Opening song:

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(3rd Person PoV)

"And now it's your turn to be punished!" Lotus crackled.

"Wait!" Yume cried out without thinking.

"Hmm? Oh I see, you're her aren't you? Yume Hibiki. I heard of you," Lotus noted.

"You have?" Yume asked.

"Of course, your Soul Summoning has reached the ears of dangerous people. People willing to pay to see how it works," Lotus explained.

"Is Soul Summoning really that powerful?" Amai asked.

"Well it certainly is a rarity and even I am wondering how it works," Lotus replied.

"Then let's duel! If I win, you'll let all of us go and forget that we were even here but if you win, I'll tell you what you know about Soul Summoning. I-I'll even stay here just as long as you let my friends go," Yume stated.

"Like what? You're sacrificing yourself for us! No way! We're are so not leaving you behind, Yume," Momo stated.

"Yeah, you're our friend. We won't leave you behind," Amai nodded.

Lotus studied them and her eyes trailed from one girl to the next.

"Hmmm," she stared at Yume a little longer before glancing at Akane.

"Very well. I accept those conditions but I will make one adjustment," Lotus said.

"Which is?" Yume asked.

"You and her team up," Lotus pointed to Akane.

"Me?!" She cried.

"Huh? But it'll be two against one and I'm not letting someone else in danger," Yume said.

"It would make an interesting duel. That's my condition. If you chose not to accept it, then you'll be dealing with your punishment for an even worse scale due to you wasting my time with this," Lotus explained.

"I...," Yume trailed off and looked at Akane who seemed to be weighing her options.

She pulled on her cream sweater and looked around nervously. Yume couldn't blame her for being nervous like this.

"W-well this is partly my fault for dragging you into this...I need to accept responsibility like this so let's team up, Senpai," Akane finally said.

"We will?" Yume asked and Akane nodded.

Lotus snapped her fingers and two duel disks appeared on the girls' arms. Yume and Akane placed their decks into the duel disks.

"DUEL!"

Yume/Akane - 8000 LPS

V.S.

Lotus - 8000 LPS

"You will both start with 8000 life points instead of 4000. I shall have 8000 life points as well. With that, I shall begin. I summon Frog Hero (ATK: 300. DF: 100) and use its effect. I'm sure that you remember what it does so there's no point in repeating it," Lotus explained.

Two frogs appeared on her field.

"Now with these two level 2 monsters, I can create the overlay network and overlay my two monsters! Rise from the swampy areas, Toad Villainess (ATK: 1200. DF: 1000. OU: 2)!" Lotus shouted and the same toad from last time appeared.

"This is almost the exact same as earlier," Akane noted.

"Yeah so we have to be careful," Yume nodded.

"I set two cards face down and end my turn," Lotus said.

"Then it's my turn," Yume drew a card.

"I summon Power Angel Valkyria (ATK: 1800. DF: 1050)," she started.

A humanoid with armor and holding onto a sword and a shield appeared.

"I set three cards down and end my turn," Yume stated.

"Then it's my turn, I draw," Akane did just that.

"I will summon Shire, Lightsworn Spirit (ATK: 400. DF: 1400)," Akane started.

A white robed humanoid with clear appeared.

"I'll then end my turn by setting up the field spell, Realm of Light," Akane said.

The area around them flashed and out from the ground, grand pillars appeared with a temple right behind it.

"Oh a field spell? Well too bad for you because when there's a field spell in play, Toad Villainess is immune to monster effects," Lotus said.

"Say what?!" Akane cried out.

"Hey don't worry. We'll figure something else," Yume assured her.

"I-I guess so. Anyways, during the end phase, Shire's effect can now activate. I send the top two cards from my deck to the graveyard and then Shire's secondary effect activates. She gains 300 attack points for every Lightsworn monster with a different name in my graveyard," Akane explained.

I have to see if these top cards are monster cards. It may not be much but it's the least I can do, she thought.

She drew the two cards and looked at them.

"!"

"An equip spell and one monster?" Yume asked.

"Oh...I guess it's better than nothing," Akane stated and sent those two cards to the graveyard.

400 —> 700 ATK

"Plus Realm of Light's effect has now been activated. For each card that I sent to the graveyard, I place a shrine counter on it. I sent two cards to the graveyard so Realm of Light gains 2 counters. Also, all Lightsworn monsters gain 100 attack points for each shrine counter," Akane added on.

SC: 0 —> 2

700 —> 900 ATK

"So now I can begin my turn," Lotus rolled her eyes as she drew a card.

"Yeah, you can," Akane gulped, nervously.

