Space. It is the space field that they were captured in the duel between Judai and Emmenuel. The void of the Macrocosmos. Fubuki and Manjoume lie unconscious in their gaseous planets. And Asuka stands, awake, in hers, and looks down on Manjoume with a tender smile. Manjoume, curled up in sleep, smiles as well...

"Aniki! A-ni-kiiii!"

Manjoume, lying on the roof of Duel Academia, is rudely awakened by Ojama Yellow, wondering if he's okay. As he opens his eyes, he realizes he was dreaming. The Ojama Trio fret among themselves about how Manjoume's been this way ever since the Seven Stars were defeated. It's a strong contrast to Judai, who, at that very moment, is walking with Hayato and Shou down the entry walkway below, being cheered by what seems like the entire population of Duel Academia. Judai takes it with good grace, smiling and waving, while Shou is surprised that everyone's heard about the battle for the Shichisei Gate. Hayato comments that on an island this small, it's hard to keep secrets for long.

Ojama Black joins in the cheering, but Yellow says it might not be a good idea in front of Manjoume..."Black Brother, that isn't good...in front of Big Brother". Manjoume, however, sits up looking contemptuous. "Hmf. Who cares about duels?" The Trio are shocked by this, not surprisingly. Manjoume pulls out his deck from an inner pocket and contemplates it for a moment. Then an extremely strong gust of wind whips past, and the cards fly out of his hands, cascading high into the air and away. The Trio is swept up with them. Manjoume watches them go with little emotion. Right now, other things are concerning him more. He can't avoid thinking of Asuka, calling her Tenjoin-Kun. In his time trapped in the Macrocosmos, Manjoume could feel the gentle warmth of Asuka's presence. Deep in his heart, he was almost hoping Judai would lose, so they could stay together like that forever. He feels like he must confess his feelings to her now, since they're so strong. But...

He looks out across the nearby sea. Asuka and Ryou are standing together on the lighthouse pier, looking farther out to sea. Manjoume slumps at the sight of the two of them so close. As he's expected, Asuka may have been with Kaiser. Thus, he feels as if he is losing his hope. On the pier, Ryou asks about Fubuki. Asuka replies that he's all right -- in body and heart, he's the big brother she remembers. Ryou is glad -- now he can graduate with no regrets, since her big brother is back. Asuka thanks him for being like a big brother to her while Fubuki was gone, and saving her when she needed help. He smiles, and asks if she'll accept being rescued by Fubuki, "This time, you were saved by real brother", which seems to trouble her. He hastily backtracks, and says maybe she won't need to be rescued at all, "No...you did save Fubuki".

On the beach, Manjoume (looking a bit out of place in his long black coat) sits a bit away from where other students are having fun at an oceanside snack bar. Out in the water, a surfer in a short-legged wetsuit is showing off on the waves. Manjoume watches him briefly, before realizing in surprise that it's Fubuki. Fubuki notices him at about the same time, and calls out to him in greeting. As Fubuki comes in to shore, Momoe and Junko rush past Manjoume, squeeing happily. Junko hands Fubuki an autograph board, and asks him to sign it, and Fubuki cheerfully signs it, with his trademark 'Fubuki 10 Join' style. The two girls thank him, but are a bit confused as he points upwards.

"What can your eyes see?" he asks with a smooth smile.

Um, the sky (sora)?" Momoe guesses.

"The heavens (ten)?" Junko offers.

At the sound of 'ten,' Fubuki turns around, strikes a pose (shaking his hips a bit much in the process, and gives them a smiling thumbs up. "--Jouin!" he concludes. This is too much for the girls, who get hearts in their eyes and faint in sheer bliss. Manjoume looks in surprise at Fubuki, thinking he's just astounding -- like [A magician of love ~ Koi No Majyuttsushi]. He gets down on his hands and knees near the blissed out girls, and, to Fubuki's surprise, asks humbly for Fubuki to lend him his power.

Later, at sunset, Manjoume's finished explaining the situation to Fubuki. "I see, so there's someone you've got feelings for," Fubuki says. "I bet it's Asuka!" Jun looks surprised he figured it out, and Fubuki explains that at that time, Manjoume's feelings were echoing through outer space...

"Sorry to be thinking that about your younger sister..."

"Don't apologize! I'm an ally of love wherever it may appear."

