Chereads / Yu-gi-oh 5D's-V / Chapter 22 - chapter 22

Chapter 22 - chapter 22

(Half an hour later at the You Show Duel School)

Outside of the Duel School created by Yusho Sakaki, Yusei stood near the entrance in front of his parked Duel Runner. The right handlebar was pulled up and the extra compartment was open, revealing the photo of Yusei's parents, the spare helmet, laptop and briefcase. However, they were five new things inside of the extra compartment. They were all five deck boxes that contained all the cards that he picked out for his friends back home for when he reunited with them.

After his talk with Skip and organizing the cards for his friends, Yusei had some free time to himself. He was just relaxing and enjoyed himself as free time was something he appreciated after everything he's gone through. Now though, he had something to attend to and was getting ready to head off.

Yusei finished placing the last deck box inside of the extra compartment. He moved his right hand up towards the pulled up seat to pull it down and close the extra compartment, but stopped himself. Satellite's Shooting Star looked down at the photo of his parents and himself, before reaching down to it with his left hand. He grabbed hold of the photo, before pulling it up to his face to get a better look.

Yusei let out a deep sigh and smiled longingly at the image of his father and mother. Ever since he met his mother thanks to the Crimson Dragon, Yusei had begun wondering what his life would have been life if Zero Reverse had never happened. He had some clue thanks to Z-one telling him about his history, but still wondered what it had been like if his parents had raised him. The Synchro Duelist shook his head sideways to rid himself of those thoughts as he was content with how his life turned out, so there was no need to be thinking about what-ifs.

"Father, mother… I miss you guys". Satellite's Shooting Star said with a sad voice, before he put the photo away in the extra compartment. Behind Satellite's Shooting Star, Stardust Trail appeared with her hands folded together in front of her lap. 'Yusei…Is everything alright?' The female dragon asked her duelist in concern, eyes still closed as she spoke.

Yusei turned to look over his left shoulder at Stardust Trail and gave a reassuring smile to her. "Don't worry. I'm just…thinking about my parents". Satellite's Shooting Star replied to the Dragon-Type monster, causing her to grow a small smile.

'I'm sure they're watching over you from the other world, even now'. Stardust Trail told the bearer of the Crimson Dragon's head, which he gave a nod to her. "I know they are. Being able to meet them both was more than I could have ever asked for. I still miss them and probably will for the rest of my life, but I'm content to know that they loved me". The Stardust Duelist said with a soft voice upon thinking about his interactions with his parents and the love they had for him.

Stardust Trail grew a small smile at her duelist's words. She may not have been with Yusei when he had interacted with his parents, but had heard from Yusei's other monsters about them. She was a bit taken back by how Yusei's father was strict with him in the duel against Z-one, but could understand it was needed. She only wished that she could have met them.

Yusei closed the extra compartment of his Duel Runner, before he mounted it and placed his helmet on. "I've spent enough time thinking about my parents. I better hurry and head to the docks or I'll be late". Satellite Shooting Star said as he pressed on his helmet's left side button, causing the visor to erupt out and cover his eyes. Stardust Trail nodded to her duelist, before she disappeared and returned to the Spirit World.

Yusei pulled down the right handlebar and turned off the parking mode. He kept the Duel Runner balanced with his right foot, before he took it off the ground and twisted the handlebar. The Duel Runner shot out down the walkway with Yusei press starting the accelerator and twisted the handlebars, causing the Duel Runner's engine to roar. Satellite's Shooting Star drove his Duel Runner without trouble towards the docks of Paradise City to meet with the person that was waiting for him there.

(Back with the others)

Sylvio led Yuya, Lulu, Tate, Frederick and Allie through Paradise City towards the Leo Institute of Dueling building. They eventually arrived and were walking up to the front door of the building. "On behalf of my fellow students, welcome to the Leo Institute of Dueling!" Sylvio pronounced as the front door slide open for them all. The six walked through the open door and into the open hall of LID. Immediately, the eyes of Tate, Frederick and Allie sparkled in awe, while Yuya and Lulu simply widened their eyes in surprise.

Unlike the You Show Duel School, the Leo Institute was perhaps 10 times larger with the "LID" logo displayed high above. There was even a hologram of the three words together and a monitor underneath the "LID" displayed. There were multiple kids all around, taking, working out and even trading cards. The windows of the hall showed some duelists in the middle of a duel as well. The open hall was filled with so many kids of different ages and in the levels up above were more kids dueling each other, but without Duel Disks.

Sylvio began leading them down the hall with Yuya, Lulu, Allie, Tate and Frederick following right behind him. "As you probably know, the institute is managed by the Leo Corporation. They've spared no expense to turn our school into one of the world's top Duel institutions". Sylvio informed the group as they continued onwards with Lulu looking through some of the windows to see some kids her age practice drawing their cards, only were using hand weights instead of cards.

"Yes…We have only the best". Sylvio remarked, causing Lulu to shift her gaze over to his back and glare at it. 'That's what you think, but in reality you people are nowhere near good enough. Compared to Duel Academy, you would all fall to them just as easily as my people did. We thought we were the best as well, but were dead wrong'. The Mistress of Birds thought inside her mind, changing expression into one of sadness as the kids here didn't possess the iron Dueling that the Resistance had developed in their battle against Duel Academy. She had saw it in their eyes, that's why she knew these kids were no match for even Duel Academy's weakest soldiers.

"This place produces lots of champions". Tate told his friends with a wide grin on his face. "I know. That's why they're the top of the top". Frederick remarked with a wide smile, something that Lulu disagreed with. "I hear they have the best equipment here too". Fate added in with a grin. "Our faculty always says "if you want to achieve excellence, you must surround yourself with excellence". Sylvio remarked with a certain grin, yet that only made Lulu scoff a bit.

Thanks to the Crimson Dragon showing her; Lulu knows that Yusei became a great duelist in the Satellite, a place that used to be filled with trash, but was now reformed. Yusei was proof that even at the lowest place; a powerful duelist can be born.

