Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: NagareBoshi [PG-13]: Chapters 42 + 43 added!

[BlackSkullCortez]

This is my first fanfic, which is a "Yu-Gi-Oh!" FF. The world in the story are in is our normal reality, but with a little twist: This is the new era: the Golden Age of Duel Monsters.

 

NOTE: Chapters 25+ are in post #5.

 

[spoiler=Author's Notes]

Bolded words are meant to be attack names or Summoning oaths (etc. Synchro Summons). Also, itallics are meant to be thoughts.

* Metalmorph is a Continuous Trap Card now.

** Will be made soon. Custom Card

*** It's a Legendary Beast Form of Fusion Summon

^Normal Summon for Gemini's who are on the field.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 1]

It is June 25th, 9:30 AM, five days from Independence Day and Battle City. Zugai Shutaru is walking down a quiet street in New Jersey. He is walking to a college interview downtown. He knows that there are faster routes, but he chooses to take this one, since the others are crowded. Zugai does not know anybody else that walks that path, which is why he walks it. It isn’t that he does not like talking to people, he just has something else he wants to talk to. One random day two years ago, spirits popped out of his cards. Knowing he would want to spend the rest of his life with them, he decided to befriend them. He picks almost no favorites, and talks to them whenever he is alone.

 

“Why do you have to apply and Duel to get into this school? You’re a Switzerland Pro!” Stealth Bird complained.

 

“It doesn’t matter. Rules are rules, and I have to follow them. Besides, it doesn’t matter, since dueling is fun anyway,” Zugai retorted. His Kuribohs chirped in agreement.

 

“But still, why? I mean, you’ll have times to do many other things, like ask her out.”

 

Zugai started blushing. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he firmly said.

 

Dark Magician’s spirit animated from his cards. “Seriously, anybody can tell you still have a crush on Kea the size of the Milky Way.”

 

Zugai snapped, “Shut up. I’m not asking her. She has a boyfriend, anyway.”

 

Stealth Bird shook his head, “I overheard some of your friends saying she just broke up recently.”

 

“And you always know that you should listen to your elders,” Dark Magician added, “We’re all a lot older than you are.”

 

Zugai looked blankly at Dark Magician. “So you’re saying you know better than me when it comes to any situation.”

Before he could finish, Stealth Bird interjected, “That’s why we’re telling you to ask her out!”

 

Zugai exploded. He screamed, “Hell no!” on the top of his lungs. If he was in a crowded place, everybody would stare at him. He was ready for that, and expected nobody else would be around. That’s when he was wrong.

 

“Zugai, who are you talking to?” Kea was literally a few steps behind him.

 

Murphy’s Law, Zugai thought to himself. Every time he thinks he’s in a safe place, the unexpected happens. Stealth Bird whispered to Zugai, “Now’s you’re chance!” Zugai quickly closed his Deck Box, sealing off his spirits. “Zugai?” Kea asked again.

 

“Nobody. I’m just… practicing for future interviews,” Zugai made up the best excuse possible.

 

Kea looked at him in a questioning way, “You mean you’re going to scream ‘Hell no’ at an interview?” Zugai started blushing: she saw though it.

 

Zugai improvised for the second time. “Microsoft,” he blurted out. Every one of his friends knew that Zugai thought a Mac was better than a PC. He also never wanted an Xbox 360.

 

Kea shrugged, “Okay. Where are you going? Nobody walks on this path these days.”

 

Zugai answered, “I’m going to a college interview. I’m thinking Gold Dueling University. The one Hiru started going to this year.” Zugai did not only want to b4e a pro duelist. He had every quality that could make him a Marine Biologist, and he knew it. Gold Dueling University was known for their high level duelists, but the Dueling course was optional. The school was known for it’s high-level education, too. Zugai already received a scholarship for the college, so he might as well apply.

 

Kea said, “Wow. I’m going for my interview tomorrow. I’m actually going to its Duel Terminal in God Dueling University. You wanna walk with me?” Duel Terminals were like arcades centers. On each Duel Station, there were two gigantic arcade-like screens connected to each other. On each screen, there was a board you placed your cards. Above that was a screen showing your opponent’s field. The main screen was showing a graphical video game-like version of the duel. The board connecting them is a 3-D computer screen, which projects their fields and attacks.

 

Zugai nodded, “Yeah sure. How’s Parson, by the way? You haven't told me much about how he's doing, at least ever since my visit..."

 

Kea’s face turned dark. “I don’t want to talk about that bastard.” Zugai was surprised by that comment. It was very unlike Kea to make a comment like that. Zugai decided to take it off that topic, but Kea continued, “I liked it when you beat him this year.”

 

Zugai continued, “You mean my unexpected visit?” The Duel Academy program, named after the anime yet again, was a worldwide community. Every school had a Dueling program, which was required. Some of them held tournaments, and the winner got to face one of the top duelists of the programs. Zugai entered the Zurich Lake Tournament to gain money for Community Service. He unexpectedly won the tournament, crowning him as the Swiss Dueling King: the best duelist in Switzerland. This also made him like the “Kaiser” of the Duel Academias. He went by the name “Black Skull” throughout the Academies. When he was offered to go to Governor Livingston for their Duel Academia Tournament to duel the winner, he accepted, since he knew many people who attended that school.

 

Zugai met Kea’s boyfriend-at-the-time, Parson. Zugai thought that he was arrogant, since he always boasted about his rare cards and how he was “unbeatable”. He met many of his friends, who were very passionate and enthusiastic duelists. Parson did not respect this, and blew through the tournament only to win. He left many of his opponents in heartbreak, and treated Kea like true trash after he beat her. That probably lead to their breakup.

 

During the finals, Zugai took on Parson. Before the match started, Parson said, “I’ll take you down, just like I took down the others, you worthless piece of crap! You don’t even deserve to have your title, using you’re pathetic trash cards!” Zugai first thought that he was a classic anime bully that was just as arrogant as Kaiba. He responded to Parson’s taunt, “You’re already trash if you can’t use anything but rare cards.” They walked into a gigantic chamber, which was basically a gigantic 3-D computer screen, and they connected their Duel Disks. Zugai took out his primary Deck. Parson was about to comment that it wasn’t fair, but Zugai said, “If you’re as good as you say, I might as well take you on with my full power.” Then the Duel began. They both drew their cards, and Zugai let Parson take the first move.

 

“Draw!” Parson drew his first card. “I’ll start by activating Magical Mallet! I can return any number of cards from my hand to my Deck, and draw that same number! I return these 2 cards to my Deck!” After shuffling, Parson drew 2 cards. “I Summon Queen’s Knight (1500/1600)! After that, I’ll set 1 card to end my turn!”

 

“That’s it? Draw.” Zugai drew his first card. Queen’s Knight and a Set Card. This is an obvious combo, he thought to himself. Zugai immediately knew what Parson was planning. He was going to Normal Summon King’s Knight from his hand. Doing so, he would summon Jack’s Knight from his Deck, and possibly power them up by fusing them into Arcana Knight Joker. His set card was for negating the attack or reviving monsters, since he needs Queen’s Knight to make the combo work. He remembered it was actually for fusing purposes, like in earlier duels he witnessed. Is that all you got? You’ll need to do more than that to beat me, he thought. “I’ll start out by Summoning Powered Tuner in Attack Mode! (1400/1000) I’ll set 3 cards, ending my turn.”

 

Parson raised his eyebrow, like that was a worthless move. “Draw! Now to take you down! I Summon King’s Knight in attack mode! (1600/1400) And I activate its effect! When it’s Normal Summoned and I have a Queen’s Knight on the field, I can Special Summon Jack’s Knight from my Deck! (1900/1000) Now, I attack Powered Tuner with Queen’s Knight! Queen Savor Slash!!!” Queen’s Knight held up her sword and slashed directly at Powered Tuner. Her sword turned white, and her strike was swift.

 

Zugai interrupted, “I’ll activate my Trap: A Hero Emerges! You’ll have to pick a card in my hand, and it’ll be Special Summoned to the field! Now, I have 2 cards in my hand. Go ahead and pick one!” Parson gulped. “I pick the one to my left!” Zugai picked up that card and held it up. “I’ll Special Summon the Tuner Monster Debris Dragon in Defense Mode! (1000/2000) And I activate the effect of Powered Tuner! For every Tuner Monster on my side of the field, its attack will increase by 500! There is currently one Tuner on my field, so its attack goes up by 500! (1400→1900/1000) Now Powered Tuner has higher attack! Counterattack! Sonic Burst Wave!” Powered Tuner opened its mouth and roared. Rings of sound waves escaped from its mouth, which passed around Queen’s Knight. Queen’s Knight was pushed back by the force and shattered. Parson grunted in frustration. (Parson: 8000→7600) “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

“Draw!” Zugai drew his card. Nice obvious bluffs, Zugai thought. “I’ll Set 1 monster in defense mode! Also, I’ll activate my second set card: Metalmorph*! I can equip this card to Powered Tuner, giving it 300 more Attack and Defense! (1900→2200/1000→1300) And it’ll attack King’s Knight! Sonic Burst Wave!!!” Powered Tuner roared again. The sound waves passed over King’s Knight. “The monster equipped with Metalmorph gains attack equal to half of the attack target’s until the end of the Damage Step! King’s Knight has 1600 attack, so the total attack of Powered Tuner is 3000! (2200→3000/1300)” King’s Knight disintegrated from the wave. (Parson: 7600→6200) Parson was getting frustrated. He never lost this many life points without inflicting damage. He was even more frustrated that Zugai was not even using very rare cards. He was using cards almost anybody could get. “I guess I’ll end my turn.”

 

“About time. Draw!” Parson drew his card. “Finally! I activate Lightning Vortex! I’ll discard Monster Reincarnation to destroy every monster on your side of the field!” A burst of lightning started heading towards all of Zugai’s monsters. Zugai smiled, “I activate my final Trap Card: Starlight Road! It negates the effect of a card that will destroy 2 or more cards, and destroys it! Then, I can Special Summon Stardust Dragon! Take Flight! Stardust Dragon!” A beam of light appeared around the face-up Starlight Road. Stardust Dragon emerged, covered in a veil of Stardust. It spun around and spread it's wings, dispersing the stardust. (2500/2000) Parson hollered in frustration, “Then I’ll attack you’re set monster with Jack’s Knight!” Parson did not bother to call out the attack name. Jack’s Knight slashed at the space. Des Lacooda appeared, and was split in half by Jack’s Knight’s sword. Zugai said, “Since your Flip Summoned Des Lacooda, I can draw 1 card!” Zugai smiled after looking at his card. Parson grumbled. “I activate Reckless Greed, allowing me to draw 2 cards by skipping my next 2 Standby Phases.” He drew nothing useful in his hand, and groaned. “I’ll end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “This is my final turn. Draw! I’ll Summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Attack Mode! (1300/2000) Next, I switch Debris Dragon to Attack Mode. (1000/2000) Also, I activate Natural Tune! I’ll make The Level 4 Normal Monster: The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave a Tuner! Since it is, Powered Tuner gains 500 more attack! (2700/1300) Go! Sonic Burst Wave! (2700→3650/1300)” Powered Tuner roared, and Jack’s Knight was engulfed and destroyed by the sound waves. Parson grumbled. (Parson: 6200→4450) “Debris Dragon and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, Attack Directly!” Debris Dragon dashed at Parson with a blue aura. It slashed at Parson. (Parson: 4450→3450) Immediately afterwards, the Dragon Dwelling in the Cave flapped it’s wings. The force of the wind from the flaps pushed back Parson. (Parson: 3450→2150) Zugai finally said, “It’s over. Stardust Dragon!” Stardust Dragon flew downwards. It started gathering energy into its mouth. Zugai finished, “Reverberate: Shooting Sonic!” Stardust Dragon let out a gray burst of pure sound from its mouth, which completely engulfed Parson. (Parson: 2150→0) Parson fell on the ground in shame.

 

He quivered where he knelt. “Why? Why is it that you used those lowly, common monsters and won? Without me even inflicting damage to you? In three turns?” Zugai put his deck into his Deck Box, and turned away. “Two main reasons. The first is that I don’t classify cards by there level or value. I find a way to make them work in ways that make them much stronger. I don’t believe in “trash” cards or “rare” cards. There are the cards I use and the cards I don’t they all have the same value. The second thing is that I don’t necessarily duel to win. I duel to have fun with my opponent. Most of the time, they duel for that same reason. Sadly, you weren’t able to put up with that. Grow up from being a spoiled 5-year-old and just deal with losing.” Zugai walked away with a dark look on his face.

 

Kea looked at Zugai after they finished reflecting on tht past event. “Then you gave me the cards that gave me the idea to my current Deck, right?”

 

Zugai nodded. “That’s right. Hey, Gold Dueling University is right here. I’m gonna go to my interview.”

 

Kea said, “Okay. I’ll meet you in the Duel Terminal when I’m done.”

 

Zugai paused before walking off. He turned back to Kea. “Hey I’m going to Battle City Central for Lunch. I’m meeting Hiru, Senith, and Kai there. Can you come, too?”

 

Kea smiled, “Yeah, definitely!”

 

Zugai smiled back at her. She has such a beautiful smile, he thought to himself before walking up to his interview.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 2]

It is currently 11:30 in the morning. Hiru drove his car up to Pizza Hut. “Man, it’s been so long since I’ve been to a Pizza Hut! I hope that this is good like last time!” Hiru Hitono was crazy about pizza. Since he was a bit of a picky eater, he stuck to pizza a lot. Since he has a car and a license, he decided to drive there this time. Hiru also wanted to see the ride. “Man! I can’t WAIT to get the Jumbo Cheese Pizza!” A lot has changed since 2010 when it came to Pizza Hut.

 

Hiru waited 15 minutes before he got to the front of line. He said, “I’ll have the Jumbo Cheese Pizza, please.” The waiter looked at him blankly. “Who’s with you?” he asked. “Nobody. Just me.” The waiter continued to stare. “Okay, stop joking around. What do you want?” Hiru said, “I told you! A Jumbo Cheese Pizza!” The waiter said, “Fine.” After paying in advanced, Hiru was finally about to get his ordered pizza. When he was about to eat it, he heard his cell phone.

 

“Hello? Who is this?” He heard, “Hey Hiru, it’s your mom. Where are you right now?” Hiru said, “Pizza Hut. I’m getting a cheese pizza for breakfast. Why?” His mom started panicking. “Hiru, you have the sponsor interview today!” Hiru said, “Yeah I know. When is that?” His mom said, “Hiru it’s at twelve. It’s in five minutes.” Hiru widened his eyes. He was fifteen minutes away from the place he was getting interviewed. He immediately hung up and stuffed his cell in his pocket. He grabbed his pizza and started running towards the door. Suddenly, thonk! He crashed into somebody. He looked to see he rammed directly into a red-head girl.

 

“Dude, watch where you’re going. Jeez!” Hiru stood up and quickly blurted, “Sorry! I’m in a rush!” He dashed off towards his car. “Jerk,” the girl muttered as she walked into pizza hut.

 

He arrived into his interview place fifteen minutes later. He rushed into the building and ran up to the front desk. “Hi, I’m Hiru Hitono. I have an interview here.” The woman at the front desk said, “Yes, go to room 103 on the left, please.” He nodded and quickly walked to the left. He knocked on room 103’s door and it opened. The manager was standing there. “I was wondering if you were going to show up. My previous interviewee never decided to come. But don’t worry. You actually came earlier than most people.” He smiled and held out his land. Hiru shook hands with him. “Hiru Hitono. Star Duelist of Gold Dueling University, entering the pro world as a rookie. I’m Edmund McGuire. Pleasure to meet you” Hiru winced at the bad memories that with that name.

 

“Pleasure to meet you too,” Hiru said. “I’m excited for this interview.” He tried to sound as meaningful as he could.

 

“As am I. But before the interview, I must at least test your skills. Of course, our company has a strong reputation. I don’t want to put my faith in a rookie that has no skill. Even if you are a star duelist, I want to make sure you’re the best of the best. So you’ll be in a test duel. Regular rules. 8000 Life Points, Battle City Format.” McGuire let Hiru into the room, and there was a gigantic Duel Station. Hiru took one side while McGuire took the other. They shuffled their Decks and drew five cards. McGuire said, “The task is simple. Beat me in five turns. The less damage you take and the faster you defeat me, the higher score you’ll get. The number of cards used does not matter.”

 

Hiru said, “Okay, let’s go. Duel!”

 

McGuire said, “I’ll go first.” And he drew his card. “I’ll Normal Summon Yomi Ghoul in Defense Mode. (0/0) I’ll end my turn with that.”

 

Hiru sighed. “That isn’t very nice. A Yomi Combo with that test.” The Yomi Combo was a well-known combo that involved almost no strength at all. When they are destroyed, the opponent takes 800 damage. It starts off by sending Yomi Ghoul to the Graveyard. While it’s there, all monsters on your side of the field are destroyed. During your next turn, Yomi Boat Watchman is summoned and destroyed. Send Yomi Frontier Guard to the Graveyard as soon as possible, and you have an impenetrable line of 3 monsters using no attacks. “But you did say best of the best, and that’s what I’m gonna give you!” Hiru finished.

 

“Draw!” he observed his hand. Nice! This’ll be good for my Fusion combo, he thought. “Watch me. I’ll activate Polymerization! I can send Fusion Material Monsters from my hand or field to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster! I’ll send my 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my hand to the Graveyard!” Three Blue-Eyes appeared on the field. They all turned into white beams of light that flew together into one point. The light transformed into one horizontal beam, and a 3-headed Dragon began to emerge. “Fusion Summon:Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” The light dispersed from Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, so it could be well seen. (4500/3800)

 

McGuire said, “Nice. But one monster isn’t enough to beat my Yomi Combo.

 

Hiru smiled, “Who said I was finished? I’ll activate De-Fusion! This’ll return Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to my Extra Deck to Special Summon any Fusion Material Monsters from my Graveyard. Those will be my 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons!” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was covered by a veil of white light. It broke off into 3 beams, and a Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew out of each one. (3000/2500) Hiru said, “And my One Turn Kill will be complete with this! I activate Delta Attacker! When I control 3 Normal Monsters with the same name, they all can attack you directly!” His three Blue-Eyes started taking a triangle formation around Yomi Ghoul. McGuire said, “And you have 3…”

 

Hiru nodded. “That’s right. I currently have 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons on my side of the field. And because of Delta Attacker, all of them can attack your life points directly! Surekill: Triple Burst Stream of Destruction!” All three of the Blue-Eyes charged white energy in their mouths. They released them simultaneously, and three white electrical beams went around Yomi Ghoul and directly hit McGuire. (McGuire: 8000→0)

 

McGuire turned the Duel Station off and walked to Hiru. “Wow. You just set a record. I think that you’re a really rare duelist that we must have. Come on. It’s time for the interview.” McGuire pulled out a seat for Hiru, and Hiru took it. McGuire sat down at his desk.

 

“So, tell me Hiru, how do you feel about the Garden State Tournament coming up?”

 

Hiru said, “Well, I’m a bit excited for it. I duel my close friends a lot, and I try to improve my skills as much as possible. Delta Attacker is a good card, but I only use it when I have to, since it’s very hard to use in the right scenario.

 

McGuire nodded. “I see. What kinds of things do you like to look for when you duel somebody?”

 

Hiru answered, “I don’t like losing, so I always look for ways I can win. But, in the end, dueling is mainly about having fun. So I always look to see that both my opponent and I are having fun, and that will allow me to respect my opponent and duel him at my fullest. And I also like looking for new techniques and new strategies I have never come across before. I always enjoy facing something new every once in a while.”

 

McGuire said, “It’s interesting that you look for fun in a duel. Why is that?

 

Hiru smiled, “The person that taught me my first strategies always said to me, ‘Try to win. If you can’t, have fun. If you do, the outcome won’t matter as much.’ I always went with that saying ever since I started dueling.”

 

McGuire said, “That’s a good leadoff to my next question. When and why did you start playing Duel Monsters?

 

Hiru said, “It was a while back. You’ve probably seen on my record that I beat Kurai Majutsu. It was pure luck, but that is the main element of the story that got me into duel monsters. It was a year ago in college. We have this speaker at the beginning of the year and an invited duelist guest. The invited guest was Kurai Majutsu this year. Originally, I was not going to take a Dueling course. But after the orientation, the younger sibling of one of the students asked Kurai for his autograph. Kurai said, ‘Why would I want to give that to a measly kid like you. Shove off.’

 

“I saw that kid was at the verge of crying. I said, ‘Kurai, I respect you for your accomplishments and your authorities as the current Duelist King, but you can’t just say that to a kid like him!’ Kurai glared at me and said, “Well, what are you going to do? Beat me?’ I replied, ‘I know the rules, but I don’t have a Deck.’ Then, the kid leant me a Deck, saying he couldn’t use it well, but it was still worth a try for Hiru to use it.

 

“Our duel commenced. It was a long duel, and I was just getting used to the rules. I could tell Kurai was getting stressed during the duel, since I was beating a world champion in my first go at the game. I ended up winning, and the kid felt happier. I was going to give him back the Deck, but he said, ‘They’re good with you, but I can’t use them. You should get into the game a lot more,’ and he walked off.

 

“During the summer break, I was practicing Duel Monsters a lot with my friend, Zugai. He introduced me to Kazoku Tamashii, former pro. He improved my skill and my Deck, and we became close friends. After the incident where his Deck was stolen, he gave me my two favorite cards: Needle Burrower and White Legend Dragon. He also gave me a legendary card, and I completed my Deck by obtaining the complete Blue-Eyes Set.

 

“I managed to take position at the top of the Gold Dueling University, since former champion Korosu already graduated and left. I managed to take his place, and here I am in the Dueling World.”

 

McGuire managed to write down every note, and said, “Could you tell me what those cards were? What other cards do you have besides your Blue-Eyes?”

 

Hiru opened his mouth, but stopped himself. “I’m sorry. Kazoku told me not to reveal it until I finish my first tournament.”

 

McGuire nodded. He leaned to one side and said, “Gosh, I feel bad for whoever has that car. Do you see that dent?”

 

Hiru swiveled around and saw his car with a big dent in the side. He started feeling embarrassed, and stammered, “Y-yeah. I fell bad for that guy, too.”

 

McGuire said, “Well, I think it’s time for you to get going. Thank you, and my company will be proud to sponsor you.”

 

Hiru smiled widely. “Thank you, Mr. McGuire. I will be sure to improve your company’s reputation through this tournament.” Then, they turned to see the TV screen.

 

The news reporter said, “And now, the legendary Team Creation has arrived in New Jersey. The reason of their early appearance was unknown to us until now, but Kosoru will be participating in the annual Garden State Tournament in New Jersey. And the stakes are high, too. This legend will be in the same tournament as Kurai Majutsu, Dueling World Champion, who has beaten him once before. Kosoru seems to be calm about this, since he thinks that he’ll mostly be dealing with a bunch of rookies, although judges have to disagree. The tournament lineup has been revealed.”

 

The TV screen rotated, and the tournament was laid out on the TV screen. Hiru searched for his name, but saw it in the left corner. He wanted to see who his opponent was. He was with the person he wanted to duel the most, but would probably lose to. His first opponent was Kosoru. Hiru’s eyes widened at first, but he smiled. “Good, now the original will duel the successor,” he muttered to himself. “Let’s see who’s actually better."

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 3]

Senith Yukai, a short, slightly chubby seventeen-year-old Sri-Lankan, was walking towards the entrance to a restaurant. The restaurant was having it’s special, “All You Can Eat For Free: Duelists Only!” day, and Senith was hungry. The food there smelled really good, and he loved to eat food. However, it did say “Duelists Only”, but Senith was prepared for that. He brings his Deck with him everywhere he goes, especially restaurants, since being a good duelist gives you discounts in most places.

 

This restaurant, however, was an exception. Just as soon as Senith approached the door, he was blocked by a large, intimidating man. Senith’s first thought was, That guy is definitely on steroids. Then, the man said, “You aren’t a classified duelist. Leave this place, kid.” Senith held out his deck, facing the man. “I think you’ll have to do more than that, since I actually am a classified duelist.” The guard looked at him skeptically. “No. You can be tested, though.” Senith said, “Okay. It can’t be that bad, right?” The guard smiled, “Oh, you don’t know what your in for.”

 

The next thing he knew, Senith was face to face with twelve guards, all with their Decks out. “So, you have to beat all twelve at us in a free-for-all duel. If you don’t, you’re out.”

 

Senith said, “That is so not fair and uncool, but I’m up for it.”

 

The man replied, “Kid, I guess you’ve got guts, but you’re going to be screwed over.”

 

Just as he finished speaking, a loud SLAM came from the next room. Senith looked at the room to see Kai Taizen walk out of that room, brushing his arms. “Jeez, these guards are a- oh. Hello there.” Kai greeted the guards.

 

Senith smiled at Kai. “What’s up? I haven’t seen you since forever, Kai.”

 

Kai shrugged, “Yeah, I guess. So, what have you gotten yourself into this time, genius?”

 

Senith said, “Shut up. I want food,” and his stomach grumbled rather loudly.

 

Kai noticed that all thirteen other men in the room had their decks out. “Ah. I guess I’ll join in. Can’t lose much from this, right? Not like we’re going to lose, anyway.”

 

One of the guards said, “Hey, watch your mouth, kid!” Kai looked at him skeptically, “I didn’t say anything bad. I just said we weren’t going to lose.” A guard said, “Yeah guys, you shouldn’t take it offensively.” Another guard stood up and argued, “I take that very offensively! If you excuse me, I’m leaving.” That guard walked up and left. Nine other guards stood up, shrugged, and walked with him. Senith laughed and Kai facepalmed.

 

The two remaining guards nervously exchanged glances. They looked back at Senith and Jason. “Okay, your test has been… adjusted. This is now a tag team duel.” Kai said, “No, let’s keep the same free-for-all rules. If one of us looses, we can’t go in.” Senith said, “That’s fine. Just as long as you don’t attack me.” Kai said, “Why would I do that?” Senith raised his eyebrow and chuckled. “Fine. Let’s do it. And let’s do 4000 life points, since there are now four of us.”

 

They placed their decks and drew their cards. Kai took the first move. “Draw.” He looked at his hand. “I’ll activate the Field Spell Card: Canyon, set 1 monster in defense mode, and end my turn.”

 

The first guard drew his card. “Draw! I’ll summon Insect Soldiers of the Sky in attack mode! (1000/800) It’ll attack your set monster!” Kai sighed, “You’re dumber than you look, which is quite dumb. My set monster was Stone Statue of the Aztecs. (300/2000) It’ll double battle damage with cards that attack this monster, so your damage will go from 1000 to 2000. Also, Canyon doubles battle damage with a defense position Rock-Type monster. You’re done already.” (Guard 1: 4000→0)

 

Senith drew his card. “Draw! Since this is a free-for-all, I can attack Mr. Freebee here directly. I’ll Summon Indominable Fighter Lei Lei. (2300/0) I set 3 cards and activate Mage Power. Thanks to Mage Power, Lei LEi gains 500 attack and defense for every Spell and Trap Card I control, thanks to Mage Power, so it’s power level is over 9000! (4300/2000)” Kai punched Senith in the stomach really hard. The guard’s eyes widened in fear and astonishment. Senith finished, “Fine, it's 4300. Lei Lei attacks you directly, thereby you two are the losers and I-“ Kai raised his fist, “WE are the winners. There we go. We are the winners.” Kai put his fist down.

 

Senith and Kai walked into the restaurant and sat down. They saw a beautiful buffet with almost every single kind of food. Kai said, “Don’t stuff yourself too much. We’re going to Battle City Central after this.”

 

Senith tripped and fell over in shame. “Oh yeah. I almost forgot about that.” Senith walked back to the table, and put his Deck in his Red Deck Box, given to him by Zugai.

 

Kai said, “You going to the Garden State tournament?” Senith nodded, “Zugai would kill us if we didn’t go, anyway. I wish I could participate in these things. Us youngsters are good enough to participate in tournaments.

 

Kai shrugged, “Everything happens for a reason. The reason is usually a crappy and unfair one, though.”

 

The TVs all had the same announcement in unison. “We have news on the arrival of one of our legendary groups of duelists in the history of mankind. The Six Legendary Pros are arriving in the New York and New Jersey area right now!” The screen flashed to six pros having their pictures taken at the same time at an airport. One of them had a jacket, long red hair, and was smoking. Another wore glasses and looked a lot like Koyo Hibiki. The third one looked a lot like a person that came from Team Ragnarok, except with sane hair. The fourth one looked like a karate-master. The fifth one was a lot like a knight, and the sixth one looked similar to somebody, but nobody could remember who.

 

The announcer continued, “Also, we have heard from the legendary team: Team Creation. They are currently being publicly interviewed in Times Square, New York City. These people are Josep Zavara, the legendary Samurai Duelist, Korosu, the new but thriving transforming duelist, and Black, the master of the Sun and Moon Dragons!” The entire room started gasping and whispering in excitement as they made their appearance on television. Senith and Kai looked at them, but didn’t really see them look like anything special.

 

The person on the far left had a short haircut, but was dressed like a Shogun. He was definitely not Japanese, but it was hard to tell underneath the armor. The second one looked a bit like Brave from Team Ragnarok, except had a black haircut that went down to his shoulders. The last one looked like a tribe leader in a tux, except white and potentially nerdy. He later looked more serious and calm, as if he was focused on trying to expand territory of some sort, and as if he was trying to defend his land. It didn’t make sense, since conquest has been abandoned for many years. The interview began.

 

“So, you three have been here for about a year total, and your this well known,” started the announcer. “What are your goals for the future?”

 

The one in the middle stopped speaking, but the tribal-looking one began first. “We are Team Creation. We want to recreate this age of Gold, and make it even better. We will become duel kings, and all of us will be under leadership, making the world more united.” Senith and Kai felt a vibration travel through the air. Everybody started cheering to the man’s words.

 

People from the bar turned to them. “Aren’t you excited for Chief Black’s conquest to begin?” Kai narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong. These men didn’t look normal. Their eyes were completely bloodshot, and their eyes were clouded with something, as if he was high. He looked around, and saw that everybody else was the same, except for Senith, who was confused. “Okay. Snap out of it right now?” The man took out a knife. “Disobey, and I’ll kill your friend.”

 

Hell broke out loose in the restaurant. A policeman was fortunately driving nearby, and he quickly stopped the commotion. After the man named Black disappeared off of the TV screen, the commotion stopped. Everybody was as confused as Kai and Senith were as the action started. Senith asked Kai, “What was that? It was like they were hypnotized for a few moments by that guy, after that shake.” Kai nodded and turned to the man who threatened them. “Excuse me. Did you feel the shake?” The man looked confused. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” and walked off.

 

Senith and Kai looked back at them. Senith shivered, “That’s just weird. It’s as if that man was controlling all of them. If he could control them, why didn’t he control us?”

 

Kai turned to Senith, “I think it’s because of our ‘special qualities’. The ones that caused my accident and your accident.”

 

Senith nodded. The “accident” Kai was talking about was something Zugai called a “spirit weapon”. Zugai was able to feel the spirits in Kai’s Deck urging to protect people, while Senith’s wanted to lash out at darkness. They were able to manifest holograms against evil people. When Kai did this, Draconic Runes spelling “EXXOD” appeared on his left hand, and a cross appeared across his face.. When Senith did, his hair turned into fire, a bit like Ghost Rider.” Why this happened was even unknown to Zugai. However, Kai and Senith were ready to interrogate him at Battle City Central, their meeting place.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 4]

Zugai was confused. As in, he was really, really confused. He saw the television program, felt the shake, and everybody started acting they were the saviors. He also remembered that this team was having their debut. He read that in the news. What kind of BS is this? he thought to himself. He looked at Kea, who was just as confused as he was. Just then, he picked up an old newspaper on the ground, which was the same edition as the one he read it in. “Now then, let’s see how much of a lie this is,” he said to Kea and Winged Kuriboh.

 

His eyes widened as he read the article. The articles were completely different. Every single one of them was based on Team Creation. He heard Winged Kuriboh chirp in a scared but angry manner as another pulse ran through the air. Every single poster and advertisement was completely different: Team Creation again. Just as he expected another pulse, they stopped. He looked around to see everybody acting normally, but all of them looked like supporters of this new team. “If they chose to do that, it would be worse than anarchy,” Kea said, looking around.

 

Zugai dashed to the newspaper stand. The man was shredding the newspapers. “Excuse me, sir, I was wondering-” Zugai started, but another pulse ran through the air. During the pulse, everybody around him looked like their eyes were wide and their pupils and irises were small. “Okay, this is really freaking me out, here,” Kea stammered.

 

Zugai nodded, “I know. Same here.” The pulse ended, and the newspaper stand disappeared. He looked around, and saw that every single trace of a newspaper was gone. “And I was hoping that today would be normal.” Zugai muttered. They both quickly walked into Battle City Central, the best restaurant in the states.

 

Battle City Central was created during the first Battle City in Washington DC. They always make one in a place they hold Battle City, and they never take it down, which is a good thing. They had divine food, and it wasn’t greasy or unhealthy, either. It was just extremely expensive if you didn’t bring your Deck. If you duel somebody and make it really epic and entertaining, you might actually get money back. No kidding. That happens in many restaurants with Duel Terminal, though.

 

Battle City Central was created since people usually got hungry after constant dueling, and hunger was one of the disadvantages in it. If you ate, you usually couldn’t duel. Battle City Central was created to have multiple Duel Terminals, so you could eat and duel simultaneously. People usually didn’t duel outside of Battle City, but Zugai loves using Duel Terminals, since he can actually see the spirits. They accept many different cultures with their complete international menu. You could order everything with any changes you want, which was especially important for Zugai and Hiru.

 

Zugai and Kea walked in, and Zugai heard Winged Kuriboh’s worried chirping. Zugai listened in on the conversations around him, and heard they were all talking about Team Creation, which disturbed him. “What were those pulses?” He asked himself.

Kea shrugged, “I thought you would know.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “For the 523rd time, I’m not a genius. I just have a good memory.”

 

Kea glared at him, as if he was being stupid. “That’s what makes you a genius, stupid.”

 

This was Zugai’s turn to shrug at her. “That was the most ironic statement I’ve heard since forever.” Zugai then took the opportunity to look around the restaurant, just to observe what kind of changes where taking place. He saw that the ketchup and sauce containers had advertisements for Team Creation, and the posters were now Team Creation posters. Zugai walked up to one of them to observe it. He noticed one of them seemed normal, but was suspicious about the other two members. Zugai took the opportunity to go onto a nearby computer to look up a card on Yu-Gi-Oh Wikia, which was now exclusive and popular around the world.

 

Kea walked over next to Zugai, “What are you doing this time, Zugai?”

 

Zugai pointed at one of the members on the statue, the one that was supposed to be Black. “Just take a quick look at him, and take a look at this card right here.” Zugai opened the page to Oracle of the Sun. “They’re faces are exactly the same, and so are they’re skin features. This can only mean that the person causing this phenomenon has to be using-” Zugai was cut off by a pulse that reappeared in the air, only this was more violent. Winged Kuriboh was shivering in the process, and Zugai looked to see everything turning back to normal. However, this one was painful and longer, as if it was desperately trying to undo everything. Zugai heard Dark Magician say to him, “It’s just like a child. He made a mess, and he’s quickly cleaning it up before the parents see his room.” Zugai muttered, “Only this one is a lot more violent.”

 

Just then, the pulse stopped, and Zugai looked around to observe the changes. The advertisements resumed to their “Battle City” advertisements, and the sauce bottles were normal again. Kea looked around, rubbing her arms as if she was cold. “Why did that one have to be freezing?”

 

Zugai looked at her skeptically, “That was cold to you? It was just painful to me.” They exchanged nervous glances, and just took a table. They waited for a waiter to come by, when they started watching a news program, which made them even more confused. It was a repetition of a news program that was shown earlier in the day: the arrival of the Six Pros. What confused them is that the people looked completely different, except for one of them.

 

Kurai Majutsu looked exactly like he did in the first news program, but the other five were really different. One of the six of them was wearing a tuxedo, with a top hat covering his hair, and a black cane. He also wore two white gloves, glasses, and two very shiny dress shoes with black laces. The person next to him had red hair, was wearing sneakers, jeans, and a weird-looking sweater, which was black except for the designs. There was an ocean in the bottom left corner, blowing leaves in the bottom right corner, fire in the upper left corner, and a slab of earth in the upper right corner. “That guy obviously uses an E-Hero Deck,” said Zugai. Kurai nodded in agreement.

 

The camera panned to clearly show the next three. These people looked completely different from the first trio. They were dressed up in Greek-style clothing, each with different features. The one in front was covered with gold armor and was wielding a mirror shield, a really sharp steel sword, a Greek-style helmet, and golden armored shoes with wings. The person to the left of him was a girl with dark skins in little dabs in her white-colored skin. Her eyes were darker, not getting lighter than gray, and her hair was a dark shade of black. She wore a black Greek Robe and carried a bunch of seeds with her. The one on the right was also wearing golden armor, except he carried a silver trident and a large, round copper shield. He had a black beard, with short, black hair. Zugai and Kea were surprised by these appearances when they heard a voice behind them say, “Well, hello.”

 

Zugai and Kea turned quickly to find an Asian-looking guy with straight, short hair, but with hair covering his forehead. “Wait up, Kai!” Zugai saw Senith run up through the entrance, closely followed by Hiru. “You aren’t going to win, Senith!” Hiru was shouting. Hiru managed to reach the table before Senith, and started rejoicing while Senith roared in agony. Kai looked at them, narrowed his eyes, and sighed. “You guys are such idiots,” he grumbled. “You guys are in a stupid competition, since Zugai got here WAY before you.” Hiru and Senith stopped and dipped their heads in shame and embarrassment. “Also, you guys were just acting like five-year-olds back there.” Senith and Hiru started kneeling in shame, with their heads still dipped. Zugai adjusted himself to look over Kai’s shoulders and jeered, “Did you know that your flies are unzipped?” Senith and Hiru were already on the ground in shame, faces into the floor. The waiter walked up to the scene and started looking around, wondering what happened to cause this scenario. She finally said, “Um… hi. Can I take your order?”

 

A minute later, Hiru, Kea, Senith, Kai, and Zugai were sitting around the table, talking about the phenomenon that just happened. Senith said, “So let me get this straight: You think that somebody managed to adjust the world at his own command, and played around with the universe. He or she managed to make everything based on that team, and changed everything back at the last second because he or she was scared of the arrival of the teams. But what can they be afraid of? And why people from anime and manga?”

 

Zugai contemplated and said, “Well, first of all, there are three pros that came in: Team Olympus. Their names were Perseus, Persephone, and Odysseus. They’re all based off of Greek heroes, and seem to represent the Big Three of the Greek Gods. Perseus is the son of Zeus, Persephone was the wife of Hades, and Odysseus was holding a trident. And if you’ve ever seen them Duel, they have their three legendary cards.”

 

Hiru added in, “They have the three Realm Gods: Zeus, the lord of the Realm of Air and Weather, Hades, the lord of the Realm of the Fallen and Lost, and Poseidon, the lord of the Realm of the Sea and Earthquakes. They are the only people with those cards, and they seem to have mysterious powers. They were given to them in Greek Temples, and these crazy rituals ensued when they were handed out. They rival and possibly surpass the powers of the Three Polar God Kings: Odin, Loki, and Thor.”

 

Kea nodded, “Yes. Those allowed them to become champions so quickly. However, Kurai managed to overthrow the three of them in Battle City, which was a surprise to the world, especially since he found a way to defeat Zeus by making a scenario that cancelled out it’s effect. That made Zeus able to be destroyed, and allowed Kurai to become the champion. Guess they’re still considered to be near the top of the world, though.”

 

Kai finished, “Team Olympus’s gods are still powerful, though. There are rumors that the gods protect their rightful wielders, which I guess are the members of Team Olympus. I still can’t believe they can wear that stuff and move.”

 

Senith ignored the last comment and muttered, “Why do I have to be so clueless?”

 

Zugai nudged him and said, “It’s because you don’t pay attention to this age. Trust me, everybody else is aware this stuff is happening.” Kai, Hiru, and Kea nodded in unison. Just then, the confused waiter returned with their food, which smelled like heaven to the group, although Kai’s expression never changes. Senith’s face was illuminating like the sun.

 

The group was silent for a few minutes, as they were engulfing their food. As they finished, Senith wiped his mouth and said, “Man, that was GOOD!” Kai looked at him skeptically, “That’s common sense.” Senith glared at Kai. Zugai managed to get in between them so that they wouldn’t break out into a fight. Just then, the news program became interesting again. They were looking at three people. Behind them, it said: Team Creation.

 

Those three people looked completely different from before, though. The person in front of the triangle formation was the most different from the original group. His hair was long and black, and he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a sun and a moon in the center, except they were mixed like a yin-yang. He also had black pants and lighter skin, his face was very serious and calm, and his arms were too his side. Zugai thought that his eyes were different colors, although he couldn’t tell.

 

The person on the left of the first person was wearing an average school uniform, but without any text. It was a blue long-sleeved shirt, and it had a gold spherical gem in the middle of it. The shirt clashed with his light blonde hair, which was also a bit long. The collar seemed to be designed like talons, and the pant’s design was feathery, which looked very cool with its blue denim material, or at least Kea thought so. The third person was completely off from the current design, though.

 

The final member of the team had two katana behind his back. How he got through security with them was completely unknown. Kai thought that the katana was his Duel Disk, but it was unknown to him. He seemed to have light green plates of armor around him, although his shirt and face was visible. His hair was brown and shorter, and his green shirt was covering his top-half. His hands were not too visible underneath his sleeves, but you could see them if he took his hands apart. He still had regular pants, which were dark blue and a bit shaggy, which almost covered his wooden flip-flops. Zugai, Kea, Kai, Hiru, and Senith took a moment to let this sink in; this was Team Creation, and they looked much more intimidating than their first glance of them.

 

Hiru than widened his eyes like he had just been struck in the stomach. “I just realized! They’re here because the one in the blue, Kosoru, is participating in the Garden State Tournament, just like I am!” Everybody turned to Hiru except for Kai, and after a moment of tension, Zugai finally decided to stand up. “Let’s get this started.” Hiru looked at Zugai in complete confusion. Zugai smiled, “We don’t have all day. If you were Kazoku, you would train until you became twice as powerful. We still have to have a tiebreaker, and this is the perfect opportunity for you to become strong enough to take that guy down. I remember hearing that not even the entire school together in a free-for-all could take him down, so you have to be prepared.”

 

Hiru stood up and nodded, “Gotcha. I’ll make sure that I beat you in the process.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Just make sure you don’t make the duel too long. We need to make sure a group of kids aren’t too impatient and kick us off of this in the middle of the Duel.”

 

Hiru and Zugai walked up to opposite sides of the Duel Terminal. They shuffled their decks and placed them on the Duel Terminal’s table, drawing five cards afterwards. The system turned on, and Hiru’s screen glowed blue while Zugai’s was glowing red. A dial appeared on the main screen, which started revolving around a pointer. The spinning seemed to take five minutes, even though it was thirty seconds when it finally landed on the red. That signified that Zugai was taking the first move. They simultaneously shouted, “Duel!” The entire restaurant turned towards them as the systems became active.

 

Zugai said, “I’m taking the first move! Draw!” Zugai drew his first card, and decided to look at his hand to strategize. Great. I’ll be able to be effective on the first move. I’m going to make him wait, though. “I’ll Normal Summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in defense mode! (1300/2000)” The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave appeared on the Duel Terminal’s 3D screen in defense mode. Zugai continued, “I guess I’ll end my turn with that.” Hopefully, Hiru doesn’t lose his composure and attack it. That would make my plan very terrible.

 

This was Zugai’s lucky day, since Hiru’s style remained the same. Hiru said, “Draw!” He thought to himself, He’s making an opportunity so he can attack. I guess I’ll just seal it off with this. Hiru said, “I’ll Summon the Legendary Beast – Stranger of the Underworld in attack mode! (1500/1600)” A dark cloud appeared over the 3D screen. A skeleton appeared from the dark cloud, and the mist covered over the skeleton. The mist turned into a dark cloak, and the creature emitted a black-and-white aura. “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kea looked at the monster in confusion, “I haven’t ever heard of that monster. I’ve heard of the impossible-to-use Legendary Set that Hiru mastered, but not this guy.”

 

Kai informed her, “This guy’s new. The attack and defense are the same as Wildheart, but it has a completely different effect. When it attacks or is attacked, it removes from play itself and the other monster.”

 

Senith added, “Not to mention it also reflects all Battle Damage to the opponent.”

 

Zugai smiled and said, “Draw!” He thought to himself, Another Legendary Beast? Well, I can definitely deal with this one. “I’ll Normal Summon Baby Dragon! (1200/700)” Baby Dragon materialized next to the Dragon Dwelling in the Cave. “Next, I’ll activate Natural Tune!” Baby Dragon started glowing a green color. “It will allow a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster to become a Tuner. Now, I Tune Baby Dragon to the Dragon Dwelling in the Cave!” Baby Dragon vanished, and three white stars were left in its place. The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave flew up, and the three stars started revolving around it. It turned into a yellow outline, and it vanished as four stars started expanding from it. Zugai started chanting, “Gathering stars will awaken a new guardian of the fallen. Become the light that reveals it! Synchro Summon! Death End Dragon!”

 

A white light pierced through the four stars, and it expanded around the rings. The white suddenly became an ominous shade of black, and electricity started emerging from it. It began to shape into a Dragon, and the darkness dispersed, leaving Death End Dragon roaring, creating tension and excitement in the restaurant. (2600/2000) Zugai smiled, “Death End Dragon can reduce its attack and defense by 500 to destroy one of your monsters. Go! Death Judgement!” A dark portal appeared underneath Stranger of the Underworld. The Grim Reaper emerged from the portal, and took down the Stranger. Death End Dragon started looking a bit worn out afterwards. (2600→2100/2000→1500) “Now, Death End, Direct attack! Death End Stream!” Death End Dragon started gathering black energy in its mouth. It released a large beam that started heading towards Hiru, and he managed to keep his cool.

 

Hiru said, “Zugai! This strategy won’t work too well on me anymore! Let me show you!” Both of them smiled at each other, while Zugai waited for the beam to reach Hiru.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 5]

The Death Ray still was on course at Hiru, who was still smiling at the time. He flipped a card, and the beam from Death End Dragon stopped in its tracks and vanished. Zugai tried to raise an eyebrow, which he still couldn’t do for many years, and Hiru put up a smile, “Sorry. I activated my Trap, Negate Attack. This card will open a space-time vortex, absorbing the attack and ending your Battle Phase. Guess there might not be too much you can do.” Zugai smiled, “You underestimate me. I set 2 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru had to think for a second. 2 cards? Why didn’t he set them earlier? He definitely had at least one of them last turn. Did he expect me to do something later? Hiru shouted, “Draw!” He looked at the card he just drew, and smiled. “I discard Y-Dragon Head to activate Tribute to the Doomed! With this, I can destroy one monster on your side of the field.” A white beam blasted at Death End Dragon. Zugai interrupted, “I activate Spell Shield Type-8. It can negate the effect of your Tribute to the Doomed, and destroy it.” The beam split in half in front of Death End Dragon, which missed it. Hiru continued to grin.

 

“Naïve. I’ll remove from play my LIGHT Y-Dragon Head and my DARK Stranger to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer from my hand.” Ghosts of Y-Dragon Head and Stranger of the Underworld appeared on the screen, and they immediately turned into one light and one dark bubble respectively. The revolved around each other, and were sucked into a vortex in a spiraling motion. Chaos Sorcerer emerged from that vortex. (2300/2000) “And I’ll attack your Death End Dragon, whose power has been weakened from its own effect. Chaos Sorcerer, attack Death End Dragon! Chaos Magic!” Chaos Sorcerer clapped its hands, and a black flame appeared. It started expanding and rushing at Death End Dragon. Zugai smiled, “I activate Waboku! Now, I take no battle damage and Death End Dragon won’t be destroyed.” A white bubble appeared around Death End Dragon, which deflected the flame.

 

Hiru said, “I still have another backup. I Normal Summon the White Stone of Legend.” Zugai smiled and thought, Here it is. Hiru’s special combo. The White Stone of Legend transformed into a beam of light, which engulfed Chaos Sorcerer. Chaos Sorcerer morphed into a large black flame, which expanded in the light. Hiru yelled, “Chaos Synchro! Descend forth: http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/1654/161797.jpg[/img]"]Legendary Beast – Medusa of Darkness!” Red eyes started glowing in the flame, and it expanded to reveal a Medusa. It’s snakes hissed threateningly at Death End Dragon, which roared back. The audience was in awe. Hiru said, “Since White Stone of Legend was sent to the Graveyard, I add 1 Blue-Eyes to my hand and end.” Senith looked confused at what just happened, “A Chaos Synchro? What’s that supposed to be? And why is that a Fusion Monster?”

 

Kea explained, “A Chaos Synchro is ironically a Fusion Summon only used by Legendary Beasts. It involves a LIGHT Tuner and a DARK monster. They fuse together in order to create a stronger Legendary Beast, and it doesn’t use Polymerization. Medusa is the only common one, which has very difficult summoning conditions in the Legendary Starter Deck: Reborn Myths. I haven’t looked into the set too much on Yugioh Wikia.”

 

Kai continued, “The monster is Fusion Summoned by sending the Fusion Materials to the Graveyard from your field. If the Fusion monster is destroyed, then the Fusion Materials are removed from play.” Senith scratched its head, “I guess I get it a bit more now. But why is Medusa so special?” Kea answered, “It’s because of its effect. When it battles, it can decrease the attacking monster’s ATK by 1500. It loses 500 ATK during the damage step, though.”

 

Zugai smiled, Only you could Chaos Synchro, Hiru. This might actually be a fair fight. “Draw!” Zugai smiled at his upcoming move. “I’ll summon Lava Dragon in defense mode! Next, I’ll activate its effect. I can Tribute it to Special Summon 2 Level 3 or lower Dragons. One comes from my hand, one comes from my Graveyard. I’ll be bringing back an old friend, Baby Dragon. I’ll also Special Summon Petit Dragon.” Lava Dragon erupted, and the ground beneath it started cracking as magma spouted up. Baby Dragon crawled out of the fissure, and Petit Dragon flew from the erupted lava.(1200/700), (600/700) The magma died down, and Zugai held up one more card. “And I’m going to bring back someone I can’t let you forget by removing from play Petit Dragon!” Petit Dragon was engulfed by an intense red beam of light. “Take flight: Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!” The beam of light died, and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon was gliding in one spot, as it’s eyes ominously glowed red. (2800/2400)

 

Senith sighed, “Can Zugai not get any cheaper than before? I mean, he just summoned a Level 10 Dragon effortlessly! That’s OP’d!” Kai just blankly said, “Shut up.”

 

Zugai sighed at their pointless argument, and said, “I activate Darkness Metal’s effect! I Special Summon Debris Dragon from my hand! Draconic Illusion!” A red eye-beam shot from the eyes of Darkness Metal, and where they landed, Debris Dragon flew into the air. “I’m tuning my Level 4 Debris Dragon to my Level 3 Baby Dragon!” Debris Dragon glowed and turned into four rings. The rings encircled Baby Dragon, which immediately turned it into a beam of light. The light started curving and clustering into spheres moving in a line. “Clustering dreams will awaken an unbreakable wish of living. Become the dream that awakens that hope!” The lights started shining intensely. “Synchro Summon! Shine, Shining Life Dragon!” http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/1654/161797.jpg[/img]"]Shining Life Dragon emerged from the light, the clusters still remaining, but gleaming a redder shade. (2600/2000)

 

“Let’s continue. I decrease the attack of Death End Dragon by 500 to destroy Medusa! Death Judgement!” (2100→1600/1500→1000) A dark portal appeared underneath Medusa. The grim reaper appeared again, but Medusa tried fighting back. Medusa was beheaded and taken down. “And since Medusa has been destroyed, Chaos Sorcerer will be removed from play. Darkness Metal, Darkness Metal Flare!” A dark red orb started forming in the mouth within the mouth of Darkness Metal, and bolts of electricity were shooting off the sides. When Darkness Metal fired this sphere, it increased by twice its size. It started heading towards Hiru’s image on the 3-D screen.

 

Hiru said, “I’ve gotten you all figured out. I activate Sakuretsu Armor! It’ll negate the attack and destroy the attacking monster!” A body of armor appeared in front of the Red Sphere, and it swung its arm. The Sphere was reflected and destroyed Darkness Metal instead. Zugai continued, “Shining Life Dragon, Dreaming Shine!” The spheres on the back of Shining Life Dragon started glowing, and they all shot small beams at Hiru. Hiru interrupted, “I’ll activate Magic Cylinder. This will negate the attack and inflict damage to you equal to its ATK!” A cylinder appeared, and the beams went into its entrance. Another cylinder appeared, and the beams came out of it and hit Zugai instead. (Zugai 8000→5400) Zugai continued, “Death End Dragon, Death End Stream!” A beam of darkness emerged from the mouth of Death End Dragon. This time, a Kuriboh appeared and blocked it. Hiru said, “I discarded Kuriboh. That means I take no battle damage from that attack.” The audience booed, and you could hear Senith scream out, “Wimp! Kuriboh’s useless!” Kea slapped him across the face.

 

Zugai smiled, “You’ve gotten stronger, Hiru. And ignore them, I still support Kuriboh. I set 1 card and end my turn.” Hiru said, “Thanks. Allow me to show you some more tricks.” Chaos Sorcerer is out of the game, so I can’t revive him. I have a 50-50 chance of this working. And it will work. “Draw!” Hiru looked at his card, and smiled, “I activate http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/5098/161797v.jpg[/img]"]Clash of True Power. This means we both can draw cards so we both have 5 cards in our hands. After 5 turns, I’ll take 1000 damage.” Zugai smiled, and they both simultaneously drew their cards. Hiru said, “I’ll activate my Trap, Level Conversion Lab. I can activate it by revealing Blue-Eyes, and placing it in the lab.” A gigantic metal cylindrical glass chamber appeared, with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon card inside it. “It will then select levels 1 through 6, and it will become that level. If it becomes level 1, it will be destroyed.” The lights on the canister were randomly flashing, and it started slowing down. It eventually stopped, with three lights glowing. Hiru smiled, “Level 3! I Normal Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” The cylinder broke open, and Blue-Eyes White Dragon emerged, gliding in place. (3000/2500)

 

Kai said, “Hm. It’s about time that he called out his ace monster.” Senith said, “Why are you so impatient all the time? What’s with you and all the other emotionless people?” Kea said, “Dude. I wonder what’ll happen next?” She had the intention of avoiding an argument.

 

Hiru said, “Now, I’ll equip it with Malevolent Nuzzler! This’ll give it 700 ATK!” (3000→3700/2500) Senith asked, “Why did he do that? Isn’t it kinda pointless with Death End Dragon’s effect?” Kai replied, “It will inflict more damage, which’ll give Hiru a strong advantage when it comes to Life Points.” Kea continued, “Also, Shining Life Dragon can decrease its attack by 500 to decrease the attack of the other monster battling it by 1500. If Hiru attacks it with a monster with 3500 attack or less, then Shining Life Dragon would win. 3600 is a tie, and 3700 and more will defeat Shining Life Dragon. Malevolent Nuzzler is a crucial move.” Hiru smiled, “Blue-Eyes, obliterate Death End Dragon with Burst Stream of Destruction!” Blue-Eyes opened its mouth, and started charging electricity in its mouth. After a few seconds, Blue-Eyes shot an extremely white beam of electricity at Death End Dragon.

 

Zugai smiled, “Predictable. I activate Mirror Force, which will destroy all your attack position monsters.” Zugai waved at Blue-Eyes as its beam was reflected off of a shield and destroyed Blue-Eyes. Hiru said, “I’ll set 2 cards, ending my turn.” Zugai shrugged and said, “Draw!” Hiru said, “I’ll activate Wall of Revealing Light! I pay 3000 Life Points, so monsters with 3000 attack or less can’t declare an attack on my monsters! (Hiru 8000→5000)” A wall appeared, blocking where Hiru’s monsters would be. Senith asked, “So Hiru’s at a disadvantage." Kai shook his head, and Kea said for him, “Nope. Hiru has a shield that protects him and another set card. So he can’t be attacked, and Zugai only has 2 monsters with over 3000 attack, and he can’t summon any of the others.” Kai said, “Unless he has – “ Kea shushed him, even though Zugai never did what they expected. In reality, Zugai couldn’t really see an upcoming combo that would do much. Instead, he was going to go for a simple but effective attack.

 

He said, “I’ll tribute Death End Dragon and Shining Life Dragon to Tribute Summon the dweller of the darkest shadows and the brightest lights!” Dark End Dragon turned pitch black and Shining Life Dragon turned into extremely bright white light. They swirled around each other and rose. “Come forth! Light and Darkness Dragon!” The light and dark shades emerged, and Light and Darkness Dragon sprung forth. It spread its wings and glided in the air. (2800/2400) Kea exclaimed, “This is new! I didn’t know he used this guy.” Hiru gulped, “Yeah, but it doesn’t have enough attack points.” Zugai smiled, “It doesn’t need that. I can reduce its ATK and DEF by 500 to negate the effect of any card effect. I negate your wall.” Light and Darkness shot a pitch-black ray from his mouth, which shattered the wall of light. (2800→2300/2400→1900) “Now then, attack him directly! Shining Breath!” Light and Darkness Dragon opened its mouth, and a beam of light was launched at Hiru. Hiru said, “I activate Call of the Haunted, this will-” Zugai interrupted him by snapping his fingers. “I’m negating it.” A ray of darkness emerged, which froze Call of the Haunted, which didn’t activate. (2300→1800/1900→1400) The beam of light hit Hiru, which made his character on the screen slide back a bit. (Hiru 5000→3200) Senith said, “Two lasers at once! Zugai knows how to control the masters of Shoop da Whoop."

 

Hiru said, “Well, somebody finally took Battle Damage. Took us long enough.” Zugai replied, “That’s a good duel for you. I set one card and end my turn.” Hiru said, “Draw!” Hiru drew his card, and felt something above him. He looked up to see a white light watching over him. Hiru looked at his new hand, and saw his spirit partner, White Legend Dragon**. He smiled, You’ll help me win this, bro! “I activate Fissure!” A ray of darkness automatically punctured Fissure, negating it. (1800→1300/1400→900) Hiru continued, “I’ll Summon White Legend Dragon in attack mode! (1900/700) And this guy will negate your monster’s effects, so don’t even try using your Light and Darkness Dragon. And now, partner, attack Light and Darkness! White Legend Slash!” White Legend Dragon dashed up to Light and Darkness. Zugai said, “I activate Reverse Trap! This will-“

 

Hiru smiled, “Thought you would try that. I send 1 Blue-Eyes from my Deck to the Graveyard to activate White Legend’s effect. It can negate the effect of your Trap Card and destroy it. This means the attack goes through.” White Legend Dragon slashed, and it left behind a white trail. It split both Zugai’s trap card and Light and Darkness Dragon, and they both exploded afterwards. (Zugai 5400→4800) Hiru said, “I’m not finished yet. By sending 1 more Blue-Eyes from my Deck to the Graveyard, White Legend Dragon can attack again!” Hiru sent his last Blue-Eyes to the Graveyard. White Legend Dragon’s eyes started glowing blue. Hiru declared, “White Legend Dragon, White Legend Slash!” White Legend Dragon dashed right in front of Zugai and slashed again, inflicting heavy damage. (Zugai 4800→2900) Hiru said, “I’ll end my turn.”

 

Zugai wiped his face with his arm, “You’ve improved, Hiru. I’ve gotta give you that. Draw!” Zugai drew, and saw he drew Winged Kuriboh. He could hear it chirping. And he replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll think of something." As he said that, noticed something in his hand. He pictured a sequence in his head. So, I’ll set those 2 cards. Then, I can summon Winged Kuriboh to protect myself. I can activate this card and chain it with this. After chaining those, I can Special Summon Winged Kuriboh Level 9 and I’ll win. Zugai said, “I Normal Summon Winged Kuriboh in defense mode. Then, I’ll set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “Draw!” He looked at the card he drew, and smiled. “I activate White Legend Dragon’s effect! By sending it to the Graveyard during my Standby Phase, I can add 1 Spell Card to my hand for each Blue-Eyes in my Graveyard.”

 

Kea said, “That was what he was aiming for. I can see what he’s up to.” Kai nodded, “Ultimate Dragon?” Kea shook her head, “No. He’s going for the final form of Blue-Eyes for his final kill.”

 

Hiru said, “I activate the first one: Dragon’s Mirror! By removing from play my 3 Blue-Eyes, I can call forth the ultimate dragon!” A mirror appeared on the field. Hiru’s the Blue-Eyes White Dragons appeared in the mirror. A vortex appeared behind it, engulfing the mirror and the three Blue-Eyes. Another vortex was created, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon appeared from that, roaring. (4500/3800) Hiru continued, “And now, I tribute Ultimate Dragon in order to call forth the almighty dragon of the light!” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon started cracking open, and light started seeping out of the cracks. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon broke open and was engulfed by a large field of light. Hiru yelled, “Descend forth: Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon!” The light faded, and Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon was gliding there. (3000/2500) And it gains 300 attack for each Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard. I currently have 3 Dragons in my Graveyard, so its attack is 3900!” (3000→3900/2500) Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon screeched at Winged Kuriboh.

 

Zugai said, “I thought it would come to this. But, as strong as it may be, its attack won’t be able to inflict Damage on me.” Hiru said, “We’ll see about that. I’ll send Paladin of White Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard to activate Blinding Light**! First off, since another Dragon is in the Graveyard, Blue-Eyes gains 300 more ATK! (3900→4200/2500) And because of Blinding Light, it gains attack equal to half the defense of Paladin, so it gains 600 more attack until the End Phase. (4200→4800/2500) And its 2nd effect activates by removing from play Malevolent Nuzzler from my Graveyard, and that means you’ll take effect damage equal to the difference between Blue-Eyes’ attack and Winged Kuriboh’s defense! This ends it! Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon: Shining Burst!” Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon opened its mouth, and light started gathering in its mouth. It turned into a rainbow color, and it burst out into a strong beam of blinding light that headed for Winged Kuriboh.

 

Zugai smiled, “I activate my set card: Berserker Crush! I remove from play Shining Life Dragon to make the defense of Winged Kurbioh equal to its defense! That makes Winged Kuriboh’s defense 2000!” The light still engulfed Winged Kuriboh and the light pierced through it, hitting Zugai. (2900→100) Hiru smiled, “Barely hanging in, huh? I set 1 card and end my turn.” Zugai thought out, It’s definitely a Spell Card. Guess I’m safe for now, since I don’t plan on fusing. Zugai said, “Now that you ended your turn, Shining Dragon’s attack goes back down to 4200. (4800→4200/2500) And as a weakness of Blinding Light, if Shining Dragon is destroyed by a LIGHT monster, you take damage equal to its original attack, which you can’t really risk. Anyway, Draw!”

 

He looked at his hand, and smiled. Kea said, “He’s going to do something cool again, isn’t he.” Senith nodded, “That’s what he’s known for.” Zugai finally said, “I activate my trap card, Graverobber. I’ll add you Clash of True Power from your Graveyard to my hand. And I also activate that Clash of True Power.” The audience went wild. They started saying things like: “Is that suicide?” “He’ll just take 2000 damage with its effect!” Hiru said, “You’ve got it covered like always, right?” Zugai smiled, “Yup. I activateSpell of Pain! So instead of me taking 2000 damage, I negate the damage and reflect it to you instead!” A black beam came from Graverobber, and electrocuted his avatar on the screen. (Hiru 3200→1200) The entire restaurant, now focused on this duel, gasped in surprise. Zugai finished, “So now we’ll draw cards so we both have 5 cards in our hands.” They both drew their cards. Zugai looked at his hand, and smiled. “I discard 2 Spell Cards to activate Spell Reproduction, adding Berserker Crush to my hand. And I chain that with Special Summoning Winged Kuriboh LV9 in attack mode!” A light column appeared, and Winged Kuriboh LV9 sprung forward. (?/?)

 

Zugai said, “It gains 500 attack and defense for every Spell Card in your Graveyard. You currently have 4, so its attack and defense are 2500! (2000/2000) Furthermore, I’ll activate Berserker Crush by removing from play Light and Darkness Dragon. Winged Kuriboh’s attack and defense will become equal to that of Light and Darkness (2000→2800/2000→2400). And because of its effect, it still gains 2000 attack and defense! (2800→4800/2400→4400) Winged Kuriboh’s attack is now higher than your Shining Dragon’s attack, and the effect of Blinding Light will ensure my victory! Winged Kuriboh: Berserker Crush!” Winged Kuriboh picked up its gigantic claw and slashed at Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon.

 

Kea smiled, “This combo is -” Senith finished, “The final blow!” Kai simply said, “At this rate, Zugai wins.” The audience started cheering, but Hiru said, “I’m not giving up! I activate my final card: Burial from a Different Dimension! This will return my three Blue-Eyes to the Graveyard. And because there are three more dragons in my Graveyard, Blue-Eyes gains 900 more attack! (4200→5100/2500)” Zugai said, “Seriously!?” He remembered Hiru telling him a while before, “I don’t need Burial from a Different Dimension.” Guess he changed his mind, Zugai thought. Hiru screamed, “Counterattack, Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon! Shining Burst!” Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon intercepted the attack with another light attack, this one was three beams of light coming from his wings and forehead plate. It struck Winged Kuriboh LV9, and destroyed it. (Zugai 100→0) Hiru won with that strike. The audience paused in silence, and they all broke out in cheers. Kea and Senith started cheering, too, and Zugai and Hiru picked up their decks. They both shook hands. Zugai smiled, “You’ve definitely gotten stronger. I think you stand a chance against Kosoru in the tournament.” Hiru nodded, “Yeah. I guess we should go. I’ll get ready for the first day of the tournament tomorrow.” Zugai said, “That’s the spirit. See you there.” Zugai walked out of the restaurant with Hiru, and they both took different paths home. Kea, Kai, and Senith walked out after them, wondering what the first round of the tournament will hold.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 6]

Chapter 6: No Control Left: Hiru VS. Kosoru!

 

The walk to the Garden State Tournament was not very interesting to Zugai. It was way too crowded for his liking, and it was much louder than normal crowds of loud fangirls were. Zugai was also a bit sad because he was not able to find Hiru, Kai, Senith, or Kea in the crowd. However, he managed to tell Kea and Hiru where the two of them should meet: at the pillar next to the participant’s entrance. However, Kea and Hiru have not shown up yet. After waiting for fifteen minutes, Hiru started running through the crowd. Kai walked after him, and Senith started running towards them. They quickly discussed how long it would take for them to get in if Hiru was not able to give them special entry passes. As the conversation ended, Kea walked up to the group. They paced to the participant’s entrance, and Hiru showed them a pass, which allowed the whole group to enter.

 

The tournament’s setup was actually quite amazing. The “arena” had a large Duel Station in the center, but a bit different. The entire stadium was enclosed in a huge 3D screen, like an Izod, but the main battle would take place on the terminal. The places where duelists walked in were on opposite sides. As a duelist would walk out, sparks would fly from holes on either sides of the opening. Inside, there was a long hallway reaching four different rooms. Each room was marked a name of a participant, and that is where they stayed before they were notified. Inside of it, it was wooden with one large sofa and coffee table, and there was a refrigerator with soft drinks. There were cabinets with a wide variety of kitchen tools. Next to the sofa was a book shelf with the most popular books in New Jersey, so the user would not get bored.

 

Zugai, being himself, gave Hiru some final advice before the tournament. “Just a reminder, don’t lose your cool, because that always will get you to lose. Second, don’t underestimate your opponent. Lastly, never back down, since there should always be a chance you can win.” Hiru nodded, “That’s stuff I heard a hundred times over.” Zugai smiled back, “Hey, you have a moderately bad memory. I just wanted to make sure.” That made Hiru smile. Hiru had to stay in the back room, since tournament rules state you cannot watch how your opponent duels, while Zugai and the rest headed to the audience. Zugai and Senith were having rock-paper-scissors competitions, and Kea joined in later. She left to watch one match, but Zugai did not ask why, since he started playing more dumb games with Senith to kill time. Zugai never really cared about Kurai’s appearance, even though Kurai Majutsu was considered the strongest duelist in the world.

 

Then the announcer, who Zugai always thought was loud and obnoxious, yelled, “Now, it is time to commence the last of the first rounds!!!” The eyes of Zugai, Hiru, and Kea immediately turned toward the Duel Terminal in the center of the arena. They were all aware that Hiru was the last one on the list, which means he would always be dueling last. The announcer threw his left hand to the first entrance. A spotlight appeared over there, and the announcer screamed, “This man has just entered the world of dueling, but has already received a large record of wins, and is one of the members of the legendary Team Creation! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:” Sparks flew up from both sides of the entrance. “The one and only Kosoru!” The audience went wild as Kosoru walked into the arena. He was not much different from before, but there were a few changes: he wore a feathered jacket with the talon collar and black pants. He also wore sneakers, which were colored black. He smiled and waved to the audience as he walked to the duel terminal station.

 

The announcer, still enthusiastic, swung his right hand to the right this time. “And now, I shall introduce to you a new duelist, but will definitely be worthy of this fight! He is in his University Years, but has still managed to beat Kurai Majutsu!” Zugai felt like laughing, since he could almost feel Kurai’s ego break down. “Ladies and gentlemen! I give you:” Sparks flew up as Hiru walked into the room. Surprisingly, the audience applauded for him just as much as they did for Kosoru, which was rare for a rookie. Zugai considered that it was because the announcer mentioned that he beat Kurai once. Hiru waved at the crowd and walked to the opposite side of the Duel Terminal. This one only had two plates where you could plug in Duel Disks, and that registered what will enter the 3D screen in front of them. Cameras and speakers were set up so the Duelists could converse, if needed.

 

Kosoru smiled at Hiru, “Good luck taking me down. I know you took down Kurai, but I’d like to see you try to pull of your same tricks on me.” Hiru smiled, “I always wanted to duel the original Duel King of the University.” A counter appeared in the 3D screen, which had a digital clock set to 10 seconds in the middle. The announcer screamed, “We all know the drill! When that clock reaches zero, the person who places their Deck and draws 5 cards first can get the first move!” The counter started counting down. Hiru was able to make out every second. It was at three, and he started reaching his hand down to his Deck Box. Kosoru was still calm, not moving. The counter reached zero, and Hiru reached down and grabbed his Deck at the same time as Kosoru. They seemed to be mirroring each other throughout the sequence. However, Hiru managed to draw his five cards faster than Kosoru, granting him the first move. The announcer smiled, “Now, Hiru will be going first! Duel, START!!!!” A counter appeared on the big screen, which was divided into 2 rows. One was a picture of Kosoru, with his life points next to it. It was the same case for Hiru.

 

Hiru said, “My turn! Draw!” Hiru drew his first card. “Heh. I’ll start up by summoning Legendary Beast – Chimera in defense mode! (1500/300) Then, I’ll set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kosoru smiled, Hiru, you definitely never heard of me. Defense mode is the worst thing you could do in a duel against me. “Draw!” Kosoru drew and frowned for half a second, since he did not draw the card he wanted. But, he had another plan. “I activate my Spell Card, Level Award. It will make your Chimera Level 5. And since you control a Level 5 monster, I Special Summon Breeze Sphere in attack mode! (700/1000) Next, by Tributing 1 Winged Beast-Type monster I control, I can Tribute Summon Trafa Sphere in attack mode! (2400/2000)” Zugai said to himself, “Heh, a Sphere Deck. Why do overconfident duel number ones always use sphere decks? First there was Fubuki, and now...”

 

Kosoru continued, “Trafa Sphere, attack Chimera!” Trafa Sphere flew up high in the screen, and swooped down, slashing the Chimera in half. It exploded, and the shockwave hit Hiru a bit, making him cover his eyes and put his left foot a bit farther back. However, Hiru was able to smile through that. “When Chimera is sent to the Graveyard, both players can send up to 3 cards from the Deck to the Graveyard. I’m sending Nessie, Hellhound, and X-Head Cannon to the Graveyard.” Kosoru smiled and shrugged, “I’m sending Transforming Sphere to the Graveyard.” Hiru’s eyes widened for a second. I’m in for a trip now. Kosoru finished, “I’ll set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

The announcer screamed out, “Both Hiru and Kosoru sent cards from their Deck to their Graveyard!!! What could they be planning?!?”

 

Hiru thought to himself, So this is how the old King duels. Well then, I guess I’ll have to surpass it. “Draw!” Hiru saw his hand and smiled. “I Normal Summon Legendary Beast – Goliath of the Woods in attack mode.” (2000/0) Kosoru looked shocked, but still in a calm sense. “You summoned a Level 6 monster without Tribute?” Hiru smiled, “Since you control a monster and I don’t, Goliath will not need a Tribute. That’s the way his strength works. Next, I equip Trafa Sphere with Malevolent Nuzzler, giving it 700 ATK!” (2400→3100/2000) Kosoru asked, “Why would you ever do that?” Hiru didn’t respond. Instead, he smiled smiled, “Now, Goliath will attack your Trafa Sphere!” Goliath lifted its club and leapt at Trafa Sphere. Kosoru repeated, “Why would you do that? Goliath will never beat Trafa Sphere with 2000 attack!” Hiru smiled, “That’s when you’re wrong. Goliath, if he attacks a monster whose attack has increased, I can activate his effect! Since I have 4 LIGHT and DARK monsters in my Graveyard, I can remove one from play to give its ATK to Goliath!” Kosoru’s eyes widened in surprise, “WHAT!?” Hiru continued, “I remove Legendary Beast – Nessie of the Mist, and Goliath will gain its ATK!” (2000→4600/0) Goliath crushed Trafa Sphere with its club, and Kosoru smirked in annoyance. (Kosoru 8000→6500)

 

The surprised audience started cheering and the announcer screamed, “What an amazing combo! Hiru used Chimera so that he could gather monsters for Goliath! He also used Malevolent Nuzzler on the opponent for these conditions! This is the work of a genius!!” Hiru smiled, “At the end of the Damage Step, Goliath loses his powered-up attack. (4600→2000/0) I’ll end my turn.”

 

Kosoru smiled, “Draw!” He looked at the card, and smiled. “I’ll Normal Summon Synthesize Sphere in attack mode! (1000/1000)” Zugai narrowed his eyes, just as Hiru slightly widened his. They both simultaneously thought, Here he goes. Kosoru smiled, “When Synthesize Sphere is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Spher Monster from my Graveyard. I’ll revive Transforming Sphere! (100/100)” Zugai widened his eyes a bit. “That’s the monster he sent to the Graveyard with Chimera’s effect!” He looked right at Kosoru and murmured, “Kosoru, you are definitely worthy of being called a King once.” Hiru said to Kosoru, “So, you have those 2 monsters. Is that all?” Kosoru smiled, “You’re dumber than you look. I activate my Trap Card: Atmospheric Transmission! Since a Sphere was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon another Sphere monster from my Deck!” A card slightly moved out of position in Kosoru’s Deck. He pulled it out and said, “I Special Summon Air Sphere in attack mode! (400/300) Air Sphere's effect is activated, so since I control another Sphere, you cannot declare an attack at all.” Hiru yelled in astonishment, “What!?” Kea muttered, “So that would mean...” Zugai nodded, and Kai said for him, “Hiru’s Deck is mostly focused on inflicting damage by attacking. Since he can’t attack, there is not much he can do to inflict any damage.” Senith continued, “That isn’t all Kosoru has up his sleeve, too. This guy’s tricky.”

 

Kosoru smiled and continued, “I activate Block Attack! This will switch your Goliath into defense mode!” Zugai winced, “Here he goes. Now let's see if you can beat me when it comes to annoyance and frustration.” Goliath was covered by a white veil, and he reluctantly shifted into a kneeling position, with his club diagonally in front of him. Kosoru continued, “And now I’ll activate Transforming Sphere’s effect. By it will absorb a defense position monster you control, and it will gain its attack and defense.” A whirlwind appeared in front of the ball Transforming Sphere was holding, and it absorbed Goliath. (100→2100/100) Hiru muttered, “s***.” The announcer also enthusiastically yelled, “What’s this!? Kosoru already planned ahead of Hiru with the effect of Chimera! Now, he has easily turned the tables!!” Kosoru continued, “Because of the effect of the Decoy Flare* I discarded, I can draw 1 card.” Kosoru drew his card, and maliciously grinned.

 

Kosoru pointed, “Transforming Sphere, attack Hiru directly!” A large gust of wind headed towards Hiru from Transforming Sphere’s orb of wind, and blew Hiru back a bit. (Hiru 8000→5900) Kosoru pointed again, “Air Sphere, attack Hiru!” Air Sphere swooped down and pecked Hiru on the face. (Hiru 5900→5500) Kosoru smiled, “My attack isn’t finished yet! Synthesize Sphere, direct attack!” Synthesize Sphere flapped its wings, and the gust produced by them pushed Hiru back. (Hiru 5500→4500) Kosoru finished, “I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, which will destroy Goliath, which was equipped with Transforming Sphere. I’ll end with that.” The announcer yelled, “What!? Hiru already fell behind Kosoru after one move!”

 

Hiru didn’t lose confidence for a second. He got back up and said, “My turn! Draw!” He looked at his hand, and said, “Yes! I’ll start out by Normal Summoning Sonic Bird! (1400/1000) With this guy’s effect, I can add a Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. I’ll shuffle my Deck afterwards, though.” Hiru took his Deck from the Duel Disk, and swiftly looked through it. He pulled out one card and added it to his hand. He shuffled his Deck and returned it to his Duel Disk “I activate White Dragon Ritual. By Tributing my Level 4 Sonic Bird, I can Special Summon Paladin of White Dragon from my hand!” Sonic Bird was covered by a white veil, and it started dissolving. Afterwards, four stars appeared where Sonic Bird was. They all spiraled around each other, and gathered into one star. It started glowing, and Paladin of White Dragon swiftly flew from that orb. (1900/1200)

 

Kosoru smiled, “Nice try. Have you already forgotten that you can’t attack this turn?” Hiru smiled back. “That wasn’t what I was aiming for. I’ll Tribute Paladin of White Dragon to Special Summon a Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Deck.” Paladin of White Dragon flew upwards and glowed. It morphed into a light that represented Blue-Eyes, and once it left, Blue-Eyes was left flying. (3000/2500) The crowd went wild as the announcer screamed, “There it is! Hiru’s ace monster, the legendary form of power itself: Blue-Eyes White Dragon!!!” Hiru said, “This Blue-Eyes can’t attack the turn it was summoned, but that won’t matter. I activate Burst Stream of Destruction!” Blue-Eyes started charging up a blue sphere. “While I control a Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I can destroy all monsters on your side of the field.” A white blast escaped from the mouth of Blue-Eyes. It encompassed Kosoru’s field, leaving it empty. Kosoru continued smiling. “You seem misinformed. You used up a turn to destroy my monsters, but leaving out a strong monster without attacking is basically admitting that you're an idiot.” Hiru continued, “Then I’ll just have to keep on striking. I’ll activate my Continuous Trap: Pyramid of Light!!!” A beam of light shot out from the face-up card on the field, and it encompassed the entire field. It formed a pyramid surrounding the monsters, but it was almost completely transparent.

 

Kosoru’s smile died away as Hiru continued. “You probably know of this combo. I pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon Andro Sphinx from my Deck! (Hiru 4500→4000) (3000/2500) I can pay another 500 to Special Summon Sphinx Teleia from my Deck with it. (Hiru 4000→3500) (2500/3000)” The two sphinxes did not have a special entrance: they only materialized. Hiru shouted, “They can't attack the turn they are Summoned, but I activate the effect of the Hellhound in my Graveyard! I remove it from play to inflict damage equal to the ATK of all Level 10 monsters that did not battle this turn. Take this!” Both of the sphinxes roared, which was followed by a large sonic wave. The waves combined to create one giant wave of sound. As it passed over Kosoru, he was being blown back as if he was on top of a moving jet. (Kosoru 6500→1000) Hiru smiled, “I’ll set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kosoru was frustrated now, but tried hard not to show it. “My turn. I draw!” He looked at his hand, and managed to smile, “I activate my spell card: Gust of Greed*! I return Transforming Sphere and Trafa Sphere to my Deck to draw 2 cards.” Kosoru drew two cards, ans smiled at what he saw. “Hiru Hitono. You managed to strike me, and you will also be known for one other thing: you will be the first to see my strongest monster. I’ll Summon another Synthesize Sphere. (1000/1000) With it, I’m going to Special Summon Breeze Sphere from my Graveyard. (700/500) Now, by removing from play these two monsters with the Synthesize Sphere in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon the strongest Sphere monster!” Hiru’s face was covered with an astonished expression. “WHAT!?” Zugai was just as surprised, “He never used this card since he was known to the world!” The three monsters Kosoru declared were absorbed by an orb: the same on Transforming Sphere held. A giant bird swooped down and latched onto the orb. Kosoru smiled, “Descend forth, my strongest monster: The Atmosphere! (1000/800) And I activate its effect: I’ll equip it with your Blue-Eyes, and it’ll gain its attack and defense!”

 

Hiru yelled, “Not this again!” The orb The Atmosphere held grew and engulfed Blue-Eyes, and it shrunk back down. (1000→4000/800→3300) Kosoru smiled, “The Atmosphere will attack Sphinx Teleia!” The Atmosphere flapped its wings, which generated a tornado. It rammed into Sphinx Teleia, destroying it. Then, it followed up and rammed through Hiru. In the tornado, Hiru felt like his whole body was going to be ripped in every different direction, and he was engulfed by searing pain. (Hiru 3500→2000) Hiru was panting by the time it was over. “What happened? I just…” Kosoru maliciously grinned, “I’ll end my turn.” Zugai whispered to himself, “So that’s why Kosoru didn’t use it… its a spirit card.”

 

Hiru said to Kosoru, “Don’t think you’ve won yet. I still have a way to turn this around. My turn!” Hiru drew, and saw exactly what he wanted. “I activate my Trap: Call of the Haunted. With its effect, I can Special Summon X-Head Cannon from my Graveyard, and equip it to this card! (1800/1500) If this card is destroyed, then X-Head Cannon is destroyed. Next, I Normal Summon Y-Dragon Head in attack mode. (1500/1600) And next, I remove them both from play to Fusion Summon another monster!” X-Head Cannon fell and based itself on top of Y-Dragon Head. “I’ll Fusion Summon XY-Dragon Cannon in Attack Mode! (2200/1900) Next, by paying 500 Life Points, I can bring back Sphinx Teleia! (Hiru 2000→1500) (2500/3000)” Kosoru jeered, “Nice, but even if you have gathered your army, they can never beat The Atmosphere’s 4000 attack. And you can’t even use the effect of XY-Dragon Cannon, anyway. You have no hand.”

 

Hiru smiled, “I was prepared for that. I activate my Trap Card: Greed of Legend! Since I have 1 DARK and at least 1 LIGHT monster removed from play, I can draw 2 cards!” Kosoru’s eyes widened, and he shouted, “What the hell!?” Zugai smiled, “Now Hiru can use the effect of XY-Dragon Cannon.” Hiru drew two cards, and said, “I activate the effect of XY Dragon Cannon! By discarding 1 card, I can destroy one face-up Spell or Trap Card on your side of the field. I select the Blue-Eyes equipped to The Atmosphere!” Kosoru smiled, “Don’t think so. I’ll remove from play the Decoy Flare in my Graveyard. With its effect, I can negate the effect of XY-Dragon Cannon and use it as my own! Now I’ll destroy the only face-up Trap Card on your side of the field:” Kosoru pointed upward, “Your pyramid will be tumbling down! And because of that, so will your Sphinxes.” XY-Dragon Cannon launched a beam of light at The Atmosphere, which was deflected and launched at the top of the pyramid. The whole pyramid collapsed onto the field. Once it was cleared, Andro Sphinx and Sphinx Teleia were gone, and the only cards left were The Atmosphere equipped with Blue-Eyes and XY-Dragon Cannon. Kosoru finished, “Also, because of Decoy Flare, your monster cannot use its effects for the rest of the turn. It’s over.” Hiru smiled back, “Are you sure about that?”

 

The ruins of the pyramid started shaking, and the wave suddenly went around the whole stadium. Zugai smiled in the audience, “Kosoru, while you may have saved yourself from one attack, but it also cost you the Duel.” Hiru smiled, “Since the Pyramid of Light was destroyed, Andro Sphinx and Sphinx Teleia were destroyed and removed from play. And when those two Sphinxes are destroyed at the same time, I can pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon their strongest form. (Hiru 1500→1000) I Special Summon Theinen the Great Sphinx in attack mode!” Theinen emerged from the ruins of the pyramid, roaring loudly. (3500/3000) The announcer, as excited as the audience from the duel, yelled, “Oh, man! Hiru Hitono managed to call forth the strongest Sphinx! Now, it has Hiru’s strongest monster facing Kosoru’s strongest monster, and they have the same Life Point conditions!”

 

Kosoru grunted, “Huh. As much of a show it puts up, it still can’t destroy The Atmosphere.” Hiru smiled, “I’ll activate the second effect of Theinen.” Hiru was engulfed by a purple aura, and it started moving from him to Theinen. “By paying 500 Life Points, Theinen can absorb them and make himself much stronger. Specifically, he’s going to gain 3000 attack points. (Hiru 1000→500) (3500→6500/3000) Now, both our monsters have gained 3000 attack.” Kosoru stepped backwards in shock. “6500 attack points!?” Hiru shouted, “Go, Theinen. Obliterate his Atmosphere!” Theinen slashed his front claws, which sliced The Atmosphere in two symmetrical parts. They exploded, and Kosoru screamed as the shockwave hit him. He did not scream out of pain, but of frustration. (Kosoru 1000→0)

 

The audience gave a standing ovation to the duel and Hiru’s victory, although the supporters of Kosoru, who were mostly fan-girls, stormed out of the stadium. Kosoru grunted and walked out of the arena, and the announcer screamed, “What an amazing battle! After a fierce turn of events, the one who will advance in this tournament in the semifinals is the new Hiru Hitono!” Hiru smiled and waved to the crowd, who was still applauding. Zugai, Kea, Senith, and even Kai was standing and cheering for Hiru. After Hiru left and the audience died down, the announcer yelled, “Here is the next round of opponents! First, after a fifteen minute break Kurai Majutsu will be fighting Hikari Shouken. After another fifteen minute intermission, Hiru Hitono will be facing Ayra Keisei!” The intermission started, which cued Zugai and company to walk out of the stadium. Zugai noticed Kea was walking slower, and she was looking nauseous. Zugai asked, “Kea, are you all right?” She looked back ad Zugai. After a long pause, she managed to reply in a soft voice, “Hiru’s next opponent, Ayra Keisei, is my stepsister.”

 

Zugai was speechless, and so was Kea. They did not realize it, but they were facing each other, not moving an inch, for fifteen minutes. By the time they regained their focus, the duel with Kurai had reached its final move. Kurai had Sorcerer of Dark Magic on his field, while his opponent, Hikari, had Judgment Dragon on her field. Kurai shouted, “Sorcerer of Dark Magic, attack!” A black bolt emerged from Sorcerer of Dark Magic’s scepter, and it pierced through the body of Judgment Dragon. Just as the audience started cheering, the power was cut. Zugai started looking around, a bit panicked, and then he heard something outside. It was a duel, but there was something else. He finally grasped what it was: there were electrical shocks and people screaming. Impulsively, the wall exploded, and the scene was shocking to Zugai.

 

There was one Ghoul standing there with a black and red Duel Disk. His entire body was concealed by his Robe, even his hands. He was laughing to himself by watching everything around him. He was dueling fourteen people at once, and they were all wearing peculiar wrist braces. Zugai guessed that they were producing the shocks, because everybody was trying to take them off their bodies as they were falling towards the ground. The Ghoul stepped into the building, and started saying something. Every single speaker in the stadium was transferring his voice throughout the whole stadium. He shouted, “I am the leader of the Ghouls, the strongest, and the legendary one! I have abandoned my identity many years ago, and now I go by the name Gouzen! Those people outside, that was what happened to them after they tried to fight me! Look at them now! Helpless, electrocuted corpses. If you don’t want to become like them, hand over all of your cards with you now! Everything, come on!!!”

 

As he saw everybody reaching towards their cards in fear, Zugai was shaking with rage, “This guy’s pure evil. I don’t think anybody like this has shown up ever since this age started.” He saw that Kai was about to step forward, and Zugai knew that he was going to confront Gouzen. However, he stopped Kai from moving any further. “I’ll take care of this. Just beat the crap out of any other Ghouls that try to invade.” Kai sighed and ran off, and Zugai ran towards Gouzen. “Nobody’s giving you anything! I’ll take you on!” Gouzen smirked, “Well, what will you do, kid? Do you even think you can face me without a Duel Disk?” Zugai smiled, and he reached into a bag that he carries with him all the time. He took out his Deck and placed it in an arm brace. He placed it over his right arm, and slid his Duel Disk over the brace. Gouzen smiled, “You’re more equipped than I thought. Don’t worry about clipping your disk to anything. I’ve got it taken care of.” Zugai was about to ask what Gouzen meant, but he felt the ground pulse. They were standing right on top of a Duel Terminal. Zugai narrowed his eyes and smiled, “So you’re the person with the pulses.” Gouzen shook his head, “I wouldn’t have stopped if I did control the pulses.” Zugai was shocked enough that Gouzen knew what he was talking about. “This was here originally, but they covered it up. We’re just using it again. Now then, you can go first.” Both Zugai and Gouzen activated their Duel Disks at the same time, and they simultaneously yelled, “Duel!”

 

Zugai and Gouzen both drew their five cards, and Zugai said, “My turn, draw!” He saw his hand, and said to himself, I can’t do too much right off the bat, but I know what I’ll do next. “I start out by Summoning Baby Dragon in attack mode! (1200/700) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Gouzen smiled, “That’s it? Draw! I’ll start out by activating Mausoleum of the Emperor! Next, I discard 1 card to activate Cost Down! This will make every card in my hand 2 Levels lower. And I activate the effect of Mausoleum of the Emperor! By paying 1000 Life Points, I can Normal Summon a Level 5 monster without Tribute! Because of Cost Down, I’m now able to pay 1000 Life Points to Normal Summon Darkness Destroyer! (Gouzen 8000→7000) (2300/1800)” Zugai yelled, “Are you serious!?” Gouzen yelled, “Darkness Destroyer, attack Baby Dragon!” Darkness Destroyer slowly crawled forward, and slashed Baby Dragon into pieces. Zugai felt a surge of electricity and pain through his body, which made him collapse to the ground. (Zugai 8000→6900) Zugai started crawling up, and he weakly said, “What… was… that shock…?” Gouzen sarted laughing. “This is why this was covered up! Whenever somebody dueling took battle damage or effect damage, a shock will run through their body! Now then, let’s continue to watch you scream! Darkness Destroyer can attack twice during a battle phase! Attack him directly!” Darkness Destroyer launched a large beam of dark energy from its head, and it headed directly towards Zugai. His eyes widened in fear as it headed towards him. Kea shrieked, scared for Zugai’s life, but he wasn’t ready to give up yet.

 

“I activate my trap: Enchanted Javelin! I’ll increase my life points by the attacking monsters attack! This will nullify the damage.” A green aura surrounded Zugai, and he felt refreshed as his life points increased. (Zugai 6900→9200) The beam still struck him, and Zugai still felt the searing pain, except he managed to keep himself standing this time. (Zugai 9200→6900) Gouzen started laughing, “Do you think I’m finished? I activate Ookazi, which inflicts 800 damage to your Life Points!” A red flame engulfed Zugai, and he started screaming in more pain. (Zugai 6900→6100) Gouzen finished, “I set 1 card and end my turn.” Zugai was panting, but he managed to continue. Please, guys, help me through this! “My turn!” Zugai closed his eyes as he put his fingers on his next card. “Draw!” He drew his card, and as he looked at it, he smiled. “Heh. I’ll summon Lava Dragon in defense mode! (1600/1200) And by Tributing him, I can Special Summon a Level 3 or lower Dragon from my hand, and a Level 3 or lower Dragon from my Graveyard as well. So I’ll Special Summon Petit Dragon and Baby Dragon! (600/700) (1200/700)” Lava Dragon erupted, and as the lava started spreading, Baby Dragon and Petit Dragon emerged. Gouzen laughed, “What will you do with those weak monsters?” Zugai ignored him, and continued, “I activate Natural Tune. This will make Petit Dragon a Tuner Monster! And I’ll tune my Level 3 Baby Dragon to my Level 2 Petit Dragon!” Petit Dragon transformed into rings, and the rings encircled Baby Dragon. Baby Dragon turned into stars, which started orbiting each other inside the rings. “The strength of imagination shall take us to an irresistible force! Become the weapon that wields it! Synchro Summon! Rage on, Ally of Justice Catastor!” A beam of light cracked through the stars, and Ally of Justice Catastor emerged from them. (2200/1200) Zugai smiled, “Now then, Gouzen, I’ll take you on in this game of yours!” Gouzen had an arrogant smile on his face, and Kea had her mouth covered. Kai was observing the duel from the distance while Senith cheered Zugai on. Hiru was not aware Zugai was dueling Gouzen at the time, and Zugai was smiling. I can do this. I have to, he was thinking to himself as he continued, “Go, Catastor, attack Darkness Destroyer!” Catastor shot a black bolt of lightning at Darkness Destroyer, and everybody was wondering what the attack could bring. Gouzen started chuckling, and the tension in the room skyrocketed for each foot the bolt moved.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 7]

Chapter 7: Battle in the Skies: Demons vs. Angels

 

Darkness Destroyer roared, and the entire stadium shook. It fired its own dark beam, which clashed with Catastor’s. Gouzen sneered, “Pointless effort. The only reason I can think of doing that is for the clash. Even though Catastor has its effect, Darkness Destroyer is most obviously a DARK monster, and your Catastor’s attack points can’t do anything to it.” The beams clashed, and the board below the bolts started cackling with energy. The beam slowly started overpowering the bolt of dark energy, but Zugai smiled. Catastor suddenly started reflecting all the lights in the room, as if it was polished. It cackled with energy and shot a gigantic laser, which overthrew Darkness Destroyer and blew it up. Gouzen started feeling the surging pain from electricity in his body and screamed, but kept standing. “What the hell just happened? He looked at Catastor, and noticed the change. He yelled at Zugai, “What the hell did you-!?” Just as he started, he looked at the field to see another card, and he widened his eyes.

 

Zugai smiled“I activated my trap card, Metalmorph. It started out by increasing Catastor’s ATK and DEF by 300. (2200→2500/1200→1500) And when that monster attacks, it gains ATK equal to half of the attack target’s until the end of the Damage Step. So it gained 1150 ATK while it attacked Darkness Destroyer, giving it a grand total of 3650 ATK, and you took 1350 damage. (Gouzen 7000→5650) I set 1 card and end.” Gouzen growled, “Tch, you really pissed me off, s***head. Draw!”

 

Gouzen snarled, “I activate Misfortune! I can’t conduct my Battle Phase, but you’ll take damage equal to half of the original ATK of one of your monsters! Now then, how about you taste that bolt of yours? Catastor!” Catastor turned to face Zugai. It shot its beam, which pierced through Zugai’s stomach, and he felt even more surging pain through his nerves. He started shaking, but still stood. (Zugai 6100→5000) Gouzen continued, “I set 1 card and end my turn. Now then, how many more s*** cards will you throw at me?” Zugai barely managed to ignore Gouzen's taunts.

 

“Draw.” Zugai tried to think, He has no cards in his hand and one set card on the field. No others. I don’t care. I’ll try to take out as much as I can on him. “I set one monster. Catastor, attack him directly!” Catastor shot a black laser, aiming directly at Gouzen.

 

Gouzen laughed hysterically, “You just fell for the most obvious trap in the history of Duel Monsters! I activate Mirror Force!” A white bubble surrounded Gouzen, and he laughed, “This destroys all Attack Position monsters you control! Ever looked at yourself in a mirror lately? I can tell you didn’t, because the mirror rejects you too!” Gouzen insanely laughed as Catastor’s beam reflected off of the field and destroyed itself instead.

 

Zugai sighed, “Does it take work to be that crazy, or does it come naturally? I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Gouzen stopped laughing, “Draw! I activate Clash of True Power! Now we both draw until we have 5 cards in our hands!” Zugai and Gouzen simultaneously drew 5 cards, since both of them had no cards in their hands. Gouzen continued, “I activate Dark Fusion!” Kai, who was still watching, narrowed his eyes at the name of that card. “By sending Clayman and Sparkman from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon an Evil Hero! Come forth: Evil Hero Lightning Golem!” Clayman and Sparkman appeared, and were enveiled by dark mist. The mist started compressing, and it formed into a sphere. The ball started shaping into something, and as the mist dissipated, Lightning Golem was left standing. (2400/1500) Gouzen laughed, “Here’s the face of a true hero! Once per turn, I can destroy 1 monster on the field! I think that the choice of that will be a shocker! HAHAHAHAHA! Voltic Ball!” Lightning Golem maliciously grinned, and shot a round spark at Zugai’s set monster. Stealth Bird was revealed, and it shriveled up and exploded.

 

Zugai thought, Okay, this guy is either insane or schizophrenic. Neither is good.

 

Gouzen continued, “Lightning Golem, direct attack! Hell Lightning!” Lightning Golem clapped his hands, and separated them. A lightning bolt, surrounded by a dark aura, headed into the field. Cackling energy headed across the ground towards Zugai.

 

Zugai shouted, “No way! I activate Spellbinding Circle! Now, Lightning Golem can’t change its battle position or attack! In other words, it’s sealed!” A circle started surrounding Lightning Golem, although it shattered a second later. Zugai yelled, “What!?”

 

Gouzen laughed, “A monster summoned with Dark Fusion can’t be affected by card effects this turn!” As the lightning reached Zugai, he could feel his bones frying from the electricity. Everybody started blankly, since they all thought and knew his body was actually steaming from the electricity, and he fell face first into the floor. (Zugai 5000→2600) Gouzen grinned, “I set 2 cards and end my turn. Now your circle works on Lightning Golem.” Spellbinding Circle reappeared and enclosed over Lightning Golem.

 

Zugai barely managed to crawl up. He continued, “My turn! Draw!” Zugai looked at his hand and smiled. “I activate Soul Synchro! If I control no monsters, by removing from play monsters whose total level is equal to the level of a Synchro Monster, I can Special Summon it! I remove from play The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave and Lava Dragon!” Eight ghostly spheres started circling around each other. The all collided and formed a large sphere of light. “I Special Summon Stardust Dragon! (2500/2000)” Stardust Dragon emerged from the sphere and screeched. Zugai continued, “Next, I Normal Summon Red-Eyes Black Chick. (800/500) And I also Tribute it to Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my hand. Appear now: Red-Eyes Black Dragon!” Red-Eyes Black Chick transformed into a giant scarlet pillar of fire, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon appeared flying as the fire subsided. (2400/2000) Zugai continued, “Now it’s time to bring the heat, literally! I activate Inferno Fire Blast! Red-Eyes can’t attack this turn, but you take damage equal to its attack points! Eat this!” Zugai punched into the air in front of him to indicate his "attack", and Red-Eyes fired a large dark sphere. As it hit Gouzen, it transformed into an inferno of dark fire. Instead of feeling electricity, Gouzen was feeling his skin and muscles burning, and he screamed in agony. (Gouzen 5650→3250) Zugai smiled, “I’m not done yet, Stardust, destroy Lightning Golem! Shooting Sonic!” Stardust Dragon roared, and gathered grey energy in its mouth. It let out a sonic beam, filled with grey static heading at Lightning Golem.

 

Gouzen smiled, “I activate Magic Cylinder. This negates your attack and inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to Stardust’s attack!” A cylinder trapped the Sonic Beam, and reflected it back at Zugai. Zugai heard a deafening screech with the force of the blast, and was forced to cover his ears, although it did not help his ears at all. (Zugai 2600→100)

 

Zugai thought to himself, I never fought a Rare Hunter like this before. I mean, some were a bit tough, but this is overwhelming! What else does he have in mind? Assuming he has one. Zugai growled, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Gouzen smiled, “Draw! I activate the effect of Lightning Golem!”

 

Zugai yelled, “Stardust Dragon’s effect activates! It negates the effect and destroys Lightning Golem! Victim Sanctuary!” Stardust Dragon tackled Lightning Golem, and they both disintegrated slowly.

 

Gouzen continued, “Since I control no monsters, I Special Summon Evil Hero Infernal Prodigy! (300/600) Next, I Tribute him to Summon Malcious Edge! (2600/1800)”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Malicious Edge is Level 7, but since I control monsters, it only requires 1 Tribute.”

 

Gouzen laughed, “Somebody does his homework! Because of Infernal Prodigy's effect, I can draw 1 card!” Gouzen smiled at his card. “I equip Malicious Edge with Malevolent Nuzzler! This gives it 700 more Attack! (2600→3300/1800) I’ll make you suffer as much as possible by draining out your candle-in-the-wind last ounce of strength! Malicious Edge, destroy Red-Eyes! Needle Burst!” Malicious Edge threw its needles, and they were surrounded by dark energy as they headed straight at Red-Eyes.

 

Zugai smiled, “Candle-in-the-wind this! I activate Magic Cylinder! This will negate your attack and inflict damage to your life points equal to the attacking monster’s attack!”

 

Gouzen yelled, “What the hell!?”

 

Zugai grinned, “You fell for your own trick. Take this!” Instead of a cylinder appearing, Red-Eyes started charging a flame that headed on-course towards Gouzen and Malicious Edge, but Gouzen had other plans that did not involve taking that flame.

 

“I activate Shared Pain! When I am about to take effect damage, I can Tribute 1 monster I control to inflict damage to your life points equal to its attack!” Malicious Edge transformed into darkness, and became a beam that shot straight at Red-Eyes’ flame. They clashed together, and the center of the field glowed with blinding light. A force of wind stared rushing from the collision, and Zugai covered some of his face. Gouzen was staring straight into the light, his eyes being protected from the hood. The force of energy suddenly cut, but was immediately followed by an explosion. Nobody was harmed by the explosion, but its shockwave sent both Zugai and Gouzen soaring in opposite directions. Gouzen was spinning from the shockwave, and his face rammed into Hiru’s car, creating a dent in the metal(in the same place as the one before, which was fixed). He slowed down and rammed right into another car, which completely flipped over from the force. Zugai was just sent against the wall and landed face-first against the ground. Everybody was staring at him. Zugai barely managed to scream,

 

“Why are you looking at me? Do you no longer care about the criminal?” He realized he was giving the wrong message, since everybody started running in panic. He ignored it and rested his head against the ground.

 

Kea quickly ran to his side and flipped him over. Zugai felt like he was stabbed in the back as he hit the ground.

 

“Hey, what was that for?” He looked to see that Kea’s face was tense, and saw it slowly relax.

 

“I thought you were unconscious and dying!”

 

Zugai smiled, “You were that excited for giving me lip to lip?”

 

Kea managed to smiled and started crying out of relief, and hugged Zugai. “Thank god that you’re okay!” Kea dropped Zugai again and started yelling at herself, “What am I saying? You aren’t okay at all! I mean, you just-!”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened from the impact against the ground. He panted, “Calm down, I’m okay. All I need is a nap. Wake me up every hour to make sure I don’t go into a coma.”

 

Kea wiped her tears off her face, “Yeah, okay.”

 

Zugai laughed, “You’re still so clueless! I was just joking! I’m perfectly awake and fine!” Zugai barely managed to stand up, and he was just stumbling in place.

 

Senith walked and put an arm around him for support. “Clueless like everybody else here?” Kea blushed and muttered, “Shut up.” Everybody laughed as Kai slowly walked towards them, shaking his head.

 

§

 

Zugai was slumped in his old chair by the time everything was under control again. He saw from screen monitors that the police force, the Public Eye, came in and almost magically made everybody calm down. Then an ambulance came through and picked up the dead body of Gouzen to hospitalize him until he was ready to be put in court. Some things never change, Zugai thought to himself. At this point, he was happier than before since Kea’s head was against his shoulder. He was to into the involvement to do anything, though. He loved it too much.

 

§

 

An ambulance pulled into an abandoned building. A lone officer picked up the ruined body of Gouzen and carried it into the house. As he stepped in, a white and black light surrounded him. He vanished from the house as an ominous green light shined through all the windows. Seconds later, he was in a dark room in the middle of ruins. “Hey, I got him for you.” The man threw Gouzen’s limp body over a marble pedestal.

 

“Great job. I didn’t think it would be difficult for you to do such a simple task, Ouja.”

 

Ouja said, “Really, now? That was nothing. Stupid police force didn’t even recognize that I wasn’t in the Public Eye.”

 

An ominous feminine voice laughed, “Well then, that makes things simpler. We are now further down our plans. Soon, once Battle City starts, we will make our move. But in two days, we will be one step closer to unlocking ultimate power!”

 

§

 

The announcer stepped up again, “Ladies and Gentlemen! After a small, um, unexpected surprise, our tournament will continue with the last duel of the semifinals! First off, we have one of the smartest children in the world! She is currently nineteen and has already gone through elementary, middle, and high school twice along with getting two PhD degrees! I present to you: Ayra Keisei!” Nothing happened for a moment, and suddenly a red-haired girl dressed up in heart-themed clothing stomped onto the stage.

 

She growled, “You could at least tell me when my car was wrecked right after it is! Jeez!”

 

Zugai smiled, “I like her. She’s definitely fifty times more awesome than Hiru is.”

 

Kea sighed, “She’s not always this kind of stubborn. She’s just angry because Gouzen blew up her car.”

 

Zugai blankly said, “All it did was gave Hiru’s car the exact same dent it had before. Seriously, what’s with his car and that dent?”

 

The announcer continued, “And now we have our second contestant! He is only a rookie, but has proven himself to be far greater than many other duelists before him! A one of the kind duelist that has already beaten Kosoru and Kurai, I give you: Hiru Hitono!” Hiru walked into the arena waving at the audience. When he saw Ayra, he was shocked.

 

“Hey, aren’t you the girl I crashed into at Pizza Hut?”

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes. “Oh yeah. You.”

 

Hiru softened his expression, “Hey, I’m sorry about your car, okay!?”

 

Ayra shook her head, “No you aren’t. You weren’t even part of it.”

 

Hiru thought to himself, Strike one on trying to pick up a chick.

 

Senith started clapping and exclaimed, “Kea, I really like your stepsister!”

 

Zugai smiled, “I’m sorry, but this might be another failed attempt at a nerd trying to pick up a girl.”

 

Kea laughed, “Hey, you never even went out with someone before!” Zugai did not respond.

 

The duel between Ayra and Hiru started. The wheel spun, and it landed on blue. This indicated that Ayra was moving first this time. The announcer said, “Now then, let the excitement commence! DUEL, START!!!”

 

Ayra simply started, “Draw.” She thought for a moment, and continued, “I summon Zolga in attack mode. (1700/1200) I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Draw! I activate Ancient Rules!” A scroll appeared in front of Hiru and unrolled to reveal an ancient inscription.

 

Zugai sighed, “Here he goes again. He does this literally every time.”

 

Hiru continued, “I can Special Summon 1 Level 5 or higher Normal Monster with this effect. I Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” The map glowed a white and blue light, and a large beam was shot out. Blue-Eyes emerged, roaring. (3000/2500) Ayra did not respond in any way. Hiru declared, “Blue-Eyes, attack Zolga!” Blue-Eyes began to charge a white-blue beam. It fired at Zolga, but this time, Ayra responded.

 

“I activate my set card: Drain Shield. This will negate your attack and allows me to recover Life Points equal to the attacking monster’s attack. I’ll gain your energy, Blue-Eyes.” A green barrier appeared, deflecting Blue-Eyes attack. Some of the remains of the energy revolved around the shield, and gently went into Ayra’s duel disk. (Ayra 8000→11000) Ayra smiled, “Is that all you got?”

 

Hiru growled, Not bad. “I set 1 card and 1 monster. Your move.”

 

Ayra smiled, “You look like you’re getting frustrated early.”

 

Hiru yelled, “Hey! Let’s not get into this now!”

 

Ayra frowned, “Like you of all people have the right to be angry. Not like a rookie deserves prize money, anyway.”

 

Hiru actually started thinking, Do I really need the money for anything? Maybe it would be better if I gave it to her for car repairs. Yeah, that might work! Or maybe I should try to use it to get a good job, but I’m sponsored! So I think… yeah, that might help me get her, too.

 

Zugai frowned, “Please, is he really thinking about what she just said in depth? The worst that can happen is that he tries to go for… wait, it looks like he’s also thinking about getting her. Nothing worse can happen now.”

 

Ayra drew her card. “Let’s get started. I Tribute Zolga to Summon Prime Material Dragon. (2400/2000)” Ayra was covered by a blue aura for a few seconds. “With the effect of Zolga, I gain 2000 life points. (Ayra 11000→13000)”

 

Senith said, “Wow, she got 5000 more life points in two turns. That’s cheep, even for MY standards.”

 

Ayra continued, “I equip Prime Material Dragon with Shine Palace. A LIGHT monster equipped with it gains 700 more attack.” Everybody was relieved there was no cartoony palace like on the card, but Prime Material Dragon started glowing brighter. (2400→3100/2000) “Prime Material Dragon, attack Blue-Eyes White Dragon.” Prime Material Dragon shot a yellow beam of light at Blue-Eyes.

 

Hiru smiled, “Don’t think so. I activate Magic Cylinder! This negates your attack and inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to your monster’s attack!” A cylinder materialized in front of Blue-Eyes, and it contained the beam of light. It shot it back directly at Ayra.

 

Ayra sighed, “Idiot.” Prime Material Dragon swooped down and took the impact, which distributed the lights into many different parts. Those parts were absorbed by Ayra’s Duel Disk. Hiru dumbly asked, “What just happened?” Ayra blandly commented, “Prime Material Dragon turns all effects that would inflict damage into effects that would recover life points. This applies to both players. Either way, the 3100 damage I would have taken is what I recover. (Ayra 13000→16100) Good luck winning. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru thought, Over 8000 more Life Points. I hope to God that it doesn’t become over 9000… “Draw!” He continued pondering, I know that Prime Material Dragon can negate a destruction effect, so I guess that Blue-Eyes will have to go. “I Tribute Blue-Eyes in order to summon Needle Burrower! (1700/1700)” Ayra crossed her arms. “Next, I equip it with Megamorph. Since you have more Life Points than I do, its attack is doubled. (1700→3400/1700) Needle Burrower attacks Prime Material Dragon.” Needle Burrower leapt forward, and its size doubled from Megamorph. Its tail pierced Prime Material Dragon, who slowly crumbled into dust and dissolved. (Ayra 16100→15800) Hiru smiled, “Furthermore, you take damage equal to the destroyed monster’s level times 500. Prime Material Dragon was a Level 6, so you take 3000 damage.” Needle Burrower whipped its tail at Ayra. A loud boom rebounded throughout the arena, and there was dust covering the part of the 3D screen Needle Burrower struck. Once it cleared there was moderately deep crater with Ayra in the middle where the tail hit. She didn’t flinch at all. (Ayra 15800→12800) Hiru was amazed, “Can’t you at least flinch once? I end my turn.”

 

Ayra said, “Draw. I activate the Field Spell: Sanctuary in the Sky.” A light appeared in the center of the field. It became blinding, and everybody, including Ayra, covered their eyes. When the light stopped, a Roman-looking castle was behind Ayra. The rest of the field was covered with clouds. Ayra continued, “Next, I Normal Summon Warrior of Zera (1600/1600). And I Tribute it to Special Summon Archlord Zerato in attack mode. Warrior of Zera was engulfed by light. Wings emerged from the column, and started flying out. The light faded out in spiraling directions as Archlord Zerato spread his wings even farther. (2800/2300)

 

Hiru sighed of relief. “Even though it has a show and a high level, it can’t stand up to the attack power of Needle Burrower. Even if Sanctuary in the Sky reduces battle damage, it can’t do anything with effect damage.”

 

The tone of Ayra’s voice implied that she was being annoyed. “Are you seriously that clueless? I activate the effect of Archlord Zerato. Since Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field, I can discard 1 LIGHT monster to destroy all monsters you control. I discard The Agent of Judgment - Saturn to destroy Needle Burrower.” Archlord Zerato’s sword started glowing, and a beam of light shone from the blade. The blade struck Needle Burrower, resulting in a devastating explosion. “Next I activate my trap: Call of the Haunted. I bring back The Agent of Judgment – Saturn! (2400/0) Next, I activate its effect. Since I have Sanctuary in the Sky and I have more life points than you, I can skip my Battle Phase and Tribute it to inflict damage to your life points equal to the difference. Just for the sake of your idiocy, I’ll just have you know you’re taking 4800 damage.” The Agent of Judgment – Saturn formed a ring of light around its waist, which lifted into the air and descended around Hiru. The ring exploded, and Saturn turned to dust and faded away.

 

Hiru dipped his head and muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding. (Hiru 8000→3200)”

 

Ayra raised her voice so that she almost yelled, “Serves you right! I end my turn.”

