"She's as excited as usual isn't she?" Ruri said with a giggle, holding a hand over her mouth to hide the smile that formed as she saw her lookalike walk up towards the stage, readying herself to face Sakaki-sensei.
"Well, she's been looking forward to this the whole day and all." Mei said as she stood beside her by the sidelines who, just like her, was looking towards the main stage. "I mean, it's only a few more days for the uh, World Duel Carnival after all. Serena really has been getting more and more excited with each passing day."
"Well I can certainly see that. And I guess that this duel with Sakaki-sensei is to gauge how strong the Heartland Academy students that she'll face in the tournament?" She asked cheekily as she gave the cap wearing girl a glance.
Mei on her part merely shrugged, having an amused smile that mirrored her own. "I would say that Serena thought that far ahead in preparing herself for the World Duel Carnival… But honestly, she's probably just interested in Sakaki-san's style of duel."
And once more, she giggled at her friend's honest comment. "That does seem more like her doesn't it? And for her to immediately challenge him for a duel of all things is quite the straightforward approach to see Sakaki-sensei entertainment dueling."
In response to her words, the purple cap wearing girl lets out a sigh as she shakes her head in exasperation. "Yeah. That's more or less right. Honestly Yuuna and I have been trying to teach her to be a little less blunt and more mindful of her actions. But as you can see, it hasn't really borne any fruit." She said as she waved a hand towards the ponytailed girl.
"Fufu, so it would seem." She giggled again as she could feel the smaller girl's exasperation at their friend's antics. Quite frankly, Mei was the more responsible of the duo that she and Serena made, not that 'being responsible' isn't that hard of a title to achieve when compared to Serena of all people.
The girl was, quite arguably, a trouble magnet. Though she has only hung out with them for several weeks, the amount of incidents that she, Yuuto, and Onii-sama have gotten into was quite numerous. Or, well, more numerous than they normally had been.
Be it their first meeting where Yuuto and Onii-sama mistook Serena as an imposter and they had to eventually settle things in a duel, introducing the two to Kaito-san also met the same response, though the duel that they had with him was more out of interest more than anything, and then there's simply the general daily ongoings that slowly blurred together.
And that's not even mentioning the numerous confrontations that the ponytailed girl had against Shark and his particular gang of misfits. Most of which ends in the indigo haired girl challenging them all to a duel, much to Mei's chagrin.
Though those particular mishaps usually also ended up with her being roped into dueling, even if she wasn't much of a duelist herself. She couldn't just let the others go off and duel them all by themselves after all.
But a particular part of the purple haired girl's statement interested her. So she turned her head towards the cap wearing girl as she once again spoke. "You mentioned a Yuuna also helping in trying to make Serna less blunt, do you mind if I ask who that person is?"
And the small purple haired girl winced under her gaze right as the words left her mouth, turning her glare sharply towards her in a manner that she thought not possible for the kind mannered girl, and instinctively took a step back in shock.
But she quickly recomposed herself, and backtracked. "Sorry! You don't have to answer that. I… apologise if I have touched a sore subject." She apologised as she raised both hand defensively.
The harsh glare from the purple haired girl then mellowed soon enough, and Mei lets out a sigh as she looked down towards the ground away from her. "No… I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have reacted that harshly."
Silence befell the two of them as they looked away from one another, refusing to make eye contact between them. "She is… my sister." Mei said, low enough so that only they would hear, and she listened in silence.
"We were raised in the same orphanage. She… taught everything I know about dueling really. And she also taught Serena a lot too." Mei said, a faraway look in her eyes as she reminisced, a small smile warmed onto her face.
"I probably wouldn't have gotten this far if it wasn't for her… 'Going our separate paths' would be the best way to describe our situation." She said, once again falling into silence and letting the conversation end like that.
She definitely had touched a sore spot for the purple haired girl if her reaction to merely calling out that person's name was anything to see, especially considering that the person was apparently her estranged sister, or so she assumed was their situation.
And if just that managed to garner that much of a reaction from her, then surely prying off more information regarding this Yuuna person would surely get an even worse reaction out of her.
So she wouldn't.
Though Mei and Serena are indeed quite mysterious, she valued their friendship more than whatever secret they hold. Quite honestly she was glad that Mei had even answered her question.
"Oh, it's starting." The purple haired girl said, drawing her attention back to the main stage of the gymnasium where Sakaki-sensei walked towards, a hand on his trusty cane while the other sat on his top hat.
"Well then, I hope that I haven't made you wait too long?" The man said with an apologetic smile, quite sorry that he had to postpone the ponytailed girl's challenge as he had to care and answer his students.
Serena on her part, merely huffed. "Well it's fine. You did make me wait, but since you're a teacher that's fine! Let's just get on with it!" The indigo haired girl shouted aloud as she then brandished her left arm, her duel disk's duel blade manifesting as she prepared herself to duel.
"Haha. Indeed. I've already made you wait long enough. I'll be sure to give you a good showing of my Entertainment Duel." The man said with a wink, and with a flick of his wrist, he threw his cane upwards slightly, snatching it out of the air and placing it on the holster on his belt, all while he then activated his own duel disk, its golden yellow duel blade appearing from his left arm.
And with that, the duel began.
""DUEL!""
Sakaki Yusho: 4000LP
Serena: 4000LP
"I'll let you go first." Serena said as she allowed her opponent to go first, but more importantly setting herself to go second, something that her deck was more favourably aligned for according to what she heard from Mei.
"Then I shall graciously accept this chance, I shall go first!" Sakaki-sensei said with his signature smile, glancing down towards the five cards that he had in his hand as he began his turn.
"Then I shall start with normal summoning Performapal Flip Hippo!" He shouted as he played his first card of the duel, summoning forth a dark brown hippo with a jagged tail, a fancy black coat and top hat as its clothing, and a yellow thunder bolt marked on its forehead.
Performapal Flip Hippo - Earth/Beast/Level 3/Effect: 800/800
"Performapal?" Serena said out loud, the name of Sakaki-sensei' archetype rolling off her tongue as she narrowed her eyes towards the monster that her opponent had just summoned onto the field.
"Why yes, they are the partners. The crew that supports and helps me perform. My Entertainment Deck." The man explained with a soft smile, and he then waved his hand forward.
"Now then, Flip Hippo's effect!" He declared aloud. "When this card is normal summoned, I can special summon one 'Performapal' monster from my hand, with its effects negated until the end of this turn!" He explained the monster's effect.
Then in a dramatic showing, the lights of the gymnasium turned off, all but one that shone down on the dark brown hippo that stood on its hind legs on the field. It then pulled out a large curtain, one that he threw on the air as suspenseful drums played.