Manjoume asks Fubuki if Asuka and the Kaizer have something going, but Fubuki doesn't know because he can't understand people's feeling -- but it doesn't matter anyway. Manjoume needs to be true to his own feelings. He needs to confess in his own way -- "Of course!" Fubuki exclaims. "A duel!". Manjoume's a bit doubtful about the idea, but Fubuki's enthusiastic -- with his heart laid open in a duel, the way he and Asuka act can be a barometer of their love, [Barometer of Love - Koi No Barometer]. Manjoume's still uncertain, but just then the Ojama Trio appear, floating down the beach and calling to him. Pharaoh is right behind them, proudly holding Manjoume's reassembled deck in his mouth.

Fubuki asks to see the deck for a moment, and says it's good, but it needs some adjustment to be a proper display of love. He offers his help to Manjoume in getting it ready, and in figuring out how to convince Asuka to duel him. Night at Duel Academia, Sameshima is packing up some papers in his office, but he looks worried. He can feel the shadow of 'that person' watching him. He pulls out the key case from his desk drawer, and opens it up. All seven keys are now back in place, as they were before he distributed them to the seven duelists. The Seven Stars are all defeated, he thinks, but somehow. I'll at ease, he goes over to a potted tree near his desk and lifts it (and a large chunk of dirt around its roots) out of its pot. He places the case in the pot and replaces the tree on top of it. Having so hidden the keys, he leaves out the front door of his office -- and almost immediately after, Jun enters through the side door, sneaking in. Fubuki (who's in a ninja-like suit with a Japanese burglar's headscarf -- knotted under his nose to muffle his breathing) leaps down from the ceiling in front of him, and Jun cries out before Fubuki claps a hand across his mouth. "Quietly," Fubuki reminds him, and Jun nods.

The next morning, Sameshima cries out in shock. Judai, Shou, Hayato, Misawa, Ryou, and Asuka all rush out from the building, ready to hunt for the stolen keys, while Sameshima looks at the note in the empty case. "I wait at the beach -- Thunder." The kids arrive at the beach, and are quite shocked to see Manjoume there, with all seven keys around his neck. They ask what the heck he's up to, but he says he won't return the keys -- until Asuka duels him. Asuka is surprised, while Judai irately says he could have just asked her normally.

"Normal wouldn't do!" Manjoume protests. "This is a love duel, with the seven keys staked against a date with Tenjouin-kun!"

"Love duel?!" Everyone is most surprised by this. Asuka, annoyed, tells Manjoume not to say such foolish thing, but Fubuki counters, "What's so foolish, Asuka?"

Fubuki, it seems, is standing on a raft nearby, in a bright red Hawaiian shirt, strumming a ukulele. "Asuka, Manjoume has challenged you with the purity of a man's heart! Will you not answer him with the purity of a woman's heart?"

Shou and Judai look a little nonplussed. They hadn't guessed that Fubuki was this kind of guy, but Asuka seems unsurprised that this could be another of her brother's harebrained schemes. Ryou agrees, saying this positively stinks of Fubuki. Asuka realizes there's probably no reasoning with Manjoume when he's like this, and agrees to duel him. But, she assures him, this has no bearing whatsoever on dating her or anything like that. Manjoume says it's not like that at all -- he's confident she will be swayed by the tender, romantic plans he has for them. (Everyone else seems to think he's really missing the point.)

In any case, it seems like the only way this is going to be settled is with a duel.

"Let's go, Manjoume... Thunder."

"Call me Jun," he replies, blushing.

Nobody can quite believe their ears at this point.

Sho	Manjyome-Kun?
Judai	What do you intend to do, Manjyome?
Asuka	Manjyome-Kun, please turn back the keys.
Manjyome	No!
Asuka	Why this kind of silly thing...?
Manjyome	That...that is...Tenjoin-Kun, it's for the duel with you.
Judai	Why don't you do that normally?
Manjyome	I can't do that normally. I bet [the date] by the seven star gate keys. It's love duel!
People	Love Duel?
Asuka	Manjyome-Kun, please stop this kind of stupid thing!
Manjyome	What is stupid, Asuka?
Asuka	Brother?
Kaiser	Fubuki...you?
Fubuki	Manjoume-Kun challenges you by the purity of a man's heart. Will you not respond him by the purity of a woman's heart?
Sho	Fubuki-San...is he this kind of person?
Judai	Don't ask~ (I've never heard)
Asuka	Probably, brother's instigation?
Kaiser	Fubuki's bad habit again~
Judai	Bad habit?
Manjyome	Tenjoin-Kun!
Asuka	(Manjyome-Kun, he doesn't understand the conversation anyway.)
Fubuki	Asuka!
Asuka	I got it. I will do it, the duel!
Manjyome	That's it!
Fubuki	Good job, Asuka!
Asuka	However, from what you said, there will be no meaning to deal with any date.
Manjyome	It is not like that! It's certainly the pleasure. Shopping in the department store, volcano picnic, talking for the whole year at the lighthouse, my thoughts to you are.... Note: He means that he will buy anything she wants, have the pinnic with her, and perhaps look at the sunset together at the lighthouse.
Asuka	What a useless sound! If there is something to talk, let's talk in the duel!
Manjyome	Ah! As you said~
Asuka	Let's go, Manjyome Thunder.
Manjyome	Please call me Jun~
Manjyome, Asuka	Duel!

