[center][h1][color=#af7ac5][b]Valerie Durand[/b][/color] and Roché Lyon[/h1][/center]

[color=#af7ac5][b]"...Want to duel instead?"[/b][/color]

Roché's eyes light up at the mention of a duel. "Sure! That sounds like fun!"

Valerie gestured towards the door, and the two of them stepped outside the building. All the while, Ceruli kept deliberately hovering within Roché's field of vision, trying to see if he could elict any reaction from her, to no avail.

[b]"Girl, I believe this one is spiritually blunt. No reaction."[/b] Ceruli said after several moments of trying, to which Valerie responded with the barest of nods, not wanting to alarm her new roommate. Though given how she seemed to be, Valerie doubted Roché would have cared much.

As they reached an outdoor field, Valerie brandished her newly-assigned Duel Disk, with Roché following suit. A quick coin flip later, and Valerie found herself on the wrong side of it. 

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Damn,"[/b][/color] She murmured under her breath, before calling out across the field. [color=#af7ac5][b]"Your pick."[/b][/color] As they drew, Valerie kept a stoic poker face, though cursed internally at her opening hand. A bit of a brick. Double damn. Behind her, Ceruli winced.

[hider][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwELR_UabrY[/youtube][/hider]

"I guess I'll go first, then! I activate Machina Fortress in my hand to discard a card and special summon it in attack!"

Machina Fortress - 2500/1600
[hider=Machine Fortress][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/9/9b/MachinaFortress-SR10-EN-C-1E.png/300px-MachinaFortress-SR10-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
"I set one more monster and end my turn!"

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Alright, draw."[/b][/color] Valerie stared at her new card for a moment, her outward expression not betraying much. Internally, she kept cursing. Really not what she needed to break this board. As it stood, she could either go full defense, or at least deny Roché an extra monster on the field. If Roché was playing a Machine deck...yeah, no. There were too damn many cards in that type for her to remember if there were any good Flip Monsters. Screw it. 

[color=#af7ac5][b]"I summon Snoww, Unlight of Dark World in attack mode."[/b][/color] She said calmly, her blood not quite up yet despite the crap hand she'd drawn.

Snoww, Unlight of Dark World - 1700/0
[hider=Snoww, Unlight of Dark World][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/6/63/SnowwUnlightofDarkWorld-LCJW-EN-ScR-1E.png/300px-SnowwUnlightofDarkWorld-LCJW-EN-ScR-1E.png[/img][/hider]
[color=#af7ac5][b]"Battle phase, Snoww attacks your Set monster."[/b][/color]

It flipped face-up to reveal a red contraption with four claws that immediately latched onto Snoww.
[hider=Blast Sphere][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/0/04/BlastSphere-SBSC-EN-C-1E.png/300px-BlastSphere-SBSC-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
"That's Blast Sphere! It latches onto your monster and explodes during your next turn! Isn't it cool?"

Valerie took a brief moment to read the card's effects, before nodding. [color=#af7ac5][b]"Yeah, that's a decent chunk of damage. So, you gonna just let it blow or..."[/b][/color]

She stops to think, seemingly genuinely uncertain. "Hmmmmmmmmmm..."

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Alright, guess we'll see anyway. Main 2, I set two backrow and end my turn. Over to you, Roché."[/b][/color]

"Draw! Hrmmm. I think this will be better. I summon Cyber Phoenix in attack position."

Cyber Phoenix - 1200/1600
[hider=Cyber Phoenix][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/c/c1/CyberPhoenix-SGX1-EN-C-1E.png/300px-CyberPhoenix-SGX1-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
"Sorry Blast Sphere, but you're too slow! Machina Fortress, attack!"

Valerie bit back a curse as Machina Fortress's holographic fist crashed into her, kicking up simulated dust and wind. Yeah, that was fair. She saw where this was going, this was more damage to her anyways. 

[8000 LP > 7200 LP]

"Ahahaha! I love that part. Now, Cyber Phoenix, attack directly!"

[7200 LP > 6000 LP]

"Alright, your turn!"

