After the encounter with another Number Hunter named Kyoji, Yuma and Y/n had another choice to find other Number cards before more, and had a feeling that there were other Number Hunters hunting for Number cards.
Meanwhile, Yuma was trying to fit his third heart piece to his first, but to no avail.
"Aw, man, this is just my luck! I get my third heart piece, and then, it won't fit!!" Yuma yelled in frustration, "Why me?! It's not like I swiped the thing, I won it, fair and square!!" Which made Y/n a bit amused. "Maybe it's because some hearts have an unusual shape. Can I see your duel disk for a second?" Y/n asked. Yuma nodded and handed his duel disk to her, before she opened a screen, which shows different shapes of heart pieces and how they fit into a heart frame.
"Guess I was right. The piece you have right now, isn't the one you need, and there could be possible tons of combinations." Y/n said, giving his duel disk back.
"Tons?! So what're you saying, I might have to win a thousand pieces?!" Yuma asked in disbelief, slumping his head down, and Y/n smiled sympathetically and patted his head.
"Not to pile it on, but... heart pieces are not the only thing we're here to win, if you recall. As you said, our main goal entering the Duel Carnival is to retrieve Number Cards." Astral reminded, before looking away.
"When did I say that?! I never said that! I want heart pieces! I love heart pieces! I--" Yuma trailed off. Then Astral gasped, and they turned to see and gasped, a rocket was coming at them. "What the--" Y/n was cut off, "Look out!!" Yuma yelled, grabbing her arms and tackling her out of the way, and the rocket hit the ground and exploded. Yuma looked up, "Aarrgghh! This augmented reality is getting a little too real if ya ask me!" he yelled.
"It's not augmented reality, Yuma. It's real. And can you please get off me?" Y/n asked, Yuma was confused and looked to see her face redder than a tomato and he blushed back, "S-sorry." Yuma said, helping Y/n stand up to her feet, and noticed three rockets headed their direction. "This way! Come on!" Yuma then grabbed Y/n's hand and started running, rockets exploding behind them.
"Astral! Whaddaya seem whaddaya see?!" Yuma asked, running. "From what I can tell you're under attack." Astral answered. "No joke, genius!" He snapped. "Where are these rockets coming from?!" Y/n asked.
"I don't know! But keep running, this way!" Yuma answered, as they dashed around a corner. "There is no escape!" a female voice yelled behind them. "Who is that?" Y/n asked. "I don't know. But I suggest running is the only option." Rhea replied.
"Ha! And now I've gotcha!" The girl yelled, firing another rocket. "Look out!" Yuma yelled, grabbing Y/n's hand and pulled her to the side, out of the way of the rocket. It explodes again, blowing up the sidewalk, and knocks them off their feet. The girl catches up, but was indoors somewhere, before she finds them in a dark sewer tunnel. And the top of a tower, and on the roller coaster, and finally she finds them when they're both dressed up as the Sparrow, the famous Tv superhero, Nelson dressed as.
Yuma and Y/n climbed up a green-painted ladder that leads to the top of the shallow, domed, pink-and-orange checked roof of the building, which they found as a spot to hide. "There! We made it!" Yuma said, trying to catch his breath, "There's no chance that she'll us way- up- here..."
"I wouldn't be so sure!!" The girl said, before they looked up to see the girl around their age with pink and orange hair, and yellow eyes, flying above on a hovercraft, "Any last words? Because now's the time--AAHH!" She loses her balance on her hovercraft and falls off, before crashing down on top of the dome behind them.
"Un... you okay?" Yuma asked the girl, before she jumped up with a bazooka aimed ready to fire. "Quiet! I'm taking you out! You know you have it coming!" She told Yuma.
"Wait, hold on! Why do I have it coming? I don't even know you! You sure I'm the one you wanna blast?" He asked, confused. "Ha! I'm absolutely sure, I'd never forget you-- Yuma Tsukumo!" She yelled with a smirk, Y/n was confused and looked at the girl, before her eyes went wide. "Anna?" She asked.
"Anna? You know her?" Yuma asked Y/n. "Yeah, her name is Anna Kaboom. She transferred out of school two years ago, we hung out sometimes and had duels." Y/n explained. "Doesn't ring a bell..." Yuma replied, making the h/c girl sighed, and Anna was ticked off.