"Now, come to the stage! My partner in crime, Performapal Sky Magician!" And then the curtain was pulled down, revealing the grand monster that was none other than Sakaki-sensei's Ace Monster.
With a giant wing-like coat spanning over the monster, and four linked giant rings in hand, the elegant white Spellcaster monster graced the field as it floated right beside its summoner, its partner in crime.
Performapal Sky Magician - Wind/Spellcaster/Level 7/Effect: 2500/2000
Though they had already seen the monsters many times already, some of the students still looked towards Sakaki-sensei's monster with awe at its elegance, cheering loudly as they saw the monster descend.
While Serena on the other hand simply narrowed her eyes towards the monster that her opponent had summoned with caution.
"Now then, I will activate the Continuous Spell, Wonder Balloons!" The top hat wearing teacher declared, placing the card onto his duel disk, and a large colourful box then appeared on his side of the field.
"And the effect of my Performapal Sky Magician activates!" The man declared with a wide swing of his hand, waving towards the floating winged Spellcaster that stood right beside him on his field.
"If I activate a Spell card, this card would gain 300 attack!" He declared aloud, followed suit by the white hat-wearing Spellcaster monster juggling the hoops in his hands dramatically, a soft glow encompassing the monster.
"Wha-but its effects are-!"
"Oh! But its effects are negated!" The man cried out, a hand placed in front of his face, before he then simply shrugged with a knowing look on his face. "But oh, what can you do? Its effect is a mandatory one after all."
Serena merely narrowed her eyes on the monster who had stopped glowing on her opponent's side of the field. "A mandatory effect that gains attack… and it activates after he resolves a Spell card."
"Well let's continue on shall we? Wonder Balloons effect!" The top hat wearing teacher declared once again. "Once per turn, I can send any number of cards from my hand to the graveyard, to place a Balloon Counter on this card for each card sent. And all monsters that you control will lose 300 attack for each Balloon Counter that it has!" He explained.
Sakaki-sensei then revealed the cards, or rather card singular in this case, that he would send to the graveyard to activate the Continuous Spell's effects. "I will be sending Magician's Restage, to place one Balloon Counter on Wonder Balloons!"
And a giant balloon then came out straight from the box, floating slowly and gently towards Serena's side of the field, before it then stopped to simply float over above the ponytailed girl's field, reducing the attack of any and all monsters that she would summon by 300.
"So you're just going to reduce the attack of my monsters?" Serena asked with narrowed eyes, suspicious of the move that Sakaki-sensei had done.
"Ah, not quite. I shall activate the effect of Magician's Restage in my graveyard!" The top hat wearing man declared to answer the indigo haired girl's question, waving his hand outwards as he activated the graveyard effect of the card that he had just sent.
"If Magician's Restage is sent to the graveyard, it allows me to add one 'Magician' Continuous Spell from my deck to my hand, except another copy of 'Magician's Restage'!" He explained.
"A search for a Continuous Spell… that's not half bad." Serena said with a huff, still remaining on guard to see where exactly Sakaki-sensei's plays were going for, though she doubted that she could predict much considering she's facing an unknown opponent.
"Why thank you. I shall be adding Magician's Right hand to my hand, and activate it!" And with that declaration, the man played the Continuous Spell that he had just added to his hand. A giant dismembered hand with sharp painted nails and rings and golden bangles, covered in a piece of armour, appeared floating atop of his monsters.
"Which of course, activates the first effect of Performapal Sky Magician to gain attack. But alas, as it was summoned by Flip Hippo's effect, its effects are negated until the end of this turn." Sakaki-sensei lamented, before he shook his head lazily and continued on with his turn with a smile.
"Now, while Magician's Right Hand is in the field, while I control a Spellcaster monster, your first Spell Card or effect that resolves each turn is negated, and if it does or if it does not have an effect, it will be destroyed." The man explained the card's effects, revealing how it was capable of negating the effect of the first Spell that Serea would activate.
"Tch. Negating the first spell that I would activate huh… that's annoying." But not something that she couldn't play around, so Serena thought. After all, it wasn't like he completely locked her from activating Spell cards out right, it just negated the first one that she would activate for the turn.
"Now then, I will set one card face-down. And I will end my turn." And with that, Sakaki-sensei ended his turn, with two monsters on his field, one being none other than his Ace Monster, two face-up Continuous Spells, and a single card set face-down. No cards remained in his hand as he passed the turn to Serena.
"Then it's my turn! I draw!" And she started her turn, drawing her card on her Draw Phase and getting up to six cards in her hand as she moved on straight to the Standby Phase, and then the Main Phase of her turn.
"Since it'll be negated anyway, I'll activate Foolish Burial Goods!" The ponytailed girl said as she slapped the card onto her duel blade, the holographic projection of the Spell card appearing in front of her.
"This card is supposed to send a Spell or Trap from my deck to the graveyard, but since it's negated it does nothing." And the card's shining projection then dimmed and turned grey as the giant floating hand in Sakaki-sensei's field shot a bolt of lightning with a snap of its fingers, negating its effects, and destroying it.
With that piece finished, the indigo haired girl then pulled out another card from her hand and played it. "Now I'll activate the Continuous Spell! Fire Formation - Tenki!" She declared aloud.
"When this card is activated, I get to add one Level 4 or lower Beast-Warrior from my deck to my hand!" She said, explaining the effect of the Continuous Spell upon its activation, to which the top hat wearing teacher hummed as he caressed his chin.
That earned a chuckle from the top hat wearing teacher. "My, my, Serena-kun, you seem to have already found a way to play around the Magician's Right Hand."
And Serena huffed to his remark. "Well it isn't hard when you just say what the card does out loud. And it's not like it stops me from activating Spells anyway. Just the first one that I would use."
"So you're playing another Spell right after the first one has been negated. Indeed, The Magician's Right Hand does indeed only negate the first Spell card that you would activate for the turn while it is face-up on the field, then… what if there is another one?" He asked with a small smirk.
"What?" Serena asked confusedly as she heard the words that left the entertainment duelist's mouth, and the man then waved his hand upwards in a dramatical motion towards his Ace Monster.
"I will activate the effect of Performapal Sky Magician!" He declared aloud as the monster in question slowly floated upwards. "As a Quick Effect, I can target one Continuous Spell that I control, return it to the hand, and then I can activate one 'Magician' Continuous Spell from my hand! Magician's Shuffle!"
Done with explaining the monster's effect in chain to the activation of Serena's Fire Formation - Tenki, Sakaki-sensei then chose the card that he would return to his hand. "I will target The Magician's Right Hand, and return it to my hand!"
With a wave of its rings, the giant floating right arm that floated above the entertainment duelist's field vanished in thin air. Seemingly being swallowed into the empty golden hoops that the white hat Spellcaster held in its hands.
