouldn't have been the right time, plain and simple. This wasn't to say she didn't understand their emotions; far from it. But Aki had given far too many points. There was a time and place for everything. Now was not yet that moment for any reactions.

Judai grimaced as Yubel spoke up.

"Well .. I appreciate the confirmation. But let's assume what you just mentioned was true. She's here with little or no ill will. Then surely the danger is .... lessened, at least?"

As much as he'd wanted to say 'completely gone', he wasn't that naive. Not anymore. He internally sighed. At this rate, the best he could hope for was neither Takeshi nor Yamichi would have to go against her should she end up winning her own match.

"Not bad," Yusei replied, watching as Lua took his turn. "Don't worry. I had full intentions of showing you what I have. It's what you wanted, after all, so no take-backs."

With the two officially having lost a bit of life, it finally seemed like the true beginning of this duel was showing itself.

"My turn! Draw!"

He looked back down at his hand, almost literally trying to find a path with his natural Clear Mind ability. He could definitely see a plan forming; he just needed yet some more turns to make them work out. It was slightly annoying it was taking this long; but then, that helped prove how competent Lua was despite being so young. An impressive feat, for sure.

"I activate Tuning. In exchange for being able to search for a monster, I have to send the top card of my deck to the grave. I'll get Nitro Synchron then set a monster."

Under normal circumstances, he would have chosen Quickdraw Synchron instead. Unfortunately, it'd be redundant, given he wouldn't have been able to use the effect if he chose his go-to monster.

"Turn end! But don't worry! You'll get your wish soon enough; that I promise."
 

Bommer, the very person she was to face in the coming matches, sat with a disinterested expression in the little spat among the other Duelists; instead, he was focused on this Luca. Her mannerisms were far less than that of a young lady, and more like a very energetic young man. He couldn't help but wonder if this was an impostor...But their appearance looked right, and even the voice from what he had heard seemed to fit. His eyes narrowed as he continued to watch these two truly begin their fight.

When Lua saw Yusei activate a card to add a Tuner monster to his hand, Lua's eyes widened. "Going to try for a Synchro Summon, huh? Well, I might have to do something about that!" he teased; of course, with his hand, there wasn't really much he COULD do. Yusei had to be waiting to use those Set cards for something important...But what could they be?

Regardless, for now he would decide to play it safe. An odd choice, considering his usually reckless offensive tactics...But he was doing this to try and show Luca how fun a Duel could be...In part, at least.

"My turn! Draw! I activate my face-down card, Deformer Gazer! While this card's face-up on the field, I can change a Deformer's battle position whenever it's Summoned! I then summon Deformer Magnen I! Then I activate the effect of Gadget Driver in my hand! I send it to the Graveyard and change both my Deformers to Defense position!" And with that, both of his monster would shift back into their 'gadget forms': Radion reverted to a handheld music player, and Boardon became what appeared to be a futuristic rocket-powered skateboard. "Eh-he...Well, I didn't say this turn, I would do anything! Just you wait, Yusei! Turn end!" Lua declared excitedly.

Goodwin, meanwhile, was waiting for an update. "Anything at all, Akutsu?" he asked, the brown-haired male shaking his head, "No...Oh dear, I hope they're not broken. No, they can't be! I checked them, then double-checked them before I installed them last night!" He was poring over the readouts; there was still only the Wing Mark from Jack showing up, but what was also bothering him was that Yusei's mark wasn't showing up either.

"Wait...Sir, I'm getting a reading, but it's not from in the arena! There's someone in the stands...Yes, the Claw Mark!" Goodwin came over to see, the signs showing up that indeed the Duelist facing Yusei was indeed not a Signer. "Who is this then..." Goodwin muttered, and as if right on schedule, another voice would enter the fray.

"Director, Sir...I believe I have something you might wish to see. I saw our young Duelist facing against that Fudo boy...And something struck me as odd, so I did a little investigating...Turns out, Luca has a twin. Here's a copy of their records from the Neo Domino Duel Academy." said Yeager, approaching Rex with a stack of documents in hand. The Director would then take them and peruse them, seeing their pictures. As well as a note about them being fraternal twins.

"Huh, well that explains a good bit. Akutsu, it would seem we have an impostor in the ring." Goodwin said, Yeager asking, "Shall I stop the Duel?" To this Rex would shake his head, setting the papers down on a table and stating "No...Let us see how well this Lua can Duel. Maybe his actions will force his sister to awaken as well."
 

"Heh, that's fine," Yusei reassured, watching Lua take his turn. "This deck usually works faster. You've been patient with me, so I'll return that gesture."

Maybe not as much as the typical beatdowns, but certainly more so than what he'd been playing thus far.

As Yusei drew, he saw it. The last card he'd needed. With his Clear Mid kicking in, he knew exactly how his next few turns were going to play. It really was unfortunate that he had to force Lua to wait. But .... it would be very worth it, and not only for his opponent, but the very man who made this plan possible at all.

"I set a monster and end. Your go!"

Luca leaned a bit closer. Fine. So at least he wasn't getting his butt immediately whooped. Still though, what had Lua been thinking. "No means no," she murmured in slight annoyance, unable to help but watch in a mix of curiosity and pride. All things considered, he really was doing pretty well. Then again, poor Yusei's deck was going slow, just liked he'd said.
 

Lua just laughed, "Hey, I just want to see the strongest monster you got!" The guy had four monsters on the field by this point; he was going to summon something huge, he could just tell. No one stacked their field like this without having some kind of big play in mind. And honestly? He could hardly contain his excitement as he declared, "My turn! Draw!" And when he saw what he drew, that childish grin grew even wider.

Oh yeah...He had his pieces all but set. "I end my turn!" Lua would then shout, making the MC shout "Ending his turn without doing anything!? What does this little lady have in mind?! How will her opponent respond? Something big's coming, folks! I can feel it in my bones!"