"So I'm easy to forget?! Is that what you're suggesting, Yuma?!" Anna asked angrily, and Yuma fell on his rear, and the barrel of Anna's bazooka is a few feet from his nose.
"No, no, I remember now! It's crystal clear! I could never forget someone as charming as you!" Yuma said, freaking out, trying to calm her down. "So why are you so angry at Yuma? More importantly, what did you do that made her so mad, Yuma?" Y/n asked, glancing at the lobster haired boy.
"Ehhh.. I didn't do anything!" Yuma answered, which made Y/n a bit unconvinced. "Revenge." Anna answered, and their eyes widened, mostly the most was Yuma.
"Revenge? Let me guess you want revenge against Yuma." Y/n said. "Got that right! For what he did to me back then. Or didn't do...:" Anna replied.
"Huh?" Yuma asked, confused. "Ya see?! Right there! That's the problem!! You're completely and totally oblivious! Oh, just shush!!" Anna said, turning away, "You... you never noticed me.
"Whaddaya mean?! Why should I have noticed you?!" Yuma asked, and Y/n felt something snapped, like a twig breaking and burning inside. "Because I put glue on the bottom of your shoes! I scribbled notes all over your duel disk. I cut little holes in your gym shorts! I hid rocks in your duel fuel!" Anna told him, and Yuma just freaked out even more.
"Really? You did all those things to me? Wow! Y'know, you'd really think I'd remember all that!" Yuma said. Y/n just stand there giving Anna an irritated glare, 'She's just trying to get Yuma's attention? Gross, that sounds like a creepy stalker.' she thoughted, disgusted by the thought of someone stalking Yuma.
"You're telling me! How could you not know I was head-over-heels in love with you? That's why I was trying to get your attention... but nothing I did worked. Then, I had to transfer to another school!! I asked you to meet me after class... I waited, and waited, but you never showed up. That's when I made a solemn vow. I'll get you for this, Yuma!!" Anna screamed, punches at his head, and barely missed, punching a large dent in the non-durable concrete or plaster of the roof under him, "And now it's time for payback! So get ready, Yuma Tsukumo-- cause I'm here to collect!" She picks up her blaster, and Yuma somersaults and handsprings back from her, and the number 81 glowed orange on her neck.
"Wait! Just hold on a sec! Before you start collecting anything, maybe there's another way to teach me a lesson! Ya know-- by doing something that'll really make me suffer! Like beating in a duel!" Yuma said, and Anna put her blaster down. "A duel, huh?" She asked with a small smirk, before she replied, "Works for me. Let's do this! It just so happens, I've always known how much you like dueling. So I thought you might suggest this!"
Y/n granted her teeth in annoyance,, 'He's an idiot! But at least he'll teach her not to stalk someone.'
"However, if I win our match, then you have to become my boyfriend! Cool?" Anna asked, Yuma froze, and Y/n started to get more annoyed, flames started burning around her, which scared Yuma, and Astral and Rhea were confused.
"No way you'll be winning, so that's fine with me!" Yuma said, even though he was a bit frightened by Y/n's scary annoyed expression. "Y/n, please calm down, it's just a duel for the Duel Carnival." He told her, and Y/n was surprised and took a deep breath, "Okay, if you say so." She replied, as the flames faded.
"All right, then let's get started!" Anna said, activating her duel disk and duel gazer. "Duel disk, extended and set! Duel gazer, activate!" Yuma said, activating his, as well.
"Augmented Reality Vision Link established." A computer voice said, activating the duel field. "Now let's duel!" Yuma and Anna said in unison.
Yuma: 4000/ cards in hand:5
Anna: 4000/ cards in hand: 5
"Human love is such a peculiar thing.... and packs such serious firepower...." Astral said, confused about relationships of people.
"Ladies first, in this match-- so here I go! It's my draw!" Anna said going first, "For my first move, I'm summoning Rocket Arrow Express!"
A monster that looks like a rocket or train appeared in front of Anna.