"It's just like in You Show, but we surround ourselves…with mediocrity". Allie commented with her hands up and eyes closed in joy, getting an amused chuckle from Lulu. "I've heard that You Show used to be less popular than it is now. Given that your school teaches Synchro and Xyz now, I guess there's that". Sylvio remarked, turning to look at the red-haired girl as they continued to walk.

Yuya had stopped in front of a window that had a schedule for the different classes that the Leo Institute had for the students. He looked at the schedule's classes, where he saw they had not only a Summoning course, but an Xyz, Synchro and Fusion classes. The Odd-Eyes Duelist's eyes narrowed a bit at the last one. The You Show School, although most of them didn't know it, had everything they needed to make their Fusion course given that Yusei knows Fusion Summoning, but there was still one problem keeping Satellite's Shooting Star from revealing that secret.

Yuya looked over his right shoulder to Lulu, before his face fell. Her fear of Fusion Summoning was all that was keeping that secret from coming out. Yuya really didn't want to find out what would happen if Lulu found out that her adopted father knew the Summoning method that had a deep scare on her. So, they've kept it a secret and will continue to do so until Lulu finally gets over her fear.

The Odd-Eyes Duelist returned to looking through the schedule, before taking notice that it showed one last course. Yuya looked at the last course and, to his surprise, saw that it was a Ritual course. That was surprising as LID was rumored only to have Fusion, Synchro and Xyz, but to hear that they do Ritual as well, was quit the shock. And unlike them, Yuya wasn't certain that they had the means to create a Ritual course.

"Wow…Now this is eye-catching. Things have really changed nowadays. Not only does the Leo Institute teach Fusion, Synchro and Xyz now, but Ritual as well". Yuya said in awe, resting his school bag over his left shoulder. While he was speaking, a boy that was a year younger and a few inches shorter than Yuya had walked past him.

It was a short, young boy with light cyan hair that is tied up and spiked out. He wore a blue jacket with a yellow and orange trim over a black t-shirt. He also had on a pair of light gray cargo shorts over long white socks and brown shoes. He was also currently enjoying a pink lollypop.

What Yuya had said caught the attention of the boy as he stopped in his tracks and looked over his left shoulder towards the Odd-Eyes Duelist. After staring for a few moments, the cyan-hair coloured boy continued on his way. The sound of his footsteps caught Yuya's attention as he looked over towards the walking away boy. He didn't know why, but there was somekind of feeling he was getting from the younger boy.

"Yuya?" Lulu said to the tomato hair styled boy, getting Yuya's attention as he looked over and saw Sylvio, Lulu, Allie, Tate and Frederick waiting for him. "The Central Dueling zone is this way". Sylvio informed the Pendulum user, pointing in a random direction, before walking off in that same direction. Allie, Tate and Frederick followed after him, while Lulu waited for Yuya. The Odd-Eyes Duelist began walking after the four with Lulu walking besides him on his right.

(LID Central Court)

Sylvio eventually lead them all to a large and very wide Duel field of the building. It had many stands for people to watch, a monitor, Arc System underneath the field and a gate connected to the stands. Yuya, Lulu, Allie, Tate, Frederick and Sylvio had just entered the field through one of the gates, and the kids gasped in awe at the magnificent field before them.

Yuya and Lulu looked around themselves as the kids expressed their awe in their words. "This is one big Duel field, that's for certain". Yuya remarked, turning his head around to look at his surroundings of the duel field. Lulu agreed with her "boyfriend" on that, but kept quiet as she didn't feel the need to make a comment about LID's Duel field.

The group then saw three more males wearing the Paradise City Prep School uniform approaching them. One had green hair, another had dark hair and the last one's hair was grayish brown hair. The brown haired one lifted his right hand and waved at them. "Hey". The male greeted with a carefree voice. Sylvio turned to look at Yuya, while pointing towards the three with his right hand's index finger.

"These gents have also become big fans of yours as well. They're curious about the cards you used to Pendulum Summon. You wouldn't mind letting them have a look, would you?" Sylvio asked the Odd-Eyes Duelist, turning around to face him as he spoke. Before Yuya could respond to the brown haired male, Lulu wrapped her right arm around Yuya's left arm, getting his attention as he looked at the purple-haired female.

"Yuya, I don't like this. It's too suspicious; we should just go back to You Show". The Mistress of Birds told the Pendulum user with narrowed eyes full of suspicion, taking a moment to look past Yuya towards Sylvio.

What she said did make Yuya narrow his eyes a little bit in suspicion as well, but he eased his gaze and put his right hand over her left one. "I'll admit that this whole thing is fishy, but we can't be too suspicious. For all we know; we're just being a little paranoid. But if they are up to something, I'll take care of it. You just look after the kids". The Odd-Eyes Duelist replied to his crush, rubbing her hand gently. Lulu looked uncertain about this whole thing, but decided to trust her "boyfriend" and let go of his arm.

Yuya gave Lulu a reassuring smile, before he placed his left hand in his pocket. He then brought it out with the deck in hand, before he spread them out in hand to look through all the cards at one. He spotted his Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician, before he took hold of them with his right hand. Yuya held them up and stared at the cards' images. 'If he tries anything, I'll get you guys back'. The Odd-Eyes Duelist thought to himself, before holding the cards out.

"Here". The Odd-Eyes Duelist said with narrowed eyes in caution. Then, Sylvio snatched the Pendulum cards from Yuya's hand with his right one. This action made Yuya and Lulu narrow their eyes, while Allie, Tate and Frederick gasped in surprise. Sylvio went to his friends and showed them the Pendulum cards. "See". The brown-haired male said to his friends as they all looked at the two Pendulum cards in awe.

The three males were in awe at seeing Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician. "So I can Pendulum Summon with these cards". The brown-haired male said in awe, before he took Stargazer Magician's card, while the grayish haired one took Timegazer Magician. "This one is mine!" The grayish haired boy exclaimed, but Sylvio took back the two Pendulum cards gently. "Gentleman please, you can't have these Pendulum cards… They aren't yours". The brown-haired male told the three as his eyes shifted to the corners, getting the three to groan in disappointment.