Yamichi couldn't help but laugh, "Man...These two are matching each other move for move. But, I get the feeling that this Luca girl has something in store; why else would she let her opponent build up his field like that?" Takeshi nodded, "Yeah...Definitely something up her sleeve. The question is, what is it though?" Of course, they both know that maybe this girl had nothing to get through that wall of defense...But that was highly unlikely.

"Well, whatever it is, I just want it to be our turn! We'll give these people a hell of a duel, right Judai!?" Takeshi then declared excitedly, Yamichi shaking his head, "You sure you two weren't separated at birth? I've never seen two people more similar in their eagerness to fight." "Heh...He's got your number, Judai." Yubel would then add mentally.
 

Hmmm ..

The MC wasn't the only one curious about Lua simply ending his turn. If he had something ... why not go through with it?

Well ... he seemed to prove he knew what he was doing thus far. And Yusei himself had finally gotten all he needed. He couldn't just hold back due to pity or concern. He didn't envision Lua wanted those sorts of gestures, anyway.

"Alright! Here goes! Draw! I activate Graceful Revival on my Turbo Booster. I then summon Quillbolt Hedgehog! Finally, I flip and reveal all my sets for a level eight Synchro Summon!"

The Quillbolt Hedgehog, Turbo Booster, Shield Wing, Sonic Chick, and Nitro Synchron all jumped up, disappearing in the familiar silver-green orbs as a new form slowly began to emerge.

"Clustering hopes will become a new, shining star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!"

Despite all the cheering roaring from the audience, Lua would hear Yusei declare, "I'm not yet done! I equip Stardust Dragon with Silver Wing. Battle! Stardust Dragon will attack Morphtronic Magen!"

Just like the last attack, nothing was used to prevent its destruction.

"You wanted to know and see, so here it is ... my ace card."

Yusei's eyes briefly widened, narrowed, and then went to normal. It hadn't bothered him .. but now that he was paying more attention to himself, it didn't go unnoticed either. His Sign ... it wasn't fully activating, per se. But ... it twas .... tingling, for a lack of better wording.

... Why?

Didn't this only activate when he was in desperate situations? So ... what had that just been?

Judai rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Heh, yeah. I'm very sure about that much." Oddly, he was separated ... just not from Takeshi. But that was another long story he didn't really want to relay at that moment. And thankfully, he was given something else to focus on. A smile spread over his face as he watched the Synchro Summoning of Stardust Dragon. "His ace, huh?" he repeated, nodding in perfect understanding. His own was also a 2500 attack point monster; Elemental HERO Neos, to be specific.

"Turn end!" Yusei quickly added, realizing the odd feeling had temporarily made him zone out and almost forget he was in the midst of a duel.

"Wow .... pretty." Luca began to lean forward, trying to get a better angle of Yusei's dragon. Before she succeeded, though, an abrupt surge of pain shot through her head. She whimpered and gasped, leaning back in her seat. "L-Lua ... ngh ... this is exactly why I said I didn't want to come along!"

Of course, she didn't realize the true cause of the source, believing it to simply be her own frail body instead.
 

"Wow, coool!" Lua yelled, giving a double fist pump as Yusei would Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon. Lua didn't have any Synchro Monsters as of yet; there were Tuner monsters he had, but he had yet to find one that would fit with his strategy of his deck. But...Maybe afterwards, he could look more into it; Heitmann was always on his case anyway, about not having more powerful monsters. Same went for Bob and Tenpei; how many times had Heitmann threatened to have them expelled for using 'weak cards'?

"And there it is! Ladies and Gentlemen, the first Synchro Summon of the Fortune Cup! And what a majestic monster too!" MC shouted to roars of approval from the audience, something that Yusei would surely appreciate. Lua did...Because he was right, Stardust was enchanting and awesome in general. What kind of powers did it have, that was what Lua was wondering.

But...It was in his admiration that he didn't activate his trap in time, his monster being destroyed. "Craaaap" Lua muttered mentally, even so with it being in Defense, he wouldn't lose Life. "Heh, you got some power, Yusei! My turn, draw!" He had no real idea what was going on with Yusei...Or with Luca for that matter.

"Just watch me, sis! I'll show you how strong I am!" he said, looking over his hand. But...Right now, he saw nothing else he could do. Except set another card...Which is what he would end up.

"Hmmmm..." he pondered, looking quite lost right now; there had to be something, right? Besides that? No...No there wasn't. Giving a cheesy grin to Yusei he would then say, "Well, I got nothing for right now! I'll set one card face down! Turn end!"

Yamichi and Takeshi both seemed perplexed, the former asking "What's with her? She should have something she would be able to play, right?" Takeshi just shrugged, "Who knows? Dead draws? Never heard of these Deformers though...Wonder if they're like your old Machiners deck, Yamichi?" The tech shook his head, "No...That deck had boss monsters. This deck seems to be more of a swarming deck, less Beatdown mechanics involved. Kind of like your Shiranui, but with no Synchros to back it up." Takeshi nodded, finishing with, "She better hope to get something soon; that Stardust doesn't look like it's going to play around". A statement that certainly seemed accurate, but...This duel was still in its infancy. Maybe they could reveal something about it later? Only time would tell.
 

Oh how right Lua was about his deck having power; he just opted not to boast about it. It wasn't Yusei's style, for one. Two ... well, he'd find out as the duel went on, anyway.

Luca, meanwhile, was massaging her forehead. Odd. She usually got migraines when she hadn't eaten enough. But ... this persistent pain in her head was making it seem as if she'd fasted all day. That wasn't the case, of course. If anything, she made sure to avoid skipping meals so as to prevent things like this from happening.

