Chapter 1: The Golden New Student (By Golden Flare)

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After finally getting a feel for his surroundings, the newcomer of the Canterlot Suburbs was on his way to his new school to start off the new semester, Canterlot High School. He had heard great things about this place and wanted to see it for himself if it was all true, and just in time, the first bell had just rung as he entered the establishment, so he ran to his first class of the day, and made it just before the late bell rang and walked over to his designated desk. The teacher had just walked in himself and started writing his name, "Mr. Doodle" on the chalkboard before addressing his students.

"Okay, class," he began, "today, we have a new student joining us, so let's make him feel welcome, shall we?" he waved a hand towards the newcomer, "Golden Flare, would you kindly come up and introduce yourself to the class?"

The now-named Golden suddenly became nervous, he was never a fan of being the center of attention, but his teacher had asked him to do something, nicely even, it would be disrespectful to refuse. So he stood up and walked in front of Mr. Doodle's desk, then cleared his throat, trying to ignore the stares.

"H-Hello. M-My name is G-Golden Flare, and I h-hope we c-can get along..." he tried to find the strength to say loud enough.

"From what I read about your file, Mr. Flare, you were always the shy type, were you not?" Mr. Doodle asked.

"Y-Yes, sir."

"And how were you ranked in your last class?"

He gulped, knowing that this particular fact could earn him some enemies, "T-Top of my class, s-sir."

"Hmm..." Mr. Doodle stroked his chin, then smirked, "Good answer. You were never one to lie, that was also in your file."

"Yes, sir. I-I don't believe in l-lying for my own b-benefit."

He nods, "Thank you, young man. Please take your seat."

Golden didn't hesitate and power walked back to his desk, trying to control his breathing and anxiety levels.

"Alright, class, today we're going to be studying for majority of the period. Please take out your textbooks and open to page 142..."

Finally, some familiar territory... Golden thought as he pulled out a rather thick book and opened it to the aforementioned page, losing himself in his studies...

The moment the new guy walked in, Trixie did not like him, not one bit. Everything about him screamed "male Fluttershy" and the last thing she needed was another frail case around her. After introducing himself and answering some of Mr. Doodle's questions, she also found out that he was also like Applejack and her family; truthful to the core. It was already bad enough that he was a timid, pathetic excuse for a man, but he was also honest? OOH! The thought of this mini man being more like the Raingoons made her blood boil!

But there was nothing she could do, at least not right now, but later, she would show him his place in this school: far below his superior, herself.

After a few periods passed by, the bell for lunch had rung and Golden had definitely worked up an appetite from all of his studying, so once he packed up his belongings, he headed directly to the cafeteria for food. Upon arrival, he grabbed a slice of pizza, an apple, and some fruit cocktail, then went to find a secluded spot in the cafeteria, until...

"Hi!"

Golden turned to the high-pitched voice and almost jumped out of his skin by how close she was to his face. Golden knew this girl to be Pinkie Pie, it was hard not to know her since she gets to know every new student at CHS, especially when they're being shown the ropes at school, and Golden couldn't help but think she's rather cute...but he'd never admit it out loud.

"Wanna come sit with me and my friends?"

Golden swallowed his nervousness and was about to decline, only for him to realize that there weren't any isolated spots in the cafeteria, so he had no choice but to reluctantly accept with a nod.

Pinkie smiled even wider at this, a feat Golden didn't know was possible, "Great! Let's go!"

She interlocked her arm with his, making him blush as they made their way to her friends' table, unaware of the glare they were getting from the school's resident blowhard magician. Once they arrived, the girls greeted them with their own smiles as they sat down.

"Hey Pinkie," Rainbow said, "who's the newbie?"

"This is Golden Flare, he's new to CHS and he needs friends, like us!" Pinkie said, cheerfully.

"Why, it is a pleasure to greet you, Golden, my name is Rarity, or Miss Rarity if you prefer."

"I-I'm...Fluttershy…"

"Howdy, pardner! Name's Applejack! An' Ah sure as sugar appreciate y'all enjoyin' ma Granny Smith's Apple Family made fruit!"

"How are ya, newbie? I'm Rainbow Dash, the captain of every team here at CHS!"

"I'm Sunset Shimmer, I hope you get used to your new town and school."

Golden smiled at all of their kind greetings, even if a couple of them were a little over the top. They began to talk with one another as they all ate, Golden felt like he didn't have a place to talk, so he simply ate his food, at least until Sunset gained his attention.

"Hello?"

"O-Oh! Uh, s-sorry. What was the question?" he asked.

"We asked if you liked Duel Monsters..."

The timidity in his posture suddenly disappeared, "Oh! Absolutely! I even have a specially made custom deck that hasn't been released yet! They wanted someone to test the new cards and I appeared the most trustworthy to them, surprisingly enough."

"REALLY?!?" Pinkie cheerfully exclaimed, "What kinda deck?!"

"They called it a '.EXE' deck, based on the cyberworld within the internet."

"'dot E-X-E'?" Applejack asked, confused.

Sunset took over, "Yeah, 'EXE' is a term involving computer applications, upon clicking a file with 'EXE' in its name, you activate the computer app you clicked."

"She hit the nail on the head." Golden nodded in approval.

"...So you're a computer nerd?" Rainbow bluntly asked.

Golden immediately clammed up and began eating again, making the others glare at her.

"What?"

A smack on the table turned their attention to the very end near Golden, where a VERY irate Trixie Lulamoon stood with her bandmates, Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace backing her. A collective groan came from the girls of the group, knowing all too well who she is, given her reputation.

"What do you want, Trixie?" Sunset asked, annoyed, "The Battle of the Bands is over, and I'm done being bullied by you, so what is it?"

"This has nothing to do with you Rainblooms," Trixie sneered, "The Great and Powerful Trixie has simply come to speak with the 'computer nerd'."

The girls glared at Rainbow again, who had the common decency to look sheepish at her very poor choice of words.

"So, Golden Flare, was it?" Golden was about to answer, but Trixie kept on talking, "I bet you think you're better than Trixie, that by being honest and smarter than her, you're better than Trixie, right?"

"I-I don't like lording m-my kn-knowledge over people--"

Another smack on the table, "And WHAT is with all the stuttering?! You're in high school, kid, MAN UP!"

Having had enough of her verbal abuse on her new friend, Sunset stood in between them, "Alright, Trixie, enough! Can't you see you're scaring him?"

"Hah! Who cares that some wimpy new kid is getting scared of the Great and Powerful Trixie?"

"...Maybe the whole cafeteria giving you and your cronies the stink eye right now?"

Trixie's eyes widened and she and her bandmates looked around, just about every student is glaring at them for mistreating their fellow Wondercolt and Trixie could feel nervous sweat running down her forehead. Just then, a tall, blue skinned woman approached the group with frustration in her eyes, they all knew her, even Golden, as Vice Principal Luna, Principal Celestia's sister and second in charge of CHS.

"Miss Lulamoon. Miss Blush. Miss Lace." Luna said with absolute authority.

"Y-Yes?" the three stuttered out.

"My office. Now."

Trixie and the Illusions hung their head low and followed the Vice Principal out of the cafeteria while the Rainbooms were comforting their new friend after the undeserved verbal lashing he had gotten.

"It's okay, Golden," Sunset tried to comfort him, "Trixie's just blowing smoke, hot air from a buffoon, you did nothing wrong. Okay?"

Golden just nodded, he was too upset to give a verbal response.

Trixie stormed out of the Vice Principal's office with her bandmates following at somewhat of a distance; because of Golden being so timid, making Trixie lash out at him, she and her bandmates were given a month's worth of detention...at least, that's what she tells herself. Fuchsia and Lavender were starting to get worried, they had never seen Trixie like this, she had never obsessed this much over somebody she thought was better than her, they began to think that there may be an ulterior motive here. But Trixie was too angry to be reasoned with, so they made excuses to leave and give her some time to herself.

"Hey Trixie...we gotta get to our next class, so we'll see you later, okay?" Fuchsia asked.

Trixie waved them off, that was enough incentive to leave her to her thoughts, so they rushed to class as the bell rung.

I can't believe this! Trixie thought to herself as she walked to her locker, If that kid wasn't so wimpy, I wouldn't have gotten detention! I swear, if I see him again, oh-ho-ho, if I EVER see him again, I'll make him wish he never came here!

Just as she opened her locker door, a card fell out, curious, she looked down and knew exactly what kind of card it was.

"A Duel Monsters card? I don't remember putting any in my locker..."

Trixie bent over to pick it up and see what card it was, but the moment she did, a dark red aura surrounded the card and ran up the length of her arm, then covered her body as she panicked.

"Yes, Trixie, let the Barian Number take hold." a deep, ominous voice spoke.

"B-Barian Number?! W-What are you--AHHHHHH!!!"

But it was too late to question what was happening, Trixie had succumbed to the aura that surrounded her, and then, a malicious smile graced her features.

"Oh, Golden...I'll make you wish you never came here...one way or another."

As she walked off like nothing happened, she failed to notice that her forehead was marked with an oddly shaped 22...

The final bell had rung, marking the end of the school day, and even though Trixie hadn't made another appearance since lunch, Golden's mood didn't improve at all. Sure, he remained focused on his studies, but he was still rather upset by what Trixie had said to him; was stuttering and being smart a bad thing? He didn't lord it over people, he didn't even know who Trixie was until now, so why...? Golden decided that sitting around speculating wasn't going to do him any good right now and proceeded to head out the classroom door, though the moment he stepped outside the school...

"HEY COMPUTER NERD!!!"

The loud and harsh voice was one Golden recognized instantly: it was Trixie, and boy, was she mad.

"You got me and my bandmates detention for a month! And for that, I challenge you to a Duel!"

Anyone left in the vicinity gasped at her declaration and also at the childish reason for doing so. Golden, however, was wide-eyed at this; why would Trixie want to Duel him, of all people? What brought this on?

Wait, he thought, Trixie normally refers to herself in the third person, so why did she say, "me and my bandmates"? Something's not right.

"Well? Do you accept?" Trixie asked, impatiently.

Sadly, the only way to know what the trap is, is if I spring it. But... he began to visibly hesitate.

"What? Are you afraid?" she mocked, "Well, maybe Pinkie would be up to the challenge."

Golden suddenly stiffened.

Trixie grinned savagely, "I'll definitely look forward to beating her into the ground."

His eyebrows furrowed as he grit his teeth, he could take Trixie's verbal sparring all day long, but this...

"...Nobody. Threatens. Pinkie Pie." Golden growled out, not noticing his fear and hesitation vanish.

Trixie's eyes seemed to glow at Golden's response, "I take it you're up for it?"

Golden took off his backpack and pulled out his Duel Disk, "Soccer field. Ten minutes."

Trixie smirked deviously at his declaration and made her way to the aforementioned place while took the time to double check his ".EXE" deck and make sure everything was in still in its place. Once that was done, he made his own way to the soccer field.

The Rainbooms began to leave the school when they noticed a rather large crowd built up at the soccer field, curious, the girls decided to check it out and see what was going on, a Duel maybe...? Once they got close enough, the first two people they saw were Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon, and Sunset asked them what was going on.

"Didn't you hear?" Lyra began, "Trixie challenged the new guy to a Duel!"

"WHAT?!?" The Rainbooms shrieked.

"Yeah! I even heard that she threatened to beat Pinkie into the ground in a Duel, and Golden lost it at that!" Bon Bon added.

"Really?" Pinkie asked, awed by Golden's courage.

"What the hell is Trixie thinking?!" Rainbow began, "I thought she finally backed off!"

"Well, regardless of what we thought, the Duel's starting now..." Sunset said.

As the Rainbooms were talking with Lyra and Bon Bon, Golden and Trixie were getting ready to begin their Duel.

"So, Golden, any last words before you lose on the word 'go'?" Trixie asked her opponent, snidely.

Golden glared at her with as much hatred as he could muster right at the moment, after all, nobody messes with Pinkie Pie.

"Just this: before this Duel is over...I will teach you what happens to those who cross the people close to me."

The two competitors prepped their Duel Pads and Duel Gazers as a computerized, automated voice rung out through the soccer field:

//Augmented Reality Vision Link established.//

"Let's DUEL!!" they both declared, the display showing their Life Points.

Golden Flare: 4,000 LP
Trixie Lulamoon: 4,000 LP

Turn 1: Trixie Lulamoon - Hand: 5

"Ladies first!" Trixie declared as she drew her first card, "For starters, I'll Set a monster in defense, then I'll lay two cards facedown. Your move!"

Turn 2: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"Alright! I draw!" Golden drew and looked at his hand, weighing his options, "I summon IceMan.EXE in Attack Mode!"

A little man appeared on the field wearing a cyan blue snowsuit with an eight-pointed star mark in a circle on his chest.

IceMan.EXE
Attribute: WATER
Level: 3
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1300
DEF: 1100
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn, target 1 monster your opponent controls: That monster's effects are negated until the End Phase.

"And now, I'll have him attack your facedown monster!" Golden said as IceMan.EXE blew a mini blizzard from his mouth.

"Hah! You walked right into it! Reveal facedown monster! Apple Magician Girl!" Trixie shouted triumphantly.

A girl with a rather revealing red outfit and a mage's cap and pink wings took to the field.

Apple Magician Girl
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 3
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 800
Effect: Once per turn, if this card is targeted for an attack: You can Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower Spellcaster-Type monster from your hand, then change the attack target to it, and if you do, the attacking monster's ATK becomes half its current ATK. If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can target up to 3 other "Magician Girl" monsters with different names in your Graveyard; add them to your hand.

"Now her effect activates!" Trixie began to explain, "Once per turn, when she's targeted for an attack, I can Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower Spellcaster-Type monster from my--"

"Hold it! I activate my IceMan's effect! Once per turn, one of your monsters effects are completely negated until next turn!"

"WHAT?!"

Apple Magician Girl suddenly felt a massive drain as the blizzard breath grew closer, freezing her solid and shattering her into particles of light.

"I then end with one facedown. Your turn." Golden concluded.

Turn 3: Trixie Lulamoon - Hand: 3

"Why you...! Draw!" Trixie plucked another card out of her hand but before she could play it, Golden called out again:

"I activate IceMan's other effect! During every Standby Phase you or I have, I'm allowed to add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell from my Deck to my hand! And the card I choose...is 'Battle Chip - LongSwrd'!"

Battle Chip - LongSwrd
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Increase the equipped monster's ATK by 1000. When the equipped monster attacks a Defense Position monster: Inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.

After adding the aforementioned card to his hand, Trixie continued, "Fine! As I was saying, I play the Monster Reborn Spell Card!"

Monster Reborn
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 monster in either GY; Special Summon it.

"And I Special Summon from my Graveyard Apple Magician Girl!" the red winged magician girl made a reappearance on the field, "Now, I Normal Summon Magician's Rod!" then, a staff-like wizard's wand appeared with an ethereal magician aura surrounding it as if it was being held.

Magician's Rod
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 100
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand, that specifically lists the card "Dark Magician" in its text. During your opponent's turn, if you activate a Spell/Trap Card or effect while this card is in your GY (except during the Damage Step): You can Tribute 1 Spellcaster monster; add this card to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Magician's Rod" once per turn.

"Then I activate its effect! When Magician's Rod is Normal Summoned, I can add one Spell or Trap card from my deck to my hand that specifically lists 'Dark Magician' in its card text! And I'll add, hmm...eenie, meenie, miney...'Bond Between Teacher and Student'!"

Bond Between Teacher and Student
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you control "Dark Magician": Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician Girl" from your hand, Deck, or GY, then you can Set 1 "Dark Magic Attack", "Dark Burning Attack", "Dark Burning Magic", or "Dark Magic Twin Burst" directly from your Deck. You can only activate 1 "Bond Between Teacher and Student" per turn.

"And now, without further delay, I overlay my Apple Magician Girl and Magician's Rod, both level 3!" the female magician and the rod both morphed into a red and purple swirling light respectively and flew into a galaxy-like portal as Trixie began to chant, "With the Magician's student and his tool, let the dark powers within give rise to one of the Deadly Sins! Come forth! Rank 3! Number 22: Embodiment of Vanity!"

The portal exploded in a rush of rainbow colors as four paintings floated just above the field; two of them eyes, another the nose, and last being a mouth with a white bushy moustache being marked with a 22, all in all, the whole thing was ugly as sin.

Number 22: Embodiment of Vanity
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 3
Type: Fiend/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2400
DEF: 2000
Effect: 2 level 3 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. As long as this card has an Xyz Material attached to it: Any battle damage dealt by this card is doubled. Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: This card cannot be destroyed by battle until the End Phase.

"What the hell?!" Golden shouted, "What in God's name IS that thing?!"

Outside the Duel, the crowd began to share Golden's view of the new monster, especially the Rainbooms, starting with Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Rainbow, Rarity, and ending with Sunset.

"Lord'a mercy!"

"Oh...my..."

"Freaky-deaky!"

"Oh man, that thing is UGLY!"

"I concur! It's absolutely HIDEOUS!!"

"Sweet Celestia, that is a horrible creature!"

As the crowd became greatly unsettled by Trixie's newest, unknown monster, Golden tried to read the card's text on his Duel Pad, but it seemed to be written in some unknown language.

"And just for some added support," Trixie continued, with no one noticing the 22 mark on her forehead began to glow brighter the moment her monster was brought out, "I activate one of my facedowns: Ancient Rules!"

Ancient Rules
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from your hand.

"And with it, I Special Summon one of my most personal favorites: Dark Magician!" next to the ugly painting monster, a light green skinned man with golden blonde hair wearing purple and red robes and wielding the same rod that appeared before rose up (2500/2100), "Heh, an oldie, but a goodie. Number 22! Attack that Ice Climber reject!" the painting rushed close to IceMan before opening its giant painted mouth and getting ready to chomp down.

"Hold it! I activate my Trap! 'Battle Chip - AntiSwrd'!"

Battle Chip - AntiSwrd
Counter Trap Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. When your opponent declares an attack, target the attacking monster: Negate the attack, and if you do; decrease that monster's ATK by 500.

"When you declare an attack, I can target the attacking monster and stop it cold! And once I do, your monster's Attack Points decrease by 500!"

The painting monster stopped its assault and began to feel weak (ATK: 2400 - 500 = 1900).

Trixie was slack-jawed at the comeback, but recomposed herself and, with a growl and dark aura seeping out of her body, whipped her hand out, "Dark Magician! ATTACK!!"

The purple wizard hovered forward and held its hand out, causing IceMan to tremble as he shattered into bits of light, this was Dark Magician's iconic "Dark Magic Attack" (Golden Flare: 4,000 - 1,200 = 2,800 LP).

"Whoa. I've never seen Trixie like this." Rainbow commented.

"Yes...it's pretty scary..." Fluttershy timidly added.

"Wait, something's wrong." Sunset said, seeing the aura coming off of Trixie, "Are you guys seeing this?"

"Now that ya mention it...yeah. Is that dark magic?" Applejack asked.

"But how?! Trixie may be a magician, but she's not magical like us!" Pinkie wondered.

"I think we're about to find out...whether we want to see it or not." Rarity answered, worriedly.

Trixie lowered her arm with a sneer, "I think you've had enough torture. I'll end it there."

Turn 4: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

As Golden drew a new card, he began to wonder about Trixie, Something isn't right here. Trixie's a little more vicious for some reason, not only that, she could've used that Spell she just got to swarm her field a bit...but why not? he then finally noticed a familiar mark on her forehead: 22, Number 22...is that card making her go berserk...? No, it can't be. Regardless, Golden knew he couldn't stall forever, taking too long to make a move would result in his disqualification, "Okay, I summon MegaMan.EXE in Attack Mode!"

A blue and yellow armored man with a strange symbol on his chest made his appearance on the field, sporting a blaster where one of his hands should be.

MegaMan.EXE
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1500
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn, if this card is equipped with an Equip Spell with "Cannon" in its card name: The damage dealt to the opponent is doubled.

Trixie began to laugh uproariously, "That-That's the best you've got?! THAT puny thing?! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

But Golden paid no heed to her insulting laughter as he continued, "Then, I equip him with 'Battle Chip - LongSwrd'!" as the Equip Spell was played, MegaMan's blaster hand folded in on itself and unfolded out a rather long, beam-like sword, "And with it, he gains 1,000 Attack Points!" (ATK: 1900 + 1000 = 2900)

Trixie's laughing suddenly, and finally, ceased when she heard that little tidbit, "...What?"

"But before I press on, I play the 'Double Attack' Spell Card!"

Double Attack
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Discard 1 Monster Card from your hand to the Graveyard. Select 1 monster on your side of the field with a lower Level than the discarded monster. The selected monster can attack twice this turn.

"To activate it, I have to discard 1 monster from my hand to the Graveyard, then select a monster on my side of the field with a lower level than the monster I discarded, and it's allowed to attack twice in the same Battle Phase!"

"Psh, oh please, what monster could YOU have that isn't a weakli--"

"I discard my MetalMan.EXE, who is a level 5 monster!"

MetalMan.EXE
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 5
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 2200
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn: This monster cannot be destroyed by battle.

Once again, Trixie was rendered momentarily silent as Golden continued, "And with that, MegaMan.EXE is allowed to attack twice this turn!"

"WAIT! TIME OUT!" Trixie desperately pleaded.

"Go! Double Long Sword Slash!" the blue man charged at Dark Magician first and cleaved him in half, decimating Trixie's Life Points a bit (Trixie Lulamoon: 4,000 - 400 = 3,600 LP), then rushed toward the hideous quadruple painting and slashed it up, creating a large smoke cloud as Trixie's Life Points further decreased (Trixie Lulamoon: 3,600 - 1,000 = 2,600 LP), "There. Now you're down two powerful monsters AND your Life Points are a couple hundred shorter than mine! What do you say to that?"

"...Heheheheheh..."

"What are you chuckling about?"

"You really think this is over?"

"Huh?" Golden uttered as the smoke cloud cleared, revealing Number 22: Embodiment of Vanity...completely intact?! "But...how?!"

"Simple: a 'Number' monster can only be destroyed...by another 'Number' monster."

Golden scowls, "That's convenient."

"I call bullcrap on that!" Rainbow called out to Trixie.

Golden sighed and plucked a card out of his hand and placed it on the field, "I end with a facedown card."

Turn 5: Trixie Lulamoon - Hand: 2

"Hm, a pity. Now, I draw!"

"MegaMan.EXE's effect activates! I add 'Battle Chip - Barrier' to my hand!"

Battle Chip - Barrier
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Once per turn: The equipped monster cannot be destroyed by battle. After this effect resolves: Destroy this card.

"Are you done?" Trixie asked, impatiently.

"No, but YOU are! I now activate the Trap, 'Battle Chip - FullCust'!"

Battle Chip - FullCust
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. You can only activate this card when it is your opponent's turn: Your opponent immediately enters the End Phase of his/her turn. This effect cannot be negated.

"This Trap Card automatically ends your turn!"

"WHAT did you SAY?!?" Trixie shrieked.

Turn 6: Golden Flare - Hand: 2

"Now, I draw!" Golden looked at his hand and surveyed the field before making his move, "I summon out ProtoMan.EXE in Attack Mode!"

ProtoMan.EXE
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1700
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. As long as this card is equipped with a "Battle Chip" Equip Spell: It can deal piercing battle damage to your opponent's Defense Position monster.

"S-So what?! Your monsters can't penetrate my Number monster!" Trixie shouted.

"They don't have to." Golden replied.

"W-What?!"

"I activate the effect of a Fusion Monster in my Extra Deck! As long as I have the Fusion Materials to Fusion Summon on my field, I don't need Polymerization! Go, MegaMan.EXE and ProtoMan.EXE, Double Soul Fusion!"

The Battle Chip - LongSwrd destroyed itself as the two aforementioned monsters leapt into the air and swirled into a combining vortex before reappearing as a merged version of them in one being.

"I Fusion Summon, 'MegaMan.EXE - Proto Soul'!"

MegaMan.EXE - Proto Soul
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 7
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2200
Effect: "MegaMan.EXE" + "ProtoMan.EXE"
This card can only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by returning the above cards you control to the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) When this card attacks an opponent's Defense Position monster: Inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.

"For the Fusion Summon," Golden held up MegaMan and ProtoMan's cards, "I have to return the Fusion Materials to my Deck." he slipped them in and the Duel Pad's auto-shuffle feature kicked in, shuffling his deck, "I know I can't destroy that Number card, but I can still deal damage! Go, Proto Sword!"

The new and improved MegaMan's hand folded up and unfolded a red laser blade, then charged forward and slashed the monstrous painting, making it groan even as it remained on the field (Trixie Lulamoon: 2,600 - 900 = 1,700 LP).

"I'll end my turn with two more facedowns, your go."

Turn 7: Trixie Lulamoon - Hand: 3

"About time!" Trixie drew her card, and waited, "...What? No special effect this time?"

"Nope. The '.EXE' Fusion Monsters don't have the adding Equip Spells effect, I'm afraid."

She smirked, "Good, less headaches to deal with." she then played the card she just drew, "I activate another copy of Monster Reborn and bring back my Dark Magician!" with that done, the purple wizard once again made an appearance (2500/2100), "And now, I finally play 'Bond Between Teacher and Student'! And with it, I Special Summon 'Dark Magician Girl' from my Deck!"

A wizard-like female, similar to Apple Magician Girl, appeared next to Dark Magician, her skirt fluttering in the breeze and making a few guys in the crowd blush.

Dark Magician Girl
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1700
Effect: Gains 300 ATK for every "Dark Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in the GY.

"And then, I'll Set a Spell Card directly from my Deck!" Trixie declared as she did so.

"Not bothering to tell us what it is?" Golden asked.

"Nah, I'll make it a surprise."

"I don't like this..." Sunset commented from the crowd.

"Now," Trixie continued, "I activate my Equip Spell, the 'Axe of Despair'!"

Axe of Despair
Equip Spell Card
Effect: (This card is always treated as an "Archfiend" card.)
The equipped monster gains 1000 ATK. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can Tribute 1 monster; place this card on the top of your Deck.

"And I'll equip it to Number 22!" the axe materialized and just hovered there as if the painting were holding the weapon with its mind (1900 + 1000 = 2900), "Now go, Number 22! Attack that Proto-thing!" The painting rushed forward with axe in tow, ready to cleave the merged warrior in two.

"I activate my Trap: 'Battle Chip - Mine'!" Golden interrupted, revealing his facedown card.

Battle Chip - Mine
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. If an opponent's monster attacks: Negate the attack and if you do; destroy the monster.

"If your monster attacks, I can negate the attack and destroy your monster! It may be invulnerable to battles without other Number monsters, but what about being destroyed by an effect?"

"W...WHAT?!?!"

Suddenly, the painting exploded as if it were a bomb before it even reached Golden's only monster, leaving Trixie without her ace in the hole.

"YOU...YOU...I aCtiVaTE 'dArK mAGiC TwIN bURsT'!" Trixie distortedly said, revealing her own facedown and the dark aura around her quickly getting worse.

"What the hay?!" Applejack voiced what everyone in the crowd was currently thinking.

"This is bad, real bad!" Sunset said, extremely worried.

"What do we do?!" Fluttershy asked, utterly terrified.

"I don't know!"

"tHiS CaRD AlLows mE tO iNCrEaSE dARk mAGicIaN's AtTaCK pOiNTs by evERy DarK MagICiAn gIrL oN mY fiELd AND iN mY gRAveYArD!!" Trixie said as Dark Magician suddenly felt his power rise up as Dark Magician Girl lent him her strength (2500 + 2000 = 4500), "GOOOoOooooO!! dArk mAGiC AttACK!!!"

Dark Magician rushed forward and readied his spell, until Golden declared, "Reveal facedown! 'Battle Chip - Barrier'!" the red MegaMan was suddenly surrounded by a force field that protected him from being destroyed, but Golden yelled as the force of the attack still reached him and knocked him to the ground (Golden Flare: 2,800 - 1,700 = 1,100 LP).

And yet, Trixie grunted in frustration as the barrier shattered, knowing that Dark Magician Girl should've been able to finish him off after his monster was destroyed, was currently too weak to deal any damage right now, "I wiLL eNd bY sWItChiNg dArK MAGiciAn GiRl iNTo DeFeNSe mOde."

Turn 8: Golden Flare - Hand: 0

Golden picked himself off the ground, put his hand on his deck, and prepared to draw his next card, "One shot...one chance." he whipped his hand to the side, "Draw!" he looked at the card...and smiled, "Perfect. I equip MegaMan.EXE - Proto Soul with 'Battle Chip - HeroSwrd'!"

Battle Chip - HeroSwrd
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Increase the equipped monster's ATK by 2000. When the equipped monster attacks a Defense Position monster: Inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.

"This card increases the equipped monster's ATK by 2,000! And last, but not least, when it attacks a Defense Position monster, it can inflict piercing battle damage to your Life Points!"

The red-colored beam sword folded back into the arm and unfolded out a new sword that was grander and shined brighter than the others (ATK: 2800 + 2000 = 4800).

"WHaT!! NOOoooOOOoOooOO!!!" Trixie began to panic.

"Go and attack Dark Magician Girl with Hero Sword Slash!" Golden declared, confidently.

The newly powered-up MegaMan charged and slashed clean through the wizard girl, and making a beeline to Trixie, dealing her damage as well.

"AHHHhhHhhhhhhhhhhHHHH!!!!!" Trixie screamed as her Life Points dropped (Trixie Lulamoon: 1,700 - 3,100 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Golden Flare

The crowd cheered wildly as the Augmented Reality dissipated and Golden went to check on Trixie, but at that moment, one of the cards she had glowed brightly and flew into his hand as he caught it, and it read "Number 22: Embodiment of Vanity".

"What the..." Golden muttered until a groan from Trixie pulled him out of his thoughts.

Trixie sat up and rubbed her head, "Oww...what happened...?" she looked around the area, "Why is Trixie outside the school? And at the soccer field, no less?"

Well, she seems back to normal...but wait, how come she has no memory of what happened? Golden thought to himself.

"Trixie!"

Trixie's bandmates, Fuchsia Blush and Lavender Lace came barreling towards her, asking her what was going on and stuff like that, even the Rainbooms came over and asked some questions, but all Trixie could say was:

"All I remember is leaving Vice Principal Luna's office, going into my locker, picked up a card that fell out, and...everything else is a blur. And the next I know, I'm out here."

Golden decided to make himself scarce before anyone of them could put two and two together, like he had did moments ago already.

"Oh, wait! There was one other thing, some deep, creepy voice said, 'Yes, Trixie, let the Barian Number take hold', whatever THAT meant."

"Barian Number...?" Sunset pondered, then gasped and turned to face Golden...but he was already gone, "Where'd he go?"

Golden entered his home after a long and hard-fought day, he crashed on the couch and looked over the Number monster he supposedly won.

"If these 'Number' cards are what made Trixie go ballistic, then...there's gotta be more out there somewhere, putting innocent people in danger. But I'm too tired to think about this, I'll just take a power nap before dinner, I guess..."

Golden put the card away in his Extra Deck and began drifting off into dream land...

...But if he had bothered to stay awake a bit longer, he would've noticed the small dark aura coming off his body.

Meanwhile, at a warehouse at the Manehattan Pier, a lone figure was waiting for her contact to arrive and discuss certain..."business". All too soon, the contact had arrived via taxi and walked into the warehouse, where the figure stood before her.

"You're late." the figure spoke, impatiently.

"What, is that how you greet an old friend?" the newcomer asked, jokingly.

"I was referring to the one who is most hated in Equestria."

"Fair enough."

"Regardless, there's been a report of Barian Numbers at Canterlot City."

"Yeah, you filled me in on that right before we left."

"You were clueless when you first heard of this."

"So what should I do?"

The figure pulls a briefcase forward and opens it, revealing some pieces of hi-tech equipment, "This world is no different than our parallel one that we hail from, if you have any anger left inside you, take it out on one you hate most."

The newcomer picks up the pieces and places them on his chest, in his left ear, and on his right arm, the area too dark to see specifically what they are.

"I'll contact you as soon as I can find any more Numbers, seeing you now, I can already tell who you're going to take your anger out on."

"You got that right, baby-pop."

The figure deadpanned, "...I am SO glad I didn't take Kuro on this one." she then left the warehouse and phoned a taxi for a ride to the nearest apartment complex while the newcomer left with his gear in tow as he looked for his target. Soon enough, he found it, or rather him, Flash Sentry, Canterlot High School's resident guitarist and pretty boy.

"Hm?" Flash hummed as he heard crashing sounds in the alleyway he was about to pass and saw an effigy of a person in the center, "Hey, are you okay, man?" silence. "Dude...are you okay?"

A few more seconds passed before the person's right arm lit up in green and purple LED lights as he smiled maliciously at Flash.

Chapter 2: The New Kid in Town (By Lloyd Shamrock)

View Online

3 Days Ago...

I used to be loved...by my friends...I helped them with their problems...and then...all that I cared about...it was all gone. People hated me because of that one incident...now that I think back on it...it took place...in Equestria...and then Canterlot High...I was running, being chased by the Royal Guard in Canterlot, Equestria's capital...I had friends to help me out, but they were all captured...

"There! Over there! Do not let him get away!"

With heavy breaths, I burst through a pair of double doors and took notice of the mirror in the center of the room...I touched it...and felt a shimmer of magic from it...

"He's in the Throne Room! We've got him now!"

I pulled a pen and paper and wrote a little something that they would recognize me by...

"Might as well do it with style..."

With that, I placed it on the rim of the mirror and hopped through, leaving everything I'd known behind just as the guard slammed the doors open...they charged in to pursue me, but the mirror once again became solid...after that, it took them a while to notice my little calling card: a downwards-pointed sword with a ghostly aura surrounding it...that day, I was dubbed...

..."The Phantom Swordsman".

Present Day
Canterlot City - Suburban District

//I'm standing here, within the Suburban District, where a student of the local school, Canterlot High, has been found in between the rental buildings, beaten and his left arm broken, as authorities try to load him into the ambulance for surgery at Canterlot General Hospital...hold on, I've just gotten word that the victim has been identified as Flash Sentry, whose mother is greatly renowned by the community as a generous donor to many charities.//

The news had been abuzz with the on-scene anchor explaining what exactly had happened last night in town as the Rainbooms and Golden were at the latter's home watching with horrid interest.

"Jeez...shit's getting crazier around here." Golden muttered.

"Goldie! Language!" Pinkie scolded.

"Eh, sorry, force of habit."

"But yeah, he's got a point," Rainbow agreed, "Things around Canterlot are starting to get crazy."

"Quite. I do hope none of it happens around the shop I run for Prim Hemline." Rarity added.

"Yeah..." Sunset said, unsure.

"Somethin' wrong, sugar cube?" Applejack asked her.

"It's just that...maybe we should visit Flash in the hospital. If this is what I hope it isn't, then we may need to track this guy down."

Golden nodded, "Yeah. I was thinking the same thing. Let's head there after school today."

"Uh-huh!" the girls all agreed.

Unbeknownst to the group, the perpetrator was leaning against the house near a window, nonchalantly reading a book as he overheard the entire conversation. Frustrated, he slammed his book quite harshly as a memory of his flowed back into the forefront of his mind...

6 Months Ago...
Canterlot High School - Alternative Dimension

Rainbow Dash...what you did...along with everyone else...I will NEVER forgive you...ANY one of you...I wanted to believe that you were still friends with her...if you were, we would've gone out together with your friends...for burgers, milkshakes, and fries as well...but you just HAD to forget about her...

Present Day
Canterlot High School - Front Entrance

The unknown perpetrator had been following the group up until he reached the horse statue when got a call, he hurriedly hid and picked it up.

"It's me, go ahead."

//I'm guessing you're walking down Memory Lane pretty well.//

"Yeah, it's great seeing everyone again." he answered sarcastically.

//A few days ago, I ran up something on a "Trixie Lulamoon".//

"And...?"

//It's been reported that she was in possession of a Barian Number...well, before it was won from her.//

"By who?"

//We don't know, but I have my best people looking into it as we speak.//

"Alright."

//But what I DO know, she was talking to the Rainbooms after she was freed from its control.//

"Alright. Keep me updated." the figure said just as Rainbow walked past him, angering him, "Just...give me a minute to take care of a certain...problem. I'll be in touch."

//...Just don't rough her up TOO bad.// the person on the call said, knowing all too well what he meant.

Click

The call disconnected.

The perp took a great deep breath...and his malicious smile returned, "Dash...your soul will be sweet...perhaps the sweetest I've ever tasted."

Later, After School...
Canterlot General Hospital - Intensive Care Unit

Once school let out, the Golden and the Rainbooms headed straight for the local hospital to get Flash's side of the story regarding what happened to him. They arrived at the front desk where the assistant was.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"We were wondering if we could see Flash Sentry?" Sunset asked back in response.

"Affiliation?"

"We're his friends."

"Well, you're in luck, he just came out of surgery and the detectives had already left after interrogating him, you may see him in the ICU, but please don't overwhelm him, his arm may've been temporarily fixed, but we're still unsure if the damage done is permanent or not."

"Thank you."

"ICU Room 871."

The group proceeded through the halls and finally found the aforementioned room and knocked.

"Flash? It's us, the Rainbooms...and Golden. Can we come in?"

"Sure." he said from the other side of the door.

The group walked in and saw a pitiful sight; Flash Sentry, one of the best musicians and Duelists in the school, has his left arm in a cast and an armbrace with stitches slightly revealed on the center of his muscle.

"Whoa..." Rainbow said, "Dude, what the hell happened to you?"

"Well..." Flash began to tell his tale as he remembered exactly what happened to him...

Last Night...
Canterlot City - Suburban District
Flash's POV

I stood in front of this weird guy when he gave me an unsettling smile, "Flash Sentry..." he began, "do you wanna play a game?"

"Uh...what kinda game?" I asked.

"It's a game called 'Boink!': you have to guess my favorite number, and if you guess wrong, you get a penalty."

"Okay, uhh...5-3-9?"

"BOINK!"

SNAP

The guy just rushed forward and broke my arm! "AHHHHH!! Why the hell did you do that?!" I demanded to know.

He leaned closer to my ear, "...Why not?" he asks as if it was normal.

I quickly got away from him and tried to put my Duel Disk on my other arm, "If you want a Duel, then bring it--"

The guy swiftly closed the distance between us and stared into my soul, "What're you doing?" he then swung his fist outward and pretty much sucker punched me into the wall! "For THAT little stunt...you get a penalty."

"I thought my ARM was the penalty!"

"I already gave you ONE penalty...why not TWO?!"

STOMP!

"AHHHHHHH!!!" I screamed as the jackass practically crushed my pelvis with his foot.

"Remember these words, BRAD...you stay away from my girl...or you'll get THREE penalties."

"What girl?!"

SHING

I heard the telltale sound of a sword being drawn before feeling a massive, sharp pain in my broken left arm.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"

The moment I finally stopped screaming in pain, I saw that he was long gone as a pool of blood formed underneath me from my broken, stabbed left arm...

Present Day
Canterlot General Hospital - ICU Room 871
3rd Person POV

Needless to say, everyone was shocked at what this...monster had done to Flash; broken his arm, almost crush his pelvis area, AND stabbed him in his left arm's muscle?!

"How...How cruel..." Fluttershy whimpered.

"How could...why would..." Sunset had trouble comprehending the situation.

Golden, however was silent, clenching his right hand into a fist in anger. Before anyone else could say anything further, the TV blared with a breaking news report.

//I'm standing here at the Canterlot Dueling Museum, where a criminal was just caught trying to steal a deck that once belonged to the legendary King of Games, Yugi Moto, but was stopped and apprehended by a new detective that has just arrived in town just yesterday.// a strange looking man stepped in front of the camera, //Excuse me, sir, how exactly did you manage to stop such a crime?//

//Well, given to my intelligence, I used my "Elemental HERO" Deck to stop him, because it reminded me of justice.//

//So am I correct to assume that you challenged him to a Duel?//

//Be that as it may, when it comes to challenging people, I don't lose.//

//Would it be too much to ask for your name, sir?//

//Not at all. To prove people will be safe in their homes, my name is Enix. And I swear, I will not rest until all criminals are apprehended. Hope none of you troll me online.//

//Thank you, Mr. Enix. Back to you, Jerry.//

//Thanks, John. Coming up next: Homosexual Duelists, do they deserve equal rights? And will marriage be next? More at 5.//

As the news went back to the anchor at the news station, we all began to process this new information.

"That's weird...why would somebody try to steal Yugi's Deck? The security in that museum's crazy tight. What do you think, Flash? ...Flash?" Golden asked.

They all turned around to see a horrified faced Flash Sentry pointing at the TV and having a panic attack as his heart monitor went sporadic, indicating that his heart rate was increasing rapidly. Doctors and nurses rushed in hearing the monitor go off while one of the nurses ushered us out, confusing us greatly.

"That was odd..." Sunset voiced what we were all thinking, "Why did Flash freak out like that?"

"I don't know..." Golden began before looking determined, "...But I have a hunch."

"What is it?" Rainbow asked him.

"I...can't confirm anything yet. Let's reconvene tomorrow at school, once I have some more proof to go off of."

The girls nodded and voiced their reasons for heading off as Golden headed home as well, with an unsettling feeling in his gut that refused to go away.

Canterlot High School - Soccer Field

As Rainbow was on her way home, she got a group text from a guy named Norman, who included Scootaloo and Bulk Biceps, if they could practice soccer before heading home for the evening. Needless to say, Rainbow couldn't refuse an offer like that, so she replied her confirmation and made her way to the CHS soccer field, where for the past few hours, they all practiced their soccer skills if the Friendship Games had a soccer portion. But what they didn't know was that someone was watching them the whole time they were practicing.

"I'm impressed," the figure said as Rainbow scored yet another goal, "no wonder they call her the Captain of every sports team in Canterlot High...hmph, I'll teach them the difference between MY world and THEIRS." he put on a tinted googles and a black face mask, and charged forward as Rainbow was cheering for her victory, then Scootaloo, without any warning had a fist jammed firmly into her gut, "For starters...magical strength never hurt people like that in THIS world." Scootaloo slumped to the ground in pain as the hidden figure assaulted Norman and Bulk to the point that they were completely unconscious, despite Bulk's obvious physical prowess.

"HEY! That's so not cool!" Rainbow shouted before charging at him herself, but completely unable to land a blow.

"C'mon, don't be like that." he taunted as he dodged every attack Rainbow sent his way, then gripped her right arm and pinned her and a sort of hold, "Now then, let's have some fun, Dashie." green and purple LED lights lit up all around his body and proceeded to break Rainbow's arm, making her screech to the heavens in agony before calling him a "Coward", "A coward, am I?"

6 Months Ago
Canterlot High School - Alternative Dimension
??? POV

"Where are you all going?! You KNOW she's your friend!"

Applejack glared at him, "NOW Ah've heard everythang!"

They continued to leave until I blocked their path, "I'm NOT leaving until you apologize to her!"

Rainbow suddenly got pissed and punched me, and threw me towards the lockers, "Let me get this through your THICK HEAD: we. Were. NEVER. FRIENDS! You're just a coward dwelling on the past! If you think she's your FRIEND, go back to serving her!"

"Yeah! What she said!" Pinkie agreed before leaving with the others.

I struggled to get up, holding out my hand as if I was reaching out to stop them from leaving, "We...were..." my strength finally left me as I fell back to the floor, "...friends..." was the last thing I said before my tears started to flow...

Present Day
Canterlot High School - Soccer Field
3rd Person POV

As Rainbow was roughly thrown onto the grass, the figure grabbed her Duel Disk out of her backpack and attached to her unbroken arm, "Here, you dropped this." he picked her up and held her tight, as if he was forcing her to watch something happen, and soon enough something did: he pulled out three card from a secret compartment in his jacket as the automated voice spoke, //Augmented Reality Vision Link established.// "And now, keep your eyes...on your fate!" he played the three cards he pulled out and revealed themselves to be three known Destiny HERO monsters, Dreadmaster, Plasma, and Dogma, but they were acting different than original holograms, they looked as though they were stalking towards Rainbow, like she was their prey as she watched in horror at what was happening, You weren't friends with her... he thought to himself, I REJECT YOUR FRIENDSHIP.

Then, without warning...

Before Rainbow could properly scream...

...The monsters attacked.

YOUR SOUL WAS CLAIMED...BY THE PHANTOM SWORDSMAN.

After the attacks were finally over, the figure left behind his calling card, but said something he left, "You know, I've always hated female jocks." he gave a slight wave as he turned around and left Rainbow and her friends to sleep until somebody found them and called 911 for help...

(stop music)

The Next Day...
Canterlot High School - Cafeteria

//Good morning viewers, I'm Jerry. Our top story today: the citizens of Canterlot City are now terrified as the unknown assailant has struck again; his newest victim was Canterlot High School's own Rainbow Dash, one of their best athletes. Not much is known about this assailant...until today. Forensics reported to have found this calling card at the scene of the crime.// an image of the aforementioned card appeared next to the newscaster: a downwards-pointed sword with a ghostly aura surrounding it, //As well as video footage taken by security camera near the school.// the next was a video showing exactly what had happened at the soccer field last night to Rainbow and everyone else, //The police are doing everything they can to catch this individual, but so far he has alluded nearly everyone. The mayor has taken up a press conference to make a statement on what to do about this person. We will be going live in ten minutes, but for now, we at Canterlot News 9 highly advise staying indoors and locking everything up at night. We'll be back after these brief messages.//

Horror was evident on the Rainbooms faces, even the students' and especially Golden's; one of their own was just targeted by this monster, but they were lucky that Rainbow merely received broken bones instead of a stab wound like Flash. Soon though, Golden clenched his fists and grit his teeth in anger before roughly standing out of his seat.

"That's it. Enough is enough! Attacking Flash was one thing, but targeting Rainbow, Bulk, Norman, and even Scootaloo is another!" Golden angrily declared before stomping out of the cafeteria, his friends close by.

"Where are you going, Goldie?" Pinkie asked.

"To hell with education, I'm going to talk to Rainbow RIGHT NOW." he answered.

"But why, darling?" Rarity asked, confused.

"..." Golden slowly turned around, "...If my hunch is right, I may know who it is, but I need to confirm it with Rainbow Dash."

"But...why can't we just wait until school lets out?" Sunset asked.

Golden took a deep breath, "...Because if I did, then that bastard will set his sights on someone else before long." he then went back to storming out of the school building, "I'm not waiting."

The Rainbooms just watched him go before looking at each other in great worry...

Canterlot General Hospital - Front Entrance

Golden walked out of the hospital after talking to Rainbow, satisfied with the info he gathered, "If everything she said is true..."

"I couldn't see his face, but I knew his voice; it was the same guy who stopped that museum robbery on the news!"

"...Then the culprit is none other than Enix."

Golden didn't know why he would target Flash and Rainbow specifically AND for some reason stop a robbery, but he did know one thing:

He had to be stopped before someone else gets hurt.

But how would Golden go about finding him?

He began to brainstorm as he made his way home, since school had already let out by the time he finished interrogating Rainbow, and just then, it hit him: if he can't go find Enix...

...Then he'll make him come to Golden.

Canterlot High School - Rooftop

It was late at night when Golden got into the school, climbed up the stairs, and made his way onto the school's rooftop, waiting for a certain...character. He baited Enix with a little something that Golden doubted he could pass up, before long, he heard footsteps and saw Enix himself just outside the building.

He seemed to give a deep sigh as he stared into the starry sky, "My friends...we were supposed to follow the plan..." he slammed his fist on the railing, "If it weren't for that ambush..."

4 Days Ago...
Canterlot City - Suburban District: Apartment Complex
Enix's POV

I was sipping water from my glass when my neighbor showed up by the window, "Excuse me, neighbor? A couple of people are here with me, said they wanted to talk to you."

"Send them in please." Enix answered.

Two guys walked into the apartment, one of them Enix knew all too well; he had orange feathered hair, deep blue eyes, and pale skin, wearing black t-shirt, dark blue denim pants, and black dress shoes, as he took his seat, he was munching on a candy cane, this was Enix's ally, Kuro Pepāminto. The other guy was someone Enix didn't recognize; he had green hair with blue highlights, crimson red eyes, and pale skin similar to Kuro's, wearing a black and white business suit and shades, all in all, he appeared to be some sort of bodyguard. As the newcomer and Enix took their seats with Kuro, their chat began.

"Mister..." the newcomer pulled out a card and read it aloud, "...'XXgale34XX', obviously a username, my name is Jisatsu Benedict, and we'd like to borrow your services and expertise for a top-secret mission."

"What is the nature of this mission?" Enix asked.

"For you to retrieve an artifact in the capital of Canterlot beyond the mirror portal that allows the user to travel between dimensions."

"I'm not familiar with it."

"It's called the 'Reflector Device', it's been said to have the power to, not only travel through dimensions, but also to other points in time within those dimensions. To put it bluntly, it's a device that transcends time and space."

"A device that transcends time and space? That's hard to believe."

"Yes, well...it's been verified. With that device, one could shape the fates of other worlds, even the people, ESPECIALLY the people. That device could threaten our way of life and our world's history as we know it. Needless to say, we would like to keep that from happening."

"Understandable. Please go on, what are the specifics of this mission?"

"There's an area within the castle, a forbidden archive hidden from any prying eyes. We need you to infiltrate the castle, steal the artifact, and bring it back."

"So you want me to infiltrate Canterlot Castle, the main princess's domain?"

"We have a contact inside the castle, they'll be sure to leave the window open for you on the day. Use whatever methods you want, just keep in mind this is off-the-books, you won't get any support from us if you get caught."

"...Alright then, I'll assemble a team and lead this mission myself."

That plan...was gonna change everything, to clear my name...

...At least, so I thought.

Present Day
Canterlot High School - Rooftop
3rd Person POV

As he was reminiscing, Enix had finally found himself on the building's roof and waiting for him was, quite obviously, Golden Flare, who had a stoic expression upon his face.

"Okay I'm here, what did you want?" Enix asked.

"I have information on the guy who was attacking my friends and fellow students." Golden answered.

"Okay, and...?"

"I have a theory on who it is, but to prove it..." Golden pulled out his Duel Pad, "...I need to Duel you."

"...Uh, dipstick, you sure you wanna do this?"

"Nope, but screw it."

"Fine, but let's up the stakes: if I win, we walk away and forget this ever happened."

"Then if I win, you tell me the truth about what's going on; the attacks, everything."

"You might not like the answer."

"I don't care, people are getting hurt."

He shrugs, "...Fair enough. I could use the fun and entertainment."

Golden grit his teeth and activated his Duel Pad and Duel Gazer. Enix simply stopped him from proceeding, confusing him as Enix pulled out his smartphone and played a piece of music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6K3I_jBRMA

"Uhh--"

"I start all my Duels with this song, don't judge me." Enix answered the unspoken question.

Then, he pulled two swords out of his back, connected them together, and merged them with a rather unique Duel Disk.

"Fancy." Golden commented.

Enix didn't respond, he just put on his Duel Gazer, which unfolded from the back of his head and closed around both of his eyes.

//Augmented Reality Vision Link established.//

"Let's Duel!" they both shouted.

Golden Flare - 4,000 LP
Enix - 4,000 LP

Turn 1: Enix - Hand: 5

"This power I hold could change everything. I draw!" Enix said as he drew, "First, I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Dragonpulse Magician and Scale 9 Kuro-Obi Karate Spirit! It's time to take control of the show!" two blue pillars appeared on either side of Enix, revealing the monsters he placed as they rose up and displayed two glowing numbers (Pendulum Scale: 1-9), "Now I'm allowed to summon monsters from level 2 through 8 all at the same time! As someone once said, 'my monsters are ready to swing into action'! Turn up the heat, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Rise up my Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves and Silent Boots!" a strange dragon with two different eye color appeared first and foremost (2500/2000), then a sort of spirit rose from the ground wearing a giant pair of ghostly gloves (1000/500), and lastly, another spirit rose wearing a pair of rather quiet-sounding boots (200/1200).

"I've never this kind of summoning method before!" Golden exclaimed, then thought, Are these those Pendulum Monsters I heard in those rumors? I thought they were a myth, but...

"You're thinking these card are fake, aren't you? Wrong; they're all too real. And these Phantom Knights cards won't be here for long. 'Cause I'm using them to build the Overlay Network!" the two spirits turned into purple lights before flying into a normal red portal, "I Xyz Summon, The Phantom Knights of Break Sword!"

The portal exploded and revealed a mechanical horse with an armored warrior riding it, whom of which had blue flames where its head and certain parts of its arms should be and wielding a rather massive sword.

The Phantom Knights of Break Sword
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 3
Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1000
Effect: 2 Level 3 monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 card you control and 1 card your opponent controls; destroy them. If this Xyz Summoned card is destroyed: You can target 2 "The Phantom Knights" monsters with the same Level in your GY; Special Summon them and increase their Levels by 1, also you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except DARK monsters.

"And thanks to Phantom Knights of Ragged Gloves, if it was used to summon a DARK-Attributed Xyz Monster, that Xyz Monster gain 1,000 Attack Points!" The Phantom Knights of Break Sword suddenly began to glow a deep purple as the horse reared back and cried out in victory (ATK: 2000 + 1000 = 3000), "Then, thanks to the Pendulum Effect of Kuro-Obi, if any number of monsters were Pendulum Summoned, I can return him to my hand!" one of the Pendulum Zones glowed and the monster within it disappeared, "I place one card facedown and then I end my turn."

Turn 2: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"Alright, I draw!" Golden began to assess the situation, Okay, so Enix has one Pendulum Monster in the Pendulum Zone, and two powerful monsters on his field, now how should I counter? he plucked a card from his hand, "I Set a monster in Defense Mode, then I end with one Set card! Your go!"

Turn 3: Enix - Hand: 1

"My draw!" Enix threw his hand forward, "I use Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to attack your monster!" the dragon let loose a stream of fire as the set monster revealed itself.

"I activate the effect of AquaMan.EXE!" Golden declared.

AquaMan.EXE
Attribute: WATER
Level: 3
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 1600
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn, during either player's turn, discard 1 "Battle Chip" Spell from your hand: This card cannot be destroyed by battle until the End Phase.

"By discarding my 'Battle Chip - RollAro2', 'AquaMan.EXE' can't be destroyed by battle until the End Phase!"

The flame impacted on the little water warrior, but when they died down, he was still intact in Defense Position.

"Not bad. I'll end my turn for now."

Turn 4: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

"Okay, I draw!" Golden looked over what he had so far and then made his move, "During Standby Phase, 'AquaMan.EXE' grants me a new 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell, and I choose...'Battle Chip - Barr100'!"

Battle Chip - Barr100
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Once per turn: The equipped monster cannot be destroyed by battle. After this effect resolves: Deal 100 damage to your opponent, and if you do; destroy this card.

"Now, I release 'AquaMan.EXE', to Tribute Summon 'FireMan.EXE'!"

A rather taller warrior came out, but instead of water like the last one, this one seemed to be bursting with flames.

FireMan.EXE
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 1500
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn, target 1 monster your opponent controls: Your opponent takes damage equal to half of the targeted monster's ATK.

"Now, I activate his effect! I target one monster you control and you take damage equal to half of that monster's full Attack Points, and that includes the enhancements! And I choose Break Sword!"

FireMan.EXE suddenly slammed his thruster-like arms to the ground and let loose an explosion of flames towards Enix, who felt his Life Points dwindle (Enix: 4,000 - 1,500 = 2,500 LP).

"That got him! But I'm not done yet, I play my Equip Spell, 'Battle Chip - LongSwrd'!" FireMan.EXE's right thruster then became a long beam sword (ATK: 2100 + 1000 = 3100), "That should do it, but I'm not gonna attack, I know better than to walk into Trap Cards, but at least you won't risk your own monsters now. For now, I'll play 'Double Summon', and Normal Summon Roll.EXE!"

Double Summon
Normal Spell Card
Effect: You can conduct 2 Normal Summons/Sets this turn, not just 1.

Roll.EXE
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 3
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 1400
Effect: When this card attacks: Gain 500 LP. Once per turn, add either 1 "Battle Chip - RollAro1", "Battle Chip - RollAro2", or "Battle Chip - RollAro3" from your Deck to your hand.

"I'll then end it there."

Turn 5: Enix - Hand: 3

"I draw!" Enix then made his move, "I play one card facedown, and then summon Elemental HERO Sparkman!" a blue and yellow warrior appeared before Enix as it sparked with electricity, "I then activate Break Sword's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I take one card you have and one of my own and destroy them both!" one of Break Sword's swirling lights flew into its blade as it glowed with power (OLU: 2 - 1 = 1), "I destroy 'Roll.EXE' and my Break Sword!"

The two aforementioned monsters glowed before exploding into particles of light, greatly confusing Golden, Why would he destroy the strongest monster in his arsenal?

"And thanks to Break Sword's ability, when he's destroyed, I take two 'Phantom Knights' monsters with the same level in my Graveyard and Special Summon them, but I increase their levels by one! And welcome back Silent Boots and Ragged Gloves!" the two spirit monsters from before the Xyz Summoning had returned, but they were a bit different in level (Level: 3 + 1 = 4).

Golden tensed, I don't like this...

Enix placed his hand on his Duel Disk and took a deep breath, "It's time..." he whispered something that Golden couldn't hear, then he continued, "I overlay my two Phantom Knights!" the spirits turned to swirling lights once more and flew into another red portal, I will not cry, I won't cry...I won't CRY! "Cloaked in shadows and relentless in its objective, I call upon the most dangerous of dragons! I Xyz Summon! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!"

The new black and dark purple dragon appeared next to Odd-Eyes with mechanical-like wings and spike almost everywhere on its body.

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 4
Type: Dragon/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Effect: 2 Level 4 monsters
You can detach 2 materials from this card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; its ATK becomes half its current ATK, and if it does, this card gains that lost ATK.

"So THAT'S what he was gunning for..." Golden uttered.

"I activate Dark Rebellion's effect!" the two swirling lights flew into the dragon's wings (OLU 2 - 2 = 0), "By using both its Overlay Units, I target one monster on your side of the field and its Attack Points are cut in half, and Dark Rebellion GAINS those lost Attack Points!" purple electricity flowed from the dragon's body as it ensnared FireMan.EXE and drained his strength (ATK: 3100 - 1550 = 1550), and gave that very strength to Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon (ATK: 2500 + 1550 = 4050), "And don't forget my Ragged Gloves' ability!" just then, the dark dragon stronger once again as it roared with power (ATK: 4050 + 1000 = 5050), "Now, Dark Rebellion, ATTACK!" the dragon charges forward in flight, ready to run the warrior through with its fangs.

"Reveal Trap Card! 'Battle Chip - Mine'!" the facedown flipped up, "If I control a '.EXE' monster when my opponent attacks, I can negate the attack and destroy the attacking monster!" all of a sudden, Dark Rebellion exploded as the Trap resolved its effect.

"Oh no. You destroyed my friend's card. It was one of a kind." Enix said, emotionlessly...then smirked, "You remind me of me when I was young: always full of comebacks."

"Any more tricks up your sleeve, or are you fresh out?" Golden asked, defiantly.

"Hmph...tell me, GOLDIE, can you do...THIS yet??" Enix twisted a dial on his Duel Disk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dPaVk4G1jg

//Switching from Augmented Reality to Solid Reality...Generating "Action Field: Crossover"...// a shining orb appeared above them and seemed to have popped, //Action Cards dispersed.//

Golden shielded his eyes from the sudden light changing the whole field of battle, when he was able to see again, he was shocked to see moving midair platforms and Enix...riding on Odd-Eyes' back?!

"What the?!"

"Sparkman!" the sparking warrior attacked FireMan.EXE, making him explode into particles of light (Golden Flare: 4,000 - 50 = 3,950 LP), "Now...ODD-EYES!!" the red dragon blasted Golden with a stream of fire, the power of the attack forcing him onto his back (Golden Flare: 3,950 - 2,500 = 1,450 LP).

"Urgh...that...hurt? That hurt!" Golden exclaimed, shocked.

Enix and Odd-Eyes landed in front of Golden, "Well...?"

"I...I can't! How did YOU get Solid Reality tech?! Only Crystal Prep has that kind of tech in this town!"

Odd-Eyes began to run circles around Golden, "I have my ways. I end my turn from there."

Turn 6: Golden Flare - Hand: 2

Golden struggles to stand up, but does so anyway, "I...draw..." I have to find a way to defeat Odd-Eyes... a sharp pain ran through his body, Ugh...first he has Pendulum Summoning, then Xyz Summoning, and now Solid Reality tech? Just who IS this guy?! "I summon...'NumberMan.EXE' in Attack Mode..." a humanoid robot with a blinking light bulb for a head appears on the field.

NumberMan.EXE
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 3
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 900
DEF: 900
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn, during either player's turn; roll a six-sided die: Deal damage to your opponent equal to the result x 100.

"Then I...equip him with..." Golden coughed, "my 'Battle Chip - Barr100' Spell...I end my turn..."

Turn 7: Enix - Hand: 2

"Draw!" Enix made his move, "I place one card facedown and summon Performapal U Go Golem!" an oddly shaped golem with a top hat appeared on Enix's field (1600/1000), "...I end my turn for now."

Turn 8: Golden Flare - Hand: 1

Golden started to regain control of his damaged body and drew, "I draw. NumberMan.EXE's effect activates! I add 'Battle Chip - FireSwrd' to my hand!"

Battle Chip - FireSwrd
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Increase the equipped monster's ATK by 1000. The equipped monster becomes a FIRE-Attribute monster.

"I then activate NumberMan.EXE's other effect!" a holographic die appeared in front of Golden, "I roll a six-sided die, and you take damage equal to the result times one-hundred! Go, Doom Dice!" he threw the die and result came up 5, "Five! Which means you take 500 points of damage!"

A rather large die appeared and threw itself at Enix, exploding upon contact (Enix: 2,500 - 500 = 2,000 LP).

"Now, I equip NumberMan.EXE with 'Battle Chip - FireSwrd'! He gains 1,000 Attack Points and he becomes a FIRE-Attribute monster!" one of the machine's hands became a burning beam sword as its strength grew and Attribute changed (ATK: 900 + 1000 = 1900) (Attribute: LIGHT > FIRE), "Then I play the Field Spell 'Battle Chip - LavaStge'!"

The entire field's ground changed to fire and magma thanks to the Field Spell.

Battle Chip - LavaStge
Field Spell Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. All FIRE-Attribute and Pyro-Type monsters gain 500 ATK and DEF. For each Standby Phase, if you or your opponent do not control a FIRE-Attribute or Pyro-Type monster: You and your opponent take damage equal to the total monsters either of you control x 100.

Enix hopped onto one of the platforms as Golden continued, "Now, NumberMan.EXE, attack U Go Golem! Fire Sword Slash!"

NumberMan.EXE rushed forward as the burning field gave it a boost (ATK: 1900 + 500 = 2400) Enix grabbed an card lying on a nearby platform, "I activate the Action Spell, 'Miracle'! It saves my monster from destruction and cuts the damage I take in half!" an invisible barrier constructed itself around the golem as NumberMan.EXE sliced, but hit the shield instead (Enix: 2,000 - 400 = 1,600 LP).

"Grr, that's new...I end my turn." Golden concluded.

Turn 9: Enix - Hand: 1

"I draw!" but he was interrupted.

"The effect of 'Battle Chip - LavaStge' now activates! If either of us doesn't have a FIRE-Attribute or Pyro-Type monster on our fields, we take damage equal to the number of monsters we control times 100! But since I now have FIRE-Attributed monster, YOU alone take the damage of all your monsters!" the burning field lit up and caught the monsters on fire, and said fire spread to Enix, depleting his Life Points further (Enix: 1,600 - 300 = 1,300 LP)

Enix then played the card he just drew, "I summon Elemental HERO Wildheart in Attack Mode!" a tanned, amazon warrior-like man jumped onto the field, "I now overlay my 3 Level 4 monsters to build the Overlay Network!"

He's doing ANOTHER Xyz Summon?!...Wait. Golden immediately noticed the portal wasn't red this time...it was a galaxy portal as he watched the lights fly into it in horror, It can't be!!!

"You've witnessed Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, and Elemental HEROES mixed with Pendulum Summoning," Enix began to monologue, "But this one...is my TRUE ace! I Xyz Summon!" a weird symbol briefly in his eye, but it disappeared too fast for Golden to see what it was, "'Number 12: Eiji, The False Black Swordsman'!" a young man wearing a full-body armored suit wielding a dark-colored sword and the number 12 in the center of his chest appeared from the exploding portal.

Number 12: Eiji, The False Black Swordsman
Attribute: EARTH
Rank: 4
Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2600
DEF: 2700
Effect: 3 Level 4 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. Once per turn, when an opponent's monster attacks this card, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target the attacking monster: Destroy it.

Golden was in complete shock, "How...how did you get a Number...?"

Enix just stood there with an annoyed look on his face.

"Well?!"

Enix growled a bit at the insistence, "...You wouldn't understand."

Golden was stunned at his words, to the point he couldn't respond to that.

Enix sat on the edge of the platform he once stood upon.

"Did you...KILL someone?"

Enix looked at his Duel Disk, "...Killing isn't something I roll with."

"Then how?!"

"...We were sent on a mission."

"'We'?"

"My team and I were supposed to retrieve an artifact...But before that, let me tell you my tale of Duel Monsters in MY world..."

(stop music)

4 Days Ago...
Canterlot Castle - Alternative Dimension
Enix's POV

Where I come from, Duel Monsters was merely a game for fun and sport, not a battle for supremacy. But one day, everything changed, and I was forced to protect everyone I loved...but I just wasn't good enough. My friends were all captured and forced into servitude...

"What?" Golden asked, baffled.

Anyways, the Royal Guards were patrolling exactly like we were informed, my team and I were sneaking through the halls as I gave them hand signals to proceed forward cautiously...

"Are you sure this is it?" one of my teammates codenamed "B" asked.

"Yes, I'm positive. As soon as we enter these doors, that's where the artifact is stored." I said, my codename "G".

"Not sure about that, G; the doors are locked up tight." teammate "R" pointed out.

"Then we'll just have to bust them out. Gang, any ideas?"

"We could cut it open with our swords, but the chances of the guards hearing us are way too high." teammate "P" stated.

"Alright then, L, D, what are your options? Can we blow them open?"

"Yes, but I highly advise against it; if we use explosive magic on the doors, we'll risk damaging the merchandise, and don't get me started on alerting every guard in the castle." "D" shot that idea down.

"Why not swipe the key?" "L" suggested, making everyone stare at him with a deadpan expression as D simply backhanded him.

"What a stupid way to do the job!" D said.

Suddenly, the sound of rattling armor was making its way towards them as the group hid, one of the Unicorn guards looked around with their spotlight spell, seeing nothing, the guard began to continue on, but was stopped something covering their muzzle before being karate chopped on the back of their head, effectively knocking them out. D dragged the unconscious guard into a broom closet, grabbed the key hidden in their armor, exited and locked the guard inside. He soon returned to his team key in hand.

"Got the key, let's go." D said, going to unlock the doors.

Once they were opened, the team gazed upon many an artifact on display within the forbidden archives, some of which have plaques on the front of them detailing what they do.

"Alright, let's split up; Bravo Team will search the upstairs section, Alpha Team, you're with me, let's see if we can find it." G ordered.

The "Bravo Team", which consisted of R, L, and P, headed upstairs to look while "Alpha Team", G, D, and B, looked around below them, searching for their target. B was reading one of the plaques when he spoke up.

"Nothing so far..." he said.

D was searching through books to see if he could find out its resting place, "The books don't say anything on artifacts that transcend time and space, but I'll keep lookin'."

G simply walked around to see anything that stood out of place, "Hey, B, got a question to ask you."

"What's up?"

"Is it me, or do the things on my back seem a little...heavy?" G motioned to the two swords adorning his back.

P suddenly showed up out of nowhere and asked, "Why look at the negative, boss?"

D took over from his place at the bookshelves, "Yeah, besides, we're swordsmen, without those we'd be defenseless."

G shrugged, "Fair enough."

P then went back upstairs and noticed something off about one of the walls, then proceeded to knock on it, hearing a slight echo, "Hey guys! I hit something!"

Both teams made their way to P's area as D spoke, "Let's have a look." he pulled on the wall, but it stood firm, "It's locked!"

"Guess it's a good time to test this out." G pulled out one of his swords and pressed the tip of the blade at the wall, he then shoved it through, destroying their obstacle.

"Okay, THAT'S gonna alert some of the guards." B remarked.

"Oh, cry me a river."

The group pressed on and another door, but this one was actually unlocked, so G simply opened it, revealing on the other side, a reference guide.

"Whoooa!" P said, amazed.

"You said it..." G said.

B looked through the guide and examined the room, "Hmm...this guide contains the device's power, but all it's saying about 'parallel worlds', 'imaginary wave', and 'reflect wave', including a bunch of other things even I don't understand...wait, what's this? 'Phenomenon Leap Fold...ten stones...ten holes on the face...when touched, some inertia force will make time stop at that point...their positions can be confirmed with the sensor...by touching it, one can go back where the stone was left...must exercise the utmost caution with this device...that is...' The rest is worn out. And there's one other tidbit: the stones exist in space-time? The hell does that mean? G, is THIS what your client wants?"

"I was a little skeptical myself, but yeah, this is what he wants." G answered.

"Well, sorry, but we can't do this. I've only read and understood half of what all this says, and it's clear that this 'Reflector Device' is extremely dangerous; in the wrong hands, it could alter, not just history as we know it, but also time and space, maybe even destroy it."

"Hey, guys," P began, "I got a quick question."

"What's up?" D asked.

"Isn't it weird that we were lead into an inner sanctum where the device should be, but all we found was the guide for it, but not the device itself? I mean, it should be RIGHT here, on this pedestal. So where is it?"

B began to think on P's words, "...You know, that actually is a good question, it should be here, so why isn't it...?"

G started thinking to himself, That's odd...the client mentioned that it should be on the pedestal within the inner sanctum... Realization then gripped his heart like an icy claw, Unless...!

D was unaware of G's thought as he pondered, Hmm...even if it was here or not, how did the client know EXACTLY where it would be if they hadn't even entered the portal...? D had finally put the pieces together.

G and D both shouted: "GUYS!! IT'S A TRAP!!!/THIS IS A SETUP!!!"

"Exactly."

An unknown voice and the telltale sounds of spears being drawn alerted the group to the main entrance and saw an entire battalion of Royal Guards.

"I never thought it would be a bunch of humans, AND one of our own kind, no less." one of the guards spoke, "You have your friend to thank for for this. You lot have been sold out."

"D...got any options?" G asked his partner.

"No. Somebody think of something quick before they figure out they've got us surrounded."

P raised a finger, "I got one."

"I'm all ears at this point. Let's hear it."

P began to reach for his rapier, "3...2...1..." he swiftly drew his blade and rapidly thrust it towards the enemies, who barely had time to react as P shouted, "RUUUUUUUNNN!!!"

Luckily, the guards managed to put up a shield spell that prevented them from taking major damage, but it was taxing on their minds, so they immediately passed out as the group rushed out of the sanctum with P leading the escape.

"Stop them! Don't let them get away!" one of the only conscious guard left ordered.

"Sorry guys, it was the only thing I could think of!" P quickly said as he continued his assault.

"Are you crazy?" D began, "This is the best idea you've had in your life!"

Unfortunately, reinforcements started pouring in as they left the forbidden archive, all of which are hot on their trail with more in front of them, barring their escape.

"B, R, defense formation!" G ordered.

B drew two axe-like blades while R drew a single-edged sword backhanded and they both charged through them like a hot knife through butter, effectively knocking them out.

"Good job, guys!" G congratulated.

The next wave of guards showed in front of them, spears at the ready to skewer them through, but they were ready.

"D, it's all you!" G ordered him.

"Understood." D said.

D then drew a two-handed greatsword from his back and rushed ahead of the group, spinning like a top and slicing through the spears and guards, knocking them unconscious as well.

"Alright, this is getting too hot; L, prepare a teleportation spell, I'll keep 'em busy." G said as he drew one black longsword from his back.

"Wait, that one hasn't been tested yet! The results haven't been confirmed!" B argued.

G flipped the sword into a downward position and thrust it into the floor as even more guards rushed in, "It's about to take a road test! ENHANCE ARMAMENT!!" just as he shouted that, purple, corrosive hand-like vines ripped through the floor towards the guards and gripped them firmly so they couldn't move.

"What is this?! No sword can do that!" a random guard said.

"A sword? Don't be childish. This kid...is in possession of a DIVINE OBJECT!!"

"SCREAM!! SCREAM AS THE VINES MELT YOU!!"

One of the Pegasus guards managed to fly above the vines' range, "What IS this magic?!"

D jumped up a stepped on the Pegasus's shoulder blade, "No ya don't!" then used said foot and shoved him back down, "Not while we're workin'!"

With a grunt, the guard hit the ground as the vines grabbed him, whipped him all over, and threw him out the nearest window. G began to groan as he slumped forward, still holding the sword in its place.

"Guys, get him outta here, we gotta get to the portal NOW!" D ordered as he took charge.

The others managed to grab G and made their way to another doorway when D asked:

"Is it clear?"

P looked out the window and saw an entire army of guards, "Uhhh..."

"I take it that's a 'no'."

P turned back and shook his head.

D groaned, "I guess we'll have to double back to portal before they overrun us."

"That sounds like a good idea. Any more time spent here, and we'll be captured or worse." G agreed.

L began, "Then let's get outta here--"

"OR we could stay and fight?"

B looked shocked, "What?! Are you CRAZY?!?"

"Alright, you two-legged creatures!" a guard shouted from behind the doors, "There's no place to go! Come out with your hooves, claws, or whatever it is you have, in the air!" when nothing happen, the guard called out again, "We're gonna give you to the count of three, and if you don't come out willingly, YOU'RE TOAST!!"

G redrew his swords, "We may die if we take a stand here, but staying gives us the chance to change our fates. We have divine weapons, with them, our freedom is ours for the taking!"

D and B stopped G from rushing out the doors, "Bro, you can't do that!" D began, "You can't handle any more of that sword's power! I can tell just by looking at you!"

G chuckled, "Getting short-sighted in your age, bro?"

D deadpanned, "...I'm two years younger than you, dipstick."

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm still in control."

D noticed the sword's glow, and he knew that G wouldn't be in control for much longer, he wanted to tell him such, but D pushed that thought aside, knowing his older brother wouldn't listen, "...You're the same as ever; once you've got your heart set on something, nothing will sway you until you see it through to the end." D then drew his greatsword, "Let's do this then. I'm going with you! You'll need someone to drag your lifeless corpse back through the portal."

"As long as you still got the strength to do so, then by all means."

But L and R didn't like this plan one bit, "If G dies, then we all die!" R argued.

"We're going back to the portal! We're leaving!" L demanded.

"Well, I say you're both coming with us." G smirked, "What would we do without that skill you have, L? And you, R, you're the muscle, you can't back down from a challenge, can you?"

"...He's got a point." L relented as he shrugged.

R groaned, "...You always get the last word." he drew his own sword as well, "Let's do this."

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"The guards are trying to break down the doors, they're gonna get in!" P warned.

"It's now or never, G." B gave him a choice, drawing his weapons, "Let's show them what we've got! We'll give them a warm Earth hello!"

"Understood!" G said, getting ready to run down whoever gets in his way.

Everyone else got into battle positions, preparing themselves for the fight of their lives.

"On the count of three!" P ordered.

"One..." D started, his greatsword glowing.

"TWO..." a guard from outside called.

G readied a powerful sword skill as the last number was called out:

"THREE!!!"

With a battle cry, both sides rushed into one another, fighting what appeared to be a small war...

Present Day
Canterlot High School - Rooftop
3rd Person POV

Golden Flare: 1,450 LP
Enix: 1,300 LP

"...The mission didn't turn out well." Enix finished.

Golden was surprised at this admission...and how long that tale was. But one thing didn't add up, "That still doesn't explain how you got that Number."

"I got that Number from facing 'The Phantom Swordsman'."

"Wait, the guy on the news?"

"I saw him attack Rainbow Dash and that guitarist, and challenged him to a Duel. He wiped out all my monsters, and he gave the last turn to pull a miracle, I stared at my cards and said, 'I cannot die, I must pursue him'. That was when my deck started to glow, and I performed a 'Miracle Draw', and you saw what's on the field now. Since he gave me the last turn, I'll give YOU the last turn, see if you can perform a Miracle Draw like I did. I end my turn."

Turn 10: Golden Flare - Hand: 1

Golden reached for his deck and prepared to draw, "Here goes nothing...DRAW!" he looked at the card he drew, "Perfect! I activate 'NumberMan's effect! I get 'Battle Chip - WideSwrd'!"

Battle Chip - WideSwrd
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Increase the equipped monster's ATK by 500. The equipped monster can attack thrice on the same battle phase.

"Then I summon out 'IceMan.EXE'!" the snow-suited little warrior appeared on Golden's field (1300/1100), "Before I do anything else, I activate IceMan's ability! Once per turn, I can negate a monster's effects until the End Phase, and I choose Number 12!" the dark armored swordsman suddenly hunched over a blizzard hit him and weakening him, "Now, with his effects out of the way, I'll do a little Overlay action myself!" NumberMan and IceMan turned into a red light and a blue light respectively and flew into the air as the Equip Spells destroyed themselves, "Merging the NetNavis of calculation and frozen water, I give rise to one of the Deadly Sins! I Xyz Summon, 'Number 22: Embodiment of Vanity'!" the quadruple ugly face painting (2400/2000) made a return, saying in a distorted voice, "I'LL PAINT ALL OVER YOU!!!"

Hmm...so this is what Shinkokuna reported... Enix thought, then used his Duel Gazer to scan for another Action Card, and found one while remaining on Odd-Eyes' back to reach it, "You summoned a weaker Number to fight mine?"

"I equip Embodiment of Vanity with the Black Pendant Equip Spell!"

Black Pendant
Equip Spell Card
Effect: The equipped monster gains 500 ATK. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent.

"I added a few regular cards in case I couldn't use my '.EXE' monsters, now attack Eiji!" the paintings charged forward (ATK: 2400 + 500 = 2900), ready to chomp into the swordsman.

"Reveal Trap card! Draining Shield!" Enix called, making Eiji raise his sword to block and draining its Attack Points for Enix's Life Points (Enix: 1,300 + 2,900 = 4,200 LP), "A little lesson for ya that I learned from chess: 'Always stay three steps ahead of your opponent'!"

Golden just growled at the comeback, "...I'll end my turn."

Turn 11: Enix - Hand: 1

"I draw!" Enix looked at his hand and made his move, "And don't forget, the effect of your Field Spell! Now we BOTH take damage since you lost your only FIRE monster!" Golden and Enix both felt the burning effects of LavaStge (Golden Flare: 1,450 - 100 = 1,350 LP) (Enix: 4,200 - 200 = 4,000 LP), "Then I return 'Kuro-Obi Karate Spirit' to set the Pendulum Scale!" the Pendulum monster came back and reset the scales (Pendulum Scale: 1-9), "I Pendulum Summon 'Elemental HERO Neos'!" a new monster appeared, but looked like a white humanoid alien.

Elemental HERO Neos
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 7
Type: Warrior/Normal
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Description: A new Elemental HERO has arrived from Neo-Space! When he initiates a Contact Fusion with a Neo-Spacian his unknown powers are unleashed.

"And again, my Karate Spirit return to my hand, so for now, I'll end my turn."

Turn 12: Golden Flare - Hand: 1

"Then I draw!" Golden looked at his newly drawn card just before LavaStge's effect took hold again (Golden Flare: 1,350 - 100 = 1,250 LP) (Enix: 4,000 - 300 = 3,700 LP).

"You're gonna run out of Life Points eventually." Enix remarked.

But Golden ignored him and continued, "I summon 'NormalNavi.EXE' in Defense Mode!" a small looking green robot warrior appeared next to the paintings.

NormalNavi.EXE
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 2
Type: Warrior/Normal
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1000
Description: A completely normal NetNavi, commonly made within the Cyberworld. These kinds of NetNavis are usually weaker than custom-made NetNavis.

"I'll Set my last card, and attack Eiji with Vanity!" the paintings charged forward once again, this time intending to finish off its target.

"I activate Number 12's ability! By removing one Overlay Unit, a monster attacking Eiji is destroyed!" a swirling light flew into Eiji's sword (OLU 2 - 1 =1), and Vanity shattered into particles of light.

"I...end my turn." Golden relented.

//Intrusion Penalty: 2,000 Life Points.// the computerized voice spoke, accompanied by the sound of crackling electricity and Life Point counter dropping (???: 4,000 - 2,000 = 2,000 LP).

"What the?!"

Turn 13: ??? - Hand: 5

"I draw!" a distorted deep voice spoke out of nowhere, "I summon 'Destiny HERO - Drilldark' in Attack Mode!" a humanoid monster appeared with multiple drills on its body.

Destiny HERO - Drilldark
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1200
Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Destiny HERO" monster from your hand with ATK less than or equal to this card's ATK on the field. You can only use this effect of "Destiny HERO - Drilldark" once per turn. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.

"I activate his special ability! If Drilldark was Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one other 'Destiny HERO' from my hand with ATK less than or equal to Drilldark's! Come forth, 'Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude'!" another monster appeared, but this one was covered in diamond spikes instead of drills.

Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1600
Effect: Once per turn: You can excavate the top card of your Deck, and if it is a Normal Spell, send it to the GY, otherwise place it on the bottom of your Deck. During the Main Phase of your next turn, you can activate the effect of that Spell in your GY (even if you no longer control this face-up card).

"Drilldark! Attack 'NormalNavi.EXE'!" the monster lunged at the robot and destroyed it with its drills, the force knocking Golden on his back thanks to the Solid Reality tech (Golden Flare: 1,250 - 600 = 650 LP), "And now to claim your dueling spirit! Diamond Dude! Direct attack!" the diamond monster charged and finished Golden off as he yelled in pain (Golden Flare: 650 - 1400 = 0 LP).

The pain became too much for him and Golden blacked out...

A Few Seconds Later
Canterlot High School - Rooftop
Enix POV

I watched Golden fall sprawling on his ass and passing out as I looked at our new arrival, who typed something on their Duel Disk.

//Double Surrender. The Duel has been tied. Defeat: Golden Flare.// the computer voice echoed as our Duel Disks shut down. Guess my Duel Disk was hacked.

I smirked, "...Excellent show, 'Phantom Swordsman'."

The "Phantom Swordsman" removed the goggles and face mask to reveal, not surprisingly, Shinkokuna, my employer and come-to-terms friend, "When I said, 'go easy', this is NOT what I had in mind."

"At least we got the Number from him...oh, that's right!" I walked up to Golden and picked up the Barian Number card he conveniently dropped, I read it, and had to double-take, "The Barian Number Golden had was one of the Seven Deadly Sins?" I then smirked deviously, "Well, what do you know?"

"Here." Shinkokuna toss me something, "Give these to him. I already wrote the letter to him."

"Alright."

"Also, I looked up into that favor we talked about."

"And...?"

"There's no one by the name of 'Jisatsu Benedict' in our database."

"What?"

"I asked my co-workers to look this person up, but nothing. It's as if this person came out of nowhere. Whoever set up that mission wanted you dead."

I put a hand to my chin, "Whoever this Jistasu is...I WILL tell you this: things are about to get interesting. C'mon, let's go, Golden should be coming to soon."

We left before Golden could wake up, leaving him with a few presents...

The Next Morning
Canterlot High School - Cafeteria
3rd Person POV

"So did anyone find out who the Phantom Swordsman is?" Sunset asked the group.

The girls, Minus Rainbow Dash, uttered their responses, all meaning "no".

"Golden? What about you?"

Golden himself was thinking as he was nursing a few bruises from last night's Duel, until Pinkie noticed them, "Hey, Goldie, what's with the bruises? You didn't have them yesterday, did ya?"

He shook his head, "No. I got these last night, from a Solid Reality Duel."

The girls gasped in surprise, then Golden began to explain his tale about what happened.

"...And that's how it went down. Not only that, but they left me some things." Golden pulled out a few cards and a couple letters.

The first letter read:

Golden Flare,
I want to thank you for last night, you ignited a fire in me that I thought was extinguished long ago. Someday, maybe in three days time, I hope we can get along as good friends. Also, Pinkie Pie, that was her name, right? I'd like to pass you both a little message: teen love, they say it never lasts, but nothing distracts teenagers more than hormones, and I want you two to stay together for the next three days. What I swore to my life, the day I lost everyone that mattered to me.
Sincerely,
Enix
P.S. Thanks for the Number.

Then the second read:

Watch your back. Because your friends are not what they seem.

"Yeah, I lost my Number, but someone gave me a new one, along with a couple other cards." Golden said as he showed them the cards.

Number 64: Bass.EXE
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 8
Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
Effect: 2 Level 8 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a ".EXE" Xyz monster you control as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) If this card was summoned with an Xyz Monster as an Xyz Material, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: This card can attack thrice per Battle Phase. If this card battles an opponent's Defense Position monster: Inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.

GutsMan.EXE
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 7
Pendulum Scale: 1
Type: Warrior/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2000
Pendulum Effect: If there is a ".EXE" card in the other Pendulum Zone: Add 1 "Battle Chip" Spell from your Deck to your hand. When your opponent activates a Spell: Negate the activation, and if you do; destroy it.
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn, during the Battle Phase: This card can attack twice this turn.

JunkMan.EXE
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 5
Pendulum Scale: 8
Type: Machine/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 2500
Pendulum Effect: If there is a ".EXE" card in the other Pendulum Zone: Add 1 "Battle Chip" Trap from your Deck to your hand. When your opponent activates a Trap: Negate the activation, and if you do; destroy it.
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 "Battle Chip" Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. During the End Phase: This card is switched to Defense Position.

"Ah only got one question," Applejack began, "Why give ya a letter that says he lost everythang?"

Golden put a hand to his chin, "Whatever happened to Enix must be pretty bad for him to tell me like this. On the plus side, I heard Rainbow's getting released today."

Then they all began to plan for Rainbow's return from the hospital, unaware that someone was watching them from the windows with a small smile before walking away. The figure put his hands in his pockets until he felt something in one of them, he pulled it out to see a blue stone.

"What the...?" It was then he realized...

"I'm all ears at this point. Let's hear it."

P began to reach for his rapier...but also secretly slipped a sphere-like stone into G's pocket, "3...2...1..." he swiftly drew his blade and rapidly thrust it towards the enemies, who barely had time to react as P shouted, "RUUUUUUUNNN!!!"

The figure huffed out a chuckle, "Heh, Purple, you sneaky, ditzy bastard...you just gave me a second chance, and I'm NOT gonna blow it!"

Present Time
Canterlot Castle Dungeon - Alternative Dimension
3rd Person POV

"You guys clearly ARE the perfect team for the job!" an unknown figure gloated as he gazed upon the espionage team all chained up in chairs, "I actually believed you, of all places to arrive in Canterlot, you just showed up where I leaked the team was gonna be to show up and steal the Reflector Device, when it was GONE this whole time! Oh, man! I was laughing hysterically!" he chuckled a bit more, then took on a disappointed tone, "But then you just had to go and...ruin the ride. I mean, using a divine object to carve a path through my guards? 'Enhance Armament!'" he mocked, "Lame, lame, lame, lame, LAME! Alright, where did he go?!"

"W-Where? What are you talking about?" B asked, confused.

The figure scowled and snapped his fingers. Pony Applejack with a dazed look in her eyes appeared and proceeded to break B's arm, making him scream.

"I'm referring to four days ago at 0430 hours, military time, of course, while you guys were snooping around and fighting off my troops, your leader was the only one who escaped into another dimension."

"We didn't know...he went to another dimension..." R answered.

The figure snapped his fingers again and Pony Rainbow Dash, who also had a dazed look in her eyes, began pummeling R relentlessly, until she finally stopped.

"And now, we can't find one of the stones for the Device because it MYSTERIOUSLY went missing! Where did he go?!"

"We didn't find any stone!" L denied.

The figure groaned and snapped his fingers once again, "Ugh, play the transmission."

//Just...go easy on her.//

//Dash, your soul will be sweet.//

D gasped, "Bro!"

"Oh, so you do know where he is? Well, I'll send him a little greeting." the figure turned to Applejack, "Applejack SUI-871. I'm giving you this card. A token for your hard work. I hope you'll use it to put on a good show."

"Applejack SUI-871" looked at the card with a malicious sneer as one of her eyes changed from emerald green to dark blue.

Number C77: Typhon, The Witch of Pride
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 9
Type: Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 4500
DEF: 1000
Effect: 3 Level 9 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a "Rank-Up-Magic - The Witches of Sin" Spell. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) If this card was summoned with an Xyz Monster as an Xyz Material: This card can attack thrice per Battle Phase. Once per turn: detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, or take 3000 damage.

A portal had opened next to Applejack SUI-871 and she went through it, intent to complete her mission.

"You won't get away with this!" D said.

"I didn't. Who do you think led this mission?" the figure replied.

"Who are you?" P asked.

"Seeing as you guys are gonna die, I'll show you who I REALLY am." the figure stepped out of the shadow and revealed himself as Jisatsu, but then dark blue flames burned away his disguise to reveal a person with ink black skin, blood red eyes, and dark purple wind-blown hair.

"Shadow Blaze?!" the team shouted.

"Not just that." Shadow took off his goggles and revealed dark blue flames in his eyes.

"Wait..." L uttered, and exclaimed, "Brother?!"

"Hello, Lloyd."

"Golden Flare?!"

"...And goodbye."

Shadow conjured a ball of dark blue flames and blasted Lloyd into oblivion as the others watched helplessly.

"Like the new powers? I call it, my 'Despair Flame'." Shadow then proceeded to blast the others with his Despair Flame, making them scream as they passed out from the pain.

"PP SUI-871 and RD SUI-871, take them to the portal. Leave a little...gift for our escapee."

They nod and took them to the Crystal Mirror, shoving them through.

Shadow Blaze, formerly known as Pony Golden Flare, laughed maniacally as everything was falling perfectly into place.

Chapter 3: Dragon of the Stars (By AstralFlare42)

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After everything that has happened thus far, things started to return to normal somewhat; Rainbow Dash was released from the hospital with a clean bill of health, not only that, but Scootaloo and the other teammates who were caught up in the attack were released as well, with Scootaloo being worried about Rainbow this entire time. Once she returned to CHS, Rainbow was filled in on everything that happened after she was taken to the hospital, and needless to say, she was as surprised as the other girls when Golden told them his tale. Now, a week had passed after Golden's Duel with Enix and the unknown stranger who appeared seemingly out of nowhere, and the days went by without much incident, even though Enix's letter said they needed to be busy for three days.

The reason that there was without "much incident" is because not long after the week went by did tryouts begin for the upcoming Friendship Games...

Canterlot High School
3rd Person POV

It was a typical day at school when Golden found out about the Friendship Games tryouts, and apparently, Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna had given him a free pass into the Games due to his skill and knowledge of Duel Monsters...under the condition that he doesn't use the rumored "Barian Numbers" as an unfair advantage unless it's absolutely necessary. Regardless, that didn't stop everyone else from trying to get in as well, and during the tryouts, Golden was testing out the new cards that he received from Enix and the unknown stranger, mainly the Pendulum Monsters, but doing it where he and the girls weren't disrupting the tryouts.

"...Now, using these cards: Scale 1 'GutsMan.EXE' and Scale 8 'JunkMan.EXE', I set the Pendulum Scale!" Golden slid the two aforementioned cards in the far left and far right Spell/Trap Zones, creating an ethereal PENDULUM to shine across the Monster Zones of his Duel Pad as two pillars of light revealed the Pendulum Monsters within them (Pendulum Scale 1-8), "I'm allow to summon monsters from Level 2 through 7 all at the same time!" a holographic pendulum swung around, opening a portal, "I Pendulum Summon, 'NumberMan.EXE', 'AquaMan.EXE', and 'MegaMan.EXE'!" the three aforementioned warriors made a brand new reappearance, Pendulum Style (900/900) (1200/1600) (1900/1500).

A small applause from the Rainbooms drew Golden away from his powerful maneuver, "Not bad at all, dude," Rainbow complimented, "you're getting better, and not just with Duel Monsters."

"Really?" Golden asked as he deactivated his Duel Pad, confused, "What do you mean?"

"Well, darling," Rarity took over, "you seem to hold yourself in a higher regard nowadays..."

"Oh, and don't forget not stammering your words anymore!" Pinkie added, cheerfully.

"You seem a bit more confident about yourself..." Fluttershy uttered.

"I am?" Golden asked, "I...never noticed."

Rainbow threw her arm around his neck and pulled him close, "Ah, don't worry about it! I'm liking the new you! And I'm sure everybody else does too!"

The girls all voiced their agreements as Golden smiled a bit, "If you say so..."

Just as this was going on, a car pulled up in front of the school, letting someone off as it came to a stop; the person was male, he appeared to be athletic underneath his scrawny build, had red hair with orange highlights, green skin, and light blue eyes with three yellow lines going over the left one, wearing a white sleeveless kimono shirt with a grey vest, cargo pants, combat boots, and a mockingjay pendant on a chain around his neck. It seemed CHS has gotten another new student, all with a serious, no nonsense look on his face.

"Astral Flare?"

The now named Astral turned to see his sister and Dean of Crystal Prep Academy, Cadence looking at him in concern as she spoke.

"I know things haven't been great for you at CPA, but this is supposed to be a better new start for you. After all, I know the Principals who work here, they highly recommended this school for its friendliness, so please stay out of trouble and try to make some friends, okay?"

Astral, his serious demeanor never wavering, responded with a nod, "I'll try."

Cadence tried, and failed, to not looked worried for him as she wished him well, "Well...okay. I'll see you at home. Love you." knowing he wouldn't say "love you" back unless they were at home, she rolled up her driver-side window and drove back to Crystal Prep, leaving Astral to his devices.

Taking a deep breath, Astral walked towards the school building as everyone else was pouring in, and upon reaching the double doors, he grasped one of the handles and thought, Well...here goes something. He opened the door and waltzed through the halls to the Principal's Office, remembering the mental map he made for himself when Cadence showed him the layout. On his way there, he could barely make out the other students hushed whispers:

"Hey, who's that?"

"That's the new transfer student, remember?"

"The one from Crystal Prep?"

"Why would one of them come to this school, of all places?"

"Heck if I know."

Astral promptly ignored anything else the student body might've said, he figured his status of being a former student at that wretched academy wouldn't earn him any brownie points from the others, but Cadence insisted that he come here, hoping that things would get better for him. For him, she had her heart in the right place, but he wished she'd let him handle things by himself, by his own rules. Soon, he found the Principal's Office with a desk nearby and a woman behind it, he walked up to the desk as the woman noticed him.

"May I help you?" she asked.

"I'm here to see Principal Celestia. I'm the new transfer student." Astral answered.

She nods and presses a button on her intercom, "Principal Celestia, the transfer student is here to see you."

//Send him in, please, Miss Raven.// Celestia spoke through the machine.

Raven released the button and turned to Astral, "The Principal will see you now."

"Thank you." he said before heading towards the main office door, and being polite, he knocked a few times.

"Enter." Celestia said.

Astral did so and took a seat in front of Principal Celestia's desk, "Good morning, Principal Celestia."

"Astral Flare," she opened a file on her desk, "I must say, I am impressed with your student file; high academics, athletics, and good with people. But...you been sent to detention quite a few times, on multiple counts of assault and belittling other students, why is that?"

"First of all, thank you for your praise about my character as a student. Secondly, the assault charge was because I was defending other students from being bullied through physical means. And thirdly, I didn't 'belittle other students', I was simply chastising them for their conduct as people."

"By insulting them? Some of them even threatened to sue you."

"They couldn't. Cinch wouldn't allow such a mark on her reputation. So she just got rid of me instead."

Celestia could only sigh at his admission, she knew all too well that such an atmosphere at Crystal Prep could and would breed impudent students who abuse their status with their rich families, all to stand at the top and call themselves giants. To think a good person like Astral was within an oppressive environment like that...

"Yes, well..." Celestia tried to reply, "I'm sure Canterlot High will give you a fresh new start."

"...I hope so." Astral mumbled.

"Regardless," Celestia handed him a sheet of paper, "I've received your usual schedule from Dean Cadence, and I'm sure you're familiar with these subjects."

Astral looked at his new schedule, then back to Celestia, "Thank you, at least I have some familiar territory around here."

Celestia smiled, "We may not be as advanced as CPA, but we certainly have enough knowledge to teach our students what they need to know."

"That's good."

She waved him off, "Now run along, classes will start in fifteen minutes, and the Friendship Games tryouts for today will be over soon, so register while still can if you'd like to take part."

"Okay, and thank you again."

Astral took his leave from her office and proceeded to the Friendship Games sign-up sheet in the main hallway where he signed his name, then made his way to the Duel Fields outside.

"I wonder who's all going to be participating..."

As Golden and the girls watched the tryout duels take place, which was quite a spectacle to behold, a student who they haven't seen before walked up to Vice Principal Luna and whispered into her ear as she nodded in response while the current Duel between Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon finished in a draw.

"Who's the new guy?" Rainbow asked.

"I don't know, it hasn't been that long since we got a new student, and that was our friend Golden." Sunset answered.

"Yeah...weird." Golden uttered.

Vice Principal Luna chose this moment to pick up a nearby megaphone and speak into it, //Attention students. There will be one more Duel before we close up shop for tryouts today, and it will be against one of our twelve best students and our newest addition: Astral Flare!//

Golden and the girls jumped when they heard Pinkie's loud gasp at the mention of a new student, "A NEW STUDENT?!? I can't believe I didn't hear about this until now!! I need to plan a party, cake, decorations, soda, and snacks -- STAT!"

Golden grabbed Pinkie by her shoulders, "Calm down, Pinkie. We all didn't know either, but running yourself ragged right off the bat is NOT going to help."

Pinkie then looked sheepish, "Eh-heh-heh, right..."

"Don't worry, we'll help you plan the party...AFTER this Astral Flare guy settles in."

"That begs the question," Sunset interjected, "Both of your last names are 'Flare', is he a brother, or even a cousin?"

"No, Sunset." Golden lightly shook his head, "I've never met the guy."

"I'll be the one to Duel him!" Rainbow declared with a mighty pose.

"Umm...Rainbow? You sure?"

"Absolutely! I love new challenges!"

Golden sighed, "Fine then." he then called over to Luna, "Hey, Vice Principal Luna! Got a challenger for you!"

Rainbow took this opportunity to run over to the Duel Fields as Astral made his way there more calmly.

"Yo, rookie! The name's Rainbow Dash! You want a challenge? You got one!" she called out.

"Very well." Astral simply answered.

//Duelists ready?// Luna called on the megaphone.

Rainbow held out her hand, "May the best Duelist win."

Astral looked at her hand and shook it, "Likewise."

They separated and walked to the ends of the Duel Field, with Rainbow activating her Duel Pad and Duel Gazer, and Astral activating a Solid Light Duel Disk he kept from his time at CPA with a Duel Gazer of his own.

Rainbow stared at it for a moment, "Huh. Fancy."

//Augmented Reality Vision Link established.// the usual computerized voice spoke.

"Let's Duel!" they both called out.

Rainbow Dash: 8,000 LP
Astral Flare: 8,000 LP

"I'll let you have the first turn, newbie." Rainbow offered.

Turn 1: Astral Flare - Hand: 5

"How kind of you." Astral said before he drew, "First off, I'll summon out Gold Gadget in Attack Mode!" a little gold robot came out onto the field (1700/800), "When this little guy is Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon another Level 4 Machine-type monster to my field from my hand! And the monster I summon out is Silver Gadget in Attack Mode!" another little robot appeared next to the gold one, only this one is silver (1500/1000), "And just like Gold Gadget, when he's Normal or Special Summoned, I can Special Summon another Level 4 Machine-type monster from my hand! Now, I summon out, Machina Gearframe in Attack Mode!" another robot appeared, but this one seemed bigger and looked more like an orange jet (1800/0).

"No way! He brought out three monsters on his first turn?!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"He must've had quite a starting hand..." Golden said.

"And now, I Overlay my Level 4 Gold Gadget and Silver Gadget!" the two little robots turned into yellow light and swirled into a red portal, "Nifty gadget of gold and nifty gadget of silver, merge together to create a warrior of white jewels! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Gem-Knight Pearl!" from the portal, a warrior armored with shining white plates lined with pearls appeared.

Gem-Knight Pearl
Attribute: EARTH
Rank: 4
Type: Rock/Xyz
ATK: 2600
DEF: 1900
Effect: 2 Level 4 monsters

"Whoa...wait." Rainbow checked her Duel Pad, "It's an Xyz Monster, but it doesn't have an effect! What's with that?"

"Got me." Astral before placing two facedown cards, "Your go."

Turn 2: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 5

"Okay, I draw!" Rainbow drew and surveyed her hand, "First, I Normal Summon Raidraptor - Mimicry Lanius!" the monster that came out was a unique-looking mechanical avian (1100/1900), "Then I activate the Spell card, Raidraptor - Call! This allows me to target a 'Raidraptor' monster I control and Special Summon, from my hand or Deck, a monster of the same name in Defense Mode! So I Special Summon another Raidraptor - Mimicry Lanius from my Deck!" another copy of the robotic bird appeared next to its comrade (1100/1900), "Then I activate Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius's effect from my hand! If I control a 'Raidraptor' monster other than itself, I can Special Summon it from my hand, so joining the battle is Raidraptor - Fuzzy Lanius!" a smaller mechanical bird appeared alongside the others (500/1500), "But they won't around for long, 'cause I'm gonna Overlay all three of them with the combined Level of 4 to build the Overlay Network!" the three machines turned into purple lights and swirled into another red portal on Rainbow's side this time, "With the two winged arsenals and the fuzziest of mechs, I call upon the rise of the greatest of mechanized avians! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon!" out of the portal came a much larger robotic bird, mightier than the last three.

Raidraptor - Rise Falcon
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 4
Type: Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 2000
Effect: 3 Level 4 Winged Beast-Type monsters
This card can attack all Special Summoned monsters your opponent controls, once each. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 face-up Special Summoned monster your opponent controls; this card gains ATK equal to that monster's current ATK.

"Huh. Impressive." Astral gazed at Rise Falcon's stats and effect, and decides to bait her, "But wait, your monster doesn't have enough Attack Points to destroy even my Machina Gearframe, so what is the point of summoning it beyond grandstanding?"

"Heh, maybe it doesn't make sense for you, since you got an Xyz Monster that doesn't even have an effect, but mine certainly does! By using one Overlay Unit, I target one of your Special Summoned monsters and Rise Falcon gain those exact Attack Points in addition to its own! And I choose Gem-Knight Pearl!" one of the machine's swirling lights flew into it (OLU: 3 - 1 = 2) and Gem-Knight Pearl began to shimmer brightly, but that shimmer flew into the mech and increased its strength (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon - ATK: 100 + 2600 = 2700), "Not only that, but thanks to Rise Falcon's other effect, he can attack each of your Special Summon monsters at least once! Go, Rise Falcon! Brave Claw Revolution!" the mech began to fly up and divebomb towards Gem-Knight Pearl first.

Golden sighed, "Rainbow, you idiot..."

Astral rubbed his forehead at the rookie move and reached for a button on his Duel Disk, "Trap card activate: Draining Shield." he said, nonchalantly, like he was expecting this as Rise Falcon bounced harmlessly off an invisible barrier, "This Trap negates your attack and increases my Life Points by your monster's current Attack Points." Astral began to glow as his Life Points grew (Astral Flare: 8,000 + 2,700 = 10,700 LP).

"Whatever!" Rainbow still looked cocky, "I still got one more attack! Go, attack Machina Gearframe!" Rise Falcon rose up and dived at Astral's own jet-like robot this time.

Astral then groaned at his opponent as he reached for another button, surely all the Duelists here can't be this headstrong? "Trap card activate: Threatening Roar." Astral's monsters then roared threateningly, making Rise Falcon back off, "As of now, you can't declare an attack this turn."

Rainbow was slack-jawed, the new guy just completely stopped her full frontal assault as well as replenish his own Life Points. She plucks a card out of her hand and places it facedown, "Shows what I know...I play a facedown and pass it to you."

Turn 3: Astral Flare - Hand: 1

"Alright, draw!" Astral looked at his cards, formulating a plan, I don't know what she's playing at, but it won't fool me. "I Tribute Machina Gearframe to summon out Performapal Partnaga in Defense Mode!" a red and yellow striped snake wearing a top hat and a white glove on the end of its tail appeared, waving at the audience (500/2100), "I activate Partnaga's effect! When it's Normal or Special Summoned, I target one monster I control and increase its Attack Points by 300 for every 'Performapal' I currently control! I target Gem-Knight Pearl, and since Partnaga is my only 'Performapal' monster, Pearl gains 300 Attack Points!" Gem-Knight Pearl began to glow with new power (Gem-Knight Pearl - ATK: 2600 + 300 = 2900), "But before I attack, I play the last card in my hand: Mystical Space Typhoon! I destroy your only facedown card!" a wind storm surrounded Rainbow's facedown and flew it upwards, revealing it to be the 'Raidraptor - Readiness' Trap card before it shattered.

"Shoot!" Rainbow shouted.

"If you insist." Astral cleverly said, "Gem-Knight Pearl! Attack Raidraptor - Rise Falcon!" the gem warrior charged forward and raised its fist to smash the machine-like bird, with Rise Falcon crying out in pain as it exploded.

Rainbow held strong against the feedback system of the Duel Pads and Duel Disks, but her Life Points weren't so lucky (Rainbow Dash: 8,000 - 200 = 7,800 LP).

"I'll end for now."

