So in the last chapter Akira visited the Duel Monster Spirit World and spent time with the Lunalights! Although Layla's title has been challenged, who wishes to defeat her and take her title away from her?

Akira sat in the seating area of one of the Academy's Duel Arenas as he looked at Layla, who was standing on the Duel Stage. "So when's your opponent getting here?" Akira asked wanting to break the rather awkward silence that had been going on for awhile now. "Her daddy doesn't like her traveling alone so she's probably being escorted by her bodyguards." Layla said in an annoyed tone as Akira titled his head to the side in confusion at her words. Before Akira could question her further, a team of about ten men wearing suits and tinted sunglasses entered the area as they made a path to the stage as Akira only grew more confused at this. Suddenly a girl in a Kimono stepped onto the stage while facing Layla silently.

          "Well now, how long has it been Layla?" The girl said in a regal tone as she looked at Layla with what appeared to be distaste. "Nanami Tomoe, still upset your rich father can't buy my position for you?" Layla spat back with venom in every single word she spoke. "I do not require my father's assistance, I will defeat such a brutish woman myself and prove why I am more deserving of the Synchro Specialist title!" Nanami said as she activated her Duel Disk, although instead of a sword shaped card zone, the card zone looked like five Sakura petals.
              Layla powered on her Duel Disk, but she noticed Nanami looking off towards the side. Layla followed her gaze and saw she was looking at Akira. "You! Who are you?" Nanami said as Akira was taken aback slightly. "I'm Akira Hoshi, the Academy's Fusion Specialist." Akira introduces himself as Nanami smiled before batting her eyes at him. "I am Nanami Tomoe, I must say I never expected to meet someone so handsome." Nanami said in a seductive tone as Akira reeled back in fear slightly at her words.
              "Oi! Princess, why don't you focus on your opponent!" Layla shouted as Nanami refocused on her. "Very well, prepare to be defeated by the heir to the Tomoe Company!" Nanami said as she and Layla drew their first hand.

Layla-4000

Nanami-4000

"I'll start things off princess!" Layla said as she looked through her hand to see what she had to work with. "To start things off I'll summon Blackwing- Kochi the Daybreak in defense mode!" Layla said as a small bird appeared on her side of the field in a defensive position.

"To finish up, I'll place two cards facedown, your move princess!" Layla said as she finished her turn. Nanami drew her next card before adding it to her hand and looking over her options. "I'll begin my assault by summoning Tsukahagi, the Poisonous Mayakashi in attack mode!" Nanami said as a man in red armor appeared on her side of the field.

"Now that I control a Mayakashi monster on my side of the field, I can special summon from my hand, Yuki-Musume, the Ice Mayakashi in attack mode!" Nanami said as she summoned a small girl in a kimono next to Tsukahagi.

"Since I activated this effect I must banish one Zombie monster to my graveyard." Nanami said as she sent the card to the graveyard. "So you got two monsters out on your first turn, not bad princess, but that won't help you." Layla said as she wasn't giving up in the slightest. "I'm not finished you brute. Now I tune my Yuki-Musume with my Tsukahagi! Under the cover of night shed your disguise! Come forth, Oboro-Guruma, the Wheeled Mayakashi!" Nanami shouted as a demonic looking rickshaw appeared on her field in defense position.

          "Now that I special summoned a monster on my turn the effect of the Zombie monster I sent to the graveyard activates! I can now special summon Dakki, the Graceful Mayakashi!" Nanami said as a girl in a kimono appeared next to Oboro-Guruma.

           "Now I place a card facedown and end my turn, your move brutish woman." Nanami said as she finally ended her turn. Layla drew her next card and added it to her hand. "Alright princess, let me show you how a real Synchro Specialist duels! I summon Blackwing- Kalut the Moon Shadow in attack mode!" Layla said as the small bird creature appeared next to Kochi. "Now I tune Kalut with Kochi! Calm and gentle like the rain, but deadly like a storm! Takeoff Assault Blacking- Raikiri the Rain Shower!" Layla shouted as she summoned a bird themed swordsman to her side of the field.