Rocket Arrow Express (Lv:10, Atk/5000)
"Astral!It's got 5000 attack points! That train's gonna derail my duel!" Yuma exclaimed, glancing at Anna's monster. "How is Anna able to summon a strong monster on her first turn?" Astral asked, confused, mostly glancing at the rocket-like monster.
"This card can only be summoned when I have no other cards on my field. So since my field was empty, voila! However, to keep this card out there, I'll have to send 5 cards from my hand to the graveyard every turn." Anna explained her strategy. "Five cards every turn?! Yaah, I don't know what you're up to, But I don't like it one bit!" Yuma replied to her.
"However, I can't attack on the first turn, Rocket Arrow Express is summoned, and when it's on the field, I can't place any other card facedown, so... I end my turn! Which means you're up, Yuma, so bring it on!" Anna said, allowing Yuma to make his move.
"Right! Here I go! I draw!" Yuma said, making his draw. "Yuma! Rocket Arrow is too powerful to take down this turn!" Astral told him, which made Yuma turn to him. "Right. So I'll just set the stage for next turn, then. First up, I'm placing one monster facedown in defense mode! Then I'll place another card facedown and end my turn!" Yuma said, ending his turn.
"Playing hard-to-get, are ya? I'll fix that! I draw! I choose to discard 0 cards, which means Rocket Arrow's wrecked!" Anna said, as her monster was destroyed, much to Yuma's shock.
"Oh, my...!" Astral exclaimed. "Why would she destroy her own monster?" Rhea asked. "That's Rocket Arrow's special ability." Y/n answered.
"Next, I'll place 5 cards facedown, and then end my turn!" Anna said, before five facedowns appeared. "What?! Why did you get rid of a super powerful monster?! Now you left yourself totally defenseless?!" Yuma demanded.
"I guess love does work in mysterious ways." Astral said. "Now, come on, Yuma, and give me your very best shot!" Anna said, ignoring his question.
"All right-- you want it, you got it! My turn! I draw!" Yuma said, taking the third turn, "First up-- I summon Gogogo Giant!" Gogogo Giant appeared.
Gogogo Giant (Lv:4, Atk/2000)
"Now Gogogo Giant attacks you directly! And if it hits, you'll be taking 2000 points of damage! Now, go!" Yuma commanded as his monster charged towards Anna ready to attack. "Don't, Yuma, she has 5 facedowns! What if they're traps?!" Y/n asked, and Yuma just continued.
"I destroy all 5 facedown cards on my field! Go on-- get lost!" Anna said with a smirk, before her facedowns exploded into yellow shards. "What?!" Astral asked in disbelief of how Anna destroyed her own facedowns.
"And now, I'm gonna summon to the field, Snow Plow Hustle Rustle!" Anna said as she summoned a monster in the appearance of a snow plow vehicle.
Snowplow Hustle Rustle (Lv:10, Atk/2500)
"When you attack me directly, simply by destroying all the spells and trap cards that I have out on the field. But enough talk-- let's just plow ahead!" Anna said, as her monster charged towards Gogogo Giant.
"2500 attack points! Gogogo Giant, quick-- call off the attack!" Yuma called, stopping the attack.
"Oh, you're not getting off that easy, Yuma! Snowplow Hustle Rustle, I'm activating your special ability! Now you take 200 points of damage for every spell and trap card I destroyed to summon it!"
"So with five cards destroyed, that's a thousand points!" Anna said with a smirk, before Snowplow Hustle Rustle crashed into Gogogo Giant, shattered and Yuma grunted and was pushed back.
Yuma: 3000/ cards in hand: 4
"Yuma, are you okay?" Y/n asked concerned, Yuma stood up back to his feet, "Yeah, don't worry, it's a little less painful." Yuma replied.
"A thousand down, and three thousand points to go!!" Anna cheered and Y/n looked at her, slightly annoyed by her combo, and Rhea just simply observed the duel.
"So Anna planned this move from the very beginning?" Yuma wondered, but he was impressed by Anna's strategy. "That does seem to be the case..." Astral answered.
"Yes!! I'm so gonna win this and then you'll be mine!! So let's hurry up and finish this!" Anna exclaimed with a confident smirk. "You must be careful, Yuma. I have a hunch that Anna is setting up something big." Astral said.