Tate, Allie and Frederick looked relived as they believed Sylvio was gonna hand the cards back, yet Yuya and Lulu didn't look reassured as their eyes were still narrowed at the LID student. "Give my cards back, Sylvio". The Odd-Eyes Duelist told the brown-haired male with a serious voice, still keeping hold of his deck with his left hand. "Sorry, no can do. After all, they're mine now. I'm adding them to my rare card collection". Sylvio replied to Yuya as he turned around to face him, while his lackeys began chuckling.

Allie, Tate and Frederick gasped in surprise, while Yuya and Lulu didn't look surprised. "I knew it. You called us here to steal Yuya's Pendulum cards for yourself, didn't you?" The Mistress of Birds accused the LID student as she let go of her school bag, causing it to fall to the ground. What nobody noticed was that near one of the gates of the duel field, someone entered and noticed what was going on.

"Looks like there's someone smart among you guys after all. I happen to prefer rare cards. In my opinion, they're the only cards that are worth collecting. Your cards are so unique, I simply can't resist them". Sylvio said with a growing smug expression as he held the two Pendulum cards with his right hand's index and middle fingers, while the dark-haired male crackled a bit.

Yuya narrowed his eyes in annoyance at what they said and the smug expressions on his face. Deciding to screw them over a bit, Yuya picked up two more cards from his deck and held them up. The Odd-Eyes Duelist gave an unimpressed whistle as he turned them over to reveal they were Performapal Gentrude and Performapal Ladyange.

The sight of the two more Pendulum cards wiped the smug expressions off of Sylvio and his friends as they all now looked shocked. "What in the-How do you have more Pendulum cards?!" The brown-haired male questioned in disbelief, having thought that Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician were Yuya's main Pendulum cards. Yuya allowed himself to grow a small grin on his face as he put the two cards back into his deck.

"That's my little secret, and the best part is that I have more than just them as well". The Odd-Eyes Duelist answered, bringing his cards back into a straight deck, before holding it out to reveal the top card to be Noble Dragon Magician. Sylvio and his lackeys began growling in anger, Lulu had a small, sly smile on her face, while the kids were laughing a little at how the situation had turned around.

Sylvio calmed himself down and gave a grin as he held up Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician's cards. "No matter. I still have these two Pendulum cards with me, so that makes them mine now". The brown-haired stated, trying to sound smug again even with the slight twitch of his right eye visible. Yuya narrowed his eyes at what Sylvio said, while Lulu took notice of something from the corner of her right eye.

She slightly tilted her head right and saw someone approaching Sylvio from the side. It was a girl around the same age as Lulu and even around the same height. She had brown braided hair in a single ponytail, tan skin and emerald green eyes. She was wearing a cargo open jacket with ripped off sleeves and a collar with what appeared to be dinosaur teeth over a black turtle neck t-shirt. She also had navy blue jeans on and black boots over it. Not to mention, she had an angry frown on her face directed at Sylvio.

"Not for long if I have anything to say about that". Yuya remarked, putting his deck away in his pocket. Sylvio just gave a chuckle in response at the Odd-Eyes Duelist's words. "Oh please. There is no scenario that you'll be getting these cards ba-". The brown-haired boy began, only to be cut off in mid-speech as the unknown girl leaped towards him, reared her right fist back and then rammed it down hard on Sylvio's head.

Kabow!

Sylvio cried out in comical pain with anime white eyes, while everyone widened their eyes in surprise. Sylvio collapsed to the group face-flat, while the braided hair girl landed on her feet, before glaring down at the brown-haired male in disapproval. Sylvio's lackeys turned to look at who attacked their friend, only to gasp in shock at seeing the female. "S-She's…" The grayish haired male stuttered in disbelief as he and the other two took a step back.

"Cera Toppr… One of the Xyz course's best duelists…" The dark-haired male finished for his friend, catching Lulu's attention at what he said. The Mistress of Birds turned to look at the girl called Cera and stared at her, while the brown-haired female continued to stare down at Sylvio in disapproval. Unlike the other students that she's seen here in the Leo Institute, this Cera girl had a sharpness to her, but it wasn't like the ones that the Resistance has developed in the battle against Duel Academy.

Cera paid no attention of everyone's gazes on her and just continued to stare down at Sylvio. Speaking of the brown-haired male, he groaned as he pushed himself off of the ground, before looking over his left shoulder at the Xyz Duelist. "What was that for and where did you come from?" Sylvio questioned with a voice full of pain as he was still recovering from the punch that felt like iron.

"I came in here to be alone, and what do I find? You being an idiot and trying to steal someone else's cards". Cera answered, crossing her arms as she brought up her right foot, before pressing it down on Sylvio's back, causing him to comically cry out in pain.

Yuya felt a shiver go through him as this girl greatly reminded him of Rin with the tough girl attitude she was giving off. "You may be one of the Ritual course's top duelists now and son of someone that very possibly might become the next mayor, but that does not give you the right to steal someone else's cards!" Cera continued as she began stomping her foot down on Sylvio in anime style with him continuing to cry out in comical pain. Everyone watched with anime sweat drops as Cera "came down" hard on Sylvio.

Eventually, the braided hair girl stopped stomping on her fellow LID student with Sylvio more than grateful for it to be over. Cera's eyes then wandered over to Stargazer Magician and Timegazer Magician's cards in Sylvio's right hand. She knelt down, grabbed hold of Sylvio's right wrist tightly and forcefully took the cards from him. "Hey!" Sylvio called out with wide eyes as Cera stood up fully on her feet with the cards in hand.

"You don't take another person's cards, unless they are won through the Ante Rule!" Cera snapped at the brown-haired male, which shut him up as Sylvio grumbled. Cera then turned her sight to the You Show gang with Yuya narrowing his eyes at her, wondering what she was gonna do with his Pendulum cards in hand.