 

Hiru raised his hands and softly said, “Hey. Calm. Down. If you need it, I can give you the prize money once I win this.” Sadly, Ayra didn’t hear him, so he continued, “Draw. I remove from play Legendary Beast – Pegasus of the Sky and Needle Burrower in my Graveyard to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer!” An apparition of Needle Burrower and the White Stone of Legend appeared. Subsequently, a vortex appeared behind them and engulfed them. It vanished, but a dimensional rip appeared and Chaos Sorcerer crawled out of it. (2300/2000) “Chaos Sorcerer will remove Zerato from play.” Chaos Sorcerer pointed at Zerato, and a black ball was created at the fingertip. Chaos Sorcerer launched it at Zerato, and the ball transformed into a vortex twice the size of Zerato. Zerato countered it by firing the same beam of light it did before, and a bright light started shining throughout the whole arena as the attacks clashed. However, the light eventually died out, but the vortex became stronger. Zerato stuggled to escape the pull, but was still sucked in and removed from play. Hiru continued, “Next, I Normal Summon Legendary Beast – Hellhound of the Abyss. (300/800) I tune it with my Level 6 Chaos Sorcerer!” Hellhound roared and transformed into 2 rings. They were set into flames, which engulfed Chaos Sorcerer. The flames dispersed and created a large inferno. A black dragon was visible in these flames. They transformed into a white beam of light. “I Synchro Summon Black-Winged Dragon!” Black-Winged Dragon roared and spread its wings into all different directions. (2800/1600)

 

Hiru’s Duel Disk started glowing. “I activate the effect of the Hellhound in my Graveyard. I can remove it from play to increase the ATK of a Synchro Monster I control by 200 for each LIGHT and DARK monster removed from play. I currently have 1 removed from play LIGHT and 1 removed from play DARK monsters, so Black-Winged Dragon gains 400 ATK! (2800→3200/1600) And it attacks you directly!” Black-Winged Dragon fired a black beam with a few dark red spots, and it hit Ayra head-on, exploding on impact with the ground. (Ayra 12800→9600) “I end my turn.”

 

Ayra said, “Draw.” She looked at her hand, and actually smiled. “I Summon The Agent of Force – Mars in attack mode. (0/0) I end my turn.”

 

Hiru was speechless. He responded, “You do so well up to this point and all you can do is call out a 0 ATK monster? Draw! I set 1 monster. Black-Winged Dragon will-” Hiru stopped himself when he saw Mars’s hammer was glowing red. (0→6400/0→6400) “Wait, what the hell!?”

 

Ayra sighed, “If I have The Sanctuary in the Sky and more Life Points than you, Mars gains ATK and DEF equal to the difference between our Life Points.”

 

Hiru growled, “Why didn’t you do anything last turn, genius? I switch Black-Winged Dragon into defense mode. Your move.”

 

Ayra mimicked, “You did so well up to this point and that’s all you can do?” She drew her card, and said, “Mars will attack Black-Winged Dragon.” Mars leapt into the air and flew towards Black-Winged Dragon at blinding speed. It swung its hammer at Black-Winged Dragon’s head almost immediately after the attack was declared it, and Black-Winged Dragon exploded. Ayra continued, “I activate Greed Grado. Since a Synchro monster you controlled was destroyed, I can draw two cards.” As she drew and saw her new hand, her eyes widened. “I Summon Nova Summoner in attack mode. (1400/800) I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru continued, “Draw. I flip summon Spear Cretin. (500/500) It attacks Nova Summoner!” Spear Cretin leapt at Nova Summoner. Nova Summoner produced a shining light, and Spear Cretin disintegrated in the presence of that light. (Hiru 3200→2300) “Next, I activate the effect of Spear Cretin! Both players can Special Summon 1 monster from their respective Graveyards in face-up attack or face-down defense mode! Be reborn, Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” The ground behind Hiru began to glow. Blue-Eyes White Dragon began to slowly emerge from the light. (3000/2500)

 

Ayra said, “I’ll bring back the Agent of Judgment – Saturn in attack mode.” (2400/0)

 

Hiru frowned, Great. If I don’t attack it, I’m done. Guess I’ll have to attack it now. “Blue-Eyes, attack Saturn!” Blue-Eyes charged a white beam of light. Ayra said, “Not so fast. I activate Shift. Nova Summoner will be taking the attack.” Nova Summoner flew in front of Saturn, and was obliterated by the beam. The explosion did not reach Ayra.

 

Ayra finally smiled, “Because you attacked a Fairy-Type monster, Sanctuary in the Sky prevents battle damage. Also, when Nova Summoner is destroyed by battle and Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field, I can Special Summon Airknight Parshath. (1900/1400)”

 

Hiru frowned, “That is exactly what I didn’t want to happen, so I'll have to go with my plan early. I’ll remove from play Spear Cretin and Chaos Sorcerer from my Graveyard to Chaos Synchro*** Summon a new Legendary Beast!” A large gate rose from behind Hiru, and the spirits of Chaos Sorcerer and Spear Cretin were locked onto the gate, being used as keys.

 

Zugai frowned, “Okay. If there is one that I don’t know about when it comes to duel monsters like this, that’s bad. I don’t know this, but I have a hunch. I think I know what it might be, though.”

 

Kea lifter her head off of Zugai’s shoulder, “What?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Well, since it’s connected to the Graveyard, I’m guessing Cerberus.”

 

The gate opened, and three pairs of blue eyes ominously glowed. There were also outlines of fur and three pairs of horns. “I Chaos Synchro Summon Legendary Beast – Cerberus of Death! (2800/1000)” Cerberus pounced out of the gate, and all three heads simultaneously snarled.

 

Zugai stood up and yelled, “Called it! I SO called it!” He looked around to see hundreds of eyes fixed on him, so he sat back down slowly.

 

Hiru continued, “And I activate its effect. When it's Summoned, I remove from play all LIGHT and DARK monsters from my Graveyard.” Cerberus roared, and a few black and white souls were sucked into the gate in a spiral motion, and the gate closed and sunk. “Next, I Normal Summon White Legend Dragon. (1900/700) And next I activate its effect, which will seal Mars’s special effects!” White Legend Dragon shot two beams of light from its eyes, which transformed into chains of blue light. They wrapped around Mars, putting him in shackles of light. (6400→0/6400→0) “I end my turn.” All of the eyes of Cerberus started glowing. “Now, Cerberus’s effect activates. During this End Phase only, I can inflict 200 damage to your Life Points for each LIGHT and DARK monsters removed from play. Furthermore, I can destroy one of your monsters. So you take 1200 damage and Saturn is destroyed! Also, since a Legendary Beast inflicted damage to your Life Points, my removed from play Pegasus will inflict damage to your life points equal to the ATK of 1 LIGHT monster I control. You’ll be taking 3000 more damage. In total, that’ll be 4200 damage.” One head of Cerberus shot a beam of darkness while a second one roared. The beam of darkness hit The Agent of Judgment – Saturn, and the roar somehow managed to inflict damage to Ayra. (Ayra 9600→5400)

 

Ayra continued, “Draw. I Tribute Airknight Parshath to Special Summon Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin.” Airknight Parshath began glowing intensely until it was just a large ball of l. The light divided into many different rings, and as they spread out, Airknight Parshath had transformed. (2300/2000) “Since I control a Sanctuary in the Sky, it gains ATK and DEF equal to the difference between our Life Points, which is 3100. (2300→5400/2000→5100) I attack White Legend Dragon with Neo-Parshath!” Neo Parshath fired a blinding beam of light, as if the light of 1000 suns was being magnified through one small piece of magnifying glass. As it made contact with White Legend Dragon, it exploded. Cerberus’s middle head howled, but it did not seem to cause anything. The announcer finally screamed, “Uh oh! Hiru will be taking 3500 damage from this attack! Can he escape this predicament!?”

 

Zugai muttered, “Did he just say, ‘Uh oh’? Seriously? And everybody wonders why I hate that guy.”

 

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Cerberus was growling and Hiru was standing. He announced, “Cerberus’s effect halves all damage while he remains on the field. (Hiru 2300→550)”

 

Ayra still wasn’t finished. “With the effect of Neo-Parshath, since it inflicted battle damage, I can draw one card. The card I drew was Watapon. When it is drawn by a card effect, I can Special Summon it. (200/300) Also, since the gap between our Life Points has widened, it gains more ATK and DEF. (5400→7150/5100→6850) I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “Draw! Blue-Eyes will attack Watapon!” Blue-Eyes roared, and Hiru’s eyes widened when he saw Ayra smiled. Did she want that to happen?

 

Zugai frowned, "Hiru, good morning! Wake up now and stop being an idiot!"

 

Ayra yelled, “You’re too narrow minded! I activate Mirror’s Light. When a Level 2 or lower LIGHT monster is attacked, it negates the attack and inflicts 500 damage to your Life Points.” A large beam emerged from underneath Hiru, and Blue-Eyes’s attack stopped. (Hiru 550→50) “And the gap continues to increase. (7150→7650/6850→7350) Give up. You’re basically fighting for no reason, which is why you can’t win.”

 

Hiru sighed, “Whoever said about me not winning? And if you really cared about your car THAT much, I can give you the prize money after I get it.”

 

Ayra blankly stared at Hiru, “I’m not an idiot.”

 

Hiru smiled, “You got 2 PhDs already, of course you’re not an idiot. But I’m a man of my word. That doesn’t mean I’ll let you win this, though. Even if I win, I promise that you can get enough of the money as you need. Besides, I get over 80 dollars off of tips in my job these days, so I don’t need that much. I just want to win this and win against Kurai again because-” Hiru stopped himself before saying “he is a jabroni” and coughed. “Yeah. I promise that you can get as much of it as you need.”

 

Senith sighed, “If he’s a man, how come he’s hanging out with kids 2 years younger than him all the time these days?”

 

Zugai laughed, “Because.”

 

Hiru looked up to see that Ayra was blushing, but only a little bit and for a split. Score 1 for Hiru. That leaves the template at 0. “Hey, it’s your move.”

 

Ayra’s face became void of emotion. “Draw. I Tribute Watapon and Mars to Summon my favorite monster:” Watapon and Mars turned into two pillars of light. The pillars bent and merged above Neo-Parshath, and shined intensely. “Splendid Venus!” Hiru looked to see that the light has not really died, but Splendid Venus was the source of the light. (2800/2400)

 

Hiru sighed of relief, “Good monster, but it does not have enough attack to take out my monsters. Why did you even summon it when you have Neo-Parshath?”

 

Ayra commented, “I don’t need to take you out with Parshath, even though it is considered my ace. Venus can reduce the ATK and DEF of all non-Fairy monsters by 500.” Hiru looked to his sides to see that Blue-Eyes and Cerberus were blocking their eyes from the light. (3000→2500/2500→2000) (2800→2300/1000→500) Ayra continued, “It’s only reasonable that my favorite angel will take down the guardian of the underworld. Splendid Venus, attack Cerberus!” Venus pointed her want towards Cerberus. Venus fired a large ball of light, and it spiraled towards Cerberus. Ayra simled, “It’s over.”

 

Zugai put his arms over his head, “Would he be so kind to activate his set card? Which is probably going to deal with the River Styx. I can’t remember its name too well, but it can be a pain.”

 

Hiru laughed in a cheesy way, “Nyehehehe, you fell for it. I activate my trap: Curse of the River Styx! By Tributing 1 DARK monster I control, a LIGHT monster I control cannot be destroyed by battle, and I take no Battle Damage through it. Also, a Blessing Spirit Token will be Special Summoned to your field in ATK mode, with ATK equal to the attack of the Tributed Monster. However, when that token is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to double that monster’s ATK. (2800→2300/0)” Cerberus disappeared, and Venus’s attack hit solid ground, and a light outline of it appeared on Ayra’s field. “Do you have anything else?”

 

Ayra smiled, “Nope. I end.” I still have more than enough life points to allow me to live through this turn. Next turn, Neo Parshath will obliterate Blue-Eyes, even if Venus is destroyed. And the damage through the token won’t be enough to defeat me.

 

Hiru said, “Draw!” He smiled and enthusiastically continued, “I activate Leeching the Light!”

 

Ayra muttered, “S***.”

 

Hiru continued, “I can select a LIGHT monster you control, and all face-up ATK position monsters I control will gain ATK equal to that monster’s ATK. I think I’ll select your Neo Parshath.” White light was shot in every direction from Neo Parshath, and it slowly started bending towards Blue-Eyes. The light was soon gone, and Blue-Eyes was shining like a star. (2500→10150/2000→9350) “I think its good enough to say that its over. Blue-Eyes, attack the Blessing Spirit Token!” Blue-Eyes roared and charged its beam, although as it was fired, the entire stadium was put in blinding light. Hiru screamed, “WHAT THE HELL!?” as he covered his eyes. Kai only blocked the light with his hand.

 

Senith yelled over the noise of people screaming, “This is worse than an eclipse!”

 

Zugai turned and yelled even louder, “You’ve seen an eclipse!? Why didn’t you tell me!?”

 

Senith yelled back, “I forgot!”

 

As the light died down, Blue-Eyes started becoming dimmer as the screen was being cleared. (Ayra 5400→0) Both Hiru and Ayra removed their Duel Disks as the 3-D screen began to be lowered into the ground.

 

The announcer screamed, “My, what power! Even at that disadvantage, Hiru managed to use the power of Neo Parshath to his advantage! The winner of this duel, and the one who will be facing Kurai Majutsu, is Hiru Hitono!” The audience applauded, although it was not that loud compared to the commotion earlier. The announcer continued, “Now, we will give both of the finalists a five minute break before the finals!”

 

Ayra started walking out of the stadium, and Hiru quickly rushed after her, calling, “Hey, where are you going? Remember what I said?”

 

Ayra turned around and said, “Duh, you idiot. I actually think you might keep it, but I’m thirsty, so I’m going to go. Make sure you win this.”

 

Hiru said, “I’ve done it before. How hard could it be to beat him a second time? My best friend used to beat me almost every time we duel.”

 

Ayra sighed, “You’ll be surprised.” And walked off.

 

Zugai walked out of the stadium and to Hiru. “You make it obvious to the whole world that you’re trying to go for her.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes and said, “Shut up.”

 

Zugai started laughing and said, “Hey man, I’m just kidding. Anyway, go get a drink and relax for three minutes and 38 seconds. Just remember what he taught us to do.”

 

Hiru nodded, “Yeah. My luck improved a lot after doing it.”

 

Zugai continued, “Oh yeah. He won’t fall for the same tricks twice. Nobody besides you uses that series too often, so he didn’t know its potential. Now he does, and he knows what to look out for. Be careful.”

 

Hiru turned away and said, “Thanks, but that’s a given anyway. Wish me luck!”

 

Zugai yelled, “Good luck!”

 

Hiru walked to a drink stand and ordered a chocolate milkshake. He drank the milkshake while calming his mind so he would be mentally prepared for the next duel. Once he calmed, he realized, Kurai’s last duel with me was pure luck. Afterwards, rumors spread that he put a legendary card into his deck so the same thing couldn’t happen, which means that I’ll have to deal with one more card. I wonder what it could be. Probably a God Card of some sort.

 

Once the time passed, Hiru walked back into the stadium and waited for Kurai. Kurai walked to the other side of the Duel Terminal. His hair was fiery red and tied back, and he wore a white polo shirt with a black blazer around it. His eyes were a bit closed, but his green eyes were still full of some kind of life. He said, “Hiru. That last duel was a complete fluke. This will prove it to you.” Before Hiru even had the chance to respond, Kurai quickly drew a card and held it high above his head. Hiru stared in awe, and spotlights started shining onto the card. Zugai, Kea, Senith, and even Kai stared at it in amazement and disbelief. “Ho boy. Hiru’s in for it now.”

 

The card Kurai held was the only usable copy of The Winged Dragon of Ra.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 8]

Chapter 8: The Finals and the Rematch!

 

Zugai was still staring at the card. “Okay, so he uses the easiest Egyptian God to defeat. I mean, come on, his second effect is freaking useless. Why the spotlights?”

 

“You’re not impressed?” Ayra said from the other side of Kea, where nobody was looking.

 

Ninja’d, thought Zugai. “Nope. Not really. Rare cards don’t tend to impress me. The only times they do is when they’re used in amazing combos, but the combo impresses me more than the card.” Zugai’s sentence amazingly brought silence to the group. Dammit. Again?

 

Kurai put Ra in his Deck, which was already in his Duel Disk. His Duel Disk was shining Gold, and was a Cyclone type. Hiru asked, “Is Cyclone considered the number one Duel Disk just because you use it?”

 

Kurai said, “Let’s do this. We don’t need the announcer for this duel, anyway.”

 

Hiru muttered, “Stop ignoring me like you always do.” He shuffled his Deck and placed it in his Duel Disk, which he had already connected to the Duel Terminal. However, something different happened this time. A few glass screens rose to surround Hiru, Kurai, and a lot of the stadium. None of the audience was covered, though.

 

Kurai commented, “We just want the audience to enjoy the effects of this duel, even though it will be more like annihilation.”

 

Hiru said, “I managed to beat you last time, even though you were 6900 Life Points ahead of me.”

 

Zugai let out a cheesy laugh and commented, “Sixty-nine.”

 

Then, Kurai took a coin out of his pocket. “Let’s do this in the style that we did before. Heads, me, tails you.” Kurai flipped the coin, and it coincidentally landed on heads. Hiru hoped that he did not use a cheat coin with two heads like he did the last time.

 

Kurai began, “Draw. I Normal Summon Gemini Summoner in attack mode. (1500/0) I end my turn.”

 

Hiru thought, Great. Just great. “Draw! Since you control monsters and I don’t, I can Summon this guy without Tribute. I Summon Goliath of the Woods! (2000/0) It attacks Gemini Summoner!” Goliath swung at Gemini Summoner, but it blocked the attack with a magic shield, although it slid back a few feet. (Kurai 8000→7500)

 

Kurai said, “Once per turn, Gemini Summoner won’t be destroyed by battle.”

 

Hiru grunted, “I’ll end my turn.”

 

Kurai interrupted, “I activate the effect of Gemini Summoner. During your End Phase, I can pay 500 Life Points to Normal Summon a Gemini Monster from my hand. Kurai (7500→7000) I Normal Summon Crusader of Endymion in attack mode. (1900/1200) Draw! I Gemini Summon^ Crusader of Endymion! With this, it gains its effects!” The circles around Crusader of Endymion’s arms and legs began glowing. “Next, I activate the Field Spell: Magical Citadel of Endymion.” Slowly, an old city started rising throughout the 3-D computer screen with a large tower in the center. It was surrounded by round walls on every side. “Every time a Spell Card is activated, it gains a Spell Counter. Also, if a card with a Spell Counter is destroyed, I can place they’re Spell Counters on this card. I activate the effect of Crusader of Endymion. Once per turn, I can place a Spell Counter on another card I control to increase its ATK by 600. I’ll place a Spell Counter on my Magic Citadel.” A ring surrounded the large tower, and it seemed to be inscribed with runes and symbols. (1900→2500/1200) “Crusader of Endymion attacks Goliath.” Crusader of Endymion leapt and punched Goliath’s eye, and it fell to the ground and shattered. (Hriu 8000→7500) “Gemeni Summoner, direct attack.” Gemini Summoner opened its palm, and a star-like symbol appeared. It was thrown into the air, and launched itself at Hiru like a meteor. (Hiru 7500→6000)

 

Kurai growled, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “Draw! I set 3 cards and Normal Summon Legendary Beast – Chimera in attack mode. (1500/300)

 

Kurai blankly commented, “Are you committing suicide or doing an obvious lure?”

 

Hiru smiled, “Neither. I remove from play Chimera and Goliath to Chaos Synchro Summon another monster!” A tornado surrounded Chimera, and the spirit of Goliath was being whirled around the tornado. “I Summon Legendary Beast – Cyclone Drakon in attack mode! (600/2700)”

 

Kurai laughed, “You shouldn’t give up by doing fancy things like that.”

 

Hiru laughed back, “I’m not only doing fancy things. Cyclone Drakon gains 1000 ATK for each Set Card I control. I currently have 3 Set Cards, so it gains 3000 ATK. (600→3600/2700)”

 

Kurai almost yelled, “What the-!?”

 

Hiru continued, “Also, when Chimera is removed from play, it will destroy one Spell or Trap Card you control. I know that your Magical Citadel has a negate destruction effect, so I’ll destroy your set card!” A viper crawled out of the ground and lunged at Kurai’s set card.

 

Kurai said, “I activate my trap: Pitch Black Power Stone. When it’s activated, it gains 3 Spell Counters.” A stone with a Spell Counter symbol appeared in the air, and the viper bit and destroyed it. “Since it was destroyed, all 3 Spell Counters will be moved to my Magical Citadel.” 3 more rings were moved onto the Magical Citadel.

 

Hiru continued, “Next, I activate the second effect of Cyclone Drakon. It allows me to Set a removed from play Legendary Beast in my Spell or Trap Card Zone. I Set Chimera, and since I have another set Spell or Trap, it gains 1000 more ATK. (3600→4600/2700)” If I leave Crusader of Endymion, his Field Spell will just gain more Spell Counters. And when he has six, I remember that he can call out Endymion. And I have to avoid that at all costs! “Cyclone Drakon, attack Crusader of Endymion!” Cyclone Drakon flapped all four of its wings, and a large gust appeared and headed straight towards Crusader of Endymion. However, the wind stopped right in its tracks.

 

Kurai said, “I activate Negate Attack. This negates your attack and ends your Battle Phase.”

 

Hiru said, “I end my turn.”

 

Kurai said, “Draw.” Since he never set those cards before, they’re all probably bluffs. However, I can’t take down his Cyclone Drakon with any of my monsters. No problem, though. “I activate Ancient Rules. This allows me to Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from my hand. I Summon Dark Magician! (2500/2100) Also, because of Ancient Rules, Magical Citadel gains its fifth Spell Counter. Next, by Tributing Dark Magician, I can Special Summon Dark Eradicator Warlock in defense mode! (2500/2100) Next, I activate Gift of the Citadel. This allows me to draw cards up to the number of Spell Counters on Magical Citadel of Endymion, although I’ll have to remove a counter to activate it. So I draw 4 cards, and it regains its fifth Spell Counter. Also, because of the effect of Dark Eradicator Warlock, you take 1000 damage.” Black flames erupted from Dark Eradicator Warlock’s staff, and they engulfed Hiru. (Hiru 6000→5000) Kurai drew his five cards and grinned. “I also Normal Summon Rapid-Fire Magician in defense mode. (1600/1200)”

 

Hiru thought to himself, Great. Those two will inflict damage to me each time he activates a Normal Spell Card. In total, I take 1000 damage every time I activate a Normal Spell Card due to Dark Eradicator Warlock’s effect, and every time he activates a Normal Spell Card, I’ll take 1400 damage. Same old burn strategies. I already predicted he would do this. And he’ll probably do what he did last time he had this field.

 

Kurai continued, “I activate the effect of Crusader of Endymion. By placing a sixth Spell Counter on my Magical Citadel, it will gain 600 ATK. (1900→2500/1200) Next, I remove my six Spell Counters to Special Summon the master magician!” The six counters raised into the air and formed a circle with six different layers. The layers started rotating, and slowly started fading. They all shattered, and a magician was waiting on the top of the tower. “I Summon Endymion, the Master Magician in attack mode. (2700/1700) Next, I activate its effect. By discarding a Spell Card, I can destroy 1 monster you control.” Endymion fired a black beam from its scepter, which headed directly towards Cyclone Drakon.

 

Hiru intercepted, “I activate the continuous trap: Shield of Aegis.” A shield with Medusa’s head appeared and blocked the beam. “While this card is face-up on the field, monsters I control that are the same Level of Cyclone Drakon, which is 9, cannot be destroyed by card effects.”

 

Kurai growled, “In that case, I activate Magical Blast. This card inflicts 200 damage to my opponent for each Spellcaster-Type monster I control. I currently control 5 Spellcasters, so you take 1000 damage. Also, the effects of Rapid-Fire Magican and Dark Eradicator Warlock kick in. You’ll be taking a total of 2400 damage!” The five magicians gathered into a star-shape and fired a large beam of dark magic. Dark Eradicator Warlock also shot blue flames with it, and Rapid-Fire Magician threw a barrage of magical spheres at Hiru.

 

Hiru smiled, “Gotcha. I discard 1 card to activate Rainbow Life! I discard Paladin of White Dragon, so I’ll recover Life instead of losing it. However, because there is one less card in my Spell or Trap Card zone, Cyclone Drakon loses 1000 ATK. (4600→3600/2700)” Rainbow lights started flowing out from the ground in front of Hiru, and the barrage of attacks did not get through the light. (Hiru 5000→7400)

 

Zugai smiled, “As expected, he recovers Life from that blast.”

 

Kea asked, “Why didn’t he do that when Dark Eradicator Warlock’s effect activated the first time?”

 

Senith said, “Well, by doing it now, he has more Life Points than he would have if he used it the first time.”

 

Kai added, “Also, if he did not do it now, he would have taken the damage next turn instead.”

 

Kurai snarled, “Same old tricks. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “Draw! I Normal Summon X-Head Cannon in attack mode! (1800/1500) Cyclone Drakon attacks Endymion!” Cyclone Drakon flapped its wings again, and the wind gust threw Endymion back. It crashed into a building and was destroyed.

 

Kurai managed to say, “I activate Defense Draw. It reduces the Battle Damage to 0, and allows me to draw 1 card.” When Kurai drew his card, he thought to himself. Finally. This is my key of defeating him. I won’t let his Legendary Beasts beat me twice. He may not remember, but this is almost the same duel as before. But this time, I’ll win.

 

Hiru continued, “X-Head Cannon, attack Crusader of Endymion!” X-Head Cannon fired a beam of energy at Crusader of Endymion, and it exploded on impact. “I end my turn.”

 

Kurai smiled, “Instead of conducting my Draw Phase, I can add Magical Blast to my hand. And I activate it, which will inflict 2000 damage to your Life Points, 600 from the effect, and 1400 extra.” The same blast was fired at Hiru, and he took the blast this time. (Hiru 7400→5400) “Next, I Tribute my 3 monsters!”

 

Hiru said, “Oh s***.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Here he goes.”

 

Kurai yelled, “I call forth The Winged Dragon of Ra!” The three monsters were engulfed in a yellow light. An orb was floating in the air above Kurai, and it slowly started cracking open. Light was shining out of the cracks, and Ra slowly started breaking out of it. It screeched like a hawk once it broke out of its orb. (?/?) The sky was ironically ominous and cloudy.

 

Hiru said, “I activate Bottomless Trap Hole!” The card faded when it was activated in the screen, and he remembered, “Oh yeah, traps don’t work on the Gods.” (3600→2600/2700)

 

Zugai sighed, “No, idiot. You just can’t use effects while they’re being Normal Summoned."

 

Kurai continued, “Next, I activate its effect! I pay Life Points until I have 100 left, and it gains ATK equal to the Life I paid. (Kurai 7000→100) The Winged Dragon of Ra has 6900 ATK and DEF!” Ra was covered by a yellow flame, and the flame had the shape of a Ra, but twice as large.

 

Zugai and Senith laughed and said, “Sixty-nine!” Hiru, Ayra, and Kea laughed at the timing of that.

 

Kurai continued, “Ra, obliterate X-Head Cannon! Solar Blaze!” Ra swooped towards X-Head Cannon at blinding speed.

 

Hiru barely managed to stop himself from screaming from the speed and force of Ra’s attack. (Hiru 5400→300) He said, “My Life Points aren’t gone yet! I’m not giving up!”

 

Kurai shrugged, “I end.”

 

Hiru thought, Okay. Ra can’t be affected by Spell or Trap Cards, nor Monster Effects. Or can he? Then he remembered what Zugai once showed him. He remembered exactly what he said, “The only time Ra is immune to card effects is when he’s Summoned.” Hiru smiled, Ra won’t be too difficult to defeat. “Draw! I switch Cyclone Drakon to defense mode, and activate his effect! It removes from play all Spell and Trap Cards on the field! When Shield of Aegis is removed from play, however, I can activate it again with the same effects.” A tornado swept up all the Spell and Trap Cards on the field, and Endymion crumbled into rubble. “Also, I activate the effect of Cyclone Drakon, setting one of my removed from play Trap Cards. Next, I Normal Summon the White Stone of Legend in Defense Mode! Next, I activate Future Fusion! This allows me to send 3 Blue-Eyes from my Deck to the Graveyard! In 2 turns, I’ll Special Summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! I end.”

 

Kurai laughed, “A shield won’t work on the Gods.” The audience was chanting Kurai’s name at this point, since they thought Hiru already lost. “Draw! I activate Spellcaster Recovery. I gain 200 Life Points for each Spellcaster in my Graveyard. There are 6, so I gain 1200 Life Points. (Kurai 100→1300) Next, I activate Ra’s effect! It allows me to pay 1000 Life Points to destroy 1 monster on the field. (Kurai 1300→300) I destroy White Stone of Legend! God Blaze Cannon!” Ra breathed out an inferno, which almost immediately burned White Stone of Legend into nothingness. “Ra will attack Cyclone Drakon! Solar Blaze!” Ra swooped down at Cyclone Drakon again. “Now your field is completely empty!”

 

Hiru pulled a card from is Extra Deck, “When a Dragon-Type monster I control is destroyed, I can Special Summon this card from my Extra Deck! Come out, Aether Drakon!” The sky cleared, and Aether Drakon was levitating in a patch of clear sky. (3000/2400) “I activate its effect. When its Special Summoned, I can destroy 1 monster you control. I destroy Ra!” Aether Drakon shot a beam of lightning at Ra.

 

Kurai yelled, “I activate Divine Overpower! By skipping my next Draw Phase, I can negate the effects of 1 monster you control that targets a DIVINE monster. Also, you can only attack DIVINE monsters I control.” Ra blocked the beam with its wings and remained intact.

 

Hiru said, “Draw!” He looked at his hand, and realized what he had to do. “I activate the effect of Aether Drakon. Once per turn, I can add 1 Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. The card I add to my hand is Leeching the Light. Also, I switch it to Defense Mode, and Normal Summon White Legend Dragon in defense mode. (1900/700) This card will negate the effect of Ra!” White Legend Dragon attempted to fire eye beams and shackle Ra, but Ra broke out, due to Divine Overpower.

 

Hiru sighed, “I set 1 card and end my turn.” Kurai, you’re trying to beat me with a card you just added to your Deck, but you still underestimate my true power. I didn't leave this Deck alone this whole time.

 

Kurai said, “I activate the effect of Spellcaster Recovery, which allows me to add it to my hand. I activate it, and recover 1200 Life Points again. (Kurai 300→1500)

 

Zugai smiled, “I wonder if he’ll screw up here. He did when fighting Hiru last time, in a scenario like this.” His weakness is that he gets to careless and makes stupid errors when he’s close to winning.

 

Kurai continued, “I activate Ra’s effect! By paying 1000 Life Points, I’ll destroy Aether Drakon! (Kurai 1500→500) God Blaze Cannon!” Ra breathed out an inferno which engulfed Aether Drakon, but Aether Drakon roared and spread its wings, putting out the flames.

 

Hiru smiled, “This is what always gets you to lose against me, you get to careless. Against worse duelists, that’s fine, but against duelists that stand a chance that you look down on? Not okay. You forgot about Shield of Aegis. Level 9 monsters I control can’t be destroyed by card effects, remember?”

 

Kurai screamed in rage, “It doesn’t matter! Ra, destroy White Legend Dragon! Solar Blaze!” Ra dove down at White Legend Dragon.

 

Hiru said, “I activate my Trap: Curse of the River Styx! By Tributing Aether Drakon, White Legend Dragon won’t be destroyed by battle! Also, it Special Summons a Blessing Spirit Token to your side of the field, with the same original ATK as Aether Drakon. (3000/0) And when Aether Drakon’s Tributed, I can draw 1 card.” White Legend Dragon was knocked into the air, but managed to remain intact. Kurai, however, was smiling.

 

“When a DIVINE monster fails to destroy a monster you control by battle, Divine Overpower will remove it from play during the end of the Damage Step at the cost of discarding 1 card. I discard Necro Gainer.” White Legend Dragon faded away, and Hiru’s field was left open. “Blessing Spirit Token, attack Hiru directly!” The white outline of Aether Drakon dove at Hiru.

 

Hiru said, “I discard Kuriboh to reduce battle damage to 0!” A Kuriboh appeared right in front of Hiru, and it took the whole attack of the Blessing Spirit Token for Hiru.

 

Kurai growled, “Enough of your makeshift methods. I know, during your next Standby Phase, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon will be summoned to your side of the field. Even though it can easily overpower the Blessing Spirit Token, the effect of Divine Overpower will make it attack Ra instead. Even if it’s in defense mode, my second attack will allow me to win. Even if you use Leeching the Light, my Necro Gainer will allow me to remove it from play to increase the ATK of Ra by 1000. It’s over.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “I don’t think so. I still have 1 card in my Deck that can let me win this duel. I just have to draw it.”

 

Kurai laughed, “Are you believing in the same philosophy as Fushigi Kozoku? Ha! He couldn’t beat me because he believed in that crap!”

 

Hiru smiled, “Crap? I’m about to show you that one draw can turn this whole duel around. And by believing in this deck, that card will be drawn! My turn!”

 

Zugai smiled, “Hiru, if you win this, which you will, Fushigi’s philosophy will have finally beaten Kurai. You realize that, right?”

 

Hiru drew his card. “Draw!” He looked at it, and smiled. “Here it is.”

 

Kurai’s eyes widened. “You’re lying! There’s no way that you could have drawn that one specific card you need!”

 

Zugai taunted from the audience, “Says you!”

 

Hiru continued, “Due to the effect of Future Fusion, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon will be summoned this turn!” A portal appeared on the top of the field, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon slowly descended from it. (4500/3800)

 

Kurai yelled, “I’m not taking any chances! I activate the effect of Necro Gainer! By removing it from play, Ra gains 1000 attack!” Ra’s flame began turning white, indicating its increase in power. (6900→7900/6900)

 

Hiru said, “If you already know my combo, how about I throw out a stronger monster? I Tribute Blue-Eyes Ultimate to call forth my strongest monster!” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon turned into a pillar of light. “Kurai, allow me to show you the true power of the card Fushigi gave me himself. Come on out, Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon!” Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon slowly began to ascend from the pillar. It streamlined itself to fly high into the air. Once it spread its wings, even though the light it produced covered as much space as Ra’s flame, its was half the size of Ra itself. (3000/2500) “It gains 300 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard. Right now, I have my 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons, White Stone of Legend, Paladin of White Dragon, Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Cyclone Drakon, and Aether Drakon. That makes 8 dragons, so Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon gains 2400 ATK! (3000→5400/2500)”

 

Kurai’s eyes widened, “It’s still not enough! Ra won’t be defeated this easily!”

 

Hiru taunted, “Please tell me you didn’t forget this soon? I activate Leeching the Light! Now, Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon gains ATK equal to the ATK of a LIGHT monster you control! Your Blessing Spirit Token has 3000 ATK and is a LIGHT monster, so Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon gains 3000 ATK! (5400→8400/2500)” Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon’s aura was covering the whole field.

 

Kurai was paralyzed. “Impossible…”

 

Ayra stated in awe, “The same combo he used to beat me!”

 

Senith added, “He managed to get his field like that, even with Ra!”

 

Kea continued, “Not only that, but Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon has managed to surpass its attack.”

 

Kai replied, “The difference between their attacks are 500, so Kurai’s life will become 0.”

 

Zugai yelled, “Stop pointing out the obvious!”

 

Hiru pointed, “This duel is over. Blue-Eyes, destroy Ra!” Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon streamlined itself and dashed towards Ra like a rocket. Ra naturally dashed back at the same speed, and their attacks clashed. Since Blue-Eyes was a Spirit Card and Ra was a God Card, their clashing attacks created a spiral of light and fire that scattered throughout the arena. There was also a heavy force of wind that accompanied the collision. After the spiral disappeared, Blue-Eyes and Ra were facing each other back to back. Ra had a large hole going from head to toe, and it exploded shortly afterwards. (Kurai 500→0)

 

The entire audience was in awe. Zugai thought he heard a voice say, “No way, he didn’t only beat Kurai once, but twice? And he took down the strongest Egyptian God, too!?”

 

Zugai smiled and started clapping. Kai grunted and started clapping after him. Senith, Ayra, and Kea followed their lead. Shortly the audience was clapping and cheering for Hiru, who was just standing there smiling like a dork. Kurai was kneeling on the ground, his eyes wide. He stammered “How did I lose to you not only once, but twice?”

 

Hiru simply said, “Isn’t it obvious? Somebody better than you had to come around eventually! Hey, announcer! You can come back now!”

 

Zugai facepalmed, “Why, Hiru? Why did you say that?”

 

The announcer stepped up and dramatically yelled, “We have a winner! A new shining new legend who has not only surpassed the number one duelist, but has surpassed what is considered to be an unstoppable card! A duelist who has mastered the arts of cards who were almost never used! Hiru Hitono!”

 

Hiru’s face appeared on the board, indicating that he was the champion. Kurai stood up and turned his back to Hiru while scowling, and walked away. I promise you, you won’t be experience the feeling of beating me again.

 

A man in a suit walked onto the stadium, holding a suitcase “Congratulations, Hiru. I am now going to present to you this. Here is your $15,000 prize in cash.” Hiru stared at it for a second in confusion. He gently took it, but was still confused.

 

“Why don’t you guys just give a check?”

 

The man paused, as if searching for the answer. He did not respond to that question, but offered to shake hands with Hiru. Hiru did shake his hand, but was still thinking about that. Great. Now I’m going to be thinking about that for the whole day.

 

After the ceremony of Hiru winning, he went looking for Ayra. Once he found her, he ran up to her calling her name. She turned around and said, “Hello.”

 

Hiru offered her all the cash and said, “Here you go. A promise is a promise.”

 

Ayra said, “I won’t be taking all of it. I’ll only need five grand. Besides, you might want to fix your car, too. I mean, it’s got a pretty bad dent in it.” Hiru gave her the five grand before looking at his car.

 

He laughed, “Really? Is my car always going to have that dent?”

 

Zugai walked up to Hiru, “Congrats, man. You win 15 grand in exchange for having a permanent dent in your car.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes and smiled, “Shut up.”

 

Zugai said, “But hey, man, it looks like we’ve finally got 2 teams.” Senith, Kai, and Kea followed him.

 

Ayra looked in confusion, “What for?”

 

Kea said, “They want to have 2 teams for Battle City so they can compete each other in the finals. I only want to join if you want to, though.”

 

Ayra was still clueless, “Why teams?”

 

Kai said, “I think we should discuss all this tomorrow. Too much has happened today.”

 

Senith gave a thumbs up. “We’ll explain everything tomorrow. Just go to Battle City Central at around 1:30. At least Zugai will be there. The rest of us will probably be late”

 

Kea said, “I’m going at that time, just so you know. You should come along.”

 

Zugai said, “Well, I’m going now, see you guys!” and ran off. Kai shrugged and walked away. Senith ran after Kai for no apparent reason.

 

Ayra raised an eyebrow when she watched them all leave. “You sure hang out with a group of… interesting people.”

 

Kea smiled, “They’re fun. And you ARE going tomorrow.”

 

Ayra sighed, “You don’t give me much of a choice, do you?”

 

Kea winked at her stepsister and began to walk away, since she likes to walk home instead of being driven. Well, Battle City does sound a bit nerve-racking, but I’m actually a bit excited for it. And I can trust those guys, so it might work out well. This might be fun.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 9]

Chapter 9: The Fate of Hiru’s Deck. Annihillation.

 

Senith walked into Battle City Central to see that his friends were already waiting at a table. “Hey guys! What’s up?”

 

Ayra jeered, “Took you long enough.”

 

Zugai said, “OKAY, everybody. Now then, shall we discuss what we were originally going to discuss?”

 

Ayra nodded, “Please.”

 

Zugai continued, “Basically, long story short, Battle City is going to work like this: it will be positioned in New York City, Las Vegas, Rome, and Anthes. The cities will be divided into several ‘sectors’, each one having a special rule. There is one team of 3 duelists in each sector. A team can move onto a new sector by beating the three of them in a duel. The two teams in a city that have taken the most space will be in the Team Semifinals. The winner teams face each other in those finals, and the winners have a definite spot in the normal finals, which remains the same. Got it?”

 

Ayra shook her head, “Nope. You lost me.”

 

Zugai sighed, I suck at describing things. He tossed a manual to Ayra. “Here you go. Read it in your free time. This is basically the rules and everything to Battle City 2013.”

 

Ayra nodded, “Thanks. But basically, you want two teams of three, and you want me to be the sixth person?”

 

Senith, Kai, Kea, Hiru, and Zugai simultaneously nodded.

 

Ayra stated, “Fine. I’ll do it.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Sweet!”

 

Zugai said, “So, shall we plan out the teams?”

 

Hiru stated, “I think that the first team should be you, me, and Ayra. It will be more powerful.”

 

Senith said, “Um… no. Just, no.”

 

Hiru raised an eyebrow, “And why, I may ask?”

 

Kai answered, “First of all, it will make the finals really, really difficult to get to. Even if we do face in the finals, the battle will be boring. However, I do think that you and Ayra should be on the same team.

 

Kea agreed, “It works. I mean, they would actually be pretty good on the same team.”

 

Ayra and Hiru exchanged glances. Ayra was thinking, No. No. Please no. Hiru on the other hand thought, God, yes.

 

Zugai continued, “And I think that Senith should be the third member of that team, while the other team is Kai, Kea, and I.”

 

The five others turned at Zugai with the same confused glance, “Why Senith?” Senith said, “What?”

 

Zugai winced a bit from peer pressure, and explained, “If you start out with Senith, it will be a good start. His burn and power strategies could easily get rid of the first few members. And he’s difficult to beat one-on-one, anyway. Then comes Ayra as the second duelist, and she’ll easily overpower the person who was just facing Senith, and will be a long-lasting power wall with Neo-Parshath and a Life Point advantage. Then its Hiru, who is good enough on his own and will probably beat whoever’s left. He’s the most diverse, so he should be last.”

 

Ayra asked, “If he’s the most diverse, shouldn’t he be first?”

 

Zugai said, “The most adaptable should be last, since they’ll be good at finishers. There will be some cases where the most adaptable should be first, but since Hiru’s has no real weakness, he should be last.”

 

Kea said, “So how does, you, me, and Kai work, exactly?”

 

Kai stated, “Whatever it is, Zugai should go last for the same reason Hiru goes last.”

 

Zugai said, “The order for a team duel would probably be Kai, then Kea, then me. So Kai would be a good offensive wall to start out, because of his Rock and special Hero Deck. It’s pretty diverse and offensive, and it also forces back the opponent, which is important for the next duelist. Kea would then use her Deck to wear out the opponent even more and use her tricky tactics to freak out the opponent.”

 

Senith muttered, “Nice alliteration. Although that actually kinda makes sense with you last. They’ll already be very worn down, and you just go BURN!”

 

Zugai said, “Long story short, yeah. So, did we just make the teams?”

 

Hiru asked, “What? Sorry, I zoned out.”

 

Ayra facepalmed, “Hiru, why do you have to be such an idiot?”

 

A person from the next table said, “Did somebody just say Hiru? As in, Hiru Hitono?”

 

The entire restaurant stood up and started looking. Zugai said, “Hiru. Crawl under the table.”

 

Just then, a lady said, “I see him! He IS here!”

 

Zugai elbowed Hiru, “Congrats. You have fangirls now.”

 

Then, a child with blonde hair and a green shirt approached Hiru. Hiru turned around and said, “Hi. Who might you be?”

 

The kid said, “I want the Legendary Beasts back.”

 

Senith narrowed his eyes, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

 

Zugai said, “Hey, um, what’s your name?”

 

“My name is Florian. And I want my cards back.”

 

Zugai said, “Um, you kinda GAVE them to him, saying that he thought he would use them best. So your basically taking a deck that you once called useless.”

 

Florian said, “Well, I want it back now.”

 

Kai added, “Just because he won with it? And besides, he put his own cards into that Deck. You can’t have it.”

 

Florian was luckily mature enough in this world to say, “Well, how about we duel for it? A Team Duel, that is?”

 

Zugai sighed, “Fine. Kai, Senith, Kea, go and do your job.”

 

Florian asked, “Why can’t I duel Hiru?”

 

Zugai said, “Because if you two are at the same Duel Terminal, you could easily find a way to get somebody to steal his deck off of it.”

 

Hiru asked, “Zugai, why don’t you duel?

 

Zugai answered, “Too lazy.”

 

Kai, Senith, and Kea walked to the Duel Terminal. Kea went on first, because she wanted to. Once on the Terminal, she announced, “Okay. Let’s get this started.”

 

A child with brown hair and a red shirt walked to the Duel Terminal. He said, “My name’s Ron. And I’m gonna help get back Florian’s Deck.”

 

Kea muttered, “It’s not his Deck… you go first.”

 

Ron said, “My turn! I set 1 card and Normal Summon Power Breaker in attack mode! (1100/800) And I end my turn.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Really? Did he JUST learn how to Duel or something? I mean, the thing is, why would you want to START to imitate Jack Atlas? He’s already to awesome for you if you try.”

 

Kea said, “My turn! I set 1 card and Normal Summon Dragunity Partisan in attack mode! (1200/800) When Dragunity Partisan is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Winged-Beast Dragunity monster from my hand. I Special Summon Dragunity Militum in attack mode! (1700/1200) The effect of Dragunity Partisan equips it to Militum.” Dragunity Partisan tucked in its arms, legs, and wings, and made its tail as straight as a stick. Militum grabbed onto it and held it as a pole. “Next, I activate the continuous Spell Card, Dragon Control Technique. All Dragunity monsters I control equipped with Dragunity monsters gains 500 ATK. (1700→2200/1200)”

 

Ron said, “What!? It just beat Power Breaker like that?”

 

Kea continued, “Next, I activate the effect of Militum. It allows me to Special Summon a Dragunity monster equipped to it. I Special Summon Dragunity Partisan! (1200/800) However, instead of activating its effect, I tune it to Militum!” Partisan transformed into two stars, which entered Militum’s body. Militum’s coat became red, and it flew into the air. A large dragon descended from the top of the Duel Terminal. “I’ll Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Vajuranda! (1900/1200)”

 

Ron asked, “Why would you do that? Militum had higher attack points at the time…”

 

Kea continued, “Vajuranda allows me select a Level 3 or lower Dragunity Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard and equip it to it. I equip Vajuranda with Partisan!” The Militum riding on Vajuranda held its open palm forward. Partisan appeared in its spear form, and Vajuranda grabbed onto it. “With that, Vajuranda gains 500 more attack. (1900→2400/1200) Also, I activate the effect of Dragon Control Technique. Once per turn, I can equip a Dragon-Type Dragunity monster I control to a monster on the field. I equip Vajuranda with Dragunity Brandistock!” Militum held out its other hand and grabbed onto a brandistock that materialized in the air. “Also, I activate the effect of Vajuranda! By sending an equipped Dragunity monster to the Graveyard, I can double its ATK until the End Phase. I’ll send Dragunity Partisan to the Graveyard.” The partisan Militum held transformed into energy, which dispersed. It later became lightning, which was absorbed by Vajuranda. (2400→4800/1200)

 

Ron yelled, “It now has 4800 attack!?”

 

Kea smiled, “Vajuranda, attack Power Breaker! Air Breaker!” Vajuranda swooped down at blinding speed, and Militum shoved its spear into Power Breaker. Power Breaker quickly shattered into parts. (Ron 8000→4300) Kea continued, “Also, the effect of Dragunity Brandistock kicks in! The monster equipped to it can attack twice this turn. Air Break 2!” This time, Vajuranda released the lightning from its green core, which would have struck Ron if the 3D screen wasn’t there. (Ron 4300→0) In the meantime, Vajuranda’s ATK became 2400 again.

 

Ron quickly said, “I activate my trap: Call of the Haunted. This allows me to bring back Top Runner in attack mode. (1100/800)” He stepped off of the Duel Terminal but left the field there. A second kid walked up to the Duel Terminal. He wore a white shirt and a hat that covered up his whole head.

 

“I’m Jack, and I’m gonna win!”

 

Zugai facepalmed, “If he says ‘Absolute Power Force’ once in this duel, I’ll be disappointed.”

 

Jacks said, “My turn! I Summon Power Breaker in attack mode! (1900/0) Next, I tune Top Runner to Power Breaker!” Top Runner transformed into four stars, and conjured up a classic Synchro Summon. During the process, Jack said, “The ruler’s heartbeats will now file through here. Synchro Summon! My very soul, Red Dragon Archfiend!” Red Dragon Archfiend emerged from flames. (3000/2000)

 

Senith facepalmed, “What happened to ‘Take witness to its creation-shaking power!’?

 

Jack continued, “Red Dragon Archfiend, attack! Absolute Power-”

 

Kea interrupted, “I activate Magic Cylinder! It negates the attack and inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to your monster’s ATK!” A cylinder appeared and blocked Red Dragon Archfiend’s attack. A beam of green energy was blasted out of the cylinder and hit Jack. (Jack 8000→5000) Jack growled, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kea said, “Draw. I set 1 card and re-equip Vajuranda with the Partisan in my Graveyard. Next, I send it to the Graveyard to double the attack of Vajuranda! (ATK 2400→4800) Next, I Normal Summon Dragunity Dux in attack mode! (1500/1000) And it allows me to equip a Level 3 or lower Dragunity monster to it! I equip it with Partisan! And because of Dragon Control Technique, it gains 500 ATK! (1500→2000/1000) It also gains 200 ATK for each Dragunity card I control. I currently have 4 on the field, so it gains 800 ATK! (2000→2800/1000) Vajuranda attacks Red Dragon Archfiend! Air Breaker!” Vajuranda dove at Red Dragon Archfiend, taking it out in one blow. (Jack 5000→3200) Kea continued, “Vajuranda, attack again!” Vajuranda swooped in a second time, successfully defeating Jack.

 

In his last moments, Jack said, “I activate my trap: Call of the Haunted! It allows me to revive Red Dragon Archfiend in ATK! (3000/2000)”

 

Now Florian was up on the Duel Terminal. Zugai crossed his arms and said, “I wonder if he’ll inflict damage. Up to this point, they’ve been kinda pathetic.”

 

Kai said, “Well, they’re just kids. Do you expect any more?”

 

Florian said, “It’s my turn! First of all, I Normal Summon Flare Resonator in attack mode! (300/1300) Next, since I control a Red Dragon Archfiend, I can Special Summon Red Nova in attack mode! (0/0) I Double Tune Red Nova and Flare Resonator to Red Dragon Archfiend!” Red Nova and Flare Resonator turned into four giant rings of fire. They circled around Red Dragon Archfiend, surrounding it in a ball of fire. Florian continued, “Appear now! Red Nova Dragon!” Red Nova Dragon emerged from the ball of fire. (3500/3000) “It gains 300 ATK due to the effect of Flare Resonator! (3500→3800/3000) Also, through its own effect, since I have 2 tuners in the Graveyard, it gains 1000 ATK! (3800→4800/3000) Go! Attack Dragunity Vajuranda!” Red Nova Dragon breathed out a stream of fire. It engulfed and burned Vajuranda to a crisp. (Kea 8000→5600)

 

Kea said, “I send Dragunity Partisan to the Graveyard to activate Dragunity Return! If 2 or more Dragunity monsters were sent to the Graveyard, this will return Red Nova Dragon to your Extra Deck.” Red Nova Dragon started fading away slowly, and was eventually gone.

 

Florain growled, “I end my turn.” How could Red Nova Dragon be beaten so easily? If Hiru did, I could understand, but we didn’t even inflict damage on her once!

 

Kea smiled, “Draw. Dragunity Dux’s ATK is now 1700 with its effect. (2800→1700/1000) Next, I Tribute it to Normal Summon Dragunity Arms Mistel. (2100/1500) When this card is Normal Summoned, I can equip it with a Dragunity Monster from my Graveyard. I equip it with Dragunity Brandistock. With Dragon Control Technique, it will gains 500 ATK! (2100→2600/1500) And it attacks directly! Twice, with Brandistock’s effect. Double Arms Cutter!” Mistel swung its sword at Florian twice in a row and flew back. (Florian 8000→2800) Kea giggled, “I end my turn.”

 

Florian was desperate, “Draw!” I want that deck back! I could have the Deck that made him Number One! My Yugi Deck was nothing, and all of those other Decks I tried were nothing, even though the people who used them were considered top duelists! Why can’t I win with these decks!? “I Summon Dark Resonator in defense mode. (1300/100) I end.”

 

Kea frowned, “Getting desperate? Draw. I Normal Summon Dragunity Tribus in attack mode. (500/300) Tribus attacks Dark Resonator.” Tribus threw feather-shaped blades at Dark Resonator. However, Dark Resonator managed to stay intact.

 

Florian panted, “Dark Resonator can’t be destroyed by battle only once per turn.”

 

Kea said, “Only once, though. Mistel attacks Dark Resonator!” Mistel swung its blade, which cut Dark Resonator in two parts like a hot knife and butter. “Mistel attacks you directly.” Mistel slashed at Florian’s Life Points counter in the screen. (Florian 2800→200) “I end.”

 

Florian muttered, “Draw. I activate the effect of Vice Dragon. When you control monsters and I don’t, I can Special Summon it by halving its ATK and DEF. (2000→1000/2400→1200) Next, I Normal Summon Trust Guardian in attack. (0/800) I Tune it to Vice Dragon to Synchro Summon Red Dragon Archfiend. (3000/2000)”

 

Zugai sighed, “When he doesn’t say a Synchro Chant like before, you know he’s desperate.”

 

Florain said, “Red Dragon Archfiend attacks Dragunity Tribus. Blazing Crimson Hellflare!” Red Dragon Archfiend’s breathed out a large fireball, which crushed Tribus. (Kea 5600→2100) “I end.”

 

Kea sighed, “Draw. I remove from play the Dragunity Arms Mistel equipped with Brandistock to Special Summon Dragunity Arms Laevatein. (2600/1200) When it’s Special Summoned, I can equip it with a Dragunity Monster in my Graveyard. I equip it with Partisan. (2600→3100/1200) Laevatein attacks Red Dragon Archfiend! Draconic Shredder!” Laevatein lashed at Red Dragon Archfiend, leaving a gaping cut in its body. It glided backwards and Red Dragon Archfiend exploded. (Florian 200→100) “I end my turn.”

 

Florian stammered, “Draw.” Darn it. There’s nothing I can use in my hand right now. “I end.”

 

Senith and Kai began to walk back to the table, both of them thinking, Of course she gets all the fun.

 

Kea said, “Draw. Laevatein, direct attack. Draconic Shredder!” Laevatein glided toward Florian and slashed at him again. (Florian 100→0)

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Holy crap. I knew she was good at this, but I didn’t think she would be at good a duelist as she is an athlete!”

 

Ayra smiled, “That’s my stepsis for you.”

 

Florian picked up his cards and tossed them at the ground. He yelled, “Why can’t I win with any of these decks!?”

 

Kai rolled his eyes, “Oh great. He’s going into a tantrum.”

 

Senith pushed Zugai forward, saying, “Go help, babysitter.”

 

Zugai blushed and hissed, “Quiet, you.”

 

Kea asked Florian nicely, “None of your decks are original, right? The three that you guys made were all Jack Atlas’s if I’m correct.”

 

Florian sniffed, “It’s because the first deck I tried to make didn’t work so well. I tried using structure decks after that, but they weren’t good enough. I just tried copying the Decks of the most famous duelists, although they didn’t work either. So we thought that if the 3 of us were on a team and used the same Deck, we would be able to win more.”

 

Kea calmly said, “Maybe if you tried to find a dueling style that you liked and built a deck around that, it would be a start. If you keep on sticking around other people, you won’t end up succeeding in the end. Sure, influencing things off of greater people are fine, but make sure you end up staying as yourself instead of sticking to that person.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Well, at least she finally learned the one thing that she always had to.”

 

Kai sighed, “She’s academically better than you are. What would you expect?”

 

Zugai retorted, “This isn’t academic, is it? That means that unless it’s a sport or kindness, she wouldn’t.”

 

Senith nodded and said, “Touché.”

 

Kea walked back and said, “Okay, he didn’t get into a tantrum.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Did he leave?” Kea nodded, and Zugai continued, “Then we’re probably just not seeing it happen.” He walked up and went to the waiter.

 

Hiru agreed, “And luckily, nobody’s chasing me yet.”

 

Zugai walked back and said, “I just told the waiter about us in Battle City, and she said that since we’re going in as a team, we can have the meal for free. And since nobody’s chasing you, I guess this will be a good time to leave.”

 

Five minutes later, the groups walked towards a stand where they gave out application forms for teams in Battle City. Zugai and Hiru filled out the address and country information and which city they wanted to be in (NYC), and decided to start with what Zugai dreaded the most: the Team name. He covered his face with his palms, “Great. We have to make team names. Any ideas, anybody?”

 

Hiru said, “Well, for my team name, I think that we should make it something simple and catchy. Something that will represent the three of us:”

 

Kai sarcastically said, “Two retards and a genius?”

 

Hiru ignored him, “Something like,”

 

Zugai finished for him, “You aren’t seriously thinking Team Go, are you?”

 

Hiru smiled, “I actually am.”

 

Senith smiled and nodded, “I like it!”

 

Ayra sighed, “Majority wins anyway. Guess I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

 

Zugai sighed, “I know how you feel. Kea, remember Emerson’s Student Faculty Volleyball Team Name in 8th grade?”

 

Kea smiled, “Caucasian Invasion plus an Asian and Kristoff?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Not thinking about it, but Team Go kinda makes me think of that for some reason.”

 

Kai muttered, “You mean by how pathetic it sounds? One is obviously better than the other, and that one isn’t Team Go. I think we shouldn’t call ourselves something simple like Team Awesome, even though we are awesome.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Well, we have to think of something ourselves, don’t we? Let’s see, what would we say represents ourselves?”

 

Kai said, “I don’t know, stars, maybe?”

 

Zugai sarcastically said, “Yeah, because by the time you see them, they died over a year ago.”

 

Kea said, “No, I kinda see what he means. We’re seen by a lot of people, except we aren’t bright or big enough yet to be acknowledged, and sometimes we’ll become brighter and seen by more, although that light can die out as long as we know.”

 

Zugai said, “Good point. Except I don’t know what we should call ourselves. Astral something could be cool… but how Team Astrum? Latin for star?”

 

Kea shook her head, “Cool and all, but nah. How about Astral Acceleration?”

 

Kai said, “No thanks. That would make us sued by Konami. How about… Astral Combust?”

 

Zugai muttered, “That’s good for Senith on his own, but not us. Astral Distortion, because we’re so screwed up? No. Maybe we should ditch Astral and go with something else. Kai, your strongest or favorite monster is WIND, even though the rest of the Deck is EARTH, right?”

 

Kai nodded, “Yup.”

 

Zugai turned to Kea, “And your Deck is basically completely composed of WIND monsters. So how about Team Astral Wind, or Team Solar Wind?”

 

Kai shrugged, “Solar Wind sounds fine.”

 

Kea said, “I agree. Solar Wind it is! Although how are you WIND? Isn’t your ace monster DARK?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Just for the explanation: it’s still space related, and most of the universe is composed of dark Energy and dark Matter. But the real reason I’ll tell you later.

Zugai said, “Similar case here. Except not with these 3. Oh, I just realized, I forgot to put in Deck Descriptions and Titles and Member Nicknames. My bad.”

 

Hiru said, “Senith, did any changes happen for your Deck?”

 

Senith nodded, “A lot, actually. I decided to take out my Dinosaurs and made my Deck mostly Volcanics with Fiendfires.”

 

Hiru raised an eyebrow, “Fiendfires? What are those?”

 

Senith explained, “They’re basically monsters that involve removing from play other FIRE from your Graveyard. Then they carry out another Burn Effect with that, most of the time. If I would give it a title, it would probably be Spitfire. No, that would be my Duelist Nickname, my Deck Nickname would be Raging Fire.”

 

Kai said, “Blaze Accelerator is still a big part of your Deck, right?”

 

Senith thought about it, and said, “Not as much as it was before, although it CAN make some good combos with Fiendfire monsters. I would have to say my key card would be Infernal Flame Emperor, actually, and my ace monster is definitely my new Fiendfire Dragon.”

 

Hiru wrote down the information and Zugai sighed, “You just name yourself Spitfire for everything, don’t you? Kai, how would you describe your Deck?”

 

Kai described, “It has 2 main parts, one of which is diverse with Fusion and the other one involves Defense and face-down monsters while clearing the opponent’s field slowly. Basically, Rock monsters and Neo Elemental Heroes.” Kai spotted Kea’s confused look, and he said, “Basically, stronger Elemental Heroes that don’t need Polymerization to fuse. They’re also treated as Elemental Heroes, so cards like Miracle Fusion work. My key card is definitely Ordeal of a Traveler, don’t ask why, but it is, and my ace monster is considered to be Exxod, even though I consider it to be Neo Elemental Hero – Cumulonimbus.”

 

Zugai wrote it down the description, and asked, “Nickname for you and your Deck?”

 

Kai sighed, “My nickname would probably be… Hero in the Dark, and my Deck would be called Guardians of Justice.”

 

Zugai sighed, “How do you think about such cool stuff?”

 

Kai said, “Because I’m awesome like that.”

 

Hiru said, “Ayra, your turn. Yours is definitely the easiest to describe.”

 

Ayra began, “Well, my Deck is a LIGHT Fairy Deck that is focused around gaining Life Points, and using some cards to gain power from that difference. Sanctuary in the Sky is probably my key card, and my ace monster is probably Neo-Parshath.”

 

Zugai said, “You would be like the eternal light of the team, you know? You just won’t go out to easily.”

 

Ayra said, “I like that, actually. Write that down. As for my Deck, it would probably be called Archlord’s Judgment.”

 

Hiru said, “This is going along well,” as he finished writing the information.

 

Zugai said, “Kea, your turn. No pun intended.”

 

Kea giggled, “Well, my Deck is a Dragunity Deck, as you know, with a few other WIND monsters. It’s basically based on equipping Dragunity Dragons to Winged Beast Dragunities to increase their attacks and give them new powers. There’s also the Dragunity Knights, which play a key role in my Deck. Especially Dragunity Trident, which allows me to cut down the opponent’s Extra Deck, which takes out a big source of their power.”

 

Kai muttered, “It’s also a pain in the butt when a Fusion Deck is facing you.”

 

Kea sighed, “Not that I can control it, but I guess so.”

 

Zugai looked at her and said, “And in a way, you’re the trickster of the team, right?”

 

Kea said, “I guess so. Yeah, compared to other tricksters for teams, I might be very different, but I guess.”

 

Zugai smiled, “We’re all tricksters on this team, in a way. And so I’ll call you the Trickster of Team Solar Wind.”

 

Kea sighed, “It’s a bit bland. How about the Knight of Team 5Ds, because of the Dragunities and the fact that I have crafty ‘swordswork’? And for the Deck, I guess it should be called Dragunity Armada.”

 

Zugai wrote everything down and asked, “Why am I doing this?”

 

Hiru said, “Guess it’s my turn. How should I describe myself? Should somebody write it down for me?”

 

Zugai nodded, “I guess it works best. Give it to the person with the best handwriting on the team. In other words, ladies, you get to write! Here you go, Kai and Senith!” Zugai handed it to them but immediately took them back and gave them to Kea and Ayra.

 

Ayra said, “Okay, Hiru, your turn to describe your Deck.”

 

Hiru said, “Well, I guess I would say that it’s a Legendary Beast Deck with a touch of Blue-Eyes and a few other LIGHT and DARK monsters. It’s based on removing from play monsters in my Graveyard and a few other Blue-Eyes things, like fusing Blue-Eyes and such. It also has XYZ monsters, which are used for their own fusing. Legendary Beasts normally fuse by removing from play from different locations. My key card would probably be… um… I don’t know, actually. I guess Cyclone Drakon and Aether Drakon. My ace is definitely Blue-Eyes, or maybe even Aether Drakon.”

 

Ayra looked up, “And now, for your nicknames.”

 

Hiru said, “Well, for my Deck, I guess it would be Mythical Revival, and my nickname, I don’t really know.”

 

Senith recommended, “Fusion. Definitely Fusion, since you Fuse monsters even more than Kai does.”

 

Hiru said, “I like that, actually. How about Neo Fusion, because I’m new to the world? And it sounds cooler.”

 

Ayra agreed, “Neo Fusion it is.”

 

Kea said, “Zugai, it’s your turn.

 

Zugai began, “My Deck is a Dragon and Dark Deck, which has a lot of diverse elements. When it comes down to it, there is no specific way you can describe it other than Dragons. It has burn strategies, swarming strategies, power strategies, and much more. In the end, I would call it a Devious Dragon Deck. As for my nickname, I would probably go with what they gave me in Zurich, which is the Black Skull.”

 

Kea smiled, “You used B. Skull Dragon quite a lot back then, huh?”

 

Zugai laughed, “Well, they had no way to block it, so I figured ‘Why not spam Future Fusion while you can use it?’ And I did.”

 

Kea turned the paper over and announced, “And we’re done.”

 

Senith sighed, “Good to be finished. When will we know what sector we’re in?”

 

Hiru said, “In 2 days. Battle City starts in 4 days, and they’ll say 2 days ahead.”

 

Kai asked, “What if they exclude us?”

 

Kea smiled, “They won’t. I mean, we have 2 new pros, one of which beat number 1, 3 junior champions for America, and Switzerland’s top duelist. They shouldn’t be rejecting us.”

 

Ayra said, “True. I’ll go hand them the 2 forms.”

 

Zugai nodded, “Yeah, sure.”

 

Ayra left, and Kea followed just in case. Zugai continued, “Hiru, Senith, Kai, tomorrow at my house, right?”

 

The three of them nodded, and Senith exclaimed, “Yup. We’ll duel till morning!”

 

Ayra and Kea walked back and said, “Well, I think we should head out. See you in 2 days, when they announce everything!” The two of them went into Ayra’s car, and they drove into the traffic.

 

Zugai said, “And I’m off to go to the Museum of Natural History and then the Liberty Science Center, so I’ll see you guys later!”

 

Kai said, “I’m going to the Museum of Natural History, actually, but not the Liberty Science Center.”

 

Senith said, “I guess I’ll just take a long time at the Liberty Science Center’s entrance and then wait for you.”

 

Hiru said, “Well, I have work, so I guess I’ll go. Peace, broskis!” He rubbed the dent in his car, walked in, and drove off.

 

Zugai and Kai walked towards the Museum of Natural History, while Senith hailed a cab so he could go to the Liberty Science Center faster.

 

Zugai said to Kai, “I would personally like to hang out with that group at least once every time I visit.”

 

Kai sighed, “As long as it doesn’t turn into a complete disaster.”

§

In the far distance, an ominous group of people were staring at the sky. “Just one more day, and the gate will appear.”

 

 

 

[spoiler= Chapter 10]

Chapter 10: The Keys to Destruction: Stars of Olympus

 

At early sunset, before any of the sky turned black, a woman arrived just outside a CERN Building. It’s going to happen soon, and I have to be here when it happens for our plan to go through. Only a few minutes after her arrival, a light shone in her face. A security guard was standing face-to-face with her, and said, “What are you doing on property at this time?”

 

The lady had mid-length black hair, and she wore a white coat, covering up the rest of her body. The lady took out an identification card and said, “I work here. Is there anything wrong with taking a little rest here before continuing with my work?” Her accent was plain American, although there was a hint of a French Accent there. The card had a picture of her and said ‘Shura Fuzen’ in bold letters. The rest of the card was information the guard never cared about.

 

The guard stepped back, “I’m sorry, Dr. Fuzen.” And he continued his patrol.

 

Shura turned away and scowled, “You’d better be.” She looked back up at the sky, and waited. The white parts of her eyes started turning gold, and everything around her seemed to slow down.

 

§

 

Zugai waited in his foyer for Senith to arrive. Kai and Hiru already got there a while ago and were doing their own things. Zugai’s parents were on very important business meetings for the next 2 months, so he was free to do almost anything. As soon as his doorbell rang, he darted straight at the door. He opened it to see Senith panting. He joked, “Nice warm-up. Go do that again!”

 

Senith muttered, “Shut up.”

 

The group mostly talked about nothing for about 6 hours straight, like they would always do. They occasionally dueled each other and did friendly traditions, like playing Super Smash Bros. Brawl (which did not have a sequel yet) and the Dragonology board game. Occasionally, Zugai would suggest Light Saber fights outside, although the rest of the group only agreed with the suggestion just before sunset.

 

When the sun was down, the four friends were sitting at Zugai’s dining room table, eating pizza (for the satisfaction of Hiru) and chicken wings (for the satisfaction of Senith). “So guys, ready for today?”

 

Hiru nodded, “Yup. I was ready for a while!”

 

Kai tilted a bit to the side and asked, “Zugai, who are those guys?”

 

Zugai tilted his head in confusion, “What guys?”

 

Senith said, “The two people walking around in your backyard.”

 

Zugai turned around and surely enough, there were two suspicious people sneaking around outside. It was very dark outside, so they were almost unidentifiable. However, Zugai was able to see their movements, and saw that they lay down on the grass, staring at the sky. Zugai said, “They’re probably just neighbors. I’ll go say hello and figure out who they are.”

 

Zugai walked outside into the night, and his motion-sensing lights flashed on. He was able to see the whole backyard, and an astonished look crawled over his face. “Okay, seriously. What are you guys doing in my backyard?” Kea and Ayra, who were lying in the shadows, jumped in surprise.

 

Kea almost yelled, “Zugai! You live here?”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes slightly, “That doesn’t answer my question.”

 

Ayra answered, “We normally come here in the night to stargaze, since we thought that nobody lives here.”

 

Kai walked outside, and remarked, “Well, don’t you think somebody would have bought the house if nobody lived here?”

 

Kea sighed, “Sorry.”

 

Senith walked out after Kai, followed by Hiru. He looked up into the sky and thought out loud, “Well, this actually looks kinda nice. Stargazing might not be a bad idea. Only after we finish eating, though. That’s top priority.”

 

Hiru asked Kea and Ayra, “There’s plenty of food. You guys hungry?”

 

Ayra started to say “yes”, but Kea glared at her and said, “Thanks, but we just ate dinner.”

 

Senith beamed, “Fine. We’ll just eat faster.” Senith dove back into the house to continue eating, and Hiru darted in after him. Zugai and Kai exchanged pitiful glances, and walked into shadows, past Kea and Ayra. The laid down on the ground and gazed at the stars above.

 

§

 

Fifteen minutes passed Senith and Hiru walked into Zugai’s backyard. The rest of the group was already lying on the They decided to lie down in the lighted part of the backyard to stargaze. Zugai laughed, “I haven’t done this since… ever, actually. I always wanted to, but I just used a telescope.”

 

Ayra rolled her eyes, “Of course you would.”

 

Kai sighed, “What else would you expect? He’s Zugai.”

 

The whole group started chuckling, and the laughter soon turned into a guffaw that could lighten up the whole town. Zugai’s eyes were fixed at the stars, and he saw a shooting star cut the sky in half. He said, “Shooting star!” To his surprise, another one followed. A third followed, and they seemed to make half a hexagon. Three more quickly fell afterwards, completing the hexagon. Dozens of shooting stars began to move through the sky, and they all left behind a faint trail. Zugai marveled, “This must be a first time ever thing.”

 

None of the group moved: they were mesmerized by the lights flashing through the sky. Meteors cut through the sky in many different patterns, creating unique shapes in the sky. Around it all, a slow-moving star was circumscribing the large hexagon, making a perimeter around the light-show. As the circle began getting closer to completion, the meteors began clustering towards the center. Hiru asked, “Is it just me, or is the center of the thing getting brighter?”

 

Zugai turned his head to the side, and he noticed Kai’s eyes were scanning the night sky. He finally said, “And this is happening between six constellations. What a coincidence.” Zugai thought, How does he do that?

 

Just then, he turned his head back up to the sky. A shooting star split the circle in half, and suddenly, a blinding light shone on the six stargazers, and they were brought to a different world.

 

§

 

Team Solar Wind and Team Go found themselves standing in the middle of an empty hallway. There were a few white ruined columns nearby the walls, and the wall was open. In the sky was just stars, but the halls were illuminated by something that even Zugai couldn’t identify. A few hundred yards from where they stood, Zugai saw a wall with a large flight of stairs. They could only go in that direction, which depressed Zugai. “Great. An extremely long stairway. Let’s go climb some overcompensating stairs.”

 

There were no shadows to stick to, so the group stuck to the middle of the hallway, walking as fast as they could. Senith was taking it easy, since he wanted to be sure his asthma would start acting up, which slowed down the entire group. Just before they climbed the stairs, everything in the ruins, including the air, vibrated like there was an earthquake. The pillars toppled over and collapsed right onto the stairs, making a giant roadblock on the stairs. Kai sighed, “Nice. We’re trapped here.”

 

Zugai said, “There goes our one method of escape.” Just then, he felt something hit him on the top of his head quite hard. He quickly rubbed it to reduce most of the pain, and looked around him for the source, which was a necklace with a prehistoric Tiger Shark tooth on it. “Wait, I haven’t worn this since forever, since they broke before this one. Why the heck would it come here?”

 

Kai sarcastically replied, “Maybe so we could dig through the wall?”

 

Zugai ignored him and wore the necklace. As soon as he put it on, he felt a strange course of energy pass through his body. Wow! I never knew that necklaces actually make you more powerful and energetic! From now on, I will wear this for the rest of my life! Except that I won’t.

 

Zugai looked up to see that Kai, Hiru, Senith, and Kea were staring at the necklace. Zugai said, “What?” and looked at it. The shark tooth hanging from it was glowing red. Zugai shrugged, “Okay, I have a glowing thingy. This really helps.”

 

For the first time in a while, he heard Baby Dragon talking to him. “Well, you haven’t tried your Duel Disk yet, have you?”

 

Zugai was wondering what Baby Dragon was talking about, since he wasn’t wearing his Duel Disk. However, there it was, around his arm. He said, “Well, not that it will work, but sure, why not?” Zugai placed Baby Dragon on his Duel Disk and waited a second.

 

Ayra sighed, “What are you doing? You know that nothing will appear if there isn’t anything connected to-”

 

Zugai’s shark tooth produced a sudden beam of light. It stopped at a sudden point, and Baby Dragon appeared there. Baby Dragon yawned, “Sweetness! This feels much better than a computer screen!”

 

Kea’s eyes widened, “They talk to you!?”

 

Zugai gave a weak smile, “Yeah. Never thought that anybody will listen to me about it, but they like talking to me. At first I thought I had DID, but then I learned that they were different spirits. Anyway, Baby Dragon, can you punch through that wall?” Baby Dragon glared at Zugai, and Zugai sighed, “Fine.” He placed Dragon Gunfire in his Spell or Trap Card Zone, and Baby Dragon shot a large fireball. It hit the wall and exploded, leaving a big hole in it. Zugai smiled while watching the smoke in the hole, but once it died, there was only a large passage of dirt. He dipped his head in disappointment, and said, “Should we try another one?” Baby Dragon sighed and shook its head.

 

Hiru said, “Sweet! Let my try it!” His Duel Disk was also strapped around his arm, and he tried summoning Needle Burrower. Nothing happened. Hiru sighed “So I can’t do it? Dang it.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Dude, it’s a Level 5…”

 

Hiru smiled, “Oh yeah, I need a Tribute.” Ayra glanced at the two of them like they were crazy, and Hiru started off by placing Hellhound on his Duel Disk. A medallion around his neck started glowing blue, and Hellhound was produced on the ground in front of him. “And then…” Hiru took Hellhound off of his field and placed Needle Burrower. Nothing happened at first, but Needle Burrower rose from the ground, putting Hiru on its back. “Woah, man, this is awesome! Now, then, do what you do best and dig!” Needle Burrower began digging through the hole that Baby Dragon made, but eventually ran into a blockade of more stone that it couldn’t dig through.

 

Zugai sighed, “Oh please.” He summoned Reptilliane Viper, who automatically tuned with Baby Dragon.

 

Senith looked at Zugai in awe, “You don’t have to declare anything to give them orders!?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Never did. I could just think it and it happens.”

 

Ally of Justice Catastor appeared from the light, and blasted at the stone. The stone disintegrated, leaving a hole on the other side of the wall. They appeared in a stable, with many different creatures. They were all in different cage-like things, but as soon as Zugai passed his hand through the bars, it would slightly open. It was the same case for everybody else. The first one that caught Zugai’s eye was a 13-foot Thresher Shark with wing-like fins, who seemed to be swimming in the air. He ran up to it, and surprisingly enough, it seemed to bow to Zugai. He pet it on the head, and the shark seemed to approve of it. Zugai climbed onto its back, and said, “Well, guys, let’s get ready. I’ll call this guy… Draco. Yes, a shark named Draco. That’s perfect.”

 

Hiru was on top of a 20-foot high red and black scorpion even bigger than Needle Burrower from the cage across from Zugai. Kai was riding on a black Pegasus the size of an average horse, who was trotting towards the two of them. Senith was riding on top of a fifteen-foot scarlet fire-breathing dragon, which he had already named Spitfire. Kea was riding on top of a giant rainbow-colored hawk that was about 9 feet tall, and Ayra was riding on top of a giant fairy that was as large as the hawk.

 

Zugai smiled, “Well then, I guess we’ll be going a long way from here.” Draco started swimming, or flying, forward at Italy highway speed. Zugai smiled as he felt the strong wind pushing his hair back, and having his skin pressed against his face. Kai’s Pegasus was flying right behind him.

 

Zugai called to Kai, “You gonna name your Pegasus?”

 

Kai answered, “Apparently, his name is already Blackjack.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Wow. How uncreative are the people that live here? For all we know, we’re going to find Percy Jackson…”

 

Zugai looked down and saw that Hiru was already going to have problems: the ground below them was gone. Coincidently, the scorpion was able to walk on molecules, since it didn’t appear to fall. Kea’s hawk and Ayra’s fairy were gliding side-by-side, toward the back of the group. Zugai thought about flying next to Hiru for a conversation, and Draco immediately obeyed by his thoughts. What am I? I can make thing happen with mythical creatures, does that make me mythanimaliapathic or something?

 

Zugai was almost side-to-side by Hiru and asked, “So, having fun?”

 

Hiru smiled, “This is awesome, you know.”

 

Zugai said, “I know. As long as you have that thing, you won’t have to worry about gofers attacking us.”

 

Hiru laughed, but before he could respond, he heard Senith yell, “Good thing we aren’t walking! I would never be able to climb up that!”

 

Zugai looked forward to see a tower twice as tall as fifteen Empire State Buildings. It was able to crush all of Manhattan with its base. “Wow, that isn’t too big or anything. Can somebody say ‘overcompensating’?”

 

Kai called, “If your going to make a joke, make it original.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Shut up.” He started flying towards the top of the tower, followed by the rest of the group. Hiru had the tough job of holding onto the scorpion while it was climbing. He never noticed that there was a place he was supposed to sit on the shell where he wouldn’t fall.

 

Zugai heard Draco say to him telepathically, Well, master, do you have any more requests for this trip?

 

Zugai laughed, “What’s with the formality? No need for that. But can you go faster than a Great White Shark?” Zugai’s eyes widened when he realized that those might be his last words.

 

Draco started dashing as fast as a jet plane into the tower. His maneuvering was perfect, since he gracefully avoided every obstacle while dashing at full speed. As soon as they reached the top of the tower, Draco slowed down and gently set Zugai down. Zugai pet Draco to express his gratitude before turning to what he saw at the top of the tower.

 

Two giants were standing at the center of the tower, trying to catch something. One was younger, with long, brown hair, wearing a white, Greek robe. The other one was older, his hair made out of ocean water and scales instead of clothes. The younger one said, “Oceanus, I don’t know if we could hold them on our own!”

 

Oceanus replied, “I never thought we could, Prometheus! Our plan was to drain them of their powers so they cannot be used as keys anymore!”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Are those… Titans?” Just as he figured it out, a pulse passed through the air, knocking six glowing objects right out of the Titans’ hands. Two of which fell out of the tower on one side. One headed right toward Zugai’s chest, and he managed to catch it. The force of the object knocked him back, but Draco caught him before he fell of the tower. The remaining three were carried up by Hiru, Senith, and Kai. They were followed by Kea and Ayra, who were empty handed.

 

The two Titans walked over to the group of teenagers. Prometheus choked, “It is too late. They have taken their form, so we cannot stop them.”

 

Oceanus dipped his head, “And the two that fell, it was as if they wanted to be taken hold of.”

 

Zugai looked at what he caught, and it appeared to be a blank Synchro with what appeared to be Summoning Conditions in Greek Letters. Zugai asked, “What are these?”

 

Oceanus replied, “Those are the keys to destruction. I’m sorry, but we cannot explain everything, since you have little time left in this place. By holding them, you have put an ancient curse on yourselves.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “Curse?”

 

Prometheus said, “You have been gifted the ability to surpass most others while you hold those cards, and you have abilities that most others only dream to possess. However, you will be forced to clash with people who have powers that surpass all others. As a gift for saving the cards, we will allow you to summon these creatures at your call, but your journey will…” Prometheus’s voice faded to silence, and everything turned white.

 

Zugai blinked. He was staring at the sky in the same way he was before, same scenario. No Duel Disk, no necklace. Everybody was silent, and Zugai wondered if any of that actually happened. He checked his Deck, and saw that the blank card was still there.

 

As he stared at the sky, the stars seemed to be vanishing, one by one.

 

§

 

Gouzen awoke with a card in his hand, with the night sky above him. He jolted up, and looked around to see only shadow. “Where the hell am I!?”

 

An ominous feminine voice replied, “Gouzen, would you like to be granted ultimate power?”

 

Gouzen stared towards the voice, “What?”

 

Another voice replied, “You were beaten easily by that pipsqueak kid. If you take this power, you could just possibly get the revenge you seek. Just give us that card you are holding?”

 

Gouzen blinked, “I don’t care about revenge, but I am definitely going to take this power!” He threw the card into the shadows, and a hand grabbed it. Oujo emerged from the shadows, and stared at Gouzen emotionlessly.

 

“Follow me.” Gouzen got up and followed Oujo deep into the ruins. They came to a chamber with seven glowing symbols on the wall: a scythe, a spear, a skull, a snake, a crown, the earth, and a solar eclipse. There was one symbol, a sun, which was not glowing. “Stand right in front of this.” Oujo pointed toward a statue with a pedestal in front of it. The statue was a large warrior, who seemed to be bright compared to most other statues. Oujo placed the card on a pedestal, with six empty parts, and the world shook. Oujo announced to Gouzen, “I will grant you the power of pure light.” The statue vanished, and Gouzen’s body started glowing. A blinding light filled the ruins and escaped into the world above.

 

The whole country of Cambodia could see the bright light coming from the deep woods.

 

As soon as the light died down, Gouzen was unconscious. A cloaked figure holding a scythe walked into the chamber. “Good thing he shut up.”

 

Oujo turned towards her, “How did it go?”

 

The figure glared, “Do you think I would fail at this?” She placed a second card in the pedestal, and the world shook again. “Honestly, after stripping them of their powers, I don’t think we could fail.”

 

§

 

The next afternoon, at 12:00 PM, in Times Square, Zugai, Kai, Kea, Hiru, Senith, and Ayra were waiting together for the announcement of the opening of Battle City. A pulse ran through the air beforehand, lighter than the rest of them. Just then, a man appeared on the M & M’s store screen. “Ladies and gentlemen, the list of teams participating in Battle City has been announced!” The announcer declared all of the names, the last two being Team Solar Wind and Team Go. He continued, “However, I bring grave news to New York. Battle City is undergoing heavy preparations, and will be delayed by a three days. However, all participating teams will be brought on a very special tour program in CERN!”

 

Zugai smiled, “Yay! LHCs!”

 

The announcer continued, “The flight will leave at 5:30 today, so get ready! Also, this is a two-day trip to CERN, and Team Uniforms will be provided. No need to bring extra clothes!”

 

Kai muttered, “Good to know, I guess.”

 

Zugai groaned, “We wear uniforms? I REALLY hope it won’t be that decorative and uncomfortable.”

 

Senith nudged Zugai, “At least the announcer is good.”

 

Kea giggled, “He actually likes that announcer.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Kea, did you specifically have to say it like that? I mean, you made it sound like I’m in love with the announcer.”

 

§

 

A group of three was standing in front of Big Ben, London. They heard the commotion from below, and stared at the streets. The rightmost one was dressed in scarlet armor. The one standing next to him was dressed in grey, his uniform looking like a mechanical armor. The third wore a white cloak that covered almost all of his body.

 

The one in grey said, “How much longer do we have to wait? I think we should just blow s*** up and get it over with.”

 

The man in white said, “Don’t act too soon, Ranmyaku. We just have to wait longer before we show ourselves to the world. And I’ll see to it that we won’t lose.”

 

The one in red yawned, “You never lose, so it doesn’t really matter, Kisune.”

 

Kisune, the one in white, smiled, “We have been brought together by our powers, and it has created the perfect team. I’m pretty sure it’s flawless. Our inferiors will be lucky enough if they get past you.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “If they do take down Brendan, which never happens, I’ll actually get to do something!”

 

Kisune narrowed his eyes, “Just as long as you stick to our plan instead of making up your own.”

 

Ranmyaku grunted, “Whatever.”

 

Kisune pulled out a card, “Just four days. Four days, and the world will know pure destruction, the power of Armageddon.” Ranmyaku and Brendan also pulled out two cards, and the world seemed to slightly tremble in fear from the presence of them. A thunderbolt cut through the sky, and by the time it dissipated, the three figures disappeared. Cold rain poured down in London, and the sky was tainted red.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 11]Chapter 11: Ultimate Energy! Dragon Lord Kisune Kaguya!

 

“Attention, this is your captain speaking. We are now landing in Geneva Airport. I hope you have enjoyed your flight with us and that you will travel with us soon.”

 

Zugai grabbed his black backpack, which had all his necessary belongings, as the rest of the passengers on the plane gathered their things. He was sitting next to Kai, who had been reading a Duel Magazine the whole time. Zugai asked, “Why did you read that magazine? That isn’t very much like you, Kai.”

 

Kai stood up and said, “I just wanted to get info about other teams in the tournament, just so we know what we should be ready for.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Okay, I take back what I said about that not being like you.”

 

Kai slightly smiled as the two friends walked off of the airplane.

 

When they got off, they saw Hiru, Ayra, Kea, and Senith, all looking happy after the flight. Zugai grinned, “So, how was Swiss Air?”

 

Hiru smiled, “I wish I could take this airlines every flight!”

 

Zugai winked, “So, ready for immigration?”

 

Senith’s smile faded slowly, but Zugai laughed, “You don’t have to be, remember? Battle City?”

 

Senith sighed of relief, “Phew, you got me there.”

 

The group saw two men in tuxedos nearby their flight, holding signs that said, “Team Solar Wind” and “Team Go”. They escorted them through the airport and into two separate stretch limos. During the ride, Kea beamed, “Well, it isn’t every day that we get to be in a stretch limo! Do we get to ride in this very often during Battle City?”

 

Kai blankly replied, “Nope. The person riding this will be working with us, though, kind of like a butler. We also have a small team that will assist us with small things like cooking, researching, and planning, apparently.”

 

Zugai groaned, “And I was excited for it to be just the three of us.”

 

Kea stared at Zugai in confusion, “What’s wrong with that?”

 

Zugai sighed, “I dislike unnecessary large groups of people. That’s why I don’t like Madrid.”

 

§

 

The limousines stopped in front of the CERN laboratory. Zugai, Kai, Kea, Hiru, Ayra, and Senith all walked into the lab to see that nobody else has arrived. Zugai sighed, “Are we this late?”

 

A lady walked towards the group and said, “No, you guys were the first to arrive, actually. It doesn’t matter, since one person is assigned to take two teams on a tour. I’m your tour guide, Shura Fuzen. I’ve been working with the LHC for the past two years.”

 

Zugai anxiously asked, “Do we get to see it!?”

 

Shura smiled, “You won’t get to go in it, but you get to see it through glass.”

 

Kai actually smiled, “I actually feel slightly excited.”

 

Senith laughed, “First time in a year, eh?”

 

Zugai grinned, “‘Eh?’ What are you, Canadian?”

 

§

 

Zugai almost fell asleep through most of the tour, since it was stuff he has hear, researched, and taught to most people fifty times over, like the four forces, quarks, and things like that. He immediately awoke when he saw the particle accelerator right in front of him. Before he could say anything, everything seemed to slow down to him for what actually lasted a whole second. He could actually track every single particle that was being boosted through the accelerator, and he could see the energy traces they created after they collided. However, this sensation only lasted for a full second before he was brought back to Earth.

 

Shura explained to the group, “This is what is currently happening: the protons are passing through this chamber through the glass at more than 99% of the speed of light. They collide with each other, and can either produce antimatter or become energy.”

 

Zugai asked, “Have you ever used it to boost regular particles to create other elements?”

 

Shura smiled, “We just recently started doing that after the world started giving up on a stable ununquadrium. After we came up with the idea, we actually became fifty neutron ahead of a stable atom of it.

 

Kea’s eyes widened, “Seriously? FIFTY?”

 

Shura nodded, “Yes. It also produced heavy energies that could probably power all of Geneva for over a decade. However, the energy was not captured. We have run the experiment again yesterday, and I have yet to see the results.”

 

A worker approached Shura. “Dr. Fuzen? I have good news and bad news.”

 

Shura turned to the worker, “Yes? I’m all ears.”

 

The worker said, “The good news is that your theory was correct. The collision of copper and astatine was able to complete the stable particle. It also showed no signs of decay, and was infinitely producing energy. The bad news…”

 

Shura asked, “What?”

 

The worker gulped, “It was taken.”

 

Shura’s eyes widened, “What do you mean taken?”

 

The worker stuttered, “Well, we placed it in a vacuum chamber, but the energy it produced caused a blackout in the whole lab. Once the energy returned, it was gone. Somebody must have taken it and left.”

 

Shura sighed, “Godammit. We were so close, too. But we will be able to create it again soon, right?’

 

The worker nodded, “Yes, Dr. Fuzen.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Heh, you guys created a God Particle?”

 

Shura turned back and said, “More like a God Atom. The reason we were trying to make it is so that it could power all of Battle City’s complex technology for as long as it goes on. We have tested out energies from particle accelerators to charge modified Duel Terminals, and they have come out quite well.”

 

Just then, Shura heard a beep on her watch. “Speak of the devil, we’re about to go see it now.”

 

§

 

All members of both Team Starlight and Team Go were told to wait in a room with all of the other teams. A voice called to Hiru, “So, you actually won with your nerdiness?”

 

Hiru turned around to see Kosoru standing right there, with his same uniform. Next to him was Josep and Black, his teammates.

 

Black sighed, “Stop, Kosoru.”

 

Josep made a quick bow, “It’s a pleasure to actually see the new champion.”

 

Kosoru added, “Who’s probably just a lucky b******.”

 

Black sighed again, “Just like you, since I barely want to keep you on the team.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Team Creation? I WOULD say ‘nice to meet you’, except one of your members doesn’t really fit the work ‘nice’. Although it DOES seem that the other two fit it. Majority wins. Nice to meet you.”

 

Black stared blankly, and El said, “Oh, look, an annoying teenager.”

 

Zugai winked, “Look who’s talking.”

 

Hiru stepped up and said, “Guys, stop it. Now’s not the time for arguing.”

 

Black nodded, “If the place wasn't crowded, one of you two would have been bifurcated.”

 

Zugai laughed, “Bifurcate? Really?”

 

Senith laughed with him, “I don’t even know what that means.”

 

Black answered, “Bifurcate means splitting someone in half, or quartering them.”

 

Zugai smiled, “I like your diction.” Black did not respond.

 

The door opened, and Shura walked through the door. “Everybody, please walk this way.”

 

Zugai quickly muttered, “Aerosmith,” and followed the crowd.

 

Once they walked into a room, a Duel Terminal the size of half a football field, with two stands at the base and no 3-D computer screen was placed in the center. The room itself was four times as large as the Duel Terminal, and they were still 100 meters underground. Shura explained, “This is the model of our new Duel Terminal. Powered by our particle accelerator, it has a 3-D screen on the walls to project the duel around the duelists. I would like to invite Kisune Kaguya to step up, please.”

 

A man in a white cloak with red hair and green eyes stepped to the Duel Stadium. He wore silver armor underneath his cloak, which seemed to reflect any light that came toward him. Shura said, “We will let him pick his opponent.”

 

Kisune looked around the room quickly. After a few seconds, the tension in the room was palpable. He broke it when he called, “Hiru Hitono will be my opponent!”

 

Zugai pushed Hiru forward, “Well, somebody’s popular. Now then, go fight the guy who never lost a single time in his life.”

 

Hiru turned at Zugai, eyes widened, and almost yelled, “What?” He was still forced to walk to one side of the Duel Stand, far apart from Kisune. Just then, fences raised themselves from the ground around Hiru, and the place he was on elevated, just like it did with Kisune. The platform he stood on grew until he was about 30 feet in the air, facing Kisune from a distance. The two of them yelled in unison, “Duel!”

 

Kisune began, “I’m taking the first move, draw!” He looked at his hand, and smiled. “I activate Trade-In. By discarding my Level 8 Light and Darkness Dragon, I can draw 2 cards.” He continued to smile by what he saw in his hand. “I Summon Dragon Lord – Azera in attack mode! (0/0) I also activate Azera’s effect! Once per turn, I can equip a Dragon-Type monster from my hand to it. It then gains that monster’s ATK. I equip it with Felgrand Dragon, who has 2800 ATK.” A red flame shaped like Felgrand Dragon surrounded Azera. (0→2800/0) “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru sighed, “Great. 2800 ATK right of the bat. Draw!” Hiru drew his card and smiled, “I activate Ancient Rules! With this, I can Special Summon a Level 5 of higher monster from my hand! I Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” A blue light shone from Hiru’s Duel Disk, and Blue-Eyes White Dragon materialized from the light. (3000/2500) Hiru continued, “Next, I Normal Summon Kaiser Sea Horse in attack mode! (1700/1650) Blue-Eyes attacks Azera!” Blue-Eyes White Dragon fired a beam of white lightning at Azera, but Azera created a portal that absorbed it, and the flames behind it vanished. Hiru yelled, “What the-!”

 

Kisune stated, “I activate Azera’s effect. I can destroy the monster equipped to it to negate an attack towards it. This means that Azera also loses its ATK. (0/0)”

 

Hiru smiled, “Kaiser Sea Horse, attack Azera!” Kaiser Sea Horse swung its sword at Azera, bifurcating it. (Kisune 8000→6300)”

 

Kisune smiled, “I didn’t expect you to hit me so lightly like that.”

 

Hiru asked, “What do you mean lightly?”

 

Kisune yelled, “When Azera is destroyed, it destroys the attacking monster and inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to its ATK!” Kaiser Sea Horse exploded, and the explosion reached Hiru. (Hiru 8000→6300)”

 

Zugai asked Kea, “Is it just me, or does Kisune seem stronger than Kurai?”

 

Ayra answered for Kea, “Kisune also beat Kurai before, off record, though.”

 

Zugai didn’t want to ask how easily Kisune beat Kurai, since Hiru barely escaped him.

 

Hiru growled, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kisune yelled, “My turn, draw! I Normal Summon Decoy Dragon in attack mode and end my turn! (300/200)”

 

Zugai said, “Troubling. I can already see what he’s doing.”

 

Kea asked, “What’s that?”

 

Zugai explained, “Decoy Dragon can Special Summon a Level 7 or higher Dragon-Type Monster from your Graveyard if it’s attacked. He’s going to revive Felgrand Dragon, which when Special Summoned from the Graveyard, gains ATK equal to the Level of a monster in your Graveyard x 200. He already sent Light and Darkness Dragon to the Graveyard, so Felgrand Dragon will have 4400 ATK. Hopefully, Hiru won't fall for it.”

 

Hiru sighed, Good, no counterattack. “Draw! Blue-Eyes White Dragon attacks Decoy Dragon!”

 

Zugai facepalmed, “Idiot!”

 

Kisune smiled, “I activate Decoy Dragon’s effect! If it’s selected as an attack target! I can Special Summon a Level 7 or higher Dragon-Type monster from my Graveyard, and switch the attack target to that monster! I revive Felgrand Dragon! (2800/2800) And when it’s Special Summoned by this effect, I can select a monster in my Graveyard. Felgrand Dragon gains ATK equal to the Level of a monster in my Graveyard x 200. I select Light and Darkness Dragon. Light and Darkness Dragon’s Level is 8, so Felgrand Dragon gains 1600 ATK! (2800→4400/2800)”

 

Hiru objected, “It can’t be Special Summoned if it wasn’t on the field first!”

 

Kisune grinned, “What do you think Azera was for? Counterattack, Felgrand! Majesty Breath!” Felgrand Dragon shot a beam of pure light at Blue-Eyes, who disintegrated in the beam. (Hiru 6300→4900)

 

Hiru smiled, “I’m not done yet. Since a Dragon-Type monster I control has been destroyed, I can Special Summon Aether Drakon from my Extra Deck!” In the 3D screen, a clear sky appeared in the air, and Aether Drakon descended. (3000/2400) “Aether Drakon attacks Decoy Dragon!” Aether Dragon fired a beam of sunlight, which caused Decoy Dragon to explode.

 

Kisune interrupted, “I activate my trap: Defense Draw! It reduces Battle Damage to 0 and allows me to draw 1 card!”

 

Hiru growled, “I end my turn.”

 

Kisune said, “Draw. I Normal Summon Dragon Lord – Pendragon in attack mode! (1600/1000) As long as Pendragon is face-up on the field, Dragon-Type monsters I control cannot be targeted by card effects.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “What the-!”

 

Kisune taunted, “Your easy tricks won’t work on me. Felgrand Dragon, obliterate Aether Drakon. Majesty Breath!” Felgrand Dragon launched another beam of pure light, which also caused Aether Dragon to disintegrate. (Hiru 4900→3500)

 

Kisune continued, “Pendragon, attack him directly!” Pendragon thrust his sword into the ground, and a flame ran through the ground towards Hiru.

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate my trap: Magic Cylinder! This negates your attack and inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to the attacking monster’s ATK!” A shield protected Hiru from the flame, and it bounced right back at Kisune. (Kisune 6300→4700)

 

Kisune scowled, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru began, “I draw!”

 

Kisune interrupted, “At this moment, I activate Battle Mania! Now monsters you control must declare an attack!”

 

Hiru smiled, “Don’t count on it being a good one! I activate my trap: Pyramid of Light! Next, by paying 1000 Life Points total, I Special Summon Andro Sphinx and Sphinx Teleia from my Deck! (Hiru 3500→2500)” A Pyramid formed behind Hiru, and his two Sphinxes crawled out of it. (3000/2500) (2500/3000) “They can’t declare an attack during the turn that I summoned them, though. That nulls your Battle Mania!”

 

Kisune laughed, “That’s your best? Two monsters I can easily beat with Felgrand Dragon?”

 

Hiru continued, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kisune grunted, “I was hoping you would be more of a challenge. Draw! Felgrand Dragon, attack his-”

 

Hiru interrupted, “Not so fast! I activate my trap: Raigeki Break! I discard Hellhound of the Abyss to destroy 1 card on the field. I destroy Pyramid of Light!” A lightning bolt shattered the Pyramid, and Hiru continued, “That destroys and removes from play my Sphinxes.” The Sphinxes began glowing, and they shattered into little fragments of light. Hiru smiled, “When the two Sphinxes are destroyed at the same time, I can pay 500 Life Points Special Summon Theinin the Great Sphynx! (Hiru 2500→2000) (3500/3000)”

 

Kisune chuckled, “Weak. All you did was confirm your loss! Felgrand, attack Theinin!”

 

Hiru interrupted, “I activate Theinin’s other Special Effect! When it’s Summoned, by paying 500 Life Points, it gains 3000 ATK! (Hiru 2000→1500)” A blue flame surrounded Theinin, who was roaring from his increased power. (3500→6500/3000)

 

Kisune grunted, “What the-?” Theinin grabbed Felgrand with his claws and crushed it. (Kisune 4700→2600) “So, you’re stronger than I thought you were. Now it’s time that I’ll go all out. I Normal Summon Dragon Lord – Sven in attack mode! (1300/200) I also activate the Spell Card Monster Reborn to bring back Azera! (0/0) And as long as Pendragon is on the field, all other Tuner monsters on the field become non-Tuner monsters! I tune my Level 4 Pendragon to my Level 3 Azera and Level 3 Sven!” Pendragon swung its sword in four different arcs, creating four rings. It vanished as the rings lined up. Both Sven and Azera entered the rings, both of them turning into red ghosts.

 

Kisune recited, “At the end of all things, the strongest being will descend and set all of the world ablaze! Synchro Summon!” A blinding light appeared around the rings, in a sphere form. Slowly, the claws and legs of the dragon started descending from the light. Kisune’s left eye began to glow red, with a Dragon in the middle of his iris. He malevolently smiled, “Descend forth, Ultimate Destructor – Drago Ugma!” Drago Ugma spread its wings, scattering the light around the whole stadium, which shook as the dragon roared. The Dragon itself seemed big enough to eat the world piece by piece and finish it in a week. (4000/3000) Kisune smiled, “I end my turn. During your End Phase, Theinin’s ATK becomes 3500 again. (6500→3500/3000)”

 

Hiru stared at Drago Ugma in awe, That isn’t a normal monster, but I’m going to beat it! “I switch Theinin to defense mode and summon Chimera in Defense mode. (1500/300) I set 1 card. Your move.”

 

Kisune smiled, “Draw! I activate Drago Ugma’s effect! I can remove from play a Dragon Lord Tuner from my Graveyard to increase its ATK by 1500! I remove Pendragon from play! (4000→5500/3000) Also, I activate my continuous trap: Dragon’s Rage. Dragon-Type monsters will now gain a piercing damage effect!”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “What the-!”

 

Kisune yelled, “Drago Ugma, destroy Theinin! Unrestraint Destruction!” Drago Umga fired a large beam of yellow energy at Theinin.

 

Hiru interrupted, “No way! I activate my Trap: Curse of the River Styx! I Tribute Chimera, and my Life Points are safe, along with Theinin!” Theinin fought off the light. Hiru continued, “You also get a Blessing Spirit Token with ATK equal to that of the Tributed monster!”

 

Kisune replied, “Hmph. Simple tactics. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “Draw! I activate Fissure! This will destroy the Blessing Spirit Token on your side of the field! Then you’ll be taking damage equal to its ATK!” The token on Kisune’s field shattered, and a beam of light blasted at Kisune. (Kisune 2600→1100) “Next, I activate Clash of True Power, so we can draw cards until we both have 5 cards in our hands!” After Hiru drew his cards, he smiled. “I activate Monster Reborn, to bring back Blue-Eyes from my Graveyard. (3000/2500) Next, I activate Polymerization! I send the Blue-Eyes on my field to the Graveyard along with the two in my hand to Special Summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! (4500/3800)”

 

Kisune looked at the monster and smiled, “Is that all that you’ll do?”

 

Hiru smiled, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kisune grunted, “Draw! I remove Sven from play to activate Drago Ugma’s effect, increasing its ATK by 1500! (4000→5500/3000) Drago Ugma attacks Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”

 

Hiru smiled, “Not so fast: I activate my face-down card!” Just as he activated the trap, the entire room became dark and the projections vanished.

 

Zugai facepalmed, “Oh, come on! I would expect this to happen in a book or story so that they could just have a sequel, but in real life? No.”

 

Hiru and Kisune were set down and stared at each other. Kisune scowled, “I guess we’ll leave this as undecided.”

 

Hiru nodded, “Fine.” The turned away from each other and walked back to their groups.

 

Zugai looked toward Kisune’s group. “They look… troubling. I don’t even know what that monster was.”

 

Kai explained, “He’s the leader of Team Armageddon. They were in the minor leagues for a long time, but they were finally allowed into the big teams. They’re first member is known for opening with an OTK, then obliterates the next two members. The second one has made very little appearances, and Kisune never used his Deck once in a record.”

 

Kea said, “That’s ridiculous. How would a team that good be in the minor leagues for so long? I mean, Kisune was basically toying around with Hiru!”

 

Senith asked, “Hiru, what was your card?”

 

Hiru showed, “It was Burst Breath. I would have Tributed it to destroy Drago Ugma. My other one was Call of the Haunted, which would have been used to bring back Ultimate Dragon for a direct attack.”

 

Ayra smiled, “So you would have won!”

 

Kai quickly said, “I don’t think so. I have a hunch that Kisune’s set card would have gotten him to win the duel.”

 

Zugai nodded, “That’s understandable. Didn’t look like he wanted to lose.”

 

Hiru turned towards where he saw Kisune walk off. That was one tough duelist. Will I actually be able to beat him? I could barely stand up against him this time! He asked himself the same question over and over again, and was troubled for the rest of the day.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapters 12-14]

Chapter 12: The First Wave! The Beginning of the New Age!

 

Somewhere, in the depths of the unknown world, within ancient ruins, a group of sinister people were meeting. The ruins were quite dark in this night with no stars. A voice complained, “How much longer is he going to take? I’m tired of waiting.”

 

An ominous female voice replied, “It doesn’t matter. Time isn’t passing in the world around us. We can take years to plan on what will happen without losing ten seconds of out time. And Gouzen will not be much longer. Really, Tsuchi, you get on my nerves with that impatience.”

 

Tsuchi laughed, “Heh. It doesn’t matter, he’s coming. Geez, that guy hits the ground hard.”

 

A light peered into the room. Gouzen, walked in with a dim light aura surrounding him. It began glowing a much brighter shade of white as he sat with the group. “Hey, why so dark!? Why don’t we put a little light in here, huh!? HA!” Gouzen laughed.

 

A claw suddenly darted at Gouzen’s head, stopping just at his throat. An ominous voice growled, “Make it any brighter and I’ll be sure you die today.”

 

A woman hissed, “Now, now, Typhoeus, no need to kill him. He does seem quite… interesting.”

 

Typhoeus’s claw transformed into a human hand, and he laughed, “Did you really think that I would go and kill him? He’s not even worth my time.”

 

A blade ran through the air, brining silence to the entire ruins. A woman screamed “Enough! Now, there is business to take care of.”

 

Oujo stepped forward, “We all know that the other four Keys have escaped our grasp and fallen into other hands. However, Shura has managed to find the last four. Conveniently enough, they are held by four close friends who will be participating in Battle City. Right now, they are gathered in Geneva before Battle City starts. We already have a group ready for Battle City, but I would say we send a first wave to give them a warning. If you are wondering who these people are, here is a quick photo of them.”

 

A big screen flashed in the ruins, and a photo of Zugai, Hiru, Senith, and Kai were shown glowing on the radar. As soon as Gouzen saw Zugai, his fist clenched in rage. “I’m so taking this one.”

 

Oujo shook his head, “No you won’t. You just became one of us. Your powers haven’t even sunk in yet. For now, we’ll just send in Furui.”

 

Tsuchi laughed, “Oh, here come the big guns. Why are you sending in one of our strongest?”

 

Oujo narrowed his eyes, “If we’re going to do this, we’ll do it my way.”

 

§

 

The things Zugai hated more than anything else in the world were unnecessary crowds that block his path no matter where he goes. Of course, he has to wake up to one. It was 3:00 in the morning, and the streets of Geneva were panicking. Every few seconds, the ground would vibrate as if a giant was walking. Zugai looked out the window to see a disaster. The buildings around the hotel have become ruins, and a giant suit of armor was waiting right in front of the hotel. Zugai looked around to see where his friends were, but they were nowhere to be seen. He also saw an open window with an emergency exit right outside. Oh, DUH!

 

Zugai crawled out of the window and dashed down the emergency exit as quickly as possible to see if his friends were still nearby. There they were, running down the street away from the giant. Zugai turned to run after them, but just as he caught up with the group, the giant leapt, landing right in front of them. Up close, Zugai saw that it was just a giant knight, and there was a figure riding on top of it. The figure leapt down, and revealed himself to be a man in a suit of medieval armor. Senith said, “Are you crazy, or are you just really old?”

 

The person removed the helmet to reveal he had long, white hair. He also had blue eyes, and his skin seemed to be perfect. He said, “My name is Furui, the Lord of all soldiers. I have been sent here to recover what is rightfully ours.”

 

Ayra asked, “What do you mean ‘ours’? You’re by yourself!”

 

Furui narrowed his eyes, “That doesn’t concern you. Just give them to me. The Star Cards, that is.”

 

Kea asked, “Is THAT what they’re called?”

 

Furui drew his sword, “You ask way too many questions.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Well, you’re just going to have to take it from us, sir. I say we just play by Ante rule.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Why? Why Ante?”

 

Furui placed the sword on its arm. The blade opened and retracted, and a blade with features of a Duel Disk emerged from the hilt of the sword. “Accepted. However, I get to select my opponent. I choose you, the one with the shark tooth necklace.”

 

Zugai dipped his head, “Fine.”

 

Furui pointed again, “Along with the one that has not spoken yet.”

 

Zugai widened his eyes, “What are you suggesting? Two on one?”

 

Furui shook his head, “I am a knight. I fight with honor, and shall be fought at with only honor. I am suggesting a Triangle Duel.”

 

Zugai nodded, “Fair enough. However, you’ll have to beat the two of us in order to get the Star Cards. Is that a fair deal?”

 

Furui shrugged, “Whatever.” I’m just going to have to get those cards no matter what.

 

Zugai and Kai strapped their Duel Disks on their arm, and drew 5 cards. Furui also drew 5 cards from his Deck. He said, “You two can take the first move.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Sure. I draw! I set 1 monster in Defense Mode and end my turn.”

 

Kai said, “Draw. I set 1 monster and 1 card. Your move.”

 

Furui narrowed his eyes, “Is that all you guys can do!? Since it’s a Triangle Duel, none of us can attack this turn, but I thought that if you two held the Star Cards, you would be stronger than that!”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened for half a second, “What?”

 

Furui continued, “I Normal Summon Iron Knight in Defense mode! (300/2000) Next, I activate Chivalry Pact! I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai remarked, “I love how you talk big and that’s all you can do. I draw! I Flip Summon Des Lacooda! This card’s Flip Effect allows me to draw 1 card. Also, Des Lacooda can be re-set every turn. I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Ayra commented, “Zugai’s waiting for something, isn’t he?”

 

Senith shook his head, “Nope. He just wants his opponent to think that.”

 

Kai said, “I draw! I Normal Summon Neo Elemental Hero – Earthquake! (1500/1600)”

 

Furui said, “So you’re planning on fighting me with warriors instead of camels? How nice. I activate the continuous Trap Card: Diamond Armor!” The armor Iron Knight wore suddenly started growing diamond crystals until it was all diamond. “With this, Iron Knight cannot be destroyed by battle.

 

Zugai said, “Look down. Back up. The armor is now diamond. Anything is possible with the power of Old-”

 

Kai interrupted, “I activate the effect of Earthquake. Once per turn, I can Special Summon a Neo Elemental Hero from my hand. I Special Summon Knightmare! (2600/1800) Also, when Earthquake summons a monster with this effect, a Trap Card you control is destroyed.” Earthquake leapt into the air and aimed a kick at the armor. An orange aura surrounded his foot.

 

Furui yelled, “Is that all you can really do!?” Earthquake hit the armor, which didn’t crack a bit. “Iron Knight can negate the destruction of a card on the field once per turn!”

 

Kai smirked, “Knightmare, attack Iron Knight.” Knightmare’s lance began to spin in a drilling motion, and it charged at Iron Knight.”

 

Furui calmly remarked, “Iron Knight can’t be destroyed by battle. Why are you doing this?”

 

Kai said, “Knightmare inflicts Piercing damage.” Knightmare stopped in his tracks as the lance hit Iron Knight’s diamond armor. However, a shockwave ran through the air, and damage was inflicted to Furui as it passed by him. (Furui 8000→7400) “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Furui said, “I activate the effect of Chivalry Pact! During the End Phase of a turn I take damage, it gains a Pact Counter for every interval of 500 points of damage. (C1) While this card has a Pact Counter, if a card I control attacks, it gains 300 ATK.”

 

Kai sighed, “Enough talking. Just go.”

 

Furui said, “With dignity. I activate the Equip Spell Card: Offense Shield! The equipped monster is forced to stay in attack mode, but it’s ATK switches with its DEF! (300→2000/2000→300) Now, attack Des Lacooda!” Iron Knight charged at Zugai. When Des Lacooda revealed itself, Iron Knight rammed its head with the shield.

 

Zugai countered, “Since Des Lacooda was Flip Summoned, I draw 1 card!”

 

Furui sighed, “Whatever. I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Draw! I Normal Summon Debris Dragon in attack mode! (1000/2000) When this card is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard with 500 ATK or less by negating its effects! I Special Summon Des Lacooda! (500/600) Now, I activate Dragon’s Gunfire! Since I control a Dragon-Type monster, I can destroy a monster you control with less than 800 DEF! I destroy Iron Knight!” Debris Dragon breathed out a red bullet-shaped flame, which darted directly at Iron Knight.

 

Furui countered, “Offensive Shield’s effect activates! I can send it to the Graveyard to draw 1 card! With this, its DEF becomes 2000 again, leaving Dragon’s Gunfire useless!” Iron Knight threw its shield like a disk, and it intercepted and destroyed the fireball, while Furui drew a card.

 

Zugai smirked, “I Tune my Level 4 Debris Dragon to my Level 3 Des Lacooda!” Debris Dragon transformed into four stars. The stars started rotating around Des Lacooda, who transformed into 3 different stars. They all started revolving around an invisible point, speeding up and slowly getting closer to each other. Zugai chanted, “Dying Star! Show us the night sky with your eternal power resounding to the ends of the universe! Synchro Summon!” The stars merged and became a large sphere of light. Dark red feathered wings emerged from the light, and a whole phoenix became visible. Zugai smiled, “Emerge: Darkness Nova Phoenix!” (2600/2000)

 

Zugai heard a cheer from behind him. He turned to see a large crowd of people far away, watching the duel. Darkness Nova Phoenix was a card that Zugai almost always used, so being Summoned was basically a sign saying “Zugai was here”.

