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"A Cons Game", known as "The Beauty of Destruction" in the Japanese version, is the seventy-seventh episode of the Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V anime. It first aired in Japan on October 11, 2015, and in Australia on November 2, 2016. It became available with official subtitles via Crunchyroll on January 31, 2017 and the dubbed version on Hulu in the US on January 2018.

The first match of the second round is Zuzu vs. Sergey. Zuzu faces off against her opponent, aiming for the same goal as Yuya. As she tries to convey the message of the Dimensional War through her Duel, Sergey seems to be inviting Zuzu to attack him, inflicting more and more damage upon himself. Seeing all this, Zuzu attempts to stop the Duel, but...

Summary[]

It's the third day of the Friendship Cup, as commentated by Melissa Trail from a helicopter. Melissa announces the eight quarter-finalists; the first two to lock horns will be Zuzu Boyle and Sergey Volkov. As the audience cheer, Sam leads Zuzu out of her room at the High Council penthouses. Zuzu recalls the letter Yuya wrote to her, as well as Yuya's own address to the audience about what he thinks about the Friendship Cup. She starts thinking about how to address the audience regarding the potential threat of the interdimensional war. In order to do so, she must win this duel.

Zuzu Serious Looks

Zuzu before her duel with Sergey

Looking down from her helicopter, Melissa commentates as the competitors meet at the starting line inside the Duel Palace. Melissa refers to Zuzu as "the cute entertainment angel, skyrocketing in popularity ("sportin' two Z's but won't put you to sleep" in the dub)", and her name is greeted by cheers from a male-dominated section of the crowd. Melissa gets carried away by Zuzu's cuteness before professionally composing herself. Zuzu, at the starting line on her Duel Runner, thinks to herself that she needs to be closer to Jack Atlas in order to convey her message. Therefore, she will give this duel everything she has. She smiles and thinks about Yuya; the latter is watching in his room and encouraging Zuzu with a smile too.

Yuya then sees Sergey arrive at the starting line on his monstrous-looking Duel Runner. Crow, Shay and Celina all watch on, as Melissa continues to commentate by saying that Sergey no longer bears the fearsome criminal presence that had New Domino City trembling (in the dub, Melissa says that Sergey is still a convict). Yugo is busy eating a meal, but also voices his support for Zuzu. Sergey looks momentarily at Zuzu as he remembers what Roget tasked him the day before. Melissa then announces a change in the Friendship Cup's format; due to the destruction of the course caused by Shay and Dennis' duel the night before, the duels will now take place on the highway system across New Domino City. The duel lanes emerge from the water and connect with each other; the expansive network can be seen from a high altitude above the Duel Palace and the city. Melissa finally puts on the "Crossover Acceleration" Field Spell and counts down to the start of the duel. The competitors speed off the starting line; Melissa commentates that the duelist who reaches the Palace Gate first will have the first turn. Zuzu's lighter frame puts her ahead at this point; Yuya reacts with a cheer while the others at the penthouses, including Shinji Weber, look on, as do Declan and Riley at the High Council hall, now surrounded by Security officers. Roget comments on the Topsiders as he watches Sergey's progress intently. Despite a late surge, Sergey does not surpass Zuzu as she crosses to the outside duel lanes first.

Addressing Yuya with a smile, Zuzu then gets serious as she begins her turn, which ends after she summons "Canon the Melodious Diva" and sets a card. Looking at her hand, she believes she'll have her field set up by her next turn, and glares at Sergey as he begins his move with a draw. He Normal Summons the 0 ATK "Thorn Prisoner Van", which baffles Zuzu and the commentating Melissa. This catches the still-eating Yugo's attention as well, while Celina wonders why Sergey didn't Set his monster instead (in the dub, she says "Just what could Sergey be up to here?"). Sergey ends his turn. As Declan watches on, Zuzu wonders if she's being invited to attack Sergey head-on. Nevertheless, she begins her turn by activating her face-down Trap, "Melodious Rhythm Change". This returns "Canon" to Zuzu's hand in order for her to Special Summon "Mozarta the Melodious Maestra"; she then uses "Mozarta's" effect to bring "Canon" back onto the field. Sergey mutters his impatience at this point ("Pathetic" in the dub). Zuzu then Normal Summons "Solo the Melodious Songstress", which draws out commentary from Melissa; Celina is smiling at her counterpart's progress while Yuya, also watching, comments that it will be over soon.