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Right! I draw."[/b][/color] Valerie seemed a bit more animated now that she'd started to take damage. Beiige. Still not what she needed right now. She could definitely survive this next turn as long as Roché didn't run some crazy Synchro or XYZ spam, but it was still dicey. That was just fine with her. More interesting than if she'd just ran the girl over with Grapha. 

[color=#af7ac5][b]"I Normal Summon Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World."[/b][/color]

Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World - 1600/1300
[hider=Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/7/77/BeiigeVanguardofDarkWorld-LCJW-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-BeiigeVanguardofDarkWorld-LCJW-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider]

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Sorry, not letting you keep material on the board. Beiige, go for Cyber Phoenix."[/b][/color] Not the greatest option, but really the only one Valerie had.

Beiige charged forth, impaling the cybernetic bird on its spear before the bird explodes into tiny hologram shards. Roché lets out a giggle.

[8000 LP > 7700 LP]

"Cyber Phoenix's effect activates, letting me draw one card."

[color=#af7ac5][b]"I end my turn. Go off."[/b][/color]

"Alright, my turn! I activate Dangerous Machine Type-6! It'll shake things up every turn from now on. Then, I summon UFO Turtle in attack."
[hider=Dangerous Machine Type-6][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/2/2d/DangerousMachineType6-LCJW-EN-C-1E.png/300px-DangerousMachineType6-LCJW-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
UFO Turtle - 1400/1200
[hider=UFO Turtle][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/9/90/UFOTurtle-SGX1-EN-C-1E.png/300px-UFOTurtle-SGX1-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
"Now, Machina Fortress, attack Beiige!"

Machina Fortress's fist crashed into her spearman, and Valerie awaited the next, direct blow, adrenaline starting to pump through her veins. Her next draw had to be a good one, or she'd just get chipped out and swarmed as Roché continued to ramp.

[6000 LP > 5100 LP]

"UFO Turtle! Your turn! Attack directly!"

[5100 LP > 3700 LP]

"With that, I end my turn."

Valerie drew, and a small yet vicious grin formed onto her face, her facial expression changing for the first time since the duel began. 

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Alright, now we can start playing. Main phase, I activate my face-down Mystical Space Typhoon!"[/b][/color]
[hider=Mystical Space Typhoon][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//9/95/MysticalSpaceTyphoon-HAC1-EN-DUPR-1E.png[/img][/hider]
Valerie pointed towards Dangerous Machine Type-6 even as she readied her next card. [color=#af7ac5][b]"Only popping that one. Now I activate Dark World Dealings. Each of us draws one and discards one. I'll discard Broww, Huntsman of Dark World, which lets me activate his effect. When he's discarded to the grave, I get a free draw."[/b][/color] Valerie did so and drew two, her grin not fading. 
[hider=Broww, Huntsman of Dark World][img]https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Broww,_Huntsman_of_Dark_World[/img][/hider]
[color=#af7ac5][b]"I place the Field Spell The Gates of Dark World, and now I activate Dragged Down Into the Grave! We both reveal our hands, and choose one card from our opponent's hand to discard to the Graveyard."[/b][/color] Valerie flipped her own hand over to be visible. [color=#af7ac5][b]"I've got two Goldds, so it doesn't really matter which you pick."[/b][/color]
[hider=Gates of Dark World, Dragged Down Into the Grave][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/2/21/TheGatesofDarkWorld-LCJW-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-TheGatesofDarkWorld-LCJW-EN-UR-1E.png[/img]
[img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/a/a4/DraggedDownintotheGrave-SR07-EN-C-1E.png/300px-DraggedDownintotheGrave-SR07-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
"Hmmm... I choose the one on the left."

[color=#af7ac5][b]"..."

"Alright, now show me what you got."[/b][/color]

"Here it is~" Roché reveals the two cards in her hand: Machina Metalcruncher and Desperado Barrel Dragon.
[hider=Machina Metalcruncher, Desperado Barrel Dragon][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/d/d8/MachinaMetalcruncher-MP21-EN-PScR-1E.png/300px-MachinaMetalcruncher-MP21-EN-PScR-1E.png[/img]
[img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/4/44/DesperadoBarrelDragon-LDS1-EN-UR-1E-Green.png/300px-DesperadoBarrelDragon-LDS1-EN-UR-1E-Green.png[/img][/hider]
Valerie let out a low whistle as she inspected both cards for a moment, thinking her decision over. The only things in her deck that were going to out Desperado Barrel Dragon were Grapha, Dark Hole, a Synchro, or Ceruli into Goldd. And right now, none of those were an option. Still, Desperado wasn't a sure thing for her opponent. Machina Metalcruncher was. Best to minimize the risk and hope she didn't draw a Dark Machine next turn. 