But, much to his surprise, she tossed the two cards towards him. Yuya caught his Pendulum cards with his right hand and looked at them in surprise. Lulu, Allie, Tate and Frederick were just as surprised as Yuya that the LID student before them gave the Odd-Eyes Duelist back his cards.

(Meanwhile)

In the LID monitor room that was fully repaired from the outburst of Synchro energy that Majestic Star Dragon, the events that were taking place in the Center Field were on display on a holographic field in front of the platform with the shelf. Claude was standing in front of the shelf and was frowning on what was being shown. "Just what is that girl thinking? Now we won't be able to get and analyze the Pendulum cards!" The right-hand man of the president of Leo Corporation exclaimed in frustration that their chance to acquire the Pendulum cards might be gone.

"Do not worry, Claude". A familiar voice told the adult male, catching Claude's attention as he looked over his left shoulder to see his boss; Declan coming up to the platform via the lift. "I set Cera up to this. I wasn't completely confident that Sylvio would keep his word of bringing us the Pendulum cards, so I had Cera take part in this". The president of the Leo Corporation explained to his right-hand man as he walked forward and took his seat in front of the shelf.

"But Mr. President, now we won't be able to analyze Yuya Sakaki's Pendulum cards". Claude said to his boss with an uncertain look, yet Declan didn't turn to face him and instead kept his eyes on the holographic screen. "Do not worry; we'll still be able to analyze them. Just watch". The silver haired male replied to the adult man, resting his hands on the shelf and brought them together. Claude frowned a little, but did what his boss said and returned to watching the events taking place.

(Back at the center field)

"I am terrible sorry for what this idiot attempted to do". Cera apologized to the You Show students, bowing her head to them as Sylvio sat up from the ground and rubbed his back. "It's…okay?" Yuya replied to the branded haired girl in a slightly confused voice. Cera lifted her head up and turned her gaze over towards Lulu, who blinked a little at the female staring at her.

"Excuse me, but are you Lulu Obsidian, the Mistress of Birds?" Cera questioned the purple haired girl, causing Lulu to raise an eyebrow at her. "…Yes, I am". The Mistress of Birds answered the L.I.D student with a cautious tone. The braided hair girl grew a smile at Lulu's answer. "That is great". The LID student stated with a grin, before swiping his left hand out and pointed towards Lulu with the index finger.

"Lulu Obsidian, I challenge you to a Duel with the Ante Rule!" Cera declared, causing everyone to widen their eyes in shock at her challenge. "Hey, what's this Ante Rule that this girl is talking about?" Allie questioned her friends with a curious voice. Frederick gave a shrug of his shoulders as he had no idea. Tate, however, knew exactly what it was. "The Ante Rule is a rule added where both Duelists wager their rarest cards. The loser has to give up their cards to the winner". The blue-haired boy informed his friends what an Ante Duel is.

Allie and Frederick gasped in shock at hearing this as they turned to look at Lulu, while she stared at the braided hair female with narrowed eyes. "…You want to duel me with the Ante Rule? Why?" The Xyz Duelist questioned Cera in a voice full of caution. "I do not mean any disrespect to you, believe me on that. I honestly just wish to have your Lyrilusc – Assembled Nightingale". The female LID student answered with an honest voice, yet that only made Lulu narrow her eyes even more than before.

"But don't worry; you won't be the only one wagering something. I will wager this card of mine. The Equip Spell; Emperor's Armor". Cera informed the purple haired girl as she held up her right hand with a Spell card in between her index and middle fingers. Lulu looked and indeed saw the card that the braided hair girl was wagering was Emperor's Armor, a rare card.

Before Lulu could give her response, Sylvio then shot up to his feet and pointed towards Yuya with his right hand's index finger. "Yuya Sakaki; I also challenge you to an Ante Rule duel for your Pendulum cards!" The brown-haired male declared to the Odd-Eyes Duelist, getting Yuya to turn towards him. "Even if I agreed to that, you'd need to wager 2 cards for that". The tomato hair styled boy pointed out to the brown-haired male.

Sylvio growled in anger at Yuya's words, before he placed his hand into his jacket's pocket. "Fine then! I'll wager these two cards!" Sylvio exclaimed, bringing out his hand, now holding the two cards and held them out.

Yuya looked and saw that the two cards that Sylvio was holding were the Spell card; Pre-Preparation of Rites and the Monster card; Chaos Dragon Levianeer. The Odd-Eyes Duelist raised an eyebrow at the two cards; he might add Chaos Dragon Levianeer to his deck, but he did not have a Ritual Spell or Ritual monster on his deck. The prizes might not be ideal, but Sylvio tricking them and attempting to steal his cards had ticked him off a bit.

"Alright, consider your challenge accepted!" The Odd-Eyes Duelist told the LID student, before he brought out his Duel Disk with his left hand and transferred it to the right one. What Yuya said made Lulu turn towards him with wide eyes of surprise as he placed his custom-made Duel Disk on his left forearm. "Yuya, what are you doing?" The Mistress of Birds questioned the tomato hair styled boy as Yuya's Duel Disk activated.

"I know what I'm doing is both risky and stupid, but I really want to teach that guy a listen for trying to steal my cards". The Odd-Eyes Duelist replied to the teenage female, eyes locked on Sylvio as he placed on a green Standard Dimension Duel Disk on his left forearm. Lulu gave a small sigh as she could understand her "boyfriend's" reasons as she would want to get back at someone that tried to steal her cards, but was still worried since from what Cera said about Sylvio, he was a Ritual Duelist.

Just then, an idea came to her mind, one that would ensure she would look after Yuya in his Duel. Lulu turned to look at Cera and saw the waiting expression on the braided hairstyle girl's face. "I'll accept your duel on one condition". The Mistress of Birds told Cera with a serious expression and voice. That caught everyone's attention with Yuya looking at Lulu with wide eyes, while Cera looked intrigued.

"Fascinating… Okay I'll bite. What is this condition of yours?" The female L.I.D questioned the Xyz Duelist, her curiosity leaking out of her voice. "Instead of just a one-on-one duel, let's settle this in a Tag-Duel!" Lulu revealed to her opponent, getting everyone to gasp in surprise at what she said. Cera, on the other hand, looked very eager now. "You've just made my day. Okay then, you got yourself a deal! This'll be a Tag Duel!" The brown-haired female declared, throwing her right hand out to the side.