Zuzu enters battle, declaring "Mozarta's" attack on "Van". Melissa thinks Sergey has taken a lot of damage, but Sergey responds with "Van's" effect. He pays 400 Life Points and reveals "Thorn Prisoner Darli" in his hand to take no damage from the attack. Then, "Van" revives itself from Sergey's Graveyard and "Darli" is also summoned from Sergey's hand. Melissa notes that Sergey summoned the two 0 ATK monsters in Attack Position. Zuzu thus has "Solo" attack "Darli"; Sergey responds by paying 400 Life Points to negate the attack. Zuzu says she has one more monster to attack with; as "Canon" readies her attack on "Darli", Sergey speeds past Zuzu. Melissa notes that Sergey saw an Action Card, will he use it? Sergey leans his Duel Runner to his right, the thorn on the right wheel launches Sergey's Duel Runner into the air, clear of the Action Card that was ahead of him. Thus, "Canon's" attack destroys "Darli", bringing Sergey down to 1800 Life Points. Sergey lands his Duel Runner upright but struggles to control it. When Sergey rides up next to Zuzu, she spots a bruise on Sergey's right arm. Zuzu ends her turn; Sergey looks at his bruised arm and says "Beautiful... (in the dub, Zuzu adds that she'll get him some help; he responds that it's Zuzu who needs help)"

The High Council are also watching the duel. They see the apparent struggle of Roget's henchman. Before Sergey's next turn, the duelists return to the Duel Palace having completed one lap of the highway course. Sergey begins by summoning another "Darli" from his hand, then tuning it with "Van" to Synchro Summon "Thorn Observer Zuma". He uses "Zuma's" effect to bind each of Zuzu's monsters with thorns; "Mozarta", "Canon" and "Solo" are suffocated, and all cry out. Sergey then announces the effect of "Zuma's" thorns, before setting a card and ending his turn. He thus takes 400 damage from "Zuma's" effect.

Melissa comments on the proceedings with a strange look of intrigue, while Roget also knows that Sergey's under pressure. As the duelists return to the highway course, Zuzu says she will count on her next draw, and begins her turn. The card Zuzu draws is "Polymerization", and she cheers. But before she can use it, Sergey reveals his Trap, "Thorn Growth", which makes "Zuma's" thorns sting even harder. Zuzu knows that if her monsters stay on the field at the end of the turn, she'll take 2400 damage. Thankfully, she can show off her move. She activates "Polymerization", fusing the three thorn-bound "Melodious" monsters that she controls. They break free from their thorns as they join hands and fuse into "Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir", whose ATK becomes 2800 by its effect. Due to "Thorn Growth", Sergey also takes damage for the thorns that left the field, reducing his Life Points to 1100. The watching Yugo, having cleared several bowls of food, wonders what Sergey's up to. Zuzu enters battle, and has "Bloom Prima" attack "Zuma". Sergey responds by activating "Zuma's" other effect to pay 400 Life Points and take no damage from the attack. He loses another 100 due to "Zuma's" thorn disappearing. "Thorn Growth" is then destroyed, because no thorns remain on the field. And because "Zuma" was destroyed by battle, it can be revived along with its Synchro Material if all of them are in the Graveyard. Sergey brings "Van", "Darli" and "Zuma" back, all of them in Attack Position, as commentated by Melissa.

Yuya wonders what Sergey's strategy is; he seems to be happy with losing Life Points. Zuzu then tells Sergey that her monster can attack a second time. She attacks "Zuma" again; Sergey uses "Darli's" effect to pay 400 Life Points to negate the attack. Melissa commentates that Sergey is only on 200 Life Points. Both Yuya and Yugo are still wondering what Sergey is planning (in the dub, they feel that Sergey will definitely lose), while the High Council smirk that it's over. Declan doesn't agree; he compares Sergey to a volcano about to erupt. Zuzu ends her turn, and thinks to herself that if she has a next turn, she will win because Sergey can no longer use his monsters' effects. But instead, she signals to the helicopter in front, where Melissa was commentating, and pleads for the duel to be suspended, saying that her competitor is hurt. Melissa appears to not understand Zuzu's concerns, and asks that the duel continue (cut from the dub); the Commons spectators agree (in the dub, they disagree with Zuzu). Zuzu, knowing what happens to those who lose, tries to carry Yuya's message forward, saying that the Friendship Cup is wrong. As Yuya, Yugo, Celina, Shay, Declan and the High Council watch, Zuzu says that without unity in the hearts of everyone, all of them are at risk of Duel Academy's invasion. Zuzu pleads for everyone watching to build bridges and form bonds, regardless of the person's background; when everyone stands together, they can resist Duel Academy and bring the interdimensional war to an end. Yuya smiles, knowing that the crowd are listening.