Turn 4: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 2

"I draw! And thanks to Fuzzy Lanius's effect, when its sent to the Graveyard, I get a new Fuzzy Lanius from my Deck!" Rainbow looked at the remaining four cards in her hand, I gotta think of something fast, or this newbie will make short work of me! "Since I took damage, I Special Summon Raidraptor - Avenge Vulture in Defense Mode!" a vulture-shaped robotic bird appeared on Rainbow's field (1700/100), "Then I activate Raidraptor - Pain Lanius's effect from my hand! I target a 'Raidraptor' monster I control and take damage equal to its lowest stat to Special Summon this card! And since Avenge Vulture is my only 'Raidraptor' monster, I choose him AND his low Defense Points!" the vulture monster sparked with electric and jolted Rainbow (Rainbow Dash: 7,800 - 100 = 7,700 LP), "A small price to pay to Special Summon Raidraptor - Pain Lanius!" another robotic bird appeared, this time in the shape of a pigeon with bat-like wings (100/100), "Once he's Special Summoned that way, his Level increases to that of the selected monster's!" the pigeon robot felt itself grow slightly (Level 1 + 3 = 4), "Then I play the Continuous Spell Card, Raidraptor - Nest!" a massive nest covered in straw and machine parts with an egg in its center appeared, "I activate its effect! If I control two or more 'Raidraptor' monsters, I can add a 'Raidraptor' monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand!" Rainbow's Graveyard ejected a card, "And I select Raidraptor - Mimicry Lanius!"

"I wonder what she's up to?" Sunset asked.

"I got no idea wut's goin' on in that head o' her's…" Applejack uttered, shaking her head at Rainbow's lousy move last turn.

"Now I Normal Summon Mimicry Lanius!" as Rainbow declared, her once-destroyed monster made a return (1100/1900), "I activate Mimicry's effect! When it's Normal or Special Summoned, I'm allowed to increase the Level all the 'Raidraptor' monster I currently control by 1!" all three of Rainbow's monster slightly grew at this effect (Raidraptor Monsters: Level: 4 + 1 = 5), "Now I Overlay my three Level 5 monsters to once again build the Overlay Network!" the machine bird turned into swirling purple light and flew into another red portal, "With the vulture mech, avian of pain, and the winged arsenal, I call forth the avian of blazing glory! I Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon!" another robotic falcon like Rise Falcon appeared, only this one was bigger, red colored, and blazing with powerful flames.

Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 5
Type: Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 2000
Effect: 3 Level 5 Winged Beast-Type monsters
This card can attack directly while it has Xyz Material. When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; destroy it. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; destroy as many Special Summoned monsters your opponent controls as possible, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to your opponent for each monster destroyed.

Astral looked at the monster's stats and effect, and all he could say was, "Ah, crap."

"I now activate Blaze Falcon's effect! By using one of his Overlay Units, I can destroy as many Special Summoned monsters you control as possible, and deal you 500 points of damage for each card destroyed! But since Gem-Knight Pearl is your only Special Summoned monster, I'll only destroy him!" one of Blaze Falcon's swirling light flew into him as he let loose a stream of flame at Gem-Knight Pearl, destroying him (OLU: 3 - 1 = 2) and lowering Astral's Life Points (Astral Flare: 10,700 - 500 = 10,200 LP), "Now I can attack you directly! As long as Blaze Falcon has an Overlay Unit, he can attack directly! Go, Blazing Revolution!" Blaze Falcon flew up as flames surrounded him and dived towards Astral, exploding the ground beneath him and forcing him to brace himself (Astral Flare: 10,200 - 1,000 = 9,200 LP), "And since I dealt you damage, your Partnaga is now destroyed!" the happy colorful snake was caught up in the flames and exploded, "I'll stop it there for now, your turn."

Turn 5: Astral Flare - Hand: 0

"Here we go..." Astral put his hand to his Deck, "Draw!" he looked at his drawn card and smiled, "Since you control a monster and I don't, I Special Summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode!" a mechanical snake-like dragon appeared with a computerized roar (2100/1600), "I use Cyber Dragon to attack Blaze Falcon!" the limbless dragon charged a laser in its mouth and blasted Blaze Falcon, effectively destroying and decimating Rainbow's Life Points as she was pushed to the ground by the force of the attack (Rainbow Dash: 7,700 - 1,100 = 6,600 LP), "That's all I can do for now."

Turn 6: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 1

"Draw!" Rainbow looked at her only two cards, Man, this guy really knows his stuff! He's good...but I'm better. "I Normal Summon Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius in Attack Mode!" a reddish avian appeared with razor sharp blades attached to it (1700/1000), "I activate its effect! When Sharp Lanius is Normal or Special Summoned, one of your face-up monsters goes from Attack to Defense!" Cyber Dragon suddenly coiled around itself in a defensive manner, "Then I'll have Sharp Lanius attack your Cyber Dragon!" with a shriek of defiance, the avian machine flew at Cyber Dragon and destroyed it, "Now, I'll activate another copy of Raidraptor - Call! And with it, I Special Summon another Sharp Lanius from my Deck in Defense Mode!" a copy of the reddish machine avian appeared, but in a defensive maneuver (1700/1000), "But before I do anything else, I activate Raidraptor - Nest that's still on my field! With it, I add a 'Raidraptor' monster from my Deck to my hand..." the auto-shuffle kicked in and Rainbow drew, "...And the card I add is Raidraptor - Napalm Dragonius! And now, I'll Overlay my two Level 4 monsters to build the Overlay Network!" the two avian machines turned into purple lights and swirled into a red portal, "With the two avians of blades, I call upon the most forceful of mechanized birds! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Force Strix!" as the portal exploded, an blue and brown owl-like machine appeared and dropped into a defensive stance.

Raidraptor - Force Strix
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 4
Type: Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 2000
Effect: 2 Level 4 monsters
Gains 500 ATK/DEF for each Winged Beast monster you control, except this card. Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card; add 1 Level 4 DARK Winged Beast monster from your Deck to your hand.

"Then I'll activate its effect! Using one Overlay Unit, I can add a Level 4 DARK-Attributed Winged Beast-Type monster from my Deck to my hand!" one of the owl's swirling light flew into itself (OLU: 2 - 1 = 1) as Rainbow's Duel Pad initiated its auto-shuffle feature and shuffled out a card from her Deck, "And the monster I choose is Raidraptor - Booster Strix! I'll end my turn there."

Turn 7: Astral Flare - Hand: 0

Nothing in my hand, nothing on my field...I've got one draw, and one draw is all it takes. "Okay, then I draw!" Astral looked at the card and smiled, "This should keep me in the game for a while. I play the Quick-Play Spell Super Hippo Carnival!" a gaggle of dancing hippos of multiple colors and funny outfits came to the field.

Super Hippo Carnival
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Special Summon 1 "Performapal Hip Hippo" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard, then you can Special Summon as many "Hippo Tokens" (Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) as possible, but they cannot be Tributed, and monsters your opponent controls cannot target monsters for attacks for the rest of this turn, except "Hippo Tokens". You cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck while a "Hippo Token" is in a Monster Zone.

"With this card, I'm allowed to Special Summon my Performapal Hip Hippo from either my hand, Deck, or Graveyard, and once I do, I can Special Summon as many Hippo Tokens as I can and my monsters can't be destroyed except the Tokens, but the downside is they can't be Tributed and I can't Special Summon monsters from my Extra Deck as long as one of those Tokens are on my field. So now, from my Deck, I Special Summon Performapal Hip Hippo in Defense Mode!" a pink hippo with a heart at the end of its tail, wearing a top hat with a bow, and a performer's vest made its appearance on the field (800/800), "And with that done, I Special Summon FOUR Hippo Tokens in Defense as well!" four smaller hippos then appeared as blue, green, yellow, and orange, wearing Mardi Gras performer outfits (0/0) (0/0) (0/0) (0/0), "That's it for me. Your go."

Turn 8: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 0

"Then I draw!"

BRRRRRRING!

The school bell ringing made everyone pause for a moment.

//Attention students,// Vice Principal Luna began, //that was the first bell, tryouts are now over, head on to class and we'll tally the scores, then post who made the team! Also, based on the Life Point total, Astral Flare wins this Duel!//

A chorus of disappointed "Aww's" rung out among the students as they all vacated the area in order to make it to class on time. Rainbow and Astral gathered their cards and placed them back in their respective decks as the Auto-Shuffle kicked in, the former walked over and held out her hand.

"Good game, newbie." Rainbow said with a smile, "Not many people can keep up with me in a Duel or even sports. I underestimated you."

Astral looked at her outstretched hand and proceeded to shake it, "Good game, Rainbow Dash. But next time, try not to be so reckless with your plays."

Rainbow had the decency to look sheepish at that, "Heh, yeah, sorry. Got a little ahead of myself there."

"I could tell." Astral checked his watch, "We'd better get to class before the late bell rings."

"Oh, shoot, you're right! Ms. Harshwhinny will kill me if I'm late again! See ya, newbie!"

Rainbow ran off into the school while Astral hurried in his own way by race walking to his first class before the second bell, ready to begin his new school life in Canterlot High...and far away from Crystal Prep.

Astral had already been through three classes and already things are looking up; the teachers were nice, the students were helpful, and the subjects were easy for him to understand, the only downside is that some other students were suspicious of him, giving him scowls and such, and with good reason.

Me being from Crystal Prep doesn't really give me any brownie points with these guys. I know the people back at that school were and still are jerks, but what can I do? Simple, just be me.

His train of thought was derailed when he heard mocking laughter from around the corner to the next hallway, he looked over and saw three punk-like boys surrounding and bullying an brown skinned underclassman wearing a propeller cap.

"Leave me alone, Garble!" the underclassman spoke in a nasally voice.

"Aw, what's the matter, Button Mash?" Garble teasingly asked, "Too chicken to talk with the big boys?"

"Yeah!" the guy with his bangs over his eyes agreed, "Betcha he only talks with those girls from the Canterlot Movie Club! Too good to have guy friends?"

"Maybe he's a ladies man?" the fatter punk suggested.

"Ugh, shuddup Tank!" Garble barked.

"I'm not too good to talk to guys!" Button said, "And even if I was, you guys aren't good enough to talk to me!"

"You little...! Boys! Rough him up! Show him what happens to those who piss off the Dragon Gang!"

Astral saw and heard enough of this, he was bullied in the past over not following a single archetype and harbored a deep-seated hatred for bullies as well as Crystal Prep. With gritted teeth, he dropped his backpack and charged them, taking them by surprise as he pummeled them into submission...

"Do you understand the situation you are in, Astral Flare?"

Astral now found himself in Vice Principal Luna's office for "beating up Garble and his friends for helping a kid reach his class", a lie, of course, but other than his own testimony, he had no proof of any of this. Astral told her his own version of things (A.K.A. the truth), which left Luna in a thinking state.

"Hmm...considering Garble and his friends' track records, your story sound more believable than theirs...but for now, all involved with this incident will have detention for a week, and you, Mr. Flare, will have detention for today only."

"Huh? How come?" Astral asked.

"There were numerous other ways you could've gone about this, and you chose the most violent way. I'm sorry, but you must face punishment as well. Yours and their detentions starts today after school. And I will personally make sure that you all get placed in separate detention rooms to avoid future brawls."

He sighs, "...Yes, ma'am."

"Be grateful, Mr. Flare, had the situation been different, I would've made the punishments worse. Now head on to your next class, lunch will be ending in a few minutes."

Astral wordlessly nodded and left the office, dreading his detention day.

As the final bell rang, so ends another school day, and Astral was heading to his separate detention room away from the Dragon Gang as they serve their own time. Astral can deal with one day of detention, it was nothing new for him, but only a week for those jerks? That wasn't enough for bullying someone younger than them simply for only talking to girls and not boys! But for now, he'll let it go with forgiveness, he's just not going to have a good opinion of them for a while until they prove otherwise.

Upon entering the detention room, he noticed that he and the teacher, Mr. Doodle, were the only ones in there as the latter was reading a novel at the teacher's desk.

He looked up when he heard Astral enter, "Ah, you're here. Gotta say, I didn't expect you of all people to get detention on your first day here. But knowing those dragon punks and reading your personal file, it actually makes sense. Well, go and take your seat, pull out your homework or something to read, because we're both going to be here for a while."

Astral went over to a random desk and sat down, pulled out any remainder homework he had and got to work. After a good forty-five minutes, Mr. Doodle spoke up again.

"I gotta use the bathroom, keep doing what you're doing and I'll be back soon."

Astral nodded as the teacher left the room, not long afterwards, Astral suddenly felt drawn to the inside of the desk he was sitting in. He opened it up and saw a face down Duel Monsters card.

"That's weird. What's a Duel Monsters card doing in here?" Astral asked no one as he reached out to grab it.

Just then, a dark aura grabbed Astral and surrounded him before he could get away, making him writhe in agony.

"Yes, Astral Flare, let the Barian Number take hold." a deep voice spoke in his mind.

"A what number?! A-AHHHHHHH!!!"

The aura seeped into his flesh as he stopped struggling. A smirk that simply bled malice grew on his face as a number 42 appeared on the left side of his neck.

Mr. Doodle barged back into the room in a frantic state, "Astral, are you alright?! I heard screaming!"

Astral's smirk didn't disappear or even lessen as he stood up.

"Astral...?"

Astral pulled out his Duel Pad, making the number on his neck glow brighter...

Meanwhile...

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Shinkokuna, the woman who helped Enix in the past Duel, heard an alarm ringing out in their hideout, she accessed her computer and saw coordinates directing her to Canterlot High. She knew all too well what these coordinates were for and called her colleague.

"Enix, come in."

Canterlot City Park
Enix's POV

I was just leaning my back against a lamppost in the park, watching the kids play without a care in the world, when I got a phone call from, unsurprisingly, my employer, Shinkokuna.

//Enix, come in.//

"Yes?"

//You're taking too long strolling down Memory Lane. Another Number has made itself known. You need to hurry, I'm texting you the coordinates now.//

I heard a chime confirming the text, "Yes, I know, I made sure all the pieces are in place for the final stage of the plan. You're not thinking of going back to Equestria, are you?"

//Not as long as we keep our cover.//

"I will. By the way, about my sword I used, there wasn't vital damages to my body, was there?"

I heard papers rustling over the phone, making me think my employer was reviewing my physical state, //Hm. You seem to be fine. But there's a black and blue flame on your wrist, it should be fine within a few days, As long as you don't keep using that Weapon Control, you should be okay.//

"Alright, I'm heading there now."

But before either of us could end the call, the alarm rung out in the hideout, but this one was different than the Number Alarm, //What the...Enix, there's something coming from Canterlot High, you need to be careful! This isn't the usual Number Alarm!//

"I know...it's the Dimension Alarm."

I hung up the phone and ran to the school, ready for an extremely dangerous fight as I considered using my swords again.

Canterlot High School - Hallways
3rd Person POV

Golden and the girls were just leaving their classes when they heard the sound of Mr. Doodle yelling in pain, they all double-timed it over the source of the sound and found themselves in front of a detention room.

"Why is it coming from here?" Sunset asked.

"I heard a rumor that the new guy got detention for beating the snot outta those dragon bozos." Rainbow said.

"Mr. Doodle always watches over detention in his spare time." Fluttershy added.

"But that Astral guy didn't strike me as the type to attack a teacher." Golden began to think as he came to a horrifying realization, "Unless..."

He rushed in and saw Mr. Doodle on the floor with his Duel Pad sparking as if it was damaged while Astral stood over him, smug and triumphant, Golden barely even saw the monster Astral controlled disappearing from view as the Duel ended, but on the monster, he saw what he feared.

"A Barian Number!"

Mr. Doodle crawled over to Golden as he reached out to him and the girls, who just entered, "Call...Principal Celestia...oof." with that, the teacher collapsed as he lost consciousness.

"Hehehehehe, spent at last, old man?" Astral mocked, "Hmph, guess the Number's power was too much stimulation for the senile fool."

"Newbie! Why are you doing this?!" Rainbow demanded, "Mr. Doodle was just doing his job!"

"By standing my way? He lost the Duel, so I'm free to go. And I get to thrash the Dragon Goons."

"For what?!"

"For bullying that underclassman, Button Mash!"

"They're in detention!" Sunset insisted, "They're serving their time!"

"Not enough! They need to suffer!"

Golden began to think, It's obvious the Number is influencing his mind, but how do I Duel him if he's already got the right to leave? just then, a metahporical lightbulb went off in his head, "Is that so? Well then, if you're going to do that, then you might need this." he revealed his own Number card, much to the girls' shock.

"Another Number?!"

"That's right. Let's Duel, the ante will be each other's Number, winner takes all."

Astral began to consider this, It could be a trick, a ploy for them to buy time... the mark on his neck began to glow, influencing his decision, ...But with that Number...I might stand more than a chance against those ungrateful punks! "Alright, I agree to your terms. But this better not be some kind of trick!"

Golden pulled out his Duel Pad and Duel Gazer, "Let's take this to the roof."

The group entered the door to the school's rooftop when they saw storm clouds rumbling in the sky.

"HOLD ON A SECOND!!" Pinkie declared, "I thought the weatherman said that today would be sunny all day!"

"So did we." Applejack agreed.

"Forget that! Who's that over there?!" Rainbow pointed a woman in a black hood.

"...Seriously? MORE Duelists? And here I thought I was done for the day." the shady woman spoke, then looked at her phone, "The match for today is...Golden Flare and Astral Flare. You sure you two aren't related?"

"No!" both boys shouted.

"Who are you?" Sunset asked.

"Tohta Zekutake. One of the announcers. Don't play dumb, I know you two have Barian Numbers. Which means I gotta set the stage for you boys."

"Huh? 'Set the stage'?" Golden asked.

"For the Action Field." Tohta pressed a button on her own Duel Pad.

//Overriding competitors' Duel Pads...Generating "Action Field: Sogen"...// the whole rooftop turned into one, massive grassland, //Action Cards dispersed.//

"What? Didn't you notice your Duel Pads got updated? Anyway, you're all set. Enjoy the CPASRNS."

"...What?" Rainbow mumbled.

"The 'Crystal Prep Academy Solid Reality Networking Service'. Be sure to check the official account."

"You're from Crystal Prep?!" Rainbow yelled.

"Yes. And the rest to you will gain new updates on your Duel Pads in due time."

"For what?" Golden asked next.

"For your Duel Ranking. You beat a Duelist, your rank will go up."

"For what though?"

Tohta puts a hand to her forehead, "Look, my shift is over, so ask someone else, okay? Like another Duelist, or another Crystal Prep student. Literally anyone but me. And I'm out. Later, nerds." she walked past them to the rooftop's exit.

"Hey! We're not done yet!" Rainbow tried to go after her, but was stopped by Golden.

"We'll deal with her later, let's focus on the task at hand."

"Are we done with the nonsense?!" Astral demanded, "I got bullies to beat down after this!"

"Ugh, fine, whatever, let's do this."

The two boys stepped on opposite sides of the new grassland field and readied their Duel Pads and Duel Gazers.

"Let's Duel!" they both declared.

Golden Flare - 4,000 LP
Astral Flare - 4,000 LP

"I think I'll allow you to go first on this one." Astral offered.

Turn 1: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"Gladly. I draw!" Golden looked at his hand, and made his play, "I summon 'NumberMan.EXE' in Attack Mode!" the robot with the blinking lightbulb head made its appearance on the field (900/900), "Now I activate his effect! I roll a six-sided die, and you take damage equal to the result times 100! Go, Doom Dice!" a giant die appeared and rolled on the ground, resulting in a 2, "Grr, not much, but it'll do." the die exploded like a bomb and dealt little damage to Astral (Astral Flare: 4,000 - 200 = 3,800 LP), "I'll end with two facedowns, your turn."

Turn 2: Astral Flare - Hand: 5

"If that's really the best you can do, then this'll be easy. Draw!" Astral drew his card.

"NumberMan.EXE's effect activates! I add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell to my hand! And I choose, 'Battle Chip - Sword'!"

Battle Chip - Sword
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Increase the equipped monster's ATK by 500.

Astral ignored this and looked at his hand, then sneered, "Well, this'll be over quickly. I activate the effect of the three Cyber Dragons in my hand, allowing me to Special Summon them to the field when you control a monster and I don't!" three mechanical, snake-like dragons appeared on Astral's side of the field (2100/1600) (2100/1600) (2100/1600), "I then Normal Summon 'Genex Ally Birdman' in Attack Mode!" a mini bird-like humanoid robot appeared next to the mechanical dragons.

Genex Ally Birdman
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Machine/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 400
Effect: You can return 1 face-up monster you control to the hand; Special Summon this card from your hand, but banish it when it leaves the field, also it gains 500 ATK if the returned monster was WIND on the field.

"Then with my Birdman, I Tune him with one of my Cyber Dragons!" the bird robot jumps into the air with the dragon following after it, the former turns into three stars that morph into green rings that loop over the dragon, turning it into five stars as a beam of light shoots down over it all (Level: 3 + 5 = 8), "With the birdman and mechanical dragon, I call upon the galactic beast through unity! I Synchro Summon! Level 8! Stardust Dragon!"

The light died down to reveal the most beautiful and majestic dragon the group had ever seen, its scales shined with dust from the stars themselves and looked both noble and ferocious.

Stardust Dragon
Attribute: WIND
Level: 8
Type: Dragon/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Effect: 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
When a card or effect is activated that would destroy a card(s) on the field (Quick Effect): You can Tribute this card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it. During the End Phase, if this effect was activated this turn (and was not negated): You can Special Summon this card from your GY.

"There are no words!" Rarity gushed at the dragon with starry eyes.

"Next, I Overlay my other two Cyber Dragons!" the two remaining machine-like dragons turned into orbs of light and flew into a red portal before exploding.

"What the, that wasn't the Number summoning portal!" Golden exclaimed, "What's going on?!"

"With two of its brethren, I call upon one of the more powerful dragons of cybernetics! I Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Cyber Dragon Nova!"

Just then, a much bigger mechanical dragon appeared that had wings and looked like its circuits were on fire.

Cyber Dragon Nova
Attribute: LIGHT
Rank: 5
Type: Machine/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 1600
Effect: 2 Level 5 Machine monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 "Cyber Dragon" in your GY; Special Summon that target. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can banish 1 "Cyber Dragon" from your hand or face-up from your Monster Zone; this card gains 2100 ATK until the end of this turn. If this card in your possession is sent to your GY by your opponent's card effect: You can Special Summon 1 Machine Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck.

"I activate Cyber Dragon Nova's effect! By using one Overlay Unit, I Special Summon a Cyber Dragon from my Graveyard!" one of the dragon's swirling light flew into its jaws as it bit down (OLU: 2 - 1 = 1), then roaring as one of Astral's Cyber Dragons were brought back to the field, "Now to deal some damage! Cyber Dragon attacks NumberMan.EXE!" the smaller dragon opened its mouth and prepared a blast of energy.

"I play my Trap, 'Battle Chip - AntiSwrd'! When you declare an attack on my '.EXE' monster, I target that attacking monster, stop its attack, and lower its Attack Points by 500!" the lightbulb-headed robot held a hand out toward the oncoming beam and stopped it cold with the dragon looking slightly weaker (Cyber Dragon: ATK: 2100 - 500 = 1600).

"Big deal! I got two more monsters to fight with! Stardust Dragon! Attack NumberMan.EXE!" the majestic dragon charged a beam in its mouth as it reared back.

"I play my other Trap, 'Battle Chip - Mine'! It negates your monster's attack and destroys it!"

Astral sneered, "Hah! Sucker in the trap! I activate Stardust Dragon's effect! By Tributing it, I can negate an effect that destroys cards on my field and destroy it instead!" the dragon disappeared in particles of light as Golden's last line of defense was destroyed, "Now, Cyber Dragon Nova, destroy NumberMan.EXE, for real this time!" the winged machine dragon charged a fiery blast in its maw and let loose at the lightbulb bot, destroying it and lowering Golden's Life Points (Golden Flare: 4,000 - 1,200 = 2,800 LP).

"Rgh..." Golden growled as he felt the force of the blast.

"I'll end my turn with one facedown, and Stardust Dragon returns to my field at the End Phase. Your turn." As Astral said that, his dragon did indeed return in a shimmer of light.

Turn 3: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

“I…draw!” Golden surveyed his hand and plucked two cards, “With Scale 1 GutsMan.EXE and Scale 8 JunkMan.EXE, I set the Pendulum Scale!” Golden placed the two Pendulum Monsters in the far left and far right Spell/Trap Zones with the word PENDULUM appearing across the Monster Zones (Pendulum Scale 1-8), “I activate GutsMan.EXE’s Pendulum effect! If I have another ‘.EXE’ monster in my other Pendulum Zone, I’m allowed to add a ‘Battle Chip’ Spell from my deck to my hand!” the deck auto-shuffled a card out, which Golden grabbed, “And I choose ‘Battle Chip - IceStage’!”

Battle Chip - IceStage
Field Spell Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a “.EXE” monster. All WATER-Attribute and Aqua-Type monsters gain 500 ATK and DEF. All FIRE-Attribute and Pyro-Type monsters cannot attack as long as this Field Spell remains on the field.

“Now I activate JunkMan.EXE’s Pendulum effect! If I have another ‘.EXE’ in my Pendulum Zone, which you know I do, I can add a ‘Battle Chip’ Trap to my hand!” the auto-shuffle kicked in again and gave Golden another new card as he grabbed it, “And I choose ‘Battle Chip - Geddon3’!”

Battle Chip - Geddon3
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a “.EXE” monster. As long as this card remains on the field: Your opponent take damage for every monster he/she controls x 100.

“And now, with my Pendulum Monsters in place, I Pendulum Summon FireMan.EXE and SearchMan.EXE!” the burning humanoid made a reappearance (2100/1500) alongside a new being; he was decked out in camouflage armor and helmet, and his right hand appeared to be a massive sniper blaster.

SearchMan.EXE
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 5
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1100
Effect: During each Standby Phase, add 1 “Battle Chip” Equip Spell from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn: You can deal 1000 damage to your opponent, but this card cannot attack the turn you activate this effect.

“I activate FireMan.EXE’s effect! I target one monster you control, and you take damage equal to half of that monster’s Attack Points! And I choose your Stardust Dragon!” the flaming being increased its fiery power and blasted it towards Astral, greatly decimating his Life Points (Astral Flare: 3,800 - 1,250 = 2,550 LP), “Now I activate SearchMan.EXE’s effect! He can deal 1,000 points of damage, under the condition that he can’t battle this turn!” the camouflaged humanoid took aim as a laser sight came from his blaster and shot Astral in the chest, with the Solid Reality making him feel the hit (Astral Flare: 2,550 - 1,000 = 1,550 LP), “Now to battle! FireMan.EXE, attack the weakened Cyber Dragon! Fire Arm!” FireMan charged his arms with flames and blasted the Cyber Dragon to pieces, further lowering Astral’s Life Points (Astral Flare: 1,550 - 500 = 1,050 LP), “I’ll end my turn by playing a facedown!”

Turn 4: Astral Flare - Hand: 1

Astral reached to draw as he said, “Quit taking pot shots…AND DUEL ME LIKE YOU MEAN IT!!” he drew his card, look at it, and chuckled, “This will be helpful.”

“Before you continue, the effects of my ‘.EXE’ monsters activate! Now I get TWO ‘Battle Chip’ Equip Spells!” Golden’s deck auto-shuffled twice and spat out two cards, which he drew, “And the cards I chose were ‘Battle Chip - HeroSwrd’ and ‘Battle Chip - Barr200’!”

Battle Chip - Barr200
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a “.EXE” monster. Once per turn: The equipped monster cannot be destroyed by battle. After this effect resolves: Deal 200 damage to your opponent, and if you do; destroy this card.

“If you’re QUITE finished, I play the Continuous Spell, ‘Card Trader’!”

Card Trader
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: Once per turn, during your Standby Phase: You can shuffle 1 card from your hand into the Deck; draw 1 card.

“But we’ll get to its effect later. I activate Cyber Dragon Nova’s effect once more!” Nova devoured its last light orb (OLU: 1 - 1 = 0) and another Cyber Dragon revived from the Graveyard, “I’m not done yet! I now Overlay Cyber Dragon Nova itself as an Xyz Material!” Nova turned into a swirling light and flew into another red portal before exploding.

“No way! You can’t do that!” Golden yelled…then turned to the girls, “Can he?”

“Well…” Sunset began, “there ARE Xyz Monsters that can be Xyz Summoned through other Xyz Monsters on the field, so…”

“How come I never heard of this?!”

“Go, Rank Up Xyz Evolution!” Astral continued, “I bring you, ‘Cyber Dragon Infinity’!”

Another mechanical, snake-like dragon with wings appeared, but looked bigger and far more ferocious than Nova.

Cyber Dragon Infinity
Attribute: LIGHT
Rank: 6
Type: Machine/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 1600
Effect: 3 Level 6 LIGHT Machine monsters
Once per turn, you can also Xyz Summon "Cyber Dragon Infinity" by using "Cyber Dragon Nova" you control as material. (Transfer its materials to this card.) Gains 200 ATK for each material attached to it. Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up Attack Position monster on the field; attach it to this card as material. Once per turn, when a card or effect is activated (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.

“Like it? But that’s not all! It gains 200 Attack Points for every Overlay Unit attached to it!” Infinity began to glow as more power was imbued in it (Cyber Dragon Infinity: ATK 2100 + 200 = 2300), “And now for one of his effects! Once per turn, I can target face-up Attack Position monster on the field, and attach it to Infinity! And I choose my newly summoned Cyber Dragon!” the normal Cyber Dragon turned into an orb of light and began orbiting around Infinity (OLU: 1 + 1 = 2), “And with that, Infinity gets another power boost!” Infinity glowed brighter as more power flowed into its being (Cyber Dragon Infinity: ATK 2300 + 200 = 2500), “On to battle! Cyber Dragon Infinity attacks SearchMan.EXE!” Infinity charges a very powerful blast from its maw at the camouflaged humanoid.

“I activate my Trap, Battle Chip - Geddon3! Now, as long as this card remains on the field, every turn, you’re gonna take 100 points of damage for every monster on your field!” the grassy field began to turn into a poisonous swamp.

“I don’t think so! I activate Cyber Dragon Infinity’s effect! By removing one Overlay Unit, I can negate one card or effect and destroy it!” As Astral said that, Infinity bit into one of its orbiting lights (OLU: 2 - 1 = 1), making the Trap card shatter and the swamp disappear back into a grassland, “Infinity’s Attack Points are lowered, but continues its attack!” the dragon felt weaker (Cyber Dragon Infinity: ATK 2500 - 200 = 2300) as it charged up again and let loose a powerful red beam.

“Not a chance! I play the Equip Spell, Battle Chip - Barr200, and equip it to SearchMan.EXE!” the blast hit a barrier instead of SearchMan, who was left on the field without a scratch, even when the barrier shatters, “This card saves my monster from destruction, and you take 200 points of damage from his barrier, the only downside is that after the effect resolves, the barrier is destroyed!”

“Don’t forget! That barrier doesn’t protect your Life Points!” both Golden and Astral were blasted backwards as their Life Points plummeted (Golden Flare: 2,800 - 300 = 2,500 LP) (Astral Flare: 1,050 - 200 = 850 LP), and Golden noticed an Action Card next to him.

“Huh. This might help.”

“Now for my next attack! Stardust Dragon! Attack SearchMan.EXE!” Stardust charged up its own energy blast and fired at SearchMan.

“I play the Action Spell, ‘Miracle’!” Golden played the card he drew, once again preventing his monster from being destroyed, “SearchMan.EXE is saved, and the damage I would’ve taken is cut in half!” part of Stardust’s blast flew near Golden as he was almost knocked off his feet again (Golden Flare: 2,500 - 250 = 2,250 LP).

“Grr! Fine! If you want to keep up this farce, go ahead! I end my turn!” Astral said as he began to look for his own Action Cards.

Turn 5: Golden Flare - Hand: 3

“Why, thank you, I will!” Golden said, sarcastically as he drew, “The effects of my monsters activate again! I get another two ‘Battle Chip’ Equip Spells!” Golden drew the auto-shuffled cards, “And they are ‘Battle Chip - AquaSwrd’ and ‘Battle Chip - ElecSwrd’!”

Battle Chip - AquaSwrd
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a “.EXE” monster. Increase the equipped monster’s ATK by 1000. The equipped monster becomes a WATER-Attribute monster.

Battle Chip - ElecSwrd
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a “.EXE” monster. Increase the equipped monster’s ATK by 1000. The equipped monster becomes a LIGHT-Attribute monster.

“Now I activate the Pendulum effects of GutsMan.EXE and JunkMan.EXE! I get another ‘Battle Chip’ Spell and Trap! I choose ‘Battle Chip - LavaStge’ and ‘Battle Chip - FullCust’!” Golden then plays the card he got from his Draw Phase, “I summon out ‘Roll.EXE’!” a pink armored woman with yellow prongs on her helmet and a heart-like symbol on her chest appeared (1200/1400), “I activate her effect! Once per turn, I get one of the ‘RollAro’ cards from my deck to my hand! I choose ‘Battle Chip - RollAro1’!”

Battle Chip - RollAro1
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to “Roll.EXE” or “MegaMan.EXE - Roll Soul”. The equipped monster gains 500 ATK.

Golden added the new card to his hand, “Now I equip her with Battle Chip - RollAro1!” Roll’s left hand became a giant pink bow and arrow with the arrowhead being heart-shaped (Roll.EXE: ATK 1200 + 500 = 1700), "And I equip her with Battle Chip - AquaSwrd!" Roll's right hand became a deep blue laser sword (Roll.EXE: ATK 1700 + 1000 = 2700), "Now let's battle! Roll.EXE attacks Cyber Dragon Infinity!" Roll merges the sword with the bow and arrow to become a water-like bow and arrow, "Aqua Roll Arrow!"

Astral, while Golden was setting up his comeback, had found an Action Card he could use, "Perfect! I activate the Action Spell, 'Evasion'!" the watery arrow completely veered off course from Cyber Dragon Infinity, "This card allows my monster to avoid your attack! No destruction, no damage, no nothing!"

Golden sighed, "Roll.EXE's effect activates, when she attacks, I get 500 Life Points back." Roll.EXE conjured a heart that flew into Golden's chest, healing his injuries (Golden Flare: 2,250 + 500 = 2,750 LP), "Then I set a card facedown and end it there."

Turn 6: Astral Flare - Hand: 1

Astral smirked and drew, "I activate the effect of Card Trader! I take a card from my hand, shuffle it back into my Deck, and draw a new one!" he plucked his selected card and placed it back into his Deck as the auto-shuffle kicked in and spat out a new card, which made him chuckle.

"I activate my Trap, Battle Chip - FullCust! Now your turn is up!"

"Nice try! Did you forget about my Cyber Dragon Infinity?" the machine ate its last unit (OLU: 1 - 1 = 0) to destroy the card...

But nothing happened.

It just immediately went to Golden's turn.

Turn 7: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"What's going on?! That should've destroyed your Trap!"

Golden merely chuckled as he drew, "Somebody didn't do his homework."

"What was that?!"

"Read the effect."

Astral grumbled as he used the screen on his Duel Pad to check the Trap Golden used, "Hmm...only with a '.EXE' monster...use on my turn...THE EFFECT CAN'T BE NEGATED?!?!"

"A costly oversight, my friend." Golden looked at his hand and devised a plan of action, "And let's not forget, Infinity loses another boost because of that." Cyber Dragon Infinity looked significantly weaker at that realization (Cyber Dragon Infinity: ATK 2300 - 200 = 2100), making Astral growl, "Now the effects of my monsters activate again! I get 'Battle Chip - BambSwrd' and 'Battle Chip - Barrier'!"

Battle Chip - BambSwrd
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Increase the equipped monster's ATK by 1400. The equipped monster can attack thrice on the same battle phase.

"Then I'll activate GutsMan.EXE's and JunkMan.EXE's Pendulum effects, giving me another Spell and Trap, and I choose 'Battle Chip - Lance' and 'Battle Chip - IceBall'!"

Battle Chip - Lance
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. If your opponent controls a monster: Inflict 800 damage to your opponent's LP.

Battle Chip - IceBall
Normal Trap Card
Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. Select 1 monster your opponent controls: that monster cannot attack until the next turn.

"Now I'll attack Infinity with Roll.EXE! Aqua Roll Arrow!" Roll took aim again and fire another water arrow at the mechanical dragon, destroying it this time as Astral felt his Life Points go down (Astral Flare: 850 - 600 = 250 LP), "But I'm not through just yet! I'm entering my Main Phase 2 and summoning MegaMan.EXE in attack mode!" the little blue man showed up yet again ready for battle (1900/1500), "Now I'm fusing MegaMan and Roll without the need of a Polymerization card! Go, Double Soul Fusion!" MegaMan and Roll merged together as the Equip Spells on the latter were destroyed, "Warrior of blue and warrior maiden of healing, combine your wills to restore wounds and order! I Fusion Summon! Level 6! 'MegaMan.EXE - Roll Soul'!" MegaMan turned from blue to pink as his helmet now had four of Roll's prongs on his helmet instead of just two.

MegaMan.EXE - Roll Soul
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 6
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 2500
Effect: "MegaMan.EXE" + "Roll.EXE"
This card can only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by returning the above cards you control to the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) Once per turn, if this card is attacked by an opponent's monster: Negate the attack, and if you do; gain LP equal to the damage you would have taken from that battle.

"And just in case your try anything funny, I equip MegaMan with Battle Chip - BambSwrd!" MegaMan's right hand folded inside itself and unfolded out a green hilt with a yellow laser sword (MegaMan.EXE - Roll Soul: ATK 2100 + 1400 = 3500), "With that, I'll play a facedown and pass it to you."

Turn 8: Astral Flare - Hand: 2

"Jeez, at this rate, Golden might win before Astral busts out his Barian Number." Sunset commented as Astral drew.

"Perhaps that's a good thing, in all honesty." Rarity added.

"I activate the Spell Lightning Vortex! By discarding a card from my hand, all monsters you control are destroyed!" a vortex sparking with electricity shot out at MegaMan and SearchMan, making them explode in shards of light, "Hehehehehe! Now everything is set! I overlay the 3 Cyber Dragons and the Darkflare Dragon I discarded in my Graveyard to build the Overlay Network!" a dark purple portal appeared and shot out four swirling lights into a galaxy portal right above it.

"Oh no!!" Golden exclaimed.

"Dragon that slumbers deep within the neutron star, awaken and destroy all those who dare challenge you! I Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Number 42: Neutron Nova Dragon!"

The portal exploded to reveal quite a sight; a neutron star appears before shattering and creating a cloud of dust that dissipates to show a wingless, black scaled dragon with a silver underbelly, red eyes, sapphire orbs in its joints and one on it's chest, and a neutron star orbiting its head with the number 42 marked on it.

Number 42: Neutron Nova Dragon
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 5
Type: Dragon/Xyz/Effect
ATK: ?
DEF: 4000
Effect: 4 Level 5 monsters from the GY
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. When this card is successfully Xyz Summoned: It gains the ATK of the Xyz Materials used to summon it until the end of the Duel. Once per turn, detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 monster your opponent controls: Halve the ATK of the targeted monster.

"Holy..." Golden uttered before running to find an Action Card.

"When Neutron Nova Dragon is Xyz Summoned, it gains the ATK of its materials until the end of the Duel!" the dragon became more muscular once its ability kicked in (Number 42: Neutron Nova Dragon: ATK ? + 2100 + 2100 + 2100 + 2400 = 8700).

"No way! I call bullcrap!" Rainbow protested.

"NOW GO!! DESTROY GOLDEN ONCE AND FOR ALL WITH NEUTRON NOVA BLAST!!"

The dragon charged up its attack as Golden headed for his savior: an Action Card.

"He can't survive another attack!" Pinkie said, worried as she covered her eyes, "I can't watch!!"

Golden grabbed the Action Card and played it without question as the dragon released its attack and it got closer, only for it to miss him by mere inches.

"What?! How?!" Astral looked at the card Golden played, "Evasion?!"

"Hoo! Talk about your close shaves!" Golden said, relieved.

"RGH!! Stardust Dragon, ATTACK!!" Stardust charged up its Cosmic Flare attack and hit Golden square in the chest, knocking him off his feet (Golden Flare: 2,750 - 2,500 = 250 LP), "For now, I'll end my turn. But next turn, you're finished!"

Turn 9: Golden Flare - Hand: 7

"This is it...Destiny Draw!" Golden drew and looked at the card...then he smiled, "Go time." he inserted his winning card, "I play Monster Reborn! And I bring back MegaMan.EXE - Roll Soul!" the pink MegaMan returned to the field with a smile, almost as if he knows what Golden is planning (2100/2500).

"So what?! You can't win no matter what card you play! My monster is at 8700 Attack Points while yours is just 2100! Face it! IT'S OVER!!"

"No, it's not. And here's why!" Golden played one of the cards in his hand, "I activate Battle Chip - Lance! As long as I control a '.EXE' monster I can activate this effect: if you control a monster, my bamboo lances attack you from behind for 800 points of damage!"

"WHHHHHAAAAAAATTTT?!?!?!?!"

Suddenly, multiple sharp-ended bamboo staffs shot out behind Astral, stabbing him and reducing his last bit of Life Points to nothing (Astral Flare: 250 - 800 - 0 LP).

WINNER: Golden Flare

Astral fell to the ground unconscious as the Action Duel dissipated and an orb of light came out of his body, then flew over to Golden. But just then, a blur sped past him, swiping the Number within the orb and shocking Golden and the Rainbooms.

"What the?!" Golden exclaimed.

"Number acquired." a feminine voice said.

"Who are you?!" Rainbow demanded.

"She happens to be my acquaintance, or partner if you prefer." a familiar voice said.

"Enix?!" Golden said.

Enix walked over to his partner, "Congrats on your Duel, Golden...or rather, congrats to Astral Flare for that one."

"But I'm the one who won the Duel!"

"Did you check the internet lately, dude?"

A *ping* chime came from Golden's Duel Pad, and soon everyone else's as well.

"According to this," Sunset began, "Astral Flare is at Rank 12 in the CHS section, allowing him into the Friendship Games...but Golden's at Rank 14?!"

"But Goldie was the one who won the Duel! So why didn't his rank go up?!" Pinkie asked.

"Because he didn't use a Barian Number." Shinkokuna took over, "Your rank goes up mostly based on your Dueling Performance, and not only did Golden not use a powerful Barian Number, he also won with a cheap shot from behind, so his rank went down."

"But that doesn't seem fair..." Fluttershy said.

"Didn't anybody fill you in on the new update?"

"Oh yeah, some Crystal Prepper named Tohta did!" Rainbow said.

"There was some new rules to place the Top 12 competitors for the CHS and CPA Ranking Systems, the person who made the system thought it would be fair."

"For who?!" Golden and Rainbow both said.

"...For himself."

"If I were you guys," Enix began, "I'd focus on getting my ranks up before the Friendship Games. Oh, and if you're wondering about my rank, it's second in CPA's system."

"Then what about the Number you swiped?!" Golden demanded to know.

"...My key, to rebellion." Enix answered, cryptically.

"Enix, we have to go." Shinkokuna ordered.

"Yeah, we already have enough on our plate right now." Enix turned to the group, "Watch out for your friends. They are not who they seem."

Enix and Shinkokuna quickly turned away and ran to the roof's exit.

"Hey, stop!" Golden shouted.

The wind from the storm whipped up, causing everyone to brace themselves. The moment they had regained their bearings, the two enigmatic people were already gone.

Enix and Shinkokuna were running in between alleyways in the city to be certain their escape was without fail and that nobody was following them. Once they were sure they were in the clear, they looked around for the source of the Dimension Alarm's coordinents.

"They could be here any minute now." Shinkokuna said.

"Listen up, Shinkokuna," Enix's LED armor formed itself around him as he drew his sword, "be ready for anything."

They stayed on guard and looked around their surroundings.

"Alright, come out! I know you're there!"

Silence...and then...

A rapier fell out of one of the garbage cans.

Enix went over and saw something that shocked him.

"PURPLE!!" Enix hoisted him up, "Are you okay?!"

"I'm sorry, Green...we screwed up..." Purple moaned out as he held up a device, "Message...from...the others...danger...Apple...fire..." Purple then passed out from his injuries.

Enix took the device and pressed a button to play the video message.

It started out all garbled and distorted...then began to clear up a bit.

"Bro. I was right. It was a set-up. All I can tell you, if you see this message..."

Static.

"...KILL EVERYONE."

Suddenly, the figure was attacked from behind and he dropped to the floor.

Then the video went blank.

The two stood there, unable to comprehend such a message from one of their lost comrades.

"You now know the consequences we're dealing with here, right?" Shinkokuna asked Enix.

"Yeah. But first, let's get Purple back to the hideout, he needs medical attention." Enix said.

They began carrying their comrade back to their hideout as Enix began to think to himself, This whole thing is spiraling out of control. Not only did Golden and Astral Duel for Barian Numbers, but it's only a matter of time before THEY catch wind of this. And that message, my brother...as someone once quoted, "All hell is about to break loose". Jisatsu...you're the one who leaked the information. What could you want with that Reflector Device?

The Next Day...
Canterlot High School
Golden's POV

After the Duel with Astral and once he came to his senses, we explained to him what happened, and he feared that no one would want to be his friend now. But we made sure that wouldn't be the case, even more so when the students began accepting him after they heard about Astral standing up for Button Mash against the Dragon Gang, guess nobody else liked those jerks. Ever since then, Astral was happy and the students weren't hostile towards him anymore, he even swore he'd make a better deck.

But even so...

Why is Enix gathering Barian Numbers?

Why steal the one that I won fair and sqaure?

Too many questions with no answers, so I just continued on to my next class.

...But if I stayed a little longer, I probably would've noticed Applejack glaring at me with fiery blue eyes, instead of her usual green ones...

Chapter 4: The Eyes of Jealousy (By Darksoul85)

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Canterlot High School
Golden's POV

Once the craziness a couple days back was over, a few things happened while we were clamoring for higher ranks in the system: Photo Finish and her assistants were constantly harassing the other students by taking their pictures, even Vice Principal Luna, then Sandalwood, Micro Chips, and Flash Sentry were fighting over making the perfect banner for the Friendship Games, and lastly, Sunset was testing to see how Equestrian Magic worked in this world aside from Equestria...with rather, disastrous results. Oh! There was one other thing! We all got together one day to figure out some things about the "Barian Numbers" as they called themselves, and why they were appearing so sporadically, but sadly, in the end, we could only speculate, I couldn't even get any sort of reaction from the Number 64 that was given to me.

So after endless Dueling from numerous Duelists on campus, Vice Principal Luna finally posted the Top 12 students playing for CHS at the Friendship Games. We all got a look at the list, and this is what was written:

Top 12 Friendship Games Competitors
1. Sunset Shimmer
2. Rainbow Dash
3. Applejack
4. Pinkie Pie
5. Rarity
6. Fluttershy
7. Lyra Heartstrings
8. Sweetie "Bon Bon" Drops
9. Flash Sentry
10. Sandalwood
11. Golden Flare
12. Astral Flare

Honestly, I'm almost surprised that I was one rank higher than Astral after our last Duel, then again he hasn't had time for Dueling since he said he was building a new deck. I just hope he finishes it before the Friendship Games.

"Can't believe Dash got one rank higher than me..." Applejack grumbled.

"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it too much, Applejack," I said to her, "look on the bright side, at least you made the team."

"Yeah...Ah guess."

"By the way, didn't you say you had family coming in today?"

"Oh yeah! Ah almost forgot!" Applejack grabbed me by my wrist and pulled me to the school's exit, "C'mon, the others are waitin' fer us!"

"WHOOOOOOOA!!" I shouted over the wind rushing in my ears, damn this girl's strong.

Big Mac was able to drive us all over to the Apple Family farm, where we waited for this cousin of Applejack's.

"So, Applejack," I began, "what's your cousin like?"

"Well, he ain't family by blood, he was adopted by Braeburn's parents, but he's two years older than Apple Bloom, he's a quiet kinda guy, pretty smart fer his age, and he works pretty dern hard when it comes down to it."

"Wowie!" Pinkie exclaimed, "He almost sounds like you, Goldie!...Hee-hee, that rhymed."

I chuckled a bit myself, "Yeah. Sounds like he's a good guy. What's his name?"

"Dusk Apple." Applejack answered, "But everybody jus' calls 'im Dusk."

The local city bus was driving over to the farm and stopped in front of the driveway to let its passenger off as the doors opened.

"Here we are, youngster. The Apple Family Farm." the bus driver called through the vehicle.

A young boy stepped out, but not before paying the driver and saying "thank you" along the way, that's when we got a good look at him; his skin color was ink black, had red hair and yellow eyes, wearing a white t-shirt, with a leather vest over it, denim blue jean shorts, dark red sneakers, and a fedora hat on his head. Honestly? He looked both casual and cool at the same time.

"Well, howdy there, Dusk!" Applejack greeted with a smile, "It's been a while, hasn't it? Welcome ta Sweet Apple Acres!"

"...H-Hello, Applejack...who are...t-they...?" Dusk muttered.

"These are ma friends! Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Golden Flare, Rarity, and...wait. Where'd Pinkie go?"

"I think I..." Dusk gulped, "f-f-found her..."

"HI! I'm Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie introduced herself before going off on a tangent about random topics, until Sunset covered her mouth; she, unsurprisingly, continued to ramble through her hand.

"Sorry about her, she's a little...excitable. It's nice to meet you, Dusk!" Sunset said.

Dusk nodded to them all, but when he laid eyes upon Rarity, he froze. Dusk didn't just see a beautiful girl, no, in his eyes, he saw a goddess in human form; her curled hair, her flittering eyelashes, her wonderful face, Dusk was completely captivated by her.

"Uhh...dude?" Rainbow waved her hand in his face, "You alive over there?"

"Huh?" Dusk seemed to snap out of it, "O-Oh! S-Sorry! I was, uh...distracted by something!"

"Or someone..." Golden mumbled to himself with a smirk.

"Well, c'mon, Dusk!" Applejack started lead him to the farm, "I'll show ya ta yer room fer the week!"

Golden and the others began to follow, giggling at Dusk's obvious crush on Rarity, whom of which seems to be completely unaware.

Sweet Apple Acres - Guest Room
Dusk's POV

Night had fallen after a long while of showing me what had changed on the farm as well as my temporary living quarters for the week, but even so, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't shake that human goddess from my mind. Rarity. Even her name spoke volumes about her. I wanted...no, NEEDED to make her mine, then I would treat her like the goddess she truly is.

But how?

I eventually fell asleep after hours of brainstorming...

Canterlot High School
Golden's POV

Another day, another learning session at CHS, and the Friendship Games are on their way soon, no less. I was on my way to lunch after the bell rang when I saw a guy chatting it up with Rarity, I snuck into a shady hallway to hear what they were talking about; it sounded like this guy, Thunderlane, wanted to go on a date with Rarity, but she gently turned him down, making him wander off, dejectedly. Honestly, Rarity could do better than him; Thunderlane isn't exactly a bad guy, but I heard that he was a total womanizer a lot of the time.

I walked to the cafeteria trying to pretend I didn't see or hear a thing, not noticing Dusk run away from the scene with tears in his eyes.

Canterlot High School - Hallways
Dusk's POV
A few minutes ago...

My cousin Applejack was showing me around the school, for now it was going to be where I would catch up with my schooling until I head back to Appleloosa, but I was hardly paying attention since I was still brainstorming ideas on how to make Rarity my beloved.

"Uhh, Dusk? You okay there, partner?"

Applejack roused me from my thoughts as I stammered an excuse, "Ah, ah, ah, yeah! Yes, of course I am! Hehehe, why wouldn't I be?"

My cousin looked far from amused, "...This is 'bout yer lil' crush on Rarity, ain't it?"

I blushed so hard I swear I felt steam coming out of my ears, comically, "...Uhh..."

Applejack sighed, "Look, Dusk, Ah know Rarity is quite a fetchin' gal, but...don't ya think you should go fer someone yer own age?"

"B-B-B-But-"

"Sorry, Dusk, but Ah don't think Rarity likes ya the same way."

Applejack wandered off, leaving me with my now-formed doubting thoughts: Rarity? Not like me the same way? But...I would treat her like a goddess! I'm sure she would appreciate me for that, maybe even date me! Yeah! There's no way Applejack's words could have THAT much merit-

...No way.

I just turned a corner and saw some RANDOM MOHAWK SHMUCK TALKING TO MY GODDESS?!?! I didn't stay to hear the whole exchange, I just ran with tears in my eyes...

I rushed into an empty classroom and slammed the door, not caring if I'm disturbing the next door classes, I was too busy crying my eyes out over the massive disappointment that was my love life. Rarity, MY goddess, was talking to some loser, who was more than likely asking her out before I could! I wish I could show her, show ALL OF THEM, that Rarity was MY beloved, that she is MY queen, and that I would protect her no matter what!

Before I could continue my train of thought, a card fell off the door frame and landed on my head, stopping my crying fit, I plucked it off my fedora and saw...a blank Duel Monsters card?

"What in the..."

Suddenly, a dark aura surrounded my entire body, my mind running a mile a minute to make my body try and get the dangerous substance off of me!

"Yes, Dusk Apple, let the Barian Number take hold!" a deep, almost demonic voice spoke in my head.

"A WHAT NUMBER!!...A...A..."

In mere moments, the aura stopped and seeped into my body...I felt myself smile most unpleasantly.

"I will...protect my queen...my goddess..."

I walked out of the classroom with a plan in mind, unaware of the number 70 marking my left forearm...

Canterlot High School - Duel Fields
Golden's POV
Present Time

School was finally over as the girls and I made our way to CHS's Duel Fields to enjoy some after school Duels since we don't have to worry about our ranks anymore. The only downside is that I haven't seen Dusk anywhere after lunch ended, and I'm beginning to get worried.

"Whoo!" Rainbow cheered, "No more rank-building! We're in the Friendship Games! Now we can kick back, relax, and DUEL!!"

"Hmm..." I hum worriedly.

"Something wrong, Goldie?" Pinkie asked.

I blush slightly at the nickname from my crush, but recompose myself, "It's just...I haven't seen Dusk since this morning...and I'm getting to be more than a little worried..."

"You don't think..." Sunset began to wonder.

Suddenly, all of our eyes widened, and we ran back into the school to look for Dusk, all of us with one thought flooding our minds: Barian Number.

Just as we open the front entrance, who do you think we run into? Not Dusk, but...

He clapped his hands once, "Ah, Golden Flare and the Rainbooms! Nice to see you all again! You're looking lively!"

Yup, Enix.

Again.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Rainbow asked, rather annoyed, "C'mon, pretty boy, move it, we got an emergency!"

"Is a family member in trouble? Or an ill friend?" Enix asked, shocking us, most of all Applejack.

"H-How do ya-"

"Do not underestimate my advanced Barian Number tracking technology." Enix replied, his tone devoid of humor, "I came here to retrieve it."

"Yeah, yeah, 'rebellion' this, 'saving dimensions' that, we don't have time for you right now! The jokes are getting old!"

"Me? I don't tell no jokes, I only entertain people by solving cases regarding my situation...and theirs."

"Jus' ignore 'im, guys," Applejack interjected, trying to get to Dusk A.S.A.P., "that feller's a couple hammers short of a tool chest. Let's go!"

We all ran past him, trying to find Dusk before someone got hurt.

Canterlot High School - Hallways
3rd POV

"...Hm...they need my help, so I say..." Enix activated his the lights on his suit, "Why the hell not...?" he then activated his Duel Disk and his version of the Duel Gazer, which he calls the Augma, clamped itself closed around his eyes and ran after them.

Golden and the girls ran all throughout the halls, calling Dusk's name over and over again, but no success in finding him. It wasn't until they hear Rarity shriek that they found him; they ran towards the gym and saw Rarity tied up to a makeshift throne on the stage.

"What the hell is this?"

"Enix?!" they shouted.

"Our Barian Number Keeper should be here."

SLAM!!

The gym doors slammed shut and locked tight, even the windows were shielded by some dark aura-like force.

Enix reached for his earpiece communicator, "Shinkokuna! What's going on here?!"

//Somebody's hacked into the school's security system and put the gym on lockdown!//

"Then override the system and get the doors open!"

//Even if I could, my scans tell me that the power from the Barian Number is keeping the doors and windows shut! I can't get you guys out even if I hacked the school's entire mainframe!//

"Okay, plan B: search for a backdoor in the gym's system and do it that way, we'll try and find our elusive Barian Number Keeper."

//Got it!//

"Alright! Whoever you are, come out right now!" Enix called out, "I WILL use force if necessary!" he turned to Golden and the girls, "Golden! Rainbooms! Get your Duel Pads out and be ready for anything!"

They all readied their own Dueling gear and got ready for a fight.

"...You..."

"Who's there!" Enix barked.

"All of you...you want to...to steal my queen...my goddess..."

"Queen...?" Golden uttered.

"Goddess?" Enix asked, confused.

"Rarity...she is mine...mine...and I WON'T...I will NEVER LET YOU TAKE HER FROM ME!!!"

A wave of dark energy swept past them and almost knocked them off their feet. The lights suddenly came on, and there was something that shocked them to their very core...

Thunderlane. On the floor. With one nasty-looking wound on his belly, and seems to be getting worse.

And over his defeated body was Dusk, his smile radiating malice and sinister intent.

Then, on his left arm, was a red 70 marked on him.

"Barian Number confirmed." Enix said, preparing himself while tossing a red chain at Golden's Duel Pad.

"What the-!"

//Duel Mode engaged. Augmented Reality Vision Link established.//

They all hastily put on their Duel Gazers as Enix spoke again, "This time, you'll be Dueling WITH me, Golden. Time to fight. And don't get in my way."

"In YOUR way?! You're the one who threw a stinking chain at me!" Golden yelled.

"To link our Duel. You won't stand a chance against him on your own."

Dusk activated his own Duel Pad and Duel Gazer.

"Let's Duel!" Golden, Enix, and Dusk declared.

Golden Flare: 8,000 LP
Enix: 8,000 LP
Dusk Apple: 8,000 LP

Turn 1: Enix - Hand: 5

"This is a family/friend quarrel, so I'll go first. I draw!" Enix surveyed his hand, "First, I'll summon Elemental HERO Sparkman in attack mode!" a humanoid wearing blue and gold electrical armor appeared on the field (1600/1400), "I'll throw two face-downs and call it a turn."

Turn 2: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"Then it's my turn, I draw!" Golden looked his own hand, "Not a bad lineup, but it could be better...even so, I summon Glyde.EXE in attack mode!" a man wearing yellow and brown armor with wings on his back appeared with a charming smile (1700/1700), "Then I equip him with Battle Chip - HeroSwrd!" Glyde's right hand becomes a massive blade, granting him greater power (Glyde.EXE ATK: 1700 + 2000 = 3700), "But since Enix and I are teaming up, neither of us can attack, so I'll end my turn with a face-down of my own."

Turn 3: Dusk Apple - Hand: 5

"My turn. I draw!"

"Glyde's effect activates! I get a new 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell from my deck to my hand! I choose Battle Chip - WideSwrd!" Golden declared.

Dusk ignored this and gazed at his hand and smirked, "Okay, I may have what I need. Since I control no monsters, I Special Summon Linkslayer in attack mode!" a man wearing beast-like armor and blades on his wrists appeared to battle.

Linkslayer
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 5
Type: Cyberse/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 600
Effect: If you control no monsters, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). Once per turn: You can discard up to 2 cards, then target that many Spells/Traps on the field; destroy them.

"Hmm...what are you playing at?" Enix asked him.

"More importantly, what's this 'Cyberse' type? I've never heard of it before." Golden wondered out loud.

"My guess, Cyberse is the type of deck he uses."

"Correct!" Dusk replied, "And just to make sure you guys don't try anything, I play Nightmare's Steelcage!" a cage made of steel (shocker) surrounded Dusk and his monster.

Nightmare's Steelcage
Normal Spell Card
Effect: This card remains on the field for 2 of your opponent's turns. While this card is face-up on the field, no monsters can attack.

"Now with this, neither of us can attack for two of your turns!" Dusk declared confidently.

...

......

"Uhh...you do realize that since Enix and I are tag teaming against you, my turn plus his turn makes two, right?" Golden pointed out.

Dusk's eyes widened as he realized his folly...and promptly facepalmed.

"Wooow, not bad for a Duelist who keeps simping over a girl who's, like, almost twice your age." Enix commented, not at all amused.

"Eh, whatever!" Dusk's smirk returned, "No skin off my bones! I've still got plenty of tricks! Now, where was I...? Oh, yes! If I control a Cyberse-Type monster, I can Special Summon Backup Secretary from my hand!" A purple woman wearing a cyber-like short dress with cyber armor came up next to Dusk's field.

Backup Secretary
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 3
Type: Cyberse/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 800
Effect: If you control a Cyberse monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You can only Special Summon "Backup Secretary" once per turn this way.

"But guess what? I've still got my Normal Summon! I now summon Cliant in attack mode!" now a cyber, LED ant makes an appearance for Dusk.

Cliant
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 3
Type: Cyberse/Effect
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1500
Effect: While this Normal Summoned/Set card is face-up on the field, all Cyberse monsters you control gain 500 ATK/DEF during your turn only. If this card on the field would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can destroy 1 Cyberse monster in your hand or face-up field instead.

"When Cliant is Normal Summoned, all Cyberse monsters I control gain 500 attack and defense points!" Cliant and the other two Cyberse monsters glowed as new power was imbued in them (Linkslayer ATK: 2000 + 500 = 2500 / DEF: 600 + 500 = 1100) (Backup Secretary ATK: 1200 + 500 = 1700 / DEF: 800 + 500 = 1300) (Cliant ATK: 1500 + 500 = 2000 / DEF 1500 + 500 = 2000).

"Oh, boy..." Enix groaned, knowing all too well what was about to happen.

"What?" Golden asked him.

"He's got two Level 3 monsters out already! I think it's pretty obvious!"

"I now overlay my Backup Secretary and Cliant to build the Overlay Network!" the two aforementioned monsters turned into yellow swirling lights and flew into a galaxy portal as it exploded, "Mighty red guardian with massive fists! Tunnel your way through your enemies and protect your birthright Master Emerald! Come forth! Rank 3! Number 70: Knuckles the Echidna!" a short red echidna with REALLY BIG white gloved fists with two spikes on each hand landed to the floor with a mighty thud, two lights orbiting around it.

Number 70: Knuckles the Echidna
Attribute: EARTH
Rank: 3
Type: Beast/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 1500
Effect: 2 Level 3 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: Draw 1 card.

"And since my Nightmare's Steelcage is in effect, I can't attack right now, but I can still do this! By using one Overlay Unit, Number 70 allows me to draw an extra card!" one of the echidna's lights flew into one of his fists as it glowed, making Dusk draw from his deck, "I guess that's all I can do. I end it there."

Turn 4: Enix - Hand: 3

"My draw!"

"Glyde's effect activates again! I get Battle Chip - FireSwrd!" Golden calls out.

Enix looked at his hand and newly drawn card, "First, I activate the Spell Card, Pendulum Call! By discarding one card, I can add two Pendulum 'Magician' monsters from my deck to my hand!" his Duel Disk's auto-shuffler spat out two cards, which he grabbed, "Then, I set the Pendulum Scale with Scale 1 Dragonpulse Magician and Scale 8 Dragonpit Magician!" Enix placed his Pendulum Cards in their appropriate zones, creating an ethereal PENDULUM as the two magicians floated up in pillars of light, revealing their numbered scales (Pendulum Scale: 1-8), "Now I can Special Summon monsters from Level 2 through 7 all at the same time! I Pendulum Summon! This hero! Elemental HERO Bubbleman, in defense mode!" a man with blue armor, a white cape, and bubble shooters attached to his wrist with aqua tanks on his back appeared with a smile (800/1200), Enix looked at Golden, "The pieces are in place. I'm borrowing your monster, Golden!"

"Wait, what?!" Golden asked, then began to consider, "Well, all Glyde could do now is deal damage through the Barian Number, he can't destroy it, so...go for it!"

"I now overlay my two heroes with Glyde.EXE to build the Overlay Network!" the HERO monsters and .EXE monster turned into swirling lights and flew into another galaxy portal, then it exploded, "Warrior that imitates the gilded hero, rise up from the darkness of obscurity and make yourself known! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Number 12: Eiji, The False Black Swordsman!" the black coated warrior from Golden and Enix's last Duel returns with a vengeance (2600/2700), "But I'm not done! I'm giving my Number a little power boost! I reveal my Set card: Common Soul!"

Common Soul
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: Select 1 face-up monster on the field to activate this card. Special Summon 1 "Neo-Spacian" monster from your hand to the same side of the field as the selected monster. The selected monster gains ATK equal to the ATK of the monster that was Special Summoned by this effect. When this card is removed from the field, return the monster that was Special Summoned by this card's effect to the hand.

"It lets me Special Summon 1 'Neo-Spacian' monster from my hand to the field! So, fly! Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird!" a humanoid bird man swooped down to the field and put his hands on his hips.

Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Winged Beast/Effect
ATK: 800
DEF: 600
Effect: Once per turn: You can gain 500 LP for each card in your opponent's hand.

"With that done, Eiji gains Hummingbird's ATK thanks to Common Soul!" Eiji felt his power strengthen slightly (Number 12: Eiji, The False Black Swordsman ATK: 2600 + 800 = 3400), "I activate Air Hummingbird's special ability!" Enix declared as a tall flower came from each of the cards in Dusk's hand, "For every card in your hand, I gain 500 Life Points! Go, Honey Suck!" Air Hummingbird flew over and sucked the nectar from the flowers, boosting Enix's Life Point count (Enix: 8,000 + 1,500 = 9,500 LP), "And then I end my turn. Think you can handle things from here, Golden?"

Turn 5: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"I can try!" Golden drew, "I summon out NumberMan.EXE in attack mode!" the humanoid lightbulb robot appears on Golden's field (900/900), "I activate his effect! Go, Doom Dice!" NumberMan conjured and threw an oversized die, which rolled and landed on 4, "It's not much, but it'll do!" the die exploded, dealing Dusk some damage (Dusk Apple: 8,000 - 400 = 7,600 LP), "Then, I play the Spell, Double Summon! Now I'm allowed to Normal Summon again! And I choose my MegaMan.EXE in attack mode as well!" the little blue powerhouse returns for another Duel (1900/1500), "I now activate the effect of a monster in my Extra Deck! I can Fusion Summon without any need for a Polymerization card, as long as I return the Fusion Materials to my deck! Double Soul Fusion!" MegaMan and NumberMan leapt towards each other and swirled into a Fusion Portal, "By merging the mighty warrior of blue with the machine of calculations, I can create a digital warrior that can solve the greatest of algorithms! I Fusion Summon! Level 5! MegaMan.EXE - Number Soul! And I'll play him in defense mode!" MegaMan came out of the portal, but different; the upper portion of his head had become like NumberMan's blinking lights and his armor greatly resembles him.

MegaMan.EXE - Number Soul
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 5
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 2400
Effect: "MegaMan.EXE" + "NumberMan.EXE"
This card can only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by returning the above cards you control to the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) Once per turn, during either player's turn; roll a six-sided die thrice: Deal damage to your opponent equal to the results x 100.

"That's a new one." Rainbow commented.

"I now activate MegaMan.EXE - Number Soul's effect!" MegaMan threw three dice at Dusk, "It's the same as NumberMan's effect, except I can use it during either player's turn AND MegaMan can throw three instead of one! Go, Triple Doom Dice!" the first die landed on 3, "Three..." the second landed on 2, "Two, which makes five..." and the third and last one landed on... "Five, that makes ten! And altogether that makes 1,000 points of direct damage!" the dice exploded all at once, dishing out a good sized dent in Dusk's Life Points (Dusk Apple: 7,600 - 1,000 = 6,600 LP), "With that, I end my turn. Which also means your Nightmare's Steelcage is gone, too!" just as Golden said that, the cage has indeed vanished into particles of light.

Enix looked at Golden with a deadpan expression, "...The two monsters you used. Throw dice?"

"It's a very damaging effect-" Golden was interrupted.

"Yeah, if someone STEPS on them!!"

Turn 6: Dusk Apple - Hand: 3

Dusk drew from his deck, "Shame the only effect you'll be witnessing is my monster's! I activate Number 70's effect once more! I draw another new card!" Knuckle's fist absorbed another Overlay Unit, allowing Dusk to draw an additional card, and he smirked, "Perfect. I play the Continuous Spell, The Dark Door!" Dusk played his card, which conjured a green, swirling door-like portal in front of all three Duelists.

The Dark Door
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: Only 1 monster can attack during each Battle Phase.

"But before you do anything else," Golden stopped him, "I activate MegaMan.EXE - Number Soul's effect! Triple Doom Dice!" MegaMan threw three dice again, "Five...six...and two! 1,300 points of damage for you!" the dice exploded again, dealing more damage to Dusk (Dusk Apple: 6,600 - 1,300 = 5,300 LP).

"Regardless," Dusk continued on, "I can't leave a monster that overpowered in play! Number 70, attack Number Soul!" Knuckles brought forth a pair of weird-looking claws to put over his hands, "Shovel Claw Strike!" Knuckles dug his shovel claws into MegaMan's gut, making him explode in shards of light, "I'll end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 7: Enix - Hand: 0

"I draw!" Enix looked at the lone card in his hand, Odd-Eyes...Number 70's ATK is 3,000, and Odd-Eyes' is 2,500. I remembered my friends gave me this card, to only use it when the situation is dire...even if it's for her... "Golden."

"Hmm?"

"You're just in luck. What I have in my hand is our game-changer. So in that regard, this card's a special gift from someone dear to me."

"And...?"

Enix smirked, "...Sunny's gonna be real happy that I have this."

"'Sunny'?"

"Maybe it's best if I just show you. I activate Dragonpulse Magician's Pendulum ability! As long as I have a 'Magician' in my Pendulum Zone, by discarding 1 Pendulum monster in my hand, I can destroy 1 monster on the field! I take Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon from my hand and send it to the Graveyard to destroy Number 70!"

"WHAT! NOOOOOO!!!" Dusk shrieked.

Knuckles shimmered in a strange light before completely shattering.

"And now, Eiji! Attack Dusk directly! False Gilded Slash!" Eiji charged forward, sword in hand and raised to strike.

Enraged, Dusk pushed a button on his Duel Pad, "Activate Continuous Trap, Mirror Wall!!" a wall of crystalized mirrors appeared in front of Eiji as he attacked.

Mirror Wall
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: Halve the ATK of your opponent's attacking monsters. Once per turn, during your Standby Phase, pay 2000 LP or destroy this card.

As Eiji passed through the wall, he felt his strength dwindle (Number 12: Eiji, The False Black Swordsman ATK: 3400 - 1700 = 1700), but attacked Dusk anyway, not even bothering to put his full strength into his slash (Dusk Apple: 5,300 - 1,700 = 3,600 LP).

"I activate Air Hummingbird's special ability! Honey Suck!" the flowers appeared on Dusk's cards again as Hummingbird sucks the nectar out of the flowers again (Enix: 9,500 + 1,500 = 11,000 LP).

"That birdbrain of yours is really starting to ruffle my feathers!!" Dusk shouted in frustration.

"Don't hate the bird, hate his owner!" Enix smirked, "I end my turn. It's all you, Golden."

Turn 8: Golden Flare - Hand: 3

"Alright, I draw!" Golden looked at his newly drawn card and his hand, "I don't have much to work with...but I gotta try. I summon ProtoMan.EXE in Attack Mode!" The red NetNavi with the dark visor over his eyes appeared on Golden's field (1900/1700).

"Golden." Enix gained his attention, "My cards are your cards."

Golden nods and reveals GutsMan.EXE in his hand, "In that case, I activate Enix's Dragonpit Magician's Pendulum Ability! As long as there's a 'Magician' monster in the other Pendulum Zone, I can discard a Pendulum Monster from my hand to destroy a Spell or Trap card on your field! And I choose Mirror Wall!"

"N-No way!" Dusk was becoming afraid now as the mirrors shattered before him when Golden discarded his Pendulum Monster, "Y-Y-You won't beat me! Your Proto Guy doesn't have enough Attack Points to beat me! So next turn, I'll...!"

"Sorry, but you're not getting another turn!" Golden interrupted, "I equip ProtoMan.EXE with TWO Battle Chip Equip Spells! FireSwrd and WideSwrd!" ProtoMan's right hand became a fiery blade while his left became a sword with a wide tip, "With them both together, ProtoMan.EXE gain 1,000 Attack Points from FireSwrd and 500 for WideSwrd, also WideSwrd allows him to attack three times in the same Battle Phase!" ProtoMan began to feel the aforementioned boost in his power output (ProtoMan.EXE ATK: 1900 + 1000 + 500 = 3400).

"No...!" Dusk began to feel the hopelessness flow through him.

"Thankfully, I'm only gonna need two of those attacks for this Duel! ProtoMan.EXE! Attack Dusk directly! Wide Fire Slash!" ProtoMan charged forward to deal the final two blows.

"But...my goddess..." Dusk felt himself tumble backwards as his Life Points dropped to nothing (Dusk Apple: 3,600 - 3,400 - 3,400 = 0 LP).

Golden breathed a sigh of relief once he saw Dusk pass out, "Finally...it's over..."

"Not quite."

Golden looked at Enix and saw the red chain STILL hooked to his Duel Pad, "What the?!"

"The Duel's still going. You're here, I'm here, and Dusk is out. I'm at 11,000 Life Points while yours is at its usual 8,000, we've both spent all the cards in our hands, and with my turn coming up, I COULD draw the card I need to turn this around." Golden tensed up, "But, I'm not gonna do it." Enix pressed a button on his Duel Disk, making the red chain shatter.

//Duel Pad Override deactivated.//

WINNERS: Golden Flare and Enix

The Duel came to an end as everyone took off their Duel Gazers, "Full disclosure: I could've done that any time." Enix revealed.

"You realize we could've just Dueled together WITHOUT the stinkin' chain?!"

"And what? Let you miss out on a lesson on team collaboration? What kind of person do you think I am?"

"...Loco in the coco?" Pinkie asked.

"That's YOUR department, Miss Pie."

Sunset took charge of the conversation as Golden retrieved the Number, "Okay, there was something you said in the middle of the Duel: Who's 'Sunny'?"

Enix suddenly looked uneasy as he answered, "...Sunny...was my...beloved."

"You mean, your girlfriend?"

"...Yes."

Enix began to recall his story about him and Sunny as the Rainbooms were helping Rarity, Thunderlane, and Dusk back on their feet; apparently they were arranged to be married, until an accident happened that put her in a hospital deep in a coma. Enix discovered that her hospitalization was no accident, and became a detective to find the ones responsible for putting her in her comatose state.

Enix showed them the two cards he used in his previous Duel with Golden: Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, "These two cards were entrusted to me by her, that I swore that I would put my life on the line for her. Even if it kills me."

"Aww!" Pinkie gushed, "That's so sweet! Right, Rarity?"

"Actually, Pinkie," Rarity began, shivering from the ordeal she just went through, "I think I'm going to take a break from romance for a while..."

Still the same as ever. Enix thought, "Golden. That Number you have."

"Yeah?"

"...Keep it."

Golden went wide-eyed, "You sure?" he then deadpanned, "'Cause you got a bad habit of stealing my Numbers these days."

"Seeing this school, and your friends and family...I used to transfer here once," this shocked the others.

"You transferred to--!" Enix interrupted Golden by hoding his palm out to him.

"That's enough for now, Golden. Besides, you guys should seriously consider getting Thunderlane to a hospital right now, that gash is looking pretty nasty."

"Oh, shoot, we forgot about that!"

"Before we go, who were you when you were at this school?" Rainbow asked Enix.

"...'The Pendulum Hero'. A swordsman, nothing more." Enix walked out of the gym as the others ran to the hospital to get their fellow students some much needed medical attention.

Canterlot High School
Golden's POV
2 Days Later

After we got the three of them to the hospital, they were well treated and released in the next couple of days, though Thunderlane might not be doing anything strenuous for a while. When we talked with Dusk Apple, we explained to him that everything he did was not of his own will; the Barian Number was influencing and controlling him and his actions. We managed to calm him down, but I don't think he and Rarity will look at each other the same way for quite a long time, heck, we barely managed to stop Thunderlane and his family from pressing charges against the Apple Family.

This Barian Number business is starting to get out of control, I might have to resort to asking for help.

Even so...

I wonder who else has a Barian Number...and who else is suffering because of it...?

"Come in. I have a location on the Gate Number card we're looking for."

//Good...but you failed to get the Number card.//

"I know. It won't happen again."

//You DO know the reason why I kept you hidden in this dimension, do you?//

"Yeah...I haven't forgotten."

//Good. An SUI Unit is participating in the Friendship Games. We have confirmed her ID. And she HAS a Number card.//

"Who is it?"

//Her name is...//

Meanwhile...
Newscaster POV

//We now take you live to the scene where a piece of Dueling history has been stolen from the Manehattan Dueling Museum mere moments ago. Police are trying to apprehend this individual, but it seems he is able to greatly out-Duel the Dueling Division of the Manehattan Police Department.//

"It's over, you're surrounded and outnumbered! Now hand over Yugi Moto's first Deck!"

The unknown thief tossed the cards to the policeman, "Here!"

The policeman caught them and immediately noticed something different about them, "They're made of wood?"

"Because they remind me of you!"

"Aw, thanks--hey, wait a minute!"

The thief pulled a deck of cards out of his hat, "The real cards are right here!" but before the officers could make a move towards him, he pulled out a stick of gum and began chewing on it, then blew a large bubble, which, surprisingly, lifted him into the air as he declared, "I'm Lucky Clover, of course!"

As the news continued its broadcast, Golden, the Rainbooms, and even Enix were walking past a store with a TV in its display window, showing the newscast in Manehattan.

"No...way...this has to be a joke..." Enix uttered.

Golden eyes became half-lidded, "...You have got to be freaking kidding me."

Chapter 5: Embrace the Brightened Day! (By Lloyd Shamrock)

View Online

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QybUyNebrRk

"Today, I will steal the medals and trophy for the Friendship Games! Phantom Thief Lucky Clover!"

(end of opening song and chapter intro)

Canterlot High School
Golden's POV
7 Hours Remain

Morning classes have barely begun and already we've got the police here? I wonder what happened? But I can't focus on that right now, I need to finish my assignment before I'm stuck with homework tonight. Besides, Principal Celestia told all of us that even though twelve of us are in the Friendship Games, it doesn't mean that we can shirk our studies.

Oh, you're lost? Then let me explain.

The Friendship Games are today.

TODAY.

And Vice-Principal Luna made it very and strictly clear that anyone who doesn't finish their schoolwork before the people of Crystal Prep Academy get here cannot watch the Games OR participate.

You see my conundrum.

I was able to focus and finish my schoolwork just before-

BRRRRRRRRIIIIINNNNGGG!!!

Just in the nick of time.

I pack my belongings and head for the gymnasium where the Pep Rally and the meet and greet for both schools will take place.

Canterlot High School - Front Entrance
Celestia's POV
6 1/2 Hours Remain

"Now then, are you sure it was the same Lucky Clover that sent your school this Advance Notice?" By the Maker, he's asked this question three times now.

"Yes," I respond, "I found it in my office this morning, Inspector Yokozawa."

"Lucky Clover is known for striking Duel Monster hotspots at complete random." Jinyo, the Inspector's serious first assistant, said.

"Yeah! But we'll get him this time for sure!" Mahno, the Inspector's cheerful second assistant, added.

"Which is why we called in extra reinforcements. Lucky Clover is extremely elusive and immensely skilled at Duel Monsters. We're going to need all the help we can get to catch this guy. That being said, do you know anyone that could best Lucky Clover at his own game? Anyone? Anyone at all?"

"Hehe, I know someone who can help..." Cain, the Inspector's crude partner, said.

"If you anything inappropriate in front of the principal, you're on desk duty for a month!"

Cain was left slack-jawed, making Yokozawa smirk in victory, until, "MY MOM'S--"

"GET OUT!!"

"It was worth it!!" Cain high-fived a nearby officer and ran to his car, making donuts in the road as he returned to the station.

I simply glared at Yokozawa with an unamused eyebrow raised.

He sighed, "He scares the kids away, what can I tell you?"

"...What?" I dumbly ask.

"Yeah, some delinquent children were egging the precinct, so Cain built a 'Kiddie Scarecrow' to shoo them off..."

Meanwhile, in front of the police department building, a single, wooden sign stood with crudely drawn words, saying: 'BUGGER OFF, KIDS'.

Enix, who was standing in front of the sign, looked confusedly disgusted, "...This is just sad."

"So! Whataya think, newbie?" Cain asked him when he arrived.

"Meh."

"Hey, it works at least."

"Yeah...I know what you're trying to write to the kids, but it looks like an idiot with downright stupidity wrote this."

"Ah, whataya YOU know?" Cain said, waltzing into the precinct.

Enix was about to do the same, but suddenly got a call and proceeded to answer it, "Go ahead."

//Based on what The Senator told us...it was HER, wasn't it?//

"...Yeah. He told me straight up."

//...I hope you understand the consequences of what you did to her.//

"Her family was in pain, I had to end their suffering."

Shinkokuna sighed on the other line, //...I just hope you can reason with her, tell her WHY that really happened.//

"...AJ wouldn't even listen."

//Your friend woke up. Head back to base immediately. We need to hear HIS side of what happened.//

"Yeah, we were separated after the fight."

//I'll be waiting for you.//

The call disconnected.

Enix just stared into his hand as he uttered, "I can't believe he just GAVE me the ID of the SUI Unit...but how? I thought she killed herself..." he then ran off back to his base of operations.

Canterlot High School - Library
Golden's POV
4 Hours Remain

After the Pep Rally, Sunset retreated into the school's library to do some research on Equestrian Magic since Rainbow Dash "Ponied Up" as the girls put it during the song she sang, mainly because the principals wanted to keep a lid on any magic going on. I followed after her to help and do my own research to see if there was any information on these "Barian Number cards" that keep popping up and taking people mentally hostage, but all I could find was info about a war between Astral World and Barian World, when Astral Numbers were released into the human world from Heartland City and doing the same exact thing the Barian Numbers were doing, Mr. Pegasus, my boss, had quite a bout of inspiration and decided to mass produce the Astral Numbers for his game, minus the mind control part, but all I could gather was that two Barian Emperors named "Vector" and "Don Thousand" created ONE MILLION Barian Numbers for their cause of multi-dimensional conquest. But what I want to know is, why? If the war ended quite a while back, why come out of hiding now? What's changed? What's different?

Suddenly, a groan from Sunset breaks me from my thoughts, she then starts writing to Princess Twilight for advice on what to do about Rainbow Dash's sudden transformation during the Pep Rally. I read over her shoulder and decided to metaphorically roll the dice.

"You're at a loss too, huh?" I ask.

She sighs, "Yeah...I just wish Twilight would answer back, or just say 'hi, I'm busy' at least."

"Maybe something urgent came up. Either way, try not to worry about it TOO much, if something happens, we'll deal with it accordingly."

"...Yeah. I guess you're right." Sunset agrees, but I still sense the hesitance in her voice.

We decided that we're both too stressed out about this whole thing and called it quits for now to meet up with the rest of the Rainbooms.

Unknown Location
Enix's POV
3 1/2 Hours Remain

I made it back to the hideout to see Purple, or Jack as we'll call him to avoid suspicion, finally waking up after the night we found him.

"Jack! Jack! Wake up!" I call out to him.

He opened his eyes and instantly became happy, "Green! YOU'RE ALIVE!!" Jack tried to tackle hug me, but I pushed him back by his forehead with only two fingers, "Ahh, the good, ol' days."

"Jack, we managed to find you hidden in a dumpster and brought you back here to heal. You've been out for a long time." my associate Shinkokuna said.

"Really? What time is it?"

Suddenly, Jack was hit by a cluster of words saying:

3 1/4 Hours Remain Until Friendship Games

Jack got up and shoved the word cluster out of view, "Why do we even have that?"

"You made it." Shinkokuna pointed out.

"...Oh yeah."

"Alright, Jack," Enix took over, "what happened when we were separated?"

Jack slowly cringed, "...You're not gonna like the answer. There's some bad news, about Jisatsu."

Jack then proceeded to explain everything that had happened when he was stuck in THAT version of Equestria.

Then silence.

I then smashed my fist against the wall.

"...Shadow Blaze..." I utter.

"Now there's a name we haven't heard in a while." Shinkokuna commented.

"I know him...but I thought Luna sealed him away."

"This could be a problem." Jack began, "Not only has Shadow Blaze escaped the rift between dreams and nightmares, Applejack has already infiltrated CHS with a Chaos Barian Number."

"If Applejack from the other Equestria is here...then there's a chance she wants revenge...for what I did to her family."

"We need to get this information to Golden as soon as possible." Shinkokuna said.

"Alright. We'll tell him. But not about Shadow Blaze. We can't risk any temporal or spatial paradoxes if he learns his own terrible fate."

"There is ONE thing I still don't get," Shinkokuna began, "Even if Shadow Blaze wants the Reflector Device, why? And how did he manage to escape that rift?"

"I don't know...but if Shadow Blaze DID escape..." Enix pulled out the stone he had recently found in his pocket a while back, "And if this stone is connected to the Reflector Device, that means...the Chaos Correction is closer than we thought. In other words..."

Jack took over, "Applejack has the other stone."

"...We need to go NOW."

Our secretive group made their way to CHS with Jack grabbing his usual rapier, shouting, "Hey! Wait for me!"

"Shinkokuna, get the police on the horn, someone is about to be hurt or killed today."

"On it." Shinkokuna whipped out her cell phone and dialed 911.

I was left with my thoughts as we made our way to the school, Applejack...whatever you're doing...you've got the wrong idea...you're siding with a monster...no, a devil...!

Canterlot High School - Air Vents
Lucky's POV
3 Hours Remain

Mere hours before the biggest event between Canterlot High School and Crystal Prep Academy would take place, there was someone who need to complete their job. The Phantom Thief Lucky Clover was currently crawling through the vents of CHS as he needed to collect his prize. Though the narrow shafts weren't anything to be happy about.

"Come out to the coast, get together, have a few laughs. Yeah, right." said Lucky Clover with a mocking tone as he kept on crawling through the small vents inside the building.

He soon came to another crossroads as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an eye device and put it over his right eye. He then looked down at his right wrist as he punched some digits into the wrist device.

"3 hours left. Plenty of time to steal the medals and grab some lunch." snickered the Phantom Thief as his device sent him the coordinates on which way to go.

He then continued to crawl as he followed the sound of his tracker. He soon came to a vent crate as he looked down into it. He then popped it open using his hand as he caught it before it hit the ground. Peeking his head out, he scanned the area to see if anybody was nearby.

Of course, with the Friendship Games being mere hours away from starting, all the students were currently in the auditorium as they were awaiting their rivals from Crystal Prep to show up. With the coast clear, the Phantom Thief jumped down and landed into a crouch. After he stood up straight, he noticed a small display case a few meters away, he approached the thing as there was his prize; inside the display cases were the medals and awards that would be handed out to the participants of the Friendship Games, but the biggest score was the trophy that was customized for the event.

That alone would be a very nice addition to his collection of treasures.

Lucky Clover approached the glass as he tapped on it. He then looked at the display case as he thought out loud.

"Seven-by-twelve. Fitted with 18-inch-thick oak reinforced wood with an insulated copper core to protect against thermal lance. An electronic lock that can only be accessed by authorization of the person who had it installed." said Lucky Clover looking it over...then chuckled, "Yeah, right. It's just a standard case," joked the Phantom Thief as he was exaggerating the details. "Though, I'll give them some credit. They had enough in their budget to get strong plexiglass. Merely shattering it won't work. Which means, I need to find another way."

The thief then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. He attached the object to the window and then touched his a button on his wrist device. The object on the glass extended to show a rod attached to it. It now began to spin rapidly as the rod was making a circle shape as it was slowly cutting into the plexiglass.

"Won't be much longer now," cackled the Phantom Thief with a mischievous smile on his face.

Elsewhere, Sunset was still in the library as she was hoping to get a word from the princess. But as of recently, she hadn't received a word.

"If I don't figure out why this happens, then everyone is going to blame me that CHS is cheating. As much as we despise Crystal Prep about beating us and bragging in our faces, we would never resort to cheating just to get a win. I just...I just don't want anything bad to happen is all," said Sunset to herself.

The bacon-haired girl closed her book and put her head on the table. She then reached into her back pocket and pulled out her deck, the teen placed her cards in front of her as she fanned them out. Ever since learning that she and her friends would be the ones representing their school in the Friendship Games, they all put in extra time to improve their skills. Compared to Crystal Prep, CHS didn't have the resources to help students in terms of Duel Monsters. What they knew is from what they learned on their own. The time they had during the school day was all they had when it came to taking their game to the next level. They also didn't have a card shop that was part of the school like their enemies as they had access to multiple cards to improve their decks.

Safe to say, no matter how hard they trained. No matter how hard they practiced, the bottom line was that they were at a disadvantage. Even having home court didn't mean anything if your opponent was better than you. No doubt, whoever was selected to represent Crystal Prep Academy would have top-notch decks and cards.

Knowing they wanted to make their school proud, Sunset and her friends had to go out of their way to buy some card packs and booster sets. Granted they were a bit pricy given their jobs, but they were hoping it could be the key in helping them to gain some kind of upper hand against their rivals. And there was the biggest threat, being that the students of Crystal Prep would know more advanced stuff than them; they knew about the advanced summoning methods and no doubt knew how to bring out their best monsters with ease and quickly. In terms of her and her friends, they knew the advanced summoning methods on a basic level, for CPA, they knew all that and then some.

"Well, nothing we can do right now but wait. They're gonna get here soon and when that happens...oh boy. Still, the students of Crystal Prep might be more skilled than us, however, whatever decks they have will revolve around a particular summoning method. Same thing with me and my friends. So at least, we don't have to worry about someone from the other team knowing how to do all of the summoning methods. I mean, that's not possible...right?" spoke the bacon-haired girl to herself as she was a bit worried. "Why can't all of life's problems be solved with dueling?"

"I mean...it kind of is. In a way." spoke a familiar male voice.

Sunset looked up as on the lower level of the library was none other than Golden Flare.

"I mean, think about it, how else do we solve all issues? Or at least a lot of them?" stated the boy.

"Alright, I see your point." snickered Sunset.

"So, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to meet up with Rarity so that she can present you with the outfit she wants you and the girls to wear for when Crystal Prep arrives." queried Golden Flare as he was climbing up the stairs.

"Just...looking at my deck, one last time is all. And hoping to get an answer."

"Well...?" asked the boy, rolling his hand.

"Nothing." sighed Sunset.

"Figures. But hey, look on the bright side of things, maybe, whatever happened to Rainbow the other day, might not occur. I mean, come on...why do we need magic when we can summon Duel Monsters to fight for us? So, that means we don't have to worry about some power-hungry magic getting loose."

"What are the odds that's not gonna happen?" asked Sunset with a smug smile and raised an eyebrow at her friend.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But you're smarter than me, so I'm pretty sure you can figure that out." said Golden Flare to his friend.

"I appreciate the compliment." giggled Sunset. "But...you're right. I need to not focus on the negatives and focus on other things. Like winning for CHS. And finally giving those Crystal Prep stuck-ups a taste of their own medicine."

"That's what I like to hear." smiled Golden Flare.

"Besides, we're just as good as them, if not better. We practiced hard to get here. So let's show them what we, the Canterlot Wondercolts, are all about. Besides, we have you on our side. I mean...it's not like you're gonna ever lose."

"Uh, Sunset? Did you forget, that I lost a duel? And it was against Enix, mind you. Who is a part of the Crystal Prep team? Not only that, but I swore that I wouldn't use my Numbers unless anyone, CPA or otherwise, had one or more of their own?" stated Golden Flare.

"Yeah, but...that's different. I was referring to someone more...natural. You know...someone who is just as passionate about Duel Monsters as you and not so cryptic and mysterious as him. I mean, if you were to lose to them, it would be rather shocking." said the girl.

"Okay, I know you were a former bully that ran a rough shot around here, but are you trying to help my confidence or tear it down right now?" asked Golden, confused.

"What do you think?" said Sunset with a hint of a flirting-like tone in her voice.

"Okay, now I'm a bit scared." said the boy.

"I'm just messing with you. You should know that's how I am." chuckled Sunset as she punched her friend in the arm.

Once the pair had their brief laugh, Sunset gathered her cards as she and Golden made their way to where the other girls were. They arrived as Rarity was a bit upset about Sunset showing up late. The fashionista didn't waste any time with Sunset's explanation as she grabbed the girl by her shoulders and began to push her towards the curtain room she set up for her to help Sunset change into the outfit she made for the meet-up in the auditorium.

Golden Flare followed them into the room just as Rarity quickly shoved him out.

"Hey! What was that for, Rarity?" asked the boy as the girl wasn't allowing him to enter.

"Don't you know it's rude to see a lady when she's nude?" stated the girl.

Golden blushed at the thought of the girls, or even Pinkie, like that, but then regained his composure by retaliating with, "You're wearing clothes right now! Plus, you got the curtain set up for privacy!" responded the boy.

"A lady needs to be able to change without any wandering eyes. So, stay out here till me and the girls are dressed. And no trying to sneak a peek. Just because you're a boy, doesn't mean you let your hormones take control of your body." stated Rarity pushing her finger into his shirt.

He sighed, "Okay, okay, you win. Just...please don't take too long, time isn't on our side right now." he said as he held his hands up in defeat as Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"...You seem oddly okay with being left out."

"Umm...let's just say I walked in on a girl once by accident, I was NOT proud of it, and leave it at that. Part of the reason I was shy when I first came to this school."

The boy stood there rubbing his neck shamefully as the door was shut in his face. The teen sighed deeply, then started pacing the hallway as he waited for Rarity to finish her magic. He eventually pulled out his deck as he looked to make some final preparations for the Friendship Games before their competition arrived from Crystal Prep. Golden did stop at the two Pendulum cards he recently acquired for a second before skimming past them, making him think about how Enix was able to get ahold of unique cards for a one-of-a-kind deck. Some more time passed as the boy had fallen asleep as he was sitting up against the lockers with his head slumped downwards.

His snoring could be heard as the door cracked open. The boy coughed a bit as he rubbed his eyes and blinked. His vision was returning to him as Rarity's voice called for him to enter. The boy got up as he entered the room and was taken aback by what he saw. He saw the girls, but the outfits they were wearing were something. Rarity really did a nice job with her designs as they made the girls more beautiful than they already were.

"Well, your opinion?" asked Rarity to her friend while striking a pose.

"Wow," said Golden Flare while giving a wolf whistling sound, "You all look stunning in your own way. Even you, Rainbow."

"T-Thanks.” stuttered the chromatic-haired girl as she wasn't too frilled to be dressed in such a girly way. But the outfit Rarity made for her didn't make it seem that way.

"Glad you like them. Now it's time for you.” stated Rarity.

"…Humina-what-now?” muttered Golden, hardly intelligently.

The boy was quickly grabbed by his shirt as Rarity dragged him into the curtain room.

"Oh, sh—“ was all he could say before the girl closed the curtain.

"Just a few more minutes," said Lucky Clover as he was leaning against the wall as he did some card tricks.

"Remind me why I have to dress? It's just a meet and greet!" said Golden as he was stretching out the collar of his outfit as he could feel it constricting him.

But his question will forever be ignored as the group was now making their way to the auditorium to attend the small party that Pinkie organized to host both schools. Canterlot High’s cafeteria had been turned into a social hub for the tournament, with food and drink lining the tray and tables set up for free duels. The two sides of the cafeteria, divided by the tiled path between the doors on either end of the room, were decorated with banners, flags, and posters for their respective schools, the letters “CHS” on one side in blue, and “CPA” in purple letters on the other side.

The group was heading to the place as the bus carrying the Crystal Prep students was about to arrive. Despite it being just a small gathering before the first round of the event would take place, Rarity was insist that they all dress up. For the fashionista believed that clothes sent a message that couldn't be conveyed with words. And if they wore something bold, perhaps they could play mind games with their opponents before the tournament got underway.

"Open says-me.” said Lucky Clover as the glass circle shape fell in.

The thief then began to reach into the hole and gather all the medals into his bag. During that same time, the group was getting closer to the auditorium.

"Oh, I forgot. I left my deck in my locker!" said Rainbow as she turned around to go collect her cards.

"Why does she need her deck? We're not supposed to duel until the event starts.” stated Rarity.

"You know, Dash, Rares; she doesn't go anywhere without her cards," answered Applejack as she knew how her childhood rival was.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll catch up." said Pinkie as the group continued to walk.

"Can't believe I almost left them.” said the athletic girl as she made her way to her locker and opened it. She began to scavenge through the mess and she soon found her blue deck box. "Please forgive me, guys. I would never leave you behind.” said Rainbow rubbing the box against her cheek.

She then closed her locker and ran back to where her friends were heading. However, once she turned the corner, she stopped in her tracks as she saw what was in front of her.

"And the pièce de ré·sis·tance," said Lucky Clover in an accent as his hand slipped gracefully into the hole and pulled out the big trophy. "Fabulous. Truly great craftsmanship."

"Hey!" shouted Rainbow.

The thief looked up to see the girl standing a few meters away looking at him.

"Give those back!" yelled Dash.

"First rule of a Phantom Thief: we always make miracles...and those miracles help us escape!" snickered Lucky Clover. He then brought his hand to his green clover-shaped badge and threw it down as a smoke cloud was created.

Rainbow coughed as she fanned the air in front of her with her hand. She managed to catch the tail end of the thief's foot and turn the corner as she began to chase after him. As she was running, the chromatic-haired girl pulled out her phone and dial the touchpad.

"Hello?" answered Fluttershy.

The chase was on as Lucky Clover was looking to make his exit. The vents alone were too narrow to escape with all of the treasure he secured. Thankfully, he knew the layout of the building and that almost all the students were in the auditorium for their school event, so he had a clear shot towards the entrance of the school. Though, Rainbow wasn't the captain of all the sports teams for nothing; the girl was keeping up with the thief despite wearing the outfit Rarity made her. They soon turned the corner as he bounced off the lockers to avoid slipping. Rainbow skidded perfectly and took the corner smoothly before continuing her chase.

"Not bad.” Lucky Clover complimented with a smile at how the girl was able to keep up with him.

He then kicked up some trash bins that were along the hallway as he sent them flying towards Rainbow. The girl saw them and was able to move her body out of the way as she dodged each one accordingly as they hit the ground. The last one was heading straight for her as Rainbow put her hands on the floor and did a cartwheel to avoid the last one to hit her.

“I don’t think so. Royal Flash!” Lucky Clover pulled out a hand of cards that looked like a royal flush and they shined brightly.

The girl was so proud of her herself for doing such a cool move that when she took off running, she failed to see the wet floor sign as she slipped and hit the ground hard because she was briefly blinded by Lucky’s “Royal Flash” trick.

"Like I said, clean escape," said Lucky Clover as he saw the girl trip and fall.

Soon he fell. Turns out that he slipped on some pudding as a huge blob of it was left near the entrance of the school.

"What the—?" said the Phantom Thief as he was shocked to see what he saw.

"Oh, so that's where I put the pudding for the party. Whoopies." smiled Pinkie as she came into the frame with a huge smile on her face.

The small slip caused the bag that Lucky Clover carried to fall a few meters in front of him. Before he could reach for it a lasso appeared.

"Oh, no ya don't!" stated Applejack.

The farm girl had tossed her lasso and wrapped it around the bag. She then tugged at it as it raced out of Lucky Clover's reach and into her hands. The Phantom Thief got up and was about to head out as he once again slipped on some pudding.

"Again?! Seriously?!!" shouted the thief.

"And that's where I left the backup pudding. Whoopies again." said Pinkie.

Soon the others arrived as Rainbow had finally caught up with them.

"You got my message?” said the girl as she rubbed her shoulder.

"Sure did, you okay?” asked Sunset to her friend.

"I'll live.” smiled the chromatic-haired girl.

"Hey, buddy. Why don't you give back the rest of the stuff you stole?" said Golden to the thief.

Lucky Clover got up as the group saw his face.

"Hold on a moment, doesn't he look familiar?" asked Rarity.

"Ain't he the one who stole a valuable deck days ago in Manehattan?" said AJ.

"Lucky Clover, Phantom Thief at your service," said the mysterious person with a gentleman-like bow.

"I remember, he's the one who stole that legendary deck!" said Rainbow.

"Make it easy on yourself pal, just give us the trophy and the deck. And maybe, you won't get served as hard as you're gonna get," said Golden as he tried to reason with the thief.

"Clearly, you don't know, kiddie. I'm a Phantom Thief. All I care about is stealing valuable treasures and putting on a good show for the people. As for the deck, well...let's say that's something I can't cooperate with. You see, this legendary deck is of great value to me. I plan to keep it for my personal collection." stated Lucky Clover as he pulled off his hat to show the cards he stole.

"Then why take the medals and the trophy from here?" asked Fluttershy.

"It doesn't make sense for a thief like yerself to waste time at a school," stated the country gal.

"Hey, us Phantom Thieves have our own personal needs. Besides, this trophy and those medals could be a nice addition to my collection. Which reminds me, just hand them over, nice and easy.” said the thief, prepping a bladed playing card.

"You really expect us to just do what you say?" said Rarity.

"Well, it was worth a shot," said Lucky Clover, ready to start throwing cards.

"The way I see it, you got something that isn't yours. And we got something that you want. So, I think you know where this is going." Golden offered a proposal to the current stalemate.

"A duel."

"High-stakes duel. You win, you go scot-free with that trophy, the deck, these medals, and we don't say a word to anybody. But if I win, you're gonna spend a long time scrubbing the toilets in prison." stated the boy.

"Excitement. A duel where the winner has everything to gain and everything to lose. I like that. You're on." smiled Lucky Clover.

"Goldie, you sure that's a good idea?" said Pinkie, worried about her friend.

"Crystal Prep is about to be here. And I've already told Celestia; she's on her way with the authorities.” Sunset whispered.

"Good. Then we just have to keep him busy till they arrive. It's alright guys, I got this." said Golden to his friends as he smiled at them.

The group then made their way outside as Lucky Clover on one side as on the opposite was Golden. The girls were watching from the steps as they were in front of the school. The sun shined down on this duel that was seconds away from starting. Both duelists held confident looks as they pulled out their Duel Pads and slotted in their decks. They each pulled out their Duel Gazers as a computerized automated voice rang out through the field.

Augmented Reality Vison Link established.

"Let's duel!" both of them shouted as the display showed their life points.

Golden Flare: 4,000 LP
Lucky Clover: 4,000 LP

Turn 1: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"Those who abide by the law get to go first, so get ready!" stated Golden as he drew his card. "To start, I'll summon my NumberMan.EXE in attack mode." A humanoid robot with a blinking light bulb for a head (900/900) appeared on the field.

"Next, I'll throw a face-down and call it a turn."

Turn 2: Lucky Clover - Hand: 5

"That's all? Please, stand back," stated the Phantom Thief as he drew his card. "I'll play the continuous spell card, Dark Contract with the Gate!" A swirling dark portal appeared on the ground in front of Lucky Clover. A black claw emerged from it, a scroll sealed with black wax held in its grasp. The wax broke open, and the scroll unfurled to reveal glowing red scripture.

Dark Contract with the Gate
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: During your Main Phase: You can add 1 "D/D" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Dark Contract with the Gate" once per turn. Once per turn, during your Standby Phase: Take 1000 damage.

"Now once per turn, I can add a 'D/D' monster from my deck to my hand. So I choose to add this one, my D/D Savant Kelper, which I'll summon right now!" Lucky Clover's monster appeared for all to see. When it arrived, the group of friends saw it and realized something.

Golden Flare's Duel Pad sent him a message as he clicked on the interface and read the info that was transmitted from the card.

D/D Savant Kepler
Attribute: DARK
Level: 1
Pendulum Scale: 10
Type: Fiend/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Pendulum Effect: You cannot Pendulum Summon monsters, except "D/D" monsters. This effect cannot be negated. Once per turn, during your Standby Phase: Reduce this card's Pendulum Scale by 2 (min. 1), then destroy all monsters you control with a Level greater than or equal to this card's Pendulum Scale, except "D/D" monsters.
Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can activate 1 of these effects. You can only use this effect of "D/D Savant Kepler" once per turn.
●Target 1 other "D/D" card you control; return it to the hand.
●Add 1 "Dark Contract" card from your Deck to your hand.

"Is that...a Pendulum card?" said Golden in shock.

"As I said, a thief has their own needs. Such as the powerful Pendulum cards that are just resurfacing for our side of the world. And they're quite powerful, allow me to demonstrate. For you see, I activate Savant Kelper's ability. When it's summoned, I'm allowed to add a 'Dark Contract' Spell from my deck to my hand." Lucky Clover knew which one he wanted as it slid out for him to grab.

"I'll then activate it, Dark Contract with the Swamp King!"

Dark Contract with the Swamp King
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: During your Main Phase: You can Fusion Summon 1 Fiend Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as material. You can only use this effect of "Dark Contract with the Swamp King" once per turn. If Summoning a "D/D" Fusion Monster this way, you can also banish monsters from your GY as material. Once per turn, during your Standby Phase: Take 1000 damage.

"Now once per turn, I can Fusion Summon monsters from my hand or field. So I'll fuse my D/D Cerberus and D/D Lilith in my hand!" stated Lucky Clover as he held both cards above his head. The spirits of both his monsters were shown as they entered a swirling vortex filled with the colors purple and orange.

D/D Cerberus
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Pendulum Scale: 6
Type: Fiend/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 600
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 "D/D" monster you control; change its Level to 4, and if you do, it gains 400 ATK and DEF (even if this card leaves the field).
Effect: When this card is Pendulum Summoned from the hand, while you control a "D/D" monster other than "D/D Cerberus": You can target 1 Continuous Spell Card in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.

D/D Lilith
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 2100
Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can activate 1 of these effects. You can only use this effect of "D/D Lilith" once per turn.
●Target 1 "D/D" monster in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.
●Add 1 face-up "D/D" Pendulum Monster from your Extra Deck to your hand.

