Chapter Text
“Magnificent, isn’t it?” The voice rang across the arena with all the authority and confidence of a veteran presenter. “Why, this is the sort of thing that will really put Banyard Hill on the map.” The words reverberated throughout the room, filling the empty seats with projected enthusiasm. Row upon row of polished pews ringed an elevated platform, on which stood a young man wearing an outrageously flamboyant suit. The jacket and trousers’ fabric was red, made so bright by the arena’s lights that he seemed to be perpetually on the verge of combustion. The waistcoat was patterned with alternating red and maroon stripes, which softened the appearance to a degree, but perched upon the man’s hair awaited an equally red hat wrapped with a wide, black ribbon. The head beneath it completed a prolonged arc around half the room and came to a halt facing the main entrance. “Come to admire the duel field, too?”
The man standing in the entrance was dressed quite plainly, though he was certain that his smartest soirée regalia would be considered plain against this man’s casual wear. Strapped to the newcomer’s thigh was a card case, and a hand hovered over its buckle. “Yes, certainly,” he called back. His voice seemed to lose itself in the room, and he wasn’t sure the other man could hear him. “If that’s all right?” he added. “The lady in the lobby said it was open to the public today.”
“Welcome, welcome! Come and join me!” hollered the first man. It was still unclear whether he had heard the reply. “They called it ‘unassuming’ when it opened, but I have it on good authority that the duel field is every bit as sophisticated as Duel Academy’s, and even rivals those of some of the smaller professional stadia.” He spun sharply to gesture at different parts of the room, his blazer trailing behind him. “State-of-the-art holographic projectors embedded within the ceiling, lights, and field. SolidVision stabilisers scattered throughout the seating rows. Integrated duel disk interfaces, audience broadcasting screens, a technical booth, two separate VIP boxes—for grudge matches of importance, naturally—and who could forget the sound system?” The man’s voice trailed off to a low purr as he completed the list, and the speakers ensured the room vibrated in agreement. With an apologetic grin, he tapped something poking from the hem of his sleeve, and the speakers fell silent. “Apologies, but I had to hear it for myself, too.”
The second man had made his way to join the first on stage, and could not help but feel underdressed. From here he could see rows of pews everywhere, empty today, but filled to capacity they would accommodate thousands. Perhaps a bright red suit would do well to deflect scrutiny.
“I’m Tem,” offered the bright red suit, extending a hand. “Welcome to Banyard.”
“Thank you.” The newcomer shook the hand with a nod; the grip was somewhat sweaty. “Yudo. I’ve just moved to study Duel Monsters.”
“Haven’t we all?” Tem laughed. “So, just flown the nest? That’s tricky, well done. I’m studying administration. In my third year now, but I still remember my first week here. These things are hard to forget.”
“Administration?” Yudo blurted. “I thought Banyard only offered Duel Monsters courses.”
“Oh, so it does,” Tem said. “But there is more to Duel Monsters than the game itself. It’s true that most of the students here enrolled to master the cards and seek fortune on the professional circuits, but those circuits just would not function without people who know how to put on a show.” Yudo raised his eyebrows, and Tem continued, “I’m here to learn how to present. Administration is my cover.”
It was Yudo’s turn to laugh. “Right, I understand. You want to commentate in the pro leagues.” He had to admit, Tem did seem to possess the charisma to hold a crowd.
Ten years ago, the game of Duel Monsters had taken the world by storm. Popular wisdom attributed its unprecedented success to two individuals: Maximillion Pegasus, who designed the original game and cards, and who continued to oversee its progression through his company, Industrial Illusions; and Seto Kaiba, inventor of the holographic SolidVision technology that brought the game to life in a way unparalleled. Mixed together with a staggering level of private funding, within three years Duel Monsters had become synonymous not only with the future of gaming but with the future of humanity itself.