Still, despite the pain surging through her, she tried to focus more on the duel going on below.

Good luck! You're definitely gonna need it now, brother!

Particularly with the large Sychro dragon Yusei now had. As good as Lua's monsters could be, it'd require more than a few support spells and traps to keep Yusei from winning this duel.

"Draw! I'll set a back-row card. Stardust Dragon will then proceed to attack Morphtronic Radion."

Again, nothing prevented the destruction ... which was making Yusei as curious as the on-lookers. They could just be pure bluffs, but ... he doubted it. That didn't seem to be Lua's style.

"Turn end!"

"The supports are probably for very specific situations. Likely similar to how Yusei waited until activating his Graceful Revival when he could Synchro .... but meant to compliment her own deck instead."

Ling would voice her thoughts, with Judai nodding in agreement. "I don't have too many picky Elemental HERO supports, but there are some that need specific cards in order to work properly. Dead draws could be just as possible ... at least for now."

Much like the tech and Shiranui user had agreed, only time would reveal all of their guesses.
 

Lua just laughed as his Radion got destroyed, "Well, dang...That's unfortunate. But luckily, I got more than a few more tricks up my sleeve!" It seemed that the destruction of his monsters didn't overly faze him. Which would certainly be one reason atop of others why he was getting such weird looks from not just the other competitors, but even people in the stands were wondering what this young woman was doing.

"My turn! Draw!" Lua declared, adding in a jubilant tone "I activate the Magic Card, Resurrection of the Dead! I'll take that Shield Wing in your Graveyard and Special Summon it to my field in Defense Mode!" And with that, one of Yusei's Synchro Materials would reappear on his opponent's field, hunched over and hued blue from its position. And now, they both had monsters that couldn't be destroyed twice by battle.

"Turn end!"

Yamichi seemed a bit surprised, "Well...That will at least buy her a few turns. But...With only nine hundred Defense Points, a decent monster or card will break it like a twig." Takeshi chuckled, "Considering it looks like one, I'm surprised Stardist won't be able to just sneeze on it and break it into tiny pieces."

Akutsu meanwhile, was busy trying to read back the signals. "Indeed...This should push Yusei a little more. He might not be one of your favorite students, Director...But this Lua, yes? Doing a great job of bringing out the energy. Who's next by the way?" Goodwin smiled, "I believe Sir Gill Randsborg is next...Facing one Yamichi Hizumara. We'll have to see if he can hold his weight; he was selected as one of the best tournament Duelists we have to offer. He would do well not to disappoint."

Of course, what he hadn't said aloud was that the knightly male had wanted to face and eradicate the Black Rose Witch; his exact words were, after raising that shortsword before him " 'swounds, I fain will end that pernicious wretch's treachery once and for all! Her crimes are worth an eternity of perdition! My noble blade will pierce her breast, give unto that witch her due!" "Best hope you can defeat your opponent, Sir Randsborg, if you wish to make good on your self-sworn proclamation" Goodwin thought to himself in a bemused fashion.
 

Well ... that certainly was going to be annoying. Having his own monster used against him like that, and it was certainly worse that it happened to be one of the monsters that didn't die after one hit. His fingers lightly tapped against his side as Yusei thought long and hard. Nothing yet. No ideas, from his own mind or the Clear one. There very likely was a path. In fact, Yusei was certain of that. It just was a matter of when it would become obvious. With his skills and abilities never having failed him before, he decided no to fret too much on it. A sign would arrive soon enough, and he'd know when as well as what to do.

"Hmmm. Definitely not making this easy, I see."

A small smile crept over Yusei's face. How long had it been anyway since his own monster got used against him?

Years, for sure. If nothing else, this duel had proven to be interesting, even if not the fastest one thus far.

"Draw!"

The next several of Yusei's turns tended to consist of either setting some back-row cards or even activating them. One that fell under the latter, for example, was another of his Graceful Revivals, used upon one of his Sonic Chicks.

While this wasn't the direct road to victory, Yusei finally did see something that could at least handle the obstacle known as his own Shield Wing being used against him. Particularly with Lua's trap making it hard for four-star or higher monsters to attack any of his.

"I'll summon Quillbolt Hedgehog. I then attack Shield Wing with my Turbo Booster."

Another of the many moves that the only person to likely start understanding why he'd done it at the expense of his own life points was Jack himself.

"Turbo Booster's effect activates! Because it attacked, I can tribute it and destroy a monster card of my choice. I'll select my Shield Wing. Turn end."

Ling whistled softly, noting how intense the duel got. Neither opponent seemed to give too many openings ... if it could be avoided, of course. Unfortunately for Luca, it finally seemed as if the armor had received quite the crack in it, per se.

All things considered, it could easily be agreed that despite her age, Luca was holding up fair better than anyone likely expected. Not that it ever really meant much of anything, but there were few duelists that were even slightly competent before hitting their teen years.
 

Lua just grinned at the compliment, "Heh, well, I did say I wanted to duel ya, remember? I just hope you're havin' as much fun as me!" And in truth, he was kind of worried that he was making this Duel boring for Yusei. Given his Silver Contrails Equipment Magic and Lua's Deformer Bind, they had both essentially built a wall. It was kind of like a cage match almost: Two fighters in the ring, only themselves to worry about. And this game of mock survival, of using everything they had at their disposal to overcome and defeat their opponent.

Even so, Lua was trying to figure out a way to get rid of Stardust. Even with him having been able to Summon Deformer Magnen U and use Mage Power to boost its ATK to 2800, all he was doing was chipping away at the Satellite resident's Life. Over the next few turns, the MC would keep commentating on how Yusei seemed to be in a deadlock, and how Luca was slowly wearing him down. He did kind of gleam with pride though when he said that his Bind/Magnen combo was a winning strategy.