"Hellhound that bares its fangs, vamp of the dark night! In a whirlpool of light from the realm of the dead, become one and give birth to a new monster! I Fusion Summon! D/D/D Flame King Genghis!" A fireball shot out of the fusion vortex onto Lucky Clover’s field. The flames burned away to reveal a knight in deep purple and blue armor, a massive red shield and sword in his hands. He stood up tall and snapped his sword out to the side, flames bursting around it.

D/D/D Flame King Genghis
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1500
Effect: 2 "D/D" monsters
If another "D/D" monster(s) is Special Summoned to your field, while you control this face-up card (except during the Damage Step): You can target 1 "D/D" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it. You can only use this effect of "D/D/D Flame King Genghis" once per turn. If this card is destroyed by battle, or if this card in its owner's possession is destroyed by an opponent's card effect: You can target 1 "Dark Contract" card in your Graveyard; add it to your hand.

"A Fusion Monster?" said the girls behind their friend as they were taking a good look at the monster that appeared.

"But before I do anything else, I place two cards face-down for safekeeping. Now to attack, D/D/D Flame King Genghis, strike down his monster!" commanded Lucky Clover.

"Yeah, like I wasn't prepared for that. I reveal my facedown, Battle Chip - FullCust! With this card, since I control an '.EXE' monster, I can end your turn altogether!" declared Golden as Lucky Clover's monster stopped dead in its tracks, along with his turn.

Turn 3: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

"Should've known. Guess that's it for me." Lucky said.

"Now it's my..."

"Hold on! I forgot to mention something. See, come my next turn, for me to keep my contracts in play, I must pay the price of 1,000 life points for each 'Dark Contract' on the field." informed Lucky Clover to the boy with a sinister smile.

"Huh? Then why would you play them if you're gonna lose life points?!" stated Rainbow.

"With two contracts out, Lucky Clover is gonna take 2,000 points of damage once his turn starts. So all Golden has to do is knock him to about that amount and he'll win the duel with ease." Sunset speculated.

"Yeah, but is it gonna happen?" asked Applejack as she didn't buy that this duel would end so quickly.

"We'll find out." said the bacon-haired girl.

"Anyways, it's my move. I draw. And my monsters have special abilities of their own, during my Standby Phase, I can add 1 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell card from my deck to my hand. So I'll choose this one, Battle Chip - HeroSwrd! With this, I can give my monster an extra 2,000 attack points and it can inflict piercing damage!" A shining and grand sword appeared before the humanoid monster as he grabbed it and felt the power surge through it (NumberMan.EXE - ATK: 900 + 2000 = 2900).

"But first, I'm gonna activate my monster's other ability, now I roll a six-sided die. And whatever number it lands on, you take that amount of damage by 100! Go, Doom Dice!" A die appeared before them as it was dropped in the center of the field. It bounced around a bit as soon it landed on a side.

"Sweet! A six! So you lose 600 life points off the bat!" Golden said, cheerfully.

Lucky Clover didn't seem too concerned about the damage he received as he kept his smile while the die exploded in his face (Lucky Clover: 4,000 - 600 = 3,400 LP).

"Now to dish out even more. NumberMan.EXE attack his Triple Flame King Genghis!" shouted the boy as he gave his monsters his orders. The robot leaped up into the air as it looked to slay the mighty king.

"A king doesn't go down so easily! I reveal my face-down, Dark Contract with the Witch!"

Dark Contract with the Witch
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: You can send 1 "D/D" or "Dark Contract" card from your hand to the Graveyard, then target 1 card on the field; destroy it. You can only use this effect of "Dark Contract with the Witch" once per turn. All Fiend-Type monsters you control gain 1000 ATK during your opponent's turn only. Once per turn, during your Standby Phase: Take 1000 damage.

"Again?!" said Pinkie.

"That means..." started Rarity.

"I will once again take damage at the beginning of my next turn. Another 1,000 points to be exact. Meanwhile, my Flame King Genghis will benefit by gaining one thousand attack points! So long as I send a 'D/D' monster or 'Dark Contract' from my hand to the graveyard. And so I'll discard my final card in my hand, my D/D Berfomet." said Lucky Clover as he managed to make his monster while emptying his hand. "Oh, and my Trap has another effect, in that I can destroy one card on your side of the field. So say goodbye to your monster!" Just like that Golden's monster vanished as his attack stopped.

"Seems to be an even match," said Fluttershy.

"Well, I disagree. He still has to pay off three contracts when they come due at the start of his turn," said Dash.

"My monster may be gone, but that doesn't mean I'm defenseless. I summon my MegaMan.EXE in attack mode!" A blue and yellow armored man with a strange symbol on his chest made his appearance on the field, sporting a blaster where one of his hands should be (1900/1500).

"Then I'll place one card face-down and end my turn," said Golden.

"And now Lucky Clover has to pay up those contracts. Since he has three, he takes 3,000 points of damage!" stated Rainbow with glee.

"Excuse me. What contracts?" said Lucky Clover with a smug smile.

Just then, all three contracts out on the Phantom Thief's field vanished as they were torn up and turned to dust. Everyone was surprised as they saw what happened.

"Where did they all go?" asked Golden, not understanding what was going on.

"My contracts have all been broken off. If you had been paying close attention, you would have noticed that I activated my final facedown. A Trap!" stated Lucky Clover as his last card on the field flipped up.

Contract Laundering
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Destroy as many "Dark Contract" cards in your Spell & Trap Zone as possible, and if you do, draw the same number of cards you destroyed, then gain 1000 LP for each card you drew with this effect.

"With Contract Laundering, I negated the effects of all my contracts and destroyed them. I guess it's true what they say, a contract is only as good as the card it's written on."

"With those contracts destroyed, he doesn't take any damage," said Pinkie.

"Lastly, I draw one card for each contract I destroyed as well as 1,000 extra life points!" laughed Lucky Clover as he drew three cards from his deck and boosted his life points by 3,000 (Lucky Clover: 3,400 + 3,000 = 6,400 LP).

"He now has over 6,000 life points!" Rarity gasped out.

Turn 4: Lucky Clover - Hand: 3

"It's my turn, I draw! Now I'll summon another D/D Berfomet!" A demonic humanoid yellow eagle rose from a portal in front of Lucky Clover, eyes glowing red.

D/D Berfomet
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1800
Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 "D/D" monster you control that has a Level, except "D/D Berfomet", and declare a Level from 1 to 8; it becomes that Level until the end of this turn, also you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except "D/D" monsters.

"I activate the effect of D/D Berfomet. Once per turn, I can select another D/D monster on my field, and change its level to anything I wish between 1 and 8. I change D/D/D Flame King Genghis to Level 4.” Flame King Genghis lit up with red light.

"Now that I have two Level 4 monsters, I'll overlay them to build the Overlay Network!" declared Lucky Clover as both of his monsters turned into orbs of light as they entered a red portal that opened up in front of him. Just then, a pillar of light emerged. "I promise you have never faced a warrior king as magnificent or commanding as this one! I Xyz Summon! D/D/D Wave King Caesar!" The light burst out in a flash of blue. A knight in thick blue and purple armor stomped out, a massive sword in his hand.

D/D/D Wave King Caesar
Attribute: WATER
Rank: 4
Type: Fiend/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2400
DEF: 1200
Effect: 2 Level 4 Fiend-Type monsters
During either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; at the end of the Battle Phase, Special Summon from your Graveyard as many monsters destroyed this turn as possible, but during the next Standby Phase, take 1000 damage for each monster Special Summoned by this effect. If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Dark Contract" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of "D/D/D Wave King Caesar" once per turn.

"An Xyz Monster?!" said the group of teens as they saw the new monster make his presence known.

"Next, I'll place one card face-down. That's all for now," snickered Lucky Clover.

Turn 5: Golden Flare - Hand: 3

"It's my move, I draw! And like always, my card allows me to add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell from my deck to my hand. So I'll take my Battle Chip - RollAro2. Then I'll equip it onto MegaMan.EXE." stated Golden as a bow appeared in his monster's hands (MegaMan.EXE - ATK 1900 + 800 = 2700). "With this, MegaMan gains 800 extra attack points. And he's gonna put those points to good use. Attack his Caesar!" MegaMan.EXE pulled back on the string as an arrow was fired that was covered in light. Wave King Caesar saw it coming as he put his sword horizontally to protect himself before it was shattered to pieces and the arrow pierced him as an explosion occurred (Lucky Clover: 6,400 - 300 = 6,100 LP).

"So much for your monster." taunted Golden.

"Oh, quite the contrary, he's still with us." stated Lucky Clover with a smile.

The smoke cleared and standing there was Wave King Caesar as if he wasn't even hurt and his sword was restored.

"How though?" asked Fluttershy.

"Simply, by using one Overlay Unit, my Caesar can revive as many monsters that were destroyed this turn at the end of the Battle Phase. Of course, I must take 1,000 points of damage during my Standby Phase for using such an ability. But it's a small price to pay if you ask me." smiled the Phantom Thief (D/D/D Wave King Caesar: 2 - 1 = 1 OLU).

"In that case, I'll summon my Roll.EXE (1200/1400) in defense mode and place one card face-down."

Turn 6: Lucky Clover - Hand: 2

"It's my turn," said Lucky Clover. A cyclone of water appeared just then as it surrounded the Phantom Thief who merely closed his eyes as if it didn't bother him (Lucky Clover: 6,100 - 1,000 = 5,100 LP).

"Now, I'll play the Spell Card, Odd-Eyes Fusion. With it, I can conduct a Fusion Summon using monsters in my hand. So I'll combine my Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon with my Stargazer Magician!" Once more both of Lucky Clover's monsters appeared above him as they entered the vortex.

Odd-Eyes Fusion
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Fusion Summon 1 Dragon Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Materials. If your opponent controls 2 or more monsters and you control no monsters, you can also use up to 2 "Odd-Eyes" monsters in your Extra Deck as Fusion Materials. You can only activate 1 "Odd-Eyes Fusion" per turn.

Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon
Attribute: DARK
Level: 7
Pendulum Scale: 4
Type: Dragon/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, when an attack is declared involving your face-up monster and an opponent's monster, if you have an "Odd-Eyes" card in your other Pendulum Zone: You can make that monster you control gain 1200 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase (even if this card leaves the field).
Effect: When this Pendulum Summoned card inflicts battle damage to your opponent by attacking: You can inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of "Odd-Eyes" cards in your Pendulum Zones x 1200. You can only use this effect of "Odd-Eyes Phantom Dragon" once per turn.

Stargazer Magician
Attribute: DARK
Level: 5
Pendulum Scale: 1
Type: Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 2400
Pendulum Effect: If a Pendulum Monster you control battles, your opponent cannot activate Spell Cards until the end of the Damage Step. Unless you have a "Magician" card or "Odd-Eyes" card in your other Pendulum Zone, this card's Pendulum Scale becomes 4.
Effect: Once per turn, when exactly 1 other Pendulum Monster you control (and no other cards) is returned to your hand by an opponent's card effect (except during the Damage Step): You can Special Summon 1 monster from your hand with the same name as that returned to the hand.

"I Fusion Summon! Level 7! Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon!" A huge dragon descended onto the field and it gave a roar that shook the area around them.

Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon
Attribute: WIND
Level: 7
Type: Dragon/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 3000
Effect: 1 "Odd-Eyes" monster + 1 Pendulum Monster
When this card is Special Summoned: You can target 1 opponent's face-up Attack Position monster; return it to the hand. When a Spell/Trap Card or another monster's effect is activated (Quick Effect): You can shuffle 1 face-up Pendulum Monster from your Extra Deck into the Deck, negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card. You can only use each effect of "Odd-Eyes Vortex Dragon" once per turn.

"Now I activate my dragon's ability, when it's summoned, I can target one face-up attack monster you control and return it to your hand. So say goodbye to your MegaMan!" stated Lucky Clover as swirling winds blew over the field and caused Golden's monster to disappear in a blinding light, making the card reappear in his hand.

"Now that's one monster I don't have to worry about. So, Caesar attack his puny defense!" shouted Lucky Clover as his king swung his sword as a tidal wave was heading for Golden's remaining monster.

"I activate my face-down, Battle Chip - Geddon3! As long as this card remains on the field, you take damage for every monster you control by 100!" said Golden as his trap activated and turned the ground into a swampland that Lucky Clover was now ankle-deep in (Lucky Clover: 5,100 - 200 = 4,900).

"That hardly did anything, 'cause my attack continues."

"Not when I activate my second face-down, Battle Chip - Mine! So now I can negate your monster's attack and then destroy him!" declared Golden.

"Well, that won't matter, 'cause I'll use the last Overlay Unit of my Caesar to revive him at the end of the battle phase!" stated Lucky Clover as his king absorbed its last Xyz material before being blown up by the hidden explosive. "I still have my dragon, so pick up where Caesar left off!" The dragon opened its mouth and shot a powerful beam that took out Golden's monster. The battle soon ended as Caesar from the depths of the ocean.

"I end my turn." concluded the Phantom Thief.

Turn 7: Golden Flare - Hand: 3

"It's my turn. First, I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Next, I'll play Double Summon, so by discarding one card, I can summon two monsters this turn. First up, I'm resummoning my Megaman.EXE. And joining him is his buddy ProtoMan.EXE (1900/1700)!" stated Golden Flare as he had two of his best monsters out side by side.

"So what? Neither of them can take down my monsters." stated Lucky Clover.

"They don't have to." replied Golden with a smile.

"Huh?" said Lucky Clover.

"By returning both monsters to my deck, I can be able to conduct a Fusion Summoning without a Polymerization! Go, MegaMan.EXE and ProtoMan.EXE, Double Soul Fusion!" The two aforementioned monsters leaped into the air and swirled into a combining vortex before reappearing as a merged version of them in one being. "With the warrior of blue and the warrior of red, I bring forth the bravest of net-warriors! I Fusion Summon! MegaMan.EXE - Proto Soul (2800/2200)!"

"Impressive," said Lucky Clover at seeing the powerful monster.

"It gets better, 'cause I'm activating the equip spell Battle Chip - BambSwrd! Now my monster gains 1,400 extra attack points and it can attack three times this round!"

"Wait, what?!!!" said Lucky Clover as he didn't expect that.

"Go, Bamboo Proto Sword!" shouted Golden. The new and improved MegaMan's hand folded up and unfolded a red and yellow laser blade (MegaMan.EXE - Proto Soul: ATK 2800 + 1400 = 4200), then charged forward and slashed at Caesar as the king had fallen once and for all (Lucky Clover: 4,900 - 1,800 = 3,100 LP).

"When my Caesar is sent to the graveyard, I can add a 'Dark Contract' to my hand from my deck," stated Lucky Clover.

Golden's monster then leaped into the air once more as it was bringing its sword down as it slew the dragon through the heart as the beast groaned and exploded (Lucky Clover: 3,100 - 1,700 = 1,400 LP).

"One more attack and you have nothing to protect yourself. Finish him off!" ordered Golden as he looked to end this duel.

"Not yet! I reveal my face-down, Mirror Force! So now I can reflect your attack right back at you!" shouted Lucky Clover as he remembered the trap he still had and was lucky to activate it to save himself. Golden's monster hit the reflective wall as it pushed him back and he was gone.

"Not good," said Golden Flare as he had nothing left, "I end my turn."

"I thought he had it," said Applejack.

"At least Lucky Clover doesn't have anything too serious to worry about. So Golden might catch a break," stated Sunset.

Turn 8: Lucky Clover - Hand: 0

I can't believe I almost lost. I can't afford to make another mistake like that!

Are you ready to do whatever it takes!

Yes!

Then let the Barian Number take hold!

A dark aura started to surround Lucky Clover's body. In mere moments, the aura stopped and seeped into the person as he looked at his opponent with a wicked smile.

"Oh no!" said Golden as he and the girls knew what that meant.

"My turn!" yelled out Lucky Clover as he drew his card with a shadow outline. "To start, I play this, Card of Sanctity!"

Card of Sanctity (anime)
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Each player draws until they have 6 cards in their hand.

"What does that do?" asked Golden as he and the girls never saw that card.

"This is a special card in that both players draw till they're holding six cards in their hands," stated Lucky Clover as both he and Golden drew from their deck until they had the number of required cards. "Now, I have all that I need to win this. 'Cause now I'll set the Pendulum Scale using my D/D Savant Copernicus and D/D Proud Ogre!" stated Lucky Clover as he placed his two Pendulum cards on the far side of his Duel Pad's Spell/Trap Zones as the word PENDULUM in rainbow coloring was spelled out in between to show it worked. Both monsters then appeared in columns of light with their number showing in front of them (Pendulum Scale: 1-8).

"The energies of the universe swing between the forces of darkness and of light. I shall now harness the power of this eternal oscillation. I Pendulum Summon, and call upon my three monsters to emerge!" shouted Lucky Clover as a portal above him opened up and three lights came out. "D/D Lamia, D/D Berfomet (1400/1800), and D/D Cerberus (1800/600)!" Three monsters all appeared at once as stood before Lucky Clover.

D/D Lamia
Attribute: DARK
Level: 1
Type: Fiend/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 1900
Effect: If this card is in your hand or GY: You can send 1 "D/D" or "Dark Contract" card from your hand or face-up field to the GY, except "D/D Lamia"; Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use this effect of "D/D Lamia" once per turn.

"I now activate Berfomet's ability, with it, I can change my Lamia from Level 1 to 4. Then I'll overlay all three of my Level 4 D/D monsters to once again build the Overlay Network!" stated Lucky Clover as all three creatures turned into lights as a portal opened in front of him. They all entered as a pillar of light emerged. "With the three demons working in tandem, I call upon one who welcomes the shining night! I Xyz Summon! Number 17: Phantom Thief Joker!"

A young man stepped out of the pillar of light wearing a purple checkered top hat, a red fancy outfit with a yellow tie and a gold "J" badge on his chest, a purple cloak-like cape, and a mask that covers his eyes, holding a playing card with a cocky smirk.

Number 17: Phantom Thief Joker
Attribute: WIND
Rank: 4
Type: Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2200
Effect: 3 Level 4 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. When any player declares an attack or effect: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate the attack or effect. Once per turn, when a Trap is activated: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; negate the Trap, and if you do; destroy it. During the End Phase: Add 1 monster from your hand to this card as an Xyz Material.

"Oh, great." said Golden as he was staring at the Barian Number.

"Now, Phantom Thief Joker, attack him directly!" ordered Lucky Clover. His monster then aimed as it took its playing card and tossed it at the boy who covered up as he took a big hit to his life points (Golden Flare: 4,000 - 2,500 = 1,500 LP).

"I now end my turn."

Turn 9: Golden Flare - Hand: 6

"It's my turn, and time I end this," said the boy as he drew his card. He then looked at the card he drew with the one currently in his hand. "Well, what have I got to lose? I'll do what you did and set the Pendulum Scale using these, GutsMan.EXE and JunkMan.EXE!" Golden placed his cards on his Duel Pad at the far ends of the Spell/Trap Zones with PENDULUM appearing again as soon as the pendulum sequence was starting to work (Pendulum Scale: 1-8). "Thanks to your help, I can summon monsters that fall in the scale between 1 and 8. So I'm bringing out my Megaman.EXE, Protoman.EXE, and SearchMan.EXE!" shouted the boy as three of his monsters appeared.

"Yet again, none of them come close to matching my monster's strength." chuckled Lucky Clover.

"Not yet, but first I'm gonna activate my GutsMan.EXE's pendulum ability, it allows me to add any 'Battle Chip' Spell to my hand. Then I'll activate my SearchMan.EXE's special ability, by not having him attack this turn, he can dish out 1,000 points of damage!" stated Golden as his monster fired a beam that hit Lucky Clover in the chest (Lucky Clover: 1,400 - 1,000 = 400 LP).

"Now, I return both MegaMan.EXE and Protoman.EXE to my deck so that I Fusion Summon, MegaMan.EXE - Proto Soul (2800/2200)!" shouted the boy as his Fusion Monster appeared one more time in this fight. "Then I'll equip him with this, Battle Chip - BambSwrd. So that means he gains 1,400 extra attack points and can attack three times which is more than enough to win!"

"Alright!" shouted Rainbow.

"Wrong!" shouted Lucky Clover. "Cause I activate Phantom Thief Joker's ability, by using one overlay unit, I can stop an attack or effect in its tracks. So your monster won't be taking him out!"

"That's fine 'cause he's got two more attacks!" stated Golden as he commanded his monster to attack a second time.

"Well, I can stop that once more!" shouted Lucky Clover as he removed another Xyz material from his monster to dodge out of the way.

"One more time!" declared Golden.

"Yeah, yeah, we know how this turns out!" stated Lucky Clover as he avoid the final attack by having his monster absorb its last overlay units.

Soon the dust settled as both duelists had their monsters on their sides glaring at one another.

"So close, and yet so far," chuckled Lucky Clover while clapping his hands slowly. "Truly impressive, but...you failed."

"I wouldn't be too sure," smiled Golden.

"You're bluffing. You used up all your attacks with your monster and your SearchMan can't attack because he used his ability. You're all tapped out!"

"Yeah, I am. But I didn't say I was gonna win with my monsters. See, I didn't know what your Number did, so I'd figured why not attack it and see if not only can I deal damage, but find out what it can do. And besides, I wasn't gonna win with brute force. I was gonna with this, the card I added to my hand using my GutsMan's Pendulum ability." said Golden Flare as he showed the card. "Battle Chip - Lance, if you control a monster, I can deal 800 points of damage to your life points."

"No! No! There's no way you could have known what my monster did!" shouted Lucky Clover in disbelief as he realized the situation.

"I didn't, but...I knew it had to be something that kept your monster from being destroyed. So I just did the old bait and switch when it came to what you thought my plan was. When really, you got tricked." smiled the boy.

"No. This...can't be!" said Lucky Clover as he fell to the floor.

"You were right...you never saw it coming," stated Golden with a smile. Soon his card shot out a bamboo shoot as it hit Lucky Clover who was thrown back as he let out a defeated cry (Lucky Clover: 400 - 800 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Golden Flare

"I knew he'd win. Nobody can beat him!" said Rainbow as the girls took off their Duel Gazers and made their way to their friend.

Though Sunset hung back a bit as she watched her friends celebrating Golden's victory over the thief. She was then reminded of what she said in the library.

"Besides, we have you on our side. I mean...it's not like you're gonna ever lose. So at least, we don't have to worry about someone from the other team knowing how to do all of the summoning methods. I mean, that's not possible...right?"

The girl quickly put that thought out of her head as she made her way toward her friends. She arrived as she gave a high five to Golden for a job well done. They all turned to Lucky Clover as he was still spread out on the floor.

"I think THIS belongs to us." said Pinkie as she bounced over to the unconscious body and pulled out the trophy for the Friendship Games as she smiled.

At that moment, Celestia appeared as she was being accompanied by the authorities.

"Are you all alright?" asked the Principal to her students.

"We're fine, Principal Celestia," said Fluttershy to the woman.

"Glad to see that. But the students from Crystal Prep are about to arrive in a few minutes. You all need to hurry!" stated Celestia as in the background, the police and investigator were leading Lucky Clover away.

They all nodded as Golden saw the card that Lucky Clover used as it floated out from his Duel Pad and landed in front of him. He didn't have much time as he pocketed it for later and hurried with the girls to the auditorium. In the distance, the bus from CPA was shown driving along the road. Onboard were two students who were sitting next to each other as they were talking and going over some last-minute strategy before they arrived. Both were unaware of just how crazy the Friendship Games were going to be once they started. The male teen of the pair pulled out his deck and was talking to his cards as the spirits of his monsters all appeared before their master and nodded at him telling them they were going to go out and win.

Canterlot High School - Front Lawn
Shinkokuna's POV

I arrived at the school and saw the police escorting the notorious Phantom Thief, Lucky Clover to one of the squad cars, and immediately noticed that he no longer has his own Barian Number. I knew I had to intervene, so I did.

"Excuse me, Inspector Yokozawa?" I spoke to him.

"Ah, Detective Shinkokuna, a little late to the scene of the crime, don't you think?" Yokozawa commented, remarking how I was little slow getting here.

"Yes, well...I've been given direct orders to bring Lucky Clover to the pricinct myself, straight from the top. You, of course, would still receive credit for his incarceration."

"Hmm...well, if it's orders from the top brass..." Yokozawa pondered, then relented, "Very well. But I better receive credit!"

"You shall receive credit as well as a bonus on top of your desk come morning."

"Jinyo! Mahno!" Yokozawa called attention to his assistants, "Put Lucky Clover in the Detective's car. She'll deliver him to the precinct."

"Yes, sir." they both agreed and did so.

"Thank you for your cooperation." I thanked them as I got in the driver's seat of my squad car and left. Once he and I were finally alone, I decided to break the ice, as it were, "...I know who you are."

"Well, duh." he rudely interrupts, "I'm Phantom Thief--"

"Your name is Lloyd Shamrock. Your family abandoned you when you were young and you made a living by becoming a legendary Phantom Thief who steals rare Duel Monsters cards and artifacts."

Lucky was rendered silent, then his hat obscured his eyes, "...What are your demands?"

"I'll let HIM tell you what we want when we get there."

"The police station?"

"No. It's obvious we're recruiting you for an...off-the-books operation, let's call it that."

Lucky was quiet the remainder of the car ride to their destination, not knowing who he got involved with...

Chapter 6: Magical Friendship (By ShootingStar25)

View Online

Crystal Prep Academy
3rd Person POV
12 Days Remain

The sun rose over the city of Canterlot. It was another glorious day as birds were out and about, their singing signaled the start of a new day. Yet, with that day, it meant the event that everybody was looking forward to was drawing very near. The students of Crystal Prep Academy were shown attending a school rally being held in the auditorium, with the Friendship Games coming up, the school was doing its best to make sure they picked the most valuable and advantageous Duelists to represent them in the event. 12 slots were on the team as the selecting process was based on grades, Win/Loss Record, as well as a person's deck itself.

For the one in charge, Principal Abacus Cinch knew that to be the best, they had to be the best. That meant not taking any chances with people who claimed they were deserving of being on the team. But actually, proving your worth.

The entire student body was gathered as soon their attention was called to the front. The person who they saw was none other than the Dean of the school. She was a girl who had pale, light grayish-purple eyes. She also had moderate violet with brilliant rose and pale gold streaks in her hair, as well as she had pale, light grayish cerise skin color.

"Good morning, students," said Cadence as she spoke into the microphone. Her response got a few murmurs among the sea of students present, "As you know, the Friendship Games are just around the corner. For the past few weeks, you have been tested and evaluated more than you ever have. But by doing so, we were able to conduct our research in determining who will fill out the spots to represent Crystal Prep in the event. Know that this was a hard and tedious process. Nevertheless, we hope that those who are selected know it is an honor to be representing your school. With that, time to unveil the final results."

The Dean now turned behind her as she pressed a remote. A projector screen lowered behind her as it then turned on. On the screen, for all to see, were the twelve empty slots. One by one, each slot was filled with the individual's name and their overall score that allowed them to get their spot.

Crystal Prep Academy's Top 12 Duelists
1. Twilight Sparkle - W/L: 6/0
2. Enix - W/L: 30/8
3. Indigo Zap - W/L: 32/11
4. Sugarcoat - W/L: 20/9
5. Isaac - W/L: 37/12
6. Sunny Flare - W/L: 9/3
7. Sour Sweet - W/L: 30/20
8. Lemon Zest - W/L: 36/28
9. Upper Crust - W/L: 24/19
10. Jet Set - W/L: 27/23
11. Royal Pin - W/L: 33/27
12. Suri Polomare - W/L: 31/29

Once the last of the slots were filled, everybody saw who would represent their school. Chatter began to break out as they were expressing what they saw.

Not a second later, did that stop. The air turned a bit cold, as the doors to the entrance opened up. Upon seeing who it was, nearly the entire room was quiet. Not a sound was made as you could hear a fly land on the wall. The person who made such silence happen was none other than the Principal of CPA. A woman who had grayish fuchsia eyes, her skin was that of light opalish gray. And her hair was a mix of colors that included, dark fuchsia, dark orchid, grayish magenta, grayish heliotrope, and moderate fuchsia. Her name was none other than Principal Abacus Cinch.

The woman pushed her glasses up as she began to walk. The sounds of heels clicking against the hard, wooden floor could be heard. She continued up the small flight of stairs to the stage as the sound was louder and robust. She then got to where Cadence was as the Dean stepped to the side as she allowed her to speak.

"Students of Crystal Prep. As you all know, the Friendship Games have come once again. The purpose behind these games is to acknowledge the friendship that is between Crystal Prep and Canterlot High. And in the spirit of friendship, both schools select their team of duelists against the other to see which one is truly the best. And every single time, Crystal Prep has proven its worth and walked away as the victors. The halls of these very schools are lined with such history and prestige. It would be a disservice and disrespectful to have everyone think about anything other than winning."

The students heard the small statement made by their principal as the majority of them agreed with her about them beating CHS with ease in the past.

"As such, I look forward to seeing what this year will bring for this team of competitors that have been chosen to represent Crystal Prep. The results are final, for the twelve names you see behind will be the ones to fight in the biggest event for both schools. And for those that have been selected, know what an honor and a privilege it is. For should you emerge victoriously, you will join an elite roster at our school in which your name will go down in this school's history. So...I pray to those that you do not get comfortable. For even the slightest hint of weakness is shown, our enemy will not hesitate to act on it. We are the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be."

The students felt motivated by Cinch's response that the majority of them cheered and made some noises. The principal smirked evilly as she had them all in the palm of her hand. She raised her hand once more as she had one final thing to say.

"And so, those selected will be putting in extra hours of training and prepping. That does not exclude you from assignments from your teachers or used an excuse to fall behind. Failure to do so will be given the harshest punishments and your spot will be taken away."

That statement caused murmurs to occur as the students were a bit frightened by the consequences laid down by their principal.

"We've invested everything in you, and sometimes in life, you just have to take a step back and look at your investment and decide, is this investment truly, going to pay off? Or is this investment just some cost? If you want to know what you have with a lump of coal, you stick it under immense pressure. That pressure does one of two things: the pressure either causes it to crumble and turn to dust and render it useless, or that pressure turns it into the diamond that you always hoped it could be. The question now is: Do you crumble or you do become the diamond that we have invested in? Because the pressure is on!!"

With that final statement, the students were now fired up as a sea of them raised their fists in unison. They chanted their school's name as they were boasting how they were going to smash Canterlot High at the Friendship Games. For Principal Cinch, she was watching her students as if they were soldiers ready to go to war. She then turned to look at the screen behind her as each of the twelve names selected she had a keen eye to watch them closely.

The days to come were filled with intense training sessions. The twelve individuals selected to represent their schools were gathered in a training room and pitted against A.I. bots to test their skills and sometimes each other. All the while, Cadence and Principal Cinch were watching their students as they were prepping their warriors for combat, the former feeling uneasy as these students we're so much more than soldiers to her.

One of the girls selected for the event was shown exiting the training room as she let out a sigh. She had managed to finish earlier than expected as she wanted to get away from the rest of the action she was taking part in. The girl was in her Crystal Prep uniform as she held a book in her hand. Her hair was a mass of pink-streaked purple hair tied into a bun. She had moderate violet eyes and had light mulberrish gray skin as well as thick black glasses on her face.

She had her Duel Disk on her wrist as she grabbed her backpack and began walking. The girl had her head down as she avoided all the passing stares she was getting from her classmates. Safe to say, despite being selected to represent their school, they didn't seem to like her that much. If anything, being chosen to compete in the Friendship Games made her that much more of a hated person.

She was wrestling with the thoughts in her head that she didn't notice she bumped into something. The girl fell as her glasses landed in front of her. She quickly retrieved it as she began to apologize.

"I'm s-sorry. I didn't see where I was going," spoke the girl nervously.

"Well, well, look who it is. If it isn't little Miss Know-It-All," said a student.

"I thought the glasses were supposed to help her see. Clearly, she's blind as a bat even with them," said another student.

"It's not her vision that's impaired. It's her brain," snickered another student.

The trio that was heckling the girl was also her teammates that would represent their school. The one the girl bumped into had moderate azure eyes as he too had some glasses. His hair was dark gray as his skin was that of spring greenish-gray. The person next to him was none other than his girlfriend. The girl had moderate persian blue eyes. Her hair consisted of pale, light grayish indigo with light gray streaks as her skin tone was pale, light grayish olive. The last of the trio was another male student who had moderate gold eyes. His hair consisted of white and pale, light grayish cobalt blue as his skin tone was grayish azure.

The trio now closed in on the girl who was still sitting on the floor.

"I'm sorry, please," said the girl as she appeared helpless and put her book up to protect her.

"Hey! Leave her alone," said a voice.

The trio looked up as did the girl on the floor to where the voice came from. It belonged to another student, for he too had been selected as one of the twelve individuals to participate in the Friendship Games. The boy however was a friend of the girl on the floor as he would always look out and defend her from any harassing and bullying.

The teen took a step forward as he stood a few meters behind the girl on the floor. His skin tone was that of brown, though one could even say caramel as was his eye color. As his hair was that of a darker shade, chocolate. He looked at the trio as he began to address them.

"She said she was sorry. Accept it and move on."

"Well, look who also shows up. The other of this outliner pair," said Jet Set.

"Figures, she wouldn't go anywhere with her 'boyfriend' to protect her," taunted Upper Crust.

"The saying goes, outliners have to stick together. Since there's no place for them," snickered Royal Pin.

"Tell me, boy? How did you get selected to be on the team? Matter of fact, how could you even go here without the proper funds?" asked Upper Crust.

"Because unlike you three spoiled brats, I had to work hard to get to where I am. I had to bust my ass every day, and not just me, but my parents. And I stand here on my accord and own merits. I don't rely on my parent's money to get whatever I want. I work for it." said the boy.

"Fitting that's where you belong. See, Isaac, there's a hierarchy in life. And those who had the most power, stand at the top, while those who have nothing and are weak, pathetic, shall remain at the bottom." stated Upper Crust.

"And yet, I'm on the team, aren't I?"

"Which beg the question: Why did Principal Cinch put you on the team?" asked Royal Pin.

"'Cause I'm one of the individuals who got a high score during the evaluations. Seems she recognizes that I got potential."

"Or she felt pity for you. And I wouldn't blame her to be honest. Cause if this wasn't about beating Canterlot High and proving once again why Crystal Prep is the dominant school, you wouldn't even be in the conversation."

"Without his friend here, he wouldn't even pass his classes," snickered Upper Crust.

"In your fantasy world, nothing is better than representing your school. You're gonna home, to your family. And you're gonna tell your parents, how far you've come. Mom and dad, look at me, have I made you proud in your pathetic lives?!!" stated Jet Set in a mocking tone as he got in the face of Isaac. "And they're gonna be so proud. They're gonna put your picture on the wall. Everybody's gonna be clapping. 'Oh my god, little Isaac, we're so proud of you. You did it, Isaac. And you know what the best part is, Isaac? You did it, you did it by yourself, Isaac. Isaac's a champion.' Then reality hits!"

At that moment, Jet Set slapped the boy to his face as he turned from the impact. Twilight saw this as she gasped at seeing the boy defend herself now be targeted for her actions.

"And that reality is staring you in the damn face, boy! That no matter what, you will never, never, amount to anything!" said Jet Set as he smirked along with his pals.

Isaac had brought his hand up to feel his cheek as he could sense the sting that it produced a moment ago. Yet, despite that, he didn't get angry, but more so laughed. This confused the trio in front of him as he was chuckling to himself as they thought he had finally lost it. The laughing soon died down as Isaac turned back to address the trio.

"Listen, you can talk bad about me all you want. I welcome it. But if you talk about my parents or Twilight, for that matter. Then you deal with me, face to face."

"Is that a threat?" said Jet Set as he wasn't buying Isaac's bluff.

"Feeling froggy? Jump," taunted the boy.

Jet Set didn't like being disrespected as he went to slap the boy once more. But this time, Isaac ducked under as he then did a slap of his own to the boy. His was more powerful than the one he received as Jet Set fell back into the arms of Upper Crust and Royal Pin as they couldn't believe someone of lower status had the gall to strike one of them. They were about to teach the boy a lesson when they were stopped.

"Seems I'll have to teach you what happens when those who don't listen to people of superior status step out of line." Jet Set strapped on one of Crystal Prep's state-of-the-art Solid Reality Duel Disks as the hard-light card tray with a silver outline beamed out.

"I was hoping you would ask that. Let's go," stated Isaac as he pulled out his own Solid Reality Duel Disk, the card tray's outline colored a golden yellow. "Duel Disk, go! Duel Gazer, let's roll!" said the boy as he had a small device over his left eye as Jet Set and the other three did the same.

"Augmented Reality Vision Link established," said a computerized, automatic voice.

"Let's Duel!" shouted both teens as the display showed their life points.

Jet Set: 4,000 LP
Isaac: 4,000 LP

Turn 1: Isaac - Hand: 5

"I'll start, I draw!" said the boy as he drew his card and looked at his hand. "I'll summon my Berry Magician Girl." A small baby spellcaster appeared as she had a tiny wand and sucked on a pacifier.

Berry Magician Girl
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 1
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 400
DEF: 400
Effect: If this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 "Magician Girl" monster from your Deck to your hand. Once per turn, during either player's turn, when your opponent activates a card or effect that targets this card, or targets this card for an attack: You can change this card's battle position, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Magician Girl" monster from your Deck, except "Berry Magician Girl".

"That's it?!" scoffed Upper Crust and Royal Pin at what monster Isaac chose to bring out on his first turn.

"No wonder, you're truly pathetic. A measly monster who doesn't have enough attack points to take down anything. Seems you're not the person we need to represent Crystal Prep." stated Jet Set.

"Don't judge a book by its cover. My Berry Magician Girl is quite powerful. For when she's summoned to the field, I can add a different 'Magician Girl' from my deck to my hand." The small baby then appeared as she sat down on the shoulder of her master as the images of his different options appeared on his Duel Disk.

"Which one do you want, Berry?" asked the boy to his magician as she sucked on her pacifier.

"Chocolate," said the baby as she selected one of her big sisters.

The boy nodded as he touched the card and clicked confirm as it slid out for him to grab and add to his hand. He gave the small baby a tummy rub as she giggled before returning to the field.

"I choose to add my Chocolate Magician Girl."

Chocolate Magician Girl
Attribute: WATER
Level: 4
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1000
Effect: Once per turn: You can discard 1 Spellcaster-Type monster; draw 1 card. Once per turn, if this card is targeted for an attack: You can target 1 Spellcaster-Type monster in your Graveyard, except "Chocolate Magician Girl"; Special Summon it, then change the attack target to it, and if you do, the attacking monster's ATK becomes half its current ATK.

"Then I'll place one card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 2: Jet Set - Hand: 5

"All that, and you accomplished nothing. Let me show you how a true duelist does it. I draw! I summon Crashbug Y in Attack Mode." said the boy as out emerged a monster who wore a striped uniform and had cuffs around its wrists.

Crashbug Y
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1600
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Crashbug X" from your Deck. You must control a face-up "Crashbug Z" to activate and to resolve this effect.

"Now, I'll have my monster attack your weak magician!"

"As I said, don't judge a book by its cover. For you see, my Berry Magician Girl has one last trick up her sleeve. Whenever she becomes the target of an attack, I can switch into Defense Mode. Then I'm allowed to summon another 'Magician Girl' from my deck to the field. So join us, Dark Magician Girl!" shouted the teen as from his Duel Disk emerged a light as it died down. Out appeared a female who wore a skirt, had blond hair, green eyes, and wielded a wand that matched her outfit that had the colors of blue and pink with a few touches of yellow.

Dark Magician Girl
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1700
Effect: Gains 300 ATK for every "Dark Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in the GY.

"Like that changes anything, my monster is still going to attack your Berry Magician Girl!" stated Jet Set.

"Then how about this, I reveal my face-down, Shift! Since you designated one monster on my side of the field as the target of a Spell, Trap, or attack. I can then choose a different target on my field. So now your Crashbug Y is attacking my Dark Magician Girl. And since she has higher Attack Points, the difference comes out of your Life Points, and you lose your monster!"

Shift (anime version)
Normal Trap Card
Effect: You can activate this card when your opponent designates 1 monster on your side of the field as the target of a Spell, Trap, or battle attack. Change the target to a different monster on your side of the field.

"What?" exclaimed Upper Crust and Royal Pin.

The insect now headed towards Dark Magician Girl as the magician showed no fear. She simply pointed her wand in retaliation and blasted a spell that took out the creature as it bit the dust (Jet Set: 4,000 - 600 = 3400).

"Looks like this outliner knows what he's doing," taunted Isaac.

"One fancy move and you think you're all that. Please, you're still as I said you were. And I'm going to prove it. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 3: Isaac - Hand: 5

"It's my move, I draw! I summon my Chocolate Magician Girl (1600/1000). Then I activate her ability, so by sending my Magician's Robe to the graveyard, I'm allowed to draw one more card. And since I currently control a Level 4 or lower monster on my field, I can summon this monster to join the fray. Mage Annette in Defense Mode!"

A small kid magician appeared before the teen. She had brunette hair as she had a book in her left hand and a wand in her right. She wore glasses and a white shoulder-less dress as she twirled around with bits of particles appearing as she spun in a circle.

Mage Annette
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 4
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1300
DEF: 1700
Effect: If you control a Level 4 or lower monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. When this monster is summoned: You can draw one card from your Deck.

"By summoning Mage Annette, I can draw another card. Then I'll have my Chocolate Magician Girl attack you directly!" commanded the boy as his spellcaster pointed her wand at his opponent as she blasted away another chunk of his life points (Jet Set: 3,400 - 1,600 = 1,800 LP).

"Time to seal the deal, Dark Magician Girl, attack him directly!"

"Not this time! I reveal Shrink! Now I can cut your Dark Magician Girl's Attack Points by half until the end of the turn!" stated Jet Set as he weaken his foe's monster (Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2000 - 1000 = 1000) but still managed to get hit by a powerful attack (Jet Set: 1,800 - 1,000 = 800 LP)

Shrink
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 face-up monster on the field; its original ATK becomes halved until the end of this turn.

"In that case, I'll end my turn by switching my Berry Magician Girl back to attack mode." as Isaac finished, Dark Magician Girl’s Attack Points went back to their maximum amount (Dark Magician Girl: ATK 1000 + 1000 = 2000).

Turn 4: Jet Set - Hand: 4

"It's my draw, I'll start by playing The Shallow Grave."

The Shallow Grave
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Each player targets 1 monster in their own GY; each player Special Summons the target from their GY in face-down Defense Position.

"Now we each pick a monster in our Graveyard to bring back. But they have to be face-down in Defense Mode. So I'm bringing back my Crashbug Y." stated Jet Set.

"And I bring back my Magician's Robe (700/2000)," said Isaac as he now had another monster on his field as all of his slots were full.

"Then I'll then flip over my Crashbug Y. Next, I'll summon Crashbug X to join the field!"

Crashbug X
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 2000
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Crashbug Z" from your Deck. You must control a face-up "Crashbug Y" to activate and to resolve this effect.

"And by doing that, I can activate its effect, since I control Crashbug Y, Crashbug X allows me to summon Crashbug Z from my deck!" Two lights appeared as standing to the monster already on the field were two similar fiends.

Crashbug Z
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 1500
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Crashbug Y" from your Deck. You must control a face-up "Crashbug X" to activate and to resolve this effect.

"With that, I'll now overlay all three of my monsters to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Jet Set as all three of his monsters turned into orbs of light. A red portal opened in front of him as they all entered as a pillar of light emerged. “With the three deadliest viruses of the net, I call upon the most fearful of machines! That's right, prepare to meet your defeat! Here comes Number 34: Terror-Byte in Defense Mode!" The new monster that appeared unfolded itself as its Xyz Materials circled it as the creature let out a sound.

Number 34: Terror-Byte
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 3
Type: Machine/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 2900
Effect: 3 Level 3 monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target 1 Level 4 or lower Attack Position monster your opponent controls; gain control of it until the End Phase.

"I'm certainly glad Pegasus incorporated the Astral Numbers into his game after Astral World and Barian World's petty, little war! I then activate Terror-Byte's ability, by using one Overlay Unit, I can target one Level 4 or lower monster you control and bring it to my side of the field until the End Phase. So I select your Chocolate Magician Girl!" said Jet Set as one of Isaac's monsters was yanked to the opposite side (Number 34: Terror-Byte: OLU 3 - 1 = 2).

"So, you gonna attack?" taunted the teen.

"You think I'm stupid? You put your Berry Magician Girl back into Attack Mode cause you were hoping to bring out another monster. I don't fall for the same trick twice. I then play the Continuous Spell Card, Infected Mail."

Infected Mail
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower monster you control; it can attack your opponent directly this turn. Send it to the Graveyard at the end of the Battle Phase.

"Now, I can target one Level 4 or lower monster that I control, and it can attack you directly. And since my Chocolate Magician Girl is Level 4, she fits the bill."

"You mean, my Chocolate Magician Girl. You stole her from me!"

"Yes, 'cause she wasn't worthy to be with a boy like you. Me, on the other hand, well, I'm more than qualified to have a beauty like her by my side. So now, attack him directly!" stated Jet Set as he pointed. The magician heard the command as she had a face of regret as she pointed her wand and fired a spell that collided with her master (Isaac: 4,000 - 1,600 = 2,400 LP).

"With that, the Battle Phase ends and so I have no need for the girl anymore," stated Jet Set as he waved his hand to dismiss the magician as she was gone into Isaac's Graveyard due to Infected Mail's second effect. "Now that she's no longer involved with me, I think I'll go shopping for a new girl to hook up with. Which one of your girls are you willing to lend me, Isaac?"

"Hands off, buddy. My girls are loyal to me. They wouldn't be caught dead with a man like you," stated the teen as the rest of his female magicians all stuck their tongues at his opponent.

"We'll see. For now, I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 5: Isaac - Hand: 5

"It's my turn, so here goes!" said Isaac as he drew his card and then looked at his hand.

Alright, what do I got to work with? Right now, the only monster that Jet Set has is Terror-Byte. On its own, it's not threatening. However, its special ability makes it that much more difficult. So long as it has Xyz Materials, he can simply remove an Overlay Unit to take control of any of my Level 4 or lower monsters. Right now, my Dark Magician Girl is protecting me as she has 2,000 Attack Points and he doesn't have a monster to take her out. Not to mention she's Level 6, so he can't take control of her.

But even then, she can't defend me forever. And then there's his Spell, Infected Mail. It allows him to have one monster he controls to attack me directly, then send it to the Graveyard afterwards. And right now, I have three other monsters that he can control and use to chip away at my Life Points till I reach zero. With that plan in mind, he might not even need to worry about my Dark Magician Girl. So, I got to find a way to take that monster out and go in for the final blow. Maybe...

The boy now looked at his hand as he was seeing the cards he had. He looked at one and then another as in his brain he was connecting the dots as the line was laying out his roadmap that he could use to win.

Hope this works.

"I'll now sacrifice my Berry Magician Girl so that I can summon my Apprentice Illusion Magician!" stated Isaac as his small magician disappeared as a new, older, female girl appeared twirled her wand.

Apprentice Illusion Magician
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1700
Effect: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by discarding 1 card. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Dark Magician" from your Deck to your hand. During damage calculation, if your other DARK Spellcaster monster battles an opponent's monster (Quick Effect): You can send this card from your hand or face-up field to the GY; that monster you control gains 2000 ATK/DEF during that damage calculation only.

"Then the effect of my Apprentice Illusion Magician activates since I summoned her, I can add 'Dark Magician' to my hand from my deck." The Duel Disk then ejected the card as the boy grabbed it.

"Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack Terror-Byte!"

"Are you dumb? She has 2,000 Attack Points while my monster has 2,900 Defense Points. In a head-to-head battle, she wouldn't even deal a blow and you're the one who's going to lose Life Points in their difference." stated Jet Set.

"Yes, that's true," smirked Isaac. "That is...if I didn't have this. For you see my Apprentice Illusion Magician has another trick to perform. By sending her to the Graveyard, I can give a DARK-Attribute Spellcaster on my field an additional 2,000 Attack Points."

"What?" said Upper Crust and Royal Pin.

"So now my Dark Magician Girl has 4,000 total Attack Points. Which makes her stronger than your monster. Go, Dark Burning Attack!" shouted the boy to his female magician (Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2000 + 2000 = 4000).

"My monster is not going anywhere, I reveal Half Unbreak. Thanks to this Trap, my monster can't be destroyed in battle. And any damage I take is cut in half!" stated Jet Set as a bubble barrier formed around Terror-Byte as the spell made contact with the shield as it was stopped. It did make the boy lose his balance a bit as his Trap held.

Half Unbreak
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Target 1 monster on the field; this turn, that monster cannot be destroyed by battle, also any battle damage you take from attacks involving that monster is halved.

"Well, shit," mumbled Isaac to himself at his plan for failing. But as Twilight says, it's not over yet.

The boy looked at his hand as he knew what to do.

"I end my turn by placing one card face-down. Your move."

Turn 6: Jet Set - Hand: 2

"Indeed it is," said the boy as he drew his card. "Now, I'll activate Terror-Byte's ability once more, I use another Xyz Material to take control of one Level 4 or lower monster on your side of the field. And I'll choose your Mage Annette!" Once more, another monster of Isaac's was forced to switch sides as the small girl had a sad face that she was about to harm her master (Number 34: Terror-Byte: OLU 2 - 1 = 1).

"Then I'll activate the effect of my Infected Mail. So now this turn, she can attack you directly. Time to lose more Life Points!" mocked Jet Set as the girl lifted her small wand and fired a spell to which Isaac merely blocked it by lifting his Duel Disk as he stood his ground (Isaac: 2,400 - 1,300 = 1,100 LP). "And now that the Battle Phase is over, she is destroyed. With that, I'll now switch my Terror-Byte into Attack Mode."

"Huh?" said Twilight as she was still on the ground watching the duel.

"Almost there. I play the Quick-Play Spell Hand Destruction!"

Hand Destruction
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Each player sends 2 cards from their hand to the GY, then draws 2 cards.

"Now we both discard two cards, then draw two new ones." Jet Set stated as they both did so.

What are you planning to do?" Isaac asked.

"Simple, 'cause now since I have Crashbug X, Y, and Z in my Graveyard. By banishing them, I can summon this. Super Crashbug in Defense Mode!" shouted Jet Set as the ground in front of him opened up. A hand then emerged as out came the monster to which it was huge and let out a sound.

Super Crashbug
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 3000
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) in face-up Defense Position, by banishing "Crashbug X", "Crashbug Y", and "Crashbug Z" from your Graveyard. Switch the ATK and DEF of all face-up Attack Position monsters on the field. There can only be 1 face-up "Super Crashbug" on the field.

"Now, Super Crashbug's ability activates. All face-up monsters have their Attack and Defense Points switched. So now my Terror-Byte has 2,900 Attack Points, while your Dark Magician Girl only has 1,700 Attack Points. Come next turn, you lose. So any final words?"

Turn 7: Isaac - Hand: 5

"Yeah, I do. This duel ain't over yet."

"Please."

"Watch this, I draw!" shouted the boy as he drew his card. "To start, I'll activate the effect of my Level Lifter."

Level Lifter
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Send 1 monster from your hand to the Graveyard, then target up to 2 face-up monsters you control; until the end of this turn, their Levels become the original Level of the monster sent to the Graveyard to activate this card.

"So by sending one card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can target up to two monsters I control and have their Levels match the monster I sent away. So I choose to discard my Magician of Dark Illusion." stated Isaac as he slotted his monster into the Graveyard slot of his Duel Disk.

Magician of Dark Illusion
Attribute: DARK
Level: 7
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 2500
Effect: This card's name becomes "Dark Magician" while on the field. You can only use each of these effects of "Magician of Dark Illusion" once per turn.
●During your opponent's turn, if you activate a Spell/Trap Card or effect (except during the Damage Step): You can Special Summon this card from your hand.
●If you activate a Spell/Trap Card or effect while this card is face-up on your field (except during the Damage Step): You can target 1 "Dark Magician" in your GY; Special Summon it. This effect can only be used once while this card is face-up on the field.

"And since he was Level 7, that means both my Dark Magician Girl and Magician's Robe have their Levels increased to 7." The magician and living robe felt their Levels grow suddenly (Dark Magician Girl: Level 6 > 7) (Magician's Robe: Level 2 > 7).

"2 Level 7 monsters? But...wait..."

"Now...I overlay both my Dark Magician Girl and Magician's Robe to build...the Overlay Network!" Both of the boy's monsters turned into dark orbs of light as they hovered in place. A red portal opened up in front of him as they entered and a pillar of light emerged. "With the young, beautiful wizard and the garments of the mage, I bring forth the ebony-colored illusionist! I Xyz Summon, Ebon Illusion Magician!!"

Ebon Illusion Magician
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 7
Type: Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 2500
Effect: 2 Level 7 monsters
You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a Rank 6 Spellcaster-Type Xyz Monster you control as the Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; Special Summon 1 Spellcaster-Type Normal Monster from your hand or Deck. When a Spellcaster-Type Normal Monster declares an attack: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; banish it. You can only use this effect of "Ebon Illusion Magician" once per turn.

"Only 2,500 Attack Points, it's strong. But that's not strong enough to take out my boyfriend's monster," snickered Upper Crust.

"Oh, trust me. It has the power to take down that beast. Watch, I activate Ebon Illusion Magician's special ability. By using one Overlay Unit (Ebon Illusion Magician: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), I can summon a Normal Spellcaster-type monster from my hand or Deck. So...make way for the one and only, Dark Magician (2500/2100)!" A pillar of light shined as soon it died down to reveal the powerful and legendary monster as it stood before all.

"Two magicians, but one with 2,100 Attack Points due to Super Crashbug's ability. The math still adds up, you can't beat me." taunted Jet Set.

"Then maybe this will change your mind, cause I still have a face-down. I reveal my Thousand Knives!"

Thousand Knives
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you control "Dark Magician": Target 1 monster your opponent controls; destroy that target.

"Since I control Dark Magician, this card allows me to destroy one card on your field! So say goodbye to your Super Crashbug!" stated Isaac as thousands of small daggers appeared before being hurled toward the giant creatures as they embedded into its skin and turned to particles.

"Now, Dark Magician, attack!"

"Huh?" said the trio.

"Oops, I forgot. It slipped my mind, see, Ebon Illusion Magician has another effect. Whenever a Normal Spellcaster-type monster declares an attack, I can target one card you control and...banish it."

"Banish?!!" said the trio as they didn't like hearing that.

"So, with a snap of my fingers. Your monster...disappears," stated Isaac as he snapped his fingers as Terror-Byte vanished in a puff of smoke.

"No...impossible..." said Jet Set as he fell to his knees.

"I think it's time I put you out of your misery. Dark Magician, finish this Duel! Dark Magic Attack!!" shouted Isaac as he thrust his hand out. The magician heard the command as he spun his staff in his hand and then fired a powerful spell that made contact with his foe as he was flung backward and onto the ground (Jet Set: 800 - 2,500 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Isaac

The Duel ended as the Augmented Reality dissipated. Upper Crust and Royal Pin were by their friend's side as they checked on him. Meanwhile, Twilight was on the ground when she noticed a shadow over her.

"You okay?" asked Isaac as he offered his hand to his friend.

Twilight nodded as she grabbed his hand with hers which got her to turn a bit red. With one tug, he pulled his friend to her knees as she dusted off her uniform. Before she could thank her friend for defending her, they heard a voice.

"Don't think you're gonna walk away just yet!" shouted Upper Crust. "You hurt my boyfriend, so it's time I make you pay!" The girl slapped on her Duel Disk with the card tray's outline a pale purple and put on her Duel Gazer as she looked ready to rumble.

"I'm always up for a Duel," smiled Isaac as he put back on his Duel Gazer.

//Augmented Reality Vision Link established.// said the voice as the field changed again.

Isaac: 4,000 LP
Upper Crust: 4,000 LP

Turn 1: Upper Crust - Hand: 5

"Ladies first," said Upper Crust as she drew her card. "I summon Fluffal Leo!" A plushie lion came out as it gave a cute roar.

Fluffal Leo
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Fairy/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1200
Effect: When this card declares an attack: It gains 500 ATK until the end of the Battle Phase.

"With that done, I'll then activate Toy Vendor."

Toy Vendor
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: Once per turn: You can discard 1 card; draw 1 card and show it, then if it is a "Fluffal" monster, you can Special Summon 1 monster from your hand. Otherwise, discard the card you drew. If this card is sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Edge Imp Sabres" or 1 "Fluffal" monster from your Deck to your hand.

"Now by discarding one card from my hand, I can draw a card and reveal it. If it's a 'Fluffal' monster, it means I can special summon one monster from my hand. But if it's not, I have to get rid of it. So, time to find out!"

The vendor then had a coin slot in as the dial was turned. Out popped a small capsule as it revealed what Upper Crust's next card was.

"Looks like I was right, it's my Fluffal Dolphin. So that means I can summon any monster I choose. So make way for a really sharp monster, Edge Imp Saw." The monster that emerged was indeed a saw as its eyes were shown in blood red.

Fluffal Dolphin
Attribute: WATER
Level: 4
Type: Fairy/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1000
Effect: You can target 1 "Toy Vendor" in your GY; Set it, and if you do, send 1 "Fluffal" monster or 1 "Edge Imp Sabres" from your Deck to the GY. If this card is sent to the GY as Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon: You can shuffle into the Deck, 1 of your "Fusion" Spells or "Polymerization" Spells that is banished or in your GY. You can only use each effect of "Fluffal Dolphin" once per turn.

Edge Imp Saw
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 500
DEF: 1000
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can send 1 "Fluffal" monster from your hand to the Graveyard; draw 2 cards, then place 1 card from your hand on either the top or bottom of your Deck. You can only use this effect of "Edge Imp Saw" once per turn.

"Now I play Polymerization so I'll combine both my Edge Imp Saw and Fluffal Leo!”

Polymerization
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Material.

“Sharpened steel and ruler of the jungle! When the two come together, prepare to rumble! I Fusion Summon! Level 7! Frightfur Leo!"

The monster that emerged was something only dreamed about in nightmares. A lion that stood on its leg as its face was ripped open with saw blades coming out of its head and whole middle body as it let out a fierce growl that shook the whole school.

Frightfur Leo
Attribute: DARK
Level: 7
Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2400
DEF: 2000
Effect: "Edge Imp Saw" + 1 "Fluffal" monster
Must be Fusion Summoned. You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; destroy it, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's original ATK. You can only use this effect of "Frightfur Leo" once per turn. This card cannot attack directly during the turn you activate this effect.

"With that, I end my turn."

Turn 2: Isaac - Hand: 5

"My turn, I draw," stated Isaac as he began to devise a plan to deal with Upper Crust's monster. "I'll start by summoning my Magician's Valkyria in Defense Mode." A portal opened up as out came a teen magician girl who spun her staff before taking her position in front of her master.

Magician's Valkyria
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 4
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1800
Effect: Monsters your opponent controls cannot target face-up Spellcaster-Type monsters for attacks, except this one.

"Next, I'll play Graceful Charity. So I draw three cards and discard two."

Graceful Charity
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Draw 3 cards, then discard 2 cards.

The boy picked up his cards as he now began to look through his hand for the ones he wanted to get rid of. He grabbed them as he slotted them into his Graveyard.

"I'll then lay one card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 3: Upper Crust - Hand: 3

"Couldn't do much against my Leo. Don't worry, I'll make sure that your defeat is slow and painful. Now then," said the girl as she drew her card. "I activate Frightfur Leo's special ability!"

"Uh-oh," said Isaac as he knew what the monster's effect was.

"Indeed. Now I can target one monster you control and destroy it. So your Magician's Valkyria is gone!" Frightfur Leo then powered up its saws as it shot them out in smaller disks as they cut right through the girl as she let out a scream before turning into particles.

"Now the second effect of my monster activates, you take damage equal to your monster's Attack Points," smirked Upper Crust. The saws now headed towards Isaac as he was able to move his foot out of the way as one of them embedded into the ground. He covered up as they zoomed past him (Isaac: 4,000 - 1,600 = 2,400 LP).

"I'm far from done, ‘cause I now summon Fluffal Owl."

Fluffal Owl
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 2
Type: Fairy/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1000
Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned from the hand: You can add 1 "Polymerization" from your Deck to your hand. You can pay 500 LP; Fusion Summon 1 "Frightfur" Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters from your hand or field as Fusion Materials. You can only use 1 "Fluffal Owl" effect per turn, and only once that turn.

"And when I summon Fluffal Owl, I can add a Polymerization from my Deck to my hand." Out came a small plushie owl as it then floated towards the girl's Duel Disk as it pecked at it. It managed to grab the fusion Spell as she took it. "And I'll activate it now, I fuse my Fluffal Owl, and the Edge Imp Sabres and Fluffal Bear in my hand! Bird of prey, edge of sharpness, fury of bear! When the three come together, prepare for a scare! I Fusion Summon! Level 6! Frightfur Tiger!" Once more another scary-looking creature appeared as the middle of its body was separated by the sabers as it let out a roar.

Edge Imp Sabres
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 800
Effect: If this card is in your GY: You can place 1 card from your hand on the top of the Deck; Special Summon this card in Defense Position. You can only use this effect of "Edge Imp Sabres" once per turn.

Fluffal Bear
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Fairy/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 800
Effect: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard; Set 1 "Toy Vendor" directly from your Deck to your Spell & Trap Zone. You can Tribute this card, then target 1 "Polymerization" in your Graveyard; add it to your hand. You can only use 1 "Fluffal Bear" effect per turn, and only once that turn.

Frightfur Tiger
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1200
Effect: "Edge Imp Sabres" + 1 or more "Fluffal" monsters
When this card is Fusion Summoned: You can target cards on the field, up to the number of Fusion Materials used for its Fusion Summon; destroy them. All "Frightfur" monsters you control gain 300 ATK for each "Fluffal" monster and "Frightfur" monster you control. You can only control 1 "Frightfur Tiger".

"Now my Frightfur Tiger's effect activates, when he's Fusion Summoned, I can target cards on the field, up to the number of Fusion Materials that I used to summon it and destroy them. So since I used three materials, I can destroy up to three cards. But I only need one, and so your face-down is gone!" stated Upper Crust as the only card left on Isaac's field was destroyed.

"Also, my tiger's other effect, is that all my 'Frightfur' monsters I control gain 300 extra Attack Points for each 'Fluffal' and 'Frightfur' monster I control. So since I currently have two 'Frightfur' monsters, that means both of my monsters gain 600 more Attack Points. Giving my Frightfur Leo a total of 3000 Attack Points and my Frightfur Tiger a total of 2500 Attack Points. And that's more than enough to finish this duel, right now!" stated Upper Crust with a smile as the horrifying monsters gained new power (Frightfur Leo: ATK 2400 + 600 = 3000)(Frightfur Tiger: ATK 1900 + 600 = 2500), "So, time to pay for beating my boyfriend. Frightfur Tiger, end him!" shouted the girl.

"Please, this Duel isn't over. And I'm still in this."

"How? You have no monsters to defend you. And your face-down which you probably set up to protect yourself from any of my attacks, is also gone. You have literally, have nothing on the field!"

"True, but yet I'm still in this Duel," stated Isaac.

"Stop speaking in riddles, what do you mean?"

"Let me ask you something, Upper Crust: Do you remember every move I made during my turn?"

"You played a monster, then Graceful Charity to draw three more cards but you had to discard two. And a simple face-down. Well, I took care of that monster while dealing you damage. Then I took care of your face-down that you set. So, you have nothing!"

"Wrong again!"

"What trickery are you trying to pull? You... have... nothing!! I win!!!"

"It's not over," smirked the boy.

At that moment, before Upper Crust's monster could make contact with the boy. A wall of electricity formed as it paralyzed the monster in its tracks as it let out a howl from being stunned. A small metal turtle was shown as it was releasing all the voltage it had stored up as it managed to slow down Frightfur Tiger as it returned to the girl's side of the field.

"What happened?!!!" demanded Upper Crust.

"It's simple. I told you, this duel wasn't over. You didn't believe."

"This doesn't make sense. How could you have stopped my attack when you had nothing on your field?"

"I didn't use the field. I used my Graveyard."

"What?!!" said the girl with a raised eyebrow while she growled.

"During my turn, I played Magician's Valkyria, then Graceful Charity, followed by a face-down. You were right in taking out my monster and then my face-down. However, they were just a mere distraction. The one you should have paid attention to was when I played Graceful Charity. For you see, I had to discard cards. But you didn't see what card I got rid of. I'd figured you would find a way to leave me with an empty field, so I prepared myself for when you launched your attack, I could stop it dead in its tracks. And I did...thanks to my Electromagnetic Turtle!"

Electromagnetic Turtle
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 4
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 1800
Effect: During your opponent's Battle Phase (Quick Effect): You can banish this card from your GY; end the Battle Phase. You can only use this effect of "Electromagnetic Turtle" once per Duel.

The small turtle then appeared in front of the boy as his duel disk ejected his card as he grabbed it and showed it.

"That thing, stopped my assault?" said Upper Crust as she didn't believe the boy's bluff.

"Yes, for you see, if I banish Electromagnetic Turtle from my Graveyard, I can immediately end the Battle Phase. He may not be much on his own when it comes to power, but his true strength lies within his special ability. Which is more than enough for me to have him in my deck as a valuable member of my team. So by removing my monster, you reach the end of your turn." smirked Isaac.

"Maybe, but now I have two powerful monsters with at least 2500 Attack Points. And you only have 2400 Life Points and no other current cards on the field. So come next turn, I'm finishing you!" stated Upper Crust with a smile of overconfidence.

Turn 4: Isaac - Hand: 4

"Then, I better make this turn count. Here goes something," said the boy casually as he drew his card and looked at it. "I've drawn Palladium Oracle Mahad. When I draw Mahad, I can reveal him and then summon him to the field!" Out emerged another magician as it was the same person who was the boy's Dark Magician as he was in his Egyptian garments.

Palladium Oracle Mahad
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 7
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2100
Effect: When you draw this card: You can reveal this card; Special Summon it from your hand. If this card battles a DARK monster, its ATK is doubled during the Damage Step only. If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.

"Next, I'll play Dark Magic Veil to Special Summon my Dark Magician Girl from my hand by paying 1,000 Life Points!" after making the aforementioned payment (Isaac: 2,400 - 1,000 = 1,400 LP) a circle made from dark magic appeared in the center of Isaac's field and the iconic apprentice, Dark Magician Girl warps out of it, making her second appearance in the course of two Duels (2000/1700).

Dark Magic Veil
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Pay 1000 LP; Special Summon 1 DARK Spellcaster-Type monster from your hand or Graveyard.

"Then, I'll do a little Fusion Summoning of my own, with this. The Eye of Timaeus!" shouted the boy as he held his card above him as it shined with a bright light.

The Eye of Timaeus
Normal Spell Card
Effect: (This card is also always treated as "Legendary Dragon Timaeus".)
Target 1 "Dark Magician" monster you control; Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck that lists that monster on the field as Fusion Material, using it as the Fusion Material. You can only activate 1 "The Eye of Timaeus" per turn.

"With this, I can combine my Dark Magician Girl with my Eye of Timaeus so that I can Fusion Summon. By combining the beautiful mage and the eye of the mighty dragon, I create the one of the greatest and noblest knights! I Fusion Summon! Level 7! Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight!" Out came a dragon that was humongous as it spread its wings and let out a roar. In addition, there was also a rider on the dragon’s back. The rider was a female and she dawned a silver outfit that not only resembled her previous outfit but also looked like a suit of armor; instead of her trusted wand, she wielded a sword.

Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight
Attribute: DARK
Level: 7
Type: Dragon/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2600
DEF: 1700
Effect: "Dark Magician Girl" + 1 Dragon monster
Must be Fusion Summoned with the above Fusion Materials or with "The Eye of Timaeus". Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can send 1 card from your hand to the GY, then target 1 face-up card on the field; destroy that target.

"So you summoned a Fusion Monster, big deal. My Frightfur Leo is still the strongest one on the field. And come next turn, his ability will kick in to allow me to destroy one monster on your field and then you take damage equal to its attack points. And since both of your monsters have over 2400 attack points, all I need to do is pick one, and the rest of your life points drop to zero." smirked the girl.

"There won't be a next turn, well...not for you, anyways."

"What?"

"Watch! Mahad, attack her Frightfur Leo!"

"Are you a dumbass?! My monster beats your magician by 500 points."

"Then I should explain Mahad's ability! When he battles a DARK-Attribute monster, his Attack Points double!"

"No way!!" said the girl as she realized what that meant.

"Frightfur Leo is a DARK-Attribute, so that means my Mahad rises to 5000 attack points, which makes him stronger than your monster!" (Palladium Oracle Mahad: ATK 2500 x 2 = 5000) stated the boy as his magician fired his staff at the nightmarish lion as the buzz saws it threw to ward off the attack simply missed before the spellcaster fired his attack to destroy the creature (Upper Crust: 4,000 - 2,000 = 2,000 LP).

"With your Frightfur Leo gone, your Frightfur Tiger loses 300 Attack Points, making it drop down to 2200. Now, Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight, slay that monstrosity!!" commanded the boy as his monster obeyed (Frightfur Tiger: ATK 2,500 - 400 = 2,100). The dragon opened its mouth as the girl, powered up her sword. Once both were charged up, they aimed their attacks at the other creature as they combined and took it out as well (Upper Crust: 2,100 - 400 = 1,700).

"One more attack."

"How? Both of your monsters have already battled?!!"

"This. De-Fusion!"

De-Fusion
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 Fusion Monster on the field; return that target to the Extra Deck, then, if all the Fusion Materials that were used for its Fusion Summon are in your GY, you can Special Summon all of them.

"Now I can split my Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight back to its components. So rise my Dark Magician Girl!" shouted Isaac as the Fusion Monster that was before him was gone as the dragon vanished and his female magician was left. "And because I summoned my Dark Magician Girl in the middle of the battle, it can attack right now."

"No!!" said Upper Crust as there was nothing she could do.

"Go, Mana! Dark Burning Attack!" stated the boy as he thrust his arm out. The female sorcerer winked at her master before firing off a powerful spell that hit her foe in the chest.

"Ahhh!!" screamed Upper Crust as she was thrown onto the ground (Upper Crust: 1,700 - 2,000 = 0 LP)

WINNER: Isaac

Once more, the augmented reality link disappeared. Royal Pin was checking on his pals as Twilight appeared behind her friend.

"That..."

"Hold on, Twilight," said Isaac as he put a finger up.

"You forgot about me!" stated Royal Pin as he strapped up to fight, the card tray's outline a dark blue.

"Figured this would happen," said Isaac with a smile as he could see this coming from a mile away. He reset his Duel Disk as the field was set.

"Augmented Reality Vision Link established," said the voice of their Duel Disks.

"Let's Duel!" shouted both duelists.

Isaac: 4,000 LP
Royal Pin: 4,000 LP

Turn 1: Royal Pin - Hand: 5

"My draw and I'll start by playing the Spell card, Flower Stacking."

Flower Stacking
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Choose 3 "Flower Cardian" monsters with different names from your Deck, and place them on top of your Deck in any order. During your Main Phase, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 "Flower Cardian" monster in your Graveyard; add it to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Flower Stacking" once per turn.

"Now I can take 3 different 'Flower Cardian' monsters from my deck and place them on the top in any order I choose. so I'll take Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom, Flower Cardian Pine with Crane, and Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly in that order." stated Royal Pin.

Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 100
Effect: If you control a Level 2 or lower "Flower Cardian" monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, also you cannot Normal or Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except "Flower Cardian" monsters. Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 "Flower Cardian" monster; draw 1 card, and if you do, show it, then, if it is a "Flower Cardian" monster, you can take 1 "Flower Cardian" monster from your Deck, except "Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom", and either add it to your hand or Special Summon it. Otherwise, send the card you drew to the GY.

Flower Cardian Pine with Crane
Attribute: DARK
Level: 1
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 2000
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by Tributing 1 Level 1 "Flower Cardian" monster, except "Flower Cardian Pine with Crane". If this card is Special Summoned: Draw 1 card, and if you do, show it, then you can Special Summon it if it is a "Flower Cardian" monster. Otherwise, send it to the GY. Once per turn, at the end of the Battle Phase, if this card battled: You can draw 1 card.

Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Type: Warrior/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1000
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by Tributing 1 "Flower Cardian" monster, except "Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly". If this card is Special Summoned: Draw 1 card, and if you do, show it, then, if it is a "Flower Cardian" monster, look at the top 3 cards of your opponent's Deck, then place them all on the top or bottom of the Deck in any order. Otherwise, send it to the Graveyard. When this card is used as Synchro Material, you can treat it and all other Synchro Materials (that have a Level) as Level 2 monsters.

"Then I'll activate another Spell, Super Koi Koi!"

Super Koi Koi
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Excavate the top 3 cards of your Deck and Special Summon as many "Flower Cardian" monsters among them as possible, ignoring their Summoning conditions, but their Levels become 2 and they have their effects negated. Banish the remaining cards, face-down, and if you do, lose 1000 LP for each. You can banish this card from your Graveyard and Tribute 1 monster; Special Summon 1 "Flower Cardian" monster from your hand, ignoring its Summoning conditions. You can only activate 1 "Super Koi Koi" per turn.

"Now I can excavate the top 3 cards of my deck and summon any 'Flower Cardian' monsters among them."

"That's why you played the spell before so that you could manipulate what you were going to draw," stated Isaac.

"Correct, as you already know, all three of my cards are Flower Cardians. So they all appeared on the field, with their abilities negated and their Levels dropped to 2," said Royal Pin as the three monsters he mentioned before appeared before him as they were side by side. "Next, I'll take things to the next level thanks to Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly cause it's a Tuner. So I tune my Level 2 Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly along with Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom, and Flower Cardian Pine with Crane!"

The first monster leaped into the air as it turned into two giant green rings that circled its comrades who jumped in between the rings as a pillar of light was shot through them (Level 2 + 2 + 2 = 6).

"With the three flowery swordsmen, they can unite and show what happens to those who defy their master! I Synchro Summon, Level 6, Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing!" The monster that came out was a geisha girl who had a small fan in her hand as the wind blew around her spreading leaves.

Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Type: Warrior/Synchro/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 2000
Effect: 1 Tuner + 2 non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can draw 1 card, and if you do, show it, then, if it is a "Flower Cardian" monster, you can Special Summon it, ignoring its Summoning conditions, and it can attack directly this turn. If you activated this effect, skip the Draw Phase of your next turn. When this card is used as Synchro Material, you can treat it and all other Synchro Materials (that have a Level) as Level 2 monsters.

"Now I activate Moonflowerviewing's special ability, during my turn, I can draw one card, and if it's a 'Flower Cardian' monster. I can summon it." Royal Pin then drew his card as it was revealed to be a monster.

"I reveal Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher!" A new monster emerged as its power levels were on full display.

Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher
Attribute: DARK
Level: 11
Type: Warrior/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 2000
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by Tributing 1 Level 11 "Flower Cardian" monster, except "Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher". If this card is Special Summoned: Draw 1 card, and if you do, show it, then you can Special Summon it if it is a "Flower Cardian" monster. Otherwise, send it to the GY. When this card is used as Synchro Material, you can treat it and all other Synchro Materials (that have a Level) as Level 2 monsters.

"And thanks to my Moonflowerviewing's other half of its effect. It allows the monster I revealed to attack you directly, for this turn only. But before that, I activate the effect of Cardian Willow with Calligrapher, so I draw one card. And if it's a 'Flower Cardian' then I can summon it. And wouldn't you know, it is. Come forth, Flower Cardian Clover with Boar!" Another monster appeared as it had the image of the hog standing on its legs like a human in a suit of armor.

Flower Cardian Clover with Boar
Attribute: DARK
Level: 7
Type: Warrior/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1000
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by Tributing 1 "Flower Cardian" monster, except "Flower Cardian Clover with Boar". If this card is Special Summoned: Draw 1 card, and if you do, show it, then, if it is a "Flower Cardian" monster, you can destroy 1 monster your opponent controls. Otherwise, send it to the Graveyard.

"Normally, when I Special Summon my Clover with Boar, I can do the same thing I just did. Draw one card and if it's a 'Flower Cardian' monster, I can summon it. In addition, I can destroy one monster you control. But since you currently have none, there's no point in activating his effect. But...I can still attack directly this turn. So give it to him, Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher!" shouted the boy as his monster rushed forward to collided with his foe as he skidded along the floor and stopped just a few meters in front of Twilight (Isaac: 4,000 - 2,000 = 2,000 LP).

"You're already down to half your life points, and you haven't taken your turn. Safe to say, this will be the fastest duel you've lost," mocked Royal Pin.

"You're right, this will be a fast duel. For you," smirked Isaac.

Turn 2: Isaac - Hand: 5

"It's my turn, I draw!" shouted the boy. "Time for you to meet my Tuner monster, Enchantress of Melody!" Isaac played his magician as a beautiful young girl with crimson-colored eyes, a determined and gentle look, and mid-length dark brown hair tied into two twin-tails to a ribbon that laid on her shoulders. She wore black robes and a cloak, she wielded a silver staff and kept a short sword sheathed around her waist. Underneath the cloak, she wore a low-cut blouse, ultra-short pink miniskirts, and wore burgundy boots that stopped before her knee caps. She also wore some leggings that stopped halfway to her thighs as she still showed off her fair smooth skin.

Enchantress of Melody
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 900
DEF: 1800
Effect: Once per turn, roll a six-sided die: If the result is 1-3, you can either increase or decrease the Level of a monster you control equal to the result. If the result is 4-6: Re-roll.

"Then I'll play Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Then I activate Dark Magical Circle!"

Dark Magical Circle
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: When this card is activated: Look at the top 3 cards of your Deck, then you can reveal 1 of them that is "Dark Magician" or a Spell/Trap that mentions "Dark Magician", and add it to your hand, also place the remaining cards on top of your Deck in any order. If "Dark Magician" is Normal or Special Summoned to your field (except during the Damage Step): You can target 1 card your opponent controls; banish it. You can only use each effect of "Dark Magical Circle" once per turn.

"So now I can look at the top three cards of my deck, and then I can reveal a 'Dark Magician' related Spell or Trap card or the monster itself and add it to my hand and put the other cards back in any order I choose." Isaac's duel disk then showed his options as he made his choice as it slid out for him to grab as he used his screen to rearrange the order of his other cards.

"I reveal Dark Magic Expanded. Next, I'll play Strength in Unity."

Dark Magic Expanded
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Apply these effects in sequence, based on the number of "Dark Magician" and/or "Dark Magician Girl" on the field and in the GYs.
●1+: 1 DARK Spellcaster monster on the field gains 1000 ATK until the end of this turn.
●2+: This turn, your opponent cannot activate cards and effects in response to your Spell/Trap Card or effect activation, also Spells/Traps you control cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects.
●3+: DARK Spellcaster monsters you currently control are unaffected by your opponent's card effects, until the end of this turn.

Strength in Unity
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: If you Ritual or Fusion Summon using "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" or "Dark Magician": You can target 1 card your opponent controls or in their GY; banish it. You can send this face-up card from the field to the GY, then target 1 Level 7 or higher Normal Monster in your GY; add it to your hand or shuffle it into the Deck. You can only use each effect of "Strength in Unity" once per turn.

"Then I'll play Advanced Ritual Art, so now I can Ritual Summon a monster by sending Normal Monsters from my deck to the Graveyard, so I send my Dark Magician so that I can Ritual Summon! With the masterful wizard as a sacrificial tribute, I order the chaotic mage to come forth and aid me! Ritual Summon! Level 7! Magician of Chaos!" Isaac's monster then entered a black portal as a pillar of light emerged, and soon his other monster emerged on the field.

Advanced Ritual Art
Ritual Spell Card
Effect: This card is used to Ritual Summon any 1 Ritual Monster. You must also send Normal Monsters from your Deck to the GY whose total Levels equal the Level of that Ritual Monster.

Magician of Chaos
Attribute: DARK
Level: 7
Type: Spellcaster/Ritual/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2100
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with "Chaos Form". This card's name becomes "Dark Magician" while on the field or in the GY. Once per turn, when a Spell/Trap Card or effect is activated (Quick Effect): You can target 1 card on the field; destroy it. If this Ritual Summoned card is destroyed by battle or card effect: You can Special Summon 1 "Chaos" or "Black Luster Soldier" Ritual Monster from your hand, except "Magician of Chaos", ignoring its Summoning conditions.

"Now my Dark Magical Circle's second effect activates when I summon Dark Magician, I can banish one card you control, and my Magician of Chaos becomes 'Dark Magician' when it's on the field or in my Graveyard. But that's not all, my Strength in Unity now activates, since I Ritual Summoned using Dark Magician, I can now banish a second card you control. So I'm banishing two of your monsters!"

"WHAT!!!" shouted Royal Pin as he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"So say adios to your Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing and Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher!" stated the boy as with a snap of his fingers, they vanished.

"Next, I'll play Monster Reborn so that I can bring back my Dark Magician (2500/2100). Then activate my Enchantress of Melody's effect, so now I can roll a die and whatever number it lands on I can either increase or decrease a monster's level on my field by that amount." Isaac now had a die appear in his hand as his magician put her hand over his.

"Ready, Melody?"

The girl nodded to her master as they prepared to toss the die.

"Dice Roll!" shouted both of them as they tossed the die into the air as it spun and soon rolled around on the ground as it landed on a number. "Now I'll decrease my Melody's Level from 3 to 2 (Enchantress of Melody: Level 3 - 1 = 2). And with that, I'll now tune my Enchantress of Melody with my Dark Magician. And when I use Dark Magician as a Synchro Material, he counts as Level 6 instead of 7 (Dark Magician: Level 7 > 6). So now I tune my monsters together!" shouted Isaac as his female magician played her lyre and transformed into two giant green rings as they circled his other magician. "With the melodious mage and the mighty wizard, I unite them to create the one of the greatest magicians! I Synchro Summon, Level 8, Dark Sorcerer Magician!" Isaac now had his Synchro Monster as out came a spellcaster that had white hair and had garments that were dressed in an indigo/purple color scheme. It wielded a staff and was surrounded by bits of stardust and magical rune symbols.

Dark Sorcerer Magician
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2100
Effect: 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
When this card is successfully Synchro Summoned: You can destroy 1 Spell/Trap on the field. If you use "Dark Magician" as a Synchro Material for this card, it counts as Level 6 instead of 7. When this card attacks an opponent's monster: That monster’s ATK becomes half its current ATK, and if it does, this card gains that lost ATK. When this card is destroyed, if you used "Dark Magician" as a Synchro Material: You can Special Summon that monster from your GY.

"I now play the second to last card in my hand, Dedication through Light and Darkness, so I'll tribute my Magician of Chaos so that I can summon my Dark Magician of Chaos."

Dark Magician of Chaos (anime)
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2600
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned successfully, you can add 1 Spell Card from your GY to your hand. A monster that is destroyed by this monster as a result of battle is banished instead of send to the GY.

"And when my Dark Magician of Chaos is summoned, I can then add a Spell card to my hand, so I choose my Monster Reborn, but I'll play it so that I can bring back my Magician of Chaos," said Isaac as he now had three monsters on his field.

"I now play the final card in my hand, Dark Magic Expanded. Now I can give a DARK Spellcaster on my field an extra 1,000 Attack Points this turn, so I choose my Magician of Chaos," said Isaac as his monster now had 3,500 Attack Points (Magician of Chaos: ATK 2500 + 1000 = 3500). "And now the effect of my Magician of Chaos activates, since a Spell, Trap, or effect is activated, I can target one card on the field and destroy it. So your last monster is gone!" stated the boy as he managed to clear out his opponent's field in one turn as he had more than enough firepower to win.

"No fair! I only had one turn!" stated Royal Pin as he couldn't believe he lost already.

"So now my magicians, combine your attacks and take out his Life Points!!" commanded the boy as his three monsters all put their staffs together as they created a huge beam of magical energy as it shot towards Royal Pin as he took a hard hit as it caused him to hit the ground (Royal Pin: 4,000 - 2,500 - 2,800 - 3,500 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Isaac
New Accomplishment Earned: Casual OTK
"Deal more than 4,000 damage to your opponent in one turn in Casual Duel Mode."

Once more, the duel ended.

"I'll take the ace," smirked Isaac.

Twilight, however, was in awe; never in all her life had she seen anyone who was able to utilize all of the known summoning methods in Duel Monsters. Sure, it all happened in the span of three duels, but that doesn't make it any less incredible, she had heard of very few people who knew how to accomplish such a feat, most of them were in tournaments on TV, but seeing it in action was something else. It made Twilight wonder what would happen if he used them all at once in one duel...

"Hey," spoke Twilight when her friend put up his hand once more.

Now all three of his opponents stood up as they reactivated their Duel Disks. Seems they had enough of the person who they thought was beneath them as they looked to put him in his place. They all stood in a line as they prepared to take him on at once. He just smiled as he reactivated his Duel Disk once more as the field changed for the last time.

"Time to take you down!" said Jet Set as he and his pals had enough disrespect from their foe.

"Bring it on," said the boy with not an ounce of worry.

"You can't duel 3 on 1. It's not fair," said Twilight to her pal.

"I got this. Just make sure to stay behind me," Isaac suggested to his friend as he then turned back to look at the trio in front of him.

"You should have listened to your 'girlfriend'. There's no way you're gonna take us down," taunted Upper Crust.

"I only need one move to beat you all," said the boy in a low tone.

He placed his hand on top of his deck as it flashed a special light. He drew his card as the entire room was now bathed in that light. It was so blinding that it caused Twilight to cover her eyes. It lasted for a bit as it slowly died down. Once that happened, Twilight blinked and was shocked by the sight that lay before her. All three of Isaac's opponents were laid on the ground unconscious as their Duel Disks registered their Life Points had dropped to zero.

WINNER: Isaac

For Isaac, he had his arm out as he closed his fist and put it down. For that split second, if you blinked, you would have missed it. But there was a special symbol that flashed within him. Like a number as the aura surrounded the boy in a golden light. It died down as the boy held his calm, demeanor as he finally took off his Duel Gazer and deactivated his Duel Disk.

"What did you..."

"Come with me," said the boy as he grabbed the girl's hand and began to lead his friend away.

Watching from afar, there was a person who had noticed the small struggle that went down between the five of them. Principal Cinch had been observing the individuals who made up her team as she was impressed by what she saw. Safe to say, she had almost pity for Canterlot High as the skills displayed by the four teens, especially Isaac, would most definitely give CHS a tough challenge. One that she was looking forward to with an evil smile and, unbeknownst to even her, one of her eyes shimmered with a mark that resembled the number 77...

The pair of friends made it back to Twilight's personal study in the school as Isaac managed to grab his backpack along the way. He let go of her hand and opened the door as he allowed his friend to enter with him following behind as the door closed.

The bookworm made it to her desk as she set her backpack down and sat in her chair. She took a deep breath before looking at her pal who was leaning against the door.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it," said the boy as he slid down the door and sat with his arm resting on his knee.

"I appreciate you standing up for me. And for not backing down."

"We're friends, Twilight. We look out for one another, especially in this environment. It's like how a lion hunts its prey. They don't go for the most crowded ones, they go for the ones that wander away from the rest of the pack. They corner it and then strike. That pack mentality, it's the way this works here in Crystal Prep. That's why to survive, you need to find someone who has your back. Someone you can count on, someone who you trust. Someone you can call a true friend. And to me...that's you." stated the boy as he looked at her with a genuine smile.

"I appreciate you sticking by, but...it just doesn't feel right. I mean, with your skills, you could easily gain popularity within the school. Students would flock to you and tell you how amazed they are by your talent. But yet, you associate yourself with me. I just feel like you could do better. I'm just holding you back and making people think you're not worth more than you really are. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I get what you're saying. Yeah, I could use my skills to improve my popularity within the school. Gain recognition, have fans, perhaps they think I would be a dueling protégé if I continued to polish my skills. But yet...would it all be real? People cling to the latest trends cause they want to be a part of the conversation, but what happens when the thing in style isn't all that anymore? What occurs? They move on to the next best thing and forget the previous thing ever existed. So say that would happen to me, I would lose popularity and all those 'supposed' loyal fans or people who claim to be my friends. They just up and leave me the second I was no longer able to provide them with amusement and entertainment. It's then, you realize who are your true supporters. The ones who stand by you through thick and thin. And no matter what, will always care about you, regardless of what others think. And so...I choose to be your friend, Twilight. 'Cause at the end of the day, I know you truly stand."

"I...I...thanks. It's nice to hear that from someone. And...I feel the same way. I'm glad I have someone who I can depend on. I just wished I didn't have to rely on you to always fight the battles that I can't handle. I wish I had your courage to stand my ground."

"Courage isn't something that comes with ease. It takes time and practice, but once you mastered that, you'll be unmovable, no matter how many times people try to tear you down. Besides, I kinda like saving you. Allows me a chance to duel, which I never turn down a challenge."

"Then I guess I need to get into trouble more often," joked the bookworm as the pair of friends let out a chuckle. "Thanks. I'm glad to be your friend."

"No problem. Now, mind helping me out with some assignments? I can handle math pretty well, but physics. That shit I don't get, especially when the teacher tries to explain it. But when you teach it, I...I get it." stated Isaac with a smile.

"Alright," responded Twilight.

The girl now made room on her desk as the boy got up from sitting up against the door and grabbed a chair. He sat down next to his friend as the girl began to tutor her pal. For a while, the pair were enjoying themselves as the whole time, Twilight had a smile on her face.

"So after that, it just becomes a simple limit question," stated Twilight as she pointed at the book.

"Of course! Then you just insert 3 as the x for the difference quotient and after simplifying, you find that the limit f'(3) as h approaches 0 is equal to...6." said Isaac as he wrote down his answer in his notebook and showed it to his friend.

"You got it. Now, how about this problem?" asked Twilight as she wanted to test the boy's knowledge.

"Easy, so here you would use integration by parts," said Isaac as he began to work on the problem in front of the girl. "First, you set this part of the integral equal to u, and then take its derivative..."

And so it went on as the pair had finished all their assignments with tons of time to spare.

"Finished," sighed Isaac as he leaned back and stretched his limbs. "it feels very relieving."

"Isn't it?" smirked Twilight to her friend.

"Well, it helps that I have a wonderful tutor," said the boy as he looked at the bookworm.

"Oh, I'm not that wonderful," said Twilight blushing at the compliment as she twirled a piece of her hair with her finger.

"Anyone tell you you're kinda cute when being given a compliment. Not to mention adorkable," stated Isaac as he continued to tease his friend which worked as Twilight blushed a bit more.

"Now it's my turn to teach you."

"What do you mean?" asked Twilight.

"I mean since the Friendship Games are coming up and we're both on the team. Why not practice with each other outside of school, like a private lesson? I mean, I know you're smart and skillful when it comes to the game and wielding your own deck. But maybe, there are some tips that I can give you?"

"That's...a great idea," said the girl as she pulled out her deck of cards and placed them on the table.

The pair now sat on opposite ends of the table as they looked at one another.

"Just know, because you're my friend, I'm not gonna go easy on you."

"Wouldn't want you to. Besides, as you said, I'm quite skillful when it comes to playing," said Twilight with a hint of flirting in her tone.

"Now you got my attention," responded the boy back with his own flirt.

The pair now began to enjoy themselves with the games they played. It was getting late as soon everybody left. The two close friends were looking forward to continuing their lessons with one another. Isaac was now in his room as he had a card in his hand. It was the same one that was shown in the flash of light. The boy held the card as it was speaking to him, calling out.

"You really care for that girl, huh?" spoke a feminine voice.

"Of course, she's my friend. I would do anything for her. She was the first one at Crystal Prep to make me feel welcome and not treat me like an outliner like everybody else. So I choose to be her friend in return, and so what, people think we don't belong here. I don't care, 'cause as long as I have a friend in my life who I can count on, that's worth it. As long as I get to see Twilight smile, that's all I need for my world to brighten."

"Such dedication and admiration for a companion, let alone a girl. Truly remarkable. And it's why the power hasn't fully taken over you. Your bond and love for her keep it at bay. Yet it's that undying loyalty to your friend, that I have come to admire. This is why I haven't pressured you into unlocking my full power."

"I don't need any superpower to make her happy. I'm just glad to keep her safe when I can. Plus, Twilight's tougher than she looks."

"Still, should the situation arise? I will lend you my full power to use. But be warned, once you make the decision, it will be near impossible for you to control. I will take over, and I will pass judgment as fit. Are you willing to live with what might happen?"

Isaac took a deep breath as he was pondering what the card was telling him. He saw the kind of power it could give him as demonstrated when he took out all three of his teammates at once. But to use such power would come at a price. A price he would have to pay, but would he use it, if something bad were to happen to his friend and the girl he cared about the most.

"Yes," responded the boy as he looked ahead to see his Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl as their spirits appeared for a second to look at their master.

"Then it shall be here. All you need to do is call upon me and I will be the judge, jury, and executioner." spoke the Number.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said the boy cracking a small smile.

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

"Who's to say I'm not?" countered the boy.

"Heh. Now I know why I chose you as my vessel. I like you." said the card as it flashed a light as the number 30 appeared on the boy's hand for a second and disappeared.

Meanwhile...

Day. Night. Duel in. Duel out. Lather, rinse, repeat. That had been the process of two Crystal Prep students whom of which had finished their late-night Dueling sessions with random people on the street. Yes, it was unbecoming of young women of their stature, but they didn't care, they didn't just want to be in the Friendship Games, they wanted to dominate them AND Canterlot High. And with the new powers they've gained, they knew they'll do just that. Lemon Zest tried so hard to keep her usual music-loving self present on the outside, but inside she didn't care about her loud-ass music anymore, she was almighty now...well, aside from her Dueling partner. Indigo Zap had been Dueling as much as she played her sports, but the anticipation of Dueling was eating away at her sanity as she couldn't find that rush she got from soccer or basketball or any other sport anymore, no, she found a new rush when she found that card...just thinking about her first time with it made her skin tingle as she shuddered in ecstasy.

But what they didn't know was that their newfound powers were corrupting them as marks appeared on Lemon's right bicep, the number 34, and the left side of Indigo's collarbone, the number 39...

Crystal Prep Academy
3rd Person POV
2 Hours Before Friendship Games

The days rolled by as the Friendship Games were drawing near. Each day the team to represent Crystal Prep was hard at work. Training for hours on end, trying to push themselves, elevate to achieve that next level. With the private lessons Isaac and Twilight had with each other, they too were getting stronger as they didn't want to let their school or the rest of their teammates think they were the weak links. And so, they practice, and practice, and practice every second they could. But as much as it was training, it was also a nice way for them to hang out with one another as they were doing an activity with the person with who they had a close bond.

It was a bright, warm day as the sounds of kids and people could be heard in the park. Sitting on a stone wall was Twilight, however, she wasn't wearing her Crystal Prep uniform. Her appearance also was a bit different. Instead of her usual bun style, the girl had put her hair in a ponytail and wore a polo sky blue striped purple with white-collar, a pink bow, and a purple pocket shirt with pink six-sided sparkle surrounded by five smaller white sparkles. She also wore white sparkle short socks and purple dress leather heeled shoes with pink laces. Yet, she still kept her signature glasses on.

The girl was sitting on the stone wall with her legs swinging below her as she had her deck in her hand. She was looking at it as the Friendship Games was right there.

"Well, we've done all we can to prepare. The only thing left in this science experiment is to go out and do our best."

"Don't forget, try to win," spoke Isaac.

The boy was with his friend as he was next to her lying down on the stone wall. He had his hands behind his head as he was staring up at the clouds that passed by. Like the girl, he too wasn't in his uniform as he wore an unzipped hoodie which was colored black, with silver pauldron-like additions to his sleeve and white lining. His undershirt was navy blue with a red patch in the center. His pants, similar to chaps, colored black on the outside, and navy blue on the inside, lined with silver-white edging. His pants were held together with a dark blue belt with a silver belt buckle. The pants also had a red pocket. Gloves were fingerless with them being black and yellow and having a grey shape in the center.

"But, don't forget to have fun. I mean, whoever we face from Canterlot High may be our opponents on the field. But who's to say we can't be friends off the Dueling field? Either way, I'm looking to have fun. Despite Principal Cinch saying that we need to show no compassion for our enemies; I'm willing to give them respect if they can challenge and push me to my limits."

"Well, hopefully, we do win."

"Yeah," smiled Isaac as he shifted his way to look at his friend. "Hey, Twilight?"

"Yeah?"

"Uh, uh, after the Friendship Games and if we win. How about me and you go celebrate? You know, just the two of us? Maybe...dinner and...a movie? If you're down for it?" asked the boy as he was a bit nervous saying this to his friend.

"Oh..." said Twilight as she looked away to not let her friend see she was turning red. "You mean...like...a d-d-da...hang out?"

"Yeah, that's...exactly what I mean," said the boy as he too shifted his eyes to his side as he blushed. "A hangout. Just...a normal hang out with two normal friends. Best friends. Nothing more, right?"

"Right," replied Twilight.

"Right," responded Isaac.

"Yeah."

"Friends."

"Best friends," said both in unison as they were now both turning the biggest shade of red possible as they were flustered. Both looked away as they were trying to think of what to say in this awkward situation.

"So?" spoke Isaac trying to break the silence that was between them.

"I...I would like that," said the girl as she looked at her friend with a smile while retaining her blush.

"Okay," smiled the boy as he saw the expression on his friend's face as he too still had some red on him when he answered.

He then sat up as he rested his arm on his knee and looked at the girl. He brought his pinky finger up as she did the same. The pair then hooked their fingers as they looked at one another as they were determined about competing in the Friendship Games and showing everyone just what they can do.

Just as they let go, the two noticed the CPA bus cruised by park and to the bus stop where the other Crystal Prep students were waiting, they too were dressed casually, but in their own, rich kid way. Knowing that it was almost time, they turned to each other with determination in their eyes and hearts.

"Let's go win this thing," spoke Isaac.

"Absolutely," responded Twilight with a determined face.

With that said, they got off the stone wall and hurried to the bus before it left, ready to show both schools what they're made of.

Chapter 7: Let The Games Begin! (By Golden Flare)

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Crystal Prep School Bus
3rd Person POV

The bus turned the corner as it traveled along the pavement. After a few more turns, it finally reached its destination. The vehicle pulled into the parking lot of Canterlot High as the logo on it was that of Crystal Prep. Once the driver parked the bus, Principal Cinch stood up which got the attention of the participants.

"Remember. No mercy. You are here to put Canterlot High in its place. To remind them why they are nothing more than second-rate duelists. They think they know hard work, but they don't what the meaning of the word is. You have trained for this day nonstop; strike fear in their hearts. We must make them think of quitting before the Games start. The same goes for the duels, squeeze them, show them your advanced skills, and suck the air out of their lungs long enough that they beg you to put them out of their misery. Then you released and pull the trigger."

The students heard Cinch's rally as they all had focused looks.

"A win for Crystal Prep is the only outcome."

The students raised their fists into the air as they were pumped by the pep speech. Apart from everyone else, the two students had different reactions. Twilight was a bit timid while Isaac held a defiant scowl. The boy could see the girl was panicking on the inside as he placed his hand on her shoulder and got her to look at him.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. No matter what happens, as long as we have each other by our side, we'll get through this. Together." assured Isaac in a soft tone.

"Right. Together." said Twilight as her friend's response got her to smile a bit.

Soon the students began to file out as they each strapped on their Duel Disks. Both Twilight and Isaac did the same as the girl slid her hand into her friend's unexpectedly. It wasn't that hard to notice as Isaac felt Twilight's warmth from her hand in his. He looked at his friend as she smiled knowing that it made her feel comfortable. He smiled as he let her continue to hold his hand as they both exited the bus together. They began to follow their classmates into the building.

Principal Cinch had been watching her soldiers as they were entering the school. She saw both Twilight and Isaac as the last ones to exit the bus as the thought from the other day ran through her mind. She knew the boy was special, granted when he first enrolled into CPA, the finances that came with it were a bit pricy for the boy's parents to pay. However, there was another way for him to be accepted. The woman agreed to allow the boy to take a dueling entrance exam and if he passed, he would be able to attend Crystal Prep and she would cover the majority of his cost.

Granted, he and his parents still had to pay a fair sum, but for them, they wanted the best for their son. They believed that with Crystal Prep's history, they could help him to become a pro when he graduated and he could live his dream. So when they heard that Cinch was willing to do this favor, they were grateful for the opportunity. And as it would happen, Isaac managed to pass with flying colors as he beat an elite upperclassman. There were still some kinks to work out with the boy, but Cinch knew she could take care of them with their dueling program. And true to her word, in no time flat, the boy was dueling as one of their top students. He managed to rise the ranks in such a short amount of time that she was grateful to have made the right call.

But now was the time to return the favor she did for the boy and his parents. And seeing that Isaac managed to do something only a few could do, knowing how to do nearly all the summoning methods, possessing his signature star monster, as well as the deck he carried with him, she was getting her money's worth and then some. And she believed that this boy could be the secret weapon to taking down CHS once and for all.

And then, of course, there was Twilight. The girl was the smartest student at Crystal Prep. And unlike her friend, she rarely dueled. But the few times she did, she was unbeatable. She had a brilliant mind for the game that made her untouchable. Twilight was the brains when it came to Duel Monsters, and Isaac was the skill and heart that the game exemplified. Together, the two made for a devastating power couple. And Principal Cinch believed these two would be the most vital parts of her plan to put the final nail in the coffin that was Canterlot High.

"Principal Cinch, how wonderful it is to see you," said Principal Celestia as she and Luna made their way to her and Cadance to greet them. "Vice Principal Luna can help your students get settled if you'd like me to show you around. There have been quite a few changes since your last visit."

"Oh, yes, Principal Celestia. I'm sure that would be fascinating." said the woman with distaste as she left with Celestia to explore the school.

"Oh, it's always such a pleasure to see you, Dean Cadence. Even if it means another defeat.” said Luna as she was already accepting that they were going to lose.

"Thank you, Vice Principal Luna, but I hear it's not going to be so easy this time." said Cadence as she had a feeling this year's games were going to be very different.

Neither knew what awaited them. Or what was about to go down between the two schools and certain individuals.

Canterlot High’s cafeteria had been turned into a social hub for the tournament, with food and drink lining the tray and tables set up for free duels. The two sides of the cafeteria, divided by the tiled path between the doors on either end of the room, were decorated with banners, flags, and posters for their respective schools, the letters “CHS” on one side in blue, and “CPA” in purple letters on the other side.

The little social gathering was full of tension. Both schools were separated as they were on opposite sides of the room. The only time they would cross paths was when they went for refreshments and food at the table. The girls had arrived as they saw Celestia on the stage as she was speaking with Principal Cinch. They saw the expressions of the Crystal Prep students as they had looks of disgust.

"Well this certainly is a living party," said Sunset as she was eating a cookie.

"Seriously? It's boring if you ask me, this party is dead." Rainbow had crumpled up her napkin as she shot a basket into the trash can.

"At least the fighting hasn't started." said Golden trying to sound positive.

"I'm amazed that Dash hasn't already become the cause of it." snickered AJ holding a cup of punch.

"What do you mean, AJ?!!" growled Rainbow as she was offended by what her friend said.

"Just calm down. Don't want Crystal Prep to think that they can write their victory speech by seeing us argue. We got to stick together. Show them that we're all a team." said Sunset trying to get everyone back on the same page.

"Sunset's right. If we allow Crystal Prep a chance to make fun of us, they're gonna use that to get inside our head. We need to remain focused. This whole event is about us restoring honor to CHS." said Golden as the girls couldn't help but nod in agreeance by what their friend said.

"I'm gonna go get some more punch. Any of you girls want any?" asked the boy to which they shook their head.

Golden shrugged then left to the refreshment table as Twilight was walking around the auditorium. She was trying to avoid her classmates as they still didn't like her. However, for some strange reason, when she and Isaac entered, the students of CHS seemed to know her name. Almost as if they recognized her. The pair was confused as they simply put it to the back of their head.

"So...no word from Princess Twilight?" asked Fluttershy to Sunset.

"Nothing, I'm afraid she's not responding." said the bacon-haired girl.

"She's a princess in another world, darling. You can't expect Twilight to drop everything and come here." stated Rarity.

"Did someone call my name?"

The girls turned in their heads in the direction of the voice. They looked and saw Twilight. However, it wasn't the version they knew.

"Twilight?!" said the girls collectively.

"Um, yes. But...how do you know my name? How does everyone know my name here?" asked the girl.

"You're kidding, right," said Rainbow as she felt like she was playing a joke on them. "Besides, when did you start wearing glasses?"

"Um, like, since forever." stated the bespectacled girl.

"Huh?" said the girls as they were confused.

Though Sunset could tell that something was off about Twilight. For one, the girl wasn't the princess they knew but rather this world's version. But aside from that, she was getting a strange read from the girl. Like something dark and sinister dwelled inside of her.

While the girls were having their own moment, another was occurring. Golden had finally made his way to the refreshment table. He put his hand out to grab the ladle of the punch bowl as soon as another hand was on the lower part of the spoon. The boy tried to pry it off but failed as he then looked up. He was soon met with another student as it was none other than Isaac.

And just like that. Time froze. Everything around the two boys was slowing down and coming to a halt. Everything but the teens themselves as they merely stared at one another. Not taking an eye off the either less they risk being weak in front of the other. The aura from both boys was shown clashing as it erupted and evolved into something even fiercer. The best way to describe what was happening was an irresistible force meeting an immovable object. While the boys stared, the images and spirits of the monsters in their decks were also shown. They stood behind their masters as if they were the generals of two opposing sides who were getting ready for a huge battle and war. Even their monsters had glares as they stared at the opposite side.

Time now resumed as everything moved in motion.

"Sorry, didn’t see you there at first." said Golden as he released his hold.

"No, it's my fault. You were here first," stated Isaac as he too retracted his hand. "I'm Isaac."