Lulu looked relived that her condition was met. Yuya, not so much as he looked at her in alarm. "Lulu, why are you doing this? There was no need for you to wager your ace monster, so why?" The Odd-Eyes Duelist questioned the purple haired female as he didn't want her to risk the cards she loved. The Mistress of Birds turned to look at her "boyfriend" and gave him a kind smile.

"It's true that I'd hate to risk my cards, but I don't want you to duel someone alone with your cards at risk. This way, I've got your back". Lulu explained to the Odd-Eyes Duelist with a soft tone, before tilting her head down. The last time she left Yuto alone when his sister was carded, she regretted her decision as what had happened was irreversible. That's why she wasn't gonna leave Yuya alone like she did with Yuto.

Yuya's gaze softened a little at the purple-haired girl's words, before he smiled at her. "Alright, let's do this together". The tomato hair styled boy said to his "girlfriend", which she nodded to him with a determined expression. Lulu then turned to look at Allie, Tate and Frederick and saw the kids standing behind her and Yuya. "You three go watch this duel in the stands where you'll be safe. This won't take long". The Mistress of Birds told the children, giving them a small wave of her left hand.

The kids looked at the millions of seats around the duel field, before they turned to look back at their seniors. "But are you guys gonna be okay against them? They're students of the Leo Institute, the number 1 Dueling school in the world!" Tate exclaimed in concern for his friends, which Allie and Frederick nodded in agreement to what he said. "It doesn't matter what Duel School someone goes to, that has nothing to do with how someone handles their deck". Yuya told the three children without turning to look at them. His eyes were locked on Cera and Sylvio as the female LID duelist stepped besides her fellow student of the Leo Institute.

Lulu gave a short nod of agreement to what Yuya said, but kept her attention on Allie, Tate and Frederick. "Don't worry about us; everything's gonna be okay. Now go take a seat somewhere and enjoy the Duel". The Mistress of Birds told the three with a gentle, reassuring voice. The three children still looked worried, but they nodded to their seniors.

They left the duel field and went to sit down somewhere in the stands. Lulu smiled a little at seeing the kids comply with her, before she faced forward with her expression shifting into a slightly serious one.

Sylvio's three lackeys also left the duel arena and moved to the stands to watch the duel. Sylvio turned to look at the girl besides him as Cera placed an electric blue Duel Disk on her left forearm. "Don't get in my way. I'm winning those Pendulum cards that you gave to Yuya". The brown-haired male told his teammate, getting Cera to look at him through the corner of her left eye.

"1: They were Yuya's cards in the first place. 2: don't presume you're gonna win; a duel is always undecided until the last card is played. And 3: when this is all over; I'm taking you to my dad's boot camp to teach you some humility". The braided hair female told the male LID student, causing him to shiver a bit at the thought of boot camp.

Lulu brought out her Duel Disk, the same one that she received from the Fusion Dimension and placed it on her left forearm. Then, the Duel Disks of Lulu, Sylvio and Cera activated, before all four duelists brought out their decks with their right hands and slotted them in. Their decks all shuffled via the Duel Disks' shuffle system. The children of You Show Duel School sat together on one side of the stands, while Sylvio's friends sat on the opposite side.

"Now I'll select an Action field". Sylvio said as he brought up his right hand with the index finger out. "Let's take this sky high! I choose the Action Spell; Prison Tower of Darkville!" He called out, throwing his right hand into the air as multiple Field Spell cards erupted from the ground below them. The Arc System underneath the field began to activate with beams of light erupting out. "Augmented Reality Combat System Energized! Generating Action Field!" The Ai called out as the Duel Field began to glow a pink colour, before chains erupted out of the ground.

Yuya and Lulu looked around their surroundings with wide eyes as the Field Spell; Prison Tower of Darkville appeared from the glow. "Shame that we don't have prisoners to put on that prison tower, but oh well". Sylvio remarked, holding his right hand against one of the buildings as the field generated around them. "If you did do something like that, then I'd make your day a living hell!" Cera snapped at her partner, sitting down at the edge of a building that erupted from the pink glow.

Yuya and Lulu stayed together as they jumped across rooftops that were appearing from the glowing field, before they stopped at a single rooftop that was at the edge of the town. "That looks really big". Frederick commented, looking up at the prison tower that was growing larger and larger by the second. "I don't know why, but something tells me we really dodged a bullet thanks to that Cera girl". Tate remarked with a slight shiver upon thinking of being trapped at the top of the prison tower. "We should be counting our lucky stars then". Allie said with her hands folded in her lap as the Action Field finished materializing completely.

Yuya and Lulu were now in the middle of the Action Field's streets, standing across Sylvio and Cera with all four of them standing 10 feet away from each other. "Okay, so how are we gonna do this? What are the rules for this Tag Duel?" The Mistress of Birds questioned as the rules for this Tag Duel have not been decided yet. "The rules are simple. We each have our own fields, Life Points and Graveyards. We're all free to use our partners' cards. When two partners of this duel are defeated, the winners are decided". Cera informed her opponent's as she stood with her left forearm held in front of herself.

"This is gonna be interesting". Yuya remarked as the blades of his and Lulu's Duel Disks activated and took shape with the two of them holding their left forearms up. "What's gonna be interesting is that when I win this duel, I'll be having Pendulum cards in my deck". Sylvio said with a grin as he held up his left forearm, before the blades of his and Cera's Duel Disks activated and materialized. Sylvio's blade had a green colour, while Cera's was a pure black one.

"Enough talking, let's get Dueling!" Cera exclaimed, punching the air forward with her right fist. "You just took the words right out of my mouth". Lulu said to the female L.I.D Duelist as she, Yuya, Sylvio and Cera drew their starting hand and held the 5 cards with their right hands. "Let's Duel!" All four of them cried out, officially starting the Tag Duel with those words.

