" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

Your POV:

Syrus: Aniki...

Chumley: It's not looking good... Even when it comes to life points, bastion has the upper hand...

Bastion: Face it Y/n. With your strongest monster down the drain and my water dragon on the offense, you're about to get washed up.

Alexis: Come on, please... Fight back.

Zane: Well, maybe we underestimated bastion a bit. He managed to find a strategy that could handicap his opponent regardless of the deck he chose to play. And all of that with but one card.

Alexis: He just sent his monsters to the graveyard, that's all.

Zane: But that might be enough. And beside... I don't think he uncovered all of his strategy yet.

Crowler: That's it Bastion, show this dunce drop-out who's boss ! Show him he doesn't belong in the school duel !

Banner: My, Pharaoh. This does not look good.

Pharaoh: Praaah. 'Speak for yourself, bitch. I'm the hottest cat on this island ! Only cat on this island, really. That makes me king of cats.' Praaah.

"... Fine then, if you want to play it like that. I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

Bastion: Not much to do now, isn't it ? I wonder, is that seventh deck up to the challenge for you yet ?

"Challenge ? It went beyond that point already. But if you think you've stopped me just like that, then you're sorely mistaken."

Bastion: Maybe. But with this stratagem I've devised, your chances of victory are closing in to 0 ! I will prove it to you now! I draw ! I play the Mathematician, in attack mode !

Bastion: When he's summoned, I can send one card from my deck to the graveyard. And when he's destroyed by battle, I can draw another card ! And now I'll attack ! Water Dragon, attack the Sentry soldier of Stone !

"I activate Catapult zone's effect ! So I can discard my Magic hole golem to the graveyard and prevent my monster's destruction ! Then I activate my first face-down ! Call of the haunted !"

Alexis: See what I meant ? Even if his monsters are sent to the grave, he can easily bring them back.

Zane: That's not what I meant. And Bastion would certainly know that too.

Bastion: Heh. Right in my trap ! Royal decree, go !!

"I... What ?!"

Bastion: Surprised ? Chain destruction was just the first half of my plan. The human mind is fallible, so regardless of the care you put in your decks, they're bound to have a pattern ! And yours is your use of trap cards ! But with Royal Decree in play, all the other trap cards have their effect negated !

"Gh... You mean..."

Bastion: I mean no Call of the haunted. No Falling rocks. No magic cylinder or mirror force. Nothing of that.

Syrus: Just when we thought it couldn't get any worse.. His defense is barely keeping up !

Chumley: No trap cards and no Valkyrion...

Crowler: He's getting pushed back ! As expected from the one I chose !

Banner: Yet they're only Ra Yellow students.

Crowler: W- Well...

Sheppard: We raise students to duel like that while not being in Obelisk blue yet. isn't it beautiful ?

Crowler: Y- Yes... 'Why isn't Misawa a blue student then ? Someone like that Y/n appear, and all the traditions of Duel Academy are thrown away just like that !'

Bastion: I think that'll be all for my turn. So how do you find my calculations regarding my victory ? I haven't made a single mistake !

"That might be true. But even so, don't think I'd go down so easily ! I draw ! 'No trap cards for me... And no ways of calling out something strong enough to take down that water dragon... And even if I could call something else, his equip spell would allow water dragon to attack twice...' I tribute my sentry soldier of stone to summon Millenium golem, in attack mode !"

"Not enough for water dragon... But enough for the Mathematician ! Attack ! Crumbling might !!"

*SCHBROOOOOOOOOOM*

*4000-→3500*

Bastion: Gh... The effect of the Mathematician activates ! Because it was destroyed in battle, I can draw one card !

"It's a risk I'm willing to take. I end my turn."

Bastion: Then I'll end this duel ! I draw ! And I activate the spell, Mystical Space Typhoon ! Using it to destroy your Dark Door !

"Mh. This one's going to hurt..."

Bastion: You have no idea. Because as we speak, ten cards are stacked on Carboneddon in the Graveyard ! But the pressure won't destroy him, it'll only make him stronger ! His effect activates, letting me removing it from play, and summoning Hyozanryu from my deck !!

Bastion: Now, Water Dragon and Hyozanryu, attack ! Tidal blast and Diamond Breath !

"Brace yourself, and activate Catapult zone !"

*SCHBROOOOOOOM*

*3900-→ 3000*

Alexis: That's it ! He finally broke through his defense !

Zane: And now it's two monsters to zero. Not to mention he can't keep activating his field spell forever, he'll soon run out of monsters... So if he doesn't find a solution really fast...

"My turn ! I draw !"

Bastion: You should just give it up while you can. What hopes do you have left ?

"Hope ? I don't need to hope, I just need to know ! And I know I'll beat you ! I summon Delta, the Magnet Warrior, in attack mode !"

Chumley: That's a new one...

"Now Delta's effect activates ! Letting me send a level 4 or lower magnet warrior from my deck to the grave ! So Alpha is joining Beta and Gamma there !"

Bastion: What are you hoping to do with that ?

"You'll see. Delta, attack ! Go for his Hyozanryu !"

Syrus: Aniki ?! What has gotten into you ?! Are you throwing ?!

Alexis: ... Is he throwing ?