However...Yusei would get his own bit of appraisal when he summoned Turbo Booster and attacked...Only to use its effect to destroy Shield Wing. "Amazing, folks! He took some damage to get rid of one barrier to his victory! But he still has the 2800 Attack Point Magnen U and Deformer Bind to overcome!" MC announced loudly, drawing more cheers for the two contestants. And while it was true these would be troublesome to get past the hurdle, a certain someone was sure that he would eventually overcome it.

"My turn, draw! I activate Junk Box, and Special Summon Deformer Radion from my Graveyard! Doing so, Yusei would see his monster's attack rise to 3600. Lua would then declare, "Deformer Magnen U! Attack Stardust!" And after it delivered a kick to Yusei's dragon, it would return, his opponent's Life dropping to 5200. "Turn end!" Lua then said, the effect of Junk Box wearing off and sending Radion back to the Graveyard.

"Well....Now it seems Yusei's got himself in quite a pickle. How's he going to get past Magnen U?" Takeshi asked, Yamichi shrugging, "Don't know...If he's got Thunder Bolt or a Mirror Force, he might have a chance to turn it around. But as it stands...Yeah, this is going to be hard for him. But he seems pretty well-versed...I've little doubt he's got a back-up plan in case this Duel goes south."
 

By itself, 300 wasn't too much as far as damage went. However, with Yusei being unable to overcome that strength for the time being, i would add up. He knew that, as did Lua and the entire audience. So while at least the obstacle of his own monster being used against him was gone, he now had something else to worry about. A very significant concern, even if it didn't immediately appear that way to anyone watching.

"Hmmm," Yusei mused, observing Magnen U dropping his life to 5200.

"Guess I'm gonna have to step it up a notch or three if I wanna overcome you, huh? Draw!"

Just as Ling had assumed, Yusei's traps consisted primarily of things to assist his monsters. Not just Stardust Dragon, though there were some for that exact monster. And, as everyone would see, quite a few of them really helped save Yusei.

When Lua had tried to activate Thunder Bolt, for example, he was able to negate it with Starlight Road. Defense Draw always kept his life safe, as well as ensured his hand never became empty. And then, there was also Shooting Star, which was its own weaker version of Raigeki or, to be more technical, Mirror Force.

The odd sensation never acted up again ... but Yusei found himself sneaking a sideways glance towards his right arm every now and again. Even if it wouldn't do him any good to think about that weird feeling, he couldn't help it. Why had his Sign almost activated?

Sure, this as no doubt a very complicated and frustrating duel .... but Yusei wouldn't quite deem it to be at a dire or desperate point. Not yet.

"Draw! I'll activate Quillbolt's effect from the grave to special summon it back to the field. I'll shift Nitro Sychron then end."

"Man," Judai thought, chuckling softly. "It's been a while since I've seen two people be so stubborn about losing. If they keep doing this for too much longer, they're gonna deck out before cause one another to reach zero life points."

As if his mind had been read, everyone would finally see the end. And it would arrive in what was easily the most unorthodox way for a duel to cease. This would likely be a fight to be remembered ... for an array of reasons. But the conclusion was definitely going to be a factor no one would easily forget.
 

"No kidding....This Luca girl's got some serious defense ability to hold off something like Stardust. Much respect." Takeshi would reply, noting the effectiveness of the young woman's playing style.

Lua had tried so hard to get through Yusei's wall; even if he could damage his Life, the fact was that each instance was only a little at a time. Three hundred per instance, one stance a little bit more at 1100 damage. Still...He was happy that he was doing so well against Yusei, especially since he had a monster that negated destruction like Stardust. Twice it had saved him, that and the supporting backrow he had to capitalize on it.

When he activated Shooting Star though, he would lose his one trap that had held back Yusei's assault. A fact that helped the Satellite resident gain a quick advantage over the situation, leaving Lua with a rapidly depleting set of options to try and counter the man's quickly growing offensive. He would get his one shot though, when he drew a certain card. "Alright! This will put me on top for sure!" Lua psyched himself up, getting ready to make his big play.

"From my hand, I summon Deformer Boardon once more! Then I activate the Equipment Magic, Deformer Retro Engine! I equip Staplen with this card!" he would grin, pointing his finger at Stardust and declaring, "Battle! Staplen attacks Stardust Dragon!"

This made the MC quite confused, "What is Luca doing, ladies and gentlemen!?" And when Staplen would launch itself forward, Stardust would reply with its own massive blast from its mouth, vaporizing the monster. "Hah! I activate the effect of Retro Engine! Both players take damage equal to the Attack power of Staplen!" However, he would get quite the surprise when he heard the loud buzzer from his Disk. Making him look down and see that his own Life hit zero.

Even MC was stunned, completely speechless for quite a few moments...Though probably not as much as Lua was, who seemed to be trying to count the Life Point totals with his fingers...And a look of shock crossed his face before he clutched the sides of his head, yelling as he stamped his foot "Aw man! I forgot the battle damage between Stardust and Staplen! Dang it!"

After a few minutes, MC cleared his throat, "Well...Folks, it looks like we have a winner! Victory goes to Yusei Fudo! Give him a round of applause folks! And to little Luca as well, they put on quite the performance!" A few tentative claps were present at first, but even the claps grew louder until both were being thunderously applauded.

Jack, meanwhile, just stared as Lua seemed quite distraught; well, he supposed his age would amount to some kind of inexperience. Even so, that was a remarkably rookie move. "Well...That's a way to start the Fortune Cup. Let's just hope no one else decides to repeat the young man's stunt." Goodwin commented; even so, that was indeed an impressive display of skill. And the fact that Yusei reacted at all was a sign that this Dueling Tournament would be the very answer he was looking for.

