Track lead the way to his destination, Lan and Riyu following behind. "So, you finally decided who to fight, huh," Lan asked sarcastically. "Yes, does that bother you," Track asked. "No, not at all. You go show your future girlfriend who's boss," Lan smirked.

"Lan, you'll be my opponent soon enough if you don't shut up." Lan promptly shut up. Riyu chuckled, as they walked further. They finally made it to a park, where a black-haired girl was shaking the hand of an opponent she had just beaten. :Play it cool, Track, she's just your opponent.:

Track approached, Lan and Riyu sitting on a bench nearby. Umbra turned to see Track walking towards her. "Oh, hello! You're...umm...Track," she said, remembering his name. "Yes, I am. I'd like to challenge you to a duel." "Why me, if I may ask?"

"You're already qualified for the Maxim Duel Tournament. I don't want to take someone who could enter out of it." "My my, what a gentleman," Umbra smiled, winking at Track. "Look, are we going to duel or not," Track asked, trying not to look like a fool. "Yes, very well, but ladies first," she said.

"Fine, as long as we get to duel." Umbra nodded, activating her Duel Disk, which was black with a white inside. Track activated his Duel Disk, and their Life Points went up to 4000. The each drew 5 cards, then looked each other in the eyes. "Duel," they shouted.

"First, I'll set one monster face-down on my field," Umbra announced, setting a card. A face-down card digitized on the field in defense position. "Then, I'll set two more cards face-down and end my turn." Two more cards appeared face-down in the Spell/Trap Zone. "My turn, draw," Track declared, drawing a card.

"First, I'll use the Spell Card, Upstart Goblin! In exchange for my opponent gaining 1000 Life Points, I draw 1 card," Track announced as he drew another card. "Next, I'll Normal Summon my Night Express Night!" A white train with a mechanized knight atop it appeared. "And because I Normal Summoned it without Tribute, Night-E-Knight's attack becomes 0, letting him bypass most pesky Trap Holes. Now, using its own effect, I'll Special Summon Heavy Freight Train Derricrane!"

An orange train appeared next to the white one. "Now, using these two monsters, I'll build the Overlay Network!" The two monsters turned into orange light, and a yellow vortex appeared on the field. The lights flew in, and a beam of light shot into the sky. "Mechanized ruler of the tracks, come forth, and crush my opponent's foolish opposition! I Xyz Summon, Number 81: Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Super Dora!"

A large cannon with red stripes and three smaller cannons accompanying it appeared on Track's field. Umbra smiled coyly. "How interesting, but I activate my Trap Card, Sinister Shadow Games! This lets me send a Shaddoll monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, then flip any number of face-down Shaddoll monsters into face-up Defense Mode! I'll send Shaddoll Beast to the grave, then Flip Summon my Shaddoll Hedgehog!"

A purple hedgehog with strings attached to its hands and feet appeared above the flipped card. "Now, my darling hedgehog's effect activates! When he's flipped face-up, I'm allowed to add a "Shaddoll" Spell or Trap card from my Deck to my hand!" 5 cards stuck out from Umbra's Deck, and she added one. "I'll add, Shaddoll Fusion!"

"Oh no, not that," Lan murmured. "Why is Shaddoll Fusion bad," Riyu asked. "That card can Fusion Summon using monsters from her hand or field, but when Track has a monster that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck, she can use monsters in her Deck!" "Uh oh, Track's in trouble." "And now, Shaddoll Beast's effect activates, letting me draw a card," Umbra declared, drawing a card.

"Now, Number 81, attack Shaddoll Hedgehog!" The Machine-Type monster lined up its shot, before firing, destroying the monster. "Now, I activate the Field Spell, Revolving Switchyard!" The familiar industrial switchyard appeared around the two. "Now, using its effect, I send one card from my hand to my Graveyard to add a Level 10 Earth Machine-Type Monster from my Deck to my hand."

A red train went onto the spinning track. "I discard Ruffian Railcar," Track declared, the monster zooming into an empty hole. "Now, I'll add Night Express Knight," Track continued. "I set one card face-down, and end my turn. Now, during my End Phase, Ruffian Railcar's effect activates, which lets me add a Level 10 Earth Machine-Type Monster from my Deck to my hand, so I'll add Heavy Freight Train Derricrane!"

"It's my turn, draw," Umbra declared, drawing a card. Now, I'll use Shaddoll Fusion! And thanks to your little Xyz Monster, I can fuse-" "From your Deck, yes. Now do it, I know what you're going to make."

