Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc V.

"Duelists locked in battle! Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters! They storm through this field! Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling! Action Duel!"

"I normal summon Tin Goldfish. When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 4 monster in my hand. Come to me, Green Gadget! My new monster's ability activates, allowing me to search one Red Gadget from my Deck to my hand. Next I overlay both of my monsters to XYZ Summon Gear Gigant X! By detaching one XYZ Material from it, I can add one Level 4 or lower Machine-Type monster from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand. I search out Machina Gearframe. I set one turn and end my turn." Takao ran down the stairs towards a lower level in search for an Action Card.

"I draw! I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying your facedown!" The card destroyed was revealed to be Bottomless Trap Hole. Sara began to search for her own Action Card, running around to the far side of the bridge near one of the towers. She squinted her eyes as a glint from the sunlight caught her attention. There it was! Embedded in the wall of the tower high above her was an Action Card. "I summon Tour Guide from the Underworld! She Special Summons Djinn Releaser of Rituals from my Deck to the field but I can't use it as Synchro Material and its effects are negated. Not that it matters anyway."

"What do you mean by that?" Takao asked curiously. She had two Level 3 monsters on her field. Was she going to XYZ summon?

"I activate the Ritual Spell Card Hymn of Blessing from my hand! I tribute monsters from my hand or field whose levels are equal to or greater than six and thanks to Tour Guide, I easily fulfill that condition." Sara threw her hands up high as she performed her summon chant. "Gathered light turns into a pure form! Purify with your glistening wings! Take flight, Saffira, Queen of Dragons!" Sara mounted her monster who gracefully lifted her duelist to the height of the Action Card, allowing her to add it to her hand. "Now, Saffira! Destroy Gear Gigant X with Light Slash!"

"I activate my Action Card! Evasion! It negates your monster's attack," Takao cried out as he scrambled as fast as he could to the bottom floors. Sara followed closely behind on her monster, seeking out Action Card locations for later. "I set one card and end my turn. Saffira's effect activates during the End Phase. If Saffira was Ritual Summoned this turn, or if a LIGHT monster was sent from the hand or deck to the Graveyard this turn while this card was face-up on the field, I can activate one of three effects. The effect I choose is to draw two cards and discard one. The card I discard is Scarm, Malebranche of the Burning Abyss, which activates his effect, allowing me to search out another Tour Guide from the Underworld from my Deck to my hand."

Takao drew his card as he tried to think of a way out of his situation.

"She's got him in a tight spot," Gongenzaka observed. The duel had just started and there hadn't been much to observe but he was secretly impressed Sara decided to enter the tournament with a Ritual Deck. Most players shied away from that particular type of monster.

"Yeah, her Dragon is stronger than that Gear Gigant X, for sure. Maybe Takao can bring out a stronger monster, though," Yuzu joined in, still reveling in her victory over Masumi.

"That won't be easy, Yuzu," Shuzo said. "One of the monsters she used for her Ritual Summon was Djinn Releaser of Rituals. While a Ritual Monster that used that card for a tribute is face-up on the field, the opponent cannot Special Summon at all."

"Waahhh! So she's sealed off his Special Summoning!" Yuya summarized.

"Right. Takao is in a bind. Gadget Decks are reliable but they depend on Special Summoning strong monsters. Without access to those monsters, his Deck is little more than dragon food."

"I'll admit, I didn't expect to face a deck like this at all this tournament."

"...I wish I could say the same of you."

"Well, don't think it'll be easy! You might have the upper hand now but I'll find a way to turn it around. I activate Gear Gigant X's effect, allowing me to search another Machina Gearframe. I summon Machina Gearframe and search for Machina Fortress. Next, I equip Machina Gearframe to my Gear Gigant X. Now I attack Saffira with Gear Gigant X! Any response?"

Is he trying to bait my facedown? Sara wondered as she watched the machine roam closer for its attack. "No, go ahead."

"During the Damage Step, I activate the Action Card Extreme Sword! My monster gains 1000 ATK." Sara's Life Points dipped to 3200 following the explosion from the collision. "Now your monster is gone! Ha!" The smoke cleared away to reveal a smirking Sara still riding on top of Saffira. "What? How?!"

"I activated the effect of the Hymn of Blessing in my Graveyard. If a Ritual Monster I control would be destroyed by battle or by card effect, I can banish this card in my Graveyard instead so my Saffira is still kicking!"