Lulu Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

Yuya Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

Cera Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

Sylvio Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

Action cards gathered above the field, before they dispersed all over the field. "Action cards dispersed!" The same female AI voice from before called out as the four transferred their starting hand to their left hands. They then shifted their eyes towards their receptive opponents, ready to get this Duel starting with the fate of their cards at stake.

(Leo Corporation monitor room)

Both Declan and Claude were silent as they watched the holographic screen as the Action Duel began. Claude had a small frown on his face, while Declan had a perfectly calm face. 'These events aren't what I was hoping for, but they are acceptable. Now, not only can I see Pendulum Summoning and analyze it here, but I can find out more about this Lulu Obsidian'. The president of Leo Corporation thought to himself with his gaze focused on Lulu's image on the screen.

Just as Yusei interested him greatly, so did Lulu and Rin as their Xyz and Synchro Summoning energies were beyond the ones here in the Standard Dimension. Not only that, the two girls had no backgrounds whatsoever, they've searched themselves. Declan greatly suspected that Rin was from the Synchro Dimension, while Lulu came from the Xyz Dimension.

He wanted to see more proof before making any conclusions. At first his aim was to focus on Yuya and his Pendulum Summoning, but earlier had received a report from Claude that Sylvio not only brought the Odd-Eyes Duelist, but Lulu as well. So, he called for Cera and spoke to her about watching the girl closely as Sylvio dueled Yuya. He didn't account for her to step in and give Yuya his Pendulum cards back, nor for her to challenge Lulu into a Duel with the Ante Rule.

He was pleased through that Yuya and Sylvio would still duel as this would give the opportunity to collect data on Pendulum Summoning that'll eventually play a big part in them creating their own Pendulum cards. He was rather fascinated that thanks to Lulu, the duel became a Tag Duel. If all goes well and if Sylvio and Cera win the tag duel and prizes, he'll get to analyze the Pendulum cards and Assembled Nightingale. And even if they lose, data on Pendulum Summoning and on Lulu will still be obtained. Last, but not least, this would give him a good chance to see the dueling skills of Yuya and Lulu when risks are involved.

So, he sat back and watched as the tag duel began with great attention.

(Meanwhile at the harbor)

While the events at LID were taking place, another group of events were about to take place as well. At Paradise City harbor, Yusei stood near one of the warehouses, leaning his back against the building with his Duel Runner parked nearby. Satellite's Shooting Star had his Duel Disk equipped to his left forearm with both arms crossed and head tilted down.

He had just arrived in the harbor 10 minutes ago and has been waiting patiently in the exact same position. He had been practicing meditating, something that he had learned in one of his visits to the Strong Dojo. It was something that Yusei had grown to enjoy as it helped sets his mind at the task at hand and calm him. It even helped him think about his friends back home.

Sadly, his peaceful meditation was about to come to an end. "Thank you for coming here". A familiar voice thanked Satellite's Shooting Star, getting Yusei to open his eyes and tilt his head left. Walking up towards him was Zuzu, who had her Duel Disk equipped to her left forearm and had a serious frown on her face. Yusei slightly narrowed his eyes at the Standard piece of Ray, before he pushed himself off of the warehouse and turned to look at Zuzu.

Early in the morning, he had received a message from Zuzu that told him to come meet her at the harbor an hour after school ended for the day. Yusei was a bit confused, especially as the message had mention bringing his Duel Disk and deck. Curiosity getting the better of him, Yusei had messaged Zuzu back and said that he'll meet her at the harbor. Now with Zuzu here, Satellite's Shooting Star could find out what this was all about.

"Zuzu, why did you ask me to meet you here?" Yusei questioned the pink haired female, unfolding his arms as he spoke. Instead of answering him, Zuzu just frowned as she placed her right hand against the warehouse's door and pushed it open. "…Follow me". Zuzu told the Synchro Duelist, before she walked into the warehouse without waiting for a response. The lack of an answer made Yusei narrow his eyes a bit, but he did follow Zuzu into the warehouse.

It was empty inside with a few crates inside, but nothing important. Zuzu and Yusei walked into the warehouse with a wide distance between them, like 10 feet away. Zuzu suddenly stopped in her tracks. Yusei stopped walking as well, his narrowed eyes glued to the teenage girl. "Zuzu, I'll ask once again. Why did you ask me to meet you here?" Satellite's Shooting Star questioned her once more, keeping his guard up just in case.

Zuzu turned around to face the Synchro Duelist, allowing him to see the deep glare on her face. She then slowly lifted her left hand up and held it into the air. "To duel you!" The pink haired girl exclaimed as her Duel Disk's screen displayed the words "Stand by", before it shifted into combat mode. The blade then materialized as Zuzu brought down her left arm, then swiped it out and finished by holding it in front of herself.

Yusei only raised an eyebrow at Zuzu's challenge. 'Guess that explains the Duel Disk'. Satellite's Shooting Star thought to himself, allowing himself to drop his guard as this was wasn't a serious matter. "You could have just asked to duel me. There was no need to be all secretive about all this". The Synchro Duelist told the young girl, which Zuzu shook her head at him. "You misunderstand the situation. This is not a normal duel". The pink haired girl told Satellite's Shooting Star with a deep frown. Her words put Yusei back on his guard at seeing there was more to the situation than it seemed.

"And why is that?" Yusei questioned the teenage girl, moving his right hand towards his Duel Disk, ready to activate it in a moment's notice. "That's because if I win this duel; you, Lulu and Rin have to leave Paradise City and never come back!" Zuzu answered the young adult with deep hostility in her voice. This immediately brought Yusei to full alarm at finally seeing what the point of this duel was. "…You must be joking. I have no reason to accept a duel with you like this, especially with something like that at stake. So, give me one reason why I should accept?" The Stardust Duelist questioned the Melodious Duelist, giving her his famous glare as he spoke.