"I summon Beaver Hero (ATK: 1600. DF: 1200)," Lotus started.

A small, brown beaver wearing a green superhero mask and cape appeared and made a chattering noise with its mouth.

"When normal or special summoned, I am able to add an Animal Hero or Villainess card from my deck to my hand," she said and drew a card.

"Next I activate the spell card that I just received, Villainess' Plan. By activating it, any Animal Villainess XYZ monster can make a second attack this turn," Lotus explained.

"But why do that?" Yume asked.

As far as I'm concerned, only Akane's Shire is weaker in attack points than both of her monsters so why make a second attack since it's just going to hit my monster who has higher attack points, she thought.

"Because I can then activate my face down spell, Animal Hero Surprise Team-Up! When there's an Animal Hero and an Animal Villainess on the field, I can target a monster on the field and make it lose attack points on the difference of attack points that my monsters have until the end of the turn. Toad Villainess and Beaver Hero are 400 points in difference so your Power Angel Valkyria loses 400 attack points," Lotus explained.

1800 —> 1400 ATK

"Now both of our monsters are weak enough for hers to beat ours!" Akane cried.

"Exactly so attack now! Destroy Shire first, Toad Villainess! Bellow Shout!" Lotus shouted.

8000 —> 7700 LPS

"And now my Beaver Hero will destroy Power Angel Valkyria with Chattering Snap Chomp!" Lotus added on.

Yume inhaled sharply as her monster was destroyed.

7700 —> 7500 LPS

"Direct attack, Toad Villainess! Bellow Shout!" Lotus stated.

7500 —> 6300 LPS

"That was three consecutive attacks. Ms. Aizawa has the upper hand here and something tells me she had more in store," Amai noted.

"But not this turn right?" Momo asked and Amai nodded.

"I end my turn. Hmmph, looks like you two lived a little longer," Lotus noted.

"Yeah...," Yume noted and looked at her current cards.

This will be difficult to pull off but I need to win...Akane and I need to win, she thought.

"My turn, draw!" She stated and looked at the card that she just drew.

Ah! I see, Yume thought.

"I knew opening that pack yesterday would be worth it! I summon Spellbook Magician of Prophecy (ATK: 500. DF: 400)," Yume started.

A small humanoid wearing blue robes appeared.

"Like hold on, isn't that a card that you already own?" Momo asked.

"Yes but I recently learned that he's part of an archetype and we will get to that soon. I activate his effect. When normal or special summoned, I'm able to add a Spellbook spell from my deck to my hand. And then using it, Spellbook of Secrets, I can add another Spellbook spell from my deck to my hand," Yume explained.

She looked through her deck before picking one card out.

"I then activate my face down spell, Spellbook of Knowledge! By sending either a spellcaster that I control or sending a Spellbook spell that I have in my hand or face up on the field to the graveyard, I get to draw two cards. I send the Spellbook spell that I just got to the graveyard," Yume said.

"I wonder what her plan is?" Amai noted, placing a thinking finger on her chin.

As Yume drew two new cards, she looked up at Lotus.

"This is where the real fight begins. I use the Quick-Play spell, Spellbook of Fate. I can banish up to 3 Spellbook spells from my graveyard to activate one of three effects depending on how many cards I banish. I banish all 3 Spellbook cards that I used to use the third effect. I get to banish one card that you control and I choose your XYZ monster," Yume explained.

"What?!" Lotus cried as her toad disappeared.

"Next I release Spellbook Magician of Prophecy to Advance Summon Emperor of Prophecy (ATK: 2300. DF: 2000)," Yume said.

A humanoid wearing black and purple robes and wore a crown like helmet appeared.

"That's a new monster!" Amai cheered and Momo jumped up and down in celebration.

"Now attack! Empire Strike Back!" Yume called out and her monster conjured up pillars of dark light which overwhelmed Lotus' remaining monster.

8000 —> 7300 LPS

"Turn over. It's your turn, Kaneko," Yume said and immediately that last name sounded familiar to her for some reason.

"You got it, Senpai. Draw!" Akane stated.

"I summon Rinyan, Lightsworn Rogue (ATK: 100. DF: 100)," she started.

A small, white cat like creature with long ears appeared.

"Next I release it to Advance Summon Celestia, Lightsworn Angel (ATK: 2300. DF: 200)," Akane added on.

Rinyan disappeared and in it's place, stood a beautiful humanoid, holding onto a staff and had long, white feathery wings.