"Grrrr! I end my turn."

"I expected as much. Your hand is full of monsters, isn't it?" Sara guessed.

"Wow, I thought Saffira was a goner!" Tatsuya expressed as he was enraptured by the glittering wings of Saffira.

"Look at her. Even though she took damage, she's still as calm as ever."

"Draw. Remember that Tour Guide I searched last turn? I summon her now! This time I Special Summon Djinn Demolisher of Rituals from my Deck. Overlay! XYZ Summon! Dante, Traveler of the Burning Abyss!"

"What? Dante? How did you get your hands on one?!"

"It was a prize at one of the tournaments I won recently. It seems you're familiar with him?"

"I've never even seen one before in real life!" Takao confessed, momentarily distracted from his search for Action Cards.

"Then consider this a rare treat. I activate Dante's effect! I detach one XYZ Material to mill three cards from my deck and this card gains 500 ATK for each card. Now its 2500 ATK is more than enough to take on your monster. Go, Dante! Attack Gear Gigant X!"

"Machina Gearframe's effect allows me to destroy it in place of Gear Gigant X," Takao said as he sent his Gearframe to the Graveyard.

"But you still take the damage!" Although it was only a measly 200 damage dealt, it felt satisfying for Sara to see her opponent realize the situation he was in. Her next attack would destroy his only monster on the field now that the protection of his Gearframe was gone. "Saffira! Light Slash!" Saffira swooped forward and delivered a devastating slash across the body of the machine, splintering it into pieces. "How'd you like that?"

"Hmm...Not bad."

"Not bad, huh? It's about to get better. At the end of the Battle Phase, Dante switches to Defense Position. During the End Phase, Saffira's effect activates, thanks to the Denko Sekka that was milled by Dante's effect. I choose the first effect again and I draw two cards and discard one. The card I discard is Hymn of Blessing.

"She has excellent control over this game," Yuzu explained. "Now she has another Hymn of Blessing in her Graveyard, meaning she can protect her Ritual Monster from destruction one time."

"That's right. She was also able to activate Saffira's effect thanks to her XYZ Monster which is a big boost, allowing her to cycle cards into her hand. It'll take a lot for her opponent to come back from this, although it isn't impossible," Gongenzaka stated. The younger children listened closely at his assessment of the duel. Ayu turned back to stare at Sara with wide eyes.

"She's really strong, isn't she?"

"Yeah...I can't wait to duel her!" Yuya declared, pumping his fist into the air. He was feeling a secondhand adrenaline rush from Sara's duel, almost as if he were in the arena dueling against her himself.

"It's my turn! And would you look at that? I've got the cards I need to beat your lock."

"Show me then," Sara challenged, her grin widening.

"As you wish! I activate Book of Moon, flipping Saffira facedown! Now I have access to all my powerful cards once more! I summon Masked Chameleon and its effect revives the Machina Gearframe in my Graveyard with its effects negated. I tune Gearframe to my Level 4 tuner Masked Chameleon! Synchro Summon! Ascend from the discarded, Scrap Dragon!"

"A Synchro Monster?"

"Aha! But that's not all! I discard Machina Fortress and Gearframe to Special Summon that Machina Fortress! Next I discard Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders along with Swift Scarecrow to Special Summon Redox from my Graveyard! XYZ Summon! Fire your jets, Mecha Phantom Beast Dracossack!"

"...Now this is a duel! Come at me with everything you've got!" Sara grinned back as she faced down the two monstrous mechanical monsters. Their red eyes glowed dauntingly as their mouths twisted into a grim attempt at smiles.

"I detach one XYZ Material from Dracossack to Special Summon two Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens to my field in Defense Mode. Next I activate Scrap Dragon's effect. I select one of my Tokens to destroy your facedown Saffira!" Scrap Dragon brutally stabbed the token through its body as it charged its ability. It fired a beam directed at Sara's facedown card, searing straight through it. "Now my greatest obstacle is gone! Battle! Destroy Dante, Dracossack!"

"Dante's effect! If he's sent to the Graveyard, I can add one 'Burning Abyss' card in my Graveyard to my hand. I add Scarm to my hand!"

"Like it makes any difference. Attack her directly Scrap Dragon!" Sara braced herself as the attack knocked her back several feet. Her Life Points were at a mere 400.