"And then I will activate it onto the field once more!" And his monster then dramatically swung the rings again, and the giant right hand magically reappeared onto the field, floating high above Sakaki-sensei's field as Performapal Sky Magician slowly floated down.
And Serena could only stare with a confused look as she looked at her opponent. "But why would you-? You've already negated the first Spell that I activated!" She asked confusedly, unsure of why her opponent had done what he did.
Then the chain resolved backwards, and as the effect of Performapal Sky Magician to shuffle the Continuous Spell that Sakaki-sensei had on his field concluded, then Serena's own Continuous Spell took on effect.
Only for the newly activated floating dismembered right hand that floated over the top hat wearing duelist to shoot out bolts of lightning from its fingers. Hitting the holographic projection of Serena's Fire Formation - Tenki, and negating its effect, then destroying it.
"Wha-!" Serena shouted aloud with her eyes wide, shocked and confused at what exactly had just transpired from the chain of effects that resolved before her. "How did-!" But she didn't finish that sentence as she shook her head and focused, narrowing her eyes as she does so and clicking her tongue, annoyed at her opponent.
"That's… interesting." She heard Mei mutter from beside her, looking amazed at what exactly had just transpired on the duel right in front of her. "That… is that how that card would work? It says that it negates the first Spell that Serena activates, but Tenki's the second one that she used this turn. Does setting it back on the field somehow reset that?"
"Haha! I was quite confused when that happened the first time myself!" The entertainment duelist laughed aloud as he said so, a glint of nostalgia shining in his eyes. "The explanation might be quite confusing to some, but essentially this newly activated Magician's Right Hand recognizes that Continuous Spell of yours as the first spell that you had activated."
And he continued on, a hand on his own chin. "And that is because it was activated after you activated Foolish Burial Goods. This new Magician's Right Hand only recognizes the first Spell that you activated as it is face-up on the field. And that is your Fire Formation - Tenki."
Finished with his explanation the top hat wearing man nodded his head with a smile. "Yes, yes that is a good way to explain it. I'll try to remember that, and I'll have to think of how to make it more interesting too. What if I added-"
And she couldn't hide the sigh that escaped her as she heard Sakaki-sensei essentially started to workshop a whole interesting spiel on how the effect of his Boss Monster interacts with The Magician's Right Hand. Something that has happened multiple times already in class whenever he found something interesting that his deck could do that he could make into a bit in his 'future performance' as he called it.
While she admired the teacher's work ethic in a sense where he would give his all and put time and effort into his so called 'future performance', getting carried away and ignoring his opponent was not so admirable, and even she knows that.
Before Serena's irritation at the man's antics could reach its boiling point, she coughed loudly on her fist to garner Sakaki-sensei's attention, the man almost jumped as he looked back to her, and his gaze met her glare.
"Ah, sorry about that. Let's get back to the duel shall we? Where was I? Ah, right! Then Performapal Sky Magician's effect!" Sakaki-senseo quickly backtracked as he hurriedly continued his play, starting off with the mandatory effect of his Ace Monster.
"As I activated a Continuous Spell this turn, Performapal Sky Magician will gain an additional 300 points of attack!" And with the rankling of its golden rings, a jade glow enveloped the white magician, its attack increasing by 300 points.
Performapal Sky Magician - Wind/Spellcaster/Level 7/Effect: 2800/2000
"Tch, so it can do that in the opponent's turn too." Serena clicked her tongue, her irritation put to the side as she focused on the duel, her lips forming a small frown as she scrunched her eyebrow in focus, her eyes going through the four cards left in her hand for a possible line of play.
"I'll set a monster face-down." She said, placing a monster face-down on her duel disk, and a giant face-down monster appeared on her side of the monster zone. "And I'll set a card face-down."
And then she then proceeded to set another card face-down, this time a set spell or trap card on her spell and trap zone. "...then I'll end my turn." And after a brief silence, the indigo haired girl then ended her turn, a set monster and a single set backrow as the board which she ended her turn with.
"Oh! It seems that you've ended with quite a field." The top hat wearing man said with a smile, looking towards the set monster and the set card on Serena's field. "Then it would seem that I would be careful not to trigger those set cards of yours."
With that being said, the teacher then placed his hands on his duel disk and drew his card for turn. "Then it's my turn! I will draw!" Saying so, the man then looked at the one card that was now in his hand, the smile that was in his face never once leaving him.
"I shall activate the effect of Performapal Sky Magician once more!" The man said as he raised his hand high, calling out towards his one Ace Monster. "Let's shuffle back that Magician's Right Hand once more! Magician's Shuffle!"
Ending that line with a snip of his fingers, the winged Spellcaster swung his golden rings once more, throwing it upwards towards the giant floating hand that stood above Sakaki-sensei's monsters, and making it magically disappear.
Only for the white hat Spellcaster to catch the golden rings from the air, and throw it once more, and the giant ring wearing hand returning back onto the field. Re-activating the Continuous Spell immediately with the effect of Performapal Sky Magician.
"And since I've activated a Continuous Spell, the effect of Performapal Sky Magician activates! Giving it another 300 point of attack!" And once more, the ring wielding magician swung its weapon of choice, as it was encompassed with a green glow, its attack increasing once more.
Performapal Sky Magician - Wind/Spellcaster/Level 7/Effect: 3100/2000
"Now then, it's time for battle!" The man declared as he spread his arms wide, jumping and grabbing the golden rings that the winged Spellcaster held and flew as high into the air as the gymnasium allowed him to.
It was a feat that she was starting to get used to, having seen it a handful of times already during lessons under the top hat wearing teacher. But still, seeing the man fly up high in the sky, gliding with a smile on his face as he hung on to the shining golden rings that his Ace Monster held…
It was a breathtaking sight, no matter how many times she's seen it already. It was a possibility that she's quite sure none has seen before, to use the solid vision hologram's property of mass to actually fly with the monsters, it truly showed the possibility that the technology truly possessed.
"Performapal Sky Magician will attack your face-down monster!" The man declared aloud as his monster reached the apex of its flight, launching himself off of the rings that he held that allowed him to glide into the air and free falling back down.
Gasps erupted around the crowd as they all saw the man free falling, she could even see Serena's eyes going wide, and a gasp leaving Mei, only for a wave of relief to flood through as the second monster in his field, the Performapal Flip Hippo to catch him as he fell, landing him safely on his back.
It was one of his usual stunts, just like how he flew up high with the help of his Sky Magician, but seeing someone free falling from that kind of height still makes her heart jump a little whenever it happens.
And just as the man landed on the back of his lightning marked hippo, the ring wielding winged magician readied their weapon of choice, the golden rings clinking against one another as the monster neared its target.