Love Letter Magic Card

Duel! Jun goes first. He draws, then plays Ojama Yellow in Attack mode [Ojama Yellow - 2/0/1000]. He then sets two cards face down, and plays Love Letter, a magic card [Love Letter - Magic: You can only activate this card if you have a Monster on your Field and cards in your Magic and Trap zone set. Your opponent chooses 1 of the following effects.1) The control of 1 of your Monsters on the Field is switched. 2) Switch the controller of 1 card in your Magic and Trap zone and set it in your opponent's Magic and Trap card zone]. He can only play it when there's at least one magic or trap card on his side of the field. Asuka gets a choice -- she can either take control of one of his monsters, or one card in his Magic/Trap zone. (He gets to choose the card.) Ojama Yellow dances around cheerfully as he explains this. She thinks that there can't be much worse than being saddled with Ojama Yellow, so she picks the Magic/Trap option.

Jun thinks that, though Asuka doesn't realize it, his love for her will be transmitted with this card. Fantasy sequence. Asuka walks through the forest. Jun hides behind a tree, looking nervous, a love letter in his hand. He watches as she walks past, not having the nerve to come out and confront her. Fubuki, behind him, puts a hand on his shoulder and points to the sky. "What do your eyes see?" "Ten..." (Thumbs-up hip-wiggling pose) "--Jouin!" Jun takes confidence from Fubuki's smile, and runs after Asuka. He hands her the love letter, and she gasps in surprise...

Hidden Affection Magic Card

Back at the duel, one of Jun's cards appears on Asuka's side of the field. Jun then plays Giant Trunade, returning all magic and trap cards to their owners' hands [Giant Trunade ~ Hurricane - Magic: Return all Magic and Trap cards on the Field to their owner's hands]. In another fantasy, Jun and Asuka run towards each other in the forest, laughing, as Asuka holds up a return love letter. A gust of wind blows it from her hand, but Jun catches it. Both face-down cards reappear in Jun's hand. He reveals the one that had been on her side of the field -- Hidden Affection [Hidden Affection ~ Himeta Omoi - Magic: When this card is returned from your opponent's Field while set on the Field to your hand, do 1000 damage to your opponent's Life Points and increase your Life Points by 1000]. When this card returns from the opponent's field to the owner's hand, the opponent takes 1000 damage, and the owner gains 1000 life. Thus, Asuka's LP goes down to 3000 (4000-1000) while Manjyome's goes up to 5000 (4000+1000) He gratefully accepts the feelings she has entrusted to him, which makes her twitch and grimace a bit.

Map of the Hidden Treasure Trap Card

He then reveals the other card he returned to his hand, [Map to the Hidden Treasure ~ Maisoukin No Chizu - Trap: If this card is returned from the Field to your hand while set, send this card to the Cemetery in order to draw 2 cards from your deck]. When it's returned from the field to his hand, he can discard it and draw two more cards. He does so, sets two cards face down, and ends his turn. Asuka's turn. She draws, then summons Blade Skater in attack mode [Blade Skater - 4/1400]. She sends it to attack Ojama Yellow with its Accel Slicer attack, and Yellow cowers before the whirlwind of blades. But Jun activates a trap card -- [Ring of Destruction ~ Hakai Rin - Trap: Destroy 1 face-up Monster Card on the Field and inflict Direct Damage to both players equal to the destroyed Monster Card's ATK]. A ring of grenades clamps around Blade Skater's waist, stopping its spin, and then explodes. Both players lose 1400 life, reducing Jun to 3600 (5000-1400) and Asuka to 1600 (3000-1400). Fubuki speaks rapturously of the 'pain of love,' and gives Jun a thumbs-up, which Jun returns... referring to Fubuki as 'big brother.' Fubuki grins and asks what Asuka thinks of that, but she just turns her head away and ends her turn.