[color=#af7ac5][b]"I'll send Machina Metalcruncher to the grave. We both draw one. Now that Goldd's been discarded, I get to Special Summon him to the field. Get out here!"[/b][/color]

Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World - [color=green]2600/1700[/color]
[hider=Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World][img]https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/yugioh/images/f/fd/GolddWuLordofDarkWorld-PGLD-EN-GUR-1E.png/revision/latest?cb=20140328115519[/img][/hider]

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Since he's a Fiend, The Gates of Dark World pump his attack and defense by 300 each. Now I activate my Field Spell. I banish one Fiend in my Graveyard and discard one Fiend in my hand to draw one card. I choose Broww as my banish and my second Goldd as my discard. You know what he does by now."[/b][/color] 

As a second Goldd arose onto the field, Valerie checked the two cards she'd drawn. Much better. Plus, this solved one of her problems this turn. 

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Main 1's nearly done, sorry. I Normal Summon Doomcaliber Knight!"[/b][/color]

Doomcaliber Knight - [color=green]2200/2100[/color]
[hider=Doomcaliber Knight][img]https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/yugioh/images/c/c4/DoomcaliberKnight-LDS3-EN-C-1E.png/revision/latest?cb=20220728202715[/img][/hider]

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Right, now we can battle. My first Goldd attacks your Machina Ruinforce!"[/b][/color] The Goldd on the left roared, and tore into the opposing machine with its claws. The sound of crunching metal resounded before the fortress exploded all at once.

[7700 LP > 7600 LP]

"Machina Fortress has been destroyed by battle. That means it gets to blow up one of your cards! I choose Gates of Dark World. It's pretty scary~"

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Too slow! Doomcaliber Knight's effect activates! When a monster effect is activated, I Tribute this monster, negate the effect activation, and destroy that monster. Since Machina Fortress's already in the grave, that part doesn't take. The negate still does, though."[/b][/color]

"Aww. Lame."

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Now I flip up my face-down Trap. Call of the Haunted lets me target one monster in my grave and Special Summon it in attack mode. When either card leaves the field, the other's destroyed. I pick Snoww, and I use her to attack UFO Turtle!"[/b][/color]
[hider=Call of the Haunted][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/2/27/CalloftheHaunted-SDCS-EN-C-1E.png/300px-CalloftheHaunted-SDCS-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
Snoww, Unlight of Dark World - [color=green]2000/300[/color]

The partially skeletal medusa lookalike pointed her staff at the turtle. It withdrew into its shell, but alas, it still perished in a explosion of dark magic.

[7600 LP > 7000 LP]

"Because of UFO Turtle's effect, I can special summon another monster from my deck. I'll summon another Cyber Phoenix."

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Lot of draw power, huh? Fine, my second Goldd knocks Cyber Phoenix off the board!"[/b][/color]

Goldd Two bellowed a war cry, and surged forward to grasp Cyber Phoenix by the neck and slam it into the dirt repeatedly, shattering the hologram into pieces part by part.

[7000 LP > 5600 LP]

Roché draws, as per Cyber Phoenix's effect.

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Turn end. Anything good off two draws?"[/b][/color]

"Well, you'll see! Draw!" Roché stared at her cards. She had absolutely nothing of value in her hand. "Hmmm... Alright. By discarding Desperado Barrel Dragon, I can special summon Machina Fortress again from my grave. I set one monster face down, then attack Snoww, Unlight of Dark World."

[3700 LP > 3200 LP]

"With that, I end my turn."

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Fine, let's see what we've got here, then. I draw!"[/b][/color] And there it was. Valerie stared at the card in her hand for a moment before over to Machina Fortress, formulating her play. 

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Unless your facedown's Cyber Jar, this's over. If it's Cyber Jar, I'm requesting a new roommate, I swear to god."[/b][/color]

"Hehe. Over already?"

