[Beast King Barbaros, 3000 ATK]
"Beast King Barbaros's effect!" Celina declared with a confident smirk. "When it's Tribute Summoned using three monsters, I can destroy all of your cards!"
The massive beast-man raised his lance, roaring to the heavens. Bolts of thunder crashed down from above, striking Yumi's field in a chain of explosions that lit up the field.
A shockwave tore through the field, sending dust and data fragments swirling everywhere.
When the smoke cleared, two figures still stood firm amid the chaos.
[Sky Striker HERO - Yumi, 1000 ATK]
"What?" Celina's eyes widened slightly, clearly not expecting anything to survive that barrage.
Yumi brushed some digital dust off his shoulder. "Hikari's effect," he said calmly. "When the equipped monster would be destroyed, I can destroy her instead."
A burst of flame erupted beside the card Yumi, swirling upward like a rising phoenix. "And her second effect, once per turn, when she's destroyed, I can Special Summon her other self from my hand, deck, or graveyard."
The flames condensed, forming into a kneeling figure, Homura, reborn in a blaze of red and gold. Her eyes flickered open, glowing with quiet determination.
[Flame Aegis - Homura, 2800 DEF]
Celina clicked her tongue. "Then, battle!" she commanded, thrusting her hand forward. "Beast King Barbaros, attack Sky Striker HERO - Yumi!"
The Beast King roared, muscles flexing as he charged across the field on all fours, the ground shaking beneath his paws. He leapt high, bringing his lance down in a deadly arc, only to strike Homura instead.
The fiery warrior took the blow head-on, her form bursting apart in a shower of embers.
"Huh?" Celina blinked, confusion crossing her face. "Why did it hit her?"
"The Aegis' effect," Yumi replied with a knowing smile. "As long as I control a 'Yumi' monster, you can't target any of them for attacks."
Celina's smirk returned, though faintly strained. "How annoying…" she muttered, sliding a card from her hand. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
A holographic projection of the card appeared behind Barbaros as she placed it onto her Duel Disk.
Yumi tilted his head slightly, his grin sharpening. "Getting nervous, huh?" he teased, his tone light but edged with confidence.
Celina's eye twitched. "You wish!" she snapped.
"Draw!" Yumi smiles, sliding the top card from his deck with a sharp flick.
"At this moment, the banished Polymerization returns to my hand." He added the card with a grin, immediately raising it. "Spell Card, Polymerization!"
A swirl of blue and orange energy erupted on his field as he held out another card. "I fuse Sky Striker HERO - Yumi and the LIGHT monster Magician of Faith from my hand!"
The young magician materialized beside Card Yumi, her staff glowing before both were pulled into a spiraling vortex of light.
"Fusion Summon! Aegis HERO - Yumi!"
From the vortex emerged another version of Yumi, his magenta hair flowing with the digital wind. He wore knee-high black boots, fitted pants, a sleeveless white shirt, and a black scarf marked with a glowing green cross.
[Aegis HERO - Yumi, 1000 -> 1200 ATK]
"While Aegis HERO - Yumi is on the field, all my Aegis monsters gain 200 ATK and DEF."
He raised his Duel Disk, and a card ejected from his graveyard slot. "Next, I activate the Trap, Aegis Return, from my graveyard! While I control a 'Yumi' monster, I can banish this card to Special Summon two Aegis monsters with different names from my graveyard, their ATK and DEF become zero, and their effects are negated!"
Twin auras, one of fire, one of light, burst forth, reshaping into familiar forms as Homura and Hikari knelt on the field beside him.
[Flame Aegis - Homura, 2400 -> 0 -> 200 ATK]
[Light Aegis - Hikari, 2800 -> 0 -> 200 ATK]
"Now!" Yumi extended his arm dramatically as both Aegis warriors rose into the air, glowing brighter. "I banish Homura and Hikari to perform a Contact Fusion!"
Their bodies merged, forming a radiant emerald sphere that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day".
