The two boys make their way outside, coming to a stop a distance away from each other in front of the Slifer Red dorm. Kaison gives Pine a warm smile as he draws his opening hand. “Good luck!”

[color=green]“Thanks…”[/color] Pine responds, and then mumbles under his breath, [color=green]“We’ll both need it…”[/color] He looked at the hand he drew, and grinned. What a great start!

[b][u]Florian Pine vs. Kaison Locke[/u][/b]
[center][hider=Kaison’s Theme][youtube]https://youtu.be/q8EcsTOHnfU[/youtube][/hider][/center]
[color=green]“I set a monster and a face-down, then I guess I end my turn.”[/color]

Kaison draws, looking over his hand with a bemused expression. “I activate Foolish Burial, sending a monster from my deck to the grave, then set one monster. You’re up.”

Pine wondered why he would intentionally send something to the grave. There was usually a reason… He didn’t dwell on that for too long. He draws for his turn. Seems Kaison wasn’t interested in making the first attack. [color=green]“I’ll flip summon my Botanical Lion, then normal summon Lord Poison.”[/color]

Botanical Lion - [color=green]2200[/color]/2000
Lord Poison - 1500/1000
[hider=Botanical Lion & Lord Poison][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/4/4e/BotanicalLion-BP02-EN-C-1E.png/300px-BotanicalLion-BP02-EN-C-1E.png[/img][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/3/3c/LordPoison-BP03-EN-C-1E.png/300px-LordPoison-BP03-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
[color=green]“I’ll attack your face-down with Lord Poison.”[/color]

The face-down flips face-up to reveal a winged frog shortly before being shredded to bits by Lord Poison’s freakishly huge claws.

[color=green]“Now, Botanical Lion attacks directly!”[/color]

The rosy lion charges at Kaison, but the smile Kaison wore since the duel began doesn’t flinch. He takes a card from his hand and slaps it onto his duel disk.

“I activate the effect of Battle Fader. It’s special summoned, then the battle phase ends.”

Battle Fader - 0/0
[hider=Battle Fader][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/4/46/BattleFader-YS18-EN-C-1E.png/300px-BattleFader-YS18-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
[color=green]“Alright. I end my turn.”[/color]

[color=green]“Curses!”[/color] Pine mumbled. He hated when his plans were disrupted.

“Draw. I special summon Treeborn Frog, from my grave.” The winged frog destroyed by Lord Poison descends from a beam of light in the sky, as if from heaven.

Treeborn Frog - 100/100
[hider=Treeborn Frog][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/9/91/TreebornFrog-DUSA-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-TreebornFrog-DUSA-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider]
“Now, I summon Kinka-byo, and use its effect to special summon Morphtronic Vacuumen, who was sent to the graveyard by Foolish Burial.” A ghoulish cat and a silly vacuum cleaner-themed robot appear on the field.

Kinka-byo - 400/200
Morphtronic Vacuumen - 0/0
[hider=Kinka-byo & Morphtronic Vacuumen][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/7/7c/Kinkabyo-SDCL-EN-C-1E.png/300px-Kinkabyo-SDCL-EN-C-1E.png[/img][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/8/8e/MorphtronicVacuumen-TSHD-EN-C-1E.png/300px-MorphtronicVacuumen-TSHD-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
“Morphtronic Vacuumen, suck out the Poison!”

The vacuum cleaning bot points towards Lord Poison with its menacing suction hose and Lord Poison lets out a hideous scream, undergoing spaghettification as it’s dragged into the hose as if falling into a black hole.

“Now, using these four monsters, I XYZ summon Ghostrick Dullahan and Lyrilusc - Promenade Thrush.”

The level one monsters overlay, and in their place, a headless horseman and some kind of bird girl appear.

Ghostrick Dullahan - [color=green]1200[/color]/0
Lyrilusc - Promenade Thrush - [color=green]1000[/color]/0
[hider=Ghostrick Dullahan & Lyrilusc - Promenade Thrush][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/7/79/GhostrickDullahan-GFP2-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-GhostrickDullahan-GFP2-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/1/15/LyriluscPromenadeThrush-LED8-EN-SR-1E.png/300px-LyriluscPromenadeThrush-LED8-EN-SR-1E.png[/img][/hider]

“I activate the effect of Promenade Thrush, forcing you to shuffle your face-down back into your deck.”

[color=green]“I chain it - it’s Book of Moon, and I use it to flip Ghostrick Dullahan face-down.”[/color]

“In that case, I chain Ghostrick Dullahan’s effect onto that to detach Treeborn Frog and lower Botanical Lion’s attack until the end of the turn.”

The effects resolve, Ghostrick Dullahan is flipped face-down, and Book of Moon is simply put into the grave.