Zane: Maybe not... I think he's gonna do the impossible.

*SCHBROOOOOOOOOOM*

*3000-→2500*

Bastion: What's the meaning of that ?! Even putting aside that suicidal attack, why didn't you activate your field spell ?!

"I don't need to. Delta went exactly where it needs to be. You see, whenever Delta the Magnet Warrior is sent to the graveyard, I can activate its second effect."

*BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR*

"Thanks to that, I can now banish three level 4 magnet warriors from my graveyard. So I'll banish Alpha, beta and Gamma, in order to summon... VALKYRION, THE MAGNA WARRIOR !!"

Bastion: Gh... Just what I didn't need...

"And I'll give it to you. Sending my materials to the graveyard and then preventing me from getting them back with my traps... That would've undoubtedly made you win... safe from one mistake."

Bastion: What mistake ?! My calculations were perfect, I know it !

"They were ! But you did them based on a deck I already showed. Not a deck I haven't showed yet. Let that sink in while you sink ! Because in case you haven't noticed, my battle phase isn't over ! Valkyrion ! Attack Hyozanryu ! ALNICO STRIKE !!"

*SCHBROOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Bastion: GAAAAAAAH !!

*3500-→2100*

Chumley: He took back the lead !

Syrus: Alright ! You go, Aniki !!

"Next I'll activate a spell card, Attack the moon, and end my turn."

Bastion: You push me to my limits. Guess I'll just have to match you ! I draw ! And I activate the spell card Posh- Uh, Pot of greed ! Then I activate the ritual spell, Litmus doom ritual !

Bastion: So by tributing monsters whose levels are equal to 8 or more, I can bring out the ritual monster, Litmus Doom Swordsman !

Syrus: But it has no attack points !

Bastion: Doom swordsman isn't affected by traps, and he can't be destroyed by battle either. In short, he's indestructible. Furthermore, when there's a trap card on the field... His attack and defense rise all the way to 3000 ! And my Royal Decree just happens to be one !

*0-→3000*

Chumley: 3000... But even so, Valkyrion has 3500 attack points... He can't break through !

Bastion: And that's not all ! I play the quick-play spell, Rush Recklessly !

Bastion: It gives one of my monster 700 more attack points for the rest of this turn ! Now Litmus Doom Swordsman, attack ! Cleave through his rock defense with an iron spearhead !

"... Fitting. Just like a boar rushing in, you forgot the most important. I activate my field spell, one last time ! Catapult Zone ! Now Bastion, did you count how many times I used it already ?"

Bastion: Why would that matter ?

"Oh, maybe I forgot to tell you... It doesn't matter how it's done, as long as Delta goes to the graveyard, I can activate its effect... And lucky me, Catapult zone can do that just fine. With all the magnets you so nicely send there for me in this duel, even if I take a bit of damage..."

*2500-→2300*

"With another Delta in the Graveyard, Its effect activates ! Letting me banish three more magnet warriors to summon Another Valkyrion to the field !"

Bastion: Another one... I'll let you at that and end my turn.

Crowler: 'No ! That can't be ! That drop-out can't be winning this ! No, wait... He hasn't won just yet ! In fact... he put himself in an inextricable situation !'

Alexis: Well, looks like this match is over...

Zane: Don't be so sure of it... Y/n has the upper hand when it comes to monsters... But because of his dark door, he's only allowed to attack one per battle phase. And since that Doom swordsman is indestructible by battle...

"... My turn ! I draw ! And the first thing I'll do, is put one of my Valkyrion in defense mode !"

*SCHBROOOOOOOOOOOM*

Bastion: What ?! What was that ?!

"The effect of Attack the Moon. With it, once a turn, if the battle position of a rock-type monster I control is changed, I can destroy one of your spell or trap cards. And so I destroyed your royal decree !"

Bastion: Kh... So you can use trap cards now... This seventh deck contains all my efforts ! You won't beat it like that !

"Wanna bet ?! Correct me if I'm wrong, but without a trap on the field, your swordsman loses all his power, right ?"

Bastion: HAH !

*3000-→0*

"You said it, the human mind is fallible ! I already went through monsters indestructible in battle before ! But now your monster has no attack points, and I have a Valkyrion ready to strike ! Now go and end this duel ! ALNICO STRIKE !!"

*SCHBROOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

Bastion: Gh... GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH !!

*2100-→0*

Zane: I guess than when it comes down to him... Math just isn't enough to win.

Alexis: Like he has some sort of strange power... or a strategy you can't see...

Crowler: Ohhh... That's not possible...

Sheppard: The winner of this duel... Is Y/n L/n, from Ra Yellow ! Congratulations. You will be Duel Academy's representative at the school duel.

Syrus: You did it, Aniki !

Chumley: That was something to watch !

Bastion: Indeed. You beat me fair and square. Or rather, you beat this deck. But I'll just start over from scratch, so you can be assured there will be another.

"And another duel. The perfect deck doesn't exist, but it looks to me like we're both competing to get as close as possible. I'm waiting for that Eighth deck of yours !"

Crowler: Peperoncino... Seeing this drop-out becoming our representative is a nightmare !

"Honestly I wonder... They said it's gonna be first-year against first-year for this school duel... Who could they send ?"