The light burst apart, revealing a new warrior descending gracefully from the heavens, a young woman with long green hair tied in a ponytail and sharp emerald eyes. She bore a silver tiara and white-blue armor adorned with luminous green crystal ornaments.
"Descend, The True Aegis - Puneuma!"
[The True Aegis - Puneuma, 3500 -> 3700 ATK]
"Battle!" Yumi thrust his hand forward. "Puneuma, attack Beast King Barbaros!"
Puneuma surged forward, gripping her energy blade tightly as it crackled with radiant power.
"Not happening!" Celina snapped, flipping her face-down. "Trap Card, Horn of the Phantom Beast! I equip it to Barbaros! He gains 800 ATK!"
[Beast King Barbaros, 3000 -> 3800 ATK]
Celina smirked, but froze the moment she saw Yumi smiling back.
"Puneuma's effect!" Yumi declared, his Duel Disk glowing. "During battle, she gains half of her opponent's ATK until the end of the Damage Step!"
A surge of green light flared around Puneuma, her power spiking dramatically.
[The True Aegis - Puneuma, 3700 -> 5600 ATK]
Celina's eyelid twitched. "...I fucking hate you."
"Love you too," Yumi replied smoothly.
Puneuma's energy blade sliced through the beast-man in a flash of light, shattering him into data fragments.
[Celina, LP 2600 -> 800]
"Hmph. Horn of the Phantom Beast's effect, when the equipped monster is destroyed, I draw one card." Celina drew, though her expression remained tight.
[The True Aegis - Puneuma, 5600 -> 3700 ATK]
"Turn end," Yumi said, smiling confidently as his monsters settled back into position.
Celina exhaled slowly, her hand resting on her deck. Though Yumi's usual smugness made her want to strangle him, his sheer ability to turn a duel around from nothing… it made her chest burn with a mix of envy, respect, and infuriating admiration.
And as much as she hated to admit it, that only fueled her determination to surpass him, to become the new King of Games herself.
"Draw!"
Celina slid her top card off the deck, her eyes widening slightly when she saw it.But then her gaze lifted toward Yumi, who still had one card left in his hand.
She narrowed her eyes. She already knew what that meant. If there was a way to ruin her turn, that bastard was holding it. Still… with only two cards left in her hand, she didn't have much of a choice.
"Spell Card, Card of Demise!"
Before the magic circle could even form, Yumi raised his card. "I chain Ash Blossom & Joyous Spring! I negate your Card of Demise!"
The ground trembled, cracking open as the tiny, pale blonde-haired dog girl popped up from beneath the floor, smiling sweetly. Then, without hesitation, she snatched Celina's spell and dragged it down into the ground she came from.
Celina's eye twitched. "Call it..."
Ignoring her glare, Yumi smiled like the smug troublemaker he was.
"I activate Lunalight Perfume from my graveyard!" Celina declared, her voice rising with determination. "By banishing it, I discard one card and add a Lunalight monster from my deck to my hand!"
She sent her last card to the graveyard and searched her deck. "I add Lunalight White Rabbit!"
Without hesitation, she slammed it onto her Duel Disk. "I Normal Summon Lunalight White Rabbit!"
A petite girl in white fur and a frilly outfit hopped onto the field, spinning her hammer in excitement.
[Lunalight White Rabbit, 800 ATK]
"When White Rabbit is-"
"I pay half my Life Points," Yumi interrupted smoothly, his Duel Disk lighting up. "And activate Transaction Rollback from my grave!"
[Yumi, LP 7500 -> 3750]
"I copy Breakthrough Skill! Targeting your White Rabbit, its effect is negated!"
The glow around the rabbit flickered out as her ears drooped.
Celina stared at her field for a few seconds, then sighed deeply. "…Yeah. I'm done."
She placed her hand on her deck, signaling her surrender.
"Gotcha! That was a fun duel!" Yumi grinned, flashing a peace sign with his usual carefree smirk.
Exhaling, Celina started to miss when Yumi only used a simple deck like his HERO or Sky Striker, then she still had a chance when dueling against him. But after he began mixing and matching cards from different series together, his deck became even more unpredictable and harder to counter.
