Dueling life in a futuristic world

 Mia breathes heavily as her turn’s up. The injuries on her body remaining as reminders of what she’s up against.

 To me, she looks scared, but that’s something that the Audience can’t know.

 “It’s time for the NWDA to show to the world what their duelists have in store!” Haruna announces over the microphone.

 I turn to her with a raised brow, confused by what she’s trying to do. I’m at a loss here. We never expected to do this as a duo, and I don’t even know what the club had prepared for a situation like this.

 She looks away from the mic and says into her earphone. “Let’s go with the SV stuff. If we’re short on members, then we make some. Isn’t that what you told us?”

 “I mean… my monsters aren’t exactly eye candy.” I left my live twin deck back at the academy, thinking Nanako and Haruna had that covered.

 But Haruna remains steady in her decision and throws me something.

 I catch the rectangular object, a deck held together with a single hairband. I turn it around and spot a card showcasing the face of a girl with golden blonde hair and green eyes, Dark Magician Girl.

 “Nanako gave it to me in the confusion. She wanted someone to use it if she couldn’t, and considering our situation, well, I think its appropriate. Are you ready for this?”

 

---

 

 ‘Well, I’m in a bit of pickle aren’t I?’ Thought Mia, still holding on to the burn marks caused by Arvin’s latest attack. Her expectation of what it would be like to take part in this tournament had skyrocketed after seeing Arvin’s turn. She had expected to face against one or two ‘powerful’ 2000ATK+ monsters, like most of the Yellow ranks at the academy, who were content with bringing out one big Extra Deck monster and fantasizing at what rank they’d graduate at after mastering it. Unfortunately for Mia - Who didn’t know any Extra Deck summoning techniques, and, contrary to her sister Aiko, didn’t intend to learn one any time soon - She was facing two enormous 4000ATK point beasts.

 Still, she couldn’t keep just keep licking her wounds like this forever. She had people who looked after her, and, in turn, expected her to triumph over a situation like this. This situation wouldn’t phase Yuumi, she would just get over these pitiful monsters and laugh in their duelists faces for getting haughty when playing with little toys… Yuumi’s words.

 Anyway, there was a duel to win and Mia wasn’t about to give up because of a minor setback. Especially after she looked up. Mia was expecting to find the NWDA cheer squad including Yuumi dancing to entertain the audience and hype her up, but she found only Haruna and Yuumi on the platform, more surprising than that even, were the duel disks on both their wrists.

 ‘What are they planning?’ Yuumi did tell her before the duel that the squad had prepared a surprise for the audience if they ever were down, but she had been scarce on the details.

 Suddenly a banner appeared between the two platforms saying: “Get ready for the NWDA’s special Solid Vision Gymnastics! Don’t try any of these feats at home. We’re trained professionals.” Right after that, they jumped, only to be grabbed by two solid vision monsters. Trickstar Candina held Haruna by her arms while Yuumi was supported by Dark Magician Girl by the legs, her skirt falling to reveal black bloomer like panties. She didn’t mind though, as DMG threw her back up to Haruna, who clasped her arms.

 Mia looked down at her duel disk to find the turn timer paused. Seems like their intention was to use the performance to give Mia time to recover. Unbeknownst to them, Mia’s injuries looked worse than they were, so for that, this wasn’t necessary. But it allowed Mia to consider her options more carefully.

 Her hand was decent, but there wasn’t anything there that could run over the two Blue-Eyes Dragons. She turned to her second hand, the graveyard, and filtered to any card that had an effect which could be activated. She found only one. Hopefully, that would be enough.

 Mia turned away from her deck and back up to the show. She wasn’t one for extensive strategizing. She preferred feeling the flow of the duel and deciding her move from instinct.

 Up in the sky, bathed in starlight, Yuumi was getting thrown around with Haruna. They were doing flip and splits in the air, supported by many duel monsters. The Audience was fixated on them, but they were silent, instead a popular dubstep beat served as the backdrop for their performance.

 They kept it up for a couple more minutes, before ending with a series of back-to-back backflips and a landing back on the platform. Haruna grabbed the Mic as the solid vision monsters flew around the spectator stands.

 “Thank you everyone! How about we return to the duel and see what Mia has in store for the Spring forest institute?!”

 “WAOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Deafening roars filled the arena, finally snapping the SFI’s cheer team out of their bewilderment. Even they clapped and cheered at Haruna and Yuumi's performance, slightly jealous.

 Enabling the dueling announcement, Mia said. “DRAW!”

 She looked the card she drew and thought. ‘Not that useful right now, but let’s set it for later.’

 This reminded the audience what they were really here to see, and so the arena was quiet again, keenly awaiting what Mia would do to overpower her opponent.

 [Standby Phase, Main Phase 1]

 Mia grinned and declared. “I set one card face down, then, from the GY, I activate the effect of Eidos! By banishing itself from the grave I special summon—”

 “Before that Mia, let me activate my face down, ‘Reckless greed.’ With it I draw 2 cards.”

 Nodding, Mia continued. “Fine, Eidos Special Summons Edea from the grave.”

 The knight returned to the field, now with her arms crossed in defense position. Something that wasn’t too smart to do considering Chaos Max’s effect, but it wouldn’t stay on the field for that long anyway.

 “Edea’s effect activates, on summon. It allows me to special summon ‘Mithra, The Thunder Vassal’ from the deck.”

 A strangely armored knight appeared next to Edea. She had a voluminous skirt decorated with tiger pattern and sharp and blood red talons covered by metal.