       "Now Raikiri attack Dakki!" Layla ordered as Raikiri flew towards Dakki before slashing her in half with his sword. Nanami took 1600 points of damage from the destruction of her monster.

Layla-4000

Nanami-2400

"How predictable of you Layla, always such a violent brute with those nasty vultures of yours. Unfortunately since you destroyed one of my Mayakashi monsters, Tsukahagi's effect activates, allowing me to special summon him to the field!" Nanami said as the monster returned to the field. "Whatever, I end my turn princess." Layla said as Nanami drew her next card. "Now then I tune my Oboro-Guruma with Tsukahagi! Under the cover of night this monster stalks it's helpless prey! Come forth Tsuchigumo, the Poisonous Mayakashi!" Nanami shouted as she summoned a spider like monster in armor appeared on her side of the field.

"However, since a Mayakashi was Special summoned, Dakki returns to my field from the graveyard." Nanami said as the Mayakashi tuner appeared on the field once again. "Next I tune my Tsuchigumo with Dakki! The horror of the night sky! Come forth Tengu, the Winged Mayakashi!" Nanami shouted as she summoned a new Synchro monster that was a winged demon man.

"So you brought out a monster with equal power to my Raikiri, do you plan on destroying both our monsters?" Layla asked as Nanami let out a laugh. "No, I activate my facedown spell card, Riryoku! First I target you Raikiri! His attack points are now halved!" Nanami said as Raikiri's attack dropped from 2600 to 1300. "Next I target my Tengu, he gains your monster's lost attack until the end of the turn!" Nanami said as Tengu's attack increased from 2600 to 3900. "Now Tengu destroy Raikiri!" Nanami ordered as Tengu shot a powerful twister of wind towards Raikiri, destroying the Blackwing as Layla took 2600 points of damage from it.

Layla-1400

Nanami-2400

         "I activate the trap card, Black Wing Revenge! Since a winged beast I controlled was destroyed by battle, I get to summon two Blackwing- Black Crest Tokens to my side of the field!" Layla said as two baby Blackwings that were level two appeared on her field. "Oh you brought two little baby vultures to the fight? You must be getting desperate Layla." Nanami said as she ended her turn. "You know, I must admit beating you and taking your title will be even sweeter when I get to be near Akira." Nanami said as Layla's eyes widened in shock at her words.
             "What do you want with the Fusion knucklehead?" Layla demanded as she glared at the rich girl. "I shouldn't be surprised a brute like you wouldn't understand feminine desires. I plan on making Akira mine, he would make a fine husband! After all as the heir to my father's company, I myself must produce an heir." Nanami said as Layla's eyes flared with anger. "That knucklehead has a right to choose who he wants to love! Who are you to make that decision for him?!" Layla said in an annoyed tone as she glared at Nanami in quickly increasing rage.
             "Oh please, why would he deny me? Even if he did, I could always force him into a relationship." Nanami said as Layla only seemed to get even more annoyed at her words. Layla looked at her hand as her eyes widened and a smile spread across her face. "You won't last much longer Princess! I summon Blackwing- Gale the Whirlwind in attack mode!" Layla shouted as the small Blackwing Tuner appeared on her side of the field. "Next I tune Gale with the two tokens! The raging lightning that is the prelude to the calm after the storm! Takeoff Assault Blackwing- Chidori the Rain Sprinkling!" Layla shouted as she summoned another sword wielding Blackwing monster.

          "So you summoned another level seven? It's attack only matches my Tengu's!" Nanami said with confidence in her voice. "Chidori has a special effect, he gains 300 attack points for each Blackwing in my graveyard. There are currently six Blackwings in my graveyard, counting the two tokens, so that means Chidori gains 1800 attack!" Layla said as Chidori's attack increased from 2600 to 4400. "Now Chidori destroy her Tengu!" Layla ordered as Chidori flew towards Tengu with green energy around his blade. Chidori cut Tengu clean in half as Nanami took 1800 points of damage from the attack.