Yudo was eighteen. He remembered his childhood days without Duel Monsters, but by the time he had started secondary school the first major tournaments were being broadcast on every news channel in the world. Yudo could vaguely recall conversations amongst his teachers and between his parents about the scale and pace of change brought to society by a single card game. Absurd, they had cried, that a breakthrough like SolidVision should be limited to the playing of Duel Monsters! Yet Kaiba Corporation had been diligent in ensuring that holographic technology would remain focused on entertainment, and that the bleeding edge of progress would be restricted to supporting Industrial Illusions’ game.
When he was a little older, Yudo recounted rumours and conspiracies circulating of collusion between Pegasus and Kaiba, of illicit deals and manipulative tactics. The newspapers jumped on anything and everything, but it seemed nothing ever came of it. By the time Seto Kaiba had announced that he would be opening a private high school for promising young duellists, public acceptance of the Duel Monsters phenomenon was so high that most attention was paid to its location on an isolated, volcanic island in the south Pacific rather than to its premise. And so, when Industrial Illusions announced that it was opening “a conservatory for the study of advanced duelling” in an otherwise sleepy English town the following year, nobody batted an eyelid.
Yudo had fallen in love with Duel Monsters a long time ago. He had been slightly too old to enrol in Duel Academy (or indeed in one of its junior branches and derivatives that popped up not long afterwards), but the Banyard Conservatory of Duelling had been perfect. It had promised him a route into a life that ten years ago was beyond conception or comprehension, and a chance to live in a world where dragons, krakens, and ghosts battled for baying crowds. Not needing to relocate to a subtropical island twelve-thousand miles away was simply a bonus.
“The pro leagues indeed! But don’t get me wrong, Yudo, I know how to play; it’s a requirement for every course here. In fact…” Tem nodded towards the card case at Yudo’s thigh. “Have you ever played a game of Duel Monsters in an arena?” The young man spread his arms wide, an infectious smile tugging its way onto his face. His blazer pulled aside, and Yudo saw the top of a deck nestled in the inside pocket.
“No, I can’t claim to have had the privilege,” replied Yudo, his heart quickening in anticipation. “Can we use the field freely?”
“If you’re enrolled and know your way around the booking system. Anyone might wander in today, but I’d never turn down an audience. What do you say—care for a game?” Tem had reached into his blazer to retrieve the cards, and presented the deck to Yudo with an exaggerated bow.
“I would love to duel you, though I am not picking up my Duel Disk until Thursday. You don’t happen to have a spare lying around, do you?” Yudo asked, accepting Tem’s deck and beginning to shuffle it idly.
Tem strode to the edge of the duel field and jumped down. “Ah, did I forget to mention that when I was prattling on about all the arena’s features? It also comes with several Duel Disks of its own.” With a flourish, he opened a compartment near the base of the platform and extracted a pair of silver, blade-like devices. The Duel Disks were the prized product of Kaiba Corporation and an enduring reminder of the symbiosis between Pegasus’ and Kaiba’s companies. Heavily subsidised, a standard second-generation Duel Disk, which went on sale to the public following the Battle City tournament, still cost roughly the same as a luxury television. Thus, Yudo let out a yelp of surprise when Tem hurled one across the field towards him. He barely caught it with trembling hands and hugged it against his chest like a startled baby.
“You can’t just throw a Duel Disk at somebody without warning them!” he protested, watching Tem haul himself back to the duel field and slide his own Disk onto his forearm, where it secured itself with a familiar click.
“Ah, but you are not just anyone,” replied Tem. “You are now a student at Banyard Conservatory. You need to master this device in every conceivable manner. Every mechanism, button, glitch, and quirk is now yours to learn. Trust me when I tell you that showmanship is nine parts bravado.” As Tem returned, he clasped a hand to Yudo’s shoulder. “But on the other hand, that wasn’t my best throw. Good catch, though.”
“Thanks,” Yudo muttered, returning Tem’s deck and sliding on his own Duel Disk. “I have used one before, you know. My family owns one.” He met Tem’s gaze and tapped a button on the Disk to prove his point, and the device’s belly began to whir and glow with technicolour. Yudo reached to his thigh and withdrew his deck, offering it to Tem, who shook his head.