"Golden Flare."

The boys extended their hands out to shake. Once they met, both their auras clashed as this time they both could feel it. Once more, they stared into each other's eyes as the whole story was being told.

"So you attend Crystal Prep, huh? You don't act like the others."

"Well, believe it or not, not everybody at CPA is an entitled asshole. They're some diamonds in the rough." stated Isaac.

"Well, I'm glad you're not one of those entitled assholes." smirked Golden Flare.

The whole time, they kept shaking hands as if they didn't break once. They didn't realize they were trying to intimidate the other by applying more strength to the handshake as they simply stared at the other.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Golden. I wish you the best of luck in these Games."

"You too."

And just like that, both boys broke the handshake. They turned around at the same time as they were leaving. Each one was walking slowly as time once again moved at a slower pace. Both teens had smiles on their faces as the message they got from each other was one they were looking forward to. Their auras shined as they got farther and farther.

As Isaac was walking, the spirits of his Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl appeared. Both magicians sensed the power that lies in Golden as they were concerned for their master.

"Master, I sense a great power."

"Coming from the boy you just met, no less. Isaac, do you think..."

"Relax, Mahad. Mana," said the boy to his magicians as he walked. "Don't worry, I know what I sensed. And no doubt he does too. I just wonder if he'll show us his Number very soon?"

At the same time, Sunset had finally made her way to where her friends were surrounding Twilight. A few others saw this and began to make their way toward our heroes. She arrived as the other girls stepped to the side and allowed Sunset to meet Twilight face to face.

"I'm Sunset Shimmer. And you are?" asked the girl.

Before Twilight could say, she felt something on her shoulder as a person had suddenly appeared beside her.

"Who wants to know?!" shouted Indigo Zap as she was getting in the face of Sunset.

"Um, we do," replied Dash as she returned with the same fury in her voice. This caused both Indigo and Dash to stare at each other as they pressed their foreheads together getting ready to fight.

"All right, everyone. Let's not get too competitive before the Games even start." Applejack saw that Dash was about to do something terrible, so she decided to defuse the situation to avoid seeing her friend get hurt.

"Please. The Games aren't really competitive since we've never lost." Sugarcoat now made her presence known as she bluntly stated the fact while looking at Applejack with an intense stare.

"That's not a very nice thing to say." Fluttershy was hoping that everybody would get along to avoid any physical violence.

"Sorry, dearie, but these games aren't about being nice," said Sunny Flare as she had a bit of uptightness in her voice.

"Well, you might use a little tact," replied Rarity as she was trying to defend her friend.

The girls all then began to look at each other as they were waiting to see what would happen next. They even managed to separate both Rainbow Dash and Indigo Zap as they pulled them back. At that moment, both Golden and Isaac made it back to their respective teams.

"What's going on?" said Golden Flare.

"What did I miss, Twi?" stated Isaac.

Both boys looked once more as they saw each other. What was only a few moments from the last time they saw each felt like a lifetime as once again, their auras clashed as their monsters were shown ready to fight for their respective masters. The tension was high as it only needed a single match to light this gasoline to cause an inferno to break out involving both schools.

Just then, something happened.

"Let's get this party started!!!" shouted Pinkie as she stood near the bleachers.

She had two giant presents with her as they were aimed at the auditorium. The party girl pulled the strings on both of them as hard as she can, and a huge blast of confetti came out. It was such a huge amount that it transformed the entire room. Now there was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, balloons had appeared and streamers were now hanging all over the place. Even music started to play as everybody started to lighten up and get in the groove of the music. Now there were a bit more conversations happening between the two schools.

"Now this is my kind of party!" said Rainbow as she suddenly forgot about fighting with CPA as she was getting into the groove of things.

"Leave it to Pinkie to liven things up." smiled Golden as he started to bop to the music.

Everyone was enjoying themselves as they were having fun. Isaac and Twilight smiled as they were relieved to see that both sides were getting along and delaying the bitter rivalry, even if it was only for a while. The boy then looked at the girl as a thought ran through his head. He was about to ask Twilight for a dance when a loud, ear-piercing sound was heard. It was the feedback from the mic that Principal Cinch was touching as she stood on the stage with Celestia to address the student body.

"I'd like to thank Principal Celestia for her unconventional welcome. It's been four years since the last Friendship Games, but it feels as though nothing has changed. Canterlot High continues to pick its competitors in a popularity contest and Crystal Prep continues to field its top twelve students. It is a comfort to know that even after so many years of losses, your school remains committed to its ideals, however misguided they may be."

Principal Cinch then stepped back as the atmosphere was slowly going back to what it originally was. Celestia now stepped forward as she began to speak.

"On behalf of me and everyone working at Canterlot High. I would like to recognize the twelve students that CHS has elected to compete with. I don't think we could have chosen a better group to represent the excellence, sportsmanship, and friendship the Games stand for." said the woman as she pushed a small remote.

A projector was coming down behind her as it turned on. Celestia pushed another button as the logo for CHS came up and under it were the portraits and names of the individuals who would represent their school for the Friendship Games. Principal Cinch then took the remote and microphone from Celestia as she had some final things to say. She pushed the button as the logo for CPA was shown; the names and portraits of the students selected were shown.

"Today, your chosen representatives will face the twelve best duelists that Crystal Prep Academy can offer. Disregard your school’s history in this tournament or our school’s reputation. As each duel is a new opportunity to better one’s understanding of the game, this tournament yours to lose or win will show if you are good enough to be considered the best. There can be no doubts or hesitation moving forward. There is only what is to come, and how we each, as schools and as individuals, handle it."

Surprisingly enough, the students from both schools agreed with what Principal Cinch was saying as they applauded her and Celestia's speech.

"I wish you all the best of luck, regardless of the inevitable outcome," said Principal Cinch as she already knew they were going to win.

Now the vibe was back to where it first started. Both schools having disdain for each other, wanting to tear each other to shreds. The students began to fine-tune their decks as they were making sure to cover all their bases.

“Geez, and here I thought my friend, Rainbow had an ego.”

Cinch snapped her head at the offending voice, it was none other than Golden, standing there with a stare of indifference mixed with defiance.

“Turns out you’re far too arrogant for your own good. Or the students’ good for that matter.”

Cinch narrowed her eyes at the trash talker, “…And who are you?”

“Golden Flare. One of the top twelve in the Friendship Games. ‘Friendship’ being the key word, meaning this is supposed to be about our two schools getting along. Guess money really doesn’t equal intelligence.”

Some of the students took offense to that last statement evidenced from the looks the disdain they flashed at him.

Cinch retorted with, “Would you like a fork? Because you’ll eat those words.”

“There’s no need. I won’t be. YOU will, though.” Golden replied, then began to walk back to his group.

Cinch wasn’t worried in the least, her students had these Games in the bag, but his words served to greatly irritate her.

“Principal Celestia.”

“Yes, Principal Cinch?”

“Who was that boy just now? His skill, I mean.”

“Oh! Um, Golden, before transferring here, was at the top of his class in academics. But now his skill in Duel Monsters is phenomenal. I dare say he may be one of our best students—“

“—And yet not THE best, am I correct?” Cinch rudely interrupted.

“…In some ways, yes.”

“Hmm…” Cinch hummed, as she talked she never took her eyes off of Golden, seeing that he may possess some form of skill.

Golden Flare was now with the girls as he began to inform them. He told them about what went down when he left to get some punch. While they were dealing with Twilight's doppelganger, he met Isaac, and immediately he got a vibe from the guy.

"So, what? You think this kid's got a Barian Number?" asked Dash.

"Hard to say. Couldn't really sense that within. But...I sense something else. Like...his spirit. His fighting spirit. It's strong. Really strong." stated Golden.

"It must be destiny!" said Pinkie. "Two rivals, both forged in the ires of battle or in this case, Duel Monsters. Destined to face each other and in the end, after an epic showdown, only one shall remain standing. Ooh, a tale as old as time." stated the party girl putting on a dramatic voice.

"Yeah, right!!!" said the other girls and Golden in unison as they didn't believe what their party friend was saying.

"Well, regardless or not, if this Isaac has a Barian Number. We need to focus on winning our duels to advance past the first round. Besides, it's like I said: we got you on our side, it's not like you're gonna lose." stated Sunset.

"Ah don't know, Sunset. This is Crystal Prep we're talking about. No doubt they got some fancy- schmancy cards in their decks that we haven't seen. And no doubt they know the more advanced summoning methods better than we do." said Applejack putting her hand to her chin.

"But...even so. Someone can't know all of the summoning methods. Right?" said Fluttershy with some concern in her voice.

It didn't go unnoticed by the others as even they felt a bit concerned and afraid at that thought. Even Golden was a bit rattled at thinking that maybe someone from Crystal Prep might be just that damn good to know how to do them all. But again, that would require such skill and command over the duel field. Even pros on TV rarely did that due to how limited their opportunities were.

The group soon put that thought out of their mind as they began to discuss with each other their decks and make any last minute changes they saw fit.

While they were having their own pow-wow. On the other side, the students of Crystal Prep were doing the same. They all had finished and left the classroom they were held up in as they left for the location of the first event. However, two students were still in the classroom as they were taking their time and thinking about the cards to make up their deck.

"I think I'm ready," said Twilight as she ran the final calculations in her head as before her, stood the finished product. "This deck is 100% flawless and will guarantee me and Crystal Prep victory."

"You know not everything is about numbers, right Twilight?" said Isaac to the girl.

"Dueling is a game of skill, capable of being distilled down to basic mathematical probability formulae. Once the contents of one’s deck are sufficiently analyzed and weighed against the opponent’s, it is easy to determine who the superior player is. At that point, dueling is a formality.” Twilight recited as if she said this before.

"I think chance and luck would disagree with you on that hypothesis.” argued Isaac.

"Chance and luck are not deciding factors, only mitigating. A percentage can still be refined from analysis and will produce reliable results. If I stand an 80% chance of winning, is it really necessary to go through the trouble of playing that result out?” asked the girl to her friend.

"Yet, there's still the lingering 20%? No matter how small it may be, it's still a percentage? What would you do in that certain scenario if it came down to that?"

Twilight then thought of her answer. "If that were to happen then it would simply be a case to further cause as to why single-elimination duels are inadequate to properly demonstrate one’s skill at the game. There’s a reason professional tournaments run on a best-of-three system, after all. The more data you collect, the fewer outliers you have to deal with and the more reliable your result will be.”

"You’ve thought this through, I see." chuckled Isaac.

Twilight looked sheepish. “My brother has tried to get me to play when we were younger. I’ve had to explain this before.”

"You really are an adorkable nerd, Twily," stated Isaac as Twilight now turned red. "Hey, there's something I've wanted to show you."

The boy reached into his deck box on his side and inside was some cards. Six, to be precise, as they were unlike his ordinary cards, but rather special ones.

"I haven't shown them to anyone. Not even Principal Cinch knows about this. I figured you'd be the first, since...I trust you. And ‘cause you're my best friend. And I'll be there to support you and be by your side." said Isaac as he extended his hand out with the cards. Twilight grabbed them as their hands grazed each other while looking into each other's eyes.

The girl now flipped them over as she had to do several double-takes. She traced her fingers alongside them as she read the effects of the cards. Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing as she had all sorts of questions for her friend.

"How...How did you get these?"

As this was going on, two people were on their way to watch the Friendship Games via walking the town; they were a boy and a girl, the boy has white skin, teal eyes, and purple hair styled like someone else's by the name of Leon Kennedy, wearing a white jacket over a purple shirt marked with a snowflake, a purple scarf (despite that it's in the middle of spring), grey jeans, and blue sneakers, while the girl had arctic bluish white skin, light arctic blue hair with moderate Persian blue streaks, and raspberry colored eyes, wearing a simple hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. The boy was currently unknown, but the girl's identity was clear as day, especially since she looked rather anxious.

"You okay, Sonata?" the boy asked, "You look nervous."

"That's 'cause I AM nervous..." Sonata answered, "It's been a while since the Battle of the Bands, and I'm sure everyone at CHS knows me and still sees me as a monster..."

"Hey now, none of that." the boy softly ordered, "Your sisters may be having a difficult time trying to make amends, but you've done more than enough to prove you're different than who you were before. Besides, you have me to protect you."

Sonata hesitated, but eventually smiled, "You're right. Thanks, Arctic Ace."

Arctic chuckled, "I told you, you can just call me Ace."

Sonata giggled and they both held hands as they turned the corner into CHS's parking lot, ready to see what the school has in store for Crystal Prep this Friendship Games.

The sun shined down on the school of Canterlot High. While it looked calm on the outside, inside there was a huge encounter about to go down. A rivalry that stood the test of time as Team CHS would take on their bitter rivals in Team CPA. For these two schools, there was nothing but anger, distain, brutality, viciousness, and overall, HATE! For the time between both schools was now upon them. Soon the school bell had rung.

The students heard the sound of the bell. Soon the P.A. system crackled to life.

"Good morning, students. I'm sure you're all thrilled to start the first day of the Friendship Games. Our competitors will face off in every aspect of the Duel Monsters curriculum, culminating in the exhibition duels that will pit every member from Team Crystal Prep against Team Canterlot High." said Luna.

With the announcement made, the students from CHS began to make their way to where the first event was being held while some went to the auditorium to see the screen of the live footage of the Games.

Both students of Crystal Prep and Canterlot High were shown as they were all gathered in the main hall. The room was divided as there were several chairs stationed. Two podiums that were facing each other. And a projector screen that was shown behind where Principal Celestia and Principal Cinch were. Once both sides arrived, they were instructed to sit down as Cadence stood up to begin the Games.

"Welcome to the first event, the Duel Monsters Decathlon! You'll be scored on everything related to Duel Monsters. Spells, Traps, card archetypes, and everything in between. But remember, only the six students from each team with the most points will move on to event number two. Good luck!" said Cadence.

"Now to start," said Luna as she stood up and approached the podium meant for the four adults. She clicked a button on a remote as the screen behind her came up and the words "Duel Puzzles" was shown.

"To start, every member from both schools we are paired up with another member. In this event, each side will be competing to see who can complete the most Duel Puzzles. Let me clarify to those that don't know what Duel Puzzles are. Duel Puzzles are Puzzles in which the player is given a fixed Duel scenario and must win within a single turn."

Murmurs now began to float around with the students as it was more prominent on the students from CHS as they were a bit unsure about this.

"One team from CHS and one from CPA will step to the podium. You will be given the same prompt. And whoever can finish the solution first and explain how they came to the conclusion will gain a point for their respective side. Now, take a few seconds to choose who your teammate will be." stated Luna as the students from both sides began to select partners.

Once that was done, Celestia and Cinch each gave the six teams on their sides a number from 1 through 6 to determine when they will be called up. With that, Luna then pushed a button on the remote as the number 3 came. That meant the pair from both sides that were assigned that number were to step to their respective podiums.

On Crystal Prep's side, the team of Upper Crust and Jet Set walked to the podium as for CHS, it was none other than the team of Astral Flare and Rarity. With both pairs now standing in front of their podiums, the computer program began to come online. It was running some code as soon its interface projected the Duel Puzzle for both to solve. On the screen behind Luna for all to see, it showed the puzzle that both sides were going to attempt to solve.

Opponent's Life Points: 5700
Your Life Points: 1100
Cards in your opponent's hand: None
Cards in your hand: 2x Cards of Consonance, 1x Polymerization, 1x White Stone of Legend
Cards in your opponent's deck: None.
Cards in your deck( in order from top to bottom): The White Stone of Legend, 3x Blue-Eyes White Dragons, 1x Shining Blue-Eyes Dragon
Cards on the opponent's field: 1x The Dark Door (Face-up), 1x Magic Cylinder (Face-down)
Cards on your field: 3x Totem Dragon (All face-up attack position), 1x Ultimate Offering (Face-down)
Cards in your opponent's graveyard: None
Cards in your graveyard: None
Your opponent's cards removed from play: None
Your cards removed from play: None
Your opponent's extra deck: None
Your extra deck: 1x Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon

"You may begin," said Luna.

Upper Crust and Jet Set began to get to work as Rarity was sweating a bit.

"Don't worry, Rarity. Just stay calm and let's think as one," said Astral to the girl as he could tell she was a bit nervous.

"Thank you, darling. Now then, let's see what the cards in our decks are," said the fashionista as she and Astral looked and saw them.

The pair then looked at their Extra Deck as they finally looked at the cards they were given to start. Based on the scenario that laid before them, their opponent's field was wide open with no monsters. Yet, the only thing they had was a single face-down that could stop their attack. So the key was to get rid of that trap before launching an all-out assault.

"Tricky, but I have a feeling, that we need to summon those dragons," said Rarity as she was on the right track.

"Correct, but not so to do damage. But use them for another way," said Astral as he and the girl were putting their brains to work.

Soon they clicked as both looked at one another. They began to enact their plan as soon they pushed the button on their podium.

"We got it!" said Rarity and Astral Flare.

"Let's see," said Luna as everyone turned to the screen as the plays that Rarity and Astral Flare inputted were playing out as the pair explained their line of thinking.

"The first step is to play Cards of Consonance to discard The White Stone of Legend in your hand to draw two cards. Activate The White Stone of Legend's effect from the grave to add a Blue-Eyes from your Deck to your hand. Play the second Cards of Consonance to discard the second White Stone of Legend to draw the last two cards. Tribute one Totem Dragon to summon a Blue-Eyes." said Astral Flare.

"Then activate Ultimate Offering twice to summon the two other Blue-Eyes. Play Polymerization to fuse all three dragons to bring out Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Tribute Ultimate Dragon to summon Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. Using effect to boost attack points, can also negate Magic Cylinder with its effect. Attack for the win." stated Rarity as she finished telling the rest of their play.

"That is...correct!" said Luna as she awarded the point to CHS.

Everyone was surprised to see that Canterlot High had managed to score the first point as they were shocked. But none were more shocked than the students of Crystal Prep as they couldn't believe it. Even Principal Cinch was enraged at seeing the students who she considered second-rate managed to get the first puzzle right. Upper Crust and Jet Set returned to their seats as the woman was anything but furious with them.

"Nice work, Rares." said Astral to his friend as she simply hugged him.

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without you." said the girl giving the boy a light peck on his cheek.

"Next one." said Cadence as the Number 5 was shown on the screen.

This time it was Sour Sweet and Lemon Zest going up against Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon. Both teams approached their podium as their puzzle was revealed for all to see.

Opponent's Life Points: 1600
Your Life Points: 2900
Cards in your opponent's hand: 1x Battle Fader
Cards in your hand: None
Cards in the opponent's deck (In order from top to bottom): None
Cards in your deck (In order from top to bottom): 1x Shrink
Cards on the opponent's field: 1x Doomcaliber Knight (Face-up attack position), 1x Dark Armed Dragon (Face-up attack position), 1x Pestilence (Face-up, equipped to your face-up Amazoness sage), 1x United We Stand (Face-up, equipped to their face-up Doomcaliber Knight)
Cards on your field: 1x Ancient Gear Cannon (Face-up attack position), 1x Amazoness Sage (Face-up attack position), 1x Amazoness Trainee (Face-up attack position), 1x Big Bang Shot (Face-down), 1x Amazoness Willpower (Face-down), 1x Alchemy Cycle (Face-down)
Cards in your opponent's graveyard: None
Cards in your graveyard: 1x Amazoness Archer
Your opponent's cards removed from play: None
Your cards removed from play: None
Your opponent's extra deck: None
Your extra deck: None

"Begin!" instructed Cadence.

With the newfound confidence that Rarity and Astral Flare did by getting them the first win. Both girls were determined to keep the momentum on their side. However, just like that, Crystal Prep finished theirs.

"Done." said Sour Sweet.

They all turned to the screen to see the events unfold as it was explained.

"Attack Doomcalibur Knight with Amazoness Sage. Amazoness Sage's effect goes off. Doomcalibur Knight chains and destroys itself and Sage. Main Phase 2, Activate Amazoness Willpower to bring back Amazoness Archer. Activate its effect, tribute itself, and Amazoness Trainee to drop the opponent to 400. Activate Ancient Gear Cannon's effect, tributing itself to deal 500 damage for the win." said Lemon Zest.

"Correct." said Cadence awarding the point to Crystal Prep.

"And the pendulum swings back." spoke Sunset in a whisper.

"Oh, boy..." responded Golden to his friend.

The next was Number 2. This time it was Flash Sentry and Sandalwood taking on the team of Sugarcoat and Enix. Their puzzle was presented.

Opponent's Life Points: 4500
Your Life Points: 100
Cards in your opponent's hand: None
Cards in your hand: 1x Six Samurai United, 1x Legendary Six Samurai - Kageki, 1x Legendary Six Samurai - Mizuho, 1x Legendary Six Samurai - Kizan, 1x Double Summon, 1x Double Cyclone
Cards in the opponent's deck (In order from top to bottom): None
Cards in your deck (In order from top to bottom): 1x Six Samurai United, 1x Gateway of the Six, 1x Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, 1x The Six Samurai - Yariza, 1x Kagemusha of the Six Samurai
Cards on the opponent's field: 1x Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon (Face-up attack position), 1x Aegis of Gaia (Face-up), 1x Miracle's Wake (Face-down), 1x Magic Cylinder (Face-down)
Cards on your field: 1x Reinforce Truth (Face-down)
Cards in your opponent's graveyard: 3x Blue-Eyes White Dragon, 3x Totem Dragon, 1x Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon
Cards in your graveyard: None
Your opponent's cards removed from play: None
Your cards removed from play: None
Your opponent's extra deck: None
Your extra deck: 1x Trishula, 1x Magical Android, 1x Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En, 1x Stardust Dragon, 1x Red Dragon Archfiend, 1x Goyo Guardian, 1x Scrap Dragon, 1x Black Rose Dragon, 1x Naturia Barkion, 1x Naturia Landoise, 1x Naturia Beast, 1x Brionac, 1x Flamvell Uruquizas, 1x Iron Chain Dragon, 1x Ally of Justice Catastor

Both teams were given the signal as they began to get to work. Soon Enix managed to finish the puzzle as Sugarcoat did the talking.

"Activate Double Cyclone on Magic Cylinder and Reinforced Truth. Activate Six Samurai United. Normal Kageki, special Mizuho with Kageki's effect. Send United to draw United and Gateway. Activate United and Gateway. Special Kizan. Send United to draw Grandmaster. Special Grandmaster. Send 4 counters from Gateway to grab Kagemusha. Activate Double Summon. Normal Summon Kagemusha. Synchro Kagemusha, Kageki and Kizan for Trishula. Remove Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Attack with Trishula to drop the opponent to 1800. Attack with Grandmaster for the win." stated the girl bluntly.

"Correct." said Luna giving Crystal Prep another point.

Number 1 came up as it was Applejack and Pinkie taking on Royal Pin and Suri Polomare.

Opponent's Life Points: 4100
Your Life Points: 1100
Cards in your opponent's hand: None
Cards in your hand: 1x Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, 1x The Six Samurai - Zanji
Cards in the opponent's deck (In order from top to bottom): 1x Glow-Up Bulb, 2x Dandylion
Cards in your deck (In order from top to bottom): 1x Legendary Ebon Steed, 1x Smashing Ground, 1x The Six Samurai - Irou
Cards on the opponent's field: 1x Spirit Reaper (face-up, defense position), 1x Ryko (Face-down defense position), 2x Mirror Force (Face-down)
Cards on your field: 1x Six Samurai United (Face-up), 1x Seven Tools of the Bandit (Face-down), 1x Call of the Haunted (Face-down), 1x Raigeki Break (Face-down), 1x Jar of Greed (Face-down)
Cards in your opponent's graveyard: None
Cards in your graveyard: 1x The Six Samurai - Kamon, 1x The Six Samurai - Yariza
Your opponent's cards removed from play: None
Your cards removed from play: None
Your opponent's extra deck: None
Your extra deck: None

It took a bit longer for both teams to figure this one out. Especially for Applejack as Pinkie's crazy attitude wasn't helping that much. The farm girl was starting to lose her mind as she was trying hard to figure out the puzzle. It wasn't until Pinkie mentioned a seven-layer cake that the country gal had a lightbulb go off. She looked at a card that she held that was named Seven Tools of the Bandit as the freckled-teen finally put it together.

"Normal summon Zanji, Special summon Grandmaster. Send United to draw Steed and Smashing Ground. Activate Jar of Greed to draw Irou. Activate Rageki Break on one of the Mirror Forces, discarding Irou. Activate Smashing Ground on Spirit Reaper. Activate Steed on Zanji. Attack Ryko with Irou, auto-killing it with Irou's effect and negating Mirror Force with Seven Tools. Attack with Grandmaster and Zanji direct for the win." said Applejack.

"Correct!" said Luna.

Applejack was proud to have figured out a tough problem. Though she couldn't take all the credit as Pinkie gave her the help she needed. The pink girl hugged her friend tightly as she gave her a cupcake to celebrate.

The next to be called to the stand was Number 4 as it meant that the team of Sunny Flare and Indigo Zap would take on the pair of Fluttershy and Rainbow. For the two athletic girls, they couldn't be more pleased to see their arch-rival across from them as they looked to settle the score. Soon Cadence approached the podium and gave them their puzzle to solve.

Opponent's Life Points: 2300
Your Life Points: 1000
Cards in your opponent's hand: None
Cards in your hand: 1x Remove Trap, 1x Axe of Despair, 1x Cost Down, 1x Shooting Star Bow-Ceal, 1x Bird King Alector, 1x Tribute to the Doomed.
Cards in the opponent's deck: None
Cards in your deck: None
Cards on the opponent's field: 1x The Dark Door(face-up), 1x Green Gadget, 1x Yellow Gadget, 1x Red Gadget, 1x Ancient Gear Soldier, 1x Stronghold the Moving Fortress(face-up), Mirror Force(face-down)
Cards on your field: Tragoedia
Cards in your opponent's graveyard: None
Cards in your graveyard: None
Your opponent's cards removed from play: None
Your cards removed from play: None

"So, what do we do?" asked Fluttershy as she was hoping Rainbow could take the lead in guiding them.

"This is easy!" said Rainbow as she grabbed the cards herself and began to play out her move as she for sure saw the win. "We've got a powerful monster on the field, and the Shooting Star Bow-Ceal equip spell in my hand, so this is a no-brainer! By equipping the enemy's Green Gadget with Shooting Star Bow-Ceal, I can take away 1000 attack points. Bam! Sure my monster will lose 600 points since there's one less card in my hand but it's still got enough attack to finish my opponent off. Ha! Told you it would be quick!" Rainbow had a confident smile on her face as she was proud of herself for figuring not only solving it but doing it faster than anybody else.

"Error! Reveal face-down, Mirror Force!" said the A.I. as on the screen it reflected the attack from Rainbow's monster and destroyed it causing them to lose the duel.

"Huh?" Rainbow was surprised that her plan failed.

"That's what I was trying to tell you..." spoke Fluttershy softly as she tried to warn her friend.

"Rainbow!" groaned Sunset and Golden as they face-palmed themselves as to how her attitude was only thinking about ending the puzzle the fastest that she didn't look at all the angles.

"Well, that didn't work. Maybe you should—" said Fluttershy as she was going to suggest a different tactic. Rainbow was so pissed that she failed that she ignored what the shy girl was trying to say.

"Alright, I'm done playing around! This time I'll increase my own power so that I can crush my opponent. I'll equip Tragoedia with the Axe of Despair! Now Tragoedia has 4000 attack points! Like before he'll lose 600 since there's one less card in my hand, but that spell card makes up for it by giving him an extra 1000 points. Then I'll have Tragoedia attack Green Gadget!" shouted Rainbow as she once again failed to listen to her partner.

"But what about—" said Fluttershy.

"Error! Reveal face-down, Mirror Force!" said the A.I. as it did the same thing from before.

"Is she that stupid?" asked Sunset.

"You really want the answer to that?" responded Applejack.

"AHH!" said Rainbow as she was losing her mind.

"Maybe—" said Fluttershy as soon a buzzer went off.

"Done." said Sunny Flare as she did a hair flip. She and Indigo managed to successfully finish the puzzle despite the loud noises they got from the chromatic-haired girl.

"Activate the Cost Down spell. Discard Remove Trap to lower Alector from 6 to 4. Activate Tragoedia's special ability; send Alector to the graveyard to gain control of Ancient Gear Soldier. Activate Tribute to the Doom by discarding Shooting Star Bow-Ceal to destroy Green Gadget to lower Stronghold's attack to 0. Equip Axe of Despair to Ancient Gear Soldier and attack Stronghold for the win." explained Indigo Zap while giving Rainbow a smug smile.

"Correct." said Cadence.

"Never mind." sighed Fluttershy as that was the exact plan she was going to try to tell Rainbow.

Sunny Flare and Indigo gave a high five as Rainbow was now really pissed off at failing. The pair made it back to their seats as even though they didn't solve the puzzle correctly, their teammates still offered words of encouragement.

"Why?!!" growled Rainbow.

"'Cause you don't think before you act!" shouted Golden to his friend as he, along with Sunset and Applejack all glared at the athletic girl.

"...I prefer to play as I go along." said Rainbow as she pouted.

"Yeah, but here, you actually need to slow down and think about your every move twelve steps ahead!" said Sunset.

"Seriously, have you learned nothing from our last duel?" Astral asked her.

The girl was grumbling to herself as her friends kept running her down on how she acted. However, the final number was called as only two teams were left. From Crystal Prep, both Isaac and Twilight approached the podium as they were taking on the pair of Golden Flare and Sunset. Both sides essentially saved their best comp for the final puzzle as it was sure to be a doozy.

"You nervous?" asked Sunset to her friend.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't." responded the boy to the girl.

"Well, let's do this. As a team." said Sunset.

"As a team." said Golden as Sunset held his hand to which then both stepped to the podium.

"The final Duel Puzzle," said Cadence.

"No doubt, it's probably the hardest." said Rarity to the girls in a whisper.

"Then we're lucky that both Sunset and Golden were picked to be last. They're probably the best out of all of us." said Applejack.

"Let's hope they can solve it. Seeing as how it's Twilight they're up against, not to mention that Golden said that Isaac has a strong Duelist spirit. I'm thinking this won't be a walk in the park." responded Fluttershy softly.

"They're starting." said Pinkie pulling out some popcorn to chew on.

"Here it is." said the Dean.

Opponent's Life Points: 4700
Your Life Points: 100
Cards in your opponent's hand: 1x The Fabled Cerburrel
Cards in your hand: 1x Fishborg Blaster, 2x Dark World Dealings, 1x Dimensional Fissure, 1x Space Mambo
Cards in the opponent's deck (In order from top to bottom): 1x The Fabled Cerburrel, 1x Battle Fader
Cards in your deck (In order from top to bottom): 1x Fishborg Blaster, 1x Dimensional Fissure, 1x Mobius the Frost Monarch, 1x Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder
Cards on the opponent's field: 1x Dandylion (Face-up defense position), 1x Burden of the Mighty (Face-up), 1x Mirror Force (Face-down, 1x Negate Attack (Face-down)
Cards on your field: 1x Divine Dragon Aquabizzare (Face-up attack position), 1x T.A.D.P.O.L.E (Face-up attack position), 1x Dark Mimic LV 1 (Face-down defense position), 2x Fish Depth Charge (Face-down), 1x Fairy Meteor Crush (Face-down), 1x Dimensional Fissure (Face-down)
Cards in your opponent's graveyard: None
Cards in your graveyard: None
Your opponent's cards removed from play: None
Your cards removed from play: None
Your opponent's extra deck: None
Your extra deck: 1x Stardust Dragon, 1x Flamvell Uruquizas

Once they were given the signal, both teams stopped to think. Neither did anything the previous ones did as they were actually taking running through every possible card combination in their head and reading the effects of the cards, even the ones they knew by heart. Both sides watched as they waited to see, some even trying to figure it out themselves only to immediately fail.

"Okay, I give up." said Rainbow in finality, once they finished presenting the problem, she just stopped listening.

"Wouldn't be the first time you quit on a math problem," snickered AJ.

"Repeat that, Applejack!" said Rainbow as she took offense to the comment made by her friend.

"Quiet down!" said Luna as she shot a glare in the girl's direction.

She gave a warning to the girl that unless she wanted to spend some time in detention, she would pipe down and not cause any issues for the teams trying to solve the problem. Rainbow smiled before sinking into her chair. She was red from embarrassment as the other girls couldn't help but chuckle.

Back with the two teams, they were truly working their minds and knowledge when it came to Duel Monsters as they were trying to solve the puzzle.

"What are you thinking, Sunset?" asked Golden.

"I know the first step is to play Dark World Dealings to draw 1 card and discard Fishborg Blaster. That would cause our opponent to discard the Fabled Cerburrle which he can special upon discarding. Then discard the other Fishborg Blaster to get the one in the Graveyard onto the field." said the girl.

"Correct, then we do this. Discard Space Mambo to special summon the Fishborg Blaster we sent to get the other back. Activate Dimensional Fissure. Then activate Fish Depth Charge, tributing a Fishborg Blaster, destroying Dandylion, and drawing Dimensional Fissure. Activate second Fish Depth Charge, tributing other Fishborg Blaster, destroying The Fabled Cerburrel, and drawing Mobius." said Golden Flare as he relayed the next part of their plan.

"But's that only half the puzzle. Where do we go from there?" asked Sunset as both only made it this far and were thinking about what to do next.

Golden then looked at the monster they had face-down. He flipped it up to see it was Dark Mimic LV1.

"We don't happen to have Dark Mimic LV3, do we Sunset?" asked Golden.

"Nope, neither in the deck or our hand. But it at least allows us to draw a card when it's flipped up," said the girl still thinking about the solution.

"We would get Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder. But he could be summoned by sacrificing three spell cards—" said Golden as he stopped himself.

"Three...Spell cards..." said Sunset as she too noticed that small detail.

Both pressed their faces together as they looked at the cards in their hands as the pieces began to fall in place. They saw the link that chained each of their moves as they saw the finish line.

"That's it! All we need is—" said both in unison.

"Finished." spoke Twilight as she and Isaac submitted their answer.

It surprised both Sunset and Golden as they were just seconds away from locking in their answer and pushing the button. Soon the projection of the duel played out behind the adults as they waited to hear what the pair was going to say.

"Isaac, care to explain?" said Twilight to her partner.

"Sure," smiled the boy at his friend as he cleared his throat.

"Activate Dark World Dealing, drawing, and discarding Fishborg Blaster. Opponent specials The Fabled Cerburrel. Discard Fishborg Blaster to special the other Fishborg Blaster from the grave. Discard Space Mambo to special summon Fishborg Blaster. Activate Dimensional Fissure. Activate Fish Depth Charge, tributing a Fishborg Blaster, destroying Dandylion, and drawing Dimensional Fissure. Activate second Fish Depth Charge, tributing other Fishborg Blaster, destroying The Fabled Cerburrel, and drawing Mobius. Flip Summon Dark Mimic Lv 1, drawing Hamon. Activate Face-Down Dimensional Fissure and Dimensional Fissure from hand. Tribute Dark Mimic LV 1 to Tribute Summon Mobius, destroying Mirror Force and Negate Attack. Send the three D. Fissures to special Hamon. Hamon, Mobius, and Divine Dragon Aquabizzare attack directly for the game." said Isaac as he finished explaining his and Twilight's answer.

Everyone waited to see what the adults said as they were kept in suspense.

"I'm sorry to say, but that is...correct!" said Cadence. "Crystal Prep is currently in the lead." stated the Dean as that final puzzle put CPA in a bit of lead in terms of points.

"Yes!" said Isaac as he looked to give Twilight a high-five as she instead hugged her friend to which he accepted it.

The students of Crystal Prep were relishing in their victory as, despite a rocky start, they managed to come back and steal the win in the first game of the event. Both Isaac and Twilight were making their way back to their seats when Cinch stopped in front of them.

"Good work, you two. Very good work." said the woman with a smile.

Isaac merely had Twilight stay behind him as they passed the woman and returned to their seats. He kept a scowl on his face while staring down the woman as Twilight just looked away. Sunset and Golden made it back to their seats as they were being applauded by their classmates for putting up a tough fight against two of Crystal Prep's very best and almost beating them.

"That was awesome!" said Rainbow giving both of her friends' pats on the back.

"Truly amazing!" said Rarity.

"But we didn't win!" said Sunset.

"True, but that was as close to winnin' as Canterlot's ever been." said Applejack.

"AJ's right. Besides this was only the first round in the first event. We still got plenty more chances to catch up." stated Astral as he put his hand on Golden's shoulder.

"I guess you're right. Still...if we had just been a little faster...we would have had it." stated Golden.

"Sometimes you win some and sometimes you just miss it. Nothing to be ashamed of, darling." spoke Rarity.

"Come on! We still got more rounds to win!" said Pinkie as she pulled the string of her confetti cannon as it shot out the pieces.

From there, the rest of the rounds flew by. The students were pushed to their limits as in each new round, they were given points that would be calculated at the end of the first event. The top six from each team would compete in the next round. Till then, everyone was doing their best to make sure they got the spot to advance to the next part of the Friendship Games. Hours passed and both teams of warriors weren't backing done. Some excelled in certain areas more than others, but soon the dust was starting to settle. For the final round, everyone had gathered in the field behind CHS as all twelve duelists were being pitted against each other in exhibition duels. These would serve as the final indicators of who would pass to the next round.

The pair-ups for these duels were revealed. The first duel pitted Rainbow going up against Royal Pin as the chromatic girl zoomed past her opponent in record time. Sunny Flare took on Lyra as the rich snooty girl had no trouble getting past her. Enix defeated Flash Sentry without so much as breaking a sweat. Applejack managed to beat Jet Set as the girl showed just how tough she was. Suri fell to Sunset, Sugarcoat was bested by Astral Flare, Sour Sweet dethroned Bon Bon, Lemon Zest defeated Fluttershy in a surprisingly close match, Twilight picked up a decisive win over Sandalwood, and Pinkie managed to defeat Indigo Zap, but the latter was able to make the former work for her victory.

Now only two duels remained before the first event official ended. It was Golden Flare taking on Upper Crust while Isaac would take on Rarity. Golden was with his comrades as he was going off the contents of his deck one final time and made any last-minute changes. Soon he was called as he got up and made his way to the field. His whole team cheered him on as he got on and faced Upper Crust who was staring the boy down.

"Good luck." said Golden Flare as he put his hand out for Upper Crust to shake.

"Please." scoffed the girl as she just ignored the boy's offer and made her way to her side of the field.

Golden blinked and he turned and made it to his side, uttering, "Well, that was rude."

"Let the duel...begin!" instructed Luna.

Upper Crust activated her Duel Disk as a pale purple card tray projected. Golden pulled out his D-Pad as both Duelists put on their Duel Gazers.

"Augmented Reality Vision Link Established." said the A.I.

"Let's duel!" shouted Upper Crust and Golden Flare in unison.

Upper Crust: 8,000 LP
Golden Flare: 8,000 LP

Turn 1: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"I'll start," said Golden as he drew his card and looked at his hand. "And I'll start with my trusty bud, NumberMan.EXE (900/900) in attack mode." A humanoid robot with a blinking light bulb for a head appeared on the field, "Then I'll activate its ability, once per turn, I can roll a die and whatever number it lands on, you take 100 points of damage multiplied by that number. Go, Doom Dice!" stated Golden Flare as a die appeared in front of him. The die was tossed as it landed on a six. "Nice! Say goodbye to 600 of your life points!" the die let loose a massive explosion in Upper Crust's general area, creating a simulated dust cloud as her life points began to drop (Upper Crust: 8,000 - 600 = 7,400 LP).

"He's got unique cards." said Isaac as he and Twilight were watching Golden.

"Never seen cards like that. I wonder where he got them, and what other surprises they have in store." said Twilight as she pulled out a notepad and was taking some notes on Golden and his cards.

"I'll end my turn with one face-down."

Turn 2: Upper Crust - Hand: 5

"My turn," stated the girl as she drew her card. "To start—"

"Hold it, I'm activating my NumberMan's ability again!" smiled Golden.

"What?!" screamed Upper Crust.

"Oh yeah, I can activate his ability during either player's turn, did I forget to mention that? Now, Doom Dice!" smirked the boy as another die appeared. It was tossed as another six was shown. "Two 6's in a row. Send me to Las Pegasus, I'm hitting the jackpot!" smiled Golden as he was feeling lucky while the die let out a massive explosion (Upper Crust: 7,400 - 600 = 6,800 LP).

"You're pissing me off!" growled Upper Crust.

"So...he can activate his monster's effect during any player's turn? Fascinating." said Twilight as she made a mental note of that while Isaac kept on watching.

"Now then, I play Fluffal Owl (1000/1000)! Then by summoning Fluffal Owl, I can add 'Polymerization' to my hand," said Upper Crust as her Duel Disk ejected the card for her to grab. "Next, I'll play Polymerization so that I can combine my Fluffal Octopus with my Edge Imp Chain in my hand!" shouted the girl as she held her cards up high as the spirits of them appeared before entering a swirling portal.

Fluffal Octopus
Attribute: WATER
Level: 1
Type: Fairy/Effect
ATK: 800
DEF: 800
Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 "Fluffal" or "Edge Imp" monster in your Graveyard; add it to your hand. If this card is sent to the Graveyard as a Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon of a "Frightfur" Fusion Monster: You can target up to 2 of your banished monsters; return them to the Graveyard. You can only use each effect of "Fluffal Octopus" once per turn.

Edge Imp Chain
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Fiend/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 1800
Effect: When this card declares an attack: You can add 1 "Edge Imp Chain" from your Deck to your hand. If this card is sent from the hand or field to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Frightfur" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use 1 "Edge Imp Chain" effect per turn, and only once that turn.

"Blades of steel and monster of the deep! When you two come together, your heart will skip a beat! I Fusion Summon! Hold on to your pirate hat, 'cause you're about to face a seafarer's worst nightmare! It's Frightfur Kraken!" A tidal wave washed over the field as standing behind Upper Crust was a Kraken as its tentacles were sharp blades that looked to slice its enemy to bits.

Frightfur Kraken
Attribute: WATER
Level: 8
Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2200
DEF: 3000
Effect: 1 "Edge Imp" monster + 1 "Fluffal" monster
Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; send it to the Graveyard. This card cannot attack directly the turn this effect is activated. This card can make a second attack during each Battle Phase. Once per turn, at the end of the Battle Phase, if this card battled: You can change this card to Defense Position.

"Hey, any of you girls know what kinds of deck Upper Crust is playing?" asked Sunset to the group. They all shook their heads as they had never seen this archetype.

"Now Frightfur Kraken, attack his monster!" ordered the girl to her sea creature.

"I thought Crystal Prep students were better than this. You're making a rookie error, 'cause I still got my facedown. Reveal, Battle Chip - FullCust! With this card, since I control an '.EXE' monster, I can end your turn altogether!" stated Golden Flare as Upper Crust's monster stopped dead in its tracks.

"I'm starting to really hate you!" growled Upper Crust.

"Oh come on, I'm a good person once you get to know me." said Golden as he continued to have fun with his opponent.

"Just take your turn!"

Turn 3: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

"Alright then," said the boy as he drew his card. "Time to show you why my monsters are unique. 'Cause NumberMan.EXE has a special power. Once during my Standby Phase, I can add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell card to my hand. And I'll choose this one, BattleChip - HeroSwrd!" Golden's Duel Pad then ejected his card as it then shuffled his deck.

"So, as long as his monsters stay on the field, each turn he can power them up for free. Impressive." said Isaac as he was starting to see how Golden's deck functioned.

"Just what kind of cards does he have?" said Twilight as she was learning more and more about the boy's deck.

"By equipping this new Spell onto my monster, it gains 2,000 extra Attack Points, and it can inflict piercing damage!" A shining and grand sword appeared before the humanoid monster as he grabbed it and felt the power surge through it (NumberMan.EXE: ATK 900 + 2000 = 2900). "But first, I'm gonna activate my monster's other ability! Doom Dice!" A die appeared once more, this time it landed on a four, giving Upper Crust an explosion that's a little more tame than the last couple (Upper Crust: 6,800 - 400 = 6,400 LP).

"He's making a mockery of me!" growled Upper Crust as she was getting outplayed and outdueled by a student of CHS.

"What'd I tell you? Golden is one of the best duelists this school's got. Ain't no way he gonna lose or he's gonna be outshined by anybody else." said Rainbow with cockiness.

"Let's hope so." muttered Sunset to herself as she kept on looking at Twilight and Isaac. The girl sensed powerful energy coming from the pair.

"Now, NumberMan, attack her Kraken! Time to make sushi out of that monstrosity!" commanded Golden as his monster leaped into the air and brought the sword down on the sea creature as it exploded (Upper Crust: 6,400 - 700 = 5,700 LP).

"I'll then end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 4: Upper Crust - Hand: 2

"My turn, I play the Spell Card, Suture Rebirth."

Suture Rebirth
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 "Fluffal" or "Frightfur" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it, but its effects are negated. You can only activate 1 "Suture Rebirth" per turn.

"With this, I can bring back my Frightfur Kraken, but its special abilities are negated! So rise from the depths of the sea, my creature!" stated Upper Crust as another tidal wave appeared as soon her monster was back. "Then I'll activate the ability of my Fluffal Owl, by paying 500 life points, I can Fusion Summon monsters on my field without Polymerization!" said the girl as both her owl and Kraken turned into lights as they entered another swirling portal (Upper Crust: 5,700 - 500 = 5,200 LP).

"Here's the wild, wicked cat that's all paws, claws, and jaws! I Fusion Summon! Frightfur Sabre-Tooth!" A demonic plushie cat appeared as it was pretty big and had sharp jaws hanging off its mouth and growled.

Frightfur Sabre-Tooth
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Fiend/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2400
DEF: 2000
Effect: 1 "Frightfur" Fusion Monster + 1+ "Fluffal" and/or "Edge Imp" monsters
When this card is Fusion Summoned: You can target 1 "Frightfur" monster in your GY; Special Summon it. All "Frightfur" monsters you control gain 400 ATK. If this card was Fusion Summoned using 3 or more Fusion Materials, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.

"Only 2,400 Attack Points? No sweat." said Rainbow.

"You forget, it must have a powerful ability, darling." stated Rarity.

"Now when my monster is Fusion Summoned, I can target 1 'Frightfur' monster in my Graveyard and then Special Summon it. And my Saber-Tooth gives all my 'Frightfur' monsters an extra 400 Attack Points," smirked Upper Crust as her Kraken was back in play as both her Fusion Monsters powered up (Frightfur Sabre-Tooth: ATK 2400 + 400 = 2800) (Frightfur Kraken: ATK 2200 + 400 = 2600).

"You were saying, Dash?" said AJ.

"Well, neither of them have enough Attack Points to take down Golden's monster anyway." stated Rainbow.

"When will you learn?" asked Astral Flare.

"I'm activating my NumberMan's ability, you know the drill, or should I say Doom Dice!" said Golden as another die appeared. The number that it landed on was a three and it exploded again, this time a slightly smaller one (Upper Crust: 5,200 - 300 = 4,900 LP).

"Like that matters, cause now I'll activate my Kraken's ability. Once per turn, I can send one card you control to the Graveyard. So your pesky monster is finally gone!" stated Upper Crust as she was happy to see the source of her pain disappear.

"Now, Frightfur Saber-Tooth, attack him directly!" commanded the girl.

Her monster heard its orders as it charged forward and looked to take a bite out of the boy's Life Points. It leapt into the air as Golden just barely rolled out of the way as a scuff appeared on his arm. He dusted it off as it began to fade (Golden Flare: 8,000 - 2,800 = 5,200 LP).

"Ooh, in just one move, Upper Crust has nearly tied it up." said Fluttershy.

"Well, he still has a chance." said Pinkie as she was wearing a cheerleader outfit and had pom-poms in her hands.

"I'll then end my turn by playing the spell card, Frightfur Patchwork."

Frightfur Patchwork
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Add 1 "Edge Imp" monster and 1 "Polymerization" from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Frightfur Patchwork" per turn.

"Now I can add 1 'Edge Imp' monster and 'Polymerization' from my Deck to my hand." stated Upper Crust as she selected the monster she wanted. Both cards slid out for her to grab as she ended her turn.

Turn 5: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

"My turn," said the boy as he drew his card and looked at his hand. "I'll activate the Spell Card, Double Summon. So now I can summon two monsters this turn. So I'm summoning out another NumberMan.EXE and joining him is his buddy, MegaMan.EXE (1900/1500)!" A blue and yellow armored man with a strange symbol on his chest made his appearance on the field, sporting a blaster where one of his hands should be, "Now, time I bust out one of my best monsters!"

"One of his best monsters?" said Fluttershy.

"I think I have a clue on which one it is..." hinted Sunset.

"By returning both monsters to my deck, I can be able to conduct a Fusion Summoning without Polymerization! Go, MegaMan.EXE and NumberMan.EXE, Double Soul Fusion!" The two aforementioned monsters leaped into the air and swirled into a combining vortex before reappearing as a merged version of them in one being. "With the warrior of blue and machine of numbers, I bring forth a warrior that can solve the most difficult calculations! I Fusion Summon, MegaMan.EXE - Number Soul (2000/2400)!"

"What?! You Fusion Summoned without Polymerization?!!" said Upper Crust as she was stunned to see that given what she learned in her Fusion classes.

"Double Soul Fusion?" said Twilight.

"My guess is it works like Contact Fusion. Remember reading about it. Essentially you can fuse by sending the monsters required back to your deck." said Isaac as he too was impressed by Golden's skills.

"One thing is for sure, this kid is something else." spoke Twilight making more notes on Golden.

"Now, I'll equip my new monster with this, Battle Chip - BambSwrd! Now my monster gains 1,400 extra attack points and it can attack three times this round!" said Golden as Upper Crust sweated from hearing that. With the power surging through it, Golden's monster took to battle as it leaped into the air and a greenish-yellow laser blade was shown (MegaMan.EXE - Number Soul: ATK 2000 + 1400 = 3400). It came down on both monsters as they were destroyed (Upper Crust: 4,900 - 600 - 800 = 3,500 LP).

"And the last attack is going right at your life points!" stated Golden as his monster did its final triple attack at the girl who was knocked on her back (Upper Crust: 3,500 - 3,400 = 100 LP).

"It's over." said the boy.

"I...still have...100 life points." said Upper Crust as she sat up.

"Which is why it pains me to do this. Especially to a girl, but...I activate my monster's special ability. I can roll a die three times this round and whatever number it lands on, you take that amount of damage by 100."

"No." gasped the girl.

"Sorry, but, you know, not really. Go, Triple Doom Dice!" smiled Golden as all three dies landed on one for a triple pair of snake eyes. They each let loose a relatively small explosion as they drained the last bit of Upper Crust's points (Upper Crust: 100 - 300 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Golden Flare

"The winner of this duel is...Canterlot High's Golden Flare!" announced Luna.

The sea of students of CHS was cheering at the top of their lungs. Golden simply waved as he made his way toward his teammates. They all cheered and gave him pats on the back. The girls smiled at what their friend did with Sunset hugging him.

"As I said, no one can defeat you." smiled the bacon-haired girl.

Back with Team CPA, Cinch was reprimanding her own student for failing what was supposed to be an easy match, and none of the others were doing anything to stop their principal.

"What a horrible display of skill." growled Principal Cinch to Upper Crust as the rest of her classmates, aside from Twilight, Isaac, and her boyfriend scowled. She hung her head in shame as Cinch began to think as she looked over to the last remaining member of their team who was about to duel. That impudent boy seems to be more clever than I originally thought. He could definitely pose a threat...but not against who I have in store for him. The woman approached the boy as the two stared at one another. She soon smiled as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "I know you won't fail me. Show Canterlot High just who you are and the power that you hold. Show them what a top Duelist can really do." smiled the woman.

Isaac merely shrugged Cinch's hand from his shoulder. He kept his defiant scowl as he began to head toward the field. He stopped a moment to pull out his deck from his belt and looked at it. Isaac took a deep breath before he began to speak as he was talking with his cards.

"Alright, Rares. You're up. Good luck." said Applejack as they knew their friend was going to have a tough challenge.

"Darlings, a lady is always prepared. Now watch, as not only can you be dominant on the field, but stylish as well," giggled the fashionista before heading out.

"You guys with me?" spoke Isaac to his allies as they all nodded to their master to show their undying loyalty. "Thanks."

"Daring, forgive my intrusion. But are you...talking to your cards?" asked Rarity to the teen.

"Yeah, of course. They're my friends. They've been with me since the beginning. Don't you do the same?" asked Isaac.

"No. I...I've never done that." said the girl.

"Well, give it a try. You might be surprised to learn what your monsters think of you." smiled Isaac.

"Perhaps I will. By the way, allow me to introduce myself, I'm Rarity Belle."

"Nice to meet you, Rarity. I'm Isaac. I'll say this, you're very beautiful." stated the teen as he stuck his hand out for the girl as they shook.

"Quite the charmer, well good luck."

"You too."

With the show of respect traded, both teens made it to their side of the field. Cadence then stood up and raised her hand to signal the duelists. Isaac activated his Duel Disk as a golden card tray was projected with Rarity pulling out her D-Pad as it transformed into her Duel Disk. Both put on their Duel Gazers.

"Augmented Reality Vision Link established." said the A.I. as the whole field around them changed.

"Hope you're ready, Rarity. 'Cause it's time to duel!" shouted Isaac with confidence in his voice.

"Ooh, anybody else get chills down their spine when Isaac said that?" asked Astral Flare.

"I know I did. Hearing that makes me feel...more confident," said Fluttershy as hearing the boy make that proclamation sounded kinda cool and intimidating in a way.

Rarity: 8000 LP
Isaac: 8000 LP

"Ladies first." said Isaac as he was allowing Rarity to make the first move.

Turn 1: Rarity - Hand: 5

"Such a gentleman," flirted Rarity giving a wink to her opponent. "Very well then, I draw! To start, I'll summon my Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise in defense mode!" A tortoise with green gemstones in its shell appeared as he was hidden inside.

Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise
Attribute: WATER
Level: 3
Type: Aqua/Effect
ATK: 600
DEF: 2000
Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster you control that attacked this turn; change that target to Defense Position. If this face-up card is destroyed in a Monster Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell, instead of sending it to the GY.

"Then I'll play this nifty Spell, my Crystal Bond."

Crystal Bond
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Add 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your Deck to your hand, and place 1 "Crystal Beast" monster with a different name from your Deck face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell. You can only activate 1 "Crystal Bond" per turn.

Now I can add 1 'Crystal Beast' from my deck to my hand and place another in my Spell and Trap card zone. So I'll choose to add my Topaz Tiger to my hand while placing my cute Ruby in my back row." Rarity's Duel Pad ejected her two cards as she place the latter face-down on her Duel Pad. On her field, a red stone was produced.

Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Beast/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1000
Effect: If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 400 ATK during the Damage Step only. If this face-up card is destroyed in a Monster Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell, instead of sending it to the GY.

Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 3
Type: Fairy/Effect
ATK: 300
DEF: 300
Effect: When this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon as many "Crystal Beast" Monster Cards as possible from your Spell & Trap Zones. If this face-up card is destroyed in a Monster Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell, instead of sending it to the GY.

"I'll then place one card face-down and end my turn. Now then, Isaac darling, care to show a lady some fun on this date?" flirted Rarity.

Turn 2: Isaac - Hand: 5

"With pleasure," smiled the boy as he drew his card, "To start, I'll summon Imperial Bower." Out came a set of knights as they stood side by side as each one was a different color.

Imperial Bower
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1500
Effect: If you control no other monsters: You can Tribute this card; take 2 different monsters from your Deck among "Queen's Knight", "King's Knight", and/or "Jack's Knight", and either add to your hand or Special Summon each monster. You can only use this effect of "Imperial Bower" once per turn.

"Then I activate their ability, see if I control no other monsters, I can tribute these guys to take 2 of my Royal Knights from my deck. Then I can either add them to my hand or summon them to the field, so I choose to bring out my Queen's Knight and King's Knight. And then because of my King's Knight's ability, I can summon Jack's Knight from my deck!" All at once, Isaac now had his three royal knights on the field as they all put their swords together.

Queen's Knight
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Normal
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1600
Description: This knight catches her opponents off guard, dominating them with swift yet graceful attacks.

King's Knight
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1400
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned while you control "Queen's Knight": You can Special Summon 1 "Jack's Knight" from your Deck.

Jack's Knight
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 5
Type: Warrior/Normal
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1000
Description: A strong master swordsman. His loyalty is to justice, his duty to protect the weak.

"Three monsters in one turn?!" said Rainbow.

"Okay, didn't expect that from the kid," said AJ as she too was stunned.

"My, my...three knights and all because of a single monster." said Rarity as she was impressed by what Isaac did in his opening play.

"Huh, here I thought the kid didn't have that kind of skill." said Indigo as the rest of the Shadowbolts were starting to pay attention to Isaac.

"What else has he been hiding from us?" spoke Sugarcoat.

"I end my turn with a face-down! Your move, Rarity." said Isaac.

"Huh? He does all that and doesn't attack? Perhaps the kid really isn't that good. Right, Principal Cinch?" said Sour Sweet to the woman.

"You're all incompetent!" said the woman as the students had stunned looks on their faces at hearing Cinch insult them. "Watch, and you might learn a thing or two from Isaac."

Turn 3: Rarity - Hand: 3

"My turn," said Rarity as he drew her card and began her plan of attack, "I summon my Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger (1600/1000)!" A white tiger with a horn and a collar studded with yellow gems appeared. "Now Topaz, attack his Jack's Knight, and my tiger has a special ability, whenever it attacks a monster it gains 400 extra Attack Points. Go Topaz Incisor Shred!" shouted the girl as her cat then raced forward with all of its strength as it then leaped up and took out Isaac's monster. The boy didn't flinch as he stood there (Isaac: 8,000 - 100 = 7,900 LP).

"I was hoping you'd do that. Reveal face-down! Court of Cards!" shouted Isaac as his trap flipped up with a bright light.

Court of Cards
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: If you control no monsters, or only control "Queen's Knight", "King's Knight", and/or "Jack's Knight": You can Special Summon 1 "Queen's Knight", "King's Knight", or "Jack's Knight" from your hand or GY. You can banish up to 1 each "Queen's Knight", "King's Knight", and/or "Jack's Knight" from your hand and/or GY; draw the same number of cards you banished. You can only use 1 "Court of Cards" effect per turn, and only once that turn.

"Now since the only monsters I currently control are my Royal Knights, I can revive any of them if they're in my Graveyard, so my Jack's Knight rises once more." said Isaac as his knight was back in play.

"So not only did he plan for Rarity's attack, but he refilled his field with just a single trap and only took 100 points of damage?" said Pinkie as she and everybody were stunned by the move and tactical strategy that Isaac displayed.

"For you see, you imbeciles, Isaac thought twelve steps ahead and now has the advantage for his next turn. No doubt, neither of you would have done the same," said Principal Cinch as she ran down her students once more for their short-sightedness. "Take notes on what a real duelist can do when he commands the field. You'll be lucky if you get even a hint of his skill."

"Impressive, well then, I end my turn." said Rarity.

Turn 4: Isaac - Hand: 4

"My turn, I draw! And now I'll sacrifice my Queen's Knight so that I can special summon my Arcana Triumph Joker!" said Isaac as his female knight disappeared and was replaced by a more powerful one.

Arcana Triumph Joker
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 10
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: ?
DEF: 2500
Effect: If this card is in your hand or GY: You can send 1 "Queen's Knight", "King's Knight", and "Jack's Knight" from your hand and/or face-up Monster Zone to the GY; Special Summon this card. This card gains 500 ATK x the combined number of cards in both players' hands. You can discard 1 card; destroy all face-up cards your opponent controls with the same type (Monster, Spell, or Trap) as the discarded card.

"No Attack Points?" asked Rarity as her Duel Pad didn't register the attack of Isaac's newest knight.

"Let me explain, my monster has a unique special ability. Her Attack Points are determined based on the number of total cards in our hands by 500. I'm currently holding 4, and you're holding 3, so that means she has 3,500 Attack Points." stated Isaac as his female knight powered up (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK: ? + 3500 = 3500).

"What the hell?!!!" shouted Rainbow as she was stunned on hearing how Isaac's monster worked.

"Alright, I'll admit it, I'm impressed." smirked Golden as he was starting to enjoy seeing how Isaac dueled.

"Now to attack, Arcana Triumph Joker, attack Rarity's Topaz Tiger!" instructed the boy as his knight nodded her head and leaped forward.

"I reveal my face-down, Last Resort!"

Last Resort
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Activate only when your opponent's monster declares an attack. You can select 1 "Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins" from your Deck and activate it. If your opponent had an active Field Spell Card when this card was activated, they can draw 1 card.

"When you declare an attack, I can now activate one Field Spell from my deck. And so get ready because I play Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins!" shouted Rarity as the field around them as the pair found themselves in a rundown Coliseum arena.

Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins
Field Spell Card
Effect: You must have this many "Crystal Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Zone to activate and to resolve these effects.
●1+: This card cannot be destroyed by card effects.
●2+: Once per turn (including the opponent's) you can halve the battle damage you take.
●3+: When a Spell/Trap Card is activated: You can send 1 "Crystal Beast" monster you control to the GY; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.
●4+: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can draw 1 card.
●5: Once per turn, during your Main Phase: You can target 1 "Crystal Beast" card in your Spell & Trap Zone; Special Summon that target.

"Not bad, but either way, your Topaz Tiger is getting destroyed!" stated Isaac as his female knight brought her sword down and took out the striped feline (Rarity: 8,000 - 1,900 = 6,100 LP).

"Now, instead of sending my monster to the Graveyard, I can place it in my Spell and Trap card zone." A yellow gem then appeared in Rarity's back row.

"I'll end my turn." said Isaac.

Turn 5: Rarity - Hand: 3

"My draw!" said Rarity.

"And that means another card in your hand, so my knight gets stronger." stated Isaac as his knight now had 4,000 Attack Points (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK 3500 + 500 = 4000).

"So basically it gets stronger the more cards in your hand?!" said Pinkie.

"And based on Rarity's deck, she likes to have cards in her hand for many options. This might be difficult for her." said Sunset.

"I play Crystal Beacon!" Rarity declared.

Crystal Beacon
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Special Summon 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your Deck. You must have 2 or more "Crystal Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Zone to activate and to resolve this effect.

"Since I have 2 'Crystal Beasts' in my Spell and Trap card zone, I can Special Summon another beast from my deck! I choose my Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth!" An orange gem appeared as it cracked open. From the orange gem came a large mammoth, a circular amber stone on a crest on its forehead.

Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Beast/Effect
ATK: 1700
DEF: 1600
Effect: When another "Crystal Beast" monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can change the attack target to this card. If this face-up card is destroyed in a Monster Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell, instead of sending it to the GY.

"Then I'll play my Crystal Release and equip it to my mammoth."

Crystal Release
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Equip only to a "Crystal Beast" monster. It gains 800 ATK. When this card is sent from the field to the GY: You can place 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your Deck face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell.

"Now he gains 800 more Attack Points, and with two cards less in my hand, your Joker gets weaker by 1,000 attack points!" said Rarity as the former monster's power increased and the latter monster's strength decreased (Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth: ATK 1700 + 800 = 2500) (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK 4000 - 1000 = 3000). "Now Amber Mammoth, attack his King's Knight!" The pachyderm obeyed the command of its mistress as it charged forward and crushed the knight under its gigantic foot (Isaac: 7,900 - 900 = 7,000 LP).

"Now I activate the effect of my Emerald Tortoise. Since my Mammoth attacked this turn, I can shift it into defense mode. I then end my turn," said Rarity.

Turn 6: Isaac - Hand: 4

"My draw, and once more, my monster gets stronger," said Isaac as his knight powered up (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK 3000 + 500 = 3500), "Next, I'll activate the other effect of my Court of Cards. I can banish my Queen's and King's Knight from my Graveyard and in exchange, I can draw up to the same number of cards that I banished. So I'm drawing two more!" stated Isaac as he picked up more cards to power his Arcana Triumph Joker (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK 3500 + 1000 = 4500).

"It now has 4,500 Attack Points!" said Fluttershy as she was scared.

"Next, I'll play Emergency Provisions."

Emergency Provisions
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Send any number of other Spell/Trap Cards you control to the Graveyard; gain 1000 LP for each card sent to the Graveyard this way.

"So by destroying my Court of Cards, I gain 1,000 Life Points!" said Isaac as he got rid of his trap and his Life Points were back to their original total (Isaac: 7,000 + 1,000 = 8,000 LP), not only that, but using the Spell diminished his monster's power again (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK 4500 - 500 = 4000).

"Next, I'll activate the effect of my Arcana Triumph Joker. By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy all the face-up cards on your side of the field that match that same type. So I'm discarding my Electromagnetic Turtle so that I can clear your field of both your Crystal Beasts!" said Isaac. His knight then raised her sword as it did a slash attack that destroyed Rarity's monsters as the girl was defenseless and his monster became even weaker but still pretty strong currently (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK 4000 - 500 = 3500).

"Since my Mammoth had Crystal Release equipped, I can place one 'Crystal Beast' in my Spell and Trap card zone. So I choose my Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat!" said Rarity as now her entire back row was filled.

Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Beast/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 400
Effect: This card can attack your opponent directly, but when it uses this effect, any battle damage it inflicts to your opponent is halved. If this face-up card is destroyed in a Monster Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell, instead of sending it to the GY.

"True, but now you don't have room to play any Spells or Traps. Not to mention that my monster has a total of 3,500 Attack Points." stated Isaac.

"So he was able to replenish his Life Points, clear out Rarity's field, and can launch two assaults on her?" said Rainbow as she was once again stunned by what Isaac did.

"This kid really has skill." said Astral Flare as he was enjoying what they were seeing.

"Excellent, Isaac. Show no mercy. Show CHS what awaits them." smiled Cinch as the boy was doing a phenomenal job in control the pace of the entire duel. Even the rest of the Shadowbolts were in awe at what their teammate was doing.

"Now, Arcana Triumph Joker, attack Rarity directly!" commanded the boy.

"I'm not the defenseless maiden you think I am. Thanks to my Field Spell, since I have at least 2 'Crystal Beasts' in my Spell and Trap card zone. Once per turn, I can cut the battle damage I take in half!" stated the girl as she put her Duel Pad up to block the sword coming down on her (Rarity: 6,100 - 1,750 = 4,350 LP).

"Not bad, but let's see you dodge attack #2!" said Isaac as he gave his Jack's Knight its orders.

Rarity saw the attack coming as she closed her eyes and prepared to be struck. A few seconds passed as nothing happened. The fashionista opened her eyes as she saw the monster in front of her. The Knight simply touched her shirt with its sword as it counted for its attack. He then bowed to show the girl respect before leaping back to its master's side (Rarity: 4,350 - 1,900 = 2,450 LP).

"Even my monsters know not to strike a lady." smiled Isaac.

"Well, thank you." smiled Rarity.

"I end my turn."

Turn 7: Rarity - Hand: 2

"My draw." declared Rarity as once again Isaac's monster got stronger (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK 3500 + 500 = 4000).

"Come on, Rares. Do something, or else this is all over next turn." said Rainbow.

"But what can she do? Her entire back row is full." stated Pinkie.

"I'll start by activating one of my Field Spell's abilities. Since I have four 'Crystal Beasts', I can draw one extra card (Arcana Triumph Joker: ATK 4000 + 500 = 4500). Then since I have five, I can Special Summon one of my Crystal Beasts from my Spell and Trap card zone. So I choose my Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle (300/300) in defense mode!" Within the rays of light appeared a small purple quadruple with large red eyes and a round red gem on its tail. It jumped down in front of Rarity and mewled.

"When Ruby is Special Summoned, I can release the rest of my crystalized Crystal Beasts. So I release you all!" shouted Rarity. Ruby Carbuncle held up its tail and cried. The gemstone on its tail lit up red and shot beams of energy into the gems behind it. Soon the rest of Rarity's monsters appeared; Topaz Tiger (1600/1000), Amethyst Cat (1200/400), Emerald Tortoise (600/2000), and Amber Mammoth (1700/1600).

"Now that my back row is cleared, I'm allowed to play all the Spells and Traps I want. But first, it is time to deal some damage. I'll have my Topaz Tiger attack your Jack's Knight and remember when it battles a monster it gains 400 Attack Points." said Rarity as her tiger (Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger: ATK 1600 + 400 = 2000) leaped and pounced on Isaac's male knight (Isaac: 8,000 - 100 = 7,900 LP).

"Next, I'll activate my Amethyst Cat's ability. By cutting her Attack Points in half, she can attack you directly!" stated Rarity as her cat raced toward Isaac as she thought he was a piece of meat (Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat: ATK 1,200 ÷ 2 = 600). It leaped into the air as the boy put his duel disk up to stop the cat from bearing its fangs into him (Isaac: 7,900 - 600 = 7300 LP).

Rarity's cat then let go and returned to her mistress as she petted her feline (Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat: ATK 600 x 2 = 1,200).

"Now, the effect of my Tortoise means I can switch my Mammoth to defense mode. And lastly, I'll end my turn with one card face-down."

Turn 8: Isaac - Hand: 5

"My draw, and now, Arcana Triumph Joker attack her Amber Mammoth!" said Isaac as his monster sliced the huge animal to gem dust. The gem then reformed in one of Rarity's slots in her back row.

"Now that I have a Crystal Beast in my Spell and Trap zone, I can activate this! Crystal Raigeki!"

Crystal Raigeki
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Send 1 "Crystal Beast" card from your Spell & Trap Zone to the GY, then target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy that target.

"So by sending my Mammoth to the Graveyard, I can destroy one card my opponent controls. So time for the pesky, overpowered monster to leave!" stated Rarity as she finally got rid of Isaac's powerful monster. However, it took so many of her cards just to destroy it and the boy still had a massive lead in terms of Life Points.

"Not bad, in that case, I'll end my turn." smiled Isaac calmly as he was wide open.

"He's not gonna play any cards face-down?" asked Fluttershy.

"He doesn't have to." spoke Golden as he knew what Isaac was doing.

"So, why did Isaac not play anything after his monster was destroyed?" asked Lemon Zest to Principal Cinch.

"Shows you weren't paying attention! None of you were!" said Cinch to her students as they all put their heads down. Well, apart from Twilight as she knew what her friend was doing.

Turn 9: Rarity - Hand: 1

"My turn, I draw, and now that you are wide open, it is time for an all-out attack. Topaz Tiger, take a bite out of him!" declared Rarity.

The striped cat raced forward as it had its prey in its sights. The feline leaped into the air as it looked to pounce on the boy. The scene focused on Isaac's mouth as it produced a small smile. At that moment, a wall of electricity was formed. It paralyzed Rarity's tiger as the cat howled in pain as did the other animals.

"My darlings!" said Rarity as she saw them in pain. She looked over to Isaac as the boy kept that smile. "What did you do to them?"

"Simple; you remember what monster I discarded when I used my Arcana Triumph Joker's ability?" asked Isaac as soon a small metal turtle appeared before its master. "By banishing my Electromagnetic Turtle from my Graveyard, I end your Battle Phase."

"That's why he wasn't worried. 'Cause he stopped Rarity's attack before it even began. He's good." said Astral Flare at Isaac's skill being put on display.

"In that case, I end my turn." said the fashionista.

Turn 10: Isaac - Hand: 6

Isaac drew his card as he looked at what was in his hand, "You know, Rarity? You had a hard time just getting past my Royal Knights. The thing is...they aren't my ace cards."

"Huh?" said Rarity.

"See, I tend to have a bit of variety in my deck. But...there are certain monsters that I rely on almost in every duel. Like this one," said Isaac as he picked a card up and flipped it. "Berry Magician Girl (400/400)!"

A small magician appeared as she had a wand in her hand and a pacifier in her mouth as she made sucking sounds. She soon landed on Isaac's shoulder as the boy was smiling and tickling the baby's tummy as it looked like he was actually interacting with his monsters as if they were alive.

"When I summon Berry Magician Girl, I can add a different 'Magician Girl' from my deck to my hand," stated Isaac as his options came up on his duel disk for him to choose. "Berry, your call. Which big sister do you want?" asked the boy to his magician.

"Kiwi." said the toddler.

Kiwi Magician Girl
Attribute: WIND
Level: 5
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1200
Effect: During either player's turn: You can discard this card; "Magician Girl" monsters you currently control gain 300 ATK and DEF for each "Magician Girl" monster with different names on the field and in the Graveyards, until the end of this turn. Spellcaster-Type monsters you control cannot be destroyed by card effects, and your opponent cannot target them with card effects.

Isaac nodded as he made his selection. His duel disk then ejected his card as he grabbed it and added it to his hand.

"I'll then lay two cards face-down and end my turn."

Turn 11: Rarity - Hand: 2

"My turn, then," stated the girl as she drew her card, "I'll begin by summoning my Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus!" A blue gemstone appeared in front of Rarity and shattered, a winged white horse flying out of the shards.

Crystal Beast Sapphire Pegasus
Attribute: WIND
Level: 4
Type: Beast/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1200
Effect: When this card is Summoned: You can place 1 "Crystal Beast" monster from your hand, Deck, or GY, face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell. If this face-up card is destroyed in a Monster Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell, instead of sending it to the GY.

"When my Pegasus is summoned, I can a 'Crystal Beast' from my hand, deck, or Graveyard in my Spell and Trap card zone. So I'll choose my Amber Mammoth." Rarity's duel disk then ejected her card from the Graveyard slot as she grabbed it and an orange gem appeared.

"Now, Topaz Tiger, attack his Berry Magician Girl!" declared the girl.

"I activate Berry Magician Girl's ability, now whenever she becomes the target of an attack, I can switch her into defense mode. But that's not all, I can then summon a different 'Magician Girl' to the field. So...make way for my favorite magical girl who holds a special place in my heart. Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)!" shouted Isaac. A portal opened as out came the boy's top female sorcerer.

"Either way, I'm still attacking your weaker magician."

"Good, 'cause I reveal my face-down. The trap, Shift! So now your Topaz Tiger is gonna clash with my Dark Magician Girl!" said Isaac as he shifted the target of Rarity's monster.

"Remember Topaz Tiger gains 400 extra Attack Points when it battles a monster. So both will be destroyed." stated the girl as her tiger charged forward (Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger: ATK 1600 + 400 = 2000).

"Not quite. See by sending my Kiwi Magician Girl from my hand to the Graveyard, I can activate her ability. This lets me grant all of my 'Magician Girls' that I currently control an extra 300 Attack and Defense Points for each 'Magician Girl' with different names on the field and in my Graveyard. So since I currently have three in total: Dark Magician, Berry, and Kiwi, that means both of my girls get a 900 point boost to both stats until the end of the turn. Meaning now my Dark Magician Girl has 2,900 Attack Points. And that means..." said Isaac.

"Oh no—" said Rarity as she didn't finish her statement as her tiger was defeated, and a yellow gem was formed on her field (Rarity: 2,450 - 900 = 1,550 LP).

"Well, I can still deal you damage. I activate Amethyst Cat's ability." said the girl as her other feline raced forward (Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat: ATK 1,200 ÷ 2 = 600).

"I reveal my other face-down, Magicians' Defense."

Magicians' Defense
Continous Trap Card
Effect: While you control a Spellcaster-Type monster, any damage you take is halved. (You cannot halve the same damage twice this way.) If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can target 1 Spellcaster-Type monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.

Now since I control a Spellcaster, the damage I take is cut in half!" stated Isaac as the cat appeared before him and left a quick bite mark on his arm as it soon faded (Isaac: 7,300 - 300 = 7,000 LP).

"I end my turn by switching my Cat (Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat: ATK 600 x 2 = 1200) into defense mode due to my Tortoise's effect."

Turn 12: Isaac - Hand: 4

"My turn, and I'll play the Spell, Magic Formula to give my Dark Magician Girl an extra 700 Attack Points." said the boy.

Magic Formula
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Equip only to "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl". It gains 700 ATK. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: Gain 1000 LP.

"Now, Mana, attack her Amethyst Cat!" The magical girl heard the command from her master as she pointed her wand (Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2000 + 700 = 2700) and fired a magical beam that took out Rarity's feline. Another gem formed in her back row.

"I'll then end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 13: Rarity - Hand: 2

"My turn, and to start, I play the Spell Card Rare Value."

Rare Value
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you control 2 or more "Crystal Beast" cards in your Spell & Trap Zone: Your opponent chooses 1 "Crystal Beast" card in your Spell & Trap Zone, you send it to the GY, and if you do, you draw 2 cards.

"So now you choose which of my Crystal Beasts in my back row to send to the Graveyard and in exchange, I can draw two cards!" said Rarity.

"Then I'll choose to send your Mammoth," declared Isaac as the orange gem disappeared and the girl drew her cards.

"I then summon my Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle in defense mode," shouted the fashionista. A bird with a jeweled collar set with blue crystals and the same crystals embedded in its wings swooped down to perch in front of Rarity.

Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle
Attribute: WIND
Level: 4
Type: Beast/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 800
Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 "Crystal Beast" card you control; place that target on top of the Deck. If this face-up card is destroyed in a Monster Zone, you can place it face-up in your Spell & Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell, instead of sending it to the GY.

"Then I activate my eagle's ability, so I can choose a 'Crystal Beast' to put on the top of my deck. And I choose my Pegasus!" Rarity's winged horse then turned into a single white light as it shot towards the top of her deck.

"Mmm?" was all Isaac said. He examined the field as he realized that Rarity had brought all of her Crystal Beasts out.

"I then lay one card face-down." stated the teen as she ended her turn.

"How much longer is Rarity gonna last?" asked Pinkie.

"At this point, I think Isaac is just toying with her." said Astral Flare.

"What's taking him so long? He should have already beaten her!" said Upper Crust.

"Patience. Something neither of you have learned!" growled Cinch at her students once again for not seeing what Isaac was doing. "Now shut up, all of you, and watch."

Turn 14: Isaac - Hand: 3

"Mmm?" was all Isaac said as he drew his card and looked at his hand. "I'll have my Dark Magician Girl attack your Emerald Tortoise." Isaac's female sorcerer once again blasted another one of Rarity's monsters off the field as it formed a green gem next to the others.

"I end my turn."

Turn 15: Rarity - Hand: 2

"My draw! And you know that my top card is my Sapphire Pegasus, so I'll summon him (1800/1200), which triggers his ability, so I'll take my Amber Mammoth from the graveyard and put him in my Spell and Trap card zone." said the girl as she had an orange gem take up the last of her slot as she had three monsters on the field.

"Now, the time has come for me to win. I reveal my facedown, Rainbow Gravity!" The entire field began to glow in the colors of the rainbow as the gems from each of the Crystal Beasts shined and soared into the air with a trail of gem dust that matched their colors.

Rainbow Gravity
Normal Trap Card
Effect: If you have 7 "Crystal Beast" cards with different names on your field and/or in your GY: Special Summon 1 "Ultimate Crystal" monster from your Deck or GY, ignoring its Summoning conditions.

"When all seven Crystal Beasts are gathered, the greatest light in history resurrects! Appear, Rainbow Dragon!"

The light in the air shone brighter, the silhouette of a long, serpentine dragon appearing within it. With the sound of a mighty roar, the light cracked and broke apart. From the shards came a giant white and gold dragon in a rainbow aura, massive white wings spreading into the air, and gemstones in seven colors embedded in its scales. It descended behind Rarity and coiled in the air her, glaring at Isaac with golden eyes beneath a crested helmet of white and gold.

Rainbow Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 10
Type: Dragon/Effect
ATK: 4000
DEF: 0
Effect: (This card is always treated as an "Ultimate Crystal" card.)
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned (from your hand) by having 7 "Crystal Beast" cards with different names on your field and/or GY. This card cannot activate the following effects the turn it is Special Summoned. (Quick Effect): You can send all "Crystal Beast" monsters you control to the GY; this card gains 1000 ATK for each monster sent to the GY. You can banish all "Crystal Beast" monsters from your GY; shuffle all cards on the field into the Deck.

"Awesome, Rarity's ultimate beast is here!" shouted Rainbow.

"Indeed, Rainbow. Time for her to show Crystal Prep why she likes to make a flashy statement." said Golden.

"Oh boy..." said Isaac as he had a feeling the girl was looking to call her dragon.

"Now then, my dear dragon. Attack his Dark Magician Girl." ordered the girl to her great beast.

"If you want to destroy my Dark Magician Girl, you'll have to find her first! Go, Magical Hats!" shouted Isaac as his face-down flipped up.

"What?" spoke Rarity as she was confused.

Four top hats with question marks appeared as they covered both of Isaac's magicians on the field before shuffling them as they all stood in a row.

Magical Hats (anime)
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Activate when you control a "Magician" monster. Set up to 4 monsters you control (there are still treated as face-up and their previous battle position). Then, for each monster not Set by this effect, Set 1 "Hat Token" (???-Type/???/Level ???/ATK ???/DEF ???). During your Main Phase, you can shuffle your Monster Zone. During your Main Phase, you Set 1 Spell/Trap Card in your hand in place of a "Hat Token" as a Normal Monster (ATK 0/DEF 0). If a "Hat Token" or Spell/Trap Card in your Monster Zone is targeted for an attack or card effect; the damage is treated as 0 and the target is destroyed. If a Spell/Trap Card in your Monster Zone is targeted by your opponent, you can activate its effect(s). If you flip up a monster Set by this effect, send all "Hat Tokens" to the Graveyard.

"What the hell was that?" said Rainbow as she didn't know what Isaac did.

"A pro move, that's what." smiled Twilight.

"Feeling lucky, Rares?" taunted Isaac.

"Rainbow Dragon...attack the second hat from the left! Rainbow Refraction!" shouted the girl. The gemstones on Rainbow Dragon’s scales lit up and sent seven streams of colored light up to the horns on its helmet. With crackles of energy, it opened its mouth and fired a beam of light at Isaac's field.

The attack hit as it made contact with the hat as inside was Isaac's Berry Magician Girl.

"Looks like you missed." smiled Isaac as she took out the wrong monster.

"That may be, but I'm not out of this duel just yet. Next, I'll activate the ability of my Field Spell, since I have four 'Crystal Beasts' in my Spell and Trap card zone, I can draw a card." said the girl as she ended her turn.

Turn 16: Isaac - Hand: 4

"It's my turn, I draw. And I'll play the Spell, Graceful Charity. So I pick three and toss out two," said Isaac as he drew the cards and then decided which ones he wanted to send. Before the boy sent his cards away, he looked at what he drew as he couldn't help but sigh.

"Well, Rarity. You fought a good duel, but...I'm afraid I'm gonna have to end it." said the boy.

"What do you mean?" said the girl.

"Time for me to close out this duel. Now, I banish one DARK monster and one LIGHT monster from my Graveyard," said Isaac as the spirits of his Jack's Knight and Breaker were shown.

"Pause and rewind! He's removing them why?" asked Rainbow as nobody knew what Isaac was doing.

"I've never seen this. Is it a summoning?" asked Fluttershy.

"Nah, there's no way." said Applejack as she didn't think so.

"No...you're wrong. There is a way!" said Sunset as she suddenly remembered something, "I remember reading about this. Two monsters can be summoned like this. Two rare cards of such power. Duelists have scoured the world over to add them to their collection. The first is Chaos Emperor Dragon - Envoy of the End. The second has power comparable to the Chaos Emperor, but it's even more rarer."

"What are you saying, Sunset?" asked Astral Flare.

"What she's saying is that Isaac's got a powerful and rare monster that nobody has seen in quite some time," stated Golden Flare.

"Appear, Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!!" shouted Isaac as his two monsters before him disappeared and entered a portal of chaos. Soon a warrior emerged as it wielded a sword and shield and dressed in armor.

Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 8
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by banishing 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster from your GY. Once per turn, you can activate 1 of these effects.
●Target 1 monster on the field; banish it. This card cannot attack the turn this effect is activated.
●If this attacking card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: It can make a second attack in a row.

"What is that?" said Rarity as she had never seen that monster or heard about it.

"This is a special monster that's a part of my deck. But I only bring him out for special occasions. So...consider yourself lucky, Rarity. You got me to play this guy." said Isaac with a smile as he was giving the girl some credit for giving him a decent fight. "Now I activate my monster's ability, I can banish one card on your field!"

"My Rainbow Dragon!" said Rarity as she saw her dragon roar as it disappeared in a flash. It now dawned on the girl that she lost.

"Because I used that ability of my Black Luster Soldier, he can't attack this turn. But I still have other cards in my hand. Now I'll dispel my Magical Hats and play Sage's Stone."

Sage's Stone
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you control a face-up "Dark Magician Girl": Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" from your hand or Deck.

"Since I have Dark Magician Girl on the field, I can now summon Dark Magician from my deck! Come on out, old friend!" declared Isaac as his star monster appeared (2500/2100).

"I then play this, Dark Burning Magic."

Dark Burning Magic
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: If you control monsters whose original names are "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl": Destroy all cards your opponent controls.

"Since I control both of my Spellcasters, I destroy every single card on your field!" stated the boy as both of his magicians aimed their wands as they nuked Rarity's entire field as not even her Field Spell was left. The girl was truly defenseless as she was at the mercy of Isaac.

"Just do it." said Rarity as she had her head down.

"Hey, you played well. Just...I was a bit better," said Isaac trying to lift her spirits. "Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl. Attack Rarity directly! Double Dark Magic Attack!" Both magicians put their wands together as they powered up an energy ball of magic before they fired it at the teen girl as the last bit of her points hit zero (Rarity: 1,550 - 2,500 - 2,700 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Isaac
New Accomplishment Earned: Survive and Thrive
"Last longer than 10 turns and win a duel in Ranked Duel Mode."

"The winner of the duel is Isaac. And thus concludes the last of the exhibitions duels. We'll have the results of the who will be moving onto the second round in just a few moments." said Luna through the P.A. system.

Rarity was sad as she was on her knees. Soon a shadow came over her as it was Isaac. The boy extended his hand as he was still offering to show compassion to his opponent. The girl accepted it as he helped her up.

"Nice duel! You're good." smiled the boy.

"You still say that? After I lost?" Rarity asked in disbelief.

"I mean, yeah. I had fun battling you. Didn't you?"

"I...I...I suppose I did." said Rarity as she was now thinking back as she enjoyed herself.

"That's what dueling is all about. Having fun. Well, that's at least the way I've looked at it. Thanks again, Rarity." said Isaac as he began to head towards his side.

"Thank you." spoke the fashionista softly as she made her way to her side.

Isaac made it to where Crystal Prep was stationed. The others all had impressed looks on their faces. Safe to say, the person they least expected who belonged here, just shut them up with his performance. Principal Cinch approached the boy as her smile was the biggest it'd been.

"As I said, you wouldn't disappoint me, Isaac. I knew you would win." said the woman as her fingernails dug into his shoulder.

The boy merely shrugged it off as he walked past her. He took a seat next to Twilight as he took out his deck and put them on his side. The woman just kept on smiling as her plan to end Canterlot High was in full effect.

"Good game, Rares." said Rainbow.

"Thank you, darling. But...I still lost." said the girl.

"That Isaac sure is a tough cowboy. Never seen moves like those before," stated AJ.

"You see the way he toyed with Rarity, not even sweating?" said Astral Flare.

"That's not making me feel better." said the fashionista as she glared at her friend.

"Sorry."

"Well, they're about to announce who's moving on." said Pinkie as everybody looked forward.

Cadence was shown as she had the final results from the first event of the Friendship Games as well as the top six scores from each side to determine which students would be moving on.

"With the scores calculated, we now know who will be competing in the second event of the Friendship Games. From Canterlot High, the students moving on will be...Golden Flare, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, and Astral Flare."

The ones called out from Team CHS were all happy as they were shown support from their teammates.

"And the students that will be moving on from Crystal Prep Academy are as follow...Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, Sunny Flare, Enix, Twilight Sparkle, and Isaac."

With both sides now having their selected warriors for the next event, the battle continued to rage on between the two bitter rivals.

Sunset looked at Crystal Prep as she eyed Twilight as she was being congratulated by what appeared to be her family; her mother, father, older and younger brothers, the latter of whom seems to bear a striking resemblance to Spike from Equestria. She couldn't stop thinking about the girl. And how she might have something hidden inside. She then turned to look at Isaac as the girl was getting a different vibe from the boy. Sunset then got Golden Flare's attention.

"Hey, Golden. Remember when I said that no one might beat you? I think I might be second-guessing that." said the bacon-haired girl as she looked at Isaac and then at Golden.

Golden sighed when he realized what and who she was talking about, "...Me too."

Canterlot High School - Soccer Field
Enix POV

I looked at the soccer field and the changes that were recently made; it seems like the Tri-Duel Relay will begin soon. I look at the deck in my Duel Disk, If she is here...then I must be prepared. I then notice my Duel Runner for the Relay sitting at the starting point, I go to check it out and see it's had some major improvements, "This is impressive! Shinkokuna really outdid herself with this one! Bet this still works, especially after everything it went through..."

"Oh, Ah'm sure it's still operational."

Surprised, I turned to see Applejack standing behind me, but I'm no fool; this isn't the Applejack of this dimension, this is...

"Good to see you again, AJ...or do you prefer your codename: Applejack SUI-871?" I greeted.

"Hehehehehe...it sure took ya long enough." the SUI Unit mocked me.

"If I'm guessing correctly, you're here to drag me back."

"It's either join the ranks, or be killed. And judgin' by yer response, Ah'd say yer jus' gonna up an' leave...jus' like with me and ma family."

"I told you: you got it all wrong, I didn't do this!"

"Actions speak louder than words, SUGARCUBE."

"Rgh...you still won't listen."

"Like Ah'd listen to ah murderin' snake like y'all!"

"...This is ridiculous. If you won't listen to the truth, then you'll see the truth when I duel Rainbow Dash in the next event." I turned my back on her to continue checking out my Duel Runner.

Applejack sighs eerily happily, "...Still won't listen. But maybe this..." Applejack pulls out a handgun and loads a bullet, "...will change yer tune."

5 Days Ago...
Canterlot Castle - Alternative Dimension
3rd Person POV

Applejack SUI-871 walked to the Mirror Portal, Barian Number in hand and ready to enact slow and painful justice upon the one who ruined her life, until she was stopped by a helmeted figure.

"I heard you're off to retrieve the Phantom Swordsman."

"Yeah? What of it?" Applejack SUI-871 asked, annoyed that she was stopped.

"Food for thought; that sword he used was a cursed divine object. If used too much, the curse will take hold of him. And corrupt his very soul. If you come across him and his weapon..."

The helmeted figure tossed her a handgun.

"...You are to shoot him. The bullets inside this gun can convert a living being into an SUI Unit like us. But know this; our master wants NO MISTAKES."

"...Hmph." Applejack SUI-871 smirks, "If this thing CAN turn him into an SUI Unit, he'll belong to us?"

"Provided you can hit him...and avenge your dear, dead family."

Present Day
Canterlot High School - Soccer Field
3rd Person POV

"You said Ah'll see the truth, soooo..." the false Applejack took aim and...

BANG!
BANG!

Blue flames suddenly surrounded Enix's deck and disappeared within the cards as he got on his Duel Runner.

"Game on...Enix."

Applejack SUI-871 immediately left the scene, unaware that Enix's deck is now fueled with the same power that corrupted the Golden Flare of her dimension...

Chapter 8: The Tri-Duel Relay Part 1 (By Golden Flare)

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With the events of the first round of the Friendship Games coming to a close, it was now determined the top six students from each school would be moving on to the next round. The students of Crystal Prep were now in the room they were gathered in as Principal Cinch was addressing them.

"Congratulations on advancing. Now we know who the weak links of this team were. All that remains are the strongest duelists. Such is the way of life." said Principal Cinch.

"The second event of the Friendship Games has been completed. And with that, we can now inform you students of what it will require," stated Cadence.

The Dean then pointed to the projector screen behind her. It turned on as the field of CHS was shown. Compared to what it looked like before, it had been changed drastically. Before it was a normal soccer field that the students of Canterlot High used to do practice duels during their free period. Now the design was shown. In the past 24 hours, since the first event ended, the staff had been hard at work to make it presentable. The field remained the same. However, there were two things. The first was that there was a track on the outside, and on the side were some projectors that when turned on would result in platforms appearing.

"This here is the Tri-Duel Relay. A three-part dueling race that will test your skills. But not just regular duels, you will be pushed to the limits in different circumstances. The first one will battle in Action Duels, the next pair will be Speed Duels, and the final one will be Turbo Duels. All of these duels, you've practiced time and time again at Crystal Prep." stated Cadence.

"You battle in pairs. Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare have requested the Speed Duel section. For the Action Duel, it'll be Lemon Zest and Twilight Sparkle. Which leaves the best for last, Enix and Isaac will handle the Turbo Duel part of the relay." said Principal Cinch.

"Huh?" said Twilight as she was expecting to be with her friend at the same event.

"Given that you and Isaac were able to single handily win the first round of the Friendship Games and had some of the top points, I see no reason why you can't do the same without being paired up. Besides, I need to cover all my bases. That means I need to think more strategically on who gets to do what event to secure Crystal Prep wins." said Principal Cinch to the girl and the students.

"So, who are our opponents?" asked Sunny Flare.

"Canterlot High has already their selection. Representing them for the Action Duel will be Golden Flare and Ms. Applejack. For the Speed Duels, they've chosen Ms. Pie and Mr. Astral Flare. And as for the Turbo Duels, Ms. Sunset and Rainbow will be the ones tasked with that."

Principal Cinch then told each of the participants who they would be facing. With each one now knowing who they were facing, they began to prep themselves for later. Principal Cinch then dismissed her students as the ones who were eliminated were to go to the stands with the other students to watch the event. She then stopped both Isaac and Twilight as it was just the three of them.

The boy kept his defiant look on his face as Twilight hid behind her friend. Cinch then instruct the two to take a seat as both sat down. She then grabbed the remote on the desk and pointed it at the projector. The recording from the first event showed as it was Twilight winning her duel. She then pushed another button as it was Isaac's duel and showed off his dominant win.

"That...that is what is required. Total control of the duel and your opponent. You both showed that in your respective duels. And that is what is being asked of you. To do the same thing in the second event. I have high hopes for you two. Do not fail me." said Cinch glaring at the two.

"Whatever." said Isaac as he grabbed Twilight's hand and began to lead them out of the room.

He allowed Twilight to step through first as he held the door for her. He was about to take a step out when Cinch spoke.

"He's an interesting duelist, isn't he?" said the woman as that got Isaac to stop in his tracks. "Quite powerful. He thinks Canterlot High is going to win. Not to mention, he thinks he's better than you. He told me himself."

Isaac knew who Principal Cinch was talking about as his grip on the doorknob tightened. He looked back at the woman as he held his expression.

"He thinks he's better than me? As if. Even his best isn't good enough for my worst." stated Isaac.

"It's a shame that you won't be facing him. 'Cause that would shut up Canterlot High. Take down their hope. He's the underdog and he thinks that he'll overcome all the odds and take down Crystal Prep all by himself. Be hailed as a hero among his peers." said Cinch, "But that's not true. You know, I know it. People call him the underdog when in reality it's just code for them feeling sorry for you. And they will feel even more sorry for him when he loses. The reason is that you know how to play this system, and you know what it takes to get to the top. You've shown since the moment you took your entrance exam. Isaac, you want to be the best. And no one deserves that title more than you, it's your birthright in a way. And here, Golden thinks because he should inherit that honor. Cause he's the star of this little fairytale. Well, he's severely wrong. So he can play whatever character he wants, but the fact remains. You could put a mask on a pig, but it's still a pig."

Isaac took those words in from Principal Cinch. The boy was now thinking back to his meeting with Golden and how he got an instant vibe from the boy. He could tell the kid was a powerful duelist, he showed it in his duel with Upper Crust. But at the same time, Isaac felt like the kid was disrespecting him in a way with his skills as a duelist. Safe to say, that small tension as enemies was showing.

"I promise you if you win your duel. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you face Golden Flare in the final event of the Friendship Games. Isn't that what you want? To shut up a phony duelist? To put to bed the statement that only belongs to you? That you are the best duelist around and now can touch you or even be on your level? Don't you want to make your parents proud?"

"First of all, keep my parents out of your goddamn mouth!" said Isaac. "And second, if Golden wants a war. He's got one. He thinks he's the number #1 duelist around here. Newsflash, he's only the number #1 duelist because I'm not a student here." spoke the boy as he fired some shots at his enemy. "Cause if I was, I would've sent his ass packing back to wherever small town he came from. I'm here, day in, day out, busting my blood, sweat, tears, all of it! I'm here swimming with sharks while he's dancing with stars!"

Cinch was smiling, one thing she knew about Isaac was that the boy could speak. He didn't blur the lines of reality as it more so fueled him. He could talk the talk and have the skills to back up whatever he said.

"Golden thinks he's a beast. Well, that beast is gonna be slain by The Almighty!" declared Isaac as he exited the room and closed the door.

Principal Cinch could feel the boy's emotions as it got her riled up. Now she was more determined than ever to see Canterlot High fall. And the only thing that was stopping that was Golden and his power. But luckily for the woman, she had someone who was just as if not, more powerful, more skillful than CHS's golden boy. And it was only a matter of time before the two titans would clash. And when the dust settled, only one would be left standing.

At the same time, Crystal Prep was having their meeting, CHS was doing the same. Golden Flare, Sunset Shimmer, Applejack, Astral Flare, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash were all gathered in a room as they were hunched over in a circle.

"It's...uh..." said Golden.

"Something..." continued AJ.

"Okay, I'll bite; what the heck are we looking at?" asked Astral.

The six teens were all looking at a blueprint of their field as it had been changed.

"According to Principal Celestia, this is the next event of the Friendship Games." stated Sunset.

"But what is it, exactly?" asked Rainbow.

"So the second event is a Tri-Duel Relay. In that, all of us be paired up to partake in a different type of dueling."

"What do you mean, 'different type of dueling'?" asked Pinkie.

"These are the duels we're gonna be competing in. Action, Speed, and Turbo. Each one has a different set of rules from any regular duels, and going to be more interactive than what we're used to. Let me explain." said Sunset as she began to describe the types of dueling in the Relay.

"In an Action Duel, a Field Spell Card commonly referred to as an Action Field, is activated before the Duel starts, modifying the terrain to look similar to the card's artwork. Action Cards are then scattered throughout the field, which either Duelist can search for to aid them. When an Action Card that is a Spell Card is found, it is placed in the hand and can be used right away as if it was a Quick-Play Spell Card. However, when an Action Card that is a Trap Card is found, it activates right away. Also in this type of environment, the monsters you summon are real enough that you can interact with them."

The others were listening to Sunset as she relayed the info that Celestia told her about these different types of duels.

"Speed Duels are duels in which you're working with limited resources. One is that instead of the regular five slots for both monsters and spells/trap cards, you only get three. Your Extra Deck is minimized to just 5 instead of 15. And the biggest changes are you only get a single main phase each turn and instead of the 40-60 deck limit, it's cut in half to 20-30."

"What the hell?!" said Rainbow at hearing that piece of info.

"And lastly, Turbo Duels. Each player battles on a Duel Runner. Turbo Duels are all about the exterior element of movement which is the key idea behind Turbo Duels, as it adds an unexplored element of dodging, riding skill, intimidation, and imagination. To put it in simpler words, Turbo Duels are much more intense than regular duels, from not only the danger but being that the Duelists are connected to The World of Speed, the duelist's emotions are connected. Dodging attacks also seem to be an aspect of Turbo Dueling, because you have until the attack connects to activate a trap card in response, as evident by duelists who avoid being physically struck by attacks even in duels where they can't be hurt, then activate a trap after they dodge. This adds the element of movement to a duel where it wasn't present before. The varying distance between the players adds the element of keeping up with your opponent to better react to their moves, which adds another element of movement to dueling."

"Okay, that's all cool and convoluted all at the same time." said Golden.

"Well, that's what we're going to have to deal with. Principal Celestia also wants us to figure out who is going to do what part of the relay so that she and Principal Cinch can put their finalizations into the computer. So, who wants to do what?" asked Sunset.

"Me and Pinkie will take on the Speed Duel section of the relay." said Astral.

"I'll try my hand at Action Duels!" stated Applejack.

"Ain't no way I'm turning down the chance to ride a Duel Runner. Turbo Duels are all mine!" said Rainbow.

"Then that just leaves us two," said Sunset as she looked at Golden. "Which one do you want?"

"To be honest, I never ridden any as fast as Duel Runner before. Plus, I don't want to fall off. So, I'll leave that to you. I know how you like to ride these kinds of things. Also, I've been in at least two Action Duel so far, so I think a have a clue of what I'm up against at the very least." said Golden.

"Alright then, I'll let Principal Celestia know who's doing what. Also, Rainbow and Golden, you two need to go to Rarity so that she can make you some Duel Runner and Action Duel outfits for you to wear." said Sunset as she left.

Isaac was currently putting the final touches on his outfit as he looked at himself in the mirror. At that moment, a knock came on the door. The door opened and in walked Twilight.

"So, how do I look?" asked Isaac hoping to get a second opinion.

"Honestly, not as ridiculous as I thought you gonna be." smiled Twilight.

"Good, 'cause that's what I was going for." said the boy as he sat down and saw his Duel Disk.

He put it on as he then took out his deck. The boy fanned his cards out on the bench as he then reached into his pocket and pulled out the cards that he only showed Twilight.

"You're gonna use them?" asked the bookworm.

"Let's just say, that I'm upping my game even more. Canterlot High thinks they saw what I could do, I haven't even reached a tenth of my power."

"Well, I look forward to seeing those cards in action." smiled Twilight.

"Good luck, Twily. Just do your best and trust in your deck."

"I still don't get it. You talk to your cards, your monsters as if they're alive. But they're just ink and paper."

"Just because they aren't real, doesn't mean they're not alive, Twilight. Each one of my monsters is real to me, every time I look at my deck, I feel as if they're right beside me. That I'm not alone and that I have them to support me. I talk to my cards because to me, they're my friends. They're more than just servants, more than just allies. They're companions." said Isaac.

"There you go again. Your perspective is just so...I can't even begin to describe it," sighed Twilight before having a smile on her face.

"As I said, nothing everything about Duel Monsters revolves around numbers. It's more than that. With the right combination of luck and skill, anything is possible." said Isaac.

"Possible, yes. Probable, no. Luck is just a word for variables one hasn’t solved yet.” Twilight adjusted her glasses. “At any given time in a duel, the odds of a duelist drawing a particular card on their next turn can be definitively calculated as long as one knows the contents of their deck. Then, knowing the contents of the opponent's deck and the current state of the field, one can determine the statistically best usage of that card to have the most impact on increasing their own resources or draining the opponent's resources. A duel is merely the process by which duelists take turns putting this formula into action, and the deck is the tool they use to execute it. True, a duelist may occasionally defy the odds of random chance, but they can’t manage it every turn. Under these conditions, and presuming optimal decision-making from both players, eventually, the duelist whose deck is more efficient at this process will gain enough advantage over the other that their ability to follow the process will be compromised beyond repair. Shortly thereafter, the duel will certainly reach its conclusion.”

"There's no convincing you, Twilight. Dueling is more than statistics. It's about having fun. The adrenaline rush of a great draw, the thrill of pulling off that epic combo to clinch the win, the rush of victory as you watch that Life Point counter tick to zero!" expressed Isaac. "It's the best feeling in the world. If you don't play the game to have fun or love it, why play at all?"

Isaac's words got to Twilight as she remained silent. The girl was now thinking long and hard about what her friend said. Another knock on the door was heard. This time it was none other than Cadence as she was sent to fetch both teens.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything?" smiled Cadence. The woman had a sly smug expression at seeing the pair of friends as she saw something in their eyes.

"Not at all, Cadence. I was just wishing Isaac good luck in his duel before we split." said the girl.

"Well, then. You both need to head to the field."

"Right away, Dean Cadence." stated Isaac.

He grabbed his cards and slotted them into his duel disk. The boy then got up and walked as Twilight followed him with Cadence in tow. The three of them soon made it to the field as both teens made it to where their classmates were stationed. Cadence made it to where the other adults were. Team CHS was also raring to go as both Rainbow and Golden were in their outfits for their section of the race.

With both schools raring to go, Cadence then grabbed the microphone as she began to speak. The stands on both sides of the field were filled to the brim as each student cheered for their school.

"Welcome, everyone to the Friendship Games Tri-Duel Relay! In this event, our qualifying competitors will face off in Action Duels, Speed Duels, and finally, Turbo Duels. So if the competitors are ready... then let the first battle begin!" stated Cadence as she blew an airhorn.

The students cheered on the screen for all to see was shown. It displayed the portraits of the participants who would be competing. The image of Golden Flare and Lemon Zest was shown. Both teens made their way to the center of the field as the ARC system turned on. Now tons of platforms appeared as both teens jumped on them and climb. They were now a few meters apart as they each took a stance.

"Time for CHS's golden boy to fall!" growled Lemon Zest.

"We'll see about that." responded Golden Flare.

//Generating Action Field: Crossover.// said the ARC system as it began to work its magic. //Actions Cards disbursed.// A huge sphere of cards that had the letter "A" on the back of them was all scattered across the field that would allow the duelists to pick them up and use them. They each put on their Duel Gazers as Lemon Zest turned on her Duel Disk to project a bright green card tray while Golden put on his D-Pad.

"Let's duel!" shouted both teens.

Lemon Zest: 8000 LP
Golden Flare: 8000 LP

Turn 1: Lemon Zest - Hand: 5

On the display board, the portraits of the two flashed back and forth, then stopped with Lemon’s lit up. “Crystal Prep will take the first turn.”

"Sweet.” Lemon drew her opening hand from her duel disk and fanned them out. She smiled wide and pumped her fist. “Already loving it!” She grabbed a card and slid it into her Duel Disk's Spell/Trap Card slot, “I activate the Spell card, One for One. This lets me discard a monster card from my hand, and then I can summon a Level 1 monster from my deck.” Lemon twirled a card in her hand and slotted it into her Duel Disk, then tapped a prompt on her screen.