Zuzu began to grew a smug grin on her face as she held up her right hand with the deck in hand. "Because if you don't… I'll tell Lulu that you're a Fusion user". She told the young adult, sounding like a kid on Christmas. What Zuzu said caused Yusei to widen his eyes in disbelief and shock at what she revealed. 'What!? How does she know that I use Fusion Summoning?' Satellite's Shooting Star questioned inside of his mind, before he returned to glaring at Zuzu with his teeth gritted against one another.

"How did you find out about that?!" Yusei questioned with anger inside of his voice, something that made Zuzu chuckle a bit. "You can blame yourself for that. I heard you and Serenity talking about her becoming a Fusion Duelist after Yuya's duel with Rin". The Melodious Duelist revealed how she knew. Her answer made Yusei turn his hands into fists as they shook with anger at himself for letting his guard down.

It was true though as after Rin's victory over Yuya and Tate's enrollment, Serenity had taken Yusei to a room away from the others to speak with him about what kind of deck she wanted to use. Serenity had told him that she wished to use a Fusion deck, and that instantly put Yusei in alarm. The Wheeler girl quickly reassured him that she would keep Fusion Summoning a secret from Lulu for the time being, but still wished to learn how to Fusion Summon. Out of all the Summoning Methods, Fusion Summoning got to her the most and she wished to learn it.

Seeing that she had truly grown to love Fusion Summoning, Yusei had no choice but to teach her. First, they built a Fusion deck that involved monsters called "Dragonmaid", a deck full of dragons. Then, Yusei told her as much as he knew about Fusion Summoning. He managed to teach her a little bit of information, but it was enough for the moment. What they didn't notice was that Zuzu was watching them from the barely open door.

Yusei blamed himself greatly for having his guard down, even in a safe location like the You Show Duel School. Zuzu waved her right hand's index finger around, taking great joy from the anger that Yusei was admitting. "Don't worry; I won't tell Lulu that you know the thing she fears. I'm gonna be fair here and give you a chance". The Standard piece of Ray told Satellite's Shooting Star, before holding up her left arm as her deck began shuffling.

"Defeat me in a duel; I'll keep my mouth shut about you knowing Fusion Summoning. But if I win; you and those two girls are out of here". Zuzu informed the Synchro user, drawing the top five cards of her deck with his right hand. Yusei let out a low growl, literally having no choice in this situation whatsoever. "Fine then. If defeating you is all it takes for you to keep quiet, then game on!" Yusei exclaimed, moving his right hand towards one of the deck boxes in his pants' back pocket and opened it, revealing his deck inside.

He grabbed hold of his cards, swiped his right hand out to the side, before slotting them into his Duel Disk's deck zone. The screen of Yusei's Duel Disk displayed the words "Stand by" as it activated and entered combat mode. The blade then materialized, before the deck began shuffling via the shuffling system, before stopping. "Game on!" Yusei called out, drawing his starting of five cards all at once with his right hand before swiping it out to the side. Zuzu just grinned in response as she transferred her card to her left hand.

Yusei Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

Zuzu Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

(Meanwhile with Yuya and Lulu)

Back at the Leo Institute Duel field, Yuya and Lulu were still standing across Sylvio and Cera in the Prison Tower of Darkvile Action field. All four of them had narrowed eyes at their receptive opponents, while holding the five cards with their left hands. In the stands, Allie, Tate, Frederick and Sylvio's lackeys all watched with different expressions; concern for the kids and smugness for the LID students.

Lulu Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

Yuya Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

Cera Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

Sylvio Life Points: 4000/ Number of cards in hand: 5.

(Play Yugioh Zexal ost: Duel Target! Lock On!)

"I hope you all don't mind, but ladies first". Lulu remarked, before looking down at the five cards in her hand. She had 3 monsters and 2 Spell cards. 'In the rules of a Tag Duel, neither player can declare an attack on their first turns, so I shouldn't have to worry about attacks until my next turn. Still, I guess this is a good time to test out the lessons that Yusei and Rin drilled into me'. The Mistress of Birds thought to herself, before picking up a single card and held it up right next to her left cheek.

"If there are no monsters on the field, I can Special Summon Lyrilusc – Turquoise Warbler from my hand!" Lulu explained, before swiping the card down on her Duel Disk's blade. A portal appeared and out came Lyrilusc – Turquoise Warbler, having an innocent smile on her face.

Lyrilusc – Turquoise Warbler ATK Points: 100/ Level: 1.

"When this card is Special Summoned; I can Special Summon another Level 1 Lyrilusc monster from my hand!" Lulu informed, taking another card from her hand and placed it down on her Duel Disk's blade. "Come, Lyrilusc – Cobalt Sparrow!" The Mistress of Birds called out as another portal appeared and out came Cobalt Sparrow, singing a peaceful song.

Lyrilusc – Cobalt Sparrow ATK Points: 0/ Level: 1.

"I activate Cobalt Sparrow's special ability!" Lulu declared, throwing her right hand forward as her deck began shuffling. "When this card is successfully Special Summoned; I can add another Cobalt Sparrow from my deck to the hand". The purple-haired female explained as her deck stopped shuffling with a single card slotted out. Lulu took hold of the card with her right hand's index and middle fingers, showed it to her opponents, before adding it to her hand.

Lulu then picked another card and held it up. She stared at the card for a moment or two, before she flipped it over and held it forward. It was a monster card with the image showing a 5-year-old girl with sky blue eyes and fair skin. She was wearing a sky blue bluebird outfit with glowing white feathers on the chest area. Her headwear looked like the head of a bluebird. "I now Normal Summon Lyrilusc – Lifeforce Bluebird!" She declared, before placing the card down on her Duel Disk's blade. A portal appeared with the same monster from the card's image coming out with a bright smile on her face.

(Lyrilusc – Lifeforce Bluebird/ Level: 1/ Attribute: Wind/ Type: Winged Beast/ Tuner/ Effect/ ATK: 1000/ DEF: 0/ Effect: When this card is ether Normal or Special Summoned, you can select one "Lyrilusc" monster in your graveyard and Special Summon it to your side of the field. If this card is used as Synchro Material for a 'Lyrilusc' or Wind Attribute Synchro Monster, increase your Life Points by 1000.)