“I’m not very good at shuffling; let the Disk handle it. And let’s get ready to duel.” Tem could not keep the excitement from his voice; Yudo did not blame him. Setting his deck into his Disk, Yudo paced to one end of the field, his back to the main entrance. He had not expected his self-guided tour of Banyard’s facilities to take such an energetic turn, but as his opponent reached his opposite position, he decided that he did not mind. Tem was right about one thing: he would have to get used to duelling like this if he was to excel.
Yudo and Tem raised their Duel Disks to one another in salute, and the arena seemed to glow as its projectors and sensors sprang to life. “Duel!”
Tem 8000 LP - 8000 LP Yudo
“I am the challenger, so you have the right to go first, should you wish to,” Tem called from across the field. “Sorry,” he added. “I’m certain you already knew that.” Yudo was astonished at how clearly Tem’s voice was being transmitted to him. Speakers were everywhere, even with the commentator’s microphones disabled, and it sounded as though the man was still standing next to him.
Yudo licked his lips and nodded. “All right. My turn, then.”
Turn 1 - Yudo
“I draw!” Yudo studied his hand. “I will kick things off with a spell card—Cards from the Sky.” With a click and a whir, the field started to shift. Clouds formed above Yudo’s head, and a ray of sunlight shone down onto his deck. Yudo knew that SolidVision holograms were not tactile, yet it seemed to him so genuine that he stretched out his free hand to brush against the clouds floating just out of reach. “Incredible,” he murmured.
Tem heard him regardless. “Beautiful!” he called, and Yudo winced, the moment gone. “As amazing as a portable Duel Disk is, the duelling experience of a full arena is beyond comparison, is it not?”
“Yeah,” Yudo replied. “The sound transmission is almost as impressive.”
Tem laughed and gestured at Yudo’s spell card, which had been projected onto one of the duel field’s marked zones as soon as it had been inserted into the corresponding Duel Disk compartment. “Shall we?”
Yudo nodded, and gestured at the card. “Cards from the Sky allows me to draw two cards from my deck, so long as I first banish one LIGHT attribute, Fairy-type monster from my hand. So, I will banish Layard the Liberator and claim my prize.” He brandished Layard at Tem for a moment, and the arena scanned and projected the card, with its effect censored, onto the field. Tem nodded, satisfied, and Yudo drew the promised cards.
“Next, I will summon Shining Angel to the field in attack mode.”
Shining Angel - LV4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect - 1400ATK/800DEF
With another whir, several of the overhead projectors lit up in a spray of technicolour. Prismatic bands danced around one of Yudo’s Monster Zones, coalescing into the shape of a winged humanoid. Its blond hair tousled in a phantom breeze from the steady flapping of its great wings, and its bronze skin was ringed here and there with arm- and leg-bands of glittering gold. It looked as regal as the finest angels from Renaissance paintings, and Yudo felt compelled to take a moment to admire the detail which the artists and technicians had poured into even the humblest cards.
“I will end my turn by placing one card face down. Now let’s see what you got.” As the verso face common to every Duel Monsters card materialised in the Spell & Trap Zone behind Shining Angel, the duel field, acknowledging Yudo’s declaration, projected a summary of the players’ Life Points, names, and turn count to one of its many enormous screens. Yudo was only slightly surprised to see that he had been dubbed Player 1, as he would not have put it past KaibaCorp to have somehow determined his identity from his cards, voice, or person.
Turn 2 - Tem
“All right, here goes something,” Tem said, drawing his card. With only a moment’s delay, he announced, “I summon Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness in attack mode.”
Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness - LV4/WATER/Sea Serpent - 1800ATK/1500DEF
A different set of projectors sprang to life and spilled the SolidVision technicolour across Tem’s side of the field. When it stabilised, another humanoid had materialised, but with teal skin protected by a thick, purple carapace that resembled armour. It was holding a spear.
“I’m not an accomplished duellist, Yudo, but I am competent enough at arithmetic to know the outcome of a clash between our chosen monsters. So go, Warrior, and clip the Angel’s wings!”