 

Zugai sighed, “Next, I activate the effect of Darkness Nova Phoenix. By removing from play 1 monster in my Graveyard, I can remove from play 1 monster you control. I remove from play Des Lacooda to remove Iron Knight from play! Since it’s being removed, you can’t negate it! Eat this! Black Stream!” Darkness Nova Phoenix shot a black ball of energy, which headed directly toward Iron Knight.

 

Furui commented, “Interesting. However, I activate the effect of Diamond Armor. By negating its effects for this one turn, the equipped monster cannot be removed from the field one time! However, it’ll be destroyed during the End Phase.” The armor broke into tiny crystals as a result from the impact of Black Stream.

 

Zugai smiled, “Darkness Nova Phoenix loses 500 ATK for each removed from play card, but that doesn’t matter! (2600→2100/2000) Nebula Reverse!” Darkness Nova Phoenix created a large inferno, but the flames were all colors of the spectrum. Nova Phoenix flapped its wings, and the flames began to move closer to Iron Knight, who looked defenseless.

 

Furui yelled, “I activate my trap: Draining Shield!” A new high-tech shield materialized over Iron Knight’s hand. Iron Knight held it forward in a defensive position, and a large green energy shield appeared, blocking the flames. Furui smiled, “This card negates your attack and gives me Life Points equal to your monster’s ATK! (Furui 7400→9500) Also, during your End Phase, Iron Knight will negate the destruction of Diamond Armor, which will regain its effects.”

 

Zugai grunted, “I end my turn.” The Diamond Armor grew over Iron Knight again.

 

Kai said, “Draw. I attack Iron Knight with Earthquake!” Earthquake leapt into the air and stomped the ground with one foot, opening a fissure that headed right toward Iron Knight. “I might not be able to destroy it, but I can inflict damage while it’s in attack mode.”

 

Furui smiled, “Simple. I activate Counter Charge! It ends your Battle Phase and destroys all monsters you control!” Two beams of energy were launched from the card. One destroyed Knightmare, while the other headed towards Earthquake. Earthquake knocked the beam out of the way with its foot.

 

Kai smiled, “Traps cannot affect Earthquake. Also, I activate Neo Core!” Knightmare appeared, but its armor broke apart, becoming different parts and a golden core. “When a Neo Elemental Hero is destroyed, I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to its ATK.” The core transformed into a ball of energy, which ricocheted off of Furui’s body, which knocked him back a few feet. (Furui 9500→6900) “I end my turn.” Zugai stopped himself from laughing.

 

Furui growled, “Because of the damage you inflicted to me, Chivalry Pact gains 5 Counters! (C6) Next, I activate Knight’s Sacrifice! By sending a Chivalry Pact with 5 or more counters to the Graveyard, by Tributing a Knight I control, I inflict damage to all players equal to the number of Pact Counters on it times 500! However, I cannot Normal Summon or Special Summon Level 8 or lower monsters this turn. Also, when Iron Knight is Tributed, I can reduce Effect Damage to 0! Fell my power!” Chivalry Pact exploded, which engulfed the whole field. Both Zugai and Kai were knocked backward at least 15 yards. (Zugai 8000→5000) (Kai 8000→5000)

 

Furui laughed, “Also, since Chivalry Pact was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Level 10 Majesty Knight from my hand! His ATK is equal to the number of Pact Counters that were on Chivalry Pact x 500. In other words, he has 3000 ATK! (3000/3000) Majesty Knight, destroy Earthquake!” Majesty Knight ran toward Earthquake as quickly as a Jaguar would, and it cut Earthquake in half. Majesty Knight flipped backward, just before Earthquake exploded. Kai was launched back again, and his back crashed against the ruins of a building. (Kai 5000→3500)

 

Zugai yelled, “Kai, are you okay!?”

 

Furui roared, “I would be worrying about myself if I were you! By removing from play a Knight in my Graveyard, Majesty Knight can attack another monster. However, it cannot attack directly while using this effect. I give Majesty Knight the spirit of Iron Knight for another attack! Destroy Darkness Nova Phoenix!”

 

Zugai interrupted, “No way I’m letting that happen! I activate my trap: Reverse Trap! It reverses all increases and decreases in ATK and DEF! Darkness Nova Phoenix already lost 500 ATK, so its original ATK will now increase by 500, giving it 3100 ATK!” (2100→3100/2000)

 

Furui howled, “Not good enough! By discarding 1 Knight from my hand, Majesty Knight can negate the effect of a Trap Card and destroy it! Face me with your full power, not makeshift tricks!”

 

Zugai yelled back, “How am I supposed to do that!? It’s my trademark!” Majesty Knight decapitated Darkness Nova Phoenix with one slice, and the explosion knocked Zugai back a few feet. (Zugai 5000→4100)

 

Furui laughed, “This is just a taste of my true power. Now, I remove from play the Prayer Knight in my Graveyard, and Majesty Knight will now attack Kai’s set monster.” Majesty Knight swung at Kai’s set monster, but the sword was countered with a strong punch. The fist that produced the punch was still destroyed, but Furui took damage. (Furui 6900→6100)

 

Zugai muttered, "Taste? You just said 'feel my full power' a second ago, and you continue by inflicting damage to yourself? Lame."

 

Kai managed to get up and panted, “You destroyed my Neo Elemental Hero – Rockslide. When it’s attacked while in Defense Position, you take 800 damage.”

 

Furui sighed, “You’re all persistant. I end my turn.”

 

Zugai panted, “Draw!” I don’t have anything I can do for now. However, I have Gren Maju Da Eiza in my hand. It gains 400 ATK for each removed from play monster I control. I also have Soul Release in my hand. This will allow me to remove from play 5 cards from my Graveyard, giving it 2000 more ATK. However, I’ll need to remove from play 3 other ones first. And to do that… “I set 1 monster and end my turn!”

 

Kai said, “I draw! I activate Evolution Shift! By removing from play 3 Neo Elemental Heroes from my Graveyard, I can draw 3 cards.” Kai drew his cards and smiled for the second time he has in two years.

 

Kea commented, “He just smiled. Twice. But he never smiles.”

 

Hiru corrected, “He actually smiles a lot in duels where he pushes himself. He’s just always calm, and only smiles when he gets excited.”

 

Ayra added, “Then he probably drew cards for summoning a Neo Elemental Hero of some sort.”

 

Kai yelled, “I send these three Neo Elemental Heroes to the Graveyard: Necro Archer, Thunder Breaker, and Inferno Sword.” The three of them appeared on the field, and their armors came apart. Their 3 cores came together to form one, large silver core. “I Fusion Summon Neo Elemental Hero Storm Phantom!” The parts of the three Heroes reconfigured itself so that it became a large suit of armor driven by Necro Archer. (3300/2300)

 

Furui objected, “You Fusion Summoned without Polymerization!?”

 

Zugai taunted, “Seriously? Neo Elemental Heroes don’t need to be Fusion Summoned with a Fusion Card.’

 

Kai said, “I also Set 1 monster. And by removing from play the Inferno Sword in my Graveyard, Storm Phantom can inflict 700 damage to your Life Points. I also remove Necro Archer from play, which inflicts 400 more damage. Take this!” Storm Phantom swung both of its swords, creating two glowing arcs passing through the air. As they struck Furui, a bolt of lightning crashed down in front of him. (Furui 6100→5000) Kai said, “Neo Elemental Heroes cannot attack during the turn they’re Fusion Summoned with their effects. I end my turn.”

 

Furui didn’t bother saying, “Draw!” Instead he yelled, “I discard 1 card to equip Monarch Sword to Majesty Knight. It increases his ATK by 1000! (3000→4000/3000) Majesty Knight, destroy Storm Phantom!” Majesty Knight dashed at Storm Phantom at blinding speed, stabbing it. (Kai 3500→2800) Furui smiled, “Also, by sending Monarch Sword to the Graveyard, I can inflict damage to your Life Points equal to the original DEF of the destroyed monster. Take 2300 damage!” A bolt of lightning struck Kai, and it begun to rain. (Kai 2800→500)

 

Furui continued, “Also, the second effect of Legendary Sword activates. It sends 5 random Normal Monsters from the opponent’s Deck to the Graveyard.”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “What!?” Five random cards fell out of his Deck and into the rain. Zugai saw the five monsters leave his Deck: Summoned Skull, Red-Eyes B. Dragon, The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, Petit Dragon, and Baby Dragon. He caught the cards before they were in the rain too long, and sent them to the Graveyard.

 

Furui glared at Zugai, “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. I remove from play the Rogue Knight in my Graveyard. When it’s removed from play, it sends 3 cards from your Deck to your Graveyard, and inflicts 500 damage for each monster sent.”

 

Zugai scowled and sent 3 cards to the Graveyard. Unlucky for him, it was 3 monsters: Red-Eyes Wyvern, Dark Magician, and Buster Blader. Furui smiled, “You’ll take 1500 damage now.” A red aura surrounded Zugai, and he yelled in pain. (Zugai 4100→2600)

 

Furui continued to smiled, “Majesty Knight will now attack your Set monster.” Majesty Knight dashed at Zugai’s set card at full speed, which soon became visible. As it was destroyed, a black aura surrounded Furui.

 

Zugai smiled, “When Stealth Bird is Flip Summoned, you take 1000 damage. (Furui 5000→4000)”

 

Furui growled, “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Now then, it’s about time that your overpowered Knight gets destroyed. Draw!” Zugai growled when he saw he didn’t draw the card he needed. But he did draw a good card. “I activate Gold Sarcophagus. I remove from play a card in my Deck. It will be added to my hand during the second Standby Phase of the activation of this card. I end my turn.”

 

Furui laughed, “That’s all you’re going to do!? Leave your field open?”

 

Zugai grinned, “Nope. Not really. I remove from play the Red-Eyes Wyvern in my Graveyard to activate its effect. Since I didn’t Normal Summon or Special Summon any monsters this turn, I can Special Summon a Red-Eyes Monster from my Graveyard. I Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon in Defense Mode! (2400/2000)” Zugai glanced at Kai, as if he was trying to tell him something.

 

Kai nodded, “Draw! I activate Monster Reborn, to bring back Neo Elemental Hero, Thunder Breaker in Attack Mode! (1600/1400) Also, I activate my trap: Neo Break! It destroys 1 Normal Monster on the field, and a Neo Elemental Hero I control gains ATK equal to its ATK! I destroy Red-Eyes! Thunder Breaker gains 2400 ATK! (1600→4000/1400)”

 

Furui’s eyes widened in total surprise, “WHAT!?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Insert friendship speech.”

 

Kea said, “You saw that gesture, right? Did Zugai know about that Set Card?”

 

Hiru nodded, “Probably. He taught Kai, so he knows his strategies more than the rest of us.”

 

Kai continued, “Thunder Breaker, unleash your rage against that knight!” Winds started building, and the storm became rougher. The crowd behind the ruins started running away once the rain became pouring. Thunder Breaker held his palm in the air, as if he was waiting for something. Suddenly, a strong bolt of lightning crashed down upon Thunder Breaker. He held his palm forward and released an intense barrage of thunder, which fried Majesty Knight in its place. (Furui 4000→3000)

 

Kai shrugged, “I end my turn.” (4000→1600/1400) Kai peered through the smoke to see Furui. Once it cleared, Kai saw Furui’s eyes glowing in a strange way.

 

Furui smiled, “Congratulations. You two are the first duelists that have unleashed my true power. DRAW!” Furui smiled, “I activate the effect of Prayer Knight! By removing from play a Majesty Knight in my Graveyard while I have 4 or more Knights removed from play, I can Special Summon one of the Lords of all Monsters!”

 

Zugai facepalmed, "Have you talked about true power enough yet? And what the hell is a Lord of Monsters?”

 

Furui grinned, “You’ll soon find out.” A large column of light emerged from behind Furui. When the light died down, a giant Knight, larger than any Duel Monster that existed, was standing over the field. Its eyes were glowing gold, and it carried a long spear and a shield. Furui smiled, “Welcome it! The ultimate warrior, the greatest warrior of the Monster Lords: Lord of Knights – Atlas! (2800/2800)

 

Zugai asked, “What the hell!? What monster is this!? And why the drama?”

 

Ayra, who was standing back, looked at the monster and said, “That’s huge!”

 

Senith yelled, “Is that a Titan?”

 

Hiru commented, “If it needed Majesty Knight as a requirement, that means it’s stronger than that thing.”

 

Kea said in a worried fashion, “It took them that long to beat that thing, too. Which means…”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “This might be tough.”

 

Furui’s eyes began glowing gold. “Kai Taizen. You have conjured warriors that are unworthy of existing before this Titan. I will let you have the glory of being the first to lose in front of this ultimate deity. Your friend will follow shortly. Atlas! Destroy that knave with one strike! DIE!” Atlas brought its blade down and crushed Thunder Breaker. The ground Kai stood on catapulted him back against the ruins at blinding speed. He crashed against the ground limp and unconscious, bleeding from the mouth and having several cuts.

 

Furui malevolently grinned, “Heh. This is how people like you guys always end up. You try to stay cool and try to continue to have your own will, but that only breed chaos and hatred between people. The only way this world can be run is by being driven by kings and monarchs, and you pathetic people will become slaves like you should be.”

 

Zugai didn’t look up. He clenched his fist and slowly opened his eyes. Furui stopped smiling at what he saw. Zugai’s eyes were glowing red, and so was his shark tooth. Zugai yelled, “DRAW!” As he drew his card, a red pillar of light erupted to the sky.

 

Zugai continued, “I activate Soul Release! I remove from play Buster Blader, Darkness Nova Phoenix, Dragon’s Gunfire, Stealth Bird, and Reverse Trap. Next, I Normal Summon Gren Maju Da Eiza!” A giant being of flame, just as big as Atlas, towered over Zugai’s side of the field. Zugai maliciously smiled, “Its ATK is equal to the number of cards I have removed from play x 400. That’s 3200 ATK! Now, crush Atlas!” Gren Maju Da Eiza aimed a punch at Atlas, but stopped right before it hit.

 

Furui smiled, “Mage Knight, one time only, can negate an attack directed at a Knight Monster.”

 

Zugai grunted, “I end my turn.”

 

Just the, a familiar voice yelled, “Zugai. It isn’t like you to be pissed off like this.”

 

Zugai turned in that direction to see a man in a black cloak standing on top of the ruins. He had a long, brown beard, and the only part of his body visible was his head.

 

Hiru said, “Fugishi? What are you doing here!?”

 

Fugishi answered, “I’ll explain everything to you later. But Zugai, stay calm. Stay as yourself. If not, you’ll lose yourself as a duelist. It’s especially important with what is at stake, here.”

 

Zugai realized this and took a moment to take a deep breath. He breathed deeply, and his eyes became normal.

 

Furui yelled, “Don’t expect him to get away from me now. Draw!” Furui grinned, “This ends it.”

 

Zugai thought, Wow. This guy loves to talk.

 

Furui continued, “I activate Atlas’s effect! Atlas will gains 600 ATK for each removed from play Knight until the End Phase. That’s 3000 ATK! (2800→5800/2800)

 

Zugai asked, “What’s with you and 3000 ATK?”

 

Furui narrowed his eyes, “Why would you joke around at a time like this? You’re going to lose your life?”

 

Zugai managed raised an eyebrow, “Are you sure?”

 

Furui roared, “Atlas, destroy this talkative runt!” Atlas thrusted his sword at Gren Maju Da Eiza, making it explode. Zugai was engulfed in the explosion, and the smoke and dust didn’t clear for a few seconds.

 

Furui started walking forward and into the smoke, looking for the corpse of Zugai. He couldn’t have survived that. He took exactly 2600 damage. It’s over.

 

Hiru wanted to go into the smoke, but before he could, he heard Furui scream in pain and walk out of the smoke. There was Zugai, standing and laughing at himself hysterically after punching Furui in the face.

 

Furui asked, “How are you standing!?”

 

Zugai beamed and opened his eyes to reveal their red glow. “I guess I don’t have to be pissed off to use these, right?”

 

Furui demanded, “But what about your Life Points?”

 

Zugai explained, “Right before you attacked, I activated Metalmorph. It increased Gren Maju’s ATK and DEF by 300. In other words, I have 300 Life Points left. (Zugai 2600→300) And these eyes seem to reduce the pain, which is a bit helpful.”

 

Furui narrowed his eyes, “Tch. You’re trying to use the powers that we want against us, huh? Useless. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Well then, if you don’t think I can win, I might as well prove you wrong. Draw! I activate the effect of Gold Sarcophagus. It allows me to add the removed from play card to my hand. And I Normal Summon Astral Dragon in attack mode! (1300/1000)”

 

Furui remarked, “A Tuner? Too bad you can’t do anything with it.”

 

Zugai continued smiling, “I activate Monster Reborn. I’ll bring back Kai’s Thunder Breaker!” A bolt of lightning crashed onto the ground, and Thunder Breaker stood where the bolt impacted the ground. (1600/1400)

 

Furui yelled, “What!?”

 

Zugai said, “I’m tuning my Level 3 Astral Dragon to Kai’s Level 4 Thunder Breaker.” Astral Dragon became 3 stars, and Thunder Breaker transformed into four stars. They started revolving around each other like they did with Darkness Nova Phoenix. Zugai chanted, “Gathering bonds will ignite an undying light! Become the gateway to the sky full of stars! Synchro Summon!” The stars gathered and became one massive sphere of light. A white dragon with feathered wings emerged, glowing with a faint layer of white light. Zugai smiled, “Undying star: Starlight Dragon!” (2300/2100)

 

Kea stared at the new dragon and asked, “What is that?

 

Ayra questioned, “Isn’t that Fugushi’s monster?”

 

Furui sighed in relief, “I though you were going with your Star Card for a second. This weakling can’t even make a good match with Atlas with its low ATK.”

 

Zugai smiled, “We’ll see. Starlight Dragon can attack equal to the number of Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters in my Graveyard. There are 3, so it can attack 3 times. This is the first attack!” Starlight Dragon roared and flapped its wings, which created winds of high speeds. Atlas was forced back by the gust.

 

Furui asked, “What’s going on!?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Starlight Dragon has a second effect. By removing from play a Normal Monster in my Graveyard, the attack target loses ATK equal to the ATK of the removed from play monster until the end of the Damage Step. I removed from play Dark Magician.” (2800→300/2800)

 

Zugai smiled, “Starlight Dragon, Comet Storm!” Starlight Dragon shot a white projectile that was shaped like a comet. However, Atlas blocked it with its shield.

 

Furui yelled, “Close, but this is your downfall. Atlas cannot be destroyed by battle and halves all Battle Damage.” (Furui 3000→2000)

 

Zugai smiled, “I’m not done yet. Second attack: I remove from play Summoned Skull! Solar Gust!” Starlight Dragon flapped its wings again, sending cosmic rays at Atlas in the form of rays, actually pushing it back. (2800→300/2800) “Now! Comet Storm!” Starlight Dragon shot another comet, but Furui wasn’t willing to take the damage.

 

Furui smiled, “I activate Barrier of Atlas. Once per turn, I can negate the effects of a monster I control to make Battle Damage 0 and gain attack equal to the Level of the attack target. Atlas is a Level 10, so I gain 1000 Life Points. (Furui 2000→3000) It’s over. You have no more monsters to remove from play.”

 

Zugai winked, “Who said anything about that?” Zugai used his last unrevealed card, which was added to his hand via Gold Sarcophagus. “I activate Astral Wave!”

 

Fugushi smiled, “You’ve gotten better, Zugai.”

 

Zugai smiled, “I cannot remove from play monsters after activating this card. But, if I have 7 or more removed from play monsters, I can return 7 to my Deck and increase the ATK of a monster I control by the number of returned monsters x 500! I return these 7 cards!” Zugai showed Darkness Nova Phoenix, Summoned Skull, Dark Magician, Stealth Bird, Des Lacooda, Buster Blader, and Dragon’s Gunfire. “Starlight Dragon gains 3500 ATK!” (2300→5800/2100)

 

Senith stared in awe, “5800 attack…”

 

Kea added, “Zugai, amazing.”

 

Ayra crossed her arms, “That’s exactly 3000 damage. Furui’s done for.”

 

Hiru thought, Zugai managed to inflict 3000 damage to Furui. The irony…

 

Zugai smiled, “This is the end! SPECTRA COMET STORM!” Starlight Dragon’s eyes glowed brightly as it fired a large comet. The comet was glowing with the seven colors of the light spectra: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. It pierced through Atlas, making it dissolved in the light. Furui screamed in pain and frustration, with victory on the verge of his sight. (Furui 3000→0)

 

§

 

In the distance, Tsuchi and Heki were watching the rainbow blast in the distance. Tsuchi complained, “We should have sent you in. You could have won easily.”

 

Heki replied, “I’m glad we got rid of that old man. He was too… close to Oujo. His belief of being a knight for the king was lame.”

 

Tsuchi looked at her, “His chivalry crap was also annoying. Arrogant people who bring it up are such hypocrites. Anyway, should we head over?”

 

Heki smiled, “I’ll show them how weak Furui actually was compared to me.” They leapt into the air and toward the site of the battle.

 

§

 

Zugai stared at Fugushi, “Why are you wearing a cloak like that?”

 

Fugushi answered, “Why not?”

 

Kai was still unconscious, and Zugai felt weak after turning his “eyes” off. Furui explained, “That was the gift Prometheus gave to you. In your case, Zugai, it will give your vision the ability to see many different types of rays and waves. You’re endurance will increase, your reactions will improve, and you will also be able to see twice as far.”

 

Zugai panted, “I figured that out at this point. But who were those guys?”

 

Just then, Tsuchi leapt down to pick up the body of Furui. She leapt up onto a rock next to Heki. Heki answered, “We’re part of Kadoguchi. I’ll let him explain the rest, because I’m not going to wait for some business with some boring talk.”

 

A snake slithered down Heki’s arm. It coiled around it, and opened up. It created a green duel disk made out of scales that was shaped like a snake. She maliciously grinned, “Well then, would you like to see how much stronger the actual group is?”

 

Kea stepped forward, “I’m up for that!” She took out an Obelisk Blue Duel Disk, and strapped it across her wrist.

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes, Based on how Furui almost annihilated Zugai and Kai on his own, I won’t take my chances with this group. “In that case, I’ll fight you too. It will be like a Triangle Duel, except we can’t attack each other. However, if you have 3 or less cards in your hand, you can draw 2 cards instead of 1.” Ayra strapped on her Cyclone Duel Disk, which was completely bleached white.

 

Heki grinned, “Fine, I’ll just materialize everything myself.” A giant snake slithered out from Heki’s back, and coiled around the field. “I’ll go first. Draw!”

 

Chapter 13

 

Heki smiled, “I set 2 cards and 1 monster. That’s it for now.”

 

Ayra started, “My turn, draw! I Normal Summon Nova Summoner in Attack Mode. (1400/800) I end my turn.”

 

Kea said, “Draw! I Normal Summon Dragunity Phalanx in Defense mode. (500/1100) I end my turn.”

 

Heki sighed, “Is that all you guys are going to do? Draw. I Tribute your Dragunity Phalanx to Summon Alien Skull to your side of the field. (1600/1800)" Phalanx began to break open, and Alien Skull popped out of its body. Heki smiled, "Also, it will gain an A-Counter." A small goopy parasite crawled over Alien Skull.

 

Kea asked, “What does THAT do?”

 

Heki smiled, “If it battles an Alien monster, it loses 300 ATK and DEF for each A-Counter on it. It doesn’t matter too much, though. Next, I Flip Summon Alien Grey! (300/800) This will place an A-Counter on Nova Summoner. After that, I’ll remove both of these counters to Special Summon Alien Overlord from my hand!” The two parasitic counters disappeared, and Alien Overlord descended onto the field. (2200/1600)

 

Ayra asked, “Why did you do that? You lost a huge advantage over us, especially since you only have Overlord and that weakling.”

 

Heki mumbled, “You’re just arrogant. First, I activate Alien Overlord's effect. I can place A-Counters on all monsters my opponent controls." Two A-Counters grew on Nova Summoner and Alien Skull. "I also Tribute Alien Grey to activate my trap: Planet Pollutant Virus!”

 

Kea asked, “What does that do?”

 

Heki grinned, “Well, it starts off by destroying every monster with an A-Counter on the field. That’s basically every card you control.” The parasites wrapped over the monsters, and consumed them. Heki continued, “Alien Overlord, attack Ayra directly! Virus Overdrive!” Alien Overlord shot two spheres of grey energy, which released A-Counters as it contacted Ayra. They slowly ate at her, but quickly dissolved. (Ayra 8000→5800)

 

Heki laughed, “In my duel, I let my children Aliens feed on the flesh of the losers! I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ayra groaned, “That’s just gross. Draw. I Summon Agent of Wisdom – Mercury in Defense mode. (0/1700) I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Heki said, “Before I forget, Planet Pollutant Virus has a second effect. It places an A-Counter on every monster you Summon for the next 3 turns.” Another parasite appeared from the ground, crawling over Mercury. Then, the entire ground began crawling with parasitic group. “This is my paradise!”

 

Kea almost puked, “It looks more like parasite to me. Draw. I Normal Summon Dragunity Darkspear in ATK mode. Next, I Tribute it to Special Summon Dragunity Arms Misteil in ATK mode. (2100/1500) With its effect, I can equip it with Dragunity Phalanx from my Graveyard. Next, I activate Dragon Control Technique, giving Misteil another 500 ATK! (2100→2600/1500) Now, it attacks your-”

 

Heki interrupted, “I’m not that stupid. I activate my trap: Cell Explosion Virus. It will destroy all Attack Position monsters you control, by destroying your attacking monster with an A-Counter.” A parasite crawled on Misteil and exploded, destroying both Mistel and Phalanx.

 

Kea growled, “I activate Monster Reborn, to Special Summon Misteil in Defense mode. I end my turn.”

 

Zugai panted, “Is it just me, or are they doing worse than usual?”

 

Hiru shook his head, “No, they're just waiting for something.”

 

Heki smiled, “Draw. I activate my continuous trap: Mass Hypnosis.” The A-Counters on Mercury and Misteil glowed, and the monsters walked to Heki’s side of the field like zombies.

 

Ayra asked, “What just happened!?”

 

Heki grinned, “This card is destroyed during the End Phase, but it allows me to control up to 3 monsters with A-Counters. I selected your two, if you haven’t figured that out. I switch Misteil to Attack mode and Tribute Mercury to Tribute Summon Alien Mother. (2300/1500)

 

Hiru said, “Okay, I HOPE that they’re doing worse than usual. Although they tend to duel like this a lot without getting into these situations."

 

Heki smiled, “Alien Mother, attack Ayra directly. Corruption Virus Breath!” Alien Mother breathed out a green gas at Ayra. She coughed and temporarily became paralyzed. (Ayra 5800→3500)

 

Heki grinned, “Alien Overlord, Virus Overdrive!” Alien Overlord continued to launch parasites at Ayra. (Ayra 3500→1300)

 

Fugushi commented, “I’ve seen her duel. She normally doesn’t get into situations like this. She's doing worse than usual."

 

Heki smiled, “I’ll make you suffer more by watching your sister get hurt. Misteil, attack your former master!” Misteil cut at Kea, making her have a big gash in her shirt, which started bleeding. (Kea 8000→5900) Zugai felt like fainting.

 

Heki smiled, “I set 1 card and end my turn.” Mass Hypnotism was destroyed, and Misteil returned to Kea.

 

Ayra clenched her fist, “Don’t. Touch. My. Sister. Draw! I Normal Summon Warrior of Zera in attack mode! (1600/1600) Next, I activate Sanctuary in the Sky! Then I Tribute Zera to Special Summon Archlord Zerato! (2800/2300) By discarding a LIGHT monster in my hand, I can destroy all monsters you control. I discard-”

 

Heki interrupted, “Not so fast. I activate my trap: Alien Barrier! Now, as long as you have monsters with A-Counters, until the End Phase, you cannot destroy Alien Monsters I control. I also take no Battle Damage.”

 

Ayra growled, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kea said, “Draw. I Set 1 card and Normal Summon Mist Valley Falcon in ATK end my turn. (2000/1200)”

 

Heki smiled, “Don’t you know that’s useless? Draw! I activate the Continuous Spell Code A Ancient Rules, and Alien Overlord’s effect, placing an A-Counter on every card you control!”

 

Kea yelled, “Not so fast! I Tribute Mist Valley Falcon to activate Icarus Attack! This will destroy 2 cards on your side of the field. I pick Alien Overlord and Alien Mother!” Mist Valley Falcon turned into a rainbow hawk, and it swooped down at Heki’s field, destroying her monsters.

 

Heki blocked her eyes and said, “Not bad, but you still have to do better than that. Code A Ancient Rules will gain an A-Counter for when an Alien Monster is destroyed. By removing 2 A-Counters from it, I can bring back an Alien from my Graveyard.”

 

Ayra stared in disbelief. “What…?”

 

Heki smiled, “I bring back Alien Mother! Next, I activate Monster Reborn to revive Alien Overlord!”

 

Kea growled in frustration, “All I did was waste her 2 cards.”

 

Heki yelled, “Alien Overlord will now place A-Counters on every single monster!” A-Counters began crawling over every monster on the field.

 

Heki smiled, “Alien Mother, attack Archlord Zerato!” Alien Mother breathed out a purple gas. “And since Zerato has 2 Alien Counters, it loses 600 ATK. (2800→2200/2300→1700)” Archlord Zerato was buried in the ground of parasites.

 

Heki continued, “Alien Overlord destroys Mistel!” Alien Overlord picked up Mistel with its bare hands and ripped it apart. “Next, I activate the effect of Alien Mother.” Archlord Zerato raised from the ground on Heki's field. It was surrounded with a purple aura, and its eyes were glowing purple.

 

Ayra asked, “What!? Why do you have my Archlord?”

 

Heki answered, “If Alien Mother destroys a monster with an A-Counter by battle, it Special Summons it on my side of the field. I end my turn.”

 

Senith said, “She’s annihilating the two of them."

 

Zugai replied, "No s***, Sherlock."

 

Ayra growled, “I draw. I activate my trap: Call of the Haunted this will bring back Nova Summoner. (1400/800) Next, I Normal Summon Airknight Archer. (1600/200) I tune it to Nova Summoner to synchro summon Avenging Airknight Parshath! (2600/2100)”

 

Heki recalled, “Don’t forget that they’ll all get A-Counters when they’re Summoned.”

 

Ayra smiled, “I activate Parshath’s effect. It will switch Alien Mother into defense mode. Also, when it battles a defense position monster, you take damage equal to its attack. Now, Parshath, destroy Alien Mother!”

 

Heki smiled, “Not so fast. I discard Alien Satellite from my hand to activate its effect. It will switch the attack target to a monster I controlled from you.” Archlord Zerato intercepted the attack, and cut Parshath in half.”

 

Ayra growled, “Manipulating monsters that aren’t yours and corrupting others? That’s plain evil. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kea said, “I draw.”

 

Ayra yelled, “At this moment, I activate Light of Judgment! By discarding Neo-Parshath while Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field, I can destroy Alien Mother!”

 

Heki said, “I activate the effect of Alien Barrier from my Graveyard. It will redirect the effect to a different applicable target. I select Code A Ancient Rules. A light shone over Alien Mother, but was reflected to the Continuous Spell Card, destroying it.

 

Kea said, “I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Dragunity Darkspear. Next, I Normal Summon Dragunity Legionnaire in Attack mode. I Tune them together to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight Gadearg in Attack mode. (2400/800)”

 

Senith sighed, “Great, she completely forgot to use Legionnaire’s effect. She’s rushing. Looks like a game over.”

 

Kea continued, “Next, I activate its effect. I discard Dragunity Primus Plus to add Dragunity Tribus to my hand. Next, I activate Star Conversion. I pay 1000 Life Points and return Gaedearg to my Extra Deck to Special Summon Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg from my Extra Deck! (Kea 5900→4900) (2000/1200)”

 

Zugai said, “Maybe she has a plan, after all.”

 

Kea said, “I end my turn.”

 

Heki grinned, “It’s over this turn. One is wide open, the other has a simple monster in the way. Draw! I Tribute Archlord Zerato to Summon Cosmic Horror Gangi’el in Attack mode! (2600/2000)”

 

Ayra objected, “You Summoned a Level 7 monster with only 1 Tribute?”

 

Heki smiled, “This is because I Tributed a monster you control. I also activate Fissure. This will destroy Gae Bulg.” Gae Bulg simply exploded. Ayra and Kea dipped their heads, since there was absolutely nothing they could do at this point.

 

Heki grinned, “Alien Mother and Gangi’el, attack Kea directly!” Alien Mother breathed out purple toxic gas and Gangi’el crushed Kea underneath its body. (Kea 4900→0)

 

Heki turned around, but looked back at Ayra, “Alien Overlord, destroy Ayra.” Alien Overlord released an actual energy blast, which forced Ayra against the snake. (Ayra 1100→0)

 

The large snake surrounding the field crawled away, leaving Kea and Ayra lying on the ground, barely conscious. Heki said to them, “You see, I don’t even need a Monster Lord like Furui does. You guys are too weak to be worth it.” With that a snake coiled around her and Tsuchi, and they both vanished.

 

§

 

A few hours later, after Kea, Ayra, Zugai, and Kai were medically attended, they met with Fugushi. Fugushi had already explained to them that Kadoguchi was a group of extremely powerful duelists that have supposedly stripped the Titans of their powers and took them for their own. Their goals were to make the world more like something in their image, and they were trying to get the Star Cards for unknown reasons.

 

Zugai asked, “Fugushi, how did you know we had the Star Cards? It wasn’t publicly announced or anything.”

 

Fugushi didn’t respond. Instead he changed the topic, “Good luck in Battle City. I have things to attend.” With that, he was off.

 

Senith shook his head, “How did he know about the Titans and those things?”

 

Zugai smiled, “He always had stalker-ish traits.”

 

§

 

Zugai was unable to get any sleep that night after witnessing both Furui and especially Heki’s strength. If what Fugushi told me was correct, Furui would be the kindest and possibly weakest of the duelists. I just have to make sure I’m strong enough for anything that comes my way. After that thought, he walked to his cards and started reconstructing his Deck. In his dream, a voice said to him, "You have received your gift."

 

Chapter 14: The Beginning of the Golden Age!

 

Two days have passed since the first battle with Kadoguchi, and all of the groups participating in Battle City were placed in their designated locations. Both Team Solar Wind and Team Go were waiting in New York City, right in a blocked-off Time Square. Right now, every single team participating in Battle City’s New York section were having a large buffet all-you-can-eat celebration. Senith did not need to wait before stuffing his face.

 

Zugai was pacing around the event on his own, when he noticed a Team that seemed to be a fan-favorite. One of the members was dressed up a bit like Gaia the Fierce Knight, except the armor was golden. His Duel Disk was shaped to look exactly like part of his armor. Next to him was a person dressed in a cloak and cape, looking a bit like a mysterious masked man. The third person was more casual, wearing black clothes with a yin-yang on the center of his shirt. Zugai did not recognize them, until a familiar voice said, “They’re Team Galaxia, one of the most famous teams from America.”

 

Zugai turned to see Kea smiling at him. She said in a soothing tone, “You seem stressed out. Is it the Kadoguchi stuff?”

 

Zugai nodded, “That’s basically it, but I’m also a bit anxious for this.”

 

Kea put her hand on his shoulder, “Sorry for worrying you during my duel with Heki. I worked on my Deck and strategies a lot since then, so-”

 

Zugai shook his head, “Don’t worry about that. Hiru and I couldn’t have done anything against her more than you two could.” He smiled, “Believe me, at your best, you could probably even beat your sister.”

 

Kea beamed, “Thanks. Although the chances of that are slim.”

 

Just then, the person wearing the yin-yang shirt walked up to Zugai. “Hey, are you Zugai Shutaru?”

 

Zugai sighed, I HATE attention. “Yup. Who might you be?”

 

He said, “I’m the leader of Team Galaxia, Charles Lloyd. The one dressed up in the costume is Joseph Herald, and the one in the cape is Gary Morgan.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Nice to meet you, Charles.”

 

Charles said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too. I’ve heard so much about you from many friends of mine. I’ll have you know, many people are scared of when you’ll go pro with the level you’re at now.” He turned to Kea, “And would this be Kea Kakushin?”

 

Kea nodded, “Kinda. I should be, but after a few complications, I’m Kea Keisei now.”

 

Charles said, “Excuse me, sorry. But that’s the name you use for all of your tournaments, so that’s all I know.”

 

Zugai joked, “Do you have a habit of stalking junior champs?”

 

Charles laughed, “You’re a joker, aren’t you? No, I just like looking at most young people these days.”

 

Zugai thought, In other words, you’re a pedo, not a stalker.

 

Charles continued, “By any chance, are you two dating?”

 

Zugai and Kea exchanged nervous glances, and Zugai felt himself blush. Luckily, Kea was blushing too. They simultaneously answered, “Nope.”

 

Charles nodded, “Okay, didn’t think so. Oh, hey, where’s your third member?”

 

Zugai answered, “Probably monitoring a friend of mine to make sure there’s some food left.”

 

Charles was about to speak, but he was interrupted by an announcer. “Ladies and gentlemen, we once again apologize for the delay, but now the event of Battle City begins!” Fireworks flashed in the sky, and Zugai heard Kai, Senith, Hiru, and Ayra walking toward him. The announcer continued, “In this edition, we will be splitting New York into thirteen different sectors! Each team will occupy one sector, each one will be unique by a different set of rules! The objective is for one team to conquer all of the sectors. To do that, they must enter their sector and defeat every one of the duelists on that team. Also, each team will be assigned a special group of workers. They will help them with simple things, like preparing food and sometimes planning.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Heh. This should be fun.”

 

The announcer continued, "But how will this work? How will they know that they have conquered? Well, every duel is based on the Ante Rule!"

 

Zugai sighed, “Ante? Are you kidding me?”

 

The announcer said, “Instead of losing rare cards, they will lose Symbol Cards that represent the team. Once they have collected all 3, they have conquered the defeated team's sector! Now, the sectors and the teams occupying them shall be revealed! First is Sector A, who will be occupied by Team Solar Wind!” The picture of Team Solar Wind’s logo flashed up on the screen on the M & Ms Store. The announcer continued, “The special rule of this sector is that each duelist must face each individually, one-on-one. In Sector B is Team Go! The special rule there is an Ante Rule!” The announcer continued to Sector C, which belonged to Team Galaxia. Their rule was that they had to be faced in a Team Duel, which was reasonable. They mentioned a few other rules, including a Speed World and a Stealth Battle, one of them was even a disadvantage rule. When they reached Sector M, Zugai felt a light chill run through his body. Then, the announcer declared, “The team occupying this sector is Team Ghoul!” A picture of three cloaked figures popped up on the screen. Zugai narrowed his eyes as he recognized Gouzen.

 

“What the hell is Gouzen doing here? That punk is going down.”

 

The announcer finally finished, and said, “And now, for the traditional Opening Duel! Now, the American Champion Charles Lloyd will be able to declare an opponent. The two of them will face each other all out in a duel!”

 

Charles stepped up onto a stadium. He said, “My opponent is obvious. Zugai Shutaru, get up here!”

 

A spotlight shone on Zugai. “Geez, it’s outside and they still get spotlights?”

 

Zugai stepped up and took out his Deck. Charles said, “Let’s at least make this professional.”

 

Zugai sighed, "There is no formality in my world, but fine."

 

The two of them switched Decks and shuffled them. They returned them to the owners and placed them in their Duel Disks. Afterwards, they turned away from each other and walked in opposite directions. Eventually, they were far enough away from each other. The announcer declared, “Let this duel begin!” The ground underneath New York glowed slightly blue. Zugai drew his five cards and said, “The challenger goes first. You technically challenged me, so you should go first.”

 

Charles smiled, “With pleasure. I draw! I Normal Summon Summoner Monk in Defense Mode. (800/1600) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Draw! I Normal Summon Red-Eyes Wyvern in Attack Mode! (1800/1600) Next, I activate Ancient Rules. This allows me to Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Normal Monster from my hand. I Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon! (2400/2000)”

 

The announcer yelled, “Zugai Shutaru has called forth his fabled Red-Eyes Black Dragon!”

 

Charles smiled, “Nice, but I’ll do better. I activate my trap card: Incomplete Copy! I can Special Summon a Copy Token with half the DEF of a monster I control.” A copy of Summoner Monk appeared, except it was slightly faded. (0/800)

 

Zugai smiled, “You really think that’ll stop me? I activate Dragon’s Gunfire. This will destroy a monster you control with 800 DEF or less and destroy it. Take it down, Red-Eyes!” Red-Eyes opened its mouth and breathed out a red fireball. It launched at the Copy Token like a fireball, making it explode. “Red-Eyes Wyvern attacks Summoner Monk! Dark Flame!” Red-Eyes Wyvern breathed out an orange flame, which incinerated Summoner Monk. “Red-Eyes, attack him directly! Inferno Fire Blast!” Red-Eyes’ eyes glowed brighter, and it exhaled a dark red beam of energy. It hit Charles head-on, making the ground around him holographically explode. (Charles 8000→5600)

 

Hiru asked, “It just occurred to me, how are there holograms?”

 

Kea answered, “It isn’t really a hologram. They’ve set the city with a 3-D screen around the city with openings around roads and flight paths.”

 

When the smoke cleared, Zugai said, “You know, you might need to do a little better in order to beat me.”

 

Charles smiled, “Oh, I haven’t even started yet. I draw! I Summon Chaos-End Master in Attack mode. (1500/1000) Next, I equip it with Malevolent Nuzzler! This will increase its ATK by 700! (1500→2200/1000) It will attack Red-Eyes Wyvern!” Chaos-End Master swooped at Red-Eyes Wyvern, destroying it with its force. (Zugai 8000→7600)

 

Charles continued smiling, “I’m not done yet. When Chaos-End Master destroys a monster by battle, I can Special Summon a monster from my Deck with 1600 ATK or less. I Special Summon Sphere of Chaos. (1600/0)”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Going for a Synchro Summon, huh?”

 

Charles continued, “Now, I activate Urgent Tuning. I can Tune Chaos-End Master with Sphere of Chaos!” Sphere of Chaos broke apart and came together around Chaos-End Master. It started cracking open, and darkness seeped out of the cracks. “From the depths of Darkness, I call forth Dark End Dragon!” Dark End Dragon hatched out of the sphere. (2600/2100) “Next, it will destroy Red-Eyes. Dark Fog!” Dark End Dragon exhaled a jet of black smog, which completely enveloped Red-Eyes. Once it cleared, Red-Eyes was gone. (Zugai 7600→7400) Charles finished, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Draw! I set 1 card and end my turn.” Zugai’s Graveyard Zone in his Duel Disk started glowing, and a mirage of Red-Eyes Wyvern appeared above Zugai. “During my End Phase, I can remove from play Red-Eyes Wyvern to Special Summon a Red-Eyes Monster from my Graveyard. I bring back Red-Eyes!” Zugai’s Red-Eyes Wyvern transformed into Red-Eyes Black Dragon.

 

Charles laughed, “As expected from the Switzerland champion. Draw! I activate Dark End Dragon’s effect! Dark Evaporation!” A black flame engulfed Red-Eyes, causing it to vanish.

 

Zugai recited, “Dark End Dragon’s effect: Once per turn, you can decrease its ATK and DEF by 500 to send a monster I control to the Graveyard.”

 

Charles nodded, “A small price to pay. (2600→2100/2100→1600) It attacks you directly! Dark Fog!”

 

Zugai wagged his finger, “Nice try. I activate the continuous trap: Astral Mirage!” A mirage of Red-Eyes Black Dragon’s skeleton blocked Dark End Dragon’s attack.

 

Charles stared in shock, “What is that card?”

 

Zugai smiled, “When a Dragon-Type monster I control is removed from the field, all monsters you control lose ATK equal to its ATK. I can’t summon monsters while this trap is on the field, though.”

 

Charles smiled, “Not bad. I end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “I draw! Next, I activate the second effect of Astral Mirage! During my Standby Phase, I can Special Summon the monster sent to the Graveyard by this effect and give it 1500 more ATK! Red-Eyes will return to the field!” Red-Eyes’ skeleton faded, but Red-Eyes reappeared, with a black aura. (2400→3900/2000) “Destroy his Dark End Dragon! Astral Fire Blast!” Red-Eyes Black Dragon started charging a red flame in its mouth, and its head shook from the energy it gathered. It fired a large dark inferno at Dark End Dragon. However, Dark End Dragon was absorbed into a portal, and the attack missed. Zugai asked, “What just happened!?”

 

Charles answered, “I activated Slip of Fortune. This will negate your attack and remove from play the attacking monster until the next Standby Phase.”

 

Zugai grunted, “In that case, I remove from play Red-Eyes to Special Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon from my hand!” Red-Eyes was suddenly covered by a metal coat, and it transformed into Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon. (2800/2400) “Next, I activate Future Fusion! This will send Summoned Skull and Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard, and in two turns, I can Special Summon Black Skull Dragon! Also, with the effect of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, I can Special Summon Red-Eyes in attack mode! I set 1 card. That ends my turn.”

 

The announcer yelled, “Zugai has called out two of his ace monsters in one move! And he also set up the summoning of another, which is the work of a King of Games.”

 

Zugai smiled, "I thought you would try to remove it from play and bring it back for the sake of resetting its ATK and DEF. Nice try."

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “I don’t remember him being this strong.”

 

Kai remarked, “He probably just reconstructed his Deck.”

 

A shocked expression ran over Charles’s face, How did he do this? After just one turn, he managed to Summon 2 of his strongest monsters? He also broke my combo. “I draw! During this Standby Phase, Dark End Dragon will return to the field. (2600/2100) Next, I activate its effect, decreasing its ATK and DEF by 500 to destroy Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon! Dark Evaporation!” Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon was engulfed by a dark flame, and perished in it. (2600→2100/2100→1600) “Next, I activate Forbidden Chalice. It will negate Dark End Dragon’s effect and increase its ATK by 400. With its effect negated, it will have its ATK returned to 2600 beforehand. (2100→3000/1600→2100) Now, attack Red-Eyes! Dark Fog!” Dark End Dragon breathed out a stream of dark gas, which disintegrated Red-Eyes. (Zugai 7400→6800)

 

Zugai smiled, “Nice try. I activate the continuous trap: Dragon Nova!” A flame erupted from the ground and scorched Charles. “When a Level 5 or higher Dragon-Type monster I control is destroyed, you take 800 damage! (Charles 5600→4800) Also, I activate my trap: Dragon’s Soul! I can now Special Summon a non-Dragon-Type monster from my Deck! I Summon Buster Blader! (2600/2300) This guy gains 500 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster on your field and in your Graveyard. That’s 1, so it gains 500 ATK. (2600→3100/2300)”

 

Charles growled, “I activate Advanced Draw. I Tribute Dark End Dragon to draw 2 cards. Next, I activate Chaos Synchro. By removing from play 2 monsters from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a LIGHT or DARK Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck. I Summon Light End Dragon!” Light End Dragon pierced the night sky with its bright light, and it glided above the skyscrapers of New York. (2600/2100)

 

Zugai muttered, “I have to be careful of that thing’s effect, although if it attacks Buster Blader, the battle will end in a draw. And Buster Blader gains 500 more ATK due to the new dragon. (3100→3600/2300)”

 

Charles smiled, “I equip Silver Wing to Light End Dragon. Up to twice per turn, it cannot be destroyed by battle. I end my turn.”

 

Zugai yelled, “Draw! I set 1 monster in Defense mode and end my turn.”

 

Charles smiled, “I draw! I end my turn.”

 

Ayra asked, “What are they doing? Waiting for the world to end?”

 

Hiru answered, “Zugai’s waiting for the right moment to attack.”

 

Zugai smiled, “You should have done more. I draw! First of all, Black Skull Dragon will be Fusion Summoned at this moment. (3200/2500) Also, I Flip Summon Des Lacooda! (500/600) Its Flip Effect lets me draw 1 card! And now, I Summon Debris Dragon in Attack Mode! (1000/2000) I tune it with Des Lacooda to Synchro Summon Darkness Nova Phoenix! (2600/2000)”

 

Charles objected, “You can’t Synchro Summon a non-Dragon-Type monster with Debris Dragon!”

 

Zugai winked, “While its in the Extra Deck, Darkness Nova Phoenix is treated as a Dragon-Type monster. Now I activate its effect. By removing from play Des Lacooda from my Graveyard, it will destroy and remove from play a monster you control. Of course, I pick your Light End Dragon. Black Stream!” Darkness Nova Phoenix shot a black beam from its beak.

 

Charles said, “I send Silver Wing to the Graveyard to negate the destruction of Light End Dragon.” How can he turn this around at this timing?

 

Zugai smiled, “Darkness Nova Phoenix also loses 500 ATK for each monster I have removed from play, which is 3, so it loses 1500 ATK. (2600→1100/2000→500) That doesn’t really matter, though. Buster Blader, destroy his Light End Dragon! Destructive Sword Flash!” Buster Blader leaped into the air and swung its sword at Light End Dragon.

 

Charles growled, “I activate Dark End Dragon’s effect. Once per turn, I can reduce its ATK by 500 to reduce the ATK of the attacking monster by 1500. Light Expansion! (2600→2100/2100→1600) (3600→2100/2300)” Light End Dragon glowed intensely, forcing back Buster Blader. “Counterattack, Light End Dragon! Shining Sublimation!” Light End Dragon glowed even brighter, although Buster Blader managed to cut its head off. Afterwards, Buster Blader was destroyed.

 

Zugai continued, “Black Skull Dragon, attack him directly! Meteor Flare!” Black Skull Dragon shot multiple fireballs at Charles. (Charles 4800→1600) Zugai yelled, “Darkness Nova Phoenix, Nebula Reverse!” Darkness Nova Phoenix flapped its wings, creating an inferno with the colors of the light spectra, which engulfed Charles. (Charles 1600→500) Zugai finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Kea’s eyes widened, “Okay, he must have seriously gained a power boost since the duel with Furui. But how do you do that in two days?”

 

Hiru answered, “He’s Zugai. He just can.”

 

Charles said, “I draw! I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Light End Dragon. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai frowned, “Is that all you can do in the end? Draw.”

 

Charles said, “I activate Imperial Iron Wall. Now, monsters can’t be removed from play.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Pointless last ditch effort. Black Skull Dragon, attack Light End Dragon.”

 

Charles looked in shock, but smiled. “I activate Light End Dragon’s effect! Light Expansion! (2600→2100/2100→1600) (3200→1700/2500) Now, counterattack! Shining Sublimation!” Black Skull Dragon was engulfed by light and shattered. (Zugai 6800→6500)

 

Zugai crossed his arms, “I expected more from you, I hate to say. Dragon Nova’s effect will inflict 800 damage now.” A flame engulfed Charles, finishing him. (Charles 500→0)”

 

The announcer yelled, “It’s settled! Zugai Shutaru has been victorious in this opening of Battle City.”

 

Charles stepped up to Zugai. “You may have beaten me, but I won’t lose to you next time!”

 

Zugai smiled, “Hopefully. I’ll be fine with it if you inflict more than 1500 damage to me. That means you’ve done better.” He jumped from the stage and met with his friends, who were awkwardly staring at him. “What?”

 

Kai said, “Wow. Just… wow. That is the most overpowered I have ever seen you.”

 

Zugai answered, “It’s called Deck Construction. You should try it sometime.”

 

§

 

About 3 hours later, after meeting a few teams (Zugai didn’t bother remembering most of them) and watching fireworks and special videos, New York City began glowing brightly. The city itself evolved in the last 2 years, growing slightly higher and having signs and advertisements that were not necessarily linked to the buildings. There were also a few trains that were riding on cables in the air, and walkways in a level around skyscrapers that can be accessed via elevators. Zugai and his friends were positioned nearby Liberty Science Center, so these walkways would be more convenient for the group. They took the shortcut and walked to the Liberty Science Center in 30 minutes.

 

Once they reached it, they stepped in a little well-made cabin nearby that had a sign that read, “Team Solar Wind”. Zugai and the others stopped inside it, and saw a group of people. Zugai awkwardly greeted them, “Hi. We’re Team Solar Wind and Team Go. If you hadn’t guessed yet, we’ve set up an alliance between each other.” The group greeted them as Zugai’s personal team, and they drove the six friends to Team Go’s shack. Afterwards, they all drove toward a hotel in the area with a stretch limo, getting ready for the following day.

 

§

 

The first night of Battle City was not all peaceful. The first shot had been fired in a dark corner by a blonde young girl wearing a black shirt and jeans. She was dueling Marcos Cooper, an old American pro, and the conditions seemed to be set. Marcos’s field was left with Luster Dragon #2, and the girl had a dragon covered by shadow. She had mentioned Koa’ki Meiru before the duel, so Marcos implied that the monster was Koa’ki Meiru Drago. This put him at a disadvantage, since he only had 2 monsters he was able to Special Summon, one of which being Luster Dragon. The girl was overpowering him, since he had not been able to inflict a single point of damage on her, while she left him with 3000 Life Points.

 

The girl finally spoke, “I guess I’ll just end this.” The shadow of a dragon disappeared, and a larger dragon with a Koa’ki Meiru symbol flew in the air. A laser glowed from the symbol and destroyed Luster Dragon. The Dragon proceeded and exhaled a laser of different elements, which caused Marcos to faint. He was left with a scar of the symbol Koa’ki Meiru on his forehead, and he laid unconscious on the ground. The girl walked out of the shadow, and was actually Tsuchi of Kadoguchi. She walked to the man, stretched, and asked, “Really, now, is that all you people can do? This will be easier than I expected.” She reached down and took a card from his back pocket: a clear card that was labeled “L”, representing the sector.

 

Heki walked from the shadows and smiled, “You’ve gotten better, Tsuchi.”

 

Tsuchi smiled back, “Thanks, I guess. That leaves us two more to get from them. This will be over soon. Very soon.”

 

Heki sighed, “As long as Gouzen doesn’t screw it up.”

 

Tsuchi shook her head. “He’s too obsessed with that ‘Zugai’ kid. Is he gay or something?”

 

Heki narrowed her eyes, “Don’t joke around about stuff like that. It isn’t funny.”

 

Tsuchi shrugged, “Whatever. Anyway, I’d like to take them down part by part.”

 

Heki malevolently grinned, “We have to wait until we’re left with only them, then we’ll play around.”

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 15]

Chapter 15: Instant Rematch! Team Solar Wind vs. Gaia Drake, the Universal Force!

 

Zugai sighed. It was afternoon in New York City, blazing hot. He was wearing a black shirt with a few multicolored outlines of electric guitars on it with sweatshorts, and was eating a street hot dog. As he gobbled it down, he realized how bored he was. Nothing interesting had happened all day: not a single duel has occurred throughout the city. Although he did remember that Team Ghoul already conquered Sector L and put all 3 of them in medical condition. It worried him, but he decided to wait until another day.

 

He saw a screen flashed and saw Team Galaxia on the screen. They smiled, “Team Solar Wind. I think it’s just about time that we face each other.”

 

Zugai muttered, “That quick on getting revenge? Patience, sir.” Kea and Kai walked around a corner and ran to Zugai to watch the broadcast with him.

 

Team Galaxia continued, “It would be a climactic opening of Battle City, since everybody seems to be doing nothing. Meet us at Central Park at 3:00. We’ll be waiting.” The screen blacked out, and Zugai sighed.

 

“Seriously? Climactic? It will be the most boring opening in all the world!”

 

§

 

Team Solar Wind faced Team Galaxia at 2:58. There was a large clock behind them that was counting the time in seconds. They stood there facing each other, with Gary Morgan in the front. Kai already decided they would face Hero-to-Hero. They just stood there waiting for the clock to turn to 3. As soon as it did, Kai pulled out his shuffled Deck and activated his Battle City A Duel Disk, which was the standard color. Gary pulled out his Duel Disk, which was the original Battle City model. He smiled, “I’ll let you go first, Kai Taizen.”

 

Kai started, “Draw. I send the Thunder Breaker and Necro Archer from my hand to the Graveyard.” They started fusing together, and a storm cloud surrounded the combining forces. He smiled, “I Summon Neo Elemental Hero Lightning Void in Attack Mode! (2000/1600) That ends my turn.”

 

Gary said, “I draw! I activate Polymerization! I send Woodsman and Clayman from my hand to my Graveyard to Fusion Summon Elemental Hero Gaia!” Gaia descended on to Earth, and was twice the size of Spark Void. (2200/2600)

 

Zugai smiled, “Nature Elemental Heroes versus Neo Elemental Heroes? This’ll be interesting.”

 

Gary continued, “When Gaia is Fusion Summoned, it can absorb half of the attack of one of your monsters! I’ll halve and gain half of Spark Void’s ATK!” The earth below Spark Void opened up and started engulfing him. (2000→1000/1600) (2200→3200/2600)

“Now, Gaia will crush your Spark Void! Continental Hammer!” Gaia swung his arm at Spark Void like a giant hammer, but Spark Void barely managed deflecting it with its cloak, which was covered with a veil of black coulds. Thunder began breaking out in many directions form the collision.

 

Kai warned, “Careful. Lighting Void can negate one attack per turn.”

 

Gary growled, “I set 1 card and end my turn.” Lightning Void leapt out of the ground. (1000→2000/1600) (3200→2200/2600)

 

Kai continued, “I draw! I Normal Summon Earthquake in attack mode! (1500/1600) With its effect, I can destroy a Trap Card on the field! I destroy your set card!” Earthquake leapt into the air past Gaia and crushed the set card with its foot. Kai smiled, “Now I can Special Summon a Neo Elemental Hero from my hand. I Special Summon Knightmare from my hand! (2600/1800) Lightning Void, attack his Gaia!”

 

Gary laughed, “Are you kidding?” However, after those words left his mouth, a bolt of thunder struck Gaia, weakening it. (2200→1400/2600)

 

Kai explained, “When Lightning Void is Fusion Summoned, it gains a Void Counter. If it has a Void Counter while it attacks, the other monster loses 800 ATK. Now then, continue, Lightning Void.” Lightning Void released a large barrage of small lightning bolts, obliterating Gaia. (Gary 8000→7400)

 

Kai continued, “Earthquake and Knightmare, attack him directly.” Earthquake leapt into the air, and Knightmare charged and ran its lance right into Gary, which knocked him back. (Gary 7400→4800)

 

Zugai sighed, “Kai, I wish you weren’t the only real life Psychic Duelist around. It makes you famous and feared.” Earthquake dove at Gary and knocked the wind out of him in a single kick. (Gary 4800→3300)

 

Kai said, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Gary continued, “My turn. I draw. I Normal Summon Elemental Hero Stratos in Attack Mode. (1800/300) Next, I’ll fuse it with Clayman using Miracle Fusion! This will allow me to Fusion Summon Great Tornado! (2800/2200) Next, I activate its effect! Downburst!” A heavy gust ran through Central Park. “It will halve the ATK and DEF of all monsters you control! (2000→1000/1600→800) (1500→750/1600→800) (2600→1300/1800→900)

 

Kai said, “But as long as Lightning Void's here, it can negate your attack.”

 

Gary smiled, “I activate Hero's Revenge. By removing from play the Gaia in my Graveyard, Great Tornado can and must attack all monsters you control!”

 

Kai’s eyes widened, “What the-!”

 

Gary smiled, “Take this. Super Cell!” Great Tornado generated a tornado that engulfed all of Kai’s monsters. Once it died down, Kai’s field was empty. (Kai 8000→2650) “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Dang. He turned it around just like that. It’s quite impressive.”

 

Kai said, “I draw. I activate Neo Warp. It sends a Neo Elemental Hero from my Extra Deck to my Graveyard and allows me to draw 2 cards. I’ll send Storm Phantom to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards. Next, I remove the two Neo Elemental Hero Fusion Monsters in my Graveyard from play!”

 

Gary’s smile died away, “What?”

 

Two cores appeared from the Graveyard, floating in the air. They were covered by armor, one looking like a unicorn and the other looking a bit like a demon unicorn. They connected to the shoulders of another Hero, which had flames coming out of his skull-like helmet. Kai announced, “I Special Summon Neo Elemental Hero – Constellation Striker. (2600/2500)”

 

Gary sighed of relief, “Nice try, but there’s no way you can destroy Great Tornado with that kind of power. There’s no way you can stand up to the force of Nature that powers my Heroes.”

 

Kai smiled, as if he decided that he was fighting a jester, “If Nature powers your heroes, I’ll show you what powers mine. Constellation Striker gains his powers from the hatred and havoc Nature created. It gains 300 ATK for each Neo Elemental Hero in my Graveyard. (2600→3200/2500)”

 

Gary’s eyes widened, “What?”

 

Kai said, “If your Heroes are powered by Nature, mine are powered by Natural Disasters and phenomenon, if you didn't figure that out yet. Constellation Striker, attack his Great Tornado. Fated Demise!” Constellation Striker dashed to Great Tornado and punched right through its chest. It exploded shortly afterwards. (Gary 3300→2900) Kai continued, “When Constellation Striker destroys a monster, it will inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK. Meteor Impact!” Constellation Striker dove directly at Gary, creating a meteorite-like explosion. (Gary 2900→100)

 

Kai finished, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Gary smiled, “It’s not over yet. I draw!” Gary saw there was basically nothing he could do, although he planned to go out with a bang. “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kai asked, “Is that your best? Draw. Constellation Striker, attack him directly!” Constellation Striker punched Gary in the gut. (Gary 100→0)

 

Gary yelled, “I activate my trap: Warrior’s Demise! When a Warrior-Type monster attacks me directly, you take damage equal to its ATK.” Constellation Striker exploded, and the explosion engulfed Kai. (Kai 2650→0) Constellation Striker managed to stay intact, but it looked exhausted.

 

Gary continued, “Warrior’s Demise also allows me to Special Summon a Warrior from my Graveyard, ignoring the conditions, but halving its ATK, DEF, and Level. I Revive Great Tornado! (1400/1100)”

 

Kai complemented, “Not bad.”

 

Gary replied, “You too, but the fight isn’t over yet.”

 

The two of them gave the cards on their field to their next players, Kea and Joseph. Kea and Joseph faced each other on the field and smiled. Kea said, “It was your turn, right?”

 

Joseph smiled, “At least you’re a good sport. Draw! I Normal Summon Gaia Force in ATK mode. (1200/300) I activate its effect. I can increase the ATK of 1 Level 4 monster I control by its ATK, but only that monster can attack this turn. Great Tornado will gain 1200 ATK! (1400→2600/1100) Next, I activate Tuner’s Bind! I equip it to Constellation Striker. While I have a Tuner on the field, Constellation Striker cannot activate its effects! (3200→2600/2500)”

 

Kea smiled, “Equal ATK. Are you trying to gain an early advantage?”

 

Joseph answered, “You’ll soon find out. Great Tornado, attack Constellation Striker!” Great Tornado leapt directly at Constellation Striker, aiming a punch at its helmet. Constellation Striker countered with its arm. Their attacks collided, and they both exploded in the air.

 

Charles said to Gary, “That represents the battle of you and Kai. Even match.”

 

Joseph continued, “Next, I activate my trap: Synchro Revenge! When a Level 4 monster I control is destroyed while I control a Level 2 Tuner, I can send the tuner to the Graveyard to Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my Extra Deck! I Special Summon Gaia Knight, the Force of the Earth! (2600/800) I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai commented, “It’s quite obvious what he’s going to do.”

 

Kai commented, “Gaia Drake?”

 

Zugai nodded, “Exactly.”

 

Kea smiled, “I draw! I Normal Summon Dragunity Legionnare in Attack Mode! (1200/800) Next, I activate Dragon Control Technique! This will allow me to equip a Dragunity Dragon to it. I equip it with Dragunity Darkspear!” Darkspear appeared on the field and transformed into a long spear, which Legionnare wielded. “Because of Dragon Control Technique, it gains 500 ATK! (1200→1700/800)”

 

Joseph commented, “That won’t be able to defeat my Gaia Knight if it has that kind of ATK power.”

 

Kea smiled, “Maybe it could, maybe it couldn’t. Legionnare can discard its weapon to destroy a monster you control. So I’ll get rid of Darkspear to destroy Gaia Knight!” Legionnare flew at Gaia Knight, aiming its spear right in the middle of its armor. However, it was countered with one of Gaia Knight’s lances, which knocked back Legionnare and left the spear in the ground. Kea asked, “What did you just do?”

 

Joseph smiled, “I activated my trap: Earth Force. It negates the destruction of a non-Effect Synchro Monster I control and allows me to Special Summon 2 Earth Tokens.” Two Armor Helmets popped out of the ground. (500/500) (500/500)

 

Kea grunted, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Joseph continued, “I draw. I Tribute my 2 Tokens to Normal Summon Universal Knight! (2600/2500) Now, Gaia will attack your Legionnare!”

 

Kea smiled, “Not so fast! I activate my trap card: Windstorm of Etaqua! It will switch the Battle Position of all monsters you control!” Legionnare began flapping its wings like it was panicking, but its purpose was to create a windstorm that switched Joseph’s Knights to Defense mode.

 

Joseph smiled, “Not bad. I end my turn.”

 

Kea continued, “I draw! I Normal Summon Dragunity Tribus in Attack Mode! (500/300) With its effect, I can send the Dragunity Brandistock from my Deck to the Graveyard. Next, I activate the Field Spell: Dragon Canyon! This will allow me to send 1 Dragunity to the Graveyard per turn. I send Dragunity Corsesca to the Graveyard. Now, Legionnare, destroy Gaia Knight!” Legionnare flew high into the air and swooped down at Gaia Knight. Gaia Knight fell off its horse and shattered. “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Joseph said, “Draw! I switch Universal Knight to Attack mode and activate Monster Reborn to bring back Gaia Knight! Now, Gaia Knight will attack Tribus!”

 

Kea asked, “Why do you keep doing that? I Tribute Tribus to activate my trap: Icarus Wind! This will destroy the two monsters you control.” Tribus began glowing with a rainbow aura, and flew right through Gaia and Universal Knight. After destroying the two of them, it faded and vanished.

 

Joseph said, “Gotcha. I activate Miracle Synchro Fusion. I Fuse Gaia Knight and Universal Knight together! I Fusion Summon Gaia Drake, The Universal Force! (3500/2800)”

 

Kea asked, “What!? You need another non-Effect Synchro to-!”

 

Joseph smiled, “Universal Knight is also treated as a non-Effect Synchro. I end my turn.”

 

Kea said, “I draw! I equip Legionnare with Dragunity Partisan! (1200→1700/800) And by sending it to the Graveyard, Legionnare will destroy your Gaia Drake!” Legionnare flew at Gaia Drake and threw Partisan. However, Gaia Drake easily deflected it.

 

Joseph said, “Monster effects will not be able to do anything against Gaia Drake!”

 

Kea grunted, “I switch Legionnare to Defense mode and end my turn.”

 

Joseph smiled, “I draw. First of all, I activate Gravity Force. This will inflict damage to both of us equal to the ATK of one monster on the field. Of course, I pick Gaia Drake. Also, that monster will get a 1000 ATK boost.” Gaia Drake began to explode with energy, which inflicted damage to both Joseph and Kea. (Kea 8000→4500) (Joseph 8000→4500) (3500→4500/2800)

 

Joseph continued, “Next, I equip Gaia Drake with Fairy Meteor Crush. Now it attacks Legionnare!” Gaia Drake’s horse galloped toward Legionnare, and it stabbed through it. (Kea 4500→800)

 

Zugai sighed, “Piercing? Really? That’s… too much like me.”

 

Joseph continued, “Because of the effect of Gravity Force, I have to pay 1000 Life Points during each of our End Phases. (Joseph 4500→3500) I end my turn.”

 

Kea looked at her Deck, I can’t lose here! I’ve gotten stronger, haven’t I? She drew her card without uttering a sound. She smiled brightly once she saw the card she drew. “I activate the effect of Dragon Canyon to add Dragon Pilum to my hand. Next, I Normal Summon it. This will allow me to call forth a Winged Beast Dragunity in ATK mode, and equip this card to it! I Special Summon Dragunity Angusticlavii in ATK Mode! (2100→2600/1000)”

 

Joseph crossed his arms, “Too bad you can’t tune them.”

 

Kea rhetorically asked, “Really, now? I activate Dragon’s Title! It allows me to use a Dragunity monster equipped to another monster as a Synchro Material! I Tune Pilum with Angusticlavii to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Barcha!” Pilum transformed into armor, which colored Angusticlavii green and purple. Soon, a giant dragon flew from the sky, which Angusticlavii rode on. (2000/1200)

 

Joseph taunted, “2000 ATK? Weakest Level 8 I’ve ever seen.”

 

Kea smiled, “He may look weak, but looks can be deceiving.” The ground shook, and many weapons rose from under the ground. “This card has access to every single Dragon-Type Dragunity in my Graveyard. When it’s Synchro Summoned, I can equip all of them to it.”

 

Joseph leaned back in shock, “What!?”

 

Kea took four cards from her Graveyard, “I equip it with Pilum, Brandistock, Corcesca, and Partisan! Since its equipped with a Dragunity monster, due to Dragon Control Technique, it gains 500 ATK! (2000→2500/1200) Also, it gains 300 ATK for each monster equipped to it. That’s 4, so it gains 1200 ATK! (2500→3700/1200)”

 

Joseph sighed of relief, “Ha. It still isn’t strong enough to destroy Gaia Drake. Even if you used it as a wall, the difference between their ATK points is equal to your Life Points. That means you lose.”

 

Kea winked, “I’m not finished yet. I set 1 card. Due to Pilum’s effect, it can attack you directly and halve the Battle Damage. And with Brandistock, it can attack twice. Barcha, attack Joseph directly twice!” Barcha dove underneath Gaia Drake and breathed fire on Joseph. (Joseph 3500→0) She continued, “Also, due to your Life reaching 0, it moves to the End Phase. Since you can’t pay 1000 Life Points, Gravity Force goes to the Graveyard. (4500→3500/2800)”

 

Joseph walked to Charles and handed him his Gaia Drake. “Sorry I couldn’t defeat her. They’re quite strong.”

 

Charles took the card and placed it on his Duel Disk, “Yeah. I think I might defeat them with your monster, as usual.”

 

Charles walked to the field and smiled, “Well then, let’s get started. I draw! I set 3 cards and activate Ookazi! This will inflict 800 damage to your Life Points! (Kea 800→0)”

 

Kai shook his head, “That was anticlimactic.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Well, at least I get to do something.”

 

Kea gave Zugai her field. “Sorry I couldn’t do much against him.”

 

Zugai winked, “Come on, he didn’t even let a turn get in. You did fine.”

 

Zugai walked to the battlefield and looked at Charles eye to eye. He smiled, “Well, this is déjà vu, except with two dragons.”

 

Charles smiled and nodded, “Let’s settle this!”

 

Zugai smiled, “Draw!”

 

Charles interrupted, “I activate my trap: Disarm! This will send all Equip Spell Cards to the Graveyard!” Fairy Meteor Crush and the Dragunities vanished. (3700→2000/1200)

 

Zugai smiled, “Kea’s power won’t just vanish like that. I remove Barcha from play to Special Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon! (2800/2400) Next, I activate its effect! Draconic Illusion!” Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon shot a beam of red energy from its largest gem on its forehead, and Red-Eyes flew from the ground. (2400/2000)

 

Charles grunted, “You’re using your friend’s monster just like that?”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, He's acting REALLY different. Let me guess, he got drunk last night or something? “I’m not mocking Kea by removing her Barcha. It’s soul is currently in part of every monster in this Deck, as well as the other cards. I activate Inferno Fire Blast! This will inflict 2400 damage to your Life!” Red-Eyes breathed out a circular ball of fire, which exploded as it hit Charles. (Charles 8000→5600)

 

Charles laughed, “That’s your proof? Kind of irrelevant, if you ask me.”

 

Zugai smiled, “But I never asked, did I? I Tribute Red-Eyes to Special Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!” Red-Eyes began to crack open. Red light seeped out of its cracks, and it eventually broke open into Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon. It glided in the air, surrounded by a dark aura. (2400/2000) Zugai continued, “It gains 300 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard. I have 5, so it has 3900 ATK! (2400→3900) Also, with Dragon Canyon, I send Red-Eyes Wyvern from my Deck to the Graveyard. This will give Red-Eyes Darkness 300 more ATK. (3900→4200/2000)”

 

Charles yelled, “4200 ATK!?”

 

Zugai said, “Yeah. Isn’t that obvious? Red-Eyes Darkness, attack his Gaia Drake! Darkness Giga Flame!” Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon exhaled a large inferno of black fire, which was absorbed into a portal that defended Gaia Drake. Gaia Drake went into the other side of that portal.

 

Charles smiled, “I activated Slip of Fortune.”

 

Zugai sighed, “That thing again? Well, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon attacks you directly! Darkness Metal Flare!” Red-Eyes Darkness Metal blasted a dark-red cannonball of energy, which exploded as it hit Charles. (Charles 5600→2800) I end my turn.”

 

Charles said, “Draw. At this moment, Gaia Drake returns. And at this point, I activate Dimension Shockwave! When a removed from play monster is Special Summoned, you take damage equal to its ATK!” Gaia Drake emerged from a portal, and it dashed into Zugai, trampling over him. (Zugai 8000→4500)

 

Zugai managed to say, “This strategy again?”

 

Charles smiled, “And now, I activate Knight Emblem! The equipped monster gains 300 ATK and is treated as a Warrior-Type monster and can’t be destroyed by battle. (3500→3800/2800) Next, I equip it with Sword of Dragon’s Soul! This gives it 700 ATK, and gives it the ability to destroy any Dragon it attack! (3800→4500/2800)”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “You had that card all along!?”

 

Kea’s eyes widened, “This is bad.”

 

Kai muttered, “That card is one of Zugai’s biggest foes, even though it's an inanimate object.”

 

Charles continued, “Now, obliterate his Darkness Metal Dragon! Dimension Shaver!” Gaia Drake sliced open Darkness Metal with one swipe, and managed to gallop (or fly, it rides a Pegasus-like creature) away before Darkness Metal exploded. (Zugai 4500→2800) Charles proudly said, “This is the monster we aimed for! This is Joseph’s monster that was Summoned with Gary’s original strength, and turned into an unstoppable monster in my hands!”

 

Zugai smiled, “That may be true, but I'm not going to let our cards go to waste. Since you sent a Dragon to the Graveyard, Red-Eyes Darkness gains 300 more ATK. (4200→4500/2000) You’re definitely doing better than last time, but that’s because you aren’t using just your own power. Let me show you what we can do. Do you end?”

 

Charles nodded, “Yup.”

 

Zugai said, “I draw! With Dragon Canyon’s effect, I send another Red-Eyes to the Graveyard! And Darkness Dragon will then gain 300 more ATK! (4500→4800/2000) And now, Red-Eyes will attack your monster!”

 

Charles asked, “Why are you doing that? Darkness Dragon will just get destroyed!”

 

Zugai smiled, “You still take Battle Damage.” Darkness Dragon exhaled another inferno, but Gaia Drake managed to push through it and decapitate Red-Eyes. (Chares 2800→2500)

 

Zugai smiled, “Next, I activate Future Fusion.”

 

Charles said, “Don’t tell me what you’ll send to the Graveyard. It’s over, anyway.”

 

Zugai sighed, Wow. You don’t even know what’s going to happen. “I set 2 cards, send Petit Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard, and end my turn. And I remove from play Red-Eyes Wyvern to Special Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon in DEF mode.”

 

Kea smiled, “Charles just screwed himself over.”

 

Charles smiled, “I draw. I Summon Chaos-End Master in attack mode, and equip it with Shield Attack! (1500/1000) Now, Gaia Drake will attack your Red-Eyes!” Gaia Drake trampled Red-Eyes, destroying it with its sheer power. “Chaos-End, attack him directly!” Chaos End Master shot a blast of both light and darkness at Zugai. (Zugai 2800→1300)

 

Kai looked at Kea, "You were saying?"

 

Charles continued, “At this point, Shield Attack inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to the DEF of Chaos End! (Zugai 1300→300) I end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Draw. First, I send Debris Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kai sighed, “If only he was like the other day…”

 

Charles smiled, “I thought you would do better. I draw.”

 

Zugai smiled, “I activate Waboku! This reduces all Battle Damage to me to 0!”

 

Charles said, “You just drew that, didn’t you? It’s too late. With Shield Attack’s effect, after it attacks you, you’ll take 1000 damage! Chaos-End, go!” Chaos End fired a beam of energy from its chest. However, a skull appeared from in front of Zugai, absorbing the attack. Black energy surrounded Zugai, and gathered in his fist.

 

Zugai said, “You still have to show me your own strength. Not just some strength you picked off of your friends. I activate Spell of Pain. This will make you take the Effect Damage instead of me.” Zugai fired a black bolt from his palm, and it pierced through Charles. (Charles 2500→1500)

 

Charles growled, “You’re persistent. I end my turn.”

 

Zugai said, “Charles, you may have added to the one monster that belongs to your team and shows your bonds. But if you only add a small bit of power beyond that monster, you can’t do much. If that monster is all your bonds could create, our bonds will create something much stronger. DRAW!” A portal appeared from above Zugai.

 

Kai sighed, "Zugai, don't get into the 'bonds' mood."

 

Zugai smiled, “Now, due to Future Fusion, I get to Fusion Summon the monster I fused two turns ago.”

 

Charles guessed, “Black Skull Dragon?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Nope. Something stronger.” Dark Paladin appeared from the portal, holding a glimmering, golden blade. His purple aura spread throughout New York City, resounding off of everything it made contact with. (2900/2400)

 

Charles asked, “Where is that strength coming from!?”

 

Zugai grinned, “This is what I meant. This card is the symbol of our friendship. It gains 500 ATK for each Dragon in our Graveyards. In mine, there are 9, so it gains 4500 ATK. (2900→7400/2400) Also, with Dragon Canyon, I send Baby Dragon to the Graveyard, giving it 500 more ATK. (7400→7900/2400)”

 

Charles stared in awe, “7900 ATK?”

 

Joseph and Gary finally spoke, “There’s no way…”

 

Zugai said, “Now then, what were you saying about unstoppable? Dark Paladin, annihilate his Gaia Drake!” Dark Paladin swung its sword at Gaia Drake. It countered with its sword, but was knocked back with the force, right into Charles. (Charles 1500→0)

 

Zugai smiled, “And that’s how winning is done! Good duel, though.”

 

Charles stood up and smiled, “You beat me not just once, but twice.”

 

Zugai shook his head, “Correction: I beat you once. I beat you all this time, not you on your own.”

 

Charles shrugged, “True. Here, you’ve earned this.” He handed out his Region card. Joseph took his held his out to Kea, and Gary did the same thing for Kai.

 

Team Solar Wind took them with gratitude. They said their goodbyes and walked toward their base. Zugai noticed there were more duels happening in the city on their way back. He asked aloud, “Why must people start doing things after I start?”

 

Kea smiled, “Maybe because you’re a leader in that way.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Stop making jokes. I hate going first.”

 

They both walked back into their sector, but none of them noticed the group of figures in black coats watching in the distance. One said to another, “I guess we’ll make our move now, huh?”

 

He answered, “Of course. The three of them ordered it to be done.”

 

The others nodded back. A flock of crows flew by them, and by the time the crows were gone, so were they.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 16]

Chapter 16: A Pen Defeats a Serial Killer

 

“Cyclone Drakon, attack his Amazoness Chain Master!” Hiru was finishing his duel with the final member of Team Tropics, who had 2100 Life Points left. Cyclone Drakon was on Hiru’s field along with 3 set cards, leaving it with 3600 ATK. (3600/2700) His opponent, Shaun, only had his Amazoness Chain Master. (1500/1300) Cyclone Drakon’s gust connected with Amazoness Chain Master, shattering it into many pieces. (Shaun 2100→0) Shaun dropped his Region Card and walked off without saying a word. Hiru picked up the card and heard a voice behind him, “Well, they sure liked to talk.”

 

Hiru turned around to see Zugai behind him, “Um… when did you get there?”

 

Zugai picked up three sets of complete region cards he won from other people, “A while ago. Congrats on obliterating him, by the way. Watched the whole thing.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “You sneaky little rascal…”

 

Zugai continued, “Either way, there are only seven other teams left. One is based on gambling, and I have another interesting idea. We should get back to Liberty Science Center to discuss a plan. Ayra also sends her regards. She’s tired of waiting for you.”

 

Hiru asked, “Um… how long did I take?”

 

Zugai winked, “She got back about fifteen minutes ago.”

 

§

 

Typhoeous was talking to three cloaked figures in a shadow world, outside of reality. He said to them, “You know your mission. Distract the two teams, and let them win. Stall for time to let our main group continue with the plan.” The three of them mechanically nodded, and disappeared.

 

Heki showed up in the shadows, “It’s interesting how you create creatures to do your bidding for Oujo. I can understand that he…”

 

Typhoeous replied, “Oujo is a great strategist. Perhaps he was cleansed of anything holding back his intelligence at the time. His name truly fits him, so I obey anything he says.”

 

Heki shrugged, “If you say so.” She vanished from the world, and so did Typhoeous.

 

§

 

Zugai and Hiru walked through the entrance of the Liberty Science Center, to see their friends waiting for them. Ayra scolded, “Took you long enough, Hiru.”

 

Hiru sighed, “Sorry.”

 

Zugai said, “Either way, let’s continue with our plan. So far, we have collected sectors A-F along with Sector I. Next, we should go for G and J, in my opinion.”

 

Kea asked, “Gambling and last man standing? Why?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Because we’ll have a technical advantage to get them.”

 

Kai shrugged, “If we line it up correctly. Solar Wind will go to G, you guys can go to J.”

 

Ayra nodded, “Makes sense. Sector G has people you guys will be strong against, but you won’t have to always Duel them to get the region card. Sector J, field spells can be taken advantage of, so that will also help.”

 

Hiru said, “Yeah, sure…”

 

Zugai winked, “You’re lost, aren’t you? Doesn’t matter. Kea, Kai, let’s go play some Texas Hold ‘em.”

 

§

 

Zugai walked into the gambling parlor with another T-Shirt with guitars on it and jeans. Kea followed him wearing a ty-dye shirt and jeans, and Kea was wearing all black, without denims of any kind. As the walked in, the gambling parlor was dead silent, as the entire population was watching an intense game of blackjack. The first man had two hands, with a face up ace each. The other man had a jack. The one with a Jack flipped it to reveal a Jack and Queen, but the other man revealed to have an ace and a ten on both hands: two 21s, marking him victorious. Zugai smiled, “I might as well introduce him with something.”

 

Zugai walked past everybody and sat down in the seat the loser left empty. The other person moved his shades just a bit, and now that Zugai saw him closely, he was wearing a full tux and was completely bald. He asked, “Who said you could stay?”

 

Zugai winked, “What? I just thought you wanted a worthy game partner.”

 

The man smiled, “Sure. You’ve got a region card?”

 

Zugai smiled, “That’s what we’re betting, right?” Zugai snatched the deck from right underneath his opponent’s hands. “How about this: I’ll introduce you to a new game that would be more appropriate for the atmosphere of Battle City. We’ll have a best of 5, winner gets all 3 Region Cards. Deal?”

 

The man seemed to be waiting for something, but sighed since it never came. “Deal.”

 

Zugai grinned, You’re security’s been taken care of. Don’t think about waiting for them. He shuffled the Deck and dealt out 26 cards to the two of them. He said, “Here’s the rules: We must first have 5 cards face-down, and we will not look at any of them.” Both players placed the cards. “On top of those, we will have 1 face-up card on each.” Each player put down a card. Zugai finished, “Now we get the rest of the cards in our ‘hand’. We can switch them with the face-up cards before the match starts. The game works like this: you start out with a card, and then I must place a card with the same or a higher value, ace being the highest. The game continues like this. However, there are some special cards. If the player puts down a seven, the next card placed must have a lower value than a seven. If four of the same values have been placed in a pile, the pile is cleared and the player gets to move again. There are 3 ‘special’ cards: 2, 3, and 10. These cards can be placed anytime. 2s represent the lowest value, restarting the cycle. 3s take the same value as the cards placed before it. If you cannot place a valid card, you are out of the game. You cannot use the 5 other face-up cards until you have used your hand, and you cannot use the face-down cards unless you have no other cards. You can never look at your face-down cards, but if you place an invalid one, all of them return to your hand. If you have no cards left, you win.”

 

The unnamed gambler nodded, “Fine with me. Four of spades and four of diamonds.”

 

Zugai continue by putting down the remaining two fours. “Well then, looks like the pile’s already cleared.” Zugai flipped the cards over. He continued, “Then I get to move again. I guess I’ll do Ace of hearts.”

 

The gambler’s eyes widened. Zugai smiled, “And now, you’ll either have to put down a spade of a special card.”

 

The gambler narrowed his eyes, “I’ll put down a two.”

 

Zugai smiled, “In that case, I’ll go with two fives.”

 

The gambler continued, “I’ll put down one more five.”

 

Zugai replied, “Three sixes.”

 

The gambler countered, “Three eights.”

 

Zugai sighed, “It’s not that smart to put down the low values increasing.” He put down another card, “Ace.”

 

The gambler grunted and took the pile. Zugai smiled, “Guess you haven’t gotten the skills that you have with all cards, huh? Queen of spades.”

 

The gambler smiled, “Three kings.”

 

Zugai smiled, “I can’t have you catching up now. Three of hearts.”

 

The gambler narrowed his eyes. “Damn you…” and he took the pile.

 

Zugai smiled, “Gambling. That’s what I’m doing, really.” He placed down a five.

 

The gambler continued to place three more fives and followed it with a seven. Zugai responded by placing four sixes, clearing the pile. His hand was now gone, so he continued by placing a king. The gambler placed three kings, cleared the pile, and followed with a queen. Zugai followed with two aces. The gambler continued by placing an ace, and Zugai put down a three. The gambler narrowed his eyes and collected the pile. Zugai winked and placed a nine. The gambler placed three kings. Zugai smiled, “Now then, now the luck comes into play.” Zugai flipped the first card, and it was a ten. This cleared the pile. He continued by flipping another card, which was a two. The gambler played two queens to counter it. Zugai flipped his next card: two. The gambler placed two aces, and Zugai flipped a ten. Zugai winked, “Lucky.” He cleared the pile. He placed his last card: Ace of Diamonds. Zugai collected the cards and passed them to his partner. “Now then, I’ll let you pick the games we play from now on. I think if we continued playing that, it would be unfair.”

 

§

 

The two of them followed with three matches of Blackjack. The unnamed gambler won two matches and Zugai won only one. The gambler, slightly frustrated by being matched by a kid, pointed a gun at his head. “Listen, I’m done with this. I’m not going to let you live after pushing me so much, kid.”

 

Zugai laughed, “Really, now? You’re pointing a gun at my head and we haven’t started our last match? Nice try, Cletus.”

 

The gambler grunted and started pulling the trigger. Zugai, however, used his ‘special’ eyes. The entire room turned darker to him, but he was able to see exactly when the unnamed gambler would pull the trigger. He moved at the last possible moment, and the bullet missed him. Zugai then took a pen out of his pocked and clicked it before stabbing the gambler’s wrist. The gambler coiled his arm and dropped the gun. Zugai smiled, “Haven’t you heard? The pen is mightier than the sword, and even guns. Your team should have known that before you killed them and made this parlor.”

 

Kea asked, “What? He did that?”

 

Kai nodded, “Zugai was probably able to figure that out as soon as the tournament started.”

 

The gambler took off his mask, and it was the face of Robert Lee Yates, a serial killer in the United States, guilty of murdering at least 13 women in Washington, went in hiding for 3 years.

 

Zugai picked up the region cards that Robert betted, “Since you don’t have a complete team, you’re disqualified. But since you also broke the rules in your match with us, you have to forfeit your region cards to us.” The New York ran in and cuffed the bleeding Robert, put him in an ambulance, and drove him to a hospital. Zugai grunted, “Good riddance.”

 

§

 

Team Go was in a state of pure confusion and disbelief. They were standing right in front of the Bronx Zoo. Ayra asked, “Seriously? Did they just escape and lure us into trying to fight them inside a Zoo?”

 

Senith replied, “Guess so. Oh well, at least we get to see some interesting animals while we’re there.”

 

Hiru added, “Also, we’ll be able to get another set of region cards.”

 

§

 

As soon as they stepped in, they were facing their opponents. The first one looked a bit like a reptile, except red and on fire.

 

His entire body was painted red, and his costume looked a bit like scales. The second person looked like a skeleton with extremely long hair. The final one looked a bit like Wolverine without the X-Men uniform. These were definitely the most goofy group of people Hiru has ever seen.

 

The first one said, “Welcome to our habitat. We are team Nature, the power of the four primary parts of nature.”

 

Senith nodded, “And you’re names are…”

 

The Wolverine-like person replied, “Unimportant. We might as well get started.”

 

Senith smiled, “I’ll take Dino-dude over there.”

 

Ayra sighed, “I’ll just take skullface.

 

Hiru said, “That leaves me with Wolverine.”

 

Senith pulled out his fire-red Battle City B Duel Disk and said, “Now then, let’s get started.”

 

Dino-dude raised his arm. A Deck came out of his scales and the two zones were already on his arm. Senith commented, “Wow. That isn’t gross or anything.”

 

Dino-dude said, “I draw. I Normal Summon Jurrac Aeolo in Attack Mode. (200/200) Next, I discard 2 cards to activate the continuous Spell, Jurrac Impact. When a Jurrac is Special Summoned, it inflicts damage to my opponent equal to its ATK. Also, this card cannot be destroyed by your card effects.”

 

Senith grunted, “That’s a pain.”

 

Dino-dude continued, “Next, I activate Aeolo’s effect. By Tributing him, I can Special Summon a Jurrac monster from my Graveyard. I Special Summon Jurrac Deino! (1700/800) The earth below Senith quaked, and he screamed in agony and shock. (Senith 8000→6300)

 

Senith groaned in pain, “Okay, this is worse than dueling Kai.”

 

Dino-dude said, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “I draw! I Normal Summon Volcanic Rocket. (1900/1400) When this card is Summoned, I can add a Blaze Accelerator from my Deck to my hand. Next, I activate Blaze Accelerator, and destroy it to activate Triblaze Accelerator. And by Tributing Triblaze Accelerator, I can Special Summon Volcanic Doomfire from my hand! (3000/1800) Volcanic Doomfire attacks your Jurrac Deino! Volcanic Cannon!” Volcanic Doomfire shot a large ball of molten lava from its mouth, obliterating Deino. (Dino-dude 8000→6700) “Volcanic Rocket, direct attack!” Volcanic Rocket divebombed Dino-dude. (Dino-dude 6700→4800) Senith crossed his arms, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Dino-dude said, “I draw. I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Jurrac Velo from my Graveyard. (1700/1000) And with Jurrac Impact, you’ll take 1700 damage! (Senith 6300→4900) Now, I Normal Summon Jurrac Guaiba in Attack mode. (1700/400) Next, I activate the effect of Jurrac Impact. When a Jurrac is Normal Summoned, I can pay 1000 Life Points to switch the Battle Position of a monster you control. I pick Volcanic Rocket. (Dino-dude 4800→3800) Now, Guaiba attacks Volcanic Rocket!”

 

Senith smiled, “Not so fast! With Volcanic Doomfire’s effect, you can only target it for an attack!”

 

Dino-dude shook his head, “With Jurrac Impact, you cannot change the attack target of my monsters.” Guaiba bit and ate Volcanic Rocket. “And when Guaiba destroys a monster, I can Special Summon a Jurrac from my Deck. I Special Summon Jurrac Garim. (1200/0) (Senith 4900→3700) I also tune my 3 Jurracs together!”

 

Senith grunted, “Level 10 Synchro?”

 

Dino-dude smiled, “I Synchro Summon Jurrac Meteor!”

 

Senith looked around, “There’s no monster on the field!”

 

Dino-dude looked up, “Are you sure?”

 

Senith looked up to see a giant rock heading towards Earth, with a dinosaur head poking out of it.

 

§

 

Ayra’s current state in the Duel was good. She had purposely set herself up against Skullface because she already researched the team. Her opponent uses and Archfiend Deck, and the current difference between their Life Points was 6000 points. Ayra had 6500 Life Points, and her opponent had 500. Ayra also had Neo-Parshath with Sanctuary in the sky, giving it a total of 8300 ATK. Her opponent had a Skull Archfiend of Lightning.

 

Skullface grunted, “I activate Falling Down! Now I get to control a monster on your side of the field. I pick your Neo-Parshath!” Neo Parshath's head started transforming into a skull.

 

Ayra glared, Not going to fall for this strategy twice! “Nice try. I activate Trojan blast! When a monster I control gets controlled by my opponent, it destroys it and inflicts damage to my opponent equal to its ATK.” Neo Parshath turned around again and burst into a body of blinding light. Skullface was sent sailing back and crashed against a wall. (Skullface 500→0) Then, Ayra looked up to see a giant meteor heading towards the place. “Crap,” she said, and she braced herself for destruction. But the meteor got closer, a light covered her, protecting her from harm.

 

§

 

The last member of Team Nature was fleeing Hiru. Hiru tried sprinting after him, but got too tired too fast. Eventually, he managed to find him in open space, where Hiru saw the meteor directly above him. It hit the ground, and a force of true destruction erupted from the ground, sending everything into the air and away from each other. However, the Zoo seemed to stay intact, and a small field around Hiru and his opponent seemed to be safe.

 

Hiru smiled, “So, let’s get started.” They were surrounded by heavy flames, which was a perfect atmosphere for a final battle.

 

His opponent smiled, “I am Gottom, the leader of Team Nature.” He drew a sword that looked like a Duel Disk and drew his five cards. Hiru did the same. Gottoms took the first move and said, “I activate Card Destruction! We both discard our hands and draw cards equal to the number we had before. Next, I Norma Summon X-Saber Airbellum! (1600/200) I set 3 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “I Draw. I Normal Summon Legendary Beast – Pegasus in Attack Mode! (1500/1000) Next, I activate its effect! When its Normal Summoned, it gains a Muse Counter and 500 ATK! (1500→2000/1000) Now, destroy his Airbellum!”

 

Gottom said, “I activate Gottoms’ Emergency Call. It allows me to Special Summon 2 X-Sabers from my Graveyard. I Special Summon X-Saber Galahad and X-Saber Pashuul! Next, I activate Urgent Tuning! I Tune my 3 monsters to Special Summon XX-Saber Gottoms! (3100/2600)”

 

Hiru grunted, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Gottom said, “I draw! I activate my trap: At One with Sword! It equips to an X-Saber and gives it 800 ATK! (3100→3900/2600) Also, I activate Saber Vault! This will give Gottom ATK equal to its Level x 100, but it loses as much DEF. Gottoms is a Level 9, so it gains 900 ATK! (3900→4800/2600→1700)”

 

Hiru smiled, “As much as it puts up a show, Pegasus cannot be destroyed by battle.”

 

Gottom said, “I activate Saber Slash! This will destroy Pegasus!” Gottoms sliced Pegasus into four parts. “Gottoms, attack him directly!” Gottoms dashed at blinding speed, and began swinging his sword at Hiru.

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate my trap: Magic Cylinder! This will inflict damage to your Life Points equal to the ATK of your monster!” The sword reflected and swung out of Gottoms’ hand. It then almost hit Gottom as it landed on the ground. (Gottom 8000→3200)

 

Gottom grunted, “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “I draw! I activate my other trap: Pyramid of Light! By paying 1000 Life Points, I can Special Summon Andro Sphinx and Sphinx Teleia from my Deck. (Hiru 8000→ 7000) (3000/2500) (2500/3000) Next, I activate Storm of Zeus! It will destroy a Spell or Trap card I destroy to inflict 500 damage to my opponent for each Spell or Trap Card they control. I destroy Pyramid of Light. Since you control 2 cards, you’ll take 1000 damage! (Gottom 3200→2200)” The Sphinxes shattered due to the loss of Pyramid of Light.

 

Hiru smiled, “When my two Sphinxes are destroyed at the same time, I can pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon Theinen, the Great Sphinx! (3500/3000) (Hiru 7000→6500) Also, by paying 500 Life Points, it will gain 3000 ATK! (Hiru 6500→6000) (3500→6500/3000) I also equip it with Armor of Shadows!” Theinen was surrounded by a purple aura, and a skull helmet appeared on its head. Two wings of shadows also appeared. “This will increase its ATK by 700! (6500→7200/3000) Now, attack Gottoms!” Theinen roared, and a flurry of shadows escaped its mouth.

 

Gottom sighed, “I guess this is over. Our plan…” (Gottom 2200→0)

 

Hiru repeated, “Plan? What are you talking about?” He was still stuck in a bubble around flames, but the flames started getting weaker.

 

§

 

Senith was now outside, surrounded by rubble, still dueling Dino-dude. He checked and saw he only had 900 Life Points left. His field was gone, and Jurrac Aeolo’s was on the field. “What the hell just happened!?”

 

Dino-dude said, “First, Jurrac Impact inflicted damage to your Life equal to Jurrac Meteor’s ATK, 2800. Then its effect activated, destroying every card on the field. Then it Special Summoned a Jurrac from my Graveyard. Too bad it didn’t actually take anybody out.” He looked to see the Ayra and Hiru were now watching the Duel.

 

Senith said, “So you guys wanted to do that to knock us all out? Is that what your plan was?”

 

He nodded, “Correct. I end my turn.”

 

Senith said, “I draw! I remove from play Volcanic Rocket to Special Summon Inferno from my hand! (1100/1900) Now, attack Aeolo!” Aeolo was engulfed by a flame, and turned to ashes in a matter of seconds. “Also, when Inferno destroys a monster by battle, you take 1500 damage! (Dino-dude 3800→2300)”

 

Dino-dude said, “When a Jurrac I control is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon Jurrac Herra in attack mode! (2300/1500)”

 

Senith grunted, “I Tribute Inferno to Special Summon Volcanic Hammerer! (2400/1500) Now I activate its effect! It inflicts 200 damage to your Life Points for each Pyro in my Graveyard. There are 2, so you take 400 damage!” Volcanic Hammerer shot out two sparks of molten rock, exploding as they contacted Dino-dude. (Dino-dude 2300→1900) “I end my turn.”

 

Dino-dude said, “It’s time I end this. I draw! I Tribute Herra to activate Big Evolution Pill! Now I don’t have to Tribute to Summon Dinosaurs for 3 turns!”

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Dino-dude said, “I Summon Jurrac Titano in Attack Mode! (3000/2800) While it’s on the field, it cannot be targeted by the effects of Trap Cards or Monster Effects.”

 

Senith grunted, “Great.”

 

Dino-dude continued, “Now, I activate its second effect! By removing from play Jurrac Aeolo, it can gain 1000 ATK! (3000→4000/2800) Now, attack Volcanic Hammerer!” Jurrac Titano began to swipe its claws at Volcanic Hammerer.

Senith smiled, “I activate my trap from the Graveyard, Fiendish Inferno! By sending 1 card from my hand to the Graveyard and removing from play this card, it negates the destruction of a monster I control and halves the Battle Damage! Also, by sending Volcanic Scattershot to the Graveyard, you take 500 damage! (Senith 900→100) (Dino-dude 1900→1400)

 

Dino-dude sighed, “I end my turn. There’s nothing you can do to stop me if you just inflict Burn Damage. Just give up."

 

Senith smiled, “I draw. I remove from play the 3 Pyros in my Graveyard to Special Summon Fiendfire Dragon!” Three pillars of flame shot out from the ground. They all began to shape into demons and twirled around each other. They eventually intersected, and Fiendfire Dragon appeared from the flames. Its head looked a bit like it had demon horns, its wings were made out of fire, and its body was red and gray. (3400/1000)

 

Dino-dude said, “That may be your strongest monster, but I’ll still have Life Points left if you defeated me. Also, Jurrac Titano will still be able to gain 1000 attack at my command.”

 

Senith continued, “When Fiendfire Dragon is Special Summoned with its effect, it inflicts 500 damage to my opponent.” Fiendfire Dragon shot sparks of fire, piercing through Dino-dude. (Dino-dude 1400→900) “Also, by Tributing Volcanic Hammerer, Fiendfire Dragon can inflict 1000 damage to my opponent.”

 

Dino-dude’s eyes widened, “You’ll WHAT!?”

 

Senith smiled, “Fiendfire Dragon, Hell’s Inferno!” Fiendfire Dragon breathed out a pillar of yellow flame, being sent in many directions when it hit Dino-dude. (Dino-dude 900→0) After the flame died, the body was nowhere to be found.

 

Senith looked up to see Hiru and Ayra waving at somebody in the distance. He turned to see Team Solar Wind running towards them. Zugai said, “Well, so it looks like the duelists here took things seriously. At least the Zoo’s fine.” Senith looked to the left to see an intact Zoo. He smiled, “They hacked into the screen to make those things happen. It’s kind of pointless, if you ask me.”

 

Hiru objected, “Well, how come we felt pain!?”

 

A familiar, insanely happy voice replied, “Because they were part of Kadoguchi, duh!”

 

Zugai’s eyes narrowed as he looked in that direction. He saw 3 cloaked figures: one was the same as Gouzen when they first fought each other. The second one had a black robe with green features like a snake. Finally, the third one was wearing a grey robe with a yellow Koa’ki Meiru symbol. Their faces were covered by darkness.

 

Zugai sighed, “You know, Gouzen, it’s obvious that its you. Just take off your hoods, Kadoguchi.”

 

Gouzen, for the first time in public, revealed his head. He still wore the cloak, which covered the rest of his body. His skin was tan like sand on a beach, his hair was black and smooth, but he died it back into a ponytail. His eyes were pure black, and his smile was wide and menacing.

 

Ayra yelled, “Heki, take off your mask. It’s pointless hiding with a bad disguise like that. I can smell you from a mile away.”

Heki took off her hood, but kept the cloak. She had long, brunette hair, green eyes, and her skin seemed to be tainted green. “If you did, why did you look so surprised when I showed up.”

 

The last one took off her cloak and revealed she was a young, blonde girl with blue eyes and a funky space outfit. Kea commented, “So, did you guys come here to challenge us or something?”

 

Gouzen laughed, “Just like that!? That isn’t any fun! I propose a game for us!”

 

Kai asked, “What game to you suggest?”

 

Gouzen smiled, “At midnight tonight, we will reveal our locations. You just have to come and get to us, no matter the obstacles.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Great. That means a bunch of rare hunters blocking us.”

 

Heki added, “And also, there will be no special rules during our duels. Just plain one-on-one.”

 

Ayra smiled, “Great. That means I won’t have to defend Kea, and I actually get to focus on killing you.”

 

Tsuchi finished, “We also have a special… guest arriving. Don’t worry, he won’t count towards the record. He just wants to face somebody here.”

 

Kea said, “Well, who, exactly?”

 

A shadowed figure rose from behind them. It was a gigantic, muscular man, except his features seemed to be unidentifiable, as if he was changing his form twice every second. Nobody could focus on his face, because it also took the form of hundreds of animals. He pointed and said, “Hiru, tonight, this location.” Just then, a flock of crows came from the sky and blocked them. Gouzen laughed hysterically, but it was drained by the cawing of crows. Once the crows left, nothing was there.

 

Senith said, “I think they’re overdoing it, don’t you think?”

 

Zugai replied, “Just a little.” He looked at his watch, and announced, “It’s three right now. How about we go grab a bite to eat and then make a plan?”

 

Hiru nodded, “Fine with me. We have 9 hours.”

 

Kai commented, “They’re moving a bit too suddenly, don’t you think?”

 

Ayra said, “Sudden creates shock, which creates an advantage.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Whatever it takes, we’ll have to win this. Not just to stop Kadoguchi, but to get a step closer to our final goal.” The six of them walked into the afternoon sun, trying to get as much relaxation as they could before chaos would strike them.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 17]

Chapter 17: Savage Fight: Legendary Beasts vs. Gladiator Beasts!

 

The sky was starting to darken as the sun began to get closer to the horizon. It was currently six in the afternoon, and Zugai, being himself, wanted to make sure that they had a plan before the battle that might possibly destroy New York. Sitting in the middle of Central Park, after grabbing a bite at the Shake Shack, the six friends were contemplating a plan of action.

 

Zugai said, “Okay, so far, we have Hiru taken in the first battle as a given. I think that we should stay with him until it’s over, just in case that the plan is a trap.”

 

Hiru said, “Hopefully, I’ll win, right?”

 

Zugai nodded, “You will win. You have no choice.”

 

Senith said, “After that, what will we do?”

 

Ayra commented, “Well, they’ll be in different areas, so I say we travel as groups.”

 

Kea said, “Two for each, I guess?”

 

Zugai nodded, “Pretty much. I already have an idea of who should fight who, and who should travel together.”

 

Kai said, “Elaborate, please.”

 

Zugai continued, “I’ll travel with Kai, and we’ll both go after Gouzen. I’ll go first, since I pretty much know his strategies. Ayra and Senith will travel together and go for Heki. Senith, you’ll be fighting Heki.”

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “Wait, what? Didn’t you just say that experience matters?”

 

Zugai looked and saw Ayra’s death glare at him, and Zugai answered, “I was there, remember? I know what her strategy revolves around. I know that you’ve made adjustments, Ayra, but the thing is, Heki’s dueling pretty much plays around with your monsters. Senith’s strategy goes quite far without monsters, but yours? Not so much.”

 

Ayra sighed, “Fine. At least you thought it through enough.”

 

Hiru finished, “And Kea and I will take out Tsuchi?”

 

Zugai said, “Preferably Kea, since she had a Koa’ki Meiru symbol, and those Decks are painful against LIGHT and DARK monsters.”

 

Kea nodded, “Okay.”

 

Zugai nodded, “So then, let’s just wait another six hours.”

 

§

 

Typhoeous waited in his own reality of shadows. Team Nature appeared in front of him, and transformed into shadows. They shadows entered Typhoeous’s body, but did not change his appearance at all. “I’ve seen him fight. I guess I’ll have to use my full strength against him.” No voice answered. He was standing in the darkness, all alone. Once he left his world, his presence seemed to slowly dwindle away, as if he was pulling something with him.

 

§

 

Midnight had come. Zugai and his friends walked straight into Central Park, searching for the “special guest”. The park was completely void of all other people, as if they were walking through an undiscovered garden. Then again, it was midnight, so not too many people would be in the park. Eventually, they came by an old man sitting on a bench. They took no notice of him and continued walking. However, after about two minutes, they saw the same person blocking the path.

 

Zugai nudged Hiru, as if saying, “This is the person. Go speak to him.” Skeptically, Hiru stepped forward, and asked, “Hello. Do you need something?”

 

The old man opened his eyes, which looked like they were coated with solid gold. As he did, shadows began surrounding him like he was in a hurricane. A tornado of shadows surrounded him, and eventually, all that was left was a solid shadow, but it looked like a tall and muscular man. The shadows eventually faded to show a bald, muscular man wearing a pure black cloak. On the center was a symbol of a scythe in the middle of an inscribed arrow. Zugai commented, “Just as I thought. You’re part of Kadoguchi, aren’t you?”

 

The unknown man looked up. “Yes. I am Typhoeous, one of the elite members of Kadoguchi.”

 

Zugai asked, “So they sent an elite to face Hiru? That’s nice of them.”

 

Typhoeous said, “Hiru, I believe you should prepare yourself for your own demise.” His cloak transformed into a shadow that covered his body. It morphed into a futuristic suit of armor, which was either dark grey, red, or black. His Duel Disk was on his arm, and looked a bit like a blade. “En garde, Hiru Hitono. I want the fight of my life.”

 

Hiru took out his silver Blade Duel Disk, with blue lights. “Be careful what you wish for.” He shuffled his Deck and placed it in his Duel Disk. “You can go first.”

 

Typhoeous smiled, “I draw. I Summon Gladiator Beast Dimacari in Attack Mode. (1600/1200)” When he placed the card in his Monster Card zone, a shadow came from his arm, and the end of the shadow became the monster. He continued, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Zugai nthought, OK. So, he’s attached to his monsters. That means, if Furui had Atlas, then this guy…

 

Hiru smiled, “Nice monster, but you’ll have to do better than that to stand up to me. I draw! I Normal Summon Legendary Beast – Hydra of the Ocean in Attack Mode! (1700/1200) While its own the field, a Legendary Beast I control can attack twice. I select Hydra! Hydra, destroy Gladiator Beast Dimacari!” Hydra’s first head darted at Dimicari.

 

Typhoeous smiled, “Your young, wild monsters versus my experienced, trained gladiators? This will be an interesting match. I activate the quick-play Spell Card: Indomitable Gladiator Beast!” Dimacari’s eyes glowed red, and it grabbed Hydra’s head and ripped it off. Hydra dissolved and broke into different parts.

 

Hiru asked, “What just happened?”

 

Ayra yelled, “Indomitable Gladiator Beast gives a Gladiator Beast on the field 500 ATK, you idiot!”

 

Hiru muttered to Typhoeous, “Oh, you son of a b****. (Hiru 8000→7600)”

 

Typhoeous said, “Also, I tag out Dimacari!”

 

Hiru asked, “‘Tag out’?”

 

Typhoeous answered, “Gladiator Beasts have a unique power with each other. After they fight, they can return to the Deck and switch with another. I Special Summon Gladiator Beast Alexander! (2400/600)”

 

Hiru replied, “In that case, I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Typhoeous laughed, “Is THAT all you’re going to do? I draw! Alexander, attack him directly!” Alexander roared and glided with its mechanical wings, and flew towards Hiru at blinding speeds.

 

Hiru countered, “I activate Magic Cylinder! This negates your attack and inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to its ATK!”

 

Typhoeous countered, “I activate my trap: Parry!” Alexander’s claws glowed, and ripped the cylinders into nine equal pieces. “By returning Gladiator Beast Lanista to my Deck, I can negate your trap and destroy it.” Alexander continued and rammed at Hiru. He flew back from the force and slammed into a tree. (Hiru 7600→5200) Typhoeous saw Hiru crawl up in pain, and said, “In this fight, we will pit up our monsters against other monsters. You will not feel physical pain most of the time, but if you leave yourself open, you will feel the full force of my sons. I set one card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Well said, Typhon.” Typhoeous narrowed his eyes at the mentioning of the name, but did not do anything else.

 

Hiru said, “My turn, draw! I activate Fissure! This will destroy Alexander!” Alexander glided to avoid the ground cracking beneath him.

 

Typhoeous said, “Alexander is not affected by your Spells.”

 

Hiru smiled, “In that case, I Summon Legendary Beast – Pegasus! (2000/1500) I remove it and Hydra from play to Special Summon Legendary Beast – Cyclone Drakon!” Hiru’s medallion began to glow, and his eyes gained a blue color. The moon began to glow brighter, and the clouds in they sky began forming into a storm. No rain fell, but lightning fell from the sky as Cyclone Drakon descended to the earth. (600/2700) “This card gains 1000 ATK for each set card on the field. I currently have 1, so it will gain 1000 ATK! (600→1600/2700) Also, I activate its effect! I can set 1 removed from play Legendary Beast monster in my Spell or Trap Card zone. I set Hydra. With that, it gains 1000 more ATK! (1600→2600/2700) Also, I set 1 more card. Now it has 3600 ATK! (2600→3600/2700) Now, destroy his Alexander!” Cyclone Drakon dove at Alexander, gaining an aura of wind. Alexander tried to counter, but Cyclone Drakon bit into it, crushing it. It exploded, and Typhoeous was forced a bit back. (Tyhpoeous 8000→6800) Hiru continued, “I end my turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “Well then, I guess Hiru could turn it around.”

 

Ayra said, “Hopefully. He doesn’t really have another choice, right?”

 

Zugai sighed, “I guess not.”

 

Kea nudged her sister, “You should stop hiding it.”

 

Ayra lightly blushed, “What?”

 

Kea shook her head, “Never mind.”

 

Typhoeous smiled, “This is the fight I mean! I can feel it: the warm anticipation pumping through my veins! I can feel the thrill of the fight! Except, I want more. I draw! First, I activate Clash of True Power! Now we both draw until we have 5 cards in our hands. I activate Gladiator Beast’s Respite. By returning Gladiator Beasts Octavious and Hoplomus to my Deck, I can draw 3 cards. Next, I Normal Summon Gladiator Beast – Bestiari. (1500/800) Also, I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Gladiator Beast Dimacari.”

 

Hiru smiled, “No matter how many monsters you gather, you still can’t beat my Drakon with that kind of power.”

 

Typhoeous smiled, “Then I might just have to give you a taste of your own medicine. I return my two Gladiator Beasts to my Deck to Fusion Summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!” Bestiari flew high into the air. Dimicari transformed into energy and surrounded Bestiari, and transformed into armor. The armor placed of Bestiari, and they formed a larger Gladiator Beast, just as big as Cyclone Drakon. (2400/1500)

 

Hiru commented, “A Fusion Summon by returning to your Deck, huh? Still, it doesn’t have enough power to destroy Cyclone Drakon.”

 

Typhoeous said, “When Gyzarus is Special Summoned, I can destroy up to 2 cards on the field. I select your two set cards.” Gyzarus shot two bombs from cannons on its arms, and they destroyed the two set cards on Hiru’s field. Gyzarus continued, “With that, its ATK decreases by 2000 points. (3600→1600/2700) As strong as it can be, if it has a weakness, an ruthless warrior will take advantage of it. Now, Gyzarus, destroy his Cyclone Drakon!” Gyzarus swooped at Cyclone Drakon, and they both began to fly at each other at blinding speeds. Their battle was in the air above, neither of them willing to give up. Finally, Gyzarus eliminated Cyclone Drakon by pecking off its head. (Hiru 5200→4400) However, another beast flew out of Cyclone Drakon, with light surrounding it.