One for One
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Send 1 monster from your hand to the GY; Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your hand or Deck.

“I’ll get rid of Morphtronic Cameran and summon Morphtronic Celfon!” A large yellow cell phone appeared in front of Lemon Zest. A sheen of light washed over it and it broke apart, transforming into a large yellow robot with bright pink eyes. The screen of the phone cracked down in the center and swung back, forming a pair of wings.

Morphtronic Cameran
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 2
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 800
DEF: 600
Effect: ●While in Attack Position: When this card is destroyed by battle, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Morphtronic" monster from your hand or Graveyard, except "Morphtronic Cameran".
●While in Defense Position: "Morphtronic" monsters on the field cannot be targeted by effects.

Morphtronic Celfon
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 1
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 100
Effect: ●While in Attack Position: Once per turn, you can roll a six-sided die. Reveal cards from top of your Deck equal to the roll and Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Morphtronic" monster from among them, ignoring the Summoning conditions. Shuffle the rest into the Deck.
●While in Defense Position: Once per turn, you can roll a six-sided die. Look at cards from top of your Deck equal to the roll, then return them in the same order.

"I activate Celfon’s ability. Once per turn I can roll a die, and whatever the result is, I can reveal that many cards on the top of my deck and summon a Level 4 or lower Morphtronic monster among them.” Lemon snapped her fingers. “Go, Morphtronic Speed Dial!” Celfon thrust out its chest made up of the top half of the phone form’s dial pad. The numbers lit up in rapid sequence before stopping on ‘4’. “Awesome!” Lemon grabbed four cards from her Duel Disk, looked over them, and nodded.

“I’ll bring out Morphtronic Remoten!” A white remote control for a video player appeared next to Celfon. The screen blipped to life to show a pair of eyes as arms and legs cords shot out of its sides.

Morphtronic Remoten
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Machine/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 300
DEF: 1200
Effect: ●Once per turn, while in Attack Position: You can target 1 "Morphtronic" monster in your Graveyard; banish that target and add 1 "Morphtronic" monster with the same Level as the target from your Deck to your hand.
●Once per turn, while in Defense Position: You can send 1 "Morphtronic" monster from your hand to the Graveyard and add 1 other "Morphtronic" monster with the same Level as that monster from your Graveyard to your hand.

Lemon nodded at Remoten. “Next I’ll use Remoten’s ability. By banishing a Morphtronic monster in the Graveyard, a Morphtronic with the same Level can be added from my deck to my hand. I’ll get rid of Cameran (800/600) and get a second one out, and then I’ll summon him.” The card ejected from her duel disk and she swiftly placed it on the card tray. A large red camera appeared in front of her and transformed into another robot, the flash of the camera mounted on the back of its arm.

Pinkie gasped. “Those monsters are so cool! Ooh, ooh, do they combine into one super-duper-awesome giant robot?”

"Pinkie! You're supposed to be cheering for Golden!" stated Rainbow at how the party girl was more interested in the monsters that Lemon Zest was summoning.

Lemon held her hand up, "I tune my Level 3 Morphtronic Remoten with my Level 2 Morphtronic Cameran!” Morphtronic Remoten burst apart into three glowing green rings. The rings floated around Cameran and began to spin, while Cameran glowed yellow (Level 3 + 2 = 5).

"She managed to Synchro Summon on her first turn?" said Astral Flare as he was surprised to see Lemon Zest already showing her skills.

“I align the frequencies of my remote control and my camera together, and home in on the signal of a high-tech prodigy!” She brought her arm back and raised her Duel Disk, her hand poised over the back of the device. A card snapped out from it and she grabbed it and placed it on her card tray. “I Synchro Summon! Come on out, Level 5, T.G. Hyper Librarian!” The rings around Cameran contracted and then exploded out, revealing Lemon’s new monster. A tall, slim humanoid figure in a white and black robe stood in front of her, a white cloak trailing down its back. It raised its head, concealed by a military cap and glasses, and snapped an arm out, a book tracing out in green light and then popping into existence in its hand.

T.G. Hyper Librarian
Attribute: DARK
Level: 5
Type: Spellcaster/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 2400
DEF: 1800
Effect: If a monster is Synchro Summoned: Draw 1 card. This card must be face-up on the field to activate and to resolve this effect.

Lemon lifted a card in her hand. “Next, I’ll banish Morphtronic Remoten from my Graveyard to Special Summon Morphtronic Smartfon.” A slim smartphone materialized in Lemon’s line of monsters and snapped apart, the pieces within unfolding to form hands and feet. The top of the phone popped up, revealing a slim pair of red eyes.

Morphtronic Smartfon
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 1
Type: Machine/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 100
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by banishing 1 "Morphtronic" monster from your Graveyard.
●While in Attack Position: Once per turn: You can roll a six-sided die, excavate that many cards from the top of your Deck, add 1 excavated "Morphtronic" card to your hand, also shuffle the rest back into the Deck.
●While in Defense Position: Once per turn: You can roll a six-sided die, look at that many cards from the top of your Deck, then place all of them on either the top or the bottom of the Deck, but in any order.

“I’ll activate Smartfon’s effect. It’s kinda like Celfon’s effect, but instead of summoning a Morphtronic monster from the deck, it adds a Morphtronic card into my hand. Go, Morphtronic Messenger!” Smartfon’s screen on its chest began cycling through numbers, stopping on a '2'.

"Just how many abilities are you gonna activate!?" said Golden as he lost count.

"A lot, and it's only my first turn," said Lemon as she picked up two cards and frowned as she held them out. "Seems the cards that I picked up were Power-Up Adapter and Air Cracking Storm. Since neither is a Morphtronic card, I have to add them back to my deck.” She placed the cards on top and her deck automatically reshuffled.

"Aw, well that sucks.” Pinkie pouted.

"Pinkie!!" said Rainbow to her friend as she wasn't supporting Golden.

“But don’t worry, I’ve got one more move anyway. I’ll tune my Morphtronic Celfon with my Morphtronic Smartfon!” Smartfon turned into another green ring that rose and lowered over Celfon (Level 1 + 1 = 2). Lemon extended a hand into the air. “I align the frequencies of my cellphone and my smartphone together, and home in on the signal of a high-tech speedster!” She grabbed her card from her Duel Disk and put it on the tray. “I Synchro Summon! Rolling out, Level 2, Formula Synchron!” Lemon’s new monster was shaped like a race car, with legs emerging from below it and arms from the sides between the wheels. It stood next to Hyper Librarian and rested its hands on the car part that formed its chest.

Formula Synchron
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 2
Type: Machine/Synchro/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 200
DEF: 1500
Effect: 1 Tuner + 1 non-Tuner monster
When this card is Synchro Summoned: You can draw 1 card. Once per Chain, during your opponent's Main Phase, you can (Quick Effect): Immediately after this effect resolves, Synchro Summon using this card you control.

“When I summon Formula Synchron, its effect activates, letting me draw a card. Also, performing a Synchro Summon activates the effect of Hyper Librarian, letting me draw again.” Lemon picked up her two cards and folded them into her hand with the rest. “I think that’s good for now, so I’ll end my turn.”

Turn 2: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"Jesus, that was a lot for just one turn." said Dash.

"That's what Synchro Summoning is all about; being able to use low-level monsters to bust out high-powerful monsters really quick. Plus they have lots of abilities to allow you to bring back a monster." said Isaac as he watched Lemon Zest do her thing.

"It's my turn, and I'll start by summoning my ProtoMan.EXE (1900/1700) in attack mode!" declared Golden as the red NetNavi with the dark visor over his eyes appeared on the boy's field. "Then I'll play the Equip spell, Battle Chip - ElecSwrd! So now my monster becomes a LIGHT-Attribute monster and gains 1,000 extra Attack Points (ProtoMan.EXE: ATK 1900 + 1000 = 2900)."

"Nice, now Golden is the one with the more powerful monster." stated Sunset.

"He's too distracted to remember what kind of duel this is. He's gonna attack blindly." stated Isaac as he predicted Golden's next move to Twilight.

"Now, ProtoMan attack her T.G. Hyper Librarian!" commanded Golden as his monster leaped into the air and looked to bring its sword down on the creature.

"Did you forget what kind of duel this is?" stated Lemon Zest with a sassy look.

She then began to hop off her platform and begin to do some athletic moves as she bounced around the different plates. She landed on a platform and found an Action Card in front of her as she grabbed it.

"I activate the Action spell, Evasion! Now my monster can dodge your attack!" stated Lemon Zest. Hyper Librarian was able to leap out of the way of ProtoMan's attack as the warrior missed his target.

"Ooh, right, forgot about the Action Cards..." stated Golden as he put his hand to his forehead.

"Seriously, dude? That’s it?” Lemon put a hand on her hip and frowned. “Come on, gimme something to work with here!”

"Can you blame me?! I was distracted by you!" said Golden.

"Aww, thanks. But if you're thinking about asking me out, save it for after the duel." said Lemon Zest as she flashed a wink at Golden.

"T-That's not what I meant!" stated the boy as he blushed.

Truth be told, Golden was distracted by all the abilities and Synchro Summons that Lemon Zest did in her opening play that he forgot that this was a different environment and not the typical standard duel.

"I'll end my turn."

Turn 3: Lemon Zest - Hand: 5

"Guess I've got to keep this party entertaining. Good thing I know how to do that. Here, let me pick up the slack!" Lemon drew and reached for her hand. “I'll activate the Spell card, Junk Box."

Junk Box
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Select and Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Morphtronic" monster from your Graveyard. Destroy it during the End Phase.

"This lets me revive a Morphtronic in my Graveyard, but it’ll be destroyed at the end of my turn. I revive Morphtronic Celfon.” The hologram of Lemon’s Spell card broke apart into scrap metal that rapidly reformed into the yellow robot. "Like before I'll activate Celfon's special ability, go Morphtronic Speed Dial!" The six numbers on Celfon’s chest lit up and stopped on 3. "Three, alright." Lemon picked up the three cards on her deck and flipped one out. “I summon Morphtronic Magnen in defense mode.” A blue horseshoe magnet materialized in front of her and turned a pale blue, light gleaming on its surface.

Morphtronic Magnen
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Thunder/Effect
ATK: 800
DEF: 800
Effect: ●While in Attack Position: If your opponent controls a face-up monster, this card can only select their highest ATK monster as an attack target.
●While in Defense Position: Your opponent cannot select another monster as an attack target.

“And now, I tune my Level 1 Morphtronic Celfon with my Level 2 Formula Synchron!” Lemon held her hand up as Formula Synchron turned into green rings that encircled Celfon. (Level 2 + 1 = 3) “I align the frequencies of my cellphone and my speedster together, and home in on the signal of a musical marvel!” She placed her card on her monster zone with a grin. “I Synchro Summon! Rock on, Level 3, Martial Metal Marcher(500/2200)! I summon you in defense mode!” A squat robot built of brass rose in front of Lemon, its body formed from old musical instruments, with arms made from horn pieces and the pipes of an organ mounted on its back. A screen on its chest lit up and displayed volume levels as it raised its arms and blasted a soundwave out.

Martial Metal Marcher
Attribute: WIND
Level: 3
Type: Machine/Synchro/Tuner/Effect
ATK: 500
DEF: 2200
Effect: 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
If this card is Synchro Summoned: You can target 1 Tuner in your GY; Special Summon it in Defense Position, but negate its effects. You can only use this effect of "Martial Metal Marcher" once per turn. A Synchro Monster that used this card as material is treated as a Tuner while face-up on the field.

“Summoning Martial Metal Marcher activates the effect of my Hyper Librarian, letting me draw a card. I also get to use my Metal Marcher’s ability, which is to revive a Tuner monster from my Graveyard with its effects negated. So Formula Synchron is coming right back (200/1500).” Lemon drew as Formula Synchron rose next to the Metal Marcher.

"Great, so she's got three Synchro Monsters on the field?" asked Rainbow.

"At least Golden has the stronger monster. So Lemon Zest can't attack." stated Pinkie.

"If they only knew," said Twilight as she watched the duel with her classmate unfold, "See, they think she has three Synchro Monsters. They're right, but also wrong."

"And they're about to find out." stated Isaac as he too knew what Lemon Zest was about to do.

"Time to step it up,” Lemon Zest held out a hand. "I tune my Hyper Librarian with my Formula Synchron!” Formula Synchron’s twin green rings floated over Hyper Librarian. The monster inside sparked as metal began to gather around it and circle it (Level 2 + 5 = 7), “I align the frequencies of my librarian and my speedster together, and home in on the signal of a mechanical powerhouse!” The metal condensed around Hyper Librarian and lit up. Lemon pumped her fist. “I Synchro Summon! Get ready to meet a monster with some major motor! Take flight, Level 7, Power Tool Dragon!” The metal shell shattered, revealing a large, gold, mechanical dragon with silver plates of metal running down its back to its tail. Its right arm was an electrical screwdriver bit, and it's right a large shovel claw. Red eyes flashed to life and it flew over the field, circling behind Pinkie to return to Lemon and alighting beside her.

Power Tool Dragon
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 7
Type: Machine/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 2300
DEF: 2500
Effect: 1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn: You can reveal 3 Equip Spells from your Deck, then your opponent randomly adds 1 of them to your hand, and shuffle the other cards into the Deck. If this card would be destroyed while equipped with an Equip Spell(s), you can send 1 of those cards to the GY instead.

"What?!!" said Golden's friends as they were shocked to see that Lemon Zest was able to Synchro Summoning using two Synchro Monsters.

"Don't you need a Tuner to conduct a Synchro Summon?" asked Golden.

"Dude, come on. Don't tell me you don't know. Formula Synchron is a special kind of Synchro Monster. It's a Tuner Synchron. Which means I can Synchro Summoning using it." said Lemon Zest with a smug smile. "Guess Canterlot High really doesn't teach its students anything."

That statement didn't sit well with Golden as he just held a scowl.

"'Cause if you did, you would know about what my monster can do. In fact, let me show you! I activate Power Tool Dragon’s special ability. Once per turn I can take three Equip Spell cards from my deck, then you randomly pick one of them and it gets added to my hand.” Lemon reached to her Duel Disk’s screen and tapped through the display. The holograms of three cards appeared in the air over Lemon’s head. “Okay, go for it.”

Golden was now faced with the cards as he scrunched his face and murmured to himself. His eyes were turning back and forth as he looked at the backside of the cards trying to make the right choice.

"Here, since I like you. Lemme make it easy for ya,” Lemon chuckled. “It’s three copies of the exact same card, so it doesn’t really matter.”

"Ooooooh. That’s kind of a clever trick, actually.” Pinkie smiled.

"Pinkie!!!" shouted the others at their teammate as she was giving props to Crystal Prep instead of Golden.

"I choose...the card on the left." said the boy as he made his selection.

"Thanks, dude. I knew you would choose that card," mocked Lemon with a smile, "'Cause I'll play it right now, the Equip Spell Double Tool C&D!"

Double Tool C&D
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Equip only to a "Power Tool Dragon" or Level 4 or higher Machine-Type "Morphtronic" monster you control. While equipped:
● During your turn: It gains 1000 ATK. If it attacks, any effects of the attack target that activate or apply on the field are negated during that Battle Phase.
● During your opponent's turn: Your opponent cannot select a monster other than the equipped monster as an attack target. An opponent's monster that battles the equipped monster is destroyed at the end of the Damage Step.

"During my turn, my monster gains 1,000 Attack Points. And if it attacks, the effects of your monster it battles are negated during the Battle Phase! So take out his ProtoMan!" commanded the girl.

The dragon then flew toward Golden's field as the drill in its claws began to spin. The boy was now doing what Lemon Zest did when he attack as he began to look for an Action Card. He saw one directly below him as he began to make his way down. However, he wasn't used to the movement that this type of duel required as he was cautious about landing on each of the platforms on his way down. He managed to get there and when he reached out for the card, the attack from Lemon's dragon made contact as it caused Golden to lose his balance. He was sent flying from one platform to another and landed on his back (Golden Flare: 8,000 - 400 = 7,600 LP).

"Got to be quicker, my dude. I'll end my turn!" stated Lemon Zest.

Turn 4: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

"Not bad," grunted Golden as he began to sit up, "But I'm not down just yet, I draw!"

"Oh, forgot to tell you, my dude. My Double Tool C&D has another effect, during your turn, you can't attack any of my other monsters except for my dragon since it's equipped with the Spell. And any monster that does battle it, is destroyed at the end of the battle." said Lemon.

"Great," stated Golden as he had another thing to worry about, "I summon my Megaman.EXE (1900/1700)!" A blue and yellow armored man with a strange symbol on his chest made his appearance on the field, sporting a blaster where one of his hands should be.

"Then I'm equipping him with these two Spells, Battle Chip - Barrier and Battle Chip - RollAro2!" stated Golden as a bow appeared in his monster's hands. "With this, MegaMan gains 800 extra Attack Points (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 1900 + 800 = 2700). So now attack her dragon!" shouted the boy.

"Didn't I warn you? Your monster may beat mine, but he's gonna be destroyed once they finish battling!" stated Lemon.

"Not quite, see my MegaMan has Battle Chip -Barrier equipped. So once per turn, he can't be destroyed by battle. So he's not going anyway!" stated Golden.

Lemon Zest was surprised to hear that she began to do the next best thing. She was now leaping and bouncing for an Action Card. She found one as it was on a nearby platform. She took a running start and leaped into the air with her arm stretched out as she grabbed it. She looked at it but chose not to activate it.

"I activate the effect of my Power Tool Dragon, I can save it from being destroyed by sending the Equip Spell it has to the Graveyard instead. So he's sticking around!" declared Lemon Zest as her dragon was able to fight off the attack but was damaged in the process (Lemon Zest: 8,000 - 400 = 7,600 LP).

"My barrier protects my MegaMan from being destroyed, but since I used the effect, it's gone," stated Golden as the force field protecting his monster disappeared. "So I'll lay a face-down and call it a turn!"

Turn 5: Lemon Zest - Hand: 6

Lemon Zest took a deep breath and rolled her neck, “Okay, you got some skills. I can work with that. Besides, what's a party without some excitement? And I've got plenty of things to liven it up, time to turn up the dial.” Lemon then lifted her headphones to listen to the music playing. "Crank up the volume!" Lemon smirked as she drew. She reached to her hand to put the card aside and took hold of another. “I’ll start by activating the spell card, Morphtronic Accelerator."

Morphtronic Accelerator
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Return 1 "Morphtronic" monster from your hand to the Deck. Destroy 1 card on the field, and draw 1 card.

"This lets me return Morphtronic Boomboxen from my hand to the deck to destroy a card on the field. I’ll get rid of your Battle Chip - RollAro2!” Lemon’s card fired an orb of orange light across the field; it struck Golden’s Spell and shattered it (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 2700 - 800 = 1900). “Then, I get to draw again.” Lemon drew and looked down at her card, then went back to her hand.

"Since I control a Machine-type monster, I’ll activate the Spell Card, Iron Call to revive my Morphtronic Smartfon (100/100). And then I’ll summon Morphtronic Vacuumen.” A green and yellow vacuum cleaner appeared in front of Lemon. Its suction head swiveled around to reveal a pair of eyes, and the suction hoses on its side rose as limbs.

Iron Call
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you control a Machine monster: Target 1 Level 4 or lower Machine monster in your GY; Special Summon that target, but its effects are negated, also destroy it during the End Phase.

Morphtronic Vacuumen
Attribute: WIND
Level: 1
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Effect: ●While in Attack Position: Once per turn, you can send 1 Equip Card equipped to this card to the Graveyard to inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
●While in Defense Position: Once per turn, you can equip 1 face-up Attack Position monster your opponent controls to this card as an Equip Card. (You can only equip 1 monster at a time to this card by this effect.)

“Now, I’ll tune my Vacuumen with my Smartfon.” Lemon put her hand over her Duel Disk and leaned forward as Smartfon turned into a green ring that hovered around Vacuumen (Level 1 + 1 = 2). “I aligned the frequencies of my smartphone and my vacuum together, and home in on the signal of a flying scout machine!” She grabbed her card and held it out. “I Synchro Summon! Reporting in, Level 2, T.G. Recipro Dragonfly!” A small red and green insectoid robot appeared in front of Lemon, a propeller blade set into its midsection spinning to keep it in the air.

T.G. Recipro Dragonfly
Attribute: WIND
Level: 2
Type: Machine/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 300
DEF: 300
Effect: 1 Tuner + 1 non-Tuner monster
Once per turn: You can target 1 other "T.G." Synchro Monster you control; send it to the Graveyard, then, if all the Synchro Monsters that were used for its Synchro Summon are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon all of them.

"Not again..." grumbled Golden as he had enough of a time getting rid of it the first time.

Lemon licked her lips. “And now everything is in place.”

"What do you mean?" asked Golden.

"I'll give you a hint. The one you really wanna be worried about is my Martial Metal Marcher.” Lemon jerked her thumb at the machine. “See, he’s a Synchro Monster, sure, but he’s also a Tuner monster. Which means everything is in place for this!” Lemon spread her arms out. “I tune together my Level 3 Martial Metal Marcher, Level 2 T.G. Recipro Dragonfly, and my Level 7 Power Tool Dragon!”

Pinkie’s jaw dropped. “All three of them!?”

Martial Metal Marcher turned into three golden rings that began to spin. Dragonfly and Power Tool Dragon flew into the middle of the ring, sparks shooting between them as they hovered closer (Level 3 + 2 + 7 = 12). “I align the frequencies of my scouter, my musician, and my dragon together, and home in on the signal of the ultimate battle mech!” The three monsters lit up yellow and sent a column of light up into the sky. The sky, already getting darker in the early afternoon, turned overcast. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed. Lemon looked up and stretched out her hand. “I Synchro Summon! Seek and destroy all in your path! Descend, Level 12, T.G. Halberd Cannon!” A bolt of lightning struck the ground behind Lemon. From the flash of light, a massive robot stood up. Streamlined black limbs were covered in orange and yellow armor, glowing brightly. Its head, silver and sculpted in an expression of stern determination, rose from its main body and its eyes flashed to life. It raised its hand and the image of a gigantic polearm appeared as a green wireframe before it materialized for real. The robot gripped it tight and twirled it over its head, then planted it on the ground.

T.G. Halberd Cannon
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 12
Type: Machine/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 4000
DEF: 4000
Effect: 1 Tuner Synchro Monster + 2 or more non-Tuner Synchro Monsters
Must be Synchro Summoned, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. Once per turn, during either player's turn, when a monster(s) would be Summoned: You can negate the Summon, and if you do, destroy that monster. This card must be face-up on the field to activate and to resolve this effect. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can target 1 "T.G." monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target.

Enix, observing from higher in the stands, hummed to himself, "Hmm, a Level 12 monster. Haven't seen one of those in a while."

"That's one big monster!" said Golden as he stared and his eyes widen.

“You think he’s big now, wait until you see him up close!” Lemon pointed across the field. “T.G. Halberd Cannon, attack!" Halberd Cannon leaped up into the air, spun its halberd to point down, and then began to descend. The blade began to glow and crackle with energy.

Golden then began to take off as he began to look for an Action Card to save him. This time, he didn't have to look far as he saw one a few platforms below him. He jumped and quickly leaped off the others before grabbing the card near his feet.

"I'm activating the Action Card, Miracle! Now my monster is safe, and the damage I take is cut in half!" declared Golden.

"Not quite, 'cause I'm activating the Action Card I picked up last turn. It's called No Action! So that Action Card you just played gets null and void!" stated Lemon Zest. A red X appeared on Golden's D-Pad as it showed his Action Card was useless.

"In that case, I'm activating my face-down, Battle Chip - FullCust! With this card, since I control an '.EXE' monster, I can end your turn altogether!" declared Golden as Lemon Zest's monster stopped dead in its tracks, along with her turn.

"Not bad, dude. I'm impressed." said Lemon Zest.

Turn 6: Golden Flare - Hand: 1

"My draw," said Golden as he drew his card, "And thanks to my monster, during my Standby Phase, I can add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell to my hand." His Duel Pad then ejected another card for him to grab. Looked at his hand, and then at Lemon Zest's monster, "Before I do anything else, I equip MegaMan with Battle Chip - FireSwrd! Now he becomes a FIRE-Attribute monster and gains 1,000 Attack Points!" MegaMan's hand had now become a flaming blade, increasing his power (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 1900 + 1000 = 2900).

"Nice, but that won't help you, my dude!" Lemon commented.

The boy knew what he had to do as he began to jump from platform to platform. Lemon Zest knew what her opponent was doing as she began to move, hoping to cut him off from finding any Action Cards. Golden ran, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lemon also running as the two were jumping all over the place. The boy saw something shining as he dived for it.

"MegaMan, attack T.G. Halberd!" commanded Golden.

"My monster beats yours by 1,100 Attack Points!" stated Lemon as she was confused by what the boy was doing.

"Not for long it won't! I play the Action Card, Attack Force! Since a monster of mine is attacking a monster with higher Attack Points, it gains 600 Attack Points during the battle!" said Golden as he boosted his warrior's strength (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 2900 + 600 = 3500).

"Cute trick, dude! But that's not enough to take my monster!" said Lemon as she continued to jump.

"Which I why found this also, the Action Card, High Dive! Now I can give 1,000 extra Attack Points to my monster till the end of the turn!" said the boy as he made his warrior stronger once more.

With the two powerups, MegaMan (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 3500 + 1000 = 4500) brought its sword down on the machine creature as it looked to block with its weapon, only for it to shatter and slice him in half as he burst and Lemon felt the attack. It pushed her to the edge of the platform she was standing off as she wobbled. She then went over and she quickly grabbed onto the ledge with her hand. The girl dangled for a bit before swinging her body to land on the platform (Lemon Zest: 7,600 - 500 = 7,100 LP).

"I'll end my turn and my monster's Attack Points go back to normal." stated Golden (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 4500 - 1600 = 2900).

Turn 7: Lemon Zest - Hand: 3

"Alright, dude. You wanna play rough, I can play rough!" stated Lemon Zest as she drew her card. "To start, I'll summon my Morphtronic Boomboxen in defense mode! Then I'll end my turn."

Morphtronic Boomboxen
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 400
Effect: ●While in Attack Position, this card can attack twice during each Battle Phase.
●Once per turn, while in Defense Position, when a face-up "Morphtronic" monster you control is targeted for an attack: You can negate the attack.

Turn 8: Golden Flare - Hand: 2

"...That's it? All that talk and hardly anything to show for it?" mocked Golden as he drew, "You know what my monster does, so I'm adding another 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell to my hand. Then I'm summoning this little guy, IceMan.EXE (1300/1100)!" stated the boy as a tiny monster wearing a parka appeared.

"I'm then activating my IceMan's ability, once per turn, I can target one of your monsters and have their effects negated until the end of the turn. So your Boomboxen won't be using its special abilities!" stated Golden as his monster shot out snowballs to freeze the machine. "Now, IceMan, attack her monster!"

Lemon Zest was already a step ahead of Golden as the girl was moving about the field looking for an Action Card. She saw one as she picked it up while running and then did a front flip as she landed.

"I activate the Action Card, Big Escape! So now the battle ends!" said Lemon as she managed to stop Golden from launching his assault.

"Clever, I'll end my turn with a face-down."

Turn 9: Lemon Zest - Hand: 3

"It's my turn, and I summon my Morphtronic Radion in attack mode!" A radio was shown as it made some broadcast sounds before it transformed and took its shape.

Morphtronic Radion
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 4
Type: Thunder/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 900
Effect: ●While in Attack Position: "Morphtronic" monsters you control gain 800 ATK.
●While in Defense Position: "Morphtronic" monsters you control gain 1000 DEF.

"I then activate my monster's ability, while he's in attack mode, all my 'Morphtronic' monsters gain 800 Attack Points!" said Lemon Zest (Morphtronic Radion: ATK 1000 + 800 = 1800) (Morphtronic Boomboxen: ATK 1200 + 800 = 2000), "Now Radion attack his IceMan!" commanded the girl as her monster took out Golden's with ease (Golden Flare: 7,600 - 500 = 7,100 LP).

"With that, I'll lay one card face-down and end my turn!"

Turn 10: Golden Flare - Hand: 3

"My draw, and because of my MegaMan, I'm adding another 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell to my hand. I then activate Battle Chip - LongSwrd to give my MegaMan 1,000 extra Attack Points and the ability to deal piercing damage!" stated Golden (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 2900 + 1000 = 3900). "Now attack her Boomboxen!"

"Not gonna happen, I activate Boomboxen's ability! While it's in defense mode, if a 'Morphtronic' is attacked, I can negate it!" said Lemon Zest as her boombox began to blare soundwaves that caused Golden's monster to back off.

"Clever girl." said Golden.

Turn 11: Lemon Zest - Hand: 2

"My turn!" said Lemon as she drew her card. "I'll reveal my face-down, Morphtronic Mix-up!"

Morphtronic Mix-up
Normal Trap Card
Effect: If you control 2 or more face-up "Morphtronic" monsters, select 2 cards your opponent controls. Destroy 1 card of your opponent's choice from those 2.

"Since I control 2 or more 'Morphtronics', I can select two cards you control and you choose which one you want to destroy. So is it gonna be your MegaMan or your Battle Chip - LongSwrd?" asked Lemon.

"Rgh...I choose to get rid of my Battle Chip - LongSwrd." said Golden as he wasn't happy about that (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 3900 - 1000 = 2900).

"Smart, next I'm playing Pot of Greed to draw two cards. I then summon Morphtronic Slingen!" said Lemon Zest as another one of her monsters appeared which transformed into a slingshot.

Morphtronic Slingen
Attribute: WIND
Level: 4
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 800
Effect: ●While in Attack Position: Once per turn, you can Tribute 1 "Morphtronic" monster, except "Morphtronic Slingen", to destroy 1 card on the field.
●While in Defense Position: If this card would be destroyed, you can destroy another "Morphtronic" monster you control instead.

"Don't forget he gets the power up from my Radion as well (Morphtronic Slingen: ATK 1200 + 800 = 2000). I then flip up my Pot of Avarice to target five monsters in my Graveyard and shuffle them back into my deck. Then I get to draw two cards. So I'll take back my Morphtronic Smartfon, Cameran, Remoten, Vacuumen, and Junk Box!" All five cards ejected from Lemon Zest's Graveyard slot of her Duel Disk. She took them and placed them on top of her deck as the auto shuffler kicked in and she drew.

"I then play Junk Box, so I can bring back my Morphtronic Magnen (800/800)!" said the girl as she had another monster on the field. "Then I'm activating Slingen's ability, by tributing my Magnen, I can destroy one card on the field! So say goodbye to your MegaMan!"

Slingen loaded up its shot as Magen turned into a ball of light that was shot toward Golden's monster as it bit the dust, including his other Equip Spell.

"And with you defenseless, my monsters can attack you directly! Morphtronic Slingen and Radion, give it to him!" declared the girl. Both her monsters shot out their respective attacks as Golden put his arms up to cover himself (Golden Flare: 7,100 - 1,800 - 2,000 = 3,300 LP).

"And that's all for my Battle Phase!" said Lemon. Soon something began to happen.

Golden looked up as he could see something flashing. On the right bicep of Lemon, there was a mark. That mark was a number as it glowed the number 34. Soon the dark aura began to surround the girl as it entered her deck and cards and soon herself. She then looked at Golden as she was now awakening to its power.

"Now...I overlay my Morphtronic Slingen, Radion, and Boomboxen! With these three monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" shouted the girl as all three of her creatures turned into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A galaxy portal opened as then entered and a pillar of light emerged. "The countdown for your demise has already begun, and only the cards can break your curse! I Xyz Summon! Here comes Rank 4, Number 34: Doom Box in defense mode!!" The girl thrust her hand into the air as her monster made its presence known; a giant boom-box-like radio appeared with demonic red eyes, speakers, two antennes emitting electricity linking each other together, and a screen where a radio frequency is set instead is a countdown timer currently set at 0.

Number 34: Doom Box
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 4
Type: Machine/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 3500
Effect: 3 Level 4 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. When this card is Xyz Summoned: Place 1 Doom Counter for every 100 LP your opponent currently has (max. 80). During each Standby Phase: Remove 1 Doom Counter from this card. If this card has no Doom Counters during the Standby Phase: You win the Duel. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, remove 10 Doom Counters from this card.

Golden saw the monster before him as it was another Barian Number. His Extra Deck was now glowing as he could tell the other Number cards he collected felt the presence of the Number and began to resonate. He wasn't the only one as Isaac's deck box on his belt also glowed. The boy was the only one to see it as everybody else was distracted by the duel. Isaac reached to his side as he pulled out the card and looked at it. Soon the spirit of his Number appeared and stood by her master.

"Looks like there's more than one Number card being used in the Friendship Games." said Isaac's Number.

"Indeed. Time to see what it can do." said the boy to his magician.

"When my Doom Box is summoned, I can place 1 Doom Counter for every 100 life points you have. So since you have 3,300 life points at the moment, my Doom Box has 33 counters!" stated Lemon as the number on Doom Box's screen counted up from 0 to 33 (Number 34: Doom Box: 0 + 33 = 33 Doom Counters).

Golden was confused as soon he saw the image of Lemon Zest directly in front of him. The boy jumped back a bit as he was scared. The girl was gone when he stepped back as if she disappeared into thin air. Soon a giggle was heard as he looked around to see where it was coming from. He was distracted that he didn't see the image of Lemon Zest appear right next to him as she whispered into his ear as the boy could feel her hot breath tickle his ear. She smiled before disappearing as he fell onto his behind.

Golden was a bit off his game at all that transpired as when he looked back in front of him, there was Lemon standing with the number glowing on her bicep. The girl had an evil smile as she flashed a flirty wink.

"I am officially freaked out now." stated Golden as he got up.

"Oh, I'm not done yet. 'Cause I activate Doom Box's ability, by using one Overlay Unit (Number 34: Doom Box: 3 - 1 = 2 OLU), I can reduce the number of Doom Counters on my monster by 10!" said Lemon Zest as her monster absorbed an Xyz material, the number on its screen dropped significantly (Number 34: Doom Box: 33 - 10 = 23 Doom Counters).

"Do I dare ask what happens if it reaches zero?" asked Golden.

"Simply, you lose the duel," stated Lemon, "And by the way, during each of my Standby Phases, the Doom Counters go down by 1. So right now, it has 23 counters. That means in three turns if you can't destroy my monster, you lose!"

Turn 12: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

Great, so now what do I do? I don't have a single monster on my field, so I can fusion summon one of my heavy hitters. And none of the cards in my hand can help me right now. What do I do?

It appeared that Golden was reaching the end of his rope as he was staring at Lemon's monster and was having a hard time trying to figure out a plan. The boy didn't know what to do, just then a voice called out.

"Do you want to win, Golden?”

Golden's eyes widened, That voice...

"Do you want to win, Golden? Are you willing to do whatever it takes?"

Golden swallowed heavily and nodded. “Yes."

"And what would you be willing to do for that victory?"

"...Anything and everything, if it means my friends can qualify...!"

"Then you know what must be done.”

A bead of sweat rolled down Golden's face. His breathing was heavy, his chin quivering, and he slowly reached out his hand. He put it on top of his deck as an aura began to glow. The numbers 17 and 70 appeared on the backs of his hands. The boy then had his eyes shot open as he looked at Lemon with a bit of darkness in them and the number 64 glowed in his right eye.

"It's my turn, Dark Draw!" shouted the boy as his hand had a dark aura surrounding it that transferred to the card he drew as it changed.

"Huh?" said Lemon Zest.

"Go ahead, use the Dark Chip!"

"To start, I'm summoning my AquaMan.EXE in defense mode!" shouted the boy as his voice sounded a bit deeper. "Then I'm activating this, Dark Chip - DrkInvis!"

Dark Chip - DrkInvis
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. Activate 1 of these effects:
•Special Summon "MegaMan.EXE - Dark Soul" from your Extra Deck, ignoring its summoning conditions.
•Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle, but must be destroyed during the End Phase on the turn you activated this effect.

"Did he say, Dark Chip?" asked Sunset as she was concerned for her friend about what was suddenly going on with him.

"What are you doing?" asked Lemon.

"Since I control an '.EXE' monster, I can Special summon a special Xyz Monster. Make way for MegaMan.EXE - Dark Soul!" shouted Golden as he managed to summon a brand new monster that nobody had seen before. The warrior appeared as it was covered from head to toe in black armor, darkness followed it as the only shred of light was the sword it carried. It glanced at Lemon and her monster as it glared at its enemies in absolute hatred.

MegaMan.EXE - Dark Soul
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 4
Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2900
DEF: 2600
Effect: 2 Level 4 monsters
Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material, or take 2000 damage. Once per turn, if this card is equipped with a "Dark Chip" Equip Spell: Your opponent takes 2000 damage instead.

"Impressive, but it can't beat my monster." smirked Lemon.

"That's why he's not gonna be the one to take out your monster. 'Cause since I control a '.EXE' Xyz Monster, I can now summon a different monster from my Extra Deck. So Dark Soul, make way for another warrior! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! With the power of darkness, I call upon the one who rules over the Undernet! I Xyz Summon, Number 64: Bass.EXE (3000/2500, OLU: 1)!" shouted Golden as his monster turned into an orb of light and hovered in the air as a portal opened up in front of him. The orb then entered the portal as it exploded with dark energy. A warrior was shown in black, red, and bits of yellow as it held dark energy in its hand.

"There it is." stated Isaac as he and his Number finally got to see the card that Golden had in his possession.

"So you upgraded your previous monster for another one. At least this one is stronger, but it still ain't enough to take down my Number!" smiled Lemon.

"You better believe it is, 'cause I'm equipping him with this, Dark Chip - DrkSword!"

Dark Chip - DrkSword
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Can only be equipped to a ".EXE" monster. Increase the equipped monster's ATK by 2500. If the equipped monster attacked: Skip the Battle Phase for the next turn.

"So now my Bass.EXE gains 2,500 extra Attack Points (Number 64: Bass.EXE: ATK 3000 + 2500 = 5500), but I have to skip my Battle Phase next turn if he attacks! And here's a little secret, since I summoned my Bass.EXE using an Xyz Monster as Xyz Material, and by using an Overlay Unit (OLU: 1 - 1 = 0), it can attack three times per Battle Phase!" declared Golden.

"But then...that means..." gasped Lemon.

The girl soon had her answer as Golden gave the command to his new warrior. It leaped into the sky as the sword it carried was covered in dark energy as it infused with its soul. The eyes were yellow as they brought the weapon on Doom Box and sliced it straight in half as it exploded. Lemon Zest covered up as the number was still shining on her.

"Now to end this, attack her directly!!" shouted Golden as his voice echoed throughout the field.

The monster heard the command by his master as it locked eyes with its target. Then without a shred of mercy, it swung its blade and struck down Lemon Zest who couldn't protect herself as she was thrown off the platform she was on and crashed into the field below (Lemon Zest: 7,100 - 5,500 - 5,500 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Golden Flare
New Accomplishment Earned: Overkill
"Deal more than 8,000 damage to your opponent in one turn in Ranked Duel Mode."

"The winner of the first Action duel is...Golden Flare from Team CHS!" said Cadence as she announced the results of the duel.

The students of CHS were cheering as they gave each other high fives and shouted from the stands. Golden's teammates were also glad that he won when it seemed he was about to be defeated. However, for Sunset, she could tell that something was off about her friend and was concerned for him.

With Golden, after he had collected Lemon's Number, the dark aura that surrounded the boy and the Numbers disappeared as he felt dizzy. He fell to a knee and clutched his head as it felt like someone hit him with a hammer to his cranium. He looked at his hand as he was now holding brand new cards.

"Dark Chip" cards? And a "Dark Soul" Xyz Monster? I don't remember having these cards...wait... Golden's eyes widened as he realized something, Why can't I remember ANYTHING? I recall dueling Lemon Zest, she had me on the ropes, and then...nothing. The next thing I know, I...think I won. he looked over at his opponent, who was struggling to pick herself up off the ground, Why does she look bruised? The ARC System shouldn't do THAT kind of damage... Golden came to a horrifying realization as to how that happened to Lemon and it shocked him to his core.

"...I did this."

He looked up as he glanced over to Crystal Prep's side. His gaze was focused on one individual as he made sure that he saw what he did. From afar, Isaac could tell Golden was staring at him as he put his Number safely away.

"The Numbers probably did this to me...but how...?" muttered the boy, "...I can't duel like this if I'm gonna lose control. Something has to change."

He then got up, pocketed his new cards, and went back to his side. As he walked, he was congratulated by his peers, teammates, and even his friends, but it all sounded like a dull static in his ears; he had lost absolute control and hurt a fellow duelist in the crossfire, he couldn't feel good at all with this win, he felt...dirty.

Tarnished.

DISGUSTING.

All these negative thoughts and more running rampant in his head, at least until Sunset and Pinkie walked up to him, concern laced in their eyes.

"Hey...you okay?" Sunset asked.

"Yeah, you...don't look happy that you won." Pinkie added.

You don't deserve their concern. You don't deserve their kindness.

But he knew he needed it right now. Golden hugged both Sunset and Pinkie in each of his arms and whispered, "...I think something's wrong with me."

As her fellow Shadowbolts lifted Lemon and guided her beaten, battered, and bruised form off the field and to the infirmary, the next half of the Action Duel section of the Relay was about to begin.

"The second duel will start in a few moments. Will the participants please make their way to the field?" said Luna over the P.A. system.

"I'm up, y'all." said Applejack as she put on her D-Pad and began to walk out to the field.

"Guess it's my turn." said Twilight.

"Good luck, Twilight. I'll be cheering for you." said Isaac offering his support for his friend.

"Thanks." said the girl as she took a deep breath. She put on her Duel Disk and inserted her deck as she began to make her way to the field. Twilight was stopped by Principal Cinch as the woman looked at the girl.

"Win! Make up for what Lemon Zest couldn't. Is that understood?"

"Y-Yes, Principal Cinch."

"Good, 'cause I hate to think we added you to our ranks only for you to fail. But we have nothing to worry about, surely? So I'd expect you to pull your weight, Ms. Sparkle, is that understood?"

"Yes, Principal Cinch." nodded Twilight as she made her way to the field.

Cinch watched her go as she glared at Golden, not noticing or even caring about his depressed and disturbed demeanor, fuming at Lemon's defeat because of him, Damn that brat! His efforts to win are now becoming a personal insult to me AND my school! And I will NOT allow that insult to stand! Brace yourself, child, for we have not even used a mere FRACTION of our power!!

Both girls were now standing apart from each other. For AJ, while it may not have been the Twilight she knew, it was still nice to see a familiar face.

"Good luck, Twilight." said Applejack.

"Right." said the girl with a weak smile.

//Generating "Action Field: Crossover."// said the ARC System as it began to work its magic. //Actions Cards disbursed.// A huge sphere of cards that had the letter "A" on the back of them was all scattered across the field that would allow the duelists to pick them up and use them. They each put on their Duel Gazers as Twilight turned on her Duel Disk to project a purple card tray while Applejack turned on her D-Pad.

"Let's duel!" said both girls.

Applejack: 8000 LP
Twilight Sparkle: 8000 LP

Turn 1: Applejack - Hand: 5

"I'll start, I draw!" said AJ as she picked up the top card of her deck. " I summon Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio!" A black scorpion appeared in front of Applejack, roots on its back running up to a plant sprout behind its stinger tail.

Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 800
Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can send 1 monster from your hand to the GY; Special Summon 1 "Predaplant" monster from your Deck, except "Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio". You can only use this effect of "Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio" once per turn.

"Now the effect of my Scorpio activates, when he's summoned, I can send one monster from mah hand to the Grave, and in exchange, I can Special Summon 1 'Predaplant' monster from my Deck. So I send mah Predaplant Cordyceps to mah Graveyard, and Special Summon mah Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra (1000/1500)." A snake with a body like a plant vine slithered in front of Applejack, its jaws patterned like flower petals.

Predaplant Cordyceps
Attribute: DARK
Level: 1
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Effect: During your Standby Phase: You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 2 Level 4 or lower "Predaplant" monsters in your Graveyard; Special Summon them, also, for the rest of this turn, you cannot Special Summon monsters, except Fusion Monsters, nor Normal Summon/Set any monsters.

Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1500
Effect: If this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Predaplant" monster: You can add 1 "Polymerization" Spell Card or "Fusion" Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra" once per Duel.

"Since I summoned Darlingtonia Cobra from mah Deck, I can use its ability. Now I can add one 'Polymerization' from mah Deck to mah hand." Applejack's Duel Pad then slotted out the card for her to grab. "Ah then set one card face-down and end my turn. Now let's see what you've got, partner."

Turn 2: Twilight Sparkle - Hand: 5

"Now, it's my turn!" said Twilight as she drew her card and began to analyze the situation, "I'll begin by playing this, Spellbook Library of the Crescent. Since I currently have no 'Spellbooks' spell cards in my graveyard, I can reveal 3 different 'Spellbooks' from my deck. So I reveal Spellbook of Secrets, Spellbook of Power, and Spellbook of Knowledge!" Twilight's card appeared above the girl for all to see as they each turned to show their backside and began to shuffle.

Spellbook Library of the Crescent
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you have no "Spellbook" Spell Cards in your Graveyard: Reveal 3 "Spellbook" Spell Cards with different names from your Deck, your opponent randomly adds 1 of them to your hand, and shuffle the rest back into your Deck. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook Library of the Crescent" per turn. You cannot activate any Spell Cards the turn you activate this card, except "Spellbook" Spell Cards.

Spellbook of Secrets
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Add 1 "Spellbook" card from your Deck to your hand, except "Spellbook of Secrets". You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Secrets" per turn.

Spellbook of Power
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 Spellcaster monster you control; this turn, it gains 1000 ATK. And if it does, each time it destroys an opponent's monster by battle this turn: You can add 1 "Spellbook" Spell from your Deck to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Power" per turn.

Spellbook of Knowledge
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Send to the GY either 1 Spellcaster monster you control, or 1 other "Spellbook" card from your hand or face-up field, except "Spellbook of Knowledge", and if you do, draw 2 cards. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Knowledge" per turn.

"Now you pick which card gets added to my hand, and the rest go back in my Deck," said the girl as the cards above her stopped spinning and spread out in a line. "Take your pick."

"Mmm...I choose...the one in the middle," said Applejack as she pointed.

"Very well," said Twilight as she took the card AJ picked and added it to her hand. She placed the others on top of her Deck as the auto-shuffler kicked in. "Now, I'll play Spellbook Organization. So I can look at the top 3 cards of my deck and put them in any order I want."

Spellbook Organization
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Look at the top 3 cards of your Deck, then return them to the top of the Deck in any order.

"Sheesh, she really loves books." said Astral Flare to the gang at how organized and calculating Twilight was in Duel Monsters.

Twilight's Duel Disk showed her the cards she wanted to see as she began to rearrange them.

"I'll then summon my Charioteer of Prophecy!" A magical swordsman was shown riding on a white horse as he held his hand out and magic flowed through his weapon.

Charioteer of Prophecy
Attribute: WIND
Level: 4
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1300
Effect: Once per turn: You can discard 1 "Spellbook" Spell Card to target 1 Spellcaster-Type monster in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand.

"Now attack her Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra!"

"I reveal mah facedown, Plant Food Chain! This gives mah monster an extra 500 hundred points!” stated AJ as she managed to minimize the damage she took (Applejack: 8,000 - 300 = 7,700 LP).

Plant Food Chain
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Target 1 Plant-Type monster you control; equip this card to that target. It gains 500 ATK. If this card is destroyed by a card effect while equipped: You can target 1 Plant-Type monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target.

"I'll then lay one card and end my turn."

Turn 3: Applejack - Hand: 4

"Mah turn, I draw, and I'll start by activating the Spell Card, Predapruning."

Predapruning
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Activate this card by targeting 1 "Predaplant" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it and equip it with this card. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster.

"Ah use it to revive Darlington Cobra from the Graveyard!” Applejack’s field shook and ripped open a chasm; Darlingtonia Cobra (1000/1500) slithered out from within it. Applejack picked a card from her hand and swung it into her Duel Pad. “Next, Ah activate Polymerization! I fuse Darlington Cobra with Ophrys Scorpio!” The crowd cheered as Applejack’s two monsters swirled together in a vortex of green light. “Ah combine mah stinging predator and mah venomous predator, and let a vicious new plant bloom!” Applejack took the card her duel disk ejected as she held it up high. “I Fusion Summon! Level 7! Predaplant Chimerafflesia!” A large coil of vines burst from the chasm and splayed out on the field. A large circular mouth ringed with teeth and surrounded by plump pink petals was at the end of the largest of the vines, and two smaller mouths rose beside it on smaller vines.

Predaplant Chimerafflesia
Attribute: DARK
Level: 7
Type: Plant/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Effect: 1 "Predaplant" monster + 1 DARK monster
Once per turn: You can target 1 monster on the field with a Level less than or equal to this card's; banish it. When an attack is declared involving this card and an opponent's face-up monster: You can activate this effect; until the end of this turn, that opponent's monster loses 1000 ATK, and if it does, this card gains 1000 ATK. Once per turn, during the next Standby Phase after this card was sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Polymerization" Spell or "Fusion" Spell from your Deck to your hand.

Applejack pointed at Twilight's monster. “Ah activate Chimerafflesia’s effect. I can target any monster on the field with a lower level than it, and banish it!” Chimerafflesia lashed out its two-mouthed vines towards Charioteer.

"I reveal my face-down, Spellbook of Immorality! With this, I can target one Spellcaster on my field and it's unaffected by card effects until the end of the turn!" said Twilight as a barrier formed around her monster as the vines bounced off of it.

Spellbook of Immorality
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 Spellcaster-Type monster you control: It is unaffected by card effects until the End Phase.

"Clever, guess I'll have ta take it out the old-fashioned way. Chimerafflesia, attack Charioteer!” Chimerafflesia lashed out its tentacles again and shattered Twilight's monster (Twilight Sparkle: 8,000 - 700 = 7,300 LP).

"I end mah turn."

Turn 4: Twilight Sparkle - Hand: 3

"It's my turn, and I summon my Strength of Prophecy!" Out came a female sorcerer as she was hovering in the air as magical symbols were on her dress.

Strength of Prophecy
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 4
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1400
Effect: Once per turn: You can shuffle 1 "Spellbook" Spell Card from your Graveyard into your Deck to target 1 face-up Spellcaster-Type monster on the field; increase its Level by 1 and its ATK by 500.

"Then I'll activate her ability, once per turn I can shuffle a 'Spellbook' from my Graveyard back to my Deck. And then I can target one Spellcaster on my field to gain 500 extra attack points and increase its Level by 1." said Twilight as her monster got stronger (Strength of Prophecy: ATK 1500 + 500 = 2000 / Level 4 + 1 = 5) Her Duel Disk ejected her Spellbook of Immorality as she placed it on top of her Deck and the auto-shuffler kicked in.

"Now, I'll play my Spellbook of Fate."

Spellbook of Fate
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: If you control a Spellcaster-Type monster: You can banish up to 3 "Spellbook" Spell Cards from your Graveyard; apply this effect, depending on the number of Spell Cards banished for this card's activation. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Fate" per turn.
●1: Return 1 Set Spell/Trap Card on the field to the hand.
●2: Change 1 monster on the field to face-down Defense Position or face-up Attack Position.
●3: Banish 1 card your opponent controls.

"Now I can banish up to 3 'Spellbook' cards in my Graveyard. So I'll banish the last two in my Grave so that I can activate its second effect, which allows me to change your monster to face-down defense position!" stated Twilight as AJ's monster flipped down, "Then I'll give her a power boost by playing my Spellbook of Power. Until the end of the turn, she gains 1,000 extra attack points. So now she has just enough to destroy your monster and you can't activate your monster's ability." said Twilight as her sorcerer fired a magic spell that took out the plant creature.

"Now the other effect of my Spellbook of Power activates. Since my monster destroyed yours, I can add a 'Spellbook' to my hand. So I'll choose my Spellbook of Secrets, but I'll immediately play it. So I can retrieve another Spellbook that I want." said Twilight.

"Geez, she really is an egghead in Duel Monsters as well." said Rainbow as she couldn't take all the books that Twilight was playing.

Twilight's Duel Disk ejected the card she wanted as she looked at it.

"I'll then lay the card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 5: Applejack - Hand: 3

"Not bad," said AJ as she smiled at Twilight's skills, "It's my turn and I draw! First, I use the effect of Chimerafflesia in the Graveyard. The turn after it gets destroyed, I can add a Fusion card from mah Deck to mah hand.” She then touched her screen and searched for the card she wanted from her Deck and then clicked on it as it slid out for her to grab. “Ah’ll take Fusion Recovery and activate it immediately to get Polymerization and Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio back to mah hand. And then I'll summon Scorpio to the field.” Applejack flipped a card out from her hand as her scorpion (1200/800) appeared in front of her. “Ah’ll use Scorpio’s ability and discard Rose Lover from mah hand, to summon Predaplant Flytrap from the deck!” The ground in front of Applejack cracked open. A small spindly vine with hand-like leaves and a pair of jaws formed from two large leaves grew up from the crack.

Rose Lover
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 1
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 800
DEF: 800
Effect: You can banish this card from your GY; Special Summon 1 Plant monster from your hand, and if you do, it is unaffected by your opponent's Trap effects this turn. You can only use this effect of "Rose Lover" once per turn.

Predaplant Flytrap
Attribute: DARK
Level: 2
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 400
DEF: 800
Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; place 1 Predator Counter on it, and if it is Level 2 or higher, it becomes Level 1 as long as it has a Predator Counter. At the start of the Damage Step, when this card battles a monster with an equal or lower Level: You can destroy that monster, then increase this card's Level by the original Level of the destroyed monster.

"Ah use Predaplant Flytrap’s special ability and place a ‘Predator Counter’ on yer monster.” Flytrap opened its jaws and shot a glowing purple seed at Twilight's monster. The seed landed on the sorcerer's shoulder and sprouted into a tangled mass of green and purple vines, a growth in their center pulsing with purple light (Strength of Prophecy: Level 5 > 1). “As long as that Predator Counter is on your monster, its Level is sapped down to 1.” Applejack pointed, “And now, Predaplant Flytrap attacks Strength of Prophecy!” Flytrap lowered to the ground and slithered like a serpent toward Twilight's magician.

"Is AJ stupid?" asked Rainbow, "Her monster is way weaker than Twilight's, why attack?"

"I activate Flytrap's ability! See, any time it battles a monster with a lower level, that monster gets destroyed instantly.”

"Oh, never mind." said the chromatic-haired girl.

"I reveal my face-down, Spellbook of Denial!" said Twilight as her face-down flipped up. "As the name suggests, I can negate your attack on one of my Spellcasters!"

Spellbook of Denial
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Negate 1 of your opponent's attacks on a Spellcaster-Type monster you control.

Flytrap stopped its assault as it slithered back to AJ's side of the field.

"I hate to say it, but Twilight knows what she's doing. She's thought of and prepared for almost anything I try," said Applejack to herself, "I lay two cards face-down and end my turn!"

Turn 6: Twilight Sparkle - Hand: 1

"It's my move, and I draw," said Twilight as she drew her card, "I'll play Spellbook of Sacrifice."

Spellbook of Sacrifice
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Banish 1 Spellcaster-Type monster from your GY: Draw cards from your Deck equal to that banished monster's Level.

"So by banishing a Spellcaster from my Graveyard, I can draw cards that are equal to that monster's Level. So I'll choose to sacrifice my Charioteer of Prophecy, and since he's Level 4, I can draw four more cards." Twilight's monster appeared as its spirit was transferred to her Deck as the magician gave one final parting gift to its fair maiden.

"By replenishing my hand, countless more strategic opportunities are available to me now," stated Twilight as she looked at her hand, "I'll now play my Green Gadget in attack mode."

Green Gadget
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 600
Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Red Gadget" from your Deck to your hand.

"And like every good gadget, it comes with a cool function. 'Cause thanks to his ability, when he's summoned, I can move 'Red Gadget' to my hand." stated the girl as her Duel Disk ejected her card and added it to her hand.

"Now, Strength of Prophecy attack her Flytrap!"

"I reveal my face-down, Fiendish Chain!” The Trap card flipped up and four black chains emerged from it. They snapped around the girl's limbs and pulled tight, sparking.

Fiendish Chain
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: Activate this card by targeting 1 Effect Monster on the field; negate the effects of that face-up monster while it is on the field, also that face-up monster cannot attack. When it is destroyed, destroy this card.

“With this card in play, your monster can’t attack and her effects are negated.”

"In that case, Green Gadget, take out her Flytrap!" said Twilight as she had her other monster take out AJ's tiny plant (Applejack: 7,700 - 1,000 = 6,700 LP).

"I activate my face-down, Bamboo Scrap!"

Bamboo Scrap
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Tribute 1 Plant-Type monster. Special Summon 2 "Plant Tokens" (Plant-Type/EARTH/Level 1/ATK 800/DEF 500) to your opponent's side of the field in Defense Position.

Scorpio shimmered and exploded, leaving behind two orbs of green light. “By offerin' Scorpio as a tribute, I Special Summon two ‘Plant Tokens' (800/500) to yer field.” The green orbs floated in front of Twilight and turned into small growths of grass, eyes peeking out from them.

"What are you up to?" asked Twilight as she was confused why AJ would get rid of her other monster and leave herself wide open.

"Why did Applejack do that?" asked Pinkie.

"I have no idea." answered Golden.

"Mmm..." was all Twilight could say as he continued with her plan, "I play Spellbook of Knowledge. So by sending my Spellbook Star Hall to the Graveyard, I can draw two more cards from my Deck." stated the girl as she sent her cards to the Graveyard and drew.

Spellbook Star Hall
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: Each time a "Spellbook" Spell Card is activated, place 1 Spell Counter on this card. All Spellcaster-Type monsters you control gain 100 ATK for each Spell Counter on this card. When this card with Spell Counter(s) is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 Spellcaster-Type monster from your Deck to your hand, whose Level is less than or equal to the number of Spell Counters that were on this card.

"I'll then lay one card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 7: Applejack - Hand: 2

"It's my move," said Applejack as she drew her card, "I set one card face-down and end mah turn."

Turn 8: Twilight Sparkle - Hand: 3

"Seems you got nothing to help you," smirked Twilight as she drew her card. "I'll now summon Red Gadget!"

Red Gadget
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 1300
DEF: 1500
Effect: When this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Yellow Gadget" from your Deck to your hand.

And when he's summoned, I can move 'Yellow Gadget' to my hand." Twilight's Duel Disk ejected the card for her to grab, "Now time for my Gadgets to attack."

"I reveal my face-down, Counter Gate!" Applejack’s card flipped over to reveal a mirrored panel.

Counter Gate
Normal Trap Card
Effect: When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: Negate the attack, and if you do, draw 1 card, then if it is a monster, immediately after this effect resolves, you can Normal Summon it in face-up Attack Position.

"Ah can play this when you declare a direct attack. So now ah negate your attack and draw one card. Should it be a monster, I can summon it in attack position." She drew her card and flipped it open. “Ah got Predaplant Spinodionaea, so I summon it.” The mirror displayed an image of a large green lizard, its skin vibrant green like a vine. The mirror shattered and the lizard leaped onto the field with a growl. A mouth formed of plant leaves sprouted on its back and opened, the maw quivering.

Predaplant Spinodionaea
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 0
Effect: If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; place 1 Predator Counter on it, and if it is Level 2 or higher, it becomes Level 1 as long as it has a Predator Counter. After damage calculation, if this card battled a monster with an equal or lower Level: You can Special Summon 1 "Predaplant" monster from your Deck, except "Predaplant Spinodionaea".

"Not bad," said Twilight as she called off her assault, "I end my turn."

Turn 9: Applejack - Hand: 2

Applejack drew her card, looked at it, and smiled, "I activate Fragrance Storm."

Fragrance Storm
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 Plant-Type monster on the field; destroy that target, and if you do, draw 1 card, then if that card is a Plant-Type monster, you can reveal it and draw 1 more card.

"This lets me destroy a Plant monster on the field and draw a card. Ya don’t seem to want those Plant Tokens, so let me git rid of one.” Twilight looked down as the token dispersed into leaves. Applejack drew and flipped her card over. “Ah drew Predaplant Moray Nepenthes, so the effect of Fragrance Storm lets me reveal it ta draw again.” She drew her second card, looked down at it, and grinned.

"So that's why you summoned those tokens to my field earlier. To not only fill my field, but to use them to your advantage and draw more cards." stated Twilight.

"Eeyup." said AJ doing her best impression of her big brother.

"But you still have to deal with my monsters." said Twilight.

"Well, that's all 'bout to change," Applejack reached for her hand, “I summon Predaplant Moray Nepenthes from mah hand.” A growth of dark brown roots sprouted in front of Applejack, two vines on the top blooming into twin mouths.

Predaplant Moray Nepenthes
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1000
Effect: This card gains 200 ATK for each Predator Counter on the field. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: You can equip that monster to this card. Once per turn: You can target 1 Monster Card equipped to this card by this card's effect; destroy it, and if you do, gain LP equal to its original ATK.

"Then I play, Polymerization and with it, I'll fuse my Spinodionaea and Moray Nepenthes!" A purple vortex with tendrils of green energy appeared behind Applejack and drew in her two monsters. The vortex spun and flashed, its light growing. “Ah combine mah reptilian predator and my twin-headed predator, and unleash a vicious botanical nightmare!” Applejack held her card up. “Ah Fusion Summon! Level 8! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!” She slammed her card on her Duel Pad, the card tray lighting up purple.

The ground shook as a massive plant bud grew behind Applejack and rose into the air. It shone purple and burst apart, a dragon flying out of it and circling the field. Its body was lithe and green, armored in hardened purple growths with thorns emerging from them. Orbs of orange light lit up on its claws, shoulders, and wings, pulsing with energy. The dragon stopped its flight above Applejack, a vine-like tail lashing the air, and roared.

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Dragon/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2000
Effect: 2 DARK monsters on the field, except Tokens
If this card is Fusion Summoned: You can make this card gain ATK equal to 1 opponent's Special Summoned monster, until the end of this turn. Once per turn: You can target 1 Level 5 or higher monster your opponent controls; until the End Phase, this card's name becomes that monster's original name, and replace this effect with that monster's original effects. If this Fusion Summoned card is destroyed: You can destroy all your opponent's Special Summoned monsters.

"That's one big dragon." said Twilight looking at the creature that hovered above AJ.

"Why don't you take a closer look? Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, attack her Red Gadget!" ordered Applejack to her monster.

"I reveal my face-down, Call of the Earthbound! So now your dragon is attacking my Strength of Prophecy!" said Twilight as she managed to redirect the attack to reduce the amount of damage.

Call of the Earthbound
Normal Trap Card
Effect: When an opponent's monster declares an attack: You choose the target of the attack.

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon swooped down and flew forward. The orbs covering its body sent streams of energy curling into its mouth, congregating into a large fireball. The fireball launched and engulfed Twilight's monster, a plume of smoke shooting into the air. The girl looked away, teeth gritted, as her monster exploded (Twilight Sparkle: 7,300 - 800 = 6,500 LP).

"I end my turn." said Applejack.

Turn 10: Twilight Sparkle - Hand: 4

"It's my move, and I'll play Graceful Charity. So I draw three cards and discard two," stated Twilight as she picked up and then carefully made her decision on which cards she wanted to get rid of. "I then play my Hermit of Prophecy." Out came an elder magician as he had a cane and wore a wizard hat.

Hermit of Prophecy
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 1200
Effect: Each time a "Spellbook" Spell Card is activated, increase this card's Level by 2 and ATK by 300.

"Then I'm activating another one of my many Spellbooks, Spellbook of Revival."

Spellbook of Revival
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Pay 500 LP; Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower Spellcaster-Type monster from your GY.

"So I pay 500 Life Points and I can resurrect one Level 5 or lower Spellcaster from my Graveyard. So I'm bringing back my Strength of Prophecy (1500/1400)!" declared the girl as she had another magician (Twilight Sparkle: 6,500 - 500 = 6,000 LP).

"Now, since I activated a 'Spellbook' my Hermit's ability allows him to increase his Level by 2 and gain 300 extra attack points (Hermit of Prophecy: Level 3 + 2 = 5 / ATK 1200 + 300 = 1500). Then I'm activating my Strength of Prophecy's ability, so I'm shuffling back my Spellbook of Revival into my deck, and I can increase my Strength of Prophecy by 500 extra attack points and give it an extra Level (Strength of Prophecy: Level 4 + 1 = 5 / ATK 1500 + 500 = 2000)!" stated Twilight.

"Uh-oh..." said AJ.

"I now overlay both my Strength of Prophecy and Hermit of Prophecy to construct the Overlay Network!" shouted Twilight as both of her monsters turned into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A portal opened up as the orbs entered and a pillar of light emerged. "When fate's power and lonesomeness come together, I can bring forth the feminine imperial ruler!I Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Empress of Prophecy!" A throne was shown and sitting on it was a beautiful woman who wore white clothing with hints of gold. In her hand was a staff that flowed with magic.

Empress of Prophecy
Attribute: LIGHT
Rank: 5
Type: Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1700
Effect: 2 Level 5 Spellcaster-Type monsters
This card gains 300 ATK for each Xyz Material attached to a monster you control. Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; shuffle your Deck, then excavate the top 5 cards of your Deck, destroy monsters on the field up to the number of "Spellbook" cards excavated, also, after that, place the excavated cards on the top of the Deck in any order.

"Kinda weak, no offense, sugar." said Applejack.

"Don't judge a book by its cover. 'Cause my Empress gains 300 extra attack points for every Xyz material that I control. So with hers, she gains 600 more points (Empress of Prophecy: ATK 2000 + 600 = 2600)."

"Even then, my dragon beats her by 200."

"Then let me activate my Empress' ability, by using one Overlay Unit (Empress of Prophecy: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), I can shuffle my Deck. Then I look at the top five cards, then I'm allowed to destroy as many of your monsters as there are Spellbooks that I reveal," said Twilight as the auto-shuffler kicked in. She then picked up the five cards and looked at them, "Looks like I revealed 3 Spellbooks, either way, it's more than enough to take down your dragon." smirked Twilight as she put her cards back in the order she wanted. Her Empress then pointed her staff and fired a beam at AJ's dragon.

"My dragon may be goin' down, but he's taking your monster with him. 'Cause when mah dragon is destroyed, so are all your Special Summoned monsters! So say goodbye to your Empress!" shouted Applejack. Her dragon fired a purple beam before the attack hit it, as Twilight's magician was also gone.

"Good thing I still have my Gadgets! Green Gadget, attack her directly!" commanded Twilight.

This time, Applejack began to run as she was now leaping from platform to platform. She found was she was looking for as she grabbed it and jumped.

"I play the Action Spell, Evasion! So I dodge your Green Gadget's attack!" stated Applejack while she was in the air as Green Gadget flew past her.

"Red Gadget, your turn!" shouted Twilight.

Applejack landed on the platform below her as the monster appeared in front of her. It raised its fist to punch the girl as AJ put her duel disk up to block the punch and hold her ground. The monster then returned to Twilight's side (Applejack: 6,700 - 1,300 = 5,400 LP).

"I end my turn."

Turn 11: Applejack - Hand: 2

"It's ma turn, and Ah play Dragon's Mirror!" A large mirror appeared in the air, the wings, claws, and tail of a dragon carved from its frame.

Dragon's Mirror
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Fusion Summon 1 Dragon Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, by banishing Fusion Materials listed on it from your field or GY.

“This lets me banish the fusion parts needed from ma field or Graveyard to summon a Dragon-Type Fusion monster from mah Extra Deck. I banish Predaplant Flytrap and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!”

The mirror pulsed and glowed purple, it's surface cloudy. Applejack reached to her Duel Pad, fingers poised. “I combine mah botanical nightmare and mah carnivorous predator, to bring out a toxic terror like no other!” The mirror cracked down in the center, the image of glowing purple eyes appearing in either half. “I Fusion Summon! Level 10! Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon!” The mirror shattered and a massive dragon flew out of the frame. Its serpentine body was glowing blue, purple, and yellow, streaks of light along its limbs. Wings like the growths of a plant spread behind it, crackling with energy. It circled to float in front of Applejack, roaring down at Twilight.

Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon
Attribute: DARK
Level: 10
Type: Dragon/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 3300
DEF: 2500
Effect: 1 "Predaplant" monster + 1 DARK monster whose original Level is 8 or higher
Must first be Fusion Summoned. Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; until the end of this turn, change that target's ATK to 0, also that target has its effects negated. If this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: Destroy as many monsters on the field as possible, then you can banish 1 Level 8 or higher DARK monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon this card from the Graveyard.

"I activate Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon's ability; once per turn, I can target one monster you control and not only drop its attack points to zero but negate any effects it has!" said Applejack as she pointed at Twilight's Red Gadget. The dragon roared as vines from its body attached to the monster and sucked its vitality from it.

"Now, attack her Red Gadget!" shouted Applejack.

Twilight now began to move as she was looking for an Action Card. The girl saw one as she grabbed it.

"I activate the Action Spell, Damage Draw!" said Twilight as the attack made contact with her monster (Twilight Sparkle: 6,000 - 3,300 = 2,700 LP).

"With Damage Draw, if I take 2,000 or more points of damage, I can draw two cards!" stated Twilight.

"Risky play, Twi." smiled AJ as she ended her turn.

Turn 12: Twilight - Hand: 3

"But it'll be worth it, I draw! I play Spellbook of Eternity."

Spellbook of Eternity
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 of your banished "Spellbook" Spell Cards, except "Spellbook of Eternity"; add that target to your hand. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Eternity" per turn.

"So I can target one of my banished 'Spellbooks' and add it to my hand. So I'll bring back my Spellbook Organization. Then play it to look at the next three cards of my deck and rearrange them in any order I desire." said Twilight as she once again changed the order of her cards to her liking.

"Then I'm summoning my Temperance of Prophecy!" Out came a hooded female sorcerer as she held some cups in her hands that had smoke flowing from them.

Temperance of Prophecy
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1000
Effect: During your Main Phase, if you have activated a "Spellbook" Spell Card previously this turn: You can Tribute this card; Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher LIGHT or DARK Spellcaster-Type monster from your Deck. You cannot Special Summon another Level 5 or higher monster during the turn you activate this effect.

"I now activate her ability, since I activated a Spellbook previously, I can Tribute her to Special Summon one Level 5 or higher LIGHT or DARK spellcaster from my Deck." The cups that Temperance was holding began to glow. She started to chant some words as the cups started to fill. Soon they overflowed with smoke that poured out and surrounded the magician.

"I summon my World of Prophecy!" shouted Twilight as her monster appeared hovering above her as it shined with tons of light emitting from the creature.

World of Prophecy
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 9
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2900
DEF: 2400
Effect: When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a Spellcaster-Type monster or a "Spellbook" Spell Card: You can target 2 "Spellbook" Spell Cards in your Graveyard; add those targets to your hand. You cannot Special Summon other monsters during the turn you activate this effect. When you add card(s) to your hand by this effect: You can reveal 4 "Spellbook" Spell Cards with different names in your hand; destroy all other cards on the field.

"Now since I Special Summoned my World of Prophecy by using a Spellcaster's effect, I can target two 'Spellbook' cards in my Graveyard and add them to my hand. So I'm taking back Spellbook of Eternity and Spellbook Organization. Then I'll reveal four 'Spellbooks'; Spellbook Of Eternity, Spellbook Organization, Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere, and Spellbook of Secrets."

Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you have 5 or more "Spellbook" Spell Cards in your Graveyard: Excavate the top 2 cards of your Deck, add any excavated "Spellbook" Spell Cards to your hand, also shuffle the other cards into the Deck. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere" per turn. You cannot activate any Spell Cards the turn you activate this card, except "Spellbook" Spell Cards.

All four of Twilight's cards were shown as they appeared before Applejack.

"Why show that many cards in your hand?" asked AJ.

"Cause now my World of Prophecy can destroy every other card on the field!" declared Twilight as her magician put its hands together and began to gather the energies of the cosmos and universe. Orbs of different colored lights appeared as the orbs then shot out pillars of light as they nuked the entire field for both duelists.

"Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon can take out your monster when it's destroyed!" shouted Applejack as she shielded herself from the blast.

The entire field was left bare as both girls had nothing remaining. Both Twilight and Applejack were breathing hard as they were getting a fight with each other. The Crystal Prep girl looked at her hand as she continued her turn.

"I play Spellbook of Secrets to add another 'Spellbook' to my hand. Then play Spellbook Organization to look at the top 3 cards of my Deck and rearrange them." said Twilight as her Duel Disk ejected the card she wanted before it shuffled her Deck. The girl then looked at her top cards and put them in a different order.

"I then play Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere, since I have at least five 'Spellbooks' in my Graveyard. I can reveal the top two cards of my deck and then if they're 'Spellbooks', I can add them to my hand! Luckily for me, they are." said Twilight as she drew her cards and showed them off to be Spellbook of Judgement and Spellbook of Revival.

Spellbook of Judgement
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: During the End Phase of the turn this card was activated, add "Spellbook" Spell Cards from your Deck to your hand, except "Spellbook of Judgment", up to the number of Spell Cards activated after this card's resolution, then, you can Special Summon from your Deck 1 Spellcaster-Type monster whose Level is less than or equal to the number of cards added to your hand by this effect. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of Judgment" per turn.

"She's really good at manipulating her Deck." said Sunset as she and the others were amazed by how much organizing and rearranging Twilight was in getting her Deck to adapt to almost any situation.

"I then play one card face-down and end my turn!"

Turn 13: Applejack - Hand: 2

"My turn and Ah play ma own Graceful Charity so that Ah can draw three cards and discard two," stated AJ as she drew her cards and chose which ones to get rid of. "Ah then summon my Predaplant Squid Drosera in defense mode. Then since Ah sent my Predaplant Byblisp to the Graveyard, Ah can activate its effect to add a 'Predaplant' monster from my Deck to my hand. Ah'll take my Predaplant Sarracenia."

Predaplant Squid Drosera
Attribute: DARK
Level: 2
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 800
DEF: 400
Effect: You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard, then target 1 face-up monster you control; this turn, it can attack all monsters your opponent controls with a Predator Counter, once each. If this face-up card leaves the field: Place 1 Predator Counter on each Special Summoned monster your opponent controls, and if you do, any of those monsters that are Level 2 or higher become Level 1 as long as they have a Predator Counter.

Predaplant Byblisp
Attribute: DARK
Level: 1
Type: Plant/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 1900
Effect: If this card is sent to the GY: You can add 1 "Predaplant" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Predaplant Byblisp". If a monster with a Predator Counter is on the field: You can Special Summon this card from your GY, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use each effect of "Predaplant Byblisp" once per turn.

"Ah then end my turn."

Turn 14: Twilight Sparkle - Hand: 3

"Then it's time for me to finish this duel," said Twilight as she believed she was going to win, "I play Pot of Greed to draw two more cards. I then reveal Spellbook of Judgement, Spellbook of Revival, and Spellbook of the Master."

Spellbook of the Master
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you control a Spellcaster-Type monster: You can reveal 1 other "Spellbook" card in your hand, then target 1 "Spellbook" Normal Spell Card in your Graveyard, except "Spellbook of the Master"; this card's effect becomes that target's effect. You can only activate 1 "Spellbook of the Master" per turn.

"By doing so, I can now play the other card in my hand." Twilight's entire hand began to glow as her three spells shined. "By doing that, I can summon my partner, High Priestess of Prophecy!" shouted the girl. A female magician appeared as she had pretty red hair and wore a revealing outfit as she had a book in her lap with her legs crossed.

High Priestess of Prophecy
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 7
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2100
Effect: You can reveal 3 "Spellbook" Spells in your hand; Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn: You can banish 1 "Spellbook" Spell from your hand or GY, then target 1 card on the field; destroy that target.

"I then play Spellbook of Judgement. Then follow that by playing my Spellbook of the Masters, since I control a Spellcaster, I can reveal my Spellbook of Revival. By doing that, my Spellbook of the Masters can copy any 'Spellbook' effect in my Graveyard. I choose my Spellbook of Secrets. Then activate its effect to add a Spellbook of my choosing to my hand. And I choose my Spellbook of Power." said Twilight as she had her Duel Disk eject her card, "I'm not done with my turn, AJ. I play Spellbook of Revival, so I give 500 life points to bring back my Temperance of Prophecy (Twilight Sparkle: 2,700 - 500 = 2,200 LP). Then I'll banish Spellbook of Revival, Spellbook of the Masters, and Spellbook Organization to bring out a demon!" stated Twilight. A portal opened up in front of her as a claw was shown. "Meet my Prophecy Destroyer!" Soon the monster that emerged was a demon as it had wings, a demonic tail, and horns on its head as it pulled out a sword, and its breath produced a foul odor.

Prophecy Destroyer
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 1200
Effect: If this card is in your Graveyard: You can banish 3 "Spellbook" Spell Cards from your Graveyard; Special Summon this card from your Graveyard.

"That thing is a Spellcaster?!" said Applejack as her Duel Pad informed her of the type of creature it was.

"He may have a dark side, but he knows where his loyalty stands. And who's the boss of him." stated Twilight as she looked at her monster as it nodded at the girl, "Then I'm activating my Temperance's ability, so this time I'm bringing out my Wheel of Prophecy!" Her new monster emerged from the smoke it was a humanoid lion who wore a gladiator outfit. He had a large shield in his left hand as it had symbols on it that glowed.

Wheel of Prophecy
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2700
DEF: 1700
Effect: When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a Spellcaster-Type monster: You can target any number of your banished "Spellbook" Spell Cards; shuffle them into the Deck, and if you do, return your other banished "Spellbook" Spell Cards to your Graveyard. You can only use the effect of "Wheel of Prophecy" once per turn.

"Now the effect of my Wheel of Prophecy activates, since it was summoned by the effect of a Spellcaster, I can target any banished number of 'Spellbooks' and shuffle them back into my Deck and I can return the others to my Graveyard. So I'll take back my Spellbook of Revival, Spellbook of the Masters, and Spellbook Organization and put them all in my Graveyard."

"Huh?" said Applejack as she was expecting the girl to put them in her Deck.

"I then play the final card in my hand, Spellbook of Power to give my Priestess an extra 1,000 attack points!" said Twilight as she gave her ace magician a power boost (High Priestess of Prophecy: ATK 2500 + 1000 = 3500), "Now, High Priestess of Prophecy, attack her Predaplant Squid Drosera!" commanded the girl as her partner pointed her hands out and fired a spell while reading from the book in her lap.

"Ya activated my monster's ability, now Ah can place a 'Predator' Counter on each of yer Special Summoned monsters, and their levels drop to 1!" said Applejack as tiny seeds appeared and latched onto Twilight's monsters as they glowed purple (High Priestess of Prophecy: Level 7 > 1) (Prophecy Destroyer: Level 6 > 1) (Wheel of Prophecy: Level 8 > 1).

"That's fine, 'cause since she was equipped with Spellbook of Power and destroyed your monster, I can add a 'Spellbook' to my hand. Then Prophecy Destroyer attack her directly!" commanded Twilight to her demon.

"Ah activate the ability of ma Predaplant Sarraceniant. When ya declare an attack, Ah can Special Summon this little critter from ma hand!" said Applejack as her little hopper appeared on her shoulder and nuzzled her cheek.

"In that case, take it out!" said Twilight to her monster.

"My little critter is tough, 'cause any monster it battles is also destroyed!" declared Applejack.

"Not quite, 'cause I'm activating the Spellbook that I just received. Spellbook of Immorality! Which means my monster is unaffected by your monster's ability!" said Twilight as she saved her monster from being destroyed.

"Ah can still activate the other ability of ma Sarraceniant. Ah get to add 1 'Preda' card from ma Deck to ma hand," said Applejack as her Duel Pad ejected the card for her to grab.

"But not you're defenseless, Wheel of Prophecy, attack her directly!" shouted Twilight as gave her last monster its command. Her monster's weapon began to spin fast as he lifted it into the air. Her monster then threw his weapon at Applejack as it traveled through the air fast, and then struck the girl who fell to a knee (Applejack: 5,400 - 2,700 = 2,700 LP).

"With that, we're even," said Twilight as she and AJ had the same points, "Now before I end my turn, my Spellbook of Judgement that I played earlier has its effect activated. During the End Phase, I can add any number of 'Spellbooks' to my hand equal to the number of Spellbook Spell Cards I activated after I played my Spellbook of Judgement. I activated five, so that means I can add five Spellbooks to my hand!" said Twilight as she replenished her hand once more. "And I can Special Summon a Spellcaster from my Deck whose level is equal to or less than the number of cards I drew with Judgement's effect. So make way for my Emperor of Prophecy!" Another magician appeared as he sat on a throne. Like his lover, Empress of Prophecy, he wore an outfit with his being blue and hints of gold. As well as wielding a staff that flowed with magic.

Emperor of Prophecy
Attribute: DARK
Level: 5
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2300
DEF: 2300
Effect: You can banish both 1 face-up Spellcaster-Type monster you control, except this card, and 1 "Spellbook" card from your Graveyard to target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; take control of that target until the End Phase. You can only use the effect of "Emperor of Prophecy" once per turn. This card cannot attack during the turn you activate this effect.

Turn 15: Applejack - Hand: 3

"How the hell is AJ going to win? Twilight's got a full hand and field full of her powerful monsters!" said Rainbow as it seemed that their friend was trapped.

"I honestly don't know what Applejack can do..." said Golden as he was at a loss for words.

"Excellent work, Twilight. She doesn't have any moves left to make." said Principal Cinch as Twilight was already the winner of the duel.

"I know Twilight has the advantage, but..." said Isaac as he was seeing something that nobody else could see. And that was AJ's plan, her plan to win. However, to do that...she needed to draw her card.

"Sorry, but it's over." said Twilight.

"Heh, no it ain't!" said Applejack as she stood up.

"Look, I get wanting to fight on. But...look at the board, I've got everything and you don't. So, just surrender. Please, I don't want to hurt you more than I have to." said Twilight as she didn't want to embarrass Applejack anymore.

"I appreciate yer concern, Twilight. But...I'm winnin' this duel. Watch!" shouted Applejack as she drew her card, "To start, I'm activating the effect of my Predaplant Cordyceps! By banishing it from my Graveyard, I can bring back 2 Level 4 or lower 'Predaplant' monsters but their effects are negated. So my Flytrap and Ophrys Scorpio are revived." said Applejack as both of her monsters appeared before her.

"Please, just...don't make it harder than it has to be." said Twilight.

"As I said, I don't need yer pity! Especially, when Ah'm about to win, right now! I play Super Polymerization! With this, I can combine monsters on my field and yers to conduct a Fusion Summon!" The entire field began to blow as AJ's two monsters and Twilight's Emperor of Prophecy were sucked into a vortex.

"What are you doing?!" shouted Twilight as her hair and skirt blew in the wind.

"With the power of the scorpion, flytrap, and even the emperor, Ah bring forth one of the most deadly monsters in my Deck! I Fusion Summon! Level 9! Appear, Predaplant Triphyoverutum!" shouted Applejack. The new beast emerged as it stood on two legs, it had three heads and it let out a roar as it descended onto AJ's field.

Predaplant Triphyoverutum
Attribute: DARK
Level: 9
Type: Plant/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 3000
Effect: 3 DARK monsters on the field
Gains ATK equal to the total original ATK of all other monsters on the field with a Predator Counter. You can only use each of the following effects of "Predaplant Triphyoverutum" once per turn.
●When your opponent Special Summons a monster(s) from their Extra Deck while you control this Fusion Summoned card (Quick Effect): You can negate the Summon, and if you do, destroy that monster(s).
●If your opponent controls a monster with a Predator Counter(s): You can Special Summon this card from your GY in Defense Position.

Twilight saw the massive creature as she had a look of fear in her eyes.

"She's lost..." muttered Isaac as he had a look of sadness on her face. He already knew what was going to happen.

"Ma new monster packs a punch, 'cause it absorbs the attack points of all yer monsters that have a Predator Counter on them (Predaplant Triphyoverutum: ATK 3000 + 2500 + 2500 + 2700 = 10700)!" stated Applejack.

"But then...that means..." said Twilight as she looked at the stats of AJ's new beast as it was enough to wipe her out in one shot.

"Finish her off, bud!" commanded Applejack to her monster as its three heads began to charge their mouths for a triple attack.

Twilight saw an Action Card just at the edge of the platform she was standing on. The girl dove for it and looked. Her eyes widened at what she was seeing.

"This won't help me," said Twilight as she picked up the Action spell, Miracle. "No...no...I can't lose. There has to be something, anything!!" said the girl to herself as she was having a panic attack.

At that moment, AJ's beast charged up and fired its triple beam attack. It hit all of Twilight's monsters as they felt it. The girl looked at her Priestess as she saw the monster she concerned her partner in trouble. But for Twilight, there was nothing she could do to help her. Her magician reached her hand out to its mistress, as Twilight did the same. However, the attack finished off Twilight's priestess as it pushed the girl off the platform and to the ground below her as she was defeated (Twilight Sparkle: 2,200 - 8,200 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Applejack

"The winner of the second Action Duel is...Applejack! And that means Canterlot High has won the first part of the relay!" said Cadence as the side that housed CHS was shouting and cheering.

They showered AJ with applause and chants as the girl blushed from the attention she was getting. She waved back as she made her way to where her teammates were. They too congratulated her on the win.

"The second event will begin in two minutes. Duelists, prepare yourselves." stated Luna to the next section of the relay and participants.

Twilight sat up as she took in what was happening. She saw the scoreboard as it had her portrait greyed out and AJ's highlighted. The girl gasped as the realization sunk in. She looked back at her teammates as all but one person were pissed off. Twilight looked at Principal Cinch as the woman was the angriest and she was going to have some choice words with Twilight about being a failure.

Enix was among the crowd, but he wasn't seething at Twilight's loss, no, he was focused on the cowgirl walking back to her friends.

"Even after all these duels...you've never really changed."

Enix heard his phone ring and answered it.

"It's me. Did you get the details of the duel?"

//Yes,// the familiar voice of Shinkokuna spoke, //I scanned Applejack's Deck, and I found one card that doesn't belong in her Deck, hell, even in this dimension!//

"...I know which card."

"The card that originally belonged to the hero of our world."
//The card that originally belonged to the hero of our world.//

"It's...it's Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. MY card."

//...Enix, I know Applejack has your card. She's not gonna just hand it over to you.//

"Yeah...the only way to get Starving Venom, is to beat her in a duel."

//I know...listen Enix, we don't have much time; if we don't get the jewel from Applejack AND your card, we'll just be repeating the same loop over and over again.//

"I know. I have an idea. Get Lucky Clover and Jack to my Duel Runner immediately. It's time we give our country girl a little taste of misdirection." Enix was looking at his phone at a security camera footage of Applejack firing dark energy out of a handgun, "She wants me to go back, eh? Then she has another thing coming." Enix hung up the phone and waltzed over to his Runner.

Shinkokuna watched the monitor showing the Friendship Games as she glanced at her now transparent arm, which is slowly disappearing even further, "Enix..." she then looked at another screen with extreme dread, "...please hurry. We're running out of time."

COUNTDOWN TO CHAOS CORRECTION
00:40:21

Chapter 9: The Tri-Duel Relay Part 2 (By Golden Flare)

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The students were giving their support to AJ, who was on the field kneeling. The girl was panting hard as she managed to beat Twilight, but it was far from a walk in the park. If the girl was honest with herself, the way Twilight played the duel and battled, she was in control and didn't lose it once. The way she manipulated her Deck, calculated for all possible moves, and even pulled off some deadly combos. Safe to say, it felt like the country gal got punched in the face, and she liked it.

She looked across and saw Twilight being helped up. Isaac got up from the bench and helped his friend as he had her arm over his shoulder. The boy stood up as he looked at Applejack. They didn't say much other than him giving her a thumbs-up as he began to lead Twilight away. AJ turned as she walked to her side of the field and was welcomed to warm applause.

"What a pathetic, horrible display!" said Principal Cinch as she began to give Twilight a stern talking-to.

The girl removed her arm from Isaac's shoulder as the woman approached her.

"I expected you to have an easy win against a stupid farmer. But it seems you were incompetent on doing that!" growled Cinch as the other Shadowbolts glared.

Twilight had her head down as she took in the words said by her Principal. She lowered her head to avoid letting the other see how the words affected her. Isaac wanted to step in but soon heard the girl's sniffles as Cinch continued to run down her student.

"What did I say? 'I would have hated to add you to our ranks, only for you to be the reason we didn't win'. And it turns out that I was right. To think I expected so much from Shining Armor's little sister. I thought his skill and talent would be passed on. I guess all the talent seemed to have skipped you. You're nothing more than a bookworm with a pretty face." stated Principal Cinch.

At that moment, Twilight took off and ran. Try as she may, she tried not to cry, but the sniffles could be heard. The next event was underway as Principal Cinch instructed Sour Sweet to get out on the field. The girl obeyed and strapped on her Duel Disk. Isaac glared at his principal as it showed the boy with his fists bawled up. The woman and teen stared into each other as scowls appeared on their faces. Isaac had some choice words for the woman but decided to save them for later as he took off to find his friend. Principal Cinch let the boy go as she focused more on seeing the next round and having her team crush Canterlot High.

"The second round of the Tri-Duel Relay is starting. And this second round will feature Speed Duels! Allow me to explain:" said Luna through the P.A. system, "Speed Duels are duels in which you're working with limited resources. One is that your starting hand is four cards, no first turn draws, you only get three instead of the regular five slots for both Monsters and Spells and Trap cards, your Extra Deck is minimized to just five instead of fifteen, you only get a single Main Phase each turn, and instead of the 40-60 deck limit, it's cut in half to 20-30."

The students from Canterlot High in the stands were chatting among themselves after hearing the rules.

"Now, let's begin. The first Speed Duel will pit Crystal Prep's Sour Sweet against Canterlot High's Pinkie Pie!" said Cadence.

Sour Sweet flipped her hair as she made her way to the field. On the other hand, Pinkie was with Sunset as the pair checked on Golden Flare. After he told them that he wasn't feeling good, they spent the entire time during AJ's duel trying to make him feel better. It seemed to work as the boy was back to smiling. However, Golden could feel something inside of him as he refused to tell the girls what he truly felt. Mostly cause they were in the middle of the Games and didn't want to worry them. But he did promise that once they finished these Games, he would tell his friends about what he felt and these sudden "Dark Chip" cards he got.

"You sure?" asked Pinkie.

"Positive, Pinkie. Golden says he's fine; besides, he wants to watch you duel. He was very persistent on that." stated Sunset.

"Okie-dokie!" said the party girl as she zipped away.

You see? Golden's darkness spoke to him once again, They worry about you, yet you push them away. The darkness isn't just a part of you, you deserve to have it, and you know it.

"...Get out of my head..." Golden muttered to himself, clutching his cranium.

Don't pretend I don't exist. We both know you're too old to play pretend.

Golden tried to suppress these thoughts as to not arouse suspicion from the girls as he watched Pinkie's first Speed Duel. Both competing girls were standing across from each other. Pinkie put on her D-Pad as Sour Sweet turned on her Duel Disk to project a pale pink light card tray. They pulled out their Duel Gazers as the field began to form.

"//Augmented Reality Vision Link established.//" said the A.I.

"Let's duel!" shouted Sour Sweet and Pinkie Pie as their auto-shufflers kicked in.

Sour Sweet: 8,000 LP
Pinkie Pie: 8,000 LP

Turn 1: Pinkie Pie - Hand: 4

"Yippee, I get to go first!" shouted Pinkie as she looked at her hand, "I'll start by placing two cards face-down and then summon this handsome little guy, Madolche Chouxvalier." A small caviler appeared as he rode on his steed while wielding a lance made of peppermint candy while standing on a piece of cake.

Madolche Chouxvalier
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1700
DEF: 1300
Effect: When this card you control is destroyed by your opponent's card (either by battle or by card effect) and sent to your Graveyard: Shuffle this card into your Deck. Your opponent cannot target face-up "Madolche" monsters for attacks, except "Madolche Chouxvalier".

"I then end my turn." said Pinkie.

Turn 2: Sour Sweet - Hand: 4

"Aw, such a cute little guy. It's a shame it has to die!" grinned Sour Sweet while drawing her card, "I'll play the Spell, Amazoness Call!"

Amazoness Call
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Take 1 "Amazoness" card from your Deck, except "Amazoness Call", and either add it to your hand or send it to the GY. During your Main Phase: You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "Amazoness" monster you control; this turn, that monster can attack all monsters your opponent controls, once each, also other monsters you control cannot attack. You can only activate 1 "Amazoness Call" per turn.

"Now I can add 1 'Amazoness' monster from my Deck and add it to my hand. So I'll choose my Amazoness Princess, but she won't be there for long because I'll summon her." A small, dark-skinned warrior woman in red and purple armor landed from a portal in the air in front of Sour Sweet. She stood up, smirked, and lifted a spear from her back, twirling it to point it toward Pinkie.

Amazoness Princess
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 900
Effect: This card's name becomes "Amazoness Queen" while on the field or in the GY. If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Amazoness" Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Amazoness Princess" once per turn. When this card declares an attack: You can send 1 other card from your hand or field to the GY; Special Summon 1 "Amazoness" monster from your Deck in Defense Position, except "Amazoness Princess".

"Now, since I summoned my Amazoness Princess, I can add 1 'Amazoness' Spell or Trap from my Deck to my hand." Once again, Sour Sweet searched through her Deck and got her needed card. "I'll choose my Field Spell, Amazoness Village. This card raises the attack of all my Amazoness monsters by 200 extra attack points. Now my princess has a total of 1,400 (Amazoness Princess: ATK 1200 + 200 = 1400)." A large jungle of trees sprang up from the ground around Sour Sweet. Branches and grasses on the ground around her came together and joined together to form a circle of huts and tents.

Amazoness Village
Field Spell Card
Effect: All "Amazoness" monsters gain 200 ATK. Once per turn, when an "Amazoness" monster is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to the GY: You can Special Summon 1 "Amazoness" monster from your Deck with a Level less than or equal to that "Amazoness" monster in the GY.

"Then I'll play Amazoness Spellcaster."

Amazoness Spellcaster
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 "Amazoness" monster you control and 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; switch the original ATK of those targets until the end of this turn.

"So now I switch our monsters' attack points until the turn's end. Which means now my monster is the stronger one. So Amazoness Princess, take down her little soldier!" ordered Sour Sweet.

"I'll activate my face-down, Madolche Waltz! Now, whenever my monsters attack or get attacked, I can deal you 300 points of damage as the check." smiled Pinkie (Sour Sweet: 8,000 - 300 = 7,700 LP).

Madolche Waltz
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: Each time a "Madolche" monster you control attacks or is attacked, after damage calculation: Inflict 300 damage to your opponent.

Sour Sweet was unimpressed with what Pinkie had done as she held her hands up, "Whatever, it's still dead."

"Now my second Trap card activates, Desperate Tag."

Desperate Tag
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: If a face-up Attack Position monster you control is destroyed by battle, during damage calculation, you can reduce the Battle Damage from this battle to 0 and Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster from your hand at the end of the Damage Step.

"Now, if a monster of mine is destroyed by battle, then I can reduce that battle damage to zero. And then I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Warrior-Type monster from my hand. So now I'll replace my Madolche Chouxvalier with another." informed Pinkie. She then had another monster (1700/1300) rise as the previous one was destroyed but didn't lose any Life Points.

"Now my Madolche Chouxvalier's ability activates; instead of sending him to the Graveyard, I can shuffle him back into my deck," informed Pinkie as she placed her monster on top of her Deck, and the auto-shuffler kicked in.

"I'm not impressed; I end my turn." stated Sour Sweet.

Turn 3: Pinkie Pie - Hand: 0

"My turn," said the party girl as she drew her card. "I'll summon this cute handsome little guy, Madolche Butlerusk." A small butler appeared with a white cloth over its lower left arm. It had a teapot in one hand and a teacup in the other while standing on a waffle with syrup oozing.

Madolche Butlerusk
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 1500
DEF: 800
Effect: When this card you control is destroyed by your opponent's card (either by battle or by card effect) and sent to your Graveyard: Shuffle this card into your Deck. When this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 Field Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. There must be another face-up "Madolche" monster on the field to activate and to resolve this effect.

"Mmm, tasty," said Pinkie as she dipped her finger into the syrup and took a taste, "Now, since I control another 'Madolche' monster, I can activate my Butlerusk's special ability. It allows me to add a Field Spell to my hand, so I'll choose this one, Madolche Chateau!" shouted Pinkie as the entire field morphed. Soon all around them was turned into a sweet wonderland which caught Pinkie's attention as she struggled to keep her sweet tooth in check. Soon there was a giant chateau as it was behind the girl.

Madolche Chateau
Field Spell Card
Effect: When this card is activated: Shuffle all "Madolche" monsters in your GY into the Deck. All "Madolche" monsters on the field gain 500 ATK/DEF. If a monster(s) in your GY would be returned to the Deck by the effect of a "Madolche" monster, you can add it to your hand instead.

"My Field Spell does the same thing as yours. It also gives my monsters extra points, five hundred to be exact," smiled Pinkie as both of her monsters powered up (Madolche Chouxvalier: ATK 1700 + 500 = 2200) (Madolche Butlerusk: ATK 1500 + 500 = 2000). "So, Madolche Butlerusk, attack her Amazoness Princess!" Pinkie's monster heard the command as Butlerusk threw his teapot; it shattered and exploded upon contact with Amazoness Princess (Sour Sweet: 7,700 - 600 = 7,100 LP).

"And don't forget, thanks to my Madolche Waltz, you lose another 300 life points since my monster attacked." informed Pinkie (Sour Sweet: 7,100 - 300 = 6,800 LP).

"Well, I activate my Field Spell's effect; since an Amazoness was destroyed, I can replace her with another monster equal to or less than its Level from my Deck. So I choose my Amazoness Spy!" stated Sour Sweet as her monster rose in defense mode.

Amazoness Spy
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 3
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 800
DEF: 1200
Effect: You can reveal 1 other "Amazoness" monster in your hand; Special Summon this card from your hand. You can only use this effect of "Amazoness Spy" once per turn. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY: You can target 1 "Amazoness" monster in your GY, except "Amazoness Spy"; return it to the hand, or shuffle it into the Deck.

"Well, I'm not done yet. Chouxvalier, your turn!" commanded the party girl as her caviler charged forward and jousted the Amazoness. "And you lose 300 more points (Sour Sweet: 6,800 - 300 = 6,500 LP)."

"Now, my Amazoness Spy's effect activates! I can target another 'Amazoness' in my Graveyard when she's destroyed. Then I can either add it to my hand or shuffle it back into my Deck. So I'll take back my Amazoness Princess!" stated the Crystal Prep girl as her Duel Disk ejected her card and added it to her hand.

"I guess I'll end my turn." smiled Pinkie as she ended her turn.

Turn 4: Sour Sweet - Hand: 3

"I think it's time I put the 'speed' in Speed Duel; I draw!" shouted Sour Sweet, "I play the spell, Polymerization, to fuse my Amazoness Queen and Amazoness Swords Woman in my hand!" The crowd in the stands of Crystal Prep roared as a swirling purple vortex appeared in the air. The Queen stood up from her throne, looked up at the portal, and leaped into it. Sour Sweet held her hands out.

"Ruler of hunters and swordbearer of hunters, combine your wisdom and wit, and reign supreme over this battlefield!" She brought her hands together. "From the deepest depths of the darkest jungles, I Fusion Summon, Level 8 Amazoness Empress!" A bolt of light shot out of the vortex and into the former throne of Amazoness Queen, shattering it and the hut it had been placed in a shower of splinters and bone. The smoke cleared to reveal a massive warrior woman with white hair and red war paint on her muscles. Animal skulls adorned her shoulders, waist, and head, forming a horned crown. She snapped her hand out to the side, a red cape blowing out behind her, and in a flash of red light, a massive curved, spiked sword appeared in her grasp.

Amazoness Queen
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 6
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 2400
DEF: 1800
Effect: "Amazoness" monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle.

Amazoness Swords Woman
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1600
Effect: Your opponent takes any battle damage you would have taken from battles involving this card instead.

Amazoness Empress
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 8
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2400
Effect: "Amazoness Queen" + 1 "Amazoness" monster
Other "Amazoness" cards you control cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects. If your "Amazoness" monster attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. If this face-up Fusion Summoned card is destroyed by battle, or leaves the field because of an opponent's card effect while its owner controls it: You can Special Summon 1 "Amazoness Queen" from your hand, Deck, or GY.

"Oh, boy. I don't like the looks of this." said Astral Flare as the others thought the same.

"I'm not done 'cause first, my Empress gains the effect of my Field Spell (Amazoness Empress: ATK 2800 + 200 = 3000). Then I'll activate the ability of my Amazoness Call from my Graveyard; by banishing it, my Amazoness Empress can attack all of your monsters!" stated Sour Sweet.

"Oh, that's not good." said Golden.

"But before that, I play Mystical Space Typhoon to get rid of your Desperate Tag! Then summon out my Amazoness Princess once more," said Sour Sweet as she had another monster on her field, the girl then laughed, "What do you think happens next?"

Pinkie smiled, "I think you're going to hurt me a bit."

"Nope, I'm gonna hurt you a lot!" Sour Sweet gnashed her teeth and held her hand out. "Amazoness Empress, take out both of her monsters!" The Empress coiled her legs and sprinted forward, her sword held out to the side. She brought her sword down on both of Pinkie's monsters and cleaved them in a shower of red sparks (Pinkie Pie: 8,000 - 1,000 - 800 = 6,200 LP).

"Well, I'm not the only one who takes damage; my Madolche Waltz is still in play. So that means you're losing 600 points for destroying both of my monsters (Sour Sweet: 6,500 - 300 - 300 = 5,900 LP)." said Pinkie.

"Normally, my monsters can shuffle themselves back into my Deck, but since I have my Field Spell out, I can choose to add them to my hand." said Pinkie as she put both cards in her hand.

"A small price to pay since I've cleared your field." said Sour Sweet as she ended her turn.

Turn 5: Pinkie Pie - Hand: 2

"My turn." said the party girl as she drew her card.

"So what's Pinkie's plan for dealing with that Empress?" asked Rainbow.

"I don't know," responded Sunset. "Let's hope she drew something that might help."

"I'll play the Continuous Spell, Madolche Salon. Thanks to this, I can now have two Normal Summons during my turn, so I'm summoning my Chouxvlier and Butlerusk." said Pinkie as both of her small monsters appeared.

Madolche Salon
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: During your Main Phase, you can Normal Summon 1 "Madolche" monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.) If another "Madolche" card(s) you control or in your GY is added to your hand or shuffled into your Main Deck by a card effect: Set 1 "Madolche" Spell/Trap directly from your Deck, except "Madolche Salon". You can only use this effect of "Madolche Salon" once per turn.

"This again?" said Sour Sweet putting a hand on her hip.

"Take a closer look 'cause I'm overlaying both of my monsters to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Pinkie as her monsters turned into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A portal appeared before the girl as both orbs entered, and a pillar of light emerged. "With the might of the cavalier and helpfulness of the butler, I call upon the sweetest educator in all the land! I Xyz Summon, Madolche Teacher Glassouffle in defense mode!" A small woman appeared sitting on a chair; she had emerald hair and wore a matching dress, glasses, and a baton while having some books.

Madolche Teacher Glassouffle
Attribute: EARTH
Rank: 4
Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 2500
Effect: 2 Level 4 "Madolche" monsters
(Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 "Madolche" monster on the field; this turn, that face-up monster is unaffected by monster effects, except its own. If a "Madolche" card is sent to your GY while this card is on the field (except during the Damage Step): You can shuffle up to 2 cards from the GYs into the Deck(s). You can only use each effect of "Madolche Teacher Glassouffle" once per turn.

"Seems Pinkie did have something." smiled Golden.

"Yeah, but it ain't much. Even with Pinkie's new monster, it's a temporary wall." said Astral.

"I end my turn." said Pinkie.

Turn 6: Sour Sweet - Hand: 0

"My draw," stated Sour Sweet as she drew her card, "I play Pot of Greed to draw two cards, then I play Fusion Recovery, so I'll take back my Polymerization and Amazoness Swords Woman."

"Is she gonna Fusion Summon again?" wondered Applejack.

"I end my turn with a face-down." smiled Sour Sweet.

"Huh?" said all of the CHS participants.

Turn 7: Pinkie Pie - Hand: 2

"It's my turn," said Pinkie as she drew her card, "Now, I'll evolve my 'Madolche' Xyz monster into a brand new one. Go Rank Up Xyz Evolution!"

"She's doing what?" said Sour Sweet and the rest of the Crystal Prep students, as they didn't expect the girl to make such an advanced move.

"With the sweetest educator, I call forth most delicious princess in the whole world! I Xyz Summon Rank 5! Madolche Puddincess Chocolat-a-la-Mode!" shouted Pinkie as he upgraded her last monster for a more powerful one. A small girl wearing a chocolate dress appeared as she twirled.

Madolche Puddingcess Chocolat-a-la-Mode
Attribute: EARTH
Rank: 5
Type: Fairy/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2200
Effect: 2 Level 5 EARTH monsters
You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a Rank 4 or lower "Madolche" Xyz Monster you control as the material. (Transfer its materials to this card.) Once per turn: You can target 1 "Madolche" card in your GY; shuffle it into the Deck. While this card has "Madolche Puddingcess" as material, when a "Madolche" card(s) in your GY is shuffled into the Main Deck (except during the Damage Step): You can detach 1 material from this card; Special Summon 1 "Madolche" monster from your Deck in Attack Position or face-down Defense Position.

"Alright, that one surprised me, I'll admit it. But with your Field Spell power boost, it has the same attack points as my Empress."