“Main Phase 2. I XYZ summon Downerd Magician using Promenade Thrush as material.”

Downerd Magician - [color=green]2500[/color]/200
[hider=Downerd Magician][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/e/ef/DownerdMagician-BROL-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-DownerdMagician-BROL-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider]
“With that, I end my turn.”

Pine draws, nodding to himself. [color=green]“I play Solidarity.”[/color]
[hider=Solidarity][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/6/6d/Solidarity-SDMM-EN-C-UE.png/300px-Solidarity-SDMM-EN-C-UE.png[/img][/hider]
Botanical Lion growls as its attack rises.

Kaison whistles. “Sittin’ pretty at 2700 attack.” [i]Already, it’s above my Magician.[/i]

Pine grins. [color=green]”It’s about to get prettier. I equip Botanical Lion with Thorn of Malice.”[/color]

Large thorny vines entangle Botanical Lion, and its attack rises yet further to 3300.
[hider=Thorn of Malice][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/6/6a/ThornofMalice-LDS2-EN-C-1E.png/300px-ThornofMalice-LDS2-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]
[color=green]“Botanical Lion, attack his face-down monster!”[/color]

Botanical Lion pounces on Ghostrick Dullahan, who isn’t destroyed due to Thorn of Malice, but has 0 defense, through which Botanical Lion essentially attacks directly.

[8000 LP > 4700 LP]

Ghostrick Dullahan becomes entangled in the thorny vines, and its attack falls to 600 points.

Through this Kaison was still standing, and didn’t wail out in pain. Pine breathed a sigh of relief that his powers didn’t activate. Evan had it coming, but this guy didn’t. He didn’t want Kaison to end up in the hospital… [color=green]“I end my turn.”[/color]

Kaison draws, still smiling. Treeborn Frog descends from the aether yet again.

“I summon Evil Thorn, then tribute it to deal 300 damage and special summon two more from my deck.”

[8000 LP > 7700 LP]

Evil Thorn - 100/300
[hider=Evil Thorn][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/a/af/EvilThorn-GFTP-EN-UR-1E.png/300px-EvilThorn-GFTP-EN-UR-1E.png[/img][/hider]

“I change Ghostrick Dullahan to attack, then XYZ summon Number 54: Lion Heart.”

Number 54: Lion Heart - 100/100
[hider=Number 54: Lion Heart][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/7/7f/Number54LionHeart-NUMH-EN-ScR-1E.png/300px-Number54LionHeart-NUMH-EN-ScR-1E.png[/img][/hider]

“Go, Lion Heart! Attack Botanical Lion!”

The two Lion-themed monsters clash, but the attack disparity is obvious. Lion Heart and Thorn of Malice both keep Lion Heart from being destroyed by battle, and Lion Heart’s effect activates.

“By detaching Treeborn Frog, you take the damage I would have taken from that battle instead!”

[7700  LP > 4500 LP]

“Now, I use Dullahan’s effect to halve Botanical Lion’s attack. Go, Downerd Magician! Attack Botanical Lion!”

The disheveled magician smirks and tosses a potion at Botanical Lion. The flask shatters on contact and immediately explodes, leaving nothing behind.

[4500  LP > 3650 LP]

“Finally, Ghostrick Dullahan attacks directly!”

[3650  LP > 3050 LP]

“Main Phase 2. I summon another Downerd Magician using Ghostrick Dullahan as material.”

A second Downerd Magician joins the first. Both are down to a single material, thus possessing 2300 attack each.

“With that, I end my turn.”

Pine draws. He looks at the card he drew, and smiles. [color=green]“I summon Gigantic Cephalotus, then I play Monster Reborn to bring back Botanical Lion.”[/color]

Gigantic Cephalotus - [color=green]2650[/color]/700
Botanical Lion - [color=green]3000[/color]/2000
[hider=Gigantic Cephalotus & Monster Reborn][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/2/2c/GiganticCephalotus-CSOC-EN-C-UE.png/300px-GiganticCephalotus-CSOC-EN-C-UE.png[/img][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/4/40/MonsterReborn-EGO1-EN-C-1E.png/300px-MonsterReborn-EGO1-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]

[color=green]“Botanical Lion, Gigantic Cephalotus, attack both of his Downerd Magicians.”[/color] The Magicians explode one by one as they are mauled and devoured by the plant monsters.