 

Hiru smiled, “When a Dragon-Type monster I control is destroyed I can Special Summon Aether Drakon from my Extra Deck.” Aether Drakon shaved off the light from its scales, and the cyclone cleared. “When it’s Special Summoned with this effect, it destroys a monster you control!”

 

Typhoeous smiled, “I activate my trap: Gladiator Beast War Chariot! It negates the effect of an Effect Monster and destroys it!” A giant chariot rammed into Aether Drakon and exploded, destroying Aether Drakon.

 

Zugai looked up and said, “That’s… rather depressing.”

 

Senith asked, “Why didn’t Typhoeous just destroy Cyclone Drakon if he had that set?”

 

Zugai answered, “Because he wanted to get rid of all possible traps. All Hiru had now is his Set Hydra.”

 

Typhoeous smiled, “Interesting trick, but you'll have to do better to defeat my mind. I now tag out Gyzarus to Special Summon 2 Gladiator Beasts from my Deck: Hoplomus and Samnite! (1600/1200) When Hoplomus is Special Summoned from a Gladiator Beast, its DEF becomes 2400. (700/2400) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Okay. I draw! I activate Hydra’s effect! By removing it from play, if I control no other monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or higher monster from my hand! I Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon! (3000/2500)” Blue-Eyes White Dragon descended from the starry sky. “Next, I attack Samnite with Blue-Eyes.” Blue-Eyes fired a white laser from its mouth.

 

Typhoeous countered, “I activate Defensive Tactics!” The plates that surrounded Hoplomus spread out to cover the whole field, and they all created a shield that deflected Blue-Eyes’ attack. “It prevents my monsters from being destroyed and reduces all Battle Damage to 0. At the end of your Battle Phase, I’ll tag out Samnite to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Laquari! When it is Special Summoned with this effect, its ATK becomes 2100! (2100/400) Also, I activate my trap: Double Tag Team! If I Special Summon a Gladiator Beast from tagging out, this allows me to Special Summon another Gladiator Beast from my Deck. I Special Summon Gladiator Beast Selim! (500/200) When this card is Special Summoned, I destroy it to Special Summon another Gladiator Beast. I Special Summon Gladiator Beast, Murmillo! (800/400) When it’s Special Summoned, I can destroy a monster you control.” Murmillo released a wave of energy, which obliterated Blue-Eyes.

 

Hiru sighed, “I Normal Summon Legendary Beast – Chimera in Defense mode. (1500/300) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Typhoeous frowned, “Is that all you’ll do? I draw. I Normal Summon Gladiator Beast – Babur. (1700/200) Next, I switch Hoplomus to ATK mode. It attacks Chimera!”

 

Hiru said, “I activate its effect, sending 3 cards from my Deck to my Graveyard. I send these 2 Blue-Eyes White Dragons and White Stone of Legend.”

 

Typhoeous continued, “Next, the rest of my monsters will attack you directly!” Murmillo charged at Hiru and punched him in the stomach. (Hiru 4200→3400) Then, Laquari leapt into the air and launched a shower of missiles, which exploded and sent Hiru back with the force. (Hiru 3400→1300) It ended with Legendary Beast Hoplomus trampling Hiru. (Hiru 1300→600) Hiru barely managed to crawl up, but his eyes activated. A force from the ground beneath him launched his upper body into the air. Nobody was able to tell what the force of this was.

 

Typhoeous said, “Interesting. I return Murmillo to my Deck to Special Summon Gladiator Beast Sentry. (500/600) When this card is Special Summoned, you take 500 damage. (Hiru 600→100) I don’t know what power forced you back up, but I’m not taking any chances with my prey. I return Laquari, Hoplomus and Sentry to my Deck to Fusion Summon my strongest monster!” The three monsters transformed into shadows and swirled around each other. “I Fusion Summon Gladiator Beast Heraklinos! (3000/2800)” It seemed to be a fusion of every single Gladiator Beast, having qualities from all of them.

 

Hiru panted, “That isn’t a Monster Lord… what is it?”

 

Typhoeous said, “This card has yet to be truly awakened from the true thrill of battle. It is the Lord of Monsters sealed away. Also, I discard my hand to activate the effect of Babur. By discarding my hand, it equips itself to Heraklinos, giving it 1700 ATK! Also, if Heraklinos would be destroyed, I can destroy Babur instead and regain 700 Life Points.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, This is it! This is where I have to start my counterattack! “I activate my trap: Fall of Icarus! When a monster you control gains ATK, I can inflict damage to your Life Points equal to its original ATK!” A white hole suddenly appeared in the air, and Typhoeous was sent back a few yards. (Typhoeous 6800→3800)

 

Typhoeous smiled, “Not too bad. I end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “This is it! Miracle draw!” He drew his card to see Dragon’s Mirror. Okay, so I have this and Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. If I do this, I can Fusion Summon Ultimate Dragon and remove it from play to Special Summon Shining Dragon, but that won’t be enough… he’ll still be able to use Heraklinos, and he’s bound to make a counterattack. Hopelessness, exhaustion, and pain covered his face as he thought he could not do more.

 

Zugai yelled, “Hey, Hiru! You have something else, don’t you!?”

 

Hiru asked to himself, “Something… else?” Just then, he was surrounded by a blinding blue light. A sultry woman’s silhouette appeared and said to him, “I’ve limited their powers. Don’t be afraid to use them. They have been gifted with powers that can match the power that you fight. Use it.” Hiru came back to earth to see his Extra Deck had a glowing card. He took it to see that it was the Star Card, except it started becoming real. He saw its name, effects, and conditions, and smiled, “Hey, it looks like I have a chance after all.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Heh, you’re always going to be ahead of me with these things, just because you’re older and more popular.”

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate Dragon’s Mirror! I fuse together the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Aether Drakon in my Graveyard!” Suddenly, the moon became ten times its size, and shaped into a Solar Eclipse. A blue eye shined from the middle of the center, identical to Hiru’s. Hiru grabbed him medallion, and yelled, “I Fusion Summon Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon!”

 

A blue ray of light came from the eclipse, shaking the Earth as it hit it. An blue armored dragon with four purple, feathered wings, sharp claws, and blue eyes roared like it was both a lion and a dragon. The earth started cracking open and glowing with blue light. It was much bigger than Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, and it generated an ominous light that brought both hope and fear to whoever witnessed it. (3000/2500)

 

Typhoeous laughed, “Finally! A beast strong enough to challenge my skills!”

 

Hiru continued, “I activate Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon’s effect! By sending a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck to my Graveyard, it will inflict 800 damage to your Life Points! I send Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon to my Graveyard!” Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon shot two blue lasers from its eyes, piercing through Typhoeous. (Typhoeous 3800→3000) “Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon gains 400 ATK for each Fusion Monster in my Graveyard. I have 2, so it gains 800 ATK! (3000→3800/2500)”

 

Typhoeous sighed, “And yet, it still won’t be able to destroy my monster, no matter what you try.”

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate its second effect! By discarding Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, it inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to its Level x 100, and it gains its effects!” Nemean Drakon began glowing extremely bright, and it sent off a shockwave that sent Typhoeous back three feet. (Typhoeous 3000→2000) “Now, it gains 300 ATK for each Dragon in my Graveyard. There are currently 6, so it gains 2400 ATK! (3800→6200/2500) Also, I activate my final card: Legendary Soul! It returns all removed from play monsters to my Graveyard and gives a monster I control 300 ATK for each one. There are 4, so it gains 1200 ATK! And with 2 more dragons being sent to the Graveyard, Blue-Eyes gains 600 more ATK! (6200→8000/2500) Now, Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon, kill him!” Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon fired a laser that was brighter than every single light object in the world put together. It disintegrated Heraklinos by the touch and created a white hole, sending every single object in Central Park back about seven feet. Hiru crashed against a tree, and Typhoeous disappeared in the darkness. (Typhoeous 2000→0)

 

Ayra covered her mouth and dashed towards Hiru, who was unconscious. Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon faded away, and the sky became normal again. The white hole also vanished. Ayra began crying over the limp body of Hiru, who was covered in blood from the recent bang against the tree. She quickly changed her appearance back to her normal self, but carried the body of Hiru, “I’ll take him to a hospital. You guys go on ahead.”

 

Zugai, who felt shocked at what happened to his friend, said, “When he wakes up, tell him that I said he was really epic.”

 

§

 

Kea walked into an empty stadium. “I know you’re here. Just show yourself so this can be easier.” A TV screen flashed on, and Tsuchi’s face was shown in the screen.

 

She laughed, “Do you really think life is this easy? I’ll show you how we’ve suffered.”

 

The lights went on very brightly, and Tsuchi was right on the other side of Yankee stadium from Kea.

 

§

 

Senith was, once again, walking down a dark alley in New York City. He was walking across a sea of reptiles, looking for his target. He stepped on a lizard, and after seeing its guts exit its body, he said “Enough with the geckos! Just come out already, Heki!”

 

Heki said, “Yeah, bring me the ginger from before, and I might do something.” She stepped into Senith's field of view and said, “Then again, you’ll be more of a challenge. Bring it on, kid.” The lights of the city suddenly went out, and all that was shining was Yankee Stadium.

 

§

 

Zugai said to Kai, “Do you think we’ll be able to do better than Hiru?”

 

Kai shrugged, “I don’t really care. Just as long as we get through this fast.”

 

They were walking through dark streets of New York after the light suddenly went out. Suddenly, they heard a menacing voice laugh, “Hey, you guys ready to have some fun!?” The lights went back on to reveal a large crowd of Ghouls between Zugai and Kai and Gouzen. “I will always be superior to you! So you have to go through these guys in order to see my power again!” The lights went out again, and Zugai activated his Astral Eyes to see the crowd in the dark.

 

Zugai took out his Duel Disk and smiled, “Looks like the superior one forgot to pay his electric bill.” He started running towards the crowd, followed by Kai. “Hey, let’s get this party started!” He drew a card and yelled, “Who’s first!?”

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 18]

Chapter 18: Siege of New York!

 

Zugai barely dodged a kick to his head. He was having a hard time getting through the giant mob of Ghouls that were blocking him from Gouzen. Kai was having the same amount of trouble getting through the hoard as well. Zugai, stressed out, finally called upon his Astral Eyes, which sharpened his reflexes. He instinctively acted and managed to knock out all of the Ghouls in a five-yard radius around him only using feral actions. Strangely enough to Zugai, it seemed like he knew what they were about to do, as if he knew everything about them. When he took a second rest, he started gazing at a Ghoul who was charging at him. Zugai suddenly learned everything about the person: his name, age, gender, and he also got a brief look at most of his childhood before he broke his gaze. Zugai smiled, “Really, Carl? Is that all you’ll do?”

 

The Ghoul was stunned that Zugai knew his name, but fell unconscious in the next few seconds. Within five minutes of non-stop fighting, Zugai and Kai were getting exhausted, and most of the Ghouls were retreating. There were two left, blocking their path. Zugai saw them take out their Duel Disks, and Zugai and Kai did the same. Zugai smiled, “Finally! A modern-day Ghoul!”

 

§

 

Senith glared at Heki. They were both standing face-to-face, not making a single action. Heki finally laughed, “Is that all you’re useful for? Standing there? This’ll be a piece of cake.” Her arm transformed into the scaly Duel Disk used in her first appearance, and Senith took out his own scarlet Duel Disk. Senith smiled, “You can go first.”

 

Heki glared, “If you want me to. I draw! I Summon Alien Warrior. (1800/1000) I end my turn.”

 

Senith sighed, “That’s it? I draw. I Summon Volcanic Rocket! (1900/1400) When it’s Summoned, I can add a Blaze Accelerator to my hand! Now, it attacks Alien Warrior!” Volcanic Rocket skyrocketed into the air, and swooped at Alien Warrior. It left a hole of molten rock in Alien Warrior, which exploded afterwards. (Heki 8000→7900)

 

Heki laughed, “Are you really that stupid? The monster that destroys Alien Warrior gains 2 A-Counters!” Two A-Counters latched onto Volcanic Rocket from the remains of Alien Warrior.

 

Senith smiled, “Heh. That’s interesting. I set 2 cards and end my turn!”

 

Heki said, “I draw! I Normal Summon Alien Ammonite! (500/200) When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 Alien from my Graveyard. I bring back Alien Warrior! Next, since I Normal Summoned an Alien, I can Special Summon Alien Dog from my hand! (1500/1000) When it’s Special Summoned with this effect, I can place 2 A-Counters on a monster you control! I place 2 more counters on Volcanic Rocket!”

 

Senith sighed, “So if your monster battles it, it’ll lose 1600 ATK? Great.”

 

Heki continued, “I’m not done yet! I Tune my Level 1 Alien Ammonite to my Level 4 Alien Warrior to Synchro Summon Cosmic Fortress Gol’gar!” Suddenly, Alien Ammonite and Alien Warrior were lifted by a tractor beam, and a giant fortress descended from the sky. It contained many Aliens, but it seemed to be a living organism itself. (2600/1800)

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “You didn’t use this monster against Ayra and Kea…”

 

Heki smiled, “Next, I activate its effect! By removing 2 A-Counters on the field, I can destroy a card you control. I remove 4 Counters to destroy one of your set cards and Volcanic Rocket!” Gol’gar fired two beams at Senith’s field, one obliterated his set card and the other incinerated Volcanic Rocket. Senith was thrown back by the force, and Heki remained laughing. “My monsters will attack you directly!”

 

Senith grinned, “Not so fast! I activate my trap: A Hero Emerges! Now you have to select a card in my hand! If the card is a monster, I can Special Summon it! If not, it’s destroyed!”

 

Heki narrowed her eyes, One of those cards is definitely Blaze Accelerator. Except, which one is it. No matter, if I pick a monster, it probably can’t stand up to Gol’gar. “I pick your left most card!”

 

Senith smiled, “Sweet! I Special Summon Fiendfire Devil in Attack Mode! (2900/1200) While this card is on the field, Level 5 and higher monsters you control must attack it!”

 

Heki’s eyes widened, “What!?” Fiendfire Devil leapt into the air and began ripping Gol’gar apart. It fell from the sky and crashed onto Heki. (Heki 7900→7600) Heki growled, “I activate ‘A’ Cell Breeding Device. I also set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Senith grinned, “Is that all you’ll do? I draw!”

 

Heki grinned, “I activate my first trap: ‘A’ Virus Spread! It places an A-Counter on the attacking monster. Next, I activate a Quick-Play Spell: Mysterious Triangle! This will destroy a monster you control with an A-Counter, and will Special Summon an Alien to my side of the field until the End Phase! I Special Summon Alien Psychic! (200/100) While this card is on the field, monsters with A-Counters cannot declare an attack. Also, due to ‘A’ Virus Spread, monsters that you Summon will gain an A-Counter this turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “I activate Blaze Accelerator, and I destroy it to activate Tri-Blaze Accelerator! Next, by sending the Volcanic Scattershot in my hand to the Graveyard, I can destroy a monster you control and inflict 500 damage to your Life Points. Also, with Volcanic Scattershot’s effect, I can send 2 more to the Graveyard to destroy all monsters your opponent controls. And when Volcanic Scattershot is sent to the Graveyard, you take 500 damage!”

 

Heki’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Senith grinned, “In other words, you take 2000 damage!” Three Volcanic Scattershots were launched out of Tri-Blaze Accelerator, and they all shot three balls of lava. They all exploded around Heki’s field, inflicting heavy damage. (Heki 7600→5600) Senith continued, “Now, I remove the three of them from play to Special Summon Fiendfire Dragon! (3400/1000) When it’s Special Summoned with this effect, you take 500 damage! (Heki 5600→5100) I end my turn.”

 

Heki grinned, “I finally get to see the power of you guys. I have to say, it isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I draw! First, I activate the effect of ‘A’ Cell Breeding Device, placing a second A-Counter on Fiendfire Dragon!”

 

Senith gagged, “More of those things?”

 

Heki continued, “Next, I activate A-Transformation! By removing A-Counters from a monster you control, I can Special Summon the same number of Aliens from my Deck! I Special Summon Alien Overlord and Alien Mother! (2200/1600) (2300/1500)”

 

Senith sighed of relief, “You know, you just helped me. I was afraid that your A-Counters would have brought down my monsters, but you barely put up a fight now.”

 

Heki smiled, “I’m not done yet, kid. I activate Alien Reinforcements. It allows me to draw cards until I have 4 cards in my hand. However, I have to discard them all in my next End Phase. Next I set 2 cards and activate Alien Overlord’s effect, giving your monster an A-Counter. I end my turn.” Heki discarded her last 2 cards.

 

Senith smiled, “I draw! First, I Normal Summon Volcanic Shell! (100/0) Next, I activate Fiendfire Dragon’s effect! I can Tribute it to inflict 1000 damage to my opponent!” Fiendfire Dragon exhaled a column of white flame, scorching Heki. (Heki 5100→4100) He continued, “Next, I attack Alien Overlord with Fiendfire Dragon!”

 

Heki said, “I activate my trap: Call of the Haunted! This will revive Alien Psychic! (200/100)” Fiendfire Dragon cut off its attack as soon as Alien Psychic appeared.

 

Senith growled, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Heki smiled, “I draw. I activate Alien Overlord’s effect, placing a third A-Counter on Fiendfire Dragon. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “Is that it? I draw! First, I pay 500 Life Points to add a Volcanic Shell to my hand. (Senith 8000→7500) Next, I Summon it and I activate Enemy Controller. By Tributing it, I can control your Alien Grey! Next, I Tribute it to inflict 1000 damage to your Life Points! (Heki 4100→3100) Now, attack Alien Overlord!”

 

Heki yelled, “I activate my trap: Planet Polluting Virus! This destroys all monsters on the field with A-Counters!” A-Counters began swarming the field, and Fiendfire Dragon was eaten by them.

 

Senith growled, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Heki smiled, “Is that all you got? My turn! Aliens, attack him directly!” Both Alien Mother and Alien Lord leapt at Senith and launched A-Counters at him, covering him with A-Counters. (Senith 7500→3000) “Next, I activate my trap: Crop Circles! By Tributing Aliens I control, I can Special Summon an Alien from my Deck with the same Level as the Tributed monsters! I Tribute my 2 Aliens to bring forth my strongest monster!” The two Aliens began glowing, and sunk into the pile of A-Counters. Suddenly a giant lizard appeared from the pile of A-Counters. It had scales and features like an alien, but seemed like it had all parts of them. Heki grinned, “Meet the Mother of Monsters – Echidna! (4500/3100) Lucky for you, it can’t attack the turn its Summoned, but instead, I can inflict damage to your Life Points equal to half of its ATK! And after that, I must move to my End Phase!” Echidna blasted a giant laser, which engulfed Senith and launched him backwards. (Senith 3000→750)

 

Senith growled, “What a monster… I draw!” He looked at his card, and saw a red flame blocking the Lore, image and it covered the card itself. “What is that?”

 

A voice echoed, “You have received the core of what I gave to humanity…” The flame sunk into Senith’s heart, and he managed to see the card. He smiled, “This’ll be interesting!”

 

§

 

Kea and Tsuchi were circling around the baseball stadium. Kea narrowed her eyes, “What are you trying to do with me?”

 

Tsuchi shrugged, “I just want to duel you, that’s all. Nothing more. It’s Battle City, isn’t it? Even though we’re part of a group you hate, we’re trying to be peaceful this once.” Tsuchi suddenly narrowed her eyes, “Dammit. Neither of them can stick to the plan. Not even my sis…” She stopped herself, “Anyway, we’re getting started, whether you like it or not.” Tsuchi’s symbol began to glow, and Kea’s Duel Disk activated on its own. A Koa’ki Meiru symbol surrounded the whole Baseball Stadium, and machinery became animated. Tsuchi smiled, “My turn. I draw. I Normal Summon Koa’ki Meiru Urnight! (2000/1500) I end my turn. In order to keep Urnight on the field, I have to reveal a Beast-Warrior-Type monster in my hand. I reveal my Crusader.”

 

Kea smiled, “I draw. I Normal Summon Dragunity Pilum! (1400/1000) Next, I activate its effect, which allows me to Special Summon a Winged Beast Dragunity monster from my hand, and equips it to it. I Special Summon Dragunity Militum. (1700/1200) Also, due to the effect of Dragunity Militum, I can Special Summon a Dragunity Equip Card. Now I Tune Pilum with Militum to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Trident!” The two monsters merged together to create a Dragunity Militum with blue armor. A giant blue dragon descended from they sky, and the new Militum rode on it. (2400/1700) “Next, I activate Dragon Control Technique! With its effect, I can equip Dragunity Brandistock to Trident. This gives it a 500 ATK boost. (2400→2900/1700) Now, Dragunity Trident, destroy Urnight! Triple Spear!” Trident stabbed Urnight with its Brandistock, slaughtering Urnight. (Tsuchi 8000→7100) “Also, due to Brandistock’s effect, Trident can attack twice! Triple Spear!” Trident stabbed the ground in front of Tsuchi. (7100→4200) “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Tsuchi smiled, “I draw. I Summon Koa’ki Meiru Ice. (1900/1200) Due to its effect, I can Tribute it to destroy a Special Summoned monster.” Ice leapt into the air and stabbed Trident with its blade. It slowly sunk into Trident, freezing it. “Next, I remove from play 1 Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru from my hand to Special Summon Koa’ki Meiru Maximus!” An Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru floated in the field. Suddenly, it began glowing, and opened. Koa’ki Meiru Maximus came out of the core. (3000/2500) “Next, I reveal 1 Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru in my hand and discard Crusader to activate Core Compression. Now I can draw 2 cards. Next, I activate Koa’ki Meiru Overclock. This gives all Koa’ki Meiru monsters I control 500 more ATK. (3000→3500/2500) Next, I can discard an Iron Core to increase the boost by 500 more points! (4000/2500) Also, by returning an Iron Core from my Graveyard to my Deck, I can activate Urgent Synthesis! This will Special Summon Urnight from my Graveyard. (2000→3000/1500) Both of them will attack you directly!” Urnight dashed at Kea and slashed its blade across her chest. Instead of it just passing through or feeling regular pain, she felt electricity cross that part of her body. (Kea 8000→5000) Maximus released a blast of wind, which engulfed Kea completely, as well as half of the Stadium. Kea felt the electricity course through her whole body, and didn’t know if she could get up afterward. (Kea 5000→1000) Tsuchi smiled, “Also, due to Maximus’s effect, I can destroy a card you control.” Maximus fired a red beam from the symbol on its forehead, destroying Dragon Control Technique. “I end my turn. I keep Maximus on the field by discarding Koa’ki Meiru Tornado, but I’ll destroy Urnight. Also, Overclock’s extra boost will run out. (4000→3500/2500)”

 

Kea grunted, “I draw. I first activate Clash of True Power, increasing our hands to 5 cards each. I Set 3 cards and Normal Summon Mist Valley Falcon. (2000/1200) I end my turn.”

 

Tsuchi grinned, “I draw. I activate the effect of Maximus, destroying Mist Valley Falcon!”

 

Kea smiled, “Nice try. I activate my Trap: Icarus Wind! This will Tribute Mist Valley Falcon to destroy 2 cards you control. I destroy Maximus and Overclock! Also, I activate my second trap: Dragon Beacon! This will Special Summon 2 Dragunity monsters from my Deck! I Special Summon Darkspear and Legionnare. (1000/1000) (1200/800)”

 

Tsuchi said, “In that case, I Summon Koa’ki Meiru Speeder. (1200/2200) I end my turn, and by revealing Koa’ki Meiru Powerhand, Speeder will not be destroyed.”

 

Kea said, “My turn. I pay 500 Life Points to activate the continuous Spell: Star Swap! (Kea 1000→500) If a Synchro Monster battles, I have to remove it from play during the End Phase, but it’ll Special Summon another Synchro Monster with the same Level. I tune Darkspear to Legionnare to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg! (2000/1100) I end my turn.”

 

Tsuchi growled, “Don’t mock me with weak monsters like that. I draw. Due to Speeder’s Effect, since I drew an Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru, I can draw 1 more card. I Tribute Speeder to Summon Koa’ki Meiru Valafar! (3000/2100) Now, destroy Gae Bulg!”

 

Kea smiled, “Got you! I activate Gae Bulg’s effect! By removing from play a Winged Beast Dragunity in my Graveyard during the Damage Step, it gains ATK equal to its ATK! I remove from play Dragunity Militum, giving it 1700 ATK! (2000→3700/1200)” Gae Bulg fired a beam of white energy, and it pierced through the charging Valafar. (Tsuchi 4200→3500)

 

Tsuchi smiled, “Not bad. I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kea smiled, “Now, I remove from play Gae Bulg to Special Summon Gae Dearg! (2400/800)”

 

Tsuchi intercepted, “I activate Automatic Laser! By revealing an Iron Core in my hand, it will destroy a monster you Summon with more than 1000 ATK!” A laser shot down Gae Dearg from the sky.

 

Kea smiled, “You’re not half bad, but I have to end it here. I Normal Summon Dragunity Tribus. (500/300) Next, I Tribute it to Special Summon Dragunity Arms Misteil from my hand! (2100/1500) When this card is Special Summoned, I can equip a Dragunity from my Graveyard to it. I equip it with Brandistock, so now it can attack twice. Go, finish her off!” Misteil slashed at Tsuchi twice, knocking her back. (Tsuchi 3500→0) Kea panted, “I… won?”

 

Tsuchi smiled, “Guess you did. This was entertaining. I wish I could do this more without… see ya!” Tsuchi grew mechanical wings from her back and flew into the air, off into the distance.

 

Kea asked herself, “What kind of person is she?”

 

§

 

Zugai was currently Dueling a person with Yubel – Terror Incarnate. He had 300 Life Points left, and the opponent had 2900. Kai had already gotten past, but he was being pushed away from Gouzen by the second. He had a Debris Dragon and Petit Dragon on his field with no set cards. He said, “I draw! I Summon Baby Dragon! (1200/700) I Tune my Level 4 Debris Dragon to my Level 2 Petit Dragon and my Level 3 Baby Dragon!” Debris Dragon turned into four stars, which started circling around Petit Dragon and Baby Dragon. Soon, they transformed into stars, and they all merged together to create one bright star. “Gathering lights will bring forth an eternal shield of the innocent! Become the void of the night sky! Synchro Summon!” A giant silver dragon with red lights on its two primary wings flew out of the light. It had two wings, but as it was stopping, two more wings expanded from its body. “Soar, Stratosphere Dragon!” (2900/2500)

 

The Ghoul said, “Nice try. Something like that can’t get past my Terror Incarnate.”

 

Zugai sighed, “You’re as dumb as you look. Stratosphere dragon can negate the effects of monsters you control equal to the number of Normal Monsters in my Graveyard. O3 Shield!” Stratosphere Dragon flew around Yubel, and created a shield of blue energy surrounding it. “Now, Stratosphere Dragon, destroy Yubel! Burning Descent!” Stratosphere Dragon launched itself like a rocket, streamlined, and retracted its two extra wings. It flew through Yubel, creating a gaping hole in its chest. After that, it exploded. (Ghoul 2900→0)

 

Zugai stretched, “Well, not that that’s over with, I’m going to have to catch up with Kai.” He snapped his fingers, and Draco swam towards him. Zugai then rode on Draco after Kai.

 

§

 

Kai thought he cornered Gouzen. After a long rooftop chase, Gouzen was finally on the corner of a skyscraper, with nowhere to go. Kai said, “Now then, should we finish this, or should we not?”

 

Gouzen’s body started glowing intensely, “I don’t need to fight somebody like you. The only person I’m willing to fight is Zugai Shutaru!” Suddenly, a pillar of light erupted from around him and spread through New York, with an epicenter at the Empire State Building. Kai was knocked back by it, and couldn’t even look at it with its brightness.

 

He growled “So close. But when will this stop spreading?” By the time the light stopped spreading, there was a large column of light reaching the end of the atmosphere, covering a quarter of New York.

 

§

 

Senith smiled, “Heki, it’s time I end this. I Tribute Tri-Blaze Accelerator to Special Summon Volcanic Doomfire! (3000/1800) Next, by removing it from play, I can Special Summon this from my hand!” Volcanic Doomfire was engulfed by a star’s flame. The star compressed and began to transform into a humanoid creature, which quickly grew a tail, claws, and a dog-like head. The flames disappeared to form a giant monster slightly bigger than Volcanic Doomfire, with streams of flame coming out of its back. “I Summon Volcanic Solar Doomflare! (3500/3000)”

 

Heki smiled, “Not bad, but you miscalculated something. It’s weaker than my monster, and its ATK will decrease in battle, anyway.”

 

Senith smiled, “Oh well. I activate its effect. By discarding my hand, it will destroy every monster you control and inflict 1000 damage to your Life Points.”

 

Heki’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Senith grinned, “Eat this! Blazing Eruption!” Volcanic Solar Doomflare’s flames suddenly grew to the size of the sun, and they all engulfed Echidna, destroying it and scorching Heki. (Heki 3100→2100)

 

Heki smiled, “I activate the effect of Echidna! When it’s destroyed, I can pay 1500 Life Points to Special Summon it!” Echidna rose again from the pile of muck. (Heki 2100→600) “Also, it will Special Summon an A-Token on your field. (100/100) However, you can send it to the Graveyard by placing an A-Counter on a monster you control.”

 

Senith smiled, “That’s what I’ll do. And when a monster is sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can Tribute Volcanic Solar Doomflare to inflict 3500 damage to your Life Points!”

 

Heki intercepted, “No way! I activate my trap: Detonator Circle ‘A’! This will destroy Doomflare and inflict 1000 damage to both of us!” Heki took her region card and tossed it to Senith, who managed to catch it. Doomflare then exploded, sending the two of them in opposite directions. Just as she was launched, Heki was taken into the spreading pillar of light, although Senith was forced away from it. He got up and asked himself, “Why did she do it then and not beforehand? She could have won…”

 

§

 

Zugai covered his eyes at first to protect himself from the pillar of light, but he then remembered his Astral Eyes. Activating them, he was able to see perfectly in the blinding light. “Well then, I might as well go looking for the source of this.” Zugai began searching through the pillar of light for Gouzen. After two minutes of searching, he heard hysterical laughing from the top of Empire State. “That’s him.” Zugai rode to the top of the building, and dismounted himself from Draco as he reached it. “Hey, Gouzen. I can see you. You don’t have to laugh hysterically.” Gouzen turned and stared at Zugai. Just then, Zugai was suddenly taken to a different world. All he could see was darkness, and all he could feel was pain: being left alone, being beaten, not seeing the outside world. He then saw himself from Gouzen’s perspective, and was seeing different events from his life. It ended with a shocking thing to him: Gouzen first took in the power of Hyperion, and in order to increase his power, he took the two Star Cards and fused them with his monster lord. In one second, just by staring, Zugai knew everything about Gouzen.

 

Gouzen smiled, “Let’s get started. I was waiting for this rematch since I became part of Kadoguchi! After I defeat you, I’ll be able to spread this light across the world!”

 

Zugai sighed, “Keep on blabbering that to yourself, but you truly know that you can’t beat me.”

 

Gouzen changed his expression for a split second, but immediately changed back to a laughter, “What are you talking about!?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Just because you’re using a Lightsworns Deck now doesn’t mean it can defeat my dragons. Even with that strategy of yours that re-constructs your Deck.”

 

Gouzen stared at Zugai, “Ha! You’re talking as if you know every part of me.”

 

Zugai smiled, “That’s because I do know every part of you, Gouzen Fugushi.” A flame of darkness surrounded Zugai, clashing with the pillar that Gouzen created. “Let’s end this for once and for all. I wonder, is your light strong enough to extinguish all of the darkness in the world, or will it always leave shadows?” He took out his Duel Disk and placed his Deck into it.

 

Gouzen laughed, “You’ll have to find out yourself, punk!” He created a Duel Disk out of pure light, and smiled, “Let’s get this started!”

 

Zugai smiled, “Draw! I set 1 monster and end my turn.”

 

Gouzen said, “I draw! I Summon Jenis, Lightsworn Mender! (300/2100) Next, I send 2 cards from my Deck to the Graveyard to activate Eternal Shine! If I send a non-Monster Card from my Deck to the Graveyard, it gets returned to my Deck. Next, due to Jenis’s effect, it will inflict 500 damage to your Life Points and increase my Life Points by 500 points! (Zugai 8000→7500) (Gouzen 8000→8500) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn! I Flip Summon Stealth Bird, which inflicts 1000 damage to your Life Points!” Stealth Bird appeared behind Gouzen and pecked at his back. (Gouzen 8500→7500) “I activate its second effect and re-set it. I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Gouzen growled, “My draw! I activate the Trap: Broken Vow! This will destroy a Lightsworn I control, and I have to send a monster from my Deck to the Graveyard for the difference of the DEF and ATK of the monster divided by 200! I have to send 9 monsters to the Graveyard! Next, I activate my second trap: Glorious Illusion! This will Special Summon a Lightsworn monster from my Graveyard. I revive Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon!” A beam of light shone from the sky, and a bright mirage of a dragon appeared. (2000/1600) “This card gains 300 ATK for each Lightsworn in my Graveyard with different names. There are currently 9, so it has 4400 ATK! (2000→4400/1600→4000) Now, destroy Stealth Bird!”

 

Zugai smiled, “When Stealth Bird is Flip Summoned, it inflicts 1000 damage to your Life Points! (Gouzen 7500→6500)”

 

Gouzen growled, “That won’t be enough to stop me! If Gragonith attacks a Defense-Position monster, it inflicts piercing damage!”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “What!?” Gragonith shot a beam of light from its forehead, and it pierced through both Zugai and Stealth Bird. (Zugai 7500→4800)

 

Gouzen smiled, “I set 2 cards and end my turn. Next, I’ll send the top 3 cards to the Graveyard. They were all Spell and Traps, so they return to my Deck.”

 

Zugai said, “I draw! I set 1 card and Set 1 monster. Your move.”

 

Gouzen laughed, “I draw. Gragonith, obliterate his set weakling!”

 

Zugai smiled, “You can’t just assume your attack will go through. I activate my trap: Mirror Force!”

 

Gouzen growled, “I activate my continuous trap: Light Veil. By sending it to the Graveyard, I can skip to my End Phase to negate a card destruction effect. Next, I discard 3 cards from my Deck. All of them were Lightsworns, so Gragonith gains 900 more ATK! (4400→5300/4000→4900)”

 

Zugai growled, “I draw. I Flip Summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave! (1300/2000) Next, I Normal Summon Astral Dragon. (1300/800) I Tune the two of them together!” Astral Dragon turned into 3 stars, which surrounded The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, who soon transformed into 4 more stars. They revolved around each other, and created a circle of darkness. “Gathering bonds will ignite an undying light! Become the gateway to the sky full of stars! Synchro Summon!” A white dragon flew from the gateway, with a similar size and shape of Gragonith. “Undying star: Starlight Dragon!” (2300/2100)

 

Gouzen laughed, “Do you think that weakling really has enough strength to take down my monster?”

 

Zugai smiled, “I first activate Soul Release. This removes from play 5 Lightsworns from your Graveyard, decreasing your dragon’s ATK and DEF by 1500 points. (5300→3800/4900→3400) Next, I activate Future Fusion, sending Red-Eyes and Summoned Skull to the Graveyard. The conditions are set! Go, Starlight Dragon!”

 

Gouzen laughed again, “Did you lose it!? Gragonith still has more power.”

 

Zugai retorted, “You can’t just think that everything in the light is all there is. Solar Gust!” Starlight Dragon began flapping its wings, which rebounded off of Gragonith, making it retract from the force. “By removing from play the Summoned Skull in my Graveyard, this card will decrease the ATK of the attack target by the ATK of the removed monster. Summoned Skull’s ATK is 2500! (3800→1300/3400)”

 

Gouzen’s laugh faded, “Damn you, kid…”

 

Zugai smiled, “Go, Starlight Dragon! Comet Storm!” Starlight Dragon launched a comet, which exploded as it hit Gragonith. (Gouzen 6500→5500)

 

Zugai continued, “I end my turn.”

 

Gouzen began laughing hysterically, and Zugai asked, “What are you laughing about?” Even though he knew.

 

Gouzen didn’t answer. Instead he began talking to himself, “The light reveals everything to all people! It gives us warmth, hope, and happiness! It brings us closer to the dreams we want most!”

 

Zugai sighed, “Dreams shouldn’t be reached for immediately. You should just leave it there until you know you can reach for something farther.”

 

Gouzen laughed, “My turn! Since I have 7 Lightsworns in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon this!” The earth shook and crumbled around the Empire State Building, and throughout most of the pillar. However, not a single building fell. “Descend: the Light of Judgment: Judgment Dragon!” Judgment Dragon was hovering over the Empire State Building, and in its presence, the ground below Zugai began to crumble. He fell from the tower in complete shock. Gouzen laughed, “Fall, Zugai Shutaru! Fall to your own death within my light!” He jumped down after Zugai, and intended to continue the duel during the fall. All Zugai could think about was gravity, although they seemed to fall slowly, as if Gouzen wanted him to suffer as much as possible before his death.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 19]

Chapter 19: Total Darkness vs. Blinding Light!

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, but he couldn’t even see the ground below him, even with his powers. Gouzen didn’t really care too much. He streamlined himself and fell until he was next to Zugai. Judgment Dragon also launched itself off of Empire State building, and began looming over the group. He maliciously grinned, “Judgment Dragon can bring down its hammer of justice upon everything other than itself at the cost of 1000 Life Points! Now, destroy everything! Judgment Day!” Judgment Dragon unleashed a large storm of beams of light from the sky, obliterating everything in a 300-foot radius.

 

Zugai yelled, “I activate the effect of the Innocent Dark Dragon in him hand!” The spirit of small, black dragon picked up Zugai by the talons and broke his fall. Gouzen could only see the dragon as wings made of darkness. “By discarding Baby Dragon, this will negate the destruction of Starlight Dragon!” Starlight Dragon barely managed to weave past every single beam of light, and stayed intact after the storm.

 

Gouzen growled, “You can’t avoid the light forever!” He grew wings of light, and it carried him in the sky. He started flying towards Zugai, who streamlined himself and flew away. The two of them were flying at high speeds through the pillar of light in New York. Gouzen caught up to Zugai and said, “Judgment Dragon, obliterate Starlight Dragon! Hammer of Justice!” Judgment Dragon crushed Starlight Dragon with its claws, shattering it into pieces. White feathers began floating in the air where Starlight Dragon used to fly. (Zugai 4800→4100) Gouzen continued, “I end my turn, and to keep Judgment Dragon on the field, I have to discard 4 cards from my Deck.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn! I activate Monster Reborn! This will bring back Starlight Dragon!” A dark portal appeared in the pillar of light, and Starlight Dragon flew again. (2300/2100)

 

Gouzen growled, “You’re persistent.”

 

Zugai continued, “Next, I attack Judgment Dragon! By removing from play the Red-Eyes in my Graveyard, Starlight Dragon can decrease its ATK by 2400! Solar Gust!” Starlight Dragon flapped its wings, this time creating darkness instead of wind, forcing back Judgment Dragon. (3000→600/2600) “Now, Comet Storm!” Starlight Dragon launched a comet, ramming through Judgment Dragon. (Gouzen 5500→3800) “Next, I Normal Summon Reptilliane Viper. (0/0) I Tune it with Starlight Dragon!” Reptilliane Viper transformed into 2 dark stars, and they revolved around Starlight Dragon. Starlight Dragon became a portal of darkness, and the stars also entered the portal. “Gathering lights will bring forth an eternal shield for the innocent! Become the void of the night sky! Synchro Summon! Stratosphere Dragon!” Stratosphere dragon exited the portal, and the light was reflected and amplified by its body. (2900/2500) “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Gouzen said, “My turn! I activate Monster Reincarnation! By discarding 1 card, I can return Judgment Dragon to my hand! Next, I’ll Special Summon it!” Judgment Dragon returned and continued looming over the field. (3000/2600)

 

Zugai grunted, “This thing again?”

 

Gouzen continued, “Now, I activate its effect! By paying 1000 Life Points, it can destroy every other card on the field! (Gouzen 3800→2800) Eat this!” Judgment Dragon began raining down a storm.

 

Zugai smiled, “I activate Stratosphere Dragon’s effect! O3 Absorption!” Stratosphere Dragon’s head grew 3 different antenna, and every single beam of light was directed towards it. “Stratosphere Dragon is the only card that will take the destruction effect! Next, I activate my trap: Reflect Vibration! For this turn only, Dragon-Type monsters I control cannot be destroyed by card effects or by battle!” Stratosphere Dragon’s body reflected every single beam of light. Most of New York City began crumbling, but it still managed to stay intact.

 

Gouzen growled, “You’ll still take Battle Damage! Go, Judgment Dragon!” Judgment Dragon exhaled an inferno of fire. Stratosphere Dragon was scorched, but not destroyed. (Zugai 4800→4700)

 

Gouzen continued, “Next, I activate the effect of the Lightsworn Mirror in my Graveyard! If a monster I control fails to destroy a monster you control by battle, you take damage equal to the target’s ATK, which is 2900! Die! Die! DIE!” Judgment Dragon rammed into Stratosphere Dragon, and knocked it against Zugai. (Zugai 4700→1800) “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai said, “My turn! I Summon Innocent Dark Dragon! (100/100) Next, I Tune it with Stratosphere Dragon!” Stratosphere Dragon streamlined itself and dashed into the air. Innocent Dark Dragon flew after it and became a portal of darkness that Stratosphere Dragon entered. “Gathering desires will create a sparkling star! Become the symbol of the night sky! Synchro Summon!” A golden dragon, who was just as big as Judgment Dragon, with jet-like wings with green cores, razor-sharp talons, and qualities of a monarch, descended from the sky. “Undying dream, Eternal Star Dragon!” (3700/2000) “Now, Eternal Star Dragon, destroy Judgment Dragon! Unfulfilled Desires!” Eternal Star Dragon launched a green beam at Judgment Dragon, which did not do anything at first. However, Judgment Dragon soon began glowing green, and shattered into thousands of pieces. (Gouzen 2800→2100)

 

Zugai continued, “Also, when Eternal Star Dragon destroys a monster by battle, it will inflict 500 more damage for each Normal Monster in my Graveyard! There are 2 Normal Monsters, so you’ll take 1000 damage! Starlit Nightmare!” Eternal Star Dragon’s wings absorbed the fragments of Judgment Dragon. They then shot them at Gouzen like a machine gun would shoot bullets. (Gouzen 2100→1100) Zugai continued, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Gouzen growled, “My turn! I activate the spell: Calling of the Light Lord! If I have 10 or more LIGHT monsters in my Graveyard, I can call forth my strongest monster!”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Hyperion?”

 

Gouzen smiled, “Yes… descend forth! Lord of Light – Hyperion!” A giant knight, who's armor glowed like the sun, yet his body was dark purple, fell from the sky. It was big enough to pick up almost any skyscraper in the city and use it as a sword. (0/0) Gouzen continued, “This guy gains 400 ATK for each LIGHT monster in my Graveyard. There are 10, so it has 4000 ATK and DEF! (4000/4000) Also, by returning every single removed from play card to the owner’s Graveyard, I can increase its ATK by 1000! (4000→5000/4000) Now, destroy his ‘eternal wish’! Also, when it inflicts damage to your Life Points, you have to send 5 cards from the Deck to the Graveyard!” Hyperion slashed Eternal Star Dragon into two equal pieces, and they both exploded two seconds afterwards. (Zugai 1800→500) Gouzen laughed, “I end my turn! Now, Hyperion’s ATK will return to 4000! (5000→4000/4000)”

 

Zugai growled, “My turn! I draw! First of all, I activate Red Reincarnation! I get to Special Summon a Red-Eyes monster in my Graveyard in DEF mode, but its DEF becomes 0.” Red-Eyes Black Dragon appeared on the field. (2400/2000→0) “Next, I Summon Debris Dragon! (1000/2000) When he’s Summoned, I can Special Summon a monster with less than 500 ATK from my Graveyard. I Summon Innocent Dark Dragon! (0/0)” Zugai took a deep breath, I don’t know what this will do to the whole scenario, but I’ll have to do it anyway, won’t I?

 

Gouzen laughed, “What? Are you chickening out? You people that stay within the darkness don’t even feel true pleasure! All you can do is feel scared, and barely any true pleasure! The shining light has lead people to this day!”

 

Zugai interrupted, “Shut up! There can’t be day without the night! If something must exist, it must have something that counteracts it: a polar opposite! Not only that, but the light that you speak of isn’t the path to Utopia: it only blinds people from the truth! In order to learn what’s real and what isn’t, you need to reach a hand into the unfamiliar darkness! Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean that it makes a bad influence!

 

“These eyes of mine don’t just let me see in this blinding light, I’m able to see the truth in the darkness as well. I can see everything: the light of your past and the darkness in your heart. The one you call your angel and the other you call a devil. I know everything that you believe and what you don’t believe! And I won’t let anything, especially your light – no, especially ANY light that exists, reach anything that I hold dear!” A black flame erupted around Zugai, and the light surrounding him disappeared. “I Tune my Level 4 Debris Dragon and my Level 1 Innocent Dark Dragon to my Level 7 Red-eyes Black Dragon!”

 

Gouzen’s eyes widened, “You can’t be using it! I thought only the power of the Monster Lord can contain it! Not only that, but it shouldn’t even be able to face up to a Monster Lord with the power of 2 of them!”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “You don’t know that. I can see your concern, Gouzen. An army of 12,000 soldiers can defeat another with 100,000.” Innocent Dark Dragon and Debris Dragon transformed into a veil of darkness. It surrounded Red-Eyes, and Red-Eyes began to look like part of the night sky itself. “Gathering darkness will soon reveal the truth and power in its unseen world! Become the void they call the night sky! Astral Synchro!” Red-Eyes suddenly shed itself of the veil and looked completely different: it’s body looked like an empty suit of armor for a dragon, it had a tail that was just as long as the rest of the body, and it had a golden taint to its scales. It was gathered together, surrounded by darkness. After a few seconds, it spread its wings and released its energy, and all of the light around it dimmed. The pillar of light became shorter, and right where the darkness and light clashed, a bright, rainbow light shone brilliantly. The moon became rust red and twice its normal size, and every single star in the sky was visible.

 

Gouzen asked, “What… is this?”

 

Zugai answered, “This is the power that comes from the unseen darkness: Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon.” (2800/2400)

 

Gouzen laughed, “Is that all that stands up against me? Where’s this power that you spoke of?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon can remove from play up to 6 Dragons from my Graveyard. It gains the effects from all of them. I’ll remove from play Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, Innocent Dark Dragon, Debris Dragon, Starlight Dragon, Stratosphere Dragon, and Eternal Star Dragon. Spectra Absorption!” Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon started glowing red. The removed from play monsters also started glowing: each one with a different color of the wavelength spectra. “Now, I’ll first activate Stratosphere Dragon’s effect, negating the effects of monsters you control equal to the number of Normal Monsters in my Graveyard. Also, Starlight Dragon allows it to attack for each one. Eternal Star Dragon will inflict 1000 damage to your Life Points for each one."

 

Gouzen’s eyes widened, “What!?” Red-Eyes first fired a beam of red from its wings, which dimmed the light of Hyperion. After that, the pillar of light died down, and all that was left was a ruined section of New York, Hyperion, Gouzen, Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, and Zugai. (4000→0/4000→0) “Now, Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, show him your power! Black Soul Inferno!” Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon was covered with a red flame. It dashed into and through Hyperion, leaving a gaping hole in it. The hole soon transformed into a Black Hole that consumed Hyperion, and Gouzen started screaming in pure agony, as if his limbs were being ripped off slowly. (Gouzen 1100→0) The Hyperion card crumbled, and two different cards flew to the feet of Zugai. Zugai picked up two normal cards that used to be Star Cards. “Hmph. Game over, Gouzen. You screwed up badly.”

 

Gouzen barely managed to crawl up and limp towards Zugai. He panted, “I… will… murder you for the world I seek. A world of light!”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “There can’t be another world that functions without darkness in it.”

 

An ominous voice yelled, “Are you sure?”

 

Zugai looked around and realized he was where the Twin Towers used to be. Kai, Kea, and Senith quickly ran towards Zugai as they looked at the other side of the river. Six people, all draped in cloaks with different symbols on them, stood there. A person took of their hood. He had shorter, black hair, blue eyes, and a tan face. He was the shortest one out of the six of them. “My name is Oujo, the king of kings.”

 

Next to him, a woman took of her hood. She had long, black hair, and looked very familiar. “Hello again. I’m Shura Fuzen, manipulator of time.”

 

On the other side of him, a man bald, muscular man with very pale skin took off his hood, “I’m Tenba, collector of the dead.”

 

Typhoeous stepped forward, “You already know me. I’m Typhoeous, the creator of all creatures.”

 

Heki rolled her eyes, “If you still need to know, I’m Heki, the caretaker of beasts.”

 

Tsuchi winked, “I’m Tsuchi, the controller of machines. That over there was our lord of light, but we won’t be needing him any more.” Typhoeous raised his hand, and a shadow extended from it and surrounded Gouzen. Gouzen quickly merged with the shadow and was absorbed by Typhoeous. Tsuchi remarked, “I don’t see why you just do that to them and get it over with.”

 

Zugai quickly stared at Typhoeous. After activating his Astral Eyes, he managed to read him. “That wouldn’t be very sporting of you, would it?”

 

Typhoeous answered, “You speak a great truth! I live for the sake of hunting! It would be no fun to catch my prey without a challenge!”

 

§

 

Hiru could only see black. He felt himself getting weaker, and he could feel death in front of him. Is this it? Am I going to die? Just as a hand of Death reached for Hiru, he felt something tug him back. “Hey, you can’t die here, idiot.” He managed to turn to see Ayra pulling him away, “Come on, I’m waiting for you.”

 

Hiru woke up with a gasp in a hospital bed. The doctors around him had their eyes widened, “He just… no possible person could have survived. What could have…”

 

Hiru felt much stronger and as good as new. He announced, “I’m fine. I guess I’ll be going.”

 

Just as he was about to stand up, he heard Ayra in the distance, “You’re not going anywhere until you’re better.” Ayra walked to the side of the bed and pinned down Hiru with one hand. “Your heart just stopped and you didn’t breath for about five minutes and you say you’re fine? What the hell is wrong with you?”

 

Hiru said, “Sorry, I didn’t think you cared.”

 

A tear fell from Ayra’s right eye, “You don’t know anything, Hiru. You’re just too stupid.” She wrapped her arms around Hiru gently, but quickly let go afterwards. Hiru didn’t think he could believe that just happened. Ayra continued, “If you feel that you’re ready, you can come with me. I’ll just go with you, whether you-” Everything suddenly stopped in the middle of that sentence. Hiru wondered what was going on, and when he stood up and accidently tapped Ayra, she continued, “-like it or – when did you get up?”

 

Hiru said, “Something’s wrong. I really think we should try to find Zugai and the others.”

 

Ayra grabbed onto Hiru’s hand, “I don’t think so. If your heart stops again-”

 

Hiru said, “You’re a doctor. You should know what to do.” He pulled Ayra along, and said, “Besides, you’re coming with me. I’m leading.”

 

Ayra asked, “But, what if the injuries come back? What if you start bleeding to death again? Will you make it? I don’t want to…” Ayra stopped herself, not wanting to say too much about her true feelings.

 

Hiru smiled, “Who the hell do you think I am? Come on, let’s go.”

 

The entire city, except for Kadoguchi, Team Solar Wind, and Team Go was suspended in time. Oujo asked, “Now then, we won’t be interrupted now. So, how do you think a world without harm would be?”

 

Zugai retorted, “Terrible. If there’s no harm, no evil, there can’t be any goodness. Without nothingness, there cannot be absoluteness.”

 

Shura complimented, “Good answer. Although with unlimited power, we would be able to change the ways of the world. Up in the sky, you saw it. The Gate of Olympus showed itself a few days ago.”

 

Kai asked, “You mean the pattern of shooting stars?”

 

Oujo nodded, “Exactly. You see, behind the gate is Olympus itself, and whoever enters it will gain divine power: the power to change the world at their will, even the ability to surpass God himself. The Gods created six keys for them, and hid them around the world. These keys will always have a different form: depending on the world surrounding them, they will have different shapes, just so they could be harder to find. Over the course of 1000 years, a group of people have been trying to open that gate. It had no name at first, but later became known as Kadoguchi: the Gateway. Over the years, we have created a device that was able to drain the powers from the keys and place them in the Gate of Olympus. Then, when we knew of the arrival of the keys, we changed the world to make their forms obvious. We are able to slightly adjust the minds of certain people, and create certain events that actually never happened.”

 

Zugai muttered, “So you guys are the geeks that were doing that…” He looked behind to see Hiru and Ayra standing behind them.

 

Shura said, “That was Tsuchi. Anyway, we have already gotten two of the keys and ugaplaced them in the Gate. I can see that you have already recollected those cards, but they only have a fragment of their old power. Now, all we need to change this world is your last 4 cards.”

 

Hiru asked, “Why would you want to change this world?”

 

Typhoeous answered, “Because ever since Pandora’s Box had been opened, this world has been crumbling. If we change the world so that there was never a box like that, we would be able to cure the world.”

 

Ayra yelled, “In other words, you’re trying to transform into Gods.”

 

Heki smiled, “Pretty much. We will be able to create the ideal paradise that mankind has been hopelessly searching for.”

 

Kea rolled her eyes, “You call yourselves people that can bring paradise, yet you are the greedy one that wants to become Gods.”

 

Tsuchi spat, “Are you kidding me? Greedy? No, we’re doing this for the sake of each other and the rest of this world!”

 

Senith retorted, “The only world that you all are doing this for is your ideal one!”

 

Tenba said, “You haven’t seen the horrors this world can bring. I have seen and experienced it all, and the world barely exists to us anymore.”

 

Zugai said, “Why are you saying this to us?”

 

Shura answered, “We were hoping that the cards would protect you from Pandora’s corruption on mankind. However, it seems that you have already been twisted enough.” Time returned to normal, and Kadoguchi was gone.

 

Zugai sighed, “That isn’t a group. It’s a religion.”

 

Before anybody else could reply, the announcer yelled, “After a long, brutal fight, Team Ghoul has fallen! All that is left are the finals! The groups that are competing in the finals are Team Go, Team Creation, Team Ultimatum, Team Olympus, Team Armageddon, Team Composure, Team Starlight, and Team Mineral!”

 

Zugai sighed, “Geez, the worst group possible. That’s what I love so much about tournaments.”

 

Hiru said, “Well, luckily, it’s happening here, so we’ll be fine until then, right?”

 

Ayra nodded, “Hopefully. It’s happening in a week, so we have lots of time.”

 

The entire group set off in different directions, except for Zugai, who was just staring into space. Kea put her hand on his shoulder, “Are you okay, Zugai.”

 

Zugai sighed, “I’m just getting stressed out. In this week, I don’t know how chaotic things can get.”

 

Kea smiled, “We’ll be here for you. Don’t forget that.” She lightly grasped Zugai’s hand, and the two of them walked into the safe part of New York together.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 20]

Chapter 20: The Eight Branches

 

Zugai was pacing down the streets of New York alongside Kai, waiting for news about any other winning teams. “Team Armageddon is a given. I mean, Kisune can’t lose.”

 

Kai nodded, “I know. Then there’s the six pros, and after seeing Kosoru, probably Team Creation as well. So that leaves two random teams left.”

 

Zugai nodded, “Yeah, that’s true, too. And for now, I don’t know WHAT I should be doing. I don’t really want to go diving in the Hudson. That’s disgusting.”

 

Kai pointed to Time Square, “Uh, why are so many people gathered over there?”

 

Zugai looked and saw the same Battle City announcer on the screen above the M&Ms Store, “Finally, the teams are being announced.” Zugai and Kai rushed over to the screen, nudging their way through the crowd until they could hear the announcer’s voice.

 

“At this time, Teams Solar Wind and Go have already been declared victorious, and entering in the final matches. And at this point, every single participant has finished! The third qualifying team is the unstoppable, having a no-lose-streak throughout their entire history, is Team Armageddon!”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Knew it.”

 

The announcer continued, “Next up is the new and now popular, containing three of the biggest Duel Prodigies of all time, I give you Team Creation!”

 

Kai sighed, “‘Prodigies’? I still wonder why you like this guy.”

 

Zugai sighed, "So do I, you know."

 

The announcer said, “Next up, we have the trio of terror that harness the forces of Earth themselves, Team Geosphere!”

 

Zugai sighed, “Don’t even bring up geology in my face…”

 

The announcer said, “And now we have the squad of pure chivalry…”

 

Zugai and Kai both groaned, “Chivalry?”

 

The announcer finished his sentence, “… with three knights of pure skill and different mediums, I give you, Team Round Table!”

 

Zugai sighed, “At least it doesn’t have Furui.”

 

Kai sarcastically muttered, “That means Oujo leads it.”

 

The announcer finished, “And now, our final two teams, pure rivals fighting for the crown, the six ultimate Duelists, Teams Ultimatum and Olympus!” The crowd around the screen went wild, and drained out the sound being produced by the announcer. Zugai and Kai sighed and escaped from the massive heap of people.

 

Zugai said, “Well, they’ll be arriving here soon, so we might as well call everybody and do research, right? Just to kill time?”

 

Kai shrugged, “Might as well do that crap and get it over with.”

 

§

 

Ayra said, “I can’t believe Johan made it.”

 

Zugai asked, “Johan?”

 

She explained, “He was an idiot in my first year of college, first time around. Leader of Team Geosphere.”

 

Zugai nodded, “Gotcha. Do you know what Deck he uses?”

 

Ayra said, “I think it was a Worm Deck. Knowing him, he probably didn’t change it over the years.”

 

Hiru asked, “What’s a Worm Deck?”

 

Kea answered, “A Deck that focuses around Flip Summoning and Setting.”

 

Hiru nodded his head, “Okay. Another one of those.”

 

Zugai asked Ayra, “Do you know anybody else?”

 

She shook her head, “Nope.”

 

Senith brought up, “I know about another member, though. His name is Jan, and he’s the first member. He uses a Laval Deck. Before you ask, Hiru, it focuses on sending its own monsters to the Graveyard. Their second member uses a Gemini Deck, I think, but is known for losing, so I don’t remember the name.”

 

Zugai smiled, “No problem with that team, then. Now for Team Round Table. Apparently, the first member is named Galahad, which I doubt, and he uses Gemknights. The second member, Gawain – go figure, uses Varions. The leader, who took the name Lancelot, uses an Warrior Deck.”

 

Kai sighed, “Another Warrior fest. It seriously makes me miss Furui.”

 

Zugai said, “Well, at least he’s gone now.” Although, what happened with Furui? And what happened to the animal lovers?

 

§

 

Oujo began walking firmly across a frozen hallway, shining like a cave full of diamonds. He looked at suits of armors and other duelists posing on the ground, all covered by a light veil of ice. He finally reached a throne perfectly sculpted from ice. In a perfect form, he slowly took his seat. After stamping his left foot, three men, hidden under black cloaks, ran to him and bowed. Oujo raised his hands, and the three men stood. “How much longer?”

 

The three simultaneously recited, “We have completed it. All that we need to do is give him a code.”

 

Oujo smiled, “Don’t do that yet. I want to give him something of my own, after all. He’ll be the odd one out.”

 

Without uttering a word, the three of them quickly skidded out of the room. They came back two minutes later, carrying a glass capsule with a golden suit of medieval armor in the center. Oujo said to himself, “Furui was my strongest knight. He eventually lasted so long and become so powerful that he could use the powers of the Titan Atlas. And yet, he still lost to two kids. I believe I know my flaw: chivalry itself. Yes, it made him arrogant, unfit, and unable to fight with his true strength. And now, I shall give you a new code. You shall be the slayer of kings, worst knight of all: the one that does not care for the innocent or the code of chivalry. You shall be the Black Knight.”

 

The golden armor’s helmet began to glow red. Slowly, black started spreading across the armor, making it a dark shade of grey. He broke out of the capsule and drew his sword in an attempt to kill Oujo. Oujo only smiled and said, “Foolish knight. I believe you still have a master, even though it isn’t me.” A sword came from the shadows and intercepted the assault. The Black Knight bowed to it and began to walk out of the chamber. Oujo smiled, “I guess it worked. You have come back, Furui.” Furui, in the same condition as he was before his last battle, marched to Oujo and bowed.

 

He said, “My King, I will never fail you again.”

 

Oujo put his hand on his head, “I’ll make sure of that. You are the strongest of knights, so all soldiers and forms of military are forced to obey you. That is the power Atlas gave you, but are you strong enough to enter space without him?” Ice started spreading from the tips of his fingers, “I’ll give you a new title with my power. From now on, you’ll be Furui, General of the Ice Barrier.”

 

§

 

Senith stepped down an empty street of New York at dusk. Six hours have passed since he discussed the plan with Zugai, and he felt drained and needed a break. He sighed, “Well, another day has finished.”

 

A sudden, familiar voice appeared from the shadows, “Are you absolutely sure about that? I’m pretty sure that the sun hasn’t gone down yet.” A cloaked figure stepped from the corner of the alley and blocked Senith’s path.

 

Senith narrowed his eyes, “Kadoguchi? We had enough of you yesterday. You were there too, Tenba.”

 

Tenba removed his cloak to reveal his pale appearance, “I just wanted to see how good you are. The way you paired yourself up against Heki doesn’t display much.”

 

Senith asked, “What are you talking about?”

 

Tenba answered, “You have an advantage against her strategy. She’s unable to use her full power against you. Aliens aren’t able to defend themselves against things created in an atmosphere, including fire. That’s why Zugai paired you two up in Battle City. Now I just want to see what you can REALLY do.” He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a Duel Disk that seemed to be made out of gravestone.

 

Senith took out his Duel Disk and said, “You can go first.”

 

Tenba maliciously grinned, “You’ll regret that choice. I draw. I activate the field spell: Zombie World!” The entire alleyway suddenly transformed into a decayed New York City, with zombies eating flesh and trash everywhere. “Next, I activate Everliving Underworld Cannon!” A giant cannon, made up of bones and skulls, rose from the ground. “Due to Zombie World, all monsters on the field are considered Zombies, and you can only Tribute Summon Zombies.”

 

Senith sighed, “Come on, dude.”

 

Tenba continued, “Next, I activate the continuous spell: Call of the Mummy. If I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my hand. I Special Summon Regenerating Mummy! (1800/1500) And with Everliving Underworld Cannon, if a Zombie is Special Summoned to my field, you take 800 damage.” The cannon fired a blue flame shaped like a skull, which exploded as it hit Senith. (Senith 8000→7200) “I end my turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “My turn! I Summon Volcanic Rocket! (1900/1400) When this card is Summoned, I can add a Blaze Accelerator to my hand. Now, I attack your Regenerating Mummy!” Volcanic Rocket launched itself towards Regenerating Mummy, exploding and breaking a hole through it. (Tenba 8000→7900) “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Tenba said, “I draw. Due to the effect of Call of the Mummy, I can Special Summon Pyramid Turtle in Defense mode. (1200/1400) Since it was Special Summoned, you’ll be taking 800 damage from Everliving Underworld Cannon. (Senith 7200→6400) Next, I Normal Summon Plaguespreader Zombie in Defense mode. (400/200)”

 

Senith narrowed his eyes, “A Synchro Summon?”

 

Tenba smiled, “I Tune my two Zombies together to Synchro Summon Doomkaiser Dragon! (2400/1500)” Plaguespreader Zombie ate Pyramid Turtle and exploded, and Doomkaiser Dragon emerged from the remains. Everliving Underworld Cannon fired another bullet. (Senith 6400→5600) “And due to Doomkaiser Dragon, I can Special Summon Zombie from my Graveyard. I Summon Pyramid Turtle.” Everliving Underworld Cannon fired again. (Senith 5600→4800) “Next, by returning a card from my hand to the top of my Deck, I can revive Plaguespreader Zombie. (Senith 4800→4000) I tune it with Pyramid Turtle to Synchro Summon Doomkaiser Dragon!”

 

Senith yelled, “Another one!?” Another cannon shot bombarded Senith. (Senith 4000→3200)

 

Tenba smiled, “And due to this one’s effect, I can bring back Pyramid Turtle. Now you’ll take another blast of Everliving Underworld Cannon.” (Senith 3200→2400)

 

Senith yelled, “I activate my trap: Fiendfire Wall! It will change a monster I control to Defense mode, and increase its DEF by 1000! (1900/1400→2400)”

 

Tenba smiled, “Getting past this turn? Not bad. I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Senith yelled, “My turn! I switch Volcanic Rocket into Attack mode! Now, destroy Pyramid Turtle!”

 

Tenba laughed, “You just went into an attack after being bombarded like that? You’re just like me, kid!”

 

Senith asked, “What!?”

 

Tenba said, “I activate my trap: Zombie growth! It will Tribute every Zombie-Type monster I control to Special Summon any Zombie from my hand. I Summon Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon!” The entire field was engulfed by blue, ominous flames. Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon slowly emerged from the flames. (2400/2000) “Also, due to this effect, you can’t negate the attack, and you’ll be taking 800 damage from Everliving Underworld Cannon. (Senith 2400→1600)” Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon exhaled a blue inferno, engulfing Volcanic Rocket. (Senith 1600→1100) “Also, due to the effect of Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon, since it destroyed a Zombie, it will Special Summon the destroyed monster to my side of the field. Now you’ll take 800 more damage. (Senith 1100→300)”

 

Senith yelled, “I activate Blaze Accelerator! Next, I discard Volcanic Scattershot to destroy Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon!”

 

Tenba shook his head, “Sorry, kid. I activate Tutan Mask. When a card effect targets a Zombie I control, it negates it.” Blaze Accelerator suddenly shattered into thousands of pieces. Tenba passed Volcanic Rocket to Senith and the field, including monsters and cards, vanished. “I had fun today, kid.”

 

Senith asked, “Why didn’t you just beat me?”

 

Tenba covered his head, “I just wanted to test you out.” He walked into the alley, and his footsteps suddenly stopped. Senith ran to check, but nobody was there.

 

§

 

By the afternoon after Senith dueled Tenba, Zugai heard all of the details from Senith. He sighed, “So, he has a Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon? Huh. Interesting.”

 

Senith asked, “What is it?”

 

Zugai explained, “When Fugushi gave me my first Deck, he only had two Red-Eyes Black Dragons in it. He never kept his third one, and Hiru never had it, either. Then, interestingly enough, this Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon appears, owned by a member of Kadoguchi, and Fugushi already heard of the group before.”

 

Senith nodded, “Kinda weird, if you ask me.”

 

Zugai nodded, “That’s exactly it. Maybe there’s something behind Kadoguchi itself, and we just don’t know it.”

 

Senith continued, “Another thing occurred to me…”

 

Zugai said for him, “You mean what Prometheus said about us being unstoppable.”

 

Senith nodded, “Exactly. If that was a fair deal, how come Tenba still slaughtered me?”

 

Zugai commented, “He spoke of it as a curse, and also mentioned we’ll be facing the strongest ones ever, which explains why we’re pitted up against Kadoguchi.”

 

Senith shrugged, “True. No problem, though. I’ll get back at him.”

 

Zugai leaned back, “When you mentioned he was testing you, I thought of you for a second.”

 

Senith asked, “Why?”

 

Zugai smiled, “You always went easy on people to test them out, and he figured that out. Although he wasn’t going easy on you.”

 

Senith asked, “Are you sure?”

 

Zugai asked, “How many cards were in his hand, and who would use the combo with Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon without going all out? I mean, he had two Doomkaiser Dragons. That just shouldn’t happen if you use less of your full power.”

 

Senith shrugged, “I guess so.”

 

§

 

Zugai looked at Ayra in confusion, “Barrier Systems? Never heard of them.”

 

Ayra sighed, “It’s a system of blizzards that crosses into the most illogical places. Radars can’t go through them, for some reason, and the temperatures in them can drop to absolute zero. It’s the most dangerous thing to man ever seen for a while. Some of them have moved over cities and don’t seem to be moving away from them, keeping them frozen. One just passed over Hudson River, but didn’t interfere with the actual city, for some reason.”

 

Hiru nudged Zugai, “You should keep up with current events, bro.”

 

Zugai muttered, “You haven’t been doing so well yourself, have you, broski?”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “Well, either way we look at it, he’s still the worst,” and pointed at Senith.

 

Senith smiled, “Touche, Hiru. Touche.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Well, I think I’ll go take a short walk. Oh yeah, I forgot about something.” Zugai passed two cards to Ayra, and continued, “Keep Hyperion, give the other to Kea.” He dashed out the door before Ayra could ask why.

 

She looked at the first one and her eyes widened, “Master Hyperion? Geez, I always thought this would be good for my Deck, but I could never get one. Funny how he just comes across one. Doesn’t matter. Anyway, I might as well go looking for Kea.” She stepped towards the door to outside, and Kea immediately rushed in, panting. Ayra asked, “What happened this time?”

 

Kea panted, “Kadoguchi… Furui’s… back. Zugai and Kai went on ahead, but it was Oujo, Furui, and six others.”

 

Senith smiled, “Finally, it’s about time I start to get to do something! Let’s go!”

 

§

 

Six thrones were hovering in the middle of the depths of space, equidistant from a pedestal at the center of it. Shura was staring down at the stars, seeming to search for something. A wispy shadow appeared behind her, and Typhoeous stepped from it. Shura, without looking, asked, “Are you still going to try it?”

 

Typhoeous answered, “My body is sustainable, but even after Heraklinos made contact with an Astral Card, its powers won’t be unlocked completely. I’m just going to have to pull it off. Gouzen tried, but he did not pull the cards away from the hearts of their masters, or even try to slightly corrupt them.”

 

Shura nodded, “It hopefully works. Even if it doesn’t, we hopefully won’t need to do much else. I think that the Terrestrials will be able to take them down.”

 

Typhoeous asked, “Did it ever occur to you that they can turn on us once they get the Astral Cards?”

 

Shura sighed, “It won’t matter. Based on my calculations, even after getting the Trinity Gods, the Terrestrials won't have the strength to defeat them.”

 

Typhoeous did not point out the contradiction Shura just made. He continued, “Should I let him out?”

 

Shura shook his head, “Let Gouzen pull his own way out.”

 

Typhoeous nodded, “In that case, I think we should witness Oujo, just in case-”

 

Shura drew her scythe, which had a blade as large as an average man. She scowled, “You don’t need to. Oujo knows exactly what he’s doing. He calculated everything that would happen, and the Ice Barrier will spread.” Dark flames surrounded Shura, and she vanished in them.

 

Typhoeous sighed, “I wish you could go back to the way you were, Shura.” He faded into a shadow, which disappeared in the void of space.”

 

§

 

Ayra asked, “Are you sure this is a good idea? Isn’t it going to be too noticeable?”

 

Senith said, “Skip the small things. It’ll be fine as long as we make it there. We can do everything else later.”

 

Kea said, “Basically. We can’t really miss Zugai that easily, just as long as he isn’t acting like a normal person.”

 

Hiru asked, “Are you saying Zugai’s normal?” Finally, a shadow crossed over the four of them, and Hiru’s scorpion landed on the ground behind them. Its right pincer descended, which allowed Hiru and the others to climb onto it. The scorpion began crawling into the air as fast as it could as the group searched for Zugai.

 

Kai mounted onto Blackjack as the scorpion left the building. He said, “Well, where would I go in this situation?” Blackjack began galloping into the air, and flew after Hiru’s scorpion.

 

§

 

“Draco, lunch time!” Zugai leapt off of his shark and onto the grass of Central Park below him. Draco darted at the Red Knight, and slapped it in the chest with its large tail, forcing the knight off the ground. Draco then leapt into the air as a shark would leap out of water, and bit through the armor of the knight. Blood spewed out of the armor like running water, and Draco threw it into a lake in Central Park. Zugai smiled, “I’m not going to Duel you, no matter what you want. I can see you anyway, Oujo.”

 

A flurry of snow passed through the air, and Oujo materialized. He had short, blonde hair, and a blue robe that was worn by medieval kings. He laughed, “Don’t worry. I don’t want to Duel you, anyway.” Furui suddenly landed onto the ground in front of Oujo, wearing a golden armor. He was followed by five other knights: one having black and red armor, one dressed in a black iron armor laced with silver, one dressed in armor that was both black and white, another wearing armor made of diamonds, and a final knight wearing a golden armor, like a king’s champion.

 

Oujo taunted, “Can you get past my legion of knights?”

 

Zugai suddenly heard a loud crash behind him, and jumped back from the sound. He saw Hiru’s giant scorpion, with Hiru, Senith, Ayra, and Kea riding. Blackjack flew over the giant scorpion, and Kai jumped off of it just as it hit the ground. Oujo commented, “The six are gathered. Now, let’s see how well you can fight us off.” Oujo spread his arms and robe, and a massive blizzard formed in the middle of New York. It covered the entire city almost immediately, but the snow stopped as soon as it stopped spreading. Instead, it became dense fog surrounding all of New York, and all its civilians somehow appeared at the outside of the city once the fog appeared.

 

§

 

Zugai looked around the fog, but all he could see was Kai standing next to him. He asked, “What do you think this is? Some kind of game?”

 

Kai answered, “Probably like ZONE-”

 

Zugai finished, “Separating Team 5Ds. Exactly what I was thinking.”

 

A familiar voice answered, “Almost. I just have to take care of you guys.”

 

Zugai and Kai turned towards the voice, and Furui stepped out of the fog. “It’s been a long time, but I finally managed to match you two, even without Atlas. Are you ready?”

 

Zugai and Kai smiled, and simultaneously answered, “Are you kidding? I was born ready.”

 

§

 

Ayra searched around her, but could only see white. She sighed, “What the hell just happened? This doesn’t make any sense.”

 

Two figures, unidentifiable within the fog, said, “I challenge you.”

 

Ayra sighed, “I guess it’s unavoidable.” She drew her Duel Disk, and started Dueling.

 

§

 

Kea looked around in the fog, and sighed, “There’s literally nothing here. What am I supposed to do?”

 

A black knight leapt from the shadows and taunted, “Are you scared? How about we just get this over with?”

 

Kea sighed, “Oh. You’re one of those people.” She drew her Duel Disk and braced herself for battle.

 

§

 

Senith and Hiru looked at each other through the fog. Hiru sighed, “So, we’re stuck with each other. Can things get any better than this?”

 

Senith asked, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

Hiru commented, “I said ‘better’, not ‘worse’.”

 

Senith smiled, “Touché.”

 

Suddenly, Senith faded in the fog, and Hiru did the same in Senith’s view. The Diamond Knight stood in front of Senith, and the Iron Knight, with the black and silver armor stood in front of Hiru. Senith turned to the knight and smiled, “Hey, if that’s what you want, let’s get started!”

 

§

 

Oujo stood on the very top of the Empire state building, looking down at the fog. He said to himself, “No matter what they try, the world inside that fog is under my control. I choose what happens underneath that fog. My calculations are correct, and I set them up in the exact places. Now all you have to do, Diamond Knight, Pilgrim Knight, Iron Knight, Majestic Knight, Black Knight, and my Champion, Furui, is make them do better than they have ever done before. Even if it means death, create the lock. I’ll be the key that opens the gate to my kingdom. Let this city freeze. Do not fail me, or I’ll take your life.”

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 21]

Chapter 21: The Heart of Ice

 

Zugai and Kai somehow shifted places so that they were making an equilateral triangle with Furui. A snowflake pattern covered the six of them as Furui activated his Duel Disk. Furui smiled, “My turn. I activate Chivalry Pact!”

 

Zugai sighed, “No need to explain it to us. We don’t forget that quickly.”

 

Furui continued, “Then I guess you won’t forget this. I Summon Iron Knight in Defense Mode! (300/2000) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn.”

 

Furui smiled, “I activate Diamond Armor!” Iron Knight was once again covered by a diamond armor.

 

Zugai smiled, “Doesn’t matter. I activate Soul Exchange. This will allow me to Tribute Diamond Knight to Tribute Summon a monster from my hand.”

 

Furui growled, “Still doing your tricks…”

 

Zugai smiled, “I Tribute Iron Knight to Tribute Summon Summoned Skull! (2500/1200) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kai said, “My turn. When only my opponent controls monsters, I can Special Summon Neo Elemental Hero Nimbostratus from my hand! (1900/1000) Next, I Gemini Summon it. Now, once per turn, I can select 1 Neo Elemental Hero monster from my Deck and remove it from play. During my next Standby Phase, that monster is added to my hand. I select Neo Elemental Hero Thunder Breaker. I set 2 cards and my turn.”

 

Furui said, “My turn. I activate my trap: Title Promotion! This will put Pact Counters on Chivalry Pact equal to half the combined Levels of your two monsters. Their Levels are 10, so it gains 5 Counters. Also, I activate Symbol in Vain. By removing from play the Iron Knight in my Graveyard, I can place 1 Pact Counter on Chivalry Pact. Next, by removing from play the Chivalry Pact on my field, I can Special Summon Malevolent Knight from my hand! (?/?) It gains 500 ATK for each Pact Counter on Chivalry Pact when it was removed from play. (3000/3000)”

 

Zugai sighed, “Basically, its Majesty Knight, except evil.”

 

Furui smiled, “Next, I activate the Field Spell: Arena of the Ice Barrier!” Cold, blue light began forming around the duel field, and rough wind also began pushing Zugai and Kai back.

 

§

 

The two knights declared, “It’ll be a free for all style, except we’ll be sharing the 8000 Life Points.

 

Ayra commented, “That’s a stupid thing to do. My turn. I activate the Sanctuary in the Sky. Next, I Summon Nova Summoner. (1400/800) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

The first faded knight said, “My turn. I end my turn.”

 

The second faded knight said, “My turn. I remove from play the Stardust Dragon in my Extra Deck to Special Summon Malefic Stardust Dragon! (2500/2000) I end my turn.”

 

Ayra sighed, “If all you two are going to do is stuff like that, I’ve already won. My turn! I Tribute Nova Summoner to Special Summon Airknight Parshath. (1900/1400) Next, I Tribute him to Summon Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin. (2300/2000) Now, attack the knight on the left directly!” Neo Parshath fired a beam of light through the mist, which blinded the left knight, and revealed him to be the golden knight. (Knights 8000→5700)

 

Ayra continued, “Also, since the Sanctuary of the Sky is on the field, since I have more Life Points than you do, Parshath will gain ATK and DEF equal to the difference! (2300→4600/2000→4300) And since it inflicted damage, I draw 1 card. That ends my turn.”

 

The first knight said, “My turn. I activate Mechanical Morph. It allows me to Tribute your Neo-Parshath to Summon Majestic Mech – Goryu, and it won’t be destroyed during the End Phase. (2900/1800) Now, attack Ayra directly!” Goryu fired a ray of light that almost blinded Ayra, but she shielded her eyes with her hand.

 

She said, “I activate Rainbow Life! I discard 1 card to negate damage and instead increase my Life Points! (8000→10900)”

 

The second knight began, “My turn. Malefic Stardust, attack Ayra directly.” Malefic Stardust Dragon fired a beam of grey sound.

 

Ayra said, “I activate my Trap: Orbit Gravity! This will Special Summon an Agent Monster from my hand. I Summon the Agent of Force: Mars! (0/0) While Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field, it gains ATK equal to the difference of our Life Points. (0→5200/0→5200)”

 

The knight sighed, “I end my turn.”

 

Ayra smiled, “It’s over now. My turn. I Summon the Agent of Wonder – Jupiter! (1800/1000) Also, I remove from play the Agent of Wisdom – Mercury to use its effect, giving Mars 800 ATK! (5200→6000/5200) Next, I discard the Agent of Mystery – Earth to use its second effect, bringing back Mercury! (0/1700) Next, by removing Mercury from play, I can Special Summon the Master of the Agents – Master Hyperion!” A blinding light started shining from behind Ayra, and an enormous Titan, seeming to be holding the Solar System in its hands, descended from higher in the fog. (2700/2100)

 

Ayra smiled, “If I have Sanctuary in the Sky on my side of the field, “I can remove from play two LIGHT Fairies from my Graveyard to destroy two cards you control. I destroy your two monsters!” Hyperion launched two meteors at Malefic Stardust Dragon and Goryu, crushing them. “Now, Mars, attack them directly!” Mars swung his hammer at the ground, making it crack open. The knights stood still and faded into the mist. (Knights 5700→0)

 

Ayra looked around and asked herself, “Okay, so what happens now?” Just as she uttered those words, a large snowflake started glowing beneath her feet.

 

§

 

Kea started out her Duel with the Black Knight, who was the only clear thing in the fog. “My turn. I Summon Dragunity Tribus. (500/300) When this card is Summoned, I can send 1 Level 3 or lower Dragon-Type monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. I send Dragunity Brandistock to the Graveyard, set 2 cards and end my turn.

 

The Black Knight smiled, “My turn. I set 1 card and Summon Guardian of Cortez. (0/2000) I end my turn.”

 

Kea smiled, “Is that it? My turn. I activate my trap: Windstorm of Equata! This will change the Battle Positions of every monster you control.” Tribus leapt into the air and flapped its wings, creating an enormous windstorm. The wind pushed at Guardian of Cortez, forcing it into a standing position. Kea continued, “Next, I Tribute Dragunity Tribus to Summon Dragunity Primus Plus! (2200/1600) Also, I activate Armory Graveyard! This will allow me to equip a Dragunity Dragon in my Graveyard to another Dragunity I control. Also, until the End Phase, that monster gains 500 ATK. I equip Brandistock to Primus Plus. (2200→2700/1600) Now, Primus Plus, attack Guardian of Cortez!” Primus Plus leapt into the air and threw Brandistock at Guardian of Cortez. It dove down to retrieve the spear and escaped just before Guardian of Cortez exploded. (Black Knight 8000→5300)

 

The Black Knight countered, “I activate Guardian of Cortez’s effect! When it’s destroyed by battle, I can remove it from play!”

 

Kea didn’t change her expression, “Due to Brandistock’s effect, Primus Plus can attack twice!” Primus Plus threw Brandistock again, this time it bounced off the Black Knight’s armor and back to its hand. (Black Knight 5300→2600) Kea finished, “I end my turn.” (2

 

The Black Knight smiled, “My turn. During this Standby Phase, the Guardian if Cortez will return to my Graveyard, and I can add 1 Cortez monster to my hand. Next, I Summon Warrior of Cortez! (1800/1400) When this card is Summoned, I can destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field. I’ll destroy Brandistock.” Warrior of Cortez leapt at Primus Plus and swung its blade, knocking Brandistock right out of Primus Plus’s hands. The Black Knight continued, “Also, once per turn, instead of conducting my Battle Phase, I can remove from play 1 monster you control.”

 

Kea smiled, “I activate my trap: Imperial Iron Wall! Now monsters cannot be removed from play!” Primus Plus flew over Warrior of Cortez, dodging a stab directed at its chest.

 

The Black Knight grunted, “I end my turn.”

 

Kea said, “My turn. I Summon Dragunity Militum. (1700/1200) Also, I activate the effect of Primus Plus. Once per turn, I can equip a Dragunity Monster from my Deck to a Winged Beast monster I control. I equip Dragunity Militum with Dragunity Composite. Next, with the effect of Militum, I can Special Summon Composite. (1000/800) I Tune my Level 2 Alkys to my Level 5 Primus Plus and Level 4 Militum. I Synchro Summon Dragunity Monarch – Excalibur!” A long, blue dragon seeming to represent a golden, enchanted sword, rose from the mist. (2500/400) “Also, when Composite is sent to the Graveyard as Synchro Material, I can equip it to the Synchro Monster. Excalibur gains 500 ATK for each monster equipped to it. (2500→3000/400) Also, if the monster equipped with Composite destroys a monster by battle, you take damage equal to that monster’s ATK. Excalibur, destroy Warrior of Cortez!” Excalibur darted at Warrior of Cortez and pierced its body with the sword in Excalibur’s head. Warrior of Cortez started glowing in blue light and exploded. (Black Knight 2600→0) The Black Knight faded into the mist, disappearing from Kea’s view.

 

Kea closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “At least that’s done with.” She never noticed the glowing symbol beneath her feet, identical to the one below Ayra.

 

§

 

Coincidently, Senith and Hiru had monsters on the field with 3000 ATK, Hiru had Blue-Eyes and Senith had Volcanic Doomfire. At the same time, their opponents had no monsters left on their fields, and neither of them have conducted their Battle Phase. Hiru yelled, “Blue-Eyes, kill him!” Blue-Eyes fired a beam of white lightning that cut through the mist.

 

At the same time, Senith yelled, “Volcanic Doomfire, kill him!” Volcanic Doomfire launched three balls of molten lava that exploded as they reached their target. The mist started clearing, and the two friends noticed that they were dueling back-to-back knights. It collided with Hiru’s blast, and the two companions were launched in opposite directions. They got up and ran towards each other, not noticing the disappearance of the two knights. Senith smiled, “So, you took him down just as I took down mine? Nice.” The two friends high-fived, and the sound of their hands seemed to echo through the mist.

 

Hiru asked, “Why do you think he sent those guys against us?”

 

Senith shrugged, “How am I supposed to know?” As he uttered that question, two snowflake symbols began glowing beneath the two Duelists. Senith commented, “Last time I checked, it was the summer. Oujo really needs to check simple things like that, or he’ll be behind schedule.”

 

§

 

Zugai and Kai opened their eyes. They seemed to be in a different world: there was snow surrounding all of them, and there seemed to be a Japanese wooden castle, white and blue due to snow and ice covering it. Zugai and Kai felt cold in this new world, but they were distracted when Furui started speaking again.

 

Furui said, “When this card is activated, it will destroy every other card on the field, although Malevolent Knight cannot be destroyed by card effects, but it can’t attack directly.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Does that thing have any other hidden effects? I mean, your Field Spell.”

 

Furui smiled, “Of course. In order to Summon a monster, you have to discard a card in your hand. And to declare an attack, you have to remove from play a card in your Graveyard. And during your End Phase, you have to pay 500 Life Points to keep one of your monsters on the field.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Or else it’s destroyed? That’s cheep.”

 

Furui smiled, “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai said, “My turn. I Set 1 monster and end my turn.” Zugai glanced at Kai and thought, I’m counting on you. Just use the freaking thing.

 

Kai said, “My turn. During this turn, I can add Neo Elemental Thunder Breaker to my hand. Next, I activate the effect of the Nimbostratus in my Graveyard. I can remove it from play to Special Summon 2 Nimbostratus Tokens. These tokens are treated as Neo Elemental Heroes. Next, I Summon Neo Elemental Hero – Hailstorm Mage. (800/1200) This card gets a Hydro Counter on it for each Neo Elemental Hero on the field, excluding it, and for each one, it gains 500 ATK! (800→1800/1200) Next, I fuse it with the Thunder Breaker and Cyclone in my hand to Fusion Summon Neo Elemental Hero - Cumulonimbus!” A large thundercloud began forming above the duelists. The three fusing heroes flew into the cloud, and a bolt of lightning struck the ground right in front of Kai. A new Hero stood up and spread its wings. Its body was blue, as if it was a cloud or a bolt of lightning, and its armor was gold and bronze. (2800/2800) “Since Hailstorm Mage was sent to the Graveyard, I draw 2 cards. When it’s summoned, it destroys all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.”

 

Cumulonimbus spread its wings, and a hurricane seemed to sweep through the field. Snow was blown in every direction, and thunder began wrecking the scenery and everything in Zugai’s field of view. The field suddenly returned to the mist there was before, with the same monsters on the field.

 

Kai continued, “I set 2 cards and end my turn. During this End Phase, the Nimbostratus Tokens I Summoned are destroyed.”

 

Furui said, “My turn. Malevolent Knight, destroy Cumulonimbus!” Malevolent Knight leapt into the air. It swung one of its two swords at Cumulonimbus.

 

Kai smiled, “I activate my trap: Blast with Chain!” Cumulonimbus grabbed onto a chain that materialized in its hands. “This gives Cumulonimbus 500 ATK.” (2800→3300/2800) Cumulonimbus dashed at Malevolent Knight, and punched it in the chest with both fists. Malevolent Knight fell to the ground in front of Furui and shattered. (Furui 8000→7700)

 

Furui yelled in anger, “When Malevolent Knight is destroyed, I can Special Summon Majesty Knight from my hand. It will have the same attack as Malevolent Knight, but it can’t attack this turn. (3000/3000) I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “This is easier than I expected it to be. My turn. I Summon Astral Dragon in Attack Mode. (1300/800) Now, I Flip Summon Petit Dragon. (600/700) I Tune the two of them together! The strength of imagination shall take us to an irresistible force! Become the weapon that wields it! Synchro Summon! Rage on, Ally of Justice Catastor! (2200/1200) Now, attack his Majesty Knight! When Catastor attacks a non-DARK monster, it destroys it without applying damage calculation!” Catastor’s tail started gathering black electricity, and it shot a bolt of darkness at Majesty Knight.

 

Furui narrowed his eyes, “I activate my Trap: Break Formation! It Tributes a monster I control and Special Summons a Knight Token for each interval of 1000 ATK that monster had in Attack Mode. (1000/1000)” Majesty Knight shattered into three parts, and those three parts transformed into different knights.

 

Zugai smiled, “Is that all you got? If I control 1 monster, I can remove from play the Astral Dragon in my Graveyard. This will give it the ability to attack every monster you control. Now, Catastor, obliterate everything!” Catastor’s shot lightning in almost every direction, making every duelist unable to move without getting caught in it. However, Catastor’s beams pierced through all of Furui’s monsters, and the beams bent to hit him. (Furui 7700→4100)

 

Another beam unexpectedly whipped at Cumulonimbus, slowly causing it to implode. Kai smiled, “Thanks, Zugai. I activate Neo Core! When a Neo Elemental Hero monster I control is destroyed by a card effect, I can inflict damage equal to its ATK to my opponent!” A gold ball appeared where Cumulonimbus exploded, and a gold beam suddenly emerged from the ball, hitting the ground beneath Furui, causing it to explode. Furui slid backwards in pain. (Furui 4100→700)

 

Zugai smiled, “I end my turn.”

 

Kai drew his card and smiled, “I Summon Neo Elemental Hero Inferno Sword in Attack Mode. (1200/800) Now, attack Furui directly.” Inferno Sword leapt into the air. Fire began dancing around Inferno Sword’s crimson blade as he slashed it through Furui’s head. (Furui 700→0) Blood dripped down Furui’s body as it vanished in the mist. Zugai and Kai exchanged relieved glances as the ground below them started shaking. Kai asked Zugai, “What’s going on?”

 

Zugai looked through the mist and uttered, “Oujo probably wanted all this to happen.” Before he could hear a reply from Kai, the mist cleared, and everything seemed different from before. He was nearby outer New York City next to Hiru, Kea, Senith, and Ayra. He immediately asked, “What happened to Kai!?” Before he heard an answer, he noticed two figures standing at the top of a series of skyscrapers, one of which he could tell from far away was Kai.

 

§

 

Kai never saw Oujo’s real face and figure until that moment. Oujo looked like an ideal king: he had a golden crown, a long, blue robe, a black leather belt with a sword tucked in it, and golden gems decorated all over his clothing. The wind lightly flowed over the sky scraper, building tension as Oujo and Kai stared at each other. Oujo asked Kai, “You have your own legion of Knights, do you not?”

 

Kai looked confused and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

 

Oujo narrowed his eyes, “Only somebody with the power of a King can truly kill Furui in a duel. Originally, I thought that I was the only one that could do that, but apparently, you have an essence of a King’s power within you.”

 

Kai didn’t change his expression, “I have no idea what your talking about, but I’ll still take you down.” He raised his arm and pointed it towards Oujo. His Duel Disk glowed, and instead of his normal Duel Disk, it turned into a golden disk, and the blade of it was shaped like a golden wing.

 

Oujo, not changing his expression, said, “I guess your Duel Disk reacted to my presence. Very well. In that case, I’ll face you myself.” Oujo raised his arm straight into the air, and snow started swirling around his arm. The snow pact itself together and became a Duel Disk of solid ice, gleaming brightly in the sun. He continued, “Let me see your true soul, and if it really is fit.”

 

§

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Okay, I’m not going to let Kai take on Kadoguchi by himself by surprise.” He started to move toward the skyscrapers that Kai stood on. Hiru was about to yell something, but before he could, adrenalin suddenly rushed into the five comerads. A shiver passed down Zugai’s spine, his hair stood on end, and he was as stiff as a solid rock. He looked down to see an enormous scythe against his neck. He felt that if he moved an inch, the scythe would slit his throat and kill him. His eyes were wide with shock and fear, and he did not move an inch. Finally, the scythe was drawn away from his neck, and Zugai began to breath again. The figure holding the scythe was cloaked in total black, although it had a gold scythe symbol across her back, and Zugai recognized that it was Shura.

 

Shura brushed back her hood to reveal her tan face, golden eyes, and long, black hair. She scowled, “A true warrior does not get distracted by simple things. They should only keep their focus on the enemy in front of them.”

 

Zugai did not feel relaxed at all. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins, blood boiling in his head, and his muscles turning to stone. After a few seconds, managed to slightly relax and drew out his Duel Disk. He commented, “I guess you’re not going to let us pass.”

 

Shura answered, “I’m the entity of both time and space. I can catch up to you even if you make a diversion.”

 

Zugai, knowing it was hopeless, activated his Duel Disk and said, “We might as well kill some time.”

 

Shura almost smiled, “I’m the entity of time. You won’t be killing me.”

 

Shura’s scythe began producing black smoke. The blade folded inwards, lining up with the snath. The stem folded and opened, and a Deck slightly emerged from it a second later. The grip coiled around Shura’s arm, and the scythe transformed into a six-foot-long Duel Disk.

 

Zugai gulped, “That’s intimidating. My turn. I Set 1 monster and 1 card. Your move.”

 

Shura responded, “My turn. I Summon Spatial Infiltrator. (1000/200) I activate Spatial Infiltrator’s effect. Attack him directly.” Spatial Infiltrator created a vortex. It leapt through the vortex and appeared behind Zugai, slashing him in the back. Zugai fell over in pain and shock and kneeled on the ground. (Zugai 8000→7000)

 

Zugai barely managed to stand up. He panted, “What did you just do?”

 

Shura did not answer. She just said, “I set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai softly growled and said, “My turn.” So, she used an unknown effect to attack me directly. Knowing the conditions, there’s probably something else I don’t know about. So she has her two cards not lined up at all, and they’re also not lined up with mine. Zugai widened his eyes. She’s the entity of time and space. This is the space part, which involves switching monster card zones. In that case... “I Summon Lava Dragon in attack mode! (1600/1200) Also, I Flip Summon Stealth Bird. (700/1700) When it’s Flip Summoned, you take 1000 damage!” Stealth Bird appeared and perched onto Shura’s shoulder, pecking at her face. (Shura 8000→7000)

 

Zugai smiled, “Now, Lava Dragon, attack Spatial Infiltrator! Since the zones line up, you can’t really do any makeshift tricks with that thing!”

 

Shura replied, “I activate Spatial Warp. Now I get to move Spatial Infiltrator to a zone lined up with this card.” Spatial Infiltrator leapt into a different direction. “Spatial Infiltrator cannot be selected as an attack target by monsters in zones not lined up with it. Is that all you really can do? How did that Star Card even pick you?”

 

Zugai hissed, “I’m just getting warmed up. You still have time before I show my true power.”

 

Shura suddenly vanished in a cloud of darkness and appeared right in front of Zugai. “You can’t even track me. What makes you think that you can touch my monster?”

 

 

[El Make]

I didn't liek how the first paragraph was present tense then you changed to past tense.

 

>.<

 

Anyways, okay other than that. The flow of some words could be smoother, but overall nice chapter.

[BlackSkullCortez]

Thank you, El Make. I will try to look out for those things in the future.

 

[spoiler=Bios]

NOTE: Links to themes will come another time.

[spoiler=Zugai Shutaru]

[spoiler=Appearance]

NOTE: Yes, I know, that completely counters Zugai's appearance as described (and that it's Peter Parker, nontheless), but in all honesty, I couldn't actually find a better picture so far.

So until I can find a better picture, just imagine him having longer hair on the back of his head and that the hair is black instead of brown.

And again, ignore the dialogue in the picture.

 

 

Age: 17

Height: 5’10

Likes: Marine Biology, Astronomy, Mythology, Science (should have said that earlier >.>), Dueling, Entertainment, Math, friends, puns, Cross Country, Track and Field, history, debating, SCUBA Diving, Snorkeling, Guitar, classic rock, comedy

Dislikes: Arrogance, pointless diversions, constant repetition, pushovers, over-popular people, the media, idiocy

Personality: Punny, happy, sometimes quiet and seems somewhere else, friendly, hyper

Deck: Astral Red-Eyes Deck

[spoiler=Star Card]

Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon

LV12 Synchro

2 Dragon-Type Tuner monsters + 1 "Red-Eyes" monster

During the Main Phase after this card was Synchro Summoned, you can remove from play up to 6 Dragon-Type monsters from your Graveyard. If their effects can be activated, you can activate them as this card's effects. If this card would be removed from the field, you can return 1 removed from play Dragon-Type monster to your Graveyard instead.

 

[spoiler=Key Monsters to Date (Custom only. You can look up the simple ones on Wikia. Purpose is for imagery)]

[spoiler=Lore]1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

While this card is in your Extra Deck, it is treated as a Dragon-Type monster. Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 monster in your Graveyard to destroy and remove from play 1 monster your opponent controls. This card loses 500 ATK and DEF for each of your removed from play cards.

 

[spoiler=Lore]1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

While this card is face-up on the field, you cannot control 2 or more other monsters. While this card is face-up on the field, other cards you control cannot be destroyed. If this card destroys a monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters in your Graveyard x 500.

 

[spoiler=Lore]1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

This card can declare an attack(s) equal to the number of Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters in your Graveyard. When this card declares an attack, you can remove from play 1 Normal Monster from your Graveyard. Decrease the ATK of the attack target by the removed from play monster's ATK.

 

[spoiler=Lore]1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters

Once per turn, you can select monsters your opponent controls equal to the number of Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters in your Graveyard. Negate the effects of those monsters until the End Phase. While this card is face-up on the field, your opponent cannot select another monster as an attack target or as a target of a card effect.

 

 

 

Focused around Red-Eyes Black Dragon, minute Synchro Summoning and Fusion Summoning, removing from play monsters for different effects. Mostly dragons based on objects in the sky or stars.

Key Card: See Technical Ace

Favorite Monster: B. Skull Dragon

Technical Ace: Red-Eyes Black Dragon

Bio: Zugai started living a normal life with kind parents in a small New Jersey town and moved to Beijing, China at the age of 9. While going to school there, he was treated as a loner and formed a personality that created a more quiet side to him. He eventually blended into the society, but then moved to Taipei, Taiwan after his second year in Beijing. After going through a similar process, he injured his knee badly while playing tag with his friends. It was not taken care of well and he had to get hospitalized later. At this point, his father had to go on a business trip and his mother was stuck in their town due to protests, so he did not have anything to do. He then met Fugushi Kazoku, and learned styles of dueling from him as a mentor would, and grew to love the game. He left Taiwan after his second year and went to a middle school in New Jersey. In 7th grade at the time, he realized he was too educationally advanced and left the school for a public school in 8th grade. During that year, he met the current love of his life, Kea Kakushin (now Keisei), but had to end up moving. Zugai went to a high school in Zurich and built his character exceptionally in his 3 years there. He also entered a tournament with many Switzerland Pros and won. He is soon to start his senior year after the summer he hopes is normal.

Theme (an actual song): Desperado

Theme Song (victory theme): The Other Promise/It Doesn’t Matter (SA1)

Symbol: A Web with the moon on the middle.

 

 

[spoiler=Hiru Hitono]

[spoiler=Apperance]

 

 

Age: 19

Height: 6’2

Likes: Friends, girls, Springtime of Youth, Anime

Dislikes: Homework, mean people, quiche

Personality: Happy, lazy, kind, sensitive, proud

Deck: Legendary Beast Deck

[spoiler=Star Card]

Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon

LV12 Fusion

1 "Blue-Eyes" monster + 1 Level 8 or higher Fusion monster

When this card is Special Summoned, you can send 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck to the Graveyard to inflict 800 damage to your opponent. This card gains 400 ATK for each Fusion Monster in your Graveyard. You can discard 1 Effect Monster to inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Level of the discarded monster x 100. This card can activate the effect(s) of the discarded monster.

 

 

[spoiler=Key Monsters to Date]

[spoiler=Lore]This card can only be Special Summoned from your Extra Deck when a Dragon-Type monster you control is destroyed. This card is also treated as a DARK monster. When this card is Special Summoned, you can destroy 1 monster on the field. Negate the effects of all Spell and Trap Cards that target this card. During your Standby Phase, you can add 1 Spell Card from your Deck to your hand.

 

[spoiler=Lore]1 Level 2 DARK monster + 1 Level 4 or higher DARK or LIGHT monster

This card can only be Special Summoned by removing from play the above monsters from your Graveyard. When this card is Special Summoned, remove from play all LIGHT and DARK monsters in your Graveyard. During your next End Phase, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of removed from play LIGHT and DARK monsters x 200 and destroy 1 monster your opponent controls. While this card is face-up on the field, halve all damage to your Life Points.

 

[spoiler=Lore]1 "Legendary Beast" monster + 1 "Legendary Beast" monster

You can Special Summon this card from your Extra Deck by removing from play the above monsters from your field or Graveyard. When this card is Special Summoned, you can select 1 removed from play Spell Card, Trap Card, or "Legendary Beast" monster and Set it in your Spell or Trap Card Zone. This card gains 1000 ATK for each Set Card you control. Once per turn, you can remove from play all Spell and Trap Cards on the field. You can activate this effect when this card is destroyed.

 

[spoiler=Lore]This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned from your hand when you have 5 or more "Legendary" monsters removed from play. When this card is Special Summoned, you can pay half your Life Points to select 1 removed from play "Legendary" monster. This card gains ATK equal to the ATK of the selected monster until the End Phase. This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each. This card gains 200 ATK for each LIGHT or DARK monster removed from play. During your End Phase, pay 800 Life Points or destroy this card. When this card attacks your opponent directly, return it to your Deck.

 

[spoiler=Lore]When this card is Normal Summoned, select 1 monster your opponent controls and negate its effect(s). During your Standby Phase, you can Tribute this card to add 1 Spell Card from your Deck to your hand for each "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" in your Graveyard. You can send 1 "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" from your Deck to the Graveyard to activate one of the following effects:

-Negate the activation of a Trap Card and destroy it.

-When this card destroys a monster by battle, it can attack again.

 

 

 

Focuses around Blue-Eyes White Dragon and removing from play different monsters for different effects. Also includes fusing without Polymerization. Mostly mythical creatures based on Greek creatures.

Key Card: See Technical Ace

Favorite Monster: Needle Burrower

Technical Ace: Blue-Eyes White Dragon

Bio: Hiru lived practically a normal life without too many interesting things happening. He met Zugai while he was in New Jersey and they quickly became close friends. While Hiru was going to university, he witnessed Kurai Majutsu verbally abusing a young kid with a Legendary Beast Deck asking Kurai to sign it. Hiru stopped Kurai and challenged him to a duel with the kid’s Deck. He won, and the kid, not liking his Deck, let Hiru have it. Hiru was then taught by Fugushi just as Zugai had, and inherited some of his cards after Fugushi retired, just as Zugai had. He later entered a dueling tournament as soon as he became of age, lost miserably, but is trying again at the same tournament a year later.

Theme: Hero

Theme Song: Row Row Fight the Power

Symbol: A fist with a lightning bolt on the back of it.

 

 

[spoiler=Senith Yukai]

[spoiler=Appearance]

Please ignore the dialogue box. >.>

 

 

Age: 17

Height: 5’7

Likes: Comedy, art, dragons, sports, jokes, mythology

Dislikes: Too much work, non-interactive events

Personality: Easy going, tenacious, intelligent “on-the-spot”.

Deck: Fiendfire Volcanic Deck

[spoiler=Star Card]

Volcanic Solar Doomflare

LV11 Effect

This card can only be Normal Summoned or Set by Tributing 1 "Volcanic Doomfire" you control. If this card would be destroyed by battle, you can discard 1 Pyro-Type monster from your hand instead. Once per turn, you can discard your hand to destroy all monsters your opponent controls and inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. If you activate this effect, skip your next Battle Phase. When a monster is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can Tribute this card to inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of this card.

 

[spoiler=Key Cards to Date]

Proof that nothing can beat the power of spam. >.>

 

Focuses around burning the opponent and removing from play FIRE monsters in the Graveyard. Also focuses around destroying the opponent’s monsters and discarding.

Key Card: Blaze Accelerator

Favorite Monster: Red Dragon Archfiend (even though he doesn’t have it)

Technical Ace: Fiendfire Dragon

Bio: Senith was raised in Sri Lanka as a total dork. He was the goofball of his school and obtained an easy-going personality. Another thing that developed it was the fact that there were shootings at his playground, so many things are easy for him. When he met Zugai, the two of them instantly became close friends. Zugai was taking a temporary break from Dueling, but Senith got him back into it, causing a movement of Duel Monsters around the school. He currently goes to a school that gives him stress due to a difficult transition, but Zugai helps him, which lets Senith ease up a bit more again.

Theme: Fight the Knight

Theme Song: Dragon Slayer

Symbol: A Dragon breathing fire.

 

 

[spoiler=Kai Taizen]

[spoiler=Appearance]

 

 

Age: 16

Height: 5’11

Likes: Same as Zugai

Dislikes: Same as Zugai, caterpillars, worms

Personality: Same as Zugai (I’m serious. IRL, we’re mirror images)

Deck:

[spoiler=Star Card]

 

[spoiler=Key Cards to Date]

Due to his Deck Change, this will be filled out as the Assault Heroes are revealed.

 

[spoiler=Deck 1]Neo Elemental Hero Deck

An Elemental Hero Deck, except Fusion can be done without Polymerization, and they gain effects if they have multiple other Neo Elemental Heroes on the field.

Key Card: Neo Elemental Hero – Constellation Striker

Favorite Monster: Majestic Star Dragon

Technical Ace: Neo Elemental Hero Constellation Striker

 

[spoiler=Deck 2]Gemini Assault Hero Deck

Focuses on Gemini Monsters with unique Assault Heroes that can only be Summoned when a Normal Gemini Monster is destroyed.

 

Bio: Kai also had a normal life with his older sister, Fiona, who had the same interests as him, so they became close siblings. He went to the same school as Zugai while he was in 6th grade, and was the third person to start Dueling in the school. He and Zugai later became close friends, and soon learned that they are mirror personalities along with Kai’s older sister. Kai later went to Delbarton and kept in touch with Zugai while he was in Switzerland, and earned the title of a Dueling Prodigy due to his advanced skills that he learned from Zugai.

Theme: It Doesn’t Matter

Theme Song: Mysterio – Arcane God (Ultimate)

Symbol: A mask with an arrow piercing the eye.

 

 

[spoiler=Kea Kakushin Keisei]

[spoiler=Appearance]

 

 

Age: 17

Height: 5’6

Likes: Sports, friends, calm societies, Yankees, patriotism (slight. Never says much on it)

Dislikes: People strange to her “world”.

Personality: Outgoing and social, kind, smart written but with little common sense, sporty.

Deck: Dragunity Deck

Focused on Dragunity monsters equipping to other Dragunities for special abilities.

Key Card: Dragon Conrol Technique

Favorite Monster: Dragunity Knight - Trident

Technical Ace Monster: Dragunity Arms Laevatein

Bio: Kea grew up close to her mother, but was slightly scared of her father. Eventually, they divorced, but Kea was separated from her mother against their will, making her last name Keisei, which she despised. Her father eventually married another woman with an older adopted daughter named Ayra, who shared the same feelings toward her mother as Kea did her father. They became close to each other, and Ayra became the sole reason Kea began using the surname Keisei. She met Zugai when they were both in 8th grade, and was completely unaware of the obvious feelings toward him until he obviously hinted it twice. Then, she needed to be convinced by a close friend. They felt awkward around each other until Zugai moved, and she began dating a boy named Parson. After being constantly chased by a masked Parson and harassed, her mother eventually signed her up for martial arts classes, where she became skilled with many types of weapons. She eventually broke up suddenly with Parson after being seriously offended and heartbroken, and began renewing her friendship with Zugai.

Theme: Believe in Myself

Theme Song: Aki Battle

Symbol: A wing with knives instead of feathers.

 

[spoiler=Ayra Keisei]

[spoiler=Appearance]

 

 

Age: 19

Height: 5’11

Likes: Science, logical people, people who treat her like a normal person

Dislikes: Losing arguments, people who treat her like an adult, people with no common sense

Personality: Stubborn, fierce, logical, tends to overuse the word “idiot”.

Deck: Archlords/Agents Deck

Focused on having LIGHT monsters on the field, Sanctuary in the Sky and having higher Life Points than the opponent.

Key Card: Sanctuary in the Sky

Favorite Monster: The Splendid Venus

Technical Ace: Master Hyperion

Bio: Ayra’s father died in a car accident soon after her mom became pregnant, so Ayra grew up around a father who would have preferred a boy. Her mom soon developed a drinking habit and began looking at Ayra as a “good for nothing child”. Ayra began to develop a more strict personality and continuously tried to work to be viewed by her mother. However, as a result of turning herself into a child prodigy, she learned that she would never be seen at all by her mother, and she let herself drop out of school, teaching herself. When her mother married Kea’s father, she recognized Kea as her first “friend”, and the two became close sisters. Kea and Ayra used Duel Monsters to entertain themselves and keep themselves away from their parents. Ayra eventually worked to get 2 PhDs in her college years by the age of 19 due to the motivation she finally received from Kea.

Theme: TBA

Theme Song: Asuka’s Theme

Symbol: A pair of angel wings on the back of a sun covered with flames.

 

 

 

 

[spoiler=Openings and Endings]

Chapters 1-14

Opening: Last Train New Morning

Ending: Ozone

 

Chapters 15-24

Opening: Period (FMA Brotherhood Opening 4)

Ending: Let it Out

 

Chapters 25-??

Opening: Closer

Ending: Mayonaka no Midnight Orchestra

 

 

[Blake]

PAst tense is your eternal friend. Present and Future are the enemy.

[BlackSkullCortez]

Oh. I thought it was just "stick to one of them." Thanks for informing me.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 25]

 

Chapter 25: Renewed Truth, an Evolved Battle!

 

The summer break came to a premature end in late August, and the school year’s spirit began rushing through the corridors of Zurich International School. Crowds of people began murmuring and gossiping throughout the hallways, giving the school an airport-like atmosphere. As the class bell rung, freshmen and sophomores began calmly heading to class, but certain juniors and seniors began relaxing and working in the halls. Two seniors, both of them being girls, began walking down the halls, both wearing jeans and identical pink jackets. One had medium-length blonde hair hanging loose and the other one was significantly shorter, with long black hair put in a ponytail. They walked side-by-side down the halls

 

“Have you heard? He actually got into the finals!”

 

“Seriously!? I knew he was insanely good at science and music, but Dueling, too?”

 

“Didn’t you have a small chance with him in freshmen year?”

 

“N-no. What are you talking about, Aline?”

 

“The Ghana trip, Clem. Didn’t you two almost-” Aline came to an abrupt stop. She and Clem saw a senior dressed wearing a navy blue shirt, with a long and complex equation printed on it in white. He sat down, leaning onto the table, his head rested on his arms, which were laid on the table, like a lazy student. However, his brown eyes glittered with passion and excitement that was unique to him. Across from him was another senior. This one had short, blonde hair, and wore a plain white shirt with jeans. He seemed to be the opposite of Zugai: although his posture was almost perfect, he seemed to have a haze in his eyes that indicated laziness. However, they were caught up in a heated discussion that the two girls could barely comprehend as they stood back, watching the two boys converse.

 

The blonde one leaned back a bit and said, “Zugai, it would be easier to spread it if we just make the main presentation as soon as possible.”

 

Zugai shook his head, “I don’t really think so. It would be more convincing if we don’t use it as a presentation. There’s a lot of stuff we can take into account here, Filip.”

 

Filip asked, “Like what?”

 

Zugai lifted his head, “First, we have to convince the popular individuals. I know for a fact that most of them except for Charlie would go with it. Second, peer pressure. If we just affect many individuals, their friends would most likely go with the idea to-” Zugai stopped what he was saying and turned his head to the side. “Hi, Zoey. Hey, Clemence.”

 

Clemence waved and smiled back, “Hey, Zugai. How was your summer?”

 

Zugai sighed, “To sum it up, I don’t have to explain it. I could hear you two talking about it while walking here even during our conversation.”

 

Aline laughed while saying, “O-kay, then. But yeah, congrats on making it to the finals.”

 

Filip said, “You do know that the seniors are actually going to be going to the finals in Geneva?”

 

Clemence’s jaw dropped, “No way. Seriously?”

 

Zugai smiled, snapped his fingers, and gave a thumbs up, “As serious as it can get. I’ll try to introduce you guys to my friends there.”

 

Clemence sat on a chair almost right next to Zugai. She fiercely commented, “Do I get to meet Kea?”

 

Zugai paused and sighed, “As long as you don’t harm one of us or anybody else, that’s fine. You know, you could have just…”

 

Clemence smiled and leaned close to Zugai’s face, “Just what?”

 

Zugai sighed, “Let’s just say Kea probably doesn’t like me.” His eyes lit up, and he mischievously smiled, “Oh yeah, there’s one exception about harming people. If my friend, Hiru, ever brings up Green Wisdom, you get all the right in the world to slap him across the face.” Zugai looked toward Aline, “This goes for you, too.”

 

Aline asked, “How hard should we slap him?”