Yudo had recognised the play, of course, and in truth could do nothing to prevent it. However, even had his face-down card been able to interfere, it was unlikely he would have recovered his composure in time to activate it. The Warrior charged across the field with stunning fluidity, its feet springing off the ground without any regard for its own incorporeality. Yudo had duelled many times with SolidVision, but the simulacra offered by two Duel Disks’ hardware paled in comparison to the suite of the arena.
The monsters collided, and Shining Angel was impaled on the tip of the Warrior’s spear. After a moment, the defeated creature burst into prismatic shards, and Yudo’s Life Point counter emitted a sad sequence of beeps.
Tem 8000 LP - 7600 LP Yudo
Yudo opened his mouth to speak, but Tem was a beat quicker. “I imagine you will be activating your Angel’s effect.” Yudo furrowed his brow; it was considered a duelling faux pas to narrate your opponent’s card effects. Either Tem was somewhat inexperienced, or he wanted to pretend to be. Or he was just being rude.
“Indeed!” he called. “As you seem to be aware, when Shining Angel is destroyed by battle, I can use its effect to special summon a LIGHT attribute monster from my deck in attack position, provided its attack points do not exceed fifteen-hundred. And I am choosing Nova Summoner.” At Yudo’s invocation, his deck ejected the card into his waiting fingers, and he could not help but grin at the burst of light that followed.
Nova Summoner - LV4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect - 1400ATK/800DEF
Where Shining Angel had been humanoid, Nova Summoner was abstract, as though its true form was hidden behind insanity. What appeared on Yudo’s field resembled a burning ring, wrapped with blue ribbons, topped with small, white wings, all encompassing a small, green sphere at its centre.
“A beautiful creature,” said Tem, plucking a card from his hand. “I am afraid it will not last long. I set one card face down and end my turn.”
Turn 3 - Yudo
“We will see about that!” Yudo retorted. “My draw.” Looking at his hand, he noted that nothing could overcome Tem’s Warrior of Darkness. He would have to rely on an alternative approach. “I summon Harvest Angel of Wisdom in attack position,” he declared.
Harvest Angel of Wisdom - LV4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect - 1800ATK/1000DEF
With a flash of light, Yudo’s new creature appeared in his central Monster Zone. It did not resemble an angel of the Abrahamic traditions but rather a green, robotic creature covered in sun-orange plates. Attached to the outside of each leg was a metallic protrusion spouting long, blade-like wings. This was his first true monster, and it pained him to sacrifice it so soon.
Tem was a quick study. “You can’t intend to crash them together!” he protested. “Surely a more cautious approach—”
“Attack that Warrior, Harvest Angel!” Yudo hollered. With an elegant bow, the monster threw itself at Tem’s field. It twisted through the air and brought one of its pointed legs down onto the Warrior’s head. As it did, however, the Warrior roared and thrust its spear through the fairy. Both shattered in resplendent technicolour. Yudo whistled, and threw his arm forward at a frowning Tem. “Next, Nova Summoner attacks you directly.” With a high-pitched cry, the last monster standing shot a ring of flames down the field. Tem shielded his eyes and grimaced as his Duel Disk began beeping.
Tem 6600 LP - 7600 LP Yudo
“I set one card face down and end my turn,” said Yudo.
“That was a dogged counterattack,” said Tem as he lowered his Duel Disk. He glanced at Nova Summoner with newfound respect. “I’ll never get used to direct attacks, you know. The violence always looks so real.”
“Oh, you’re right about that,” Yudo replied. “Some people claim that they can cause real harm; their brains are persuaded against their will.” Yudo had read about such cases. At first they had only ever appeared as questionable testimonials in the columns of depraved tabloid newspapers, but later a handful of more serious investigations had been commissioned. So far, nobody had satisfied anybody who mattered that the phenomenon was real. Yudo sometimes still thought about the risk—particularly when a monster was charging at him headlong.
Tem’s laughter snapped Yudo back to their augmented reality. “I hope that’s not you, because I am not holding back. My turn!”
