Chapter Text
“Who’s Vector?”
“Academia calls him a demon, that much I know,” Edo said, “He’s carded just as many of our— er— their people as Kaito. Maybe more.”
“Not just Academia,” Kurosaki said, leading the group further down the path Yuya ran down. “He’ll take down anyone. The few people I’ve heard from said he thinks it’s funny.”
“Yuya!!” Yuzu called from up ahead, “Yuya, what are you doing?!”
“Well,” Jack said, “No matter how strong this Vector guy is, he won’t be a problem for me, or Yuya.”
“Uh-huh.”
Yusei kept quiet, looking around the area. If Yuya didn’t run into someone up ahead, anything could still come from behind.
“Yuya!” Yuzu called again, “Hang on!! Where are you going?!”
When the rest of the group caught up, they’d all entered a large, arena-like space with multiple paths leading into it. It was almost reminiscent of a kind of colosseum, but made of collapsed buildings and the such. As for the paths… if Yusei had to guess, they were probably meant to corral people in from across the city.
Yuya looked around, “He ran over here, I know he did…!”
“Who did?” Yuzu asked, “What are you talking about?”
Yuya looked at each of the different entrances to the space, like he was scanning them for a glimpse of someone standing there. “The… it was Sh— I— I don’t know, I saw him— there was someone there, really!!”
“Yuya, we need to leave,” Kurosaki said, “This place isn’t safe.”
“No!” Yuya said, “There was someone here! If we aren’t safe, he isn’t either!”
Crow sighed, “And what if he was just supposed to lure us in here, huh?”
“Oh, now why would I do that?” A voice spoke from the shadows. The group’s eyes were drawn upwards, towards a high platform placed on the only wall left completely intact, where a teen boy was sitting on a throne-like structure, looking over the whole place.
“It’s you!” Yuya exclaimed. He seemed way too happy for the current situation, but maybe this was someone Yuto knew..?
“That’s right, it is me!!” The boy said, “and you must be the Lancers and… an Academia commander, wow. What brings you all here?”
“Nothing!” Kurosaki said, “We’re leaving!”
“Oh, you can’t leave now~!” The boy— probably Vector— stood up from his chair, “You already came all the way here! Why don’t we duel a bit, just for some fun? After all, this place can get so dull…”
“Alright, sure!” Yuya said, “After all, I am an entertainment duelist! Fun is what I do!”
“Yuya…” Edo warned.
“Oh, really?” Vector jumped down, landing perfectly on the ground level of the arena, “It’s my lucky day, then!”
It was easier to see him now. He didn’t look too dangerous, but with how he got Yuya to duel him, and what Kurosaki and Edo had said… appearances could be deceiving.
“You got this, Yuya!” Yuzu cheered.
Yuya nodded, taking the first turn.
“I set the pendulum scale with Performapal Handstandacoon and Performapal Shieldrummer! This lets me summon level four and five monsters simultaneously! So now, I’m Pendulum Summoning the two level four monsters Performapal Helpprincess and Xiangsheng Magician!”
“Hm. Pendulum Summoning… I’ll admit, that’s news to me. Say, where’d you get such useful cards..?”
“Glad you asked!” Yuya said, “I actually created Pendulum Summoning! Pretty cool, right?”
“Very cool… but it won’t be enough to beat me! You’re going to XYZ summon now, aren’t you?”
“That’s right! I’m using the level four monsters Performapal Helpprincess and Xiangsheng Magician to build the Overlay Network! With the key to people’s hearts, a hero rises, bringing smiles to a brand new world! Take the stage! The Pendulum XYZ monster: Magician of Hope!”
Yuya ended his turn with a bow, which Magician of Hope copied. Its cape mimicked his jacket pretty well, actually, save for the shoulder armor and metal wings on its back.
Vector laughed, “Well then, it’s my turn. Draw! When you control more monsters than I do, I can special summon Evilswarm Mandroga! Then I’ll summon Umbral Horror Ghoul and, with its effect, special summon Umbral Horror Unform by lowering Ghoul’s attack to zero.”
“He brought out three level four monsters like nothing…” Yuzu whispered.
Vector smiled. It was different from how he looked before, more… dangerous this time, like he already knew how to win. This was the man Edo and Kurosaki had spoken of so cautiously.
“I use the three level four monsters Umbral Horror Ghoul, Umbral Horror Unform, and Evilswarm Mandroga to build the Overlay Network! Awaken now, wicked thoughts! Come forth, the heinous Evilswarm Ouroboros!!
Oh. Oh, that dragon had a lot of heads. Were those… tentacles, coming out of its back?
