"I'll go!"
"No, let me!"
"Jaden, I promised Professor Crowler, this duel should be mine!"
"Zane, Hikaru, and I have tag duel experience. I'm more suited to be his partner!"
"Ahh…" While Zane and Jaden argued, Fraulein yawned and lazily tugged the curtain.
Moonlight seeped into the manor, making her seem even more sluggish.
"So none of you thought about both of you going together?" Alexis sighed. "Hikaru just got out of the hospital a few days ago."
"But he already stepped forward." Jaden scratched his head.
"Yeah." Zane nodded.
Since he had already stepped up, they couldn't exactly pull him back now.
"Ugh, that's what I mean when I say duel-obsessed boys are so hardheaded." Alexis looked even more exasperated.
"Jaden, no matter what, Professor Crowler entrusted this to me. I must take responsibility, just like he did," Zane said seriously.
Jaden hesitated, but in the end, he couldn't argue with Zane and stepped aside.
Ever since Hikaru's "injury" and hospitalization, Jaden had been deeply worried that Shadow Duels could hurt his friends. Seeing Crowler barely able to stand today despite winning confirmed that fear.
Even though his spirit affinity was only four stars, Banner once told him his spirit power far exceeded the norm. Even in a Shadow Duel, he'd bounce right back. So, he felt it was his duty to protect his classmates.
Still, he couldn't ignore the professor's last request.
Maybe... he'd wait and see.
"Have you decided?"
"Yes," Zane replied.
"Then I shall explain the rules of the Shadow Duel!" Camula cheerfully assumed the role of referee.
"This will be a 2v2 tag duel. In the first turn, you cannot attack; from the second turn onward, attacks are allowed. Teammates share one monster zone, spell/trap zone, graveyard, and banished zone. Only the current turn duelist's deck may be used. Both teams start with 8000 Life Points.
Turn order: Lady Vamp, Blue Cutie, Lady Fraulein, Purple Cutie.
The losing team's souls will be sealed into cards.
Any objections?"
Everyone nodded.
Only Hikaru shivered slightly at the "Purple Cutie" comment.
'Gross.'
"Good luck, Hikaru, Zane!" Jaden cheered.
"Then- DUEL!" ×3
[Vampire Team, LP: 8000]
[Blue-Purple Team, LP: 8000]
"I'll take the first turn!" The silver-haired vampire swiftly drew a card. "Hmph, I activate the Continuous Spell, Vampire's Domain!"
"Once per turn, I can pay 500 LP to Normal Summon a 'Vampire' monster in addition to my Normal Summon."
"I Normal Summon Vampire Lady, then tribute her to Tribute Summon, Vampire Dragon!"
A sinister dragon with a single eye and bat wings flew out from the castle's shadows.
[Vampire Dragon] Level 5│DARK│Zombie│2400 ATK
[Vampire Team, LP: 8000 → 7500]
"2400 Attack? That's nothing for my brother!" Syrus confidently boasted.
"I end my turn."
"My turn, Draw!" Zane drew and immediately revealed his hand. "I Special Summon, Cyber Dragon!"
There it is!
Cyber Dragon!
Hikaru nodded repeatedly.
He'd never forget that line: "Forget all the meta stuff, play the unbeatable Zane-style Cyber Deck!"
The most stylish Fusion Deck around!
[Cyber Dragon] Level 5│LIGHT│Machine│ATK 2100
"Then I activate the effect of Cyber Dragon Vier in my hand! When I successfully summon or Special Summon Cyber Dragon, I can Special Summon Vier in Defense Position."
A small purple-jointed Cyber Dragon shot out of his hand.
"While Vier is on the field, all Cyber Dragons I control gain 500 Attack and Defense!"
[Cyber Dragon, ATK: 2100 → 2600]
[Cyber Dragon Vier, DEF: 1600 → 2100]
"Nice! It's stronger than Vampire Dragon now!"
"Battle! Cyber Dragon, attack Vampire Dragon, Evolution Burst!"
The mechanical dragon fired a blast of white flame, vaporizing the undead dragon.
[Vampire Team, LP: 7500 → 7300]
"When Vampire Dragon is sent to the Graveyard after a Tribute Summon, I can add a Level 4 or lower monster from my deck to my hand!" Vamp revealed the effect, then searched her deck. "I add Gozuki."
"So she can Special Summon a Zombie monster."
Zane, being top of his class, recognized the card instantly.
"I set two cards and end my turn."
"Looks like nothing special!" Syrus cheered. "My brother's got this!"