Yamichi, meanwhile, just blinked...Speechless as can be. "Well...That's an unfortunate twist. Luca was doing so well too..." Takeshi just laughed, "Yeah, but I can see why she went that route. She probably had a trap or something to bring Yusei down the rest of the way; he was at 700 Life before her's hit zero. So, points to her for effort. That was pretty intense...But hey, aren't you next, Yamichi?"
 

Wow, Lua. You're .... doing pretty well.

Far better than Luca had thought. Not that her faith in her twin was horrible or anything. But the simple truth was compared to everyone else here, neither herself nor Lua were anywhere as experienced. Thus, by default, this would be a very difficult tournament. It was an only fair assumption. Yet, despite the harsh set-up he happened to get in the very first round, Lua was holding his own pretty damn well. Now ... she just had to speak with him about disregarding her feelings and entering this tournament anyway; particularly under the guise as her.

"Good luck," she murmured softly, watching as the rest of the duel slowly played out.

Poor Yusei had to fight from chuckling ... simply to avoid giving the wrong impression. Poor kid. He'd been so eager that he forgot to think before acting. Even an old proverb like that was just as important to use in something like dueling.

Ling and Judai were pretty much the same as Yusei; both hiding chortles by covering their mouths. "Indeed," Ling chimed in first, "All things considered, she did a lot better than most others probably assumed."

And when Takeshi pointed out Yamichi was next, Ling lightly rubbed his shoulder. "Good luck!" He wouldn't likely need much, if any; but it wouldn't kill him to know she would be on of the many people supporting him.

"Yep! Good luck indeed! Show why your Scraps aren't easy to beat!" Judai added, flashing the tech a grin.

While Yusei was walking off the field and Gill was going otwards the arena, Fayth would make a 'come here' gesture. Scooting over even to ensure he had room to accompany her. She'd stay silent for a few moments, even after he accepted her invitation before chuckling and shaking her head softly. "You and Fuyu ... spoil me far too much. I ... thank you. She gave me hints on what all the D-Wheeler could do. I ... " Her head continued moving from side to side. "To say I was speechless is an understatement. I still kinda am, actually. Also, congrats. Sounds like you had quite the tough opponent though."

Soon, Yamichi's opponent would be standing across. He could easily be identified as one of those 'cosplayer'-like types of people whom Hotsuma had mentioned getting rally into partaking in the Fortune Cup. His head lightly bowed, partially out of habit and also out of respect.

"Ah. Thou looks like quite the sely lad. Alas, thou art not mine quarry. That belongs to another specific individual, one I alone must vanquish."

When the coin toss arrived, Gill called without a second thought, "Tails!". And found the coin toss had been in his favor.

"Sen fortune hath smiled down on me, I'll begin our fray. Duel! Anon, I shall activate my Field Magic Spell, Gaia Power! I will then lay two cards down and conjure Rahz to the field."

And, in the process of doing so, he slipped a Marauding Captain as the next card he'd draw.

"Count yourself lucky, lad. You're spared my blade this turn."
 

"Hey...Luca, don't beat yourself up too much. You almost had me on the last turn." Yusei would say as he walked back with the young man; as Lua would take his seat though, he found himself being motioned to sit next to Fayth. Not that he minded; he was just glad she seemed to be better after her ordeal at the Facility. "I won't lie...Luca was a tough opponent. She's got potential, that much I can see for certain. Just a little refinement in their build and they can become one of the strongest Duelists around." He didn't address her thank you at first, but just smiled and added, "And no worries about the Runner. Your friend, Fuyu? She's quite handy with electronics; it was largely in part of her I was able to install those modifications to let you ride it more easily." Chuckling a bit, he then patted her hand and added, "But I am glad you like it; I just hope it does help."

Giving Ling's hand a small squeeze, he would say "Thanks, guys!" before he would go to join Randsborg in going up to the battle arena. And after the MC announced them both, Yamichi returned the bow; granted it was more the traditional Japanese bow, not so much the knightly bow Randsborg had proferred. At least his first opponent that seemed to have some semblance of honor; even if he did dress strangely, Yamichi had seen more than a few Duels where people added a theatrical element with costumes and such. Not his thing, but he wasn't going to knock the man.

But...When he spoke, Yamichi could hardly even register what he just heard. A few blinks would be all Gill would get as he would complete his turn. "The hell did he just say?" the tech wondered. Sely? Quarry? Granted, it certainly sounded like things a knight of lore would say...But hearing it in person? Definitely strange.

Even so, Yamichi tried not to focus on it; though the words of him vowing to vanquish someone sat uneasily with him. Was he trying to root out someone by Dueling? Who could it be? Giving a small smile, Yamichi would declare, "My turn! Draw!" He would then say to Gill, "I've heard of you...You were the champion of the Regionals here not too long ago. I look forward to seeing what you can do!" Yamichi complimented the knightly man; and it was true, Gill already had a 2100 ATK monster on the field thanks to the Field Magic itself. Clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Going against another Warrior deck? Yeah, if this was anything like Yuna's he might run into some issues. Especially since he ran a Field Magic like her own; however, Gill would also find it helped his deck as well. "From my hand, I summon Scrap Shark in Attack Mode! And with your Gaia Power, it gains 500 Attack Points!" And with the display changing Shark's effect to 2600, it definitely seemed Judai was going to get a first hand demonstration of how his Scraps were more than most would expect.

"Quick-play Magic, Book of Moon!"

And though normally such a move should have triggered his monster's destruction effect...For whatever reason, it didn't seem to do it. A bugged activation? Nothing irrecoverable, but a bit annoying to see his monsters get flipped face-down and unable to defend itself; even so, it seemed Gill Randsborg was perceptive enough to recognize the dangers of his deck. "Well, darn...That's an unfortunate event. I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn with that." he then said, the holograms soon showing his two sets.
 