"He uses Synchros? I thought LDS students chose only one type to focus on!" Yuya exclaimed. Things were looking bad for Sara. Now that her opponent had access to his big monsters once again, it was a different duel.

"Clearly Yamada Takao isn't your average LDS student," Shuzo noted.

"Ah! She's down to 400 Life Points! And she has no monsters on her field. How's she going to win this one?" Futoshi cried out in worry. He had been cheering for Sara alongside the others and considered her a good person for helping Yuya out. He didn't want to see her lose.

"She's not out of the duel just yet," Yoko told them. "Look at her face. She doesn't look worried at all!"

Sara stood up slowly and brushed the dirt off of her clothes. "Do you end?"

"Yeah. I end my turn!"

"Draw! You know...to be honest, you caught me off guard with that Synchro Summon."

"Thanks. I learned Synchro Summoning just for that reason! Combining Summoning methods can be quite effective."

"Yes...I agree. It's nice to see duelists expanding outside of their comfort zone. You are a worthy opponent, Takao."

"You're not so bad yourself."

"We'll see if you change your mind once I win."

"You sure sound confident. Care to back up that talk?"

"Sure! You were too busy trying to get over Saffira that you forgot I have other monsters in my deck."

"What do you mean?"

"Saffira isn't my only ace card."

"What? What other card could you be hiding? You're bluffing."

"Maybe I should just show you. Prepare to witness the power of LIGHT and DARK combined! I banish Tour Guide from the Underworld and Denko Sekka from my Graveyard to Special Summon the legendary Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!"

"That card! So the Ace really does make his mark, even when he's not present."

"This may be my brother's card but I'm the one dueling you! I activate Black Luster Soldier's second ability, allowing it to attack once again if it destroys a monster by battle this turn. Battle! Attack Scrap Dragon!"

"It's not over yet! Action Card: Battle Change! I can change your attack target to Dracossack and since you can't destroy Dracossack because of the token on my field, your attack is thwarted."

"You don't think I planned for that? Action Card: Spell Barrier! This turn, one monster I control is unaffected by other Spell Card effects! Go, Black Luster Soldier! I discard the LIGHT monster Honest from my hand! Black Luster Soldier gains Scrap Dragon's 2800 ATK until the end of this turn. Luster Blade Attack!"

"AHHHHHHHH! Nooo, my scrap dragon!"

"Now finish him off! Attack Dracossack!"

"No way!" Takao's Life Point counters dwindled down to 0.

"That's it! After a nerve-wracking duel, the winner of this duel is Sara Taylor from Starfall Academy!"

Takao stood up and nursed a bruise he received on his shoulder from being knocked back. "You had that Action Card in your hand the whole duel...why didn't you use it to stop my Book of Moon?"

"One sided duels are no fun," Sara answered lightly. She turned off her duel disk and waved to Emma in the crowd.

"Grrr! Are you looking down at me?"

"Hmm? No, that wasn't my intention. I just wanted to see what you had up your sleeve. Like I said, that Synchro Summon was surprising. Besides, this way we gave the crowd more of a show. Look how excited they are." Takao looked around the stadium, his growing embarrassment at his loss fading as he heard cheers for him within the crowd. Even though he had lost, his performance had managed to catch the attention of the crowd.

"Hmm...we certainly did, didn't we? Congratulations on your win."

"Thanks. I hope we get to duel again someday."

"Hmm...things looked pretty close there, Miss Battle Princess," Emma taunted, elongating the syllables in her nickname.

"Shut up, Emma. Everything turned out fine, didn't it?"

"Uh huh. You were only 400 Life Points away from losing!"

"Emma, for the love of -"

"Hey, Sara! Sara!" Outside the stadium, the pair of girls paused and waited for the others to catch up. Yuya and his group made their way over, singing their praises at Sara's dueling.

"You were incredible!"

"That dragon you summoned was really pretty~!"

"I was s-s-shivering throughout the whole duel!"

"Thanks for watching!"

"No problem! That was a duel I'm glad I didn't miss!"

Sara's duel had been the last one scheduled for the day. The group piled out of the entrance.

"We should probably get going. I'm getting hungry," Emma said.

"We were actually about to eat at a restaurant to celebrate our victories. Would you like to join us for dinner?" Yoko offered. The two girls glanced briefly at each other before shrugging.