And as they entered combat, Serena's face-down monster was then revealed. In a flash of light, the face-down card changed and took the form of a dark-blue haired Beast-Warrior, with half of her face hidden behind a golden crescent shaped mask, the monster had both of their arms in front of their body in a defensive position, what with it being summoned in face-down defence position.
Lunalight Blue Cat - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1600/1200
Then all around the monster, multiple balloons emerged beside her, all of them soon popping one after another and a dark sheen glowed around the Blue Cat. The effect of Sakaki-sensei's Wonder Balloons taking effect and lowering what attack the monster had.
Lunalight Blue Cat - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1300/1200
But the now face-up Lunalight Blue Cat stood no chance of facing against Sakaki-sensei's Performapal Sky Magician, and with a wave of its golden rings, the Beast-Warrior on Serena's side of the field could no nothing against the empowered Spellcaster, and was thus destroyed, turning into motes of light.
"Kuh!" Serena grunted as she held up both of her hands in front of her, the gust of wind that the powered Performapal Sky Magician sent with its attack sending her ponytail flailing in the air, but she thankfully received no damage as her monster was in defence position.
"Tch, Lunalight Blue Cat's effect!" The indigo haired girl shouted out as she waved her hands outwards, dispersing the cloud of smoke that surrounded her. "If this card on the field is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can special summon one 'Lunalight' monster from my deck!"
Finished with explaining her monster's on destruction effect, Serena then continued on. "And I'll also activate my set card! The Trap, Lunalight Reincarnation Dance!" She declared aloud, flipping the set card face-up, and said trap card then shining with light.
"If a monster that I control is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can add up to two 'Lunalight' monsters from my deck to my hand!" She explained, chaining the trap card's effect, and with no card effects to continue being chained, the chain resolves backwards.
Starting of course, from the Trap card that Serena activated last, with Serena taking and revealing two cards from her hand. "I'll add both Lunalight Yellow Marten, and Lunalight Kaleido Chick from my deck to my hand!"
And after adding the two cards from her deck to her hand and resolving the effect of Lunalight Reincarnation Dance, she proceeded to resolve the effect of Lunalight Blue Cat, taking out another card from her deck and placing it onto the field.
"I'll summon Lunalight Emerald Bird in defence position!" She said, placing the monster card onto her duel disk's duel blade, and the emerald winged Beast-Warrior appeared onto her side of the field, her wings shrouding herself defensively as she was summoned in defence position.
Lunalight Emerald Bird - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1200/1000
But just as she had hit the field, the effect of the Continuous Spell that was Wonder Balloons took effect, lowering the monster's attack by 300 points.
Lunalight Emerald Bird - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 900/1000
"And now Emerald Bird's effect!" Serena continued to declare, activating the effect of the monster that she had just summoned straight from her deck during the Battle Phase. "If she's normal or special summoned, I can send one 'Lunalight' card from my hand to draw one card!"
And she then proceeded to show one of the cards that she had just added to her hand with Lunalight Reincarnation Dance's effect. "I will send Lunalight Yellow Marten from my hand, to draw a card!"
Saying so, Serena then sent the monster card that she had added to the graveyard to draw an additional card, putting her back on four cards in her hand. But she wasn't quite finished yet. "Then I'll activate the effect of Lunalight Yellow Marten!" And so she continued by declaring the effect of the monster that she had just sent to the graveyard.
"If this card is sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I can add one 'Lunalight' spell or trap from my deck to my hand!" She explained the monster's effect, and took out another card straight from her deck.
"I'll add Lunalight Serenade Dance from my deck to my hand!" She said aloud, adding the card to her now five card hand, managing to replenish it entirely, all done during the opponent's Battle Phase.
"Haha! You're quite good Serena-kun!" Sakaki-sensei praised. "To think that there were cards like that that could get you so much of an advantage-! No, it was also because I fell for that trap itself, not that there was any way that I could have gone around it."
But even after seeing Serena replenishing her entire hand and getting a new monster onto her field, the top hat wearing teacher's smile never faltered, if anything it only got wider.
"I will switch Performapal Flip Hippo to defence position." The man said, jumping off of the tuxedo wearing hippo as it stood in front of him protectively. "And with that, I will end my turn." And then proceeded to simply end his turn, ending it with a board that has not changed, other than the single card that he now has in his hand.
"Then it's my turn! I draw!" Now the turn changed back to Serena, and she drew a card from the top of her deck and got the sixth card into her hand, quickly skimming through them as she thought of a line to play on her turn.
"Well, best I do this as fast as I can, shouldn't I? While you're in your Draw Phase, I will activate the effect of Performapal Sky Magician!" The top hat wearing dueltainer exclaimed, waving his hand outwards. "I will shuffle my Magician's Right Hand, and then activate its other effect to increase its attack!"
Sakaki-sensei then simplified his explanation and card activations as he essentially short cutted two chains of effects, both for individual activations of his Performapal Sky Magician's effect. One for its quick effect to return and activate a Continuous Spell, and the other its mandatory effect to boost its own attack, thus the greenish layer of energy that surrounded the white winged Spellcaster.
Performapal Sky Magician - Wind/Spellcaster/Level 7/Effect: 3400/2000
"Tch, it's increased again…" Serena said with narrowed eyes, sending a glare towards the large Spellcaster on her opponent's side of the field, before lightly shaking her head and focusing back as she started her turn by starting her play. "I'll activate the effect of Lunalight Yellow Marten in my graveyard!" She declared.
"If Lunalight Yellow Marten is in my hand or graveyard, I can target one 'Lunalight' card I control except 'Lunalight Yellow Marten', return it to the hand, and if I do, I can special summon this card in defence position, but it is banished when it leaves the field!"
Done with the explanation of the monster's graveyard effect, she then waved her hand forward towards the one and only target that she had on her field. "I will target Lunalight Emerald Bird, and return her to my hand!"
Giving a polite bow, the emerald winged Beast-Warrior took her leave as she was bounced from Serena's field to her hand, and taking her place was a bushy tailed marten girl, standing defensively with her hands placed in front of her.
Lunalight Yellow Marten - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 800/2000
And of course its attack was lowered as soon as it hit the field, the sound of popping balloons filling the air as the effect of Wonder Balloons continued to resolve.
Lunalight Yellow Marten - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 500/2000
"Then I will normal summon Lunalight Kaleido Chick!" And then the indigo haired girl proceeded to use her normal summon for the turn, summoning the kaleidoscope winged, baton wielding Beast-Warrior, managing to gather two Level 4 monsters on her field.