A twinge of jealousy shot through Fayth when Yusei hinted he noticed Fuyu's talents with hacking and tinkering in general. It was all too true, really. Everyone else in LDS had some sort of forte. Reiji ocould do tons of various summonings; Synchro, XYZ, Pendulum, even Fusion. Masumi was the best Fusion student.

And she had ... what?

An uncanny ability to draw trouble to you, she thought -- imagining her eyes rolling at herself if they could.

She knew that wasn't all she had. But sometimes, it did seem like that was one of the few traits Fayth had. Adaptability, perhaps? It was true that she'd done better than most others in getting accustomed to a blind state, particularly a forced one. Sure, it had come from her being in an unfortunate circumstance. One where she barely avoided looking like a damsel. But .... perhaps that was something? She'd think more on it. All she knew was she wasn't as strong as Yuna, nor smart as Yusei or Fuyu.

"Yeah. She's always been good with electrical-based skills." Even with her internal argument, she dismissed it, wanting to enjoy Yusei's company rather than risk feeling too many negative emotions towards herself. It wouldn't do Fayth any good, least of all while she was at the Fortune Cup.

"Well ... I definitely intend to get far enough so I can test it out."

No matter how nerve-wracking hat alone would be. Fuyu had insisted time and time again there was an auto-pilot function so she could focus on dueling. But putting her complete - or a good chunk - of trust into a vehicle to know what it was doing? Oh yeah. That was definitely scary in its own rights. As Fayth detected Yusei's hand landing atop her own, she lightly intertwined her own with his. "I know he has to be here, but I wish he weren't. Goodwin, that is. I'm not exactly fond of him, even less so after learning the crap he pulled."

Luckily, a new distraction came .... though not in the way she would have guessed. Her head tilted as she caught some very odd words coming from Gill.

" ... Is ... that real? I mean ... wow. I didn't think that sorta dialect was used nowadays."

"Hmmm. A foul mishap on my part, it seems," Gill mused, frowning slightly as he summoned his own monster. An Earth one, to be precise. What were the odds? Ah well; that had been exactly why he set a specific card; in case of emergencies like this. Gill simply hadn't expected to use it so soon. "Nay, I think not young one! Quick-play Magic, Book of Moon!"

Well ... this duel was going to be a lot more dangerous than Gill had originally assumed. He'd have to be cautious on all of his moves. It was bad enough he accidentally gave Yamichi an advantage without meaning to do so. Now even more precautions would be necessary.

"Anon, I draw! I clepe Marauding Captain forth to this field! His effect then is used to call an ally in arms! Fair Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, I summon thee!"

In the span of three turns, Gill had drastically increased his field. Namely the amount of monsters he had. Still, that would be vital enough to take note of. "Alas, young lad, 'tis time for first blood to be drawn. I hope thou can pardon me, even if only a bit. Warrior Lady! Vanquish the set shark!"

"Trap Card, Open! Scrap Rage!"

... Truly an odd deck. Why was he sending his own cards to the grave? It seemed like a foolish plan. But perhaps that was just Gill's medieval-esque logic kicking in. With that being the only interruption to his battle phase, he resumed. "Marauding Captain, direct attack!" Nothing happened, so the next move was only slightly unexpected. "Rahz, pierce thine enemy once more! Direct --- "

"Trap card open! Kuzutetsu no Kakashi!"

"A wyse tactic, young man. Intil battle, I'm done with that. My turn, however, is a different story! I'll go to the second Main Phase! Trap Card open! Gozen Match!"

So far, everything he'd seen from Yamichi had been Earth. However, maybe there were other attributes in that deck? Scraps was a foreign archetype to Gill. He was a perfect example of being someone ignorant to this particular deck, just like Ling had hinted during their last date.

"And now, young hathel, 'tis your go again."
 


Feeling Fayth's hand squeeze his a little, he just smiled, "Well, I've got faith in you. And Fuyu does too...And she knows you far better than I." He'd kind of sensed she was nervous, not just from her statement, but the tension in her grip and how her body seemed to stiffen ever so slightly at the shoulders. Then again, there was another reason for her to be...One that he wasn't too happy about either. But...For the moment, at least, Goodwin wasn't trying anything strange.

It wasn't uncommon for the Tops to host large tournaments...Though even still, why Goodwin went to such lengths to bring him was definitely not sitting well with him. "You're not alone in that regard, Fayth...But at least for now, this seems innocent enough." he would reply, adding as an afterthought "I know he's planning something...But what? Does it have to do with the Crimson Dragon?"

Takeshi laughed mutedly, a hand over his mouth, as Fayth pointed out the dialect, Yusei himself replying "Supposed to be part of his act, I imagine. Play off the whole noble knight image. I think it's a bit much to add the accent and dialogue...But he must have his reasons for doing it."

Yamichi knew this next timing would be critical; with Book of Moon having sealed his monster's ability, he would need for it to be attacked. Something he was sure that Gill was going to do regardless. And when Shark was flipped face-up, that was when Yamichi would strike. "Trap Card, Open! Scrap Counter! During damage calculation, a face-up Defense 'Scrap' monster gains 2000 Defense Points! And because a card effect resolved, Shark is destroyed!" And right when her sword connected, Shark exploded in her face, but not before dealing 400 points of damage to Gill's own Life. "And by Shark's effect, I send one Scrap monster to the Graveyard from my deck!"

However...That would still leave him open to Marauding Captain and Rahz. The former he allowed to strike him, as it was lower ATK; still, the 1700 points of damage made him wince, a small hiss leaving him as Rahz would ready himself to attack. Before he could though, Yamichi would then declare, "Trap card open! Kuzutetsu no Kakashi! It negates one attack from a monster, then sets itself back on the field!" At this, a hastily assembled mannequin would pop up in front of Yamichi, Rahz's blades connecting with a loud metallic clang before Gill would end his turn.