 

Zugai smiled, “As hard as you can, girl. Every time he says it, too. He’s been doing it for the past 2 years. Even though he does it less now, it’s still pretty annoying.”

 

Filip raised an eyebrow and asked, “Isn’t he 19, though? So isn’t he too old for that stuff?”

 

Zugai sighed, but Clemence said for him, “That’s why he wants us to slap him.”

 

Filip leaned back, laughed, and said, “That makes sense.”

 

Zugai stood up, stretched, and said, “We might as well do something interesting. Want to go a few rounds?” Aline, Filip, and Clemence stared at Zugai blankly. Zugai sighed, “See? I’m going to fail in the finals. Nobody here is freaking going to give me any practice…”

 

§

 

“Why does he get to go!?” A tall, brown-haired kid with a buzz cut yelled as he slammed his Tablet against a table in the school hallway. “Seriously, he doesn’t even seem that good to me!” He panted in rage, and picked up his Tablet again. “I’ll show everybody that he isn’t good for anything. I, Henry Kunz, will show him what a true duelist can do!”

 

A voice said, “You know, you could just ask and I’ll Duel you right now. I need the practice. You don’t need to monologue.”

 

Henry quickly whirled around and saw Zugai standing in front of Filip, Aline, and Clemence. He growled, “Why were you listening in on me!?”

 

Zugai calmly replied, “It’s kind of hard not to listen to somebody who suddenly screams in a calm silence.”

 

Henry roared, “Well, let’s get started! Come on!”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, And people said that I should get anger management. Seriously, this guy has issues.

 

Henry began stomping down the hallways to the theater. Zugai looked behind him and shrugged, “Are you guys going to watch this?”

 

Aline, Clemence, and Filip quickly exchanged glances. A different voice, tainted with a Phillipino-American accent, called, “Henry, I’d rather you face me first.”

 

Henry stopped in his place, turned around, and growled, “Why do you care, DJ?”

 

DJ, a tall, slim Philippino senior, wearing a white sweater and jeans, walked toward Henry. “Dude, you barely even see Zugai duel, yet alone go all out. The only person in the school he should face before the finals is Charlie.”

 

An American accent that belonged to a citizen of Boston said, “Funny you should say that.” A tall, muscular man began walking towards Zugai, his outstretched and bent to his sides. He held out one hand and made eye contact with Zugai. Zugai took the hand, and they quickly shook it, “I was planning on trying to hook up with you for a Duel. You wanna go?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Anytime, Charlie.” Zugai quickly diverted his eyes for a split second to see DJ and Henry Dueling each other on white table.

 

Clemence smiled, “The two best musicians in the school, and the best two Duelists in the school, facing off in a Duel.”

 

Zugai looked at her and smiled, “It’s good for me as practice.” Zugai ignored Henry’s cries of anger from losing against DJ. DJ picked up his Deck and walked towards the group.

 

Zugai smiled, “To the theater?”

 

Charlie smiled, “Let’s make this good, Zugai! A match to set the sparks of the beginning of the school year!”

 

Zugai grinned and nodded, “Yes!”

 

§

 

Zugai and Charlie stood on opposite sides of a small stage in the theater. The school had no 3-D computer screens. Instead, Zugai and Charlie plugged in their Duel Disks into an enormous Smartboard. When either player Summoned a monster, attacked, or activated a card, it would be animated on the Smartboard. Most Duelists would focus on the board more than the other Duelist, but Charlie and Zugai shared a trait of respect, so they try keeping eye contact throughout the whole Duel.

 

Zugai smiled, and said in a moderately deeper voice, “You can go first, challenger!”

 

Charlie smiled, “You’re on! My turn! I start out by bringing forth my Crimson Gargoyle! (1600/1200)” A stone gargoyle, covered with red and shaped like a demon, materialized on the screen. “My Gargoyle can negate the Normal Summon of a monster and return it to your hand, Special Summoning it again in Defense Mode in the End Phase! That’s all for now!”

 

Zugai thought, Okay, so he’s definitely going with his old strategies. Man, this guy can’t let go of the past. Although, I have to give him credit: it works well. “My turn! I Summon Velocity Dragon in Attack Mode! (1400/1200)” A dragon, shaped more like a jet then an actual dragon, flew onto the screen.

 

Charlie pointed, “Hold on! With Crimson Gargoyle, that monster will return to your hand!” Crimson Gargoyle’s eyes began gleaming red. Velocity Dragon froze in place and turned to stone.

 

Zugai smiled, “When Velocity Dragon is sent from the field to my hand, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Dragon-Type monster from my Deck!” Zugai quickly scanned through his Deck and pulled out a card. “I Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Chick! (800/400) By Tributing this card, I can Special Summon a Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my hand!” Red-Eyes Black Chick began glowing red. Its body began expanding and growing, and soon, the light faded, revealing Red-Eyes Black Dragon. (2400/2000)

 

DJ marveled, “Wow, that was fast.”

 

Aline said, “That’s Zugai for you. Getting out his ace on his first turn.”

 

Clemence stared in awe, saying nothing.

 

Zugai continued, “I activate Inferno Fire Blast! I’ve said this enough so that I don’t need to explain it.” Red-Eyes breathed out a large, black sphere of concentrated fire. It contacted a white figure on the screen, creating a large inferno burning it. (Charles 8000→5600) “I end my turn.”

 

Aline asked, “Why didn’t he destroy Crimson Gargoyle?”

 

Clemence explained, “He’s taking advantage of its effect. While Velocity Dragon stays in his hand, he can call out as many Level 4 Dragons as he needs.”

 

Filip added, “Also, Zugai’s trying to take a field advantage. If he leaves Crimson Gargoyle there, it’ll force Charlie into the defensive stage of the Duel, and Zugai normally keeps it there the whole time.”

 

DJ cautioned, “But Charlie almost never goes onto the defensive.”

 

Charlie smiled, “My turn! I Tribute my Crimson Gargoyle to Summon Warp Gargoyle! (2200/1200) Once per turn, I can discard 1 card from my hand to draw 1! I discard Resonate Gargoyle to draw 1 card! The card I drew was Stone Paralysis! If I control a Gargoyle, this will halve the ATK of a monster you control. I’ll halve the Attack of Red-Eyes.” Warp Gargoyle’s eyes began gleaming, and Red-Eyes turned to stone. (2400→1200/2000) “Now, Warp Gargoyle will destroy your Red-Eyes!” Warp Gargoyle dove at Red-Eyes and thrust a claw through Red-Eyes’ torso, causing it to crumble into sand. (Zugai 8000→7000) “I end my turn.”

 

DJ said, “See? Charlie always has a plan.”

 

Clemence commented, “Zugai’s probably a step ahead, though. Velocity Dragon might not only be useful for being returned to the hand.”

 

Aline asked, “What do you mean?”

 

Filip quoted, “He’s going to spam his Level 10, as he says it all the time.”

 

Clemence shook her head, “No, I think he has something else in mind.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn. I discard Velocity Dragon to activate Tribute to the Doomed! This will destroy Warp Gargoyle!” A white beam of light fell from the sky, slashing through Warp Gargoyle’s head and was ejected through its tail. Crimson Gargoyle exploded on the screen. Zugai smiled, “I Special Summon Dark Armed Dragon! (2800/1000)”

 

Filip asked, “Wait, wait, wait. He just Summoned that?”

 

Clemence explained, “Dark Armed Dragon can’t be Normal Summoned or Set, but it can be Special Summoned if there are exactly 3 DARK monsters in the controller’s Graveyard.”

 

Zugai continued, “Dark Armed Dragon attacks you directly!”

 

Charlie interrupted, “I discard the Overseeing Gargoyle from my hand! This allows me to activate a Trap Card from my Deck. The card that I activate is Afterlife Constellation! This allows me to remove from play 2 Synchro Material Monsters in my Graveyard and Synchro Summon. I remove from play Resonate Gargoyle and Warp Gargoyle to Synchro Summon my Gargoyle Sentry! (3000/2800)”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, and Dark Armed Dragon naturally stopped its attack. This is new to me. Still, it’s going to take a lot more than that to stop me. “While Dark Armed Dragon is on the field, once per turn, I can remove from play a DARK monster in my Graveyard to destroy 1 card on the field! I destroy Gargoyle Sentry!”

 

DJ shook his head, “Stupid move.”

 

Charlie smiled, “Gargoyle Sentry can negate a destruction effect and remove from play the other card. However, if it was a monster, I take damage equal to its ATK, and it’s Special Summon next turn.” (Charlie 5600→2800)

 

Zugai sighed, “Great. I end my turn.”

 

Charlie smiled, “My turn. I Summon Support Gargoyle! (450/600) Also, I activate Double Attack! I can Tribute Support Gargoyle to allow Gargoyle Sentry to attack twice! Also, when Support Gargoyle is Tributed, another monster gains its ATK! Gargoyle Sentry is going to get so strong it’ll beat you into tomorrow! (3000→3450/2800) Gargoyle Sentry, attack him directly twice!” Gargoyle Sentry roared, and sonic waves covered the whole screen. (Zugai 7000→100)

 

Zugai smiled, “That’s what you were aiming for? 6900 damage?”

 

Charlie began laughing and continued, “I activate the continuous Spell Card Gargoyle’s Mirror. Now, I cannot take more than 2000 points of effect damage at a time, or it’s negated! I also Set 1 card and end my turn!”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, Okay, his Set card is probably to bring Gargoyle Sentry back if it’s destroyed, so it’s most likely Call of the Haunted. Also, I can’t use Dark Armed Dragon’s effect due to the mirror. “My turn!” Great! I drew it! “First, Dark Armed Dragon returns to the field. Next, I discard Komouri Dragon activate Orbital Velocity! I can select 3 cards in my Deck and show them to you. You select one to be Special Summoned, and the other two are sent to the Graveyard. These are the three that I select!” Zugai quickly scanned through his Deck and showed Charlie three monsters: Baby Dragon, Petit Dragon, and Astral Dragon.

 

Charlie said, “The card I pick is Baby Dragon!” (1200/700)

 

DJ said, “I think I get his choice.”

 

Aline pondered, “So Zugai can’t Synchro Summon?”

 

DJ nodded, “Pretty much. I mean, Charlie probably expected a Level 1 Tuner for Eternal Star Dragon.”

 

Zugai smiled, “You didn’t recognize the obvious trap? I activate Natural Tune. Now, Baby Dragon is treated as a Tuner Monster. I Tune my Level 3 Baby Dragon with my Level 7 Dark Armed Dragon! Evolving universe! Engulf us with your infinite power and become an entity of majesty and strength! Synchro Summon! Soar, Eternal Star Dragon!” A shining beam of light, almost cutting the screen in half, appeared on the computer screen. The angle of the screen changed in a flash, and a golden dragon began emerging from it. The dragon’s body shone with beauty and produced golden sparkles from its wings. It began spinning around in the air and quickly stopped, spreading its wings and outstretching its arms and legs into an aggressive position. (3700/2000)

 

Clemence marveled, “Wow, I never actually thought I would be able to see that monster.”

 

Filip also commented, “I never thought that the first time I would see it was on a low-quality Smartboard.”

 

Zugai continued, “Eternal Star Dragon, attack his Gargoyle Sentry! Unfulfilled Desires!” Eternal Star Dragon produced blinding gold light, which soon died as stabbed Gargoyle Sentry with its right claw. It drew the claw away and flew back, just as Gargoyle Sentry crumbled and collapsed onto Charlie’s avatar. (Charlie 2800→2100) Zugai smiled again, “Next, I activate another effect of Eternal Star Dragon! When it destroys a monster by battle, you take 500 Damage for each Level 4 or lower Normal Monster in my Graveyard. I currently have 3 in my Graveyard, so you take 1500 damage! Starlit Nightmare!” Eternal Star Dragon’s wings began glowing a green color, and the remains of Gargoyle Sentry were absorbed by it. It soon generated two heavy gets of wind, both of which blew back Charlie’s avatar. (Charlie 2100→600) Zugai finished, “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

DJ’s eyes widened, “Dude, that was an unexpected turnaround. Just in one attack, Zugai gained the field advantage again.”

 

Clemence proudly grinned, “What else could you expect from him?”

 

Charlie smiled, “Great move, Zugai. I like that. However, it’s time for me to end this! My turn! I activate Stone Transmission! By removing from play a Level 7 or higher Gargoyle monster in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Grey Gargoyle from my hand!” A large Gargoyle, seeming to be as big as Eternal Star Dragon, yet more demonic, appeared on the field above Charlie’s avatar. (2500/2300) “Once per turn, Grey Gargoyle can switch one monster you control to defense mode, and it inflicts Piercing damage. Grey Gargoyle, do your thing!” Grey Gargoyle slapped Eternal Star Dragon with its wing, and Eternal Star Dragon fell to the ground, turned to stone.

 

Zugai interrupted, “I activate my Quick-Play Spell Card: Gravity Pressure! When a monster I control is switched to Defense mode, you take damage equal to half of its ATK!”

 

Charlie countered, “Hold up! I activate the effect of Grey Gargoyle! By paying 500 Life Points, I can negate the activation of a card effect and destroy it!” Grey Gargoyle’s eyes glowed white light, and Zugai’s card slowly turned to a perfect grey marble stone. (Charlie 600→100)

 

Zugai winked, “You should try to think a step ahead more, Charlie.”

 

Charlie’s eyes widened, “What’re you talking about?”

 

Zugai smiled, “I activate my Trap: Chain Strike! This will inflict 400 damage to your Life Points times the total number of Links! This is the 3rd Chain Link, so you take 1200 damage!” Four chains pierced the ground surrounding Charlie’s avatar, creating a think layer of small grains of gravel surrounding him. (Charlie 100→0)

 

Clemence commented, “Wow. Zugai would reduce his Life Points to 100 before defeating him.”

 

Filip shrugged, “Still, it was a good combo. Grey Gargoyle couldn’t use its effect more than once due to Charlie’s current Life, so he used Chain Strike to his advantage.”

 

DJ nodded, “He’s just a scientist all the way through. That’s why he’s so good at Dueling.”

 

Zugai unplugged his Duel Disk and walked towards Charlie, his steps echoing through the entire theater. Charlie did the same thing, and the two shook hands in the middle of the stage.

 

Charlie said, “You may have won this battle, but the war has just begun, my friend.”

 

Zugai turned and winked, “The war will have to wait. I’ve got another one with a few overrated Duelists.” He started walking towards the end of the stage and jumped off of it, landing on the ground on both feet. He turned to leave the stage, but heard what seemed to be a stampede chase after him. Before he knew it, Clemence threw her arms around Zugai, laughing in a congratulating way. Zugai muttered, “You’re lucky that I let you do that.”

 

Clemence retorted, “You’re lucky I let you li-”

 

Aline awkwardly interrupted, “So… what class do you have next?”

 

Zugai turned to Aline, with a lock of confusion. “Um… Aline? Lunch is next.”

 

Aline laughed, “Oh, right. I knew that.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Sure you did.”

 

§

 

Far away from them in Switzerland, three men gathered around an alleyway. Each one of them was wearing an identical grey cloak, so their appearances were unseen. All three of them simultaneously recited, “We are ready.”

 

Another figure, wearing a gleaming silver cloak, stepped from the alleyway. The figure giggled, “Good for you. I’m a bit disappointed you keep on coming to me for power. Are you that afraid?”

 

The three figures stayed silent, not moving an inch.

 

The person in the silver cloak drew back her hood to reveal a perfect face with long, blonde hair. She had blue eyes and the perfect appearance of 13-year-old teenager. She beamed, “This power you ask for comes will a small price, though. Are you willing to pay it?” She began walking into the alley, waving them to follow her. The three men began following her into the alleyway, which was pitch dark and almost completely invisible. Soon, all three men walked to the wall, and as they turned around, they felt a shock run through their body. They began slowly falling against the wall, which soon tied their arms and legs to the wall. Blinding lights suddenly revealed the location of the three men. They were in a large, circular room filled with hundreds of different machines, some ancient, some modern, but mostly futuristic. The teenage girl slowly walked towards the three men, pulling up her sleeves, revealing that her arms were covered with a mechanical armor. A silver blade appeared from her right arm as she stepped to the first figure.

 

She menacingly grinned, “Oujo and the others probably wouldn’t have done anything like this to you and would have just left you with this power. I, on the other hand, don’t want you running with this power. In order to obtain it, you must become more than human, Team Round Table. But as I tear you apart, focus on your pain and hatred and direct it at Team Solar Wind.” She pushed her blade against the cloaked figure on the right. The room began echoing with cries of agony as Tsuchi tore out organs from her first subject, emotions of pleasure running through her.

 

§

 

Back in New Jersey, a tall man was walking through the streets of downtown New Jersey. He had brown hair running down the back of his head and a white buttoned down shirt, slightly open towards the top of his chest revealing a silver medallion. He wore simple jeans and silver Nike sneakers, and rushed past the city life, like he was late for something. He saw the nearest Duel Terminal and stopped at the entrance, panting as he entered it. “Sorry I’m late, Ron.”

 

Ron Jordan, a tall, black man wearing a brown sweater, a green shirt, and brown pants, stood extremely close to the entrance, waiting. “That’s fine, Hiru. I just want to test out my Death Squad before I have to head over to Geneva.”

 

Hiru asked, “Wait, you’re taking a Gap year?”

 

Ron shook his head, “The college I’m going to wants me to.”

 

Hiru nodded, “Ah, gotcha. Hey, you want to go a few rounds?”

 

Ron smiled, “Sure, I’ll take you down with my Death Squad.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath, “Death Squad? Seriously?”

 

Ron said, “Yes, Death Squad.”

 

Hiru pulled out a silver Blade Duel Disk with a blue light across the actual ‘blade’, and placed it on his left arm. Ron pulled out his black Blade Duel Disk with a red light and almost mimicked Hiru. The two simultaneously plugged in their Duel Disks into the Duel Terminal simultaneously. Hiru grinned in excitement as he began his first Duel in three weeks. “Duel!” he shouted, which created an intense atmosphere in the Duel Terminal that only occurs when two extremely skilled Duelists clash, and sometimes when one of the two is going to be obliterated by the other.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 26]

 

Chapter 26: Evolution of Synchros: Zetsubou!

 

Hiru looked at Ron and began pondering to himself. Okay, he’s extremely good, that’s all I know. He also uses a Synchro Deck like Zugai does. I’d like to see how this turns out. A dial appeared in the middle of the 3D screen, with four blocks of Ron and four blocks of Hiru in a square pattern. A light began flashing through them very quickly and randomly selecting which Duelist would go first. The light stopped and shone red on a block with Ron’s face.

 

Ron said, “My turn! I Summon R-Genex Accelerator in Defense Mode! (1500/1900) I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “My turn!” If he’s going to use R-Genex to start out, he’s probably going to be going for R-Genex Synchros. “In that case, I Summon Legendary Beast – Pegasus! (1500/1000) When this card is Normal Summoned, I can place a Muse Counter on it! It’ll gains 500 ATK for each Muse Counter. (1500→2000/1000) Now, attack R-Genex Accelerator!” Pegasus flew into the air and nosedived at R-Genex Accelerator.

 

Ron shook his head in disappointment, “Really, Hiru? Is that the best you can do? I activate my Trap: Defensive Formation! This will negate your attack and will add 1 Genex monster from my Deck to my hand.” An orange digital shield surrounded R-Genex Accelerator. Pegasus dove against the shield, but bounced back and neighed after hitting it. Ron continued, “Due to Genex Accelerator’s effect, if a Genex monster is added to my hand, I can reveal it to Special Summon it! I reveal my Level 4 R-Genex Ultimum!” R-Genex Accelerator’s passage began glowing, and hundreds of beams of light appeared from it. R-Genex Ultimum appeared from the light and crashed against the ground. (1800/1400)

 

Hiru sighed, “Damn. I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Ron continued, “My turn. By returning a monster I control to my hand, I can Special Summon Genex Ally Birdman. I return Accelerator to my hand! Also, since a WIND monster was returned to my hand for the Special Summon of Birdman, it gains 500 ATK! (1400→1900/400)”

 

Hiru smiled, “It’s still not strong enough.”

 

Ron smiled back, “I activate Genex Charge! Due to its effect, a Genex monster I control gains an Attribute and 300 ATK! Ultimum gains the FIRE attribute! (1800→2100/1400) Also, I get to draw 1 card.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “You’re kidding, right?” Why didn’t he Synchro Summon?

 

Ron continued, “Ultimum, attack Pegasus!” Ultimum ran towards Pegasus and leapt into the air, aiming a punch at Pegasus’s head.

 

Hiru quickly interrupted, “I activate my Trap: Scrap-Iron Scarecrow.” A metal scarecrow appeared in front of Pegasus, and Ultimum struck it instead of Pegasus. “This negates your attack. Also, instead of sending it to the Graveyard, I can re-Set it.” That takes care of that Battle Phase.

 

Ron smiled, “Not bad, but I activate my Trap: Urgent Tuning! This allows me to Synchro Summon during my Battle Phase. I Tune my Level 3 Birdman to my Level 4 Ultimum!” Birdman began generating gusts of winds and flew into the air, creating three large green rings. Ultimum leapt into the air and passed through all 3 rings and began increasing speed. The rings soon vanished, and Ultimum turned into a beam of light.

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “Where did it go!?” The beam of light soon crashed against the ground again. Genex Ally Triforce was there instead of Ultimum, kneeling against the ground. It quickly stood up and pointed its cannon at Pegasus. (2500/2100) Hiru narrowed his eyes, “What just happened?”

 

Ron smiled, “The true nature of a Synchro is moving faster than sound. Now, Triforce, attack Pegasus!” Triforce looked towards Pegasus. In its vision, hundreds of rings began surrounding Pegasus, and three arrows began spinning around it. As the rings layered, they slowly began changing from a green color to a white color. Soon, three white rings surrounded Pegasus, saying “LOCK” in white text. Triforce began gathering energy in all three parts of its cannon, and the triangle at the center began glowing intensely.

 

Hiru intercepted, “I activate my Trap: Magic Cylinder! This will negate your attack and inflict damage to your Life Points equal to the attacking monster’s ATK!”

 

Ron smiled, “Too bad. Triforce gains effects based on the Attributes of the destroyed monsters. If one of them was EARTH, you cannot activate Spells or Traps while Triforce attacks. Ground Wave.” Triforce launched a ball of brown energy from its lower right cannon, sending a shockwave through the ground that re-Set Magic Cylinder. “Triforce, go! Element Beam!” Triforce launched a beam that contained qualities of earth, fire, and light, which impacted Pegasus and caused it to explode. (Hiru 8000→7500) “Also, I activate Triforce’s second effect. Since Ultimum was treated as a FIRE monster when it was used in a Synchro Summon, if Triforce destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to its ATK! Meteor Burst!” Triforce launched a large fireball at Hiru, which did not get through the screen, but created an effect which made it seem realistic. (Hiru 7500→5500) “I set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru sighed, If I didn’t have Scrap-Iron Scarecrow, I would have taken 4500 damage that turn. This guy’s tough, I must say. I haven’t inflicted a single point of damage yet. “My turn! I Summon Legendary Beast – Psychai! (1300/1300) I remove it and Pegasus from play to Chaos Synchro Summon Legendary Beast – Cyclone Drakon!” The two monsters appeared as mirages and were quickly absorbed by a tornado. Eventually, the tornado encompassed the whole field, with Cyclone Drakon at the epicenter. “Cyclone Drakon gains 1000 ATK for each of my Set cards. I have 2, so it has 2600 ATK! (600→2600/2700) Now, attack Triforce!” Cyclone Dragon did a shuttle loop and swooped at Triforce.

 

Ron interrupted, “I activate my Trap: Rare Metalmorph. It equips to a Machine-Type monster I control and increases its ATK by 500! I equip it to Triforce! (2500→3000/2100)” Triforce locked onto Cyclone Drakon and fired a second laser, which hit Cyclone Drakon in the forehead, knocking it into the heavy winds of the tornado. The laser continued and hit where Hiru would have been if the screen encompassed him. (Hiru 5500→2500)

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, He’s good. But I still have a few tricks up my sleeve! “When Cyclone Drakon is destroyed, I can Special Summon Aether Drakon from my Extra Deck!” Cyclone Drakon shed its skin, and Aether Drakon soared into the air, flapping its wings to repel the tornado. (3000/2400) “When Aether Drakon is Special Summoned, I can destroy 1 monster you control! I destroy Triforce!”

 

Ron smiled, “I activate my Trap: Remote Revenge. This allows me to change the target to a card you control. I destroy Aether Drakon!” Aether Drakon launched a beam through the clear sky, but the beam soon turned back and hit it, causing it to explode.

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, I haven’t even gotten a single attack in yet that was successful. I’ll try to use card effects, then. “I activate the effect of my removed from play Psychai! If I destroy 2 cards I control while I have 2 Fusion Monsters in my Graveyard, I can draw 2 cards!” Hiru saw he drew Tribute to the Doomed and Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Okay, I guess I’ll do that, then. “I discard 1 card to activate Tribute to the Doomed! This will destroy Triforce!” A white lightning bolt started heading towards Triforce. However, Triforce held up its cannon in a defensive stance, and the lightning bolt scattered as it hit Triforce. After a long storm of lightning, Triforce remained intact and still stood strong.

 

Ron explained, “Rare Metalmorph does more than give a monster ATK. It can negate the effect of a Spell Card targeting the equipped monster one time.”

 

Hiru sighed, That guy makes his monsters freaking untouchable! “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ron said, “This is it. My turn.”

 

Hiru quickly interrupted, “I send 2 Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my Deck to the Graveyard to activate Delta Barrier! Now monsters that are lower than Level 8 cannot declare an attack.”

 

Ron smiled, “Well, you get to last one more turn. I Summon R-Genex Oracle. (300/300) Next, I discard Genex Ally Chemistrir to make Triforce a WIND monster. Now I Tune Oracle to Triforce.” Oracle transformed into a green ring, and Triforce ran through it, becoming a beam of light. The beam of light began ascending and slowed down, soon revealing itself as a jet-like machine. “I Synchro Summon Vindikite R-Genex. (2400/1000) Attack Hiru directly! Wind Pulse!” Vindikite launched one wave of wind toward Hiru. (Hiru 2500→100) “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “My turn. Thanks for letting me have a comeback! I activate Dragon’s Mirror. By removing from play the 3 Blue-Eyes in my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” A mirror appeared on the field, but it soon began glowing. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon emerged from the glowing mirror, roaring over the field. (4500/3800) “Now, destroy Vindikite!” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon fired three beams of white energy at Vindikite. However, Vindikite activated its jet and maneuvered through every single blast. Although Ultimate Dragon continued blasting, Vindikite kept on dodging. “Why isn’t my attack connecting?”

 

Ron smiled, “Didn’t you know? Vindikite can’t be selected as an Attack Target.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “Are you kidding me? I end my turn.”

 

Ron said, “My turn! I activate Aurora Draw! Since it’s the only card in my hand, I can draw 2 cards. Next, I discard another Chemistrir to make Vindikite a DARK monster. Also, I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Oracle!”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “Why do you keep on Synchro Summoning!?”

 

Ron answered, “Genex monsters are unique for their capabilities of evolving. I Tune Oracle to Vindikite to Synchro Summon Locomotion R-Genex!” Oracle transformed into a ring which surrounded Vindikite. Vindikite soon flew out of view, and a colossal machine descended from the sky, crashing against the ground. It was just as big as Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. (2500/2000)

 

Hiru said, “It may be big, but it’s nothing compared to my Ultimate Dragon’s ATK!”

 

Ron shrugged, “I don’t need to worry about Ultimate Dragon. When Locomotion is Summoned, it gains control of the highest Level monster my opponent controls, which is Blue-Eyes.” Locomotion reached out and grabbed Blue-Eyes and tugged it over. Ultimate Dragon was harnessed by Locomotion, only able to follow its commands. “I think you’d like to see your dragon’s power. Ultimate Burst.” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon fired all three beams at Hiru, creating a spiral beam of white energy blasts. (Hiru 100→0)

 

Hiru took a deep breath, stepped back from the Duel Terminal and said, “That takes care of the number of times I have to Duel during the summer break. Beats reading a book and doing a report on it any day.”

 

Ron walked to Hiru and said, “You still have to write a report.”

 

Hiru shook his head and widened his eyes, “What? Seriously?”

 

Ron nodded, “It’s in school, though. But that’s the only really different thing from Summer reading.”

 

Hiru sighed, “How do they think of possible reports for Duel Monsters? I love the game, but it makes no sense!”

 

Ron sighed, “People do it for their jobs. They kind of have to.”

 

§

 

Zugai began walking out of the school doors and down the streets, carrying his backpack and Guitar. He sighed, “Well, it’s not too bad in this weather.” He looked to the left of him to see a series of perfectly yet simple shaped apartment buildings, remembering when it was dusty and under construction. He sighed at the old days and continued pacing towards his home. However, he narrowed his eyes as he heard another figure walking behind him, seemingly from nowhere. Instinctively, he looked in that direction, and his eyes widened in awe, fear, and amazement at the same time. “What’re you doing here?”

 

A tall, thin yet muscular figure stood before Zugai. He wore a black button-down shirt and black corduroy pants, yet he had a silver cross on a necklace. Zugai quickly gestured that it was hanging out, but the man did not seem to notice the gesture or care. He answered, “Simple. I didn’t want to wait around in Geneva.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Please don’t attract the media to my hometown, Black.”

 

Black asked, “Why would I do that?”

 

Zugai said, “I have no idea. Just listing possibilities.”

 

Black stated, “I came here to tell you something.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “What’s that?”

 

Black said, “You’re going to have to be a lucky b****** to win in the finals.”

 

Zugai muttered, “Thanks for the motivation and support.”

 

Black quickly dashed at Zugai and smacked the top of his head, “Seriously, I would honestly like to face you myself. The problem is Kadoguchi.”

 

Zugai asked, “They got into the tournament?”

 

Black sighed, “They’re practically everywhere. They have minor groups worldwide that weak duelists go to for power. Kind of like drug dealers. Out of the whole tournament, only your team, Team Go, and the six ‘legendary’ Pros aren’t affiliated with Kadoguchi in any way. The others got power from them and were changed to join the group.”

 

Zugai muttered, “Great. Did they send you the branching of the tournament?”

 

Black pulled out a white envelope, closed his eyes, and passed it towards Zugai. It was sent through the air perfectly, and Zugai caught it. “I don’t need it, so just take it.”

 

Zugai stared at Black in awe, “I wish I could do that.”

 

Black opened his eyes and turned to walk away, saying, “Hopefully you get past round 1.”

 

Zugai nodded, and was about to walk away, but a thought randomly hit him in his turn. Hang on, he only listed four… Zugai turned again and called, “How is your team affiliated with Kadoguchi?”

 

Black stopped his pace, did not turn, and said, “I don’t remember my early years, but I remember living in hell in my early years.” Black paused, and continued, “Then He saved me.”

 

Zugai was about to ask, “Who?” but then he remembered Black’s cross. Ah, right. Zugai then asked, “What did He do?”

 

Black turned his head and said, “He brought me to Kadoguchi.”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened in complete shock, but he did not bother responding to question Black’s motives. He only stood paralyzed, a pang of surprise making his stomach churn. Black looked forward and continued walking away, and Zugai only stood until Black was out of view.

 

He felt a gust pass over his back, making him shiver. An old companion chirped, “C’mon, Zugai. You can take him.”

 

Zugai looked to see Stealth Bird, with his feathers blending into the scenery behind him perfectly. He calmly smiled, “I guess. Still, it’s kind of eerie that what Prometheus said is right. Every single time we face a group, they’re affiliated with Kadoguchi, and aren’t that bad, either. I guess we’ll have to push through with this.”

 

§

 

“Well, we finally have a chance to get away from our step-parents. That’s a good thing.” Kea and Ayra were walking through JFK airport, which was ringing. Kea was wearing a red Japanese dress with a gold-colored rim, wrapped with a grey piece of cloth. She also wore grey leggings and sandals, and Kea’s eyes seemed to be longing for something she knew she could never have. Ayra was wearing a black shirt, which sparkled even in dim light, and black jeans.

 

Ayra’s blue eyes seemed to be clouded with excitement. “I know. You don’t have to tell me the obvious-”

 

A classic airport tone rang through the entire airport. A speaker announced, “We are sorry, but the flight to Geneva has been delayed by 40 minutes.”

 

Ayra angrily muttered, “You’re kidding me.”

 

Kea looked at Ayra, and patted her on the back, “Well, on the bright side, we can watch Team Creation’s leader, right?”

 

Ayra sighed, “I guess. Then we can become more scared than we have to be.”

 

Kea calmly smiled, “Ayra, why do you have to be such a grouch?”

 

Ayra suddenly felt a pang of embarrassment in her gut, “W-what are you talking about?”

 

Kea explained, “You always have to take things really badly. Couldn’t you try to lighten up for once?”

 

Ayra blushed a bit and said, “I’ll try. I’m not very good at it.”

 

Kea shrugged, “Hey, I wasn’t good at Dueling until this summer.”

 

§

 

Kea and Ayra sat inside the lounge in JFK, right by the bar, having a perfect view of the television. On the television screen, Black was facing a different opponent, controlling X-Head Cannon. Kea sighed, “Dang. We were late for the match.”

 

Black said, “My turn. I discard 1 card to Special Summon The Tricky from my hand. (2000/1200) Next, I Summon Fire Ant Ascator. (700/1300) I Tune my Level 3 Fire Ant Ascator to my Level 5 Tricky!” The Synchro Oath Black chanted was not audible in the lounge, but Kea and Ayra could clearly see the majestic Synchro Summon of Black’s Stardust Dragon. (2500/2000) The Level, ATK, and DEF of Stardust appeared within a wheel on the screen, which soon disappeared. The sound of the actual Duel was muted, so all Ayra and Kea could hear was the words of the commentators.

 

“And there Black goes, Summoning Stardust Dragon, one of the most popular cards in Duel Monsters, on his first turn. For those who don’t know, once per turn, Stardust can Tribute itself to negate a card-destroying effect and destroy that card. If it uses this effect, it can Special Summon itself during the End Phase!”

 

“Summoning Stardust is important against the VWXYZ Set’s effects, since they mostly involve destroying cards. Johnson even makes them even worse after the first turn. His Set Card”

 

“And now Black Summons Turbo Booster from his hand! (0/0) Turbo Booster can be Special Summoned if the owner of the card has Normal Summoned.”

 

“It can also Tribute itself to destroy a monster that Black declared an attack on this turn. I wonder why he would do that? Is he using a combo with Stardust?”

 

“I don’t know, but it’s probably something none of us can grasp!”

 

§

 

In the streets of a rich society, a young boy, covered with dirt and mud, dressed entirely in black, was looking through a collection of Duel Monsters on the ground. He was between two tall, beautiful apartments. He groaned, “This is all we really have? We won’t be able to sell any of these at this rate.” He heard light steps behind him and turned to see a familiar blue and white dog, with a red lightning bolt on its forehead, pace toward him with ten pack of cards in its mouth. On its back was a basket of food.

 

The boy grinned, “Thanks, Andx! I wonder what-”

 

An angry voice interrupted and shouted, “You again!?”

 

The boy jumped back into the alley with fear as he saw a large, muscular man. He had a dark and enraged look on his face as he slowly stomped towards the kid, picking him up by the neck with one hand, holding the dog in the air with the other. He growled to the kid in a southern accent, “Listen here, kid. You keep on doing what you do to ruin this place and I’ll kill this dog right in front of you.” He tossed the kid and Andx out of the alley and pulled out a lighter and a cigar. The man first lit the cigar, and without closing it, dropped the lighter. The cards laying on the ground instantly burned, lighting the alley with a fire of indifference. The man turned, narrowed his eyes, and said, “The name’s Johnson. Trash like you don’t pick up Duel Monster Cards.” Johnson walked out of the alleyway, not caring about the crying boy.

 

Andx whimpered, and the boy rubbed his head, trying to comfort both himself and Andx. He cried, tears of hate and despair running through his body. He looked down the alleyway, eying their basket of food. Next to it was the ten packs of cards Andx dropped off, which were completely unscathed. The child opened them, and saw cards that nobody has seen before him.

§

 

Black narrowed his eyes, and said, “I won’t forget you for putting me into a hole of despair.”

 

Johnson plainly said, “You never had the right to stay in our society, you piece of trash.”

 

Black tilted his head down, making his eyes covered in shadow. He began trembling in pure hatred and rage. He slowly said, “You’re done. I activate Monster Reborn. This allows me to revive Supay. (300/100) Next, I Tune Spay to Turbo Buster to Synchro Summon Formula Synchron! (200/1500)”

 

Johnson’s eyes widened, “You’re using an Accel Synchro already!?”

 

Black growled, “With Formula Synchron’s effect, I can draw 1 card. I Tune my Stardust Dragon to my Formula Synchron!” Stardust exploded in a gale of stardust, covering the entire stadium. Johnson could not hear the words Black was chanting, but once the stardust vanished, he knew that Black Summoned Shooting Star Dragon. (3300/2500)

 

Johnson said, Son, even if you try to attack me multiple times, my Mirror Force will block you.

 

Black said, “I activate Shooting Star Dragon’s effect. I can see the top 5 cards of my Deck, and it can attack equal to the number of Tuner Monsters I draw.” Black drew 5 cards, and showed them to Johnson. The cards contained Supay, Dark Resonator, Oracle of the Sun, Arcana Force 0 – The Fool, an Mono Synchron. “There are 3. You’re done. Stardust Mirage!”

 

Shooting Star Dragon dashed towards X-Head Cannon. It transformed into three bodies: one red, one blue, and one yellow. The yellow one took the lead, aiming directly at X-Head Cannon. However, the other two were gaining speed, so all 3 would hit at the same time.

 

Johnson smiled, “You amateur! I activate Mirror Force!” A rainbow shield formed between X-Head Cannon and the 3 Shooting Star Dragons. However, all three Shooting Star Dragon’s broke through the shield and hitting X-Head Cannon, causing it to create an enormous explosion. (Johnson 8000→0) Johnson fell to the ground, kneeling. “Impossible… I got beat by an amateur!?”

 

Black turned around and sharply said, “Trash like you shouldn’t even be touching these cards.” He began walking off the stadium as the audience applauded. A blue and white dog that looked very similar to a wolf approached Black and greeted him like a friend. Black calmly smiled and said, “I can’t believe that the 10 packs out of a pit of Zetsubou made such a good deck, Andx.”

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 27]

Chapter 27: At Geneva: The Eye that Sees the Future

 

Two days have passed since Black achieved victory over Johnson, and Kea and Ayra already arrived in Geneva. Senith and Hiru also arrived later that day, but Kai arrived a time before. Zugai and all of the seniors of ZIS were headed to the city via train, all of them creating seriously loud noises.

 

Kai stood outside the train station, waiting for the large hoard of high scholars. He sighed, “Zugai, hurry up. You have to be with us so we can get into the hotel.” He flipped his Deck Box in the air and caught it, and smiled, “Also, I need to do some testing.”

 

§

 

Zugai sat in the train with a group of his friends. A group of seven seats were gathered around one table in a circular pattern with this new train design. Each seat was as comfortable as first-class seats on an airplane with the same functions. Zugai sat with Clemence, Filip, Aline, and DJ. Charlie was sitting in another train car, probably flirting with a girl. Jacob asked, “So, Zugai, what hotel will you be staying at?”

 

Zugai said, “Well, I’m staying at… uh… can’t remember it at the moment, but I know that it’s really freaking expensive. But there is a catch, though.” Zugai paused.

 

Filip said, “Please continue.”

 

Zugai continued, “Well, the two teams can bring 13 total people: six from each team. That leaves 7 left. So far, two of the seven have been taken. That lives five empty spots for you guys.”

 

Clemence’s eyes widened, “We’ll be staying in the same hotel again?”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “This time, it’s the same room.”

 

Aline intercepted, “Hang on, how will they get thirteen people into one hotel room?

 

Zugai shrugged, “I don’t know, but I’m sure they have a way. They never told me what kind of room it is.”

 

DJ said, “Well, that can be both good and bad. It can be a really small room or an extremely big room.”

 

Zugai pointed out, “It would be extremely expensive if Battle City wasn’t spending the funds. If we added Charlie to the group staying, then we would have to pay thousands of Swiss Francs each.”

 

§

 

Three hours have passed, and the train began coming to a stop. Zugai and his friends were already stopped at the train’s exit, having a backpack and a suitcase each. The train came to a complete stop at the station, and the doors opened with a hiss. Zugai stepped out first, followed by his friends. Zugai rolled his eyes at the sound their classmates were making as they stampeded out of the trains. “Seriously. Do they know how to be quiet?”

 

Filip said, “It took you four years to teach those two how to shut up.” He pointed at Clem and Aline, holding back laughter.

 

Before Zugai could say anything, he noticed a familiar figure waiting at the entrance. He was significantly taller than him, and had shorter, straight hair. He wore glasses and was flipping a gold Deck Box, which immediately caused Zugai to recognize him. “Hi, Kai! Why are you waiting for me here?”

 

Kai stood up from the bench, “We need you in order to get into the hotel.”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “What? Why?”

 

Kai explained, “They need both team leaders.” He looked at Zugai’s friends, who were awkwardly exchanging glances, “So, who are these guys?”

 

Zugai looked at them, pointed to Clem, who was at the far left, and moving his hand from left to right, introduced, “This is Clem, Filip, DJ, and Aline. Clem, Filip, DJ, Aline,” Zugai pointed at Kai, “This is Kai, and we share the same mind.”

 

Kai asked, “What Deck’s do you guys use?”

 

DJ started, “Well, you see, I use a Herald Deck, which -”

 

Kai finished, “Ritual Monsters that involve discarding Fairies to negate certain card effects, am I right?”

 

DJ paused, and nodded, “Yeah, pretty much.”

 

Aline said, “Well, I use a Gishki Deck.”

 

Kai elaborated, “WATER Ritual Monsters all the way through?”

 

Aline nodded, “… yeah.”

 

Filip started, “I use a Flamvell Deck, and you don’t need to explain it to me. It’s kind of simple.”

 

Zugai smirked, "Kind of?"

 

Kai nodded in agreement, and said, “Clem? What Deck do you use?”

 

Clem answered, “An Ashante Deck.”

 

Kai stood dumbfounded for two seconds. He looked at Zugai and back at Clem, “What exactly does it focus around?”

 

Clem said, “Easier showing it in action rather than explaining it.”

 

Kai looked at Zugai, and Aline asked, “Wait, he’s going to Zugai for clarification? That never happens around here!”

 

Zugai said, “Clem’s right. It’s really difficult to explain its functions. Best to observe her Dueling.”

 

Kai nodded, and said, “Aces, anybody? If you’re willing, not like you guys are going to be participating in the tournament.”

 

DJ immediately took out Herald of Perfection and showed it to Kai, who just nodded.

 

Filip said, “He tends to like monsters that follow spherical shapes, if you know what I mean.”

 

Zugai said, “I thought he generally liked things with spherical shapes, if you know what I mean.”

 

Aline rolled her eyes and quickly pulled out a card from her Deck and passed it to Kai. Kai caught it, and observed it was Evigishki Soul Ogre, Kai nodded, and passed it back. Filip quickly stepped up to Kai and showed him Ancient Flamvell Deity. Kai said, “Oh, look, Zugai’s friend uses Synchros. Big surprise.”

 

Clem pulled out a card from her Extra Deck and smiled, “Fil isn’t the only one.” She tossed a Synchro Monster perfectly through the air, and Kai caught it right in front of his face. He looked at its effect, and raised his eyebrow.

 

“Interesting. Now I really want to see this series in action.” He whispered to Zugai, “How good are they?”

 

Zugai said, “Just below our level. They should hold their ground well against your sub-Deck.”

 

Kai smiled and pulled out his Duel Disk. A Deck was already placed in it, and he smiled, “Zugai, I have no sub-Deck except for that Hero Deck you gave me. I’ll just go easy on them.”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Wait, why-”

 

Kai winked, “My other two Decks work well on their own. I swap with them well, since it goes with regulations. I just added some Fusion Monsters you gave me.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Here comes the twin cheep shots.”

 

§

 

Kai guided the group to the hotel where they were staying. Right in the lobby was a Duel Terminal, but a more advanced design. It was all trapped in a 3D screen, but the Duel Disks connected to the ground. Zugai remembered when he first fought Gouzen on the prototype of this ground.

 

Clem called, “Zugai! Could I use your Duel Disk for this?”

 

Zugai pulled out his empty Duel Disk, ran towards Clem, and put it on her arm. Clem placed her Deck in it and smiled, “I’ll go first?”

 

Kai activated his Duel Disk and said, “Bring it!”

 

Clem smiled, “My turn. I set 2 cards and Summon Familiar Leopard! (1500/1000) I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kai said, “My turn. Before I continue, I have a question. Do you want me to hold back or not?”

 

Clem grinned, “Don’t hold back.”

 

Kai smiled, “I Set 1 monster, 3 cards, and end my turn.”

 

Clem thought, Okay, I’m pretty sure I told him not to hold back, but that’s fine. “My turn. I activate my Continuous Trap: Andinkra Symbol - Nkonsonkonson!”

 

Kai asked, “Nko-what-the-hell? How do you even say it so fast?”

 

Clem said, “When a monster I control attacks, I can discard 1 card to increase the attacking monster’s ATK by that monster’s! Also, I Summon Focal Synchron! (100/100) I Tune my Level 4 Familiar Leopard to my Level 2 Focal Synchron! Strength of soul, tear through the surrounding world with your teeth like spears! Synchro Summon! Creature of Strenth: Osebo, Leopard Familiar! (2200/1500)”

 

Kai said, “Why haven’t I seen any of these monsters before?”

 

Zugai explained, “They’re mostly used in Africa. Almost nobody can get them from outside of the country.”

 

Clem continued, “Osebo can inflict piercing damage, and when it attacks, it gains 300 ATK during the Damage Step. Now, Osebo, attack his Set monster! (2200→2500/1500)” Osebo pounced towards Kai, and Featherizer appeared to block the attack. (700/1100) Clem continued, “Also, I discard Familiar-Possesed – Aussa to increase the ATK of Osebo by 1850! (2500→4350/1500)” Osebo ripped Featherizer to shreds.

 

Kai said, “I activate Featherizer’s effect. When it’s destroyed by battle, I can send 1 Gemini monster from my Deck to my Graveyard to draw 1 card. I send Phoenix Gearfried to the Graveyard to draw 1 card.”

 

Clem smiled, “Don’t forget about the Piercing damage!”

 

Kai said, “I activate Defense Draw. This negates the damage and allows me to draw 1 card.”

 

Clem narrowed her eyes, He refilled his hands with my attacks? What, is he waiting for something big? “I end my turn.”

 

Kai said, “My turn. I activate the Continuous Spell Card: Herculean Power. This allows me to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Gemini Monster from my hand if I control no monsters and my opponent does. I Summon Evocator Chevalier! (1900/900) Next, I equip Evocator with Salamandra, giving it 700 ATK! (1900→2600/900) Furthermore, I also equip it with Supervise!” Evocator was surrounded by a flame aura. “This allows it to gain its effects!”

 

Aline asked, “What does he mean by that?”

 

Zugai explained, “Gemini Monsters don’t gain their effects until their Gemini Summoned.”

 

Kai continued, “I activate the effect of Evocator! By sending Supervise to the Graveyard, I can destroy Osebo! Elimination Burn!” Evocator threw a fireball at Osebo, creating an enormous explosion that engulfed it. Kai continued, “Because Supervise is in the Graveyard, Evocator loses its effects. But since Supervise was sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Phoenix Gearfried from my Graveyard! (2800/2200)

 

Clem asked, “Wait, why are they effectless without Gemini Summons?”

 

Kai explained, “Gemini Monsters are treated as Normal Monsters while they’re on the field and in the Graveyard until they’re Normal Summoned while on the field, which is called a Gemini Summon. I Gemini Summon Phoenix Gearfried!” Flames surrounded Phoenix Gearfried, and it scattered the flame with a swing of its sword, having residue flames surrounding it. “Next, I equip it with Gemini Booster, giving Phoenix Gearfried 700 ATK! (2800→3500/2200) Now, Phoenix Gearfried, attack Clem directly! Feather Blade!” Phoenix Gearfried raised its sword and began charging at Clem.

 

Clem smiled, “I activate my Continuous Trap: Adinkra Symbol: Fihankra! During the damage step, it selects the attacking monster, and it cannot attack me directly!”

 

Kai sighed, “I activate the effect of Phoenix Gearfried. By sending an Equip Card I control to the Graveyard, I can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card that targets a monster and destroy it. Also, I activate my Trap: Spare Weapon! If I have to send an Equip Card to the Graveyard, I can use this as a substitute, and I can draw 1 card. I send Spare Weapon to the Graveyard. Break Flame!” Phoenix Gearfried raised its shield and smashed Fihankra, destroying it. It then lowered its shield and swung its sword with a wild arc through Clem. (Clem 8000→4500) Kai continued, “Evocator, Burst Blade!” Evocator dashed past Clem at blinding speed, swinging its sword in mid-run. (Clem 4500→1900) Kai finished, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Clem narrowed her eyes, Wow, he wasn’t joking about going all out. “My turn! I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Familiar Leopard! Next, I Summon Avalanching Aussa! (800/1500) With its effect, I can Tribute Familiar Leopard to Special Summon Familiar Spider from my hand! (700/300) Next, I activate the effect of the Focal Synchron in my Graveyard! If I control a Familiar monster and a Charmer, I can revive it! I Tune Focal Synchron with my Familiar Spider and Avalanching Aussa! Creature of mischief, show us your stories made as the entangled web of time! Synchro Summon! Descend, Anansi, Spider Familiar!” A giant, brown, hairy spider fell from the sky and landed behind Clem. (2900/2100) “When Anansi’s Summoned, I can send an Adinkra Symbol card I control to the Graveyard to destroy a monster on the field! I destroy Phoenix Gearfried!” Anansi fired a web toward Gearfried, and it pierced through its armor and body, causing it to shatter. Clem continued, “Also, with the effect of Anansi, I can activate Adinkra Symbols from my hand! I first activate Adinkra Symbol: Akofena! Now, Anansi can attack twice! Also, I activate Adinkra Symbol: Okodee Mmowere. If Anansi destroys a monster by battle, I can inflict damage to my opponent equal to Anansi’s ATK!”

 

Filip cheered, “She’s going to turn it around in one turn!”

 

Zugai smiled, “We’ll see.”

 

Clem said, “Anansi, attack Evocator! Web of Time!” Anansi fired a large web from its mouth.

 

Kai smiled, “Simple enough.”

 

Clem asked, “What?”

 

Kai yelled, “I activate my Trap: Justi-Break! If a face-up Attack Position Normal Monster is attacked, I can destroy all monsters on the field that aren’t attack position Normal Monsters.” A lightning bolt crashed down from the sky onto Evocator, but Evocator cut it in half with a single slash of its sword, deflecting the bolt to Anansi’s web. The lightning traveled through the web and onto Anansi, frying it until it withered and became ashes.

 

Clem narrowed her eyes, I have another Adinkra Symbol in my hand. If I use this, I can bring back Anansi if he attacks! “I Set 1 card and end my turn!”

 

Kai said, “My turn. I Normal Summon Evocator. Next, I activate its effect. I send Salamandra to the Graveyard to destroy your Set card. Elimination Burn.” Evocator tossed Salamandra at Clem’s Set Card, piercing it to the ground. (2600→1900/900) “Evocator, attack Clem directly. Burst Blade.” Evocator leapt into the air and dove at Clem. It swung its sword vertically, and would have cut Clem in half if not an image. (Clem 1900→0)

 

Zugai smiled, “And that, my friend, is what I have to face every day.”

 

Kai stepped from the Terminal, “Clem’s not that bad, though. She almost got me.”

 

Clem sighed, “I was so close, too. I would have brought you down to 1200 Life Points!”

 

Kai smiled, “Yeah. And your Set Card must have been important, too.”

 

Clem’s eyes widened, “How did you-”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “It was written all over your face. And can I have my Duel Disk back before it vanishes?”

 

Clem slightly blushed and unclipped the Duel Disk, giving it to Zugai. “The pen was-”

 

Zugai said, “It’s done. Just want to make sure it never happens again.”

 

§

 

Zugai dragged his suitcase to the reception desk, and noticed Hiru, Ayra, and Kea arguing with the concierge. Zugai stepped up behind them and said, “Hey, guys! Where’s Senith?”

 

Ayra rolled her eyes, “The idiot went to eat something.”

 

The concierge said, “Are you Zugai Shutaru?”

 

Zugai nodded, “That’s me.”

 

The concierge sighed, “Finally. I’ll take you all to your rooms.”

 

Zugai asked Kai, “Is Fiona here?”

 

Kai shook his head, “Not in the hotel. She’s taking a walk around the lake.”

 

Kea tapped Zugai on the shoulder, “Hey, who’s the new crowd?”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened for half a second. Sh*t, I have to introduce her to Clem... I feel my Anansi Sense tingling… too awkward, even for me. “I’ll let them introduce themselves later. I really want to see what the room is like.

 

§

 

The hallways of the hotel seemed to be sparkling with wonderful paint. Bright, yet nice, colors were spread across the hallway, making the walls a rainbow color. The lights were not very bright, providing a relaxing atmosphere. Zugai wondered, Why rainbow? Plain white would be good enough… The group was taking up almost all the hallway space, dragging their suitcases behind them. The concierge stopped at a room right at the end of the hall and unlocked the door. He opened the door and waved the group in. Zugai was the first to step inside, and he marveled at what was around him.

 

It was not a room as much as it was an enormous system of rooms, like a whole series of apartments in the same building. The walls were pure white, and an enormous window showed the outside view of Geneva, with a beautiful, luscious garden containing all flowers from roses to tulips on the outside, decorating the scenery. To the left of Zugai was an enormous, wooden table covered with a golden tablecloth. The chairs surrounding it were made of wood, but were designed to look like multiple King Arthur’s were getting together for a congress. Behind and out from the table were a system of rooms, seven total: three on the far wall and four on the opposite. On his right was a Duel Terminal, surrounded by another seven rooms, three on the far wall and four on the opposite wall. There was also a door to the rooftop outside. Zugai walked to the right and looked at the Duel Terminal, which was approximately ten meters by seven meters in length. Reading the series number, it was the newest model, which almost no place in America had. This model was larger, so people can stand in a 3-D screen and Duel. Also, it was able to produce illusions so larger monsters would be seen by only the people who are dueling, or looking at those parts of the screen. He also noticed that there were many more rooms, each one labeled for a specific purpose of entertainment. But before he investigated, he walked into the bedroom behind him.

 

Zugai looked around the enormous bedroom that could fit up to 20 people if necessary. There was a queen-sized bed with a white blanket, a walk-in closet, a large desk with every single type of power outlet, a chandelier on the ceiling, and an enormous bathroom with a shower, Jacuzzi, bathtub, and sink. Zugai noticed there were no windows, but he also realized he’ll be spending almost no time in the room. He set his bag down, unpacked and set up his walk-in closet, and went back out. He saw Kai pacing around the Duel Terminal, and asked, “So, what do you think would have better rooms than this?”

 

Kai answered, “The same hotel along a nice beach.”

 

Zugai paused, and said, “Right. Point taken.”

 

Ron suddenly came barging out of a room and yelled, “Zugai! There’s a room with two guitars and a bunch of amps. It’s like they expected a whole band to get in here.”

 

Zugai thought, When did he get here!? “There goes my free time.”

 

Clem rushed out of her room and up to Zugai. She asked Zugai, “So, what do you think of this?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Sweet.”

 

Ron dipped his head and said, “Puns. Every single one you make will be terrible.”

 

§

 

Zugai, Kai, Senith, Hiru, Kea, and Ayra were all hanging out on the rooftop, looking over the side of the roof and toward the lake. Clem, DJ, Fiona, Filip, Ron, and Aline all went out to get food. Zugai smiled, leaned against the wall, and said, “Nice breeze.”

 

Senith yawned, “Nice food here, too. I can smell the sausages from down the street.”

 

Ayra shook her head, “How do you focus so much on eating?”

 

Hiru smiled, “Whatever. We still get a nice moment of relaxation before the finals.”

 

A familiar, yet edgy, voice said, “It’s only going to be a moment, though.”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, and he twirled around in place. He looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a familiar figure behind him. He wore a black shirt decorated with feathers, and he also had a collar that looked like talons. He also wore black pants, and a katana was on his back. Zugai asked, “Kosoru, how the hell did you get over here?”

 

Kosoru pointed back and said, “You guys aren’t the only ones who have rooftop access.”

 

Senith asked, “Wait, this is public?”

 

Kosoru rolled his eyes, “No. It’s just on the same roof.”

 

Senith paused and muttered, “Touche.”

 

Kai yelled, “Enough of this. Why are you here, Kosoru!?”

 

Kosoru took out his Duel Disk and said, “Apparently, a few members of Kadoguchi are concerned that you can take us down. I don’t doubt you can get through the first row of wannabees, but against us?” Suddenly, what seemed to be a monsoon blew through Geneva for a split second. Zugai covered his eyes to block the sudden storm, and when he opened them, he saw Hiru standing a few meters away from Kosoru, but they stood in the center of the garden. Kosoru smiled, “You’re Team Go’s ace card, aren’t you? Let’s see if you can take me down again.”

 

Zugai thought, Puns. Everybody makes them at some point.

 

Hiru smiled, “Let’s do this, then.” He pulled out his Duel Disk and clamped it on his arm. He looked at Kosoru and thought, If this guy’s only the second team member of Team Creation, I hope that Black isn’t much stronger… He stared at Kosoru, and his Duel Disk automatically activated. The

 

Kosoru explained, “We don’t need Duel Terminals right now. The air around us generates what we need. Also, how about we put your Star Card on the line?”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, but he met Kosoru’s gaze. A weird sensation crept over him, and he did not bother objecting.

 

Hiru and Kosoru simultaneously yelled, “Duel!” A green light flashed underneath the roof, and the air began to tremble with tension as these two rivals clashed for the second time.

 

Senith smiled, “Hiru won once, so he’ll probably do so again, especially with his upgraded Deck.”

 

Zugai thought, Maybe. I’m not so sure, though.

 

Hiru grinned, “I’ll go first. Draw! I’ll start out by activating Ancient Rules! This allows me to Special Summon the Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand!” A white beam of light descended from the sky and crashed onto the rooftop. When the light faded, Blue-Eyes White Dragon was flying from where the beam of light was. (3000/2500)

 

Zugai narrowed hie eyes, “Hiru, is that all you plan to do?”

 

Hiru continued, “I Set 2 cards and Normal Summon Kaibaman! (200/700) By Tributing it, I can Special Summon Blue-Eyes from my hand! This one’s in Defense Mode!” Another beam of light descended, and the second Blue-Eyes White Dragon flew on the field. (3000/2500) “That ends my turn!”

 

Kea smiled, “I think that’s enough for now!”

 

Kai commented, “We’ll see. I don’t get the Defense Blue-Eyes though. It’s a bit of a stupid idea in this case.”

 

Ayra said, “Hopefully he planned ahead.”

 

Kosoru thought, Great. He’s as simple as before. I’ll just save my key card for now. “My turn! I Summon Transforming Sphere! (100/100) Next, I activate Weak Anger, giving it 1000 ATK! (100→1100/100) Also, by discarding 1 card, Transforming Sphere can absorb your defending Blue-Eyes!” A whirlwind surrounded blue-eyes, and the orb Transforming Sphere clutched suddenly became foggy. Eventually, the whirlwind stopped, and the orb became clear again, revealing that Blue-Eyes was inside it. (1100→ 4100/100) “Transforming Sphere, attack Blue-Eyes!” Blue-Eyes’ Burst Stream of Destruction fired from the gem Transforming Sphere clutched, and it pierced through Blue-Eyes and Hiru. (Hiru 8000→3900)

 

Senith asked, “Wait, how did he take 3000 more damage?”

 

Ayra explained, “Weak Anger gives the attacking monster the Flame Wingman effect.”

 

Kosoru finished, “During the end of the Battle Phase, Transforming Sphere goes I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “During the End Phase, I get Blue-Eyes back!” Transforming Sphere’s orb began glowing intensely, and Blue-Eyes flew out of it. (4100→100/100) (3000/2500) “My turn! During my Draw Phase, I activate my Trap: Call of Olympus! Instead of drawing my normal Draw, I can remove from play 1 monster in my Graveyard to draw cards equal to the monster’s Level! However, I have to remove from play all Level 4 and lower monsters I draw. I remove Blue-Eyes from play, so I can draw 8 cards! I remove my Level 4 Pegasus, Siren, Cyclops, and my Level 3 Legendary Knight Achilles from play. Since a card has been removed from play, I can Special Summon Legendary Knight Perseus! (2300/1600) When it’s Special Summoned, I can draw 1 card!”

 

Kosoru taunted, “So you can draw cards. Interesting.”

 

Hiru continued, “I activate its second effect! By removing it from play, I can Special Summon a removed from play monster. I revive Blue-Eyes!” Perseus disappeared into a portal, and Blue-Eyes flew out of the same portal. (3000/2500) “Also, I activate Level Conversion Lab! By revealing a monster in my hand, this card will allow me to roll a dice to reveal its Level! I show you my Blue-Eyes!” A dice emerged to the field and began spinning, landing on a four.

 

Hiru fist-pumped, “Yes! I Normal Summon the 3rd Blue-Eyes White Dragon! (3000/2500) Now, Level 4 Blue-Eyes, attack Transforming Sphere!”

 

Kosoru countered, “I activate Negate Attack!”

 

Hiru smiled, “Hehe, I activate my removed Achilles’s effect! If a Level 4 monster attacks, all Traps activated during the battle are negated and destroyed!”

 

Frustration and shock slowly crossed over Kosoru’s face as his trap card was destroyed and Transforming Sphere was destroyed with it. Hiru grinned, “Time for a comeback. 2 Blue-Eyes White Dragons, attack him directly!” The remaining two Blue-Eyes White Dragons launched beams at Kosoru, engulfing him in blinding light. (Kosoru 8000→2000) Once the light faded, Kosoru was engulfed by a thick cloud of smoke.

 

Senith said, “Wow. 6000 damage during the second turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

The smoke cleared, and Kosoru’s head was dipped. He began slowly laughing, and soon began laughing intensely. He looked at Hiru and hissed, “You’re better than I thought, Hiru. Too bad, though. In any true Duel, victory can slip from your grasp at any moments.” Both of Kosoru’s eyes turned green, but then became crimson. A black spiral replaced his pupil, mimicking the shape of a hurricane. “My turn! Since you control a Level 8 monster, I can Special Summon Breeze Sphere from my hand! (700/500) Next, I Tribute it to Summon Troposphere! (2400/2000) Also, I activate the Trap, Destruction Flare from my Graveyard! This destroys every monster on the field!” Hundreds of enormous sparks rained from the sky, pelting every single monster on the field and covering it in a cloud of smoke. Three explosions on Hiru’s side of the field could be heard through the smoke. However, a pair of eyes began glowing in the smoke, and the smoke suddenly cleared from the wind produced by Trafa Sphere’s unscathed wings.

 

Kea asked, “Why wasn’t it destroyed?”

 

Ayra explained, “Destruction Flare is a Trap, and Troposphere is unaffected by all traps. But Kosoru must have something up his sleeve, since he’ll take 2000 damage after the 2nd End Phase of this card’s activation due to its effect.”

 

Zugai commented, “But Destruction Flare has one extra effect.”

 

Kosoru continued, “Due to Destruction Flare, you can draw 2 cards and reveal them to me.” Hiru drew 2 cards and showed White Legend Dragon and Legend calling. Kosoru grinned, “Now I can add a Monster and a Spell to my hand. I activate Double Summon, so I can Summon Air Sphere!” (400/300)

 

Kai sighed, “Same defense strategy.”

 

Kosoru said, “Since I control 2 WIND monsters, I can activate my Trap: Wind of Grace! I can draw 2 cards. Now, Troposphere, attack him directly!” Troposphere flapped its wings 3 times. 3 white arcs of wind blew towards Hiru and passed through him, each one making a spasm cross through his body. (Hiru 3900→1500) Kosoru smiled, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “My turn! I Summon White Legend Dragon! (1900/700)”

 

Kosoru grinned, “I activate Ominous Flare. This negates the Summon of a monster and returns it to your hand. However, my opponent draws 1 card. If I guess the kind of card it is, I can either draw 2 or inflict 700 damage to my opponent, but that’s their choice.” Hiru drew his card. Kosoru smiled, “It’s a Monster.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes and said, “Draw 2.”

 

Zugai smiled, “And suddenly, Duel Monsters becomes a game of Uno.” Ayra knocked Zugai on the top of his head. “Ayra, you’re trying to give me a concussion just because I made a pun?”

 

Hiru smiled, “Thanks. The card you made me draw is the card that I was waiting for. Since I have 5 Legendary Beasts or Legendary Knights removed from play, I can Special Summon Legendary Beast – Kraken of the Sea in Attack Mode!” The skies darkened, and rough waters began coursing through the streets of Geneva. Kraken emerged from the water and roared, looming over the building. (2800/2700) In concern, Zugai activated his Astral Eyes. As he did, everything on the field disappeared. So we’re the only ones who can see this, I hope.

 

Kai commented, “Who would’ve thought that that this’d look exactly like the one in Clash of the Titans?”

 

Hiru smiled, “When Kraken’s Special Summoned, I have to pay half my Life Points. (Hiru 1500→750) But Kraken can attack all monsters my opponent controls. And once per turn, I can select 1 removed from play monster. Kraken gains ATK equal to the ATK of that monster. Also, Kraken gains 200 ATK for every removed from play LIGHT or DAKR monster. I select Perseus, so Kraken gains 3300 ATK total! (2800→6100/2700)”

 

Kosoru said, “I’ll admit, that’s epic, but it can’t attack as long as I control Air Sphere.”

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate Siren’s effect. While it’s removed from play, one time only, I can negate the effect of a monster on the field. Now Air Sphere can’t stop Kraken’s attack. Go!”

 

Kosoru quickly interrupted, “I activate Ominous Flare’s effect from my Graveyard! I can draw 1 card. If it’s a Spell, I can discard it to activate its effect. If not, nothing happens.” Kosoru drew a card, “I activate Effect Vacuum! Kraken’s effects are negated! (6100→2800/2700) Kraken swung one of its arms at Troposphere, knocking it square in the chest. A loud crack rang through the air as Troposphere broke in half and fell into the rough seas. (Kosoru 2000→1600)

 

Zugai sighed, “Great. Hiru needs 800 Life Points to keep Kraken on the field. Too bad he’s 100 off.”

 

Hiru continued, “I activate Legend Calling! I remove Kraken from play to Special Summon Cyclone Drakon!” Kraken disappeared in a whirlwind, and Cyclone Drakon appeared, breaking the whirlwind’s flow. However, the surrounding area became engulfed in a hurricane, with wind and rain pelting the Duelists on the rooftop. (600/2700) “Cyclone Drakon gains 1000 ATK for every Set Spell and Trap I control. I have 2, so it gains 2000 ATK! (600→2600/2700) Also, I can Set 1 Legendary Beast monster in my Spell and Trap Card zone! I Set Kraken! With that, Cyclone Drakon gains 1000 more ATK! (2600→3600/2700) I end my turn.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “This is the last turn, and Kosoru only has 1 real card that can help him win.”

 

Kai stated, “The Atmosphere.”

 

Kosoru said, “My turn! I Special Summon another Breeze Sphere! (700/500) Next, I Tribute it to Summon Gusto Forsight! (2100/100)”

 

Zugai yelled, “He has Gusto!? I didn’t expect him to have things like that in his Sphere Deck!”

 

Kosoru smiled, “When it’s Summoned, I can discard the top card of my Deck! It it’s a monster, Gusto Forsight gains its ATK! It was Virtual Sphere, so it gains 2200 ATK! (2100→4300/100)

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate my Trap: Futile Battle! I destroy a monster I control to decrease Gusto Forsight’s ATK by its ATK! I destroy Cyclone Drakon!” Cyclone Drakon divebombed Gusto Forsight, exploding on contact, but knocking Gusto Forsight into the rooftop, next to Kosoru. (4300→700/100) “Also, since 1 Dragon-Type monster I control was destroyed, I can Special Summon Aether Drakon from my Extra Deck!” The hurricane suddenly cleared, and sunlight broke through the clouds. Aether Drakon soared in the bright sunlight, creating a shadow in the perfectly clear sky. (3000/2700) “When it’s Special Summoned, I can destroy a monster you control. I’ll destroy your Gusto Forsight!” Aether Drakon launched a beam of light. The sunlight began concentrating around it, making the beam itself just as bright as the sun.

 

Kosoru interrupted, “I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Emergency Flare! I can fulfill the Summoning Conditions of a monster in my hand to Special Summon it! I remove from play Gusto Forsight and Air Sphere I control along with the Transforming Sphere in my Graveyard to Special Summon the Atmosphere!” Kosoru’s monsters vanished, and a red flare was sent into the air. The light dispersed, and The Atmosphere hovered over the rooftop. (1000/800) “When this card is Summoned, it can absorb a monster you control. I absorb Aether Drakon!” A tornado began forming around Aether Drakon.

 

Hiru interrupted, “I discard White Legend Dragon to activate Raigeki Break! This will destroy The Atmosphere!” A bolt of lightning shot from the clear sky and headed towards The Atmosphere.

 

Kosoru snickered, “You can’t win with such simple strategies.”

 

Hiru asked, “What!?”

 

Kosoru grinned, “I activate My Body as a Shield! By paying 1500 Life Points! I can negate The Atmosphere’s destruction!” The lightning bolt changed its target from the Atmosphere to Kosoru, striking him instead. (Kosoru 1600→100)

 

Senith sighed, “He should have destroyed Aether Drakon. Then it wouldn’t be absorbed.”

 

Ayra said, “He has 750 Life Points left. Atmosphere’s ATK is 1000.”

 

Senith muttered, “Touche.” In the meantime, Aether Drakon was engulfed by the tornado and vanished, reappearing in The Atmosphere’s gem. (1000→4000/800→3500)

 

Kosoru smiled, “In the end, no matter how far ahead you thought you were, I was always a step ahead of you.”

 

Hiru said, “How did you-”

 

Kosoru pointed at his eyes and said, “Zugai’s not the only one with the Eye of Truth.”

 

Zugai yelled, “What the hell!?”

 

Kosoru explained, “Seven of them exist, each one representing the Seven Cosmic Truth. Zugai’s shows the Truth of Past. Mine’s the Truth of Mind. I can see basic strategies and what kind of card I’m about to draw.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “This is how you’ve been winning so much!?”

 

Kosoru snickered and yelled, “Atmosphere, finish this!” The Atmosphere tossed the gem it held at Hiru, and an enormous, chaotic storm of wind surrounded just Hiru. Tornados, thunderbolts, hail, sleet, ice, rain, and debris were flowing through the system. Hiru’s screams of pure agony were drowned out by the storm. (Hiru 750→0)

 

The storm ended, and Hiru genuflected due to lack of energy, not trying to show any respect at all. The rooftop became ominously quite since the illusion of the battlefield ended. Kosoru began stepping towards Hiru, and said, “Even though only Interstellars can use the full capabilities of the Eyes of Truth, I think this works just fine for me. And even if the Star Cards will work only for Interstellars...” Kosoru drew his Katana, “I think killing you first will work just fine.” Kosoru pointed his blade toward Hiru’s head, “Now, give me Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon.” Bloodlust crossed through Kosoru’s eyes, and the group of duelists did not know how to act in this situation.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 28]

Chapter 28: The Beginning of the Finals

 

Kosoru raised his blade and swung it, making the blade pierce the roof next to Hiru. He smirked, “Gotcha.”

 

Hiru looked up and said, “You prick… that was all just acting?”

 

Kosoru said, “Not all of it. Shura asked me to get a Star Card, but honestly, I’d rather them do that themselves. Although now I can say that I tried and failed.”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “Lazy. I like it. But why are you here, anyway?”

 

Kosoru said, “I just came here to warn you guys.”

 

Hiru asked, “About what, exactly?”

 

Kosoru explained, “Kadoguchi twisted most of the people in this tournament. Every single team you’ll face, including us, has mostly been twisted in some way. I’m just in it for the money so…”

 

Zugai facepalmed, “You’re getting paid…?”

 

Kosoru shrugged, “Pretty much. But in all honesty, it won’t be an easy battle. Since you guys won’t start out facing us, who have our own free will, but rather people who had their own brains f*cking adjusted for power, I’d say you guys need a warning.”

 

Zugai said, “Okay. Thanks, I guess.”

 

Kosoru continued, “Also, I’m not sure if you guys have a chance against us after beating one of your ace cards.”

 

Zugai commented, “Well, it depends. If we matched you up against someone like Senith…”

 

Kosoru smiled, “Well, let’s just see how that turns out.” Kosoru ran to the edge of the building and leapt off.

 

Zugai quickly ran to the edge of the building and looked down. The streets were clear. What the hell is with these Terrestrials? I mean, why would you jump off a building? Just to show off?

 

§

 

Kai asked, “Zugai, don’t you think you’re a bit too concerned about the teams?”

 

Zugai said, “Well, we don’t want to be prepared for the wrong Deck, and if you could change yours, so could they.” He opened his MacBook and clicked on his Bookmark for “Team Info”. He first clicked on a “Chart” tab. “Okay, we have the third match, Team Go has the second one. Let’s just take a look at Team Geosphere first.” Zugai clicked on the link and said, “Well, what do you know? Deck changes. First member, Phil… wait a sec, wasn’t it Jan?”

 

Kai said, “Didn’t you say something about Kadoguchi before?”

 

Zugai said, “Point taken. Anyway, he uses a Psychic Deck.”

 

Kai smiled, “Gaining LP vs Burn? I like it.”

 

Zugai continued, “Second member is Johan – oh, so they just switched places. Well, he uses a Worm Deck. The last member, Jan, uses a… f***ing Koa’ki Meiru Deck.”

 

Kai smiled, “C’mon, Hiru’ll be fine. Now for Team Round Table.”

 

Zugai said, “Okay, so the first member, Galahad, still uses a Gemknight Deck. The second member still has a Vlyon Deck, and the last member has a Warrior Deck.”

 

Kai asked, “You know, why does Kadoguchi make such small changes? Actually, Team Round Table got no changes…”

 

Zugai sighed, “Once we get there, I don’t know if the changes will be so small anymore.”

 

§

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the rest of the world, I welcome you to the Third Annual Battle City!” Roars of cheers came through the stadium as the commentator finished those words. Zugai, down in special VIP seating, separated by them via a glass wall. There were speakers, so he could hear the announcer and what the Duelists were saying, but he sighed with relief, “At least I’m not out there.”

 

Kea said, “But it’s nice hearing them support us.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Two more matches, girl. Two more matches.”

 

The announcer continued, “Now, in order to be in this final showdown, two teams from every city had to conquer the city that they were stationed in. So far, all eight teams have made it to this final tournament! But before I introduce them all, I’d rather let the first match begin!” Even more cheers erupted, and Zugai thought that he would go deaf if the glass wall wasn’t there. “First, we must let the clash between Team Armageddon and Team Olympus commence! I first introduce the starting player of Team Armageddon. He is fierce, and almost none of his opponents stand up to his first move! Let’s hear it for the Flaming Marauder, One Turn Killer, Brendan Smythe!” Brendan stepped from a small tunnel. He had short, blonde hair spiked up and wore red samurai armor. He stepped onto a small platform and waved at the crowd. “Next, we have one of the Top Six Duelists, the keeper of one of the Realm Lords the one who almost defeated Kurai Majutsu, Perseus!” Perseus, dressed in golden ancient Greek armor, with a trident on the center crest, stepped up. His Duel Disk was a part of his armor. “Now, let the battle begin!”

 

The platforms began rising, and all of the screens temporarily flashed bright lights. When the lights dimmed, the entire stadium looked like it was on top of a skyscraper, more specifically the Kaibacorp building from the classic “Yu-Gi-Oh!” series where Kaiba dueled Yugi at the end of Battle City. The announcer explained, “Now, folks, the 3-D screens around us provide a virtual reality within the stadium. This is now a world of fighting Duelists!”

 

Zugai grinned, “This is so cool.”

 

Senith said, “You think?”

 

Brendan called to his adversary, “Let’s do this!” They both simultaneously yelled, “Duel!”

 

Brendan said, “My turn! I activate Dark Room of Nightmare and Summon Fire Trooper! (1000/1000)”

 

The commentator said, “Brendan just called out his key card, Fire Trooper.”

 

Brendan continued, “I activate Fire Trooper’s effect! By sending it to the Graveyard, you take 1000 damage.” Fire Trooper became engulfed by an enormous flame and dashed toward Perseus, exploding on contact. (Perseus 8000→7000) He continued, “Also, due to Dark Room of Nightmare, you take 300 more damage every time you take Effect Damage.” Beams of dark energy erupted from the ground underneath Perseus. (Perseus 7000→6700) “Also, I activate the Spell Burn and Take. This allows me to Summon a monster from my Deck, except I take damage equal to its ATK. You also get a Monster Token on your side of the field with double the ATK as my monster, but you take damage equal to half of its ATK. Also, during your End Phase, you must pay 500 Life Points to keep it on the field. I Summon Fire Trooper. (1000/1000) (Brendan 8000→7000)” A mirror image of Fire Trooper appeared on Perseus’s field. (Perseus 6700→5700) More beams of dark light emerged from underneath Perseus. (Perseus 5700→5400) “Also, I send Fire Trooper to the Graveyard to activate its effect.” Fire Trooper dashed at Perseus again, and the dark lights came with the explosion. (Perseus 5400→4100)

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “Dude, Perseus is getting his a** kicked.”

 

Zugai said, “I told you the six best were overrated.”

 

Brendan continued, “Next, I activate Last Will. This allows me to Summon a monster with 1500 ATK or less from my Deck. I Summon the third Fire Trooper. (1000/1000)” The Fire Trooper dashed at Perseus like a meteor and exploded. (Perseus 4100→2800) “Next, I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Fire Trooper from my Graveyard. (1000/1000) Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Inferno Reckless Summon. If I Summon a monster with 1500 ATK or less, I can Special Summon 2 more from my Graveyard, hand or Deck. You also get to select a monster you control and Special Summon any more from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard, but you don’t have any Fire Troopers, do you?” The ground began cracking, and 3 Fire Troopers, all engulfed by blue flames, dashed at Perseus. Perseus’s eyes widened in a moment of fear, and as the three Fire Troopers exploded, he was forced back by actual explosions, scorching his body and forcing him off of the platform. (Perseus 2800→0)

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “He got an FTK? Crud…” Perseus hit the ground with a thud, but still managed to move.

 

Persephone, the second duelist, rushed to his aid. In the meantime, the mirror image of Fire Trooper vanished. Brendan said, “Since you can’t pay 500 Life Points, your Token is destroyed. When it’s destroyed, both players draw 2 cards.”

 

Senith said, “I have to face him. This is gonna suck.”

 

The commentator finally said, “It turns out that Perseus is fine, but just suffered a crushing blow from Team Armageddon. But who knows, folks? This whole battle can turn around any moment!”

 

Ayra said, “Somehow, I doubt that.”

 

The platform lowered, and Persephone, dressed in similar armor but with a skull on the armor instead of a trident, stepped onto it. “And now, I introduce the greatest known Dueling woman on the planet, the Duelist who once defeated Kurai Majutsu… Persephone!”

 

Hiru dipped his head, “So Kisune and I aren’t the only ones.”

 

Zugai said, “Technically, you are. She beat him before Kurai got his Ra, which he used to beat her with later.”

 

Persephone smiled, “Don’t think your tactics will work so well on me!”

 

The two Duelists simultaneously said, “Duel!” Persephone continued, “My turn! I activate Card Destruction! We both have to discard are hands and draw the same number of cards!” Both players discarded and drew cards. Persephone continued, “Next, I remove from play the WIND, WATER, FIRE, and EARTH monsters, Air Soul, Rain Soul, Inferno Soul, and Earth Soul from my Graveyard to Special Summon Garuda the Wind Spirit, (1600/1200) Aqua Spirit, (1600/1200) Spirit of Flames, (1700/1000) and The Rock Spirit! (1700/1000)”

 

Zugai smiled, “Four monsters in one turn and probably Elemental Burst in her hand.”

 

Filip said, “Four monsters in one turn!? This game doesn’t make much sense anymore…”

 

Persephone continued, “I Set 1 card. Now, all four monsters, attack him directly! During my Battle Phase, Spirit of Flames gains 300 ATK! (1700→2000/1000)” Garuda the Wind Spirit generated a tornado, which was created in the middle of the field. Aqua Spirit created blocks of hail inside the tornado while The Rock Spirit put in debris and Spirit of Flames set the whole thing on fire. The storm of elements engulfed Brendan and caused the stadium to shake. (Brendan 7000→100) Persephone smiled, “I end my turn. Don’t think that a master of the elemental spirits would fall to a being of fire.”

 

Brendan laughed, “You’re extremely arrogant when it comes to power.”

 

Persephone asked, “What?”

 

Brendan explained, “Your four elements may be strong, but you haven’t seen a true flame. My turn! I activate Flamvell Obliteration! If I have 8 or more cards in my Graveyard while my opponent has less than 3, this card destroys all cards on the field and inflicts 500 damage to my opponent for each one.” Lava emerged from the ground and burned the entire field, making the sky become dark, the surroundings of the tower covered in flames, and the tower burning. (Persephone 8000→5500) “Next, I activate Rekindling to bring back the Flamvell Firedog in my Graveyard! (1900/200) I can also bring back the Flamvell Grukina from my Graveyard. (1700/200) Next, I Tribute Flamvell Grukina to Tribute Summon Flamvell Commando! (2200/200) Flamvell Firedog and Flamvell Commando attack you directly!” Flamvell Commando and Flamvell Firedog launched two beams of lava straight at Persephone. (Persephone 5500→1400)

 

Brendan finished, “This ends it. I activate Flamvell Commando’s effect. I can remove from play a monster in my Graveyard with 200 DEF to inflict damage to my opponent equal to its ATK. I remove Grukina from play. You take 1700 damage.” Commando cannon launched a flame that was shaped like Grukina. It dashed through Persephone, and she yelled in agony, as if she was being burned alive. (Persephone 1400→0) She knelt on the ground as the platform lowered.

 

The commentator yelled, “Brendan, first member of Team Creation, has taken down 2 members of Team Olympus! Although he only has 100 Life Points left. Will he be able to make it past their ace player, Odysseus!?”

 

Persephone stepped from the field and walked to Odysseus. She sighed, “Sorry, but he’s really strong. I’m lucky I got him down to 100 Life Points.”

 

Odysseus smiled, “Don’t worry. I’ll finish him off for you.”

 

Persephone said, “I’m not even sure if that’s possible. Look at how far he got on his second turn. He’s technically gotten two FTKs on us already.”

 

Odysseus smiled, “Don’t worry. I know how to survive longer. He’s got weaknesses, and you two helped me find them.” Odysseus was wearing the same armor as the other two, except with a lightning bolt crest. He smiled as the platform was raised, “You’re definitely a group of strong duelists, but you won’t be the one known as the single Duelist who took down Team Olympus!”

 

Brendan smiled, “We’ll see.”

 

Odysseus said, “My turn! I Summon Legendary Knight Odysseus! (1000/1000) Next, I activate its effect! I can remove from play cards in my hand to Special Summon Tokens with the same Level, but 0 ATK and DEF. I remove from play the Legendary Beasts Pegasus and Siren to Special Summon 2 Level 4 Tokens! (0/0)

 

Zugai smiled, “Hiru. He uses your Deck. Something tells me you made it a trend.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Yes! The second best Duelist is inspired by me! I shall be acknowledged for this one fact!”

 

Kea nudged Hiru, “Too bad he’s the one remembered more at this point.”

 

Odysseus smiled, “I Tune my Level 4 Odysseus to my Level 4 Tokens!” Odysseus began chanting an oath in ancient Greek. With his words, the clouds in the sky began turning dark, and thunder began ringing through the sky. As the oath ended, Odysseus yelled, “Synchro Summon! Air Realm Lord, Zeus!” A bolt of lightning descended from the sky, and a giant man holding a lightning bolt descended. (3600/2400)

 

Zugai smiled, “This is known as one of the True Gods. Don’t see why, though.”

 

Ayra asked, “Why? They’re quite powerful. They can’t be destroyed by cards effects or by battle, and they all have their own unique abilities. Zeus can destroy monsters as they’re Summoned once per turn.”

 

Odysseus smiled, “Zeus can’t attack this turn, but it has another effect! I can destroy 1 monster on the field!” Zeus threw its lightning bolt at Flamvell Commando, obliterating it with a flash of light. The entire crowd screamed, gasped, and shielded their eyes from the attack.

 

Zugai said, “I take back what I said before and hope they don’t kill me for blasphemy.”

 

Odysseus grinned, “I end my turn.”

 

Brendan smiled, “God, huh? It’s a good monster, but I’m afraid I’ll have to match it.”

 

Odysseus smiled, “You can’t match a true God!”

 

Brendan grinned, “I know. Problem is, you don’t have a true God. Draw! I discard Destruction Herald to activate its effect! I can add a Tuner from my Deck to my hand by discarding it. I add Flamvell Baby to my hand. Next, I activate Destruction Herald’s effect! It’s Level becomes the same as the Tuner! Now it’s a Level 1!”

 

Odysseus said, “No matter what you try, you can’t match God! Zeus can negate the Summon of a Level 4 or lower monster and destroy it!”

 

Zugai said, “I feel so bad for Black when I hear this guy spit out his BS about God.”

 

Brendan said, “I activate the effect of Destruction Herald. I can remove from play it and other monsters in my Graveyard for a Synchro Summon. I Tune my Level 1 Destruction Herald to my 3 Level 3 Fire Troopers! Let the forests burn, let the earth dry, and set the entire world in flames of destruction! Synchro Summon!” A large, flaming colossus rose from the ground. It was set on fire, so its actual body could not be seen. “Entity of pure fire: Inferno Destructor: Flamvell!” The flames spread, and a crimson monster, producing flames that rival the brightness of the sun, hovered behind Brendan. (3300/3000)

 

Zugai said, “So, this is the first Destructor.”

 

Kea asked, “What exactly are the Destructors?”

 

Ayra explained, “In certain countries, families were known for making control through fear and destruction. Those families created three cards with unique powers and used them as inheritance. Now, the families have vanished, but these 3 seem to have the destructors.”

 

Zugai said, “And they don’t seem to be related at all. I wonder they’re story.”

 

Brendan smiled, “Next, I discard Flamvell Baby to activate its effect, increasing Flamvell’s ATK by 400! (3300→3700/3000)”

 

Odysseus screamed, “You fool! Do you plan on attacking Zeus?”

 

Brendan said, “Yes.” Flamvell launched an enormous blast of fire.

 

Odysseus said, “I activate Zeus’s effect! It won’t be destroyed by battle, and I can destroy Flamvell!” Zeus threw a bolt of lightning that intersected with the blast. The thunder and flame clashed for half a second and exploded. Odysseus thought, “They’re equal in strength? How can this be!? (Odysseus 8000→7900) But it doesn’t matter. Flamvell is destroyed.”

 

Brendan smiled, “Don’t underestimate me.” A pair of yellow eyes began glowing in the smoke from the explosion, and Flamvell quickly dashed out of the smoke and punched Zeus across the face, sending him through hundreds of burning buildings. At the same time, the two dragon-shaped arms on Flamvell launched two balls of fire at Odysseus. (Odysseus 7900→7300) “Flamvell can negate any effect that would destroy it and inflict 600 damage to my opponent. Also, when my opponent takes effect damage, it can decrease the ATK of a monster my opponent controls by that amount. (3600→3000/2400) As soon as that monster’s ATK reaches 0, it’s removed from play.”

 

Odysseus’s eyes widened, and Brendan smiled, “I know Zeus’s limits. Once per turn, you have to destroy a monster on the field to actually contain its power, otherwise it goes back to your Extra Deck. Also, the cost of the effect is to negate its destruction, followed by the destruction of a monster. In other words, if you want to keep Zeus on the field, you have to keep on destroying Flamvell, each time you take 600 damage, and Zeus becomes weaker. I end my turn.”

 

Odysseus narrowed his eyes, “Even if Zeus can’t destroy it, something has to! My turn! I activate Thunder of Zeus! It destroys every monster my opponent controls!”

 

Brendan said, “Are you just giving up?” Flamvell caught the lightning bolt and threw it back at Zeus, knocking it back a hundred yards. (3000→2400/2400) (Odysseus 7300→6700)

 

Odysseus narrowed his eyes, Team Go, witness its true power. “Now, Zeus’s effect activates!” Zeus threw a lightning bolt, only for it to be deflected by Flamvell and to be scorched by another flame. (Odysseus 6700→6100) (2400→1800/2400) Odysseus looked to the VIP seating, specifically at Senith.

 

Zugai said, “He’s given up, but he’s trying to show you all its true extent. Even though its quite obvious.”

 

Odysseus said, “I end my turn.”

 

Brendan said, “My turn. Flamvell, attack Zeus.” Flamvell’s chest erupted with flames a second time, blasting Zeus, forcing him back. (Odysseus 6100→4600)

 

Odysseus said, “I activate Zeus’s effect!”

 

Brendan smiled, “Didn’t you know that I’m going to counterattack?”

 

Odysseus smiled, “Not this time. I activate the effect of my removed Siren! It’ll negate the effect of Flamvell!”

 

Brendan said, “Nice effort, but not good enough. I activate my Quick-Play Spell Card: Burn Back. This will inflict damage equal to the ATK of Flamvell.” Flamvell was struck by a bolt of lightning thrown by Zeus and began glowing. It then erupted in an inferno of flames, burning Odysseus and Zeus. (Odysseus 4600→1300) Brendan continued, “Also, due to Destruction Herald’s effect, I can return all other removed from play cards to my Graveyard. When Flamvell is destroyed, you take damage equal to the number of FIRE monsters in my Graveyard times 300. I have my three Fire Troopers and my 4 Flamvell monsters. You take 2100 damage.” Lava burst from the ground underneath Odysseus, making him drown in the illusion of molten rock. (Odysseus 1300→0)

 

Kai’s eyes were wide, “He beat 3 of the world’s best duelists in four moves total. That’s overpowered.”

 

Zugai said, “Well, they are Terrestrials. Can’t expect them to suck.”

 

Kea said, “Still, he’s their first player. Who do you think could stop somebody that strong?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Easiest way to fight fire is with fire.” He looked at Senith and winked, “Especially fire that burns differently.”

 

§

 

Brendan walked down from the stadium. “Man, why do I always go first? I feel like I’m being sent to fight weak people. Do you know how much that stains my honor?”

 

A tall, dark figure with black hair and a red stripe going down it commented, “Oh, of course you wouldn’t have fun with those people. Just stop taking all the fun for yourself and let us go eventually.”

 

Kisune stepped from the shadows and said, “Quite, Ranmyaku. You’ll be able to duel one of the Interstellars soon enough.”

 

He rolled his eyes, “I’d rather fight Zugai Shutaru, though. He’ll be fun to take out.”

 

Kisune rolled his eyes, “The Destructor’s the only reason Kadoguchi’s keeping us on the team.”

 

Ranmyaku said, “And it’ll keep me on the team as long as I have it. But if it calls for it, I’m leaving.”

 

Brendan sighed, “We all might leave eventually. They’re loosely chaining us. It’s only a matter of time before we break the chains.”

 

Kisune said, “No, we won’t. Those chains will keep on rebuilding themselves as long as Kadoguchi keeps us to them as they do. Somebody has to break us out.

 

Ranmyaku said, “Whatever. I’m going, guys. See you later.” In a flash of light, Ranmyaku vanished.

 

Brendan said, “Why do they give Ranmyaku teleportation but never use it?”

 

§

 

Zugai said, “Well, the second match is beginning soon. Hiru, herd your group up.”

 

Hiru took a deep breath, “Okay, now it’s our turn to win. Still kind of… uh… scary-”

 

Zugai said, “Nerve-racking.”

 

Hiru said, “Yes. It’s a bit nerve-racking knowing that Brendan’s the first of our next opponents once we win. I just really want to settle the scores with Kisune.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Just focus on the problem at hand, and good luck.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Thanks.” Hiru walked to the caved-in area to wait for the match to begin.

 

§ Two minutes later…

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, the first of the Duels today has just ended. Now begins the second match. First, I introduce the maniacal Duelist, one of the world’s quick-killers, and one of the newest known Duelists of all time, lunatic Phil Urich!” A man dressed in an orange robe stepped onto the platform and did not react to the cheering crowd. “And now, on Team Go’s side, the youngest of the group, a currently known teenage duelist with a deadly Burn Deck, I bring you, Senith Yukai: the Spitfire!” Senith proudly walked from the cave-in and onto the platform. Waving and staring around the crowd, he thought, Here we go. This is the real deal.

 

Senith grinned, “Let’s do this, Phil!”

 

Phil ominously smiled, “Oh, I’m going to enjoy watching you suffer. My turn!” He drew his card, and an ominous laugh began ringing through the entire stadium, making the crowd dead silent.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 29]

 

Chapter 29: Mutated Slayers: Team Geosphere vs Team Go!

 

Phil said, “My turn. I Summon Krebons. (1200/400) I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “My turn. I Summon Volcanic Rocket! (1900/1400) When this card is Summoned, I can add a Blaze Accelerator Card from my Deck to my hand. Now, Volcanic Rocket, attack Krebons!”

 

Phil smiled, “I activate Krebons’s effect! I can negate the attack by paying 800 Life Points. (Phil 8000→7200)” A green shield appeared in front of Krebons, stopping Volcanic Rocket in its tracks.

 

Senith growled, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Phil said, “My turn. I Summon Armored Axel Kicker. (2200/1800) This card can be Normal Summoned without Tribute if I control a Psychic-Type monster. I Tune Krebons to Armored Axel Kicker to Synchro Summon Thought Ruler Archfiend! (2700/2300)”

 

Zugai growled, “That’s a powerful Psychic Monster right there.”

 

Phil smiled, “Next, I activate Telekinetic Charging Cell. Thought Ruler Archfiend, attack Volcanic Rocket!” Thought Ruler Archfiend held out its palm, and green energy began gathering into a sphere.

 

Senith smiled, “I activate my Trap: Sakuretsu Armor! This negates your attack and destroys Thought Ruler Archfiend!”

 

Aline smiled, “Yes! Now Senith can attack Phil directly!”

 

Zugai said, “No… he’s forgetting something.”

 

Phil smiled, “I activate the effect of Thought Ruler Archfiend! I can pay 1000 Life Points to negate the activation of a card that targets a Psychic-Type monster and destroy it! But due to Telekinetic Charging Cell, I don’t have to pay Life Points to activate the effect.” Thought Ruler Archfiend threw the orb. A suit of armor appeared to block the attack, but the orb broke through it. “Also, when it destroys a monster by battle, Thought Ruler Archfiend gives my Life equal to the destroyed monster’s ATK.” The orb exploded as it hit Volcanic Rocket, and Phil was engulfed by a green aura. (Senith 8000→7200) (Phil 7200→9100) Phil finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “Not bad. My turn.” So, I can’t target Psychic-Type monsters with Spell and Trap Cards, but it can’t negate costs. “I activate Blaze Accelerator!”

 

Phil laughed, “You’re dumber than I thought. Thought Ruler can infinitely negate card effects that target it.”

 

Senith said, “I activate Blaze Accelerator’s effect! By discarding Volcanic Scattershot, I can destroy 1 monster you control. I destroy Thought Ruler Archfiend!” A molten fireball launched itself from Blaze Accelerator.

 

Phil said, “Thought Ruler Archfiend.” Thought Ruler Archfiend deflected the blast with a swing of its arm, causing the fireball to ricochet back into Blaze Accelerator, destroying it.

 

Senith smiled, “But I activate the effect of Volcanic Scattershot, inflicting 500 damage to your Life Points!”

 

Phil countered, “I discard Hanewata, so all effect damage I take becomes 0.”

 

Senith said, “No matter. I still send 2 more from my Deck to the Graveyard to destroy all monsters you control.” Nine molten fireballs rained from the sky, pelting on Thought Ruler Archfiend and destroying it. “Next, I remove from play the 3 Volcanic Scattershots in my Graveyard to Special Summon Fiendfire Dragon from my Deck. (3400/1000) Also, I have not Normal Summoned this turn, so I’ll Summon Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei. (2300/0) Lei Lei and Fiendfire Dragon attack you directly!” Fiendfire Dragon blasted a ball of molten rock at Phil. (Phil 9100→5700) Lei Lei then dashed at Phil and leapt into the air, landing on the platform and punching Phil in the stomach. (Phil 5700→3400)

 

Senith continued, “Lei Lei switches to Defense mode after it battles. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Well, that worked out fine. Too bad that Phil has an easy counter next turn.”

 

Kea asked, “What do you mean?”

 

Phil smiled, “My turn. I activate Miracle Synchro Fusion! By removing from play the Axon Kicker and Thought Ruler Archfiend from my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon Ultimate Axon Kicker! (2900/1700)” As Phil summoned this, the left side of his face began deforming. His eyes glowed yellow, and the left side of Phil’s face matched Thought Ruler Archfiend’s.

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “Woah. Kadoguchi genetically-”

 

Phil smiled, “I still haven’t Normal Summoned this turn, so I Summon Psychic Snail. (1900/1200) Due to its effect, I can pay 800 Life Points to allow a monster I control to attack twice. However, Psychic Snail can’t attack. I pay 800 Life Points so Ultimate Axon Kicker can attack twice. (Phil 3400→2600) Also, I activate Dimension Gravity. By returning a removed from play monster to my hand, I can switch the battle position of a monster you control. I switch Fiendfire Dragon to defense mode and add Armored Axon Kicker to my hand. Now, Ultimate Axon Kicker, attack Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!”

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “That thing’s effect-!”

 

Phil grinned, “Yes. It inflicts Piercing damage, and I gain Life Points equal to the ATK of that monster.” Axon Kicker reached and grabbed onto Lei Lei. Green energy began coming out of Lei Lei and into Axon Kicker, and the left side of Phil’s face began glowing green. (Senith 7200→4300) (Phil 2600→4900)

 

Senith asked, “Are you connected to that monster?”

 

Phil said, “Axon Kicker, attack Fiendfire Dragon!” As he uttered those words, green energy began flowing up Phil’s arm, and his hand turned into a claw and became scaly, also matching Thought Ruler Archfiend.

 

Senith quickly interrupted, “I activate my Continuous Trap: Triblaze Accelerator Burst! I can discard 1 card and Tribute Fiendfire Dragon, so you take damage equal to its ATK, 3400!” Fiendfire Dragon exploded in an inferno, forcing everybody in the audience and Phil to shield their eyes. (Phil 4900→1500)

 

Phil grinned, “You moron! Now I can attack you directly! Go, Ultimate Axon Kicker!” Ultimate Axon Kicker opened its mouth, and a burst of green energy emerged from it. As it contacted Senith, Senith felt real pain and real force from the blast threatening to throw him off.

 

However, he smiled and said, “I activate the effect of the Volcanic Counter in my Graveyard! By removing it from play when I take Battle Damage, I can inflict the same damage to you if I have another FIRE monster in my Graveyard, like Fiendfire Dragon.”

 

Phil’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Senith smiled, and an aura of fire surrounded him. The fire continued building, creating a barrier that pushed back the beam of psychic energy. Eventually, they both exploded, inflicting heavy damage to both players. (Senith 4300→1400) (Phil 2300→0) Senith managed to stay on the platform, but Phil was thrown off.

 

In mid-fall, Phil could feel his body parts returning to normal. A sensation of energy that he always feels in that transformation began fading away. To Phil, his motions seemed to slow, and he thought, How could I… with this power upgrade, even, lose to a kid…? I’m… a nobody… He hit the ground and fell unconscious.

 

§

 

Zugai looked at Phil and said, “What did Kadoguchi…?” He focused on his eyes and at Phil at the same time. He suddenly saw a vision of Heki injecting a chemical into his body, making him burn.

 

Heki said, “You get power, but this same power will kill you slowly. If you cannot transform into your full form, you will die.”

 

Zugai retracted his Astral Eyes and returned to normal. So he’s going to die… huh? I guess Heki has her own minions…

 

The commentator said, “And that, my friends, was an excellent move made by Senith Yukai! While he knew he would take more damage, he tricked Phil into attacking him in such a fashion that Senith could use those two cards!”

 

Filip asked, “Why didn’t he do that before Lei Lei was destroyed?”

 

Kai explained, “Triblaze Accelerator Burst can only be activated if you only control FIRE monsters.”

 

The commentator announced, “And now the second member of Team Geosphere, Johan, steps up! He clearly has an advantage due to the two Psychic monsters Phil left him, but who knows how this Duel can go, since it’s Senith’s turn!”

 

Senith smiled, “My turn! By sending my Triblaze Accelerator Burst from my hand to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Volcanic Doomfire from my hand! (3000/1800)”

 

The commentator said, “Senith has Summoned the strongest Volcanic monster, Volcanic Doomfire! What a miracle!”

 

Senith said, “Now, Volcanic Doomfire, attack Ultimate Axon Kicker!” Volcanic Doomfire launched a large meteor the size of a cannonball at Ultimate Axon Kicker, destroying it. (Johan 8000→7900) Senith continued, “Also, due to Volcanic Doomfire’s effect, since it destroyed Ultimate Axon Kicker, I can destroy every other monster you control and inflict 500 damage for each one!” Psychic Snail was suddenly set on fire and shriveled up in flames. (Johan 7900→7400) “I end my turn!”

 

Johan laughed, “Did Phil really lose to somebody like you? The mutation must be getting to his head.”

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “What?”

 

Johan smiled, “My turn. I activate Future Fusion. I select 1 Fusion monster in my Fusion Deck and send its Fusion Material monsters from my Deck to my Graveyard, and Special Summon it in 2 turns.”

 

Kai dipped his head, “Zugai, thank you. You showed me how much of a pain this card can be.”

 

Zugai’s said, “Nope. This’ll be worse.”

 

Johan smiled, “I select Worm Zero. To Fusion Summon it, I send 22 Worm monsters from my Deck to my Graveyard.”

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “22!?”

 

Zugai said, “Worm Zero gains 500 ATK for each Worm monster sent to the Graveyard with its effect. That means it’ll have 11000 ATK.”

 

Filip exclaimed, “11000 ATK! How the hell is this game fair?”

 

Johan continued, “Also, I activate Worm Call. If you control monsters and I don’t, I can Set 1 monster as a Special Summon. Also, I Set 1 monster and 1 card. That ends my turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “My turn!”

 

Johan said, “I activate W Nebula Meteor. This will Flip Summon all monsters I control. I Flip Summon Worm Noble. (1500/2400) I also Flip Summon Worm Solid. (1000/1600) This card gains 100 DEF for each Worm monster in my Graveyard. There are 22, so it gains 2200 DEF. (1000/1600→3800) Also, if you attack Worm Noble, you take damage equal to half the attacking monster’s ATK.”

 

Senith narrowed his eyes, “I can’t destroy one, but the other will… Volcanic Doomfire, attack Worm Noble!” Volcanic Doomfire launched another meteor at Worm Noble. Worm Noble was obliterated, but transformed into blue slime that began crawling towards Senith. It began latching onto him, and Senith felt like it began eating him. (Senith 1400→0) “But don’t forget about Volcanic Doomfire’s effect! It’ll destroy Worm Solid and inflict 500 damage to your Life Points!” Worm Solid began burning to ashes, and Johan took another burn. (Johan 7400→6900)

 

Zugai laughed lamely and said, “69. Nyehehehehehe…” DJ knocked him on the top of his head.

 

Senith walked off of the platform and rubbed the blue liquid off of him. He took Volcanic Doomfire off of his Duel Disk and passed it to Ayra. “Sorry, I couldn’t do anything against him.”

 

Ayra rolled her eyes and took the card, “You took out the most challenging member already. You’ve done more than enough.” She placed it on her Duel Disk, and watched the platform rise. She said to Johan, “Haven’t seen you in a while. How exactly did you get this good?”

 

Johan said, “Training. You’re not the best person at everything, 19-year-old girl.” They both simultaneously yelled, “Duel!”

 

Johan said, “My turn! I end my turn.”

 

Ayra mimicked, “Did Senith really lose to somebody like you? The fire must be getting to his head.”

 

Johan narrowed his eyes, “What?”

 

Ayra smiled, “My turn! I Set 2 cards and activate Sanctuary in the Sky! Next, I Tribute Volcanic Doomfire to Summon Airknight Parshath! (1900/1400) Next, I Tribute it to Summon Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin! (2300/2000) This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the difference in our Life Points. We currently have an 1100 Life Point difference, so it gains 1100 ATK and DEF! (2300→3400/2000→3100) Now, attack him directly!” Neo-Parshath dashed at Johan and swung its blade through Johan. Johan stepped back as a reaction, and in the meantime, accidentally stabbed his hand with his Duel Disk. (Johan 6900→3500) Ayra asked, “Are you okay!?” Her eyes slowly widened as she saw blue, not red, blood escape the hand.

 

Kea said, “Wait, what!? Is he part worm or something!?”

 

Zugai sighed, “Hence the Deck.”

 

Johan pulled the Duel Disk out, and his hand healed much faster than a normal person, and, in seconds, it returned to its normal state, “Man, this is getting to suck.”

 

Ayra growled, “You stupid son of a… due to the effect of Parshath, I get to draw 1 card after it inflicts Battle Damage. Also, it’s ATK will increase more. (3400→6800/3100→6500) I end my turn.”

 

Johan said, “My turn. Due to the effect of Future Fusion, I can Summon Worm Zero.” A large hive, shaped like Earth, suddenly materialized over the field. Three columns connected it to the world below, and seemed to be supporting it. (?/0) “Worm Zero gains 500 ATK for each of its Fusion Materials. I have 22, so it has 11000 ATK! (11000/0) It gains different effects based on the number of monsters used as Fusion Material. If there are 2 or more, once per turn, I can Special Summon a Reptile-Type monster in my Graveyard in face-down Defense mode. If I used four or more, I can remove from play a Reptile-Type monster in my Graveyard to send a monster you control to the Graveyard. I remove Worm Eroklin to send Neo-Parshath to the Graveyard.”

 

Ayra smiled, “I activate Barrier of Light! I can negate a Monster Effect that targets a LIGHT monster.”

 

Johan said, “Interesting. But Worm Zero allows me to draw a card each turn.” Johan drew a card and said, “You’re lucky as always. Worm Zero, attack Neo-Parshath.”

 

Ayra said, “I activate my Trap: Enchanted Javelin! I can gain Life Points equal to the ATK of Worm Zero! (Ayra 8000→19000) Now, Neo-Parshath gains even more ATK!” Neo Parshath began glowing with blinding light. (6800→17800/6500→17500) “Counterattack, Neo-Parshath!” Neo-Parshath transformed into a beam of light and dashed through Worm Zero, appearing on the other side of it, sword already swung. Nothing happened at first, but a white arc passed through Worm Zero, and it exploded.

 

Johan said, “I activate the Trap from my hand: The Fool’s Ruling. This reduces damage to 0. I Set 1 card and activate the effect of Worm Calling, Setting 1 monster. I end my turn.”

 

Ayra said, “My turn. Neo-Parshath, attack his Set monster!”

 

Johan said, “I activate Negate Attack.” Ayra’s monster stopped its attack in mid-swing.

 

Ayra growled, “I end my turn.”

 

Johan said, “My turn! I Flip Summon Worm Victory! (0/2500) When this card is Flip Summoned, it destroys all non-Worm monsters on the field. Parasite Decay!” Blue mist covered the field, and Neo-Parshath began decaying.

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes, “If I control no LIGHT monsters, Barrier of Light is destroyed.”

 

Johan smiled, “Worm Victory gains 500 ATK for each Worm in my Graveyard. There are 24, so it has 12000 ATK! (0→12000/2500)”

 

Filip shook his head, “I don’t even know anymore.”

 

Johan said, “Worm Victory, attack Ayra directly!” Worm Victory leapt at Ayra and slashed with all six claws simultaneously. Pain rushed through Ayra’s whole body, and her legs collapsed, causing her to fall to the ground. (Ayra 19000→7000) Johan continued, “Also, I activate Parasite Shock from my hand. If a monster I control inflicts Battle Damage, you take damage equal to half its ATK. (Ayra 7000→1000) I end my turn.”

 

Ayra stood up and panted, “My… turn. I Summon The Agent of Mystery – Earth. (1000/800) With its effect, I can add Master Hyperion from my Deck to my hand. Next, by removing from play the Agent of Creation – Venus, from my hand, I can Special Summon it!” The sun suddenly appeared shining behind Ayra. The light dimmed, and a colossal giant hovering over it, put its hands beside it. A solar system formed around the sun, and Master Hyperion was hovering from behind Ayra. (2700/2100) “By removing from play Airknight Parshath from my Graveyard, I can destroy a card you control. I destroy Worm Victory.”

 

Johan’s eyes widened, “What!?” Master Hyperion launched a beam of light. It burned the ground it ran along and turned Worm Victory to ashes.

 

Zugai commented, “Bug was burned by a ray of light that was magnified. Where have I seen this before?”

 

Ayra smiled, “Master Hyperion and Earth, attack him directly!” Earth transformed into a blue orb that flew around Master Hyperion. Master Hyperion let out a ray of light, tainted blue, and it completely engulfed Johan’s side of the field. (Johan 3500→0)

 

Johan knelt on the ground and said, “Even with my new power, I can’t beat you?”

 

Ayra said, “No matter what variables add to it, the experiment will always have results around a centroid.”

 

Zugai smiled, “How true.”

 

§

 

Johan stepped up to the last player, Jan, and said, “Are you sure this is the best idea? Making your appearance around here is a bad idea.”

 

Jan said, “Pfft, whatever. I just need that Star Card. That’s all that matters.”

 

Johan asked, “But why Hiru’s?”

 

Jan said, “Don’t ask any more questions. I’m already having enough trouble with Phil’s condition.” He stepped onto the platform, and it began rising before the announcer realized what was happening.

 

Jan said, “Let’s do this. My turn. I Summon Koa’ki Meiru Doom. (1700/800) I Set 2 cards and activate Core Overclock. This gives Koa’ki Meiru Doom 500 ATK. (1700→2200/800) Now, attack Earth!” Doom aimed its cannon, and fired an orange beam, piercing through Earth and causing it to explode. (Ayra 1000→0) Ayra’s platform lowered, and the commentator said, “Holy cow! Jan instantly defeated Ayra using his Koa’ki Meiru Deck.”

 

Kea said, “This is so familiar.”

 

Zugai said, “Well, the Koa’ki Meiru Deck was used by Tsuchi before. This must remind you of her.”

 

Kea explained, “No, not just the Deck. But the way Jan talks, even… it’s just like Tsuchi.”

 

Kai said, “Probably a coincidence.”

 

Hiru began walking towards the platform and looked at the stadium around him for a moment. He then received Master Hyperion from Ayra.

 

Ayra said, “Be careful, Hiru.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Don’t worry. I’ll-.”

 

Ayra said, “No, Doom will negate the effects of LIGHT and DARK monsters. You’re going to have to go way beyond your current skills to beat just that one monster. The rest has more surprises for you.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Like I was saying before, I’ll be fine.” Hiru stepped onto the platform and stared at Jan’s field, which had no monsters. “What happened to Doom?”

 

Jan smiled, “I activated Koa’ki Meiru Initialize! This Tributed it to add Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru to my hand.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Well, let’s continue, then. My turn! I Summon Sonic Bird! (1400/1000) Next, I activate its effect, adding White Dragon Ritual to my hand. I activate it, Tributing Sonic Bird to Ritual Summon Paladin of White Dragon! (1900/1200) Next I activate Light Drain. Only one LIGHT monster I control can attack, but it gains the ATK of all other LIGHT monsters I control. However, if my opponent Summons a monster that isn’t a LIGHT monster, this effect is negated. Paladin of White Dragon gains 2700 ATK! (1900→4800/1200) Now, attack him directly!”

 

Jan said, “I activate my Trap: Core Reinforcement! This allows me to Special Summon a Koa’ki Meiru monster from my Graveyard. I Special Summon Koa’ki Meiru Doom! (1700/800) Due to Core Overclock, it gains 500 ATK. (1700→2200/800) Also, since I Summoned a WIND monster, Light Drain loses its effect. (4800→1900/1200)”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Jan smiled, “My turn! I activate my Continuous Trap: Core Blast. This will destroy cards you control so that I control the same number of cards as you do monsters. I destroy your two monsters!” An Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru appeared behind Jan, and two blasts of orange energy emerged from it, destroying Hiru’s monsters. “Next, I Tribute Koa’ki Meiru Doom to Summon Koa’ki Meiru Valafar!” The Koa’ki Meiru symbol on Doom began glowing intensely, and it turned into energy and entered the core. Suddenly, a red demon, Valafar, burst out of the core and dove onto Jan’s field. (3000→3500/2100)

 

Hiru exclaimed, “Wait, how come you Summoned a Level 8 monster with 1 Tribute?”

 

Jan said, “Koa’ki Meiru Valafar only needs 1 Tribute if it’s a Koa’ki Meiru monster. Valafar, attack him directly!” Valafar flew into the air and dashed at Hiru.

 

Hiru said, “I activate Sakuretsu Armor! This will negate your attack and destroy the attacking monster!”

 

Jan grinned, “Valafar can’t be destroyed by traps!” Valafar punched Hiru in the chest, causing him to slide to the edge of the platform. (Hiru 8000→4500) He slipped off, but managed to hold on with his hand. He gathered all of his strength into his arm and pulled himself up, although he strained it, making it unusable.”