Lunalight Kaleido Chick - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1400/800
Then its attack was lowered by the effect of Wonder Balloons as soon as Lunalight Kaleido Chick was summoned, a dark glow emanating from her body as soon as the balloons that appeared around her disappeared, the Continuous Spell's effect took place.
Lunalight Kaleido Chick - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1100/800
"And now Kaleido Chick's effect!" Serena declared, immediately activating the effect of the monster that she had just summoned. "Once per turn, I can send one 'Lunalight' monster from my deck or Extra Deck to the graveyard, a-and that's that!" She said, immediately cutting herself off.
She tilted her head, a bit confused as to why Mei was giving Serena a glare that seemed to pierce the indigo haired girl's soul, but put it off as Serena hastily sent the card monster from her deck to the graveyard, not as an effect, but as a… cost?
That part is a bit strange now that she thinks about it, she had seen Serena duel several times already, but she's never really shown her cards. Kaleido Chick's effect of sending a Lunalight monster from her deck to the grave wasn't an effect, it was a cost, so she wondered what the effect was?
"I'll send Lunalight Purple Butterfly from my deck to the graveyard!" The ponytailed girl declared aloud, sending the monster from her deck straight to the graveyard. "And then I'll activate its effect!"
And with a wave of her hand, she continued on with her combo line, and Sakaki-sensei merely watched with interest. "I can banish Lunalight Purple Butterfly from my graveyard, to special summon one 'Lunalight' monster from my hand!"
Then proceeded to reveal the monster that she had just returned to her hand earlier at the start of her turn. "I'll special summon Lunalight Emerald Bird from my hand!" She declared aloud, placing the card back onto her duel blade.
Lunalight Emerald Bird - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1200/1000
And just like before, several balloons appeared around the special summoned monster, popping one by one as they then lowered the emerald winged Beast-Warrior monster's attack.
Lunalight Emerald Bird - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 900/1000
"Three whole monsters!" Sakaki-sensei said aloud with a wide smile as he looked with astonishment. "To think that you were capable of doing such a thing! Did you perhaps plan this all from the start, Serena-kun?"
"I'm not done yet! Emerald Bird's effect!" The indigo haired girl roared aloud, activating the effect of the monster that she had just special summoned from her hand. "I'll send the Continuous Trap, Lunalight Serenade Dance from my hand to the graveyard, to draw a card!"
Forgoing the explanation of the effect of the monster as she had done so already, Serena sent the Trap card that she had searched earlier with the effect of Lunalight Yellow Marten and drew a card, essentially staying with a four card hand.
"Then I'll activate the effect of Lunalight Serenade Dance in my graveyard!" The ponytailed girl continued onwards. "During my Main Phase, I can banish this card from my graveyard, send a card from my hand to the graveyard, and if I do, special summon one 'Lunalight' monster from my deck!"
So she then revealed the card that she would send to her graveyard with the effect of Serenade Dance, one that had not been known was in her hand. "I'll send Lunalight Crimson Fox to the graveyard, to summon Lunalight Blue Cat from my deck!"
Taking the card straight from her deck, Serena summoned another copy of the monster that had snowballed her entire engine and turned it online, the half masked blue cat Beast-Warrior once more graving the field.
Lunalight Blue Cat - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1600/1200
And with the sounds of popping balloons, its attack was soon reduced by a measly 300 points.
Lunalight Blue Cat - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1300/1200
"I'll activate the effect of Lunalight Blue Cat! And the effect of Lunalight Crimson Fox!" The Lunalight duelist declared, activating the two monster's effects in sequence, chaining them together.
"If Lunalight Blue Cat is special summoned, I can target one other 'Lunalight' monster beside it, and double its original attack!" She explained the first monster's effect, and proceeded to declare its target. "I'll target Lunalight Kaleido Chick!"
And she continued with a strong wave of her hand. "Then Crimson Fox's effect! If Crimson Fox is sent to the graveyard by a card effect, I can target one face-up monster you control and change its attack to 0 until the end of the turn!"
So she then pointed towards the one monster on Sakaki-sensei's field that was still in attack position. "I'll target your Performapal Sky Magician, and change its attack to zero!" Serena roared aloud, and her opponent's eyes went wide under his top hat as the chain then resolved.
Starting off with, of course, the effect of Lunalight Crimson Fox. the illusory image of the red tailed Beast-Warrior briefly appeared on Sakaki-sensei's field, flying and dancing in the sky around the white winged magician as a dark glow enveloped the Spellcaster's body, reducing any and all attack that it had gained and turning it to zero.
Performapal Sky Magician - Wind/Spellcaster/Level 7/Effect: 0/2000
Then the chain continued to resolve backwards, the newly summoned Lunalight Blue Cat taking stage and dancing around the baton wielding Kaleido Chick, its attack becoming double that of its original, regardless of the effect of Wonder Balloons taking effect on her field.
Lunalight Kaleido Chick - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 2800/800
"Now I'll overlay the Level 4 Lunalight Yellow Marten, and the Level 4 Lunalight Emerald Bird!" Serena declared after her long line of combo, managing to get not one, not two, but four whole monsters onto the field, along with lowering the attack of Sakaki-sensei's Ace Monster.
And only now was she even overlaying her monsters to perform an XYZ Summon. A notion that made the crowd go wild at how long and extensive the girl had managed to use her cards.
The two monsters that she called out twirled as they shone and became dark motes of light, flying high up into the air. Dancing up high in the ceiling of the gymnasium before entering the dark galactical vortex that appeared in the middle of the field.
Serena then clasped her hands together as she raised it high, "With these two monsters I'll construct an overlay network! XYZ Summon!" and brought it down as she completed the simple summoning chant, a pillar of light emerging from the dark vortex.
"Appear! Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King!" And the monster that appeared was completely different from the whole archetype that she had used so far, but was nonetheless one of the key monsters that resided in Serena's deck.
The monster clad in gold and red armour appeared onto the field, wielding a fan that burned with mystical flames. A large tiger made of purple fire standing behind him ominous, growling at the monsters that were on its opponents field.
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King - Fire/XYZ/Beast-Warrior/Rank 4/Effect: 2200/1800 OV: 2
Though just like all the other monsters that were summoned onto her field, several balloons then appeared around the monster before promptly exploding, the effect of Wonder Balloons lowering the newly summoned XYZ Monsters attack as soon as it hit the field.
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King - Fire/XYZ/Beast-Warrior/Rank 4/Effect: 1900/1800 OV: 2
"Now Tiger King's effect!" Serena declared aloud as she waved her right hand outwards. "When this card is XYZ Summoned, I can set one 'Fire Formation' Spell or Trap directly from my deck!" She said explaining the monster's effect as soon as it is XYZ Summoned.