Meanwhile, one of Yumi's Kuribohs, while fluttering around during its usual search, spotted something suspicious.
Through its round eyes, it saw Rio standing in front of a dark cave entrance, facing another girl in an Obelisk Blue uniform.
The other girl had short, messy dark brown hair and heavy bags under her eyes. Her glare burned with resentment, locking onto Rio like a predator ready to pounce.
"Well, well… if it isn't Miss Popular-Overnight!?" the girl sneered, her voice dripping with venom.
"Kumo…" Rio murmured, her calm eyes narrowing as recognition flickered across her face.
"What now? You here to brag about your new fame and popularity, huh!?" Kumo shot back, her tone filled with disgust.
Rio didn't answer right away. The silence between them stretched thin, tension thick enough to cut with a knife.
"…The attacked female dorm room," Rio finally said, her voice low and composed. "If I remember correctly… that was your room, wasn't it?"
Kumo's expression twisted, rage bubbling up. "Finally remember me now, huh?! If it wasn't for me, you'd never have had the courage to talk to him, let alone get close to Slifer and his stupid friends!"
Her voice cracked as she screamed, her hands trembling. "If I had gone to him instead of you, I wouldn't be stuck like this! It's all your fault!"
Her Duel Disk flared to life with a sharp metallic sound. "It should've been me! Not a backstabbing bitch like you!"
Rio's eyes didn't waver. She'd already heard the rumors, about the female Obelisk dorm that was attacked and its students vanishing without a trace. It had caused panic across the academy, especially among the Obelisk girls.
Originally, Rio had planned to use the chaos to sneak into Celina's dorm and stay beside Yumi for a few days.
But after realizing the targeted dorm was the one that used to belong to her old group of friends, and remembering seeing Kumo just recently, she decided to investigate instead.
And once she learned Yumi was looking into it too, her decision was made.
After all, he'd helped her. Helped her mend bonds with classmates. Helped her polish her deck and sharpen her dueling skills.
So now… it was her turn to return the favor.
Not because she wanted to impress him or anything. You have to believe her on that.
Rio slowly raised her Duel Disk, its core glowing faint blue.
"…Fine," she said quietly, her usual calm returning. "If that's what you want…"
Both Duel Disks flared to life, locking in synchronization.
"Duel!" x2
[Rio, LP 4000]
[Kumo, LP 4000]
"I'll go first. Draw!" Rio declared, sliding the top card from her deck with practiced precision.
She glanced down at her hand, assessing her options with a calm, unreadable gaze before swiftly placing one card onto her Duel Disk.
"I activate the Spell Graceful Charity, draw three cards, then discard two."
The holographic image of a serene angel appeared, light shimmering around her as Rio drew three cards in a fluid motion, her eyes quickly scanning them before sending two to the graveyard.
"Next," she continued, her voice steady and firm, "I activate the Continuous Spell, Freezing Chains of the Ice Barrier!"
A chilling gust swept across the field, golden seals forming midair before linking together in a radiant lattice. The light dimmed, replaced by the cold shimmer of an icy barrier encasing Rio's side of the field.
"Freezing Chains' effect activates, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or lower 'Ice Barrier' monster from my Graveyard!"
The ground below her feet glowed a faint blue as frost spiraled upward, taking form. From the swirl of snow emerged a lone warrior with twin blades, his hair snow white, his eyes hidden beneath a blue blindfold, and his scarf fluttering in the freezing air.
"Appear, Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier!"
[Secret Guards of the Ice Barrier, 100 ATK]
Without hesitation, Rio played another card."I Normal Summon, Defender of the Ice Barrier!"
A fox-like creature stepped forward from the swirling frost. Its fur gleamed with a soft orange hue, adorned with silver-blue markings across its chest and head, and its tail shimmered with a layer of crystalline ice.
[Defender of the Ice Barrier, 200 ATK]
"I set three cards face-down."