And with this, Yamichi was down a fairly significant margin. He was up against a fairly tough opponent...And thankfully, Gill's Permanent Trap didn't affect him much. Like the knight had noticed, he had a deck of EARTH-Attribute monsters. Something that he would intend to use to his fullest advantage.

"My turn, draw!" Yamichi would continue, looking down at his cards. Wasn't much he could do right now...But he needed to get a monster back to his hand. "I Normal Summon Scrap Kong! But when it's Normal Summoned, its own effect destroys it!" And just like Shark, Kong detonated almost immediately, the force quite powerful and littering the battlefield with even more burnt scrap. "When a 'Scrap' card destroys it, including its own effect, I can add a 'Scrap' monster from my Graveyard to my hand! I'll bring back Scrap Shark!"

Taking the card from the slot, Yamichi continued, "And when a Scrap monster is destroyed, I can Special Summon Scrap Searcher from the GY!" Doing so, the tiny winged creature huddled over as it assembled itself from the litter on the field. "Next, the Quick-play Magic, Scrapstorm! I target Searcher, draw one card, send my Mind Reader to the Graveyard and destroy Searcher!" This combination of effects would seem like he was leaving himself at an extraordinary disadvantage, most noticeably because now his field was wide open. Because this was a high-risk, high-reward deck, Yamichi knew he had to pick his shots carefully. But with this, at least, he would have something else at the ready.

"I'll set another card face-down. Turn end."

Takeshi just grinned; Yamichi seemed in a bad spot, but if anyone looked they would see he wasn't worried in the slightest. Sure, it was a risky strategy but if there was one thing Yamichi knew how to do, it was play this deck. Yusei didn't seem quite so confident, muttering to Fayth, "I'm not sure what Yamichi's planning...But having his field wide open like that? That's borderline suicidal."

Goodwin, meanwhile, watched the Duel from above; Gill so far seemed to have the advantage in terms of monsters and Life. But, he knew more than anyone that things could turn around in the blink of an eye. Jack too, seemed intrigued; what was this guy thinking, leaving himself so open? Sure, he had plenty of Life left...But only two sets and no monsters? What was he thinking?
 

"... I appreciate it. I guess I'd feel better if I could use my true deck."

It wasn't just an easy excuse. It was very true. Would that deck even respond if she ever tried to use it again? Her eyebrows furrowed briefly before returning to her. Of course they would. I wasn't like she forgot her Sylvans. But ... as someone who wasn't from here, there were certain things she had to take precautions with. Given this dimension didn't acknowledge XYZ summons, it wasn't a risk she wanted to take to see what would happen should she succeed in doing just that. It was bad enough sitting here and knowing Leo was doing his absolute beset to literally screw the dimensions over. No point in - accidentally or otherwise - helping his attempts to complete his experiments have a higher chance of working than failing.

"That's .... wow. Quite the convincing act."

"Haha, yeah, isn't it?" Judai mused, unable to help himself and chuckle softly.

Even with slowly beginning to realize she wasn't as alone as Fayth immediately though, she didn't let go of Yusei's hand. But oh did her face flush slightly. "Definitely convincing for sure though," she added, smiling when she heard Yusei wasn't overly fond of Goodwin being here either. Good. It meant she wasn't too paranoid just yet. "Have ... you been well since we last saw one another?"

Hopefully. Considering what a hellish night the last one for her, Yusei, and Fuyu had been, he deserved a break.

The more Gill saw these Scraps being used, the more baffled he became. Why have a deck that destroyed itself? He knew what one of the sets was, and realized there would always be at least one attack that could be prevented. Still, as long as he could keep summoning and building his strength up, even that annoying card wouldn't matter. Was this ... a bluff, mayhaps?

"And thus I draw!"

While Yamichi bluffing was a possibility ... no. After replaying his last turn and noting how he'd used his back-row cards to help him out, Gill felt more certain this wasn't a bluff. If anything, he was setting up for something. For the time being, it seemed smarter to see if Yamichi would somehow hint or reveal what he had in mind.

However, he wouldn't end without doing anything this turn.

"I'll lay a card face down and end."

That made both Fayth and Ling's heads tilt.

" ... Doesn't he still have three monsters though?" Fayth inquired. "Even with the traps or spells Yamichi may have, it'd be worth the risk ... though that's probably just my own logic kicking in. That ... actually may cost the knight this duel." Her head shook. "What Yamichi's going for? No idea. None of these names - and therefore respective decks - are familiar to me; save or yours and Jack's, anyway."
 

"I know, Celeste...But trust me, it's better that you use this deck. Besides, you've built a formidable one to replace it." Yusei said in a lower tone right back; he wanted to make sure Fayth's privacy regarding her true self were preserved. And if that meant using her stage name to help conceal her identity, then that would be his way of helping to maintain secrecy. He knew that her real deck would only draw suspicion, after all; she'd explained briefly how XYZ Summoning worked...But that simply wasn't a thing where they were at. Not to everyone, at least.

"Things have been...interesting. I actually met Luca here a while back, before I was invited to join the tournament...She's got a twin brother though, someone who's a real handful from what she tells me." Yusei then said, that last bit a teasing remark towards Lua himself, who then pulled down his eyelid and stuck out a tongue at Yusei. Having overheard the conversation between him and Celeste, Lua knew Yusei meant no harm. Still, it was more than strange to hear him being talked about when he was right there. Even if Yusei was doing it to avoid anyone discovering he and his sister had traded places.