"Oh? So you have traps like that Continuous Spell in your deck as well?" Her top hat wearing opponent inquired, knowing well that while The Magician's Right Hand floated above his field, there was no way that Serena would set a Continuous Spell and activate it like she did before, especially when he could in technicality negate two Spell resolutions.
"I'll set the Continuous Trap, Fire Formation - "Tensen!" She said, revealing and then placing the Continuous Trap straight from her deck and into her field.
"Battle!" She then declared aloud, moving on straight to the Battle Phase, knowing that she has more than enough attack on board to drain all of Sakaki-sensei Life Points now that his Ace Monster's attack had been turned to zero, of course, all under the assumption that the one set card on his side of the field was a bluff.
"I'll attack your Performapal Sky Magician with my Lunalight Kaleido Chick!" And Serena then sent her highest attack monster for an attack, the two baton-wielding rainbow-winged Beast-Warrior jumping high as she prepared herself to send an attack towards the weakened Performapal Sky Magician.
"Your combination of cards were superb, Serena-kun." Sakai-sensei said aloud, even in the midst of battle as his own monster prepared its own set of weapons to combat the attack, knowing that it would lose said battle.
"But sadly, this magician has more tricks up his sleeve! Or more correctly, his student does!" He said with a grin. "I will activate the effect of Performapal Sky Pupil in my hand!" The man declared aloud, revealing the one card that he had drawn for his turn previously.
"During either player's turn, I can return one Level 5 or higher 'Performapal' monster that I control to the hand, to special summon this card from my hand! Take the stage! Performapal Sky Pupil!"
And right before Serena's Kaleido Chick managed to deliver her blow towards the white winged Spellcaster, Performapal Sky Magician rattled its golden rings, taking off high into the air before throwing its rings down to the ground.
Only for them to be caught by a masked boy, wearing a colourful blue outfit and a bright magenta cape, swinging the two rings now in his gloved hands as he appeared on the field in defence position.
Performapal Sky Pupil - Light/Spellcaster/Level 3/Effect: 800/800
"Che! So you can have it escape!" Serena growled in annoyance at the play that Sakaki-sensei had done, for not only had he had saved his Ace Monster from destruction, he had summoned this new monster in defence, therefore lowering the damage that she could have dealt for the turn.
"Then the effect of Performapal Sky Magician in my hand activates!" The man declared aloud with a wide grin, revealing the monster that he had just returned to his hand. "If this face-up card leaves the field, I can target one card on the field, and destroy it!"
Explaining the monster's effect, the man took a second to choose his targets, before finally settling on pointing his cane towards one of the indigo haired girl's monsters. "I will target your empowered Lunalight Kaleido Chick, and destroy it! Closing Performance!"
The crowd watched with awe as ghostly golden rings briefly appeared on the field where the flying white Spellcaster once flew, before a strong green glow emanated from said ring, shooting towards the boosted Lunalight monster.
"Lunalight Crimson Fox's graveyard effect!" Serena declared, shouting loudly in response to the third effect of Performapal Sky Magician. "When a card or effect is activated that targets a 'Lunalight' monster that I control, as a Quick Effect, I can banish this card from my graveyard to negate that effect, and if I do, each player gains 1000 Life Points!"
Then a ghostly figure of the crimson Beast-Warrior briefly appeared on the field, dancing in front and protecting Lunalight Kaleido Chick from destruction, negating the destruction effect and letting both players gain 1000 Life Points.
Sakaki Yusho: 5000LP
Serena: 5000LP
"She managed to protect her monster!" She said aloud as she clutched her hands in awe, somethings shared by the other spectators as shouts and cheers were thrown for the indigo haired girl.
"And since the targeted attack is now gone, she gets to redeclare an attack." Mei muttered aloud, and just as she said, Serena did just that.
"I'll redeclare the attack on your Performapal Flip Hippo!" With that order, the chosen Beast-Warrior changed its target and swung its batons towards the defence position top hat wearing hippo, easily besting it in combat and destroying it.
Sakaki-sensei was unfazed as his monster was destroyed by battle, as he simply then raised his cane and declared aloud with a smile. "Then I shall activate a Trap card of my own! Performapal Revival!"
With that, the man flipped up his one set card, the holographic projection of the card in question shining brightly as it activated. "If a monster I control is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can special summon one 'Performapal' monster from my hand or graveyard!"
And Serena's eyes widened slightly at the explanation of what the card does. Or rather, what the card would bring back to the field. "Thats-!"
"And now, retake the stage once more! Performapal Sky Magician!" And with a flourish wave of his trusty cane, the Entertainment Duelist summoned back the Ace Monster that he had returned to his hand. The white winged Spellcaster swinging his golden rings with his pupil now by his side.
Performapal Sky Magician - Wind/Spellcaster/Level 7/Effect: 2500/2000
"Then I'll activate its effect!" The top hat wearing entertainer declared with a wide grin, spreading both of his arms wide. "I'll shuffle back my Magician's Right Hand and activate it again! Magician's Shuffle!"
"What?! But you've already activated that monster's effect earlier!" Serena shouted as she saw Sakaki-sensei activate a card whose effect he had already activated earlier this turn.
And to her exclamation, the top hat wearing Entertainment Duelist shook a finger towards his opponent. "While I had indeed activated the effect of my Performapal Sky Magician earlier while it was on the field, this newly summoned one hasn't activated its effect!"
"So it's a soft once per turn…" Serena muttered as she saw the Spellcaster's effect resolve, returning The Magician's Right Hand back to the hand, before it then activated it again, triggering its own mandatory effect of gaining an additional 300 points of attack.
"Oh? That has quite the nice ring to it. Do you mind if I use that term?" Sakaki-sensei said with a smile as he heard Serena's muttering, all while the Spellcaster rangled its golden rings and gained more attack.
Performapal Sky Magician - Wind/Spellcaster/Level 7/Effect: 2800/2000
"Tch! Do whatever you want!" The indigo haired duelist grumbled with visible annoyance, sending a heated glare towards the floating Spellcaster that made its reappearance on the field. "Then I'll attack your Performapal Sky Pupil with Lunalight Blue Cat!"
So Serena then continued her assault, sending her next monster to the offensive, this time the Lunalight Blue Cat that she had summoned straight from her deck. The cat-like Beast-Warrior letting out a war cry as she leapt with her claws out, intending to use them to shred the newly summoned Performapal monster in battle.
But just like before, the smirk never left Sakaki-sensei's face, as if it was all going according to his plan. "Then it seems that it is time to activate Performapal Sky Pupil's other effect!" The top hat wearing teacher declared,waving his black cane once again as the two monsters entered battle.
"Before Damage Calculation, if Perfromapal Sky Pupil were to battle while I control another 'Performapal' monster, that monster is destroyed!" The man explained his monster's battle related effect aloud, and hearing so makes Serena's eyes go wide.