 Mia picked a card from her hand and held it up high. “I tribute Mithra and Edea to summon!” She placed the card down, and both monsters disappeared. “Erebus The Underworld Monarch!”

 “One of Mia’s signature monsters returns! Its effect will be crucial for Mia to deal with Arvin’s Blue-Eyes. But does he have a counter?” Haruna teased over the mic.

 The monster finally soared above the field, only to sit down back on the throne with his head tilted to the side, supported by his fist. Unamused at the events which resulted in his peers’ destruction.

 “The effect of Erebus will activate, followed by Return of the Monarchs’ effect. Chaining to that, I activate Edea from the grave, followed by Mithra.”

 Arvin simply nods at the chain of effects.

 “A chain link 4! You don’t see those every day! As Arvin has let it resolve, allow me to explain the effects! First Mithra resolves as chain link 4, allowing Mia to tribute summon again! Then Edea will add 1 banished card back to her hand with Return adding 1 monarch from the deck. Finally, Erebus will do his magic!”

 She nodded again and followed what Haruna said. “Thank you Haruna! I will add Pantheism with Edea’s effect, followed by Ehther with Return.” She thrusts her right hand forward and continues. “With Erebus, I send ‘Escalation of the Monarchs’ and another copy of ‘Return of The True Monarchs’ from the deck to the grave and then…” she trails off as Erebus finally stood up from the throne and raised its arm. “I send one of your Blue-Eyes Chaos Max dragons back to the deck!”

 

 An orb of red light formed in the monarch’s hand. A red aura emerging around Arvin’s dragon, before it quickly disintegrated into red mist, a savage extermination from a savage ruler. Being done with his task, Erebus sank into his throne once again.

 Arvin stayed unphased even with his beast’s destruction, but he frowned slightly, making sure nobody saw it. After all, the controller of such monsters couldn’t be seen cowering at a minor setback. He had two dragons for a reason.

 Mia, expecting some reaction, furrowed her brow. “So that doesn’t make you worry? Fine. By discarding Pantheism, I activate the effect of Erebus in the graveyard, returning it to my hand. Next, I activate Pantheism in the GY!”

 “We’ve already seen this, everyone! Will Mia let his opponent choose a card for her to add? Or will she let him pick between 3 identical cards again?”

 Here, the latter was correct, as three identical cards got projected above the field.

 “Urr. Seriously?” Arvin groaned after reading the card. ‘The Monarchs Stormfront.’

 Mia held up a peace sign and giggled. “Hehehehe! Sorry, but I will activate the card you just gave me.”

 “‘The Monarchs Stormfront’ is a card that lets Mia tribute using one of her opponent’s monsters! I think everyone can guess what’s about to happen, but why don’t you show it, Mia?”

 “My pleasure Haruna. Because of Mithra’s effect and Stormfront, I tribute ‘Blue-Eyes Chaos Max Dragon’ on my opponent’s field and ‘The prime Monarch’ on mine to summon…” The dragon on Arvin’s field turned into particles of light which concentrated in front of Mia, joined by Prime Monarch. A dark figure emerged from the formation, developing into a copy of the ruler currently intently looking over from his throne. A copy of Erebus formed and walked over to the first one, looking expectantly at his double. But the first Erebus remained still, eliciting the second to cross its arms, annoyed at not having a throne to sit on. The sitcom came to a close when the second Erebus simply snapped his fingers, making a second throne appear next to the first.

 Mia, Haruna and the Audience shared a good laugh, but Arvin and SFI’s cheer team found it difficult to make fun of it at their current situation. It was not looking good for them.

 “The effect of the second Erebus activates, I send a copy of stormforth and ‘Tenacity of the Monarchs’ to the grave and hand loop you for one card. BATTLE!” Mia declared, making the platforms of both cheer teams go back behind the barrier.

 

 [Battle Phase]

 “Erebus! Attack Manju!” Mia ordered.

 Erebus didn’t rise from his throne. Instead, he lifted a single finger and shot a red beam at the blob of hands, which protected Arvin. Because of the effect of Domain of the True Monarchs, its attack raised from 2800 to 3600ATK.

 “SHIT!” Arvin exclaimed before getting thrown back by the resulting explosion from the attack of Erebus, The Underworld Monarch. He got sent back two meters and landed on his back, gasping from having the air beat out of him.

 Mia sighed and said in a low voice. “I’m sorry for this, but you went first.” she raised her hand again and gave another order. “Erebus Number Two! Attack Arvin Directly!” The ruler did as ordered, mirroring its double by shooting a beam of energy out of its finger.

 The beam moved unimpeded through the Arena, landing on Arvin’s shoulder and making a hole right through it. “AHHHH!! SHIT!” Arvin wailed, still on the floor. “FUCK! Aaaah! That hurts!”

 Mia tried to ignore her opponent’s suffering, knowing fully well he would be good as new a little over an hour after the duel was over, nanogel mixed with natural healing accelerators made sure of that, but for the warm-hearted girl it was difficult to watch someone struggle and not run over to help them; like she did for her mother after her father had his way many times before.

 But this time it was different. She was the attacker, and she intended to keep it that way. No longer would she let herself and others suffer because she was too weak to protect them. This time, it was her turn to go on the offensive.

 [

  End of battle

  NWDA: 5600LP

  SFI: 3000LP from 8000LP

 ]

 [Main Phase 2]

 “I will activate the effect of ‘The Prime Monarch’ from the graveyard by banishing ‘Tenacity of the Monarchs.’ Special summoning Prime to the field. With this, I end my turn.”