[color=#af7ac5][b]"First, I normal summon another Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World. Then I activate Gates of Dark World again, banishing Doomcaliber Knight and discarding Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World! When Grapha is discarded, I target one card my opponent controls and destroy it. Machina Fortress goes back to the grave, while I draw one!"[/b][/color]
[hider=Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/7/79/GraphaDragonLordofDarkWorld-MAGO-EN-R-1E.png/300px-GraphaDragonLordofDarkWorld-MAGO-EN-R-1E.png[/img][/hider]
"Oh no." Machina Fortress' effect activates as it crumbles into dust, firing a shot at Valerie's hand.

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Yeah, pretty much."[/b][/color]

Valerie flipped her hand over again to reveal the one card left: Sillva, Warlord of Dark World. She discarded it, activating its effect and special summoning it to the field.

Sillva, Warlord of Dark World - [color=green]2600/1700[/color]
[hider=Sillva, Warlord of Dark World][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/5/52/SillvaWarlordofDarkWorld-LCJW-EN-ScR-1E.png/300px-SillvaWarlordofDarkWorld-LCJW-EN-ScR-1E.png[/img][/hider]
[color=#af7ac5][b]"Since Sillva was discarded by your card effect, his secondary effect activates: you return two cards from your hand to the bottom of your deck. Say goodnight to whatever you drew."[/b][/color]

"Oof."

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Now, let's finish this off! I activate Grapha's effect. By returning one Dark World monster I control to my hand, I Special Summon him to the field. Beiige comes back, and now say hello to my ace!"[/b][/color]

A hole in the ground opened, and from it rose a fiendish black dragon, screeching and roaring to the heavens. 

Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World - [color=green]3000/2100[/color]

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Battle phase. Sillva, go for the facedown monster!"[/b][/color]

The face-down flips face up to reveal the [i]third[/i] Cyber Phoenix in Roché's deck, screeching in cybernetic agony as it explodes into dust.

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Grapha, Goldds, go for the kill!"[/b][/color] Valerie threw her hand out to command her monsters to deliver the finishing blow, and all three surged forward with claws outstretched towards Roché. 

...And she simply explodes.

[5600 LP > 0 LP]

As the dust of the fake explosion clears, Valerie hears Roché's hollering from within the smoke before she sees her walk out of it. "Wooo! That was pretty fun!"

As the duel ended, Valerie's battle high seemed to fade away with it, and she simply nodded coolly at Roché, walking up to offer her a handshake.

[color=#af7ac5][b]"Good duel. Seriously. Don't think I've actually been knocked that low in a while."[/b][/color] 

[b]"Yes, well, when your average victims in your last school, sorry, training partners, can't muster up much better than a Summoned Skull on a good day, that tends to happen."[/b] Ceruli snarked at Valerie, giving her a slow clap. [b]"Well done, though. For a moment, I was afraid you'd just brick out the entire duel."[/b]

Ceruli turns to look back at Roché. [b]"Now that I get a closer look at her and her cards, I do believe there is something within her deck. A pity she isn't even aware of it."[/b] Valerie's eyes flicked towards Ceruli for a moment and down to Roché's Duel Disk as acknowledgement.

"We should do this again sometime! Oh, right! I should send you a contact request." Roché whips out her PDA, doing just as she says. "This way we can keep in touch whenever."

Valerie fished her PDA out in response, accepting the friend request. [color=#af7ac5][b]"Sure, sure. Was gonna ask you about that in a bit anyway. Anyways, we should probably get back. I gotta unpack my stuff, too."[/b][/color]

"Gotcha. I'll help you out too, if you don't mind me handling your stuff."

Valerie paused for a moment at that. [color=#af7ac5][b]"Uh...yeah, fine. Just not the posters, alright? You have no idea how much of a pain in the ass it was to get my hands on those."[/b][/color]

[b]"Ah yes, your Chazz Princeton poster collection."[/b] Ceruli sighed, rolling his eyes. [b]"What you see in that moronic catchphrase, I'll never know."[/b]

As the two girls walked back to the dorm, Valerie took a moment to flip Ceruli off out of eyeshot of her roommate. Nobody insulted The Chazz.