“Evilswarm Ouroboros’ effect! I can detach one of its overlay units to send a random card from your hand to the graveyard and— oh! Would you look at that?! You only have one card in your hand! Well, say bye-bye!!”
The uncomfortably cheerful explanation (if it could even be called that) was accompanied by the writhing of Ouroboros’ middle head, launching itself forward towards the card in Yuya’s hand like a snake snapping at its prey.
Yuya flinched a bit, not expecting the monster to get so close to him. Magician of Hope looked worried, like it was realizing how it might not be fast or strong enough to stop this thing. At least, that was Yusei’s interpretation of the sudden movement the magician had made in response, which he could guess probably wasn’t part of its set animations.
“Now!” Vector declared, “Evilswarm Ouroboros, attack Magician of Hope!”
Yuya looked around as the heads of the monster struck towards him, before one of the pendulum scales— Handstandacoon— shattered, stopping the dragon in its tracks. “Performapal Shieldrummer’s pendulum effect! When you declare an attack, I can return a card in my Pendulum Zones to my hand to negate it!”
Vector shook his head and tapped his foot a bit, like he was annoyed, “Oh well. In that case, I’ll set a card and end my turn. Just know, stalling like that won’t help you in the long run!”
Yuya grimaced a bit, looking at the card he drew for his turn. “Magician of Hope’s effect! I can detach one of its materials to special summon a level seven or lower monster from my hand in defense position, then place Magician of Hope in my Pendulum Zone!”
Out came Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, standing in front of Yuya defensively, while Magician of Hope flew next to Shieldrummer, the Pendulum scale working again.
Yuya ended his turn.
“Oh, come on,” Vector said, “You said you were an entertainer, not a coward. Is that why you’re traveling with an Academia official? Too pathetic to card him yourself? Or just gullible enough to believe he’s on your side?”
“Edo isn’t with Academia anymore! He’s helping us!”
“Whatever,” Vector said, “They’re all boring anyway. And so far, you don’t seem any different. I’m summoning Evilswarm Castor, whose effect lets me have another normal summon this turn, as long as it’s also an Evilswarm. Come on out, Evilswarm Thunderbird!”
Two level fours… he was going to bring out another XYZ again, wasn’t he..?
Those suspicions turned out to be correct, as Vector spoke again. “Now, I’ll overlay these two monsters to XYZ summon Evilswarm Ophion! Its effect stops you from special summoning monsters level 5 or higher. So your little Pendulum trick won’t work quite as well now, will it?”
Yuya was looking a bit concerned.
“Anyway,” Vector continued, “Evilswarm Ouroboros’ other effect! I can use one of its overlay units to return one card you control to your hand, and I choose Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”
“Yuya’s completely open now…”
“Now, Evilswarm Ophion! Attack!”
“Shieldrummer’s effect again!” Yuya said, “It’ll return itself this time!”
“Ouroboros!”
“Magician of Hope’s Pendulum Effect! I can destroy it to negate your attack!”
“Oh, really…?” Vector paused for a second, “Hm. Well, I guess you survived this turn, Yu~ya.”
“This guy’s weird…” Yuzu whispered.
“I think it’s because of how little he knows about us,” Kurosaki said, “he might be trying to figure out Yuya.”
“Good luck with that,” Sawatari scoffed.
“Alright!” Yuya said, “You think I’m boring..? I’ll show you what my entertainment duel can do! Using the Handstandacoon and Shieldrummer that returned to my hand, I set the pendulum scale! Then, since pendulum monsters return to the extra deck when destroyed, I can Pendulum Summon Magician of Hope back to the field!”
“How’d he Pendulum summon it when it doesn’t have a level..?” Edo asked.
“I looked at it earlier,” said Yuzu, “It has an effect that lets it be Pendulum Summoned like a level four.”
“As of right now,” Yuya continued, “Our hero isn’t strong enough to slay this dragon. But he doesn’t give up! I activate the equip spell Guard Robe Exchange! Magician of Hope gains 500 attack points! Now go, attack Ouroboros!”
[3000-2750=250]
[Vector LP: 4000-250=3750]
“Oh, boo-hoo,” Vector taunted, “Can you not do any better than that?”
“We’ll just have to wait and see!” Yuya said, “I mean, the fun’s only beginning!”
“Is it? Well, if you’re done, then it’s my turn! The spell card Creeping Darkness lets me banish two dark monsters from my graveyard to add one level four dark monster from my deck to my hand. Then, I’m summoning Secret Sect Druid Dru, which lets me special summon a monster with zero attack or defense from my graveyard in defense position! Come, Umbral Horror Unform! Now I’ll overlay these two monsters to XYZ summon! Evilswarm Thanatos!”