 

An idea popped into Hiru’s head, and he said, “Jan! We all know your other two teammates have been mutated. What’s your story?”

 

Jan paused, but he eventually smiled, “So, you figured it out?” Suddenly, the virtual stadium began automatically changing, and hundreds of metal pipes and wires broke out of the walls. The closed off the audience from the Duel Stadium, which was trapped in a column of metal wires.

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Why didn’t we see this coming?”

 

Clem asked, “What’s going on?”

 

Zugai said, “I haven’t told you guys about this, but there’s a group of people that we’ve run into numerous times in the summer…” and he began explaining Kadoguchi to his friends.

 

§

 

Inside the pillar, Hiru yelled, “Jan! What are you!?”

 

Jan laughed, “You should know, Hiru, that Jan died ten months ago.” Jan’s skin began sliding off of his body in triangular pieces. Those pieces broke after they completely disconnected from the body. Blonde hair flowed down from the head, and what appeared was a fourteen-year-old girl in metallic body armor. She smiled, “You could have expected this, right? I’m your real opponent. Good luck getting out of this alive.”

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 30]

Chapter 30: A Power Beyond Light and Dark

 

Tsuchi smiled, “The fact that you can still stand is kind of ego-killing, especially to one of the 3 Core monsters.”

 

Hiru asked, “Core Monsters?”

 

Tsuchi grinned, “Look at the symbol. It contains 3 Dragons, but they actually depict the 3 strongest Koa’ki Meiru. Out of them, Valafar is only the first. I end my turn. During my End Phase, I have to discard 1 Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru to keep Valafar on the field.”

 

Hiru said, “My turn!” Okay, I have to beat a monster with 3500 ATK without Traps. Think, what can I do? He looked at his hand and smiled, “I discard 1 card to activate Tribute to the Doomed. This will destroy Valafar!” Valafar began cracking and was eventually destroyed. “It seems kind of weak as one of the 3 strongest. Next, I remove from play the Siren and Master Hyperion in my Graveyard to Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer from my hand! (2300/2000) Next, I attack you directly!” Chaos Sorcerer launched two magic blasts, one of light and one of dark, each one blasting Tsuchi. (Tsuchi 8000→5700) Hiru smiled, “Yes! I end my turn.”

 

Tsuchi laughed, “You’re actually getting so excited after a simple victory like that?”

 

Hiru asked, “What?”

 

Tsuchi smiled, “My turn! I Summon Koa’ki Meiru Powerhand! (2100/1600) Due to Overclock, it gains 500 ATK! (2100→2600/1600) Now, attack Chaos Sorcerer!” Powerhand dashed at Chaos Sorcerer, punching it through the stomach. Immediately afterwards, it removed its hand and flew back, and Chaos Sorcerer exploded. (Hiru 4500→4200) “I end my turn.” Powerhand began glowing orange, and electrical bolts began escaping its body. “During my End Phase, I have to reveal a Trap in my hand as a maintenance cost to Powerhand. I reveal Koa’ki Meiru Shield.” The orange glow and bolts stopped, and Powerhand returned to normal.

 

Hiru said, “My turn. I Summon Kaibaman! (200/700) Next, I Tribute it to Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my hand!” Kaibaman vanished, and Blue-Eyes White Dragon materialized on the field. (3000/2500) “Next, I equip it with Armor of Shadows! This gives it 700 ATK, and once the monster attacks, inflicts 500 damage to my opponent if I have a card removed from play! Now, Blue-Eyes, attack Powerhand!” A beam of shadows rushed to Tsuchi. (Tsuchi 5700→5200) Blue-Eyes fired a beam of white lightning, destroying Powerhand as it came in contact with the beam. (Tsuchi 5200→4100) Hiru smiled, I’m catching up to her! “I end my turn!”

 

Tsuchi said, “Is that all you’ve got, loser? My turn! I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “We’ll see who the loser is after this. My turn! Blue-Eyes, attack Tsuchi directly!”

 

Tsuchi smiled, “Have you forgotten already? I activate my Trap: Koa’ki Meiru Shield! If I have 2 more more Iron Cores in my Graveyard, I can destroy all Attack-Position monsters you control.” An orange barrier with the Koa’ki Meiru symbol at the center blocked the laser and produced orange light. Blue-Eyes roared in agony and turned to ashes in the light.

 

Hiru’s growled, “I Set 1 monster and end my turn.”

 

Tsuchi smiled, “My turn. I activate Iron Retribution! I return every Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru from my Graveyard to my hand, and add 1 Koa’ki Meiru monster from my Deck to my hand for each one. I Summon Koa’ki Meiru Drago! (1900→2400/1600) Also, I can discard an Iron Core to increase the boost from Overclock by 1000! (2400→3400/1600) Now, attack his Set monster!” Drago released a blue bolt from its body, which struck the Set monster, Spear Cretin.

 

Hiru smiled, “With Spear Creatin’s effect, we both can Special Summon a monster from our Graveyards in face-up Attack Mode or face-down Defense mode.”

 

Tsuchi smiled, “I Summon Koa’ki Meiru Valafar! (3000→4500/2100) Also, due to the effect of Drago, you can’t Special Summon LIGHT or DARK monsters.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened for half a second, and then he growled, “I Summon Sonic Bird. (1400/1000)”

 

Tsuchi smiled, “Well, get ready for a world of pain, Valafar, attack Sonic Bird.” Valafar vanished and reappeared in front of Sonic Bird and slashed is claw through it, causing it to explode. (Hiru 4200→1100)

 

Tsuchi smiled, “I end my turn. Due to the effect of Valafar, it’s destroyed. As for Drago, I reveal the Dragon-Type Koa’ki Meiru Maximus to keep it on the field.” Valfar vanished in a flash of orange light.

 

Hiru said, “My turn.” He saw his hand, and thought, Damn. I started this with a terrible hand, but… why this Duel? I can’t lose this one… if I could just Summon Blue-Eyes with Ancient Rules, I could win, but Drago keeps that from happening. But if she falls for this... “I Set 2 cards and 1 monster. Your move.”

 

Tsuchi smiled, “This is it. My turn! I activate the effect of the Iron Core in my Graveyard, adding it to my hand instead of conducting my normal Draw. Next, I remove from play 1 Iron Core in my hand to Special Summon Maximus!” An enormous windstorm appeared over the field, and Maximus spread its wings, stopping it. Its silver gleamed in the virtual field. (3000→3500/2500) “I activate its effect, destroying your Set monster!” Maximus fired an orange beam from the emblem on its forehead, destroying Hiru’s Set monster.

 

Tsuchi stared and thought, Never saw that thing before. Too bad, it’s not worth looking up in databanks. It’s over- wait, is that… hope in his eyes? The loser thought he could lure me into attacking recklessly, huh? “I Tribute Drago to Summon Koa’ki Meiru Rooklord! (2800→3300/2200) I activate its effect, removing from play the Doom in my Graveyard to destroy your 2 Set Cards!” Rooklord reached out and smashed Hiru’s 2 Set cards, destroying them. Tsuchi caught that the two of them before they were in the Graveyard. “Two bluffs, huh? No matter. I’ll take you down in one attack. I discard Iron Core of Koa’ki Meiru to increase the ATK of my monsters by 1000! (3500→4500/2500) (3300→4300/2200) Now, Rooklord, attack him directly!”

 

Hiru grinned, She fell for it! Yes! “I remove from play the Legendary Knight – Odysseus from my Graveyard! This allows me to Special Summon a LIGHT monster from my hand if I’m about to take a direct attack! I Summon Blue-Eyes!” A white beam of light shone from Hiru’s field, and Blue-Eyes appeared over the field. (3000/2500) “Next, I pay 1000 Life Points to activate my Trap: Beyond Light! This will destroy every card you control if I have a Level 7 or higher LIGHT monster on my field!” (Hiru 1100→100)

 

Tsuchi’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Hiru smiled, “Light and dark may be useless against Koa’ki Meiru, but the power beyond them will make me stronger! Blue-Eyes, go!” Blue-Eyes began producing blinding light, destroying every other card on the field. Tsuchi covered her eyes and grunted as she felt herself losing concentration of the surrounding building. The wires returned to normal, and everything returned. The audience was extremely shocked to see that Jan was gone, and Tsuchi was there instead.

 

Tsuchi growled, “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “This is the last move. My turn! I activate Legendary Strength. A monster I control gains 500 ATK for every one of my removed from play monster. I have 3, so Blue-Eyes gains 1500 ATK. (3000→4500/2500) Now, attack Tsuchi directly!” Blue-Eyes fired a final beam of white lightning, this one brighter than all the others before. It completely engulfed Tsuchi, who was only staring in shock.

 

Tsuchi thought, How… could I lose to such a loser…? This is lame… (Tsuchi 4100→0)

 

Security, armed with guns and rocket launchers, ran into the room and aimed at Tsuchi. She only smiled pathetically, “Really, boys? Lame.” She produced a blinding orange light for a split second, causing everybody to close their eyes. When Hiru opened them again, he saw that Tsuchi was gone, but there was only a tunnel in the system that was clogged behind her. Hiru asked, “Did she dig through solid metal?”

 

The commentator said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we had some small technical difficulties caused by a disruption of Team Geosphere. However, they have been defeated by Team Go in a fierce battle!”

 

Hiru stepped down from the lowering platform and heard people chanting his name. I’ll finally be acknowledged for something. He was taken by total surprise as Ayra dashed out of the cave-in and hugged him. He could feel himself begin to blush as she wrapped her arms around him. She looked back and saw him blush, commenting, “Don’t think too much about this. It’s only a congratulations.”

 

Hiru said, “Y-yeah, sure.”

 

Ayra relaxed her face and hugged him again, “Doesn’t matter, I don’t really care, honestly.”

 

Hiru said, “Well, you want to go for dinner after Zugai’s team goes? Just the two of us?”

 

Ayra smiled, “Why not?”

 

Hiru thought, Score. Took me long enough.

 

Senith patted Hiru hard on the back and said, “Well, you killed 2 birds with one stone.”

 

Ayra pulled himself away from Hiru, and Hiru asked, “What do you-?”

 

Zugai ran from the VIP seating and said, “Oh, come on, it’s quite obvious.”

 

Hiru responded, “Shut up. But dude, I started with such a bad hand. I had Sonic Bird, Light Drain, Kraken, Sakuretsu, and Blue-Eyes, and I still won.”

 

Zugai smiled, "Well, look who's improving."

 

Hiru yelled, "Well, shut up!"

 

Clem smiled, "Aw... muffin..." Zugai and Clem began cracking up.

 

§ 30 minutes later

 

The commentator said, “Ladies and gentlemen, John Surback here. We apologize for the inconvenient wait, but we had to deal with some technical problems. Now that they’re done with, we can move onto our next Duel. The world’s new prodigy Duelists, Team Creation, will be clashing head to head with the world’s top Duelists, Team Ultimatum!”

 

Zugai sighed, “He says ‘prodigy’ too much.”

 

Kai sighed, “Whatever.”

 

The commentator continued, “And now, we will have the first of Team Creation step up. He is the legendary warrior, the ultimate Samurai, Josep!” A tall samurai, wearing a black Samurai shirt with a white cape, with long, white hair, stepped onto the Dueling field and onto the platform, which rose as he contacted it with both feet. The commentator said, “And now, from the other side, I give you the man who needs no introduction, Mattias!” Mattias, wearing a black shirt and jeans with a golden Battle City A Duel Disk stepped onto the platform.

 

As he leveled with Josep, he said, “I don’t need to face a bunch of kids. Just get this over with.”

 

Josep said, “My turn. I Summon The Six Samurai - Zanji in Attack Mode. (1800/1300) Also, if I control a Six Samurai monster, I can Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai from my hand. (2100/800) I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Mattias smiled, “What a coincidence. My turn. I Summon The Six Samurai – Yariza. (1000/500) Next, since I control a Six Samurai monster, I can Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai from my hand. (2100/800)”

 

Zugai facepalmed, “Are you serious? They’re using the same Deck?”

 

Hiru said, “What convenient symmetry, Zugai.”

 

Mattias continued, “Next, since I control 2 Six Samurais, I can Special Summon Great Shogun Shien from my hand. (2500/2400)”

 

Kai said, “He’s basically using mirror tactics. What makes him so good?”

 

Zugai explained, “He’s diverse, like you are. But seriously, Mattias got the early advantage. Shein only allows the opponent to activate one Spell and Trap Card per turn.”

 

Mattias continued, “Shien, attack Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!”

 

Josep interrupted, “I activate Dimension Prison. This will remove it from play.” A dimensional rift appeared in front of Shien, and it passed right through it.

 

Mattias smiled, “I activate the effect of Yariza. If I control another Six Samurai monster, I can attack the opponent directly.” Yariza leapt over Grandmaster and Zanji to strike Josep. (Josep 8000→7000) “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Josep said, “My turn. I Summon Nisashi. (1400/700) Attack Yariza.” Nisashi ran towards Yariza at blinding speed and raised its two blades. Yariza charged as well and swung its staff, countering the two blades. However, the staff broke and Yariza was cut into four pieces. (Mattias 8000→7600) “Next, Zanji will attack Grandmaster.” Zanji leapt at Grandmaster and swung its staff. Grandmaster easily countered by drawing and swinging a katana, destroying Zanji. However, Grandmaster exploded a moment later. (Josep 7000→6700)

 

Filip asked, “Um… what the hell just happened?”

 

Ayra explained, “If Zanji attacks while there’s another Six Samurai monster on the field, it destroys the other monster after damage calculation.”

 

Mattias said, “Since Grandmaster was destroyed by a card effect, I can return Yariza to my hand.”

 

Josep continued, “Since I control another Six Samurai, Nisashi can attack twice.” Nisashi dashed at Mattias and swung its blade in a cross pattern. (Mattias 7600→6200) “Grandmaster, attack him directly!” Grandmaster stood from its seat and charged at unimaginable blinding speed, swinging his blade as it reached Mattias. (Mattias 6200→4100) Grandmaster leapt backwards and returned to his chair.

 

Josep said, “I end my turn.”

 

Mattias smiled, “If you control the Samurai better than I do, I guess I’ll have to match it with something else.”

 

Josep narrowed his eyes, “Changing tactics in the middle of the Duel? What kind of warrior do you think you are?”

 

Mattias smiled, “My turn. I Summon Trident Warrior. (1800/1200) Next, I activate its effect, Summoning Junk Synchron from my hand. (1300/800) Trident Warrior, attack Nisashi!” Trident Warrior thrust its Trident at Nisashi, stabbing it in the stomach. (Josep 6700→6300) “Next, I activate my Trap: Urgent Tuning! This allows me to Synchro Summon a monster during my Battle Phase. I Tune my Junk Synchron to my Trident Warrior to Synchro Summon Lightning Warrior! (2400/1200) Now, attack Grandmaster. Also, I activate Battle Tuning, removing Junk Synchron from play to have Lightning Warrior gain ATK equal to its ATK. (2400→3700/1200)” Lightning Warrior created a blade of lightning and stabbed Grandmaster, frying it until it turned to ashes. (Josep 6300→4700) “Also, due to Lightning Warrior’s effect, you take 300 damage for each card in your hand. You have two, so you take 600 damage!” Lightning Warrior launched multiple bolts of lightning, each one contacting Josep. (Josep 4700→4100) “I end my turn.”

 

Josep said, “If you try to use a different power to match mine, you will always lose. My turn. I activate Six Samurai United. Whenever I Summon a Six Samurai monster, this card gains a Bushido Counter. I can send it to the Graveyard to draw cards equal to the number of Bushido Counters on it.”

 

Mattias said, “Considering you can only Summon 1 Six Samurai, your card won’t have as much use as you think.”

 

Josep smiled, “Except you haven’t seen the true power of the Six Samurai.”

 

Mattias asked, “What’re you saying?”

 

Josep explained, “The Six Samurai Yariza, Nisashi, Kamon, Irou, Yaichi, and Zanji are all successors of the original Six Samurai. However, their powers are nothing in comparison to the true Six. I Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki! (200/2000) When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Six Samurai monster from my hand. I Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Enishi! (1700/700)”

 

Mattias’s eyes widened, “Enishi…? And Kageki looks like the Chamberlain…”

 

Josep smiled, “These are two members of the real Six Samurai. Since I Summoned 2 Six Samurai monsters, Six Samurai United gains 2 Bushido Counters. Next, I send it to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards. Next, I activate Gateway of the Six. It gains 2 Bushido Counters whenever I Summon a Six Samurai monster. Since I control another Six Samurai, I can Special Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan from my hand. (1800/500)"

 

Mattias noticed, “That’s Grandmaster…”

 

Josep smiled, “Kizan gains 300 ATK and DEF when I control 2 other Six Samurai monsters. (1800→2100/500→800) Also, Enishi gains 500 ATK and DEF when I control 2 others. (1700→2200/700→1200) And if I control another Six Samurai monster, Kageki gains 1500 ATK. (200→1700/2000)”

 

Senith said, “Those are just like Shien monsters. Stat-wise, at least.”

 

Zugai nodded, “Yup. The Legendary Six Samurai. Enishi, Kizan, Kageki, Shinai, Mizuho, and the final, Shi En.”

 

Kai said, “So they later changed into other Six Samurai monsters.

 

Zugai nodded, “They’re based off of a group of Samurai that eventually became part of the Fujiwara family. Each one of them came across weaponry and techniques that easily defeated the others. Shi En was the strongest, and he eventually became shogun, turning into Great Shogun Shien. Kageki lost his two main arms and began using his mechanical ones, becoming Chamberlain of the Six Samurai. Kizan became the grandmaster, Enishi became Shien’s chancellor. Mizuho became the hand of the Six Samurai, and Shinai sacrificed himself for her, later coming back as Spirit of the Six Samurai.”

 

Aline commented, “You have a lot of time on your hands to figure that stuff out.”

 

Zugai explained, “Filip and I came across that passage in a history project. But they’re based off of true figures that did eventually become part of the original Samurai Fujiwara family, which is now… kinda gone.”

 

Josep said, “Now, go, Enishi!” Enishi leapt at Thunder Warrior, his blade brimming with the energy of the wind.

 

Mattias laughed, “Do you really plan on attacking?”

 

Josep smiled, “I activate Enishi’s effect. I can remove from play 2 Six Samurai monsters from my Graveyard to return a monster you control to your hand.” Enishi swung its blade through Lightning Warrior, and Lightning Warrior faded into the background. “Enishi, Kizan, attack him directly!” Kizan ran up the platform’s pillar and Enishi directed his fall toward Mattias. The two of them swung their blades through Mattias. (Mattias 4100→0)

 

Mattias stepped down from the lowering platform and walked past Joshua, the second member. He said, “Sorry I couldn’t beat him.”

 

Joshua said, “Whatever. It could be worse. He could have done what Brendan did.”

 

Mattias commented, “Except his strategy gets stronger by the turn. You need to find a way to stop its growth.”

 

Joshua smiled, “If there’s a way, I’ll find it.” Joshua stepped onto the platform and faced Josep. “This should be a fair fight. My turn. I Summon Queen’s Knight. (1500/1600) Next, I activate Dual Summon, so I can Summon King’s Knight! (1600/1400) When its Summoned, I can Special Summon Jack’s Knight from my Deck. (1900/1000) Next, I activate Polymerization. I fuse my 3 Knights to Fusion Summon Arcana Knight Joker. (3800/2500) Now, attack Enishi!” Arcana Knight swung its blade, and an arc of light sliced Enishi in half, destroying it. (Josep 4100→2500) “Due to this, Kizan loses its 300 ATK and DEF. (2100→1800/800→500) Next, I activate De-Fusion. This will return Arcana Knight Joker to my Extra Deck. However, I can revive King’s Knight, (1600/1400) Queen’s Knight, (1500/1600) and Jack’s Knight. (1900/1000) Jack’s Knight, attack Kizan!” Jack’s Knight leapt at Kizan and swung its sword, disintegrating Kizan. (Josep 2500→2400)

 

Kai commented, “Josep’s done for.”

 

Clem said, “But his last monster has 1700 ATK.”

 

DJ said, “Only if the controller of it has another Six Samurai, though.” (1700→200/2000)

 

Joshua smiled, “Great. King’s Knight, attack Kageki!” King’s Knight sliced Kageki in half with a horizontal swing of its blade. (Josep 2400→1000) “And, finally, Queen’s Knight, attack him directly!” Queen’s Knight swung its blade at Josep’s stomach, causing him to kneel. (Josep 1000→0)

 

Josep stood up as the platform lowered and jumped off the platform when it was three meters above the ground. He walked by Kosoru and gave him Gateway of the Six, which Kosoru placed in his Spell and Trap Card Zones. They looked at each other and exchanged no words.

 

Kosoru stepped onto the platform and faced Joshua. “Well, let’s get this s*** over with. My turn. Since you control a Level 5 monster, I can Special Summon Breeze Sphere. (700/500) Next, I Tribute it to Summon Windaar, Sage of Gusto. (2000/1000) Next, I activate Card Destruction, sending our hands to the Graveyard and drawing cards equal to the number of cards we discarded.” Kosoru sent his 3 cards to the Graveyard and drew 3, while Joshua did the same with only one card. Kosoru smiled, “I activate the effect of my Recoil Flare in my Graveyard. I can send cards from my hand to the Graveyard to destroy the same number of cards on your field. I send these 2 cards to the Graveyard to destroy King’s Knight and Jack’s Knight.” Two tornados surrounded King’s Knight and Jack’s Knight, destroying them and leaving only Queen’s Knight on the field.

 

Kosoru continued, “Next, I activate Cleansing Breeze. If I control a WIND monster, I can send 1 card to the Graveyard with counters on it to draw 2 cards per counter. I send Gateway of the Six to the Graveyard so I can draw 4 cards. Windaar, destroy Queen’s Knight!” Windaar held its staff forward, and a green spiral of wind mixed with mana launched out of the end of it, surrounding and disintegrating Queen’s Knight. (Joshua 8000→7500)

 

Kosoru continued, “Also, when Windaar destroys a monster by battle, I can bring back a Level 3 or lower Gusto monster. I Summon Gusto Gulldo. (500/500) I end my turn.”

 

Senith asked, “Huh? Why didn’t he Synchro Summon.”

 

Zugai facepalmed, and Kea said, “Because there are no Level 9 Gusto Synchros.”

 

Joshua said, “My turn. I Set 1 card and end my turn.” If he tries to attack me, I have Mirror Force. I can’t Summon Obelisk yet, though…

 

Kosoru smiled, “My turn. I Summon Winda, Priestess of Gusto in Attack Mode. (1000/400) Next, I Tune it with my Level 3 Gulldo to Synchro Summon Daigusto Gulldos!” Winda cast a spell on Gulldo, giving it a green aura and making it grow much larger. Winda mounted on it once it was large enough, and Gulldos screech echoed through the stadium. (2200/800)

 

Kea commented, “I think he was better when he used Spheres. They were also more fitting.”

 

Zugai said, “He has 2 archetypes in his Deck since Sphere’s don’t have many members, but there’s a reason behind it. Gusto monsters tend to focus on going to the Graveyard, just like Flares do. Also, Transforming Sphere’s cost can help with that.”

 

Joshua said, “Are you really simple enough in attacking head on?”

 

Kosoru smiled, “When Gulldo is sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 2 or lower Gusto monster from my Deck. I Summon Gusto Egul! (200/400) I Tune my Level 1 Gusto Egul to my Level 6 Windaar to Synchro Summon Daigusto Eguls!” Windaar began pulsing a green wave to Egul, causing it to grow bigger than Gulldos was, and he stood on top of it. (2600/1800)

 

Hiru asked, “Why didn’t he use them against me?”

 

Zugai said, “His Deck was different at the time.”

 

Kosoru smiled, “I activate the effect of Eguls. By removing the Gusto Squirrel from my Graveyard, I can destroy your Set Card.” Eguls flapped its wings, and the force of the wind current destroyed Joshua’s Set Mirror Force. “Eguls, Gulldos, attack him directly!” Gulldos and Eguls raised their wings, and green rays, taking the form of circular pulses, rapidly barraged Joshua. Joshua began feeling pain spread through his entire body, but the pain became so strong he couldn’t even scream in agony. (Joshua 6000→1200)

 

Joshua fell to the ground, face first, but slowly began working his way up as the pain faded. Kosoru smiled, “I activate my Continuous Spell: Atmosphere Ingestion. Now, all WIND monsters are also treated as Spheres and Winged Beasts. I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Joshua finally stood and said, “My… turn.” He smiled, I finally drew the card I need. “I activate Fusion Worth! If I have 3 Fusion Material Monsters in my Graveyard, I can reduce their ATK and DEF to 0 to Special Summon them. I revive my 3 Knights! Next, I Tribute the 3 of them to Summon Obelisk the Tormentor!” Blue light began erupting from the ground behind Joshua. A tall, black silhouette of Obelisk the Tormentor began rising, and as soon as the light faded, the blue Egyptian God was towering over the field. (4000/4000) “Now, Obelisk, attack Eguls!” Obelisk’s fist began producing blue light, and it instantly crushed Eguls with its fist. A shockwave in the air began rushing towards Kosoru.

 

Kosoru smiled, “I activate my Trap: Atmosphere Forever! You’ll take the Battle Damage from the attack!” The shockwave stopped just in front of the image of Atmosphere Forever and rushed to Joshua instead, blowing in straight off the platform. (Joshua 1200→0)

 

Kurai rushed to Joshua and asked, “Are you okay, Josh?”

 

Joshua panted, “I broke a few bones…”

 

Kurai called, “Security! Get some doctors over here on the double!”

 

Joshua said, “He’s strong, Kurai. Take Obelisk… use it to win for us.”

 

Kurai grabbed onto the card and nodded, “You’ve got it.” He stepped onto the platform and faced Kosoru. Kurai yelled, “Kosoru! This Duel will end in five turns, and I will be sure to be the victor!”

 

Kosoru smiled, “You sure? Something just tells me your overconfidence will make you fall, Kurai. Don’t forget that it’s my turn. Draw!” Kosoru drew his next card, and pure tension began forming between these two Duelists.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 31]

 

Chapter 31: Glittering Hope

 

Kosoru said, “Your friend’s monster is what’ll make you guys lose this turn. I activate my Trap: Atmospheric Revival to bring back Gusto Egul! (200/400) Next, I Tune it to Gulldos to Synchro Summon Daigusto Sphered!” A green mage with slight futuristic properties appeared on the field. (2000/1300) “Next, I activate its effect, adding another Gulldo to my field, and I Summon it! (500/500) Now, Sphered, attack Obelisk!” Sphered launched a green whirlwind at Obelisk. It was deflected by Obelisk’s body, but still continued to Kurai. (Kurai 8000→6000) Kosoru explained, “Sphered can’t be destroyed by battle, and all battle damage involving Gusto monsters is inflicted to your Life Points instead. Now, Gulldo, attack Obelisk!”

 

Gulldo dove at Obelisk and was instantly smashed by a swing of its punch. Sphered then launched a beam directly at Kurai, inflicting even more damage. (Kurai 6000→2500)

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Kosoru’s using Obelisk to his advantage…”

 

Kosoru smiled, “This ends it. With the effect of Gulldo, I can Summon a Level 2 or lower Gusto monster from my Deck. I Summon Gusto Squirrel. (0/1800)”

 

Hiru sighed, “What!? Squirrel? Seriously? What the hell is with this guy!?

 

Kosoru menacingly smiled, “Attack Obelisk!” Squirrel pounced at Obelisk, only to be crushed by its fist, and Sphered launched another beam, blasting Kurai right off the platform, causing him to suffer the same fate as Joshua. (Kurai 2000→0)

 

Zugai said, “Anticlimactic. So we can’t counter him with power, and we have to be careful of his cards like that.”

 

The announcer said, “Both teams of top duelists have been taken down! I believe that this is a new reign of powerful Duelists!”

 

Zugai smiled, “Powerful? We’ll see. We’re up, guys.”

 

Clem stopped him, “Wait, Zugai. Don’t forget.” She handed him two cards, “You said you had space.”

 

Zugai looked at the two Adinkra Symbols and smiled, “Thanks. I might not be able to use them, though.” He rounded up his friends, and they all got ready for the next round.

 

§ 2 minutes later…

 

Zugai, Kea, and Kai stepped into the caved-in room. It was a lot of couches and a television showing the Duel. Zugai said, “Okay, guys. Remember, stay focused. Kai, you’re facing Gemknights, Kea, you’re fighting Vylon, and I’ll hopefully be taking down a plain old Warrior Deck.”

 

Kai began walking out and said, “Now the world gets to see the awesomeness of the Gemini Starter Deck with counter cards and more surprises.” He stepped toward the exit of the room, staying in the shadows as the commentator began the introductions. He already introduced Galahad, the first member of Team Round Table.”

 

“And now, from the group of the youngest Duelists in the finals, I bring you, the child champion, the youngest Duelist in the finals, Kai Taizen!” Kai stepped onto the platform casually, not responding to the audience surrounding him. He saw that his opponent was wearing yellow, crystal armor covering his body.

 

Kai said, “So… why the full body armor? Did Kadoguchi take it a bit too far or something?”

 

Galahad said, “Quiet, kid. I’ll make this quick.” His voice was edgy and harsh.

 

Kai smiled, “You can just surrender if you want to make it faster for yourself. Duel! My turn! I Summon Dark Valkyria! (1800/1050) I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Galahad said, voice muffled by his armor, “My turn! I Summon Gem-Knight Alexandrite! (1800/1200) I can Tribute it to Summon a Gem-Knight Normal Monster from my Deck! I Summon Gem-Knight Crystal! (2450/1950) Now, attack Dark Valkyria!”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, It’s a Normal Monster, can’t use Justi-Break. “I activate my Trap: Gemini Booster! This equips to Valkyria, giving it 700 ATK! (1800→2500/1050) Counter, Valkyria!” Dark Valkyria launched a bolt of black lightning, destroying Crystal. (Galahad 8000→7950)

 

Kai smiled, “I shouldn’t be telling Duelists with more experience not to use simple tactics…”

 

Galahad growled, “I end my turn.”

 

Kai smiled, “My turn! I Summon Gemini Lancer! (1800/1400) Next, I activate Super Double Summon, which makes Dark Valkyria an Effect Monster. When this happens, it gains a Spell Counter, giving it 300 ATK! (2500→2800/1050) Now, both monsters, attack him directly!” Dark Valkyria launched a bolt of lightning at Galahad, forcing him back two inches. (Galahad 7950→5150) “Now, Gemini Lancer, attack him directly!” Gemini Lancer leapt to Galahad and scraped off Galahad’s helmet with a swinging motion. (Galahad 5150→3350)

 

The commentator said, “Kai Taizen almost instantly inflicted over 4500 damage to his opponent!”

 

Galahad covered his face after the blow, and slowly removed it. Many shards of crystal were implanted into his face, and his left eye seemed to be diamond.

 

Kai’s eyes widened, “That’s… disturbing. I Set 2 cards. During my End Phase, Dark Valkyria returns to my hand.”

 

Galahad smiled, “My turn… I activate Gem-Knight Fusion. I send Gem-Knight Garnet and Gem-Knight Tourmaline to the Graveyard to Special Summon Gem-Knight Ruby! (2500/1400) Next, I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card, Defense Ritual. It changes a monster you control to Defense Mode, and I can Special Summon a Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. I Summon Gem-Knight Crystal! (2450/1950) Next, by Tributing Crystal, Ruby will gain ATK equal to its ATK! (2500→4950/1400) Ruby, attack!” Ruby swung its scythe, slicing Lancer into two parts. Both parts exploded, and Kai felt small crystal shards scrape his skin. (Kai 8000→4450)

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “Piercing damage…”

 

Galahad maliciously grinned, “Well, look who did his homework. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kai said, “My turn.” He looked at the card he drew, “Assault Online”, and he smiled, “I Set 1 card and I Summon Dark Valkyria! (1800/1050) Next, I equip it with Supervise!”

 

Galahad intercepted, “I activate Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying Supervise!”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “In that case, I end my turn.”

 

Galahad smiled, “My turn! I Summon Gem-Knight Garnet! (1900/0) Next, I Tribute it to activate Ruby’s effect! (2500→4400/1400) Now, attack Dark Valkyria!” Ruby swung its scythe through Dark Valkyria, causing it to shatter. (Kai 4450→1850)

 

Kai smiled, “I activate my Trap: Assault Online!” A bolt of dark lightning began rising from where the card was. “When a Gemini Monster I control treated as a Normal Monster is destroyed, I can activate this card. This will Special Summon an Assault Hero from my Extra Deck with the same Attribute as the destroyed monster! I Summon Assault Hero Evie!” A warrior wearing a mechanical-looking armor and carrying a large staff broke the bolts of lightning and fell onto the field. (2800/1000)

 

Galahad narrowed his eyes, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kai said, “My turn! I Summon Future Samurai! (1600/1200) Next, I attack Ruby with Evie!” Evie raised its spear and launched a beam of darkness at Ruby.

 

Galahad interrupted, “I activate my Trap: Gem Enhance! By Tributing Ruby, I can Summon Crystal from my Graveyard! (2450/1950)”

 

Kai said, “Since a Set Card has been activated, Evie inflicts 400 damage to my opponent.” A small fireball dashed from beside Evie, creating a small explosion as it hit Galahad’s armor. (Galahad 3350→2950) “Now, Evie attacks Crystal!” Evie raised its arms, and gravity began reversing itself. Crystal was floating in the air, and Evie launched a bolt of lightning at it.

 

Galahad interrupted, “I discard Gem Merchant to increase the ATK and DEF of Crystal by 1000! (2450→3450/1950→2950)” Crystal blocked the lightning with its forearm and bombarded Evie with thousands of crystal shards, destroying it. (Kai 1850→1200)

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “When an Assault Hero I control is destroyed, I can add Assault Online to my hand. Also, when Evie’s destroyed, I can return an Equip Card from my Graveyard to my hand. I Set 1 card and equip Crystal with Ekibyo Drakmord. Now it can’t declare an attack, and it will be destroyed in 2 turns. I end.”

 

Galahad narrowed his eyes, This guy just doesn’t give up. I have a considerable advantage, but… no matter. If I draw any Gem-Knights, it will probably be able to defeat him. “My turn!” He looked at his hand and saw Gem-Knight Sapphire. Are you kidding!? “By removing from play Gem-Knight Ruby, I can return Gem-Knight Fusion to my hand! Next, I activate it, fusing Sapphire with Crystal to Summon Gem-Knight Amethys! (1950/2450) Now, attack Future Samurai!” Amethys stabbed Future Samurai with its rapier, destroying it. (Kai 1200→850)

 

Kai smiled, “I activate my Trap: Assault Online! This will allow me to Summon Assault Hero Kai!” Future Samurai re-appeared on the field and was covered by a beam of light. The light soon transformed into a suit of armor, and Assault Hero Kai flew right in front of Kai. (2400/2300)

 

Zugai sighed, “I still can’t believe that the name of that monster corresponds with Kai’s name.”

 

Kea asked, “What’s the background behind the Assault Heroes?”

 

Zugai sighed, “Konami ran out of ideas again and named them after the characters of Vindictus.”

 

Galahad narrowed his eyes, “I end my turn.”

 

Kai smiled, “My turn. I activate my Trap: Birthright. This will Special Summon Future Samurai from my Graveyard. (1600/1200) Next, I Normal Summon it to activate its effect. Once per turn, I can remove from play a Monster in my Graveyard to destroy a monster you control. I destroy Amethys.” A beam of light cut through the air after a split second, and Future Samurai appeared past Amethys after cutting it in half.

 

Galahad said, “When Amethys is destroyed, I can return all Set Spell and Traps you control to your hand.”

 

Kai shrugged, “I re-Set them. Now, Kai, Future Samurai, attack him directly!” Kai launched a beam from its palm, which hit Galahad’s forehead. (Galahad 2950→550) Then, Future Samurai leapt in front of Galahad and sliced his chest armor in half, revealing a body completely implanted with gems. (Galahad 550→0)

 

Galahad muttered, “I’ve been exposed.” His gems suddenly shined brightly, and he vanished in a flash of light.

 

The commentator said, “And now, with his new Assault Heroes, Kai has won the first round against Team Round Table!”

 

The second member of Team Round Table, Gawain, covered in red armor, stepped up afterwards. Kai said, “Hopefully, you aren’t as horrendous as he was.”

 

Gawain said nothing, but Kai still heard, “No, I’m not as horrendous, but you’ll be surprised if you saw me,” spoken in his head.

 

Kai said, “Okay, telepath. It’s your move.”

 

Gawain began speaking with a calm voice, “My turn. I activate Vylon Element.” Two electrical portals appeared behind Gawain. He continued, “Next, I Summon Vylon Vanguard. (1400/1000) Also, I equip it with Vylon Material. This gives him 600 ATK. (1400→2000/1000) Now, attack Future Samurai.” Vylon Vanguard launched a beam of light, completely frying Future Samurai. (Kai 850→450)

 

Gawain continued, “I Set 3 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kai smiled, “My turn. I equip Kai with Gemini Booster! (2400→3100/2300) Next, I can send it to the Graveyard to destroy 2 cards you control. I destroy Vylon Element and Vylon Vanguard!” (3100→2400/2300) Kai launched two large spheres of energy.

 

Gawain sighed, “I activate my Trap: Target Bend. I change a target from Vylon Element to Vylon Material. When Vylon Vanguard is destroyed by a card effect, I can draw cards equal to the number of monsters equipped to it. Also, when Vylon Material is sent to the Graveyard, I can add a Vylon Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. Finally, I activate the effect of Vylon Element. When a Vylon Equip Card is destroyed, I can Summon a Vylon Tuner from my Deck. I Summon Vylon Prism.” The portals began producing electricity, and Vylon Prism exited them. (1500/1500)

 

Kai smiled, “But due to Kai’s effect, you take 400 damage! (Gawain 8000→7600) Now, attack Vylon Prism!”

 

Gawain said, “I activate Powerful Rebirth. This allows me to revive Vanguard, giving it 100 ATK and an extra Level. (1400→1500/1000→1100) Next, I activate Urgent Tuning.”

 

Kai’s eyes widened, “Synchro Summon, huh?”

 

Gawain said, “I Tune Prism to Vanguard.” Prism transformed into four green rings. The green rings lined up with each other and began moving over Vanguard. As Vanguard was surrounded by the rings, it transformed into five stars, which lined up. Soon, the stars transformed into a large beam of light. “First breath of light, reveal to us the power that comes from the droplets left around the universe. Synchro Summon! Be born, Vylon Alpha!” Vylon Alpha emerged from the beam of light, and light from every source began glittering around its hands. (2200/1100)

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “It has lower attack than Kai. What are you planning?”

 

Gawain said, “When Vylon Prism is sent to the Graveyard, I can pay 500 Life Points to equip it to Alpha.” (Gawain 7600→7100) Sparkles of light from Vylon Prism began gathering around Alpha’s hands. “Also, when Alpha’s Summoned, I can select 1 Vylon Equip Spell Card in my Graveyard and equip it to it. I equip Vylon Material to Alpha!” Vylon Material attached itself to Alpha’s arm. (2200→2800/1100) “While its equipped with cards, Vylon Alpha can’t be destroyed by Spells and Traps.”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, and Kai lowered its arm. Even if I let it go through, I’ll have 50 Life Points left. I guess I’ll leave it for next turn, if he does take me out. “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Gawain said, “My turn. I attack Kai with Alpha.” Alpha raised its hands, and light began shining brightly. “When a monster equipped with Prism attacks, it gains 1000 ATK during the Damage Step. (2800→3800/1100)” Vylon Alpha fired an enormous beam of light, completely encircling both Kais. (Kai 450→0)

 

In the midst of the light, a beam of both light and darkness began countering the light. A new monster emerged, with armor shining brightly, yet brining an eerie atmosphere to the field. (2300/2000)

 

Kea stood up, “I’ll be going?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Yup.”

 

Gawain said, “Maximum Assault. You removed Kai and Evie from play to Summon Chaos Reach for your next Duelist.”

 

Kai nodded, “Pretty much.” He leapt down from the lowering platform and handed Kea Chaos Reach and his Set Card, Justi-Break. “Save it for Zugai.”

 

Kea nodded, “Yeah. I don’t have any Normal Monsters.” She stepped onto the platform, and felt intimidation from the surrounding crowd. How much do they expect from me. No matter, I just have to stay cool and win. “My turn. I activate the effect of Chaos Reach. Once per turn, I can draw 1 card. If it’s an Equip Card, I can destroy a monster you control. Even though Spells and Traps can’t destroy it, Effects can!” Kea drew a card, and sighed, “It’s not destroyed. However, I activate Feather Swap. I can Tribute 1 monster I control to Special Summon a Winged Beast from my Deck with a lower Level than that monster. I Summon Dragunity Primus Pilus! (2200/1600) Next, I Summon Dragunity Brandistock! (600/400) Next, I Tune Brandistock to Pilus!” Brandistock transformed into one ring, which circled around Pilus. It faded away and transformed into five stars, creating a perpendicular pattern with the ring. It transformed into bright light, and Kea recited, “Master of wind, use the power of the fallen to bring forth your gust of hope. Synchro Summon! Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg!” The light soon became a gust of green wind, and the wind began concentrating in a certain area. A purple eye began glowing, and Gae Bulg spread its wings, scattering the wind. Primus Pilus, wearing a white armor, rode on top of it. (2000/1100)

 

Kea continued, “Next, I activate Dragon Mastery! This allows me to equip Gae Bulg with Dragunity with Dragunity Star Force to give it 500 ATK! (2000→2500/1100) However, due to Alpha's effect, I have to destroy a Set Card I control. Now, attack Alpha!” Gae Bulg began gathering yellow thunder into its mouth.

 

In the middle of the attack, Kai muttered, "There goes Justi-Break."

 

Gawain said, “Alpha, counterattack!” Alpha began charging light into its palms, and released two beams of powerful light.

 

Kea smiled, “I activate the effect of Gae Bulg. By removing from play a Winged Beast from my Graveyard, it gains ATK equal to the ATK of that monster. I remove from play Primus Pilus! (2500→4700/1100)” Gae Bulg launched a bolt of lightning that quickly forced back the two beams and struck Alpha in the left arm. It plummeted to the ground and exploded just after it was struck. (Gawain 7100→5200)

 

Gawain smiled, “Due to the effect of Vylon Element, I can Special Summon Vylon Cube from my Deck. (800/800)”

 

Kea said, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Gawain said, “My turn. I Summon Vylon Soldier. (1700/1000) Next, I Tune Vylon Cube to Vylon Soldier. Continuous light, light the three pathways that reach the ends of the universe! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Vylon Delta!” (1700/2800)

 

Gawain said, “When Vylon Cube is sent to the Graveyard, I can add a Vylon Equip Spell to my hand. I Set 1 card and end my turn. During the End Phase, if Delta is in Defense Mode, I can add an Equip Spell to my hand.”

 

Kea said, “My turn. I activate the effect of Star Force. I can send the monster it’s equipped to into the Graveyard to Special Summon it. (0/0) When I activate this effect, I can pay 2000 Life Points to Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my Deck equal to the Level of the monster Summoned before, and equip this card to it. I Summon Dragunity Knight – Vajrayana!” (Kea 8000→6000) Gae Bulg transformed into 6 stars, which gathered again, creating bright light, which Vajrayana emerged from. (1900/1200)

 

Kai commented, “She sure goes through Synchros fast.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Well, she has to adjust to Gawain’s cycling.”

 

Kai said, “Still, wouldn’t she be spending too many Life Points?”

 

Zugai answered, “Well, there are only 3 Level 6 Dragunities, and this is the second one. There’s only one more, and after that, she can’t use Star Force.”

 

Kai said, “Wow. She’s good at using weapons like that.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Which is what her Hidden Armory is.”

 

Kai raised an eyebrow and said, “I don’t get it.”

 

Kea continued, “I equip Vajrayana with Dragunity Corcosea. Also, due to Dragon Mastery, Vajrayana gains 500 ATK! (1900→2400/1200) Next, I activate its effect. By sending Corcosea to the Graveyard, Vajrayana’s ATK doubles! (2400→4800/1200) Next, I activate my Trap: Windstorm of Equata! This changes the Battle Positions of all monsters on your field!” A hurricane surrounded the field, and Delta began giving in to the storm. However, it managed to release a force of light that countered the wind, but as a cost, it was no longer in Defense mode.

 

Kea smiled, “Now, Vajrayana, attack! Thunder Path!” Vajrayana transformed into a bolt of lightning, and in its current form, dashed towards Delta in a shuttle loop. It passed through Delta and created a ring of thunder as it returned to its original spot, shedding the thunder. Delta instantly exploded as it was struck. (Gawain 5200→2100)

 

Kai said, “She’s… wow. She already defeated a Level 9 and a Level 7, both of them Synchros, with 2 Level 6s.”

 

Zugai winked, “Good cards don’t matter. It’s just how you use them.”

 

Kai sighed, “I know.”

 

Kea smiled, “I end my turn.” (4800→2400/1200)

 

Gawain said, “My turn. I activate my Trap: Descending Lost Star. This allows me to Special Summon Vylon Delta in Defense mode. Its DEF becomes 0, and its effects are negated. (1700/2800→0) Next, I Summon Vylon Sphere. (400/400) I Tune Vylon Sphere to Vylon Delta. Evolving light, bend all light in your reach and absorb all that is unseen. Synchro Summon! Appear now, Vylon Sigma! (1800/1000)” Vylon Sigma began crackling with blue lightning, and yellow bolts surrounded Vajrayana.

 

Kea said, “Yeah, as strong as Sigma may look, it stands no chance against Vajrayana.”

 

Gawain smiled, “I activate Vylon Material! This gives it 600 ATK! (1800→2400/1000) Now, attack Vajrayana! When Sigma attacks while I control no other monsters, I can equip an Equip Spell Card in my Deck to it. I equip it with United We Stand. This gives it 800 ATK! (2400→3200/1000)” Sigma launched two powerful beams of light, surrounded by energy, and caused Vajrayana to fly back due to its force. (Kea 6000→5200)

 

Kea said, “I activate Star Force’s effect! By discarding 1 Dragon-Type monster and paying 600 Life Points, I can negate Vajrayana’s destruction, and Special Summon Star Force! (Kea 5200→4600) Also, by paying 2000 Life Points, I can send Vajrayana to the Graveyard to Special Summon another Level 6 Dragunity! (Kea 4600→2600) Appear now, Dragunity Knight – Gae Dearg!” Vajrayana transformed into six stars and escaped the beam of light, reforming into Gae Dearg. (2400→2900/800)

 

Gawain praised, “Nice escape. I end my turn.”

 

Kea said, “My turn! I activate the effect of Gae Dearg! I can add 1 Level 4 or lower Dragunity Dragon-Type monster from my Deck to my hand! I add Dragunity Phalanx to my hand and discard Dragunity Angusticlavvi. Next, I Summon Phalanx! (500/1100)”

 

Gawain said, “Are you really trying to Synchro Summon? All Dragunity Knights need a Winged Beast non-Tuner.”

 

Kea smiled, “The Dragunity Knight equipped to Star Force is also treated as a Winged Beast monster! I Tune my Level 2 Phalanx to my Level 6 Gae Dearg! Wind of hope, unleash the final spear that cuts through the sky itself! Synchro Summon! Fly free, Dragunity Knight – Barcha!” Barcha flew out of a storm of wind, spreading its wings over the field. (2000/1200) “Due to Barcha’s effect, I can equip as many Dragunity Dragon-Type monsters in my Graveyard to it. I equip Brandistock, Star Force, Corcosea, and Phalanx! For each one, Barcha gains 300 ATK! (2000→3200/1200) Also, it gains 500 ATK due to Dragon Mastery. (3200→3700/1200) Now, Barcha, attack Sigma!” Barcha exhaled a large wind blast shaped like a spear, stabbing Sigma in the center of its body, causing it to explode. (Gawain 2100→1600)

 

Kea smiled, “I end my turn.”

 

Gawain said, “My turn! I activate Synchro Harmony! When I have 3 or more Synchro Monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon 1 Tuner from my Graveyard! I Summon Vylon Prism! (1500/1500) Next, I Summon Vylon Charger! (1000/1000) Next, I Tune my Level 4 Vylon Charger to my Level 4 Vylon Prism! Ultimate light, show us your true form by extending untouchable light across the dimensions! Synchro Summon! Appear here, Vylon Epsilon!” (2800/1200)

 

Gawain continued, “I equip Vylon Epsilon with Vylon Component! Next, I send it to the Graveyard to activate its effect, destroying Barcha!” Vylon Epsilon released two large beams of light, causing Barcha and all of its weapons to explode. Gawain smiled, “This ends it. Epsilon, attack her directly!” Epsilon raised its arm and clenched its fist, soon opening its fist and thrusting its arm down, releasing a beam of light at Kea.

 

Kea said, “I activate this Trap from my hand: Harmed Synchro! This equips to the Synchro Monster in my Graveyard that was just destroyed and Special Summons it! I Summon Barcha! Its effects are negated, and its ATK is halved, but it can’t be destroyed by battle. (2000→1000/1200)” Barcha managed to endure the beam of light, but began staggering in flight. (Kea 2600→800)

 

Gawain smiled, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kea said, “My turn! I Summon Dragunity Pilum! (1400/1000)”

 

Kai said, “What kind of monster could attack with that thing and cause Gawain to lose 1600 Life Points? It needs 3200 ATK!”

 

Kea continued, “I Tune Pilum to Barcha!”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Okay, was not expecting Level 11 Synchro. My bad.”

 

Kea smiled, “Gusts of the ancient world, gather your true colors to forge the ultimate weapon again! Synchro Summon!” A large beam of light covered Kea’s field, and a sword blade appeared. “Be reforged, Dragunity Royal Knight – Excalibur!” Excalibur spread its wings and roared, causing everything around the field to shake, including Epsilon. (2500/400)

 

Kai asked, “Is that her Star Card?”

 

Zugai said, “Drained of its old power, but yes.”

 

Kea said, “Gawain, if your Synchro continues to stay like that, then this one can easily overpower it. I remove from play the Star Force in my Graveyard to activate its effect! I can equip 2 Level 2 or lower Dragunity Tuners to it. I equip it with Corsesca and Brandistock! Due to Dragon Mastery, it gains 500 ATK! (2500→3000/400) Also, Excalibur gains 500 ATK for each Dragunity equipped to it. Sacred Force!” Both of Excalibur’s palms began glowing, and electricity began traveling through its arms. (3000→4000/400)

 

Kai said, “Yup, it's a Star Card. It fits her style too well.”

 

Kea smiled, “Excalibur, destroy Epsilon! Blade of Kings!” Excalibur created two blue blades of energy from its palms.

 

Zugai sighed, “Oh, look, it’s a Jedi Xemnas.” Excalibur swung both blades at Epsilon, leaving two blue cuts in it, and causing it to explode.

 

Gawain countered, “I activate my Trap: Light Passage. It reduces Battle Damage to 0, and allows me to Special Summon a Tuner from my Deck with ATK less than or equal to the damage I would have taken. I Summon Vylon Tetra. (900/900)

 

Kea narrowed her eyes, “I end my turn.”

 

Gawain said, “My turn. I activate Vylon Matter. By returning the 2 Vylon Materials and Vylon Component to my Deck, I can draw 1 card. Next, I Summon Vylon Soldier. (1700/1000) I equip it with Synchro Boost. This gives it 500 ATK and another Level. (1700→2200/1000) Next, I activate Double Summon. This allows me to Summon Vylon Stella. (1400/200)”

 

Kea commented, “Two Tuners…”

 

Gawain said, “Kea, if you say that normal Synchros can’t surpass Excalibur. I will go beyond normal. I Double Tune my Level 3 Vylon Stella and my Level 2 Vylon Tetra to my Level 5 Vylon Soldier. Divine light, show us your final form, and destroy the universe with its presence! Gather all light around you! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Vylon Omega!” Vylon Omega emerged from a massive explosion of white light, producing light that traveled around the stadium. (3200/1900)

 

Kea whispered in awe, “Cosmic Synchro…”

 

Zugai said, “Come on, dude, it’s just a Double Tune, not a Cosmic Synchro.”

 

Kai rolled his eyes, “Nowadays, there’s no difference.”

 

Gawain said, “Kea, if you claim to possess the ultimate Synchro, try defeating this Cosmic Synchro Monster!”

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 32]

 

Chapter 32: The True Power of a Sword

 

Zugai stared outside of the cave and onto the field, specifically Vylon Omega. “So, Cosmic Synchro Monster. While I’m fighting an /Assault Mode monster at most.”

 

Kai said, “At least you’ll be fighting Black next round.”

 

Zugai said, “That does make up for it. 2 Cosmic Synchro monsters in the same Duel… son of a...”

 

Gawain said, “I activate the effect of Omega. When it’s Summoned, it destroys all Normal Summoned monsters on the field. And once per turn, I can equip a Vylon Tuner in my Graveyard to it. I equip it with Vylon Prism. Also, due to the effects of the 2 Tuners, I can pay a total of 1000 Life Points to equip them to Omega. (Gawain 1600→600)” Vylons Prism, Tetra and Stella all appeared and attached themselves to Omega. Gawain smiled, “Also, I equip it with Vylon Component. Omega, attack Excalibur! Due to Prism, Omega gains 1000 ATK when it attacks. (3200→4200/1900)” Omega created an explosion of blinding light, sending shockwaves of energy across the field.

 

Kea said, “I activate the effect of Excalibur! It can negate its destruction equal to the number of Equip Cards equipped to it!” Excalibur managed to withstand the light and roared.

 

Gawain said, “Due to the effect of Omega, I can send Vylon Component to the Graveyard to negate that effect and destroy Excalibur!” Omega launched a beam of light at Excalibur.

 

Kea said, “Due to Excalibur’s effect, I can negate that destruction!” Excalibur deflected the beam with its right arm, causing it to crash into the ground below Kea’s platform.

 

Gawain smiled, “You still take damage. (Kea 800→600) Also, due to Stella’s effect, it will destroy Excalibur at the end of the Battle Phase!” Omega launched another concentrated beam of light.

 

Kea smiled, “Sorry, but Excalibur can’t be destroyed by Equip Cards!” Excalibur swung its right arm, shattering the beam of light.

 

Gawain said, “Interesting. I equip Omega with Vylon Material and end my turn. (3200→3800/1900)”

 

Zugai said, “They’re so evenly matched it’s not even funny.”

 

Kai said, “Well, it's interesting how a Synchro matches a Cosmic Synchro while they have almost the exact same conditions.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Even if a weapon is stronger, the user can fall to a weaker weapon that is handled better.”

 

Kea smiled, “My turn! I Set 2 cards and end my turn.” Excalibur has one more ability, but I’ll save that one for last. I’m pretty confident this’ll work.

 

Gawain said, “My turn. Omega, attack one last time! Due to the effect of Prism, it gains 1000 ATK! (3800→4800/1900)”

 

Senith facepalmed, “Why didn’t she attack!?”

 

Ayra said to Senith, “Tetra can negate the destruction of the Equipped Monster by being sent to the Graveyard.”

 

Gawain said, “Now, end this.” Omega began gathering light from everything around it.

 

Zugai said, “Puns. Everybody makes them at some point.”

 

Kai said, “That was barely a pun…”

 

Zugai said two phrases, “Omega. End this.”

 

Kai shook his head, “That was… ugh.”

 

Kea smiled, “I activate my Trap: Malevolent Catastrophe!” Heavy wind began covering the entire field. “When my opponent declares an attack, this destroys all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.” Omega’s light slightly dimmed, (4800→3200/1900) and Excalibur’s arms lost its light and power. (4000→2500/400)

 

Gawain asked, “If you do that, Omega will easily be able to beat Excalibur and drain out your Life.”

 

Kea smiled, “I chained it to my Trap: Equip Burn! When a card effect that destroys an Equip Card activates, a monster I control gains 300 ATK for each monster destroyed!”

 

Gawain said, “This was your plan?”

 

Kea grinned, “6 cards were being destroyed, so Excalibur gains 1800 ATK!” (2500→4300/400) Excalibur dashed to Omega and reached out its arms. Omega grabbed onto Excalibur’s claws with its hands and continued charging. Excalibur then quickly used the sword on its head to slice downwards, cutting Omega’s symbol in half and causing intense light to seep out of it. (Gawain 600→0)

 

Gawain said, “You took out all 5 Synchros I have. You are truly a worthy adversary.”

 

Kea said, “Well, considering I won, I guess you could say I’m a superior.”

 

Gawain stepped down, “Be warned, my superior… not even Hitler can compare to your next opponent's cruelty.” The platform lowered, and he switched places with the next warrior, with armor covered in black.

 

Kea said, “O-kay, then.”

 

Lancelot said, “Let’s do this, then.”

 

Kea said, “Gladly. My turn. I attack directly with Excalibur!” Excalibur opened its palms, and two storms of blue lightning emerged from them, striking Lancelot right off the bat. (Lancelot 8000→5500)

 

Lancelot smiled, “I Summon Gorz the Emissary of Darkness! (2700/2500)”

 

Kea’s eyes widened, “What? You Summoned a Level 7 monster on my turn!?”

 

Lancelot smiled underneath his armor, “When I take damage, I can Summon it from my hand. If the damage is Battle damage, I can Special Summon an Emissary of Darkness Token with ATK and DEF equal to the damage I take!” An Emissary of Darkness Token and Gorz appeared out of dark smoke o the field. (2700/2500) (2500/2500)

 

Kea narrowed her eyes, “I end my turn.”

 

Lancelot smiled, “My turn. I Set 2 cards. Gorz, attack Excalibur!” Gorz vanished and reappeared in front of Excalibur, decapitating it easily with the blade on its forearm. (Kea 600→400) “Now, Emissary of Darkness token, attack directly.” The Emissary of Darkness Token swung its blade, and an ark of darkness cut through Kea. She felt a sharp pain in her body and collapsed, maintaining her consciousness. (Kea 400→0)

 

Kea got up as the platform reached the ground, and Zugai dashed out of the sitting room. As he passed Kea, he asked, “You okay?”

 

Kea nodded and said, “Yup! Beat him for me!”

 

Zugai said, “I hope I can.” He stepped onto the platform, and looked around the stadium as the platform rose. So many eyes!

 

Zugai said, “Well, I guess I’ll get started, then. My turn! I Summon Velocity Dragon! (1400/1200) Next, I activate its effect! When its Summoned, if my opponent controls only Level 5 or higher monsters, I can activate a Trap from my hand. I activate Constant Force! This destroys monsters on the field so we control the same number of monsters! However, you get to choose which monsters are destroyed.”

 

Lancelot said, “I destroy my Token.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Next, I remove Velocity Dragon from play to Special Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!” Velocity Dragon vanished in a flash of red light, and Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon appeared. (2800/2400) “Next, I activate its effect. I can Special Summon a Dragon-Type monster from my hand or Graveyard. I Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Draconic Illusion!” Darkness Metal launched a red beam of light from its gem, and shaped it into Red-Eyes Black Dragon. As the light faded, Red-Eyes flew over the field. (2400/2000)

 

Kai said, “Of course he would do that on his first turn.”

 

Zugai continued, “Next, I activate Inferno Fire Blast. This inflicts 2400 damage to my opponent when I control Red-Eyes!” Red-Eyes’ mouth began spouting black sparks, and it soon launched a dark red ball of flame at Lancelot, creating a column of fire around him. (Lancelot 5500→3100)

 

Lancelot smiled, “Nice try. I Summon Gorz the Emissary of Darkness from my hand! (2700/2500) With its effect, you take damage equal to the damage I took!” Gorz launched a ball of flame identical to Inferno Fire Blast.

 

Zugai smiled, “Nice try. I activate Spell of Pain!” The flame scattered just before it hit Zugai. “This negates the effect damage to me and inflicts equal damage to you!” A series of dark lightning appeared, all of them traveling toward Lancelot.

 

Lancelot intercepted, “I activate Damage Polarizer. This negates the damage and allows both players to draw 1 card.” Lancelot quickly drew a card as Zugai did, and a barrier of light deflected the lightning.

 

Zugai said, “In that case, Darkness Metal, attack Gouz! Dark Metal Flare!” Darkness Metal opened its mouth. Dark energy began seeping out, and it cocked its head back, lashing it forward a second later. The dark energy, in the form of a sphere, exploded on Gorz a split second later. (Lancelot 3100→3000) Zugai smiled, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Lancelot said, “My turn. I attack Red-Eyes with Gouz!”

 

Zugai thought, So much for a leader. Is he this tactically behind? “I activate Mirror Force! This negates the attack and destroys all monsters you control that are in Attack mode!” A rainbow, crystal barrier surrounded Red-Eyes and deflected Gouz’s blade. Strong winds were conjured by the barrier, and destroyed both Gouz’s.

 

Lancelot finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai said, “My turn. I Tribute Red-Eyes to Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!” Red-Eyes began cracking open, red lights seeping out of it. Its skin eventually shattered, and Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon, surrounded by a black aura, flew over the field. (2400/2000) “It gains 300 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard, so it has 2700 ATK! (2400→2700/2000)”

 

Clem said, “Zugai wants to end this quickly, huh?”

 

Ayra said, “Not the smartest idea, but it could work.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Darkness, attack Lancelot directly!” Red-Eyes exhaled a large stream of crimson flames, charring Lancelot’s armor. (Lancelot 3000→200) “This is it! Darkness Metal, attack him directly!” Darkness Metal launched another sphere of darkness.

 

Lancelot interrupted, “I activate my Trap: Power Wall! By sending a card from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can negate 100 points of Battle Damage. I send 28 cards to the Graveyard!” Lancelot tossed 28 cards from his Deck and held his palm towards the sphere. The sphere deflected off of it and hit the glass that was at the VIP seating, causing Zugai’s friends to flinch.

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Lancelot said, “My turn. I remove from play Lightning Blade to Special Summon Card Breaker! (600/200) Next, I Summon Junk Synchron! (1300/500) When this card is Summoned, I can Summon Speed Warrior from my Graveyard! (900/400) Next, I Tune the 3 of them together to Synchro Summon Colossal Fighter!” Junk Synchron pulled a rope and transformed into three aligned green rings. Suddenly, a large figure, crushing Lancelot’s entire field, descended from the sky. Colossal Fighter stood over the field and stretched, posing on the field. (2800/1000)

 

Colossal Fighter began producing energy, and parts of the ground began rising. “Colossal Fighter gains 100 ATK for each Warrior-Type monster in my Graveyard. There are 17, so it gains 1700 ATK! (2800→4500/1000) Now, attack Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!” Colossal Fighter leapt at Darkness Dragon, knocking it against the ground. It continuously punched Darkness Dragon, causing it to squeal in agony. Red blood began seeping out of its scales before it was actually destroyed. (Zugai 8000→6200)

 

Zugai said, “Is that all?”

 

Lancelot coolly said, “You’re going to see the true face of power soon enough.”

 

Zugai inaudibly asked, “What are you talking about? The Assault Mode weakens...”

 

Lancelot said, “I activate my Trap: Assault Mode Activate!” Zugai almost cursed aloud. “I can Tribute Colossal Fighter,” Lancelot pulled Colossal Fighter/Assault Mode from his Deck and showed it to Zugai, “to Special Summon Colossal Fighter/Assault Mode from my Deck!” Colossal Fighter was encompassed by a ray of blue light, and as the light faded, it was wearing new armor, including two jet wings on its black as it glided over the field. (3300/1500) “When it’s Summoned, I can send 2 Warrior-Type monsters from my Deck to my Graveyard. Also, it decreases the ATK of each monster you control by 100 for each Warrior-Type monster in my Graveyard. There are 20, so Darkness Metal loses 2000 ATK! (2800→800/2400) Destroy it!” Colossal Fighter dashed to Darkness Metal and punched it in the forehead, leaving an enormous dent. Darkness Metal soon exploded afterwards, and Zugai was slightly forced back. (Zugai 6200→4700) “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai said, “My turn. I Set 1 monster and end my turn.” Wish I had Dark Armed Dragon or something.

 

Lancelot said, “My turn. I attack your Set Monster!” Colossal Fighter flew past Zugai’s Set monster, Des Lacooda, at blinding speeds, destroying it in the wind.

 

Zugai said, “When Des Lacooda is Flip Summoned, I can draw 1 card.” Oh, so now I draw…

 

Lancelot narrowed his eyes, “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn! I activate Gold Sarcophagus! It removes from play 1 card in my Deck, and adds it to my hand in 2 turns! I remove Dark Armed Dragon from play. That ends my turn.”

 

Lancelot yelled, “You mock me by not Summoning a monster? My turn. Colossal Fighter, attack!”

 

Zugai smiled, “I activate my Trap: Waboku! This reduces Damage to 0!”

 

Lancelot narrowed his eyes since Colossal Fighter did not move. “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai said, “My turn! I Summon Komouri Dragon! (1500/1200) Next, I remove it from play to Summon Darkness Metal in Defense Mode! (2800→800/2400)” This is such low level Dueling… I feel terrible! “Also, due to its effect, I revive Red-Eyes in Defense Mode. (2400→400/2000) That ends my turn.”

 

Lancelot said, “My turn. I equip Colossal Fighter with Fairy Meteor Crush. Next, I Summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! (1400/1200)”

 

Zugai commented, “That’s obnoxious.”

 

Hiru sighed and facepalmed, "I'm going to punch him later."

 

Ayra buried her face in her arms, "That's nothing compared to what I'll do to him.

 

Lancelot smiled, “I Tribute it to activate Double Attack. Now Colossal Fighter can attack twice! Colossal Fighter, destroy both of his monsters!” Colossal Fighter dove at the ground, creating a sonic boom and a crater. Large debris flew from the point of impact and began pelting Zugai’s field, causing both his monsters to explode. (Zugai 4700→2800)

 

Lancelot finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn. Thanks, by the way.”

 

Lancelot made a noise of confusion underneath his mask. Zugai explained, “I needed 3 DARK monsters in my Graveyard for this. During this Standby Phase, Dark Armed Dragon is added to my hand. Dark Armed Dragon can’t be Normal Summoned or Set, but since I have exactly 3 DARK monsters in my Graveyard, I can Summon it! Come on out, Dark Armed Dragon!” Bright lights shone in a ring, and Dark Armed Dragon emerged from the light. (2800→800)/1000) “By removing from play a DARK monster, I can destroy a card you control. I remove from play Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon to destroy Colossal Fighter/Assault Mode! Armed Destructor!” Dark Armed Dragon began screeching, and the frequency of the pitch crushed Colossal Fighter/Assault Mode.

 

Lancelot narrowed his eyes, “Due to the effect of Colossal Fighter/Assault Mode, I can Special Summon Colossal Fighter from my Graveyard! (2800/1000) I have 20 Warriors in my Graveyard, so it gains 2000 ATK! (2800→4800/1000)

 

Zugai smiled, “Since your Assault Mode is gone, Dark Armed Dragon’s ATK returns to normal. (800→2800/1000) Also, I remove from play Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon to destroy Colossal Fighter!” Dark Armed Dragons screeched again, shredding Colossal Fighter into pieces. “Now, attack directly! Dark Armed Punisher!” Dark Armed Dragon thrust its arm at Lancelot, knocking him off the platform. (Lancelot 200→0)

 

Zugai thought, Why do they make it real Battle Damage when Kadoguchi knows that they’ll… oh, right, revenge. “That wasn’t so bad.”

 

Lancelot hit the ground with a clang, shook his head, and easily got back up.

 

Kea yelled, “What the hell!? Is the armor that effective?”

 

Kai calmly replied, “My question is, are body upgrades that effective? One was made of gems, the second had telepathy, I’m guessing this one’s part cyborg.”

 

Kea asked, “How can somebody be part cyborg? It’s cyborg or not.”

 

Kai paused and said, “I don’t know. I guess I meant to say part machine.”

 

The commentator announced, “After a long and intense battle, the victors, with 2800 Life Points left, are the three members of Team Solar Wind!” Zugai raised his fist for showmanship, and the crowd cheered.

 

The platform began lowering, and when it was 5 feet from the ground, Zugai hopped off of it, landing on both feet. Kea rushed out of the “rest station”, and stood right in front of Zugai, hands behind her back. She smiled, and said, “You did it.”

 

Zugai stood still and nodded, “Yup.”

 

Kea’s smile began widening, and she giggled, “Yeah. So, how was it?”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “I wish I was fighting Gawain. I got bored with this guy. Didn’t even get to use a single Synchro.”

 

Kea crossed her arms and leaned towards him, innocently smiling, “And you wonder why everybody calls you one of the bests duelists e-ver.”

 

Zugai began blushing, and Kai interrupted, “Once you’re done frolicking with him-…”

 

Kea blushed and swiveled around, “What!? I was so not frolicking with him!”

 

Ron stepped out of the VIP seats and said, “I think your body language says differently.”

 

Zugai said, “He has a point there.”

 

Kea's face flushed even more, “Whatever.”

 

Hiru patted Zugai on the back, “Well done, man! You did as well out there as the Red Socks do on the playing field!” Hiru saw Kea giving him a dirty look and said, “Yankees fan?”

 

Kea growled, “Shut your trap.”

 

Zugai weakly laughed, “Guys, if you’re going to get into a fight about baseball, could we do it where the media isn’t watching us?”

 

Hiru looked to the side to see cameras staring at them. He nodded, “Okay.”

 

Zugai began walking out of the stadium, muttering, “I hate the media.”

 

§

 

The group went back to their hotel, since the semifinals and possibly finals commenced the next day. Zugai was leaning on the couch reading Digital Fortress while Ayra, Kea, and Hiru were out on the balcony screaming at each other, and Filip, DJ, Aline, and Senith slept. Ron, Kai, Fiona, and Clem were all chatting around the room, nearby Zugai.

 

Fiona said, “I don’t get how the power difference between us and the original Six Pros is so big.”

 

Ron commented, “Probably a sign of evolution. Zugai, what do you think?”

 

Zugai held up his finger and said, “Just a second, I’m almost finished with this chapter.” He closed the book and answered, “They’ve probably have had a lot of connections with Dueling during their childhood, since most of them have no surnames.”

 

Kai said, “That could be true, although it seems unlikely.”

 

Zugai also pointed out, “Also, Black implied that he was brought to Kadoguchi at an early age…”

 

Clem said, “Makes sense. That would also explain the skill of the others. Just Kadoguchi. I wonder what the finals would be like if Kadoguchi never existed.”

 

Zugai said, “A lot more evenly matched, and a lot safer.” He paused, “Which makes me wonder, what caused them to form? How come those six - seven now, including Gouzen, are the leaders?”

 

Kai shrugged, “My question is, what exactly are they? No natural creature can genetically do the things they do.”

 

Ron stated, “An enigma wrapped in a riddle is what it is. But how much does it really matter?”

 

Zugai said, “Either way, I think we can beat them if we win the finals.”

 

Ron pointed out, “You lost to Shura the first time.”

 

Zugai retorted, “Try Dueling after you have a scythe against your throat and tell me how well you do.”

 

Fiona sighed, “Guys, really?”

 

Zugai sighed, “Sorry. Tired and nervous is all.”

 

Kai said, “Why nervous?”

 

Zugai said, “Well, best-case scenario that I can think of at the moment is losing to Black.”

 

Clem sighed, “Zugai, you can definitely win.”

 

Zugai said, “No, I can’t. He has a freaking no-loss streak that’s even bigger than Krillin’s losing streak. Before you ask, that’s a lot. In all honesty, I feel like he’s going to dominate me if I do get past Kosoru.”

 

Kai took out a card and said, “Will this change your mind?”

 

Zugai gently took the card from Kai and stared at it. He commented, “Well, that’s cheap, predictable, and easy to counter, but I like it.”

 

Fiona said, “Go for another quick kill. If Black doesn’t get to Summon Shooting Star, its an easy one attack kill.”

 

Zugai smiled, “In that case, I’m ready for everything that’s coming my way.” He stared out the window, and asked, “Are they still arguing about baseball teams?”

 

Ron said, “Probably.”

 

Zugai shook his head, “We should get some sleep. We want to be at our fullest mental capabilities tomorrow.”

 

§ Next Morning: August 24th, 10:30 AM

 

The commentator proudly announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the semifinals of Battle City! Out of the hundreds of teams that entered, all that is left are these four, competing for the top! Now, we start out with one of the two favorites, Team Armageddon, versus a group of youthful prodigies, Team Go!”

 

Both Team Solar Wind and Team Go were waiting in the same room on the sides of the stadium. Zugai sighed, “Tournament favorites versus teenagers. That kinda sucks for us.”

 

Hiru said, “Well, it’ll suck for them if they lose.”

 

The commentator continued, “The first member of Team Armageddon, the one who annihilated Team Olympus on his own…”

 

Kea giggled, “There goes all respect he had for the old champions.”

 

“I bring you… Brendan!” Brendan stepped from Team Armageddon’s waiting room and onto the platform. However, it did not raise this time. The commentator continued, “Next, I bring you the first member of Team Go, Senith Yukai!”

 

Zugai said, “Go get ‘em, introless big guy.”

 

Senith stepped up, “I hope I don’t lose in one turn.” He walked to his platform, and waited. Nothing happened.

 

The commentator smiled, “Now, let the duel commence!”

 

Senith smiled, “At least I don’t have to fall off a platform if you beat me this turn. If.”

 

Brendan said, “Don’t mock me. You will lose by the time my turn ends.”

 

Both players simultaneously drew their starting hands and yelled, “Duel!” and their shouts rang through the stadium.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 33]

 

Chapter 33: The Battle of the Horizon: Terrestrials VS Interstellars!

 

Brendan said, “My turn. I activate Dark Room of Nightmare.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “Is he using the exact same combo as before!?”

 

Brendan continued, “Next, I Summon Fire Trooper! (1000/1000) When this card is Summoned, I can send it to the Graveyard to inflict 1000 damage to your Life Points. Also, due to Dark Room of Nightmare, you take 300 damage every time you take effect damage.” Fire Trooper transformed into a living fireball and darted at Senith, exploding as it reached him. (Senith 8000→6700)

 

Senith noticed he felt his skin burning with each hit. Is this the side effect of Dueling a Terrestrial? This is gonna suck…

 

Brendan continued, “Next, I activate Burn and Take. You witnessed this card, so I probably don’t have to explain it. I Summon Fire Trooper.” Fire Trooper appeared on Brendan’s field, (1000/1000) and a mirror image of it appeared on Senith’s field. (2000/2000) Fire burned both Senith and Brendan, causing them both to grunt in pain. (Brendan 8000→7000) (Senith 6700→5400)

 

Hiru muttered, “Not good. This is the same thing as before…”

 

Brendan said, “Also, I activate Fire Trooper’s effect again.” Fire Trooper became another meteor, incinerating Senith. (Senith 5400→4100)

 

Ayra said, “Just be nice to him and let him continue.”

 

Brendan continued, “Next, I activate Last Will, Summoning the third Fire Trooper. (1000/1000)” Fire Trooper dashed at Senith again, causing another explosion. (Senith 4100→2800) “Now to end it. I activate Monster Reborn.”

 

Kea said, “This is the same combo as before…”

 

Zugai facepalmed, “You think?”

 

Brendan said, “I chain it to Inferno Reckless Summon, allowing me to Summon 3 Fire Toopers from my Graveyard. Now, I send them all to the Graveyard to activate their effects!” All three Fire Troopers dashed at Senith.

 

Senith saw the three bodies of flame closing in on him, and he narrowed his eyes just before they hit him. Smoke covered Senith’s entire field, shrouding any results.

 

The commentator yelled, “It looks like Senith has been obliterated by the same combo as before!"

 

Brendan stated, “He’s finished.”

 

Hiru asked, “Is he…?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Nope.” Suddenly, all three Fire Troopers leapt from the smoke onto Brendan’s field.

 

Brendan’s eyes widened, “What!?” The smoke cleared, and a red snake was coiled around Senith, protecting him from harm. (Senith 2800)

 

The commentator yelled, “Senith has escaped Brendan’s grip of death! But what is this monster!”

 

Brendan accusingly yelled, “When did you Summon that monster?”

 

Senith smiled, “Fiendfire Guard Serpent can be Summoned on either player’s turn by removing from play a FIRE monster I control. When you activated Inferno Reckless Summon, I removed my Token from play to Summon this. (0/0) It also negated sending Fire Troopers to the Graveyard, therefore I took no damage. Also, for each monster that would have been sent to the Graveyard, I can draw 1 card, so I can draw 3 cards total!”

 

The commentator screamed, “Amazing! What a miracle!”

 

Kea asked Zugai, “How did you-?”

 

Zugai's eyes returned from red to brown, and he said, “There was a dim red glow just before the explosions.”

 

Brendan narrowed his eyes, He escaped me? Hmph, I might have to use my full power on just one person, but then again, he only has 2800 Life Points.

 

Black, staying in the same room as Team Armageddon, said, “I wonder how this’ll turn out.”

 

Kisune asked, “It’s obvious. Senith is already down to 2800 Life Points.”

 

Black shook his head, “Except he escaped the First Turn Kill. He definitely isn’t weak if he could do that before he could conduct his move. This might be interesting.”

 

Senith grinned, “So, do you end your turn already?”

 

Brendan yelled, “Don’t mock me. I end.”

 

Senith smiled, “In that case, it’s my turn! I activate Blaze Accelerator. Next, I send it to the Graveyard to activate Triblaze Accelerator! Next, I send Volcanic Scattershot from my hand to the Graveyard to activate its effect, destroying a Fire Trooper and inflicting 500 damage to your Life Points. Also, by sending 2 more Scattershots to the Graveyard, I can destroy all monsters you control. And when a Scattershot is sent to the Graveyard, you take 500 damage.” Triblaze Accelerator launched three large cannonballs of molten rock, clearing Brendan’s field. (Brendan 7000→5000)

 

Senith continued, “Next, I Tribute Guard Serpent to Normal Summon Volcanic Hammerer! (2400/1500) Once per turn, Volcanic Hammerer can inflict 200 damage to my opponent for each Pyro-Type monster in my Graveyard. There are 4, so you take 800 damage!” Four large sparks emerged from Hammerer’s back and began approaching Brendan, creating a larger flame that surrounded Brendan. (Brendan 5000→4200) “Next, by removing from play my 3 Volcanic Scattershots, I can Special Summon Fiendfire Dragon from my Deck! When it’s Summoned, you take 500 damage!” Fiendfire Dragon appeared on the field in a sudden flash of crimson light, and sparks scattered across the field, pelting on Brendan. (3400/1000) (Brendan 4200→3700)

 

Senith finished, “Also, due to the effect of Fiendfire Dragon, I can Tribute Volcanic Hammerer to inflict 1000 damage to my opponent!” Fiendfire Dragon opened its mouth and consumed Volcanic Hammerer, and let out a large column of flame that incinerated Brendan. (Brendan 3700→2700) “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

The commentator declared, “Senith Yukai has inflicted over 5000 damage on his first turn! Ladies and gentlemen, these two Duelists seem to be trying to burn each other to the ground!”

 

Brendan said, “My turn. I Special Summon Flamvell Merchant. (1400/200) If it is the only card in my hand, I can Special Summon it. When it’s Summoned with this effect, I can remove from play up to 3 monsters in my Graveyard to draw an equal number of cards. I remove from play my 3 Fire Troopers to draw 3 cards.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “He refilled his hand that easily?”

 

Black, on the other side of the arena, commented, “He knows his Deck so well to know it easily clears his hand. That’s the advantage of using that card.”

 

Brendan continued, “I Tribute Flamvell Merchant to Summon Flamvell Fiend! (2100/1200) Next, I activate Wavering Heat. This will decrease the ATK of a monster you control by its Level x 200. (3400→1600/1000)”

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Brendan smiled, “Flamvell Fiend, attack Fiendfire Dragon!” Flamvell Fiend leapt into the air and threw a large, purple fireball at Fiendfire Dragon.

 

Senith smiled, “I activate my Trap: Sakuretsu Armor! This negates the attack and destroys the attacking monster!”

 

Brendan said, “The monster that uses Flamvell Merchant as a Tribute is unaffected by the effects of Spell and Trap Cards.” The face-up Sakuretsu Armor began glowing and shattered, and the fireball completely spread around Fiendfire Dragon’s body, burning it to ashes. (Senith 2800→2300) “Due to the effect of Flamvell Fiend, you take 200 damage for each Flamvell monster in my Graveyard, so you take 200 damage. Also, you take 300 more due to the effect of Dark Room of Nightmare.” Flamvell Fiend produced a beam of darkness from its mouth, completely shrouding Senith with darkness. (Senith 2300→1800) “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Senith narrowed his eyes, Dammit. It was taken down that easily? And I can’t activate my Set Card unless I draw the right card. And I can’t use Triblaze Accelerator, so… “My turn. I activate Card of Sanctity. Both players discard their hands and draw 2 cards.” Both Brendan and Senith drew 2 cards. Senith first saw Volcanic Solar Doomflare. What a coincadink. If only I had Volcanic Doomfire. Senith spread the cards apart and saw Volcanic Doomfire. “Sweet! By sending Triblaze Accelerator to the Graveyard, I can Summon Volcanic Doomfire! (3000/1800)”

 

Brendan said, “Even though it overpowers my one monster, do you think you can win the Duel with that?”

 

Senith smiled, “I’m not done yet.” Senith showed Brendan Volcanic Solar Doomflare, “This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set, unless I Tribute Volcanic Doomfire. I Tribute Volcanic Doomfire to Summon Volcanic Solar Doomflare!” The sun appeared in the virtual world in the horizon behind Senith. It slowly began rising, and solar flares from the sun itself attached themselves to Volcanic Doomfire. It began breaking open, and Volcanic Solar Doomflare broke out of the shell of Volcanic Doomfire. The earth underneath the field began cracking, and a river of magma began flowing across the field. Wild fire continuously emerged from Solar Doomflare’s back in arcs. (3500/3000)

 

Brendan narrowed his eyes, “So, you called out your Star Card.”

 

The commentator announced, “I have never seen a card like this before! Could it be an embodiment that rivals that of the Destructor?”

 

Senith continued, “Now, Volcanic Solar Doomflare, attack Flamvell Fiend!” Solar Doomflare launched a single arc of white fire at Flamvell Fiend, incinerating it instantly. (Brendan 2700→1300)

 

Brendan said, “I activate my Trap: Flamvell Backburn. When a Flamvell monster I control is destroyed, I can inflict 200 damage to my opponent. Also, you’ll take 300 more from Dark Room of Nightmare.” A beam of fire suddenly launched from the face-up card and began to burn Senith. (Senith 1800→1300)

 

Senith said, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Brendan said, “My turn. I start out by activating Rekindling. This will Special Summon Flamvell Fiend and Flamvell Merchant. (2100/1200) (1400/200) Also, I Summon Destruction Herald. When its Summoned, I can change its Level from any number between 3 and 1. I make it a Level 1 monster. Next, I Tune it with Flamvell Fiend and Flamvell Merchant.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Here it comes.”

 

The sky began to turn red as Brendan recited, “Let the forests burn, let the earth dry, and set the entire world in flames of destruction! Synchro Summon! Entity of pure fire: Inferno Destructor – Flamvell!” Flamvell rose from beneath the Earth, and created an object in the sky as bright as the sun behind it. (3300/3000)

 

Ayra said, “This should be interesting to see.”

 

Brendan finished, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “Huh? You didn’t bother going on the offensive?”

 

Brendan said, “It depends what you mean by offensive. Your power is limited by this card. No FIRE monster you have can match with it.”

 

Senith asked, “What’s with you and fire?”

 

Suddenly, a ring of fire surrounded the Two Duelists, and the ring rose to the roof of the stadium. Senith almost leapt forward at the flame right on his back, but he noticed that it stayed the same distance away.

 

Zugai joked, “Hey, look, Tsuchi’s back!”

 

Hiru muttered, “Not funny.”

 

§

 

Inside the flame, Senith noticed that the flames began adjusting themselves to become a location. What it became was a village, terrorized by a rich military force. The air was filled with smoke, and all that one could see was burning houses. Senith casually said, “Let me guess, you lived in this village.”

 

Brendan said, “You dare mock my past?”

 

Senith shrugged, “Not really. I just don’t really care about it.”

 

Brendan growled, “Then continue the Duel. And if you touch the fire, you will die. But the fire always stays the same distance away from you unless you take damage. It’s your move.”

 

Senith smiled, “My turn!”

 

Brendan smiled, “I activate my Trap: Burning Destruction! When this card is activated, if I control a Destructor, it moves to my opponent’s field, and it returns to my Graveyard during my next Standby Phase. While it’s on the field, the controller can’t activate Spells or Traps.”

 

Senith’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Brendan smiled, “Also, once its activated, you must select a monster I control. Then I gain Life Points equal to that monster’s ATK, although it is destroyed afterwards. I only control 1 monster, so I gain Life Points equal to Flamvell’s ATK! (Brendan 1300→4600)”

 

Senith narrowed his eyes, He recovered all that Life in just one move?

 

Brendan continued, “Also, I activate Flamvell’s effect! I negate its destruction and inflict 600 damage to your Life Points, and Dark Room of Nightmare inflicts 300 more.” Flamvell’s dragon heads launched two streams of flame at Senith. He leaned back and shielded his face, but the fire never came. He looked to see that Solar Doomflare defended him. (Senith 1300→400) Brendan added, “Also, due to Flamvell’s effect, Solar Doomflare loses 900 ATK! (3500→2600/3000)”

 

Senith thought, Dammit. He turned it around with just one card. Still, I have an opening, but I just need… “I don’t get it. Flame brings you dismay, but why do you control it?”

 

Brendan growled, “So that fire cannot be used to terrorize others. My family inherited the Destructor’s spirit through the ages, and Kadoguchi brought me from the battlefield and healed my wounds, then turned the Destructor’s spirit into a card. Flamvell is one of the forces that control the Earth. You can’t destroy it!”

 

Senith smiled, “Maybe I can’t, maybe I can. I Summon Solar Flare Dragon! (1500/1000)”

 

Brendan said, “Reduced to inflicting small burn?”

 

Senith explained, “Solar Flare Dragon can’t be selected as an attack target while I control another Pyro-Type monster, and during each of my End Phases, you take 500 damage! I end my turn.” Solar Flare Dragon launched a wave of heat, which began forcing Brendan towards the flame. (Brendan 4600→4100)

 

Brendan said, “You can’t defeat me with small Burn Damage!”

 

Senith said, “I end my turn.”

 

Brendan smiled, “This is the final turn. Draw! Flamvell, destroy Volcanic Solar Doomflare!” Flamvell launched a white beam filled with fire directly at Solar Doomflare.

 

Senith smiled, “Gotcha. I activate my Continuous Trap: Volcanic Prominence!” The flames from Solar Doomflare’s back merged together to create draconic wings. Solar Doomflare leapt into the air, narrowly escaping the white blast, which created a field of molten rock. “By returning up to 3 removed from play cards to the Graveyard, this card will increase the ATK of Solar Doomflare by 500 for each one. I return all 3 Scattershots to my Graveyard. Solar Doomflare gains 1500 ATK! (2600→4100/3000)”

 

Brendan’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Senith mischievously grinned, “Also, since 3 Scattershots have been sent to the Graveyard, you take 1500 damage!” Three pillars of magma emerged from the ground beneath Brendan. His eyes widened as he was doused with molten rock. (Brendan 4100→2600) Senith smiled, “Now then, I think things should get a bit brighter in this atmosphere.” Volcanic Solar Doomflare began absorbing all of the fire surrounding the two of them into its back. Its body began shining white, and a red symbol shaped like the sun appeared on its back. It howled like a celestial wolf, and all of the flames disappeared.

 

In the virtual world, the sun began to rise, making the dark sky seem brighter than ever before. The sun shone pure white, and the virtual field began rejuvenating. Flamvell began to look like a powerless giant in comparison to the moderately humanoid Volcanic Solar Doomflare.

 

Brendan’s eyes widened in pure awe, “What is this…?”

 

Senith smiled, “God of Fire, meet the God of the Sun. Volcanic Solar Doomflare, counterattack!” Volcanic Solar Doomflare reached between his shoulder blades. He swung the same arm to his side, and a long whip of fire, shaped like a solar flare, appeared from its back.

 

Zugai said, “Dude, don’t go swinging that thing like a reckless person.” Volcanic Solar Doomflare raised its arm and snapped it forward, whipping the solar flare into Flamvell’s head, causing it to begin burning and crumbling. (Brendan 2600→1800)

 

Brendan narrowed his eyes, “That doesn’t stop me. When Flamvell is sent to the Graveyard, you take damage equal to the number of FIRE monsters in my Graveyard x 300! There are 5, so you take 1500 damage, with 300 more due to Dark Room of Nightmare!” Flamvell’s eyes began glowing, and it managed to stand again. It released more fire than ever before from its main dragon mouth, heading directly towards Volcanic Solar Doomflare and Senith. “Although you may have done well against me, I have defeated you!”

 

Senith said, “Doesn't matter if I go down as long as you go down with me! I activate the effect of Volcanic Solar Doomflare! When a monster you control is sent to the Graveyard, I can Tribute it to inflict damage equal to its ATK!”

 

Brendan’s eyes widened, “What!?” Volcanic Solar Doomflare spread its arms and legs. Its entire body began producing an enormous sphere of flame around it, looking like a smaller version of the sun. Another solar flare emerged from it, forcing back the flames. However, the two forces came to a stalemate and recoiled, creating an enormous explosion of white fire throughout the stadium. The entire audience shielded their eyes and began screaming, as did most of Team Solar Wind and Go. Zugai, however, peered through the explosion through his Astral Eyes, and noticed that Senith and Brendan were both shielding themselves from massive damage. (Senith 400→0) (Brendan 1800→0) The light eventually faded, and Senith and Brendan faced each other on the field, covered with burns, yet smiling at each other while they panted.

 

Brendan complemented, “Not bad, Interstellar.”

 

Senith smiled, “You too, flamehead.”

 

The commentator declared, “I don’t believe it! Team Go managed to match with Team Armageddon, and after a fierce battle, Senith and Brendan were caught in a dead even match, ending in a draw! But Team Go seems to have an advantage with Solar Flare Dragon on their field!” Senith managed to limp back down toward the cave in, where Ayra walked to meet him.

 

Ayra smiled, “Nice job, bozo.”

 

Senith weakly asked, “Was that a sarcastic comment?” He gave her Solar Flare Dragon.

 

Ayra took it and placed it on her Duel Disk and said, “No, I mean ‘Nice job.’” She stepped onto the platform and began waiting.

 

Brendan limped to Ranmyaku, who was waiting eagerly to Duel. He gloated, “If they get past me, be impressed.”

 

Brendan said, “They’re strong enough to beat me with one member. I’m already impressed.”

 

Ranmyaku said, “I guess you haven’t seen me in game for a while. Don’t expect me to lose to her.” He stepped onto the opposite side of the field as Ayra, and the two faced each other, drawing their starting hands. He said, “Get ready to face the ultimate Duelist!” He and Ayra simultaneously yelled, “Duel!”

 

Ayra began, “My turn. I discard Zeradias, Herald of Heaven to activate its effect, adding Sanctuary in the Sky from my Deck to my hand! Next, I activate it!” The field suddenly changed from a field to a cloudy sky, with an enormous temple behind Ayra.

 

She continued, “I Tribute Solar Flare Dragon to Summon Airknight Parshath! (1900/1400) Now, attack him directly!” Airknight Parshath swung its blade at Ranmyaku diagonally, and he growled a bit in pain. (Ranmyaku 8000→6100)

 

Zugai said, “Hey, Hiru, what happened to the dinner? Just wondering.”

 

Hiru blushed, “Tonight.”

 

Zugai said, “Sure.”

 

Ayra smiled, “When Parshath inflicts Battle Damage to my opponent, I can draw 1 card. By Tributing Airknight Parshath, I can Special Summon Neo-Parshath from my hand!” Parshath began glowing, and its body soon morphed into Neo-Parshath. (2300/2000) “It gains ATK and DEF equal to the difference between our Life Points. It is currently 1900, so its ATK is 4200! (2300→4200/2000→3900) I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ranmyaku said, “Wow. You call that an opening move? My turn. I activate Quick Future Fusion. By sending 3 Cyber Dragons from my Deck to the Graveyard, Next, this will Summon Cyber End Dragon!”

 

Ayra said, “Not while I’m around. I discard Radient Jeral to activate Light of Judgement! If I control The Sanctuary in the Sky, I can send 1 card you control to the Graveyard! I send Future Fusion to the Graveyard!”

 

Ranmyaku said, “Nice try. I activate the Quick-Play Spell: Electro Wall. By removing from play my 3 Cyber Dragons, I can negate the destruction of Future Fusion and draw 3 cards. Also, you take 1000 damage.” A white thunderbolt launched out of the face-up card on the field and struck Ayra as Ranmyaku drew his 3 cards. (Ayra 8000→7000)

 

Ayra grunted, “But since Radient Jeral has been sent to the Graveyard, I gain 1000 Life Points. (7000→8000)”

 

Ranymaku smiled, “That won’t matter much. I activate Geartown!” Sanctuary in the Sky vanished, and the virtual reality transformed into a polluted town with gears and factories everywhere. “Due to the loss of Sanctuary in the Sky, Neo-Parshath loses its ATK and DEF. (4200→2300/3900→2000) Also, by sending these 4 Machina monsters in my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Machina Cannon! (0/2200) When its Summoned by this effect, it gains 800 ATK for each Machina monster I sent to the Graveyard. (0→3200/2200)”

 

Hiru commented, “That’s overpowered.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “That just means he’s good at this. I mean, not as bad as Ayra.”

 

Hiru said, “Still overpowered.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “Machina Cannon, attack Neo-Parshath!” Machina Cannon fired a large projectile at Neo-Parshath, instantly causing it to crash into a building. (Ayra 8000→7100) “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes, “I activate my Trap: Floating Temple! This card’s name is treated as Sanctuary in the Sky, and it can only be activated during the End Phase of the turn Sanctuary in the Sky has been destroyed!”

 

Ranmyaku said, “Too bad your monster’s already gone. Next turn, if I Summon Cyber End, you practically lose.”

 

Ayra smiled, “You’re going to find out how easily the tide of a Duel can turn in one move. My turn!” Ayra smiled at the card she drew, and thought, This’ll be easier than I thought.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 34]

 

Chapter 34: Guiding Light: Ayra VS Ranmyaku

 

Ayra smiled, “Since I have 4 Fairy-Type monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Archlord Krystia from my hand!” Archlord Kristya flew over the field, spreading its magnificent wings in glory. (2800/2300) “When this card is Summoned, I can add 1 Fairy-Type monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I add Airknight Parshath. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “My turn! At this moment, Cyber End Dragon is Special Summoned!” A portal appeared, and Cyber Dragon began exiting the portal. However, a barrier of light sealed Cyber End Dragon in the portal, causing it to be re-absorbed. Ranmyaku shouted, “What the hell!?”

 

Ayra explained, “While Archlord Kristya is on the field, neither of us can Special Summon.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “In that case, I Tribute Machina Cannon to Summon Ancient Gear Galjitron Dragon Dragon! (3000/2000)”

 

Filip, still in VIP seating, said, “Wait, it needs 2 Tributes…”

 

Clem said, “Geartown reduces the number of Tributes for an Ancient Gear Monster by 1.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “Galjitron Dragon, attack! Due to its effect, you can’t activate Spells or Traps during the Damage Step!” Galjitron Dragon launched a beam of yellow-orange energy, easily piercing through Kristya. (Ayra 7100→6700)

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “So this is his main focus, failsafe attacks.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Not bad, I have to say. He’s also keeping a close distance between his and Ayra’s Life Points.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ayra started, “My turn! I activate Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. If I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Fairy-Type monster from my hand! I Special Summon Splendid Venus! (2800/2400) While its face-up on the field, all non-Fairy-Type monsters lose 500 ATK and DEF!” Venus began producing intense light, and Galjitron Dragon began recoiling. (3000→2500/2000→1500) “Venus, kill that thing!” Venus launched a flame with what seemed to be white fairy dust from its staff, and it obliterated Gajiltron Dragon. (Ranmyaku 6100→5800) “I end my turn.”

 

Ranmyaku said, “My turn. I activate Machina Swarm. By removing from play 2 Level 8 monsters from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon 4 Level 4 or lower Machine-Type monsters from my Graveyard! However, if these cards are removed from the field, they’re removed from play.”

 

Ayra’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “I remove from play Galjitron Dragon and Machina Cannon to Special Summon Machina Solder, (1600→1100/1500→1000), Machina Sniper, (1800→1300/800→300), Machina Defender, (1200→700/1800→1100), and Commander Covington (1000→500/600→100). Next, I activate Commander Covington’s effect. By sending my three other Machinas to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Machina Force from my Deck!” Covington’s eyes began glowing, and all of the Machina monsters Ranmyaku controlled split into pieces. Ranmyaku raised his fist and said, “Combine, Machina Force!” They all combined again, and Machina Force appeared, hovering over the field. (4600→4100/4100→3600)

 

Hiru said, “What!? A Level 10 monster with higher ATK than Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!?”

 

Zugai said, “Machina Force is the strongest Machine-Type monster as well as the strongest Level 10 monster.”

 

Senith panted, “Damn…”

 

Ranmyaku said, “Machina Force can only attack if I pay 1000 Life Points. (Ranmyaku 5800→4800) Now, Machina Force, attack The Splendid Venus!” Machina Force launched hundreds of bullets at Splendid Venus, causing it to crash through a building and into an alley. (Ayra 6700→5400) “Due to the Splendid Venus disappearing, my monsters recover their ATK and DEF. (4100→4600/3600→4100) (500→1000/100→600) “Commander Covington, attack her directly!” Covington dashed to Ayra and punched her in the stomach, causing her to grunt in pain and kneel on the ground. (Ayra 5400→4400)

 

Ranmyaku said, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ayra said, “My turn. Due to the effect of Valhalla, I can Special Summon Airknight Parshath! (1900/1400) Attack Commander Covington!” Airknight Parshath swung Covington in half with one slice of its blade, causing it to explode. (Ranmyaku 4800→3900)

 

Senith smiled, “Yes! Now it can only attack three more times! After those three attacks, Ayra’s home free!”

 

Zugai said, “Not really. Machina Force can be sent to the Graveyard to Special Summon his three other Machinas he used. He also probably has a card that’ll return them to the Graveyard.”

 

Ranmyaku said, “My turn. I activate Dimension Reunion. This returns all removed from play monsters to my Graveyard, and I can draw 1 card for each one. Machina Force, attack! (Ranmyaku 3900→2900)”

 

Ayra smiled, “By discarding Honest from my hand, I can increase the ATK of Parshath by Machina Force’s ATK! (1900→6500/1400)” Parshath trampled over Machina Force and cut off its head, causing its body to disassemble and explode. (Ranmyaku 2900→1000) “When Parshath inflicts damage, I can draw 1 card.”

 

Ranmyaku growled, “That’s a cheap shot. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ayra smiled, “My turn.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “By discarding 1 card, I can activate my Trap: Ancient Grudge! This will destroy all monsters you control, and I gain Life Points equal to the ATK of that monster.” Parshath suddenly began glowing and exploded in a flash of light, which covered Ranmyaku. (Ranmyaku 1000→2900) “Also, due to its effect, I can Special Summon an Ancient Gear monster from my hand, giving it 500 ATK! I Summon Ancient Gear Beast! (2000→2500/2000)”

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes, Time to step up my game. “I activate Valhalla’s effect, Special Summoning The Agent of Judgment – Saturn, from my hand! (2400/0) I activate its effect. I can Tribute it to inflict damage to your Life Points equal to the difference. So you take 1500 damage!” Saturn shattered, and a large ring of light scattered across the field, slicing through Ranmyaku. (Ranmyaku 2900→1400) “Next, I Summon The Agent of Force – Mars! (0/0) It gains ATK and DEF equal to the difference between our Life Points, which is 3000. (0→3000/0→3000) Destroy Ancient Gear Beast!” Mars swung its mallet at Ancient Gear Beast, breaking it into many different pieces of scrap. (Ranmyaku 1400→900)

 

Ranmyaku said, “If I have no cards in my hand, during the turn that Ancient Grudge is activated, I can negate Ancient Gear Beast’s destruction and double my Life Points. (Ranmyaku 900→1800) However, Ancient Gear Beast loses ATK equal to the Life Points I gained. (2500→1600/2000)”

 

Ayra said, “I end my turn.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “My turn. Since I gained Life Points, Mars lost ATK. (3000→2600/3000→2600) Next, I activate Ultimate Road to Victory. If my Life Points are lower than my opponent’s, I can draw 1 card and one more card for every 1000 Life Points in between our Life Points. There is a 2000 Life Points difference, so I can draw 3 cards. By Tributing Ancient Gear Beast, I can Summon Ancient Gear Golem! (3000/3000) Now, destroy Mars!” Ancient Gear Golem raised its fist and thrust it at Mars, crushing it in one blow. (Ayra 4400→4000)

 

Ayra said, “I activate my Trap: Planetary Rise. When an Agent I control is destroyed, I can discard 1 card to Special Summon 1 Agent from my Deck. I Special Summon The Agent of Wisdom - Mercury! (0/1700)”

 

Ranmyaku said, “Cute. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ayra said, “My turn. I activate the effect of Mercury. Since I had no cards in my hand during your End Phase, I can draw 1 card during my Standby Phase.” Ayra scanned her new hand, containing The Agent of Mystery – Earth and a Trap Card, Caress of the Agents. “I Summon The Agent of Mystery – Earth. (1000/800) When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add an Agent monster from my Deck to my hand.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “Panicking a bit? Ancient Gear Golem inflicts Piercing damage. Any wall you make will not be good enough against it.”

 

Ayra continued, “Idiot. If Sanctuary in the Sky is on the field, I can add 1 Master Hyperion from my Deck to my hand instead using Earth’s effect. Next, by removing Earth from play, I can Special Summon Master Hyperion from my hand!” Earth faded in a column of light, and a fiery sun of pure light appeared behind Ayra, Hyperion emerging from the front of it. (2700/2100)

 

Ayra smiled, “I activate Hyperion’s effect. Once per turn, by removing 1 Agent in my Graveyard from play, I can destroy 1 card on the field. If I have Sanctuary on the Sky on the field, I can use this effect twice. I remove from play Mars from my Graveyard.” Wonder how this’ll work. “Celestial Impact!” Mars appeared on the field, enclosed in a crystal, red sphere. Hyperion grabbed it and tossed it at Ancient Gear Golem, shattering it almost instantly. Ayra’s thought, That felt… good. Why does Hiru hate doing that? “Hyperion, attack him directly!”

 

Ranmyaku said, “I activate my Trap: Gateway to the Destructor! By discarding a Destruction Herald in my hand, I can remove from play cards in my Graveyard to Synchro Summon a Destructor monster. I remove from play my Level 3 Destruction Herald, my Level 4 Machina Sniper, and my Level 4 Machina Defender. Ultimate power, open the doors to both chaos and order, and use both to unleash the ultimate creation! Synchro Summon! Ancient Destructor – Machina Golem!” A large, green android fell from the sky and crashed onto the ground. Energy of both light and darkness entered its body, causing its eyes to glow green. It stood up, aggressively pointing its blade underneath its left hand to Hyperion. It matched the size of the titan easily, but seemed to produce even greater power. (3500/3000)

 

The commentator said, “For the first time in the history of Battle City, the second legendary Destructor has been called out!”

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes, “Destructor. Doesn’t matter. I activate the effect of Hyperion. By removing from play the Saturn in my Graveyard, I can destroy one card you control. I destroy Machina Golem! Celestial Impact!” Saturn appeared in Hyperion’s palm, enclosed in a sphere surrounded by a ring. Hyperion tossed it at Machina Golem. It left a trail of yellow like a comet and created a blinding explosion on Machina Golem. Ayra closed her eyes and muttered, “So, your Destructor couldn’t stand up to the Sun after all.” She opened her eyes and gasped as she saw two glowing green eyes. Machina Golem, standing still, withstood the blast without budging.

 

Ranmyaku rolled his eyes, “Baka. Machina Golem can’t be destroyed by card effects.”

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “My turn. Your Set card won’t do anything against Machina Golem, nor will any wall you create. It inherits two of the effects of Ancient Gear Golem. It inflicts Piercing damage, and you can’t activate any Spell or Trap Cards while it attacks.”

 

Hiru groaned, “It has that effect even though card effects can’t destroy it?”

 

Ranmyaku continued, “Also, I activate its fourth effect. By removing from play a Machine-Type monster in my Graveyard, I can increase its ATK by the Level of the removed from play monster. I remove from play my Level 10 Machina Force, so it gains 2000 ATK! (3500→5500/3000) Also, I equip it with Ancient Gear Tank. This gives it 600 more ATK. (5500→6100/3000)”

 

Kisune narrowed his eyes, “Hope he doesn’t get carried away.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “Machina Golem, attack Hyperion!” Machina Golem launched a spear of red energy from its right palm, knocking Hyperion off balance. It vanished in a flash of light and appeared behind Hyperion, using its blade to cut it in half, causing it to explode a second later. (Ayra 4000→600)

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “What the hell!?”

 

Kea asked, “Were you not expecting that from a Destructor?”

 

Kai said, “It’s not that. It’s his choice. If he attacked Mercury, he would have inflicted 4400 damage from piercing damage, which would have made him beat Ayra.”

 

Kea said, “Oh… well, Ayra’s not going to forgive him for that.”

 

Ranmyaku said, “I end my turn.” (6100→4100/3000)

 

Ayra growled, “Don’t get your hopes up, you cocky bastard. Draw! Due to Mercury’s effect, I can draw 1 more card. Next, I activate my Trap: Caress of the Agents. By Tributing 1 Agent I control and by returning all removed from play cards I control to the Graveyard, I can gain 1000 Life Points! (Ayra 600→1600) Next, I activate Agent Formation. I can add 1 Master Hyperion to my hand and Special Summon 2 Agent monsters from my Deck. However, I cannot Special Summon any other Level 3 or higher monsters. I Special Summon The Agent of Creation – Venus (1600/0) and The Agent of Wonder – Jupiter! (1800/1000) After this effect, I must remove from play an Agent in my Graveyard. I remove from play The Agent of Mystery – Earth.”

 

Ranmyaku taunted, “Even if you Normal Summon Hyperion, you won’t be able to even match Machina Golem with weak powers like that.”

 

Ayra smiled, “I activate the effect of Venus. I can pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon a Mystical Shine Ball from my Deck. (500/500) (Ayra 1600→1100)” A ball of light emerged from Ayra’s body and floated next to Venus. “Next, I Tribute Mystical Shine Ball and Venus to Summon Master Hyperion! (2700/2100) I activate its effect. I can remove from play 2 Agent monsters from my Graveyard to destroy 2 cards on the field. I remove from play Mars and Venus to destroy your Set Card and Ancient Gear Tank!” Hyperion clutched two spheres that represented the planets Venus and Mars and threw them both at the two cards behind Machina Golem, causing them to explode. (4100→3500/3000)

 

Ranmyaku growled, “Due to the effect of Ancient Gear Tank, you take 600 damage!” (Ayra 1100→500) “All you have done is guaranteed your defeat.”

 

Ayra smiled, “You don’t know the half of it.”

 

Ranmyaku smiled, “Show me, then.”

 

Ayra smiled, “Jupiter is not called the Agent of Wonder – Miracles, originally, for no reason. He is the strongest of the Agents, able to create miracles in the most hopeless scenarios. I activate its effect. I remove from play the Saturn in my Graveyard to increase the ATK of Hyperion by 800! Divine Charge!” Jupiter held forth its palm, and rainbow light spread over Hyperion from it, giving it a rainbow aura. (2700→3500/2100)

 

Ranmyaku’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Ayra smiled, “Now, Hyperion, attack Machina Golem!” Hyperion’s six Agents, placed in spheres, began revolving around his body.

 

Ranmyaku called, “Counter, Machina Golem!” Machina Golem launched a beam of dark red energy at Hyperion. Hyperion’s planets created six rings in front of him, with a small flame at the center. The shield deflected the blast and split it across the field. Hyperion dashed at Machina Golem, with one fist aflame. Machina Golem dashed too, raising a fist. However, it feinted, and tried to counter with its blade. Hyperion quickly lunged and blocked the blade by driving his fist into his lower arm. However, before it made contact, Machina Golem reached out with its right hand, slamming Hyperion into the ground. It raised its blade for the final blow, but Hyperion clutched Saturn and chucked it into Machina Golem’s chest, knocking him across the field. Machina Golem, laying on its back, slowly staggered to its feet, just like Hyperion pushed himself up.

 

Ayra and Ranmyaku simultaneously yelled, “End this!”

 

Ayra yelled, “Celestial Nova!” just as Ranmyaku said, “Chaos Inverse!” Hyperion exploded in a sphere of flames just as Machina Golem exploded in a sphere of dark energy. Both forces clashed equally and created blinding light, covering the stadium. When the light faded, both monsters vanished. Ayra yelled, “This is the final blow! Jupiter, attack him directly! Celestial Thunder!” Jupiter raised both fists, and a spear of yellow lightning passed through both fists. Jupiter clutched it, aimed and tossed it at Ranmyaku. It spread into a small storm, electrocuting him in multiple parts of his body. (Ranmyaku 1800→0)

 

Ranmyaku yelled, “Dammit!”

 

The commentator gladly stated, “After a harsh, evenly matched battle, Ayra Keisei has emerged victorious over the second member of Team Armageddon! However, the last member of Team Armageddon, Kisune, is known for his invincibility! Will he live up to his legend in battle!?”

 

Ranmyaku stepped from the platform, and Kisune walked by him. Ranmyaku said, “Sorry I screwed up.”

 

Kisune whirled around and growled, “You screwed up because you got too cocky again. Can’t you learn to behave?” He continued, “If you just finished off Ayra, we would have won this round.”

 

Ranmyaku rolled his eyes, “Sorry.” After those words, he vanished in a flash of light.

 

Zugai muttered, “Teleportation. It has to be that.”

 

Kisune growled in frustration and sighed, This battle won’t be worth it. I’ll beat her quickly before I get to Hiru. He walked to the opposite side of the field and said, “Duel. My turn. Since you control monsters and I don’t, I can Special Summon Vice Dragon from my hand by halving its ATK and DEF. (2000→1000/2400→1200) Next, I activate Advance Force. I can Tribute a Level 5 or higher monster to Tribute Summon a Level 7 or higher monster. I Tribute Vice Dragon to Summon Felgrand Dragon! (2800/2800)

 

Ayra scowled, He can take me out already…

 

Kisune continued, “Next, I activate Trade-in. By discarding Tyrant Dragon, I can draw 2 cards. I activate Monster Reborn to revive Tyrant Dragon. (2900/2500) When its Summoned from the Graveyard, I have to Tribute another Dragon-Type monster I control. I Tribute Felgrand Dragon. Tyrant Dragon, destroy Jupiter! Ultimate Inferno!” Tyrant Dragon exhaled a stream of white fire, incinerating Jupiter on contact. (Ayra 500→0)

 

Ayra thought, Dammit! She walked back to the cave-in as Hiru stepped out. Hiru smiled, “At least I can settle the scores with him.”

 

Ayra warned, “Careful. He’s a lot stronger than he looks.”

 

Hiru said, “Ayra, I already know that. Everybody in this stadium knows that.” He began walking to the stadium.

 

Ayra called, “By the way, attack names help. They somehow relieve pressure!”

 

He shook his head and stepped to the field, and said, “Well, we can finally finish our battle.”

 

Kisune said, “The battle already ended with your loss.” The two of them yelled, “Duel!” at the same time.

 

Hiru smiled, “My turn! I Summon Sonic Bird! (1400/1000) When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add a Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand. I activate White Dragon Ritual. I send Sonic Bird to the Graveyard to Ritual Summon Paladin of White Dragon! (1900/1200) Next, by Tributing it, I can Special Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon from my Deck! (3000/2500)”

 

Zugai commented, “Blue-Eyes off the bat? Hiru hasn’t changed.”

 

Ayra asked, “Isn’t power bad against Kisune?”

 

Zugai simply replied, “Power isn’t just brute force.”

 

Hiru finished, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kisune said, “My turn. I Tribute Tyrant Dragon to Summon Darkblaze Dragon. (1200/1000) It is a Level 7 monster, but Advance Force makes Tyrant Dragon 2 Tributes. Next, I activate Dragon Shed. If I Tribute a Level 7 or higher Dragon-Type monster, I can Normal Summon 1 Level 8 or higher Dragon-Type monster, giving it 1000 Life Points. I Tribute Darkblaze Dragon to Summon Light and Darkness Dragon! (2800→3800/2400) Light and Darkness Dragon, destroy Blue-Eyes.”

 

Hiru countered, “I activate Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! This negates your attack!

 

Kisune narrowed his eyes, “I activate the effect of Light and Darkness Dragon. It negates that effect by reducing its ATK and DEF by 500. (3800→3300/2400→1900)” Light and Darkness Dragon opened its mouth, and a large stream of light extinguished Blue-Eyes. (Hiru 8000→7700) “I end my turn. Light and Darkness Dagon would be destroyed by Dragon Shed, but I negate that effect. (3300→2800/1900→1400)”

 

Hiru smiled, “My turn! I Summon Legendary Beast – Hydra! (1700/1200) When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Legendary Beast from my Deck!” Light and Darkness Dragon began glowing, and Hydra recoiled. (2800→2300/1400→900) “Next, I send The White Stone of Legend and Psychai from my hand to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon Legendary Beast – Griffin of Nature! (2500/2000) When White Stone of Legend is sent to the Graveyard, I can add Blue-Eyes from my Deck to my hand. (2300→1800/900→400)”

 

Senith asked, “Why didn’t he just negate Griffin’s Summon with Light and Darkness?”