Jun's turn. He draws, then plays Graceful Charity, drawing three cards, then discarding Hidden Affection and Hell Polymer [Graceful Charity ~ Tenshi No Hodokoshi - Magic: Draw 3 cards from your deck then discard any two cards from your hand]. Then he plays Pot of Greed, letting him draw two more cards. That done with, he activates his remaining trap card -- [Ojama Trio - Trap: Special Summon 3 Ojama Token (Beast/Light/2/0/1000) to your opponent's Field in defense mode (They cannot be sacrificed to Summon). When a Ojama Token is destroyed, its controller receives 300 damage]. The Trio appears on Asuka's side of the field, filling three of her monster slots with Ojama Tokens in defense mode. (The Trio wiggle at Asuka while Jun explains their special effects, which is a bit disturbing.) Jun then plays Polymerization, using it on the Ojama Yellow on the field and the Ojama Green and Ojama Black in his hand. The three of them spiral into the air, with a cry of 'Ojama Ultimate Fusion!', and Ojama King appears and poses [Ojaman King - 6/0/3000: Select up to 3 of your oppoment's monster card zones. As long as this care remains face-up on the field, the selected zones can't be used].

Jun explains that Ojama King can seal away up to three of her monster slots, and sure enough, a miniature Ojama King appears near her duel disk and stamps the two empty ones with a seal almost as big as he is. Asuka realizes that with three slots filled by the Trio, and two sealed by the King, she can't summon any monsters. Jun sets one card face down and ends his turn. Now her field is filled with his monsters -- and he hopes that soon, her heart will be filled by his passion... The boys observing seem to think this highly unlikely, at best.

Asuka examines her hand (Cyber Prima, Cyber Tutu, Polymerization, Double Passe, and Warrior Returning Alive, though we can't see them all clearly at this point). If she could just summon a monster -- but the Ojama Tokens can't be used for a Tribute Summon. She draws, showing a steely resolve that takes Fubuki aback, then sets one card face down and ends her turn.

Dress Up Magic Card

Jun draws, and plays the Equip Magic -- [Dress Up ~ Equipment Magic: Increase the Equippped Monster's attack strength by 300 points. {During the Battle Phase} This Monster will battle with the Monster with the lowest attack strength on your opponent's Field in attack mode]. This puts Ojama King in a rather sharp-looking white tuxedo (well, as sharp as anything can look on that weird egg body. Ojama King declares himself 'cool,' but...). This increases Ojama King's attack points by 300 (to a whopping grand total of... 300), and also gives it a special ability. It can attack the lowest attack strength monster on the field, and switch it to attack mode... If Jun uses this ability on all three of the Ojama Tokens, she'll take 900 points of battle damage, plus 900 points from the Ojama Token's special ability. Enough to wipe her out. She thinks to herself that she has Double Passe face down, which would let her avoid 300 points of the special damage by preventing one token from being destroyed, but that's still a total of 1500 damage -- she'd be down to her last 100 life points.

Forked Path of Destiny Dramatic Crossroad Trap Card

But, he says, the aim of this duel isn't to defeat her. It's to get her to entrust her heart to him. So, he has Ojama King attack Ojama Token Black -- without using the special effect of Dress Up. Judai is completely confused by this point, having absolutely no idea what Jun's trying to do. Ojama King soars forward with a Flying Body Attack, but Ojama Black headbutts him in the stomach. and Jun takes 700 damage, reducing him to 2900 (3600-700). But when Jun takes the damage, he activates his trap card: [Forked Path of Destiny Dramatic Crossroad ~ Unmei No Wakare Michi - Dramatic Crossroad - Trap: Activate when you take Battle Damage. Your opponent chooses and activates 1 of the following effects. 1) Your opponent discards 1 card at random from their hand. 2) Select 1 card from your opponent's hand and place it into your hand]. This trap card gives Asuka a choice, once again. She can discard one card at random from her hand, or show her hand to Jun, and let him take one card from it. Jun implores Asuka, if she returns his feelings at all, to show him her hand, let him see all of who she is, and let her cards and his join together. It will be the beginning of their love story! He asks Asuka for her decision.

And Fubuki, suddenly sitting among the boys in a super-deformed pose, says, "Too bad. Manjoume-kun's love life is about to hit zero..." (The other boys are once again surprised by his weirdness.)

"I'm sorry, Manjoume-kun," Asuka says. "I choose to discard one card randomly from my hand." Jun keels over in shock. "I cannot betray the duel," she continues, "for the duel is my true love."