"For now, but I've yet to conduct my turn. So let's get to it. First, since I have no monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon my Madolche Petingcessoeur!" A small girl appeared as she twirled with sparkles shining around her. "Then, since I special summoned her, I can summon another 'Madolche' monster from my deck, but its level is reduced by one. So give a warm welcome to Madolche Puddingcess!" Another small girl appeared, and her dress seemed to resemble pudding.

Madolche Petingcessoeur
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Fairy/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1400
Effect: If this card in your possession is destroyed by an opponent's card and sent to your GY: Shuffle this card into the Deck. You can only use each of the following effects of "Madolche Petingcessoeur" once per turn.
●If you have no monsters in your GY: You can Special Summon this card from your hand.
●If this card is Special Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Madolche" monster from your hand or Deck, except "Madolche Petingcessoeur", and if you do, reduce its Level by 1, also you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except "Madolche" monsters.

Madolche Puddingcess
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 5
Type: Fairy/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1000
Effect: Gains 800 ATK/DEF while you have no monsters in your GY. If this card in your possession is destroyed by an opponent's card and sent to your GY: Shuffle this card into the Deck. After damage calculation, if this card battles an opponent's monster: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy that target.

"Again, are you trying to make me feel sorry for you?" mocked Sour Sweet as she didn't understand what Pinkie was doing.

"Don't judge me yet! 'Cause let me inform you, when I have no monsters in my Graveyard, my Puddingcess gains 800 extra attack and defense points. Not to mention the extra 500 it gets from my Field Spell (Madolche Puddingcess: ATK 1000 + 800 + 500 = 2300)." stated Pinkie.

"Even with all those extra points, your little monster doesn't come close to matching that of my Empress."

"I don't have to; Madolche Puddingcess attack her Amazoness Princess!" commanded Pinkie. The small girl tossed some food at the small warrior girl as she got hit in the face with the tasty dessert (Sour Sweet: 5,900 - 900 = 5,000 LP).

"What an idiot! Due to my Empress' ability, you can't destroy my monsters!" stated Sour Sweet.

"I wasn't planning on it. Well, not yet, anyway. Besides, you lose 300 more points due to my Trap," said Pinkie (Sour Sweet: 5,000 - 300 = 4,700 LP).

"This is what separates Crystal Prep from Canterlot High; you don't think. And you don't take anything seriously based on your personality. Your friends must be embarrassed to be ever be associated with someone like you." scoffed Sour Sweet.

"Yeah, people think I'm all bubbles and laughter. That I don't seem sincere, I might joke around a bit too much, but one thing I'm serious about is my friends. They're counting on me to win, and I'm not gonna let them down." said Pinkie showing a different side than her usual easygoing attitude.

"Except you've already lost," stated Sour Sweet, "you don't have a monster that can take down my Empress, and it's only a matter of time before I beat you. Hell, it's only a matter of time before Crystal Preps wins. Sunny Flare will have no problem beating whoever you choose for the second Speed Duel. And then, we have our heavy hitter. Isaac still hasn't dueled if you haven't put it together. By the way, is your friend Rarity still functioning after the one-sided beatdown she received at the hands of Isaac?" mocked Sour Sweet.

Pinkie scowled as she didn't like hearing Sour Sweet talk bad about her friend. The others also heard as they had scowls, but Golden was thinking about the boy and how it was only a matter of time before the two met.

Yes, the brat who thinks he's all that and a bag of chips...blech. Once everyone sees what I've got planned for that cocky little shit...

"...Shut up..." Golden whispered.

Don't deny it; you want to shut that arrogant prick's mouth just as much as I do, if not more than me. But what, oh what, could breed such anger and frustration towards him, yet you two have barely spoke? OH! I know! It's because--

Golden slammed the palm of his hand on his forehead to try and silence the dark voice...but to no avail.

Hehehe, why so panicked? I thought I was blowing smoke. Or maybe...I DO know what you're really thinking! And you know why? Because I AM YOU!! You hate the guy, not just because he beat down Rarity, but he also goes to Crystal Prep AND he takes orders from that wrinkly old bag, Cinch! Why else would you be so angry? A bunch of rich snobs who have more money than brains and will mooch off their even richer parents till that money runs dry for no good reason, now THAT'S infuriating! You don't have a single other reason for hating the poor guy, don't you?!

"Shut it, you miserable...!" Golden muttered through clenched teeth.

If you insult me, you insult yourself. I'm you. Your inner demons, the darkness that has tainted your heart. Now that you've had a taste, we are inseparable now.

Golden could almost feel his "inner demons" smirking devilishly at him as the voice finally goes silent, for now at least. But he didn't notice Sunset staring at him in great concern; after he had used those "Dark Chip" cards, Golden had been keeping to himself recently and conversing with himself, but Sunset knew better. He could hear the dark voice taunting him...just like it did after Sunset's reformation.

"If he had no problem beating her, imagine how easy it'll be when he wipes the floor and runs over whoever you pitted against him in the Turbo Duels. And not to mention Enix, who has NEVER lost his spot at Crystal Prep's #2. Basically, we've got the last event in the bag. The only hard part is winning the Speed Duels, and based on how that's going so far, I think Crystal Prep is just moments away from winning once again like we always do."

"Tough talk from someone who doesn't realize she fell for a trap." smiled Pinkie.

"Huh?" said Sour Sweet.

"'Cause I activate the effect of my Madolche Puddingcess. Since it battled a monster, I can target one card on your side of the field and destroy it. So your Empress is going bye-bye!" stated Pinkie.

"Nice one, Pinkie!" smiled Golden at how the girl could get rid of the creature. A gust of wind blew over the field as it shattered Sour Sweet's monster.

"You'll pay for that! My Empress may be gone, but she's leaving a parting gift. Now I can bring back my Amazoness Queen (2400/1800)!" stated Sour Sweet as she had another monster rise and receive the power-up from her Field Spell (Amazoness Queen: ATK 2400 + 200 = 2600).

"Good, 'cause now, without your Empress, my monsters are the ones with the highest attack points. And it's still my battle phase. Madolche Puddincess Chocolat-a-la-Mode attack her Queen!" stated Pinkie.

"This is perfect; her Xyz monster will attack Amazoness Queen. Then her Petingcessoeur will attack Amazoness Princess. Not to mention, Pinkie still has her Trap in play, so she'll deal extra damage." said Astral.

"You set me up, didn't you?" said Sour Sweet.

"Maybe, maybe not. Or perhaps, CHS isn't just the average third-rate Duelists you think we are," smiled Pinkie as her monster raced forward.

Her monster was about to make contact when a flash of light appeared. It blinded the entire field as Pinkie covered her eyes. The light didn't last long as soon it faded. Pinkie opened her eyes as she widened upon seeing what she saw. Sour Sweet was smiling with her hand out as her face down flipped up.

"But I knew you'd set me up; that's why I had this ready. Amazoness Archers.

Amazoness Archers
Normal Trap Card
Effect: When an opponent's monster declares an attack, while you control an "Amazoness" monster: Change all monsters your opponent currently controls to face-up Attack Position (Flip Effects are not activated), they lose 500 ATK, also they must attack this turn, if able.

Since you declared an attack while I control an 'Amazoness,' your monsters lose 500 attack points. And, you must attack my Queen with all your monsters!"

"I have to?!!" said Pinkie in disbelief as her monsters weakened.

"But if she attacks, then..."

"It will destroy her monsters." said Golden as he finished Dash's statement.

"Wait a minute, you had that Trap all along? So why didn't you activate it earlier? You would have saved your Empress?" asked Pinkie.

"You're right; I could have. So why didn't I?" mocked Sour Sweet as she sealed the deal on the Duel and broke Pinkie's confidence, "Now, I believe you had your monster attacking my Queen."

Pinkie looked at her monster as the girl was held in place as she was about to make contact with Amazoness Queen. The party girl's hair deflated as she realized the situation and how she got hustled pretty hard.

"I...attack your Queen with all my monsters." said Pinkie in a sad tone.

Madolche Puddincess Chocola-a-la-Mode continued her attack as she was cut down (Pinkie Pie: 6,200 - 100 = 6,100 LP). Her little sister was next to join as Amazoness Queen turned her into magical particles (Pinkie Pie: 6,100 - 300 = 5,800 LP). The last one was Petingcessoeur, who cried as she was tossed and exploded upon impact (Pinkie Pie: 5,800 - 700 = 5,100 LP). Sour Sweet smiled as she took the additional damage from Pinkie's Trap (Sour Sweet: 4,700 - 300 - 300 - 300 = 3,800 LP).

"Pinkie..." spoke Golden softly as he could see how the girl had her confidence shattered by Sour Sweet. So much so, she didn't even have the gall to say she ended her turn.

Pathetic. Too bad, so sad. Should've known she wouldn't finish the job. Now, if it were us out there...

Golden shut out the darkness to the best of his ability so he could watch the rest of the Speed Duel.

Turn 8: Sour Sweet - Hand: 2

"Like I said. We've got this in the bag," smiled Sour Sweet as she drew her card, "Now I'll play Polymerization and fuse together my Amazoness Swords Woman and Amazoness Tiger!" A swirling vortex appeared above the girl as it sucked in both of her monsters.

Amazoness Tiger
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 4
Type: Beast/Effect
ATK: 1100
DEF: 1500
Effect: You can only control 1 "Amazoness Tiger". This card gains 400 ATK for each "Amazoness" monster you control. Your opponent cannot attack any face-up "Amazoness" monsters, except this one.

"Wild beast of the jungle with vicious fangs. Obtain the skills of the warrior who hunts down her prey, become a new savage beast and appear! I Fusion Summon! Level 7! Amazoness Pet Liger!" A pillar of dark red light burst out of the trees behind the Amazoness Village. The earth shook, and the trees parted, revealing a massive liger, pale beige with black stripes. Armor plating with spikes covered its shoulders, gleaming blue against the dark orange of its mane. It crept up next to Sour Sweet, glaring at Pinkie with one red eye, the other closed by a jagged scar, and roaring at her.

Amazoness Pet Liger
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 7
Type: Beast/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2400
Effect: "Amazoness Tiger" + 1 "Amazoness" monster
Once per battle, if this card attacks, during damage calculation: You can make this card gain 500 ATK during that damage calculation only. If your "Amazoness" monster attacked an opponent's monster, after damage calculation: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; it loses 800 ATK. Monsters your opponent controls cannot attack "Amazoness" monsters you control, except this one.

"He's such a cutie, isn't he?" Sour Sweet smiled and patted the monster on one of its armored portions, who purred at its mistress. "Now, thanks to my Field Spell, he gets 200 extra points (Amazoness Pet Liger: ATK 2500 + 200 = 2700). Now to have him strike, go Liger! By attacking, he gets 500 more attack points (Amazoness Pet Liger: ATK 2700 + 500 = 3200)! I told you, you would lose. And I'm never wrong. Girls, finish her!" said Sour Sweet as her other two monsters ran. They trailed behind Liger as all three leaped into the air as Pinkie braced herself. A small explosion occurred as it died; Pinkie was shown sitting down as she accepted her defeat (Pinkie Pie: 5,100 - 3,200 - 2,600 - 1,400 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Sour Sweet

"The winner of the first Speed Duel is Sour Sweet from Crystal Prep!" stated Luna. The students from the prep school all cheered and applauded Sour Sweet, who was soaking in all the attention.

"As if there was any doubt?" Sour Sweet gathered her cards from her Duel Disk and snorted. "I'm just annoyed it took so long." Sour Sweet looked at Pinkie before leaving.

"Excellent work." smiled Principal Cinch as she congratulated her student on her victory.

"Pinkie, you okay?" asked Sunset as she had to get on the field to check on the girl.

"Yeah, just...shaken is all." said the pink-haired girl as Sunset guided her back to their side.

"Poor Pinks." said Astral.

"Sour Sweet rocked her confidence, hard." said Golden as the two girls made it to their side.

Now, see, if I was in control, this never would've happened.

Golden tried to ignore the darkness inside him again as the next Speed Duel was being decided.

"The second duel will begin!" said Luna over the P.A. system.

"Finish the job." ordered Principal Cinch.

"Beating that boy will be an easy task." said Sunny Flare as she strapped on her Duel Disk and made her way to the field.

"Guess I'm up. Wish me luck, guys." said Astral as he received fist bumps from his teammates as he made his way to the field.

Astral was face to face with Sunny Flare as the boy could already tell what kind of girl he was dealing with. The way she stood, her posture, even her mannerisms, the best way he could describe was if Rarity was self-absorbed and only cared about her image. Well, in a way, that kind of was the girl, but underneath that beauty was a generous heart that Astral knew. The boy stuck his hand out.

"As if I'd shake hands with you, especially a boy of your stature." scoffed Sunny as she turned on her Duel Disk to project a moderate cerise card tray.

Astral put on his Duel Pad as both teens pulled out their Duel Gazers as the field began to change, "I'd suggest keeping your attitude in check. It's common courtesy."

//Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.// said the A.I.

"Let's Duel!" said both teens.

While the Duel was happening, Isaac was shown looking for Twilight. The girl didn't get far as she snuck off to the library. The boy felt this was where she would be whenever Twilight was not her usual self; she would often lock herself in this place as her safe haven.

"Twilight." said Isaac as he walked to the second floor and saw the girl.

He bent down and pulled the book down to see her face. The girl was still crying as her glasses were getting a bit foggy. He took the lenses off and wiped the water from the girl's eyes. The boy sat down next to her; Twilight buried her head into him as he wrapped his arms and held his friend.

"It's okay, just let it out." stated Isaac as he was willing to stay with his friend until she felt better.

Astral Flare: 8,000 LP
Sunny Flare: 8,000 LP

Turn 1: Sunny Flare - Hand: 4

"Marvelous." Sunny drew her opening hand and flipped a card out from it.

"I don't like the sound of that," said Astral as he saw the look on the girl's face.

"I'll summon Hazy Flame Cerbereus." A circle of fire lit up in front of Sunny. From within them rose a large three-headed dog, its entire body made of flickering orange and red flames. The three heads looked at each other before turning forward to growl at Astral.

Hazy Flame Cerbereus
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Type: Beast/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 200
Effect: You can Normal Summon this card without Tributing, but its original ATK becomes 1000. Your opponent cannot target this card with card effects. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 "Hazy" card from your Deck to your hand.

"Despite being level 6, I can summon it without a tribute. All I have to do is sap its strength in half." Cerbereus groaned as its body lit up red, the flames of its mane dying down (Hazy Flame Cerbereus: ATK 2000 ÷ 2 = 1000).

"I end my turn."

Turn 2: Astral Flare - Hand: 4

"Then it's my move!" said Astral as he drew his top card and began to look at the cards in his hand, "Since you control a monster and I don't, I can special summon this...Cyber Dragon (2100/1600)!" A mechanical snake-like dragon appeared with a computerized roar.

"Nice, seems Astral was able to get a good opening hand." said Rainbow.

"Now, Cyber Dragon, attack her Cerberus!" ordered the boy to his dragon. The limbless dragon charged a laser in its mouth and blasted the three-headed dog (Sunny Flare: 8,000 - 1,100 = 6,900 LP).

"I end my turn." stated the boy with a smile. (hand 4)

Turn 3: Sunny Flare - Hand: 3

"Such a brute, just as I expected from a boy." scoffed Sunny Flare as she checked on her hair to ensure it wasn't out of place from the Duel Disk's feedback system as she drew.

"Hey, I'm just playing the game. Besides, it's your fault for weakening your monster. You shouldn't expect your opponent not to put up much of a fight." responded Astral.

"True, your move was a good one. But you've left your field open for a counter-play, and you've no idea what cards are in my hand." Sunny's lips curled in a small smirk. Astral saw it and was a bit hesitant about what the girl meant. "Style is not nearly as important as substance; unfortunately, you only have the former. I'll show you the latter." She reached to her hand and picked up a card to slide into her Duel Disk. "I activate the continuous Spell card, Hazy Pillar." The ground behind Sunny split apart. A glowing, wavering pillar of bright orange fire rose from it, the top flickering and snapping the air.

Hazy Pillar
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: You can Normal Summon "Hazy Flame" monsters for 1 less Tribute. Once per turn: You can target 1 face-up Xyz Monster you control; attach 1 "Hazy Flame" monster from your hand or your side of the field to that Xyz Monster as an Xyz Material.

"As long as this card is in play, any Hazy Flame monster I may summon requires one less Tribute for their summoning." She flipped another card out of her hand and swung it onto her card tray. "Since I now need no Tributes for it, I'll summon the Level 6 Hazy Flame Sphynx in attack mode." A large fireball emerged from the Hazy Pillar and floated in front of Sunny. The flames expanded, grew into a form lying on the ground, and then receded to reveal her monster. A beast with a lion's body and a woman's head lounged on the grass, her mane a field of orange and red fire. Jeweled blue and yellow regalia covered her forehead and neck.

Hazy Flame Sphynx
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1900
Effect: Your opponent cannot target this card with card effects. You can declare 1 card type (Monster, Spell, or Trap); send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard, then if it was the declared card type, you can Special Summon 1 FIRE monster from your hand or Graveyard. You can only use this effect of "Hazy Flame Sphynx" once per turn.

Sunny smirked and reached for another card. "I now activate the spell card, Card Advance."

Card Advance
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Look at up to 5 cards from the top of your Deck, then place them on the top of the Deck in any order. You can Tribute Summon 1 monster in addition to your Normal Summon/Set this turn. (You can only gain this effect once per turn.)

"This allows me to look at the top five cards of my Deck and place them back on top of the Deck in any order I wish, and I'm also afforded an extra Tribute Summon this turn." Sunny's cards ejected from her Duel Disk, and she picked them up and fanned them out. She let out a small giggle. "Oh my, I didn't expect to have luck like this on my side. This Duel may be over quicker than I thought."

"Just place your cards." said Astral as he had enough of Sunny's mockery.

"Very well." One by one, Sunny put the five cards back on her Deck and rolled her neck when she was done, "Now that, that is done." She gestured a hand to her monster, "I activate the effect of Hazy Flame Sphynx. Once per turn, I can guess if the top card of my deck is a Spell, Trap, or Monster card. I then reveal and discard that card, and if I guessed correctly, I can summon a FIRE monster from my hand or Graveyard." She put a hand on the top of her Deck and smirked, "I have a very strong hunch that the top card of my Deck is a Monster card.

"Clever girl." muttered Astral as he saw what Sunny's entire plan was.

"I know," Sunny drew and held up the card. She pressed a hand to her cheek. "How fortunate for me! It is a monster, Hazy Flame Hydra. Hydra now gets discarded, and I can summon a monster." She pursed her lip. "Although my Hydra is now in the Graveyard and is a perfectly fine card, why get rid of it so hastily? I use the effect of Hazy Flame Sphynx to revive my Hazy Flame Hydra!" Hazy Flame Sphynx turned its head and opened its mouth to shoot a column of fire at the ground. The flame formed into the shape of Sunny Flare's monster and dispersed to reveal it, a writhing mass of red serpentine necks topped by pairs of red jaws with glowing eyes.

Hazy Flame Hydra
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Type: Dinosaur/Effect
ATK: 2300
DEF: 200
Effect: Your opponent cannot target this card with card effects. You cannot Special Summon monsters, except FIRE monsters. An Xyz Monster that was Summoned using this card as an Xyz Material gains this effect.
●When it is Xyz Summoned: You can target 1 "Hazy Flame" monster in your Graveyard; attach that target to this card as an Xyz Material.

"Like before, the effect of my Card Advance allows me to conduct an additional summon this turn. I summon Hazy Flame Mantikor, and by the effect of my Hazy Pillar, I shall do so without needing a Tribute." A swarm of fireballs floated out of the pillar of fire and congregated, growing into a quadrupedal form and dispersing. A large red lion with leathery wings crouched in front of Sunny, its mane a ring of orange fire.

Hazy Flame Mantikor
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Type: Winged Beast/Effect
ATK: 2200
DEF: 300
Effect: Your opponent cannot target this card with card effects. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can send 1 FIRE monster, except this card, from your hand or face-up from your side of the field to the Graveyard; this card cannot be destroyed by card effects this turn.

"Uh-oh." said Astral as he realized he was in trouble.

Sunny laughed and pointed forward, "Now begins the counter-attack! Hazy Flame Hydra, destroy Cyber Dragon!" The Hydra's heads turned to face each other and summoned an orb of fire between them. The orb launched forward and engulfed Astral's monster in a flash of light (Astral Flare: 8,000 - 200 = 7,800 LP), "Now, Hazy Flame Mantikor, Hazy Flame Sphynx, attack him directly!" commanded the girl with her hand. Hazy Flame Sphynx leaned its head back and shot a jet of fire from its mouth. Sunny's Mantikor roared and leaped through the air. It lifted its paw and extended claws of flickering orange fire, slashing into the ground as Astral was thrown onto his back from both attacks (Astral Flare: 7,800 - 2,200 - 1,900 3,700 LP).

"I end my turn." smirked Sunny Flare as she was cackling.

"Ohh, that's a lot of damage," said Rainbow as they saw how fast their friend's life point counter ticked down.

Turn 4: Astral Flare - Hand: 4

"My draw and I'll place one card face-down. Then I'm summoning Silver Gadget (1500/1100)!" As its arms and legs extended, a little silver robot appeared on the field, "Then I can bust out this guy by Tributing him and sending my Odd-Eyes Dragon from my hand to the Graveyard. Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon!" A portal opened as the shadowy image of the beast was shown before the light was cast to reveal itself for all to see.

Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 7
Type: Dragon/Effect
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2000
Effect: If this card is in your hand: You can Tribute 1 LIGHT monster; send 1 "Odd-Eyes Dragon" from your hand, Deck, or your side of the field to the Graveyard, and if you do, Special Summon this card. When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can destroy 1 monster your opponent controls.

"Like that changes anything." said Sunny, trying to hold her ground, but Astral could detect a hint of hesitation.

"It changes everything now, Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon, attack her Hazy Flame Mantikor!" commanded Astral as his beast opened its mouth and fired an attack at Sunny's monster (Sunny Flare: 6,900 - 500 = 6,400 LP).

"That's not all, 'cause my Saber Dragon has a special ability. Since it destroyed a monster, I can destroy another monster. So your Hydra is also gone!" stated Astral as his dragon took out another target.

"You'll pay for that!" shouted Sunny as she growled.

"I end my turn." smiled Astral.

Turn 5: Sunny Flare - Hand: 1

"My turn, I draw!" said Sunny as she drew her card. "I'll place one card face-down. Next, I'll play Monster Reborn to bring back my Hazy Flame Hydra. Then I'll activate the effect of my Sphinx, so I guess the top card, and if I'm right, I can summon 1 FIRE monster from my hand or Graveyard. I predict a Monster. And wouldn't you know, it is." smiled Sunny as she looked at her card and sent it away. "Now, I'll revive my Hazy Flame Mantikor. And lastly, I'll overlay both my Hydra and Mantikor!"

Sunny Flare's two monsters turned into orbs of orange light and swirled into a flaming vortex above her, red light gleaming from the center. She spun in place as she reached her Duel Disk, her hair and skirt flapping in the wind. "By uniting the serpent of fire and the lion of fire, I spark the kindling that will light the flames of malice!" She stopped with her hand in place, a card ejecting into her fingers. "I Xyz Summon! " She swung her card out and onto her Duel Disk with one swift motion. "Take flight, Rank 6 Hazy Flame Basiltrice!"

The Hazy Pillar behind Sunny blazed hotter as a shadowed form appeared within it. With a loud screech, a massive avian monster flew out of the flames and circled the field, two balls of orange light orbiting it. Wings of fire and gold swept through the skies, feathers in blue and orange and red rustling and a long serpent's tail flicking the air in its wake. The monster touched down behind Sunny on six claws and raised its chest proudly, red eyes blazing beneath a golden crown and a pair of blue fire.

Hazy Flame Basiltrice
Attribute: FIRE
Rank: 6
Type: Pyro/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 1800
Effect: 2 or more (max. 5) Level 6 FIRE monsters
Once per turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target 1 monster your opponent controls or is in their Graveyard; banish that target. This card gains effects based on the number of Xyz Materials attached to it.
●3 or more: This card gains 200 ATK and DEF for each Xyz Material attached to it.
●4 or more: This card cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects.
●5: This card cannot be destroyed by card effects.

"Not much." scoffed Astral.

"Typical boys. You judge before you know the whole truth. For you see, my monster has a special ability. When my Hydra is used as an Xyz Material, the monster I summon with it gains an additional Xyz Material in the form of another Hazy Flame Monster in my Graveyard. I choose my Hazy Flame Cerbereus." The third ball of light rose from Sunny's Duel Disk and joined the other two orbiting the Basiltrice (Hazy Flame Basiltrice: OLU 2 + 1 = 3).

"Now, to explain some of my Basiltrice's abilities, since it has three Overlay units, it gains 200 more attack points for each one," said Sunny as her monster was more powerful than Astral's dragon (Hazy Flame Basiltrice: ATK 2500 + 600 = 3100), "Basiltrice, take out that dragon!"

"I reveal my face-down, Half Unbreak! So now my monster isn't destroyed, and I cut the damage I take in half!" said Astral as a force field appeared to protect his dragon as the attack from Sunny's monster was repelled (Astral Flare: 3,700 - 150 = 3,550 LP).

"Very good." said Sunny as she had to give props to her opponent for keeping his dragon safe while giving a half-hearted applause.

Turn 6: Astral Flare - Hand: 1

"My turn, and time for my Dragon to take out your Hazy Flame Basiltrice!" commanded Astral, "And by equipping him with Dragon Treasure, I might as well nuke both our monsters. So take down Hazy Flame Basiltrice!"

Dragon Treasure
Equip Spell Card
Effect: A Dragon-Type monster equipped with this card increases its ATK and DEF by 300 points.

"Not this time! I reveal my face-down, Slip of Fortune! This negates your attack and banishes Hazy Flame Basiltrice until the next turn." Basiltrice turned into a ball of flame and was drawn into the Hazy Pillar. Odd-Eyes' attack flickered out and vanished in the air.

"Fine then. I end my turn." said Astral as he had nothing else to do.

Turn 7: Sunny Flare - Hand: 1

"My draw, and so my Basiltrice returns to the field (2500/1800/OLU 0)." Sunny declared as her monster came back.

"Maybe, but it doesn't have its Overlay Units, so it's weaker than my dragon." stated Astral.

"A small price to pay to keep it in play." Sunny shrugged, "You haven't even seen what my Deck can really do!" said the CPA girl. "I shall now use the effect of Hazy Flame Sphynx. I guess the type of card on top of my Deck and then send it to the Graveyard, and if I guessed right, I can revive a FIRE monster from the Graveyard." Sunny placed her hand on her Deck. "I'm going to guess it's a Monster card." She turned the card over and barked out a chuckle. "Lucky me, it's another copy of Hazy Flame Sphynx. It goes to the Graveyard, and I'll revive my Hazy Flame Hydra." A jet of flame erupted from the ground in front of Sunny, and the multi-headed serpent slithered out of it and rose (2300/200). Sunny smirked. "And now, I think you know what comes next. I overlay my Hazy Flame Sphynx and Hazy Flame Hydra! Using my two Level 6 monsters, I construct the Overlay network!"

"Again?" said Astral.

The two monsters turned into orbs of flame and floated towards the Hazy Pillar, circling it in streaks of light. Sunny held her hand up. "By uniting the serpent of fire and the lion of fire, I spark the kindling that will light the inferno of malice!" She swept her arms through the air, bringing her hand down to her duel disk. "I Xyz Summon!" She whipped the card out and slid it into place on her duel disk, the card tray lighting up. "Take flight, my second Hazy Flame Basiltrice!" A shockwave of orange and red energy burst out of the Hazy Pillar, signaling the Basiltrice's arrival as it flew out. It circled Sunny and landed on her right, two orbs of orange light circling it (2500/1800/OLU 0).

"Things just went from bad to worse!" shouted Sunset.

"And this one has two Overlay Units..." said Astral as he backed up a bit.

"Ah, ah, not quite." Sunny wagged her finger, "One thing at a time, dearie. You remember the special ability of my Hazy Flame Hydra, right? When Hazy Flame Hydra is used as an Xyz Material, another Hazy Flame monster in my Graveyard can be attached as an additional Xyz Material. I choose my Hazy Flame Mantikor." Another ball of light emerged from the ground and floated into orbital formation with the other three, "Not only that, but I play Overlay Regen to add an additional Overlay Unit to my second Basiltrice." Sunny's Spell turned into another ball of light that now orbited her monster, "Now that that is taken care of, I think you should be aware of my Basiltrice's other abilities." Sunny chuckled softly. "With three or more Xyz Materials, my Basiltrice gains two hundred attack points for each. And with four or more Xyz Materials, you cannot target my Basiltrice with card effects."

"A hefty investment for such benefits." grimaced Astral.

"Trust me, it's worth it!" Sunny pointed across the field, "Since Hazy Flame currently has four Overlay Units attached to it, it gains 800 attack points. Now its total strength is 3,300, plus, it's untouchable. Next, I'll place one card face-down and use my monster's ability; I banish your Odd-Eyes Saber Dragon using one Overlay Unit!" Basiltrice opened its mouth and fired a stream of flame. Astral's dragon roared and reared up as the fire consumed it, its form washed away.

"No!" said the boy as he was defenseless.

"Now attack him my second Basiltrice!" commanded Sunny as her monster fired another stream of fire as it pushed the boy onto his back (Astral Flare: 3,550 - 3,300 = 250 LP), "All too easy, dearie. I could finish you with my other Basiltrice...but I'd like to see you squirm a little more as you cling to what little hope you have left. Just hurry up and make your last move." said Sunny Flare as she flipped her hair.

Turn 8: Astral Flare - Hand: 1

"It's...my move." said the boy as he struggled to get up.

"You could just give up; you've already lost." suggested Sunny.

"Never, I'm gonna win. Just watch me!" shouted Astral as he drew his card, "I play Pot of Greed to draw two new cards. Please, give me something."

"Draw all the cards you want, it won't matter." said Sunny.

"You sure?" smiled Astral as he saw what he picked up, "I play Polymerization to combine the two Cyber Dragons in my hand!" Both dragons appeared as the portal sucked them. "With the two cybernetic dragons, I create a twin-headed ace in the hole! I Fusion Summon, Cyber Twin Dragon (2800/2100)!" A two-headed metal dragon appeared and roared.

"You must be pathetic. That monster can't beat mine."

"It can, with this! Megamorph! Since my Life Points are lower than yours, my monster's attack points are doubled (Cyber Twin Dragon: ATK 2800 x 2 = 5600). Oh, and here's something you should know, my Cyber Twin Dragon can attack twice." smiled Astral.

"So that means he wins!" said Rainbow as she was excited to hear that.

"Finish her!" shouted Astral.

"How uncouth," scoffed Sunny and rolled her eyes, she then reached to her Duel Disk and touched a screen prompt, "I activate my Trap card, Safe Zone." A wall of pale blue crystal rose in front of Hazy Flame Basiltrice.

Safe Zone
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: Activate this card by targeting 1 face-up Attack Position monster on the field; that face-up monster cannot be destroyed by battle or your opponent's card effects, your opponent cannot target it with card effects, also it cannot attack your opponent directly. When this card leaves the field, destroy that monster. When that monster leaves the field, destroy this card.

"With this now active, my Hazy Flame Basiltrice cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects or targeted by card effects."

"What?!! That can't be fair!" said Astral as he was shocked to see Sunny use a powerful card.

"Crystal Prep spares no expense for the best cards. But it's not all bad, dearie. My monster cannot attack you directly now, and if my Safe Zone card is removed from the field, my monster is destroyed." The girl smiled as she winked at the boy, "I still take damage from the attacks, but it's a minor inconvenience (Sunny Flare: 6,400 - 2,300 - 2,300 = 1,800 LP)."

"I...end my turn." sighed Astral as he fired his best shot but failed.

Turn 9: Sunny Flare - Hand: 0

"So close, well, not really," snickered Sunny Flare as she drew her card, "I activate my Basiltrice's ability, removing one Xyz Material; your dragon is banished." The girl snapped her fingers as a pillar of fire shot out from her Basiltrice and burned up the metal dragon as it roared in pain. All Astral could do was watch as his monster was gone.

"And now I summon Hazy Flame Peryton." said Sunny as she summoned a winged pegasus on fire.

Hazy Flame Peryton
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Type: Pyro/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1700
Effect: Cannot be Special Summoned, except by a "Hazy Flame" monster's effect. Your opponent cannot target this card with card effects. You can send 1 FIRE monster from your hand to the Graveyard and Tribute this card; Special Summon 2 "Hazy Flame" monsters from your Deck. You can only use this effect of "Hazy Flame Peryton" once per turn.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow." The winged horse flew towards Astral as it fired flames from its nostrils that hit the boy as he was knocked to the floor (Astral Flare: 250 - 1,600 = 0 LP).

WINNER: Sunny Flare

"The winner is Sunny Flare of Crystal Prep. Therefore, CPA are the winners of the Speed Duels!" said Luna as the students of CPA relished hearing that as they cheered and applauded.

CHS' section of students was heartbroken as after a confident win in the first round, they thought for sure they could clutch it out. But both Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare shut down that confidence in seconds. Astral sat up as he removed his Duel Gazer; he saw Sunny Flare taking in the affection she was being showered with. The Crystal Prep girl saw the boy, and she smirked. She then brought her hand up to her mouth and blew a kiss at Astral as she walked off with her snootiness intact. Astral, having been bested by his opponent, punched the ground next to him as he got up and walked.

"Excellent work, you two." smiled Principal Cinch as she praised Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare.

"Of course." said both girls as they made their way to the bench and received applause from their teammates.

"The final round of the Tri-Duel Relay will begin shortly. Duelists, make sure you're suited up and reporting to your Duel Runners before the allotted time!" said Cadance over the P.A. system.

"Now, it is time for CHS to fall." snickered Principal Cinch.

In the library, Isaac received a notification on his Duel Disk that said he had to get ready for his Duel as they put the track on the field and moved the participants to allow more room for the riders.

"Twilight," said the boy as the girl lifted her head from his shoulder, "it's time I get ready."

"Go on, I'll catch up." said Twilight.

"You sure?" asked Isaac.

"Don't worry, I just...want to get my bearings straight, is all." responded the girl.

"Alright then." said Isaac as he got up and left to prepare himself.

"Sorry, guys." said Astral as he took a sip of some water.

"Both of us." said Pinkie as she was sad.

"Come on, you guys did great!" said Rainbow trying her best to cheer up her teammates.

"You gave it your all, and that's what matters." said Golden.

"I just wish we could have defeated them. That would have been a huge win for CHS." said Astral.

"Well, it ain't over yet, sugarcube. We still got plenty of fight left." responded Applejack.

"Besides, me and Sunset have got this in the bag. Don't worry, we'll pick up the slack." assured Rainbow as she left to get dressed.

"Shinkokuna, report." Enix spoke on the phone.

//According to the scores, Canterlot High and Crystal Prep are tied 1-1, and the next event are Turbo Duels. Also...//

"Go on."

//...When the Speed Duels started, the Chaos Correction's countdown stopped, and when the Duels ended, it started back up. It's very odd. Why would the timer stop for these Duels?//

"I don't know, but--" Enix stopped himself when he felt an extreme murderous intent VERY close by, "...Shinkokuna, I'm gonna have to call you back." he hung up immediately, and whipped out his Phantom Swordsman Duel Disk, and as a silhouette of a monster closed in on him, he drew a card and played it, summoning Elemental HERO Neos to shield him from the attack, causing a cloud of dust and smoke.

Once it cleared up, the attacking monster revealed itself to be Predaplant Moray Nepenthes, controlled by Applejack SUI-871, glowing blue eyes and all, "Gittin' REAL tried o' ya duckin' me, Enix."

"And I'm getting real tired of you pulling sneak attacks on me."

"...Ya know, Ah remember ya tellin' a lil' somethin' about, 'having ta kill ma family ta give them mercy', and how it 'wusn't yer fault'. It's a great story, Sugar, don't git me wrong, but it's missin' somethin'. What's it called? It's on th' tip o' ma tongue...oh, I know...AN OUNCE OF TRUTH?!?!"

"You think I killed your family just for fun?! Fine! I killed your family! Happy?!"

Little did either of them know that one of Inspector Yokozawa's assistants, Mahno had over heard the entire conversation by accident when she was looking for Principal Celestia to explain that Lucky Clover didn't make it to the precinct, "Ohhhh...I knew that guy was trouble...I gotta warn the Inspector!" she then ran off to inform her fellow cops of the new information she just gotten.

"How much does it sting, Enix?" Applejack SUI-871 asked.

"I only did it because they told me to!" Enix tried to reason, "It wasn't murder! It was mercy! I was ending their suffering!"

"Oh, la-dee-DA! Ah got orders ta take ya in, and convert you to an SUI Unit...an' Ah'm gunna do just that! An' ya'll submit ta me!"

"Not if I take you down FIRST! Neos! Attack Predaplant Moray Nepenthes, with Cosmic Crush!"

Both monsters were charging each other, ready to collide in combat...

//Attention Turbo Duelists:// the computer AI spoke, //The third event of the Tri-Duel Relay is about to begin. Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Enix, and Isaac please report to the Duel Track within 30 minutes, or you will be disqualified.//

With that, the two monsters disappeared and Enix made his way back to the field.

"...You're free to choose to believe whatever you want. I am NOT a killer."

Applejack SUI-871 stared at the ground in thought...then licked her lips with a smirk, "...Tease. Back in the past, you've never changed. you've always relied on HER, despite her...current situation." she wandered off and changed her eyes back to green before meeting up with the Rainbooms, "Hey y'all, what'd Ah miss?"

Meanwhile, Enix called up Lucky Clover and Jack, "I want you two to tail Applejack. Find out what she's hiding." he hung up and pulled something out of his pocket, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, "Sunny...I hope you're okay..."

He then made his way to the locker rooms to change and prepare to do his part in the Relay.

Chapter 10: The Tri-Duel Relay Part 3 (By Golden Flare)

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The two CHS girls were putting on the final touches of the outfits Rarity made for them for the Turbo Duels. Isaac was shown in a locker room as he tightened his gloves and boots and was getting ready for his showdown. The boy reached for his deck, and he gave it several shuffles. He then pulled the top card off without looking; he slid his thumb over it to reveal two cards. Without looking at them, Isaac already knew what they were as it was his Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. The boy turned them over, and it confirmed his belief. After spending so much time with his monsters, he knew what his cards were before he picked them up due to the bond he had.

The boy looked at his star Magicians as he could feel them smiling at their master, to which he returned the gesture. Isaac then reached into his deck holder on his belt and revealed the six special cards that he showed Twilight. He looked at them before putting all six on top of his deck. Isaac was putting his cards away when he heard the sound of the door opening. Isaac looked up as he saw it was Principal Cinch, who wanted to have some last-minute words with her student.

"Look, if you're here to rally me up, I'll save you the trouble. After what you said to Twilight to make her upset, I'm not interested. So you take whatever speech you were gonna give me and shove it up your ass!" said Isaac as he tied his boots.

Principal Cinch smiled at hearing the boy's proclamation. She didn't respond but grabbed a nearby chair and positioned it in front of Isaac. She sat down with her legs crossed as the boy held his scowl, "Come on now, Isaac. You know better than that. I'm talking to everybody here, not just Twilight. I wanna talk with you. I want to make sure you understand what's at stake here. This is the Friendship Games; this is as big as it gets. This is where you show everybody your skills, not just Crystal Prep, but Canterlot High. This is where you show just how great of a Duelist you really are. You're right there and have been there for a long time. I'm not blowing smoke here, but I've seen too many Duelists like you. You got everything it takes. Very few guys and gals that walk through these doors can do what you do on the Dueling Field. You know that; I know that; I've seen it. I just...think you need that little bit extra something. I do think this might be your time; this might be your time to grab that brass ring; your time to prove to everyone you're the man. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I do. I appreciate that." responded Isaac with a genuine reaction.

"I'll be watching. Take it the extra step. Be willing to do whatever it takes. And maybe it is your time to grab that brass ring. Be willing to do anything, and maybe it is time for Isaac to be the man." said Principal Cinch as she finished her honest chat with her student and patted him on the shoulder as a sign of good luck.

Isaac couldn't help but smile at what Cinch said as the conversation between the two was genuine and honest. The boy looked at his hand as he took in the words said by his principal. He then grabbed his deck and Duel Disk, which he strapped on.

The entire field was now full of screens and students roaring. The entire field was now a racetrack in which the final two Duels would take place. Golden and his friends were in the stands as they prepared to watch their friend's due battle. Sunset was zipping up her suit as she put on her gloves. The girl got on her Runner as she slotted in her deck, and the auto-shuffler kicked in. Waiting for her at the starting line was her opponent.

Isaac was sitting on his runner as he had his eyes closed. He had his hand on the throttle as he revved up the engine as its purr seemed to calm him. The boy then pulled out his deck from his belt and slotted it into his Duel Disk. The auto-shuffler finished when Sunset rolled up next to the boy. The pair raised their eye shields as they looked at one another.

"Hey." said Isaac.

"Hey," responded Sunset with a wave, "I've seen what you can do, especially in that Duel against Rarity. You got game. So know this, I want you at your very best."

"Very well then." smiled Isaac as he prepared to give the bacon-haired girl a fight.

They both looked ahead and strapped in as they awaited the signal to start.

"The first Turbo Duel is about to begin!" said Luna over the P.A system as the Speed World Field Spell activated.

//Duel Mode engaged. Autopilot standing by.//

The light in front of the two teens was counting down. They each had their hands on the handles as they revved up their Runners. Both knew they would have to hit the gas hard and fast if they were to round the turn first to get the first draw. The light flashed from red...

//Ready...//

...to yellow and held...

//...Set...//

Seconds later, it turned green.

//Duel!//

And just like that, both took off. Sunset revved her Duel Runner as Isaac did the same, but he managed to pop a wheelie upon turning the handle. That slight distraction caught Sunset off guard as the boy pulled ahead.

The pair were getting closer and closer to the first turn of the track. Sunset managed to compensate for being distracted but was still trailing behind Isaac. The girl pushed herself and her ride as they began to close the gap. Isaac noticed the girl on his tail from the corner of his eye. He could see how hard Sunset was trying as he smiled. He put his hand on the handle as he looked to accelerate and round the bend first. However, that wasn't the case. Instead, he slowed down and allowed Sunset to round the bend first on purpose.

"And Sunset gets the first turn!" said Cadence for all to know.

//Autopilot activated.//

Sunset turned the corner as their Runners switched into autopilot. She immediately looked at Isaac as the boy was smiling at her. He let me win. But why?

Sunset was in disbelief as Isaac kept that smile of his. While happy to have gotten to go first, the girl felt disrespected by her opponent that he purposely slowed down. She felt like the boy wasn't taking her seriously and was already assuming he would beat her with ease. However, unlike Rarity, she wasn't someone who would take something like that lying down. If being a bully taught her anything is that when someone disrespects you, you make sure to put them in their place. And Sunset was going to ensure that Isaac didn't disrespect her.

"You made a grave mistake by not only taking me lightly, but letting me go first!" growled Sunset.

"We'll see. Get ready, Sunset, 'cause it's time to duel!" declared Isaac.

Sunset Shimmer: 8,000 LP
Isaac: 8,000 LP

Turn 1: Sunset - Hand: 5

"It's my move; I draw!" said the girl as she picked up her cards and put them in the holder so she could control the bike if needed. "I'm gonna start this Duel by summoning my Corona Paladin Strider!" said Sunset as her monster appeared, "Then I'll do something brand new, and that's placing my Rocket Smasher in the Pendulum Zone!" said Sunset as she introduced one of the cards of the new deck she created.

Corona Paladin Strider
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 4
Pendulum Scale: 6
Type: Warrior/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1700
DEF: 1400
Pendulum Effect: You can discard 1 card from your hand, then target 1 Set Spell/Trap your opponent controls: Destroy it.
Effect: When this card attacks: Increase its ATK by 500.

Rocket Smasher
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 4
Pendulum Scale: 2
Type: Warrior/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1400
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn, during your Standby Phase: You can select 1 monster in your GY, then discard 1 monster card from your hand whose Level is higher than the selected monster; Special Summon the selected monster.
Effect: If you control a face-up Level 4 or below FIRE-Attribute monster: Special Summon this card in face-up Attack Position.

"Pendulum cards, eh?" snickered Isaac as he was surprised to see a Canterlot High student using them, given how poorly funded they were.

"And I'll call it right there." said the girl as she ended her turn, "Bet you weren't expecting that, huh?"

Turn 2: Isaac - Hand: 5

"It's my move!" declared Isaac as he drew his card.

He saw it and then looked at his hand. The teens rounded the next bend by zooming by the Crystal Prep section. Isaac looked up and saw his teammates as they were looking at him to finish CHS off for good. The boy saw Principal Cinch as she gave him a look. Isaac looked to find Twilight, but the girl had still yet to return.

Be willing to do whatever it takes. Grab that brass ring, and maybe it is time for Isaac to be the man.

Isaac recalled the talk he had with Cinch as it got him focused. He knew Twilight would show up as she wanted him to concentrate on the Duel...and win.

"You wanted my very best, Sunset. Then be careful what you wish for!" declared Isaac, "To start, I play the Spell, Ancient Rules. Now I can summon one Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from my hand. So make way for my partner, Dark Magician!" The boy's powerful wizard appeared as he twirled his staff before gliding along his master (2500/2100).

"No way!" shouted Sunset's teammates in awe.

"Impossible; he got his star monster out on his first turn." said Golden as he had his mouth drop.

Tch. Showoff. Golden had to shake his head to ward off his darkness.

"But I'm not stopping there; now that the teacher is on the field, his student will follow. I play Bond Between Teacher and Student; since I control Dark Magician, I can also summon his apprentice. Time to meet my favorite magical girl, Dark Magician Girl!" This time out came Isaac's top female spellcaster (2000/1700) as she laughed when she appeared by her teacher and master.

"Both his top magicians on his first turn?!!!" stated Sunset as she could see that Isaac wasn't playing around.

"But that's not all; my Bond Between Teacher and Student allows me to set a card from my Deck. But it won't stay facedown for long cause I'll activate it. Dark Burning Magic!" shouted Isaac.

Dark Burning Magic
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: If you control monsters whose original names are "Dark Magician" and "Dark Magician Girl": Destroy all cards your opponent controls.

"With this, since I control both Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, I can nuke your entire field!"

"Oh no!!" Sunset's eyes widen.

Both Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl powered up their wands. They let out a battle cry and pointed their staffs at Sunset as a huge magic explosion occurred. Sunset wobbled when she felt the magic spell as her entire field was gone.

"Now, attack her directly! Double Dark Magic Attack!" shouted Isaac as he thrust his hand out while turning his Runner sideways and skidded.

The boy's magicians heard the command given to them by their master. They put their staffs together as a huge ball of dark energy appeared. The two spellcasters then shot their attack as they made contact with Sunset. The girl screamed when she got hit, making her ride more unstable. So much so that she was moving left and right as it looked like she was about to fall off. Sunset managed to gain control of her rider as she stabilized herself. Isaac had already zoomed past her as he smirked (Sunset Shimmer: 8,000 - 2,500 - 2,000 = 3,500 LP).

"Incredible! In just his very first turn, Isaac has managed to reduce more than half of Sunset's Life Points!" shouted Luna over the P.A. system.

"Okay, now I'm scared." said Rainbow with legit fear in her voice at what she witnessed.

"I would say Sunset would be fine, but now I'm not so sure..." said Astral.

"Sunset..." muttered Golden as he saw her down the track.

Ugh! That was too perfect of a play! Sunset should've been ready for that!

The boy then looked to where Isaac was as his monsters glided by his side as he turned the corner. He was reminded of what Principal Cinch said and was now starting to believe the woman, that he might eat his words.

"I end my turn!" stated Isaac. The boy was given huge applause from the students of Crystal Prep.

After witnessing that devastating move to put Sunset and the rest of Canterlot High in their place, everyone at CPA had huge smiles. Principal Cinch grinned the biggest at how Isaac took in her conversation with him. For she truly did believe the boy had what it took to break through the glass ceiling and grab the brass ring. That part was true.

Turn 3: Sunset - Hand: 4

"It's my turn," said Sunset as she looked to recover, "I'll summon my Firewall Defender in defense mode!" stated the girl as her monster appeared and had its arms in an X-formation.

Firewall Defender
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 0
Effect: While this card is in Defense Position: It cannot be destroyed by battle.

"Then I'll end my turn."

Turn 4: Isaac - Hand: 3

"Looks like this is gonna be one short duel," said the boy as he drew his card, "Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack her Firewall Defender!" She heard Isaac's command as she charged up her wand and fired another spell. The attack made contact, yet Sunset's monster remained on the field.

"Looks like you misjudged me. See, as long as Firewall Defender is in defense mode, it can't be destroyed by battle." declared Sunset.

"Not bad," smiled Isaac, "I end my turn."

Turn 5: Sunset - Hand: 4

"My draw and I'll set the Pendulum Scale using these two cards, Scale 1 Magician of Glorious Sundown and Scale 8 Magician of Glorious Sunset!" stated Sunset as she placed both of her cards on the far side of her Duel Pad. Her monsters appeared in a column of light with their respective numbers in front of them (Pendulum Scale: 1-8).

Magician of Glorious Sundown
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Pendulum Scale: 1
Type: Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 2200
Pendulum Effect: If a Pendulum Monster you control battles: Your opponent cannot activate Spell cards until the end of the Battle Phase.
Effect: This card is unaffected by Spell cards.

Magician of Glorious Sunrise
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 3
Pendulum Scale: 8
Type: Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1100
DEF: 700
Pendulum Effect: If a Pendulum Monster you control battles: Your opponent cannot activate Trap cards until the end of the Battle Phase.
Effect: This card is unaffected by Trap cards.

"And now I can summon as many monsters from Levels 2 through 7. So I'm bringing back my Corona Paladin Strider in defense mode. But that's not all; I'm also summoning out a friend! Meet my Knight of New Dawn Novaculo!" said the girl as she had another monster on the field.

Knight of New Dawn Novaculo
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 3
Pendulum Scale: 4
Type: Warrior/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1300
DEF: 700
Pendulum Effect: Monsters that were Pendulum Summoned with this card in the Pendulum Zone cannot be targeted by monster effects.
Effect: When this card is Summoned: You can discard 1 card from your hand, then search for 1 FIRE-Attribute monster in your Deck; add it to your hand, then shuffle your Deck.

"And now my Knight of New Dawn's ability activates. So I discard one card from my hand and then search my deck for a FIRE monster to add to my hand. So I'm discarding my Corona Paladin Haslash, now I get a new card, but that means I can't summon my Haslash from the Extra Deck since he was discarded from my hand." stated Sunset as she set herself up for the following turn, getting her new card.

Corona Paladin Haslash
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 5
Pendulum Scale: 4
Type: Warrior/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 1700
Pendulum Effect: Monsters you control that fall within your current Pendulum Scale cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.
Effect: When this card destroys a monster your opponent controls by battle: Search your Deck for 1 FIRE-Attribute monster whose Level is lower than the Level of the destroyed monster; add it to your hand, then shuffle your Deck.

"Clever." responded Isaac as they rounded the turn.

"I'll end my turn."

Turn 6: Isaac - Hand: 4

"Then it's back to me." said Isaac as he drew his card.

"So what is Sunset's plan here?" asked Rainbow.

"I guess she's banking on her Pendulum cards. With her scale set, she can start ramping, and she's got a good monster to play defense against Isaac's magicians." Golden guessed.

"Yeah, but Isaac ain't no amateur. He's bound to have found a way to bypass Sunset. Not to mention, she's only got 3,500 Life Points left." said Applejack to Golden.

"Then let's hope she has something ready,"

I'll admit, I wasn't expecting anybody else to have Pendulum cards. But mine are even better. "To start, I play the Spell card, Graceful Charity. So I pick up three cards and discard two," stated Isaac as he drew his cards and selected the ones he wanted to get rid of as he slotted them into his Graveyard.

The boy then revved his runner as he accelerated. Sunset saw Isaac zoom past her as the boy approached the wall. He then began to ride along it as it got everybody's attention. The Runner then flipped into the air as it was over Sunset. Everything moved in slow motion as the girl looked up to see Isaac; he was upside but held a smile on his face. Time resumed, and he landed perfectly.

"You think you're the only one with Pendulum cards, Sunset? Well, you're mistaken." snickered the boy.

"No way!" shouted Sunset.

"Watch! Time for me to debut some new cards. I place this, my Black Arts Trickster, in one of my Pendulum Zones!" Out came a female magician who wore a mini skirt similar to Dark Magician Girl but was black, as well as she wore a leather jacket with a yellow vest and a white undershirt. She then pulled out a wand and cast some black magic around her.

Black Arts Trickster
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Pendulum Scale: 2
Type: Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 2700
Pendulum Effect: If your other Pendulum Zone is empty: You can select 1 Pendulum Monster from your Deck and place it in the empty Pendulum Zone. If a Pendulum Monster in the other Pendulum Zone is a "Magician" or Spellcaster-Type: You can change that monster's Pendulum Scale to numbers in between 3-10.
Effect: Once per turn, you can target 1 monster your opponent controls: Destroy it and send it to their GY, and if you do; Special Summon 1 monster to your side of the field from your GY. During the End Phase after you used this effect: Destroy the Special Summoned monster, then Special Summon the opponent's targeted monster to their side of the field.

"I then activate her Pendulum ability; I can add a Pendulum monster from my Deck and place it in the other Pendulum Zone. So I'll set the pendulum scale with my Scale 1 Sorcerer Swordsman and Scale 2 Black Arts Trickster. I'm taking control of this Duel, starting now!" shouted Isaac. Isaac's Duel Disk registered what he was doing as he placed the Pendulum cards on the far side of his card tray as the word PENDULUM in rainbow coloring was spelled out to signal it worked. Isaac's two cards then appeared in columns of light as they stood still as the numbers showed in front of them (Pendulum Scale: 1-2).

Sorcerer Swordsman
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Pendulum Scale: 1
Type: Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1500
Pendulum Effect: If there is another monster in your other Pendulum Zone: Add monsters from your GY to your hand that fall within your Pendulum Scale.
Effect: If this monster was Pendulum Summoned, you can target 1 monster on the field: Change its ATK to 0.

"He has Pendulum cards as well?!" said Sunset.

She wasn't the only one who was surprised. Like with Sunset, everybody had their mouths drop when they saw that Isaac also had rare cards that were only beginning to arrive on the scene. For Cinch, she was the most shocked as she didn't expect Isaac to keep this a secret from her. While the woman was angry, she was also happy as it proved once again that Isaac was living up to his potential. The gamble she took on letting him attend Crystal Prep was worth her weight in gold at how Isaac was evolving his skills and talent as a Duelist.

Golden was the most shocked one. He quickly looked at his Deck and pulled out his Pendulum cards. Seeing them and now looking at the ones that Isaac had shaken him to his core. The boy could feel his confidence being shaken as he realized he was no longer the only one to have Pendulum cards that made him stand out.

You must've known that this was going to happen. Golden's darkness whispered to him.

"You really are full of surprises," said Sunset, as she sure didn't see this coming, "But you forget one thing about Pendulum cards. You can summon as many monsters as you want, but it has to fall on your set scale. And seeing the numbers that your monsters have, you can't summon anything."

"Are you sure about that?" snickered Isaac.

Sunset was confused. She then looked and once more was given another surprise. The number in front of Isaac's Black Arts Trickster was changed from 3 to 10. The girl couldn't figure out what was going on as she looked to her opponent for some explanation.

"See, she's not a trickster for nothing. My Black Arts Trickster has another effect; if there's a Spellcaster-Type monster in my other Pendulum Zone, I can raise her scale to 10!" explained Isaac.

"But then, that means..."

"Uh-oh." said Golden as he realized what Sunset was going to say.

"Alright, Pendulum. You swung her way; now you're gonna swing my way!" The image of the Pendulum appeared as it began to do just that. "I'm allowed to summon monsters from Level 2 through 9, all at the same time. Back and forth, to and fro, what's coming next? You'll all soon know! So swing far, Pendulum, and carve the arc that will lead me to victory! My monsters are ready to swing into action!" shouted Isaac as a portal opened up, and out came two lights.

"Prepare to have your fortune told; it's my Black Robe Mentalist. Her inner beauty comes from within; meet my Mirage Magician!" yelled the boy as his monsters appeared.

The first of the female magicians wore a long dark robe covering her head and body as it showed only her face. The second was another teen spellcaster, who had a masquerade eye mask over her eyes; you could see them being brown. In terms of her outfit, she had long black hair as she wore fishnet sleeves and stockings as well as a white corset that all matched with a cerulean trench coat.

Black Robe Mentalist
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Pendulum Scale: 7
Type: Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1700
DEF: 1300
Pendulum Effect: Once per turn: You can take control of 1 monster your opponent controls until the End Phase.
Effect: Once per turn: You can excavate cards from your Deck equal to the monster(s) you currently control and add one of them to your hand, then shuffle the rest back into your Deck. When this card is destroyed and placed face-up in the Extra Deck: You can place it in your empty Pendulum Zone instead.

Mirage Magician
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Pendulum Scale: 8
Type: Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1700
Pendulum Effect: If you control a monster: You can Special Summon a monster with the same name from your hand or Deck to your field, but destroy it at the End Phase of the turn you activated this effect.
Effect: You can Tribute this card on your field: Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck using monsters you control and in the Pendulum Zones as Fusion Materials.

"He has more?" said Golden as Isaac again outshined him.

"Just like that? He Pendulum Summoned with ease." said Sunset.

"So, all this time, he's been having secret cards?" said Sour Sweet.

"Well, now. I'm starting to see Isaac in a different light. I thought he was nothing but a loser for hanging out with Twilight. But he's definitely packing under there." Sunny Flare smiled as she started thinking about her classmate and how she would like to get closer to the boy due to his powerful cards.

"What else have you been keeping from me, Isaac?" wondered Principal Cinch.

"So, he's got special cards, huh? Didn't see that coming." said Enix as he was off by himself, watching the entire event closely.

"I'm not done with my turn yet, Sunset. I activate the ability of my Black Robe Mentalist. I can now look at the top cards of my Deck equal to the number of monsters I control on the field. Then I get to add one of those cards to my hand. So since I have four monsters, I can look at the top four cards of my Deck!" proclaimed the boy as he drew and fanned them out.

Isaac was examining the cards he picked up as he formulated his plan. He took the one he wanted and added it to his hand while placing the other three on top of his Deck as the auto-shuffler kicked in.

"Now I activate my Mirage Magician's ability, so I can Fusion Summon without Polymerization, and I can use any monsters on my field and/or in the Pendulum Zone, and she can replace a Fusion Material. So I'll fuse her with my Dark Magician!"

"You can what!?!" shouted Sunset.

"Ready, Mirage?" asked Isaac to his magician.

"Ready," replied the girl to her master as the mask she was wearing began to glow and flames erupted on the side of it.

Isaac's Dark Magician entered a portal as his Mirage Magician was in front of it. The girl felt her power growing as her inner persona was starting to take over and waiting to be unleashed. She brought her hand to her mask and shouted "Persona" as she took off her mask and turned it into the light. It showed the power she possessed as the image of Isaac's new monster appeared.

"With the power of the two magicians, I call forth a dragon rider unlike any other! I Fusion Summon! Dark Magician the Dragon Knight!" A dragon appeared that resembled that of the legendary dragon Timaeus as on the back of it was Isaac's magician who wielded a sword instead of his staff. The dragon roared for all to hear as it was big.

Dark Magician the Dragon Knight
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Dragon/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
Effect: "Dark Magician" + 1 Dragon monster
This card's name becomes "Dark Magician" while on the field or in the GY. Your opponent cannot target Spells/Traps you control with card effects, also they cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effects.

"I don't like the looks of this." said Sunset.

"Don't forget, since my Dark Magician is the Graveyard, Dark Magician Girl gains 300 extra attack points," pointed out Isaac (Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2000 + 300 = 2300). "Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack her Corona Paladin Strider!" commanded Isaac. His female magician heard the command from her master as she blasted Sunset's monster off the field.

"Now, Dark Magician the Dragon Knight, attack her Knight of New Dawn Novacula!" shouted the boy. His magician powered up its sword as it flowed with magic; the dragon also opened its mouth. When both attacks were charged, they fired and took out Sunset's monster, who lost another chunk of life points as she wobbled a bit (Sunset Shimmer: 3,500 - 1,700 = 1,800 LP).

"Oh, that's not good!" said Pinkie as Sunset was almost out of life points in just three short turns from Isaac.

"I'll then end my turn."

Turn 7: Sunset - Hand: 2

"Then it's back to me," said the girl as she drew her card, "And this time I'll Pendulum Summon too. So I'm bringing back my Corona Paladin Strider and Corona Paladin Haslash! But I'm also summoning my Solar Flare Phoenix!" Sunset made both of her monsters appear as they stood ready with a giant phoenix that descended onto the field with the flames it made burning at intense heat.

Solar Flare Phoenix
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 7
Pendulum Scale: 4
Type: Winged-Beast/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2100
Pendulum Effect: If there is a Pendulum Monster(s) in your Extra Deck: Add 1 Pendulum Monster from your Extra Deck to your hand.
Effect: If this card is Special Summoned while your LP is 2000 or lower: Double your current LP.

"Now my Phoenix's ability activates! Since I Special Summoned it while my Life Points are 2000 or less, I can now double them!" informed Sunset (Sunset Shimmer: 1,800 x 2 = 3,600 LP).

"I'm not stopping there cause I then play the Spell card, Card of Sanctity. So now we both get to draw until we hold six cards in our hands."

"Alright, Sunset may still have a chance!" said Rainbow.

"Now Haslash, take out his Black Robe Mentalist!" ordered Sunset. Her monster charged forward and swung its lance at the girl, who turned into a dark cloud (Isaac: 8,000 - 400 = 7,600 LP), "Now, my monster's ability activates. Since it destroyed your monster, I can search my Deck for a FIRE-Attributed monster whose Level is lower than the one destroyed and add it to my hand! And I choose my Tuner monster, Sun-Ray Salamander." said the bacon-haired teen.

Sunset began to search through her Deck using the Duel Runner's touch screen as she selected and clicked confirm. Her card slid out for her to grab as the auto-shuffler kicked in.

Sun-Ray Salamander
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 1
Type: Reptile/Tuner/Normal
ATK: 100
DEF: 100
Description: This little lizard is certainly a ray of sunshine, especially when tuning with other monsters.

"And if you thought I was done, think again! Phoenix, attack his Dark Magician Girl!" stated the bacon-haired teen as her bird soared toward Isaac's field and burned up his monster in a firestorm before returning to her field (Isaac: 7,600 - 200 = 7,400 LP).

"I end my turn with a facedown! You're up!" shouted Sunset.

Turn 8: Isaac - Hand: 6

"My draw, and I'll play the Spell, Upstart Goblin. So in exchange for an extra card, you get 1,000 life points." stated Isaac (Sunset Shimmer: 3,600 + 1,000 = 4,600 LP).

Upstart Goblin
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Draw 1 card, then your opponent gains 1000 LP.

"Next, I'm playing Premature Burial, so by paying 800 life points, I get back my Dark Magician Girl," said the boy as his female spellcaster reappeared (Isaac: 7,400 - 800 = 6,600 LP).

Premature Burial
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Activate this card by paying 800 LP, then target 1 monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in Attack Position and equip it with this card. When this card is destroyed, destroy the equipped monster.

"Then I'll Pendulum Summon once more, so welcome back, my Black Robe Mentalist!" stated Isaac as his magician appeared in defense mode this time. "And activate her ability, so you know what that means."

"Sunset better figure something out. 'Cause as long as Isaac has his magician in play, he can keep searching for all the cards he needs." said Rainbow.

Seems like that goblin card isn't the only upstart in this Duel. Golden is beginning to realize that his darkness is making it harder to ignore it as his frustration towards it and Isaac grew.

Isaac looked at his top three cards and selected the one he wanted among them. He placed the others back on top as it shuffled his deck again.

"Now, Dark Magician the Dragon Knight, attack her Corona Paladin Haslash!" ordered Isaac.

"I reveal my facedown, Draining Shield! So your attack is negated, and I gain Life Points equal to your monster's attack." smiled Sunset as she got a big boost to her points (Sunset Shimmer: 4,600 + 3,000 = 7,600 LP).

"Alright, she's back in the game." said Astral.

"And she's taken the lead!" exclaimed Applejack.

"Well, I still have another attack raring to go. Mana, it's your turn!"

"On it, Isaac." replied the boy's Dark Magician Girl with a smile. She pointed her wand and blasted Sunset's monster off the field.

"I end my turn with two facedowns."

Turn 9: Sunset Shimmer - Hand: 5

"My move," said the girl as she drew, "and I'm going to Pendulum Summon again; this time, I'm bringing a trio of monsters to help me. First up, my Corona Paladin Strider and Corona Paladin Haslash. And joining them is my Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn!" Sunset now had three Pendulum Monsters on the field as she looked to tip the scales in her favor.

Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 4
Pendulum Scale: 7
Type: Beast/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1300
Pendulum Effect: If the other Pendulum Zone has a "Corona" monster: Discard 1 monster from your hand, then increase your LP equal to that monster's Level x 300.
Effect: When this card is Special Summoned: Target 1 monster you control; its Level is reduced by 1 is treated as a Tuner monster until the End Phase.

"What are you planning?" stated Isaac.

"You'll see. Now the effect of my Sunset Unicorn activates since it was Special Summoned; I can select one monster on my side of the field and have its Level reduced by 1. So I choose my Corona Paladin Strider!" gestured Sunset as she pointed to her monster (Corona Paladin Strider: Level 4 - 1 = 3).

"She reduced her monster's Level? But why?" muttered Isaac to himself.

"Oh, forgot to mention. The monster that has its Level reduced due to my Unicorn becomes a Tuner monster until the end of the turn."

"A Tuner, huh?" said Isaac as he knew what the girl was going for.

"With that, I now tune my Level 3 Corona Paladin Strider with my Level 4 Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn!" declared Sunset. Her Strider turned into three giant green rings as her Unicorn leaped into them (Level: 3 + 4 = 7), "With the might of the paladin and the wisdom of the unicorn, I bring forth a fiery daydreamer! I Synchro Summon, Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream!"

Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 7
Type: Winged-Beast/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 2300
DEF: 2200
Effect: 1 FIRE-Attribute Tuner Monster + 1+ FIRE-Attribute non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn: You can send 1 FIRE-Attribute Pendulum Monster from your Extra Deck to the GY; decrease the ATK of all monsters your opponent controls by the sent monster's Pendulum Scale x 100, until the End Phase. When your opponent activates a Spell/Trap: Pay 300 LP; negate the activation and destroy it.

"Not much." said Isaac as he saw Sunset's latest monster.

"Don't be fooled by its stats. Watch as I activate her special ability by sending one FIRE Pendulum Monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard; I can decrease the attack points of every monster on your field by the Pendulum Scale of the monster I sent by 100. So I'm sending my Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn, and it has a Pendulum Scale of seven which means all of your monsters lose 700 attack points!" stated Sunset.

Her monster fired beams from its hands, weakening Isaac's entire field as his monsters felt the magic attack (Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2300 - 700 = 1600) (Dark Magician the Dragon Knight: ATK 3000 - 700 = 2300) (Black Robe Mentalist: ATK 1700 - 700 = 1000).

"Now, to attack, Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream, attack his Dark Magician Girl!"

"Don't think so, I reveal my facedown, Magic Cylinder! So your attack is null and void. And you take damage equal to your monster's attack points!" said Isaac.

"Or so you think," smiled Sunset, "I'm activating the Pendulum effect of my Magician of Glorious Sunrise. If a Pendulum monster I control battles, you can't activate any Trap cards until the end of the Battle Phase!"

"Great..." said Isaac with disdain in his voice.

Sunset's monster continued her attack as she took out the boy's magician, who let out a scream and turned to dust (Isaac: 6,600 - 700 = 5,900 LP).

"Now Corona Paladin Haslash, attack his Black Robe Mentalist!" said Sunset as her monster charged forward and took out another one of Isaac's magicians, "And since he destroyed your monster, his ability activates. So I'm adding another Sun-Ray Salamander."

"Two Tuners in her hand? Another Synchro monster?" wondered the boy.

"Now Solar Flare Phoenix, attack his Dark Magician the Dragon Knight!" said Sunset as she pointed her finger, the girl was looking to get rid of the more powerful monster on the boy's field.

"Not gonna happen; by sending my Swift Scarecrow from my hand to the Graveyard, I end the battle phase!" shouted Isaac as he managed to save his monster from being destroyed.

Swift Scarecrow
Attribute: EARTH
Level: 1
Type: Machine/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 0
Effect: When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack (Quick Effect): You can discard this card; negate the attack, then end the Battle Phase.

"Nice one," muttered the girl to her opponent, "I now end my turn (Dark Magician the Dragon Knight: ATK 2300 + 700 = 3000)."

Turn 10: Isaac - Hand: 5

"Then it's my move, so here goes!" said Isaac as he drew his card, "I now activate the Pendulum ability of my Sorcerer Swordsman. I can add monsters from my Graveyard to my hand, so long as their Levels fall between the Scale I have. So I'm taking back my Dark Magician Girl."

"Impossible!" shouted Sunset as she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yeesh, this Isaac knows how ta play his cards perfectly." said Applejack as she was giving massive props to the boy for how skillful he was showing himself to be.

"So time to Pendulum Summon again, take the stage, Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) and Black Robe Mentalist (1700/1300)!" Just like that, the boy had his two previously destroyed magicians back on the field (Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2000 + 300 = 2300). "I then activate my Mentalist's ability." Isaac looked at the top three cards of his Deck and selected the one he wanted.

"Dark Magician the Dragon Knight, lay waste to her Princess Daydream." ordered Isaac. His monster powered up its sword and fired a magic beam that took out Sunset's monster (Sunset Shimmer: 7,600 - 700 = 6,900 LP).

"Dark Magician Girl, attack her Corona Paladin Haslash!" The girl fired another magic attack from her wand, taking out her target (Sunset Shimmer: 6,900 - 200 = 6,700 LP).

"I end my turn."

Turn 11: Sunset - Hand: 6

"It's my move." said Sunset as she looked at her deck. She placed her hand on the top card and took a deep breath.

Please, give me something.

Sunset drew her card as she was banking on a game-changer. She turned over the card she drew and looked at it. It brought a smile to her face as she looked at her hand and plotted her next move.

"Time for me to take control of this Duel! Let's Pendulum Summon again; now I'm summoning my Sun-Ray Salamanders (100/100) (100/100) and Sunburn Magician!"

Sunburn Magician
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 5
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
ATK: 2000
DEF: 1000
Effect: You can Tribute this card, then target a monster you control: The targeted monster gains 1000 ATK and can attack twice until the End Phase.

"Let me guess, a Synchro Summon?" asked Isaac.

"Right on the money. So I tune one of my Level 1 Sun-Ray Salamanders with my Level 7 Solar Flare Phoenix!" The salamander turned into a single giant green ring as the phoenix flew into them (Level: 1 + 7 = 8), "With the slipperiness of the salamander and the undying bird, allow yourself to be born again! I Synchro Summon! Level 8! Solar Phoenix Rebirth!"

Solar Phoenix Rebirth
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 8
Type: Winged-Beast/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
Effect: 1 Tuner monster + "Solar Flare Phoenix"
Once per turn: Increase your LP by 1000.

"Still not enough." said Isaac.

"Well, I'm not finished. First, let me activate my Phoenix Rebirth's ability; once per turn, I gain 1,000 Life Points!" informed Sunset (Sunset Shimmer: 6,700 + 1,000 = 7,700 LP).

"Then I'm gonna play Monster Reborn to bring back my Sun-Ray Salamander. And now I'm gonna Synchro Summon again! I tune both my Salamanders with my Solar Phoenix Rebirth!" announced Sunset as she pointed to the sky. Sunset's two lizards turned into giant green rings as her bird soared between them (Level 1 + 1 + 8 = 10), "With the two slippery salamanders and the reborn phoenix, I call upon the greatest ruler of friendship! I Synchro Summon! Solar Monarch-Friendship Phoenix!" shouted the girl as a brand new monster appeared.

Solar Monarch-Friendship Phoenix
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 10
Type: Winged-Beast/Synchro
ATK: 3500
DEF: 3000
Effect: 2 Tuners + "Solar Phoenix Rebirth"

"3500 attack points? Aw yeah!" shouted Rainbow with delight as Sunset regained control of the Duel.

"Knew she had a plan." smiled Golden.

"Now, I activate my Sunburn Magician's special ability. By Tributing him, I can not only give my Friendship Phoenix an extra 1,000 attack points but can now attack twice." said the girl as her monster vanished and powered up her firebird (Solar Monarch-Friendship Phoenix: ATK 3500 + 1000 = 4500).

"Now, Friendship Phoenix burn up his Dragon Knight!" ordered Sunset.

The bird screeched as it set itself on fire and flew into the air. It made a ring of fire that trailed it and descended. It was like a meteor coming at the monster as it exploded upon impact (Isaac: 5,900 - 1,500 = 4,400 LP).

"Now attack his Dark Magician Girl!" said Sunset as her monster went for its second attack (Isaac: 4,400 - 2,200 = 2,200 LP).

"Sunset now has the lead!" said Rainbow as she was excited about that.

"I now end my turn."

Turn 12: Isaac - Hand: 5

"My move," said Isaac as he drew his card. "I'll activate the Pendulum ability of my Sorcerer Swordsman and retrieve my Dark Magician from the Graveyard." The boy's Duel Disk slotted out his card as he grabbed it.

"I then activate the ability of my Black Robe Mentalist."

"He must be looking to get a certain card if he's doing so much searching..." said Sunset to herself as she watched Isaac pick the card he wanted.

"I then play two cards facedown and end my turn." said the boy.

"That's it?" said Sunset.

"What's wrong?" snickered Isaac.

Turn 13: Sunset - Hand: 3

"Nothing, it's my move!" said Sunset as she drew her card, "I'm gonna Pendulum Summon my Corona Paladin Strider and Solar Flare Phoenix!"

"I reveal my facedown, Spell Shattering Arrow!" said Isaac. "Now I destroy all Spell cards you have on the field, and you take 500 points of damage for each one. And since your pendulum cards count as Spell cards when they're in the Pendulum Zones, they're fair game!"

An arrow appeared as it zoomed ahead. It split into two and took out Sunset's Pendulum cards as it destroyed her Scale (Sunset Shimmer: 7,700 - 1,000 = 6,700 LP).

"I may not have my Scale, but I still have monsters to fight with. So, Corona Paladin Strider, take out his Black Robe Mentalist!" ordered Sunset as her monster was successful and left the boy wide open.

"Solar Monarch-Friendship Phoenix, attack him directly!" shouted Sunset.

"Yes, Sunset did it!" shouted Rainbow.

The others were also cheering as it seemed the girl was just moments away from winning. While the rest of the girl's teammates celebrated prematurely, Golden had a serious look. He glanced at Isaac as he knew someone like him would not have let an attack that powerful connect. He then looked at the facedown that the boy had previously set. He assumed it must have been to save him, but he was wrong.

"I activate the effect of my Electromagnetic Turtle! By banishing it from my Graveyard, I end the battle phase!" stated Isaac as he avoided losing the Duel.

"I end my turn." smiled Sunset.

Turn 14: Isaac - Hand: 6

"Then it's my move; I draw! The first thing is I'm using the ability of my Sorcerer Swordsman to retrieve my Dark Magician Girl from my Graveyard and my Dark Magician the Dragon Knight. However, since it's a Fusion Monster, it goes to my Extra Deck instead of staying in my hand." said Isaac as his Duel Disk slotted out his cards. He took his Fusion Monster and slotted it back into the Extra Deck compartment of his Duel Disk.

"Why bring back a Fusion Monster?" asked Sunset.

"I'll then play Swords of Revealing Light! Which means you can't attack for three turns!" Three shining swords of light came from the sky as they embedded themselves onto Sunset's field.

"It feels like you're running out of options." said Sunset.

"Is that so?" said Isaac as he kept his cool demeanor, "Well then, I better do something. Like this, I play the Spell card, Pendulum Replacement.

Pendulum Replacement
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Send 1 Pendulum Monster from 1 of your Pendulum Zones to your Extra Deck face-up, and if you do; place 1 Pendulum Monster from your Deck to your empty Pendulum Zone.

"So by sending one of my Pendulum cards to my Extra Deck face up, I can replace it with another one from my Deck. So I'll remove my Sorcerer Swordsman and replace him with my Sleight of Hand Magician."

A new magician appeared; he had a deck of cards levitating around him, and he wore an outfit that resembled a blackjack dealer. The monster rose in the column of light; as his number appeared in front.

Sleight of Hand Magician
Attribute: DARK
Level: 6
Pendulum Scale: 2
Type: Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 1500
Pendulum Effect: Twice per turn: You can target 1 monster you control; change the Level of the targeted monster to that of another monster you control.
Effect: Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can discard 1 card from your hand; you can negate and destroy a card on your opponent's side of the field of the card type as the one you discarded (Monster, Spell, or Trap).

"I end my turn."

Turn 15: Sunset - Hand: 3

"That's it?" shouted Sunset as they turned the corner.

"Guess I got nothing else to play." responded Isaac with a smile.

"Now I know that's a lie." said Sunset out loud as she looked ahead.

"It's almost time, Isaac." whispered Principal Cinch as she knew what the boy was going to do. The pieces were all in place, and all it required was Isaac to initiate the sequence.

"Seeing as how I can't do anything about your swords, I'm gonna place these two cards facedown and end my turn," said Sunset.

This is it. I've got this duel in the bag. All Isaac needs to do is launch one single attack, and the rest of his Life Points will burn up. And just in case, I have the second card as a backup plan. Either way, he's lost.

Turn 16: Isaac - Hand: 6

Isaac was shown having his eyes closed as he continued to ride. All around him, there was nothing but silence. Nothing but the wind in his face and a voice. A voice, calling out to him.

"Are you ready?"

"Oh yeah." the boy responded as he put his hand on his deck. "Time to lose, Sunset. I draw!" shouted Isaac; when he pulled his card, it had a white light trailing it.

"Do it!" shouted Principal Cinch as the time was now.

"What's going on?" said Golden as he could feel his cards responding to Isaac's aura.

Looks like the showoff's about to pull out a big one!

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for a move like no other. And with my Pendulum Scale all set, it's time for the show to reach its finale. So time for my Pendulum Scale to work its magic!" shouted Isaac as the thing began to swing. "I'm allowed to summon monsters from Levels 3 through 9 all at the same time. Back and forth, to and fro, what's coming next? You'll all soon know! So swing far, Pendulum, and carve the arc that will lead me to victory! My monsters are ready to swing into action!" Isaac thrust his hand into the air as five lights emerged from the giant portal above him.

"Prepare to have your fortune told; it's my Black Robe Mentalist (1700/1300)! Batten down the hatches and drop anchor; it's my Sorcerer Swordsman (1500/1500)! Sing us a melodious song, Enchantress of Melody (900/1800)! Make way for the lady of the hour, Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)! And lastly, the star monster of our show, Dark Magician (2500/2100)!" shouted Isaac as he had a field full of monsters.

"Five monsters?!!" shouted both students' teammates.

"He Pendulum Summoned five monsters?" gasped Sunset with slight fear in her eyes.

"How?" said Golden as he almost lost his grip on his deck.

That BUG is really starting to bug me!!

"To start, I'm activating my Black Robe Mentalist's ability. So since I've got five monsters, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add one to my hand!" said Isaac as he picked them up and took the one he wanted.

"Now my Sorcerer Swordsman's ability activates since he was Pendulum Summoned; I can now lower one of your monster's attack points to zero. And I choose your Monarch-Friendship Phoenix!" said Isaac.

"No!" spoke Sunset.

"Do it, bud!"

"Aye, aye, Captain!" said Sorcerer Swordsman as he plunged his silver sword into the ground. The magic infused made cracks on the ground as they trailed to Sunset's monster and zapped all of its strength. "Now I'll activate my Enchantress of Melody's ability, so I roll a die, and if it lands on numbers 1-3, then I can either decrease or increase one of my monster's levels."

A die appeared in Isaac's hand as he closed it. He soon felt the hand of his enchantress as she smiled. The pair nodded as they tossed the die into the air.

"Dice Roll!" shouted the pair. The die rolled as it bounced before landing on a side with the number one on it. "With that number 1, I'll decrease my Enchantress' level, so now she's Level 2," said Isaac as his monster strummed her harp to change her own level (Enchantress of Melody: Level 3 - 1 = 2). "Now time to activate my Sleight of Hand Magician's Pendulum ability; twice per turn, he can change the level of a monster on my field to match that of another. So Sleight of Hand, use your cards tricks and change my Sorcerer Swordsman and Black Robe Mentalist, so they match my Dark Magician (Sorcerer Swordsman: Level 4 > 7) (Black Robe Mentalist: Level 4 > 7)!"

"He's doing Level manipulation!!" said Golden, as he had never seen this, nor could he do this.

This PRICK is making it VERY HARD not to knock him off his ride and strangle him till he stops breathing!! Golden is barely even controlling his dark thoughts anymore.

"No...way!" said Sunset in awe as she looked at Isaac. Her skill was paling in comparison to his at this point.

"Now I'll Overlay my now Level 7 Sorcerer Swordsman and Level 7 Black Robe Mentalist to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Isaac as both of his monsters then changed into dark orbs as they hovered in the air. Soon a portal opened up in front of him as the orbs disappeared inside, as a pillar of light emerged. "With the warrior magician and mentalist of the black robe, I call upon the mightiest of spellcasters! I Xyz Summon! Rank 7! Ebon Illusion Magician (2500/2100)!" Isaac's monster appeared as he opened his eyes and had his staff in his hands.

"Now, I'll tune my Level 2 Enchantress of Melody with my Dark Magician. And since I'm using Dark Magician as a Synchro Material, he counts as Level 6 instead of 7." Isaac's enchantress then played her harp once more (Dark Magician: Level 7 > 6) as she turned into two giant green rings as they circled his ace monster (Level 2 + 6 = 8). "With my melodious mage and greatest wizard, I unite them to create one of the greatest magicians! I Synchro Summon! Level 8! Dark Sorcerer Magician (2500/2100)!" stated the boy as the monster that he was summoning wore a white magician's robes and had a staff with bits of stardust floating around it.

"Next, I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Dark Magician (2500/2100). And then follow it up by playing Dark Magic Veil, so I pay 1,000 life points to summon my Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)!" said Isaac as both of his top monsters appeared (Isaac: 2,200 - 1,000 = 1,200 LP).

"I then play, Eye of Timaeus! And so I'll combine it with my Dark Magician!" shouted Isaac as he held his card up high as a bright white light came from it. "With the mighty wizard and the eye of the mighty dragon, I merge them to create the grandest of magic knights! I Fusion Summon! Dark Magician the Dragon Knight (3000/2500)!" Isaac's monster emerged as his magician rode on the back of Timaeus; as he wielded a sword, it let out a roar.

And just like that...everyone was silent as their minds were blown apart. Stunned silence came over the entire field as they processed what they saw. None more so than Sunset, the girl, had a front-row view of what Isaac did as she remained dead silent.

"Pendulum, Fusion, Synchro, and Xyz?!" said Sunset in awe. "No...no...no!"

The cards in Golden's hand dropped and scattered at the boy's feet. He didn't notice that he dropped his allies as Golden was stunned by what he saw. It was so much that he dropped to his knees in disbelief, the boy putting his hands to the floor as he breathed heavily. He remembered the conversation with the girls at the party before the games started.

"But...even so. Someone can't know all of the summoning methods. Right?"

Principal Cinch looked over as she saw Golden on his knees. The sight made her grin the biggest as she relished the boy, realizing he wasn't special anymore.

"Checkmate." said the woman while looking at Golden.

Get up, man! You're embarrassing us!

"I'll then play this, Pot of Greed, to draw two cards. Next, I play Dark Magic Twin Burst. So now my Dark Magician Girl gives my Dark Magician the Dragon Knight a power boost equal to her Attack Points. But don't forget, she gets an extra 300 'cause my Dark Magician is in the Graveyard." said Isaac as his monster received a huge power boost (Dark Magician Girl: ATK 2000 + 300 = 2300) (Dark Magician the Dragon Knight: ATK 3000 + 2300 = 5300).

"I'm not done; I now play Thousand Knives to destroy your Firewall Defender!" said Isaac as he got rid of another monster on Sunset's field.

"One more thing, when I Synchro Summon my Dark Sorcerer Magician, he can destroy one Spell or Trap on the field. So say goodbye to your facedown on the left!" Isaac pointed as his magician took out its target. The thing was that facedown it took out was the one Sunset was banking on as the girl was now completely defenseless with no way of winning.

The boy now rode along the track with all of his monsters by his side. The sight alone would make anyone tremble. The aura that surrounded Isaac began to glow brighter than ever before.

"You lose, Sunset. Dark Magician Girl, attack her Corona Paladin Strider!" (Sunset Shimmer: 6,700 - 600 = 6,100 LP)

"Now, Ebon Illusion Magician, it's your turn. Attack her Solar Monarch-Friendship Phoenix!" said Isaac as his next magician blasted Sunset's bird off the field. (Sunset Shimmer: 6,100 - 2,500 = 3,600 LP)

"Dark Sorcerer Magician, attack her Solar Flare Phoenix!" declared Isaac as he had his next magician attack as both monsters had the same points. "Now, my monster's ability activates when it battles a monster, it can cut the monster's strength in half and absorb it!" The boy's magician aimed its staff at Sunset's other bird as it lost some strength (Solar Flare Phoenix: ATK 2500 ÷ 2 = 1250) (Dark Sorcerer Magician: ATK 2500 + 1250 = 3750) before being taken out (Sunset Shimmer: 3,600 - 2,500 = 1,100 LP).

Sunset was wobbling as her runner was flashing red. The girl was struggling to keep her ride steady. Isaac was closing in like a shark smelling blood as he crept up on Sunset. The girl saw him as it seemed she was about to be defeated.

"As I said, you lose." Isaac snapped his fingers. That served as the signal to his ace magician to go in for the kill on the girl.

The monster was moments away from attacking Sunset as the girl noticed her last facedown. It was a long shot, but she had no choice.

"I reveal my facedown, Cross Attack! So now you take the same amount of damage that I'm taking!" said Sunset, if she couldn't win, then at least she'd tie.

Or...so she thought.

Sunset looked at Isaac as the girl's move didn't faze the boy. Instead, he was calm. It frightened Sunset as she felt he should be upset that what he said about her losing was wrong. However, she saw Isaac's finger hovering above a button. It seemed like the boy had one last trick up his sleeve. This confused Sunset.

What's he doing? Why is he so calm? Doesn't he realize he failed to defeat me? I just tied, so neither of us will lose, but neither will win. So...why isn't he worried!!!!

At that moment, Sunset remembered something.

"I play Graceful Charity. So I draw three cards and discard two," said Isaac. The flashback froze for a sec to show the cards Isaac sent as one of them had a purple color scheme.

No, no! There's no way. He played Graceful Charity which allowed him to draw three cards and discard two. One of them had to be Electromagnetic Turtle because I never sent that card to the Graveyard. So if that's one of the cards he got rid of, the other one must be something that can stop my Trap! But...he played it so early in the Duel. Could he have predicted this far ahead? Could he have predicted that I would do something like this and have a Trap waiting for me?!! There's no way!!!

Isaac's sadistic smile ate at Sunset as her heart gave out.

There's no way!!!!

Sunset's Trap went off as Isaac purposely chose not to activate the card effect he wanted. A huge explosion went off as it covered the entire track. Everybody had to turn away to avoid being blinded. It lasted for a few moments as they looked back. A smoke cloud appeared as it was the only thing visible. Soon two figures came racing out of it. It was none other than Isaac and Sunset, as the two Turbo Duelists had scuff marks on their outfits and faces but were otherwise okay. It showed their life points counters for all to see.

Sunset Shimmer: 0 LP
Isaac: 0 LP
DRAW

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's unbelievable to think. But, it's a tie!" said Luna over the P.A. system as that got both schools to mumble. This was the last result they expected to see, especially when Isaac was in firm control of the Duel and was the favorite to win.

"He failed?!!" growled Sour Sweet.

"No, he didn't. Isaac actually won." said Enix to himself as he knew the boy's plan as he slipped into the shadows.

"You did a marvelous job, Isaac." smiled Principal Cinch to herself as she, too, knew what her student did.

Isaac and Sunset pulled to the pit stop as they took off their helmets. The girl threw her helmet to the ground and got off her bike, all pissed off. She approached Isaac, gingerly taking off his helmet as he faced the bacon-haired girl. Before he could say anything, Sunset grabbed him by his collar as she was seething.

"What did you do?!!" growled the girl.

"What, that's how you repay me for having a fun Duel?" smiled Isaac.

"Don't play games with me! You knew I had a Trap waiting to activate. You knew that! And you had something to counter that! So why didn't you play it?!!!" shouted Sunset.

"Maybe, I chose not to. Hmm. Maybe, it wasn't so much that I wanted to win, but rather make a statement." said Isaac as he put his hands on Sunset's and grabbed hold of them. The girl could feel the boy's strength as he made her let go of him as she was being overpowered, "To make a statement. To not just you, not just your friends, but also Golden."

"What kind of power do you have?" asked Sunset as she backed up a bit.

"Power? I don't have any power. I just have skill and a whole lot of talent." said Isaac as he got off his ride with his helmet in hand and began to walk. He was leaving to change his outfit when he stopped to address Sunset with his back turned to her.

"You need to step up your game, Sunset. Because if I was really fixated on winning the Duel, I would have beaten you on my second turn." Isaac's statement made Sunset gasp.

"So, you just toyed with me? You made me look like a fool?!!" shouted the girl.

"I didn't make you look like a fool. You did that yourself," responded the boy, "If you truly want to be the best, Sunset. You have to get better. Either step up or step aside. You gotta be willing to break through that glass ceiling and grab that brass ring. Someone said to me: Be willing to do whatever it takes. Be willing to do anything and prove to everyone why you're the man. Prove you've got what it takes to be the top Duelist. If you want to be even a speck of a Duelist like Golden, you need that ruthless aggression you so badly lack."

Isaac began to walk as Sunset was taking in the words by Isaac. While she was still angry with him, his words rang true. More true than she could ever possibly imagine.

I will have my rematch with you, Isaac. You can bet your ass it will happen. And when it does, I'm going to beat you. That's a promise.

Isaac was about to exit the track when he stopped. He lifted his head and turned his body in a certain direction. The boy was now looking at Golden as the two boys stared down at one another despite being far away. The expressions on their faces showed that both couldn't wait to settle the beef they had with each other on the Dueling Field. Both couldn't wait to tear each other apart.

Isaac's number felt the way its owner felt as she appeared beside him. She, too, looked up and saw Golden. The message she was getting from the supposed "golden boy" of CHS was one of darkness and despair.

You want my Number, Golden, huh? Well, come and get it, bitch boy. 'Cause the only way you're ever gonna get it is you pry it from my cold, dead body. I'm not planning on losing my friend to you.

Once more, all the monsters from each boy's decks appeared beside their masters. Like before, both sides glared at each other as the great battle was fast approaching.

...I'M GOING TO KILL THAT FUCKER. Golden subconsciously agreed with his darkness for once.

Isaac was about to head to the locker room when Principal Cinch stopped him. The woman smiled as the boy's Duel was nothing short of amazing. She approached him and patted his shoulder.

"Good job. You didn't let me down." said the woman as Isaac did what he needed to do. And that was to put doubt and fear in CHS as he just showed them that Sunset was in a losing battle against the boy.

"Whatever." said the teen as he began to walk away; he did what Cinch was hoping he'd do, and that was to give CHS a hard reality check.

Enix POV

Meanwhile, Enix gets dressed in his Turbo Duel attire as Shinkokuna relayed the plan to him and his subordinates. As Shinkokuna drones on, Enix opened one of the lockers CHS allowed him to have for the Friendship Games and saw a picture of him and an almost familiar fiery haired girl.

Wait for me Sunny...wait for me...

"You're worried about her...aren't you?" Jack said from behind Enix.

Enix was silent, but then spoke, "Yeah...ever since we escaped from the castle, I've looked all over for her and couldn't find her. My worst fear is that she could be dead."

"Don't worry about it, Enix. I'm sure she's alive and well somewhere. If we capture Applejack SUI-871, we'll interrogate her, I believe we can use your card and her card to help her see reason."

"He does have a point," Lucky Clover began, "I may be the newbie in this whole trans-dimensional war thing, but I wanna the first to say...I don't know what the fuck is going on here."

"Of course you don't, you're a Phantom Thief." Enix sharply said.

"And damn proud of it!"

"From my understanding, you're basically a burglar."

"MIRACLE MAKER!! TWO DIFFERENT THINGS!!"

Just then, the loudspeaker crackled to life, //Attention remaining Turbo Duelists. The final Turbo Duel is about to begin. Enix, Rainbow Dash, please make your way to the track.// the computer AI declared before the loudspeaker shut down once again.

"Guess it's showtime." Enix said as he grabbed his helmet.

"Wait!" Jack stopped him, "Applejack will be watching this, right?"

"True...hmm...I got it. Lucky Clover. Hand over two sticks of your image gum."

"Sure." he tossed the aforementioned items to him, "Why do ya need 'em?"

"Lucky Clover, while I'm Turbo Dueling, I want you to snoop around the school and find anything out of place."

Lucky tinkered with his mask and activated a special feature in its visor, "Way ahead of you!" with that, he left.

"What do I do?" Jack asked.

"I got a special favor for you."

3rd Person POV

Rainbow Dash sat on her Runner on the track, waiting quite impatiently for her opponent. While she did so, she began to think and reminisce; about everything that happened up to this point, all her Duels, helping her friends fine tune their decks, getting beat up by the Phantom Swordsman...

It was that final thought that made her pause. The Phantom Swordsman. She trembled in anger, just hearing that name pisses her off.

I gotten beat by the Phantom Swordsman guy, he used three specific monsters, sent me, my teammates, and Flash to the hospital, and how Enix took Golden's first Barian Number card when that guy showed up outta nowhere. And Enix...he keeps giving me more questions; all the times we had to face a Barian Number, he was there, even before then, he was snooping around where he wasn't wanted, like he belongs here. If he isn't from around here, then where did he come from?

Rainbow then resolved to discover the truth about Enix and why he's doing whatever he's doing. At that moment, Enix's Duel Runner revved behind her as he pulled up to the starting line.

"Hey." Rainbow turned to face Enix as he continued, "May the best Duelist win."

"I plan to." Rainbow turned her head away.

Enix looked up into the crowd and saw Applejack staring down at him with a malicious smirk and waved slowly.

I figured you'd show up. he thought.

//Duel Mode engaged. Autopilot standing by.// the computer AI spoke.

Both competitors revved their engines, ready to speed forward. Then they both declared with the AI:

//Ready...set...Duel!//
"Ready...set...Duel!"
"Ready...set...Duel!"

With that, Enix and Rainbow raced onward, trying to get the first turn of the Turbo Duel, and while Rainbow held the lead, Enix sped past her with relative ease, landing him the first turn once he past the bend.

"And Enix gets the first turn!" Vice Principal Luna said via the loudspeaker.

Rainbow Dash: 8,000 LP
Enix: 8,000 LP

Turn 1: Enix - Hand: 5

"I draw!" Enix began, " First I'll play the Spell card, A Hero Lives."

A Hero Lives
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If you control no face-up monsters: Pay half your LP; Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Elemental HERO" monster from your Deck.

"By paying half my Life Points, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower 'Elemental HERO' monster from my Deck. I Special Summon Clayman, in defense mode!" a clay stone warrior (800/2000) appeared and knelt in front of Enix (Enix: 8,000 ÷ 2 = 4,000 LP), "Next, I play the Spell card Sacred Sword of Seven Stars."

Sacred Sword of Seven Stars
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Banish 1 Level 7 monster from your hand of face-up from your side of the field; draw 2 cards. You can only activate 1 "Sacred Sword of Seven Stars" per turn.

"By banishing my Bladedge, I can draw two new cards!" Enix drew his cards, "Next, I summon Elemental HERO Wildheart!" a bulky warrior with a deep tan, tribal tattoos and a sword on his back (1500/1600) stood next to Enix, "Next, I play the Spell card, HERO's Bond to Special Summon 2 Elemental HERO monsters from my hand!"

HERO's Bond
Normal Spell Card
Effect: If there is a face-up "HERO" monster on the field: Special Summon 2 Level 4 or lower "Elemental HERO" monsters from your hand.

"I Special Summon Elemental HERO Heat in attack mode and Elemental HERO Shadow Mist in defense mode!" Two superhero monsters came out; Heat looked to be a man who has the power of fire, ready for battle, and Shadow Mist looked to be a woman with long blue hair and black body armor, defending herself.

Elemental HERO Heat
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 4
Type: Pyro/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1200
Effect: This card gains 200 ATK for each "Elemental HERO" monster you control.

Elemental HERO Shadow Mist
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1500
Effect: If this card is Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Change" Quick-Play Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. If this card is sent to the GY: You can add 1 "HERO" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Elemental HERO Shadow Mist". You can only use 1 "Elemental HERO Shadow Mist" effect per turn, and only once that turn.

"Since Shadow Mist is Special Summoned, I add one Quick-Play "Change" Spell from my Deck to my hand." The Deck spat out a card which Enix grabbed, "And Heat's special effect activates! He gains 200 attack power for each 'Elemental HERO' I control!" Heat's flames grow considerably bigger around him (Elemental HERO Heat: ATK 1600 + 600 = 2200), "I'll play two cards facedown and end my turn." Two holographic facedown cards appeared on each side of Enix's Duel Runner.

Turn 2: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 5

"It's my turn! Draw!" Rainbow drew her starting card.

"Before you go rushing in, I activate my Trap card!" one of the cards Enix had revealed itself, "Elemental Recharge!"

Elemental Recharge
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Gain 1000 Life Points for each face-up "Elemental HERO" monster you control.

"If you thought I was just going to fight you with only four thousand Life Points, you have another thing coming!" Enix's Life Points suddenly skyrocketed back to their maximum (Enix: 4,000 + 4,000 = 8,000 LP).

"What the heck?!?" Rainbow blurted out.

"Unbelievable!" Vice Principal Luna declared, "Not only has he sacrificed half his Life Points to summon some monsters, but now with just one card, Enix has boosted himself back to his original state! Now THAT'S Dueling, students!"

"If you think that's cool, wait till you see this! I activate my other facedown!" the last facedown revealed itself, "Mask Change!"

Mask Change
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 "HERO" monster you control; send it to the GY, also, after that, if it left the field by this effect, Special Summon 1 "Masked HERO" monster from your Extra Deck with the same Attribute that the sent monster had when it was on the field (its original Attribute, if face-down).

"By sending my Shadow Mist to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one 'Masked HERO' from my Extra Deck with the same Attribute!"

"C'mon! Wait your own turn!" Rainbow complained.

"This is a Quick-Play Spell, even if it wasn't facedown on the field, I could've played it at any given time! Shadow Mist! Transform yourself into...Masked HERO Anki!" Shadow Mist disappeared and became another warrior with even darker armor, clawed hands and feet, and a single horn on its forehead.

Masked HERO Anki
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2800
DEF: 1200
Effect: Must be Special Summoned by "Mask Change". This card can attack directly, but when it does so using this effect, the battle damage inflicted to your opponent is halved. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the GY: You can add 1 "Change" Quick-Play Spell Card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Masked HERO Anki" once per turn.

"Now I activate Shadow Mist's ability! When she's sent to the Graveyard, I can add one 'HERO' monster from my Deck to my hand, except a copy of Shadow Mist!" The Duel Disk spat out another card and Enix grabbed it, adding it to his hand, "Also, since Shadow Mist left the field, Heat's Attack Points lower a bit!" Enix finished (Elemental HERO Heat: ATK 2200 - 200 = 2000), but jolts a little as he felt something weird flicker in the card he drew. Well, that's odd...

"You done yet? Good, my turn for real!" Rainbow looked at her cards, Dude's got a strong defense and an even stronger offense. So I'm gonna need something that's WAY stronger! "First, I'm gonna summon Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius from my hand!" a red and black mechanical bird (1700/1000) flew next to Rainbow, "When he's summoned, I can switch an attack position monster into defense position! And I choose your Masked HERO Anki!" Anki has now went from standing to kneeling, "Then I activate the Spell card, Raidraptor - Call! When I have a 'Raidraptor' monster on my field, I can Special Summon another copy of that same monster from my Deck or hand, and I choose another Sharp Lanius from my Deck!" a second red and black bird (1700/1000) appeared at Rainbow's other side, "And just like before, I can change one of your monsters from attacking to defending! Now I choose Elemental HERO Heat!" Heat kneeled just like Anki did before, "Next, I activate the effect of Raidraptor - Strangle Lanius from my hand! When I control a DARK-Attributed monster, I can Special Summon it from my hand, under the condition that I can't Special Summon any more monster's unless they're DARK-Attribute!" a white, gold, and grey machine-like bird appeared in front of Rainbow.

Raidraptor - Strangle Lanius
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Winged Beast/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1100
Effect: If you control a DARK monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, also you cannot Special Summon monsters for the rest of this turn, except DARK monsters. If you control an Xyz Monster with a DARK Xyz Monster as material: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower "Raidraptor" monster in your GY; Special Summon it, but its effects are negated. You can only use each effect of "Raidraptor - Strangle Lanius" once per turn.

"With the stage now set, I Overlay my three Raidraptors!" Rainbow's machines turned into different hues of purple light and swirled into a red portal, "With the two razor-sharp avian machines and the bird of strangulation, I bring forth the falcon that soars on wings of courage, talons ready for the rebellion! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon!" A giant black machine-like bird with three swirling lights (100/2000/OLU 3) appeared above Rainbow and her Runner, "I activate Rise Falcon's ability! By removing one Overlay Unit (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: OLU 3 - 1 = 2), Rise Falcon can gain the Attack Points of one of your Special Summoned monsters! So I choose Anki!" Rise Falcon glowed and took a copy of Masked HERO Anki's strength and added it to his own (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: ATK 100 + 2800 = 2900), "Not only that, but Rise Falcon can only attack every one of your Special Summoned monsters! And last I checked, you have three! Rise Falcon, attack! Ravaging Rebellion!"

Rise Falcon struck Anki, Heat, and Clayman down as it sped through them with its talons, leaving Enix with only Wildheart to protect him.

"I'll end my turn with two facedowns." Rainbow concluded.

Turn 3: Enix - Hand: 1

"My turn!" Enix drew, but now felt a weird static shock through his body, There it is again... "I'll switch my Wildheart to Defense Mode and end my turn!"

"WHAAAAAAAT?!?!" Crystal Prep yelled from the stands.

Turn 4: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 1

"That's it? Whatever, I draw!" Rainbow played her newest card, "I play Card of Sanctity!"

Card of Sanctity (anime)
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Each player draws until they have 6 cards in their hand.

"You played that card so we would each have six in our hands?" Enix inquired as he drew, feeling another bad shock in his body, Every time I draw a "Destiny HERO" card, a strange power flows through them...my "Destiny HERO" cards never did that...unless! Enix suddenly remembered Applejack SUI-871's smirk, Applejack! She used her weapon on my cards! But I can't stop the Duel now! I'll just have to give her a wide berth!

"Yeah, but I was hoping you wouldn't have wasted all the cards in your hand like that, so I'd give you less resources, but oh well, live and learn." Rainbow said as she drew as well, "Okay, I summon Raidraptor - Napalm Draconius!" An orange and silver machine bird appeared next to Rise Falcon.

Raidraptor - Napalm Dragonius
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Winged Beast/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1000
Effect: Once per turn: You can inflict 600 damage to your opponent, also you cannot activate monster effects for the rest of this turn, except "Raidraptor" monsters. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY: You can Special Summon 1 "Raidraptor" monster from your Deck, but its effects are negated.

"Now, once per turn, he can deal damage to you, six-hundred points worth that is! But the downside is that I can't activate monster effects unless they're 'Raidraptor' monster effects." Napalm breathed fire on Enix as he struggled to retain control of his Runner (Enix: 8,000 - 600 = 7,400 LP).

"Not bad, but you've got a long way to go to defeat me."

"Maybe so, but I can still do some more damage! Rise Falcon! Attack his Wildheart!" Rise Falcon charged at and destroy Enix's only monster, "Now Napalm Draconius, attack him directly! Blazing Flamethrower!" Napalm flew towards Enix and breathed fire on him again, this time much stronger, causing him to begin losing control of his Runner (Enix: 7,400 - 1,000 = 6,400 LP), "I'll end my turn with another facedown."

Turn 5: Enix - Hand: 6

"Good, my draw!" Enix drew his card, "I activate the Spell card, Polymerization! I fuse my Avian and Burstinatrix to Fusion Summon, Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer!" The two warriors merged into a fiery man with a bird-like helmet and wings, and a claw on his right hand.

Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 6
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2100
DEF: 1200
Effect: "Elemental HERO Avian" + "Elemental HERO Burstinatrix"
Must be Fusion Summoned and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card cannot be destroyed by battle.

"Now Phoenix Enforcer, attack Napalm Draconius!" The flaming birdman charged the machine.

"I activate the Trap, Raidraptor - Readiness!" Rainbow revealed her Trap card, "For the rest of this turn, Raidraptor monsters are not destroyed by battle!"

"True, but you still take damage from the battle, though." Enix clarified as the attack went through to Rainbow, nearly knocking her off her own Runner (Rainbow Dash: 8,000 - 1,100 = 6,900 LP), "I'll end my turn with two facedowns. You're up!"

Turn 6: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 4

"Alright! My draw!" Rainbow drew, "First off, if all monsters I control are Raidraptors, I can Special Summon this: Raidraptor - Heel Eagle!" A purple and grey machine bird with amber orbs in its joints appeared next to Rise Falcon.