 

Ayra explained, “Light and Darkness can’t negate the Summoning conditions of a monster.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Now I activate Griffin’s effect. When it’s Fusion Summoned, I can draw 1 card. If it’s a monster, I can remove it from play to allow Griffin to gain its effects! Draw! I remove from play Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, so Griffin gains its effects!" Can’t believe I’m saying this, but I feel too much pressure right now. "Green Wisdom!” Griffin was soon surrounded by a green, flame-like aura.

 

Zugai smiled, “Wow. Just by saying that, he becomes a lot cooler.”

 

Hiru continued, “Since it was the effect of Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, Griffin gains 300 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard. There are 3, so it gains 900 ATK! (2500→3400/2000) Destroy Light and Darkness Dragon! Fusion Burst!” Griffin flapped its wings, and a tornado filled with leaves surrounded Light and Darkness, and the leaves, like hot knives and butter, cut Light and Darkness Dragon into many pieces. (Kisune 8000→6400)

 

Kisune yelled, “I activate the effect of Light and Darkness Dragon! When it’s destroyed, I can destroy all other cards I control to revive a monster in my Graveyard. I Special Summon Darkblaze Dragon! (1200/1000) When it’s Special Summoned from the Graveyard, its ATK and DEF is doubled! (1200→2400/2000)”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kisune said, “My turn. Darkblaze Dragon, destroy Hydra. Hell’s Inferno!” Darkblaze Dragon engulfed Hydra in a stream of scarlet flame. (Hiru 7700→7000) “Also, due to the effect of Darkblaze Dragon, you take damage equal to Hydra’s ATK. (Hiru 7000→5300) I end my turn.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “Draw! During this Standby Phase, Green Wisdom wears off. (3400→2500/2000) Griffin, destroy Darkblaze Dragon! Fusion Burst!” Griffin flapped its wings, and the wind produced by them scattered debris, which pulverized Darkblaze Dragon. (Kisune 6400→6300) “Due to the effect of Griffin, when it inflicts Battle Damage to my opponent, I can draw 1 card. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kisune said, “My turn. I Summon Tyrant Drake. (0/0) This card allows me to revive Tyrant Dragon. (2900/2500) When Tyrant Dragon is Summoned from the Graveyard, I must Tribute Tyrant Drake. When its Tributed with this effect, I can draw 1 card. Tyrant Dragon can also attack twice per turn, and is unaffected by your Traps.”

 

Hiru grunted, and Kisune said, “Tyrant Dragon, destroy Griffin and attack Hiru directly. Ultimate Inferno!” Tyrant Dragon exhaled a crimson ball of molten fire, incinerating Griffin. (Hiru 5300→4900) Tyrant Dragon spat another meteor at Hiru, launching him back and against a wall. He stuck to the wall for a second, slowly slid down, and hit the stadium face first. (Hiru 4900→2000)

 

Zugai smiled, “As painful as that looked, that just makes me think of an Anime reaction.”

 

Hiru slowly began working his way up, vision blurred and his entire body feeling weak. Kisune simply said, “I Set 1 card and end my turn. Now, show me your true power, Interstellar.”

 

 

[spoiler= Chapter 35]

 

Chapter 35: Fusion

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, and with all the strength in his arms, lifted himself up to his feet. “My turn! I remove Griffin and Psychai from play to Fusion Legendary Beast – Cyclone Drakon!” Stormy skies appeared in the vertual reality, and Cyclone Drakon glided in the center of the storm, just above Hiru. (600/2700) “When this card is Summoned, I can Set a Legendary Beast in my Spell and Trap Card Zone. I Set Griffin. Cyclone Drakon gains 1000 ATK for each Set Spell and Trap I control. There are 3, so it has 3600 ATK! (600→3600/2700) Destroy Tyrant Dragon!” Cyclone Drakon launched a thunder-filled tornado from its mouth, engulfing and obliterating Tyrant Dragon. (Kisune 6300→5600)

 

Hiru smiled, “I end my turn.”

 

Kisune started, “My turn. I Summon Dragoon Monarch. (300/300) By Tributing it, I can Special Summon a Level 8 or higher LIGHT monster from my Graveyard. I Summon Felgrand Dragon! (2800/2800) When its Summoned from the Graveyard, it gains ATK equal to the Level of a monster in my Graveyard x 200. The Level of the Light and Darkness Dragon in my Graveyard is 8, so it gains 1200 ATK. (2800→4400/2800)”

 

Kai stated, “This is just brute force to its limits.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “This thing gave Hiru a hell of a time last time.”

 

Kisune continued, “Felgrand Dragon, destroy Cyclone Drakon. Majesty Breath!” Felgrand Dragon began gathering energy of pure light in its jaws.

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate my Trap: Counter Fusion! This increases my Life Points by the ATK of the attacking monster. (2000→6400/2800) Also, by paying 1000 Life Points, I can remove it from play from my Graveyard during the turn it was sent to the Graveyard. This inflicts damage to your Life Points equal to the ATK of your monster! (Hiru 6400→5400) You take 4400 damage!” A blinding burst of fire dashed at Kisune.

 

Kisune calmly countered, “I activate my Trap: Fusion Guard.” The image of Fusion Guard moved in front of Kisune, shielding him from the flame. “By sending a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck to the Graveyard, I can negate the activation of Counter Fusion’s effect. And since you just lost a Set Card, Cyclone Drakon loses 1000 ATK. (3600→2600/2700)” Felgrand Dragon launched a flame of pure light at Cyclone Drakon, incinerating it. (Hiru 5400→3600)

 

Hiru smiled, “When a Dragon-Type Monster I control is destroyed by battle or by a card effect, I can Special Summon Aether Drakon from my Extra Deck!” The stormy skies suddenly cleared, and Aether Drakon descended, scattering the clouds with its majestic wings. (3000/2400) “When it’s Summoned with its effect, I can destroy 1 monster you control. I destroy Felgrand Dragon!” Aether Drakon launched a beam of sunlight at Felgrand Dragon, causing it to burn to ashes.

 

Kisune said, “If you didn’t make your plan so obvious, you would have won.”

 

Hiru asked, “What kind of obvious do you mean?”

 

Kisune closed his eyes, “If I didn’t Set Fusion Guard last turn, then I would have taken the damage from Counter Fusion, and after you Summon Aether Drakon, you would have attacked me directly, and I would lose. Did you really think I’d fall for a trick that easily? I end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “Draw! Either way, you still can’t do anything against this! Aether Drakon, attack him directly!” Aether Drakon spread its wings, and thousands of light rays shot out of them through the feathers and contacted Kisune, engulfing him in a pillar of light. (Kisune 5600→2600)

 

Senith smiled, “Yes! 3000 damage in one hit!”

 

Ayra said, “At this rate, Kisune won’t have any method to defend himself!”

 

Zugai sighed, “Ayra, I already know that you’re wrong. If Kisune worked so well to this point, Fusion Guard definitely has some meaning to it…”

 

Kisune said, “My turn! I activate the effect of the Fusion Monster, Ultimate Dragon Lord – Kisune in my Graveyard!”

 

Zugai sighed, “Toldja.”

 

Kisune continued, “I can only Special Summon this by reviving Felgrand Dragon, (2800/2800) Tyrant Dragon, (2900/2500) and Darkblaze Dragon! (2400/2000)” The three Dragon Lords hovered over the field, and Kisune, a colossal, red and black dragon much bigger than any of the Dragon Lords, appeared behind him. (3400/3000) Kisune continued, “When this card is Summoned with this effect, it destroys all monsters I control and gains 300 ATK for each one destroyed by this effect!” Kisune swallowed all 3 Dragon Lords whole and began brimming with dark energy. (3400→4300/3000) “Also, once per turn, it can inherit the effects of a monster in my Graveyard. I select Darkblaze Dragon. Now, its original ATK and DEF are doubled! (4300→7700/3000→6000)”

 

Hiru stared in awe, “7700 ATK?”

 

Kisune pointed, “Take him out in one strike! Kisune, strongest Dragon Lord, show him your true power! Final Inferno!” Kisune began gathering white flames in its mouth.

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate my Trap: Fusion Blast! By sending 2 Fusion Monsters from my field to the Graveyard, I can destroy all monsters you control! I send Aether Drakon and my Set Griffin to the Graveyard!” Griffin appeared beside Aether Drakon, and both monsters launched energy beams, Griffin’s was green and Aehter Drakon’s was blinding white. Kisune countered immediately by launching a giant beam of white fire. The three beams collided and immediately recoiled, creating an enormous explosion that destroyed all monsters on the field and covered the stadium in thick fog.

 

Kisune yelled, “I won’t be finished off by such a small attack! When Kisune is destroyed, I can Special Summon a Dragon-Type monster from my Graveyard! I Summon Felgrand Dragon! (2800/2800) It gains ATK equal to the Level of a monster in my Graveyard times 200. Kisune’s Level was 12, so it gains 2400 ATK! (2800→5200/2800)” Felgrand Dragon appeared over Kisune, clearing the smoke on Kisune’s side of the field with a roar. Its body was glowing gold with energy. “Felgrand Dragon, attack Hiru directly!” Felgrand Dragon began slowly gathering light in its mouth, and Kisune said, “This ends it.”

 

Through the smoke, Hiru yelled, “I wouldn’t be so sure.” A pair of blue eyes began glowing through the smoke, and Blue-Eyes White Dragon cleared the smoke by flapping its wings and roaring. (3000/2500)

 

Kisune asked, “How is Blue-Eyes White Dragon on your side of the field?”

 

Hiru answered, “Due to the effect of Fusion Blast, I can Special Summon a monster with the same Attribute as one of the Tributed monsters from my hand.”

 

Kisune narrowed his eyes, “Doesn’t change a thing. Felgrand Dragon, destroy Blue-Eyes! Majesty Breath!” Felgrand Dragon launched a flame of pure light at Blue-Eyes.

 

Hiru countered, “I activate my Trap: Burst Breath!” Blue-Eyes White Dragon countered the attack with a blue flame. The two attacks met mid-way across the field and refused to budge. Pulses of fire began ringing down from the mouths of the two dragons and moved across their streams, and sparks began scattering across the field. “By Tributing Blue-Eyes White Dragon, I can destroy every monster you control with less DEF than the ATK of Blue-Eyes. Blue-Eyes at 3000 ATK. Felgrand Dragon only has 2800 DEF, so it’s destroyed!” A large dome of light suddenly formed between the two flames, engulfing the stadium. When the dome faded, the entire field was cleared.

 

Zugai analyzed, “They’re both one step ahead of each other, but Hiru still seems to be one step ahead.”

 

Kai asked, “How so? And how could he be that far ahead to have had Burst Breath Set the whole time?”

 

Zugai said, “Since Hiru knows Kisune can easily stay one step ahead of him, he must of realized that he could be ahead of Kisune by staying one step ahead of himself, and therefore one step ahead of him.”

 

Kea asked, “Um… English, please?”

 

Zugai retorted, “That was English. Anyway, if Kisune’s done, then the Duel’s over.”

 

Kisune narrowed his eyes, “I’m not finished yet. By removing from play all of the Dragons in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Incarnate Dragon from my hand!” An enormous grey dragon as large as Ultimate Dragon Lord - Kisune rose from behind Kisune, having the heads of all of Kisune’s dragons. (?/0) “Its ATK is equal to the number of Dragons removed from play to Summon it. There were 6, so it has 4200 ATK! (4200/0) I end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “My turn! I activate Fusion's Greed. I can draw 1 card for each Fusion Monster in my Graveyard. There are 3, so I can draw 3 cards.” Hiru drew his 3 cards and smiled, “Perfect. I activate Ancient Rules. This allows me to Special Summon Blue-Eyes from my hand! (3000/2500) Next, I activate Dragon’s Mirror. By removing from play the Blue-Eyes I control and the 2 in my Graveyard, I can Fusion summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” Blue-Eyes began shedding its skin and grew larger, two heads appearing from its shoulders. (4500/3800) “Now, destroy Incarnate Dragon!” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon opened its mouths. All three heads began shaking with energy just before they launched three enormous lasers at Incarnate Dragon, which caused it to explode on contact. (Kisune 2600→2300)

 

Kisune stated, “You have fought well, but due to Incarnate Dragon’s effect, it will return all of my Dragons to my Graveyard and inflicts 400 damage to my opponent for each one.” Hiru was forced back by the explosion, but he put all of his weight into his feet, keeping him planted on the ground. (Hiru 3600→1200)

 

Senith moaned, “Great. Next turn, Kisune will be able to bring back Kisune, and Hiru will-…”

 

Zugai quickly looked through a few extra cards and tossed Senith an Incarnate Dragon. “Read the effect. He can’t Summon any monsters from his Graveyard anymore.”

 

Hiru finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Kisune said, “My turn. I activate Rise of the Successors. If I have Felgrand Dragon, Tyrant Dragon, and Darkblaze Dragon in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon 3 Dragon Lord monsters from my Deck. However, I cannot Normal Summon this turn, and their effects are negated. I Summon Dragon Lords Azera, (0/0) Sven, (1300/200), and Pendragon. (1600/1000) Next, I activate Controlled Harmony. If I control more than 1 Tuner Monster, I select a Tuner Monster in my field, and all other monsters become non-Tuners. Pendragon is now the only Tuner Monster I control. I Tune it with Azera and Sven!” Pendragon tossed his spear into the air, and it transformed into four yellow rings. Azera and Sven leapt into the rings, transforming into six stars. “At the end of all things, the strongest being will descend and set the world ablaze! Synchro Summon!” The rings and stars quickly compressed into one point, and an overpowering shockwave spread across the entire field, as if a meteorite struck the ground. “Descend forth: Ultimate Destructor – Drago Ugma!” Drago Ugma slowly rose from over the horizon, large enough to eat the moon in one bite. (4000/3000)

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “That thing again…”

 

Senith asked, “How is it physically possible for it to be that big?”

 

Kisune continued, “I activate the effect of Drago Ugma. By removing Sven from play, I can increase its ATK by 1500. (4000→5500/3000) Destroy everything.” Drago Ugma launched an enormous beam from the sky, hitting Blue-Eyes and the earth like a meteor the size of Venus. (Hiru 1200→200) The Earth began crumbling, and every form of life, including Hiru, began crumbling. Kisune, intact, asked, “Is this how you would leave everything precious to you?”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, which were filled with determination. He began moving his disappearing hand and noticed that even though it was gone, he could move it. Of course. He’s destroying the earth in the virtual reality! He reached for his medallion and began glowing blue, and the light spread around his body, tracing it. Much better. He reached forward with his palm and activated his hand of matter, creating a large amount of antimatter in the center of the field. The antimatter reacted with the matter, creating Annihilation, destroying the virtual reality in a flash of light.

 

Once Hiru could see again, he was on the roof, staring at Kisune, who was standing on the head of Drago Ugma, stationed on the ground and as big as before. Kisune commented, “You’re fighting better this time, Hiru Hitono. But you’re still too weak to beat me by yourself.”

 

Hiru said, “I’m not the only one who’s fighting. My whole team contributed to this fight, and got us to this point!”

 

Kisune did not respond, and continued, “You do not have the power to destroy a dimension eater like Drago Ugma. I’ll let you die with this greedy world, nobody witnessing your humiliating loss.” Drago Ugma roared and spread its wings, quickly flying into the air. The force from its wing beats caused Hiru to be lifted hundreds of yards into the air, almost high enough to reach the clouds.

 

Hiru panicked, Almost no air up here. Can barely breath… but I can’t just lose! “Even if I can’t defeat it as a normal person, I’ll create a miracle!”

 

Kisune called, “Such things do not exist except in legends.”

 

Hiru stared at his Deck, and softly said to himself, “I must win. The card I draw must be the card I need. Miracle Draw!” Hiru drew his card and stared at its back, making sure not to let go of it. He turned it around, and as he saw the face of it, hundreds of memories began rushing to him.

 

§ Two years ago

Zugai commented, “You still can’t Summon it, huh?”

 

Hiru countered, “Shut up! This will definitely be the time!” Hiru was Dueling Zugai. On his field was 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons, while Zugai had a Set Card and Gren Maju Da Eiza with 4000 ATK.

 

Hiru smiled, “My turn! Oh. My. God. Zugai, I can’t believe I’m going to do this.”

 

Zugai leaned back and crossed his arms, “Okay.”

 

Hiru said, “I activate Polymerization! I fuse the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons on my Field to Fusion Summon the Ultimate Monster: the strongest dragon in the game of Duel Monsters: Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! (4500/3800)

 

Zugai said, “Okay.”

 

Hiru said, “Come on, Zugai, why aren’t you impressed? It’s freaking Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”

 

Zugai revealed his Set Card, Chthonian Polymer and said, “I would be if I didn’t control it.” Zugai moved his Gren Maju Da Eiza to his Graveyard and put out his hand. Frustrated, Hiru gave Zugai the card.

 

“I can’t believe it. As soon as I get to Summon it, it gets into your control.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Better than what I did with Slifer.”

 

Hiru dipped his head, “That was just cheep what you did with Chain Strike.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Better than losing. But still, you’re kind of obvious sometimes, just a warning.”

 

Hiru said, “Nothing I can do about it.”

 

Zugai said, “You can at least prepare yourself. I mean, if you think about it, your opponent will always be one step ahead of you, right?”

 

Hiru nodded, “I don’t get what you’re saying. I end my turn.”

 

Zugai drew his card, and said, “If you’re one step ahead of yourself, that would make you one step ahead of them, wouldn’t it? Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon kills you.”

 

Hiru took the dragon back and said, “I guess so. It’s extremely complicated to do that, but I guess it could work.”

 

Zugai said, “If you think its difficult, then just use it on your strongest opponents that seem to know your every move.”

§ Present

 

Hiru said, “I activate Beyond World Fusion. By returning removed from play Fusion Material Monsters to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon that Fusion Monster from my Graveyard. I return my 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons to my Graveyard to Summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! (4500/3800)”

 

Kisune narrowed his eyes, “I activate the effect of Drago Ugma. I remove Incarnate Dragon from play to increase the ATK of Drago Ugma by 1500. (4000→5500/3000) You can’t beat unstoppable power, Hiru Hitono.”

 

Hiru continued, “Also, with beyond World Fusion, I can pay half my Life Points and discard 1 card to add 1 card from my Deck to my hand. (Hiru 200→100) I activate Clash of True Power! This allows both of us to draw until we have 5 cards in our hands.”

 

Kisune and Hiru both drew until they had 5 cards. Hiru smiled, “I Summon Legendary Knight – Odysseus! (300/300) By removing it from play, I can discard my hand to add 1 removed from play card and 1 card from my Deck to my hand. I return Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon to my hand and add Fusion Recovery to my hand. With the effect of Fusion Recovery, I can add Polymerization and Blue-Eyes White Dragon to my hand.”

 

Kisune’s eyes widened, “What!? How did he get this combo from no cards in his hand!?”

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate Polymerization! This fuses Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” Should I try it… nah. The attack names were enough. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Blue-Eyes White Dragon transformed into large rays of light and dashed to the sky, merging where the sun was. The day sky suddenly shattered, sparkling blue crystal droplets of light falling from the sky like raindrops. All the stars became visible, and the sun transformed into a solar eclipse.

 

Kisune stared at the sky, “What kind of power…?”

 

Hiru smiled, “I Fusion Summon my very own Star Card: Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon!” A blue light descended from the slower eclipse, engulfing Hiru and arcing upwards. The light faded, and the armored Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon, as large as a normal Blue-Eyes, appeared, flying towards Drago Ugma at blinding speed, with Hiru on his head. (3000/2500) While touching it, Hiru felt he could breath normally as he continued rising, and the pressures did not affect his body. They dashed through a large layer of clouds, seeing Kisune flying as well at an equal altitude.

 

Hiru smiled, “When Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon is Fusion Summoned, by sending a Fusion Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, it can inflict 800 damage to your Life Points. I send Legendary Beast – Cerberus from my Deck to the Graveyard, so you take 800 damage!” A bolt of blue lighting escaped from Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon’s mouth, striking Kisune. (Kisune 2300→1500)

 

Kisune growled, “So what? It still stands no chance against my Drago Ugma!”

 

Hiru continued, “I activate the second effect of Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon. By discarding a monster, I can inflict damage to your Life Points equal to its Level times 100. Also, Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon will gain the discarded monster's effects. I discard Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon. Its Level is 10, so you take 1000 damage!” Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon launched two lasers from its eyes, also striking Kisune. (Kisune 1500→500) “Due to the effect of Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon that it gained from Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, it gains ATK equal to the number of Dragons in my Graveyard. There are 9 total, so it gains 2700 ATK! (3000→5700/2500)

 

Kisune yelled, “This changes nothing! Since Incarnate Dragon is no longer in my Graveyard, I would be able to Summon Kisune, and it will easily overpower your Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon! No matter how much you struggle, you cannot change fate! I’ve won!”

 

Hiru said, “Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon also gains 400 ATK for each Fusion Monster in my Graveyard.”

 

Kisune’s eyes widened, “W-what?”

 

Hiru declared, “I have 5 Fusion Monsters in my Graveyard, so Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon gains 2000 more ATK! (5700→7700/2500)”

 

Kisune stared in fear, “7700 ATK!?”

 

Hiru smiled, “Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon, end this! Shining Nova!” Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon roared, and began glowing blue. It dashed towards Drago Ugma at the speed of light, leaving a long trail of indigo behind it. First, it dashed through Drago Ugma’s claws. Afterwards, it swereved around and dashed through its left wing in a zig-zag pattern that destroyed the whole thing. After shattering its left wing, it flew strait through Drago Ugma’s right arm, ripping it off its body. Before Drago Ugma could howl in anguish, Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon dashed around and in front of Drago Ugma. Maintaining its speed, it flew straight into Drago Ugma’s head, crashing through its skull and along its spine, flying out of the tip of its tail. It proceeded to catch the Kisune in mid-air, and flew straight towards the ground below, breaking through the clouds and the stadium roof.

 

Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon hit the ground with a thud, and with a large pillar of light in the room. When the light faded, Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon stood there, clutching a limp Kisune in its right claw. Hiru was on the ground in front of its head, with his right foot in front of his left food, right hand against the ground, left hand horizontally next to him, and crouching. Suddenly, Drago Ugma exploded in a flash of light, letting artificial, yet beautiful, sunlight seep through the clouds, and a large ray went into the stadium, as if mother nature herself was declaring Hiru as the victor.

 

The whole stadium was dead silent. Brendan and Ranmyaku stared at the scene in disbelief as did the rest of the audience. The commentator finally stuttered, “I-I don’t b-believe it. After a long and in-intense b-b-b-battle, th-the undefeated champions, Team Ar-Armageddon, has fallen to the new and powerful…” confidence returned to the commentator’s voice as he yelled, “Team Go!” The audience remained silent. Suddenly, a small group of people began clapping. The applause began spreading across the stadium slowly, yet efficiently, and within 5 seconds, the whole crowd was giving Hiru standing ovation as Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon faded.

 

All of Hiru’s friends

 

Hiru stared in disbelief and said to himself, “I can’t believe it. I won. I can’t believe it.”

 

Ayra, behind him, wrapped her arms around Hiru, “I can.”

 

Senith stepped to them, and asked, “Is it official?”

 

Ayra’s emotion turned from proud to disgusted as she snarled, “The only thing stopping me from killing you right now is the audience.”

 

Kisune, slowly standing up, said, “This can’t be… I don’t lose…”

 

Zugai tapped him on the back, “Well, as much as you win, you’re always going to be a sore loser.”

 

Kea warned, “Zugai, don’t make a bad situation worse…”

 

Kisune started slowly walking away, his face blocked from his white cloak. He stopped and turned, “Just remember, Hiru Hitono,” he turned his head, showing his eye full of burning hatred, “I will be the one to defeat you. And when I do, this world will vanish.”

 

Hiru stared back, and said, “As long as I’m improving, there’s no way that you’ll be able to catch up to me, Kisune.”

 

Kisune said, “Pfft,” and walked out of the stadium. Brendan and Ranmyaku stepped to Team Go.

 

Brendan said, “I apologize for his rudeness. He was never able to accept losses in anything.”

 

Senth shrugged, “Don’t worry about it. At least his whole team isn’t like that, Fire Samurai.”

 

Ranmyaku rolled his eyes, “What would you know about honor? Seriously, you guys are lame.”

 

Ayra sighed, “Stop contradicting yourself.”

 

Brendan said, “As much as we – I mean, I would continue to congratulate you, we have an appointment. Sayonara.” Brendan began walking away, and Ranmyaku vanished in a flash of light.

 

Hiru said, “I’m surprised the press hasn’t discussed anything about Ranmyaku teleporting.”

 

Ayra shrugged, “Whatever. Oh yeah, I booked tonight.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Sweet! Where?”

 

Ayra smiled, “We’re going to be eating at Swiss Domino’s.”

 

Zugai facepalmed, “I don’t know why you guys can’t get outside of American… what’s the word I’m looking for?”

 

Kea asked, “Culture?”

 

Zugai said, “I’m not looking for an oxymoron…”

 

Kea yelled, “Don’t insult your country like that!”

 

Zugai said, “I’ve been doing it since I moved back to America. Besides, you can’t deny the truth.”

 

Kea scowled, “You seem to care about the truth more than people.”

 

Zugai winked, “Call me Philaretus.” The group began celebrating at the center of the stadium.

 

Black stared out from the dark and said, “Rejoice, Interstellars. Rejoice while you can. Rejoice before you encounter despair that surpasses Kisune’s roars of anger.”

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 36]

 

Chapter 36: Blades of Warriors

 

Two hours have passed since the downfall of Team Armageddon. Due to technical problems with the Duel Terminal, the next match, Team Creation versus Team Solar Wind, was delayed by two and a half hours. In the meantime, Zugai decided to relax with Kai, Kea, and his friends from Zurich. While waiting, they decided to spar a bit with their Decks. Zugai fell asleep for a few moments, but woke up as Clem began to Duel DJ.

 

DJ said, “My turn. I Summon Royal Knight in Attack Mode. (1300/800) I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Clem said, “My turn. I Summon Familiar Hornet! (600/200) When it’s Summoned, I can Special Summon 2 more from my Deck! (600/200) Next, since I control 2 or more Familiar monsters, I can activate the Adinkra Symbol, Aya from my hand. Now, all of my monsters gain 1000 ATK!”

 

DJ smiled, “Actually, I activate Trap Supression. This negates the activation of Aya and destroys it.”

 

Clem continued, “I activate the effect of Familiar Hornet! By Tributing 1 of them, I can Special Summon a monster from my hand! I Summon Blazing Hiita! (800/1500) Next, I Tribute my second Familiar Hornet to Summon Focal Synchron! (100/100) Next, I Tune it with my two monsters! Hornets of flames, gather your incalculable numbers and become those that swarm and sting! Synchro Summon! Creature of mass: Mmoboro, Hornet Familiar! (2000/1000) Mmoboro has the ability to attack twice if I have 3 Familiar Hornets in my Graveyard. I also activate the effect of Mmoboro. It can attack my opponent directly this turn by sending an Adinkra Symbol I control to the Graveyard.” Mmoboro scattered and gathered again, surrounding DJ. Their buzzing become much louder as they maneuvered from DJ in one, large mass. (DJ 8000→4000) “I end my turn.”

 

DJ said, “My turn. I activate Dawn of the Herald. By sending my Heralds of Green, Orange, and Purple light to my Graveyard, I can Ritual Summon Herald of Perfection! (1800/2800) Next, I activate the effect of Dawn of the Herald. By removing it from play, I can return Herald of Orange Light to my hand. Next, I Summon Banisher of the Radience. (1600/0)”

 

Kai commented, “They’re not bad. I mean, they could have easily competed in Battle City and done moderately well.”

 

Zugai said, “I know. Still, they need work.”

 

DJ continued, “I attack Mmoboro with Royal Knight. Also, I discard Honest to increase Royal Knight’s ATK by the ATK of Mmoboro. (1300→3300/800)” Royal Knight, at blinding speed, cut through Mmoboro, cutting every insect in the swarm in half. (Clem 8000→6700) “Also, when Royal Knight destroys a monster by battle, I gain Life equal to its DEF. (DJ 4000→5000) Also, due to the effect of Banisher of the Radiance, all cards are removed from play instead of sent to the Graveyard. Herald of Perfection and Banisher of Radiance also attack you directly.” Banisher of Radiance tossed two spheres of yellow light at Clem, exploding as they hit the ground. (Clem 6700→5100) Afterwards, Herald of Perfection launched a beam of three rainbow lights at Clem, engulfing her. (Clem 5100→3300)

 

Taking his focus off the Duel, Zugai said Kai, “You know what I find a bit interesting?”

 

Kai said, “You find a lot of things interesting.”

 

Zugai continued, “When people Duel, they’re difference in power is generally based on how good their Deck is and how tactical they are.”

 

Kai said, “Yep.”

 

Zugai asked, “If that’s so, how come people with better strategies and Decks lose to people on a regular basis?”

 

Kai looked towards the roof, “There’s definitely something else, we just don’t really know what it is.”

 

Zugai commented, “I think we might. I know what the name of it is, but I don’t really know how to describe it.”

 

Kai said, “Well, what is it?”

 

Zugai looked back at the Duel, and saw Clem winning again. She had 1200 Life Points and Anansi, while DJ had an open field and 2900 Life Points.

 

Kai asked, “How the hell do these scenarios tend to happen?”

 

Zugai said, “Well, I guess her cards flow well.”

 

§ Twenty minutes later…

 

“Ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely apologize for the delay, but I promise you, your time waiting will definitely be worth it! Right now, we will have the tournament favorite, Team Creation, fighting the youngest group in the history of Battle City, Team Solar Wind!”

 

Zugai commented, “We seem like such science geeks. I mean, ‘Creation’, ‘Round Table, ‘Geosphere’, ‘Armageddon’, and ‘Go’, even…”

 

Kea commented, “We are being lead by a science freak, so you can’t be surprised.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Finally, somebody else admits I’m a geek.”

 

The commentator continued, “First into the stadium, we have the first member of Team Creation, the strongest Warrior user in the history of the game, Josep!” Josep stepped out and onto the stadium, quickly walking to the center of the ring. As he walked, the commentator introduced, “Now, facing him, we have the young prodigy, youngest person that ever entered Battle City, Kai Taizen!”

 

Kai began walking, and he thought to himself, Strongest? Let’s see if he can withstand my awesomeness. “So, Josep, let’s get this started.”

 

Josep said, “My turn! I Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Shinai in Attack Mode. (1500/1500) I end my turn.”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, Starting with the Legendary Six already, huh? Gotta be careful, he devastated a different Warrior Deck easily with these guys... “My turn! I activate Herculean Power! If my opponent controls a monster and I don’t, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Gemini Monster from my hand! I Special Summon Gemini Soldier! (500/300)”

 

Hiru muttered, “Kai, what are you doing?”

 

Kai continued, “Next, I Gemini Summon Gemini Soldier! Next, I attack Shinai!” Gemini Soldier tossed a small propelled tranquilizer needle at Shinai, which exploded as it contacted it. (Kai 8000→7000) “Once per turn, Gemini Soldier can’t be destroyed by battle. Also, when it does battle, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Gemini Monster from my Deck! I Summon Evocator Chevalier! (1900/900) Evocator, attack Shinai!” Evocator dashed at Shinai and cut him in half, causing him to explode behind him. (Josep 8000→7600) “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Josep said, “My turn.”

 

Kai said, “I activate my Trap: Gemini Barrier. I select a Gemini Monster, and it can’t be destroyed by battle, and all damage with it reduces to 0. However, if another monster I control is destroyed, this card is destroyed.”

 

Josep said, “In that case, I Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kageki. (200/2000) When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon another Six Samurai from my hand. I Special Summon Enishi! (1700/700) Also, since I control a Six Samurai, I can Special Summon Legendary Six Samurai – Kizan! (1800/500) Next, since I control 2 or more Six Samurais, I can Special Summon Great Shogun Shien from my hand. (2500/2400) Also, the effects of the Six Samurais will begin to activate. Kageki will gain 1500 ATK since I control another Six Samurai. (200→1700/2000) Enishi gains 500 ATK and DEF since I control 2 other Six Samurais. (1700→2200/700→1200) Kizan also gains 300 ATK and DEF with its effect. (1800→2100/500→800) Also, since Shien’s on the field, you can only activate 1 Spell or Trap Card this turn.”

 

Kai said, “That’s what I’ll do. I activate my Trap: Staunch Defender! Now, all face-up monsters you control must attack Gemini Soldier!”

 

Josep’s eyes widened, “What strategy is-?”

 

Kai smiled, “Surely you haven’t forgotten? When Gemini Soldier battles, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Gemini Monster from my Deck.”

 

Zugai said, “That’s Kai for you, taking total advantage of Josep’s swarming.”

 

Kai smiled, “Now, I’m afraid we have a lot of battling to do, here.” Gemini Soldier tossed four tiny rockets at Josep’s Six Samurais. They all exploded, but the Six Samurais barely budged. “I Special Summon Tuned Magician, (1800/1600) Dawnbreak Gardna (1500/500), and Dark Valkyria! (1800/1050)”

 

Josep narrowed his eyes, “I end my turn.”

 

Kai smiled, “My turn. I Gemini Summon Tuned Magician. Now, it’s treated as a Tuner Monster. I Tune my Level 4 Tuned Magician to my Level 3 Dawnbreak Gardna!” Tuned Magician transformed into four green rings which surrounded Dawnbreak Gardna, and Dawnbreak Gardna transformed into three more stars. The stars all vanished in seven slashes of light, as if light itself was cutting through reality. A golden warrior, clutching two large swords, appeared on the field. “I Synchro Summon Seven Swords Warrior! (2300/1800) Next, I equip it with Star Blade! It equips to a Level 7 or lower Synchro Monster and increases its ATK by 700! (2300→3000/1800) Also, it can attack twice this turn.”

 

Josep narrowed his eyes, “What?”

 

Kai continued, “Also, when Seven Swords Warrior is equipped with an Equip Card, you take 800 damage! Equip Shot!” Seven Swords Warrior tossed its blade at Josep. It hit him, bounced off him and then the ground, and returned to Seven Swords Warrior’s hand. (Josep 7600→6800) “Next, Seven Swords Warrior will attack Enishi!” Seven Swords Warrior quickly cut through Enishi seven consecutive times, causing it to explode. (Josep 6800→6000) “Also, since you no longer control two or more Six Samurai monsters, Kizan loses its 300 ATK and DEF. (2100→1800/800→500)”

 

Zugai smiled, “Wow. He’s about to slaughter Josep.”

 

Kai continued, “Evocator Chevalier, destroy Kizan!” Evocator Chevalier dashed at Kizan, and Kizan darted at equal speeds. Their blades clashed, but Evoctar quickly thrust a fireball in its palm into Kizan’s chest, causing it to burn. (Josep 6000→5900) “Now, since you no longer control any other Six Samurai monsters, Kageki’s ATK returns to 200. (1700→200/2000) Gemini Soldier, destroy Kageki!” Gemini Soldier tossed a rocket at Kageki, which hit Kageki in the chest, causing him to explode. (Josep 5900→5600) “Due to the effect of Gemini Soldier, at the end of the Damage Step, I can Special Summon a Gemini Monster from my Deck! I Summon Gemini Lancer! (1800/1400) Now then, since you no longer control any Six Samurai monsters, Shien can finally be destroyed.”

 

Josep grunted as Kai smiled, “Seven Swords Warrior, destroy Shien! Cross Impact!” Seven Swords Warrior, leapt at Shien, but Shien quickly countered and almost stabbed Seven Swords Warrior with its katana. However, just before it contacted, Seven Swords Warrior quickly maneuvered to be at Shien’s side, and sliced with its two blades. Two perpendicular light, intersecting at where Shien was placed, crossed through the air as Seven Swords Warrior swung its blades. Shien was cut into four equal pieces, and exploded. (Josep 5600→5100)

 

Josep continued, “Now, Gemini Lancer, attack Josep directly!” Gemini Lancer thrust its spear into Josep’s chest, making him kneel on the ground. (Josep 5100→3300) “Dark Valkyria, attack!” Dark Valkyria launched two bolts of dark lighting at Josep, and spasms were sent down his spine, causing him to collapse. (Josep 3300→1500)

 

Kai said, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

The commentator proudly announced, “Kai Taizen has inflicted 6100 damage to Josep on his second turn! He seemed to easily gain a tactical advantage over Josep Zavara!”

 

Hiru said to Zugai, “I thought you said their last names were unconfirmed!”

 

Zugai yelled, “It only shows their pseudonyms on the website! Instead of name, it clearly says ‘alias’!”

 

Josep crawled up and smiled, “Finally. I never faced a battle like this in 10 years.”

 

Kai asked, “Then why did you go to the minor leagues?”

 

Josep said, “Because even those in the major leagues lacked a quality that those could beat me have.”

 

Kai said, “Are you okay?”

 

Josep said, “Allow me to explain. Then again, it would be better to show than tell.” Josep began unwrapping a cloth around his right hand, and intense light shone over Kai’s face as it was slid down.

 

Kai’s vision returned while he was in a dojo, with many young samurai-dressed people training in swordwork. Not only that, but they were also training in a simple game: Duel Monsters.

 

Josep stood next to Kai, watching the scenery. He had a look of reflection in his eyes as he began speaking. “My family grew up in a region of warriors. Only the strongest warriors would survive, and only those with true mental and physical order would be able to crawl to the top. Our family was ranked in the same way Samurai’s were classed, with the Shogun, titled ‘Shogun of the Blue Flame’, at the top. The Shogun in my family was my father.

 

“As my father’s child, I was constantly pressured to become his successor. Eventually, it drove me to arrogance, and I chose to face him, with his title on the line.” The scenery flashed to a Duel between a younger Josep and an older man, his face cloaked by Samurai armor. Josep was in the lead, controlling Kizan, Enishi, Shi En, (2500/1400), and Kageki. At the same time, the man Josep was facing, controlled no cards. He had five cards in his hand and 100 Life Points, while Josep had 8000 Life Points and one card in his hand.

 

Josep’s father said, “My son, your ways are clouded. The blades your Samurai carry are tainted with arrogance and dishonor.”

 

Josep yelled, “Does it matter? Victory comes first, doesn’t it? That’s why you always win against others, because while you make them focus on honor, you focus on victory, don’t you?”

 

Josep’s father sighed, “You have much to learn.”

 

Josep countered, “So what? I’m winning. You have nothing on your field and 100 Life Points. What can you possibly do against me?”

 

Josep’s father said, “I will show you what power a true, unstained blade has. My turn.”

 

Josep said to Kai, “And what happened next was the greatest scar I have ever gotten.”

 

Josep’s father drew his card and said, “By removing from play the Kizan and Enishi in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Enishi, Shien’s Chancellor. (2200/1200) With its effect, I can destroy a monster you control instead of attacking. I destroy Shi En.” Enishi swiftly cut Shi En in two pieces like he was nothing.

 

Josep smiled, “I activate Enishi’s effect! By removing Shinai and Kagemusha from play, I can return it to your hand!” The younger Enishi stabbed his older counterpart, returning it to his hand.

 

Josep’s father sighed, “You have not learned well. By removing Yariza and Nisashi from play, I can Special Summon Enishi. (2200/1200) With its effect, I destroy Enishi. However, it cannot attack this turn if I use this effect.” Enishi cut in half by its older self. “Due to the effect of Kizan, it loses its ATK and DEF. (2100→1800/800→500) Next, I activate Monster Reborn to Summon your Shi En. (2500/1400) Also, since I control a Six Samurai monster, I can Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. (2100/800) Also, since I control two Six Samurai monsters, I can Special Summon Great Shogun Shien. (2500/2400) Next, I Normal Summon The Six Samurai – Zanji. (1800/1300) Next, I activate Six Strike – Triple Impact. If I control 3 Six Samurai monsters, this will destroy all monsters you control.” Zanji, Grandmaster, and Shi En, in a triangular formation, cut through all of Josep’s monsters, destroying them. Then, all of the remaining Samurai’s followed up by cutting through Josep directly. (Josep 8000→0)

 

Josep knelt on the ground, and his father said, “Josep, the mark on your hand represents honor. If you focus on your honor rather than victory, then you will become much stronger.” He smiled, “Remember your destiny.”

 

Kai asked, “What destiny?”

 

Josep closed his eyes, and the surroundings became black, “10 days later, my family was massacred, and I was the last one. Upon this, I found a card that showed my destiny. I am the last Samurai of the Fujiwara Clan.”

 

Kai’s eyes widened, “You’re actually… Mugen Fujiwara?”

 

Josep said, “I prefer the name I use now rather than my haunted name. Let’s continue this Duel.” The scenery returned to the way it was before, and Kai saw a Japanese character, probably meaning “Honor”, on Josep’s hand.

 

Josep smiled, “My turn! I activate Calling of the Six. If I control no monsters and my opponent does, I can Special Summon a Six Samurai from my Deck. Also, I can Summon one from my Graveyard, but during the End Phase, it’s destroyed. I Summon Zanji from my Deck! (1800/1300) Also, I Summon Kizan from my Graveyard. (1800/500) Also, I Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. (2100/800) And by removing Kizan and Seven Swords Warrior from play, I can Special Summon The Last Samurai – Mugen!” Kizan vanished from the field, and Josep himself drew his blade and dashed to the field. His blade was gleaming both gold and silver, as if it was no longer stained by any sin or blood. (2500/2000)

 

Zugai commented, “Griffin, Dark Magician, Dark Magician Knight, Stardust, and Mugen… how many more 2500 ATK monsters will we be witnessing? Right now, this is 5 used in tournaments… 7, actually, because of Excalibur and Shien…”

 

Josep continued, “I activate the effect of Mugen. By removing a Six Samurai in my Graveyard from play, Mugen gains its effects. I remove Kageki from play. Now, since I control another Six Samurai, Mugen will gain 1500 ATK. (2500→4000/2000) Also, I activate Twin Swords of the Six. This turn, Mugen can attack twice. However, I cannot attack monsters with the same name twice during this Battle Phase.”

 

Kea said, “I guess Kai isn’t the only one getting slaughtered out there…”

 

Josep said, “Zanji, destroy Gemini Soldier.” Zanji swung its staff at Gemini Soldier, and Gemini Soldier exploded after contact. (Kai 7000→5700)

 

Senith asked, “How come Gemini Soldier was destroyed?”

 

Ayra answered, “Even though Gemini Soldier can’t be destroyed by battle once per turn, Zanji destroys the monster it battles after the Damage step.”

 

Josep continued, “Grandmaster of the Six Samurai, destroy Evocator.” Grandmaster vanished and reappeared behind Evocator, cleaving it in half horizontally, even cutting through its limbs. (Kai 5700→5500) “Now, Mugen, destroy both of Kai’s monsters in one strike.” Josep first dashed at Dark Valkyria easily by decapitating it with his katana. (Kai 5500→3300) Josep then leapt at Gemini Lancer and swung his blade vertically, cleaving it into two pieces. (Kai 3300→1100) Josep finished, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn. During this End Phase, Mugen loses the effect of Kageki. (4000→2500/2000)”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “My turn. I activate my Trap: Soul Resurrection. This will revive Dawnbreak Gardna in Defense Mode. (1500/500) Next, I Gemini Summon it. When its Gemini Summoned, its DEF becomes 2300. (1500/500→2300) Next, I activate Monster Reborn to revive Gemini Soldier in Defense mode. (500/300) I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Josep said, “All you can do is defend, huh? You’re protecting yourself from my 3 monsters, and Mugen cannot attack you directly. But it doesn’t matter. Zanji, destroy Gemini Soldier.” Zanji cut Gemini Soldier in half for a second time.

 

Kai said, “When Gemini Soldier battles, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Gemini Monster from my Deck. I Summon Future Samurai! (1600/1200)”

 

Josep wondered, Why attack mode? If I activate Mugen’s effect… Josep realized, So that’s what you want. If I attack Future Samurai, an Attack Position Normal Monster, you’ll activate Justi-Break, destroying all other monsters on the field and attacking me directly next turn. I can counter it, but I would rather not waste my Set Card until I can inflict damage to him… “Mugen, destroy Dawnbreak Gardna!” Josep raised his blade and brought it down on Dawnbreak Gardna. However, it came to a stop and the clang rang through the air. Josep asked, “What?” Suddenly, the ground began cracking open beneath his Samurai, and a heavy earthquake hit the stadium. “What did you…?”

 

Kai smiled, “I activated my Trap: Gemini Trap Hole! When a Gemini Monster with its effects is destroyed by battle, it destroys all monsters my opponent controls!”

 

Josep’s eyes widened as the tremors began becoming rougher in magnitude, but he quickly returned to his senses and said, “I activate my Trap Card: Spirit of the Last Samurai!” The earthquake began calming, but as soon as it stopped, all of Josep’s samurai were on the field. “During the turn that a Six Samurai monster is destroyed, this card Special Summons all of the Six Samurai that were destroyed this turn, and if Great Shogun Shien is in the Graveyard, monsters Summoned by this effect gain 2000 ATK until my next Standby Phase, but cannot declare an attack. (2500→4500/2000) (2100→4100/800) (1800→3800/1300) Also, you can only select Mugen as an attack target.”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, and Josep finished, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kai grunted, I don’t have any method of increasing the ATK of a monster I control to 4500… if only I was using my old Deck… dammit, Oujo! “My turn!” He drew his card and looked at it. His eyes widened as it almost granted his wish: it was Neo Elemental Hero – Stargate. Well, too bad this is… wait, what the hell is happening? His card’s picture began glowing like a star itself. In the light, he heard a voice whisper, “Be careful what you wish for. All things have a price.” After those words were uttered, the light died down. Kai looked at the Star Card again. The picture stayed the same, but one key characteristic was different: it was no longer Neo Elemental Hero – Stargate. It became a new being: Elemental Spirit Stargate. It’s still Stargate, but I’ll take it. Let’s see what it… oh, that’s more than enough. “If I have 4 or more Normal Monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Elemental Spirit Stargate from my hand!” Kai was suddenly surrounded by a column of light. Droplets of it began gathering around Kai’s body, shaping into a large armor. Color was suddenly added to the light, and it transformed into matter, creating a large, crystal, mechanical armor around Kai. (2500/2000)

 

Zugai muttered, “Eight.”

 

Josep narrowed his eyes, “So, just like Mugen, this card is bound to you? Finally, a warrior good enough to fight me with his own spirit!”

 

Kai continued, “I activate the effect of Stargate. By removing from play up to four monsters in my Graveyard with different Attributes, this card gains 500 ATK for each one. I remove from play the WIND Gemini Soldier, the LIGHT Future Samurai, the WATER Gemini Lancer, and the FIRE Evocator Chevalier! Stargate gains 2000 ATK! (2500→4500/2000)”

 

Josep said, “So what? I activate the effect of Mugen. By removing from play Kizan, Mugen now gains 300 ATK! (4500→4800/2000)”

 

Kai picked his last card in his hand and declared, “I’m not done. I activate Gaia Break. By returning all of my removed from play monsters to my Graveyard, I can destroy all monsters you control, and inflict 500 damage to my opponent for each card destroyed with this effect!” Kai raised his hand and opened it, extending his fingers. He closed it, and a beam of light extended from it, shaped like an extremely long sword. “Let’s finish this!” He swung the katana, and it sliced through all three monsters, creating an enormous explosion that covered the field. Kai looked through the smoke with Stargate and declared, “It’s over. And also, due to the effect of Gaia Break, I can draw 1 card for each monster destroyed by its effect. I draw 3 cards.”

 

As the smoke cleared, Kai could see that Josep no longer had his monsters, but was still standing. He was panted and scarred, but his Life Points did not change. (Josep 1500)

 

Josep declared, “As long as I have Spirit of the Last Samurai on my field, I don’t take any effect damage!”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “Due to the effect of Gaia Break, I have to decrease the ATK of a monster I control by 2000. (4500→2500/2000) But this is more than enough! Stargate, attack Josep directly!”

 

Josep quickly intercepted, “I activate my Trap: Double-Edged Sword Technique! This allows me to Special Summon 2 Six Samurai monsters from my Graveyard, but they’re both destroyed during the End Phase! Revive: Mugen! (2500/2000) Grandmaster! (2100/800) Also, due to the effect of Spirit of the Last Samurai, you cannot negate the attack! And by removing Zanji from play, Mugen gains its effects!”

 

Kai yelled, “I’m not giving up yet!” Kai flew into the air with his armor and pointed his arm at Mugen, launching a bright laser. At the same time, Josep drew his katana and intercepted the blade, deflecting the laser while creating an intense light. He continued moving through the air toward Stargate as the stadium was engulfed with blinding light as the last samurai clashed with a Star Card.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 37]

 

Chapter 37: Rising Altitude

 

Kai and Josep both narrowed their eyes to shield them from the blinding light, and both monsters slowly began to lower to the ground. Josep, planted on the ground, began putting all of his weight into his feet to fight the laser. He slowly began inching towards Stargate, and the laser reached its limit, creating an enormous explosion in the stadium. Kai slowly realized his Stargate armor was slowly vanishing, turning to dust. Panting, Kai tried peering through the smoke, and when it cleared, Kai saw that Mugen was on the field, yet Grandmaster of the Six Samurai was not. Kai narrowed his eyes, “A basic Six Samurai dodge, huh?”

 

Josep said, “You got that. If a Six Samurai would be destroyed, I can destroy a different one instead. Also, due to the effect of Grandmaster, I can add a Six Samurai from my Graveyard to my hand. However, due to the effect of Spirit of the Last Samurai, unless its Mugen, a monster I add to my hand can only have 1500 ATK or less.”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn. During this End Phase, Mugen is destroyed.”

 

Josep smiled, “My turn! I Summon Shinai! (1500/1500) Shinai, attack Kai directly!” Shinai began running at Kai, dragging his kanabo along the ground. As he began sprinting, he lifted both and began swinging.

 

Kai quickly interrupted, “I activate my Trap: A Hero Emerges! My opponent selects a card in my hand, and I can Special Summon it! Since there is only one in my hand, you can’t really make any other choice. I Summon Phoenix Gearfried!” Phoenix Gearfried materialized between Kai and Shinai, and Shinai stopped its attack in mid-swing.

 

Josep said, “In that case, I activate Monster Reincarnation. By discarding one card, I can add Mugen to my hand! By removing both Shinai and Phoenix Gearfried from play, I can Special Summon it!” Josep, already looking exhausted, drew his katana, which began glowing in a mysterious silver light. (2500/2000) “I end my turn.”

 

Kai panted, “My turn! I activate Dimension Draw. If I have a Level 8 or higher removed from play monsters, I can return them to the Graveyard to draw 2 cards. Since I control no monsters, using Herculean Power, I can Special Summon Blazewing Butterfly! (1500/1500) Next, I Gemini Summon it. Also, I can Tribute it to Special Summon a Gemini Monster from my Graveyard, giving it its effects! I Summon Phoenix Gearfried! (2800/2200) Next, I Set 1 card, and discard 1 card to activate Phoenix Wing Wind Blast! This returns Mugen to the top of your Deck!”

 

Josep’s eyes widened, “What!?” Phoenix Gearfried swung its blade, and a fast stream of fire emerged, completely engulfing Josep. He narrowed his eyes and shielded his face, but was eventually thrown into the air by the blast. He began flipping through the air, limp, and crashed into the back wall. He gasped as all the air was forced from his lungs, and seemingly in slow motion, fell to the ground.

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “This ends it. Phoenix Gearfried, attack him directly!” Phoenix Gearfried charged at the fallen Josep, swinging his burning blade. As it contacted him, it created an enormous explosion that marked the end of the Duel between the best-known Warrior users. (Josep 1500→0)

 

The commentator declared, “Josep Zavara, the man who defeated the original Warrior master, has fallen to the hands on the young and new Duelist, Kai Taizen!” The audience began cheering wildly as Josep limped to the cave.

 

Kosoru stepped from the cave and passed Josep. He commented, “Really? You gave me nothing to fight him?”

 

Josep retorted, “Do you really need anything?”

 

Kosoru said, “You have a point there.” He stepped onto the field, and said to Kai, “Do you know how fast wounded animals become killed and eaten as prey?”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “Slower than how long you will beat me?”

 

Kosoru retorted, “I’ll tell you, it’s really f*cking fast. My turn! I activate Block Attack. This switches Phoenix Gearfried to Defense Mode. Next, I Set 2 cards and Summon Transforming Sphere! (100/100)”

 

Kai winced as Kosoru continued, “Also, by discarding 1 card, I can equip 1 monster you control to Transforming Sphere.” Transforming Sphere spread its wings, and a green whirlwind completely surrounded Phoenix Gearfried. It became a large sphere, and the whole thing suddenly vanished, appearing in Transforming Sphere’s talons. “Transforming Sphere gains ATK and DEF equal to the ATK and DEF of Phoenix Gearfried. (100→2900/100→2300) Attack him directly!” Transforming Sphere spread its wings, seeming to be poised to attack. It flapped its wings, and two jets of air began quickly moving toward Kai.

 

Kai narrowed his eyes and said, “I pay 1000 Life Points to activate my Trap: Reanimation Force!” (Kai 1100→100) The two jets hit the ground in front of Kai and created an explosion, which covered Kai’s side of the field.

 

Kosoru thought, “What was that fuss about? He was as easy to defeat as… huh?” As the smoke cleared, Kai stood firm and with no Life Points, but a large hand of Earth stayed behind him, clutching many cards. Kosoru glimpsed the top one: Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. “What happened?”

 

Kai explained, “Reanimation Force. Like the Exceed Material Monsters to an Exceed Monster, every card in my Graveyard is placed under this card.”

 

Kosoru sneered, “Not like that can do you much good. At the end of the Battle Phase, you get Phoenix Gearfried back in Defense Mode. (2800/2200) Also, Transforming Sphere is switched to Defense mode. (2900→100/2300→100)”

 

Kai began walking back and said, “You’ll see.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking toward the rest area. Kea, both eager and nervous, rushed out of the cave. Kai drew his hand from his pocket and gave it to Kea.

 

Kea smiled, “That fast?”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “Shut up.”

 

Kea winked, placed Reanimation Weapon in her Duel Disk, and walked to the field. She smiled, “I hope you have fun with this.”

 

Kosoru snapped his fingers and said, “Sure. I’ll have fun messing with your head.”

 

Kea wondered to herself, Does this guy mean it? “Draw! I Summon Dragunity Alkys. (1000/800) When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Dragunity Monster from my hand, and equip this card to it. Appear now: Dragunity Angusticlavii!! (2100/1000) Next, I activate Cross Bearing. By Tributing a Defense position monster I control, I can destroy 1 Trap Card you control. I destroy your Set Card to the left.” Phoenix Gearfried disappeared in an explosion of fire, creating a shockwave that traveled through the field, destroying Kosoru’s Set Card. “Angusticlavii, destroy Transforming Sphere! When Angusticlavii attacks while equipped with a Dragunity monster, it inflicts Piercing damage!” Angusticlavii tossed one of its daggers at Transforming Sphere, breaking its gem and causing it to explode.

 

Kosoru smiled, “I activate my Trap: Atmosphere Forever. This inflicts all damage I would have taken to my opponent.” The explosion split into two forks, barely missing Kosoru. Afterwards, a mass of air rushed towards Kea, pushing her back. (Kea 8000→6000)

 

Kai commented, “Kosoru’s got a little touch for trickery, huh?”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “You just realized?”

 

Kea narrowed her eyes, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kosoru said, “My turn. Since you control a Level 5 monster, I can Special Summon Breeze Sphere. (700/1000) Next, by Tributing a Winged Beast monster I control, I can Summon Trophopshere. (2400/2000) Troposphere, destroy that… bird-man thing.” Troposphere dashed through Angusticlavii, splitting it in half and causing it to explode. (Kea 6000→5700) “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kea narrowed her eyes, “My turn!” Troposphere has 2400 ATK and is unaffected by Traps… in that case… “I activate Card Restoration. If a player has less than 3 cards in his or her hand, both players can draw 3 cards. I Summon Dragunity Pilum! (1400/1000) When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon a Dragunity monster from my hand, and equip this card to it. I Summon Dragunity Militum! (1700/1200) Next, I activate Dragon Mastery. With its effect, I can equip Dragunity Brandistock to Militum. And since Militum is equipped with a Dragunity monster, it gains 500 ATK! (1700→2200/1200) Also, I activate my Continuous Trap: Wind Burst! If a WIND monster battles, except for a direct attack, it gains 500 ATK! However, Troposphere is unaffected by Traps! It won’t gain that ATK!”

 

Kosoru scowled, “You f*cking…”

 

Kea said, “You tend to curse a lot, don’tcha? Militum attack…!”

 

Kosoru interrupted, “I activate my Trap: Air Barrier! Now you can’t attack Sphere monsters I control!” Troposphere spread its wings and flew higher, and a sphere of stormy wind surrounded it, making it unable to be attacked.

 

Kea smiled, “Who said I was attacking your Sphere monster?” Militum flew over the sphere and towards Kosoru himself. “Due to the effect of Pilum, by halving the Battle Damage, the equipped monster can attack you directly. Also, due to Brandistock, it can attack twice. In other words, you take 2200 damage total!” Militum swung its Brandistock and Pilum in a cross pattern, cutting an “x” pattern in Kosoru’s shirt, and causing him to cough up a bit of flam. (Kosoru 8000→5800)

 

Kosoru narrowed his eyes, “That was such a cheap shot!”

 

Kea retorted, “Oh yeah? We’ll see about that when you use your Gusto monsters, if you get the chance. I activate Militum’s effect! I can Special Summon a monster equipped to it! Come on out, Pilum! (1400/1000) Next, I Tune my Level 3 Dragunity Pilum to my Level 4 Dragunity Militum!” Dragunity Pilum transformed into 3 rings, and Militum leapt into the rings, transforming into four stars.

 

Zugai smiled, “Level 7! Here comes the triple threat!” Kai punched Zugai in the stomach with all the energy he had left.

 

Kea recited, “Winds of force, obtain power from the three streams of wind, and eliminate the power that lies in the future! Synchro Summon!” A white light pierced through the four stars and expanded, creating a large pillar of light descending onto the field. “Take flight: Dragunity Knight – Trident!” (2400/1700)

 

Zugai commented, “This is the thing that used to be her ace monster. Then she found Excalibur.”

 

Senith asked, “How good is it?”

 

Zugai sighed, “It’s a pain to all of us here except Ayra and Kai. You’ll find out in about two seconds.”

 

Kea smiled, “I activate the effect of Trident. By sending up to 3 cards I control to the Graveyard, I can look at your Extra Deck, and send one monster from your Extra Deck to your Graveyard for each card I sent to the Graveyard.”

 

Kosoru’s eyes widened, “Sh*t…”

 

Kea said, “Also, Wind Burst, if sent to the Graveyard for the effect of a WIND monster, can fulfill the cost of all 3 with its effect. Now then, let’s see…” Kosoru’s Extra Deck of 3 monsters appeared behind him, showing Daigusto Eguls, Daigusto Sphreeze (Sphered), and Daigusto Gulldos. “Well, I’ll send the 3 of ‘em to the Graveyard. Triple Stream!” Trident’s three blades on its head launched three separate beams of electricity, each one piercing through one card each. Kosoru growled, and he sent his three monsters to his Graveyard. “Due to the effect of Wind Burst, since I have no cards in my hand, I can draw 1 card for each card that would be sent to the Graveyard without its effect, so I draw 3 cards. I end my turn.”

 

Kosoru smiled, “Well, I guess you’ve proven that I should start taking you a bit seriously, huh?” He closed his eyes, and laughed to himself, “But first, let’s change the atmosphere a bit.” As he opened his eyes, which returned to its red glow, the scenery changed. In the virtual reality, the ground shattered, and hundreds of clouds began speeding out of the crater it created. They were no longer bound to Earth, but were falling continuously through the air.

 

Kosoru started, “My turn! I Tribute Troposphere to activate Star Breeze! I cannot Normal Summon or Special Summon monsters that are not Synchro Monsters while this card is on the field. However, by sending the appropriate Synchro Material of a Synchro Monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can Synchro Summon it!”

 

Kea narrowed her eyes, “What the hell?”

 

Kosoru continued, “I send my Level 2 Wynnda and my Level 3 Gulldo from my Deck to my Graveyard! Appear before me: Daigusto Gulldos! (2200/800) I activate the effect of Gulldos. By returning two Gusto monsters in my Graveyard to my Deck, I can destroy a face-up monster you control. I return Wynnda and Gulldo to my Deck! Pressure Wind!” Gulldos flapped its wings continuously, and the force of the wind that generated shattered Trident. “Gulldos, attack her directly!” Winnda, riding on top of the enlarged Gulldo, launched multiple green rings, with a beam in the center, at Kea, engulfing her. Her eyes widened as she felt the air being sucked out of her lungs with the attack. (Kea 5700→3500) “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai commented, “Well, he’s definitely not doing that bad. Instead of using the Extra Deck, he’s using something much better…”

 

Kea said, “My turn! I Summon Dragunity Dux! (1500/1000) When this card is Normal Summoned, I can equip a Dragunity Monster in my Graveyard to it. I equip Pilum! Due to Dragon Mastery’s effect, Dux gains 500 ATK! (1500→2000/1000) Also, with Dux’s effect, it gains 200 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster equipped to it. (2000→2200/1000) Next, with Pilum’s effect, Dux can attack you directly!” Dux flew underneath Gulldos and stabbed Kosoru with Pilum. Kosoru clutched his “wound” and kneeled down. (Kosoru 5800→4700) Kea finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Kosoru narrowed his eyes, “My turn! Gulldos, attack Dux!” Gulldos dove at Dux, and Dux countered by flying up at Gulldos. Gulldos’s beak collided with Dux’s Pilum, and both monsters locked weapons for a moment, exploding three seconds later. Kosoru continued, “Due to the effect of Star Breeze, Gulldos is removed from play. However, I send my Level 1 Gusto Egul and my Level 6 Windaar to the Graveyard to Synchro Summon Daigusto Eguls! (2600/1800) I activate its effect. I can remove from play 1 face-down card you control by removing from play a WIND in my Graveyard! I remove Troposphere from play! Wind Sonic!” Eguls screeched, and a sonic wave began bombarding Kea’s Set Card, destroying Windstorm of Etaqua.

 

Kosoru smiled, “I can see what kind of strategies you have. You can’t hide anything from me. I end my turn!”

 

Kea started, “My turn! I Summon Dragunity Legionnaire! (1200/800) When this card is Summoned, I can equip a Dragunity monster in my Graveyard to it. I equip Brandistock! (1200→1700/800) Also, by sending a card equipped to it to the Graveyard, I can destroy a face-up monster you control!” Legionnaire threw the brandistock it held at Eguls, piercing through its head completely directly between the eyes. Eguls lost balance and fell to the ground, exploding on impact. “Dragunity Legionnaire, attack him directly!” Dragunity Legionnaire flew directly in front of Kosoru and threw an uppercut punch with its right arm, knocking Kosoru off balance. (Kosoru 4700→3500) “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai commented, “These two use extremely different strategies when it comes to damaging each other, or at least in this Duel they are.”

 

Ayra added, “Kea normally doesn’t Duel this way.”

 

Hiru asked, “What do you mean?”

 

Kai explained, “Kosoru inflicted 4500 damage off of trickery and maneuvering through Kea’s monsters, destroying them or luring them. Kea, however, used a series of direct attacks to inflict the same amount of damage. Not only that, but her only attacks that were successful have been direct attacks.”

 

Darkness began to shadow Kosoru’s face as he drew his next card without a word. Kea commented, “No witty repertoire?”

 

Kosoru said, “I send my Gusto Sqwirl and Gusto Thunbolt from my Deck to the Graveyard to Synchro Summon Daigusto Sphreeze! (2000/1300) When its Synchro Summoned, I can add a Gusto Monster from my Graveyard to my hand. Also, since I no Synchro Monsters in my Graveyard, Star Breeze is destroyed. Now, I Summon Gusto Thunbolt. (1500/1200) Also, I activate Gusto Calling. If I have 3 or more Gusto monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Gusto Monster from my Deck. I Summon Caam, Serenity of Gusto. (1700/1100) Once per turn, I can use the effect of Caam, returning two Gusto monsters in my Graveyard to my Deck to draw 1 card. Daigusto Sphreez, destroy Dragunity Legionnaire!”

 

Kea interrupted, “I activate my Trap: Icarus Attack! By Tributing Legionnaire, I can destroy 2 cards on the field! I destroy Sphreeze and Caam!” A rainbow bolt of lightning descended from the sky and struck Legionnaire on the head. The light dispersed, creating many explosions around the field, but only managing to destroy Sphreeze and Caam.

 

Kosoru smiled, “But that leaves you wide open. Thunbolt, attack her directly!” Thunbolt roared, and electricity began sparking from its head, turning into a thunderbolt that struck Kea right between the eyes, knocking her off her feet. (Kea 3500→2000) “I end my turn.”

 

Kea sighed, “My turn. I Summon Dragunity Darkspear! (1000/1000) Once per turn, I can Tribute a Dragon-Type Dragunity monster I control to Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Winged Beast from my Graveyard. I Tribute Darkspear to Summon Militum! (1700/1200) Next, I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Angusticlavii. (2100/1000) Also, I use Dragon Mastery to equip Phalanx to Angusticlavii! (2100→2600/1000)”

 

Kosoru narrowed his eyes, “I activate my Trap: Damage Flare! During the Battle Phase, I can’t take damage from direct attacks!”

 

Kea smiled, “Well, that’s not too difficult. I activate the effect of Phalanx, Special Summoning it! (2600→2100/1000) (500/1100) I Tune Phalanx to Militum and Angustclavii to Synchro Summon Dragunity Royal Knight – Excalibur! (2500/400) I activate its effect! I can equip the Brandistock in my Graveyard to it! (2500→3000/400) Also, Excalibur gains 500 ATK for each Dragunity monster equipped to it. (3000→3500/400) Excalibur, destroy Gusto Thunbolt!” Excalibur opened its three mouths, and three blue beams of thunder emerged from them, completely engulfing both Thunbolt and Kosoru. (Kosoru 3500→1500)

 

Kosoru narrowed his eyes, “Due to the effect of Damage Flare, since I took Damage, you can draw 1 card.”

 

Kea drew her card, and noticed it was Malevolent Catastrophe. “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Senith smiled, “Yes! Now Kea can finish this in just one more turn!”

 

Zugai commented, “Something tells me it won’t be that easy.”

 

Kosoru smiled, “My turn!” As soon as he drew his card, he stared at it. His eyes showed him an orange aura around the card, and as soon as he stared at it, he smiled maliciously. Just the card I was waiting for. “It’s been a fun Duel. I Summon Synthesize Sphere. (1000/1000) With its effect, I can Special Summon Breeze Sphere from my Graveyard. (700/1000) Next, by removing from play my 2 monsters and Gusto Sqwirl, I can Special Summon The Atmosphere from my hand!” Both Synthesize Sphere and Breeze Sphere were encompassed by a sphere of wind. They both vanished in the sphere, and it began shrinking, shaping into what looked like the Earth. A large bird, The Atmosphere, began materializing from the gem, clutching it in its talons. (1000/800) “I activate the effect of The Atmosphere! When its Summoned, it can absorb a monster you control!” A sphere of wind, identical to the gem The Atmosphere clutched, encircled Excalibur. The sphere suddenly vanished along with Excalibur, and a smaller version of it was inside The Atmosphere’s emerald. “The Atmosphere gains ATK and DEF equal to that of Excalibur, so it has 3500 ATK! (1000→3500/800→1200)

 

Kea narrowed her eyes, Come on… attack me, then!

 

Kosoru smiled, “Atmosphere, attack Kea directly!”

 

Kea quickly countered, “I activate Malevolent Catastrophe! When you declare an attack, this card will destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field!” The clouds darkened, and a heavy hurricane encircled the field, threatening to destroy every card.

 

Kosoru looked at a card in his hand and thought, If I use Defense Flare right now, then I can negate the destruction of Excalibur, and I’ll win, but… Kosoru reached for the card, and thought, I can’t go all out. That was a condition for this… Kosoru let his arm fall to his side.

 

Zugai thought, Huh? Why didn’t he…? Every Spell and Trap Card on the field was destroyed, including the gem The Atmosphere clutched. (3500→1000/1200→800)

 

Kosoru smiled, “That doesn’t matter too much! The Atmosphere, attack her directly!” The Atmosphere flapped its wings, and hundreds of sharp feathers bombarded Kea. (Kea 2000→1000)

 

Kosoru said, “I end my turn.” Okay, there’s a bonus if I lose this, so unless Black says otherwise, I won’t use my trump card…

 

Kea started, “My turn! I activate Dead Synchro! By removing from play Synchro Material monsters in my Graveyard, I can Synchro Summon a monster! However, that monster is destroyed during the End Phase! I Tune my Level 3 Darkspear and my Level 3 Legionnaire to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight – Gae Bulg! (2000/1100) When Gae Bulg battles, I can remove a Winged Beast in my Graveyard to increase the ATK of this card by the ATK of that monster!”

 

Kosoru narrowed his eyes, If I use Destruction Flare…

 

Kea smiled, “Gae Bulg, destroy The Atmosphere! I remove from play Dragunity Dux! (2000→3500/1100)”

 

Kosoru began reaching towards his Graveyard, but quickly stopped himself. Gae Bulg launched a lightning bolt at The Atmosphere, breaking it into three parts. (Kosoru 1500→0)

 

Zugai commented, “Odd.”

 

Ayra asked, “Did something happen?”

 

Zugai shook his head, “I’d rather not say it, but I think that Kosoru was going easy on her.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “What? Why would…?”

 

Zugai explained, “She used many strategies that he could have easily countered like when he Dueled you. Also, he had two opportunities where he reached for a card, but stopped himself from using it.”

 

Ayra said, “Empty victory. Let’s not tell Kea about this.”

 

Kosoru began walking back to Black, who calmly walked by him. Kosoru said to Black, “Sorry. Bad hand.”

 

Black shook his head, “Doesn’t matter. A job’s a job.” He continued walking, and stared at Kea. “You have no cards on your field, none in your hand, and no useful cards in your Graveyard. I’ll get this over with quick. My turn.”

 

Kea quickly interrupted, “If I control no cards, I can pay 1000 Life Points to activate Reanimation Force from my Graveyard!” (Kea 1000→0) Reanimation Force moved onto the field, clutching every card in the Graveyard.

 

Black sighed, “Passing Graveyards, huh? Not a bad idea.”

 

Kea ignored him and walked to Zugai, giving him Reanimation Force. “Sorry I didn’t do anything with him.”

 

Zugai took the card and said, “Well, it’s not like you could have fought him with your condition, anyway.”

 

Kea said, “Ex-cuse me?”

 

Zugai ignored her and walked to the field. Zugai said, “Are you still excited, or did you get bored of waiting?” Black did not respond. “Okay then. That works too. My turn!” Zugai looked at the card, Samsara Cycle. Nice! “I Set 1 monster and 1 card! That ends my turn.”

 

Black drew his card and said, “My turn. If you control monsters and I don’t, I can Special Summon Oracle of the Sun from my hand. (1000/2000) Next, I Summon Fire Ant Ascator. (700/1300) I Tune my Fire Ant Ascator to my Oracle of the Sun!” Fire Ant Ascator began glowing red, and transformed into three silver rings. The three rings surrounded Fire Ant Ascator, who transformed into three stars. “Clustering hopes will become a shining new star! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon!” The rings and stars compressed into one larger star that began raining silver sparkles. They began gathering, forming the outline of Stardust’s body. A yellow eye glowed on its head, and Stardust Dragon screeched, shedding its skin of sparkles. (2500/2000)

 

Zugai commented, “Here it is, cliché Synchro number one.”

 

Black yelled, “Stardust Dragon, attack his Set monster! Shooting Sonic!” Stardust Dragon quickly cocked its head back and thrust it forward, launching a beam of silver soundwaves across the field. It began moving along the ground and towards Zugai, destroying the stadium floor as it moved.

 

Zugai looked at the destruction with his eyes widened. He then flipped his Set monster and sent it to the Graveyard. A fairy girl dressed in blue stopped the attack and spread water over Zugai’s field. Droplets of water began scattering over the air and raining lightly on Zugai.

 

Black asked, “What did you do?”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Nothing. You attacked my Set Monster, Zodiac Spirit – Aquarius. When this card is flipped face-up, I can draw 1 card. Also, if it was destroyed, I can remove it from play to draw 1 card.” He looked at his two drawn cards and smiled.

 

Black thought to himself, Interesting. He brought Spirit Monsters into this… “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “In that case, let’s get this over with. My turn! I Summon Zodiac Spirit – Pisces! (400/300) When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon a removed from play monster. It gains ATK equal to the ATK of the Special Summoned monster. Appear now: Aquarius! (500/600) (400→900/300) Also, since I Special Summoned a monster, I can Special Summon Zodiac Spirit – Gemini from my hand! (2000/0)”

 

The crowd cheered in surprise, awe, and astonishment as Zugai quickly Summoned those three Spirit Monsters.

 

Senith commented, “I thought Spirit Monsters can’t be Special Summoned…”

 

Kai said, “I thought so, too.”

 

Zugai smiled, “You’re probably wondering how I can Special Summon Spirit Monsters. Zodiac Monsters don’t have the Special Summon restriction that other Spirit Monsters have. Also, Aquarius is treated as a Tuner monster. I Tune my Level 3 Aquarius to my Level 4 Pisces!” Aquarius transformed into three blue rings that surrounded Pisces, transforming it into four stars. The rings vanished, and the stars gathered creating intensely bright light. Zugai recited, “Darkened souls, lost in the night, gather your power to let your spirits shine besides ours! Synchro Summon!” A silhouette moderately large dragon with feathered wings appeared in the light. “Undying Star: Starlight Dragon!” The light faded, and Starlight Dragon was shown hovering over the field. (2300/2100)

 

Black commented, “So, one of the three Cosmic Dragons have appeared, have they?”

 

Zugai asked, “That’s what they call them? Not bad. I activate the effect of Reanimation Force! By discarding one card and by removing from play every card that it overlays, a monster I control gains 200 ATK for each card removed by this effect!”

 

Black narrowed his eyes as Zugai said, “If I counted right, there were 36 monsters total. Therefore, Starlight Dragon gains 7200 ATK! (2300→9500/2100) However, other monsters I control can’t attack.”

 

Black asked, “Trying to finish this that quickly? You’ll still need one more turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “I activate the effect of Gemini. I can increase the ATK of a monster I control by its ATK. However, it can’t declare an attack this turn. (9500→11500/2100)”

 

Ayra’s eyes widened, “Unbelievable!”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “11500 ATK on his second turn!?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Starlight Dragon and Gemini, finish this off in one turn! Combination Attack: Twin Comet Storm!” Starlight Dragon spat out a large icy comet. At the same time, Gemini launched an identical comet made out of lightning instead. The two attacks merged to create an enormous comet that was almost as big as the stadium, quickly heading right at Stardust Dragon.

 

Zugai smiled, a spark of hope crossing through his mind. This can work. I hope it does… The comet exploded, covering Black’s field with smoke. It’s… no, too easy. Zugai peered through the smoke and noticed Stardust Dragon still flew unscathed. In front of it were a number of flower pedals, seeming to have been scattered from the blast.

 

Black said, “I activated Floral Shield. This negated your attack and allowed me to draw 1 card.”

 

Zugai thought, That’s more like it. “I end my turn. During this End Phase, Gemini returns to my hand.”

 

Black began, “My turn. I Summon Supay. (300/100) Also, since I Normal Summoned a monster this turn, I can Special Summon Turbo Booster from my hand. (0/0)”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, Son of a…

 

Black continued, “I Tune my Level 1 Supay to my Level 1 Turbo Booster. Clustering wishes will call out a new speed’s horizon! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! The power of hope, Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron! (200/1500) With Formula Synchron’s effect, once per turn, I can draw 1 card!” Black closed his eyes, and he began whispering something to himself.

 

Zugai asked, “What are you…?” Zugai began listening, and his eyes widened as he heard the words he spoke: prayers.

 

Black finally said, “Gift me with this power beyond speed.” He opened his eyes, and his right eye began glowing blue, with the symbol of a cross inside it. “Clear Mind! I Tune my Level 2 Formula Synchron to my Level 8 Stardust Dragon!”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, Here it comes…

 

Black recited, “The calming wind blows across the field of battle, bringing the hopes for the future! The fighting slows as a creature of speed is born! Fly over the battle and end the death of the fighters! Accel Synchro Summon! Appear, Shooting Star Dragon!” Black held up his Shooting Star Dragon Card, and a whirlwind of stardust engulfed the field.

 

Zugai stepped back and shielded his face. Dammit! I can’t see a thing through here! What kind of power does he have? Almost out of thin air, a white beam of light cut through the storm. Shooting Star Dragon, who was the true form of the beam, split the entire storm in one lightning quick strike. (3300/2500)

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, This isn’t the normal Shooting Star Dragon… why do I feel this… pressure?

 

Black narrowed his eyes, Do you really think you can use your "friend’s" power to beat me, Zugai? I’ll show you what power despair has given me from what I've lost. “Shooting Star Dragon’s effect! By revealing the top five cards of my Deck, Shooting Star Dragon can attack for each Tuner I draw with this effect!” Black closed his eyes, drew his top five cards, and looked at them. He managed to survive this round, huh? “I drew two Tuner Monsters. Shooting Star Dragon, attack! Stardust Mirage!” Shooting Star Dragon streamlined itself, putting it in a plane-like position. Jets of hot air began rushing from its wings, and it began flying into the air. It broke out of the roof of the stadium and transformed into two mirages, one red and one blue. Both of them dove at Zugai’s field at blinding speed, and Zugai began to brace himself for the attack.

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 38]

 

Chapter 38: The Basis of Strength

 

Zugai began to shield his face from his arms to protect himself from any possible physical damage Black could cause. The first Shooting Star Dragon dashed through Starlight Dragon, creating a large hole in its body. It raised just before hitting Zugai, and shed the red skin it wore. Starlight Dragon exploded, and the shockwave from the explosion scattered through the entire stadium. (Zugai 8000→7000)

 

As it exploded, Zugai felt that every cell in his body was burning. What kind of damage is this? He then braced himself for the second attack, which knocked him back at high velocity, into the wall. (Zugai 7000→3700)

 

As Zugai began to crawl up, Black looked down at him and said, “Even though you might be a strong Duelist, you can’t defeat me.”

 

Zugai began climbing up and asked, “Why is that, exactly? Enlighten me.”

 

Black closed his eyes, “As long as you do not have the true emotions to Duel, you cannot win. My faith gives me my power. Now, tell me, where does your power come from. Your friends?”

 

Zugai barely stood on both feet, and he answered, “Not my friends, but I still don't know, not that I really care.”

 

Black opened his eyes and fiercely said, “Until you find out, you have no chance of defeating me. I end my turn.”

 

Zugai drew his card and thought, Damn, this really hurts. Okay, stop whining and think. Shooting Star Dragon can negate a destruction effect once per turn, and can remove itself from play to negate an attack. Now then what can I… aha! “I discard 1 card to activate Orbital Velocity. I can select 3 monsters from my Deck, and you select one of those 3. If that monster can be Special Summoned, it will be, and the other two are sent to the Graveyard. I select these 3 monsters!” Zugai pulled three cards from his Deck and showed him Red-Eyes Wyvern, Petit Dragon, and Velocity Dragon.

 

Black looked at the three cards, and said, “I select Petit Dragon.” Petit Dragon appeared on Zugai’s field, miniscule compared to the enormous Shooting Star Dragon. (600/700)

 

Zugai continued, “Since I Special Summoned a monster, I can Special Summon Gemini from my hand! (2000/0) Also, I Normal Summon Innocent Dark Dragon! (100/100) I Tune my Gemini and Petit Dragon to my Innocent Dark Dragon!” Innocent Dark Dragon transformed into one large, black ring. The ring slowly covered both Gemini and Petit Dragon, transforming both of them into a total of eight bright stars.

 

Black narrowed his eyes, Didn’t expect a Level 1 Tuner to be in his hand, since he only has one that has been seen in his Deck…

 

Zugai smiled and recited, “Burning souls, lost in the air of hell itself, gather your eternal desires and bring forth the being that protects what is dear! Synchro Summon! Stratosphere Dragon!” A red light encompassed the eight stars and the rings, and silver plating began materializing within the red light. An armored dragon, with its face covered by armor, flew into the air with two wings, and when it stopped itself to glide, two more emerged from its back. (2900/2500) It roared at Shooting Star Dragon, who screeched back as a counter.

 

Black said, “So, the second Cosmic Dragon is called out.”

 

Zugai continued, “I activate the effect of Stratosphere Dragon. Once per turn, I can negate the effects of monsters you control equal to the number of Normal Monsters in my Graveyard. As you already know, I have one Normal Monster in my Graveyard, so I can negate the effects of Shooting Star Dragon. O3 Absorption!” Three antenna extended from Stratosphere Dragon’s head, creating a beam of blue light that extended towards Shooting Star Dragon. Shooting Star Dragon screeched in pain, and its whole body began to go limp in the air after its power was drained.

 

Black narrowed his eyes, Great, its vulnerable to destruction now. Nobody could have expected him to do all this in one turn.

 

Zugai continued, “Next, I activate my Quick-Play Spell: Strong Force! Strong Force carries four effects that I can activate. I activate effect number three. This increases the ATK of Stratosphere Dragon by the ATK of all monsters sent to the Graveyard this turn. Six monsters have been sent to the Graveyard, so it gains 1200 ATK! (2900→4100/2500) Go, Stratosphere Dragon! Burning Descent!” Stratosphere Dragon flew high into the air, retracting the two wings on its back. It roared and began to streamline itself, being covered by a coat of fire. It dashed right in front of Shooting Star Dragon, cutting the front of its armor in half with its left wing. It roared in agony and exploded a second later. (Black 8000→7100)

 

Zugai smiled, “I end my turn. During this turn’s End Phase, due to the effect of Strong Force, Stratosphere Dragon would return to my hand.” Stratosphere Dragon began wavering in the air, like a spirit. “However, I activate my Continuous Trap: Samsara Cycle! If a monster I control would return to my hand due to a card effect during my End Phase, I can send it to the Graveyard! After all of these effects resolve, I can Special Summon a monster from my Deck with a Level equal to or less than the total Level of the monsters sent to the Graveyard by its effect. I Summon Zodiac Spirit – Cancer! (1000/3100) Due to the effect of Samsara Cycle, it gains ATK and DEF equal to the total number of monsters sent to the Graveyard to Summon it. (1000→1500/3100→3600)

 

Black narrowed his eyes, “My turn. I discard one card to Special Summon The Tricky from my hand. (2000/1000) Next, I Summon Dark Resonator. (1300/100) I Tune my Level 3 Dark Resonator to my Level 5 The Tricky.” Dark Resonator lightly tapped its two weapons, creating a ringing sound. It transformed into three purple rings, surrounding The Tricky, who transformed into five stars. Black recited, “The ruler’s heartbeats will now file through here! Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro Summon!” The stars and rings gathered to create one enormous ball of molten rock. Zugai stared at it in awe as an enormous red dragon began forming inside it. Covered by flame, it began to tighten its joints and spinning around. Black confidently yelled, “My very soul: Red Dragon Archfiend!” Red Dragon Archfiend roared and extended its arms, legs, neck, and wings, scattering the entire orb of fire all over the field. It descended so it was above Black, and roared. (3000/2000)

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Both Stardust and Red Demons? This is gonna suck…”

 

Black thought to himself, Even though Cancer has higher DEF, if I attack it with Red Demons, it will destroy it with its own effect. In that case… “Red Dragon Archfiend, attack Cancer! Absolute Power Force!” Red Dragon Archfiend began gathering red fire in its fist and darted towards Cancer like a rocket, thrusting its fist forwards. Cancer blocked it with its pincer, and a shockwave ricocheted through the whole field. (Black 7100→6500) Black continued, “Also, I…”

 

Zugai quickly interrupted, “I activate the effect of Cancer! When it inflicts Battle Damage to my opponent, it allows the two of us to draw cards until we have five cards in our hand!” Zugai, with one card in his hand, drew four cards, while Black only needed to draw one. Zugai added, “Also, you take 200 damage for each card drawn with this effect.” Cancer spat a large ball of acid, which exploded as it hit Black’s field. (Black 6500→5500)

 

Black continued, “However, the effect of Red Demons still activates. Demon Meteor!” Cancer became encircled by a large, red flame. “When Red Demons battles a Defense position monster, it destroys all Defense position monsters you control!” Cancer’s shell began to break, and the whole monster was crushed. Black ended, “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Draw! I activate the effect of Samsara Cycle! By sending it to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Normal or Spirit monster from my hand! I Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon! (2400/2000) Next, I Summon Astral Dragon! (1300/700) I Tune my Level 7 Red-Eyes Black Dragon to my Level 3 Astral Dragon!” Astral Dragon transformed into three stars, starting to shape itself into Draco. Red-Eyes also dispersed into seven stars, completing the constellation. As this happened, Zugai recited, “Unfulfilled souls, lost in blinding greed, transform your incomplete wishes into an immortal being that spreads these emotions! Synchro Summon!” The constellation began shattering, and a large, golden dragon emerged. “Descend, Eternal Star Dragon!” (3700/2000) “Eternal Star Dragon, destroy Red Dragon Archfiend! Unfulfilled Desires!” Eternal Star Dragon spread its wings and roared, quickly launched a green beam from its mouth.

 

Black quickly responded, “I activate my Trap: Floral Shield! This negates the attack and allows me to draw 1 card!” The green beam was scattered by a cluster of flower pedals, which dispersed as a result of the attack.

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “I end my turn.” Dammit, he’s no pushover. Gotta be more careful…

 

Black said, “My turn. I Summon Arcana Force 0 – The Fool. (0/0) When its Summoned, a coin is flipped, and its effects are based on what the result is.” An image of a card appeared above The Fool. It began spinning at high speeds, and slowed down gradually over time, ultimately stopping at the back of the card. “Effects of my cards cannot target The Fool. However, I activate Stardust Shimmer. By removing from play Turbo Booster and The Fool from my Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Synchro Summon of an equal Level. Revive: Formula Synchron! (200/1500) Also, I activate my Trap: Call of the Reaper! This allows me to Special Summon Supay from my Graveyard. (300/100) I Tune my Level 1 Supay to my Level 1 The Fool! Clustering wishes will call out a new speed’s horizon! Become the path its light shines upon! Synchro Summon! The power of hope: Synchro Tuner, Formula Synchron!” (200/1500)

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Two Synchro Tuners in one move…?”

 

Kea whispered, “Amazing.”

 

Black continued, “I’m not finished yet. I activate the effect of my two Formula Synchrons, allowing me to draw 2 cards!” Black placed his hand on his Deck and closed his eyes, praying for the second time. Whispering inaudibly, he suddenly opened his eyes, which were flaming with vengeance. Black’s remaining eye turned into an inverted cross, in a red, flaming eye. He yelled, “I Tune my Two Formula Synchrons to my Red Dragon Archfiend! Speed follows the Savior and the King as they unite! A new hope for the future is beget their strength! Fiery hearts are worn on the sleeves, and focus is brought to light! With power and faith, the path ahead is illuminated! Uproot all of creation, and move forward! Tengen Toppen Synchro Shokan! Appear, Red Nova Dragon!" Black’s two Formula Synchrons began glowing and accelerating, creating a long gate of flame rings. Red Dragon Archfiend quickly traveled through the rings, accelerating much faster as it traveled through, and absorbed, each one. As it reached the sky, it released its flames, creating a nova throughout the air, and Red Nova Dragon, with fire along its skin, descended onto the field. It roared, and the whole stadium shook. (3500/3000)

 

Black continued, “Red Nova Dragon gains 500 ATK for each Tuner Monster in my Graveyard. At this point, I have five Tuners, so it gains 2500 ATK! (3500→6000/3000) Red Nova Dragon, Burning Soul!” Red Nova Dragon transformed into a red meteor that easily disintegrated Eternal Star Dragon, followed by a large explosion. (Zugai 3700→1400)

 

Zugai yelped and tried to fight the pressure of the explosion, barely keeping himself on his feet.

 

Black said, “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, He barely Sets cards, but then again, the Cosmic Synchro Monsters can handle themselves without Spells or Traps. However, if I just draw the right card, probably won’t, but… “My turn!” Zugai stared at the card he drew in disbelief. “Yes! I Summon Red-Eyes Black Chick! (800/500) By Tributing Red-Eyes Black Chick, I can Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my hand!” Red-Eyes Black Chick exploded in a column of red, and Red-Eyes Black Dragon emerged from the red light, roaring. (2400/2000) “Also, I activate my Quick-Play Spell: Electromagnetic Force! If I control a Normal Monster, the effects of all monsters on the field are negated!” Cosmic radiation began pelting onto Red Nova Dragon, and it began to look exhausted. (6000→3500/3000) “If Red-Eyes leaves the field, Electromagnetic Force is no longer in effect.

 

Black smiled, “Even without its effects, Red Nova Dragon can easily defeat Red-Eyes.” Red-Eyes and Red Nova roared at each other, and the atmosphere of the entire arena suddenly became filled with tension.

 

Zugai pulled one card from his hand and said, “I activate Amulet of Ambition! This card can only be equipped to a Normal Monster. I equip it to Red-Eyes Black Dragon!” A golden amulet with an eye in the middle of a five-point star appeared on Red-Eyes. “If it battles a monster with a higher Level, it gains 500 ATK times the difference in Levels!” Red-Eyes’s eyes began glowing bright, and it roared with pride and power. (2400→4900/2000) “Now, Red-Eyes, Inferno Fire Blast!” Red-Eyes Black Dragon launched a red-hot beam of energy at Red Nova Dragon, completely engulfing it and burning it to a crisp. (Black 5500→4100)

 

The commentator, who was stuttering in awe, declared, “I-I don’t believe it! For the first time, Black’s strongest monster, Red Nova Dragon, and his signature card, Shooting Star Dragon, have been destroyed!”

 

Zugai finished, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Black asked Zugai, “Have you found your answer yet?”

 

Zugai thought for a moment, and replied, “I don’t know if I would consider myself powerful, but I do know where my strength comes from. It comes from my very soul itself, and the soul that is shaped and strengthened by those around me.”

 

Black sighed, “In the end, you cannot fight me on your own.”

 

Zugai asked, “Who said anything about that?”

 

Black did not reply, and said, “My turn. I activate One Shot Burst. By sending a Level 1 Tuner from my hand to my Graveyard, I can select 1 monster you control. You take damage equal to the ATK of that monster. I send Majestic Dragon to my Graveyard. You take 2400 damage.”

 

Zugai countered, “Nope. I activate Spell of Pain! This negates the damage to me and inflicts it to you instead!” A bolt of red energy launched directly at Zugai. However, it was intercepted by Spell of Pain, and the red energy was reflected and converted to an identical dark beam, hitting Black. (Black 4100→1700) Zugai thought, Almost there. If I draw Inferno Fire Blast, this'll be over next turn.

 

Black said, “Your face is full of hope. I guess that means you’re close to winning.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, and Black continued, “Doesn’t matter. I’ll turn that hope into despair soon enough.” He revealed a Level 12 monster in his hand, but Zugai could not see the name. Black explained, “Watch: this is the power that Kadoguchi, as a herald of the Lord, gave me. By removing from play Tuner Monsters in my Graveyard with a total Level of 12, I can Special Summon this card from my hand. I remove from play my Level 3 Fire Ant Ascator, my Level 3 Dark Resonator, my two Level 2 Formula Synchrons, my Level 1 Majestic Dragon, and my Level 1 Supay! Descend forth: Eternal Dragon!” Twelve green rings appeared from Black’s Duel Disk. They began merging with each other to create an enormous sphere. A large body began materializing around the sphere, and a large, purple, multi-headed dragon emerged, looming over the field. Four rings appeared behind it, and all three heads roared. (4200/3400)

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Kadoguchi…? Wait, this is the same as…”

 

Black explained, “Yes. Once both Top Clear Mind and Burning Soul merge, they create one stronger monster on the same level as the Destructors: Eternal Dragon. I activate its effect! Once per turn, I can remove from play a Synchro Monster in my Graveyard to destroy a card you control. I remove Stardust Dragon from play and destroy Amulet of Ambition! Star Blade!” Eternal Dragon swung an enormous sword, and broke Amulet of Ambition in one swing. “Eternal Dragon, end this Duel. Synchro Revenge!” Eternal Dragon opened its mouth, and an enormous beam of light emerged from it.

 

Zugai quickly yelled, “I activate my Trap:” He was broken off by an enormous explosion created by the beam of light destroying Red-Eyes. He screamed in pain, and smoke covered his entire field.

 

Black commented, “It’s over. He couldn’t possibly get out of this.”

 

Zugai, within the smoke, snarled, “It’s not over yet.” The smoke began clearing, and Zugai stood stronger than before, with his eyes glowing red. “I have 3800 Life Points.”

 

Black’s eyes widened, “How is that possible?”

 

Zugai smiled, “I activated my Trap: Enchanted Javelin. This increases my Life Points by the ATK of the attacking monster. However, the damage step continues as it normally would. (Zugai 1400→3800)”

 

Black smiled, “You definitely aren’t a bad Duelist. However, this is where it ends. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, Just this turn, that’s all I need. “My turn! First, I activate the effect of Samsara Cycle. During this turn only, by removing it from play, I can draw one card during my Standby Phase. I Set 1 monster and 1 card end my turn.”

 

Black sighed, “Is that all? My turn.” He’s just trying to get me to waste my cards, isn’t he? “Eternal Dragon, destroy his Set monster!” Eternal Star Dragon launched a beam of light at Zugai’s Set monster, completely obliterating it. Zugai covered his eyes to shield himself from the overwhelming force and the light. Rift Dragon appeared and exploded.

 

Zugai smiled, “I activate the effect of Rift Dragon! When it’s destroyed, by removing it from play, I can destroy 1 monster you control!” A spatial rift appeared where Rift Dragon was destroyed. It expanded and completely engulfed Eternal Dragon, making it vanish.

 

Kea smiled, “Yes! Now all Zugai needs is a monster with more than 1700 ATK!”

 

Ayra asked her sister, “You sure?”

 

Black closed his eyes, “I end my turn.” From the ground behind him, Eternal Dragon began rising, producing as much light as it did before.

 

Zugai asked, “Why is it back on the field!?”

 

Black explained, “Eternal Dragon can be Special Summoned during the End Phase by sending 2 Synchro Monsters from my Deck to my Graveyard. I sent Majestic Star and Majestic Demons to the Graveyard.” Eternal Dragon began growling, setting itself up for another attack. Black declared, “This is your final turn.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Maybe it is, but it's the final turn where I win.” Zugai reluctantly drew his last card. Dammit, I can’t think of anything I can do here. If only I could use it, I could counteract Kadoguchi’s card… Zugai looked at the card he drew, and a glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes. “I’ll show you the power I have, Black, as both a human, Interstellar, and a comrade. Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Four Force Dragon! (100/100) When this card is Special Summoned while I have no cards in my hand, I can draw five cards! Next, I activate Monster Reborn to Special Summon Red-Eyes! Also, I activate Inferno Fire Blast! This will inflict damage to my opponent equal to the ATK of Red-Eyes: 2400!”

 

Kai said, “Looks like he wins.”

 

Zugai thrust his fist forward and gladly declared, “Eat this! Inferno Fire Blast!” Red-Eyes Black Dragon began gathering a large, black flame in its mouth. Red-Eyes launched the flame directly at Black, aiming to burn him to a crisp.

 

Black narrowed his eyes, “I activate the effect of Eternal Dragon.” Eternal Dragon threw its sword down, blocking the flame. “It negates all effect damage.”

 

Zugai smiled, “It isn’t over yet. I remove from play Starlight Dragon to Special Summon Garuda the Wind Spirit! (1600/1200) Also, since I control a Level 4 monster, I can activate the second effect of Four Force Dragon! I can select a Level 4 or lower monster I control and treat it as a Dragon-Type Tuner Monster!”

 

Black’s eyes widened, “What the…!?”

 

Zugai smiled, “I Double Tune my Level 1 Four Force Dragon to my Level 4 Garuda the Wind Spirit and Level 7 Red-Eyes Black Dragon!” Four Force Dragon and Garuda transformed into red rings. Red-Eyes passed through these rings and became a black flame with the same general shape, flying towards the sky. Zugai recited with passion, “Lost souls, wandering in the maze called reality, break free of all that ties you down and uncover power within the deepest darkness! Astral Synchro!” The black Red-Eyes flew into the sky and spread its dark flames. Its flames scattered across the sky, turning the bright, warm day into a cold, dark night. However, a warm, hopeful breeze crossed through the air, and different large nebulae were visible in the sky with a large, red moon. A creature born from the body of Red-Eyes descended from the moon. The descending dragon was only slightly larger than Red-Eyes Black Dragon itself.

 

Black looked in awe, “So, this is a Star Card? Awesome…”

 

Zugai thought, What’s with this guy? He changes to opposite moods so quickly… “This is Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon. (2800/2400) When this card is Summoned, I can remove from play up to 6 Dragons in my Graveyard, and it gains their effects. I remove Stratosphere Dragon, Eternal Star Dragon, Four Force Dragon, Innocent Dark Dragon, and my 2 Red-Eyes Black Dragons from play. Next, I activate Weak Force! This Special Summons a monster from my Deck in Defense Mode, and equips this card to it. I Special Summon Gren Maju Da Eiza! (?/?) This card’s ATK is equal to the number of removed from play cards I have x 400. If I counted correctly, I have 43 cards removed from play. Gren Maju Da Eiza’s ATK is 17200! (17200/17200) However, it cannot change to Attack Mode, and is destroyed during my End Phase.”

 

Black coldly asked, “What can two useless cards like those do?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Red-Eyes, attack Eternal Dragon!” Red-Eyes dashed at Eternal Dragon, with a black aura around its body. Eternal Dragon launched a beam of light from its lower left mouth, aiming it directly at Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon. However, the attack was deflected by Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon’s wing. “Due to the effect of Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, I can return a monster to my Graveyard to negate its destruction. I return Rift Dragon to my Graveyard.”

 

Black narrowed his eyes, “You still take Battle Damage. (Zugai 3800→2400)”

 

Zugai smiled, “Since a card has been returned to my Graveyard, Gren Maju loses 400 ATK and DEF. (17200→16800/17200→16800) Also, I activate the effect of Weak Force! If the monster Special Summoned loses ATK, another monster I control gains the same amount it lost! Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, turn the spirits into your power!” A red beam of light moved from Zugai’s Graveyard to Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon. (2800→3200/2400) “Also, due to the effect of Four Force Dragon, since I have 3 Forces in my Graveyard, I can select a Normal Monster that was removed from play this turn. Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon has a maximum number of attacks equal to the Level of that monster. Red-Eyes Black Dragon was a Level 7, so it can attack seven times!”

 

Black’s eyes widened, “What the…?”

 

Zugai continued, “Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, attack the second time!” Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon dashed again, only to be intercepted by Eternal Dragon’s blade. However, Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon managed to protect itself with its arm. Zugai sent Phoenix Gearfried to the Graveyard. (Zugai 2400→1400) Gran Maju Da Eiza began glowing red, and looked slightly weaker. (16800→16400/16800→16400) Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon flew back and roared again. (3200→3600/2400)

 

Kai said, “This is the true power of Zugai’s soul.”

 

Hiru asked, “What do you mean by ‘soul’?”

 

Kai explained, “He considers Gren Maju to be his darkness, and Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon to be his other side. In that case, they both merge to become his full soul, and look at the power it has.”

 

Hiru replied, “When he spoke to me before, he considered Gren Maju to be Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon’s missing soul…”

 

Zugai continued, “Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, attack again!” Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon dashed again and was intercepted by another blade, escaping in the same fashion. (Zugai 1400→800) Zugai sent Primus Pilus to the Graveyard. A red beam of energy traveled from Gren Maju Da Eiza to Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, giving it more power. (16400→16000/16400→16000) (3600→4000/2400) Zugai continued, “Fourth attack: Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon!” Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon dashed again, escaping from the attack in the same fashion and absorbing more power from Gren Maju Da Eiza. (Zugai 800→600) (16000→15600/16000→15600) (4000→4400/2400) Zugai finally sent Excalibur to the Graveyard.

 

Zugai finished, “Now, Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, destroy Eternal Dragon! Lost Soul Inferno!” Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, covered by a red flame, dashed at Eternal Dragon, looking like a small bullet attacking a giant. A large, black aura, three times its size, covered it as it continued accelerating.

 

Black’s eyes began glowing, and he yelled, “This isn’t over yet! I activate my Trap: Dimension Voyage! This Special Summons as many Synchro Monsters as possible that are removed from play! I Summon my two Formula Synchrons! Next, I activate the effect of Eternal Dragon! Synchro Conversion!” The two extra heads of Eternal Dragon ate one Formula Synchron each, and spat out a ball of light. “On either player’s turn, I can Tribute a Synchro Monster I control to Special Summon a Synchro Monster from my Graveyard! Appear now: Shooting Star Dragon! (3300/2500) Red Nova Dragon! (3500/3000)”

 

Zugai smirked, He called out those two again?

 

Black continued, “Next, I activate the effect of my Shooting Star Dragon and Red Nova Dragon! By removing them from play, I can negate two of your attacks!” Shooting Star Dragon and Red Nova Dragon transformed into a wall of stardust and a wall of fire respectively, shielding Eternal Dragon. Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon stopped in its path, and its black flame scattered. “You only have one attack left! During the End Phase, Eternal Dragon will revive along with my two Cosmic Synchro Monsters! It’s over!”

 

Zugai’s eyes were covered by a shadow, and he mischievously smiled, “I know it’s over. For you.”

 

Black smiled at the threat, and Zugai smiled, “During the final attack, I activate my Trap: Astral Wave! I can’t remove from play cards until my next Standby Phase, but by returning up to 7 monsters that are removed from play to my Deck, a monster I control gains 500 ATK for each one! I return Gemini Soldier, Evocator Chevalier, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, Dragunity Phalanx, Tuned Magician, and Stargate to my Deck, and Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon gains 3500 ATK!” Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon was covered by a rainbow aura along with its flaming one. (4400→7900/2400) “Also, due to the effect of Weak Force, since Gren Maju Da Eiza lost 2800 ATK from that, (15800→13000/15800→13000) Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon gains that much ATK! (7900→10700/2400)”

 

Black’s eyes widened, “10700… ATK?”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “Even I have to admit, the way he uses his cards is astounding.”

 

Ron and Fiona, in the VIP seats, commented, “He’s gotten a bit better.”

 

Zugai said, “Black, this is the power that comes from my soul alone! Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, destroy Eternal Dragon! Spectra Lost Soul Inferno!” Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon, encompassed by a black flame and a rainbow light, carried the two barriers with it into Eternal Dragon. Creating a black hole in the center of its body, the whole creature quickly vanished. What remained was the Red-Eyes Stellar Dragon returning to its home in the stars and Gren Maju Da Eiza. (Black 1700→0)

 

The entire stadium was silent at Zugai’s sudden victory. Even Zugai’s comrades were not making a single sound. Finally, the enthusiastic voice of the commentator spoke, “Ladies and gentlemen, after another intense battle, the predicted favorite team has fallen to their adversaries. The winner of the second round of the semifinals is the youngest team in Battle City history: Team Solar Wind!”

 

The crowd began cheering. In disbelief that he won, Zugai simply began looking around the stadium. He eventually relaxed, smiled, and raised his fist, and the crowd began to cheer more wildly.

 

§ Two days ago…

 

In a different area of the world, Fugushi was staring out a window into broad daylight. Thoughts that no person could ever guess began crossing through his head as he heard his door open behind him. He turned to see five figures: a small, dark skinned, red-headed woman, a tall, blond, muscular man, a young, Korean teenager, a bald, American soldier, and an Indian engineer. Fugushi smiled, and his face soon turned to a frown. “Where is our seventh?”

 

As he spoke those words, a robed figure, completely shadowed, stepped into the room. The figure took off her hood, to reveal it was covered in bandages, only revealing her deep red eyes.

 

Fugushi smiled, “Excellent. Now, let’s get down to business…”

 

§ Now…

 

Zugai impatiently paced around the small waiting room. “Jeez! You’d expect they’d announce the scheduled finals…”

 

The announcer quickly brought up, “Ladies and gentlemen, we sincerely apologize for this inconvenience, but we have to cancel the final match!”

 

Zugai and Hiru froze, and a look of disbelief crossed their faces. “However, this is due to the upcoming of a new system that has been brought by these seven people!”

 

Zugai and Hiru immediately raced out to the stadium and stared towards the nearest screen. Fugushi, surrounded by his six Duelists, stood on the screen.

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Double crossing sunova…”

 

Fugushi smiled, “Greetings. You all probably forgot my name. I am Fugushi Kazoku, the strongest Duelist in the world.”

 

Zugai and Hiru narrowed their eyes, creating identical glances. “While I was gone, I have spent the last year traveling the world to meet its strongest Duelists. And these are the people I have chosen to bring.” Fugushi began introducing his Duelists, “From the region of the Amazon Forest, I bring you the biologist Clite Alleo!” The camera zoomed to the dark skinned redhead. “Next to her, I bring you a lawyer from the north section of Norway: Adrian Boler!” The camera zoomed to the blond man wearing a white coat. “I will now introduce to you the greatest prodigy on the planet: Jung Xing!” The camera quickly panned to a young, Korean teenager.

 

Zugai sighed, “Oh, Fugushi, bringing youngsters into this…”

 

Fugushi smiled and continued, “Now, I pan to the other side of the world, to the most popular country of America. I bring you the fierce soldier: Steven Woods!” The camera panned to a tall, bald soldier with an American Flag tattooed on his face. “However, I have not stopped my journey only through these countries. From the depths of India, I bring you the greatest Engineer: Uday Bhatt!” The camera panned to an Indian Engineer, dressed in a black robe. “And finally, I introduce you to the greatest man from the deserts of the Sahara whose name is lost in the sands he came from: Stone Heart!” The camera panned to the man covered in bandages. Fugushi challenged, “Now, let us follow the rules of the previous Battle City! Forget challenging teams in ridiculous battles! Let us discover the individual strengths of Duelists, and we will see how strong you truly are! In two days, Battle City shall start anew! Witness: the Battles of Geneva and Beyond!”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes as the crowds began cheering. He softly growled, “Double crossing bastard. He went off for a year just to make himself the top of the world?”

 

Hiru said, “That doesn’t seem like him, though…”

 

Zugai sighed, “For a monotone person like him, I think this is his true nature, but you can’t ever tell.” He stared at the screen, and fire began forming in his eyes, “Right now, we can’t just approach Kadoguchi through the Terrestrials. Fugushi already knows a lot about Kadoguchi.” Zugai placed his Deck in his Deck box, “Let’s just see if he learned it through these six Duelists.”

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 39]

 

WARNING! FILLER!

 

Chapter 39: Impatience: The Restart of Battle City!

 

“Son of a b****!” Hiru slammed his fist against the wall out of frustration. An hour has passed since Fugushi had made his announcement to Battle City.

 

Zugai, focused on killing a mosquito in the room, said, “Hiru, let’s not vandalize this suite too much, okay?”

 

Hiru took a deep breath, “Sorry. I just didn’t expect that to happen. I was looking so forward to it.” Hiru leaned against the wall, and began narrating, “The ultimate Duel in Battle City history: the two greatest teams match up against each other, and in a neck-to-neck race to the finish, Team Go clashes against Team Armageddon.”

 

Zugai clapped the mosquito from the air in front of his face, “And imagine how much better that would be in about three years from now.”

 

Hiru paused, searching for a witty comeback, and only dipped his head and said, “Shut up, Zugai.”

 

Zugai sighed as he wiped the pieces of the mosquito off his hands, “It’s true, though. Even though we’ve won these first few matches, we’re still on a beginner’s level. We don’t have a large set of extremely good cards, or the rare cards. We don’t have extremely diverse strategies. Our Duel is too focused on certain fields that are easy to block or read. In 3 years, we would have evolved into something much more interesting. You can’t just be constantly looking for one dream while there are stronger ones ahead of it.”

 

Hiru replied, “I honestly disagree with that. I mean, there are some things that have nothing surpassing it. For starters, Magic Fountain is the best ice-cream place on Earth.”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “You really think that it’s the best one on Earth? Still? Were the Gelaterias not good enough for you?”

 

Hiru said, “It’s gelato, not ice cream.”

 

Zugai facepalmed, “It’s the same thing, they just use different ingredients.”

 

Hiru said, “That makes them different things.”

 

Zugai wiped what was left on the mosquito on his jean pants. “I’m pretty sure gelato is Italian for ice cream.”

 

Hiru said, “Yet both of them are valid words on a word document…”

 

Zugai stated, “So is touché, a non-English word.”

 

Hiru paused and said nothing. His confidence and pride was drained from his face as he dipped his head and sighed, “Touché, Zugai. Touché.”

 

Zugai asked, “By the way, are you going to try and get back at Ron?”

 

Confidence returned to Hiru’s face, and he proudly declared, “Of course! I need to get back at him for that humiliating loss he gave me!”

 

Zugai sighed, “Good luck looking for an opening.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Ah, but Zugai, you underestimate the power of Blue-Eyes.”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “Yeah, that worked well last time.”

 

Hiru commented, “But Zugai, I’ve improved a lot during the past events in Battle City.”

 

Zugai simply said, “He’s improved too.”

 

Hiru said, “Ah, but not as much. See, he hasn’t been clashing with as many professional – not just professional, legendary – Duelists as I have. Therefore, he could not possibly attain the skill level I have now!”

 

Zugai commented, “Remember when I said he barely Duels and he beat you anyway?”

 

A shadow of depression crossed over Hiru’s proud face. He only muttered, “Shut up.”

 

§

 

Outside of the rooftop, Kea and Clem both stared out onto the streets of Geneva. The two of them quickly became good friends since they first met. They were constantly laughing as they discussed their current events and how ‘fortunate’ they were in their life.

 

Kea smiled, “You know, I’m pretty jealous that you guys get Tablets. We don’t even get our own computers.”

 

Clem smiled back, “I know. But it doesn’t really matter, since you all get at least a good education.”

 

Kea replied, “Not really. We have a bunch of junkie teachers. Kinda sucks.”

 

Clem growled, “You people.”

 

Kea quietly stared at her in surprise in her sudden change of tone. Clem began to rant, “You know, there are children out there in the world that don’t even get to go to their schools. Instead, they look in jealousy at those that do go to those really poor schools through fences. And the teachers that they yearn for aren’t even teachers! Yet everybody complains about ‘bad teacher’ this and ‘bad school’ that. Everybody constantly rants about less unfortunate people, yet people can’t complain about getting out of their own little society!” With those words, Clem let silence ring through the air. She sighed, “Sorry. I just lose it when I hear people talk about things that way.”

 

Kea smiled, “Don’t worry. Zugai gave us a rant like that once he visited. Everybody was really shocked.”

 

Clem sighed, “That’s Zugai for you. Weirdo to the end.”

 

Kea gasped, “Oh yeah, you two went on the same trip together, right?”

 

Clem’s face flushed, and she buried her face into her arms, “Yes.”

 

Kea asked, “Did something happen?”

 

Clem raised her head and opened her mouth, but closed it afterwards. “I’d rather not say.”

 

Kea asked, “Why not? I’m just curious.”

 

Clem stood up and walked away, “You’d barely understand.”

 

Kea stared at her, After hearing her, I guess I don’t actually understand much about the world and everything as much as I thought I did. Am I really enclosed in a society like the ignorant people I frown upon?

 

§

 

Senith yelled, “Dammit! That makes the score 30-0! I can’t ever beat you!”

 

Fiona shuffled her Deck, “I wouldn’t say that. You just keep on being overconfident.”

 

Ron said, “Fiona, wanna switch out?”

 

Fiona smiled, “Anytime. At least you acknowledge I don’t like this game. Too bad you share the same feelings.”

 

Ron sat down, “Exactly.” He drew his starting hand and asked, “So, what will you do against me? You can go first.”

 

Senith smiled, “I Summon Darkflare Dragon in Defense mode. (0/2000) I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Ron smiled, “Interesting. My turn. I Summon Genex Ally Duradark. (1800/200) Once per turn, it can destroy a monster my opponent controls with the same Attribute as it. I destroy Darkflare Dragon.”

 

Senith sighed, “Argh! I keep on getting pummeled by you guys so easily!”

 

Ron continued, “Also, I activate Double Summon, so I can Summon Genex Ally Remote from my hand. (500/1800) Next, I discard Genex Ally Chemistrir to make Duradark an EARTH monster. I Tune Duradark to Remote to Synchro Summon Genex Ally Triforce. (2500/2100) I also discard one card to activate Synchro Barrage, so Triforce can attack twice, since it had 2 Synchro Materials. Also, I activate Limiter Removal. This doubles the ATK of Triforce. (2500→5000/2100) Triforce, attack him directly.”

 

Senith interrupted, “I activate Sakuretsu Armor!”

 

Ron said, “Since Triforce had an EARTH Synchro Material non-Tuner monster, you can’t activate Spell or Trap Cards during the Damage Step.” (Senith 8000→3000)

 

Senith sighed, “Aw, man. And since it can attack twice, you got a freaking FTK. (Senith 3000→0) Can’t I face people who are actually reasonable when it comes to power?”

 

Ron smiled, “It is reasonable. You just aren’t doing too well.”

 

Senith growled, “Because you guys are exceptionally overpowered in this game.”

 

Fiona sighed, “Seriously. I wouldn’t consider ourselves legendary or anything. But seriously, if you actually want to be able to stand a chance against those seven, you need to improve a lot, and fast.”