Umbra gave a confused look, before shrugging. "Very well," she said with a wink. "I fuse the Shaddoll Beast in my hand with the Effect Veiler in my Deck!" Above Umbra, a Shaddoll Hedgehog, as well as a small human with wings of light appeared, before swirling into a mass of purple and yellow. "Creature of shadow, and angel of light, fuse into one and release your might," Umbra chanted, holding her arms out.

The black-haired girl then connected her hands above her head, before bringing them to her chest, as if she were praying. "I Fusion Summon, the maiden of strings, El Shaddoll Construct!" A black fog formed behind Umbra, stretching high above her. Out of it came a towering doll-like monster, with a mass of pink strings flowing from its back. "Oh no, Track's in trouble," Lan said.

"But why? It only has 2800 Attack Points, and Number 81 has 4000 Defense Points," Riyu stated. "Now, time to battle! El Shaddoll Construct, attack Super Dora! Now, Track, can you tell why I'm doing this, as your arctic-haired friend over there seems confused."

"It's because of Construct's effect, which lets you destroy a Special Summoned monster before damage is calculated." "My my, someone's been studying," Umbra winked again, as the strings on Construct flew towards Number 81. "And it's not you! I activate Super Dora's effect! By detaching 1 Overlay Unit from my monster, I can target one card on the field and leave it unaffected by all cards and effects, aside from its own, so I choose Number 81!"

The shields on the Machine grew, covering 81 and blocking the strings. "Now, because 81 isn't destroyed, damage is applied, and you take 1200 points of it!" "Not so fast! I activate Book of Moon, flipping my Monster face-down!" Construct was pulled back into its card, which was then flipped face-down.

"It's not safe yet! I activate Derricrane's effect! When it's sent to the Graveyard as an Overlay Unit, I can destroy one card on your field! So I'll destroy your face-down Construct!" A train horn ripped through the area, destroying El Shaddoll Construct.

"Woohoo, great job, Track," Lan cheered. "I activate Construct's effect, returning my Shaddoll Fusion in my Graveyard to my hand. I set one monster and 2 cards face-down, and end my turn." "It's my turn, I draw! I Normal Summon Night Express Knight and Special Derricrane!"

The two familiar Machines came out. "Now, I Overlay using these two monsters! I Xyz Summon Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav Max!" A cannon with a long teal barrel landed on a track. Track gave a smirk, knowing that he had won.

"Now, I'll battle! Gustav Max, attack the face-down!" The train's barrel fired a round, destroying the face-down Mathematician. "When Mathematician is destroyed by battle and sent to the grave, I can draw a card," Umbra declared, using the effect. "Now, Number 81, attack directly!"

Umbra rolled out the way, getting thrown by the force of the blast as her Life Points went down to 800. "Now, I activate Gustav Max's effect! By detaching 1 Overlay Unit, I inflict 2000 points of damage to you!" The train's barrel released a stream of fire, engulfing Umbra. She coughed and fell to the ground as her Life Points went to 0, and Track won the match.

"Umbra," Track cried, rushing to her side. "Are you alright?" "Y-yeah...thanks for that...you're a great duelist...I assume you needed this to get in the Maxim Duel Tournament?" "Y-yeah...I did..." Umbra nodded gave a smile, as well as another wink.

"I'll be waiting for a rematch then," she stated, trying to get up, before falling. Track picked her up. "Here, I'll take you home. It's the least I could do," he said. Umbra nodded slowly, smiling up at Track with closed eyes.

Track blushed slightly, but he quickly erased it, as he carried Umbra off. "Well, what now," Lan asked. "Maybe find an opponent for you?" Just as Riyu said that, Lan felt a tugging on her pant leg. Lan turned around and looked down to find a small child with dark red hair looking up at her."

"Umm...e-excuse me," she murmured softly. "C-c-could you d-duel me p-please..." she asked, looking beyond nervous. "Well...alright. What's your name," Lan asked with a smile. "I'm S-Sara...and you?"

"I'm Lan, and this is my friend, Riyu." Riyu waved, smiling. Sara smiled back, beginning to become less nervous. "It's nice to meet you both," she said. "You too, now lets Duel," Lan said.

Sara nodded and activated her Duel Disk, the royal blue "v" like zone appearing. Lan activated hers, and the Duel began. "M-may I go first?" "Of course," Lan said, smiling. "O-okay...I'll first activate Pre-Preparation of Rites.