The monster was an armored knight on a bluish grey horse, and though it wasn’t as strong as Ouroboros or even Ophion, it still looked intimidating.
Vector continued, “Then, I’ll set a card and end my turn. Come on, Yuya. Show me your ‘entertainment’!”
“Okay! Here I go!!” Yuya drew a card, thought for a second, and put his arms up dramatically, “Ladies and Gentlemen! It may look like there’s not much I can do yet, but with the spell card XYZ Treasure, I can draw a card for every XYZ monster on the field!”
Yuya drew three cards.
“Why does he have XYZ support now..?” Yuzu whispered, “Is it Yuto again?”
“Yuto never used that card,” said Kurosaki.
“He didn’t-?”
“Now swing, my soul’s pendulum!” Yuya continued, “Come on out! Performapal Skeeter Skimmer and Performapal Salutiger! But they won’t be around for long, because I’m using them to build the Overlay Network! From the black darkness, the fangs of rebellion that fight against the powers of stupidity descend! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon! Its effect lets me detach both of its Overlay Units to halve one of your monster’s attack points and add that same amount to Dark Rebellion itself! And the monster whose ATK I’m halving will be your Evilswarm Ophion!”
Vector just shrugged, making an unimpressed face. He was planning something, wasn’t he..?
“But that’s not the end!” said Yuya, “With the card Odd-Eyes Accel, I get to normal summon an Odd-Eyes monster without tributing! So the Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon you returned to my hand earlier is coming right back!”
“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Vector said, smiling eerily, “C’mon, Yuya. Attack me.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do! Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, attack Evilswarm Thanatos!”
[3775-2350=1,425]
[Vector LP= 3750-1425=2,325]
“Next up, Magician of Hope! Attack Evilswarm Ophion—“
“I activate my trap, Extra Hundred! My monster can’t be destroyed this turn, but your Magician of Hope gets to attack again.”
[3000-1275=1725]
[Vector LP= 2325-1725=600]
“Well then,” Yuya said, “Magician of Hope! Attack again!”
Vector smiled, “Extra Hundred’s effect: if one of your monsters attacks the monster that it protected from destruction, its attack points change to the attacking monster’s plus 100!!”
[3100-3000=100]
[Yuya LP: 4000-100=3900]
“Agh…” Yuya sighed, ending his turn. There wasn’t much else he could do, but he should be fine for a bit…
Vector started his turn. He smiled. “This is the end, Yuya! I activate the spell card Monster Reborn to revive my Evilswarm Ouroboros!”
“Oh no…” Yuzu whispered.
“It doesn’t have any units, so it shouldn’t be able to use its effects, right?” Crow asked, looking at Kurosaki.
Kurosaki nodded. “Usually, yeah. Though I wouldn’t doubt he has a plan to get around it…”
“Now!” Vector yelled, “Evilswarm Ouroboros, attack Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!”
The monster lunged forward with all of its heads, but before it made it all the way, Vector spoke again. “Now, the trap card Evil 1! No monsters will be destroyed, but you lose all but one of your life points!”
[Yuya LP: 1]
“Agh-!” Yuya exclaimed, being knocked back by the impact.
“Evilswarm Ophion! Attack Odd-Eyes and finish this!”
“Hang on!” Yuya yelled, “Shieldrummer’s pendulum effect! I can return one of my pendulum scales to my hand to negate your attack!”
“Ahahaha!! I should’ve known you’d use that again. But why not earlier, Yuya? You could’ve saved yourself from all that damage…”
Yuya shrugged, “I didn’t know your trap was coming, how could I? Besides, isn’t it more exciting like this?!”
Vector didn’t confirm or deny that, only smiling, “You know, I think I’ve learned a lot from you, Yuya.”
“Well that sounded more like a threat than a compliment…” Yusei muttered.
Crow nodded, “Yeah, this guy’s creepy.”
Vector was out of moves to make, so Yuya took his turn. “Let’s finish this! Dark Rebellion XYZ Dragon, attack Evilswarm Ophion! Lightning Disobey of Rebellion!”
[3775-2550=1225]
[Vector LP= 0]
“Yeah! He did it!” Yuzu cheered.
“Well, Yuya,” Vector said, doing this… strangely nice voice that sounded almost mocking after hearing how he spoke normally, “I have a question, before you all leave.”
Yuya was quiet for just a second, “Huh-? Uh, yeah, what is it?”
Vector narrowed his eyes, like Yuya’s reaction had told him something important. He stopped with the happy voice, which only further emphasized his next question. “Who are you?”