 

Senith moaned, “Can’t you fight them for me?”

 

Ron said, “Is your name lazy? Cause it seems like it.”

 

§

 

Kai laid back in the middle of the living room, reading a large novel. Filip was typing a long document nonstop, occasionally stopping to ponder what to include in those documents. Kai asked, “You’ve been typing nonstop for the past half an hour. What are you working on? Something for school.”

 

Filip said, “Naw. I wouldn’t do this much for school unless it was for a politics course, which I’m not taking.”

 

Kai closed his book and sat up, “Well, what’s it about?”

 

Filip slowly explained, “Well, I’ve been trying to spread my political ideas through a smaller party targeting the current generation, as in us.”

 

Kai asked, “Party? You’re starting your own political party already? Do you actually think it’ll work?”

 

Filip shook his head, “I don’t think so. There are so many ignorant people in our age group, so it hasn’t been going successfully.”

 

Kai continued, “So what exactly is that? Is it your ideals?”

 

Filip nodded, “I really believe that what I’ve put together can change the world, and make many countries with a big difference in the middle and upper class’s financial income more balanced, stabilizing the economy.”

 

Kai said, “Huh. You actually think it could work?”

 

Filip nodded, “I’ve put it through simulators, and I eventually got even poor third world countries stabilized, all by putting taxes on the upper class.”

 

Kai paused, and said, “I’d like to see how this’ll work out.”

 

Filip said, “I hope so, too. Zugai’s been a big help so far.”

 

Kai smiled, “Of course Zugai would be in a group like that. I might have to think about it.”

 

Filip said, “Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. I know you’re a really diverse Duelist, and since I’m a beginner and barely know a think, do you have a Deck that I could use to participate in Battle City?”

 

Kai smiled, “Actually, I do.” He passed him a number of Deck boxes, and Kai said, “I’ll give you a few. You can look through them and go get help for more construction, but here’s the one piece of advice that Zugai gave me that helped a lot. Pick a Deck that you like and that seems to fit you as a person.”

 

Filip asked, “What do you mean by that? Like, how does your Deck represent you?”

 

Kai simply said, “Diversity. It’s that simple.” He stood up and said, “I’m generally a diversely skilled person, so that Deck represents my awesomeness in that style. There’s more to construction than that, but it’s still the best way to start.”

 

§

 

As the sun neared the horizon of the lake, Ayra began pacing around a small park impatiently. She looked at her watch and asked, “Where is he? I hope he isn’t late every time.” She heard loud, rushed footsteps and whirled around to see Hiru rushing towards the park.

 

Hiru stopped, clutched his knees and dipped his head, panting, “Sorry I’m late. I have a habit of procrastinating.”

 

Ayra rolled her eyes, “Whatever, you idiot. Just keep in mind that the Swiss are known for keeping time. In other words, we have about three minutes to get to the Dominos.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, and he yelled, “Nani!?”

 

Ayra rolled her eyes and thought, Why do I have feelings for such a moron?

 

§

 

Zugai stared out onto the streets of Geneva at the balcony. He slightly narrowed his right eye, and activated his right Astral Eyes as he stared at the sunset. A voice behind him asked, “Is something wrong, Zugai?”

 

Zugai smiled and sighed, “No, Aline. My eye’s starting to bother me again is all.”

 

Aline leaned against the railing of the balcony and said, “Never went away from taking that racket to the face, huh?”

 

Zugai closed his eyes as the memories began to flow back, “And eighth of an inch. That’s how close it was to hitting my eye.” Aline noticed that a white patch of skin was on his right eye, something nobody pointed out before. “I’m just a lucky person. No real skill of any kind, just incredible luck. Same thing with my Duels. Just as many cheap shots as possible.”

 

Aline moved closer to Zugai and rested her hand on his, “That’s not true. Everybody that I know that knows you thinks you’re a total genius.”

 

Zugai sighed, “Because I’m a lucky person.”

 

Aline opened her mouth to argue, and she sighed, “See, the problem with you is that you make arguments that people can’t counter. Except for Charlie.”

 

Zugai said, “Charlie doesn’t listen, so my points don’t reach him anyway.” Zugai realized and said, “Come to think of it, the other guy that Fugushi brought that’s in the army would probably patriotic like Charlie… how did he persuade him? It’s practically impossible to persuade total patriots.”

 

Aline rested her head against Zugai’s shoulder, and stopped herself before she replied, and asked, “You don’t mind that I’m doing this, right? Even though you still have…”

 

Zugai stopped himself from shrugging and said, “It’s fine. If anything, she supposedly gets jealous as a sign she likes me, in which case this is a good thing.”

 

Aline smiled, “You’re so mean.”

 

Zugai retorted, “I prefer the word ‘cheap’.”

 

Aline sighed, “Same difference.”

 

After a long awkward silence, Zugai finally saw the sun begin to darken, changing to the darkness of night. He said, “I’m going to take a walk out in the park.”

 

Aline shrugged, “Fine. Just don’t get into any awkward make-out sessions.”

 

Zugai smiled, “I can't make promises not to do the inevitable.”

 

§ Two hours later…

 

Daylight no longer ran through the night sky, which was completely dark with absolutely no stars. The moon was the only source of light, shining pure white, as if it was a perfect crystal orb in the sky. Hiru and Ayra, both holding hands, slowly walked through the park beside the lake.

 

Hiru panted, “We’ve been walking for a long time. Can’t we just sit down for just a minute?”

 

Ayra said, “Sure, nothing bad would come from it.” The two of them, still clutching each other’s hands, awkwardly sat down on a bench right on the edge of the lake. Ayra slowly leaned against Hiru’s shoulder, and felt warm passion spread through her body. I’ve never felt this way before… As she thought those words, she closed her eyes, and let her body instinctively work.

 

§

 

In a nearby part of the park, Zugai crouched on the ground, looking at the lake. Life started in water, so everything can naturally be found in there. Cures for everything. That’d be kind of nice, even though somebody’s probably going to beat me to it in the next few years. After staring at the lake, he stood up and began walking, humming Can You Fell the Love Tonight to himself. So, new target is my former teacher. I don’t even know what kind of Deck he’ll use. And it’s not getting any easier since my eye’s becoming sensitive to daylight again. He sighed, An eighth of an inch, and continued walking. Hearing an odd noise, he stopped humming and looked for the source. His eyes widened, Oh, come on! I implied that I promised Aline I wasn’t going to walk into a make-out session… Ayra and Hiru, noticing that Zugai stopped humming, separated from each other and whirled around to see Zugai staring at them in surprise.

 

After a long awkward silence, Zugai said, “Sorry. Habit. Please carry on.”

 

Ayra stood up, “This is ridiculous. Is there no place in this city where you can make out privately?”

 

Zugai pointed out, “Y’know, there are locks in the hotel room…”

 

Ayra leapt at Zugai yelling, “Shut up!”

 

Zugai leapt back in response, his right eye still as an Astral Eye. “This isn’t the best time for me to die, you know… tomorrow’s Battle City…”

 

Ayra said, “Then just go away!”

 

Zugai relaxed his body, “I was just about to before you went all savage on me.”

 

Ayra armed her Duel Disk and said, “Let’s go, then!”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “Come on, really? In the middle of the night? Didn’t even bring my Duel Disk.”

 

Ayra pulled out a second Duel Disk and tossed it to Zugai. Zugai armed it and placed his Deck in it. “I’ll go first, then.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Bad idea.” His Shark Tooth Necklace and right eye began glowing bright red, “You are so screwed, lady.”

 

§ Twenty minutes later…

 

Kai and Kea began walking towards the park. Kea yelled, “Five minutes and they'll be back! How off they were!”

 

Kai said, “Relax. They probably got caught up in…” Kai was interrupted by an explosion in the distance, caused by dark fire. “Okay. Dark Fire. Zugai’s Dueling.” He started running towards the park where it came from.

 

Kea called, “Wait up!” She began running behind him towards the source.

 

When Kai reached the area, he put on his glasses. He pressed a button on the side of them and saw statistics before he reached the Duel. As he reached the arena, he saw Zugai and Ayra facing each other. “Oh. Knew this was gonna happen eventually.”

 

At that point of the Duel, Ayra had Neo-Parshath on the field and 2200 Life Points. (2300/2000) Zugai had no monsters, two Set Cards, and 300 Life Points.

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes, “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai said, “My turn.”

 

He heard a familiar voice say to him, “Screw her over, man!”

 

Zugai said, “Sure. Might as well. I Summon Zodiac Spirit – Scorpio! (1900/0)”

 

Ayra narrowed her eyes, “Another Spirit? What can it do? You have 300 Life Points left. I’ll beat you without even having to use Sanctuary in the Sky.”

 

Zugai said, “I activate Metalmorph! This increases the ATK and DEF of Scorpio by 300! (1900→2200/0→300) Next, I attack Neo-Parshath! When a monster equipped with Metalmorph attacks, it gains ATK equal to half of the ATK of the monster it attacks! (2200→3350/300)” Scorpio flew into the air and spat out a beam of blue water, engulfing and destroying Neo-Parshath. (Ayra 2200→1150) (3350→2200/300)

 

Zugai smiled, “I end my turn. During the End Phase, Scorpio returns to my hand. When it does, my opponent takes 1000 damage.” Scorpio disappeared in a flash of fire, slightly burning Ayra. (Ayra 1150→150)

 

Ayra said, “My turn. I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Neo-Parshath. (2300/2000) Attack him directly!”

 

Zugai sighed, “I activate Enchanted Javelin. This increases my Life Points by the attacking monster’s ATK. (Zugai 300→2600→300)”

 

Ayra muttered, “I Set 1 card and Summon Nurse Reficule the Fallen One. (1400/600) I end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn.” Hehehe… “I Summon Scorpio. (1900/0) I Set 1 card and end my turn. During the End Phase, Scorpio returns to my hand and inflicts 1000 damage to my opponent.”

 

Ayra said, “Nope. I activate my Trap: Life Stream Counter. This negates the damage and increases my opponent’s Life Points by the damage I would have taken. However, due to Nurse Reficule, you take damage instead of gaining Life Points.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Spell of Pain.”

 

Ayra muttered, “Son of a… (Ayra 150→0) You’re such a cheap shot, you know.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “It’s the one thing that makes me good at this, so I’ll take it.”

 

Ayra sighed, “Idiot.”

 

Zugai retorted, “Then how did I win?”

 

Kai walked from the trees and said, “You know, if you keep on fighting till morning, you probably won’t be able to fight anybody and do well tomorrow.”

 

Zugai smiled, “That especially sucks. Ah, just realized something. See you guys later!” Zugai ran off back to the hotel.

 

Ayra asked, “What’s with him?”

 

Hiru shook his head, “That’s the thing about him. I have no idea.”

 

§ Five minutes later…

 

As the group walked back into the Hotel room, Senith, waiting near the door, asked, “So, I know that two of you already went to have Dominos, but I’m pretty sure we’re all getting hungry, huh?”

 

Zugai said, “Room service. Menu’s are over there, I’ll call once you’ve all made your final decisions.”

 

Ayra and Hiru exchanged regretful glances as everybody looked over the menus with excited glances. Hiru said, “I’m up for more. Still hungry.”

 

Ayra thought, Why isn’t he fat? He eats like a pig…

 

§

 

Shura, in her own dark world, began creating rifts that connected to many places in the universe. “It should appear again soon. If I wasn’t caught in this time lock, it’d be easier for me to just find… there.” She stepped through one portal, into the depths of space. As she stared, she could see a large portal appear in space. A large gate rose from it, with red light seeping through the cracks.

 

Shura raised her scythe, “Now, here comes phase one. Take the Gateway to Earth.” She swung her scythe, and both the gate and Shura disappeared, through space and time.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 40]

 

Chapter 40: Renewal of the Past: Rivalry Sparks

 

The darkened night sky of Switzerland began turning red along the horizon. As the sun began arriving, figures began stirring in slight excitement.

 

A man, cloaked by the shadows, listed, “Sattelite positions?”

 

A voice responded through an intercom, “Check.”

 

The voice replied, “Air Traffic Control?”

 

The other voice responded, “Check.”

 

The first voice finally replied, “LHC Power Connection?”

 

The voice proudly replied, “Check.”

 

The figure smiled, “You’re clear to go.”

 

A pulse of digital circuits moved through the air of Geneva, trapping it in a large box. The figure smiled, “Battle City, welcome to Geneva.”

 

§

 

“Okay, so this works, too… except the thing is, I need to draw this specific card and use this specific technique, therefore I can take it out, except… ARGH!” A teenage boy with moderately long, black hair, a blue T-Shirt, and denim shorts buried his face in his arms with a frustrated growl. He slightly raised his head and lowered it again so he could see everything in front of him. Holding a card, “Nuclear Synthesis”, he placed it on his Deck and said, “I don’t care. It has to do for now.” Zugai reached down and grabbed his Deck, saying, “It’s already noon. I think it’s about time that I show myself.” Zugai grabbed his Deck, placed it in his Deck Box along with a white and black necklace, with a wooden swan looking at its back. He tied the necklace around his neck, and smiled, “Might as well get started.” He rushed down the halls from his hotel room to the elevators. Pressing a down button, he heard movement in the middle column elevator shaft, lining himself up with it. Soon, the light indicating that the elevator was moving down flashed on with a “ding”, and the elevator doors opened. Zugai walked in and looked to his left to press the lobby button, only to find a couple making out in the corner.

 

Zugai slyly reached over to press the “Lobby” button, only to learn that it had already been pressed. The elevator continued moving, and the coupled continued at it by the time the elevator doors opened.

 

Zugai left the elevator and sighed, “Geez, How can you get that into it?” He quickly began walking to the outside of the elevator, only to see a man with a white beard, white hair, and sunglasses, wearing a tuxedo.

 

He approached Zugai and asked in a French Accent, “Mr. Shutaru?”

 

Zugai smiled, “Yes?”

 

The man reached out his arm with an open hand, which Zugai took and shook. “I am Frederick Wake, and I am your escort for your introduction of Battle City.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Gotcha.” He began walking behind Frederick, and looked around. He saw many Duelists crowded around the city, dressed casual and wearing basic Duel Disks, but he also noticed there were no projected images like in the 3-D screen. He also noticed that each of them wore sunglasses just like the ones Frederick had. “Um… are the sunglasses the new projectors for Battle City?”

 

Frederick nodded, “That’s right. We have heard many cases of heart attacks from the 3-D screens we used in the beginning of Battle City. Nobody was fatally injured, but we realized that encompassing a whole city in that made it easier for the common people of older generations that are not used to the program to get fatally injured.” Frederick handed Zugai a lens, “This was the solution.”

 

Zugai put the lens to his eye and noticed that there were hundreds of holograms and much more activity with the surrounding environment compared to with the 3-D screen. Frederick continued, “Using the same circuitry as in CERN’s stadium, we managed to put the same frequency on satellites to create a new Virtual Reality that people can see through these different lenses. They can even focus it on specific Duelists and use many different types of observations.”

 

Zugai looked at a Duel to his side to see a young boy declare a direct attack using Aero Shark. “Kind of like ZEXAL?”

 

Frederick said, “Exactly like ZEXAL. All of the previous Battle Cities were inspired, and it seemed perfect to make the theme of this new Battle City following ZEXAL.”

 

Zugai rolled his eyes, “It’s as if Konami stole something from a major company, and that company is trying to get revenge by stealing one of their ideas.”

 

Frederick asked, “Pardon?”

 

Zugai shook his head, “It’s nothing.” He continued to hold the lens to his eye, and noticed that the view returned to normal and changed to a new scenery, in which nearby Duelists had no holograms. “Um… Mr. Wake? The scenery just changed…”

 

Frederick explained, “Oh, I forgot to mention that. The virtual reality is run by a series of networks which we call Genesis.”

 

Zugai thought to himself, Go figure.

 

Frederick said, “Genesis consists of over 500 channels, some of which are barely used. Regular lenses often stay between channels 1 and 237, which are the public channels. However, different groups also have Duels on the remaining 263 networks. The lens you hold is what I call a monitor lens. It is given to different guards, and switches from network to network within a three-minute period. It is assigned to over 700 different people, which allow them to monitor almost every single Duel happening on the network, monitoring for possible viruses and possible offenses to the rules of the game.”

 

Zugai lowered the lens and said, “That’s actually pretty awesome. And you said that they were public channels. Are the people on the other 263 able to go to those 237 channels?”

 

Frederick said, “You will find out soon enough, Mr. Shutaru.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Please, call me Zugai. The name Mr. Shutaru belongs to my dad.”

 

Frederick smiled, “Very well, Zugai.” He turned to the left, and an automatic door slid open, into a building with hundreds of sunglasses and even D-Gazers with Duel Disks. “Since you are a priority Duelist, it is necessary that you have a D-Gazer and a Duel Disk with special qualities. Your D-Gazer will be allowed to move through the public channels at will, and you can even host your own network, channel 355, letting other people into it of your choosing. It is voice activated, so you only have to say which channel you request, and your D-Gazer will be able to move to that channel.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Interesting enough. Does it have to correspond with a Duel Disk.”

 

Frederick said, “I’m afraid so.”

 

Zugai said, “Okay. Well, do you have a black Blade Duel Disk?”

 

Frederick pulled out a box with a cased Blade Duel Disk and a black D-Gazer with a red lens. He opened it and handed the Duel Disk and D-Gazer to Zugai. Zugai put on the D-Gazer and activated the Duel Disk. The Duel Disk vibrated quickly, and its edge light flashed bright red, and began glowing. He saw that the D-Gazer adjusted to a regular color, and as he looked at Frederick, a box with documents on who he was and his previous works appeared.

 

Zugai said, “I feel like freaking Iron Man. Wait, how come both eyes are able to see everything?”

 

Frederick explained, “The D-Gazer, if you couldn’t tell, extends to cover both eyes, the lens extended being retractable and extremely transparent. If there are any signs of fainting or any other possible unfortunate reactions that involve risks, the lens retracts, and the user is able to see normally with that eye, which, proven in test, works.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Okay.”

 

Frederick said, “One last thing. In order to synchronize with a different D-Gazer, simply tap their info screen and select the option, ‘Synchronize’. That option is only able to be selected if you have an activated Duel Disk.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Okay. Anything else?”

 

Frederick said, “You’re Duels are being monitored, Zugai. Good luck.”

 

Zugai waved, “Thanks!” He rushed out of a building, and was immediately greeted by a large figure who blocked his way.

 

The figure looked down and said, “Well, if it isn’t the young Duelist who is Switzerland’s champion.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “That’s me. Looking for something?”

 

The figure looked around and said, “Watch your back. Hundreds of people are enraged of your success at a young age. They are going to look for you and challenge you, so don’chu go pickin’ any fights. Gottit?”

 

Zugai said, “… yeah. Thanks.”

 

The figure smiled, “No problem.” He began walking away, and Zugai said, “Huh. Well, let’s see…” Zugai noticed hundreds of shouting Duelists around him. He said to the D-Gazer, “Channel 355.” The D-Gazer completely changed its view to only him. He leaned against the building and said, “Much better. This instantly cleared half of the crowd.” He noticed a lit walkway along the ground, and noticed shadows of figures walking. “Even though the noise is gone, people are still… huh?” Zugai peered through the crowd to notice a regular figure rushing through. Zugai, wondering what it was, stood up and rushed after it. Eventually, he saw it turn around an alleyway, and he followed it. However, he looked down the alley and saw nobody there, but rather a few shadowy figures. He narrowed his eyes and scowled, “He switched networks…” An idea sparked in Zugai’s mind, “Recent figures in area.” A list of two people, Zugai and another person named Alexander Sor. I recognize that name. He almost beat me in the finals of the tournament where I became Swiss Champion. Not worth following him. I’ll see if I can find any of my friends. Zugai removed his D-Gazer, and returned to reality.

 

Next to him, he saw an Irish Pub. Feeling a grumble in his stomach, he decided to step into the building to eat lunch. I didn’t find any of the others since they left. Kinda sucks…

 

Just as he finished the thought, a voice said from behind him, “Hey, Zugai! Mind if I join you?”

 

Zugai turned around to see none other than his familiar friend, Hiru Hitono. He stood much taller than Zugai, and wore a formal, white buttoned shirt, slightly open towards the top, revealing a dangling silver medallion. He also wore black pants, and the whole formal dress was absolutely ruined by his sneakers.

 

Zugai smiled, “Yeah, sure, Hiru. No harm to it.”

 

Hiru smiled and joined Zugai in the line into the pub. After a few moments, a waitress approached the two of them, and Zugai held up two fingers. The woman nodded, and with 2 menus, sat them just next to a Television on a wooden table. The pub was large and not very crowded, with barely any people in it. The tables were made of beautiful mahogany, and the walls and the floor were painted a nice shade of green. The light was dim, but the daylight made the room beautifully lit up. Zugai leaned back against his chair and opened his menu, looking to see that it was in English.

 

Hiru whispered to him, “Did you see that waitress?”

 

Zugai, without taking his gaze off of his menu, said, “Obviously.”

 

Hiru smiled, “I’d so do her.”

 

Zugai raised his eyes to gaze at Hiru. “You know, she’s far past her 30s, right?”

 

Hiru said, “Oh, come on, we had this conversation before…”

 

Zugai said, “We also had a conversation where freshmen shouldn’t date seniors.”

 

Hiru said, “But, Zugai, that’s in high school.”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Still, I don’t think you should try to do a girl who’s 11 years older than you unless she’s a prostitute.”

 

Hiru said, “Yaba-whu-aguzogabada… shut up, Zugai.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Make me.”

 

§ Two hours later…

 

Zugai retracted his Duel Disk and began walking away from the fifth man he Dueled that day. The man yelled, “How could you win without using a Level 4 or lower monster?”

 

Zugai called back, “It’s called using a Trap Card! Try it sometime!” Zugai already separated from Hiru, who was off to a Duel Stadium, called by Fugushi, to Duel a “surprise Duelist”. Man, Fugushi… what’s with him these days? His thoughts were interrupted when a familiar, deep voice called his name.

 

“Zugai? Funny to see you here.”

 

Zugai immediately whirled around to see a close friend of his, a tall, blonde young man with short hair slightly resembling Elvis’s haircut, a striped collared shirt, jeans, and a wider face. Zugai smiled, “Enrico? What happened to college?”

 

Enrico said, “Well, Battle City came, and I was invited to make, y’know, some concerts here…”

 

Zugai smiled, “Nice! You always were the musician, huh?”

 

Enrico shrugged, “Well, yeah, I guess I am pretty good.”

 

Zugai said, “Well, since I have nothing to do right now, you wanna go a round? I haven’t actually had anything good this whole time..”

 

Enrico smiled, “Sure, why not?” Enrico placed on a golden Blade Duel Disk and a golden D-Gazer with a white plating, while Zugai continued to have his donned. Enrico muttered, “Sync on!” A blue light engulfed both Enrico and Zugai.

 

Zugai smiled, “Channel 173!” The surrounding field transformed into a widespread field, with not very many monsters out. “Let’s get started!”

 

Enrico said, “You can go first.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn! I Set 1 monster and 1 card. I end my turn.”

 

Enrico said, “My turn. I Special Summon Vice Dragon. (2000/2400) If my opponent controls a monster and I do not, I can Special Summon Vice Dragon from my hand. Next, I Summon Magna Drago. (1400/600) I Tune Magna Drago to Vice Dragon to Synchro Summon Exploder Dragonwing. (2400/1600) Exploder Dragonwing, attack his Set monster!” Exploder Dragonwing launched a large meteor at Zugai’s Set monster, The Dragon Dwelling in the cave, and caused it to explode. (Zugai 8000→6700)

 

Enrico said, “I’m pretty sure you know, but when Exploder Dragonwing battles a monster with lower ATK, it makes it, y’know, explode. Then it inflicts damage to my opponent equal to its ATK.”

 

Zugai said, “Yup.”

 

Enrico finished, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn! I Summon Baby Dragon! (1200/700) Next, by removing from play the Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, I can Special Summon Garuda the Wind Spirit from my hand.” A whirlwind appeared behind Zugai, and a winged figure appeared behind Zugai and chirped vigorously. (1600/1200) “Also, since I Special Summoned a monster I can Special Summon Zodiac Spirit – Gemini from my hand. (2000/0) Next, I activate its effect. I can select a monster I control and increase its ATK by Gemini’s ATK. Garuda gains the power of Gemini! (1600→3600/1200) Also, I equip Baby Dragon with Amulet of Ambition! (1200/700) Garuda and Gemini, attack Exploder Dragonwing!” Garuda and Zodiac leapt beside each other. Zodiac thrust its arm and open hand forward, sending a vertical tornado towards Exploder Dragonwing. At the same time, Gemini began scanning the attack, ready to mimic it.

 

Enrico said, “I activate my Trap: Fear of Powerlessness.” Exploder Dragonwing roared knocking back the attacks, and Garuda and Gemini froze in fear. “This negates your attack on a Level 7 or higher monster, and it increases the ATK of my monster by 400 until my Standby Phase. (2400→2800/1600)”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “In any case, Baby Dragon will attack Exploder Dragonwing!” Baby Dragon roared and leapt at Exploder Dragonwing, and the amulet around its neck began glowing. Zugai smiled, “When the monster equipped with Amulet of Ambition attacks, the equipped monster gains 500 ATK for the difference in Levels between the monsters. Baby Dragon is a Level 3, and Exploder Dragonwing is a Level 7 monster. There is a 4-Level difference, so Baby Dragon gains 2000 ATK! (1200→3200/700)” Four golden 5-pointed stars emerged from Amulet of Ambition, and enlarged, surrounding Baby Dragon. The stars, moving in a spiral pattern, all merged with Baby Dragon, giving it a gold aura.

 

Enrico, however, interrupted, “I activate my Trap: Miniaturize! This will equip to Baby Dragon, making it lose 1000 ATK and will reduce its Level by 1!” Baby Dragon began shrinking, and became even smaller than Exploder Dragonwing than it already was. (3200→2200/700) “Also, Baby Dragon gains 500 ATK due to the effect of Amulet of Ambition. (2200→2700/700) Exploder Dragonwing, counterattack!” Exploder Dragonwing launched a second ball of fire at Baby Dragon, causing Baby Dragon to explode, and the shockwave slightly forced Zugai back. (Zugai 6700→4000)

 

Zugai panted and began to gather his thoughts, I have to keep my thoughts together. It’s going to take a while to surpass him, since he’s a lot smarter than I am. “I Set 1 card and end my turn. During this End Phase, Gemini returns to my hand, and Garuda’s ATK returns to normal. (3600→1600/1200)”

 

Enrico said, “My turn. Due to the effect of Fear of Powerlessness, Exploder Dragonwing’s ATK returns to normal. (2800→2400/1600) Exploder Dragonwing, destroy Garuda!”

 

Zugai smiled, “I activate my Trap: Spirit Force! This will destroy your attacking monster!” A crystal mirror appeared in front of Garuda. When Exploder Dragonwing launched a third large fireball, the barrier deflected it, returning it to Exploder Dragonwing and destroying it. "Also, I get to Set a Samsara Cycle from my Deck."

 

Enrico shrugged, “Nice one. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn! I activate my Trap: Samsara Cycle! By sending it to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Red-Eyes from my hand! (2400/2000). Red-Eyes, attack Enrico directly!” Red-Eyes’ eyes began glowing bright red for a split second, and it flew higher into the air. It launched a beam of dark, red energy at Enrico, pushing him back a few feet. (Enrico 8000→5600) “Garuda, attack him directly!” Garuda opened its palm and launched a whirlwind at Enrico, completely engulfing him. (Enrico 5600→4000) Zugai smiled, Getting there! “I end my turn!”

 

Enrico smiled, “My turn. I activate Star Blast. This will allow me to reduce the Level of a monster in my hand by 1 by paying 500 Life Points. I pay 2000 Life Points and Normal Summon Tyrant Dragon. (Enrico 4000→2000)” Tyrant Dragon emerged from the sky and roared, causing the clouds above to clear. (2900/2500)

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “2900 ATK…”

 

Enrico continued, “Next, I activate Proof of Powerlessness.” Tyrant Dragon’s eyes began to glow. “Since I control a Level 7 monster, this card will destroy all Level 5 or lower monsters you control.” Tyrant Dragon roared, and the force produced by it caused Garuda to shatter, and even force Zugai back. Enrico continued, “Next, I activate Half Shut. This will halve the ATK of Red-Eyes, although it can’t be destroyed this turn. (2400→1200/2000) Tyrant Dragon, attack Red-Eyes!” Tyrant Dragon opened its mouth, and a column of fire appeared, heading directly towards Red-Eyes. Red-Eyes was forced crashing into a tower, although it was not destroyed. (Zugai 4000→2300) As Red-Eyes began to fall, Tyrant Dragon dashed to it, grabbed its neck with its claw, and smashed it against the ground, making it screech in agony.

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “What the hell!?”

 

Enrico explained, “When Tyrant Dragon attacks, if you control a monster afterwards, it is allowed to attack again.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, I forgot about that for a moment. (Zugai 2300→600)

 

Enrico finished, “I activate Card of Sanctity. This will make us both discard our hands and draw 2 cards.” Zugai and Enrico simultaneously placed their hands in the Graveyards and drew 2 cards. “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai said, “My turn! I activate Cards of Consonance. By discarding Innocent Dark Dragon, I can draw 2 cards! I Tribute Red-Eyes to Summon Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon!” Red-Eyes Black Dragon, who was still collapsed on the ground, began glowing with a dark aura. Its entire body turned black and began morphing into a different creature. Red crystals began glowing on its wings and forehead, and its eyes glowed a malicious color. It eyes began glowing crimson, and it spread its wings and roared, shedding itself of its dark aura. (2400/2000) Zugai smiled, “Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon gains 300 ATK for each Dragon-Type monster in my Graveyard. There are 3 right now, so it has 3300 ATK! (2400→3300/2000) Red-Eyes, destroy Tyrant Dragon!” Red-Eyes opened its mouth and launched a crimson inferno at Tyrant Dragon, completely engulfing it. Red-Eyes closed its mouth, stopping the fire, and watched Tyrant Dragon burn. However, Tyrant Dragon roared and flapped its wings and soared, shedding itself of the flames.

 

Enrico said, “I Special Summoned Battle Fader, ending the Battle Phase. (0/0)” Battle Fader did in fact hang over Enrico, appearing on the Battle Field before Zugai realized it.

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Enrico said, “My turn. I activate the effect of the Necro Infernal in my Graveyard. I can remove it from play to Special Summon another Level 4 or lower monster from my Deck. I Special Summon Lava Dragon in Defense mode. (1600/1200) Next, I Tribute Lava Dragon to activate its effect, Special Summoning 2 Level 3 or lower Dragon-Type monsters, one from my hand and the other from my Graveyard.” Lava Dragon erupted in a burst of magma, and Enrico said, “I Summon Magna Drago and Decoy Dragon. (1400/600) (300/200) Next, I Tune Magna Drago to Tyrant Dragon to Synchro Summon Trident Dragion!” Magna Drago transformed into two flaming rings that passed over Tyrant Dragon. Tyrant Dragon exploded in flames, and a large, three-headed red dragon appeared and loomed over the field. (3000/2800)”

 

Zugai smiled, “Trident Dragion, huh? Nice, but Darkness Dragon has higher ATK.”

 

Enrico said, “I activate the effect of Trident Dragion. When its Summoned, I can destroy up to 2 cards I control. It gains an additional attack for each card I destroy.” Tyrant Dragon swallowed Decoy Dragon and Battle Fader. “Also, I activate Unprecedented Wind. This increases Trident Dragion’s ATK by 1000 until my next Standby Phase. (3000→4000/2800)”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Enrico said, “Trident Dragion, destroy Red-Eyes!” Trident Dragion’s right head launched a column of magma at Red-Eyes.

 

Before it made contact, Zugai smiled, “I activate my Set Card: Weak Force! I use its second effect! This will reverse inverts increases and decreases in ATK until the End Phase! Although Red-Eyes Darkness Dragon’s ATK goes down to 1500, (3300→1500/2000) Trident Dragion’s ATK goes to 2000! (4000→2000/2800)” Red-Eyes was hit by the column, and Zugai was forced back three meters by the explosion that followed. (Zugai 600→100)”

 

Zugai continued, “Also, I activate the second part of Weak Force’s effect. If a monster I control is destroyed, I can Special Summon a removed from play monster. However, during the End Phase, it’s removed from play again. I Summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave! (1300/2000)” A mirage of The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave appeared from the explosion.

 

Enrico said, “So, same DEF as my monster’s ATK. Not bad. I end my turn. During the End Phase, your dragon is removed from play, and Trident Dragion’s ATK returns to 4000. (2000→4000/2800)”

 

Zugai smiled, “My turn!” He saw the card he drew and smiled, Perfect timing. “I remove from play the Gemini in my Graveyard to Special Summon Garuda! (1600/1200) Next, I Summon Zodiac Spirit – Pisces! (400/300) When this card is Summoned, I can Special Summon a removed from play monster. I Summon Gemini! (2000/0) It cannot attack, but Pisces gains ATK equal to its ATK. (400→2400/300)” Pisces appeared over the field, and a string of light connected it to Gemini, who seemed to be a mirage only connected to Pisces. “Next, I activate Gemini’s effect. It will increase the ATK of Pisces by its own ATK!” Gemini moved behind Pisces and clutched onto it, filling it with electrical power. (2400→4400/300) “Pisces, attack Trident Dragion!” Pisces began glowing blue, and a large tidal wave appeared, completely swallowing Trident Dragion. (Enrico 2000→1600) Zugai finished, “Garuda, attack him directly!” Garuda swooped down and tackled Enrico, causing him to fall to the ground. (Enrico 1600→0)

 

Zugai smiled, “Yes! I’ve won the most epic Duel of my day! And I beat Enrico!”

 

Enrico stood up and said, “Nice job. That was pretty fun.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Yes, it was.” Zugai looked around, and saw many people walking to a Duel Stadium Hiru went off to. Zugai asked Enrico, “By the way, do you know if anything’s happening in that Duel Stadium?”

 

Enrico said, “Yeah, of course. Didn’t you hear? Hiru Hitono’s surprise opponent is actually Kurai Majutsu.”

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “Why the hell am I missing this!?” Zugai took off his D-Gazer and began dashing to the Duel Stadium.

 

§

 

The Duel stadium was shaped exactly like a metallic basketball stadium. All of the audience wore the same D-Gazer sunglasses as the regular people were. Zugai just rushed into the stadium, but he remained on the outer parts of it, relying on his D-Gazer to monitor the Duel.

 

Hiru stood on the stadium, with Fugushi standing in the middle of the stadium, facing him. Hiru narrowed his eyes, “So, when is my opponent gonna show up?”

 

Fugushi said, “Your opponent is right here.” Fugushi stepped to the sidelines, wearing a golden D-Gazer, and Hiru’s eyes widened as Kurai Majutsu stepped to the Duel arena. He wore a black vest with a white shirt inside, and had fiery red hair.

 

Kurai told Hiru, “I’m here to recover the dignity and the title that I have lost. I’ll show the world why I was the one to obtain the title of the world’s greatest Duelist!”

 

Hiru said, “Well then, let’s get started! Duel!” Hiru and Kurai’s D-Gazers automatically synced with the Stadium, making them and everybody in the stadium able to see their Duel.

 

Kurai drew his five starting cards as Hiru did. He said, “My turn. I Summon Rapid-Fire Magician. (1600/1200) Also, I activate Magical Citadel of Endymion.” The field immediately transformed into the same magical town as it did the second time that they Dueled. “Next, I activate Ancient Rules. Due to the effect of Rapid-Fire Magician, since I’ve activated a Normal Spell Card, you take 400 damage.” Rapid-Fire Magician launched a green orb at Hiru, breaking into hundreds of miniscule spheres that bombarded Hiru like bullets. (Hiru 8000→7600)

 

Kurai continued, “Also, Endymion also gains a Spell Counter since I activated a Spell Card. And with Ancient Rules’ effect, I can Special Summon Dark Magician from my hand. (2500/2100) By Tributing it, I can Tribute Summon Dark Eradicator Warlock from my hand. (2500/2100) Next, I activate Magical Blast. This inflicts 200 damage to my opponent for each Spellcaster I control. I control 2, so you take 400 damage.” Eradicator began preparing a blast, and Kurai continued, “Also, due to the effect of Eradicator and Rapid-Fire Magician, since I activated a Normal Spell Card, you take 1400 more damage.” Dark Eradicator Warlock launched a large blast of dark magic, exploding as it hit Hiru. (Hiru 7600→5800) “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “My turn.” As expected. He inflicts 2200 damage to me right off the bat. Can’t activate Normal Spell Cards, since I would take 1000 damage… “I remove from play the Unicorn and Centaur in my hand from play to Fusion Summon Legendary Beast – Griffin of Nature! (2500/2500) Next, with its effect, I can draw 1 card!” Hiru drew his card and looked at it, seeing Pegasus. “The card I drew was a Monster Card, Pegasus, and it is removed from play, although Griffin gains its effects! So until my Standby Phase, Griffin gains a Muse Counter, giving it 500 ATK! (2500→3000/2500) Griffin, destroy Dark Eradicator Warlock!” Griffin flapped its wings, and two green jets of air appeared and cut Dark Eradicator Warlock into multiple pieces. (Kurai 8000→7500)

 

Hiru finished, “I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Kurai said, “My turn. I activate Dead Spell Draw. If I have 2 or more Spellcaster-Type monsters in my Graveyard, I can draw 1 card for each Normal Spell Card and Spellcaster-Type monster in my Graveyard. There are 4, so I draw 4 cards! And since I activated a Normal Spell Card, you take 400 more damage. (Hiru 5800→5400) Also, Endymion gains its 3rd Spell Counter. I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “My turn! During this turn, Griffin loses its effect. (2500/2500) Griffin, destroy Rapid-Fire Magician!”

 

Kurai yelled, “I activate my Trap: Magical Mirror Force! This destroys Griffin!” Griffin flapped its wings, creating two large jets of air. However, Rapid-Fire Magician held its weapon forward, and a barrier of mystical runes appeared, deflecting the blast and returning it to Griffin, which was destroyed by it. “Also, it destroys all Spell and Trap Cards you control.” The blasts then scattered, and the Set Scrap-Iron Scarecrow and Magic Cylinder on Hiru’s field were shattered.

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “Since I control no monsters and you do, I Normal Summon Goliath of the Woods. (2000/0) I end my turn.”

 

Kurai smiled, “My turn. I Summon Arcane Apprentice. (1000/800) Next, I Tune Arcane Apprentice to Rapid-Fire Magician to Synchro Summon Tempest Magician. (2200/1400)”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “A Synchro Summon…?”

 

Kurai maliciously smiled, “When Tempest is Summoned, I can place a Spell Counter on it. Next, I activate Spell Power Grasp. This places a Spell Counter on a card I control, and allows me to add one more to my hand from my Deck. However, only one can be activated per turn.” Kurai pulled a Spell Power Grasp from his Deck. “Also, once per turn, I can discard any number of cards to place the same number of Spell Counters on a card on the field. I place them on Endymion! Now it has 6 Spell Counters!”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, And Endymion can be Summoned from the Graveyard…

 

Kurai smiled, “I activate the effect of Tempest Magician! Magical Typhoon!” Tempest Magician swung its scythe, and the whole field was covered by a storm. Hiru shielded his eyes, and Kurai simply endured the rough wind. “This will remove every Spell Counter from the field, and my opponent takes 500 damage for each one! 7 counters are being removed, so you take 3500 damage!” A bolt of lightning cracked through the field and struck Hiru, who roared in agony from the strike. (Hiru 5400→1900) “Also, I activate my Trap: Magical Explosion! Since I have no cards in my hand, this will inflict 200 damage to your Life Points for each Spell Card in my Graveyard.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, and Kurai smiled, “There are 5 in my Graveyard, so you take 1000 damage!” A beam of green light emerged from Tempest Magician’s scythe, and Hiru gasped for breath has he kneeled on the ground in pain. (Hiru 1900→900)

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, What the…? Kurai shouldn’t be able to…! He glared at Fugushi, who was watching the Duel as if nothing was happening.

 

Kurai continued, “Now, Tempest Magician, destroy Goliath!” Tempest Magician swung its scythe and easily cleaved Goliath into two parts, causing it to explode. (Hiru 900→700)

 

Enrico approached Zugai and said, “This isn’t going well for Hiru.”

 

Zugai said, “Hiru’s getting his @$$ handed to him.”

 

Enrico commented, “If he doesn’t Summon a monster, he’s as good as dead.”

 

Zugai said, “Not only that. He can return Magical Blast to his hand and use its effect to inflict 200 damage to Hiru. Then, Magical Citadel gains a Spell Counter, and with Tempest Magician’s effect, Hiru will take 700 damage total from that combo…”

 

Kurai said, “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “My turn!” Okay, so if I don’t do anything, I’m screwed. Hiru drew his card, and a glimmer of hope grew in his eyes. “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kurai said, “My turn. I discard 1 card to place a Spell Counter on Endymion. Next, I remove it to inflict 500 damage to you, Hiru.” Another bolt of lightning struck Hiru and caused him to stumble a bit, yet he managed to barely keep his balance. (Hiru 700→200)

 

Kurai dipped his head, and began laughed, “This is how you all should be.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes and scowled, and Kurai continued, “You all continue using useless moves until the end, and always will end up losing. Although I did learn from my last encounter, and from my encounter with Kosoru.”

 

Zugai muttered, “That you aren’t as good as you thought you are?”

 

Kurai continued, “I learned that using the Egyptian Gods was a mistake. The power from these Magicians was good enough, but the weak Gods blinded me. Tempest Magician, attack Hiru directly!” Tempest Magician launched a large wave of energy at Hiru. Hiru’s eyes widened for a split second, and he reached for his Duel Disk. The wave of energy exploded as it hit Hiru, and the smoke cleared, leaving Hiru with a trembling body, immobile with pain. (Hiru 200→0)

 

Kurai said, “The last two matches were flukes. That’s the easiest way to…”

 

Hiru interrupted, “Don’t think this is over yet.”

 

Kurai asked, “Hm?” His eyes widened as he saw Hiru slowly begin to move a card from his hand to the Graveyard, and a rainbow veil surrounded him. (Hiru 0→2400)

 

Kurai exclaimed, “Impossible! How did you recover that Life?”

 

Hiru’s body relaxed, and he answered, “It’s simple. I just activated this.” Hiru pointed to an open Trap Card on his lower left.

 

Kurai weaved moved his eyes towards where Hiru pointed, and his eyes widened, “Rainbow Life… this negated the damage and made you recover it… but how come you didn’t activate it when I used Tempest Magician’s effect?”

 

Hiru stood up firmly, “I’m not as dumb as you think.”

 

Kurai gasped, and Hiru explained, “If I used Rainbow Life with that, you would have instantly realized it and would not have attacked, leaving me with only 1200 Life Points. That’s too risky in a Duel against somebody like you, so I waited for you to attack.”

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes and clenched his teeth, and Hiru said, “I’ll show you now that the two last Duels were real. I’ll show you that it wasn’t a fluke.” Hiru pointed and declared, “I’ll show you my true powers, Kurai Majutsu! Believe it!”

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 41]

 

Chapter 41: Awakening of the Worthy: Kurai VS Hiru!

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes, “If you think you can really beat me, you’re a fool. I activate the effect of the Dead Spell Draw in my Graveyard. By removing from play up to 4 Spellcasters in my Graveyard, if I have no cards in my hand, I can draw a card for each Spellcaster I removed from play. I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “My turn! I activate Burial from a Different Dimension. This returns 3 removed from play cards to my Graveyard. I return Unicorn, Pegasus, and Centaur to the Graveyard. Next, by removing from play the Hellhound and Goliath in my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon Legendary Beast – Cerberus of Death! (2800/1000) Next, I activate the effect of Cerberus! It will remove from play all LIGHT monsters in my Graveyard!” Cerberus opened its three mouths, and three white will-o-wisps appeared, and Cerberus engulfed one each. “Also, I activate the effect of the removed Unicorn! One time only, if its removed from play, a monster I control can attack directly, although the Battle damage is halved. Cerberus, attack Kurai directly!” Cerberus roared, and the field suddenly began engulfed with a bright, yet ominous, light, causing Kurai to cover his eyes. (Kurai 7500→6100)

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes, “You little brat…!”

 

Hiru smiled, “I Set 1 card and end my turn. During this End Phase, you take 600 damage due to Cerberus’s effect.” Cerberus opened its mouth, and the three will-o-wisps were blasted at Kurai, bombarding off of him. (Kurai 6100→5500) “Also, when this effect is activated, I can destroy 1 monster you control!” The three wisps changed their direction and all ricocheted to Tempest Magician, causing it to explode.

 

Kurai said, “My turn! I activate Monster Reborn. With this, I bring back Tempest Magician! (2200/1400) Next, I activate Pitch-Black Power Stone!”

 

Hiru smiled, “No matter what you do, you have to inflict over 4800 damage to actually beat me with Tempest Magician. Cerberus halves all damage to me. So unless you get 10 Spell Counters…”

 

Kurai said, “I don’t plan to.”

 

Hiru looked at Kurai in confusion, and Kurai revealed, “I activate Polymerization! I send Tempest Magician and Chaos Command Magician to my Graveyard to Fusion Summon Supreme Arcanite Magician!” A bolt of thunder crashed from the sky, and a large, armored magician appeared standing on the top of the large tower behind Kurai. It raised its large staff, almost identical to the one that Dark Magician held, and in a flash of purple lighting appeared on the field in front of Kurai, not much larger than Kurai physically, but larger than most of his monsters. (1400/2800) “When this card is Summoned, it gains 2 Spell Counters. Supreme Arcanite Magician gains 1000 ATK for each Spell Counter on it. Right now, there are 2, so it has 3400 ATK. (1400→3400/2800)

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, and said, “Still, Cerberus halves the damage that I take, even through Battle.”

 

Kurai smiled, “You obviously haven’t tasted enough of ultimate power.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “What…?”

 

Kurai smiled, “Due to the effect of Pitch-Black Power Stone, I can move one of its Spell Counters to Supreme Arcanite Magician. With that, it has 3 Spell Counters, and 4400 ATK. (3400→4400/2800) Also, I activate the effect of Supreme Arcanite Magician.” Supreme Arcanite Magician rose its staff, and green bolts of magic began escaping from its orb. “By removing 1 Spell Counter from it, I can draw 1 card. However, due to the effect of Magical Citadel of Endymion, I can remove a Spell Counter from it instead.” Kurai placed his hand on his Deck. As he did, he was covered by a strange, purple aura for a split second that only Hiru saw.

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, What just happened?

 

Kurai drew his card, looked at it, and smiled, “I Summon Alchemist of Black Spells! (1200/1800) Once per turn, I can switch Alchemist of Black Spells to Defense mode to place a Spell Counter on a card I control. I place a Spell Counter on Supreme Arcanite Magician! (4400→5400/2800) Next, I activate Transfer of the Sacred Spells. This places the Spell Counters that are on Pitch-Black Power Stone on Supreme Arcanite Magician! (5400→7400/2800) When Pitch-Black Power Stone has no Spell Counters, it is destroyed. Also, due to the effect of Transfer of the Sacred Spells, since I have no cards in my hand, I can draw 2 cards. I Set 1 card. Supreme Arcanite Magician, destroy Cerberus!” Supreme Arcanite Magician launched a large beam of green energy at Cerberus, completely engulfing Hiru’s side of the field. However, a dark shadow covered Hiru, deflecting a portion of the beam. (Hiru 2400→100)

 

Kurai finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “My turn! First, I Summon Legendary Beast – Mermaid of the Shores. (0/0) I activate my Trap: Level Conversion Lab! This will let me reveal a monster in my hand and will let me roll a dice. If the number landed is 2 to 6, that becomes the monster’s Level.” Hiru pulled out a dice from his pocket, “However, if it lands on a 1, the monster is sent to the Graveyard. I reveal to you Legendary Beast – Nessie of the Mist.” Hiru rolled the dice, and it landed on a one. “Perfect. Nessie is sent to the Graveyard.” As Hiru discarded Nessie, the entire field was covered by a mist. “However, if Nessie is sent to the Graveyard with this effect, I can destroy all monsters I control and Special Summon it!” A large lizard rose from a lake that suddenly formed behind Hiru through the mist, and it was covered with moss, with gleaming, yellow eyes. (2600/2500)

 

Kurai began to tremble in frustration, and his body was covered by a purple aura. His face was covered by a shadow, and his forehead began glowing, with the symbol of a Spell Counter imprinted on it.

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “What the…?”

 

Zugai, not seeing anything unusual, activated his Astral Eyes. As he did, his vision suddenly became blurred and did not seem to be as good as it was without them. What the… something’s up, here.

 

Fugushi thought to himself, I guess his hurt pride is causing it to awaken.

 

Kurai smiled maliciously, “I activate my Trap: Spellbinding Circle!” A ring attached itself to Nessie’s body, making it roar in pain. “With this, your monster cannot attack or change Battle Positions!”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kurai roared, “My turn! I switch Alchemist of Black Spells to attack mode! Next, I activate its effect!” Alchemist of Black Spells opened its palm, and a yellow Spell Counter symbol appeared on its palm, and a black circle appeared, with the symbol in the center. The symbol darted to Supreme Arcanite Magician, giving it more power. (7400→8400/2800) “Next, I activate its effect! I remove 1 Spell Counter from it to destroy a monster you control! I destroy Nessie!” Supreme Arcanite Magician held its empty hand forward and open, and a large, magical blast emerged from it, heading towards Nessie. However, Nessie vanished in the mist and reappeared, a safe distance away from the blast.

 

Hiru smiled, “Nessie can’t be destroyed by card effects once per turn.”

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes, “However, it’s more than enough to drain out your Life Points! Supreme Arcanite Magician, destroy Nessie!” Supreme Arcanite Magician twirled its blade in its hands many times quickly, and pointed its staff at Nessie.

 

Hiru said, “I activate the effect of the Mermaid in my Graveyard! By removing from play this card in my Graveyard and another monster in my Graveyard, I can end the Battle Phase and remove from play the attack target! I remove from play Mermaid and Cerberus!” Nessie roared and vanished in a vortex, while the blast completely missed Hiru. Hiru continued, “Also, I gain 200 Life Points for each LIGHT and DARK monster removed from play. There are 9, so I gain 1800 Life Points!” A spirit of mermaid appeared and wrapped itself around Hiru, transforming into light and merging with him. (Hiru 100→1900)

 

Kurai growled, “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “My turn. Since I have more than 5 monsters removed from play, I can Special Summon Legendary Beast – Kraken of the Seas! (2800/2700) When this card is Summoned, I must pay half my Life Points. (Hiru 1900→950) This card gains 200 ATK for each of my removed from play monsters. In other words, it gains 1800 ATK! (2800→4600/2700) Also, I can select one of my removed from play monsters to have Kraken gain its ATK! I select Cerberus, so Kraken will gain 2800 more ATK! (4600→7400/2700)”

 

Kurai’s eyes widened, “What…?” His face relaxed, “You still cannot defeat me. I still have Alchemist of Black Spells. Even if it ends in a tie, it will attack you directly, and I will win.”

 

Hiru said, “Ah, that would work in a normal situation. However, Kraken can attack all of your monsters once each.”

 

Kurai’s eyes widened, “Impossible!”

 

Hiru said, “Kraken, destroy Alchemist of Black Spells!” Kraken swung a tentacle at Alchemist of Black Spells, striking it in the chest. “Now, destroy Supreme Arcanite Magician!” Kraken opened its mouth and blasted a large stream of what looked like acidic squid ink. Supreme Arcanite Magician countered with its green blast. The two attacks clashed and came to a stalemate and recoiled, creating an enormous explosion on the Duel stadium.

 

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, Kurai said, “It doesn’t matter. Due to the effect of Magical Citadel of Endymion, since Supreme Arcanite Magician had 6 Spell Counters, Citadel will gain those Spell Counters, giving it seven total.”

 

Hiru smiled, “However, my turn isn’t over yet. Due to the effect of Mermaid, since a monster I control was destroyed, I can Special Summon a removed from play non-Fusion monster, although it is removed from play at the end of the Battle Phase. I Summon Nessie! (2600/2500) Nessie, attack Kurai directly!” Nessie launched a stream of boiling mist, giving Kurai holographic 3rd-degree burns. (Kurai 5500→2900)

 

Hiru said, “At the end of the Battle Phase, Nessie is destroyed and removed from play. However, when Nessie is destroyed, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Legendary Beast monster from my hand!”

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes, and Hiru smiled, “I Summon Legendary Beast – Minotaur of the Labyrinth! (1700/1200) Due to Minotaur’s effect, once per turn, I can remove from play Spell or Trap Card in my Graveyard to destroy a monster. If you control no monsters, I can switch the target to a Spell or Trap Card! I remove from play Rainbow Life to destroy Magical Citadel of Endymion!” Minotaur tossed its axe at the enormous tower of Endymion, but a barrier reflected it, and vanished in a flash of light.

 

Kurai explained, “If Magical Citadel of Endymion would be destroyed, I can remove a Spell Counter on it instead.”

 

Hiru said, “However, since the effect resolved, Minotaur gains 300 ATK! (1700→2000/1200) I Set 1 card and end my turn!”

 

Kurai smiled, “So, you’ve guaranteed your survival, huh? It doesn’t matter too much. My turn!” Kurai drew his card, and noticed he has never seen it before. What the hell? Oh well, I don’t see how I can use it yet, since it needs a weird kind of monster… “I activate the effect of the Endymion in my Graveyard! Once per turn, I can remove 6 Spell Counters from it to Special Summon it from my hand or Graveyard!” Six rings, identical to that on Spellbinding Circle, appeared and surrounded the Citadel. Suddenly, they all exploded in a flash of purple light, which began glowing for many moments. A dark figure appeared in the purple light, and with a swing of its staff, broke the light into hundreds of beautiful sparkles. (2700/1700)

 

Enrico commented, “If this was a Yugioh flashy performance like a Pokemon contest, this would be it.”

 

Kurai smiled, “I activate the effect of Endymion! When this card is Summoned, I can add a Spell Card in my Graveyard to my hand! I add Monster Reborn to my hand!” Monster Reborn slid from Kurai’s Graveyard and into his hand, and Kurai activated it. “Using its effect, I revive Tempest Magician!” A white portal appeared, and Tempest Magician began moving through it.

 

Hiru countered, “I activate my Trap: Great Seal of Legend! If my opponent Summons twice in one turn, I can negate that Summon and remove that monster from play! Also, you cannot Summon monsters from the remainder of this turn.” The portal turned dark and vanished, along with Tempest Magician.

 

Kurai growled, “You’ll still take Damage. Endymion, destroy Minotaur!” Endymion quickly twirled its staff and launched a beam of dark magic from the end of its staff, destroying Minotaur. (Hiru 850→250) “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru said, “My turn! I activate Clash of True Power! This will allow both players to draw cards until they have 5 cards in their hands.” Hiru drew five cards, but Kurai drew none.

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes, “Due to the effect of Dead Spell Draw, I cannot draw cards from the effect of a card my opponent controls.”

 

Hiru said, “Oh well. I activate Polymerization! I fuse the 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my hand to Fusion Summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon descended onto the field, roaring in pride and strength. (4500/3800)

 

Kurai’s eyes widened, “What!? You drew 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons and Polymerization!?”

 

Zugai commented, “That’s f***ing impossible…”

 

Hiru continued, “Next, I attack Endymion!” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon launched three beams of lightning at Endymion, who braced itself for the impact and took the attack. The attack hit, and Endymion shattered in a sudden shout. (Kurai 2900→1100)

 

Hiru smiled, “I end my turn.”

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes, “My turn!” He looked at the card he drew, and thought to himself, Wait, this card… I’ve never… Suddenly, he felt time slow, and a voice rang in his head. It was a voice that pleased and welcomed, but also invited Kurai’s deepest desires. “The title that you seek, are you truly worthy of it?”

 

Kurai’s eyes widened and the voice continued, “Grasp the power that lays in your hand. Use the power locked within your heart and unleash it. Show the world you are worthy of your title. Call me out, and I shall gift you the power of a worthy king.”

 

Kurai felt power surging through his body, and Hiru noticed Kurai was surrounded by dark energy. Kurai suddenly gathered his body and roared, spreading his arms. Dark flames and spirits began flowing from Kurai, and a Spell Counter symbol brightly appeared on his forehead and chest. His hair began floating as his body seemed to be repelling pulses of air, and his eyes glowed white.

 

Zugai’s eyes widened, “This is not good.” He tried to step over the fence, but he felt as if his strength was being drained from his body, and could not even move his own body, although he felt as energetic as ever. First my Astral Eyes and now this… what the hell is going on?

 

Kurai began speaking with his voice, but a darker voice of his own also seemed to speak with him in synchronization. “By sending Magical Citadel of Endymion from my field to my Graveyard, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!” Kurai lifted and turned a card in his hand, and the card began glowing. He smiled, “Show the world your true power! Descend forth: The Worthy Magician, Veles!” A large, armored magician, appeared on the field. It held no staff, but was already uplifting the entire area and the Citadel with its powers. Shattering every single building around it and even the Earth itself, it began revolving them around it, only showing a fraction of its true power. (3400/2200)

 

Zugai said, “I don’t know what this means, but it isn’t good…”

 

Kurai smiled, “I activate the effect of Veles. Once per turn, I can add 1 Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand. I activate Magical Blast! I cannot attack this turn, but this card will inflict 200 damage to my opponent for each Spellcaster I control! The only one I control is Veles, so you take 200 damage!” Veles launched an enormous sphere of dark energy that exploded as it hit Hiru. Although it was only 200 damage, Hiru was launched off his feet and crashed into the ground behind him, knocking the air from his body. (Hiru 250→50)

 

Kurai smiled, “You only hold on with a thread of Life! You cannot win now. I Set 1 card and end my turn!”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “Dammit… didn’t expect mystical power shiz to continue being applied.” He tried crawling up, but he felt almost no strength in his body. He attempted activating is Hand of Matter to help him up, but nothing happened. My powers are sealed, too!? Nma...

 

Kurai smiled, “What’s wrong? You two scared to get up?”

 

Hiru quickly flared up with energy and leapt up, “Don’t think that I’m a wimp! My turn!” Hiru looked at the cards he drew and was happy to see Dragon’s Mirror. Yes! I can Summon Blue-Eyes Nemean Drakon! “I activate Dragon’s Mirror! This will remove from play the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon and Blue-Eyes in my Graveyard!”

 

Kurai smiled, “Useless! I activate my Trap: Mystical Staff of the Worthy!” A staff appeared, and Veles clutched it. “This will first destroy all monsters you control when it’s activated!” Veles launched all the surrounding debris and destroyed Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon. “Also, while this card is face-up on the field, if I control Veles, you cannot activate Monster Effects, and until your next Standby Phase, I can negate the activation of your Spell Cards!”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Kurai spoke, “Sad Interstellar. Your very own powers are focused solely along fusion and Spell Cards. A simple strategy like that can easily be countered by Veles. You cannot stand up to an avatar of a God that is a master of magic.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “Even so, I’ll find a way to win! I Set 1 card and end my turn!”

 

Kurai spoke, “This is the last turn. Draw. I activate the effect of Veles. This will add a Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand. Next, I discard 1 card to activate Necro Seal. During this turn, you cannot Summon monsters from your Graveyard.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “I looked over your Deck, and cards like these did not exist before…”

 

Kurai said, “It doesn’t matter. Veles, destroy Hiru!” Veles launched another enormous blast at Hiru.

 

Hiru smiled, “I activate my Trap: Armor of Achilles! This negates a direct attack!” Armor appeared over Hiru and split the attack of Veles before it hit him.

 

Kurai scowled, “Of course, the easiest way to compete with one that an ultimate deity works through is with the power of a God. I end my turn.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Draw! Since I control no Spell or Trap Cards, I can activate Greed of Legend from my hand! With this, if I have a LIGHT and a DARK monster removed from play, I can draw 2 cards!” Hiru looked at his two cards and smiled, “I Summon Legendary Beast – Stranger of the Underworld! (1500/1600)”

 

Kurai said, “Simple strategy. You would use its effect to inflict the Battle Damage to me. However, Mystical Staff of the Worthy negates its effect. It’s a useless struggle.”

 

Hiru continued, “I activate Path of Darkness! During the rest of this turn, the effects of Spell and Trap Cards are negated!”

 

Kurai’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Hiru smiled, “This ends it! Stranger, attack Veles!” Stranger opened its arms, and its cloak transformed into an enormous cloud of black smoke and haze. Shadowy hands began emerging from the haze, reaching to Veles. Hiru smiled, “When Veles battles, any damage I would take is inflicted to my opponent!”

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes in disbelief, and Hiru smiled as the cloud completely engulfed Veles and Kurai. After a moment of silence, all that could be heard was a scream of agony emerging from Kurai. (Kurai 1100→0)

 

Hiru panted as the Duel images began fading away, and he saw Kurai kneeling on the ground.

 

Kurai asked, “Did I just lose?”

 

Hiru rushed to Kurai and asked, “Where did you get Veles?”

 

Kurai asked, “What? Veles? What are you talking about?”

 

Hiru was about to speak, but Zugai pat him on the shoulder, signaling him to stop. Zugai asked, “So, how many Life Points did Hiru have at the end of the Duel.”

 

Kurai stared up at the two Duelists and began focusing. He finally closed his eyes and sighed, “I can’t remember. I remember blacking out when I drew this one card, and it called to me… that’s all I remember.”

 

Hiru said, “Do you remember what the card was?”

 

Kurai said, “No. I couldn’t look at it.”

 

Zugai said, “Well, I’ll fill you in on what happened at the end of the Duel. You began erupting in darkness and covered the entire field, causing everybody in the entire stadium to run away. Then you Summoned a destructive monster that has never been made in the game of Duel Monsters, and you used that monster to bring Hiru’s Life Points down to 50.

 

“Afterwards, you began blabbering nonsense to Hiru about your monster being ‘worthy’, and continued the Duel until Hiru won. After that, he managed to defeat you.” Zugai’s head finally percked up in realization, and he said, “Since you can’t remember it, something’s seriously wrong. Is there anything else you’d like to say?”

 

Kurai narrowed his eyes and scowled, “I don’t need to justify myself to a bunch of teenagers.”

 

Zugai smirked, “Have it your way. We can always report you’re on rapture or something ever since you lost to Kosoru in the finals. (NOTE: Rapture is a drug created after the Golden Age of Dueling began, which increases mentality and Dueling capabilities, although it almost always causes blackouts.)”

 

Zugai turned and began walking away, and Hiru followed. Kurai quickly called, “There was one other time I blacked out like that, though.”

 

Zugai stopped himself and turned to listen. Kurai explained, with a great look of humiliation on his face, “I blacked out after I let somebody look through my Deck to adjust anything necessary.”

 

Zugai asked, “Who was that?”

 

Kurai said, “Fugu...” he started, and suddenly, his face became blank with emotion, and he fainted.

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “Hiru, could you do me a favor?”

 

Hiru replied, “Yeah?”

 

Zugai said, “Tell Kurai that I said thanks once he wakes up, and get him to safety.”

 

Hiru said, “You got it, brah!” Hiru picked up Kurai, and like he was giving him a piggyback ride, he began rushing to the nearest safe place.

 

Zugai looked to see a daydreaming Fugushi off in the distance. He narrowed his eyes and began stomping towards him. Zugai slammed his hands against the railing just in front of Fugushi, and leaned against the rails. He said, “So, are there any other people in the tournament with the first syllables ‘Fugu’ other than you, or do I have to look it up in the D-Gazer?”

 

Fugushi looked and said, “I’m afraid not.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “What are you doing? You go off for a long time, and after stalking us for two months one month before now, you come here with a group of seven Duelists you claim to be the top, even though they haven’t even premiered to the world. Who are you, Santa Claus?”

 

Fugushi stood up and turned away from Zugai. He cooly said, “I no longer have time for you childish behavior. I’ve stood up to you and made you into who you are, but I am no longer the same. I see the world clearly now.”

 

Zugai narrowed his eyes, “And what do you see with the All-Father’s eye?”

 

Fugushi said, “Things you could not possibly imagine. If the course of the world continues,” he glared at Zugai with heavy intensity, “I’ll destroy it with my own hands if I must.”

 

Zugai glared back, returning the intensity, and Fugushi began walking away.

 

In the now empty Duel Stadium, Zugai thought to himself, Fugushi Kazoku, I’ll see how much you can see with those eyes. I’ll just have to find out what you’ve seen.

 

[Blake]

It is just stick to one, but any FF/RPer worth his stock uses past.

[Ultimate Assassin Ninjew]

That's a good chapter Cortez.

[BlackSkullCortez]

Thank you. Chapter 2 should be up tomorrow.

[Fusion X. Denver]

Nice chapter Cortez, I'm guessing I make my debut next :D

Don't forget the dent Looking forward to it

[BlackSkullCortez]

Fusion, don't spoil it for everybody. And thanks.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 42]

 

Chapter 42: Cold Grudges: Entity of the King

 

By the lake of Geneva, a large, muscular man was Dueling a thin, tall, teenage Duelists with glasses. The man had black, spiked hair with a white soccer jersey and black basketball pants, while the thin teenager had a black T-Shirt and black pants with an orange jacket.

 

The muscular man had Kaiser Sea Horse on his Field and 3100 Life Points and two cards in his hand, (1700/1650) while the boy had 8000 Life Points, two Set cards, Tuned Magician, (1800/1600) and Dawnbreak Gardna with its effect. (1500/2300)

 

The muscular man smiled, “I Tribute my Kaiser Sea Horse to Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon! (3000/2500)” Blue-Eyes White Dragon hovered over the muscular man, roaring over the field. “How’s this? Even the famous junior champion Kai Taizen stands no chance against the Blue-Eyes of Hulk Hogan! Attack Tuned Magician!”

 

Kai said, “I activate Sakuretsu Armor. This negates the attack and destroys the attacking monster.” A large silver suit of armor appeared and leapt at Blue-Eyes, punching it in the forehead and causing it to explode. “I’ve faced many Blue-Eyes White Dragons. So far, only one has been powerful enough to leave a mark on me.”

 

Hulk narrowed his eyes, “I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Kai said, “My turn.”

 

Hulk yelled, “I activate Call of the Haunted! This will revive Blue-Eyes!” The ground behind Hulk began cracking, and Blue-Eyes rose from it.

 

Kai sighed, “You just never learn, do you? I Gemini Summon Tuned Magician. Now, it is also treated as a Tuner. I Tune it with Dawnbreak Gardna to Synchro Summon Seven Swords Warrior. (2300/1800)”

 

Hulk smiled with relief, “You may be able to Synchro Summon, but it is not nearly as powerful as Blue-Eyes!”

 

Kai sighed, “I equip Seven Swords Warrior with Lightning Blade.” A blade with lightning running through it appeared over the field.

 

Hulk asked, “Equip?”

 

Kai sighed, “Seriously, you don’t know what it is? An equip card equips to a monster and gives it different boosts. In this case, it increases the ATK of Seven Swords Warrior by 800.” Seven Swords Warrior grabbed onto the blade and wielded it perfectly. (2300→3100/1800)

 

Hulk’s eyes widened, “It’s stronger than Blue-Eyes!?”

 

Kai continued, “Not only that. Once per turn, when Seven Swords Warrior is equipped with an Equip Card, it inflicts 800 damage to my opponent.” Seven Swords Warrior launched a yellow beam of energy from its chest, which hit Hulk in the forehead. (Hulk 3100→2300) “Also, once per turn, I can send a card equipped to it to the Graveyard to destroy a monster you control.” Seven Swords Warrior tossed Lightning Blade at Blue-Eyes, causing it to explode. (3100→2300/1800) “Seven Swords Warrior, attack him directly!” Seven Swords Warrior dashed past Hulk, virtually slicing through him. (Hulk 2300→0)

 

Hulk fell to the ground and began to climb back to his feet. “How can you be so powerful?”

 

Kai simply answered, “I know the whole game and almost all of its mechanics.” Without another word, he pressed his glasses to his face and began walking away.

 

§

 

In a completely different part of the same channel, Filip, wearing a white imperial-style jacket, was walking through a forest area innocently. He heard a voice from behind him say, “Excuse me, but are you, by chance, Filip Regmente?”

 

Filip turned around to see a tall, muscular American Soldier with a hat to hide his bald head. Filip looked through his D-Gazer and said, “Yes, I am. And you wouldn’t happen to be Steve Woods, would you?”

 

Steve said, “You catch on fast. The D-Gazer is a lot more useful than it seems.”

 

Filip asked, “How come you aren’t wearing one?”

 

Steve said, “I use contacts. But it doesn’t matter.” He pulled out a camouflage Duel Disk and said, “Let’s Duel.”

 

Filip asked, “Why so anxious? I’m nothing special.” Steve didn’t answer, so Filip took out his Obelisk Blue Academy model Duel Disk and said, “If you insist.”

 

§

 

Kai began walking through an empty part of his virtual world, next to a peaceful field. He said to himself, “Odd that nobody’s around here. I wonder why…” Just as he uttered those words, the scenery around him changed. The field became scarlet with blood running along the ground, and an image of Dark Highlander appeared. Kai narrowed his eyes to see an empty suit of armor with a small blue orb in the middle of it behind Dark Highlander. It was all dark black and had demon-based armor, a demon-based shield, and a scarred, demon-based blade. A voice from the armor called, “Kai Taizen. Duel me.”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “What’s going on here.”

 

Dark Highlander raised its blade and swung it past Kai. The scythe barely grazed him, but Kai felt pain along where the scythe hit. He grabbed it with his hands, and saw that it bled. Kai yelled, “Why are you the only one in the vicinity!?” Before Dark Highlander raised its blade, Kai focused his eyes. His vision turned orange for a split second, but Dark Highlander vanished.

 

The knight said, “Ah, you are smarter than you look.” The armor stepped closer slowly, and explained, “I am darklord Pendragon, Knight of the Round, and one of the three warriors of Furui.”

 

Kai’s eyes widened, “What?”

 

Pendragon continued, “The three warriors of Furui have one task: collect the souls of humans and give them to our lord, Oujo. As he collects more, the blizzards of the Ice Barrier will grow stronger.” Pendragon continued, “As the one who first stood up to lord Oujo, I will not make him stain his cards twice to defeat you, and I shall take your soul right here.” Pendragon raised his sword and shield, and a blue star appeared in front of him.

 

Kai drew his five cards and said, “My turn. I Summon Evocator Chevalier. (1900/1200) Next, I equip it with Big Bang Shot and Supervise. Big Bang Shot increases its ATK by 400 and gives it a Piercing ability. (1900→2300/1200) Also, Supervise gives it its effects. I Set 1 card and end my turn.”

 

Pendragon said, “My turn! I Summon Infernity Mirage. (0/0) Next, I Set 2 cards and activate Wave-Motion Inferno. By sending it to the Graveyard, I can discard all cards in my hand.”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, and Pendragon continued, “Next, I Tribute Infernity Mirage to activate its effect. Since I have no cards in my hand, I can Special Summon 2 Infernity monsters from my Deck. I Summon Infernity Destroyer and Infernity Avenger. (2300/1000) (0/0) Next, I Tune Infernity Destroyer to Infernity Avenger to Synchro Summon Dark Highlander!” A cloud of darkness appeared around Pendragon’s 2 monsters, and dark lightning began emerging from it. Dark Highlander crawled out of the darkness and loomed over the field, carrying its enormous scythe. (2800/2300) “While Dark Highlander is on the field, neither player can Synchro Summon. Also, I can select 1 monster my opponent controls and destroy all Equip Cards equipped to it!” Dark Highlander swung its scythe twice at Evocator. “Then, it will inflict 400 damage for each equip card destroyed, so you take 800 damage!” (Kai 8000→7200) “Also, because Big Bang Shot was destroyed, the equipped monster is removed from play!” Evocator yelped and faded. “Dark Highlander, attack directly!”

 

Dark Highlander raised its scythe and swung it at Kai’s chest, knocking him dozens of yards back. (Kai 7200→4400) “I end my turn.”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “My turn. I Set 1 monster and end my turn.”

 

Pendragon narrowed his eyes, “My turn. I Set 1 card. Dark Highlander, destroy his Set monster!” Dark Highlander raised its scythe and swung it vertically, cleaving Featherizer’s card in half.

 

Kai smiled, “When Featherizer is destroyed by battle, I can send 1 Gemini monster from my Deck to the Graveyard to draw 1 card. I send Phoenix Gearfried to the Graveyard.”

 

Pendragon narrowed his eyes, “I end my turn.”

 

Kai smiled, “This is where the comeback begins. My turn! I first activate Sealed Power. During this turn, all cards my opponents control have their effects negated.”

 

Pendragon’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Kai continued, “Next, I Summon Tuned Magician. (1800/1600) I activate Super Double Summon! This will give it its effects! Now, Tuned Magician is a Tuner monster! Then, I activate my Spell, Future Summon. I can Special Summon Gemini Lancer from my Deck, although it is removed from play during the End Phase if it’s on the field. (1800/1400) I Tune my 2 monsters together to Synchro Summon Black Brutdrago!” Tuned Magician and Gemini Lancer vanished in a flash of light, and Black Brutrdrago appeared, roaring at Dark Highlander. (3000/2600)

 

Pendragon narrowed his eyes, “3000 ATK? This is not the Deck that Lord Oujo thought you would use…”

 

Kai continued, “Next, I attack Dark Highlander!” Black Brutdrago rammed into Dark Highlander, making it crash into the ground and explode. (Pendragon 8000→7800)

 

Pendragon narrowed his eyes, “Is that the best you can do?”

 

Kai continued, “I activate my Trap: Overload Burst! Black Brutdrago can attack again, although it is destroyed at the end of the Damage Step!” Black Brutdrago opened its mouth, and a black stream of fire appeared, incinerating Pendragon. (Pendragon 7800→4800) “Now, Black Brutdrago is destroyed.” Black Brutdrago simply shattered into many pieces. “However, I activate its effect. When it’s destroyed, I can Special Summon a Gemini Monster from my Graveyard, giving it its effects! I Summon Phoenix Gearfried! (2800/2200) Attack him directly!” Phoenix Gearfried rose its blade and swung it at Pendragon. Pendragon managed to defend with his shield, and pushed the blade away. (Pendragon 4800→2000)”

 

Kai finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Pendragon narrowed his eyes, “My turn. I activate Double Force Blast. I send 2 Set cards I control to the Graveyard to destroy a monster you control.” Two of Pendragon’s Set cards exploded, and Phoenix Gearfried exploded.

 

Kai smiled, “When you activate a Spell Card, Phoenix Gearfried can Special Summon a Gemini monster from my Graveyard. I Summon Gemini Lancer! (1800/1400)”

 

Pendragon said, “I activate my Trap: Inferno Possession. This allows me to Summon a monster from my Graveyard. I Summon Infernity Destroyer! (2300/1000) Next, due to Inferno Possession, I can pay 1000 Life Points to give Infernity Destroyer 1000 ATK! (Pendragon 2000→1000) (2300→3300/1000) Destroy Gemini Lancer!” Infernity Destroyer rose its fist and punched through Gemini Lancer, making it explode. (Kai 4400→2900) “Also, when Infernity Destroyer destroys a monster by battle, if I have no cards in my hand, you take 1600 damage. (Kai 2900→1300) I end my turn. During my End Phase, Infernity Destroyer loses 2000 ATK due to Inferno Possession. (3300→1300/1000)”

 

Kai narrowed his eyes, “My turn. I activate Dragon’s Mirror! This will allow me to remove from play Fusion Material Monsters for a Dragon-Type Fusion Summon, and will allow me to Fusion Summon it! I remove Phoenix Gearfried and Gemini Lancer from play to Fusion Summon Superalloy Beast Raptinus!” In a burst of energy, Superalloy Beast Raptinus appeared behind Kai. (2200/2200) “Destroy Infernity Destroyer!” Raptinus launched a blue beam of energy at Infernity Destroyer, making it explode. (Pendragon 1000→100) Kai finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Pendragon narrowed his eyes, As expected from the Duelist who stood up to Lord Oujo. “My turn. I… end my turn.”

 

Kai smiled, “My turn! Raptinus, attack directly!” Raptinus opened its mouth and launched a second blue beam, launching Pendragon back. (Pendragon 100→0)

 

Pendragon fell to his knees, and said, “Not bad. But you still will be defeated by Lord Oujo. Count on it.” Pendragon was encompassed by a small blizzard and vanished, and the area returned to normal.

 

Kai asked, “What was that about?” He pushed his glasses to his face again and continued walking. Wondering what was going on with people on the same channel, he said, “Gazer, Duelist Scan.” Profile pictures with arrows pointing to them appeared around many different areas, and two profile pictures were stuck directly side-by-side if they were synced. Kai began looking around, and noticed a pair that caused him to fill with concern. As he saw it, he began running into the forest.

 

§

 

“Astral Soldier Omega, attack directly.”

 

Steve continued Dueling Filip. Steve had Astral Soldier Omega, which normally has 2700 ATK, but in this case had 3300 ATK, and 1 card in his hand. Filip had no card on his field, but had 3 cards in his hand. Filip seemed to have a slight advantage with 6300 Life Points before the attack while Steve had 3200.

 

A large, black machine with a core at its center appeared and dashed at Filip, knocking him back. (Filip 6300→3000) Steve said, “I end my turn. During the End Phase, Astral Soldier Omega’s ATK returns to normal. (3300→2700/0)”

 

Filip began crawling up, “Damn… I need to focus more. My turn! Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Destiny Unit from my hand!” A large, suit of armor that seemed to come straight from Gundam appeared on the field. (3600/2400) “If there are no Orb monsters equipped to it, then its ATK and DEF becomes 0. (3600→0/2400→0) Next, I Summon Flame Orb!” A red orb appeared, seeming to have an everlasting fire within itself. “Next, since Flame Orb is a Union Monster, I equip it to Destiny Unit!” Flame Orb entered Destiny Unit, which began glowing with power. “Since it’s equipped with an Orb, Destiny Unit gains its effects and ATK and DEF! (0→3600/0→2400) Also, it gains its effects! When it destroys a monster by battle, it can inflict damage to my opponent equal to half of its ATK.”

 

Steve narrowed his eyes, and Filip continued, “Also, forgot to mention, when card equipped with Fire Orb destroys a monster, it inflicts damage equal to the ATK of that monster. Now, destroy Omega!” Destiny Unit flew into the air and aimed its rifles at Omega, preparing to fire.

 

Steve narrowed his eyes, He’s come close to beating me, but I’ll use that to escape! I can’t lose to somebody like him! “I activate my Trap: Change Formation! By Tributing a Soldier monster I control, I can Special Summon a Warrior from my Deck with a Level lower than that of the Tributed monster!”

 

Filip narrowed his eyes, “Not so fast! I’ll activate Orb Unison! By removing from play an Orb from my Graveyard, an Orb I control will gain its effects! I remove from play Digital Orb! So now, when a monster I control declares an attack, once, it can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card!”

 

Steve smiled, “Sorry, but the activation of Change Formation can’t be negated!”

 

Filip’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Steve continued, “I Tribute Astral Soldier Omega. Appear now! Cleanse me of my losses and humilities!” Steve pulled a card from his Deck, which began glowing brightly. “The Worthy Soldier!” In a flash of intense light, a large, white soldier covered with firearms appeared on the field. (3100/2000)

 

Filip said, “So? You’ll still lose due to the effect of Fire Orb!”

 

Steve said, “I don’t think so.” The Worthy Soldier launched a laser through Destiny Unit, making it explode.

 

Filip was engulfed by the explosion as he yelled, “What!?” (Filip 3000→0) Filip was knocked back, and his butt hit the ground hard, causing him to support himself with only his hands and feet. “What… is that thing?”

 

Steve began walking towards Filip and said, “It’s the only worthy Warrior in existence. You don’t even have to know much about it, you weak Duelist.”

 

A voice from the trees said, “Weak? Are you so sure?”

 

Steve looked through the trees to find the source of that voice, and Kai Taizen walked from the trees to reveal himself. “The person you call weak managed to get close to beating you, and he only constructed his Deck yesterday.”

 

Steve’s eyes widened in total shock, “What!?”

 

Kai smiled, “Wow, one of the ‘best’ Duelists in the world almost lost to a 18-year-old Duelist who literally just made his Deck.”

 

Steve narrowed his eyes and said, “Shut up, kid. Do you want to take on my wrath?”

 

Kai said, “Try me. I can probably take anything you can dish out, if he can almost take it all.”

 

The two Duelists glared intensely at each other, and Steve thought to himself, What am I doing? I’m getting easily provoked by a kid. He probably isn’t worth the trouble. Steve turned around and began walking away, “Sorry, but I don’t have any more time to mess around with kids. If you want to face me so badly, you can do so tomorrow.” Steve weaved through the trees, walking as quickly as he could.

 

As he walked, he heard three phrases repeat in his head constantly. “Why so anxious? I’m nothing special.” “The person you call weak managed to get close to beating you, and he only constructed his Deck yesterday.”

 

Steve narrowed his eyes and growled, “Kid, you’re going to meet your doom. I’ll make sure you suffer much more than the rest of them.”

 

§

 

Zugai and Enrico were walking through Channel 16, which was set on a series of futuristic rooftops that seemed to have come straight out of Spiderman – Shattered Dimensions. There were flying cars below them and even far drops. Luckily, it was all a virtual reality, so Zugai saw some people walking over these gaps.

 

Enrico, standing beside him, asked, “So, where do you think he is?”

 

Zugai said, “Well, Hiru said that he was going to be looking for a friend of mine, Ron, for some payback…”

 

Enrico asked, “Payback for what?”

 

Zugai said, “Ron is probably one of the best Duelists I know, and according to Hiru, the last time they Dueled, there were absolutely no openings and he had a total loss. Since then, he’s been talking about getting revenge.”

 

Enrico said, “Okay. But… is he using the same Deck as before?”

 

Zugai said, “He knows what he’s doing. I hope.” Zugai stopped and looked to an adjacent skyscraper to the left of them, and using his D-Gazer, saw that Ron and Hiru were synced. Zugai and Enrico exchanged glances, nodded, and began to quickly walk to the skyscraper.

 

Ron said, “So, you think you’re ready to face my ultimate squad again?”

 

Hiru said, “My goal here is to redeem myself, so I’ll have to be. My turn! I Summon Legendary Knight – Chiron! (1700/1000) I end my turn.”

 

Ron said, “My turn. I Summon Genex Ally Crusher in Defense Mode. (1000/2000) I Set 2 cards and end my turn.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “2000 Defense. Not bad. My turn! I Tribute Chiron to Summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!” Chiron exploded in a flash of light, and Blue-Eyes emerged from the ground below it, roaring. (3000/2500) “Blue-Eyes normally needs 2 Tribute. However, if Tributing Chiron, I can remove it from play afterwards, but treat it as 2 Tributes! Next, I activate Ancient Rules! This will Special Summon another Blue-Eyes!” A blue beam of light rose from the ground, and the light began shaping into Blue-Eyes.

 

Ron intercepted, “I activate my Trap: Ally Close. This negates an effect that Summons a LIGHT monster.” The light lost its shape and returned to a single beam. “Also, since I negated the effect of a Spell Card, I can Special Summon Genex Ally Reliever from my hand.” The light morphed into a smaller, mechanical warrior, and the light scattered, and Genex Ally Reliever fell onto Ron’s field. (2200/1000)

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “Still, Blue-Eyes has higher ATK. Destroy Reliever!” Blue-Eyes opened its mouth, and a white stream of lightning was launched from its mouth, completely engulfing Reliever and making it explode. (Ron 8000→7200)

 

Hiru smiled, “Yes! I end my turn!”

 

Ron said, “My turn! I Summon Genex Ally Chemistrir. (200/500)”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “200 ATK? Must be a Tuner…”

 

Ron continued, “Also, I activate the effect of Crusher. When I Summon a monster with its same Attribute, I can destroy 1 card you control. I destroy your Set card.” Crusher thrust its fist into the ground which scattered many large shards of rock, some of which bombarded Hiru’s Set Card, Call of the Haunted. “Next, I activate the effect of my Ally Close in the Graveyard. This will treat any Genex Ally Tuner Monster I control as Genex Controller. However, during my next 2 turns, I can only attack with one monster.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, Here comes a Synchro!

 

Ron said, “I Tune Chemistrer with Crusher to Synchro Summon Genex Ally Triarm!” Crusher and Chemistrer were both engulfed by a sphere of bright light. The light erupted into a pillar, and a dark warrior in a black suit of mechanical armor, with a three-barrel triangular laser gun on its left arm, leapt from the light. (2400/1600)

 

Hiru sighed in relief, “This one only has 2400 ATK…”

 

Ron smiled, “When its Summoned, Triarm’s effect is based on what Attribute the non-Tuner monsters used to Synchro Summon it were. The non-Tuner Material for this card was a DARK monster, so when Triarm is Summoned, I can destroy a LIGHT monster you control.” Triarm pointed its cannon at Blue-Eyes and launched three beams: one purple, one blue, and one green. The three beams shot through Blue-Eyes’ chest, causing it to explode. “Triarm, attack Hiru directly!” Triarm planted its feet on the ground and took aim at Hiru. Supporting its cannon with its right arm, it launched the three beams at Hiru, engulfing him and launching him backwards. (Hiru 8000→5600)

 

Ron finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Hiru wheezed, “Damn you and your cheap monsters…”

 

Ron retorted, “I don’t call this my ultimate squad for nothing…”

 

Hiru leapt up to his feet and said, “Well then, Ron, I’ll just defeat your so-called 'ultimate' squad. My turn! I Summon Sonic Bird! (1400/1000) When this card is Normal Summoned, I can add a Ritual Spell Card from my Deck to my hand!” A card popped out of Hiru’s Deck slightly, and Hiru grabbed it, dramatically placing it in his Duel Disk. “I activate White Dragon Ritual! By Tributing Sonic Bird, this card will allow me to Ritual Summon White Legend Dragon!” A white portal appeared over Hiru, seeming to be absorbing light and air, and Sonic Bird flew into the portal. The portal then began producing light and air, and Paladin of White Dragon flew from it, holding its sword in the air triumphantly, closing the portal. (1900/1200)

 

Hiru continued, “I’m not done yet. I equip Armor of Shadows to Paladin of White Dragon! This gives it 700 ATK! (1900→2600/1200) Next, I activate the second effect of Armor of Shadows! I remove from play the Goliath in my hand to inflict 500 damage to my opponent!” Paladin of White Dragon was covered by a veil of shadows. Suddenly, the shadow vanished, but was replaced with armor that seemed to resemble demons that was donned by both the knight on Paladin of White Dragon and on the dragon itself. The paladin pointed its long spear at Ron, and a ray of purple fire emerged from it, hitting Ron in the chest. (Ron 7200→6700) “Now, destroy Triarm!” Paladin of White Dragon transformed into a purple spear of light, and it dashed through Triarm and looped around, returning to Hiru’s field before Triarm exploded. (Ron 6700→6500) “Yeah, baby! I Set 2 cards and activate Paladin’s effect!” Paladin of White Dragon began glowing. “I can Tribute it to Special Summon Blue-Eyes from my Deck! However, it can’t attack this turn.” Paladin of White Dragon erupted into a column of light, which soon separated from the ground and shaped into Blue-Eyes. The light faded, and Blue-Eyes formed in the same shape the light was in. (3000/2500) “I end my turn!”

 

Ron narrowed his eyes, “My turn. I first activate Trap Stun. So during this turn, it negates the effects of all other Traps. Also, I activate Monster Reborn.” A few purple circles, similar to those on Spellbinding Circle, appeared on the ground in the middle of Ron’s field. “This will revive the Genex Ally Triarm from my Graveyard!” Genex Ally Triarm materialized above the rings, which shattered once it was completely formed. (2400/1600) “Next, I Summon Genex Ally Remote!” A simple, spherical machine appeared, supported by two legs and two arms, with its right hand shaped as a remote. (500/1800) “I Tune Genex Ally Remote to Genex Ally Triarm!” Remote leapt into the air and began clicking buttons on its remote. It transformed into three silver rings that formed a path above Triarm. Triarm leapt into the air through those rings, increasing speed and becoming brighter through each one. By the time it went through the third ring, it was a beam of light. As it traveled, its body transformed into light and began morphing. Ron pulled a white card from his Deck and yelled, “Synchro Summon!” Ron placed the card on his Duel Disk, and the beam of light fell onto the field. The light scattered, and a steaming Locomotion R-Genex was kneeling on the field. (2500/2000) Its eyes, core, and all of the power sets in its body began glowing, and it raised itself.

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, This thing again that defeated me last time… how will I get through this?

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 43]

 

Chapter 43: The Conclusion: Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon VS Genex Ally Axel

 

Hiru and Ron continued facing each other, with Locomotion and Blue-Eyes White Dragon glaring at each other with equal intensities. Ron said, “I’m sure you haven’t forgotten the effect of Locomotion. When its Summoned, I take control of the highest Leveled monster you control. In this case, I take control of Blue-Eyes.” Locomotion pointed both of its enormous arms at Blue-Eyes. Two yellow tractor beams emerged from its palms, tying themselves to Blue-Eyes and drawing it towards him. Blue-Eyes struggled to escape and roaring in distress, but did it all in vain, as it eventually was in the control of Ron.

 

Hiru smiled, “But you can only attack with one of the two, so I’ll have Life Points to spare!”

 

Ron said, “Yeah, except I have a solution. I activate Synchro Gift. This will reduce the ATK of a Synchro Monster I control to 0, but will increase the ATK of a non-Synchro monster I control by its original ATK!” Locomotion spread its arms, and light began pouring from its core and over Blue-Eyes, making it stronger. (2500→0/2000) (3000→5500/2500) “Blue-Eyes, attack your former master!” Blue-Eyes opened its mouth and launched a yellow beam of lightning at Hiru, completely engulfing him. (Hiru 5600→100) The blast continued and launched him back three yards, close to the edge of the skyscraper. However, he stopped sliding just before reaching the ledge.

 

Enrico said, “Wow. He’s already down to 100 Life Points.”

 

Zugai said, “Hey, this happens to me all the time. It’s nothing special.”

 

Ron finished, “I end my turn. During this End Phase, Synchro Gift wears off.” (0→2500/2000) (3000/2500)

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “My turn! I discard White Legend Dragon to activate Raigeki Break! This will destroy Blue-Eyes!” Hiru sent White Legend Dragon to the Graveyard, and a thunderbolt ran from the glowing card on Hiru’s field that began electrocuting Blue-Eyes, making it roar in agony until it exploded in a flash of blue light. “Next, I Summon The White Stone of Legend! (300/250) Also, I activate Song of the Siren. By removing from play a Tuner monster I control, I can select other removed from play monsters, and use them as Synchro Material for a Synchro Summon. I Tune White Stone of Legend with Goliath! Appear now!” The White Stone of Legend vanished in a flash of light, and the light suddenly turned dark grey, with red energy surrounding it. A dark creature emerged, its eyes glowing like molten rock, and its body covered by dark shadows. “Legendary Beast – Basilisk of Shadows!” Basilisk silently hissed as it crawled over to Locomotion R-Genex. (2300/2100)

 

Enrico commented, “Isn’t the Basilisk a snake?”

 

Zugai answered, “In some mythology, it takes on whatever form it once. Look at it in the eye, you’re dead.”

 

Hiru continued, “I activate the effect of Basilisk! By returning a Level 4 or lower removed from play monster to my Graveyard, it gains ATK equal to the ATK of that monster. I return the White Stone of Legend to my Graveyard, so it gains 300 ATK! (2300→2600/2100) Basilisk, destroy Locomotion!” Basilisk leapt directly in front of Locomotive and stared at for two seconds. After that, Locomotive began malfunctioning, and Basilisk leapt back just before it exploded.

 

Ron was launched back suddenly by the explosion and barely managed to land on his feet. (Ron 6500→4000) “What just happened? How did I take this much damage?”

 

Hiru smiled, “When Basilisk attacks a monster with ATK equal to or less than its ATK, it’s automatically removed from play, and you take damage equal to its ATK.”

 

Ron smiled, “Not a bad monster, I have to say.”

 

Hiru replied, “I end my turn. During the End Phase, the ATK of Basilisk returns to normal. (2600→2300/2100)”

 

Ron looked at the playing field through his D-Gazer, and observed Basilisk, smiling. “It may be good, but it has one quality that makes my Deck able to easily overpower it.”

 

Hiru asked, “What are you talking about?”

 

Ron drew his card and looked at it, and replied, “My monsters may be DARK themselves, but they have the power of banishing darkness as well. I Summon Genex Ally Duradark. (1800/200) Once per turn, Duradark can destroy a monster you control with the same Attribute as it.”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Ron explained, “Basilisk and Duradark are both DARK monsters, so Basilisk will be destroyed.” Duradark raised its palm and blasted out three waves of rainbow light, each one passing through Basilisk. It began glowing, and soon exploded in a rainbow flash. “During the turn this effect is activated, Duradark cannot attack. I end my turn.”

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “My turn!” He turned the card he drew to see it was a familiar monster. “Yes! I Summon Kaibaman! (200/700) Next, I activate its effect!” Kaibaman transformed into hundreds of droplets of light. “By Tributing it, I can Special Summon Blue-Eyes from my hand!” The droplets gathered again to form Blue-Eyes White Dragon. (3000/2500)

 

Enrico said, “So he finally successfully calls out Blue-Eyes.”

 

Zugai added, “Didn’t take him long enough or anything.”

 

Hiru pointed, “Blue-Eyes, destroy Duradark!” Blue-Eyes opened its mouth and launched a beam of white lightning at Duradark, completely engulfing it and making it flash in rainbow light as it exploded with a scream. (Ron 4000→2800)

 

Zugai said, “Wow. This actually looks a bit promising for Hiru.”

 

Hiru finished, “I end my turn.”

 

Ron drew his card and said, His Set Card, he hasn’t activated it yet, and I haven’t successfully attacked. That means it must be a card that inflicts damage to me when I attack. Magic Cylinder. He no longer has Sakuretsu Armor in his Deck as far as I know. “I activate Scrapyard Function! By removing from play 2 Machine-Type monsters that can be used as Synchro Material, I can Synchro Summon a monster from my Extra Deck!”

 

Hiru’s eyes widened, “What!?”

 

Ron said, “I Tune my Level 3 Genex Ally Remote to my Level 5 Genex Ally Reliever!” Three silver rings appeared over the field, and a battered Reliever began flying through them, increasing speed and becoming brighter as it flew through each one. Ron held up a Synchro Monster again and said, “Appear! Genex Ally Axel!” A white machine with gold hands, wheels instead of feet, a purple gazer over its head, and a ring with two jets on its back, descended from the sky and landed on the field. (2600/2000)

 

Zugai said, “Well, ace monster clashes with signature card.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Nice try. It may be strong and it may be your favorite and ace monster, but its ATK is still lower than the ATK of Blue-Eyes.”

 

Ron said, “I activate its effect. By sending a card from my hand to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Machine-Type monster from my Graveyard!” Ron sent a card Hiru could not identify to the Graveyard, and pulled out Duradark. “I Summon Duradark!” Axel put out its left arm, and a card launched from its upper wrist. The card suddenly flashed in rainbow light, and Duradark landed on the field. (1800→3600/200)

 

Hiru smiled, Now then, attack with it! I’ll activate Magic Cylinder, and pull off a comeback!

 

Ron continued, “I Summon Genex Ally Changer in Defense mode. (1200/1800) Next, I activate its effect.” Changer pointed its hands, with satellite dishes on them, at Duradark. Waves of information were sent to Duradark, making it slightly glow. “This will change Duradark into a LIGHT monster until the End Phase. Next, I activate Duradark’s effect! Since both Blue-Eyes and Duradark are LIGHT monsters, I can destroy Blue-Eyes!” Duradark once again launched rainbow waves of light from its palm, causing Blue-Eyes to explode. “Now, Axel, attack him directly!” Axel’s rockets began thrusting, and it began dashing at Hiru at blinding speed.

 

Hiru interrupted, “I activate my Trap Card: Magic Cylinder! This negates your attack!” A barrier of green energy protected Hiru from Axel’s kick, which was locked with the barrier. “Also, you take damage equal to the ATK of the attacking monster!” A shockwave emerged from the shield, forcing Ron back a few feet towards the edge of the skyscraper. (Ron 2800→200) Hiru narrowed his eyes, Smart maneuver with Duradark and Changer.

 

Ron finished, “I Set 1 card and end my turn. During the End Phase, the Duradark Summoned with Axel’s effect is removed from play.” Duradark began shuddering, and it faded into nothingness.

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “My turn! I activate Dragon’s Mirror! By removing from play my 3 Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my Graveyard, I can Fusion Summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!” A white pillar of light suddenly crashed down from the sky behind Hiru, and an enormous, three-headed dragon descended, hovering just behind Hiru. The light vanished, and an enormous, blue three-headed dragon appeared, and all three heads of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon roared. (4500/3800)

 

Ron narrowed his eyes, “I Tribute Genex Ally Changer activate my Trap: Synchro Defense Maneuvers!” Changer shattered and Axel was covered by a digital barrier. “This increases Axel’s ATK by the DEF of Changer, and during this turn, it can’t be destroyed by battle. (2600→4400/2000) However, if I activate a Spell or Trap Card, Synchro Defense Maneuvers is destroyed.”

 

Hiru smiled, “Nice try. If I attack, you’ll survive with Axel until next turn, which is a bit too risky. I Tribute Blue-Eyes to Summon the strongest LIGHT Dragon I have!” Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon roared and began cracking open. Light seeped through the cracks, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon completely shattered. A futuristic dragon, shining with a comforting blue light appeared, and a monster as big as Blue-Eyes White Dragon, Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon hovered over the field. (3000/2500) “Also, I activate the effect of Goliath! By returning it to the Graveyard, I can return 3 monsters that are removed from play to the Graveyard.” Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon screeched, and Hiru continued, “Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon gains 300 ATK for each Dragon in my Graveyard. There are currently 7, so it gains 2100 ATK! (3000→5100/2500) Also, it cannot be targeted by card effects, or those effects are negated.”

 

Ron narrowed his eyes in frustration, and Hiru smiled, “This is where I win! Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, kill Axel and take out the rest of his Life Points!” Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon opened its mouth, and intense rainbow light began gathering.

 

Ron smiled, “Not so fast. I believe this Duel is mine. I activate my Trap: Urgent Berserking from my Graveyard. By removing it from play and paying half my Life Points, I can activate a Limiter Removal from my Deck. (Ron 200→100)” Ron pulled a card from his Deck and showed Hiru that it was Limiter Removal. “Limiter Removal doubles the ATK of all Machine-Type monsters I control. Although, since I activated a Spell Card, Synchro Defense Maneuvers is destroyed.” The shield in front of Axel shattered, but Axel was glowing with a silver light that seemed to give it newfound power. (4400→2600→5200/2000)

 

Hiru’s eyes widened in distress, “5200 ATK!?” Axel dashed toward Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon using its jets and wheels to propel itself. Just as Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon launched its beam of blinding light, Axel jetted forward and just below it, leaping in the air right after it. It thrust its arm forward and crashed into the chest of Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon, cracking the orb residing in its chest. Axel dropped back and rolled back to Ron just as the crack began glowing. Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon let out a final screech, and faded away in a magnificent flash of light. In the midst of the battle, with victory just in his grasp and stolen away from him, Hiru stared in disbelief. (Hiru 100→0)

 

Ron looked at Axel and smiled just as it faded, and de-activated his Duel Disk. “That was much better than the first time, I have to say.”

 

Hiru began shaking in frustration, and he yelled, “Dammit! I came so close to victory!” He leaned right into Ron’s face, “And you just had to beat me during my last attack! You and your cheap shots!”

 

Zugai quickly walked to Hiru and patted him on the back, “Well, at least you know where I get my cheapness from.”

 

Hiru was left speechless, and he suddenly heard his D-Gazer ringing. Zugai leapt back in surprise and yelled, “What the hell? Do they seriously think people are poor or irresponsible enough that they need to give them phones in the D-Gazer?”

 

Hiru, panicked and distress by the sudden call, said, “Answer!” Nothing happened. He then saw a flashing button saying “pick up”, so he yelled, “Pick up!” A chat box, similar to that of Skype or Oovoo or Ichat appeared, and a familiar man that Hiru had not seen for many months appeared in the screen. He had a buzz cut and a white suit, and had grown a red beard, but was still familiar. “Mr. McGuire? It’s been a while.”

 

McGuire sounded quite urgent, “Hiru, we have urgent business. Remove your D-Gazer and go to the Mandarin Oriental as quickly as possible.”

 

Hiru asked, “Why so urgent?”

 

McGuire said, “We have a preposition for you.” Before Hiru could even open his mouth, the chat box vanished.

 

Hiru said, “Okay, gotta go, guys. See you!” Hiru touched his D-Gazer and vanished just before Zugai’s eyes.

 

Zugai said, “Okay. Well…”

 

Ron finished, “This should be interesting.”

 

Just as Ron uttered those words, a large, muscular man appeared right behind Zugai. His face was emotionless and hairless, and he wore sunglasses that somehow masked his identity. He also wore a full tuxedo, and he pressed a button on his wrist. Zugai, Ron, and Enrico all had their D-Gazers shut off. The surrounding towers suddenly faded, and they could temporarily only see a screen of static, suddenly changing to regular, cloudy Geneva. The man said, “My apologies. I was ordered to collect Zugai Shutaru and as many of his surrounding companions as possible.” He spoke perfect English, and in a deep voice. “Do you know where Hiru Hitono might be?”

 

Enrico said, “Checked the Mandarin Oriental? Heard he likes going to eat there…”

 

The man said, “Darn. Anyway, you three, follow me. I’m about to give you all a special treat.”

 

§

 

Hiru stepped into the beautiful, expensive-looking Mandarin Hotel’s restaurant, which was brown, casual, and quite low to the ground. He looked around and saw McGuire leaning back on a sofa with two bodyguards standing next to him. McGuire waved, signaling Hiru to sit down in front of him. Hiru sat down on the other side of the table, looking at the relaxed McGuire. After a long silence, McGuire said, “Please, look at the menu. You’re free to eat a snack.”

 

Hiru said, “No thanks, I’m not hungry.”

 

McGuire invited, “A glass of water? Iced tea? Apple juice?”

 

Hiru said, “No thanks. I’m good.”

 

McGuire said, “Then let’s get down to business.” He leaned forward, closer to Hiru, and said, “You probably aren’t aware of this, but you’re the only real representative of our company. After taking our sponsorship, we have become much more successful. Except, notices have been coming in of much more powerful Duelists that none have heard of, and we noticed a large list of losses on your record.” McGuire coughed, and then explained, “Politics is a long game, Mr. Hitono. Battle City to you may be to see who is the top Duelists, but for us companies looking for sponsorship, it is for many other things.

 

“You see, our company is allowed to select one player and become their primary sponsor. You will be Dueling for that company, and under their name, and based on the number of wins you get out of all of your matches and based on the final placing you get, our company gets money. But we want to put our own touch into this little game.” McGuire placed a briefcase down on the table.

 

Hiru narrowed his eyes, “Don’t try bribing me here.”

 

McGuire said, “Oh, who said I was trying to bribe you? Inside this case is a strong Deck. It’s the Deck you have now with a few… or a lot of upgrades.” He opened the briefcase and took out a small Deck.

 

He handed it to Hiru, who began looking through it in awe. “This is… woah… I can do so much more with this! It’s almost the same, but…”

 

McGuire said, “And we’ll let you have it if you get to fight for us. You will be fighting for a good cause, I’ll tell you that. We fund many projects that are trying to find new energy sources.”

 

Hiru paused and thought for a moment, and said, “Deal.” He shook hands with McGuire, and took the Deck.

 

McGuire, although he kept a calm, nice expression over him, thought to himself, Now we’ll be able to diminish our rival companies. We have the ultimate playing card right now.

 

§

 

Zugai, Enrico, and Ron stepped into a white room with only one person. He was thing, had black hair sticking up at the front, and narrow eyes. There was a large wooden table with one seat directly across from him. The man said, “Zugai, please take a seat.”

 

Zugai cautiously pulled the seat out and sat down. The man said, “My name is Jack Cooper. It is a pleasure to finally meet you.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Nice to meet you, too. So… could you tell me exactly what’s going on, here?”

 

Jack explained, “Certainly. You see, we are a small company who’s trying to invest into a new project for a new energy source, specifically focusing on the water. You’ve heard about it, I’m guessing? It says in your records that you are quite a science maniac.”

 

Zugai nodded, “Knew about it for a while.”

 

Jack continued, “Good. Well, we are at a lockdown here, because we do not have enough income to successfully fund the project. Our sponsorship is simply outmatched by the McGuire Corporation. It’s a rival company of ours that has been taking our customers for years. We both work on insurance in the same ways, yet his company still somehow has more success than ours, even though they are known for having lower quality. However, Battle City is an easy way for us to get money.”

 

Zugai asked, “How’s that?”

 

Jack explained, “Well, each company picks one Duelist as their primary sponsor. The company gets income exponentially based on how many wins the Duelist had in their number of matches. Also, their final placement will increase the income by a certain amount as well. And the McGuire Corporation already has Hiru Hitono as their selected Duelist, so it only seemed promising that his rival and young champion will be ours.”

 

Zugai smiled, “It would be a pleasure to Duel for you guys.”

 

Jack said, “I’m not finished yet.” He took out a black Deck Box and placed it on the table. He slid it to Zugai, who caught it. “Open it and take a look through it.” Zugai opened the Deck and looked through the cards. Inside the Deck were cards he was familiar with, but they all had new qualities that made him feel like his jaw was about to drop. Jack smiled at Zugai’s awe-stricken face, and explained, “McGuire has already brought in new powers of his own, so I thought it would be fair to even it up.”

 

Zugai smiled, “This will make the job easier.”

 

Jack interrupted, “Sorry for taking so much of your time, but there’s one more thing. Oh, you two are dismissed now. Sorry for keeping you there so long.” Ron and Enrico exchanged confused glances and slowly backed out of the door. “I would like to discuss the distribution policy we can agree on. Half of the income will be sent to us, and exactly three-fifths of that amount will be sent to the project. The other half you can distribute as you like.

 

Zugai quickly answered, “One fourth can go to your company, and another fourth can go to this school.” Zugai held out a pamphlet with the words “Bosomtwe Community School” titled on it. “It’s a poor school in Africa that I went to as a trip for community service. It’s a poor school that my current school is trying to improve. If you can help with that.”

 

Jack smiled warmly, “Of course, Mr. Shutaru.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Please, Mr. Shutaru is my father. Call me Zugai.”

 

Jack said, “Very well. I’ll see you later.”

 

Zugai smiled, waved, and walked out of the room, fire in his eyes. I have a vision and a goal. Now, all I have to do is Duel until my mind, body, and soul can’t take any more of it.

 

§ (This next section is on Channel 1, which is regular Geneva, just for clarity)

 

Hiru began searching through his Deck before he went through his Duel. As he left the building, he remembered that this Deck may be strong, but would be bad in the long run. I need Blue-Eyes, and this Deck doesn’t even help the LIGHT Attri- oh, wait. Tee-hee-hee… Hiru found a new card that was the perfect replacement. He felt a new warmth around him, and saw a new dragon hanging overhead. This is a dragon that only he could see. “New Deck, new spirits. I’m liking this. But you’re the same in a new body, aren’t you?” Hiru looked down to see Zugai staring at him, with wide eyes and a really wide grin. “Yaah! Dude, don’t do that!”

 

Zugai smiled and held back a laugh, “It’s what I do best. And we haven’t Dueled in a while. Shall we?”

 

Hiru smiled, “Yeah! I got an awesome new Deck that I need to test out. And you’re normally my testing body!”

 

Zugai placed his Deck in his Duel Disk and said, “Well, let’s get started!”

 

The two of them were about to yell, “Duel!” However, before they could make a sound, an announcement rang through the D-Gazers.

 

“Excuse us for the inconvenience, but we would like Zugai Shutaru to go to the Geneva Duel Stadium to face Fugushi Kazoku himself.”

 

Zugai yelled, “Goddamn- oh. That actually isn’t to bad.”

 

Hiru yelled, “And I was just about to test this Deck out, too!”

 

Zugai shrugged, “Well, doesn’t matter too much. If you watch the Duel, you might be in for a surprise.” Zugai began rushing to the Geneva Duel Stadium to face his former master.

 

Hiru said, “I might as well go see this.”

 

§

 

In the Duel Stadium, Zugai calmly walked in, lightly panting after sprinting the whole way, and faced Fugushi. Fugushi was wearing a black robe with a skull on the very front of it. “So, what finally gave you the inspiration?”

 

Fugushi said, “I just want to show you what kind of position you’re in when it comes to battling forces you can’t explain.”

 

Zugai said, “They can be explained. We just don’t know how. Everything can be explained.”

 

Fugushi narrowed his eyes and glared intensely, “Don’t be so sure about that. Even those who can see everything will not be able to explain everything.”

 

Zugai said, “Well, obviously, since ‘seeing’ and ‘explaining’ are 2 different things. We can observe the creation of fire without explaining it. Heck, we experience many things we can’t explain. Forget it, you can go first.”

 

Fugushi drew out his Duel Disk shaped like a skeleton. “As you wish. My turn. I Summon Guardian of Cortez in Defense mode.” A warrior made of skulls with an enormous shield appeared in front of Fugushi. (0/2000) “I end my turn.”

 

Zugai smiled, “That’s it?” Cortez. It makes me think of me, but that doesn’t matter too much. Don’t know what they do, but he doesn’t know what this Deck can do. “Well, then, it’s best for me to get started.” Zugai placed his hand on the top of his Deck, and drew his card. “My turn! I Summon Twilit Drake!” A small, innocent Chinese dragon appeared on the field. Its scales seemed to be colored like the night sky itself. (600/500)

 

Fugushi asked, “Twilit Dragon?”

 

Zugai continued, “I Tribute Twilit Dragon to activate its effect!” Twilit dragon faded, and transformed into a cloud that seemed to be shaped exactly like the night sky. “It will Special Summon a Level 7 or higher NIGHT Attribute monster from my hand!”

 

Fugushi asked, “NIGHT Attribute?”

 

Zugai ignored Fugushi, and continued, “I Special Summon Red-Eyes Draconis!” The sparkles rearranged themselves, and a large black dragon with red inscriptions on it soared in the air above Zugai. It looked down on the field and roared, creating strong winds over the field. (2400/2000)

 

Fugushi’s eyes widened, “Red-Eyes? I've never seen a card like this before.”

 

Zugai smiled, “Yup. This is the power that I’ve found within the darkness: the power that comes from the void of nothingness without light: the power of the depths of the night itself. It harnesses darkness, matter, energies and phenomenon of all kinds, and the stars themselves.”

 

Fugushi narrowed his eyes, “What kind of power is that? The night holds nothing! It’s only the symbol of ignorance!”

 

Zugai smiled, “Ignorance is the night of the mind, but only a night without the moon and stars. The wings of this night is the complete version, as I have found it within the depths of darkness!” Zugai grabbed a card in his hand and said, “Don’t worry, Fugushi, you haven’t seen the true extend of its power yet.”

 

[Fusion X. Denver]

Good 2nd chapter Cortez

But for the future, you should always post when a new chapter is up, rather than just editing it in, that way everyone will know when they see the thread with a new post in their content

And lastly, maybe include some physical descriptions, remember no one else knows what Zugai and Hiru are supposed to look like >_> or post pics of them

But can't wait for 3rd chapter

[BlackSkullCortez]

Thanks for the advice. I'll eventually do that.

[Fusion X. Denver]

Cortez, Cortez, Cortez...

Bump your thread every time a chapter's added man!

And good chapter, though couple things

1. What's Kai look like (sure I know, but no one else does)

2. Using descriptions like Koyo Hibiki and Brave from Team Ragnarok won't help much since not everyone reads GX manga or watches 5Ds, I'd just go with general descriptions

Otherwise, cool chapter, I'm psyched for the tourney arc

[Blake]

Team Creation? Y dat? I just don't get why, not that it's bad.

 

Also, why so sinister? I understand villain, but I seem demonic .-.

[Fusion X. Denver]

Not to mention you make people high through television screens

Black, you're an MTV celebrity 0.0

[Blake]

I'm like the REAL Black 0_0

 

Wow... Marsuvees Black has taken control of me...

 

H*** YEAH! We're gonna trip tonight, baby!

[BlackSkullCortez]

... fine. I'll stop making people affected by mystic powers seem high from now on. It was just my first thought...

And I'll try my best later on to describe them. Thank you for everything, you 2.

[El Make]

Okay Cortez, before I get into the chapters, I MUST say something. I'm detecting a pattern of short sentences... they have no flow, and just feel like a stop and go read. Like, have you ever heard of a compound sentence?

 

:/

[BlackSkullCortez]

I see, El. It's just... I've been moving. The first 2 chapters have been written on one airplane ride back-to-back, and the 3rd one was written in 30 minutes, so my thoughts were short.

[Ultimate Assassin Ninjew]

Interesting chapters. When do I make my appearance?

[Anbu-of-Sand]

Really nice fan fic you got there. I got kinda disappointed when I was done reading the chapters you have posted so far, because I wanted to read more D: Pretty nice for a first fan fic. I'm thinking of making my first fan fic as well.

[BlackSkullCortez]

Thank you, Anbu.

 

Ninjew, you'll appear your legit appearance later in the FF.

[Ultimate Assassin Ninjew]

How much later?

[BlackSkullCortez]

Fourth chapter added.

[Blake]

Wait, I'm an Ancient Incan? lolwhutermeloN?