"It lets me add a Ritual Spell Card to my hand, then a Ritual Monster that is listed on the Spell. I'll add Dawn of the Herald, then add the Herald of Perfection as well. Now, I'll activate Dawn of the Herald. This Ritual Spell lets me send a Ritual Summon by tributing monsters from my field or hand who's Levels equal 6. I tribute my Cyber Angel Benten from my hand to Ritual Summon the Herald of Perfection."

A statue of a monster appeared, with a pot in front of it. A yellow light flew from the Cyber Angel Benten in Sara's hand into the pot, and the statue began to crack, light shining from it. The statue broke fully, revealing the monster underneath, a white Fairy-Type monster with arms and wings of orange, green, and purple feathers. "Whoa, that's so cool," Lan admired. Sara nodded, smiling back.

"Now, I activate Cyber Angel Benten's effect, and chain Dawn of The Herald's effect. Benten lets me search a Fairy-Type monster, while Dawn of the Herald returns Benten to my hand. So, using Benten's effect, I'll search out Star Seraph Scepter," Sara said, as her monsters were added to her hand. "Now, I'll Normal Summon Star Seraph Scepter, and chain the effect of Stickchair." "Stickchair?"

"Sorry, it's actually called Star Seraph Sovereignty. But when a "Star Seraph" Monster is summoned to my field, I can Special Summon Star Seraph Sovereignty and draw a card." A green scepter-like object and a brown and gold chair appeared on Sara's field, as she drew a card. ((Hymn of Light)) "Now, with Scepter's effect, I search another Sovereignty, which I can then Summon to draw another card," Sara said, drawing again, sounding more confident. ((Dawn)) "Umm...now...I Overlay my Level 4 Star Seraph Scepter and Sovereignty..."

The 3 Monsters turned into yellow lights, but dissipated and went back to normal. "What happened," Lan asked. "I've never done that before...I'm not too sure how to. I thought watching that guy do it would help...but now, I end my turn." "It's my turn, draw," Lan declared, drawing.

"First, I'll activate the Field Spell, Aroma Garden," Lan declared, using the card. A garden appeared around the field, as Sara's eyes lit up. "Wow, this is so cool! And it smells so nice," she said, closing her eyes and beginning to sniff. "Then, I'll Normal Summon Aromage Jasmine!"

The white-haired monster appeared on Lan's field. "Now, using Aroma Garden's effect, I gain 500 Life Points!" This made Sara stop. "Umm...I activate the effect of my Herald of Perfection. I send Cyber Angel Benten to the Graveyard from my hand to negate and destroy Aroma Garden." As Sara sent the Fairy-Type monster to the Graveyard, a light flew out of it, hitting Sara's Herald.

The Monster began to glow a green light, which released in a wave and destroyed the Garden. "Well, I activate my 2nd Aroma Garden," Lan said, reactivating the Spell. "Now, I use its Effect to gain 500 Life Points." Lan's Life Points ticked up by 500, as did Jasmine's Attack and Defense. "Now, with Jasmine's effect, I draw one card because I gained Life Points," Lan said drawing a card.

"Now, because I have more Life Points then you, Jasmine's effect lets me Normal Summon another Plant-Type monster. I'll Normal Summon Aromage Rosemary!" Lan's field gained a blue-haired mage in addition to Jasmine. "Now, I once again reactivate Aroma Garden, and gain 500 Life Points! Then, I activate Rosemary's effect to change Jasmine to Defense Position!"

Jasmine changed to a guarding stance. Sara smiled, before hearing something. "Ms. Lan, I have to go. You win," she said, surrendering. The match went to Lan, as the Duel faded.

Sara ran off, leaving Lan and Riyu confused. "Hey, you won, Lan," Riyu cheered. "Yeah, I guess I did! Well, should we go find Track?" "Sure, I guess."

The two went looking around, before finding Track leaving an orphanage. "There you are! We've been looking all over for you!" "Sorry, I was taking Umbra home. Turns out she lives here."

"Wow, something you didn't know about her," Lan smirked. "Not now, Cil," Track said, smirking back. "Ugh, fine, you win. Come on, lets go back home," Lan said, walking away. "Why do you always tease her with that," Riyu asked.

"No reason. I just can," Track lied. His real reason, though, he would never tell. Lan could never know, and he knew Riyu would let it slip one way or another. So he kept his lips sealed, walking back home.