Layla-1400

Nanami-600

"Unfortunately for you, due to Tsuchigumo's first effect he can be special summoned to the field from the graveyard if a level seven Mayashi Synchro is destroyed! Of course I must banish another card from my graveyard to activate this effect." Nanami said as she banished a card as Tsuchigumo returned to her field. "This causes Tsuchigumo's second effect to trigger, you now need to send the top three cards of your deck to the graveyard." Nanami said as Layla removed the cards from her deck and sent them to the graveyard as Chidori gained another 600 attack increasing his power to 5000 attack points.
"Looks like two of those cards were Blackwing monsters! Well your move princess!" Layla said as Nanami drew her next card as a smile spread across her face. "From my hand I activate the spell card, Mind Control! This lets me take control of one of your monsters until the end phase! Unfortunately it can't attack." Nanami said as Chidori has strings connected to him as he was pulled over to Nanami's side of the field. "Now Tsuchigumo attack Layla directly and end this duel!" Nanami ordered as the spider monster crawled towards Layla.
"I activate the trap card Mirror Force! When you declare an attack, it destroys all your attack position monsters!" Layla said as Chidori and Tsuchigumo were both destroyed by the trap card. Nanami's eye began to twitch as victory was ripped away from her again. "It doesn't matter! Now Oboro-Guruma can be special summoned to my field as a result of a level five Synchro Mayakashi monster being destroyed." Nanami said as the demonic rickshaw returned to the field in defense position. "Your move you vulture loving brute!" Nanami said as she ended her turn as Layla drew her next card.
"Alright to start I'll summon Blackwing- Tornado the Reverse Wind in attack mode!" Layla said as she summoned a taller bird monster to her field.

"Since you have a special summoned monster on your side of the field I can bring a Blackwing tuner monster back from the graveyard with it's effect negated! Spread your wings once more, Gale the Whirlwind!" Layla said as her tuner returned to the field. "Now I tune Gale with Tornado! Spread your wings warrior master of the skies! Takeoff Blackwing Armor Master!" Layla shouted as she summoned her ace monster to her field.

"I'm not finished yet! I now activate the spell card, Black-Winged Strafe! By discarding a Blackwing monster from my hand, I can send one of my opponent's defense position monsters to the graveyard!" Layla said as she discarded a Blackwing monster from her hand as Obote-Guruma was destroyed. "Now Armor Master attack the princess directly and finish this duel!" Layla ordered as Armor Master flew towards Nanami before punching her in the torso.

Layla-1400

Nanami-0

Nanami dropped to her knees as her bodyguards surrounded her. "Let that be a lesson to you princess, don't mess with the Synchro Specialist!" Layla said as she walked off the stage as Akira approached her. "You did great out there! Gotta admit though, that Nanami girl is pretty tough." Akira said as Layla let out a laugh at his words. "I guess, she's still no match for my Blackwings!" Layla said with a cocky smile on her face. Although Layla quickly lost her smile as she thought about what Nanami said.
"Hey Akira, what did you think of Nanami?" Layla asked as she looked at him. Akira thought about it for a second before looking at Layla again. "Well she seems like a skilled duelist, but she also kinda creeps me out." Akira said as he remembered what she had said to him before the duel. Layla cracked a smile as she punched Akira in the shoulder playfully. "Aw what's the matter Fusion boy? Afraid of girls?" Layla said in a teasing tone as Akira rubbed his arm nervously. "Well no, I'm not afraid of you after all." Akira said as a small blush spread across Layla's face. "Oh is that so? Well then you won't mind helping me with my homework then right?" Layla said as she wrapped her arm around Akira's neck before leading him through the halls of the academy as she teased him.

So that was the Duel for Layla to defend her title of Synchro Specialist from her rival Nanami! I hope all of you enjoyed this duel, I might also be planning characters that will act in the same way as Nanami does for Layla, but for Akira and Gavin. Although what awaits Akira and his fellow Summoning Specialists next at Vanguard Duel Academy? What will they learn next? Who will they end up up dueling next? What could be on the horizon? Find out in the next chapter of Yugioh: Academy of the Elite!