Three holographic cards appeared behind her monsters, glowing faintly through the mist.
"And since I control an 'Ice Barrier' monster, I can Special Summon Speaker of the Ice Barrier from my hand!"
The wind howled again as another figure materialized, a young girl with short blue hair and a flowing icy robe, stepping gracefully beside the fox.
[Speaker of the Ice Barrier, 1000 ATK]
"Turn end." She raised her hand slightly, signaling the end of her turn.
"My turn! Draw!"
Kumo drew her card, her lips curling into a mocking smirk as her gaze swept across Rio's field of three monsters.
"Even with those new cards, your dueling skill is still as pathetic as ever," she sneered, her voice dripping venom. She held up a card. "Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Mother Spider Splitter from my hand!"
A massive black spider burst out from the shadows, its eight legs clattering against the ground as it loomed protectively in front of her.
[Mother Spider Splitter, 2300 DEF]
"Next," Kumo continued, raising her hand high, "I activate Mother Spider Splitter's effect! By tributing it, I can Special Summon three Baby Spiders from my hand or deck!"
The large spider shrieked before disintegrating into white motes of light, which scattered and then reformed into three small, skittering arachnids.
[Baby Spider, 0 DEF] x3
"I activate the Field Spell, Spider Web!"
The arena trembled. Five obsidian pillars rose from the ground, glowing with crimson markings. The floor beneath them twisted, morphing into a massive web that pulsed like it was alive.
Kumo began to chuckle, low at first, then darker, more distorted, her eyes narrowing into crimson slits as her body trembled with excitement.
"Get ready, you backstabbing bitch!" she screamed, her voice cracking with fury. "Let me show you the power I've obtained!"
She threw out her hand. "I offer two Baby Spiders as tribute!"
Blue flames erupted around the web, spiraling upward. The markings on Kumo's back flared, glowing red in the shape of a spider.
"Descend, almighty and invincible, Earthbound Immortal Uru!"
The ground split apart as a monstrous black spider rose, its body the size of a building, with burning crimson patterns across its shell. Its eight eyes gleamed with malevolent hunger as it let out a distorted screech that shook the air.
[Earthbound Immortal Uru, 3000 ATK]
Rio stood still, her expression unshaken even as the creature towered above her. She had once been controlled by an Earthbound Immortal, and Yumi had warned her these creatures weren't the only ones.
This led to her reason for wanting to get stronger, so she won't disappoint him.
"Trap card," Rio said calmly, flipping one of her face-downs.
Kumo let out a sharp laugh. "It's useless! Earthbound Immortal Uru is unaffected by your Spells and Traps!"
Rio didn't react. Her voice stayed steady. "Card of Sacrifice. Since the total ATK of my face-up Attack Position monsters is lower than yours, I can draw two cards."
The ice barrier pulsed with light as she drew two cards, sliding them smoothly into her hand.
"Now, battle!" Kumo roared, completely ignoring Rio's composure. "Earthbound Immortal Uru, destroy her! My Earthbound Immortal Uru can attack directly!"
Her laughter filled the air, but her monster didn't move. The giant spider froze in place, its legs trembling as invisible pressure held it down.
"Huh?! What's going on!?" Kumo shouted, eyes wide.
Rio met her glare, calm as ever. "Defender of the Ice Barrier's continuous effect, monsters with equal or higher ATK than its DEF cannot declare an attack."
Kumo's expression twisted in fury. "Y-you!" She clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white. Her breathing quickened, rage practically steaming from her pores.
"Fine!" she hissed through her teeth. "I activate the Spell, Insect Costume! By discarding one Insect monster from my hand, I can add one to my hand from my deck!"
She tossed a card to the graveyard, flipping through her deck before pulling out another with shaking hands.
"Then I destroy the remaining Baby Spider on my field!" she snapped as the tiny creature burst apart in a flash of green light.
"I set one card face-down… and end my turn."
She slammed her card down, glaring at Rio with a mixture of hatred and unease, her breath ragged, her smile twitching.