"Syrus!" Jaden scolded with a rare frown. "The duel just started! That creepy vampire lady hasn't even played yet!"
"Hehehe~ that's right. You haven't seen Lady Fraulein's power yet. How can you be so confident?" Camula laughed.
"Haaah~" Fraulein yawned, drew a card, and let her Duel Disk unfold. "I activate the Field Spell, Vampire Kingdom."
With a tremendous rumble, the surroundings became distorted. As the students looked on in shock, Gothic clock towers, castles, and graveyards rose from the ground, bathed in blood-red light and mist.
A blood moon hung high in the sky!
"What is this card?" Zane exclaimed.
As a top student, it was rare for him not to recognize a card. During Crowler and Camula's duel, he knew every vampire card she played.
But this one?
"Careful, Zane!" Hikaru shouted. "While Vampire Kingdom is active, all Zombie monsters gain 500 ATK during battle. Not only that, if one of our cards is sent to the Graveyard from the Deck, they can send a Vampire from their deck to destroy one of our cards!"
"That effect is strong!" Zane was even more shocked.
In their era, gaining a few hundred ATK was already a big deal, let alone destruction effects on top!
"I Normal Summon, Vampire Lady."
"Hahaha!"
Vampire Lady, previously Tributed, reappeared, flying into the duel field.
[Vampire Lady] Level 4│DARK│Zombie│1550 ATK
"Battle! Attack Cyber Dragon!"
"What!?" Everyone but Hikaru shouted.
"Attacking a 2600 ATK Cyber Dragon with 1550 ATK Vampire Lady!?"
"She must not know how to duel!"
Fraulein glanced sideways at Syrus, then pulled a card from her hand.
"During the attack declaration, I activate my effect, Special Summon myself in Defense Position."
"Yourself!?"
She revealed a card from her hand and placed it on the Duel Disk. With a flap of her wings, she flew into the monster zone herself.
Most students had never seen anything like this.
But they had to admit… up close, she was stunning.
"So cute..." Syrus muttered with a dreamy look.
[Vampire Fraulein] Level 5│DARK│Zombie│2000 DEF
"My effect lets me Special Summon myself in Defense Position during an attack declaration. Next, Vampire Lady attacks Cyber Dragon, and I activate my own effect again- pay 3000 LP!"
"Three thousand!?"
"Huh!?"
To duelists used to 4000 LP, this was nearly suicide!
[Vampire Team, LP: 7300 → 4300]
"According to my effect, Zombie monsters gain ATK equal to the LP paid, up to 3000!" She bit her finger delicately, flicking some blood onto the green-haired Vampire Lady.
[Vampire Lady, ATK: 1550 → 2050 → 5050!]
"F-Five thousand!?" Chazz nearly fell over.
"I-It's stronger than my brother's Cyber End Dragon..."
Empowered by the Fraulein's blood, Vamp Lady roared with new strength and leapt forward, slashing through Cyber Dragon.
"Ahh!"
Crimson blades of blood pierced through Hikaru and Zane, leaving wounds and forcing them back.
[Blue-Purple Team, LP: 8000 → 5550]
"Meanwhile, Vampire's Domain's effect restores LP equal to the damage dealt."
[Vampire Team, LP: 4300 → 6750]
"Vampire Lady's effect activates after dealing damage, I declare Monster, Spell, or Trap. You must discard one of that type from your deck. I choose Monster."
"Ugh..." Zane paled, recalling Hikaru's earlier explanation. "I send Proto-Cyber Dragon to the Graveyard."
"Then, Vampire Kingdom's effect!" The Fraulein flapped her wings. "I send Vampire Sorcerer from my deck to destroy your set card on the right."
A giant blood moon glowed ominously as a red beam shot down and blew the set card apart.
It was Monster Reborn! Clearly prepared for Hikaru's use!
"S-So strong..." Syrus swallowed hard. That beautiful, elegant face now looked more like a devil's. "M-Maybe Dark Magician Girl is still the best."
"Wait, what am I thinking?" He slapped his cheeks and turned back to Zane.
The enemy was far too powerful. Could Zane and Hikaru really win!?
Hikaru took a deep breath.
Of course.
When he heard the words "Lady Fraulein," he knew this would happen.
Unlike Darkness's meddling clone, this Vampire Fraulein was clearly a powerful duel spirit from another dimension, an expert duelist!
But…trying to outpower Cyber Dragons, huh?
Just wait, my deck has also been upgraded!