Raidraptor - Heel Eagle
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Winged Beast/Effect
ATK: 700
DEF: 700
Effect: If all monsters you control are "Raidraptor" monsters (min. 1): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 "Raidraptor" Spell/Trap in your GY; add it to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Raidraptor - Heel Eagle" once per turn.

"Now, I summon Raidraptor - Skull Eagle from my hand!" A machine bird similar to Heel Eagle appeared on the other side of Rise Falcon, except its color scheme is black, white, and pink.

Raidraptor - Skull Eagle
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Winged Beast/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 500
Effect: If this card is detached from an Xyz Monster and sent to the Graveyard to activate that monster's effect: You can banish this card from your Graveyard, then target 1 "Raidraptor" card in your Graveyard; add it to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Raidraptor - Skull Eagle" once per turn. An Xyz Monster that was Summoned using this card on the field as Xyz Material gains this effect.
●If it is Xyz Summoned: It gains 300 ATK.

"And like before, I'm gonna Overlay these two bad boys!" Rainbow declared, her two monster turning into purple swirling lights and flying into a red portal, "With the avian of heel and the avian of skulls, I call upon a fiendish rebellion! I Xyz Summon! Rank 3! Raidraptor - Fiend Eagle, in Defense Mode!" A giant machine bird like Rise Falcon appeared except it was black and crimson red with gold spikes and two swirling lights.

Raidraptor - Fiend Eagle
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 3
Type: Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 0
Effect: 2 Level 3 "Raidraptor" monsters
You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card, then target 1 face-up Special Summoned monster your opponent controls; inflict damage to your opponent equal to its original ATK on the field. You can only use this effect of "Raidraptor - Fiend Eagle" once per turn.

"And since I used Skull Eagle to Xyz Summon, it gains three hundred Attack Points!" Fiend Eagle suddenly grew in power (Raidraptor - Fiend Eagle: ATK 1000 + 300 = 1300), "I activate Fiend Eagle's ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I target one face-up Special Summoned monster you control, and deal you damage equal to that monster's original Attack Points! And since you only have one monster, I choose your Phoenix Enforcer!" A swirling light flew into Fiend Eagle (OLU: 2 - 1 = 1) as it began to glow and Phoenix Enforcer's own flames burst out towards Enix, nearly causing him to spin out (Enix: 6,400 - 2,100 = 4,300 LP).

"I'll end with another facedown. Your move!"

Turn 7: Enix - Hand: 2

"My draw!" Enix regained control of his Runner and drew, "You should've used your Rise Falcon to finish me off. So, allow me to finish the job. I play Polymerization!"

"Wait, didn't you already use that card?!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"I did. Did you really think I was stupid enough to have one copy of Polymerization? Now I fuse my Phoenix Enforcer and the Sparkman in my hand, in order to form...Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer!" A newer version of Phoenix Enforcer appeared; everything about him was shining brightly, his wings more majestic, and the claw on his arm far sharper than before.

Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer
Attribute: FIRE
Level: 8
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2100
Effect: "Elemental HERO Phoenix Enforcer" + "Elemental HERO Sparkman"
Must be Fusion Summoned and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card gains 300 ATK for each "Elemental HERO" card in your Graveyard. This card cannot be destroyed by battle.

"Now Shining Phoenix Enforcer, attack Rise Falcon!" Enix ordered as his monster charged forward.

"What is he doing?! Rise Falcon is way stronger than bird boy there!" Rainbow said.

"Shining Phoenix Enforcer has a special ability; it gain three-hundred Attack Points for every 'Elemental HERO' card in my Graveyard. Do the math, jock strap." Shining Phoenix Enforcer became greatly stronger as it continued its attack (Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer: ATK 2500 + 2400 = 4900).

"NO WAY!!!" The Canterlot High students in the stands screamed.

Rainbow's Rise Falcon was destroyed upon contact and nearly threw Rainbow off her Runner (Rainbow Dash: 6,900 - 2,000 = 4,900 LP).

"I'll end my turn. Let's see you recover from that."

"Oh, I'll do more than that! Before you end your turn, I play the Quick-Play Spell card, Rank-Up-Magic Doom Double Force!"

Rank-Up-Magic Doom Double Force
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 "Raidraptor" Xyz Monster in your Graveyard that was destroyed by battle and sent there this turn; Special Summon it, then Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 Xyz Monster that has twice the Rank of that monster, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon.)

"With this, I can Special Summon a 'Raidraptor' Xyz Monster that was destroyed this turn! Welcome back, Rise Falcon!" The aforementioned monster returned with a vengeance (100/2000), "But it won't stick around for long, my Rank-Up-Magic is still working its magic! Using Rise Falcon as an Overlay Unit, I can Xyz Summon another 'Raidraptor' Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck with a rank that's doubled from Rise Falcon! Go, Rank Up Xyz Evolution!" Rise Falcon turned into a purple swirling light and flew into a bigger red portal, which exploded in rainbow light, "With the fallen, yet re-risen falcon, I bring forth an avian that can obliterate the stars themselves! I Xyz Summon! Rank 8! Raidraptor - Satellite Cannon Falcon!!" A brand new machine appeared, though it looked like something out of a majestic sci-fi movie.

Raidraptor - Satellite Cannon Falcon
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 8
Type: Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2000
Effect: 2 Level 8 Winged Beast monsters
If this card is Xyz Summoned by using a "Raidraptor" monster as material: You can destroy all Spells and Traps your opponent controls. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects in response to this effect's activation. Quick Effect: You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; it loses 800 ATK for each "Raidraptor" monster in your GY.

"Now I activate Satellite Cannon Falcon's ability! If it was Xyz Summoned with 'Raidraptor' monsters, I can destroy all your Spells and Traps on the field! AND you can't chain any cards with its effect!"

"What?!" Enix blurted out.

And just like that, Enix's two facedown cards had disappeared into his Graveyard.

"Not. Good." Enix muttered as blue flames flickered in his vision.

Turn 8: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 2

"Now I draw!" Rainbow declared as she drew, "I activate Satellite Cannon Falcon's other ability! By removing one Overlay Unit (Raidraptor - Satellite Cannon Falcon: OLU 1 - 1 = 0), I can target your monster and it loses eight-hundred Attack Points for every 'Raidraptor' monster in my Graveyard! Now YOU count 'em up!" Shining Phoenix Enforcer suddenly felt extremely weak (Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer: ATK 4900 - 4000 = 900).

"HUUUUUUH?!?!" The students of Crystal Prep shouted as CHS cheered.

"Impressive, but Shining Phoenix Enforcer can't be destroyed by battle!" Enix said.

"True, but like you said before, you're still gonna take damage! Satellite Cannon Falcon! Blast his Life Points away!" Rainbow's monster locked on to its target and fired at Shining Phoenix Enforcer, and like Enix said, it wasn't destroyed, but he still felt the blast as his Runner went into a near full-on spin out (Enix: 4,300 - 2,100 = 2,200 LP), "And I'll tighten the screws a bit more! I play Rank-Up-Magic Skip Force!"

Rank-Up-Magic Skip Force
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 "Raidraptor" Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 "Raidraptor" monster that is 2 Ranks higher than that target, by using that target as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to that target also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned monster.) During your Main Phase, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card and 1 "Raidraptor" monster from your Graveyard, then target 1 "Raidraptor" Xyz Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.

"This card allows me to Overlay my 'Raidraptor' Xyz Monster and Xyz Summon a new 'Raidraptor' Xyz Monster that's two ranks higher than itself! Go, Rank Up Xyz Evolution!" Satellite Cannon Falcon turned into a swirling light and flew into an even greater red portal, which exploded, "With the space falcon cannon, I give rise to the ultimate rebellious avian! I Xyz Summon! Rank 10! Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon!!!" A colossal, majestic robotic bird appeared above Rainbow that was blue and gold all over its metallic body.

Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 10
Type: Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 3500
DEF: 2000
Effect: 3 Level 10 Winged Beast monsters
Unaffected by other cards' effects. You can detach 1 material from this card; for the rest of this turn, all monsters your opponent controls lose 1000 ATK, also your opponent cannot activate cards or effects. If this card has a "Raidraptor" monster as material, it gains this effect.
●Once per turn, during the End Phase: You can make all monsters your opponent controls lose 1000 ATK, also if your opponent controls no face-up monsters, inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.

"I'll end my turn with a facedown!" Rainbow concluded.

Turn 9: Enix - Hand: 1

"Not bad, but now it's my turn, I draw!" Enix drew his card.

"Ultimate Falcon's ability activated at the end of my turn! Your Enforcer loses 1,000 Attack Points!" Shining Phoenix Enforcer felt weak, as if he lost the will to go on (Elemental HERO Shining Phoenix Enforcer: ATK 900 - 1000 = 0).

"I'll switch my Enforcer to Defense Mode and that's it!" As Shining Phoenix Enforcer struggled itself into kneeling, the people of Crystal Prep began to jeer their "so-called second best".

Turn 10: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 1

"Man, you're gettin' desperate. Draw!" Rainbow drew.

"It's only a matter of time..." Enix suspiciously uttered.

"Whatev's. I play the Graceful Charity! I draw three new cards, then discard two!" Rainbow does so, but was careful about what she chose, "Since your defense is impenetrable right now, I'll end it there."

Turn 11: Enix - Hand: 2

"Here goes!" Enix drew as blue flame came off of the card, I don't remember putting this in my Deck...questions for later. "I play the Spell card Mask Charge!"

Mask Charge
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 "HERO" monster and 1 "Change" Quick-Play Spell Card in your Graveyard; add them to your hand.

"It lets me take one 'HERO' monster and one 'Change' Quick-Play Spell from my Graveyard and add it straight to my hand!" Enix added the two cards, "So welcome back, Elemental HERO Avian!" The winged bird hero makes a reappearance (1000/1000), "Next, I play the Quick-Play Spell, Mask Change, to change Avian into...Masked HERO Divine Wind!" A green hero with a white, flowing cape appeared next to Enix.

Masked HERO Divine Wind
Attribute: WIND
Level: 8
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2700
DEF: 1900
Effect: Must be Special Summoned with "Mask Change" and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. Cannot be destroyed by battle. Your opponent can attack with only 1 monster during each Battle Phase. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard: You can draw 1 card.

"Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Form Change!"

Form Change
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 "HERO" Fusion Monster you control; return it to the Extra Deck, then Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 "Masked HERO" monster with the same Level as that monster's original Level, but with a different name. (This Special Summon is treated as a Special Summon with "Mask Change".)

"By sending my Shining Phoenix Enforcer to the Extra Deck, I can summon another HERO to join the fray!" Enforcer disappeared in a shimmer of light, "I call forth, Masked HERO Koga!" In Enforcer's place, the light died down to reveal a different hero; he had golden and white armor and like the others before him, he wore a mask.

Masked HERO Koga
Attribute: LIGHT
Level: 8
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 1800
Effect: Must be Special Summoned with "Mask Change" and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card gains 500 ATK for each monster your opponent controls. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can banish 1 "HERO" monster from your Graveyard, then target 1 face-up monster on the field; that target loses ATK equal to the ATK of the monster banished to activate this effect, until the end of this turn.

"I activate one of Masked HERO Koga's special abilities! He gain five-hundred Attack Points for every monster you control on the field! (Masked HERO Koga: ATK 2500 + 1000 = 3500), "Now I activate his other ability! By banishing one 'HERO' monster from my Graveyard, your Ultimate Falcon loses the Attack Points of the monster I banished! I choose Anki!" Ultimate Falcon's power sudden took a massive nosedive (Raidraptor - Ultimate Falcon: ATK 3500 - 2800 = 700), "Now Divine Wind, attack Ultimate Falcon!" Divine Wind charged at Rainbow's monster.

"I activate Raidraptor - Readiness from my Graveyard! I take no damage this turn!"

"Even if you don't take damage, I'll still draw a card due to Divine Wind's ability." Enix stated as Ultimate Falcon exploded.

"Now I activate Raidraptor - Return!" One of Rainbow facedown cards flipped up.

Raidraptor - Return
Normal Trap Card
Effect: If a "Raidraptor" monster you control is destroyed by battle: Target 1 "Raidraptor" monster in your Graveyard; add it to your hand. If a face-up "Raidraptor" monster(s) you control is destroyed by card effect: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; add 1 "Raidraptor" card from your Deck to your hand. You can only use this effect of "Raidraptor - Return" once per turn.

"Since you destroyed my Falcon, I can add a 'Raidraptor' monster in my Graveyard and add it back to my hand! I choose Ultimate Falcon and return it to my Extra Deck!"

Enix drew his new card and the blue flames grew stronger this time, making him grunt in slight pain, "Just gotta hold out a little bit longer...I'll end my turn! See if you can counter my two new HERO monsters!"

Turn 12: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 2

"My draw!" Rainbow drew, "I play my Trap, Xyz Reborn!"

Xyz Reborn
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Target 1 Xyz Monster in your GY; Special Summon it, and if you do, attach this card to it as material.

"Now I bring back my Satellite Cannon Falcon and attach this Trap as an Overlay Unit!" With that, Satellite Cannon Falcon came back with one swirling light (3000/2000/OLU 1), "I activate Satellite Cannon Falcon's special ability! By removing the only Overlay Unit it has, I can lower your Koga's Attack Points!" Koga slumped forward as all his strength drained out of him (Masked HERO Koga: ATK 3500 - 4000 = 0), "Satellite Cannon Falcon, destroy Koga and win us this Duel!" Satellite Cannon Falcon charged up its attack and fired.

"Sorry, you're not getting rid of me that easily! I activate Koga's special ability to lower your monster's attack strength, by banishing my Phoenix Enforcer, your Falcon loses twenty-one hundred Attack Points!" Satellite Cannon Falcon's blast weakened quite a bit (Raidraptor - Satellite Cannon Falcon: ATK 3000 - 2100 = 900) as it blew up Koga and almost threw Enix off his Runner (Enix: 2,200 - 900 = 1,300 LP).

"Agggh!!" Enix groaned as the blue flames grew ever stronger, then he heard an ominous voice.

Play me! It is time we teach her!

"Who said that?!" Enix looked around wildly, then looked at his Deck, only to see ethereal blue flames growing on it, as if it was getting angrier and angrier, "I DRAW!! I play the Spell Card, Terraforming! It lets me add a Field Spell from my Deck to my hand, and I have the perfect one in mind...I play, the Field Spell, Clock Tower Prison!" Suddenly, a disturbingly dark clock tower had arisen from the center of the Duel Field.

Clock Tower Prison
Field Spell Card
Effect: Once per turn, during your opponent's Standby Phase: Place 1 Clock Counter on this card. While there are 4 or more Clock Counters on this card, you do not take any battle damage. If this card with 4 or more Clock Counters is destroyed and sent to the GY: Special Summon 1 "Destiny HERO - Dreadmaster" from your hand or Deck.

As the CHS students saw the tower rise up, and while they were intimidated by it, very few of them reacted to it the way Flash Sentry did, trembling in absolute fear, which Sunset noticed.

"Hey, Flash, what's wrong?" she asked him gently.

"I've seen that tower before...it was the night I landed in the hospital..." he answered, shakily.

"Hospital...?" it was then that it hit Sunset, "...Could Enix...really be...?"

"I must thank you, Rainbow Dash, for getting this far. I might even try my hardest against you. But know this: once you cross into MY domain..." Blue flames flashed in Enix's eyes, "THERE'S NO GOING BACK!!! I summon Destiny HERO - Doom Lord!!" An ominous-looking warrior with a cloak-like cape appeared atop the new clock tower.

Destiny HERO - Doom Lord
Attribute: DARK
Level: 3
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 600
DEF: 800
Effect: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; banish that target. You cannot declare an attack the turn you activate this effect. You must control this face-up Attack Position card to activate and to resolve this effect. The banished monster returns to the opponent's field during your 2nd Standby Phase after activation.

"Wait...Destiny HEROES?" Golden asked himself, "I remember one was used against me during my Duel with--" then it hit Golden as well, "...That bastard..."

Took you long enough to figure it out... Golden ignored his darkness and its snarky comment as he watched the Duel unfold.

"Now, Doom Lord, show them your true power." Doom Lord charges at Fiend Eagle.

"But wait! Fiend Eagle's Attack Points outmatch Doom Lord's!" Pinkie said, confused.

Doom Lord simply placed his hand on Fiend Eagle's face, and it vanished before everyone's eyes.

"WHAT THE?!?!" Rainbow shouted.

"In case you're wondering, Doom Lord sent your Eagle into the future. Which means...I have a LOT of wonderful abilities to show YOU!"

"Grrr!" Rainbow growled.

//This Duel has taken a turn for the worst! Rainbow Dash lost an Xyz Monster, and Enix has brought out some very disturbing creatures! These Duelists' next moves could decide the entire Games!//

Applejack grinned maliciously, THAT'S RIGHT! SHOW THEM WHO YOU REALLY ARE!! GIVE ME MORE ENIX! MORE!!!

Enix's flaming eyes grew brighter as he looked happily monstrous, "Bet you never saw THIS coming, did you?!"

Jack had made his way onto the Duel Field after leaving the locker room and saw Enix looking pretty scary, "This is not like him. I got a bad feeling Applejack SUI-871 did something to him..."

Chapter 11: The Tri-Duel Relay Part 4 (By Golden Flare)

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As the final Turbo Duel was taking place, things had taken a turn for the worst, or for the interesting, depending on how one views it; Rainbow Dash is down to one Xyz Monster and a few facedown cards, while Enix had somehow changed into a monstrous version of himself and used Destiny HEROES in his Deck, much like...the Phantom Swordsman. Every one of her friends seemed to realize this, but not Rainbow herself...not yet, anyway.

Rainbow Dash: 4,900 LP
Enix: 1,300 LP

Turn 13: Enix - Hand: 1

"It's still my turn, but sadly, since Doom Lord banished your monster, I can't attack this turn, I'll end it there."

Turn 14: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 3

"I draw!" Rainbow drew.

"Not so fast! Clock Tower Prison's effect activates! I add one Clock Counter to my Field Spell!" The clock tower chimed as the "I" of its clock face glowed a sickly green (Clock Tower Prison: Clock Counters 0 + 1 = 1), "Tell you what, I'll give you three turns, if you can't bring out a game changer, then your fate is sealed."

"Fine by me! I play Raidraptor - Necro Vulture in Defense Mode!" A purple and dark grey machine bird with a shadowy aura appeared next to Satellite Cannon Falcon.

Raidraptor - Necro Vulture
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Winged Beast/Effect
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1600
Effect: Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 "Raidraptor" monster, then target 1 "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell Card in your Graveyard; add it to your hand, also you cannot Xyz Summon for the rest of this turn, except with the effect of a "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell Card.

"With Necro Vulture's effect, I Tribute my Satellite Cannon Falcon to return a 'Rank-Up-Magic' Spell card from my Graveyard back to my hand! And I choose Rank-Up-Magic Doom Double Force!" Rainbow's Graveyard spat out the aforementioned card, and she added it to her hand, "I'll end my turn for now. Your go."

Turn 15: Enix - Hand: 1

"My turn!" Enix drew, "I summon Destiny HERO - Drilldark!" The monster with multiple drills adorning its body (1600/1200) made a new appearance in this Duel, and Golden knows it all too well.

"Tch. Should've known it was him." Golden mumbled.

Of COURSE you should've known!! That dude's been sketchy from day one of his being here!! Golden's darkness screamed in exasperation within his mind.

"I activate Drilldark's special ability! I Special Summon another Destiny HERO from my hand! So let's go, Destiny HERO - Celestial!" A man in a dark colored superhero suit with a strange double-axe-looking blade on his back appeared beside Drilldark.

Destiny HERO - Celestial
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1400
Effect: When this card declares an attack: You can target 1 face-up Spell your opponent controls; destroy it, and if you do, inflict 500 damage to your opponent. While you have no cards in your hand, except the turn this card was sent to the GY: You can banish this card and 1 "Destiny HERO" monster from your GY; draw 2 cards. You can only use this effect of "Destiny HERO - Celestial" once per turn.

"Now, Divine Wind, attack her Raidraptor - Necro Vulture!" The green hero attacked and destroyed the vulture with a powerful gust of wind, "Since I destroyed your monster, I can draw one card thanks to Divine Wind's ability!" Enix drew his new card, "Drilldark! Celestial! Deal some damage!" The aforementioned monsters went towards Rainbow and struck her, dwindling her Life Points (Rainbow Dash: 4,900 - 1,600 - 1,600 = 1,700 LP), "I'll end my turn with one face-down. Your time is RUNNING OUT!!"

Turn 16: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 4

"Rgh...My turn then! I draw!" Rainbow drew and got a good look at her new card, making her eyes widen in shock, This card...I hate to do this, but it might be my only shot!

"Before you do anything else, I activate Clock Tower Prison's effect, adding another Clock Counter!" The clock tower chimed twice this time as the "II" of its face now glowed a sickly green as well (Clock Tower Prison: Clock Counters 1 + 1 = 2).

"Fine! I'll start with a face-down card!" A card appeared face-down near Rainbow's Runner, "Then I summon Raidraptor - Avenge Vulture and end it there!" A face-down monster card appeared in front of Rainbow, protecting her and her vehicle.

Raidraptor - Avenge Vulture
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Winged Beast/Effect
ATK: 1700
DEF: 100
Effect: If you take damage: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, also you cannot Special Summon monsters from the Extra Deck for the rest of this turn, except "Raidraptor" monsters.

Turn 17: Enix - Hand: 0

"Pathetic. I draw! I summon Destiny HERO - Decider!" Another dark colored hero appeared, but this one looked almost like a demonic fish-man with two fins protruding out of the sides of his head and veins decorating its body.

Destiny HERO - Decider
Attribute: DARK
Level: 4
Type: Warrior/Effect
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1000
Effect: Level 6 or higher monsters your opponent controls cannot target this card for attacks. You can only use each of the following effects of "Destiny HERO - Decider" once per Duel.
●If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "HERO" monster from your GY to your hand during the End Phase of this turn.
●When a card or effect is activated that would inflict damage to you, while this card is in your GY (Quick Effect): Return this card to your hand, and if you do, make that effect damage to you 0.

"I activate Decider's special ability! I add one HERO from my Graveyard to my hand at the End Phase of the turn, but I'll Chain it with my Trap, D-Fusion!"

D-Fusion
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using monsters you control as Fusion Material, and if you do, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects this turn. Only "Destiny HERO" monsters can be used as Fusion Material for a Fusion Summon using this card's effect.

"With it, I fuse Destiny HERO - Doom Lord and Celestial!" The two warriors jumped into a dark-ish fusion portal, "With the lord of doom and the bladed warrior, I call upon one of the many heroes of destiny itself! I Fusion Summon! Level 8! Destiny HERO - Dystopia!!" Out of the fusion portal came another dark-like hero, but looked rather odd with dark energy in its hands.

Destiny HERO - Dystopia
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2400
Effect: 2 "Destiny HERO" monsters
If this card is Special Summoned: You can target 1 Level 4 or lower "Destiny HERO" monster in your GY; inflict damage to your opponent equal to that target's ATK. If this card's current ATK is different from its original ATK (except during the Damage Step) (Quick Effect): You can target 1 card on the field; destroy it, and if you do, this card's ATK becomes equal to this card's original ATK. You can only use each effect of "Destiny HERO - Dystopia" once per turn.

"I activate Dystopia's special ability! I can target one Destiny HERO monster in my Graveyard and inflict damage equal to that monster's Attack Points, and I choose Celestial!" Dystopia let loose with some of its dark energy and lashed out at Rainbow's Life Points as she struggled to stay on her Runner (Rainbow Dash: 1,700 - 1,600 = 100 LP), "Now, time to bring out my secret weapon!"

"'Secret weapon'?" CHS and CPA students and staff alike uttered aloud.

"This is exclusive to our Duel. I create my circuit! The summoning conditions are two 'HERO' monsters! I send Destiny HERO - Drilldark and Decider to the Link Markers!" The two monsters went into a circuit board as up and down arrows, "You've seen Elemental HEROES, Masked HEROES, and my Destiny HEROES! This archetype is the first step to my guaranteed victory! I Link Summon! Appear, Link 2! Xtra HERO Wonder Driver!" This time, a different hero appears; it was blue, wearing a sort of mage's robe and wielding a shimmering staff.

Xtra HERO Wonder Driver
Attribute: LIGHT
Arrowheads: North, South
Type: Warrior/Link/Effect
ATK: 1900
LINK: 2
Effect: 2 "HERO" monsters
If a "HERO" monster is Normal or Special Summoned to your zone this card points to: Target 1 "Polymerization" Spell Card, 1 "Fusion" Spell Card, or 1 "Change" Quick-Play Spell Card in your GY; Set that target. You can only activate this effect of "Xtra HERO Wonder Driver" once per turn. If this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY, or if this card in your possession is destroyed by an opponent's card effect and sent to your GY: Special Summon 1 "HERO" monster from your hand.

"WWWWHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTT?!?!?!" The whole crowd went absolutely nuts at the revelation that their second best can Link Summon.

"I activate Wonder Driver's special ability! I can target one Polymerization, one Fusion card, or one Change Quick-Play Spell in my Graveyard and Set it face-down on my field! I choose Form Change!" A new Set card was placed near Enix's Runner.

"This is bad..." Golden said.

OBVIOUSLY!!! Golden's dark half screamed in his head.

"I'm just getting started!"

"Seriously?!" Golden and the Rainbooms shouted.

"I create my circuit! The summoning conditions are two or more HERO monsters! I'll send Wonder Driver and Divine Wind to the Link Markers!" With that, Wonder Driver split into two as he counted as two monsters with its Link number, and he and Divine Wind flew into all three of the lower arrows, "AAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!" Enix screamed in absolution as a sword symbol marked itself on the back of his left hand, "I LINK SUMMON! LINK 3! XTRA HERO DREAD DECIMATOR!!!" A new hero appeared from the circuit board; it appeared to be heavily armored with horns on his helmet and wielding a massive rocket launcher.

Xtra HERO Dread Decimator
Attribute: DARK
Arrowheads: Southwest, South, and Southeast
Type: Warrior/Link/Effect
ATK: 2500
LINK: 3
Effect: 2+ "HERO" monsters
This card, also any "HERO" monsters it points to, gains 100 ATK for each "HERO" monster with different names in your GY. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage.

"I activate Dread Decimator's special ability!"

"I don't like where this is going!" Golden said in worry.

"Dread Decimator gains one-hundred Attack Points for each HERO in my Graveyard!"

"Wait a minute! EVERY HERO in Enix's Graveyard?"

"Yes," Sunset began, "and count 'em all together with Dread Decimator’s current power level and you got..."

"Thirteen-hundred additional attack power!" Dread Decimator began to glow in a dangerous light (Xtra HERO Dread Decimator: ATK 2500 + 1300 = 3800), "Now, Dread Decimator, attack Avenge Vulture, and win this Duel!!" Dread Decimator charged at the mecha bird with purpose.

"She can't survive another attack!" Golden yelled.

Rainbow grit her teeth, I have to use it NOW! "I activate the Trap, Last Turn!"

Last Turn
Normal Trap Card
Effect: This card can only be activated during your opponent's turn when your Life Points are 1000 or less. Select 1 monster on your side of the field and send all other cards on the field and in their respective owners' hands to their respective Graveyards. After that, your opponent selects and Special Summons 1 monster from their Deck in face-up Attack Position and attacks your selected monster. (Any Battle Damage from this battle is treated as 0.) The player whose monster remains alone on the field at the End Phase of this turn wins the Duel. Any other case results in a DRAW.

"I can only activate this card during my opponent's turn and as long as my Life Points are a thousand or below! I choose one monster on my field to keep and all other cards to back to the owner's hands and Graveyards! Yup, even yours Enix!"

Enix just growled as the entire field was cleared save for one monster, Avenge Vulture.

"Now, Enix, you need to Special Summon one monster from your Deck in Attack Mode and attack my Vulture! And this time, Life Points don't matter! This is the final knockout drag out! Last monster standing wins!"

"There's only one card I'd choose: Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude!" Another new hero appeared; like the rest, he was dressed darkly, but this one had literal diamonds protruding from all over his body.

"Wait! Enix! You FOOL!!" Cinch proclaimed, realizing her second best student just made a colossal blunder.

"I activate Diamond Dude's effect! I excavate the top card of my Deck, and if it's a Normal Spell Card, it goes to the Graveyard, but if it's not, it goes to the bottom of my Deck instead!" Enix picks up the card and looks at it, which was Magical Stone Excavation and sent it to his Graveyard.

Magical Stone Excavation
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Discard 2 cards, then target 1 Spell in your GY; add it to your hand.

"If I'm losing, then I'm going out..." The blue flames surrounding Enix began to subside, "...With a bang! Diamond Dude! Let's show 'em what we're made of!" Diamond Dude charged fist first at Avenge Vulture, only to be blasted away by a laser cannon in the bird's mouth, destroying him.

WINNER: Rainbow Dash
New Accomplishment Earned: Huh? It's Over Already?
"Win a Duel with an Instant Win in Ranked Duel Mode."

Enix's Duel Runner displayed multiple X's on his screen as the machine spew steam and smoke while grinding to a stop next to Rainbow, who threw off her helmet and jumped up and down in absolute victory.

"CANTERLOT WINS!!" Cadence declared, making CHS cheer with Rainbow while CPA looked on in disbelief.

Just then, Enix seemed unresponsive...then he, along with his Runner toppled to the ground with his cards scattering, shocking everyone...well, ALMOST everyone.

Cinch simply looked extremely pissed that Enix lost, but Cadence recovered fast enough to say, "Attention students, please report to the gym. Someone bring in a medic! Enix looks hurt!"

As Enix was being carried away via medical stretcher, Golden and the others were celebrating with Rainbow, up until Golden pointed something out to them.

"But still...Enix was usually so calm and collected, and yet he went berserk during the Turbo Duel...maybe he was showing us his true colors? You know, as the infamous Phantom Swordsman?"

"Wait, HE was the Phantom Swordsman?!" Rainbow asked in shock, making Golden facepalm.

"I don't think so," Sunset began, "didn't you see how he was glowing blue and the ethereal-looking flames surrounding him? That doesn't look like any magic I've seen, and I don't think the Barian Numbers would make a big show out of possessing someone. Remember how Trixie went berserk?"

Golden and Pinkie both shuddered, "Yeah, don't remind us." They spoke in unison, then stared at each other for a moment before blushing while looking away.

"Normally, that's the case for guys like you..."

They all turned to the new voice, and saw someone who looked like a dead-ringer for Enix, but wearing purple instead of green.

"But Enix has a...certain Skill."

"Skill? You mean, from Speed Duels?" Golden asked.

"That, and Action Duels."

"But, you can't use Skills in Action Duels, that's what the Action Cards are for."

"True. If I were you guys...I'd get ready for the next event."

With that, the newcomer began to leave, but stopped to say one last thing:

"Oh, Enix wanted me to pass on a message when the Duel started..."

Golden and the Rainbooms leaned in to hear him.

"Watch your backs. And start thinking about who your friends REALLY are."

The newcomer finally left them with a lot to process...

Just as the others were making their way to the gym, Applejack stayed behind for a moment and stared at where the newcomer, whom she knows as Jack, has wandered off to. He knows more than he's letting. And she can't allow that. Not when she's so close.

She pulled out her handgun as it was wreathed with the same blue flames that corrupted Enix and her eyes changed once again from green to dark blue, "Sorry, purple boy...ya'll just found out way too much..."

Chapter 12: The Final 1v1 Duel - Golden vs Isaac (By ShootingStar25)

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The situation was as is, with Rainbow pulling off a miracle comeback, she was able to barely defeat Enix, Crystal Prep's second top Duelist, and secure the win for Canterlot High. That being said, the score was now one-to-one. And after the Turbo Duel between the two participations, everyone was asked to regroup and take a break so that things could be set up for the final event.

Golden and the rest of the Team CHS gathered in a classroom to discuss what to do.

"It's obvious that I'm the one who should participate!" said Rainbow as she felt it was her right to go into the final event of the Friendship Games. "I just won my Duel. So hands down, I should be the one to Duel again!"

"Rainbow, fer once, can ya put yer ego aside?!" said Applejack as she got in the face of her friend/rival. "This ain't about you! It's about choosing someone who can give us the best chance o’ winnin'!"

"And you think you're the best, AJ?! You may have won your Duel, but it was against someone I could Duel in my sleep! I had a tougher opponent, which is automatically better than yours!"

"Can we please focus!?!" shouted Sunset as she got everyone's attention.

"Sunset's right. Arguing amongst ourselves isn't going to do much of anything," Astral stated as he was sitting on a window with an arm resting on his knee.

"As we speak, Crystal Prep is making fun of us! They probably think we can't determine who should participate in the final event without trying to rip each other apart!"

"So, what's the plan?" asked Pinkie, who sat at a student desk.

"Well, the final event for the Friendship Games is a one-on-one Duel…" said Golden, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

"If we're gonna have the best chance possible, we need to think carefully about who we want...we only get one chance," said Sunset.

"Fine. Then let's talk about it. Who among us is gonna be the one?" asked Rainbow as she leaned over and gripped the teacher's desk while looking at Sunset.

"Well..." said the girl as she began to think. "Pinkie and Astral didn't win their Duel. No offense, guys."

"None taken. I’m just glad to have made it this far." said Astral.

"Now...Applejack, you and Golden won your Duels. I...couldn't. But I didn't lose either. So I doubt it should be me."

"So that leaves us with half the field," said Golden as he looked over at Rainbow and Applejack.

"Well, if Ah'm being honest, Ah'm thinking ‘bout who they might select. I doubt Enix will compete, so that only leaves one person left. And I don't think my Deck can compete with it. So...I'm pulling out." said AJ.

"Then it's between me and you," said Rainbow as she turned to look at Golden.

Neither said anything, as both had their own thoughts running through their head. Sunset soon approached Rainbow and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Rainbow. Undoubtedly, you could win this final Duel, and I'd also like to think I could. But...we both know it can't be either of us, except for one person."

The bacon-haired girl turned her attention to the boy leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The others soon followed her lead.

"Yeah, this was what I was afraid of…" sighed the boy.

"You're the best chance out of all of us. You need to be the one," stated Sunset.

The girl tried to convince her friend as Golden sighed deeply. The thoughts of his prior Duel against Lemon Zest came rushing back to him.

No matter what happens, I CANNOT use those Dark Chip cards. They’re too dangerous. My mind’s almost halfway gone already.

Yeah, good luck with THAT.

Get outta my head.

Eat it, kid. We’re inseparable now.

Says the dark voice in my head.

Yeah, but you’re still talking to me, instead of doing the logical thing and ignoring me. Quit fooling yourself. The darkness will always be a part of you. It is time you accepted that truth.

While CHS was divulging who they should choose, Crystal Prep was also doing the same. However, for the woman, she had no doubt who would represent them. At first, she had banked on Enix being their representative, but after the defeat at the hands of Rainbow, the woman knew she had to take drastic measures. Which meant she had to do whatever it took to win.

Finding her champion didn't take long, as he was in the room with the others. Isaac was shown shuffling his cards and doing sleight-of-hand tricks as he was trying to calm his mind. The boy shuffled his cards, creating a long trail of cards being tossed between his hands as it was visible. He closed his hands as his Deck disappeared just as the woman's shadow loomed over him.

"I believe you know what this is about," said Principal Cinch.

"Yeah," responded the boy as he made a card appear with the flick of his wrist. He bounced it off his wrist before catching it between his fingers.

"And you know what that means."

Isaac stopped his card tricks as he turned to look at the woman.

"The time has come. I promised you a showdown, and you have the chance. A chance on their biggest stage and in front of his loyal companions. Picture it...two of the best Duelists, throwing down in one final winner-take-all, high-stakes Duel. Isn't that the kind of scenario everyone would like? Riding on the edge, full throttle, with everything to lose and everything to gain." stated Cinch. "Well...you have the opportunity. All you have to do is face off in one more Duel, and I promise you, you'll get everything you've ever wanted."

"You sure you want me?" asked the boy to the woman.

"Positive. Nobody else has what it takes," said Cinch as she looked at Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare; despite them being the only ones who won, her best option was to go with the boy and his Deck of Spellcasters.

Isaac didn't fully believe the woman's words as he glanced at Sour Sweet and Sunny Flare. The two girls eyed the boy as they seemed to understand Cinch's explanation and believed he was their best chance to take down their rivals. The teen looked back at Cinch, who kept her smile as he sighed.

"Very well," said Isaac as he flicked his hand, and his entire deck appeared in his palm.

The two girls and Cinch smiled after hearing the boy's answer.

Twilight had remained in the library for quite a while. After Isaac left for his Duel with Sunset, the girl tried to get her bearings together. Though, the sting of defeat couldn't be waved off so easily. Twilight had a lot riding on her; she didn't care about being ranked as Crystal Prep's Top Duelist regarding wins and losses, but she failed to please Principal Cinch. Now the girl was starting to really think about her skills as a Duelist. Safe to say, the girl's confidence level was rocked to her very core.

The girl could hear the sounds of students from the nearby window as everyone was gathered back onto the field for the final event of the Friendship Games. Twilight didn't feel like attending, as her teammates would only remind her how she dropped the ball. At this point, the bookworm just wanted to be alone. Find some quiet place and hope everybody will forget about her, at least for now. She may have been an invisible person at Crystal Prep, but everybody would know her now after a display like that. The teen shifted her position as she looked to get out of her chair when something fell.

The girl looked down as a Duel Monsters card was shown by her feet. Twilight slowly bent down with her hand reaching out as she grabbed the card.

"What's this?" said the bookworm as she brought the card up to her face and flipped it over to see it.

At that moment, something happened to the girl, and she gasped. Her body shook as she couldn't move and was entranced by the card's image. Her glasses fell off, and her hair bun became undone as it fell past her shoulders like a majestic waterfall.

"Let the Barian Number take hold. Let go of your fears and embrace the darkness, Twilight."

"Let go?" said the girl as she felt her grip of resistance slowly fading.

"Let the Barian Number take hold. Let go. And you will get everything you deserve."

"Everything...I deserve..." the girl said as the last bit of her mind succumbed to the darkness.

"Where is that nerd?!" said Indigo Zap.

The athlete was looking to give the bookworm a piece of her mind for screwing them over by losing. With everybody being distracted by the main event, she could confront the girl without anybody interrupting or even witnessing. The only problem is where she managed to run off crying.

"Maybe I should’ve asked that geek Isaac where the nerd was," muttered Indigo.

She turned the corner when she spotted her target. Twilight was shown exiting the library and heading toward the school's entrance. The girl still had her hair down and she put back on her glasses.

"Found her. Shoulda known she'd be in a place like the library. It's the loser's only home." Indigo began to follow her classmate.

Twilight was heading toward the school's entrance as she pushed through the doors and began to walk. Indigo was behind her as she called out to the girl.

"Hey, nerd!" shouted Indigo.

Twilight stopped at hearing Indigo. She slowly turned her head as, despite looking normal, there was a hint of darkness in her eyes. The two girls stared at each other as Indigo addressed the lavender-haired girl.

"Listen here! This whole thing is all your fault! We wouldn't even be going into the final event if you had just won. We would've already nailed the whole thing!" shouted Indigo as she was shown activating her Duel Disk. "Hope you're ready 'cause I'll teach you a lesson about what happens to failures at Crystal Prep!"

Twilight merely smirked as the darkness controlling her began to emit from her. She then showed her arm as her Duel Disk was activated and projected a purple card tray to match that of Indigo's dark blue.

"You can try!" said Twilight as there was a hint of bass in her voice as the darkness inside was taking control.

The number 66 appeared on the back of Twilight's right hand, while the number 39 appeared on the left side of Indigo's collarbone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the final event of the Friendship Games!" said Principal Celestia as she got the attention of everybody.

Sunset and the others were seated on the side, as was the rest of Crystal Prep's team. The two sides now selected their participants to do battle, like a quickdraw in the old west; with both opponents at the ready, once the dust settled, only one outlaw would remain, so to speak.

"With the score tied, this last event will determine the winner. And the final event is a one-on-one Duel!" said Vice-Principal Luna. "Each side has been tasked with selecting one Duelist from their team to represent them in this epic clash. And it has been revealed."

The woman pointed to the screen as it showcased the portraits of Golden Flare and Isaac. The two Duelists were shown on the field as they stood a great distance from opposite sides. Golden pulled his Deck out of his pocket and slid it into his Duel Pad.

"The time has finally come," said the boy to himself.

Isaac flicked his wrist as a single card appeared sideways between his fingers. When he turned it to face forward, it pulled back to reveal his entire Deck as he slotted it in his Duel Disk.

"Let's see who the top Duelist really is," said the teen.

The two opponents activated their Duel Disk and Duel Pad as they stared the other down. Everybody watched the two teens, they were about to engage in a final showdown, and in the end, only one Duelist would remain.

"Let the Duel...BEGIN!" shouted Luna.

//Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.// said the A.I.

"Let's Duel!" shouted both boys.

Golden Flare: 8,000 LP
Isaac: 8,000 LP

The two portraits appeared on the big screen for all as it began to go back and forth between them. Soon it stopped as Golden's was highlighted, indicating the turn order.

Turn 1: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"I'll kick things off. I draw!" shouted Golden as he drew his card. "I'll start by summoning my NumberMan.EXE (900/900)." A humanoid robot with a blinking light bulb for a head appeared on the field. "Then I'll activate its ability. Once per turn, I can roll a die, and whatever number it lands on, you take 100 points of damage multiplied by that number. Go, Doom Dice!" stated Golden Flare as a die appeared before him. The die was tossed as it landed on a six. "Nice! Say goodbye to 600 of your Life Points!" The die let loose a massive explosion in Isaac's general area, creating a simulated dust cloud as his Life Points began to drop (Isaac: 8,000 - 600 = 7,400 LP).

Despite the explosion, the boy didn't flinch.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" taunted Isaac.

"Kinda," Golden shrugged his shoulders and set a card, "I'll set one card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 2: Isaac - Hand: 5

"Psh. Is that all? Fine then, it's my turn!" scoffed Isaac as he drew his card.

"Hold up, I'm activating my NumberMan's ability again!" smiled Golden. "Now, Doom Dice!" smirked the boy as another die appeared. It was tossed as a four appeared. The teen smiled as another explosion occurred (Isaac: 7,400 - 400 = 7,000 LP).

"Nice, he's got an early lead!" smiled Rainbow.

"Yeah, but Isaac isn't worried." stated Sunset.

True to the girl's statement, Isaac merely dusted his shoulder as he shrugged off Golden's effect.

"Now then...I'll begin by playing my Berry Magician Girl (400/400)!" A small magician appeared; she had a wand and a pacifier in her mouth as she made sucking sounds. She soon landed on Isaac's shoulder as the boy smiled and tickled the baby's tummy. "When I summon her, I can add a different 'Magician Girl' from my Deck to my hand. And I know which one; I choose my Apple Magician Girl." The boy's card slid out for him to grab. "Next, I'll play one card face-down and end my turn."

Both boys tested the waters of their opponents, as neither were going hard from the start. However, based on their moves, it was now a matter of who would kick things off.

Turn 3: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

"That’s it? I was expecting more." retorted Golden as he drew his card. "Let me show you how to Duel. First, the effect of my NumberMan.EXE allows me to add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell card to my hand. So I'll take this one, Battle Chip - HeroSwrd!" Golden's Duel Pad ejected his card as his deck was auto-shuffled. "Next, I activate my monster's ability. Go, Doom Dice!" Another die was tossed as it tumbled along the ground. However, it resulted in a one.

"Looks like your luck ran out!" taunted Isaac.

"Either way, you're still taking damage!" said Golden as he couldn't believe his luck turned rotten. Another , yet much smaller, explosion occurs, and, once again, Isaac doesn't flinch (Isaac: 7,000 - 100 = 6,900 LP).

"Geez, this guy must have nerves of steel." said Rainbow.

"That's the best you can do?!" shouted Isaac.

"Now you're getting on my nerves. I equip my Spell onto my monster, which gives 2,000 extra Attack Points and can inflict piercing damage!" A shining and grand sword appeared before the humanoid monster; he grabbed it and felt the power surge through it (NumberMan.EXE: ATK 900 + 2000 = 2900). "Now, NumberMan, attack his Berry Magician Girl!"

"I activate my Berry Magician Girl's special ability. When she becomes the target of an attack, I can change her to Defense Mode and summon a 'Magician Girl' from my Deck. So Chocolate Magician Girl (1600/1000), make your presence known!" shouted Isaac as a piece of chocolate appeared before it shined; when it died down, there was another female sorceress who winked and struck a pose.

"You may have a new monster, but my NumberMan still attacks your Berry Magician Girl. And thanks to my Spell, you'll take some big damage!" stated Golden.

"You think I wasn't prepared for that move? Reveal, Magical Dimension!" shouted Isaac as his face-down flipped up, and a sarcophagus appeared.

Magical Dimension
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: If you control a Spellcaster monster: Target 1 monster you control; Tribute that target, then Special Summon 1 Spellcaster monster from your hand, then you can destroy 1 monster on the field.

"Berry Magician Girl, lend me your strength so I can summon...Dark Magician (2500/2100)!"

"No way!" said Golden as, in a flash of light, Isaac had his top monster already on the field.

"And with his arrival comes your monster's destruction!" stated Isaac.

The sarcophagus sucked in the boy's baby Spellcaster as it closed before opening and revealing his top magician. The coffin closed again as the hole in the middle shot an energy beam that took out Golden's monster, leaving the boy defenseless.

"You thought you were in control? I was twelve steps ahead of you!" smiled Isaac.

"Oh, that's not good.” stated Sunset as she saw that Golden had fallen for Isaac's trap.

“…I end my turn,” said Golden.

Turn 4: Isaac - Hand: 3

"It's my move! And I'll start by activating the Field Spell, Magician Salvation!" stated Isaac as the entire field around him and Golden changed. The pair were now on a cosmic playing field as everybody watched from behind the veil.

Magician Salvation
Field Spell Card
Effect: When this card is activated: You can Set 1 "Eternal Soul" directly from your Deck. If you Normal or Special Summon "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" (except during the Damage Step): You can target 1 of those monsters; Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl" from your GY, with a different name than that monster. You can only use this effect of "Magician's Salvation" once per turn. You can only activate 1 "Magician's Salvation" per turn.

"Thanks to this Field Spell, I can set one 'Eternal Soul' from my deck." The card slid out from his deck as he grabbed it, and it appeared face-down in front of him.

Eternal Soul
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: Every "Dark Magician" in your Monster Zone is unaffected by your opponent's card effects. If this face-up card leaves the field: Destroy all monsters you control. You can only use the following effect of "Eternal Soul" once per turn. You can activate 1 of these effects;
●Special Summon 1 "Dark Magician" from your hand or GY.
●Add 1 "Dark Magic Attack" or "Thousand Knives" from your Deck to your hand.

"Now, I activate my Chocolate Magician Girl's ability. So by sending one Spellcaster in my hand to the Graveyard, I can draw a different card to replace it!" stated Isaac as he sent away one of the cards he was holding before he drew. "Now, Dark Magician, attack!"

"You're not the only one who thought ahead! I reveal my face-down, Battle Chip - FullCust! With this card, since I control an '.EXE' monster, I can end your turn altogether!" stated Golden Flare as Isaac's monster stopped dead in its tracks.

"Like that's supposed to scare me. Go ahead and take your turn!" stated Isaac.

Turn 5: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"Gladly. It’s my move! I draw!" said the boy as he drew his card and looked at his hand. "I'll begin by using my two Pendulum cards, Scale 1 GutsMan.EXE and Scale 8 JunkMan.EXE!" Golden placed both cards on the far end of this tray with the word PENDULUM spelled out between them to signal that it worked. The two monsters rose in columns of light as their respective numbers appeared in front of them.

"Now that I have my Pendulum Scale all set up, I can summon monsters from Level 2 through 7. Next, I'll summon MegaMan.EXE (1900/1500)!" A blue and yellow armored man with a strange symbol on his chest appeared on the field, sporting a blaster where one of his hands should be. "MegaMan, take out his Chocolate Magician Girl! Mega Buster!" Golden Flare's monster aimed his blaster at his target, and it was taken out in one shot (Isaac: 6,900 - 300 = 6,600 LP).

"I end my turn." stated Golden.

Turn 6: Isaac - Hand: 2

"Now you're just getting desperate," said Isaac as he drew, "Dark Magician, attack his MegaMan!" The wizard heard the command of his master as he aimed his staff and fired a spell that took out Golden's monster (Golden Flare: 8,000 - 600 = 7,400 LP).

"I end my turn."

Turn 7: Golden Flare - Hand: 3

"My move," stated Golden as he drew his card. "I summon AquaMan.EXE (1200/1600) in Defense Mode." A small blue robot with two antennas appeared, "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 8: Isaac - Hand: 3

"Run out of moves to make? Don't worry, I'm about to put you out of your misery!" stated Isaac as he drew, "Dark Magician, get rid of his puny little monster!"

"My ‘puny little monster’ has a special ability. By discarding a 'Battle Chip' Spell from my hand, my monster can avoid being destroyed!" declared Golden as he sent away one of his cards; his monster managed to survive the attack from Isaac's magician.

"You think you're smart? You may have saved your monster from being destroyed, but I see what's really going on! It just costs you one of your cards, and just based on your last few moves, you don't have anything that's a serious threat to me." stated Isaac. Golden didn't answer as he looked away with a “Tch”, which his opponent saw, and smiled.

"Meanwhile, I've got tons of support to work with. Check this out! I play Swords of Revealing Light!" shouted Isaac, holding his card up high. From the heavens came three giant light swords that embedded themselves onto Golden's side of the field. "Thanks to this, you can't attack for three turns."

"Ah, no! That's not good!" said Applejack as their friend was in a bind.

"Golden may have started strong, but it cost him some of his best cards early on. Now Isaac, who's been patient and willing to take some damage early on, is in command and just rendered Golden from attacking." stated Sunset.

"I end my turn. Let's see if you can do anything!" taunted Isaac.

Turn 9: Golden Flare - Hand: 1

"Oh, I’ll do more than that. It's my turn. I draw. And thanks to my AquaMan's ability, I can add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell card to my hand during my Standby Phase. So I'll take this one, Battle Chip - Barr200!" said the boy as his card slid out for him to grab with his deck being auto-shuffled after that. “And following that, I'll sacrifice my AquaMan to Tribute Summon my FireMan.EXE (2100/1500)!" The small blue robot burst into flames as the water evaporated and revealed a warrior with a red color scheme and a torch for a head, with his flamethrowers where his fists should be bursting with flames. "I'll then equip my Battle Chip - Barr200 onto my FireMan. Then I'll activate FireMan's special ability, I can target one monster you control, and you take damage equal to half its Attack Points!" Golden's monster fired a stream of flames as it headed toward Isaac, who blocked it with his Duel Disk; the boy could feel the heat of the flames as they soon ended (Isaac: 6,600 - 1,250 = 5,350 LP).

"Pff," scoffed Isaac.

"What?!" said Golden.

"Here I thought you were the best Duelist. Yet, all you've done is chip my Life Points away instead of outright attacking!"

"It's working, isn’t it?!" retorted Golden as he was in the lead because of all the chip damage he was doing.

"Where I come from, you take somebody down like a true Duelist."

"Really? Because last time I checked, where you come from is a school full of students with more money than brains or talent! I'll end my turn!" taunted Golden, who tried not to let Isaac's words get to him and also ticked off the Crystal Prep students in the stands further (Swords of Revealing Light: 0 + 1 = 1 Turn Since Activation).

Turn 10: Isaac - Hand: 3

"My turn, and I'll play the Spell card, Graceful Charity. So I draw three cards and discard two," stated Isaac as he drew and selected the cards to get rid of, "Next, I play my Magic Formula to raise my Dark Magician's Attack Points by 700 (Dark Magician: ATK 2500 + 700 = 3200)!"

Magic Formula
Equip Spell Card
Effect: Equip only to "Dark Magician" or "Dark Magician Girl". It gains 700 ATK. If this card is sent from the field to the GY: Gain 1000 LP.

"And now...Dark Magician, attack his FireMan!"

"Thanks to my FireMan having BattleChip - Barr200 equipped, it can avoid being destroyed in battle!" stated Golden.

"But you still take damage!" declared Isaac as his attack still made contact and hit Golden (Golden Flare: 7,400 - 1,100 = 6,300 LP).

"My Equip Spell may be destroyed, but you take 200 points of damage!" stated Golden as he chipped away some more of Isaac's Life Points (Isaac: 5,350 - 200 = 5,150 LP).

"You gonna face me like a man?!" shouted Isaac.

Turn 10: Golden Flare - Hand: 1

"Ah, bite me!" growled Golden as he drew, "Now, because of my FireMan's ability, I can add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell to my hand during my Standby Phase! So I'll add my Battle Chip - FireSwrd!" stated the boy as he drew.

"Now..."

Golden suddenly found himself stopping from what he was about to say. The boy looked over at Isaac as he stared down his opponent with a cool, calm look. It seemed the look from his rival affected Golden as he recalled the words he heard from Isaac.

What are you doing? Activate FireMan's ability and deal him damage again!

"No," said Golden to himself, "This whole match, my goal was, not only to help my friends win, but also to prove to everybody that I'm the best. And...to be the best...you have to beat the best!" stated the boy as he stared back at his foe, "Isaac's right. Chipping him down is no way to win. I've never taken the easy road before…and I won't start now!"

"What's Golden doing? Even if he can't attack, he can still damage Isaac's Life Points thanks to his FireMan's ability!" said Rainbow as she was confused why the boy didn't do that.

"Yeah, but...who wants that?" said Sunset.

"Are you kidding? Damage is damage. And a win is still a win!" stated Rainbow as she responded to her friend.

"We know, Dash. But keep in mind, when it comes to a Duel, the plan you initially start with changes." said Applejack.

"Sure, I know it looks like Golden is letting Isaac off the hook by not chipping at his Life Points. Even pitying him. But that's not the case at all." Sunset tries to explain.

"Then what is it?!” shouted Rainbow at her bacon-haired friend.

"Winning isn't about some technicality. It's taking down your opponent like a true Duelist. That's why Golden has decided not to activate his monster's ability. Sure, he wants to win; we all do, but we want to truly win. That's what separates us from Crystal Prep. They may want to win at all costs, but for us, winning is doing your best and saying you won due to your own skills." said Sunset with a smile.

"I...guess you’re right." said Rainbow as she understood what Sunset said, and the others smiled.

"Alright, Isaac. If I'm gonna beat you, I'm gonna beat you my own way, without the coward’s way out!" declared Golden.

"Yeah, then go for it!" smiled Isaac.

"Alright, I'll activate the Pendulum ability of my GutsMan! If there's a '.EXE' monster in my other Pendulum Zone, I can add a 'Battle Chip' Spell to my hand. Then I'll also activate my JunkMan's Pendulum ability. It lets me add a 'Battle Chip' Trap to my hand!" Golden's two cards slid out to grab as he looked at his opponent.

"I'll end my turn for now!" (Swords of Revealing Light: 1 + 1 = 2 Turns Since Activation)

Turn 11: Isaac - Hand: 3

"Now we're talking!" said Isaac as he drew his card and looked at it. "And it seems this Duel is telling us something. I play my Card of Sanctity! Now we draw till we're holding six cards in our hands!"

"Fine by me! I'll take free cards any time!" said Golden with a smile.

Both boys drew as they replenished their hands.

"Now, Dark Magician, attack his FireMan!"

"I reveal my face-down. Battle Chip - Mine!" stated Golden. "Since you declared an attack, I can not only negate it. But your monster is destroyed!" An explosion occurred as Isaac's magician was gone.

"He may be gone, but I reveal my face-down, Eternal Soul. Thanks to this Trap, my Dark Magician gets to come back."

"Not quite! Cause I activate the Pendulum ability of my JunkMan. Whenever you activate a Trap Card, I can negate and destroy it!" said Golden as he stopped Isaac's attempt to bring back his monster.

"This could be a problem," muttered Isaac as he saw his card disappear, "When Magic Formula was destroyed, I gained 1,000 Life Points!" Isaac felt his Life Points replenished themselves (Isaac: 5,150 + 1,000 = 6,150 LP), "Next, I summon Apple Magician Girl (1200/800)!" A flying apple appeared before it vanished, revealing another female magician as she took her position before her master. "Alright, if you and your monsters are so tough, let's see if you can take her down!" declared Isaac as he set a card and ended his turn.

Turn 12: Golden Flare - Hand: 6

"You fight me with fruit girls? Don't insult me! I draw!” said Golden toward his opponent. "Now, FireMan's ability allows me to get another 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell. And following that, I'll activate the Pendulum ability of my GutsMan to add another Spell to my hand." Golden grabbed the cards he requested, as he now had some options, "First, it's time I get rid of your Swords of Revealing Light. I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" A giant wind blew over the field, sweeping away the shining light swords. "Now that I'm free to attack, I'll equip my FireMan with Battle Chip - FireSwrd to raise his attack by 1,000!" A flaming sword attached itself to Golden's monster as its strength rose (FireMan.EXE: ATK 2100 + 1000 = 3100).

"Then I summon my ProtoMan.EXE (1900/1700). And equip him with Battle Chip - AquaSwrd to give him 1,000 extra Attack Points AND make him a WATER-Attribute monster!" stated Golden. A red warrior appeared wielding a sword as he traded his old weapon for a new one with water as the blade to boost his strength (ProtoMan.EXE: ATK 1900 + 1000 = 2900) and change his element (ProtoMan.EXE: LIGHT > WATER).

"Now, FireMan, attack his Apple Magician Girl!" said the boy.

"Thanks, because when Apple Magician Girl is attacked, she can bring out her friend! And this friend's bound to leave a sour taste in your mouth. She's Lemon Magician Girl (800/600) in Defense Mode! And your monster's attack is diverted to her! But that's not all; she cuts the strength of your Attack Points in half! Try making lemonade out of that!" shouted Isaac.

Apple Magician Girl cast a spell that caused a giant lemon to appear in her hands, and when the spell was finished, it started to be surrounded by a white light as the fruit opened up and revealed Isaac's second monster. She looked at her friend and her master before giving them a nod and jumped in front of the attack, and pointed her wand at Golden's monster as it drained it of its attack and power (FireMan.EXE: ATK 3100 ÷ 2 = 1550).

"There's more. Like Apple Magician Girl, Lemon Magician Girl also calls up her friend! The one and only, Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700)!" Isaac summoned his second-best Spellcaster; she then jumped in front of her fellow magicians as she was now the new target of Golden's monster. "Zap away FireMan's Attack Points!" Isaac's Dark Magician Girl then fired a blast from her wand, which reduced Golden's monster even more (FireMan.EXE: ATK 1550 ÷ 2 = 775) and was destroyed by Isaac's Spellcaster counteracting (Golden Flare: 6,300 - 1,225 = 5,075 LP). Once her target was destroyed, Dark Magician Girl floated before Isaac, smiling at him.

"Looks like that scoreboard is looking a little bit more even, in fact, I’m the one higher in Life Points this time!" taunted Isaac at how he and Golden only had a small difference in Life Points and how he caught up in just one move.

"Now you're just trying to bug me," responded Golden nonchalantly, then changed his demeanor and said, "But it’s working! ProtoMan.EXE, attack Lemon Magician Girl. And since it has a Spell equipped, it can inflict piercing damage!"

"I activate my Trap! Magicians' Defense! The damage I take is cut in half!" said Isaac as his face-down flipped up and put a barrier around him. Golden's ProtoMan struck down his female Spellcaster (Isaac: 6,150 - 1,150 = 5,000 LP).

Magicians' Defense
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: While you control a Spellcaster-Type monster, any damage you take is halved. (You cannot halve the same damage twice this way.) If this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: You can target 1 Spellcaster-Type monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.

"I end my turn with a face-down. You're up!" stated Golden.

Turn 13: Isaac - Hand: 2

"My turn, and I'll begin by playing Pot of Greed which allows me to draw two cards. Next, I'll set one card face-down and end my turn!"

Turn 14: Golden Flare - Hand: 4

"I guess you got no moves left to make. I draw! First, I add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell during my Standby Phase." stated Golden as he added two cards to his hand. "Next, I'll summon my NormalNavi.EXE (1000/1000)." A small green robot appeared on the boy's field.

"Then I'll play Monster Reborn; with it, I'll bring back my MegaMan.EXE!" Golden's other prime monster appeared as he had his arm cannon aimed at Isaac's field (1900/1500). "Then I'm equipping him with Battle Chip - RollAro2 to give him 800 more Attack Points (MegaMan.EXE: ATK 1900 + 800 = 2700)! Now...MegaMan, take out his Apple Magician Girl!" The blue warrior aimed his cannon, which morphed into a pink energy bow, and fired his shot as it took out Isaac's magician.

"Since I still have my Magicians' Defense, the damage I take is cut in half!" declared Isaac as he braced himself when the attack made contact (Isaac: 5,000 - 750 = 4,250 LP).

"Now my Apple Magician Girl's ability activates. Since you destroyed her, she allows me to add three different 'Magician Girls' from my Graveyard to my hand. So I'm taking Lemon, Chocolate, and Berry Magician Girl!" stated Isaac as his three monsters hovered behind him before turning into white lights and his hand.

"Too bad your Trap doesn't work a second time. ProtoMan, get rid of his Dark Magician Girl for good this time!" said Golden.

"You'll have to find her first! Reveal, Magical Hats!" Isaac's card flipped up as four hats with question marks appeared and covered his female Spellcaster before they shuffled and spread out in a row.

"Not this card…" muttered Golden.

"Take your best shot!" taunted Isaac.

"I'm not intimidated by your cheap carnival tricks! ProtoMan, attack the hat on the far right!" Golden gave his monster his orders as he slashed down on the hat, resulting in a veil of smoke. It blocked everyone's vision as when it died down, the three hats remained.

"Looks like you missed." smiled Isaac.

"Lucky break. But come the next turn, your little gal pal won't have anywhere left to hide. I end my turn." stated Golden.

Turn 15: Isaac - Hand: 6

"It's my turn, and I'll begin by playing the Spell, Pot of Duality."

Pot of Duality
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Excavate the top 3 cards of your Deck, add 1 of them to your hand, also, after that, shuffle the rest back into your Deck. You can only activate 1 "Pot of Duality" per turn. You cannot Special Summon during the turn you activate this card.

"So I excavate the top three cards of my deck and add one to my hand while the rest are shuffled back into my deck." Isaac quickly drew and picked up the cards; he looked at them before taking the second one and placing the other two back on top as the auto-shuffler kicked in. "I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn."

Turn 16: Golden Flare - Hand: 3

"It's my move! Draw! And first, I add a 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell to my hand." stated Golden. He took the Spell he wanted when something clicked in his mind when he went to draw. He looked at the card he drew as it was a familiar one from his past.

Oh, no! Not this one!

You know what you have to do! Play it! Use the Dark Chip!!

No!

The boy shook his head to eliminate the evil thoughts in his mind. "I'll now have my ProtoMan attack the hat in the middle!" The red warrior leaped up and came down with a slash but found the hat empty.

"Only two left. That gives me a 50-50 shot. MegaMan, the hat on the left!" said Golden as his monster aimed his cannon and fired his shot.

"You guessed right…" responded Isaac as he gritted his teeth.

"Yes!" said Rainbow as she was ecstatic.

"But..." snickered Isaac.

"Here it comes!" said Applejack.

"I reveal Magical Cylinders! With the power of this Trap, I can set 'Magic Cylinder' directly from my deck. And by doing that, I can now activate it!" said Isaac as two cylinders burst out of the hat that Golden's monster targeted.

Dark Magician Girl was shown with her wand pointed outward as the first cylinder absorbed the attack. The second cylinder shot out, as the attack was redirected right back at the teen.

"Oh, and by the way, by banishing my Magicial Cylinders, I can double the damage you're taking!" smiled Isaac.

Golden's eyes widened after hearing that, “Reveal Trap card: Damage Diet! All damage I take this turn is halved!” He was then met with half of the full blast of his own monster's attack that sent him off his feet and onto the ground. The attack was still painful and dealt a certain amount of damage to him (Golden Flare: 5,075 - 2,700 = 2,375 LP).

"And just like that, Crystal Prep's Isaac manages to dwindle Golden Flare's Life Points, but Golden himself was still able to prevent his defeat!" shouted Luna.

"Excellent! Do yourself a favor, boy, and stop squirming!" snickered Cinch at seeing how the boy she despised was knocked off his feet but now in somewhat critical condition.

"That's not good," said Rainbow.

Golden was getting to his feet as he saw how many Life Points he had. He had a ton before and now only had so many left to spare after Isaac's move. The anger started to boil inside him as he eyed the boy, but in his mind, he felt him laughing at him.

"I play the Spell, Double Attack! By discarding MetalMan.EXE, my monster can attack again! ProtoMan, eliminate his—“ growled Golden as he got to his feet, but stopped as he realized that his darkness was gaining ground within him.

No…what am I doing? This is exactly what happened when I Dueled Lemon Zest; my exact mindset, to crush my opponent and not caring about what came after!

Who cares?! This wretch is making a mockery of you AND your school! Knock him off his high horse! Show him and Crystal Prep your true power! Show them the meaning of despair!!

As Golden’s internal war was raging within him, he began to recall a talk he had with his boss; the very man who gave him his “.EXE” deck.

(stop SFX)

“Golden boy?”

“Yes, boss?”

“Please, don’t be so formal, it’s just us, after all. Call me Pegasus.”

“Um…okay, Mr. Pegasus.”

“No ‘mister’. Just Pegasus shall suffice.”

“Okay then.”

“Listen, remember when I told you that those cards chose you to wield them? The ‘.EXE’ monsters?”

“Yes…?”

“Pay close attention, this is vital information.”

Golden nodded in silence.

“Light and dark exist in balance with that deck, and there are those who would abuse such a neutral power. Much like the Evil HEROES and the Advanced Crystal Beasts.”

Golden looked at the cards in his Duel Pad as the memory continued.

“It is for this reason that I’ve developed a certain…trick.”

Golden saw that his Main Deck and Extra Deck shined with the powers of light and darkness.

“That if anyone utilized the light and darkness within that deck, they would be forever lost in the throes of Order and Chaos, none ever able to use its true power…”

Golden’s eyes widened as he finally realized what he meant.

“…None, Golden boy…except you.”

Golden smiled with confidence, “…Now I get it.”

Isaac looked confused, “Huh?”

“ProtoMan, attack Dark Magician Girl!” Golden’s monster destroyed Isaac’s feminine magician (Isaac: 4,250 - 450 = 3,800 LP).

"You were right. About me, I mean. I was acting like a coward. I fought like one, too. But no more. I’ll send my ProtoMan and MegaMan back to my deck to Fusion Summon without Polymerization! Go, Chaos Unison Fusion!" shouted Golden. His two warriors leaped into the air as they began to combine, as the weapons attached to them disappeared.

“Chaos what?!” Both Isaac and Cinch shouted in surprise.

"With the warrior of blue and the warrior of red, I call upon the mightiest net-warrior in the Cyber World, who brings Order within Chaos! I Fusion Summon! Level 8! MegaMan.EXE - Proto Chaos Soul!" A purple warrior with yellow appeared as on his right arm was a sword while above his left wrist was a blaster.

MegaMan.EXE - Proto Chaos Soul
Attribute: DARK
Level: 8
Type: Warrior/Fusion/Effect
ATK: 3300
DEF: 2700
Effect: "MegaMan.EXE" + "ProtoMan.EXE"
This card can only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck by returning the above cards you control to the Deck. (You do not use "Polymerization".) When this card attacks an opponent's Defense Position monster: Inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. Once per turn, if this card destroys a monster by battle: This card can attack again.

"Light and dark, hand in hand…as it should’ve been from the very beginning!" Golden declared as he felt the darkness in his mind slowly ebb away, merging with the light.

No! NO!! YOU NEED ME!!!

Turn 17: Isaac - Hand: 4

"It's my move," said Isaac as he looked at his hand.

At that moment, a voice began to speak to him.

You know what you have to do, right?

"Yeah, but first..." said the boy to the voice as he looked at Golden in his newfound confident state and then eyed his field. "I need to clear the way for you."

Do what you must do. You have my trust.

"I'll start by playing Upstart Goblin. So by giving you 1,000 Life Points, I can draw a card (Golden Flare: 775 + 1,000 = 1,775 LP)!"

"You’re giving me a thousand points in exchange for one card? What are you up to now?" Golden asked.

Isaac merely looked at the card he drew out of the corner of his eye as he smiled.

"You'll see. For now, I summon my Chocolate Magician Girl (1600/1000). Then activate her ability so that I send my Berry Magician Girl in my hand to the grave to draw another card. And with that...I end my turn."

While everybody was focused on the Duel between the boys, nobody knew what was happening on the other side of the school. Indigo and Twilight were in an intense Duel of their own. The former had scuff marks along her skin and clothes as she breathed hard (Indigo Zap: 1,700 LP). Meanwhile, Twilight stood there with a wicked smile on her face. The girl was in the lead on Life Points (Twilight Sparkle: 2,600 LP) as she had her monster, World of Prophecy (2900/2400).

On Indigo's side, the girl was in the middle of her turn and was setting herself up for what was about to come.

"Get ready, nerd! ‘Cause I now Overlay both of my monsters!" shouted Indigo as her two monsters transformed into orbs of light and hovered. A galaxy portal opened before her as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged. The number 39 showed on her left collarbone as it lit up and affected the girl's mind.

"With my monsters combined, I call upon He who brings life to humanity! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Number 39: Izanagi!" shouted the teen. Out came her Barian Number as its yellow eyes glowed, its black and metal outfit made it appear quite menacing before quickly slashing the air in front of itself as it wielded a bladed, spear-like weapon in a battle stance.

Number 39: Izanagi
Attribute: LIGHT
Rank: 4
Type: Warrior/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2500
DEF: 2000
Effect: 2 Level 4 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. Once per turn, during either player's turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: Destroy 1 monster your opponent controls.

"I activate Izanagi's special ability; I can destroy one of your monsters using one Overlay Unit (Number 39: Izanagi: OLU 2 - 1 = 1)!"

Indigo's monster quickly disappeared as it reappeared before Twilight's monster. A slash was heard before it zoomed past Twilight's monster and stood a few meters away. It then raised its free hand to the sky and behind it, a lightning bolt struck Twilight's monster's upper half and it fell as it exploded.

"Now, attack her!" yelled Indigo, her eyes shining even brighter.

Her electricity-wielding warrior quickly took off as it slashed at the bookworm, who didn't flinch as she lost Life Points (Twilight Sparkle: 2,600 - 2,500 = 100 LP).

"It's over, nerd!" stated Indigo.

"It's over...when I say it's over!!" stated Twilight as her eyes glowed as she drew her card. "Now, I play Monster Reborn to bring back my High Priestess of Prophecy. Then I summon my Hermit of Prophecy." Out emerged a beautiful woman with red hair and a revealing outfit as she crossed her legs and had a book appear in her lap. Next to her was her servant, as it was an elderly wizard with white hair and a wooden staff along with a pointy hat.

"Next, I'll play Spellbook of Secrets to retrieve any 'Spellbook' I desire." As Twilight did that, her Hermit's staff began to glow. "Then I'll play Spellbook of Eternity to retrieve one of my banished 'Spellbooks' and add it to my hand."

"Why's your monster's staff glowing?" asked Indigo.

"Because Hermit's ability is that it gains 2 Levels and 300 Attack Points whenever I play a ‘Spellbook’ card. And since I played two, its Level goes from 3 to 7. And now...I have all that I need. I Overlay both of my monsters!" stated the girl as her voice was affected by the darkness taking over.

The girl's monsters turned into orbs as they hovered into the air with a galaxy portal opening before her. The orbs were sucked in as a pillar of light emerged; the number 66 glowed brightly on Twilight's hand. However, it did more as the girl felt her mind being taken over by the number and the darkness it held to grant her desires.

"With the woman of purity and the prophet loner, I unleash the most powerful Deadly Sin of them all! I Xyz Summon! Rank 7! Emerge, Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath!" From the pillar of light, came a fully armored, yet savage-looking, woman-ish humanoid, wielding a massive sword in her left hand while her right forearm was a Gatling gun/missile launcher.

Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 7
Type: Fiend/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 3200
DEF: 1600
Effect: 2 Level 7 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: This card can inflict piercing battle damage to an opponent's monster until the End Phase.

"Your monster won't last long because I'm activating Izanagi's ability, so I remove its last Xyz Material, and your new monster is gone (Number 39: Izanagi: OLU: 1 - 1 = 0)!" stated Indigo.

"No, you won't!!!" shouted Twilight as her voice was inflicted with the darkness. "Nothing will stop me!" The girl held a card high up as it shined with a bright light that blinded the entire field.

Turn 18: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"My move!" said Golden. "Now, Proto Chaos Soul, take out his Chocolate Magician Girl!" said the boy as he had his monster lunged forward.

"I now activate my Chocolate Magician Girl's special ability. When she's targeted for an attack, I can summon one Spellcaster in my Graveyard and summon it. So...rise, Dark Magician!" shouted Isaac as his ace monster reappeared (2500/2100). "And now not only is your attack redirected at him, but your monster's attack points are cut in half (MegaMan.EXE - Proto Chaos Soul: ATK 3300 ÷ 2 = 1650)!"

"Keep it together…from my hand, I activate the Quick-play Spell, Dark Chip - DrkInvis! Since I control a '.EXE' monster, I can Special Summon a special Xyz Monster. With the dark power within an evil chip, I call upon the darkened warrior of blue! I Xyz Summon! Make way for MegaMan.EXE - Dark Soul (2900/2600/OLU: 0)!" shouted Golden. The warrior appeared as it was covered from head to toe in black armor; darkness followed it as the only shred of light was the sword it carried. It glanced at Isaac and his monsters as it glared at its enemies in absolute hatred.

"Your monster is still destroyed!" retorted Isaac as his magician pushed back Golden's monster and took it out (Golden Flare: 1,775 - 850 = 925 LP).

"Just give up," stated Isaac.

"No! My friends need me!" yelled Golden.

"Then you leave me no choice. Now my Field Spell activates; since I summoned my Dark Magician, I can also bring back my Dark Magician Girl!"

"Sorry, not happening! Because my GutsMan's Pendulum ability will negate and destroy that Spell!" said Golden as he didn't let Isaac bring back his female Spellcaster. "Your girlfriend isn't coming back this time. Besides, I'm far from done. I summoned my monster in the middle of battle, which means it can attack. And you can't use your Chocolate Magician Girl's ability anymore. So, take her down, Dark Soul!” commanded Golden as his new monster brought its sword down on the helpless girl. Compared to the other attacks, Isaac felt the pain of his monster as he clutched his side.

"My Trap..."

"No chance, JunkMan's Pendulum ability will also get rid of that. I'm making sure you know what happens when you toy with my friends!" yelled Golden as he wanted to teach Isaac a lesson with his new strength. It worked as Isaac's Magicians' Defense Trap card was gone, and took the full brunt of Dark Soul’s attack (Isaac: 3,800 - 1,300 = 2,500 LP).

"Don’t lose control…keep it together a little longer…I now play this, Dark Chip - DrkLance!"

Dark Chip - DrkLance
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. If your opponent controls a monster: Halve your opponent's LP, then decrease your LP by 500.

"Since you control a monster, this Spell cuts your Life Points in half!" Golden explained just as a dark purple bamboo shoot lance appeared behind Isaac and pierced through his back, making him fall to both knees and clutched his midsection (Isaac: 2,500 ÷ 2 = 1,250 LP).

"And now as a penalty, I take 500 points of damage!" stated Golden as he tried to ignore the dark shock he received from his card (Golden Flare: 925 - 500 = 425 LP).

"Why would he do that?" wondered Rainbow.

"He's not himself," muttered Sunset as she saw something was weird about their comrade.

“No…I think he’s just accepting it…” Pinkie said, confusing the others.

Golden was breathing heavily as he stared down Isaac as if he wanted him to understand, to understand that it didn’t need to be this way. As he got up, the boy slowly pushed through the pain but still felt the effects of Golden's assault.

"You ready to call it quits? Or at least apologize to Sunset?” Golden asked with a tired voice.

"Yeah...not gonna happen," retorted Isaac. "Because you destroyed my Magicians' Defense, I can bring back a Spellcaster from my deck. So my Dark Magician Girl is back in play. Then...because I activated a Trap Card's effect, I can also summon from my hand, Magician of Dark Illusion (2100/2500)." The boy now had two more monsters appear as they all stood before their master to protect him with their life.

Golden sighed, "Fine then…since I control a '.EXE' Xyz Monster, I can summon a different monster from my Extra Deck using that monster as an Xyz Material. So Dark Soul, make way for another warrior! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! With the power of darkness, I call upon the one who rules over the Undernet! I Xyz Summon, Number 64: Bass.EXE (3000/2500, OLU: 1)!" shouted Golden as his monster turned into an orb of light and hovered in the air as a portal opened up before him. The orb then entered the portal as it exploded with dark energy. A warrior was shown in black, red, and bits of yellow as it held dark energy in its hand.

It's here!

The voice in Isaac's head, and he looked at Golden's number as the warrior stared at his foe.

"Shame. Damn shame. I was hoping we could resolve this peacefully, but you won’t stop following that tyrant you call a principal.” stated Golden, regretfully.

In the crowd of CHS students, staff, and faculty, Arctic Ace and Sonata Dusk were among them and watching the entire Duel unfold, Sonata more than Ace for good reason.

"Something wrong, Sonata?" Ace asked, "You look like you're really into this Duel."

Sonata seemed to have snapped out of a trance, shaking her head slightly as she addressed Ace, "No, no, I'm okay. It's just...that boy, Gold something..."

"Golden Flare?"

"Yeah, that's it!"

"Okay, what about him? Is he trouble?"

"No, it's..." Sonata had a brief flashback of a boy she and her sisters met in a desert town in Ancient Egypt, with long-ish silver hair, deep tan, and wearing robes as he chiseled Egyptian hieroglyphs on the walls within the Pharaoh's palace, "...He reminds me of someone that I used to know...a long time ago."

Turn 19: Isaac - Hand: 2

"Get up!" shouted Cinch as she couldn't believe Golden was so close to winning. Everything rode on Isaac to put the arrogant kid who mocked her in his place, but she needed her chosen champion to rise.

Isaac found the will to stand up as he looked at his opponent and monster.

"Alright...let's end this with a bang!" stated Isaac.

I'm at your command, my Master!

"Here we...go!" yelled Isaac as he drew his card with a flourish. "I play Spell Shattering Arrow. Now I destroy every Spell card you control, and you take 500 points of damage for each one. And your Pendulum cards count as Spells!"

"He's done it!" smiled Cinch.

"What happened to him preaching about beating someone with force and taking the cheap way out!?!" shouted Rainbow as she felt Isaac was a hypocrite for winning the way he would.

"And here I thought you practiced what you preached…GutsMan, negate and destroy that Spell!" Golden said as GutsMan snatched the arrow out of the air and snapped it in half to avoid losing.

"I do. Which is why I baited you," smiled Isaac.

"What?"

"I play the Spell card, Dark Magic Attack! Now since I control Dark Magician, I can destroy every Spell and Trap card on your side of the field!"

"You...set me up," gasped Golden as Isaac outwitted him.

"Game...Set...Match!" smiled Cinch.

With a spin of his staff, Dark Magician thrust his staff out and fired a concentrated ball of dark energy that exploded on Golden's side of the field. The boy looked away as his face-down and two Pendulum cards in his Pendulum Zones were gone.

"Now...I Overlay my Dark Magician and Magician of Dark Illusion to build the Overlay Network!" said Isaac as his two magicians turned into orbs of light as a galaxy portal opened in front of him. Both orbs were sucked in as a pillar of light emerged. "With the two magicians from the dark, I bring forth a being that can force her brethren to their knees! I Xyz Summon, Number 30: Temptress Crespusculum!" The number appeared on the back of Isaac's right hand as it glowed and surrounded him in a yellow aura. A sorceress with long, flowing red hair and a vanilla skin tone appeared. She wore an emerald necklace with matching earrings and white gloves covering her smooth hands; her outfit consisted of a light blue dress that stopped at her knees and black booted heels.

Number 30: Temptress Crespusculum
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 7
Type: Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2900
Effect: 2 Level 7 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: Detach all Xyz Materials from every Xyz Monster your opponent's controls, then attach those Xyz Materials to this card, and if you do; increase the ATK of this monster by 500 for each Xyz Material attached this way, also this card can attack as many more times as the number of Xyz Materials attached.

"He does have a Number card!" smiled Golden at seeing his rival wielding one as he sensed it the moment they met.

"So this guy not only knows how to do all the summoning methods, but he also has a number card?!" said Rainbow, looking at the magician on Isaac's field.

"He saved his trump card for last," said Applejack.

"But where did he get it?" wondered Sunset.

Golden kept eyeing Isaac and his new monster as he noticed something off.

"That’s weird...you're different than any other Barian Number user I've faced," stated Golden; upon closer inspection, he could see that it wasn't the Number in charge as Isaac was still in control of his mind and actions. The number still glowed on the back of his hand. "Tell me...how are you doing that? Staying in control of yourself?"

"Figure it out yourself!" retorted Isaac. "Now...I activate my Temptress' ability! Using one Overlay Unit, my magician can eliminate all of your Xyz monster's Overlay Units!"

"What?!" said Golden, as he didn't expect that.

Number 30 spun her wand before aiming it toward the sky. She began to speak and chant a spell as a portal above Bass appeared. A cosmic hand emerged as another portal opened, and another hand snuck up from behind. It grabbed and held Bass as the other hand took the Xyz Material, circling it before it retracted and disappeared (Number 64: Bass.EXE: OLU 1 - 1 = 0). The hand holding Bass also disappeared; a portal opened up, and the hand holding the Xyz Material gave it to the woman as she held it before absorbing its power (Number 30: Temptress Crespusculum: OLU 2 + 1 = 3).

"What did you do to my monster? What are you up to now?" Golden wanted to know.

"It's simple. When the Xyz Material you have gets lost, it gets added to my monster. And not only that, for each Xyz Material that she steals, her attack not only raises by 500, but it gains an additional attack that number of times!" said Isaac as his Temptress increased in strength (Number 30: Temptress Crespusculum: ATK 3000 + 500 = 3500).

"So...your Number can..."

"She’s the perfect defense against any other Number monster. The Number Counter, if you will!" said Isaac as his Number card was vastly unique and different from all the others.

"A monster specifically designed to counter other Numbers? Wow," said Sunset as she was amazed to hear that. Based on all their past experiences with Number cards, they were all hell-bent on destruction. But the one Isaac had in his possession was different.

"It's over! Temptress, finish this Duel! Attack his Bass.EXE!" commanded Isaac.

Temptress had her wand changed into a bow as a quiver of arrows appeared on her back. The magician reached back into her quiver and pulled one out. She loaded the arrow into the bow and pulled back on the string as it and the arrow were bathed in white light. The sorceress closed one eye and aimed it at her target.

"Sorry guys…guess I just wasn’t good enough…" said Golden, as he had no moves left to save him, “Not bad, Isaac…” and yet Golden smiled at his worthy opponent, “…Not bad at all.”

"Fire!" yelled Isaac.

The magician smiled as she opened her eye and released. The bow traveled through the air as it approached Golden and his monster. Everything moved in slow motion as all of Canterlot High leaned forward, with some looking away as the result was already determined. Golden was in acceptance at the arrow heading toward him. Just as it was...

The ground before them began to shake and some cracks began to open. Everybody felt the sudden shockwave as Isaac and Golden fell to their hands and knees.

//Error…Error…Error…Duel mode…shutdowwwwwnnnn…// said the A.I. as their Duel abruptly ended.

"What the?" said both boys, shocked to see that the duel was called off just as Isaac's attack was about to connect.

"What's going on here?!" said Celestia as she got up.

"I'm not sure," stated Luna.

Soon a pillar of purple light was shown coming from the front of the school. Everybody saw it as it shot toward the clouds above, creating a hole in the sky. Soon it disappeared. Just then, the crack between Golden and Isaac began to open up even more as they backed up. Emerging from it was a figure as everybody looked at it.

"What now?" said Golden as he looked at the figure.

Out came a demon that had purple hair with a pink streak in it; its eyes were dark purple, as well as its skin. It also had a pair of wings on its back, a horn coming out of its forehead, a tail, and a mask made of fire. Despite these strange features, there was no doubt about who it was.

"Is that..." started off Sunset.

"Twilight?" said Isaac as he looked at the demon, his friend.

"So sorry! But Twilight Sparkle can't answer the phone right now! In fact, she won't at all! Because she's dead! Now...there is only Midnight!" said the demon. The demon had the numbers 66 and 39 glow on her body as they, along with the darkness, were influencing her.

Everybody was in awe at what they saw. A few were running away in terror as everybody else looked on to see the young girl as she was looking to bring destruction and chaos to this world.

"What do we do now?" Golden asked no one in particular, only wondering how to get out of this newest mess.

Chapter 13: The Wrath of Midnight Sparkle Part 1 (By Golden Flare)

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The entire school was in chaos. The demon that was Midnight Sparkle cackled loudly as it echoed among the field. The two numbers on the she-demon glowed with intensity as a dark cloud of magic hung over the entire field; the students of both CHS and CPA were all looking to get away from the destruction being caused.

"I can't believe this is happening!" said Golden, taking in all the destruction around him.

"Look out!" shouted Sunset as the girl managed to push him and her out of a falling spotlight.

"Thanks," said the boy to the girl for saving him.

"Don't thank me yet! Run!" said Sunset as they quickly got up and began to book it toward some of the bleachers.

"How do you like me now?!" shouted Midnight as she began to fire some magic beams from her hands as they created some explosions. The she-demon had her Duel Disk shine with dark magic as the Number 66 appeared; the armored woman humanoid lifted her right arm as her Gatling gun began to open fire and cause even more chaos. She then slashed with the sword in her left arm as more destruction occurred.

"This is nuts!" shouted Rainbow as she peeked from behind the bleachers to see everybody running to safety.

"I'm scared!" said Fluttershy as she hid behind her friend, hoping the monster would ignore her.

"Its power is off the charts," said Applejack as she was in front of the school, along with Rarity and Pinkie.

"Everyone to safety! Now!" shouted Celestia to the students as she, Luna, and Cadance began evacuating.

"Leaving so soon?!" snickered Midnight Sparkle as her hands glowed with magic.

The last of the students the three women managed to round up entered the school; they turned around to see magic vines appear and seal off the entrances to the school. The students, along with Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, were now all trapped inside with no way out.

"What are we going to do now?!" shouted Sour Sweet as they were locked out along with several other students and looked at their corrupted teammate. "Where's Principal Cinch, anyway?!"

"Forget about her! We need to worry about ourselves and...whatever that thing is!" expressed Sugarcoat.

As if it heard the girl, Midnight looked in the direction of the Shadowbolt girls and smiled.

"Well, well...if it isn't my old teammates. Hey, girls. Did you miss me?" cackled Midnight evilly. "Don't worry, weak, pathetic, useless Twilight is gone. Now...only Midnight remains. And I promise you she's anything but weak!"

"I hate to say it, but I prefer the quiet girl over this...this...monster!" said Sour Sweet.

"How kind of you!" snickered Midnight.

"Pff. So what? You don't scare me. So you may have changed your appearance and other stuff, but that doesn't change the fact that you're still the weak girl who likes to hide away. You could put a mask on a pig, but it's still a pig!" stated Sugarcoat, not being intimidated by this evil thing.

"Oh, quite the contrary, my little blunt friend. For as I have told you, Twilight Sparkle is long gone. She is replaced by Midnight Sparkle, who shows no fear to anybody who stands in her way. Including you!" said Midnight as she pointed at Sugarcoat. "But since you had the decency not to be afraid, I'll give you the distinct honor of being my first victim on my road to retribution!"

"Bring it on!" shouted Sugarcoat as she accepted Midnight's challenge.

Midnight smiled before she surrounded herself in a dark purple cloud. It touched the ground before Sugarcoat pulled back, and there stood Midnight Sparkle, human-sized, with her Duel Disk strapped on her arm. Sugarcoat strapped on her Duel Disk as the girl looked ready to fight.

"You can't be serious, Sugarcoat!?" stated Sour Sweet.

"Does it look like I'm joking?" said the girl, not wanting to be punked out by this evil being.

"Like I'm gonna let you hog all the spotlight when it comes to saving the day," scoffed Sour Sweet as she flipped her hair and strapped on her Duel Disk.

"Stay out of this, girl!" said Sugarcoat, not liking that her classmate was trying to hog all the attention like she normally did.

"Please. I can Duel circles around you. And I can definitely Duel circles around this insecure little girl!" said Sour Sweet.

"I'll take you both on!" answered Midnight with an evil grin.

"Huh?" said both teens, surprised by the she-demon's response.

"Defeating two opponents at once will be more fun for me! Double the destruction and pain, twice the entertainment!" smiled Midnight.

"She must really want to lose that badly," snickered Sugarcoat as she was goaded into Midnight's challenge.

"Excellent!" said Midnight as her Duel Disk projected a lavender energy card tray that almost resembled a dragon eating its own tail while Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet did the same, projecting an energy card tray with pale purple light while the latter had a pale pink light, but theirs looked normal.

"Let's Duel!" said all three.

"Be warned. This Duel is unlike any you have ever been in. For in this Shadow Game, you lose everything!" said Midnight.

//Augmented Reality Vision Link established.// said the AI.

Midnight Sparkle: 8,000 LP
Sugarcoat: 8,000 LP
Sour Sweet: 8,000 LP

Turn 1: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 5

"I'll start!" said Midnight as she drew her card and smiled. "And I'll start by playing this Spellbook of the Mystic Arts!" The she-demon held her card up high as it let out a powerful burst of magic; Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet looked away and put their arms up to protect themselves from the massive wind that blew over.

Spellbook of the Mystic Arts
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: During the Battle Phase: You cannot take damage involving battles with your Spellcaster monsters, except with your opponent's Spellcaster monsters.

Once it died down, the pair turned to look at Midnight, who chuckled. Her Deck glowed as it sensed the powerful card that was played as the whole Duel was now shifted on its head.

"When did she get that card?" asked Sugarcoat, as she didn't recall Twilight ever having that in her Deck.

"I told you. This Duel is unlike anything you've ever been in. For you see, this Shadow Game gives my Deck an upgrade. I have a power the likes of which you have never seen. In other words, you have no chance of winning!" laughed the demon.

"We'll see," said Sugarcoat, not being intimidated.

"Now then...I summon Amores of Prophecy (600/2000)! And activate its special ability. So, by revealing my Spellbook of Secrets in my hand, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Spellcaster from my hand. So now I summon Charioteer of Prophecy (1800/1300)!" Two lights shined on Midnight's field as one of her monsters was a magical swordsman who rode on a white horse, and the other wore a vizor over their eyes and was holding a rune mini-blade.

"Then I'll play the Spellbook of Secrets I just revealed to add any 'Spellbook' I want from my Deck," stated Midnight as the card slid out for her to grab. "I then play it face-down and end my turn."

Turn 2: Sugarcoat - Hand: 5

"Now it's my turn. So stand back!" declared Sugarcoat, not showing any fear as she drew. "I'll start by playing the Field Spell Magnetic Field! With this card in play, I can revive a Level 4 or below 'Magnet Warrior' from my Graveyard. As long as I control an Earth-Attribute Rock-type monster." Pillars of shining grey steel rose like a cross around Sugarcoat, sparks coursing along their length. Sugarcoat held up another card. "I'm then activating Foolish Burial to send one monster from my Deck to my Graveyard. So I'm sending Alpha the Electromagnet Warrior to the grave."

The girl showed off her card before sending it away as she grabbed another card in her hand, "I'll then summon Delta the Magnet Warrior (1600/1400)." Trails of electricity rose from the ground, tracing out the image of a monster that solidified in a flash of silver light. It was a spindly robot with limbs of circular steel cable connecting hands and feet and a head of silver-blue metal with magnetic bars running along the edges. A horseshoe magnet around a triangular metal prism made its head, yellow eyes blinking on the metal.

"Now Delta's ability activates; I can send a Magnet Warrior from my Deck to the Graveyard when he's summoned. I choose Gamma The Electromagnet Warrior (800/2000) from my Deck to the Graveyard, and then use the effect of Magnetic Field to revive Gamma." Sugarcoat's newest monster manifested from the lightning of Magnetic Field. It was a short, stocky robot with thick armor in dull gold, a magnet forming its collar, and a magnet mounted on the back of each large fist.

"Now Gamma's ability activates when he's summoned; I can also bring out a level 4 or lower 'Magnet Warrior' from my hand. I'll summon Beta the Electromagnet Warrior (1500/1500). But I'm not done because, like Gamma, Beta's ability activates the moment he's summoned. So I'll then use its effect to add one level 4 or lower 'Magnet Warrior' from my Deck to my hand. I choose to add an original, Alpha the Magnet Warrior." Sugarcoat smiled and looked up at the three monsters hovering before her. "And now, all the pieces are in place." She pulled a card from her hand and held it up. "I banish Alpha the Electromagnet Warrior from my Graveyard, and Beta and Gamma the Electromagnet Warriors from my field, to Special Summon!" Her two monsters on the field turned into orbs of lightning and began to swirl around her, Alpha's hologram emerging from her Duel Disk and turning into lightning to join them. "Come forth, Berserkion The Electromagna Warrior (3000/2800)!" She slammed her card onto her Duel Disk.

The lightning orbs around her circled higher into the air and collided in a flash of light. The orb grew larger, the air crackling, sparks shooting out. It gleamed and then exploded outward to reveal a massive robotic monster. Its limbs were armored in red, silver, and blue, the metal curved and gleaming. Sparks flew from electrical coils embedded in its shoulders and running along its arms. A sword formed from a metal rod with electrical coils appeared in its hand, and it thrust the blade up to summon lightning to it, a metallic clang echoing across the field.

"My, my! Such a powerful monster!" taunted Midnight.

"It is. And why don't you get a closer look at its power! Berserkion, attack her Charioteer!" instructed Sugarcoat as her monster leaped into the air and stabbed its sword into Midnight's monster. A cloud of smoke occurred when the attack made contact as it blinded the field.

Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet had smiles on their faces as Midnight just remained calm. Soon, the cloud disappeared as Midnight's monster was gone; however, when her Life Point total came up, it remained unchanged (Midnight Sparkle: 8,000 - 0 = 8,000 LP).

"Huh?" said both girls, confused as to how Midnight didn't lose any Life Points when her monster was defeated.

"Surprised? Well, you should be. I warned you about the power of my Deck. And thanks to my Spellbook of the Mystic Arts, I'm virtually untouchable." stated Midnight as the first card she played shined with dark magic.

"What do you mean?" asked Sugarcoat.

"This Spell makes it so that I only take damage when another Spellcaster defeats my Spellcasters," snickered the she-demon.

"You gotta be kidding me!!" said Sour Sweet after hearing that.

"So, are you quaking in fear yet?" taunted Midnight.

"Hardly," responded Sugarcoat bluntly, "I may not be able to damage your Life Points through your monsters, but I can still destroy them and get to you the old-fashioned way. But for now, I'll let my partner do that. I place one card face-down and end my turn."

Turn 3: Sour Sweet - Hand: 5

"Not bad, Sugarcoat. But now, let me handle this!" said Sour Sweet as she stepped forward and looked to show her classmate how to get the job done. "Here I go! I draw! And I'll begin...by summoning my Amazoness War Chief (1900/0)!" A muscular woman holding a spear, dressed in a fierce outfit, appeared and twirled her staff before taking its position.

"I can summon her if I control no monsters. Then, because I Special Summoned her, I can set one 'Amazoness' Spell or Trap card from my Deck or a Polymerization. So, I'll set my Amazoness Call. But I'm not done. Because I Special Summoned an 'Amazoness' monster, I can also summon my Amazoness Baby Tiger (500/500)!" A small striped cub appeared as it let out a small roar.

"While my Amazoness Baby Tiger is on the field, its name becomes 'Amazoness Tiger.' So now, I play Polymerization to fuse my Amazoness Baby Tiger and Amazoness War Chief!" Sour Sweet's two monsters were sucked into a swirling vortex behind the girl as it emitted purple and orange lights. "Get set for some paws, claws, and, like, warring roars! I Fusion Summon! Amazoness Pet Liger (2500/2400)!" Out emerged a massive tiger, pale beige with black stripes. Armor plating with spikes covered its shoulders, gleaming blue against the dark orange of its mane. It crept up next to Sour Sweet, glaring at Midnight with one red eye, the other closed by a jagged scar, and roared at her.

"Isn't he cute?" Sour Sweet smiled as she patted the monster on one of its armored portions. "As long as Amazoness Pet Liger is in play, you’re forbidden from attacking any Amazoness monsters except for my Liger. Next, I'll play Fusion Recovery to retrieve both Polymerization and Amazoness War Chief from my Graveyard." Sour Sweet's two cards slid out for her to grab as she smirked upon adding them to her hand. "And then...I'll play Polymerization again, so this time I can fuse my Amazoness War Chief with my Amazoness Queen!" Sour Sweet's two warriors appeared before a swirling vortex as they were sucked in and combined their powers. "Now, these two warriors of the jungle will combine into one and harness the power of the jungle itself! I Fusion Summon! Amazoness Empress (2800/2400)!" The smoke cleared to reveal a massive warrior woman with white hair and red war paint on her muscles. Animal skulls adorned her shoulders, waist, and head, forming a horned crown. She snapped her hand out to the side, a red cape blowing out behind her, and in a flash of red light, a massive, curved, spiked sword appeared in her grasp.

"Now, it's time for my monster to sink his teeth into his prey. Attack her Amores of Prophecy! And due to my monster's ability, it gains 500 Attack Points during the Battle Phase!" snickered Sour Sweet as her Liger rushed forward and headed toward Midnight's final monster. "Oh, did I forget to mention that due to my Amazoness Empress' ability, my monsters can deal piercing damage!"

"It's cute how you think that'll work. You forget, my Spellbook of the Mystic Arts makes it so that I don't take any battle damage from my Spellcasters being destroyed unless it's by a Spellcaster. So, your piercing damage doesn't affect me whatsoever." said Midnight as her monster was destroyed, but her points remained unchanged (Midnight Sparkle: 8,000 - 0 = 8,000 LP).

"Maybe. But...you have no monsters left to protect you. So...Amazoness Empress can deal you a direct attack!" smiled Sour Sweet as her monster coiled her legs and sprinted forward, her sword held out to the side. She reached the she-demon and delivered a slash attack, which Midnight was unfazed (Midnight Sparkle: 8,000 - 2,800 = 5,200 LP).

"Not bad," scoffed Sugarcoat, not wanting to fully admit to her classmate for doing something she couldn't do.

"With every move you make, I'm learning more and more about your strategies, and it's only a matter of time until I figure them out!" stated Sour Sweet, smiling at the fact that she dealt some damage to the powerful being.

"Too bad you won't be around for much longer!" snickered Midnight.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I end my turn."

Turn 4: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 2

"All that talk, and now you're defenseless," mocked Sugarcoat.

"Hmm. Are you sure about that?" smirked Midnight, putting her head down and momentarily closing her eyes.

As if on cue, two pillars of light emerged on Midnight's side of the field. They soon died down as both of her destroyed monsters were back.

"Huh?" said both Shadowbolt girls.

"Allow me to educate you. All thanks to my face-down, Spellbook of Resurgence."

Spellbook of Resurgence
Continuous Trap Card
Effect: If your Spellcaster monsters are destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to the GY: Special Summon the destroyed monster(s) to your field at the start of your turn, and if you do; gain LP equal to half of the Special Summoned monster's ATK.

"Due to this Trap, I can revive all the monsters my opponents destroy at the beginning of my turn. And that's not all; I gain Life Points equal to half of the combined total of my monsters' Attack Points." snickered Midnight.

"Seriously?" said Sour Sweet.

"You two went through all the trouble of destroying my monsters, but thanks to this card, now I can bring them back for the rest of the Duel (Midnight Sparkle: 5,200 + 300 + 900 = 6,400 LP)!” Midnight snickered again.

"It doesn't matter how many times you bring back your monsters; we'll just take them out one by one if we have to!" declared Sugarcoat.

"And here I thought you two were some of the best Duelists at Crystal Prep, but after those moves you've made, you've proven that you're nothing but pathetic pretenders. Now, watch!" shouted Midnight as she drew. "I now summon my Strength of Prophecy (1500/1400)!" Out emerged a female sorceress as she wielded a magical axe. "I then activate her ability; once per turn, I can shuffle a 'Spellbook' from my Graveyard back to my Deck, and in exchange, I can target one Spellcaster I control, and not only give them 500 extra Attack Points, but raise their level by one. So I choose my Amores of Prophecy!"

Midnight's Duel Disk ejected her Spellbook of Secrets as she grabbed it and placed it on her Deck. The auto-shuffler kicked in as her selected monster gained strength (Amores of Prophecy: ATK 600 + 500 = 1100) and rose to Level 4 (Amores of Prophecy: Level 3 + 1 = 4).

"Okay, that's not good," said Sour Sweet.

"Oh, it gets worse, especially when I play this Spellbook of Collection!"

Spellbook of Collection
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Draw 1 card for every monster on the field.

"Now I draw one card for every monster on the field."

"Every monster?!" said both girls.

"So, thanks, girls. Now I draw five new cards!" snickered Midnight as she used her magic to replenish her hand. "By replenishing my hand, countless more strategic opportunities are available. I'll then play this Spellbook of Annihilation!"

Spellbook of Annihilation
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls, then inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monsters' total ATK.

"With the power of this Spell, I destroy every one of your monsters!"

"All of them?!" said Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet, shocked to hear that.

A massive pillar of light shot down from the heavens, and they struck all the monsters on Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's field as their monsters exploded. The girls looked away as they were now wide open to Midnight's onslaught of monsters.

"I would say you two put up a good fight, only you didn't!" laughed Midnight as she stared down at her former teammates as they were helpless.

The two Shadowbolt girls gritted their teeth as there was nothing they could do to stop any attacks the she-demon was about to launch at them.

//Intrusion Penalty. Life Points halved.// said some Duel Disks’ AI’s.

Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet heard that as they turned around, and standing behind them were Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare. The two girls had spotted the Duel and quickly rushed to where their teammates were, looking to lend a hand against this evil foe.

Sunny Flare: 4,000 LP

Lemon Zest: 4,000 LP

"Need a hand?" asked Lemon Zest, smirking.

"What took you so long?" complained Sour Sweet.

"Ah, the gang's all here. Well, sit tight, you two. Because I'm about to finish them, my Spellbook of Annihilation has an additional effect. You both take damage equal to the total combined Attack Points of your monsters." stated Midnight.

"Total Attack Points?" said Sugarcoat.

"This is bad!" said Sunny Flare.

"And that's terrible news for both of you, right? Berserkion has 3,000 Attack Points, Amazoness Pet Liger has 2,500, and Amazoness Empress has 2,800! Together, that's 8,300 points of damage! Which adds up to your downfall!" smiled Midnight.

"Ahhhhhh!!" shouted both girls, electrified by the thunderbolt that took out their monsters and screamed in pain (Sugarcoat: 8,000 - 8,300 = 0 LP) (Sour Sweet: 8,000 - 8,300 = 0 LP).

The pair were sent flying as they flew back past Sunny Flare and Lemon Zest; they crashed and tumbled along the ground as their cards flew around them. Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare approached their classmates; they checked on them, seeing both suffered bruises and scuffs along their clothes and skin.

"Sour!" said Sunny Flare as she looked at her classmate.

"Be...careful…" was all the girl could say before she fainted from exhaustion.

"Take a break, you two. Leave the rest to us!" said Lemon Zest as she addressed Sugarcoat, who was also knocked out from Midnight's power.

Both girls stood up and turned to look at their corrupted classmate as she held her evil laugh.

"You want a fight? I'll give you a fight!" shouted Lemon Zest.

"That's the spirit. Hopefully, as my next victims, you'll put up more of a fight than those two did."

"No chance in hell! Me and Sunny are gonna take you down!" stated Lemon Zest, not backing down from the challenge.

Turn 5: Lemon Zest - Hand: 5

"It's my move! I draw! To start...I'll summon Morphtronic Celfon (100/100)." A large yellow cell phone appeared in front of Lemon Zest. A sheen of light washed over it and broke apart, transforming it into a large yellow robot with bright pink eyes. The phone screen cracked down the center and swung back, forming a pair of wings. "I activate Celfon’s ability. Once per turn, I can roll a die, and whatever the result is, I can reveal that many cards on the top of my Deck and summon a Level 4 or lower Morphtronic monster among them." Lemon snapped her fingers. "Go, Morphtronic Speed Dial!" Celfon thrust out its chest, comprising the top half of the phone form's dial pad. The numbers lit up in rapid sequence before stopping on ‘6'. "Awesome!" Lemon grabbed six cards from her Duel Disk, looked over them, and nodded.

"I summon Morphtronic Smartfon (100/100)!" A slim smartphone materialized in Lemon’s line of monsters and snapped apart, the pieces within unfolding to form hands and feet. The top of the phone popped up, revealing a slim pair of red eyes. "I'll activate Smartfon's effect. Like Celfon’s effect, I can excavate the number of cards and add a Morphtronic card into my hand. Go, Morphtronic Messenger!" Smartfon's screen on its chest began cycling through numbers, stopping on a three.

Lemon Zest then picked up three cards and frowned as she held them out. "I'll add Morphtronic Forcefield. But I'm not done yet. 'Cause next, I play my One For One Spell card. This lets me discard a monster card from my hand, and then I can summon a Level 1 monster from my Deck. So, by getting rid of my Morphtronic Clocken, I'm busting out my Tuningware (100/300)!" stated Lemon Zest as a tiny monster with a metal hub cap appeared. "Now...I'll tune my monsters together!" Smartfon turned into a single green ring as it circled its comrades. "I Synchro Summon! Come on out, T.G. Hyper Librarian (2400/1800)!" The ring around Celfon and Tuningware contracted and then exploded, revealing Lemon’s new monster. A tall, slim humanoid figure in a white and black robe stood before her, a white cloak trailing down its back. It raised its head, concealed by a military cap and glasses, and snapped an arm out, a book tracing out in green light and then popping into existence in its hand.