Sergey, however, is not convinced, saying that Zuzu made the mistake of addressing the crowd before she's even won, and he's happy to see her overconfidence crushed in front of him. He repeats the word "endure" several times, and says it was all worth it (in the dub, Sergey says he may be low on LP but it was well worth it, and refers to Zuzu's mercy and worry as signs of weakness that must be destroyed). In Roget's office, several error warnings flash and sound. Roget knows the warnings are due to Sergey's limiters overloading, and muses that they need more work (in the dub, Roget tries to stop Sergey). Back at the duel, Sergey tells Zuzu that his previous round with Damon was not beautiful, but this one with Zuzu is different, because Zuzu cared for him too much and tried to call the duel off. Sergey calls it "beautiful", and says he will give the duel a "beautiful" send-off - with his victory (in the dub, he recalls how many tried to stop him and zero succeeded - a number that won't change today, before saying goodbye to Zuzu). Zuzu gasps.

Sergey speeds out in front, and begins his turn by activating "Polymerization". Paying no heed to Zuzu's reaction, Sergey fuses "Van", "Darli" and "Zuma" on his side of the field to Fusion Summon "Thorn Overserver Vandarlizuma", which also has 0 ATK. Melissa is wondering what Sergey's strategy to win is, while the watching Yuya tries to see it coming, and tells Zuzu to watch out. Zuzu herself is worried, though wonders how Sergey will win with a 0 ATK monster. Sergey uses "Vandarlizuma's" effect to make its ATK become double the difference between 2500 and his own Life Points. Celina and Yuya both independently work out the value to be 4600, and Zuzu becomes even more horrified. Then, Sergey pays 100 Life Points to reduce "Bloom Prima's" ATK to 100. "Bloom Prima" is bound by a ball of thorns through this effect of "Vandarlizuma", whose ATK becomes 4800 due to the paid Life Points. Melissa commentates, having seen Sergey's reversal strategy in action for the first time. Yuya realizes that Sergey shaved off his Life Points just for this effect (in the dub, he knows Sergey will take out Zuzu). Declan refers to another proverb relating to Sergey's strategy, but thinks there's more to it.

With that, "Vandarlizuma" goes for the bound "Bloom Prima". A thorn-encrusted disc is hurled towards "Bloom Prima". Zuzu gasps, but then notices an Action Card in front of her that Sergey dodged. Determined, Zuzu goes for the Action Card, reaching out her right hand to grab hold of it. But Sergey has a better idea. Telling Zuzu that her struggle is "beautiful but unsightly" (in the dub, Sergey says that nothing will save Zuzu, and tells her to feel his rage), he immediately brakes his Duel Runner and swerves it to the left, so that it's stationary in front of the Action Card Zuzu tries to take. Zuzu sees this but cannot react quickly enough; her Duel Runner collides with Sergey's and rebounds into the air. Yuya cries out; Celina, Crow, Shay and Yugo are all shocked as well. Sergey tells the "lone flower" to "scatter" (in the dub, Sergey addresses Zuzu with "You lose"), just before "Vandarlizuma's" disc strikes the thorn-bound "Bloom Prima". Zuzu's Life Points fall to zero just as she appears to have let go of her Duel Runner. At the next moment, she crashes into a building, appearing on the floor exhibiting several Duel Runners, including replicas of Phoenix Whirlwind, and blacks out when she hits the wheel of one near the other side. An explosion is then seen and heard where Zuzu entered the building.

Sergey says "Beautiful" ("Farewell" in the dub), not realizing what he had done. Roget slams his fist, knowing that Sergey's reckless move failed to bring Zuzu to him, and has Sector Security scramble to the building she ended up in. Yuya, in a state of shock after seeing what just happened, watches Melissa announce Sergey as the victor while he rides his impacted Duel Runner back to the Palace. The cameras then turn their focus to the building Zuzu was flung into, and Melissa notes that smoke has filled the floor where the explosion happened. She too is worried for Zuzu and wonders if she will be okay. Yuya cries "Zuzu! ("No!" in the dub)"

Featured Duel: Zuzu Boyle vs. Sergey Volkov[]

Yuzu VS Sergey

Zuzu vs. Sergey.

At the start of the Duel, the Field Spell Card "Crossover Acceleration" is activated, as per the rules of an Action Duel and a Turbo Duel. It will allow the players to use Action Cards, but they may only have one in their hand at a time.

Turn 1: Zuzu
Zuzu Normal Summons "Canon the Melodious Diva" (1400/2000) and Sets a card, while her hand contains "Mozarta the Melodious Maestra", "Solo the Melodious Songstress" and "Re-Fusion".

Turn 2: Sergey
Sergey Normal Summons "Thorn Prisoner Van" (0/0).