Turn 4 - Tem
Tem drew his card with exaggerated finesse. Immediately, Yudo interjected. “At this time, I am activating my Continuous Trap card, Synthetic Seraphim!” With a gesture, one of Yudo’s set cards rose like a drawbridge and spat forth a tank-like entity. Its front joints were separated, hovering close to each other in a facsimile of arms, while its main body floated above four gyroscopic balls. A quartet of bazookas was attached to its back, and between them was splayed a pair of bladed wings.
Tem hesitated. “Friend of your Harvest Angel’s?” He seemed to be waiting for something to happen, but Yudo remained still.
“You could say that. My Synthetic Seraphim does not do anything at the moment, but rest assured it will find its place in our duel very soon.” He doesn’t know this card, Yudo thought. I doubt he knows this deck’s archetype, either. That gives me a valuable advantage. Duelling against unknown cards was fraught with risk, and an important component of a formal duelling education was the memorisation of card effects and interactions.
Tem tipped his hat to the incoming card, and shrugged. “Well, I suppose I will just set one monster face down then,” he conceded. “I look forward to learning about your deck, Yudo.”
“I look forward to showing you, Tem. My turn!”
Turn 5 - Yudo
“I draw!” Yudo considered the situation. His field certainly seemed stronger than Tem’s, but his position was fragile. He did not currently have the means of dealing with a well-timed counterattack or powerful summon. My best chance, he decided, is to continue with a strategy of aggression. “I summon Bountiful Artemis in attack mode.”
Bountiful Artemis - LV4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect - 1600ATK/1700DEF
Artemis materialised with a whir. The fairy’s bottom half resembled a spinning top, while the top half presented itself as a slender, robotic humanoid. A pair of thin, metallic protrusions extended from either side of its head, and attached to their ends was a layered wing. A purple cloak billowed behind it.
Tem whistled. “I think I am beginning to understand the aesthetic of your deck, Yudo. Mechanical fairies, is it? Very interesting.”
Yudo beamed at Tem. “It would be an honour to grant you a closer look, which is why I am sending Artemis to attack your set monster!” With a series of clicks, Yudo’s monster advanced, its clawed hands clacking together with disturbing enthusiasm. Tem’s monster soon revealed itself to be another creature from the deep—Fiend Kraken.
Fiend Kraken - LV4/WATER/Aqua - 1200ATK/1400DEF
The sea-monster lashed a tentacle at Artemis, but it was swiftly caught and squeezed until the entire card burst in shards.
“Here we go again,” murmured Tem as Nova Summoner fired another burst of flames towards him.
Tem 5200 LP - 7600 LP Yudo
“I think that’s enough for one turn,” concluded Yudo. He cast an apologetic look towards Tem. “Good luck!”
Turn 6 - Tem
Tem saluted and drew his card. His eyes flicked between the field and his hand several times. “I think it’s time for a comeback,” he announced, slapping a monster card onto his Duel Disk. “I summon Giant Red Seasnake in attack mode.”
Giant Red Seasnake - LV4/WATER/Aqua - 1800ATK/800DEF
The creature was aptly named, for it did indeed resemble an enormous, crimson serpent. Its back was striped with blue scales, and its head sported a feathery mane not dissimilar to a cobra’s hood. It hissed across the field, its mouth full of yellow fangs. “I’ve had enough of that flapping, flaming hula hoop,” Tem said with a grin. “Seasnake, take it out!”
Obediently, the Seasnake lunged at Nova Summoner, stretching across the entire field without leaving its own Monster Zone. With another high-pitched cry, Yudo’s fairy exploded.
Tem 5200 LP - 7200 LP Yudo
“My Nova Summoner’s effect now activates,” cried Yudo. “Upon its death in battle, I may special summon a LIGHT, Fairy-type monster from my deck, provided its attack points are fifteen-hundred or fewer.”
“I don’t think so!” retorted Tem. “I won’t let you get away with restocking your field a second time. Go, Divine Wrath!” Yudo’s eyes widened a little as the Counter Trap revealed itself, yet he also suppressed a smile. He really doesn’t know my deck.