"When I use Tuningware for a Synchro Summon, I can draw one card. And my T.G. Hyper Librarian means I draw another card. And then, I'll have my monster attack your Strength of Prophecy!" stated Lemon Zest as her monster rushed forward to fire a spell from its book and successfully took out Midnight's monster (Midnight Sparkle: 6,400 - 900 = 5,500 LP).

"Since my T.G. Hyper Librarian is a Spellcaster, it means I can destroy your monsters and deal damage!" snickered Lemon Zest as she bypassed Midnight's plan.

"One attack, and now you're boasting about it!" responded Midnight as Lemon Zest merely got lucky. "If I were you, I'd be worried about wondering if you're gonna last any longer."

"I'll take that bet! I place one card face-down and end my turn!"

Turn 6: Sunny Flare - Hand: 5

"Then I do believe it's my turn," said Sunny Flare as she flipped her hair before drawing her card. "I activate the Continuous Spell, Hazy Pillar!" The ground behind Sunny split apart. A glowing, wavering pillar of bright orange fire rose from it, the top flickering and snapping the air. “As long as this card is in play, any Hazy Flame monster I may summon requires one less tribute for their summoning.” She flipped another card out of her hand and swung it onto her card tray. "I'll follow that up by playing the Spell card, Card Advance. This allows me to look at the top five cards of my Deck and place them back on top of it in any order I wish, and I'm also afforded an extra Tribute Summon this turn." Sunny's cards ejected from her Duel Disk, and she picked them up and fanned them out.

"Since I require no tributes, I can summon my Hazy Flame Sphynx (1900/1900)!" A large fireball emerged from the Hazy Pillar and floated before Sunny. The flames expanded, grew into a form lying on the ground, and then receded to reveal her monster. A beast with a lion's body and a woman's head lounged on the grass, her mane a field of orange and red fire. Jeweled blue and yellow regalia covered her forehead and neck. "And because I have an extra summoning this turn, I'll also bring out my Hazy Flame Cerbereus (2000/200)!" A circle of fire lit up in front of Sunny. A large three-headed dog rose from within them, its entire body of flickering orange and red flames. The three heads looked at each other before turning forward.

"I now activate the special ability of my Hazy Flame Sphynx! Once per turn, I can guess if the top card of my Deck is a Spell, Trap, or Monster card. I then reveal and discard that card, and if I guessed correctly, I can summon a FIRE monster from my hand or Graveyard. I guess a Monster card." stated Sunny Flare as she placed her hand on her deck and drew her card to look at it with a smile. "Lucky for me, it is. So, I'll discard my Hazy Flame Hydra to summon my Hazy Flame Mantikor (2200/300)! But that's not all, because I'll use the other effect of my Hazy Flame Sphynx to revive my Hazy Flame Hydra (2300/200)!"

Hazy Flame Sphynx turned its head and opened its mouth to shoot a column of fire at the ground. The flame formed into the shape of Sunny Flare’s monster and dispersed to reveal it, a writhing mass of red serpentine necks topped by pairs of red jaws with glowing eyes. A swarm of fireballs floated out of the pillar of fire and congregated, growing into a quadrupedal form and dispersing. A large red lion with leathery wings crouched in front of Sunny, its mane a ring of orange fire. Sunny laughed and pointed forward.

"Now that I've got a field full of monsters. You're about to be taken down!" the Crystal Prep girl scoffed.

"No, you won't. 'Cause from my hand, I can play this! Spellbook of Detainment!"

Spellbook of Detainment
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Your opponent cannot declare an attack this turn.

"You can play that when it's not your turn?!" said Lemon Zest.

"Of course, when you have powers like mine, you're allowed whatever you want. So, thanks to my Spell card, you're not allowed to attack me this turn." snickered Midnight.

"An unfortunate twist, but I can work around that. Now, I Overlay my Hazy Flame Hydra and my Hazy Flame Mantikor! Using my two Level 6 monsters, I construct the Overlay Network!" declared Sunny Flare. Sunny Flare’s two monsters turned into orbs of orange light and swirled into a flaming vortex above her, red light gleaming from the center. She spun in place as she reached her Duel Disk, hair, and skirt flying through the air. "By uniting the serpent of fire and the lion of fire, I spark the kindling that will light the flames of malice!" She stopped with her hand in place, a card ejecting into her fingers. "I Xyz Summon." She swung her card out and onto her Duel Disk swiftly. "Take flight, Hazy Flame Basiltrice (2500/1800/OLU: 2)!"

The Hazy Pillar behind Sunny blazed hotter as a shadowed form appeared. With a loud screech, a massive avian monster flew out of the flames and circled the field, two balls of orange light orbiting it. Wings of fire and gold swept through the skies, feathers in blue, orange, and red rustling and a long serpent’s tail flicking the air in its wake. The monster touched down behind Sunny on six claws and raised its chest proudly, red eyes blazing beneath a golden crown and a hair of blue fire.

"Now it's time to use my Hazy Flame Basiltrice's special ability. By using one Overlay Unit, I can banish a monster from your side of the field or in your Graveyard. So I'll get rid of your Amores of Prophecy!" Sunny sniffed. Hazy Flame Basiltrice opened its beak as one of its orbiting lights flew into its mouth (Hazy Flame Basiltrice: OLU 2 - 1 = 1). With a loud caw, it snapped its head forward, a beam of bright orange light lancing across the field. The light consumed Midnight's monster, shattering it under the blast.

"Since your monster was banished, it can't return on your turn," the girl snickered. "And now, I'll activate the effect of my Hazy Pillar to attach my Hazy Flame Cerbereus onto my Hazy Flame Basiltrice!" A ball of light rose from Sunny’s Duel Disk and joined the other one orbiting the Basiltrice (Hazy Flame Basiltrice: OLU 1 + 1 = 2).

"So, you found a way to dispose of my monsters? Clever, but it still won't be enough!" snickered Midnight.

"Well, then...I'd like to see you take down our beasts. I place one card face-down and end my turn," said Sunny Flare.

Turn 7: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 3

"Now, then...it's my move!" said Midnight as she drew. "And thanks to the effect of my Spellbook of Resurgence, my Strength of Prophecy rises, and I gain Life Points equal to half of her Attack Points!" The she-demon's spellcaster rose as dark magic infused its spirit (Midnight Sparkle: 5,500 + 750 = 6,250 LP).

"Now, I'll begin by Overlaying both my Strength of Prophecy and Charioteer to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Midnight as her two monsters were infused with dark magic before turning into orbs of light. They hovered in the air as a portal opened before her, and the orbs were sucked in, causing a pillar of light to emerge. "With the prophet of strength and rider of the chariot, I call forth the one who brings life to humanity! I Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Say hello to Number 39: Izanagi (2500/2000/OLU: 2)!" shouted the demon. Out came one of her Barian Numbers as its yellow eyes glowed; its black and metal outfit made it appear quite menacing before quickly slashing the air in front of itself as it wielded a bladed, spear-like weapon in a battle stance.

"What is that?" said Sunny Flare as she was in awe at what kind of monster she saw.

"What is that?" repeated Rainbow, who was near some bleachers as she spotted the monster in the distance. "We gotta find out what it is! Come on, Shy!"

"What?" said the girl as her friend was already heading toward the site of the duel. "Rainbow, wait! Don't leave me by myself!" said the shy teen as she chased after her best friend in hopes of being safe.

"Hope you girls are ready! Prepare to face the wrath of my monster. I activate Izanagi's special ability. By using one Overlay Unit, I can destroy one monster you control. So your Hazy Flame Basiltrice is gone!" snickered Midnight.

Midnight's monster quickly disappeared as it reappeared before Sunny Flare's monster. A slash was heard before it zoomed past Sunny Flare's monster and stood a few meters away. It then raised its free hand to the sky, and behind it, a lightning bolt struck the monster's upper half and fell as it exploded.

"And now, I'll have Izanagi attack your T.G. Hyper Librarian!" instructed Midnight as her monster delivered another running slash as it took out Lemon Zest's monster (Lemon Zest: 4,000 - 100 = 3,900 LP).

"Now that you're both defenseless, it's time to wipe you two out. I play the Spell card Spellbook of Divine Council from my hand!" Midnight held her card up high as it shined with blinding magic; both Shadowbolt girls looked away for a moment before looking back as the Xyz Monster there before was now gone and replaced by four different monsters.

On Midnight's field were Emperor of Prophecy (2300/2000), Reaper of Prophecy (2000/1600), Magical Marionette (2000/1000), and Disenchanter (2000/2300). All the monsters on Midnight's field had dark magic in their eyes, as if the Shadow magic emitted from the Number controlling the girl has infected her entire Deck.

Spellbook of Divine Council
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Select 1 monster you control that was Special Summoned from your Extra Deck: Return it to the Extra Deck, and if you do; Special Summon 4 Spellcaster monsters from your Deck that are less than or equal to the ATK of the monster returned to the Extra Deck.

"How did you summon four monsters?" asked Sunny Flare.

"It's quite simple, really. My Spellbook of Divine Council allows me to get rid of my Izanagi, and in exchange, I can summon four Spellcasters from my Deck as long as their Attack Points don't exceed Izanagi’s Attack Points."

"You gotta be kidding me!" said Lemon Zest as she looked at the monsters staring the pair down.

"And now, let's activate some abilities. When my Reaper of Prophecy is summoned, I can activate as many of its abilities due to the number of Spellbooks in my Graveyard. Since I have at least 3 Spellbooks in my Graveyard, my Reaper gains 600 extra Attack Points!" said Midnight as her monster raised his scythe and glowed (Reaper of Prophecy: ATK 2000 + 600 = 2600), "Since I have 4 Spellbooks, I can add a 'Spellbook' from my Deck to my hand. And since I have 5...I can bring out another Level 5 or higher Spellcaster from my Deck. So rise...Prophecy Destroyer (2500/1200)!"

The ground cracked open as a demon claw was shown rising and grabbing the ground. A growl was heard that put some fear in Lemon Zest and Sunny Flare's body as the creature inside the cavern emerged; a winged demon appeared as it roared and held a large sword while spreading its wings.

"Geez, she has that as part of her Deck?" said Sunny Flare, surprised that Twilight had this monster as part of her army of monsters, given its demeanor and appearance compared to her other Spellcasters.

"Hey! What's happening?!" shouted Rainbow.

The two Shadowbolt girls turned to see the rainbow-haired girl running toward them as she skidded to a halt. Without a second thought, she activated her Duel Pad as she looked to join in this Duel.

//Intrusion Penalty. Life Points halved.// said her Duel Pad’s AI.

Rainbow Dash: 4,000 LP

"What are you doing here?!" asked Sunny Flare to the girl who was part of her rival school.

"Duh, what does it look like?! I'm here to help stop that monster!" expressed Rainbow.

"Well, I'm down with that," smiled Lemon Zest.

"Another challenger. How welcoming. But before I get to you, Dash. I have to score to settle with my former classmates. So now, my monsters, make them suffer!" stated Midnight as her creatures heard the command of their mistress. "Magical Marionette, attack Lemon Zest directly!"

"I activate my face-down, Morphtronics, Scramble! Thanks to my Trap, when you declare a direct attack, I can negate it! And then I'm allowed to summon a 'Morphtronic' monster from my hand!"

"I don't think so! I said I would make you suffer, and that's what I'm going to do. So now, I activate the card that Reaper gave me. Spellbook of Sealment!"

Spellbook of Sealment
Counter Trap Card
Effect: Activate only when your opponent activates a Spell/Trap effect: Negate the activation, and if you do, destroy it.

"I can activate this Trap card when you activate your own Trap. It cancels out your card's effect and destroys it!" snickered Midnight as Lemon Zest's face-down shattered.

"No!" said the girl, realizing she had nothing left.

"Wait! That card doesn't say it can be used from the hand! That's cheating!" Sunny accused.

"When it comes to a Shadow Game and Shadow Magic, all's fair in love and war! But mostly war! Now, speaking of which, let's pick up where we left off! Disenchanter, get in there as well!" commanded Midnight as both monsters rushed forward and struck Lemon Zest; the girl winced in pain as she was sent tumbling back (Lemon Zest: 3,900 - 2,000 - 2,000 = 0 LP). "Reaper, Destroyer, take her out!" shouted Midnight as she pointed at Sunny Flare. Like before, the two monsters rushed forward and attacked the girl hard as she screamed and was tossed back (Sunny Flare: 4,000 - 2,600 - 2,500 = 0 LP).

The two girls landed just a few meters away from Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet as Rainbow turned to look at them. Fluttershy finally caught up as she gasped upon seeing the site. She saw the Shadowbolt girls, all with bruise marks, as she looked over at where Rainbow was standing.

"What happened?" asked the girl.

"They got beat. But now...it's our turn. It's up to us to save the day, like always. So are you going to run and hide or help me take down this thing?!" asked Rainbow as she turned to look at Midnight and growled.

Fluttershy was still nervous as she looked between Midnight and what she did to the Shadowbolts; the girl could feel her fear taking over but glanced over at Rainbow. The chromatic-haired girl wasn't showing any fear in her eyes as she was looking to take down Midnight to cease all this chaos. Seeing her friend's bravery made Fluttershy slowly remove her fear as she took a deep breath.

"Yes! I will help!" said Fluttershy confidently, not wanting to leave her friends alone.

"That's the spirit!" exclaimed Rainbow with a thumbs up at her best friend.

Fluttershy smiled as she pulled out her Duel Pad and strapped it around her wrist.

//Intrusion Penalty. Life Points halved.// said Fluttershy’s Duel Pad AI.

Fluttershy: 4,000 LP

"Well, I'll admit, I didn't see this coming. Based on how well your friends performed for CHS, I'm interested to see what you two can do." smiled Midnight. "So before I pass it over, I'll lay two cards face-down. You're up!"

Chapter 14: The Wrath of Midnight Sparkle Part 2 (By Golden Flare)

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Midnight Sparkle: 6,250 LP
Rainbow Dash: 4,000 LP
Fluttershy: 4,000 LP

Turn 8: Rainbow Dash - Hand: 5

"Alright, time to show you how we kick it CHS style! Here goes!" shouted Rainbow as she drew her card. "To start, I'll summon...Raidraptor King Lanius! And now King Lanius can call on some loyal subjects to join his army and serve him because its special ability lets it summon another Raidraptor! So joining the fight is...Raidraptor Vanishing Lanius!" The large bird opened its beak and shot out an array of electricity as its comrade appeared next to it.

"When it's summoned, I'm allowed to call on some backup, so I'm bringing out a third bird to triple the threat—Raidraptor Fuzzy Lanius!" stated Rainbow as she now had three monsters on her field. "And now I Overlay King Lanius, Vanishing Lanius...and my Fuzzy Lanius! To build the Overlay Network!" All three of Rainbow's birds turned into orbs of light as they hovered in the air as a red portal opened before her. The orbs were sucked in as a pillar of light emerged. "From the shadows, the falcon soars on wings of courage, talons ready for the rebellion! I Xyz Summon! Witness the ascent of Raidraptor - Rise Falcon (100/2000/OLU: 3)!" Out came a much larger robotic bird as it screeched loudly.

"I activate Rise Falcon's special ability! Using one Overlay Unit, I target one of your Special Summoned monsters, and Rise Falcon gains those exact attack points in addition to its own! And I choose Prophecy Destroyer! Furthermore, it can attack all your special summoned monsters!" said Rainbow (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: OLU 3 - 1 = 2).

"Looks like somebody was late to class! Seems you don't know; due to the power of my Spellbook of the Mystic Arts, I only take battle damage when another Spellcaster destroys my Spellcasters. And I'm afraid your Raidraptor Rise Falcon doesn't count!" snickered Midnight.

"Maybe. But I can still take them out! So Rise Falcon, do your thing!" shouted Rainbow as she thrust her hand out.

Rainbow's monster surrounded itself in a burst of flames that took the form of a larger bird surrounding the monster (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: ATK 100 + 2500 = 2600). It then took off as it looked to wipe out Midnight's entire field.

"The only fool here is you. 'Cause you seem to have forgotten about my face-downs. I now activate Xyz Retribution! I can activate this card when an Xyz monster attacks. First off, it lets me Xyz Summon. So, I'll Overlay my Magical Marionette and Disenchanter to build the Overlay Network!" declared Midnight as her two monsters turned into orbs of light as they hovered in the air. A red portal opened up as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged.

"I Xyz Summon! Empress of Prophecy (2000/1700/OLU: 2)!" Out came a beautiful female sorceress who sat on a throne. She took her position next to her lover, Emperor of Prophecy, as the pair put their staffs together and their magic radiated.

"You may have Xyz Summoned a monster, but that doesn't change the fact that my Rise Falcon is about to destroy every single one of your creatures!" said Rainbow.

"Oh, but it does. See, first off, my Empress gains 300 extra Attack Points for every Overlay Unit it has," said Midnight as her monster got stronger (Empress of Prophecy: ATK 2000 + 600 = 2600). "But it doesn't stop there...see, my Trap also makes it so that your monster now has to target my newly summoned Xyz monster."

"Fine! Rise Falcon, decimate that Empress!" shouted Rainbow.

"Ah-ah, you didn't let me finish. See, my Trap has one more effect. It steals all of your monster's Attack Points!" snickered Midnight as her Empress aimed her staff to fire a magical attack that affected Rise Falcon, its strength being sapped away and empowering the sorceress (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: ATK 2600 - 2600 = 0) (Empress of Prophecy: ATK 2600 + 2600 = 5200).

"This is bad!" said Fluttershy as she saw Rainbow was in danger.

"Your bird is toast!" shouted Midnight as her Empress aimed her staff to fire its counterattack.

"No way! I activate the Spell card, Overlay Burst Armor! By removing all of Rise Falcon's Overlay Units, it can't be destroyed in battle, nor do I take any damage!" shouted Rainbow. Her monster quickly flew up as it avoided the sorceress's attack before soaring back to her field; both monsters then returned to their previous Attack Point values (Raidraptor - Rise Falcon: ATK 0 + 2600 = 2600) (Empress of Prophecy: ATK 5200 - 2600 = 2600).

"Applejack, darling. Look there!" said Rarity as she pointed.

The farm girl turned as they looked; in the distance was Rise Falcon as it continued to soar high among the clouds.

"It's Rise Falcon. Which means Dash is in a Duel," said AJ.

"I hope she's alright," said Rarity, concerned for the rest of their friends.

"Let's go check on her!" said the farmer as she and the fashionista began to go to where the Duel was.

"I end my turn by playing two face-downs!" said Rainbow.

"What's the point? You must know when you've been outclassed and outmatched," snickered Midnight. "My victory is sealed."

"Alright, Shy. You're up. Show'em what you can do." said Dash to her friend.

"Right," said the girl, taking a deep breath to prepare herself.

Turn 9: Fluttershy - Hand: 5

"Okay. I draw," said Fluttershy as she drew and looked at her hand. "First, I play the Spell card, Foolish Burial. This allows me to send my Rescue Cat from my Deck to my Graveyard." stated the girl as her cat appeared mirage-like and meowed. "Now my Cat's effect activates; since it's being sent to the Graveyard, I'm allowed to summon 2 Level 3 or lower Beast-Type animals from my Deck, but their effects are negated and are destroyed at the end of my turn. So I'm bringing out Baby Raccoon Ponpoko (800/0) and Baby Raccoon Tantan (0/800)!"

A small raccoon with a tiny drum strapped to its chest jumped in front of Fluttershy, scratching its ear. Another raccoon soon joined as this one had a larger vertical drum over its chest rose from the card backing, banging padded drumsticks on its instrument.

"Then...I'm going to Overlay both of my raccoons!" said the girl as the two beasts turned into transparent red outlines and slid together, undulating. "I unite the powers of the raccoons to summon a brave new animal guardian!" She then grabbed the card that ejected from the top of her Duel Pad’s Extra Deck slot and then played it on her Duel Field. "I Xyz Summon! Joyous Melffys (2000/500/OLU: 2)!" A picnic table appeared with tons of furry little animals around it.

"Then I'll summon Nimble Beaver (400/100)!" A small beaver with a twig in its mouth jumped up from a pool of water that spontaneously appeared at Fluttershy’s feet. "Now my Beaver's ability activates; when he's summoned, I can also bring out a level 3 or lower 'Nimble' monster from my Deck or Graveyard. So, I'll bring out another Nimble Beaver. With that, I'll then Overlay my two Beavers." The two Nimble Beavers turned blue, slid together, and lowered into the water. Fluttershy clasped her hands. "I unite the powers of my two beavers and call on the spirit of the feline that dwells in the depths. I Xyz Summon, come on out, Cat Shark (500/500/OLU: 2) in Defense Mode!" A black and white aquatic monster jumped out from the pool and landed in front of Fluttershy in a spray of water, two orbs of blue light circling it. It stood on a pair of hind paws and waved a pair of front flippers in the air. A fishtail slapped the ground behind it, and a cat’s face with whiskers and fur topped its body.

"Once again. Need I remind you of my Spellbook of the Mystic Arts?" reminded Midnight.

"I know. That's why I'm not going to attack your monsters. First, I activate the ability of my Cat Shark. By detaching an Overlay Unit from it, I can select an Xyz Monster I control and double its stats for one turn. And I choose Joyous Melffys!" said Fluttershy. "And then I activate Joyous Melffys’ special ability. Using an Overlay Unit, my Joyous Melffy can attack you directly!"

"Nice one, Shy! I didn't know you had that in you!" said Rainbow, impressed by how Fluttershy not only summoned two Xyz Monsters on her turn but was able to bypass the field of monsters.

"Thanks," chuckled the girl sheepishly at the praise she got from her friend. "Now, Joyous Melffys, attack her directly!" The table of animals hopped off and charged; they snuck past the bigger, scarier monsters as they all went for the she-demon, who merely raised her arm and held her Duel Disk to block (Midnight Sparkle: 6,250 - 4,000 = 2,250 LP).

“I end my turn with two face-downs.”

Turn 10: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 2

"When will you two learn that nothing you do will work against me?" stated Midnight, "Now, my turn!" said the she-demon as she drew. "Prophecy Destroyer, take out her Cat Shark!" The winged demon spread its wings out, rushed forward to where the feline aquatic animal was, and sliced it in half, destroying it. "Now...Empress, attack Rise Falcon!"

"Don't think so. I'm activating my Spell card, Rank-Up-Magic Devotion Force!" shouted Rainbow as one of her facedowns flipped up. "Since your monster attacked, I can use this Spell on my Xyz Monster! Raidraptor - Rise Falcon! And I get to Xyz Summon a Raidraptor that's one rank higher!" Rainbow's monster screeched before it turned into an orb of light and entered a red portal as a pillar of light emerged.

"Terror of the skies! Predator of blazing force! With wings that slash and talons that tear! Go, Rank-Up Xyz Evolution! Rise up, Raidraptor - Blaze Falcon (1000/2000/OLU: 1)!" Another robotic falcon like Rise Falcon appeared, only this one was bigger, red-colored, and blazing with powerful flames.

"I activate...the Spell card Rank-Up-Magic Limit Over Force!" said Fluttershy as she flipped one of her face-downs. "Since Rainbow used a Rank-Up-Magic card to summon a monster, I can use this Spell on my Ronin Raccoon if I give up half of my Life Points (Fluttershy: 4,000 ÷ 2 = 2,000 LP)."

"But that lets me Xyz Summon a monster that's one rank higher!" stated the girl as her monster turned into an orb of light and hovered into the air as a red portal opened. The orb of light entered the portal as a pillar of light emerged. "Rank-Up Xyz Evolution! Black Ray Lancer (2100/600/OLU: 2)!" A monster that wore black armor and wielded a lance appeared as it spread its fins. "But that's not all! Limit Over Force multiplies Black Ray Lancer's Attack Points by the number of Rank-Up-Magic cards played so far! Just like that, Black Ray Lancer doubles its firepower (Black Ray Lancer: ATK 2100 X 2 = 4200)!"

"Not too shabby a move there, Fluttershy! I think I'll activate a Limit Over Force of my own!" said Rainbow as she had her other face-down activated, "But by doing so, I must also pay half of my Life Points. But that's a small price to pay if it gives me even the tiniest of chances to bring you down (Rainbow Dash: 4,000 ÷ 2 = 2,000 LP)!"

"I Xyz Summon a monster that's one rank higher than my Blaze Falcon!" said Rainbow as her monster and its Xyz Material turned into orbs of light and hovered. A red portal opened before her as they were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged. "Fiercest falcon, set your wings ablaze and lock your gaze on our ill-fated foe! Now, make it so! Go, Rank-Up Xyz Evolution! Welcome to the front line, Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon (2000/3000/OLU: 2)!" An even larger bird appeared beside Rainbow as it let out a bigger screech.

"And since three Rank-Up-Magic cards have been played, Limit Over Force multiplies Revolution Falcon's Attack Points by three, making my monster three times more powerful!" stated the chromatic-haired girl (Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon: ATK 2000 X 3 = 6000).

"Is that all?" taunted Midnight.

"Hey, Fluttershy! Got any more tricks up your sleeve?" asked Rainbow.

"Indeed I do. I reveal my face-down, the Trap Rank-Up Gravity. This card weighs down your options because your monsters are now only allowed to attack our ranked-up monsters! But if you don't attack, your monsters will be banished. And that means you can't bring them back with your Spellbook of Resurgence!" smirked Fluttershy.

"God dang, Shy. What a move!" said Rainbow, impressed by how her shy friend had a different attitude as she stared down this threat.

While the shy teen smiled at the praise she got, it was quickly wiped off her face by the she-demon they were facing. Midnight merely cackled and put a hand to her face as her laughter grew creepier. The sinister laughter put some fear in Fluttershy as Rainbow kept her defiant look.

"What's so funny?" asked the chromatic-haired teen.

"You two are," snickered Midnight. "It's cute to think that you two actually thought you had this in the bag! But you don't!"

"What…?" said the shy girl, now in fear.

"I reveal my face-down! Xyz Execution! Thanks to this card, both of your Xyz Monsters lose all their Attack Points, nor can they use any of their abilities. So that leaves them powerless!" shouted Midnight as two beams of magic shot toward Rainbow and Fluttershy's monsters as they screamed in pain from their power being sapped (Raidraptor - Revolution Falcon: ATK 6000 - 6000 = 0) (Black Ray Lancer: ATK 4200 - 4200 = 0).

"No way!" shouted Rainbow.

"I'll give you two this. You put up a bit more of a fight than my previous challengers. Not by a lot, but better. However, I'm still going to win!" declared the she-demon.

"I wouldn't count yer chickens just yet!" said a voice.

They all turned as they looked behind to see that Applejack and Rarity had arrived; they activated their Duel Pads to join in on this massive Duel.

"They ain't the last line o’ defense!" stated the farm girl.

//Intrusion Penalty. Life Points halved.// said the pair's Duel Pads.

Applejack: 4,000 LP

Rarity: 4,000 LP

Midnight merely gave a small growl at seeing more obstacles being put in front of her as she soon got rid of them.

"Fine then. But first, let me take care of these two pests! Empress! Annihilate the shy one and her pathetic monster!" commanded the demon as she got even bigger from the power she felt surging through her. Her sorceress twirled its staff before aiming it at Fluttershy and her monster; magic shot out in the blink of an eye as it pierced through the monster and headed for the girl, who flinched and was sent flying back.

"Fluttershy!" shouted Rainbow as she turned to see her childhood friend hit the ground hard (Fluttershy: 2,000 - 2,600 = 0 LP).

"Fluttershy!" said Rarity as she and Applejack rushed to where she landed.

The pair bent down to check on their friend as she suffered some bruises and scuff marks.

"Darling, are you okay? Speak to us!" said the fashionista as she was worried.

Applejack picked her head up and looked at her; the farmer checked the pulse of the girl as she let out a sigh, relieved to know that she had just been knocked out.

"She's good. Just unconscious," relayed the country gal.

"Oh, thank goodness," said Rarity, relieved.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. It's all my fault," muttered Rainbow to herself for getting one of her friends hurt.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll be sharing her pain!" snickered Midnight as she heard Rainbow's muttering. "Reaper, claim her soul!" shouted the demon to her monster as he rushed forward and swung his scythe; it pierced through her monster as it was destroyed and then headed toward Rainbow. The monster hit the girl in the stomach and was pushed back as she hit the ground hard (Rainbow Dash: 2,000 - 2,600 = 0 LP).

"Rainbow!" shouted Rarity as they saw their friend lying on her stomach a few meters away.

"I'm...sorry, guys…” said the girl as she let her head fall.

"That does it! Nobody gets away with hurtin' mah pals!" shouted Applejack as she stood up and stepped forward to the giant demon. "Get ready for a good ol’ fashion ass-whuppin'!"

"I...express those same thoughts, you brute," said Rarity, as she wasn't one for foul words, but this was an exception.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to seeing what you two can do. So before I let you take your turn, I'm gonna activate Spellbook Sacrifice. So, by sending my weak Level 4 Defender, the Magical Knight, to my Graveyard. I'm allowed to draw a card for each of its levels. Watch as I tighten my grip on this Duel before you even draw your first card!" snickered Midnight as Rarity and Applejack looked on with open gasps. "Now, I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn."

Turn 11: Applejack - Hand: 5

"Time for some tusslin'! Here we go!" shouted Applejack as she drew, occupied with her thoughts. This one's nothing like the one back in my dimension...Twilight-er, TS SUI-871 would have a field day with her. I'll go easy on her. she pressed a button on her Duel Pad, which revealed a hidden camera currently recording the Duel taking place, Hopefully Sol will give me better passing marks for this. "I summon Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio (1200/800)!" A black scorpion appeared before Applejack, roots on its back running up to a plant sprout behind its stinger tail. "Now the effect of my Scorpio activates; when he's summoned, I can send one monster from my hand to the Graveyard, and in exchange, I can Special Summon 1 'Predaplant' monster from my Deck. So I send my Predaplant Cordyceps to my Graveyard and Special Summon my Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra (1000/1500)." A snake with a body like a plant vine slithered in front of Applejack, its jaws patterned like flower petals.

"Since I summoned Darlingtonia Cobra from my Deck, I can use its ability. Now I can add one 'Polymerization' to my hand." Applejack's Duel Pad then slotted out the card for her to grab. "Now...I play Polymerization to combine both of my monsters!" Applejack's two monsters swirled together into a vortex of green light. "I combine my stinging predator and venomous predator and let a vicious new plant bloom!" Applejack took the card her duel disk ejected as she held it up high. "I Fusion Summon! Predaplant Chimerafflesia (2500/2000)!" A large coil of vines burst from the chasm and splayed out on the field. A large circular mouth ringed with teeth and surrounded by plump pink petals was at the end of the largest of the vines, and two smaller mouths rose beside it on smaller vines.

"Now I activate my Chimerafflesia's special ability. Once per turn, I can banish a monster whose level is equal to or lower than it. So your Reaper is no more!" stated Applejack. Chimerafflesia lashed out its two-mouthed vines towards Reaper of Prophecy.

"I don't think so. This should look familiar from our last Duel, Applejack. I reveal my Spellbook of Immortality. And you know what it does? It protects my Reaper from your petunia's ability." snickered Midnight as her monster avoided being banished.

"Figures, it's you, Twilight," said Applejack as she looked at the foe. "Hold on, sugar cube. We're gonna help free you from whatever dark magic has got a hold on you!" And claim it in the name of our dimension!

"Try as you might. But my grip on Twilight Sparkle is too much for even a simple cowgirl to beat!" snickered Midnight.

"Well, this cowgirl still got plenty up her sleeve. Chimerafflesia, attack her Empress! Now my monster's ability makes it so that your Empress loses 1,000 Attack Points while mine gains it." stated AJ (Empress of Prophecy: ATK 2600 - 1000 = 1600) (Predaplant Chimerafflesia: ATK 2500 + 1000 = 3500).

"But due to my Spellbook of the Mystic Arts, I won't take any battle damage because your monster isn't a Spellcaster," explained Midnight as her Xyz Monster was gone (Midnight Sparkle: 2,250 - 0 = 2,250 LP).

"Yeah, but I got a plan. So I place two cards face-down and end my turn! You're up, Rares!" said Applejack.

Turn 12: Rarity - Hand: 5

"Very well, darling. Let a lady take center stage!" said the fashionista as she flipped her hair before gracefully taking her draw. "I'll start by playing this Spell, Golden Rule! So I place two 'Crystal Beasts' from my Deck into my Spell and Trap Card Zone, and then I can Special Summon one 'Crystal Beast' from my hand. So I'll place a pair of felines, Crystal Beast Amethyst Cat and Topaz Tiger, in my back row. And I'll summon my cute little Ruby Carbuncle (300/300) in Defense Mode!"

On the girl's field, two gems, one yellow and one purple jewel, appeared as a red stone appeared in front. It then began to crack as bits of light emerged from the gem. Within the rays of light appeared a small purple quadruple with large red eyes and a round red gem on its tail. It jumped down in front of Rarity and mewled.

"When Ruby is special summoned, I can release the rest of my crystalized Crystal Beasts. So I release you all!" shouted Rarity. Ruby Carbuncle held up its tail and cried. The gemstone on its tail lit up red, and shot energy beams into the gems behind it. Soon, the rest of Rarity's monsters appeared: Topaz Tiger (1600/1000) and Amethyst Cat (1200/400) as the pair of felines roared.

"I'll then give my Topaz Tiger some extra bite by equipping him with Crystal Release! Giving him a pretty bonus of 800 Attack Points,” stated Rarity (Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger: ATK 1600 + 800 = 2400). "And now, Amethyst Cat, do your thing!"

Rarity's feline roared before she took off at her owner's command and charged forward. The feline bared its fangs as it leaped over Midnight's entire field and soared into the air. The she-demon saw the cat coming down as she raised her arm as its teeth sank into it. Midnight didn't feel pain as she swatted the cat back, who landed on her feet and raced back toward her mistress (Midnight Sparkle: 2,250 - 600 = 1,650 LP).

"By slashing her Attack Points in half, she was allowed to attack you directly. Now, my tiger will show his dominance and beauty. Be a dear and take out that Reaper!" stated the teen as her tiger growled and rushed forward. "I forgot to mention, my cute, adorable tiger gains an extra 400 Attack Points when it attacks your monster. Turning him from a harmless little kitty to a vicious killer (Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger: ATK 2400 + 400 = 2800)!" Rarity's tiger leaped at Reaper of Prophecy as it pinned down the monster before sinking his fangs into the Spellcaster as it was destroyed.

"Does it look like I'm worried?" scoffed Midnight as she didn't take any damage while her monsters were destroyed (Midnight Sparkle: 1,650 - 0 = 1,650 LP).

"No, but that will soon change. For now, I'll place two face-downs and call it!" said the fashionista.

"Great job, Rarity," said Applejack, praising her friend for how well she executed her turn.

"Darling, you're going to make me blush," responded the fashionista as she soaked in the attention for a job well done.

"Please!" interrupted Midnight with a scoff.

Turn 13: Midnight - Hand: 4

"You may have damaged me, but that will pale compared to what I do to you. Now, my monsters, rise!" shouted Midnight as her Empress and Reaper appeared from cracks in reality as their eyes glowed. "Due to my Spellbook of Resurgence, my monsters rise, and then I gain Life Points equal to half of their Attack Points. My Empress had 2,500, while my Reaper had 2,600 for a total of 5,100. So I gained 2,550 Life Points (Midnight Sparkle: 1,650 + 2,550 = 4,200 LP)!”

"My turn!" shouted the demon as she drew her card. "I'll summon my Spellbook Magician of Prophecy (500/400)! And thanks to his effect, when he's summoned, I can add a 'Spellbook' to my hand." said Midnight as a boy apprentice magician holding a book appeared; he opened his textbook, and there was a card that flew into the demon's hand. "Now, I activate my Emperor of Prophecy's ability! By banishing my Empress and one 'Spellbook' in my Graveyard, I can take control of one of your monsters! So I'll take that Chimerafflesia!"

The Empress placed her hand on the Emperor's; the woman transferred her power to her lover as he felt her spirit vanish. He then twirled his staff above his head before holding it out. In the blink of an eye, AJ's monster appeared on Midnight's field under her control.

"Impossible!" said Rarity.

"That's not good!" stated Applejack as she gritted her teeth.

"And now, I'll activate the card my Spellbook Magician of Prophecy gave me. Spellbook of Manipulation! Now, I can target one monster on my side of the field and change its level to match that of another. So my little boy magician becomes Level 7." stated Midnight as her small apprentice had the same level as AJ's stolen monster. "But before I do what I want, let me use your monster's ability and banish that Amethyst Cat!"

The plant monster lunged its vines forward, grabbing Rarity's feline, who tried to break free. With a snap, it broke into pieces of its jewel and vanished.

"Now...I have everything set up. I Overlay your Chimerafflesia with my Spellbook Magician of Prophecy to construct the Overlay Network!" shouted the she-demon as both monsters turned into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A galaxy portal opened before her as they entered, and a pillar of light emerged. "With the magician of spellbooks and the chimera-like plant, I call forth the Deadly Sin that represents the darkness of the human heart! I Xyz Summon! Meet the monster of your destruction! Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath (3200/1600/OLU: 2)!" The number 66 glowed brightly on Twilight's hand as out came a fully armored, yet savage-looking, woman-ish humanoid, wielding a massive sword in her left hand while her right forearm was a Gatling gun/missile launcher.

"What is that?" questioned Rarity, looking up at the monster.

"A whole lotta trouble," responded Applejack as she looked at it. And the perfect card! One of the Seven Deadly Sins!

"And it gets worse because I'm activating two more Spellbooks! Spellbook of Typing and Spellbook of Xyz Transfer!"

Spellbook of Typing
Equip Spell Card
Effect: When this card is equipped to a monster on the field: Change its Type, until this card leaves the field.

Spellbook of Xyz Transfer
Continuous Spell Card
Effect: This card can only be activated if you control a face-up Xyz Monster. Whenever you Special Summon a monster(s) from your GY: Attach 1 "Xyz Token" to your face-up Xyz Monster as an Xyz Material for each monster Special Summoned from the GY.

"Thanks to my Spellbook of Typing, my Xyz Monster changes from a Fiend to a Spellcaster; therefore, it benefits from the effect of my Spellbook of the Mystic Arts. And with my Spellbook of Xyz Transfer, anytime my monsters revive themselves, it produces an Overlay Unit that I can transfer to my Embodiment of Wrath!"

"No way!" shouted both girls.

"How the hell are we supposed to beat her?" said Rainbow as she was still on the ground, shifting her glance to look behind her. "It's like she's in God Mode!"

"Then how do we win?" asked Fluttershy, starting to come around.

"Now, I activate my Embodiment of Wrath's special ability. Using one Overlay Unit, my monster can now deal piercing damage!" stated Midnight as she absorbed one of her Xyz Materials into her Gatling gun arm (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 2 - 1 = 1).

"This just got worse," said Sugarcoat as she finally came to.

"Embodiment of Wrath, take out that Ruby Carbuncle!" said the she-demon as her monster raised her Gatling gun and fired it off. The bullets and rockets rained down on the girl's tiny monster, who covered itself up before being blasted into red particles. The damage continued as it transferred to the girl, who covered herself up before being flung back to the ground (Rarity: 4,000 - 2,900 = 1,100 LP).

"When my Ruby Carbuncle is destroyed, I can place it in my Spell and Trap Card Zone instead of sending it to the Graveyard," said the girl as a red gem appeared.

"Don't think you're safe just yet. Reaper, finish her off!" shouted Midnight as her monster flew forward.

"I activate my face-down, Crystal Raigeki! So, by sending my Ruby Carbuncle to my Graveyard, I can destroy your monster!" stated Rarity as she discarded her monster as Reaper also disappeared.

"Like that puts a dent in anything! Prophecy Destroyer, take out her Topaz Tiger!" said Midnight as her other monster took out the girl's feline; it turned into a yellow gem in her back row (Rarity: 1,100 - 100 = 1,000 LP).

"Thanks to my Crystal Release, I can place one 'Crystal Beast' from my Deck in my Spell and Trap Card Zone. So I choose my Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise!" stated the girl as a green gem appeared alongside the yellow jewel.

"And now you're completely defenseless! Emperor, silence her!"

"I still have one more face-down! I reveal Rainbow Path! When you declare an attack, I can send one 'Crystal Beast' from my Spell and Trap Card Zone to the Graveyard to negate the attack!" shouted Rarity as a rainbow-colored barrier appeared to protect the girl from harm as the green gem disappeared. "Then...I'm allowed to add a 'Rainbow Dragon' to my hand."

"So you managed to survive one more round? I'm impressed. But it won't change anything. So make your move!" stated Midnight.

Turn 14: Applejack - Hand: 2

"Here goes! First, I use the effect of Chimerafflesia in the Graveyard. On the turn it leaves the field, I can add a Fusion card from mah Deck to mah hand." She then touched her screen, searched for the card she wanted from her Deck, and clicked on it as it slid out for her to grab. "So I'm taking the Fusion spell, Predaprime Fusion. Then, I'm activating my Predaplant Cordyceps' ability. So, by banishing it from my Graveyard, I can revive two Level 4 or below 'Predaplant' monsters from my Graveyard. So my Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra and Scorpio are back in play!"

Applejack's two monsters rose as the girl drew her card. "Now, I'm activating my Cobra's ability. When it's summoned, I can add a Polymerization to my hand. Now...I'm gonna activate Predaprime Fusion to combine my Darlingtonia Cobra and Scorpio!" The two monsters were sucked into a vortex as green lights emitted. "I'll create a botanical nightmare by crafting these ravenous plants together! I Fusion Summon! Arise, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon (2800/2000)!"

"Since I just Fusion Summoned mah dragon, he gets an Attack Point boost equal to a Special Summoned monster on yer side of the field for the rest of the turn. I choose your Embodiment of Wrath. So it gains 3,200 extra Attack Points!" said Applejack as she pointed at Midnight's monster (Starving Venom Fusion Dragon: ATK 2800 + 3200 = 6000). "Now, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon attack her Embodiment of Wrath!"

"I don't think so. I reveal my face-down, Call of the Earthbound! So your dragon's new target is my Emperor of Prophecy!" snickered Midnight as she saved her monster from being destroyed. Her Emperor of Prophecy stood before its comrade and tried to fend off the attack only to be taken out (Midnight Sparkle: 4,200 - 0 = 4,200 LP).

"Great…!" muttered Applejack at how she failed to destroy her intended target. "I play Polymerization to fuse my Predaplant Byblisp and Moray Nepenthes." The girl's two monsters appeared before they were absorbed into a vortex. "With the plant-like wasp and the vine-like eel, I bring forth the flora of the prehistoric era! I Fusion Summon! Predaplant Ambulomelides (1000/2500)!" A plant-like dinosaur appeared as it roared.

"Well...that's all I can do," said the girl, putting her head down in disappointment. You're only delaying the inevitable...

Turn 15: Rarity - Hand: 2

"My turn," said Rarity as she drew. "I'll play the Spell card, Crystal Blessing! So I take two 'Crystal Beasts' in my Graveyard and place them in my Spell and Trap Card Zone. So, I'll take back my Emerald Tortoise and Ruby Carbuncle." The two gems reappeared on Rarity's field. "Then I'll play this Spell, Rare Value. So now, in exchange for sending one of my Crystal Beasts in my back row, I get to draw two more cards. So what'll it be, darling?" asked the girl.

"Your Ruby Carbuncle!" snickered Midnight.

"So be it," said the fashionista as the red gem shattered and she drew her cards. "I activate Crystal Beacon! Since I have two 'Crystal Beasts' in my Spell and Trap Card Zone, I can summon a different 'Crystal Beast' from my Deck. Say hello to Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon (3000/0)! A slightly different version of Rarity's beast appeared as it emitted all the rainbow colors.

"Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon, attack her Reaper of Prophecy!" said Rarity as her monster opened its mouth and fired its attack to dismantle Midnight's monster (Midnight Sparkle: 4,200 - 0 = 4,200 LP).

"I place one card face-down. That's it," said the fashionista as she had nothing else.

Once Rarity finished her turn, Midnight began to break down as she tried to contain her laughter.

"You're just like all the others. Pretenders instead of contenders! You never had a chance!" stated the she-demon, laughing at how pathetic Rarity and Applejack's turn was.

Turn 16: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 2

"Now then. My Reaper and Emperor rise again! And I gain Life Points equal to half of their combined Attack Points." said Midnight as her monster reappeared (Midnight Sparkle: 4,200 + 2,550 = 6,750 LP).

"And thanks to my Spellbook of Xyz Transfer, that also means I get Xyz Tokens as two extra Overlay Units attached to my monster!" stated the she-demon as two orbs appeared above her revived monsters and attached themselves to her Number (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 1 + 2 = 3).

"Now, I'll play Spellbook Library of the Heliosphere. Since I have at least five different Spellbooks in my Graveyard, I get to draw the top two cards of my Deck. And if either of them are 'Spellbooks,' then I get to add them to my hand." said Midnight as she drew and looked at them out of the corner of her eye with a smile. "Wouldn't you know it? They're both Spellbooks. Spellbook of Power and Spellbook of Encore! So I'll take both of them. Next, I'm summoning my Temperance of Prophecy (1000/1000)!" Out appeared a robed magician holding mystic cups as its face was covered.

"Now I activate my Temperance of Prophecy's ability; since I activated a Spellbook before summoning it, I can now tribute it to summon one Level 5 or higher Spellcaster from my Deck. So...meet my most loyal servant. High Priestess of Prophecy (2500/2100)!" A dark portal appeared; all of Midnight's monsters looked at as Temperance's magical cups began to overflow with magic steam as it chanted some ancient tongue.

It then covered the magician as it disappeared into the dark portal. A second later, a leg was shown stepping through. It belonged to a beautiful red-haired woman wearing a revealing outfit and holding a book. Once the woman appeared, nearly all the other monsters on Midnight's field quickly bowed to their leader as she stepped forward, levitated into the air, and crossed her legs. Priestess lifted her head as her eyes glowed with evil yellow, and a sinister expression replaced her usual kind one.

"Now, I'll equip my Priestess of Prophecy with both Spellbook of Power and Spellbook of Encore! Spellbook of Power gives her 1,000 extra attack points, and Spellbook Encore means she can attack twice this turn!" said Midnight as more evil magic infused her mighty sorceress.

Spellbook of Encore
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 1 monster you control: It can attack twice this turn.

"Priestess, slay that Crystal Beast Rainbow Dragon!" ordered the she-demon.

"I activate my face-down, Crystal Boon! Now I can special summon up to 2 'Crystal Beast' monsters from my Spell and Trap Card Zone and gain Life Points equal to their Attack Points!"

"Nice try! But I still have this card in my hand: Spellbook Ruling!"

Spellbook Ruling
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Your opponent cannot activate Spells/Traps until the End Phase of the turn you activated this card.

"Now, you can't activate any of your Spells or Traps. Meaning your monster's destruction is unavoidable!" snickered Midnight as Rarity's card glitched and vanished, leaving the girl without anything. Priestess blasted Rarity's dragon as it roared in pain before vanishing as the girl looked away (Rarity: 1,100 - 600 = 500 LP).

"Prophecy Destroyer, finish her!" growled Midnight in the most menacing tone. The demon roared before lunging toward the helpless girl as Rarity saw death in her eyes. One might swing, and the girl felt the painful attack and screamed.

She was sent back and hit the ground hard as she lay there. Applejack looked back at her friend as she struggled to move but soon collapsed (Rarity: 500 - 2,500 = 0 LP).

"Sorry, Rarity," mumbled the farm girl as she failed to defeat this evil foe and got her friend caught in the line of fire. Pathetic. Now at least she's out of my way, I can deal with her myself.

"Now, Priestess, dispose of her Predaplanet Ambulomelides!" said Midnight as she took out AJ's monster.

"And now...Embodiment of Wrath, take out her Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

"Ah reveal mah face-down! Preda—"

"No, no, no! Remember, you can't activate any of your Spells or Traps!" laughed Midnight.

"You mean...?" She wouldn't...

"My Spellbook Ruling affects both of you! I have the power to dictate this Duel, and what I say goes. And I say you aren't blocking this attack!" smiled Midnight as AJ's face-downs disappeared. Applejack could only look on as her dragon was slain and began to emit light from inside.

"Mah dragon doesn't leave without a partin' gift! When it's destroyed, all yer Special Summoned monsters are also destroyed! An' that's all your monsters on the field!" shouted Applejack as a massive explosion occurred.

When the explosion died down, the entire field was empty. Applejack managed to survive, while Midnight kept her evil smile despite not having any monsters.

"My monsters are only temporarily gone. Plus, I got all I needed thanks to my Spellbook of Power. Now, for every monster that my Priestess destroyed while equipped with my Spellbook of Power, I get to add a 'Spellbook' to my hand. So I get two!" snickered the she-demon as two cards magically appeared in her hand. "I end my turn."

Turn 17: Applejack - Hand: 0

"Mah draw!" said Applejack as she hoped to draw something. Time to give her a taste of her own poison. "I play Dragon's Mirror!" A large mirror appeared in the air, the wings, claws, and tail of a dragon carved from its frame. "This lets me banish the Fusion parts needed from my field or Graveyard to summon a Dragon-Type Fusion monster from my Extra Deck. I banish Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra and Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!”

The mirror pulsed and glowed purple, its surface cloudy. Applejack reached to her Duel Pad, fingers poised. "I combine mah botanical nightmare and mah carnivorous predator to bring out a toxic terror like no other!" The mirror cracked down in the center, the image of glowing purple eyes appearing in either half. "I Fusion Summon! Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon (3300/2500)!" The mirror shattered, and a massive dragon flew out of the frame. Its serpentine body was glowing blue, purple, and yellow, with streaks of light along its limbs. Wings like the growths of a plant spread behind it, crackling with energy. It circled to float in front of Applejack, roaring down at Midnight.

"Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon, attack her directly!" said Applejack as her dragon fired a powerful beam of energy that made contact with Midnight, who just kept her cocky smile (Midnight Sparkle: 6,750 - 3,300 = 3,450 LP).

"I...end my turn," sighed the country gal.

"You lose!" snickered Midnight.

Turn 18: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 2

"Rise!" shouted Midnight as all the monsters AJ took out on her last turn appeared as she had a full field of her strongest monsters. "And since that's five monsters being revived, five overlay units are transferred to my Embodiment of Wrath!" Five orbs appeared and circled Midnight's number (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 0 + 5 = 5). "And I gain Life Points equal to half the combined total of all my monsters' Attack Points (Midnight Sparkle: 3,450 + 6,250 = 9,700 LP)!"

"Over 9,000...?" said Rainbow, at seeing how much Midnight had.

"It's all over!" said the she-demon as she drew. "I activate Spellbook of Destruction!"

Spellbook of Destruction
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: Destroy 1 monster your opponent controls.

"So now, your dragon is gone!" A magic shot took out AJ's final monster as the remaining monsters stared her down. "Prepare to meet your end!"

"Hold it right there! This Duel's not over!"

"And by the way, Dashie, the 'Over 9,000' meme is sooooo overused."

//Intrusion Penalty: Life Points halved.//

Midnight looked as coming out to challenge the demon was Pinkie, and Sunset. The pair had gone to find their friends and arrived just in time as Applejack was about to be defeated.

Pinkie Pie: 4,000 LP

Sunset Shimmer: 4,000 LP

"Very well. I only hope you prove more challenging than these two. Finish her!" shouted Midnight as Emperor and Priestess put their hands out and fired off some magic that collided with Applejack to send her flying (Applejack: 4,000 - 2,300 - 2,500 = 0 LP).

The farm girl hit the ground as she tumbled. Pinkie and Sunset rushed to their friend's aid as they checked on her.

"Be...careful, you two..." said Applejack as that was all she could say...before she pressed another button and sent the recorded video to an unknown being. It doesn't matter. I already got all the info I need.

"You won't get away with this, Twilight!" growled Sunset as she stared down the demon.

"Everyone that has stepped up to me has fallen. And you two will fail as well!"

"You ready to do this, Pinkie?"

"You know it, Sunset!" said the party girl.

Turn 19: Pinkie Pie - Hand: 5

"I'll summon my Madolche Marmalmaide (800/2000) in Defense Mode!" stated Pinkie as a small maid holding a menu appeared, sitting on top of a jar of marmalade. "I then play the field spell, Madolche Chateau! All my 'Madolche' monsters gain 500 extra Attack and Defense Points with this card!" A large building made of sweets appeared behind the girl, looking tasty.

"I'll then set one card face-down."

"That's all? Please," scoffed Midnight.

Turn 20: Sunset Shimmer - Hand: 5

"Don't forget about me!" said Sunset as she drew. "And it's time we even the playing field. I set the Pendulum Scale with my Scale 1 Magician of Glorious Sundown and my Scale 8 Magician of Glorious Sunset!" The bacon-haired teen placed her two cards on the far end of her pad with the word PENDULUM spelled out in between. The two monsters then appeared in columns of light with their numbers in front of them.

"Now I'm allowed to summon monsters between Levels 2 through 7. So here they come!" shouted Sunset as three lights shot out from an open portal above. "Say hello to Solar Flare Phoenix (2500/2100), Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn (1800/1300), and Corona Paladin Strider (1700/1400)!"

"So you managed to summon multiple monsters? Big deal!" scoffed Midnight.

"Oh, it is a big deal because the effect of my Sunset Unicorn activates. Since it was Special Summoned, I can select one monster on my side of the field and have its Level reduced by 1. So I choose my Corona Paladin Strider!" gestured Sunset as she pointed to her monster. "And the monster that has their Level reduced becomes a Tuner!"

"Tuner?" said Midnight.

"That's right. So now...I'll tune my Level 3 Corona Paladin Strider with my Level 4 Corona Beast Sunset Unicorn!" declared Sunset. Her Strider turned into three giant green rings as her unicorn leaped into them (Level 3 + 4 = 7). "With the paladin's might and the unicorn's wisdom, I bring forth a fiery daydreamer! I Synchro Summon, Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream (2300/2200)!"

"All that work for a monster that doesn't even come close to mine!" taunted Midnight.

"Maybe, but I'm not planning on attacking. I'll lay one card face-down and end my turn!" stated Sunset.

Turn 21: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 2

"I'll give you this. You're smarter than the rest of your friends. They would have attacked and helped me." said Midnight as she drew her card. "Now...Emperor. Attack—"

"I activate my face-down, Gravity Bind!" shouted Sunset as her card flipped up. "Thanks to this card, any monster that's Level 4 or higher can't attack."

The change in gravity affected nearly all the monsters on Midnight's field as they were held in place.

"Impressive. You managed to do something that I didn't expect. However...my Embodiment of Wrath is a Rank monster, meaning your Trap does not affect it. So it can still attack. So...take out her Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream!" ordered Midnight as her monster aimed her gatling gun at it and let loose a barrage of bullets, destroying Sunset's monster (Sunset Shimmer 4,000 - 900 = 3,100 LP).

"My Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream may be gone, but I can place it face-up in my Extra Deck," said the bacon-haired girl as her Extra Deck compartment opened and placed her card in.

"Your Trap is only temporary, holding my monsters back. It's only a matter of time before I break free. Like your friend said, I'm in God mode! Greatness on a different level!" shouted Midnight.

Turn 22: Pinkie Pie - Hand: 3

"My turn! I'll begin by activating my Trap card, Madolche Waltz. Now, whenever my 'Madolche' monsters attack or are attacked, you take 300 points of damage! Then, since I have no monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon my Madolche Petingcessoeur (1400/1400) from my hand. And with that, I can bring out a different 'Madolche' monster to join the party because I Special Summoned it. Make way for Madolche Puddingcess (1000/1000)!" Out emerged a blond little girl wearing a dress resembling pudding as she twirled around and did a cute little bow.

"Normally, she's Level 5, but with my Petingcessoeur's ability, it makes her Level 4. Which means I can do this! I Overlay Madolche Petingcessoeur and Puddingcess to build the Overlay Network!" said Pinkie as her two monsters turned into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A portal opened before the girl as the orbs entered, and a pillar of light emerged. "With the princess of pudding and the petit princess, I call upon the sweetest teacher in all the land! I Xyz Summon! Madolche Teacher Glassouffle (1800/2500)!" Out came another monster; she wore glasses and an elegant dress. She had a book in one hand and a small staff in the other as a small blackboard was behind her.

"With that, I'll lay one card face-down and end my turn!"

Turn 23: Sunset Shimmer - Hand: 0

"My turn!" Sunset looked at the card she drew as seeing it gave her a sense of dread. "I'll just play one card face-down!"

Turn 24: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 3

"Looks like you failed! Now...time to end you two!" snickered Midnight. "I play Mystical Space Typhoon! So now your Gravity Bind is no more!" A giant wind blew over the field as it was destroyed. "Now I activate my Embodiment of Wrath's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, it can deal piercing damage (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 5 - 1 = 4)!"

"Not quite, I reveal my face-down, Madolche Nights! Since I have no 'Madolche' monsters in my Graveyard, this card lets me negate your effect!" said Pinkie as she shut down Midnight's plan.

"Like it matters," snickered the she-demon with a sassy look, "Take out her Madolche Teacher Glassouffle!" The monster aimed her gatling gun arm at Pinkie's monster as the barrage of bullets took it out.

"Remember, thanks to my Madolche Waltz! You take 300 points of damage (Midnight Sparkle: 9,700 - 300 = 9,400 LP)!" said the party girl.

"I got plenty of Life Points to spare! You, on the other hand, don't!" cackled Midnight. "Reaper, take out her last monster!" The she-demon's Spellcaster flew toward Pinkie's remaining monster; it swung its scythe to take it out (Midnight Sparkle: 9,400 - 300 = 9,100 LP).

"Now, you're defenseless! Emperor, strike her!" said Midnight as her male sorceress aimed his staff at the girl.

"I reveal my face-down, Madolchepalooza! Now I can Special Summon any number of 'Madolche' monsters from my hand!" said the girl as she showed the two final cards in her hand and placed them on her pad. "Madolche Messengalto (1600/1000) and Madolche Chouxvalier (1700/1300), arise! And thanks to Messengalto's ability, when he's Special Summoned, I can add one 'Madolche' Spell or Trap card to my hand!"

"So you still wanna fight, huh? Fine then!" snickered Midnight as she snapped her fingers. Her Prophecy Destroyer also flew into action alongside Emperor as both monsters took out the tiny things (Midnight Sparkle: 9,100 - 300 - 300 = 8,500 LP).

"Thanks to my monsters' ability, instead of sending them to the Graveyard, I can shuffle them back into my Deck!" said Pinkie as she grabbed both of her cards and placed them on top of her Deck as the auto-shuffler kicked in.

"Like it's going to protect you from this next attack. Priestess!" The woman opened her book as she began to read from it. She then held her book in front of her as a powerful single beam shot toward Pinkie, who covered up as she fell to a knee (Pinkie Pie: 4,000 - 2,500 = 1,500 LP).

"You survived...this time. But on my next turn, you're done!" smiled Midnight.

Turn 25: Pinkie - Hand: 3

"Then I better make this turn count!" said Pinkie as she drew. "I'll play Monster Reborn to bring back my Madolche Teacher Glassouffle!" The party's girl's monster rose back up as Pinkie looked at her hand. "I place one card face-down...that's...that's it."

The party girl put her head down after ending her turn.

"Pinkie..." muttered Sunset, seeing her friend.

Turn 26: Sunset - Hand: 0

"Seems she couldn't do it! Let's see if you can?" snickered Midnight.

Sunset glared at the evil Twilight as she drew her card. The girl looked at it for quite a while as she contemplated what to do.

"Aw, what's the matter? Got nothing!"

"I...end my turn," muttered Sunset, as the card she drew couldn't help her.

Turn 27: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 3

"I'm done playing around! Now..." said Midnight as she drew. "I'll activate my Embodiment of Wrath's ability. Using one Overlay Unit it can deal piercing damage (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 4 - 1 = 3). So...this time, take out her monster once again!"

The monster, this time, raised her sword and threw it at Pinkie's monster as it exploded (Midnight Sparkle: 8,500 - 300 = 8,200 LP) (Pinkie Pie: 1,500 - 200 = 1,300 LP).

"You're done. Prophecy Destroyer!" shouted Midnight.

"I reveal my face-down, Madolche Check! Thanks to this card, I target one 'Madolche' monster in my Graveyard, and you take damage equal to its Attack Points. And I choose my Madolche Teacher Glassouffle!" said Pinkie as she blasted a chunk of the demon's Life Points away (Midnight Sparkle: 8,200 - 1,800 = 6,400 LP).

"Insolent little pest!" shouted Midnight as her monster brought his sword down on the helpless girl, who was flung back (Pinkie Pie: 1,300 - 2,500 = 0 LP).

"Pinkie!" shouted Sunset as she put her arm out, seeing her friend go flying and was about to hit the ground hard.

Just then, a figure appeared as he jumped in the air and caught Pinkie. Golden appeared and quickly pulled the girl into his arms as he used himself to protect the teen and cushion her fall as he hit the ground with a thud. Sunset looked worried; she saw Golden holding Pinkie in his arms as he sat up.

"Pinkie, talk to me!" said the boy, worried for the girl's safety.

The boy tried to get the girl to respond as he shook her. His shaking affected the party girl as she opened her eyes and saw Golden's face. The boy smiled as he was glad to see she was fine.

"Sorry..." was all she could say before losing consciousness.

"You did your best," whispered Golden to the girl.

"Back to the Duel!" shouted Midnight as she got everyone's attention, "And only one Duelist remains. Reaper, take out her Shimmering Phoenix Princess Daydream!" Midnight's next monster raised its scythe and took out Sunset's Winged-Beast (Sunset Shimmer: 4,000 - 300 = 3,700 LP).

"Emperor of Prophecy, take out her Solar Flare Phoenix!" The male sorcerer aimed his staff at Sunset's remaining monster as they had their attacks clash before each was taken out. "And with your monster being destroyed, I can activate this card from my hand, Spellbook Countdown!"

Spellbook Countdown
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: If you destroyed a monster(s) your opponent controls: Destroy Spells/Traps your opponent controls equal to the number of monsters destroyed.

"Now, for every monster that was destroyed on your field, I can destroy that many number of Spells and Traps. So your two Pendulum cards cease to exist, and you take 600 points of damage for each one!"

Sunset's Pendulum cards disappeared as Sunset covered up by a giant wind blowing in her face (Sunset Shimmer: 3,700 - 600 - 600 = 2,500 LP).

"This Duel is over!" said Midnight as she snapped her fingers. Her Priestess began to move her arms about as she prepared her spell.

Sunset just stood there as Priestess of Prophecy finished her spell and fired her attack.

"I reveal my face-down, Cross Attack! Now we both take the same amount of damage that I'm taking!" shouted Sunset.

"It doesn't matter! You lose!" shouted Midnight.

"NO!" shouted Golden as he set Pinkie down and rushed toward Sunset as the attack was coming down on her.

A magic pillar came down on Sunset as it created a huge smoke cloud. Midnight chuckled as she finally wiped out her gauntlet of challengers (Sunset Shimmer: 2,500 - 2,500 = 0 LP) (Midnight Sparkle: 6,400 - 2,500 = 3,900 LP). However, she saw a figure standing in the smoke. When it pulled back, there stood Golden as he was holding an unconscious Sunset in his arm. What was more important was his Duel Pad as it was activated.

//Intrusion Penalty: Life Points halved.//

"This Duel is not over!" declared Golden.

Golden Flare: 4,000 LP

"So...you want to suffer the same judgment as your friends? Well, then...what are you waiting for, boy?!" taunted Midnight.

Golden glared at the she-demon as he placed Sunset down on the ground. He patted her shoulder before looking at the purple demon as he raised his Duel Pad.

Canterlot High School - Infirmary
Enix POV

All while this is happening, Enix was having a horrible nightmare while he's unconscious, but it's more like a bad memory: he and his team were escaping the Canterlot Castle of his dimension, being forced to leave his comrades behind as he fell into Golden's dimension, but he and Shinkokuna made certain that no one remembered them due to the latter's experimental memory-wiping gun, which they used to cover up their tracks. But then, a distorted voice that almost sounds like it belonged to Applejack demanded to know something.

WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!

Then distorted voices of Princesses Celestia and Luna rung out.

MURDERER!!!

YOU KILLED THEM!!!

Enix held Princess Cadence in his arms as a distorted voice that belonged to Shining Armor screamed.

YOU KILLED MY WIFE!!!

Enix heard many voices yelling at him for his crimes, until they stopped and Sunset Shimmer, wearing armor that resembled Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon's appearance, walked up to him.

Enix looked up at her, "Sunny...I...I..."

Sunset then said three simple words that hit Enix to his very core:

"You blew it."

Enix jolted awake, panting up a storm and in a cold sweat, terrified by what he had seen and heard. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two cards that he needed to keep safe with his life: Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon. But something was different about Dark Rebellion, it was glowing a bright orange, like a setting sun.

It's okay, Enix. It wasn't your fault. There was no other way around it.

Suddenly, Dark Rebellion glowed even brighter, creating two new cards for Enix to use. As the light dimmed down, he got a good look at them.

The Phantom Knights' Rank-Up-Magic Launch
Quick-Play Spell Card
Effect: During the Main Phase: Target 1 DARK Xyz Monster you control with no material; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 DARK Xyz Monster that is 1 Rank higher than that monster you control, by using it as material, and if you do, attach this card to it as additional material. (This is treated as an Xyz Summon. Transfer its materials to the Summoned monster.) During your Main Phase: You can banish this card from your GY, then target 1 DARK Xyz Monster you control; attach 1 "The Phantom Knights" monster from your hand to that monster as material.

Dark Requiem Xyz Dragon
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 5
Type: Dragon/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2500
Effect: 3 Level 5 monsters
If this card has "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon" as material, it gains these effects.
●Once per turn: You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; change its ATK to 0, and if you do, this card gains ATK equal to that monster's original ATK.
●When your opponent activates a monster effect (Quick Effect): You can detach 1 material from this card; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card, then you can Special Summon 1 Xyz Monster from your GY.

No matter where you go, I'm always with you.

The glow from Dark Rebellion flew out of the card and into Enix, imbuing him with new power. Enix got up from his bed and made his way to the exit, Was that all just a dream? Was it really her?

Just then, loud explosions rang out just outside the front entrance to the school along with the screams of many terrified students.

"How long was I out?" Enix put a hand to his earpiece, "Shinkokuna, come in!"

Nothing but static in his ear.

"I don't like this..." Enix tried to leave, but just as he opened the door, Inspector Yokozawa was standing right outside the door.

"Well, well, well, the Phantom Swordsman finally wakes up." Yokozawa said as his assistants, Jinyo and Mahno approached Enix each with a pair of handcuffs.

Damn! Why now?! Enix thought in a panic.

"You're under arrest due to suspicion of murdering the Apple Family!" Jinyo declared.

"AND for attending school here illegally!" Mahno added.

"We did a little more digging on you, and it turns out that you didn't enroll here or Crystal Prep! So that makes you a potential spy! For all we know, you could be a serial killer or a terrorist!"

"...Uh-oh." Enix uttered.

Chapter 15: The Wrath of Midnight Sparkle Part 3 (By Golden Flare and ShootingStar25)

View Online

Enix was shellshocked that the inspector and his assistants figured out that he wasn't from around here, but even so, he tried to be ready in case they tried to cuff him.

"Inspector. This is NOT the time." Enix said, sternly.

"I don't particularly care! Cuff him, ladies! Don't forget to read him his rights!" Yokozawa ordered.

Jinyo and Mahno approached Enix with caution and cuffs in hand.

"Inspector, listen, there's a lot going on that you don't understand. The school and its students are in trouble." Enix pleaded.

"You have the right to remain silent," Jinyo began, "if you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"You guys need to let me go, if you don't, SOMEONE is going to be killed!" Enix warned.

"You have a right to an attorney," Mahno continued, "if you can't afford one, the court will provide one for you."

"Move aside," Enix reached for his Duel Disk, "I don't wanna use force!"

"Then I'LL do it!"

"Huh?" the assistants uttered as a plume of smoke burst through the area, making everyone cough while rushing to catch Enix and whoever dropped that smoke bomb.

When the smoke finally cleared, it was revealed to be none other than Phantom Thief Lucky Clover!

"Lucky Clover?! Grab him, quick!" Yokozawa ordered as the two rushed him and Enix.

Lucky pulled out a hand of five cards and declared, "ROYAL FLASH!!"

Just then, a bright light blinded them as they continued their charge and hit something hard.

"We got 'em! We got...huh?" Mahno stopped and saw the two expanding until they popped and revealed to be two makeshift scrap-iron scarecrows covered with Lucky Clover's image gum made to look like him and Enix.

"Ugh! I hate that guy!" Yokozawa groaned.

Meanwhile, the two aforementioned escapees made their way to the school's front entrance.

"I'm glad I found you, you lost some time, but Twilight managed to summon her Barian Number." Lucky explained.

"Alright, go find Jack, let me know if you found anything." Enix said.

"Got it!"

The two split up to do their respective jobs as Enix put on his Augma head device to check how much time he had left:

COUNTDOWN TO CHAOS CORRECTION
00:10:00

"Oh no..." Enix uttered, then tried to get in touch with Shinkokuna once again, but the result was the same; static, "Why aren't you picking up?"

Enix continued to the school's entrance and opened the front door...

Midnight Sparkle: 3,900 LP
Golden Flare: 4,000 LP

Turn 28: Golden Flare - Hand: 5

"It's my draw! Hyahh!" shouted the boy as he took his turn. He stopped momentarily to look at his hand before touching his pad and looking at the field.

Okay. So, let's assess. She's got five monsters currently out. With that Spellbook of the Mystic Arts, she can't take any battle damage from her monsters unless they battle Spellcasters. Then...there's her Spellbook of Resurgence. She already played it, and for the rest of the Duel, she can revive her destroyed Spellcasters and gain Life Points equal to half of her monsters' Attack Points. Then...there's her Spellbook of Xyz Transfer. Anytime her monsters revive, they produce an Xyz Token card as an Overlay Unit for her Number. But...that might be the clue to beat her. Her Number is no longer a Spellcaster since the Equip Spell card that made it was taken out when AJ's Starving Venom Fusion Dragon was destroyed. So, that means she's gonna do everything she can to protect her Number.

"Are you gonna make a move, or are you gonna keep your thoughts to yourself?" taunted Midnight.

"I'll summon my NumberMan.EXE (900/900) in Defense Mode!" said Golden as a humanoid robot with a blinking light bulb for a head appeared on the field. "Then I'll activate its ability. Once per turn, I can roll a die, and whatever number it lands on, you take 100 points of damage multiplied by that number. Go, Doom Dice!" stated Golden Flare as a die appeared before him. The die was tossed as it landed on a six. "Nice! Say goodbye to 600 of your Life Points!" The die let loose a massive explosion in Midnight's general area, creating a simulated dust cloud as her Life Points began to drop (Midnight Sparkle: 3,900 - 600 = 3,300 LP).

"I'll then place two cards face-down and end my turn!"

Turn 29: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 3

"THIS is the hero who's come save the day? Pathetic. My turn!" said Midnight as she drew. "And so my Emperor of Prophecy rises, and I gain Life Points equal to half of his Attack Points (Midnight Sparkle: 3,300 + 1,150 = 4,450 LP) and another Overlay Unit to attach to my Number (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 3 + 1 = 4)!"

"Then let me activate my NumberMan.EXE's special ability. I can activate it during either player's turn. Go, Doom Dice!" shouted the boy as a die appeared, tumbled, and landed on another six. Another wave of damage washed over Midnight as she growled, not liking that (Midnight Sparkle: 4,450 - 600 = 3,850 LP).

"Now, you're a bothering pest!" growled Midnight, "Reaper, take out his monster!"

"I reveal my face-down, Negate Attack!"

Midnight's monster ceased its charge before returning to his mistress' side, "Oh, you're really pissing me off, boy!" growled the she-demon. "I play the Spell, Xyz Modulation!"

Xyz Modulation
Normal Spell Card
Effect: Target 2 monsters you control: Change their Levels to any number between 1-12.

"So now I can change both my Emperor and Prophecy Destroyer to Level 4. So, now...I Overlay both of them to build the Overlay Network!" Midnight's two monsters turned into orbs of light as they hovered; a galaxy portal opened up before the demon as they entered, and a pillar of light emerged. "Make way for the return of Number 39: Izanagi!"

"Another Number!?!" said Golden. His Deck began to glow as he looked at his Duel Pad.

The boy saw the two Numbers on Midnight's field as the she-demon had the number appeared on the back of her other hand. Feeling the power of the second number, Midnight grew even more powerful as her glasses of fire gained more intensity.

"I activate Izanagi's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I can destroy your NumberMan.EXE!" said Midnight as her monster threw its sword at Golden's monster and shattered upon impact. "I'm not done! I play the Spell card Rank-Up-Magic Barian's Force! Now, I can evolve Izanagi into a Chaos Number. Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution!" A shining light engulfed Midnight's latest monster; when it disappeared, it changed its appearance and had yellow glowing eyes as red blood-like goop dripped from its outfit. "With the power of Barian World, I bring forth the demon god who leads all back to calamity! I Xyz Summon! Rank 5! Say hello to Chaos Number 39: Magatsu-Izanagi!"

Number C39: Magatsu-Izanagi
Attribute: DARK
Rank: 5
Type: Fiend/Xyz/Effect
ATK: 2600
DEF: 2000
Effect: 3 Level 5 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. You can also Xyz Summon this card by using a "Rank-Up-Magic" Spell Card. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster also become Xyz Materials on this card.) Once per turn, during either player's turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: Destroy 1 monster on the field, and if you do; this card gains ATK equal to half that monster's original ATK until the End Phase.

"What is that?" said Golden, staring at the monster.

"Your worst nightmare," responded Midnight in a sinister voice, with some bass behind it.

Turn 30: Golden Flare - Hand: 3

"It's my move! I draw! And I summon MegaMan.EXE (1900/1500)!"

"Don't think so. Let me introduce you to Magatsu-Izanagi's special ability. By using one Overlay Unit, I can destroy one monster on the field, and then it gains Attack Points equal to half its original Attack Points until the End Phase! So if you plan for any Special Summon, think again!" shouted Midnight as her Chaos Number (Number C39: Magatsu-Izanagi: OLU 3 - 1 = 2) threw out a sword slash attack that took out Golden's monster (Number C39: Magatsu-Izanagi: ATK 2600 + 950 = 3550).

"No way..." said the boy as he barely could mount an offense against Midnight's two powerful Numbers.

"Face it, boy! You're not the hero everyone claims you are. Because if you were, you would have beaten me. But you're barely hanging on by a thread. You can't match my power." snickered Midnight.

Golden gritted his teeth as he picked up another card from his hand, "I play Monster Reborn to bring back my MegaMan.EXE. Then activate the Field Spell, Dark Chip - DrkStage!"

Dark Chip - DrkStage
Field Spell Card
Effect: Can only be used when you control a ".EXE" monster. As long as this card remains on the field: During each Standby Phase, your opponent loses LP equal to the number of monsters they control x 100. Upon this card's activation: Destroy all monsters you control, then decrease your LP equal to the number of your destroyed monsters x 500.

"With this card in play, during each Standby Phase, you lose Life Points equal to the number of monsters you control by 100! However...I have to destroy the monsters I control, and I take 500 points of damage for each one." Golden's monster shattered as he covered up from the recoil of his own card (Golden Flare: 4,000 - 500 = 3,500 LP).

"Look at you! You're helpless! You're trying to damage me, but you've only harmed yourself in the process!" snickered Midnight. "You're no hero, Golden. You're just a kid playing pretend."

"I...place one card facedown," said the boy dejectedly.

"This can't be it..." said Rainbow as she struggled to sit up.

"So...we've lost?" stated Fluttershy.

Turn 31: Midnight - Hand: 2

"Time's up! It's my move! And now..." At that moment, Golden's Field Spell activated, sending a small shock to the she-demon, but she didn't feel it (Midnight Sparkle: 3,850 - 300 = 3,550 LP).

"I may not get any revived monsters or extra Overlay Units this turn, but this Duel is over anyway. Magatsu-Izanagi, attack him directly!"

"I reveal my face-down, Counter Gate! Since you declared a direct attack, this Trap allows me to negate it!" said Golden as he had a massive forcefield appear and protect him. "Then I draw a card, and if it's a monster, I can immediately summon it in attack mode." The boy took a deep breath, drew his card, and hoped for something, "I drew my FireMan.EXE (2100/1500)!" A taller warrior came out with fire on its hands and head.

"Like that matters, Reaper! Your turn!" said Midnight as she sent her next monster into battle.

"I reveal my other face-down, Battle Chip - FullCust! With this trap, I can end the Battle Phase AND your turn altogether!" said Golden as he avoided another attack from the she-demon (Number C39: Magatsu-Izanagi: ATK 3550 - 950 = 2600).

"Oh, you're testing my patience, boy!" growled Midnight, "I'm gonna enjoy beating you up!"

Turn 32: Golden Flare - Hand: 0

"It's my move! So first, my Field Spell deals you another 300 points of damage!" said Golden as another small shock pulsed through Midnight (Midnight Sparkle: 3,550 - 300 = 3,250 LP).

"And then my FireMan's ability activates. So now I can add 1 'Battle Chip' Equip Spell from my Deck to my hand. And then, I draw!" stated the boy, taking the card he wanted before taking his draw. "I now equip my FireMan.EXE with Battle Chip - BambSwrd. So my monster gains 1400 extra Attack Points and can attack thrice!" The warrior grabbed the sword as it pulsed with energy (FireMan.EXE: ATK 2100 + 1400 = 3500). "Next, I'm activating his special ability! I target one monster you control, and you take damage equal to half of that monster's full Attack Points. So I choose your Embodiment of Wrath!" FireMan.EXE suddenly slammed his thruster-like arm to the ground and let loose an explosion of flames toward Midnight, who felt her Life Points dwindle (Midnight Sparkle: 3,250 - 1,600 = 1,650 LP).

"And now, let's end this! FireMan.EXE, take her monsters out!" commanded Golden as he went in for the kill.

"He's gonna do it!" said Rarity as she managed to wake up.

"We know Twilight's got something planned," said Applejack as she felt some pain.

"How many times do I have to tell you?!! I'm in God mode! And this proves it, from my hand, I play Xyz Counter!"

Xyz Counter
Normal Trap Card
Effect: You can activate this card from your hand when your opponent declares an attack. Remove 1 Xyz Material from an Xyz Monster you control: Change the attack target, and if you do; the attacking monster can only attack once.

"I can change your monster's target by removing an Overlay Unit from my Embodiment of Wrath. So, instead of taking three monsters, you're only taking out one. And it's my Reaper!" said Midnight as her monster appeared between her Number (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 4 - 1 = 3) and sliced down the middle by the energy sword before it exploded. "And, unfortunately for you, your Battle Phase ends."

"No!" said Pinkie as she stirred.

"We...lost," said Sunset.

"I...set one card..." Golden just fell to his knees as he had a look of hopelessness, "I...tried. I really tried...to help everyone...but I failed. I...I'm a failure."

Midnight merely smiled at how Golden accepted the fact that there was nothing he could do. She was about to take her turn when...

//Intrusion Penalty. Life Points halved.//

"Get on your feet!"

"Huh?" said Golden as he lifted his head. He turned to his side and saw a person standing a few meters away was none other than Isaac. "You?"

Isaac: 4,000 LP

"Since when do you bow to your opponent?" asked Isaac sternly, his arms crossed. "If that's the case, then grovel at my feet because I was about to beat you earlier!"

"Never," responded Golden.

"Exactly! Then get up and stop embarrassing yourself!" shouted Isaac. "Or maybe it's true. I smacked you so hard in our Duel that not only did I run circles around you, but you seemed to have lost your touch. If that's the case, step aside and let me be the hero everyone needs!"

"I haven't lost my touch!" growled Golden at the boy.

"If you still have what it takes, get up and prove it to me now!" shouted Isaac.

Golden took in the words of Isaac as he managed to stand up. The boy looked at his rival, not wanting to give up, as he turned back to look at the giant she-demon eyeing them.

"Hang on, Twilight. I'm going to free you!" said Isaac as he looked at his Deck inside his Duel Disk.

"There's nothing we can do," said Golden, "I've tried my best."

"Yeah, you have. But lucky, I'm here," smirked Isaac.

"Look, I'm not here to joke. The fate—"

"Yeah, well, I'm not either!" shouted Isaac as he cut off Golden and got in his face. "I'm here to help a friend. Someone who's counting on me, and I'm not gonna let her down! So if we're gonna do this, you need to put your ego aside, and let's trust each other."

"Put my ego aside? What about you?!" said Golden, disrespected that Isaac was only addressing him and not himself.

"Do you trust me?!" reiterated Isaac as he put his hand out.

Golden kept his stare at Isaac as he looked down at his hand. The others all looked on to see what Golden would do. He then looked back into the eyes of his rival.

"I do!" said the boy confidently. He put his hand into Isaac's as they gave a firm handshake.

Isaac popped a small smug smile before he and Golden turned back to look at Midnight as he stepped forward.

"Do you think they can do it?" asked Lemon Zest.

"For our sake, let's hope!" said Sugarcoat as she rubbed her head.

All the girls watched on as they saw the boys preparing to take down the she-demon.

Turn 33: Isaac - Hand: 5

Isaac stepped forward as he placed his hand on top of his Deck. The teen took a deep breath and closed his eyes; the boy zoned his mind on saving Twilight as he knew he needed to put his trust in his Deck and know it would lead him to victory. He then opened his eyes with a fierce look.

"I...draw!" shouted Isaac. "I summon Palladium Oracle Mahad (2500/2100)!" Out came a Spellcaster wearing Egyptian garments with bits of gold along his attire.

"Nice try. But I'm activating Magatsu-Izanagi's ability. Using one Overlay Unit, I can destroy your Palladium Oracle Mahad and gain Attack Points equal to half its Attack Points!" said Midnight as she took out Isaac's monster (Number C39: Magatsu-Izanagi: OLU 2 - 1 = 1) (Number C39: Magatsu-Izanagi: ATK 2600 + 1250 = 3850), "You're looking to save your friend, but she's long gone!"

"Hmm," responded Isaac with a sly grin. "I was hoping you'd do that."

"Huh?" said all the downed girls.

"When Palladium Oracle Mahad is destroyed, I can summon my Dark Magician from my Deck!" stated the boy as his ultimate wizard appeared (2500/2100). "Next, I activate Bond Between Teacher and Student, which allows me to summon Dark Magician Girl!" And just like that, Isaac had his top male and female Spellcasters (2000/1700) as Golden, and everybody else looked on.

"They might have a chance," stated Sour Sweet.

"With those Spellcasters out, he can do some actual damage," said Sunny Flare.

"Next, I play the Spell, Magic Gate of Miracles. Since I have two Spellcasters on my field, I can switch one of your monsters to Defense Mode and switch it to my side." Isaac's card then had two trans-dimensional gates appear as a set of hands came out to grab one of Midnight's monsters.

"Oh! From my hand, I play Spellbook of Safeguard!" expressed Midnight as she was caught off guard by that move, "Now, you can't target any of my Xyz Monsters, which means neither are up for grabs."

Spellbook of Safeguard
Normal Trap Card
Effect: You can activate this card from your hand when a card or effect is activated. Xyz Monsters you control cannot targeted by effects until the End Phase of the turn you activated this card. If you opponent attacks: You can banish this card from your GY to negate the attack, and if you do; end the Battle Phase.

"Yes, that's true," said Isaac, retaining his smug smile, "But Priestess still is."

"Wha?" said Midnight as the set of hands grabbed her monster and pulled it into the magic gates.

A second gate opened on the boy's field and out came Priestess of Prophecy, who was now cleansed of the evil magic and flaunted her beauty and grace before taking her position next to Isaac's Dark Magician. The boy's lead wizard looked at the sorceress as she smiled at him and his master for freeing her, to which he nodded.

"My Priestess," said Midnight, but it was in the voice of Twilight.

For that split second, the girl broke free of the control as seeing her own monster now back to its original state did something to her. She seemed to recall herself, but it was short-lived as the she-demon took back control and growled at the pair.

“Isaac, I will make you pay dearly for that little stunt you pulled!” yelled Midnight.

"Ha! You never wanted any of her Xyz Monsters, huh?" said Golden.

"Mm." nodded Isaac at Golden. "And now that I have two Level 7 monsters on my field, I Overlay my Dark Magician with your Priestess of Prophecy, Twilight!" shouted the boy at the she-demon, hoping to reach her. The two magicians turned into orbs of light as they hovered into the air, and a portal opened in front of them. They entered the portal as a pillar of light emerged.

"Using the woman of purity and my master magician, I can bring forth a being that can force her brethren to their knees! I Xyz Summon, Number 30: Temptress Crespusculum (3000/2900/OLU: 2)!" The number appeared on Isaac's hand as it glowed and surrounded him in a yellow aura. A sorceress with long, flowing red hair and a vanilla skin tone appeared. She wore an emerald necklace with matching earrings and white gloves; her outfit consisted of a light blue dress that stopped at her knees and wore black booted heels.

"He did it! He summoned his Number!" exclaimed Rainbow.

"The city slicker might do it!" said Applejack, hoping that Isaac could do the impossible.

"Now, I activate Temptress' ability. By using one of its Overlay Units, I can eliminate all other Overlay Units from all other Xyz Monsters on my opponent's field!"

"All of them?!" shouted Midnight as she saw three Overlay Units on her Embodiment of Wrath (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 3 - 3 = 0) and one Overlay Unit on Magatsu-Izanagi (Number C39: Magatsu-Izanagi: OLU 1 - 1 = 0) disappear and reappear as they circled Isaac's monster and gave her their power.

"That's right, and for each one that's eliminated, not only does it attach to my monster, but her Attack Points increase by 500, and she gains an extra attack. So she gains 2,000 extra Attack Points and can attack four times this turn!" stated Isaac, as his monster was now the strongest (Number 30: Temptress Crespusculum: OLU 2 + 4 = 6) (Number 30: Temptress Crespusculum: ATK 3000 + 2000 = 5000).

"Impossible!" said Midnight as she was astonished at how the boy neutralized her entire strategy.

"Let's end this!" said Isaac.

His magician had her wand turn into a bow as a quiver of arrows appeared across her body. She reached an arm into her bow and pulled an arrow as it glowed. She pulled back on the string and closed one eye to locate her targets. Once she had them in her sights, she smirked. She fired her arrow, which split into four mini arrows that pulsed with magic; everybody looked on as Midnight had a worried expression on her face as the arrows made contact.

An explosion occurred as smoke covered the field. Golden and Isaac stood there, the wind blowing in their face as they kept defiant looks. Soon, the smoke cleared out, and Midnight stood as her Embodiment of Wrath remained (Midnight Sparkle: 500 LP).

“What?” said Sunset.

“How did she survive?” asked Applejack.

“You got to be kidding me?!” exclaimed Dash.

“What did you do?” asked Golden.

“You…you got lucky…” growled Midnight as she stared at Isaac before a card in her hand glowed. “Thanks to my Divine Ruling, I was able to save my monster from being destroyed.”

Divine Ruling
Normal Trap Card
Effect: You can activate this card from your hand when your opponent declares an attack. Target 1 monster you control: That monster cannot be destroyed by battle, until the End Phase. If you are dealt damage to your LP by card effect: You can banish this card from your GY instead.

“But that shouldn't matter!? Isaac’s monster attacked four times. So you should still lose even if it's indestructible.”

“My Divine Ruling protected my monster and canceled your final attack.” explained the she-demon.

“Great...” stated Golden as he gritted his teeth.

“Mmm,” said Isaac, keeping his cool.

"Any other tricks you have up your sleeve?" asked Golden.

Isaac merely looked at his hand as he picked out a card. "I set one card face-down."

Turn 34: Midnight Sparkle - Hand: 2

"It's my move!"

"Don't forget, due to my FireMan.EXE, I get to add a 'Battle Chip' from my Deck. And thanks to my Field Spell, you take 100 points of damage!" stated Golden (Midnight Sparkle: 500 - 100 = 400 LP).

"Grr. Now, my Reaper rises, and I gain Life Points equal to half its Attack Points. And it produces an Overlay Unit to transfer to my Embodiment of Wrath!" growled Midnight as her monster rose and an orb of light circled her Number (Midnight Sparkle: 400 + 1,000 = 1,400 LP) (Number 66: Embodiment of Wrath: OLU 0 + 1 = 1).

"I now play Spellbook of Fate, so I can banish one card on the field by banishing three ‘Spellbooks' from my Graveyard. And I choose your Temptress!" said Midnight, pointing at Isaac.

A giant thunderbolt came raining down on the boy's field as his magician felt the pain and soon vanished.

"There goes our best shot!" said Sunset.

"I guess we really did lose..." said Rarity.

The number on Isaac's hand disappeared as he felt his monster's presence leave.

You did your job. Now...I can take it from here.

Good luck, Master.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Golden!" said Midnight, now turning her attention to the boy, "I play Spellbook of Miracles! Now I target one Spellcaster Xyz Monster in my Graveyard and two of my banished Spellbooks. Now I summon that monster, and those Spellbooks become Xyz Materials! So my Empress of Prophecy is back!" A column of light burst from the ground as out came the female sorceress (2000/1700/OLU: 2).

"I now activate my Empress' ability! By detaching an Overlay Unit (Empress of Prophecy: OLU 2 - 1 = 1), I look at the top five cards of my Deck, and for every Spellbook I reveal, I can destroy that many monsters. And I reveal...three Spellbooks!" stated Midnight as she showed her cards. "And that's more than enough to wipe your fields clean!"

FireMan.EXE and Dark Magician Girl exploded as it caused both boys to look away. The pair looked back as Midnight was ready to launch her attacks.

"Reaper, attack Golden!" commanded Midnight as her monster came in with his scythe and slashed at the boy, who fell to a knee, now having his own set of bruises (Golden Flare: 3,500 - 2000 = 1,500 LP).

"It's over! Empress, make him suffer!" said the she-demon as she prepared to end the boy.

"Golden!" shouted the Rainbooms as the boy could only look on with nothing to stop the attack.

"Kuriboh!" shouted Isaac as he discarded his monster.

Out came his furry little monster as it said hello to his master before heading over to Golden. The boy saw the tiny monster as it took a position before him. The attack from the Empress was fired as Kuriboh rushed head into it and stopped it; it amazed Golden at seeing something so small be able to halt the attack as it soon died down, and he was left unharmed (Golden Flare: 1,500 - 0 = 1,500 LP).

"Thanks, little guy," said Golden as Kuriboh disappeared. He looked to his side to see Isaac, and he was surprised the boy chose to save him.

"How dare you stop my attack with that puny hairball?!!" shouted Midnight, not happy that Isaac chose to butt in and save Golden. "For that, Isaac, I plan to have my way with you when this Duel is over. Embodiment of Wrath, you have a new target. If he wants to play the hero, show them what happens!" The humanoid woman looked at Isaac as she raised her Gatling gun arm and rained a barrage of bullets and rockets down on the boy, who was only covered up. The explosion went off; it soon died down, and now Isaac had his fair share of scuff marks and bruises on his skin (Isaac: 4,000 - 3,200 = 800 LP).

"Now, I set one card face-down!" said Midnight as she set her final card.

Turn 35: Golden - Hand: 1

"It's my turn. And my Field Spell deals you 300 points of damage!" said the boy as he dwindled Midnight's Life Points some more (Midnight Sparkle: 1,400 - 300 = 1,100 LP).

Now, I gotta pull something good.

"I draw!" said Golden as he drew and looked at the card only to be disappointed.

IceMan's not gonna help me. He doesn't have enough Attack Points. What do we do?

Golden looked over at Isaac as, despite their situation, the boy kept his confident and serious look. It tickled Golden's mind how he could remain under pressure despite their situation. He then looked at his field and noticed that the card he set his last turn had yet to activate. If it were something to protect himself, he would have used it to avoid Midnight's attack. So, that meant it was something else. Something that could turn the tide. But what?

"I know, we're on the same team, Golden. But you gotta make your move!" stated Isaac, snapping the teen out of his thoughts. "I said for you to trust me, didn't I?"

"Yeah," responded the boy as he looked at his rival. If Isaac was true to his word, then whatever face-down he set required both. "Alright, here goes. I summon IceMan.EXE (1300/1100)!" A little man appeared on the field wearing a cyan-blue snowsuit with an eight-pointed star mark in a circle on his chest. "Then I'm giving him a power boost with this, another copy of my Battle Chip - BambSwrd to increase his attack points by 1,400 and allow him to attack three times this round! So go for it, little dude (IceMan.EXE: ATK 1300 + 1400 = 2700)!"

"Now that's just pathetic," responded Midnight nonchalantly as she saw the tiny man leap into the air and look to take out her Empress (Midnight Sparkle: 1,100 - 0 = 1,100 LP). "I almost feel sorry for you making that move. Almost. Now...by banishing my Spellbook of Safeguard from my Graveyard, I can stop your attack and end your Battle Phase! So much for a last attempt!" snickered the she-demon.

"Well...I've done all I can. The rest...is up to you," said Golden, putting his head down and looking at Isaac as he ended his turn.

Turn 36: Isaac - Hand: 2

This is it! My last move. Everything rides on this final card. Golden helped set me up now...I need the card. Please...guide me.

Isaac placed his hand on his Deck as everything moved in slow motion. The boy was shown drawing his card as he held it outward; he then flipped it over and shifted his eyes to see it; all the while, everyone looked on to see what he would do. The teen looked at Golden while holding out the card as he nodded.

"Whatever you need to do. My cards are your cards," confirmed Golden.

"In that case, I'll activate the effect of my Magicians' Souls! By sending my Apprentice Illusion Magician from my Deck and sending this card to the Graveyard, I can revive my Dark Magician!" stated the boy as his ultimate wizard appeared (2500/2100). "Then...I have to give you a card, so here, take this!" shouted Isaac as he took his left card in his hand and tossed it toward Midnight. The she-demon caught it between her fingers as she flipped it over, and her eyes widened at what card the teen gave her.

"I hope you know what you're doing," muttered Golden after seeing Isaac give Midnight one of his cards.

"By doing so, I can activate Magical Contract Door. It lets me draw a new monster, and I'll summon it now!" shouted Isaac as his monster and Golden's monster were being tributed for what was coming. "Break free from your iron prison! Gandora-X, the Dragon of Demolition (0/0)!"

A new monster came for all to see once the seal had broken off the door. A dragon had a ton of circles on its body as it emitted red lights from each one and let out a mighty roar.

"What is that?!" said Golden and all the girls, seeing the new beast of Isaac.

"Gandora-X's ability activates! It can destroy any monsters I choose, and I choose all your monsters! And you take damage equal to your monster with the highest Attack Points! Then Gandora gains the Attack Points of your highest monster!" said the boy as his dragon began to light up with the spots on its body and unleashed multiple lasers that went all over the field.

"Unh! No! Not if I take it down with me! By banishing my Divine Ruling from my Graveyard, not only do I avoid effect damage from Gandora, but I also destroy it!" shouted Midnight as her card also fired lasers that covered the entire field.

A massive explosion occurred as Golden looked away while Isaac and Midnight kept looking forward. A giant shockwave emitted as the smoke cleared out, and everything was gone. The girls and Golden looked on with open mouths as they couldn't believe what they saw. The only ones who kept their defiant expression were Isaac and Midnight, as they didn't take their eyes off each other.

"It's over!" shouted Midnight. "Now I activate my face-down, High Speed Aria!"

High Speed Aria
Normal Trap Card
Effect: Send 1 Normal Spell Card from your hand to the Graveyard; this card's effect becomes that Normal Spell Card's effect when that card is activated. You cannot activate Spell Cards during your next turn.

''This Trap lets me discard a Spell card to activate it. And the Spell I'm activating is the one you so foolishly gave me! Monster Reborn!" said the she-demon as she flipped over the card that Isaac gave her.

"Why did you give her that?!" shouted Golden, as he believed this but all sealed their fate.

"Return from the great beyond, Embodiment of Wrath!" proclaimed Midnight as her monster was shown starting to revive itself and set to finish off both boys. "This is it, it's over!"

"I don't think so," said Isaac.

"What?" said Midnight.

She looked at Isaac as if he wasn't concerned that she would bring back her monster. In fact, he had a look like he knew she would do something like that, and he fell for it.

"We're not done! Not by a long shot!" said Isaac, smiling before thrusting his arm out. "I activate my trap, Final Geas! I banish all the monsters in our Graveyards, but I'm allowed to bring back one of them!"

The entire field lit up as all the monsters played throughout the Duel appeared in their card forms as they all began to descend upward into the sky. Even Midnight's almost resurrected Embodiment of Wrath flew away as the she-demon could only watch and do nothing; the girls looked about as the monsters they played floated by before heading upward into the heavens. Soon, a shining light appeared in front of Isaac as his star monster appeared and stared down the she-demon.

"Him..." said Midnight as it was symbolic that the monster that Isaac chose to bring back was none other than his Dark Magician (2500/2100) to deal the final blow.

Silence filled as everybody just waited for Isaac to call his attack.

"Are you ready, Twilight?" asked the boy, addressing not the demon in front of him but the girl inside.

"I'm always ready," said Twilight as her voice finally spoke from the demon.

The boy took a moment to close his eyes before opening them with determination.

"Hmm. Go Dark Magician! Dark Magic Attack!" The boy's magician twirled his staff before pointing it at Midnight and launched a powerful attack that struck the she-demon right at her heart as she blasted by the attack, followed by one last fading scream (Midnight Sparkle: 1,100 - 2,500 = 0 LP).

A massive white light covered the entire field as it was blinding. It remained for quite some time as when it died down; Golden was still on a knee while Isaac remained standing. Across from them lay a figure as dark magic was emitting off of it. The figure was Twilight as she was back to normal, her hair spread out as the evil magic that took control of her was gone, and the number on her hand vanished.

"It's over," whispered Isaac.

The magic vines surrounding the school faded away as the students all saw them go. The Shadowbolts and Rainbooms all smiled as they relished knowing they scored a win; Golden held his arm as he felt some pain. He saw Isaac approach Twilight's unconscious body as the teen looked to check if she was alright.

"Wake up, Twi. Come on, get up," said the boy as he shook her shoulders.

A blink and some stirring sounds were heard as she opened her eyes. She got to her knees and rubbed her head.

"What happened?" asked the girl.

"You're safe. And that's all that matters," said the boy, bending down on a knee beside her.

The teen saw her glasses before her as he picked them up and placed them on her face. The girl saw her friend as she threw her arms around his neck to give a warm hug, and he returned the gesture.

"He did it," whispered Golden at seeing the sight of the pair.

He felt Twilight's Number as the card floated and dropped before him. Golden thought of keeping it, but knew full well that this victory wasn’t just his own, but also Isaac’s, so he knew what he needed to do.

Golden carefully walked up to the pair, whom of which noticed his approach, and handed Isaac the Number, “Here, Isaac. You’ve earned it.”

Isaac looked rather surprised, “Really? I thought you were gonna keep it.”

“Honestly, I thought about it…but then I realized that we both fought hard today, and you did the vast majority of the work, so…here you go.”

Isaac hesitated at first, still surprised by Golden’s hospitality and generosity, but ultimately took it.

“And don’t worry about me,” Golden held up the other Number Twilight had: Izanagi, “I got my own Number regardless, but I believe that one belongs to you.”

Isaac smiled genuinely at his rival-turned-partner, “Thanks, Golden.”

Golden flashed a toothy smile, “Anytime.”

Up in the bleachers, a man with silver hair that draped over one of his eyes and wearing a red business suit watched the whole thing without fear, despite the chaos that recently occurred earlier. He knew his star Deck beta-tester wouldn’t fail him, especially with Isaac by his side, but he was also proud of him for figuring out the secret to his Deck’s true power. The man, who was quite obviously Maximilian Pegasus, knew he made the right choice appointing Golden Flare as his top beta-tester for any new cards he might create one day…especially the new cards he had prepped for him as a reward should he figure out the .EXE Deck’s true strength.

He had many questions as to how he had obtained the two Pendulum cards, because he had not created those specific cards. But unfortunately it would have to wait, Principal Cinch was making her way from her hiding place to Principal Celestia, and she did not look happy.

“Principal Celestia!” Cinch barked, “On behalf of Crystal Prep, I demand that you forfeit the Friendship Games!” She continued her tirade as Vice-Principal Luna and Dean Cadence stood by Celestia, “Clearly CHS has had an unfair advantage for quite some time, and it’s CERTAINLY obvious that your students have been using illegal cards such as ‘Numbers’ for their own benefit!”

“Really? That’s strange,” Pegasus began as he walked over to the group of school staff with a smirk, “because I’m VERY certain that your OWN students have been using Numbers as well, and not the Astral Numbers that I’ve released to the public.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“No, that’s very much EXACTLY what happened.” Golden accused, with Spike nodding while checking on his sister.

“Actually,” Sour began to say with remorse, “we’re all to blame…” She changed her tune to grumpy as she addressed Cinch, “…But mostly it was her.”

“Now that you mention it, yeah!” Lemon Zest limped over to the group, still in pain from her last Duel, “Principal Cinch said she wanted to talk to me and Indigo in her office about something, then she gave us a couple of blank cards, and the next thing I knew, I was all bruised up and on the ground before Twilight went demon crazy!”

“You knew about the Barian Numbers?!” Isaac accused, shocked yet angry.

Cinch realized she was losing ground in this argument, so she decided to throw down her trump card, “Obviously, my students have been brainwashed by the people of this school, but I plan on taking all of this up with the school board!!”

“Then, by all means, go ahead,” Pegasus interjected, “but I have a feeling they won’t listen to a word you have to say.”

“What are you on about?! I’m very well connect—“

“You are neither confirming nor denying any involvement with these ‘Barian Numbers’, and not only that, but I can see that I’ll have to testify against you in this matter.”

“How dare…why would you possibly—“

“One: because one of the students who attends this school is my top beta-tester for my Duel Monster cards.” This shocked everyone here, especially Cinch, “And last, but certainly not least, what’s that mark on the palm of your hand? Because I’m very certain that’s NOT a tattoo.”

Cinch looked down at the palm of her right hand and saw, to her horror, the number 77 glowing upon her.

Pegasus smirked even wider in victory, “Seems to me like YOU are the one using and distributing ‘illegal cards’ to your own students.”

Cinch looked around and saw that she had no allies in this fight; all of the students, staff, and faculty, CHS and CPA alike, glared at her with anger and suspicion.

“But I digress.” Pegasus placed a hand on Golden’s shoulder, “How about one final game? You against Golden, whoever wins gets to keep doing what they do best, the loser gets booted out of their school. Forever.”

“Outrageous! I will not accept such terms!”

“Oh, really? Then look around you,” Pegasus waved his free hand to all the people here and all the nonexistent escape routes, “you don’t have a choice nor am I giving you one. Either Duel…or I’m calling the police.”

“What?!?”

“Did you really think I hadn't noticed? The signs were all there and they still are. You’re one of the administrators of the known Duel Monsters Terrorist Organization, Team Shadow.”

Cinch suddenly looked pale as Golden asked his boss, “Team Shadow?”

“Yes, Golden boy; you see, they tamper with the energy from the Shadow Games of Ancient Egypt and merge them with Duel Monster cards to amplify their powers.”

Everyone gasps in surprise, then they glare at Cinch with hatred and disgust at her affiliation with such a monstrous bunch. Cinch grits her teeth, then whips out her Duel Disk and straps it on her arm, “Very well then! If you want to play it that way, then I’ll be happy to give this wretch of a Duelist what he deserves!”

Pegasus chuckles, “Good luck with that.” He turns to Golden, “Golden boy. I believe in you. I have the utmost confidence in you and your abilities as a Duelist. So give this complete and utter witch what she deserves.”

Golden stared up at his boss in awe, hardly able to believe the amount of trust he had in him. Then he looked determined and nodded, walking over to Cinch and preparing his Duel Pad and Duel Gazer. His boss, the famous Maximilian Pegasus, was counting on him to win this Duel, and he wasn’t going to let him down!

Cinch growled at being called a witch, but swiftly composed herself as she addressed Golden, “You’ve made a fool and a mockery of me for the last time, boy, and now, I will show you the power of a Master Duelist!”

“Ready when you are!” Golden declared.

//Augmented Reality Vision Link established.// The AI spoke out once more.

Then they both shouted: “Let’s Duel!”

The Missing Barian Numbers

by Golden Flare

Prologue

Chapter 1: The Golden New Student (By Golden Flare)

Chapter 2: The New Kid in Town (By Lloyd Shamrock)

Chapter 3: Dragon of the Stars (By AstralFlare42)

Chapter 4: The Eyes of Jealousy (By Darksoul85)

Chapter 5: Embrace the Brightened Day! (By Lloyd Shamrock)

Chapter 6: Magical Friendship (By ShootingStar25)

Chapter 7: Let The Games Begin! (By Golden Flare)

Chapter 8: The Tri-Duel Relay Part 1 (By Golden Flare)

Chapter 9: The Tri-Duel Relay Part 2 (By Golden Flare)

Chapter 10: The Tri-Duel Relay Part 3 (By Golden Flare)

Chapter 11: The Tri-Duel Relay Part 4 (By Golden Flare)

Chapter 12: The Final 1v1 Duel - Golden vs Isaac (By ShootingStar25)

Chapter 13: The Wrath of Midnight Sparkle Part 1 (By Golden Flare)

Chapter 14: The Wrath of Midnight Sparkle Part 2 (By Golden Flare)

Chapter 15: The Wrath of Midnight Sparkle Part 3 (By Golden Flare and ShootingStar25)