"Celestia's effect now activates. When she has been Advanced summoned by releasing a Lightsworn monster, I send the top 4 cards from my deck to the graveyard and I can now target up to two cards that you have and I can destroy them. Angelic Chime!" Akane shouted.

A beam of light slowly came out of the staff and aimed at the face down card that Lotus has. It shattered into pieces.

"And then Realm of Light's effect activates again. Whenever I send cards from my deck to the graveyard, I can place a Shrine Counter for every card that I sent," Akane added on.

SC: 2 —> 6

"And every Lightsworn monster gains 100 attack points for every counter that my field spell has," Akane explained.

"There's like 6 now so that means a total of 600 attack points," Momo noted.

2300 —> 2900 ATK

"But I can go even further by activating the equip spell, Lightsworn Sabre from my graveyard. When its sent there from my deck, I can equip it to a Lightsworn monster that I control and it'll gain 700 attack points," Akane added on.

"That'll be an even greater attack and the best part, it'll be direct!" Amai clapped at this.

2900 —> 3600 ATK

"Kyandi-Senpai is right. This attack will be direct so go, Angelic Shine of Light!" Akane shouted and a beam of light came from the staff.

7300 —> 3700 LPS

"Let's go!!! You brought her life points down to more than half. Like, you go girl!" Momo cheered.

"Wow, you're pretty good at dueling," Yume noted and Akane flinched at this.

"O-oh no, just luck of the draw," Akane assured her before looking at one card that she was currently holding.

I think that may be more than luck, Yume thought as she looked at Lotus' empty field.

"I-I set this card down. Turn over," Akane said.

Lotus was twitching in anger. How dare they!

"How dare you...humiliate me...ME?!" She screamed and everyone took a step back.

"Is she going to have a breakdown?" Amai asked.

"Me, who has trained for many years to hone my skills? Me, a top general of Pop Culture Stars?" Lotus asked.

Pop Culture Stars? Yume thought, confused.

"No! I won't have it! You won't lay a single finger on me no longer! It's my turn!" Lotus shouted and drew a card.

"When only my opponent controls a monster, I can summon Elephant Hero (ATK: 3000. DF: 100) without releasing a monster," Lotus began and a huge, grey elephant wearing an orange superhero mask and cape appeared.

"A level 7 monster and without releasing a monster?" Akane gasped.

"When summoned this way, I can special summon another level 7 Animal Hero but it's effects are negated. So I choose Bear Hero (ATK: 2700. DF: 2700)," Lotus added on.

A large, brown bear creature wearing a blue superhero mask and cape appeared.

"So two level 7 monsters on the field. Considering what we know so far, I think it's safe to assume that she's going for another XYZ summon," Yume stated, seriously.

"Right you are, Yume Hibiki! I overlay my two level 7 monsters to build the overlay network! Feast your eyes on the slippery length of the body and yet dare not to touch its fangs. The poison crept ever so slowly to the brain. XYZ summon! Slither on, Cobra Villainess (ATK: 3200. DF: 3000. OU: 2)!" Lotus shouted.

A black leathery cobra appeared wearing a black crown and a grey cape.

"A new XYZ monster and it looks more powerful than the last one!" Akane cried.

"Indeed for now I will use one overlay unit to activate its effect! You take damage equal to the weakest monster on the field!" Lotus explained.

"Weakest monster...wait does that mean my Emperor of Prophecy?" Yume asked.

"Exactly so get decrowned!" Lotus shouted and Cobra Villainess bit into Yume's monster.

6300 —> 4000 LPS

Then Emperor of Prophecy took a knee while clutching onto the area where Cobra Villainess bit him.

"While that effect can only be used once per turn, it also comes with the added bonus that the monster gets switched face up in defense mode and loses 500 defense points," Lotus started.

2000 —> 1500 DF

"And when Cobra Villainess attacks a monster in defense mode, it can inflict piercing damage. So attack, Venomous Terror Bite!" Lotus shouted.

Her monster raised its fangs and attacked Yume's monster, destroying it.

4000 —> 2300 LPS

"No way...," Yume fell to one knee.

"Haha! Admit it, you stand no chance against me. I end my turn," Lotus laughed, mockingly.

"Senpai! Are you alright?" Akane asked, concerned.

"I...I...," Yume was in total shock. What can she do now? What should she do?

Just then, her vision went black and once she recovered sight again, she was no longer on the field, dueling.

She was once again in that hallway of screens, showing different paths on what could happen during the duel.

This again? She thought and looked around.

One of these paths lead to victory but just what?

Yume walked by so many screens, taking quick peeks on the path but none of them seem right to her.

Just what to choose?