The faces of Tate, Allie and Frederick instantly lit up in excitement upon seeing Lifeforce Bluebird, while Yuya just cracked a grin. Lulu allowed herself to grow a small smile, before she held up another card with her right hand. "Now that I've filled up my field a bit, I now activate the Wing Requital Spell card!" The purple-haired female exclaimed as she swiped the card into her Duel Disk with a larger copy of the Spell card appearing in front of her.

"If all of my monsters are Winged Beast monsters and 2 or more of them have different original names from each other; at the coast of paying 600 Life Points…" The Mistress of Birds began to explain as her Life Points went down a bit.

Lulu Life Points: 4000 – 600 = 3400.

"I can draw 2 new cards!" Lulu finished explaining her card's effect as she drew the top 2 cards of her deck, took a moment to look at them, before adding them to the hand. She then held her right hand out forward. "Level 1 Lyrilusc – Lifeforce Blue Bird tunes with Level 1 Cobalt Sparrow and Turquoise Warbler!" The Mistress of Birds declared, causing Sylvio and Cera to widen their eyes in surprise at what she said.

Cobalt Sparrow and Turquoise Warbler both took off into the air, while Lifeforce Bluebird gave a peaceful cry as she began gleaming a bright green colour, before transforming into a single green ring. The green ring flew after Cobalt Sparrow and Turquoise Warbler, circling around the two Winged Beast monsters with the two of them turning orange transparent. 2 stars then appeared within the rings.

Levels: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.

A thin, bright beam then appeared in between the ring and lights, before enlarging into a large one that consumed the lights and ring. "The sky makes way for the hummingbird that gives life and grows stronger as life grows around her! I Synchro Summon! Lyrilusc – Violet Hummingbird!" Lulu chanted as her new monster emerged from the bright beam and ascended into the air. It was a female adult with pale skin and purple eyes. She was wearing a violet colored hummingbird outfit, her hands were her wings and she had the tail of a hummingbird. Around her waist were violet feathers acting as an overskirt like Nightingale and finally, her headwear looked like a hummingbird's head. Violet Hummingbird gave a wink of her right eye as she spread her wings out, causing feathers to fall and rain down.

(Lyrilusc – Violet Hummingbird/ Level: 3/ Attribute: Wind/ Type: Winged Beast/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK Points: 0/ DEF Points: 0/ Requirements: 1 "Lyrilusc" Tuner monster + 1 or more Lyrilusc monster(s)/ Effect: Whenever you gain Life Points, this card gains ATK equal to the Life Points you gain. Once per turn: you can gain 300 Life Points for each card in your opponent's hand. If this card is destroyed by a card effect or battle, Special Summon the "Lyrilusc" monsters used as Synchro Material to Synchro Summon this card from your graveyard.)

Everyone watching the duel stared up at the Synchro Monster in awe, while Lulu had a content smile at successfully Synchro Summoning. 'I guess this is it. Thanks to this move; I'm officially a Synchro and Xyz Duelist'. The Mistress of Birds thought to herself, happy as this was her first Synchro Summon. She brought her right hand to her chest and let out a sigh to calm herself a little.

She then reopened her eyes, before swiping her right hand forward with the index finger out. "At this moment, Lifeforce Bluebird's special ability activates! See, when she's used as Synchro Material for a Lyrilusc or Wind Attribute Synchro Monster, my Life Points goes up by 1000!" The Mistress of Birds explained as Lifeforce Bluebird appeared, looking see through like a ghost in front of Lulu, before she transformed into blue sparkles that surrounded the purple haired female, increasing her Life Points.

Lulu Life Points: 3400 + 1000 = 4400.

"So you increased your Life Points, big deal". Sylvio scoffed with a wave of his right hand, yet Lulu only smirked at him. "Oh, it's a very big deal! Because Violet Hummingbird's special ability now activates! Whenever I gain Life Points, she gains ATK Points equal to the Life Points I gain! Since I gained 1000 Life Points, that's 1000 points for her!" The Mistress of Birds explained her Synchro Monster's special ability as the blue sparkles transferred over to Violet Hummaningbird, who let out a happy sigh as she absorbed the sparkles into herself.

Lyrilusc – Violet Hummingbird ATK Points: 0 + 1000 = 1000.

Cera grew a fascinated expression on her face at seeing Violet Hummingbird's special ability in action. "Interesting. Your Synchro Monster gains ATK Points whenever you gain Life Points; that's something you don't see every day". The braided hair girl remarked, getting Lulu's attention as she looked over to her. "There's more where that came from! I activate Lyrilusc – Violet Hummingbird's special ability!" Lulu exclaimed, throwing her right hand forward as Violet Hummingbird got rid of her aura and looked down towards Cera.

A small glow of light appeared underneath the female LID student, getting her to look down and saw the glow coming from her cards. Then, giant flowered appeared from the five cards, making Cera take a step back in surprise. Violet Hummingbird then flew down towards the giant flowers, before starting to suck the nectar from them. Cera and Sylvio watched in confusion, before they turned to look at Lulu for an explanation.

"Once a turn, Violet Hummingbird can suck out 300 points from every card in your hand and give it to me! Since you have 5 cards; that's 1500 points in total!" The purple haired girl explained her Synchro Monster's ability, gaining a violet coloured aura around herself as she spoke.

Lulu Life Points: 4400 + 1500 = 5900.

"5900 Life Points!?" Sylvio exclaimed with wide eyes of shock at seeing the high Life Points. "And don't forget that thanks to Violet Hummingbird's ability, she gains ATK whenever Lulu gains Life Points!" Yuya reminded Sylvio as Violet Hummingbird flew back towards Lulu, growing stronger as she did so.

Lyrilusc – Violet Hummingbird ATK Points: 1000 + 1500 = 2500.

The giant flowers disappeared with Cera frowning a bit at the Synchro Monster. "I end my turn here". Lulu declared her turn over as Violet Hummingbird flew above and grabbed hold of her shoulders with its talons.

(Music end)