And when Gill subsequently did nothing, Yusei seemed just as confused as everyone else. Even Lua was wondering, almost yelling out "Eh? What's his deal? Yamichi's field is wide open! Go on, Knight Guy! Hit him with everything you got!" At this Takeshi laughed, "You really don't know Yamichi's deck, do you? Well, that's alright...Next to no one really uses Scraps, not from what I've seen. You are right though; he shouldn't have hesitated. But that's a mistake most people make...It's a genius strategy, since almost no other deck relies on self-destruction to make it work like this does. Risky? Very much so...But play it right, and you wind up with a massive advantage."

"My turn, draw!" Yamichi declared, going forward, "I Normal Summon Scrap Beast in Attack Mode! Then I activate the Magic Card, Scrapyard! With this, I can add a 'Scrap' Tuner monster from my deck to my hand!" A card would slide out from Yamichi's deck, his voice declaring "I choose Scrap Goblin....And with Gaia Power still on the field, Beast has its Attack Points raised to 2100!" His turn wasn't done yet though, "But then I Special Summon Scrap Breaker from my hand, destroying Scrap Beast in the Process! And with Beast's destruction, I can add a Scrap Monster from my Graveyard to my hand! And then Searcher's effect! I Special Summon it Defense Position!" He then pointed his right index at Warrior Lady, his 2600 ATK Scrap Breaker ready before declaring "Battle! Breaker attacks Warrior Lady of the Wasteland!"

"Trap Card, Open! Entry Prohibited - No Entry!!

And as his monster would shift into Defense Position, Yamichi would see that Gill's own monsters did the same. "Dang...You're pretty good, Gill Randsborg. And here I thought I would have been able to get to you this turn. Ah well...This Duel's still young. Turn end!" Yamichi complimented the Knight.

In the seats, Takeshi chuckled, Yusei raising a brow, "What's so funny?" At this, the brown-haired Disciple just said, "He's basically set at this point; even if Randsborg does get a hit, I got the feeling this match is about to go downhill for the guy very quickly. If there's one thing with him...It's that giving him time is the last thing you want to do."
 

Fayth smiled as she heard Yusei use her fake name. Even though she would have personally been fine using her real name, the problem was she had already used the alias in the selection tournament. Suddenly switching names would only help cause more trouble for Fayth, not less.

"Oh? It definitely does sound interesting. Fuyu's usually been busy working, so ... I'm finding ways to kill time back at the studio."

... Would it be too selfish to try to ask Yuna to come over and resume the fighting lessons? Maybe ... and yet maybe not. It was definitely something Fayth would think more on.

Kiryu may be dead ... but that didn't mean history couldn't repeat. There could always be someone like him - or, god forbid, worse. And for days like that ... she would need help somehow. Above all else, that was one thing Fayth wanted to drastically work on; not feeling like too much of a burden to everyone else.

... Particularly those who had already done so much to help her out. Much like the man beside her.

"I'm glad to hear you've been well," she softly added.

Gill, meanwhile, proudly smirked as Yamichi proceeded with his move. His set card was exactly why he'd placed it; in case something like this would happen.

"Alas, I'll not let you lay your fangs on my lady! Trap Card, Open! Entry Prohibited - No Entry!!"

Although it worked on his own monsters, it wouldn't be as bad for him as it would affect Yamichi. This effectively ended the battle phase. Worse than that, it left Gill with the easy option of being able to get rid of his monster.

"Draw!"

By now, Gill had likely understood his own error last turn, that he failed to attack. Ah well. With what he just drew, he had tons of opportunities to fix his previous mistake.

"I clepe a second Rahz to the field."

And with that move being made, it meant he adjusted his deck once more. A Mystic Swordsman Level 4 was put on the top of Gill's deck.

"One Rahz will come at thine Beast! Pierce through it with your holy blade, o noble warrior!"

Just as he expected, the trap from before was fine.

But that was fine; it confirmed what he had thought. It only negated one attack.

"My second Rahz will come at thee!" And his time, nothing prevented the monster from being destroyed, causing his smile to widen. "Finally ... Warrior Lady! Get a direct hit against our foe!"

Taking a moment, Gill lowered his head once more and examined his head.

"For now, I end my turn."

Slowly, Fayth was beginning to better understand. Maybe not Yamichi's deck ... however, something else that was just as vital.

"Won't ... that stacking just make things all the more harder? It decreases his chance of getting support spells or traps."

"It definitely has a good chance of resulting in that, yes," Ling replied, grinning as she took a moment to better examine Fayth. She had, naturally, seen Fayth in the same tournament she fought in. "Are you nervous?"

" .... Is it that obvious?"

"It is when you're shaking."

It had been so subtle that she hadn't noticed until she took the time to realize ... Ling was absolutely right. It wasn't as strong as it likely could be, primarily because she was near Yusei. But now ... yeah. She could feel the tremors now.

"I ... guess, yeah. I didn't think it was this bad."

Having expected today to be relatively long, Ling had come prepared. She reached down and opened a small she'd brought with her. Inside were bottles of various drinks, namely water or green tea.

With how much Fayth - or Celeste, as far as she knew - was shaking, she decided to start offering the beverages to her and Yusei first.

"You two want something? Water? Green tea?"

"I ... yeah. Green tea, please."

Ling raised an eyebrow, noting Celeste's hands reach out and wait patiently, only closing when she felt the plastic surface touching her flesh. "So ... you're really ... ??"

"Yeah, yeah I am. That's not an act or anything."

"I see. So ... Yusei? Everyone else? You want something? I brought more than enough to help avoid anyone getting dehydrated."

Fayth inwardly sighed, relieved she hadn't been like most other people and asked for proof she wasn't joking nor her background. Slowly but surely, this dimension was beginning to feel a lot more tolerable.

The thought made her smile as she opened her bottle of green tea and gingerly took a sip of the beverage, eliciting a soft, content sigh.
 
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