"And as in my field there is Performapal Sky Pupil's teacher, Performapal Sky Magician, its effect would meet its activation condition!Meaning your Lunalight Blue Cat is destroyed!" Before Serena's monster's attack could even properly connect with its target.
They all watched at the red hat wearing pupil threw his two golden rings towards the dark blue Beast-Warrior, hitting the monster in question right at her abdomen and destroying the monster and turning her into golden motes of light, cheers forming from the audience as they saw Serena falling into Sakaki-sensei's trap.
"Blue Cat!" Serena cried aloud as she saw her monster being destroyed through Performapal Sky Pupil's effect, before turning her head to send another glare at her still smirking opponent. "Tch! Blue Cat's effect! I'll special summon another Lunalight Kaleido Chick from my deck!"
But as the monster was destroyed by an effect, the on destruction effect of Lunalight Blue Cat activated, allowing Serena to summon yet another copy of Lunalight Kaleido Chick straight from her deck, though this one was summoned in defence position.
Lunalight Kaleido Chick - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1400/800
And like all of her other monsters, its attack was lowered by the effect of Wonder Balloons as soon as Lunalight Kaleido Chick was summoned, a dark glow emanating from her body as soon as the balloons that appeared around her disappeared.
Lunalight Kaleido Chick - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1100/800
Much to Serena's chagrin, she currently had no ways of clearing Sakaki-sensei's current field. With another Performapal monster standing on the field, there was no feasible way to destroy Performapal Sky Pupil through battle. And Performapal Sky Magician itself was difficult to out in the same way as it would constantly increase its own attack by shuffling the Continuous Spell that was on its side of the field, and that wasn't even mentioning how Wonder Balloons factor into the equation.
With how battle focused Serena's deck was, she would find it hard to break Sakaki-sensei's current board, especially without a single Spell activation every turn.
"Then I'll go to my second Main Phase." Serena said with a glare, not managing to clear Sakaki-sensei's board through battle. "And I'll activate the effect of Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King!" She declared aloud, waving her right hand out towards the XYZ Monster in question.
"Once per turn, I can detach one XYZ Material from this card, to negate the effect of all face-up effect monsters currently on the field, except Beast-Warriors, until the end of our turn!" Serena said, explaining the XYZ Monster's ability to negate the effect of all face-up monsters on the field except Beast-Warriors.
"What!?" Sakaki-sensei said with wide eyes, his calm composure cracking for the first time since the start of the duel as he stared wide eyed at Serena and her XYZ Monster. "That monster has that kind of effect?!"
Finished with explaining its effect, the flaming XYZ Monster then raised its burning fan, waving it down and taking one of its two red orbs that floated around it, detaching one of its two overlay materials to activate its effect.
Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King - Fire/XYZ/Beast-Warrior/Rank 4/Effect: 1900/1800 OV: 1
And then the XYZ Monster roared as he swung his fan wide, the burning tiger behind him following suit as it let out its own roar, sending a wave of flame that enveloped the whole field. Negating the effect of any and all face-up effect monsters on the field barring those of Beast-Warriors.
simply stood with a frown and a creased brow as he stared at his now negated Performapal Sky Magician, And that of course, with its effect now negated, the attack point gain that Sakaki-sensei's Performapal Sky Magician had gained then disappeared. Its attack returning back to its original attack.
Performapal Sky Magician - Wind/Spellcaster/Level 7/Effect: 2500/2000
"I'll activate the effect of my other Lunalight Kaleido Chick!" Serena then declared aloud, activating the effect of the Kaleido Chick that she had just summoned through the effect of Blue Cat.
"Oh? And here you are activating the effect of a monster that you've already activated earlier this turn, Serena-kun." Sakaki-sensei said with a teasing smile, to which Serena returned with a wild grin.
"You're not the only one with monsters that have a soft once per turn effect old man! I'll send a second copy of Lunalight Crimson Fox from my deck to my graveyard!" Serena said, sending her second copy of Lunalight Crimson Fox to her graveyard.
With another copy of Crimson Fox now in her graveyard, Serena had an insurance against Sakaki-sensei's now known Performapal Sky Magician's third effect, even if the Lunalight monster's graveyard effect does let the top hat wearing man also gain an additional 1000 Life Points.
"I'll set a card face-down." The indigo haired girl then said, placing one of the four cards that still remained in her hand face-down. "And I will end my turn." Then proceeded to end her turn, passing back with a field filled with an XYZ Monster, two of the same monsters in differing battle positions, and two cards in her backrow along with three cards remaining in her hand.
"Then at the End Phase Kaleido Chick's attack return back to normal." Or as normal as it gets as the kaleidoscopic winged Beast-Warrior's attack returned back as the effect of Lunalight Blue Cat ended, its attack returning to what it once was as the attack lowering effect of Wonder Balloons continued to affect Serena's monsters.
Lunalight Kaleido Chick - Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level 4/Effect: 1100/800
"Well it seems that you've placed me in quite the pickle here Serena-kun. Nevertheless, the show must go on!" The man said, shouting loudly as he then placed his hand on his duel disk and closed his eyes.
"The outcome… will be decided by this! I'll draw!" With a theatrical wave, Sakaki-sensei drew his card for the turn, getting back to a singular card in his hand.
The man then glanced at the card that he had just drawn, his golden eyes widening ever so slightly as he saw exactly what card he had just drawn for turn, and a grin crept into his face. "What an amazing turn of events! To think that I would draw into a card like this!"
The dark purple top hat wearing duelist twirled the card in his hand, before revealing it as he played said card. "I'll try my luck once more! I will activate the Spell, Upstart Goblin!" He said, declaring the Spell card's name as he placed it on his duel blade, the holographic projection of the card in question shining in front of him.
"This card allows me to draw one card, then allow you to gain 1000 Life Points, Serena-kun." The man said with a wink, explaining the Spell card's effect that allowed him to draw a card, in exchange for his opponent gaining Life Points in return.
"But… why would he use something like that?" She couldn't help but mutter aloud as she saw Sakaki-sensei activate the Spell. "That gives Serena another 1000 points of Life Points. And since she already activated Crimson Fox's graveyard effect earlier…"
"That means that she'll get to 6000 Life Points, but that doesn't really matter." The purple haired girl beside her interjected, giving her own thoughts of the matter. "It's a… consistency tool if I remember correctly, and an incredibly good one if I'm not wrong. One of the best in fact."
"Huh?" She sounded out, confused at what exactly it was that the shorter girl was talking about.