“An impressive card, Tem!” Yudo called cheerfully.
“Indeed. By discarding one card from my hand, Divine Wrath will negate the activation of your monster’s effect. Usually it’s then struck by lightning, but it seems Nova Summoner is already in your Graveyard.” Tem shrugged. “Not to worry. It seems your next angel will have to wait a little longer.”
Yudo nodded. “True enough! However, as a Counter Trap has resolved, the effects of both Bountiful Artemis and Synthetic Seraphim now trigger. The first allows me to draw a card, while the second gives me a compensatory angel of sorts.” With a gesture to the Seraphim, one of its bazookas fired. A ball of white light arced over the field and landed in the closest Monster Zone. It seemed to cool, settling into the shape of a sphere suspended by four tiny, blade-like wings.
Synthetic Seraphim Token - LV1/LIGHT/Fairy - 300ATK/300DEF
Tem grimaced. “Well. That didn’t quite go according to plan, I admit, but my Seasnake still rules this duel field. I end my turn.”
Turn 7 - Yudo
“For now, Tem, for now,” said Yudo, admiring the card he had just drawn. “I think it’s time to enter the final act of this duel. I will set the scene with a Field Spell; I activate The Sanctuary in the Sky.” As he slid the card into his Duel Disk, the entire arena shimmered. Fog materialised and coalesced around Yudo’s ankles; it rolled across the field to spill onto the floor, filling every seat and stand with wisps of cloud. The ceiling dissolved away into an endless blue sky, and before long Yudo seemed to be suspended in the air. Tem gasped, looking past Yudo, who glanced over his shoulder to see a celestial temple, vaguely Roman in design, he thought, carve itself from a bastion of rock.
“Phenomenal!” Tem exclaimed, doffing his cap to the environs. “Field Spells are my favourite; they are always a joy to play in.”
Yudo smiled; he felt giddy. This is my temple, he thought, and I rule the field now. “I am glad you like it!” he called back. “Although I am not sure you will say the same about my next play. I am tributing Bountiful Artemis and my Synthetic Seraphim Token to summon one of my most potent angels. Come forth, Voltanis the Adjudicator!” Yudo raised both hands into the air, allowing himself to surrender to the moment. From the infinite sky above descended Voltanis, an imposing figure clad in a stiff, purple robe, jointed with blue, steel rings, and wielding a sapphire-studded sceptre. Its lonely eye, centred on its otherwise featureless face, gazed at Tem like a judge rebuking a guilty party.
Voltanis the Adjudicator - LV8/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect - 2800ATK/1400DEF
Tem swallowed. His field seemed considerably less sturdy than it had not two minutes ago. Giant Red Seasnake reared and hissed at Voltanis, its head almost rising to reach its eye. Almost.
“Attack,” said Yudo, making a dismissive gesture at the Seasnake. Voltanis brandished its sceptre, and the sapphire within now glowed. The light was cold, but something about it attracted the Seasnake towards it. It issued another challenging hiss, but this time it was met with a beam from the sapphire. The collision dissolved the weaker monster into technicolour.
Tem 4200 LP - 7200 LP Yudo
“I set one card face down and end my turn.” Yudo inclined his head towards Tem, who was studying his hand and scowling at Voltanis. If all went well, however, no card would make any difference now.
Turn 8 - Tem
“I draw,” said Tem matter-of-factly. His concentration shifted to Yudo. “I admit, Yudo, I am impressed. I suppose I should expect nothing less than an angelic performance from a Banyard student of Duel Monsters gameplay. I sense this might be my final turn, yet I still have one last trick up my sleeve. A grasping move, certainly, but one that could pay off with the right cards.”
“Oh? Something in your hand to bring down Voltanis, is there? Well, by all means, Tem, bring it out and let it be judged.” Yudo stood tall, The Sanctuary in the Sky anchored behind him in the simulated distance. Tem did not recall what his opponent’s Field Spell could do—only that it was not one of the six attribute boosters.
“Let us see if you have overextended, shall we?” teased Tem, selecting a card from his hand. “I summon Torpedo Fish in defence mode.”