Then, she heard laughter coming from one of the screens. Yume walked towards it at first, then jogged towards it before braking into a faster run to see where that laughter was coming from.

Eventually, she stopped in front of what seemed like a blank screen before it revealed a bunch of kids running around. They were tugging at the hands of a tall woman wearing a pink sweater vest, black tights and lighter pink jean skirt. She had long pink hair with green dye at the ends. She seemed to be laughing alongside the kids.

What? Yume seemed confused. This didn't seem like a path like the others? And who is this woman?

The woman then noticed and smiled while pushing up her pink glasses.

"Looks like you're in need of some help," she said, blinking her green eyes.

Yume blinked and she was suddenly back at the duel with a card drawn from her hand.

"Yume, like are you alright?" Momo asked.

"...yeah?" Yume said, still confused.

Akane was watching her with curiosity as Yume turned over the card that she just drew.

"Huh? Oh I see now," Yume then glanced at her extra deck.

Lotus was also watching her with curiosity and thinking to herself, Is that the powerful Foreseeing Eye?

"I summon Assassin Wizard (ATK: 1200. DF: 500) in attack mode," Yume began.

"Assassin Wizard? Isn't that like one of the monsters used to summon her Ace?" Momo asked.

"Maybe that's her plan?" Amai asked.

"I now activate Assassin Wizard's effect to banish a spellcaster from my graveyard to special summon Sunlight Wizard (ATK: 1200. DF: 500) from my deck," Yume said.

Both wizards appeared on her field.

"Are you going to Soul Summon?" Akane asked and Yume nodded.

"Two souls intertwined to create the ultimate combination of effects and monster. With this, I create...a new path for this monster..." Yume then posed as she held up a card.

"I Soul Summon! Arise, Green Eyes Ivory Dragon (ATK: 2700. DF: 2500)!"

Her dragon flapped his wings and let out a deafening roar.

"So that's your Ace, huh? I see now, I wonder what else you'll show me?" Lotus grinned manically.

"I activate Sunlight Wizard's soul ability! When I have less life points than you and I have a spell card in hand, I'm able to recover life points based on the monster's, that I soul summoned, attack points. So we recover 2700 attack points," Yume explained.

2300 —> 5000 LPS

"You recovered life points, so what? It's just a stall tactic that won't lead far. You're just delaying the inevitable," Lotus wagged her finger.

"You're wrong because I activate one of Green Eyes' ability! By giving up 500 life points, I'm able to special summon a soul material from the extra deck to the field and I'm choosing Assassin Wizard," Yume explained.

5000 —> 4500 LPS

"So when soul materials are used, they go to the extra deck instead of the graveyard?" Amai asked.

"Surprised me too when I first learned about it and there's something else that surprised me but not as much. I'm able to use soul monsters as soul materials for a soul summon of another monster," Yume explained.

"Say what?" Lotus asked.

"When the sun hits the earth just right, the very soul of this monster appears ready to teach us what is right," Yume pulled out a card from the extra deck and held it up.

"I Soul Summon! Show it to us, Green Eyes Ms.America, Teacher of the Village (ATK: 2600. DF: 2500)!" She shouted and placed the card on her duel disk.

The same humanoid that Yume saw appeared on the field.

"A new soul monster," Akane was in awe.

"I now activate Green Eyes Ivory Dragon's soul ability! For this turn, Ms.America can make two attacks during the battle phase," Yume started.

"Two attacks? Hah! My Cobra is still stronger than your monster and I can still use its effect to damage you since you have the weaker monster," Lotus stated.

"Oh really now? I activate my face down Quick-Play spell, Green Eyes Teaching Hour. When I have a face up Spellcaster on the field, I can double its attack points until the end of this turn," Yume explained.

2600 —> 5200 ATK

"Battle! Destroy Cobra Villainess with Spelling Bee Strike," Yume commanded and Ms.America nodded. She held up a ruler and letters that were made out of light were shot out of the ruler and blasted onto Lotus' monster.

3700 —> 1700 LPS

"No! This can't be!" Lotus screamed.

"Direct attack! Final Exam Finisher!" Yume shouted and Ms.America took out a pencil and began to write in the air which caused letter to come out and shot at Lotus.

1700 —> 0 LPS

WINNERS: Yume and Akane

"We did it! We won!" Akane cheered.

"I really couldn't have done it without you. You brought down her life points to 3700 when she was at 7300. That's an impressive feat," Yume noted.

"Oh it's nothing, haha," Akane awkwardly laughed.

"NO! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING?! I LOST?! TO MERE BRATS!!" Lotus screamed which made Yume flinched at this.