[4700 LP > 3650 LP]

[color=green]“I set a face-down, then end my turn.”[/color]

Kaison draws, and Treeborn Frog descends yet again. He doesn’t show any change in expression, simply maintaining the same smile he had from the start. “I play Where Arf Thou, adding Kinka-byo from my deck to my hand. I summon it, and use it to bring back Evil Thorn from my grave. I tribute Evil Thorn, doing 300 damage to your life points, then I use Treeborn Frog and Kinka-byo to XYZ summon another Promenade Thrush. I use her effect to get rid of your face-down, which should leave you wide open.”
[hider=Where Arf Thou?][img]https://ms.yugipedia.com//thumb/a/a4/WhereArfThou-SDFC-EN-C-1E.png/300px-WhereArfThou-SDFC-EN-C-1E.png[/img][/hider]

[3050  LP > 2750 LP]

Pine grits his teeth. It was just a bluff, but now there really was no hope of winning left.

“Go, Lion Heart! Attack Botanical Lion!”

As before, the two lions clash, and as before, all of the damage is reflected onto Pine.

[2750  LP > 0 LP]

The holograms fade out as the duel comes to a close. Kaison jogs over to Pine, still smiling nonchalantly. “Good game! The way you threw out those strong plant monsters like they were nothing was really cool. Wanna duel again?”

“Oh, no you don’t!”

Before Pine can answer, a woman wearing a Slifer Red uniform walks towards them, the door to room 101 still ajar behind her.

“Didn’t you get the message from the school? You’re supposed to conduct your duels under [i]my[/i] supervision.

[color=green]“I- I… uh…”[/color]

Kaison steps forward. “Ah, he didn’t. It’s my fault, miss…?”

She raises an eyebrow. “Hibiki.”

Kaison nods. “Miss Hibiki. I met this guy outside of the school and talked his ear off all the way here. I probably interrupted him before he could get the chance.”

This was a complete lie. Pine had had plenty of time to read it, and as frustrating as its vagueness was, he mostly just chose to ignore it. He wasn’t some walking disaster. He had complete control of his powers. At least, when his temper didn’t flare up. Pine didn’t really know what to say, and in the absence of denial, Ms. Hibiki accepted Kaison’s story.

“Alright then. It’s the first day anyway, I suppose I shouldn’t be so strict with a new student. Just make sure you come get me or another teacher next time, okay? I’m usually in Room 101, the first door next to the stairs. Got it?”

Kaison nods again. “Got it.”

Ms. Hibiki stares at Pine for a bit before he realizes she’s waiting for his confirmation and he nervously copies Kaison’s nod. “...Okay.”

Seemingly satisfied, she leaves, returning to her room. Kaison turns to Pine. “Well, it’d feel awkward to bother her again after all that. Was there something in the school rules about dueling with supervision? I mostly just skimmed them.” He pulls out his PDA and begins looking through the rules, trying to find what Ms. Hibiki was talking about after the fact.

Now this was awkward.

[color=green]“It’s not in the rules. They sent a message on the PDA after the fact. I guess I got so excited to start dueling that I forgot about it… Um… sorry about that. That was fun though.”[/color]

Kaison just gave Pine a confused look. “Message? Why’d they add more rules just for you?”

Pine had a feeling he knew why, and sighed. [color=green]”Before I came here, I dueled a boy. Whenever my monsters attacked him, he felt it for real. By the end of the duel, the boy was in the hospital. He had it coming, but I understand why the school would be concerned.“[/color]

“Interesting.” He looked at Pine with curiosity. “Well, if someone like you thought he had it coming, he must’ve been a huge jerk.” Despite saying that, Kaison still looked confused, holding his chin in one hand with a contemplative expression. “Though, I still feel fine? Is it really such a big problem for them?”

[color=green]”It usually happens when I lose my temper. You might talk a lot, but… I actually like you… You’re the only person that’s been nice to me for real.”[/color]

Kaison laughs. It sounds bright and carefree. “Talk too much, do I? That’s fair, though I’m sure lots of people at this school are just as nice as me.”

[color=green]”Are you sure about that? I’ve been the flower loving freak all my life.”[/color]

“Man, don’t call yourself that. There’s nothing weird about liking some pretty flowers. What, are you really into Rafflesia or something? You know, the one that smells like rotting meat? I guess it would be kinda weird if you tried to get others to smell them all the time.”

[color=green]”Rafflesias are still interesting specimens.”[/color]

“Well, they are the biggest flowers in the world…” He loops back around to the original question. “I can’t speak for them, though if you’re down to let me introduce you to some of the friends I’ve made today, I’m sure you’d get along with at least some of them.”

[color=green]”That would be nice… By the way, I should tell you. Pine is my last name. I only introduce myself as that because people made fun of my first name. It’s Florian.”[/color]

“Which would you prefer I call you? I can also stick to Pine when others are around, if you want.”

[color=green]”Stick to Pine when others are around.”[/color] Pine grinned. [color=green]”I’ll tell them myself when I trust them enough. Heh, I guess you’re special.“[/color]

Kaison nods. “All right then, Florian.”