"Uh-huh, I know. I just hope we can stop whatever it is! Oh, what do I do?!" Yuma asked, not wanting to be Anna's, because he already had feelings for someone else. "I don't know, but try to figure this out or you'll be through." Y/n said.
"Moving on! My draw!" Anna said taking the fourth turn, "And-- Hmm! It's just the card I wanted! Go, Special Schedule!" A spell card appeared and glowed, "Thanks to this spell card, I have the green light to summon one machine-type monster with 3000 or more attack points from my graveyard in defense mode! So all aboard-- because Rocket Arrow Express is now back!" Anna exclaimed as her monster returned to the field from the graveyard.
Rocket Arrow Express (Lv:10, Def/0)
"And it's like I'm tied to the trackers!" Yuma said, staring at the machine monster. "Two level-ten monsters, this is not good!" Astral told him, worried.
"I know in years past, I could never get your attention. But I have a hunch-- that this next move will!" Anna yelled. "I overlay level-10 Rocket Arrow and Hustle Rustle!" The monsters turned into overlay streams, one golden-yellow and one bright red, "And with this overlay network, I can now summon an Xyz monster!" a portal appeared in front of Anna, and the two streams enter it and blasted a light blue blast. "Appear!! Number 81, Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Super Dora!" Anna exclaimed holding the Xyz card that is glowing bright orange, and the number 81 seal flashes in orange.
Appeared is a monster that resembles a tank engine with two trains on the bottom with the number 81 glowing orange on the left shoulder, with two brown overlay units circled around it.
Number 81: Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Super Dora (R:10, Atk/3200)
"Anna has a Number?" Y/n asked in shock. "3200 hundred attack points?!" Yuma asked in shock at the amount of attack points the machine Number monster has. "Number 81. If we retrieve it, the number of Number cards we have will be 14 Number cards we needed." Astral said, staring at the Number.
"Now I activate Superdreadnought's special ability, by using 1 overlay unit, it can target one face-up monster that you controlled until the end of this turn!" Anna said as Superdreadnought absorbed an overlay unit.
"Now go, attack Yuma!" Anna commanded as Superdreadnought fired from it's cannon, blowing Yuma off his feet.
Yuma:2200/ cards in hand:4
"Ouch, that's gonna hurt." Y/n said, witnessing Yuma's almost defeat. "Yeah, yippee!! I'm winning, I'm winning I'm winning! 2200 life points left before you lose, Yuma! And once you've lost, you know what that means! For the rest of your life, you're all mine! So whaddya, handsome? Let's make that dream come true! Go, attack Gogogo Giant and win this duel for me!" Anna commanded as the Number charged towards Gogogo Giant.
"Oh no you don't! I play the trap card, Overlay Buster!" Yuma said as his facedown revealed a trap card, "Now my monster gains 500 attack points until the end of battle." He countered and grunted a bit from the Number's attack.
Gogogo Giant (Lv:4, Atk/2500)
Yuma: 1000/ cards in hand:4
"Clever move, Yuma, so you survive this turn. But I promise, you won't survive the next one!" Anna said, impressed.
"Ya know, I hate to admit it-- but with that Number's special ability, Anna may just be right! I have to take that tank down, but with it hauling 3200 attack points, it won't be easy!" Yuma said almost losing the duel, before Astral then floated in front of him, upside down.
"It will not, but it is possible." Astral said. "Then what're you waiting for, tell me how!" Yuma demanded.
"I cannot just blurt it out..." Astral said, floating up, "...At least not without a proper drum roll..."
"A drum roll?" Yuma asked confused, before he just got an idea. "I got it! It's time to high-five the sky! Here I go! Draw!" Yuma said taking the fourth turn, "First I summon Zubaba Knight!" Zubaba Knight appeared, saying its name
Zubaba Knight (Lv:3, Atk/1600)
"Next I summon-- Rai Rider!" The rider monster appeared.