Turn 3: Zuzu
Zuzu activates her face-down "Melodious Rhythm Change", letting her return a "Melodious" monster on the field to the hand and Special Summon another "Melodious" monster from her hand. She returns "Canon" and Special Summons "Mozarta" (2600/2000) in Attack Position. Zuzu then activates the effect of "Mozarta", letting her Special Summon a Level 4 or lower "Melodious" monster from her hand once per turn. She Special Summons "Canon" (1400/2000) in Attack Position and Normal Summons "Solo" (1600/1000). "Mozarta" attacks "Van", but Sergey activates the effect of "Van", letting him reveal a "Thorn Prisoner" monster in his hand and pay 400 LP to reduce the battle damage to 0. He reveals "Thorn Prisoner Darli" (Sergey: 4000 → 3600). The attack continues and "Van" is destroyed. At the end of the Damage Step, the effect of "Van" activates, Special Summoning itself from the Graveyard and the revealed monster from his hand. He Special Summons "Van" (0/0) and "Darli" (0/0), both in Attack Position. Solo attacks "Darli", but Sergey activates the effect of "Darli" as he controls another "Thorn Prisoner" monster, letting him pay 400 LP (Sergey: 3600 → 3200) to negate an attack once per turn. "Canon" attacks and destroys "Darli" (Sergey: 3200 → 1800).[Notes 1]

Turn 4: Sergey
Sergey Normal Summons another copy of "Darli" (0/0). Sergey tunes the Level 1 "Van" with the Level 1 "Darli" to Synchro Summon "Thorn Observer Zuma" (0/0) in Attack Position. Its effect activates as it was Synchro Summoned, placing a Thorn Counter on every monster on the field. As long as "Zuma" is on the field, monsters with Thorn Counters cannot attack and the turn player will take 400 damage for every Thorn Counter on the field during each End Phase. Sergey Sets a card (Sergey: 1800 → 1400).

Turn 5: Zuzu
Zuzu draws "Polymerization". Sergey activates his face-down "Thorn Growth", which will inflict 400 damage to the turn player during the End Phase for every Thorn Counter on the field, but when a Thorn Counter leaves the field, Sergey will take 100 damage for each Counter. Zuzu activates "Polymerization", fusing "Canon" and "Mozarta" with "Solo" to Fusion Summon "Bloom Prima the Melodious Choir" (1900/2000) in Attack Position. Zuzu's hand contains "1st Movement Solo" and "Re-Fusion". The effect of "Bloom Prima" increases its own ATK by 300 for each Fusion Material used (1900 → 2800), while the effect of "Thorn Growth" inflicts 300 damage to Sergey as three Thorn Counters have left the field (Sergey: 1400 → 1100). "Bloom Prima" attacks and destroys "Zuma", with Sergey activating the effect of "Zuma" as it was targeted for an attack while its Synchro Materials are in the Graveyard. He can pay 400 LP (Sergey: 1100 → 700) to reduce the battle damage to 0, but the effect of "Thorn Growth" inflicts another 100 damage to him as a Thorn Counter left the field (Sergey: 700 → 600). As there are no Thorn Counters on the field, the other effect of "Thorn Growth" causes it to destroy itself. At the end of the Damage Step, the effect of "Zuma" lets Sergey Special Summon "Zuma" and both of its Synchro Materials from the Graveyard in Attack Position. He Special Summons "Zuma" (0/0), "Van" (0/0) and "Darli" (0/0). "Bloom Prima" can attack twice per Battle Phase, so it attacks "Zuma", but Sergey activates the effect of "Darli" as he controls another "Thorn Prisoner" monster, paying 400 LP (Sergey: 600 → 200) to negate the attack.

Turn 6: Sergey
Sergey activates "Polymerization", fusing "Van" and "Darli" with "Zuma" to Fusion Summon "Thorn Overserver Vandarlizuma" (0/0) in Attack Position. Its effect makes its ATK the value of Sergey's current Life Points subtracted from 2500, then doubled (0 → 4600). Sergey activates the effect of "Van Darli Zuma", letting him pay 100 LP (Sergey: 200 → 100) once per turn to change an opponent's monster's ATK to 100 until the end of this turn ("Bloom Prima": 2800 → 100, "Van Darli Zuma": 4600 → 4800). "Van Darli Zuma" attacks "Bloom Prima", with Zuzu attempting to grab an Action Card, but Sergey rams his Duel Runner into hers to block the attempt. The attack continues and "Bloom Prima" is destroyed (Zuzu: 4000 → 0).

Featured cards[]

The following cards appeared in this episode. Cards in italics debuted here.



Action Field



In other languages[]

Language Title
France French Condamnés à vaincre
Italy Italian Un Duello Devastante
Thailand Thai ศิลปะแห่งการทำลาย

Notes[]

  1. Though the damage is shown being inflicted, Sergey's LP are not actually shown being reduced, but future shown counts of his LP take this 1400 damage into account.
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