Fubuki rushes over to Jun with a towel, but Jun, despite the broken heart over his head, isn't ready to give in just yet. "If it's like that, I'll win the duel, and win your heart!" Fubuki and Ojama Yellow are both quite impressed by his passionate declaration.

Asuka flips over her cards (Cyber Angel -Benten- is visible among them, the card she drew last turn), shuffles them, and picks one. 'If I pick that card,' she thinks, 'I can't win this...'

Church of Blessings Ritual Church Magic Card

The card she picked is Cyber Tutu, which she discards. It's her turn, and she draws. Her eyes widen, and then she says for Manjoume to see just how deep her feelings for the duel run. She plays a field magic card: [Church of Blessings Ritual Church ~ Field Magic: Discard 1 card from your hand. Search your deck for 1 Ritual Magic card and place it in your hand]. With a ringing of church bells, the beach scene around them changes into a well-appointed church, with the two of them standing in the aisle between the pews. By the effects of this field, she can discard one magic card to retrieve one Ritual Magic card from her deck. And she selects -- and plays -- [Ritual of Mechanical Angel ~ Kikaitenshi No Gishiki - Ritual Magic: Sacrifice Monsters on the Field and/or in your hand with combined levels of 6 or more. Summon 1 Monster from your hand with Cyber Angel in its name from your hand]. A shimmer of light ripples across the church, and coalesces as a red swirling glow high in the metal rafters. She can now summon a Cyber Angel ritual monster from her hand.

Cyber Angel Fortune Goddess Monster Card

Jun objects -- her monster zone is completely full, and the Ojama Tokens can't be sacrificed to summon a monster. She reminds him that that only applies to Tribute Summons -- they can satisfy the requirements for a Ritual Summon just fine. He says that when the Ojama Tokens are destroyed, she'll take 300 points of damage for each, but she counters that they're not being destroyed -- they're being tributed. With his objections dealt with, she sacrifices the three level two Ojama Tokens to summon the level six [Cyber Angel Fortune Goddess ~ Cyber Angel Benten - 6/1800/1500: This card can only be Ritual Summoned by Ritual of Machanical Angel. If this card destroys a Monster as a result of battle, do damage to your opponent equal to its original attack strength] (Benten is a goddess from the Japanese 'Seven Lucky Gods,' seven gods of good fortune and the pleasures of life).

Benten appears in crashing thunder. She's broadly similar in appearance to the other cyber sporty monsters, but her bodysuit is more red than black, and she waers a traditional waistband just below her chest, red fingerless gloves, and a ceremonial headdress. Black stripes with studs run down the sides of her arms and legs, and from her pure black eyes. She carries what looks to be a nunchaku with a long chain, but she spins and snaps the sticks open to reveal it's two red fans, connected by the chain. (ATK 1800).

Asuka orders Benten to attack Ojama King with Angelic Turn, and Benten's eyes glow green. Benten leaps forth, and smacks Ojama King around with her fans quite a bit, eventually destroying him, reducing Jun's life points to 1400 (2900+300-1800: Ojama King gains 300 points from Dress Up). Then Asuka reveals Benten's special ability -- when she destroys a monster, her opponent takes that monster's defense points in damage. And Ojama King's defense was 3000, so his LP goes down to 0 (1400-3000).

Game over.

The church fades back to the beach as Jun collapses to his hands and knees. "I lost in the duel... and I lost in love... But I am..." He begins weakly: "Ichi. Juu." But he rises to his feet, gaining conviction. "Hyaku! Sen! Manjoume Thunder!" The waves crash dramatically behind him, but, his energy spent, he collapses again.

Fubuki is openly weeping. "Asuka! How could you do such a thing to the uber-cool Manjoume Thunder?!?"

Asuka approaches Jun with a tender smile on her face. "Manjoume-kun..."

But whatever she's about to say, we may never know. A mighty rumbling interrupts her, and everyone looks up at the volcano to see that it's smoking, looking on the verge of eruption...

to be continued...

[ Manjyome's deck list]
New cards played | Forked Path of Destiny - Dramatic Crossroad (T), Map of Hidden Treasure (T), Love Letter (S), Hidden Affection (S), Dress Up (S)

[ Asuka's deck list]
New cards played | Cyber Angel Fortune Goddess (M), Church of Blessing - Ritual Chance (S), Ritual of Machine Angel (S)

M=monster, S=Spell, T=Trap