"Sure. We'd love to come along." They walked together as a group, following Yoko and Shuzo as they lead the way.

"Seeing Yuzu use her opponent's monster for her Fusion Summon gave me shivers!"

"I'm the one who taught her so being able to do that much is a given!" Sora boasted, resting his arms behind his head.

"Hiiragi Yuzu!" A sharp voice called out.

"Masumi!"

"You better plan on winning after you defeated me!" Masumi walked up to Yuzu. "I wouldn't be able to stand losing to someone who doesn't even win the tournament! So take this..." She handed Yuzu a card.

"This is...Crystal Rose? Why are you giving this to me?"

"You'll need this card to shine again like you did in your duel today. See ya. I won't forgive you if you lose, got it?" Masumi said without looking back as she walked away.

"Thank you, Masumi!"

The restaurant had a calm, relaxed atmosphere. It wasn't a high end reserve-your-table restaurant but it also wasn't a busy fast-food chain. Shuzo chatted briefly with the restaurant owner, a friend of his since childhood. Yoko helped the younger members of You Show School decide on a meal. Having already chosen their meals, the older members discussed amongst each other.

"So you got to see Isao in battle? How is he?" Yuya asked. He had never seen the dueling style of Ryozanpaku School before.

"I hear he's brutal when he fights. He doesn't seem like the type of guy you'd want to mess around with," Yuzu added.

"Brutal is an accurate description. He'll go to any cost to prevent you from getting Action Cards. As if that wasn't bad enough, he's actually a decent duelist, although a bit prideful. Sometimes he brings about his own downfall." Emma stared at the door to the kitchen, her stomach reminding her she craved food.

"Seems like my Steadfast Dueling would be a good way to beat him," Gongenzaka suggested.

"Probably," Sara agreed. She quickly read a text message on her duel disk from her fellow students congratulating her on her victory. "He's gotten his hands on a Fusion monster and it appears that's his new ace. If you can find a way to prevent him from summoning it or some way to weaken it, that's where I'd start. His deck isn't one that can easily recover from the costs the Fusion Summon demands of him."

The food arrived and they partook in their meals. Emma sang with joy inside her head while Sara kept thinking back to her duel. I shouldn't play around like that anymore. From here on out, the tournament is only going to get harder. Sara mentally berated herself for letting her opponent make his plays when she could have prevented them.

"I love your hair, Sara; it looks silky smooth. What conditioner do you use?"

"Thank you, Miss Sakaki. I'm personally a fan of the brand ShinySilk. They make a bunch of really good shampoos and conditioners."

"ShinySilk? I'll have to try that out!" Yuzu joined in, eager to jump in on some girl talk. Around the table, the boys all rolled their eyes.

"Girls," they all muttered underneath their breath.

"I can't wait for my duel tomorrow," Yuya eventually slipped into the conversation, unable to get his mind off of his opponent. He remembered his first duel against Sawatari where he had managed to win even against his opponent's cheating ways.

"Who is your opponent again?" Sara asked as she left her conversation with Emma, Yoko, and Yuzu.

"Sawatari Shingo. He's a duelist from LDS."

"Hmmm...Sawatari Shingo...I've never heard that name before."

"I already dueled him before and I won but I wonder what he's going to do this time."

"I'm sure you'll do fine. I'll be cheering for you, Yuya."

"Me too. I want to see what the original Pendulum user can accomplish," Emma commented, finishing up her plate.

"Thanks for the meal," Sara and Emma said. The food had been delicious and the company was decent; overall the night had been nice. They had been ready to pay for their portion of the food but Shuzo vehemently denied them and insisted they let him treat them to the dinner.

"It was our pleasure. Please don't be strangers. You're welcome to You Show School anytime," Shuzo told them with an amicable smile.

"Sure, we'll drop in," Emma smiled back, the exhaustion beginning to seep into her voice.

"Good night!" They said their farewells under the night sky and went their ways.

Sara dressed in a white dress shirt tucked into tight black jeans. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and left the hotel room with Emma. She made sure to keep quiet and avoid attracting the irritation from a grumpy, morning Emma until she got her cup of coffee.

"Why does his dumb match have to start so early in the morning?"

"...Uh...It's at noon."

"It's too damn early!"