Rai Rider (Lv:3, Atk/1200)
"Hehe-- then I overlay level-3 Zubaba Knight and Rai Rider!" the two monsters turned into overlay streams one yellow and one gold, "And now that I have, I can build the overlay network and Xyz summon!" A portal appeared in front of Yuma and the streams entered it, unleashing a light blue blast, "Now-- here's the drum roll you asked for, Astral! I summon Temtempo the Percussion Djinn!" Yuma said, before a small monster holding drums appeared with two purple overlay units circled him.
Temtempo the Percussion Djinn (R:3, Def/1000, Atk/1700)
"Ha! He's only got 1000 defense points!" Anna laughed.
"Yeah, that's true-- but it's his special ability that you should really be worried about, Anna! By using 1 overlay unit, your Xyz monster loses all of it's overlay unit!" Yuma explained with a smirk.
"It does what?!" Anna asked in shock, as Temtempo absorbed an overlay unit and Superdreadnought's remaining overlay unit vanished, "And then for every overlay unit that was sent to the graveyard, Temtempo gains 500 attack points!" Yuma said as his monster glows a purple aura.
Temtempo the Percussion Djinn (R:3, Def/1000 Atk/2200)
"Told Jai he could jam. And jam up Superdreadnought, because you can't use it's ability!" Yuma said. "Correct. And since Temtempo is in defense mode, we will not take battle damage either." Astral said.
"I now place two cards facedown and end my turn!" Yuma said, ending his turn with two facedowns. "You're not gonna beat me, Yuma! You can make all the moves you want, but I'm still going to win you yet! It's my turn! I draw!" Anna exclaimed, taking the fifth turn.
"And first, I'm activating the equipment spell known as Train Connection! Now by banishing two level-eight or above machine-type monsters in my graveyard, I can equip Train Connection on a machine-type monster, and double its attack points!" Anna said, as her spell increased Superdreadnought's strength.
Number 81: Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Super Dora (R:10, Atk/6400)
"6400 attack points?! Anna's really outdone herself this time, cause of that Number, Astral!" Yuma exclaimed, and Anna was somehow struggling as the number symbol glowed on her neck.
"And I do not even think she is done yet, but with Number 81 controlling her, we're through." Astral said.
"Due to Train Connection's effect, when the equipped monster attacks a monster in defense mode, if its attack points are greater than your monster's defense points, the difference is dealt to you as damage!" Anna explained with a smirk.
"Wait, carry the one, subtract the remainder, divide the square root--ah! I'll take 500 points of damage if your attack gets through!!" Yuma said in shock, counting the amount.
"That's right, which would mean that-- the duel's over and you're mine, sweetums!"Anna said.
"Grrr, calling him those gross nicknames makes me sick." Y/n said, steaming mad and annoyed by Anna calling Yuma nicknames, and Rhea just looked at her confused.
"Aww, don't tell me that you're going to cry like that time before!" Anna taunted, and Yuma gave her a confused look. "What time before?" Yuma asked her. "Oh, you remember! When I took your card! I was sitting in a tree, but you were scared of heights, so you didn't come up to get your card. I was just playing around with you, but then you started tearing up!" Anna explained.
"But I'm not afraid of heights." Yuma said he thought that was a lie.
"Well you were back then!" Anna said "Was not! I was only afraid of spiders and the dark and toes! I didn't cry that much either!" Yuma protested, shivering at the memory, but Y/n was there to comfort him.
"Guess I'll have to jog your memory-- by knocking some sense into you! You're going down!!" Anna exclaimed as the number glowed rapidly on her neck.
"That is not a good thing to hear. Not at least you still have 1000 life points remaining." Astral said. "You're not helping, Astral!" Yuma told him.
"Don't let her get you down, Yuma. You have facedowns that will help you!" Y/n said.
"Huh? Ha! Of course!" Yuma said, glancing at his facedowns.
"That is it, Yuma! You're all mine! Go Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Dora! Attack Temtempo!" Anna commanded as her monster prepared itself for an attack.
"I don't think so! I'm playing the trap, Gamushara! This trap switches my monster from defense mode to attack mode." Yuma said as Temtempo glowed a red aura.
Temtempo the Percussion Djinn (R:3, Atk/2200)
"Only 2200 attack points?! Come on! You know that's not enough to beat Superdreadnought!" Anna said.