"It's something that Yu-that my… sister once told me. About how to make a deck extremely consistent." The hat wearing girl muttered aloud, a small smile forming on her face. "It's a Spell that you can essentially activate at no cost to freely draw a card. And the fact that there's no other restrictions to it like it being a once per turn, it essentially lets someone play a deck with only 37 cards."
"But it does have a cost doesn't it? It gives the opponent 1000 Life Points." She argued, saying aloud the spell card's last line of text where it gives the opponent a boost of Life Points.
"Well, if you can theoretically clear your opponent's entire board and summon enough monsters… it wouldn't matter how much Life Points your opponent has wouldn't it?" The purple haired girl said with a tilt of her head, saying as if it was a matter of fact.
The thought of somehow managing to get enough monsters to instantly reduce that amount of Life Points in one turn baffled her, it truly was an idea that was out of this world, but for Mei and Serena, it was something that was quite normal.
After all, they had seen Yuuna and her monsters. They've seen how the red haired girl could gather a whole board full of high attack monsters all while clearing the opponent of all recourse that they have. Mei's own deck, while more resource oriented as it was essentially a control strategy, did the same. And Serena's own strategy was one that was based on taking quick games, assembling Fusion Monsters capable of dealing lethal pushes in a single turn.
Be it 4000, 6000, or even 8000 Life Points, given how consistent and efficient their decks were in performing their main strategy, getting rid of the opponent's Life Points was an arguably easy task compared to potentially breaking their board.
Their talk was soon cut short as the commotion of the two duelists at the centre stage, with Serena commenting on the Spell in question that was activated. "So a draw Spell huh? Didn't think that you play one of those."
"Why, it's quite the card. Certainly does show its usefulness, and it is one that embodies the principle of card economy you see, although it gives the opponent quite a bit of Life Points, it does let me dig deeper into my deck. Even if it is a net zero." The man explained his choice of cards aloud, giving his reasons for playing the Spell.
"Hmph. So you're betting everything on a single draw?" Serena said, showing her capability of reading the boardstate.
She knew full well that with her current state of affairs, she could break her opponent's board on the following turn. Using a combination of her Kaleido Chick's effect to set up the graveyard and Yellow Marten's effect to return said Kaleido Chick's into her hand, and of course Tiger King's ability to turn off both Sky Magician and Sky Pupil's effect would leave the Entertainment Duelist's board vulnerable to her attacks.
Of course, that strategy hinges on her Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King having to survive this one turn of battle, though that was assured with the Trap card that said XYZ Monster had set the previous turn, Fire Formation - Tensen.
That Trap card, or rather Continuous Trap card, gives a targeted Beast-Warrior 700 attack until the end of the turn, and a continuous effect of giving all Beast-Warriors that she controls a constant 300 attack point boost.
It would assure of Tiger King's survival in combat if it were to battle the current Performapal Sky Magician, even besting it in combat with its ability to essentially boost its attack by 1000 points. And that's not even mentioning the unknown set card that she had set on her side of the field.
Even if Sakaki Yusho were to discard the card that he drew for turn, or that he drew with the Upstart Goblin, for his Continuous Spell Wonder Balloons to give another 300 point attack decrease for all of Serena's monsters, he would still be 100 attack points short of beating over Serena's Tiger King if it were boosted by Tensen.
Such were the thoughts that went through Mei's head, knowing exactly what Serena's cards does first hand, having been the indigo haired girl's main training partner and having helped build the girl's current iteration of her deck.
Though there were of course, flaws to her strategy that Mei had spotted. She saw two ways for her opponent to break and out her current board, both of which relied on the man's Ace Monster, Performapal Sky Magician. And as Serena herself had pointed out, one of which was a large gamble.
One was a suicide strategy, a strategy that she had thought possibly having heard of the specific wording for Performapal Sky Magician's third effect, the one that the man had dubbed 'Closing Performance'. Where he would essentially crash the white Spellcaster into Serena's Tiger King, then activating its effect as it had left the field due to battle, and destroying the girl's XYZ Monster.
And she couldn't even negate that targeting destruction effect with the graveyard effect of Lunalight Crimson Fox either, as the monster's 'when' effect could only be activated if said effect were to target a Lunalight monster, something that Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Tiger King, was not.
It was a strategy that deprived him of both his main Boss Monster and resources, but even then, Serena still would be ahead even if she were to lose her deck's current Boss Monster. Should the game fall into a grind game, then Serena has the highest chance to win as her grind game, as she has shown, is quite better than her opponent's with how her cards can cycle to one another.
The second one, and the one that the man was possibly trying to do with the activation of Upstart Goblin, was one that was left to chance. If he were to perhaps draw a card that could allow him to safely remove Performapal Sky Magician off of the field without the risk of losing the Boss Monster like another copy of Performapal Sky Pupil, or a way of bringing said monster back like Performapal Revival…
Then it would be Serena who would be on the backfoot of the game, especially since she would have expended almost any and all resources that could possibly overcome the ever increasing attack of Sky Magician and the essentially battle immune Sky Pupil, as she only runs a single copy of Tiger King.
Along with her already using two Lunalight Crimson Foxes, along with two Lunalight Blue Cats. The former which could reduce an opponent's monster's attack to zero, while the latter could double her own, though in the case of Blue Cat, she had a way of reviving through Luna Light Perfume.
But even then, the only monster that could possibly beat an attack increased Performapal Sky Magician or the like, was a boosted copy of Lunalight Crimson Fox, a monster that as she had pointed out, Serena only had one copy left remaining in her deck.
And in this situation where the outcome of the whole duel would be decided by this one draw, Sakaki Yusho, like the Entertainment Duelist that he was, smiled. "Why of course!" He declared loudly with both arms outstretched as wide as they could be.
"This thrill, this suspense, the situation where the entire duel would be decided by a game of chance! Is there anything else that would capture an audience's attention like this?" The top hat wearing duelist said with a wide smile, gesturing towards the crowd of students that surrounded them.
And sure enough, the audience that they had in this small gymnasium waited with bated breath, some only realising now how intense the situation was by the man's own declaration, how their teacher was, for once, on the backfoot of the duel, the underdog in their duel.
"Y-you can do it Sakaki-sensei!" Someone cheered from the sidelines, breaking the tense silence that befell the gymnasium.
And that soon was followed by another. "Yeah! If the duel depends on this draw, then you can definitely get it!"
"Give it all you have!"
"Go on and win!"
""Sensei! Sakaki-sensei! Yusho-sensei!""
Soon enough, the gymnasium was filled with noises of cheers, cries of support from students towards their teacher who had been pushed to bet the outcome of the duel to a game of chance, to a single draw.
"Well now. Isn't this something?" The man said with a chuckle. "With these many people putting their trust in me, then I have no choice but to deliver now do I?" He said, placing his hand over his duel disk, preparing himself to draw.