"You're impossible. Either we go early enough to get a good view or we arrive too late and we miss some of the duel." With Emma grumbling along the way, although slowly she became more awake with each sip of her coffee, the two girls made it to the stadium where Yuya had said Gongenzaka would be having his duel against Ankokuji Gen. "Besides, Noboru had the courtesy to watch my match. The least I can do is attend his. Are you seriously not interested in seeing how he duels?"

"I never said that...just shut up and lead the way." Sara smirked when Emma relented and quietly trailed behind her. They faded into the crowd, slowly making their way to the seating area. As duelists of the competition, they didn't have to purchase a ticket to reserve themselves a seat. They sat down halfway down the Stadium, a location that would grant them a good view of the duel as well as the holographic screens the championship would project. Sara nibbled on an oatmeal raisin cookie, patiently waiting for the match to begin. Beside her, Emma scrolled through the internet on her Duel Disk, browsing through lists of jewelry.

"My dear audience!" An excited voice boomed across the large Stadium as a large holographic rendering of Nico Smiley flickered onto the center of the field. "Thank you for coming to see the even more exciting second day of the tournament!" He held up two fingers, the gold bands on them glinting in the light. "Now let's introduce our Duelists for our first match of the day! This duelist qualified for the Junior Youth Championship with a six-game win streak! While he doesn't belong to any school, he's someone to keep an eye on! Ankokuji Gen!"

"Look, it's that bully from yesterday," Sara mumbled around a cheek full of cookie.

"He called us weak, didn't he? That Gongenzaka guy better grind him to dust."

"His opponent is the successor to the Steadfast Dueling style of the Gongenzaka Dojo, Gongenzaka Noboru!" Nico Smiley shouted enthusiastically.

"Nice sash you got there!" Gen called out with a sneer. "Did you get that from your father?"

"The master of our dojo gives us a new sash before a pivotal match!" Noboru answered him. "It's a tradition of our dojo."

"Well, I've taken advantage of that so-called tradition," Gen retorted. He ignored Noboru's demand to explain.

"If both duelists are ready, then let's select our Field! This match's field is...this! Field Magic: Solitary Island in a Faraway Sea, activate!"

"That's a mouthful," Emma mused.

"A forest, huh? How fitting. I'm sure your dear friend is inside of a forest now, too," Gen said ominously.

"What? What are you talking about, Gen?"

"Sakaki Yuya...he's not watching your duel right now. Ask your friends; they'll tell you the same! A 'disciple' of your dojo dropped your sash in the street, only to have it stolen by some punk friend of mine. Little does Yuya know that he's running straight into an ambush!" Gen explained, relishing in Noboru's angry face.

"You bastard! How dare you do something so underhanded, you coward?!" Noboru raged.

"What happened to your unshakable spirirt? Don't tell me it was so easy to unroot you, Noboru. You're already shaking with rage. That's all your so-called Steadfast spirit is worth," Gen took two steps forward and pointed at himself with his thumb. "Using any method to win, that's what the truly strong do! That's why I left the Gongenzaka Dojo."

"Ah, a grudge match, huh. These are always fun to watch," Sara said.

"Noboru looks like he's about to blow a gasket. He better get himself under control," Emma noticed. "You think what Gen said is true? About luring Sakaki Yuya?"

"Probably. Noboru wouldn't be getting angry if he knew Yuya was in the crowd watching him. I hope Yuya's okay..."

"Awww, that's cute. You're worried about him," Emma teased.

"If you want to save him, then you'd better hurry up and defeat me! Or will you spout garbage about how your friend is more important than this match? If you surrender now, you can go try and save him!" Gen sneered cruelly, unaffected by Noboru's glare.

In the stands, Yuzu answered a call. "Yuya? Where are you?"

"Yuzu! Tell Gongenzaka not to worry. Let him know that I'll get his sash back!"

"On the honor of my dojo, I cannt surrender without a fight!"

"Then so be it. Struggle all you want!"

"Duelists locked in battle! Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters! They storm through this field! Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling! Action Duel!"

"I'll be going first! I summon Barbarian #3 from my hand!" A blue, horned ogre five feet tall brandished its spiked club upon its arrival on the field. "When he's successfully summoned, I can Special Summon Barbarian #4 from my hand!" This time, a fatter and more muscular brown skinned ogre wearing a blue tarp and fur arm warmers came out, waving its heavier club. "I set one card and end my turn. IF you don't hurry, your friend will be beaten to a pulp!"