"I know that it's not, Anna. That's why I'm playing this next card, too! I activate the trap, Mirror Wall! Now my monster's attack points become the same as your monster's attack points!" Yuma explained as Temtempo's attack points increased.
Temtempo the Percussion Djinn (R:3, Atk/6400)
"At last, that's enough to take down Anna's life points!" Y/n cheered.
Temtempo drums rapidly, and unleashed sound waves from his drums, which release a big smokey explosion, Superdreadnought kneels over and explodes. The dust clears revealing the field empty with both monsters gone.
"No way...!" Anna exclaimed in shock. "Oh, and another thing-- thanks to the trap card, Gamushara, since your monster was destroyed, you take damage equal to its attack points, which is 6400!" Yuma explained.
"Uh-oh!" Anna said.
"Now-- do your thing, Gamushara! And let Anna know what it's like to be on the other end of a cannon blaster!" Yuma commands the blast, propelling Anna backward, screaming and falling on her back.
Anna:0/ cards in hand:0
Winner: Yuma
"I did it!" Yuma cheered, as Y/n clapped and Astral took Number 81 from Anna, who flinched a bit from the pain, and held the card in his right hand, as it glowed.
Astral saw flashes of memories. He saw a field of flowers, with petals flying, birds singing, and a bright moon. 'This memory.." Astral thought with widened eyes.
Anna groans in pain, before sitting up and just sitting on her knees, "No way...! I lost. But ho-o-o o-o-ow?!?!" Anna asked in disbelief.
"I'll tell ya how, Anna, because you brought a giant cannon to do a job that a lesser monster could've done. And the monster you brought was a Number, and you tried to blast me earlier, when all you needed to do was ask me to talk." Yuma answered, and Anna stared in shock and tears built up in her eyes.
"No-o-o-o-o!" She sobbed, punching the ground with her fist. "Look I'm sorry if I interrupt but..." Y/n trailed off when Anna growled, which made her a bit amused. "Wasn't that guy you liked named Kumo Tsuyuma, not Yuma Tsukumo?" Y/n asked.
"Kumo Tsuyuma? Oh yeah, I totally remember him. He was that kid who cried a lot and was really afraid of heights, right?" Yuma asked, and Y/n nodded.
"Oh right! Well it's your fault for having a similar name! I hope that you've had your lesson!" Anna said, climbing onto her hovercraft. "Hey! Wait a second! What about my heart piece?!" Yuma asked her.
"Heart piece? What's that?" Anna asked, confused. "It's when you give me when you lose a duel!" Yuma explained.
"Hmm, I don't have one." Anna answered, and Yuma just went into shock. "Hold on, are you telling me that you're not competing in the Duel Carnival?!" Yuma asked in shock.
"Please, I've never even heard of it!" Anna replied with a shrug, before flying away.
"Well ya should have told me that from the start! Aw, man, what a complete waste of time!" Yuma said angrily, and disappointed that he didn't win another heart piece.
"Heh, look on the bright side, at least you helped someone with your crush problems. Y/n said, before sighing, "I was a bit worried that some crazy girl is stalking you, Yuma."
"Huh?" Yuma asked confused, before Y/n winced, "Nevermind that, let's go." Y/n said before climbing down the ladder with Rhea floating down with her, and Yuma went to follow them, until Astral started talking to him.
"Yuma, what is a 'crush'?" Astral asked. Yuma was taken back by the question. "Uh, well, a crush is when you find someone who is really special and you have feelings for them. It's when you feel like there's butterflies in your stomach whenever they're around. It's when you really really care about someone." Yuma explained, thinking about Y/n.
"I see. So then it appears that I have a crush on Rhea." Astral said, and Yuma's mouth dropped.
"Y-you have a crush on Rhea?!!?!?" Yuma asked in shock. "Exactly. I may have just met her, but I have this feeling that I known her for a very long time." Astral answered.
"Well.. Maybe if we gather more Number cards, maybe they might have your memories of Rhea." Yuma said.
"What's taking you so long?" Y/n asked up the ladder.
"Uh, nothing, nothing. Just talking to Astral." Yuma answered before trudging towards the ladder.
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That's the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoy it. See you soon.