"You lost so cough it up. Let our friends go, a deal is a deal," Amai told her.

"I SHOULDN'T EVEN MADE THAT DEAL?! YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED HERE FOR ALL ETERNITY!!!" Lotus continued to scream.

"My my, is someone acting like a sore loser?" Amai asked, cheekily.

Lotus let out a growl before snapping her fingers and the cube that held Lily, Natsuki and Tsumugi appeared and dropped the three girls.

"What? What happened?" Lily asked.

"Are we alive?" Natsuki asked.

"Now go! Don't let me catch your faces around here or else the next duel will be even painful!" Lotus snapped and immediately, all the girls left the room.

As the girls walked to the lockers to get their stuff, Natsuki looked around them and asked, "uhh...mind explaining what happened?"

"Omg, you're not going to believe this because it is like so crazy!" Momo exclaimed.

Yume tuned them out as she looked over Akane's shoulder who was looking at a card.

"That card? It's Change of Heart right?" She asked and Akane nodded.

"It's the card that I placed facedown in case we needed it. I could have taken control of her XYZ monster and use it to attack her. Not so sure if I needed to use the effect," Akane explained.

"Well, I'm sure that no matter the circumstances, we would have be fine," Yume assured her.

"Thanks, Senpai," Akane gave her a smile.

As the girls left, Yume couldn't quite put her finger on it. Something about what Lotus had said.

Just what are the Pop Culture Stars? She thought.

(Later)

Lotus made her way to another room where many people were waiting.

"You...you dare show your face around here! After you lost to mere brats?" Someone shouted.

"Easy girlie. Don't ya think yer being too harsh on Ms.Lotus here? After all, one of those so called "brats," used that new technique, Soul Summoning? I mean, any of us coul' have lost that match," another person stated.

"So we have to watch out for her?" Someone else asked and the person next to them seemed to signed something.

"I don't think we should underestimate any of her allies either just as she puts it. We need to keep a closer eye on them. We have spies in their school and even the boss is there as well. We just need to be patient," another someone explained.

"Yeah...only a matter of time," the first person scoffed.

A/N: I think I did alright with this chapter.

Fan made cards:

Beaver Hero. LV 4 Attribute: Earth
Beast/Effect
When normal or special summoned, add an Animal Hero or Villainess card from your deck to your hand.
ATK: 1600 DF: 1200

Elephant Hero. LV7. Attribute: Earth
Beast/Effect
When only your opponent controls a monster, you can summon this card from your hand without a tribute. When summoned that way, special summon another level 7 monster from your deck but it's effects are negated. When it attacks a monster in defense position, inflict piercing damage.
ATK: 3000. DF: 100

Cobra Villainess. Rank 7. Attribute: Earth
Reptile/XYZ/Effect
2 level 7 monsters
Once per turn, by using an overlay unit, inflict damage to your opponent based on the attack points of the weakest monster on the field. Target that monster and switch it to defense position face up. It loses 500 defense points. When it attacks a monster in defense position, inflict piercing damage.
ATK: 3200. DF: 3000

Villainess' Plan. Regular Spell
Any XYZ Animal Villainess monster can make two attacks this turn

Animal Hero Surprise Team-Up. Regular Spell
When there's an Animal Hero and an Animal Villainess on the field, target a monster on the field and make it lose attack points based on the difference of attack points that your monsters have until the end of the turn.

Green Eyes Ivory Dragon. LV7. Attribute: Wind
Dragon/Soul/Effect
2 Soul monsters
(Quick Effect): Up to two times per turn, by discarding a trap card, destroy a spell card on your opponent's field.
By paying 500 LPS, special summon a monster from the extra deck but it's destroyed by the End phase.
Soul Ability: The monster that was soul summoned using this card can make up to two attacks a turn.
ATK: 2700 DF: 2500

Green Eyes Ms.America, Teacher of the Village. LV7. Attribute: Wind
Spellcaster/Soul/Effect
2 Soul monsters
Once per turn, you can special summon a spellcaster monster from your GY or extra deck. That monster gains half of this card's ATK points until the end of the turn. Can't be destroyed by spell cards
Soul Ability: You can regain up to 3 spell cards from your GY. If conditions are met, you can immediately activate them
ATK: 2600 DF: 2500

Green Eyes Teaching Hour. Quick-Play Spell
Target a spellcaster that you control. Double its ATK for this turn. At the end phase, destroy it.

(Essentially Limiter Removal but for spellcasters)

Also this is what Akane looks like:

I hope you liked this chapter!

Cya in the next one -Flare

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