"I was planning on defeating you with one attack! Draw! When there are two or more monsters on my opponent's field, I can Special Summon this card from my hand! Superheavy Samurau Big Wara-G! This card can be used as two tributes for a Tribute Summon! I release Big Wara-G to Tribute Summon Superheavy Samurai Big Ben-k in Defense Position!"

"And it's here! Superheavy Samurai Big Ben-K can be summoned in face-up Defense Position!" Nico Smiley clarified for some of the audience members who wondered if Gongenzaka Noboru had performed an illegal move.

"And Big Ben-K can attack in Defense Position using its 3500 DEF!" Tatsuya cheered in excitement. Neither of Gen's monsters could hope to contend with such a monster, having 1000 and 1200 ATK.

"Still, it doesn't look like he'll be ending it in one attack, though," Sora commented, referring to Noboru's statement.

"When there are no Spell or Trap Cards in my Graveyard, I can send one 'Superheavy Samurai' monster from my hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card! The Level 2 Tuner Monster, Superheavy Samurau Horaga-E!"

"A tuner? I thought you said You Show School didn't have any Synchro users."

"Sorry, Emma. He must have picked it up recently," Sara apologized.

"I activate my Trap Card! Barbarian's Curse! While I control a 'Barbarian' monster and you control two or more monsters: I can take control of one of those monsters. I'll be taking Horaga-E!"

"So he stopped his Synchro Summon. Why didn't he take Big Ben-K?" Emma asked.

"I already researched that you won your way here using Synchro Summoning!" Gen announced, pointing his finger at Noboru. "Matches aren't only decided within the Field! Such as what's going on outside this field today. If you don't hurry up, who can say what will happen to Yuya?"

"He's really getting under his skin," Emma observed, watching the furrow in Noboru's brows deepen. "I bet he's really frustrated right now, having his tuner monster ripped away from him.

Off in the stands, the LDS trio that had fought against You Show School earlier that year watched the duel intently. "Your so-called student is doing terribly," Masumi taunted Todo Yaiba the Synchro user.

"I didn't expect his monster to get taken away from him," Hokuto added on with a smug smile.

"That guy! Is he trying to make me look bad?" Yaiba shouted out in frustration, pulling at his hair.

"Battle! I attack Barbarian #3 with Big Ben-K!"

"Barbarian #4's ability! I can negate one of your attacks directed at a 'Barbarian' monster this turn!"

"Damnit!" Noboru growled. He punched the ground hard as his brows furrowed even deeper in anger. "I don't have time for this!"

"What's wrong with you? Can't handle the truth? You were betrayed by your own monster and you don't know what's happening to your friend!" Gen laughed loudly from his position. Sinister amusement gleamed in his eyes. "I bet he thinks you've abandoned him. He must have thought you would go and save him but look at you wasting your time here dueling me instead."

"This guy is despicable," Emma said angrily. "He doesn't belong here in this tournament."

"Gongenzaka!" Yuzu called out to him from the stands, managing to attract his attention. "Believe in Yuya! He told me to tell you to not worry about him! He said he'll get your sash back and bring it to you!"

"Noboru! Now is the time to prove your Steadfast Dueling to the world!" His father jumped in, a smug grin hidden underneath his moustache.

"Ha ha! So they got into contact with him? He's just bluffing; there's no way he'll defeat the trap I set for him."

"Yuya is no longer a weakling! I will trust in his strength! Your words mean nothing to me now, Gen. I end my turn!"

"Listen to yourself! Trust in others? They'll only betray you...the same way your monster has done to you. Draw! I tribute my three monsters to summon Barbarian Mad Shaman!" The dancing shaman burst on the field, unable to stay still. Its deranged cackles echoed throughout the stadium.

"A Level 10 Monster that requires three tributes? Those are rare," Emma said.

"Yeah...only very powerful cards have that stipulation. I wonder what his Shaman can do, considering it only has 2000 ATK."

"I activate my Mad Shaman's ability! Once per turn, I can take control of one of your monsters!"

"So that's why he didn't steal Ben-K with his Trap Card."

"Hmmm...still, that's a rather lackluster effect for a three tribute monster."