Torpedo Fish - LV3/WATER/Fish/Effect - 1000ATK/1000DEF
With a flash, the monster appeared: green skinned, red finned, and pointed squarely at Voltanis.
“I happen to know that your fishy friend there is more bark than bite, so to speak,” said Yudo, who frowned at his own rather terrestrial metaphor. “It will not be torpedoing Voltanis.”
“Not alone, true,” replied Tem with an exaggerated wink. He cleared his throat, then slotted a spell card into his Duel Disk. “I will approximate his explosive authority with this—Share the Pain. By tributing one of my monsters, I can compel you to tribute one of yours. And it seems both of us have only a single choice.” Tem waved at his Fish, which shimmered away in yellow stars. Its eyes were the last to disappear, still glaring at Voltanis.
“Unfortunately, I must decline, for Voltanis and I have other plans today, Tem. I chain my Counter Trap card Divine Punishment!” Yudo’s words seemed to have gained a more confident, commanding texture, and he gestured to wrench up the card he had set face down last turn. It depicted The Sanctuary in the Sky casting crimson lightning down onto an unworthy world below, and the skies around them darkened in compliance. “I can only activate this card when The Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field,” Yudo explained. “But since it is, Divine Punishment negates the activation of your spell card and destroys it.”
Tem hissed under his breath, and an arc of lightning destroyed the human-sized card that had appeared on his side of the field. “But…” he stammered. “If Share the Pain was negated, why was I permitted to tribute Torpedo Fish? I would rather have kept it under the circumstances!”
Yudo nodded, and his shoulders dropped a little. Tem’s bewilderment seemed to have brought him back down to earth, floating angelic refuge notwithstanding. “Ah, I am sorry, Tem. You were doing so well that I had quite forgotten you are perhaps not as versed in Duel Monsters’ finer points of card interaction.” He glanced at his hand. “If your turn is finished, permit me to end this duel, and I will explain everything afterwards.”
Tem laughed and threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Your final challenge, I suppose, will be to see if you can inflict forty-two-hundred points of damage to me in a single turn. Your new friend here will make a modest contribution, I am sure.” Tem nodded at the newly spawned Synthetic Seraphim Token that Yudo’s Continuous Trap had fired after the chain’s resolution. It had been summoned into defence position, but Tem doubted it would remain that way for very long. “I end my turn.”
Turn 9 - Yudo
Yudo did not hesitate. “I draw, and then summon Light Effigy in attack mode.” A projector hummed somewhere, but Tem had to squint to see the newcomer to the field. Light Effigy was little more than a quartet of interlocking rings of sunset light, which, in the current field state, camouflaged itself beautifully against The Sanctuary in the Sky.
Light Effigy - LV4/LIGHT/Fairy/Effect - 1500ATK/0DEF
Tem quickly ran the numbers, nodded to his opponent, and spread his arms wide, a grin splitting his face. “It’s a good thing I already doffed my cap, Yudo. Give me your best shot!”
“Tem, it was a pleasure. I attack you directly with all three of my monsters. Angels, end this now!”
Tem closed his eyes, and it was over.
Tem 0 LP - 7200 LP Yudo
Within moments, the field cleared. The dull hum of the projectors and stabilisers trailed away, and the duellists found themselves standing once again in the Banyard arena. They were no longer alone, however. Around a dozen pairs of hands began to clap, and one voice whooped.
Yudo spun around. With his back to the main entrance, he had not noticed the incoming audience. Twelve faces regarded him and the duel field closely, each carrying a mixture of satisfaction and awe. “Bravo!” called one. “Well done indeed!”
“Hear, hear!” cried another. “A clean victory.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you one of Banyard’s most promising incoming students of the Duel Monsters game—Yudo!” Tem’s voice hollered across the arena, pouring from the speakers once again. Yudo flinched at this praise, suddenly cognisant of the possibility that the audience comprised fellow first years. He felt his cheeks flush, but he managed to force a smile. It was going to be an interesting start to the term.