"It's over! Realize that as your own monster brings about your defeat!" Gen flashed a toothy sneer at his opponent as he ordered his attack. The bulky monster slammed its fist onto the ground, sending a shockwave directed at Noboru. Despite this, Noboru stood still, sticking true to his Steadfast Dueling, as he dug his feet in as hard as he could to withstand the oncoming attack. He braced himself when the attack struck, pushing him back out of the forest and towards the edge of a cliff, his feet leaving deep tracks in the ground. Looking worse for wear and with only 500 Life Points left, the crowd gasped as Noboru caught his breath.

"This next attack is game over!" Gen strode confidently over with a smirk. "Don't even bother defending. Take my monster's attack and plunge into the sea behind you! Go and attack him, Barbarian Mad Shaman!" His monster released another series of cackles as it dashed towards Noboru.

"At this moment, I banish Superheavy Samurai Glo-V in my Graveyard. I draw one card and if that card is a "Superheavy Samurai" monster, I turn your monster's ATK to 0."

"So it all comes down to this draw...you can do it, Noboru!" Emma cheered. Sara nodded, wondering whether he would be able to pull off the draw. Across the stadium, the You Show School entrants also watched with bated breath.

"Come to me!" Noboru drew powerfully. "I got it!" He parried Barbarian Mad Shaman's attack with his hand, breaking one of the horns on the skulls it wore on its fists. The broken horn tore Noboru's sash, though he took little notice as it fell to the ground. "You see that, Gen? No matter what happens, my spirit will not be shaken. I believe in Yuya and I believe in my cards!"

"Would you look at that?! With his back to the cliff, he's dodged the final attack by a hair," Nico Smiley screamed into his mic.

"You just got lucky. Besides, you can't attack my Mad Shaman as long as I control Big Ben-K...and should you summon a stronger monster than Big Ben-K, he can just swap him out."

"I wouldn't be so sure the duel is over," Noboru warned. He looked down at his ripped sash, shaking his head and then focusing on his duel disk. "I haven't given up yet. What I need now is to believe...I draw! I summon the Level 2 Tuner Monster, Superheavy Samurai Tama-C, from my hand!"

"Hmmph! Just a weak Tuner. You can't beat me with that."

"Tama-C can perform a Synchro Summon using a Machine-Type monster on your field!"

"What did you just say?" Gen sputtered.

"I tune Big Ben-K with my level 2 Tama-C! Raging deity, in unison with the roar of the souls of a thousand blades, come forth in a spiraling sandstorm! Synchro Summon! Come before us! Level 10! Superheavy Koujin Susanowo!" The gigantic metal monster crossed its feet and sat pridefully beside its duelist. "Next, I equip Superheavy Samurau Soulbuster Gauntlet to Susanowo from my hand. Its DEF is increased b 400. Go! Attack Barbarian Mad Shaman!"

"Right now his monster's ATK is reduced to 0 thanks to Glo-V!" Tatsuya yeled.

"And Susanowo has 4200 DEF to attack with!" Ayu cheered.

"He'll end it with one attack..." Sora said with wide eyes. "He said he would at the beginning of this duel that he'd end it with one attack, didn't he?"

"Susanowo! Kusanagi Sword Slash!" Susanowo swung its mighty blade sideways and sheared through the frame of the Mad Shaman. Gen was forcefully thrown back by the aftershock of the attack as his Life Point counter ticked down to 0.

"The first victory of the day goes to Gongenzaka Noboru!" The announcer yelled as the stands exploded in roars of approval and cheer.

"Oh no, I missed it!" Yuya ran into the stands, holding onto the white sash tightly. "Gongenzaka! I brought your sash back!"

"Oh boy," Emma chuckled, shaking her head in mirth. "Not even fashionably late!"

"At least Noboru won his game."

"And with one attack too! Just like he said he would. You were right, Sara. These guys have interesting duelists."

"You Show School seems to specialize in making their duels as entertaining as possible. I was on the edge of my seat."

"Next up, we have our second match of the day!" Nico Smiley said to quiet the crowd down. "You Show Duel School's Sakaki Yuya vs Leo Duel School's Sawatari Shingo!"

"Awesome! Let's see what your dueling is like now, Yuya."

"You got this, Yuya!"

A/N: Thank you for reading. Things will start veering from canon soon.