Vector Nightmare Posted July 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Funnily enough, this chapter includes another use of Ultimate Gadgets. This was quite coincidental, actually, as these duels had been planned for a while, and they just happened to have a narrow gap between their respective chapter releases. This marks a turning point in the arc and the story, answering a few questions that should have risen at the end of Arc 3, and a climactic event kicks the plot into its final phases rather dramatically. Sadly, I realized that a chunk of text that was supposed to be part of chapter 52 is missing (it was originally meant to be part of 51, but I didn't want it to drag on that long, so I decided to put it in the next chapter instead, but then forgot about it). It wasn't that important, and I tried my best to incorporate it reasonably into this chapter, but as it is, some things here might feel a little sudden, and the first part of the chapter is a little cloggy. Please ignore that >.> Anyways, this also marks the first (and last) time that an Illegal card appears in a duel in Dead Zone. Oh, and alien invasions, yay. [spoiler=Chapter 53] [center][b][u]Chapter 53:[/b] Death Chorus[/u][/center] 350,000 kilometers above the surface of the Earth, Sergeant David Vayne glanced uneasily outside the fortified windows of the lunar mining station, New Camelot. It had been more than a week since that red shroud had surrounded their home planet, visible even from space, and all contact to the Earth had been cut off. Transmissions wouldn't reach the station, and Vayne had the feeling they weren't able to receive anything down there either. What [i]could[/i] have happened down there? "Se - Sergeant..." The words were so struck with awe and terror, that Vayne almost didn't recognize his second in command's voice. Alan was a solid lad, who took everything in stride, even their isolation up here with no means of communication. He turned to him and motioned for him to speak. He was [i]shaking[/i]. "It... it just... appeared... a... a - " "What did just appear? Speak, man." Vayne commanded stiffly. At times like this, panic did not help anyone. "A... a black... hole..." Alan whispered. Despite himself, Vayne sighed deeply as he followed his subordinate to the other side of the observatory. He had seen this coming - without any way to reach or contact their homes, and with those clouds of red hanging over the Earth they had grown used to watching over from up here, it was natural that, sooner or later, they'd crack - "Oh. Oh Lord. No." Still distant enough to be viewed as nothing but a pitch-black clot, Vayne now did not doubt the existence of the thing Alan had called a black hole. It was not a true black hole, of course, and it was not a natural astral phenomenon. In fact, though it might have looked similar to an abstract depiction of a black hole, its function was the exact opposite: black holes sucked things in. This one brought things out. And forth they came. Giant, bulky chunks of churning green flesh, several tentacles emerging from its sides, its underside armored like a ship hull. Small grey creatures with huge heads and long fingers. Giant, bipedal humanoids that were still floating in space as easily as if they had been walking on land, stretching their terrible clawed hands. Six-armed beasts of no definite origin. And a dark, blue amorphous mass, larger than all others combined - one might have confused it for an inanimate object, except it was pulsing slowly with an unidentified form of life, the giant blade-like appendages attached to it vibrating hungrily. There was little time to do anything, if anything could be done. There was no weaponry installed in the mining station, and Vayne doubted that even nuclear missiles would have been enough to hurt these things. The alien army approached, and to his horror, the Sergeant realized that they had been [i]much[/i] farther, even though it had seemed they had spawned almost right next to them. They were moving at incredible speeds, shifting through the empty space as a knife would cut through hot butter. And before long, they were upon them. Even outer space provided no refuge for humanity. The very corners of the universe would be devoured and annihilated. Within seconds, the massive structures man had erected upon the Earth's moon had been liquefied into molten metal, the humans within devoured whole, or worse. Thus, there was noone left to witness from above the change in the Earth's atmosphere, as the veil concealing it slowly shifted from the red of blood, to the black of midnight. --- Frightened as everyone had been of the shattered sky and the crimson sun, those still willing to glance outwards were now begging for that dystopian scenery to return. Because since Kirizaki Maya called upon the devil's power, the march to the end had been accelerated, and everything had taken a turn for the worse. The much worse. Pitch-black swirling clouds had abruptly assembled in the sky, fully covering its entire expanse under their dark veil. It was as if a perpetual night, a nuclear winter, had fallen atop the earth. The clouds churned and boiled, giving birth to errant lances of lightning that streaked across them. But no rain fell, and no sign of them dispersing appeared. In this oppressive weather, an unearthly singing could be heard all over the world. It was a mournful melody, a lament for the end of reality. At this point in time, few people were left truly alive in this world. A large portion had been killed off by the horrors that materialized in this reality. The military had long given up in trying to engage the otherworldly phantasms - even if some could be killed, it came at great expense, and more appeared to replace them shortly thereafter. Creatures of all sorts wandered the ravaged lands, or the raging oceans, or soared into the skies of doom. But none appeared to have any genocidal intentions, and those humans who sought shelter were mostly left unharmed. Then, a lot of people had used the, now widely available, Duel Terminal booths to log into Duel International's virtual reality - seeking a way to shield themselves from the coming disaster, perhaps to pass on peacefully during the catastrophic end. Their fate was, of course, unknown to those who remained outside, but no salvation, no peace awaited them. Their minds had been purged, and their virtual avatars turned into hosts for more Cataphracts, pawns which would form Dunkan's last line of defense. But apart from those, a great portion of the population, perhaps as much as seventy percent, was still left on earth, clinging on to life with all their might. And yet, they were not truly alive. Because out of those billions of people that were still surviving, only a few maintained the will to live. The vast majority had simply given up, forsaken themselves to whatever fate awaited them, and simply anticipated the finale. However, of the few that still fought on, defying death until the very last moment, there would be all but none who would retain that resolve after the haunting song began. This was no sinking ship that one could get away from, with luck and effort. There was no escape, no survival. The end was at hand. Nothing would remain - that much could be felt clearly. The world was screaming its dying throes. --- For a moment that she thought would last an eternity, Jacqueline floated in an endless white void. Then, abruptly, the world reappeared around her. She was in a place she had never seen before. It was a constricted space, a single room illuminated only by faint torchlight. The inside was decorated in gothic style, with statues of gargoyles and other demonic creatures providing for an eerie atmosphere. There were three corridors leading out of the chamber, but before she could pick which one she should follow, the floor lit up with a crimson luster, so bright that she had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, a man was standing directly in front of her. Jacqueline had never personally seen Miyataka Eizan. The only identifying element she had of him had been the sound of his voice, which she had attributed to an old man - as Eizan should be. And yet she instantly knew that this person in front of her was the same as the person that had given her her instructions throughout the past few days. Nevermind that his appearance belonged to a man barely past his early twenties - this was not merely a virtual persona, either. It was the same man, without a hint of doubt. And, needless to say, he did not look pleased. Before Jacqueline could open her mouth to start explaining, he held up his hand, forestalling her. "I entrusted you with Kirizaki Maya because I believed you could accomplish the task I had assigned to you, and return her safely. Instead, you delivered her straight into the hands of someone who should have had no contact with her. Aside from that, you failed to complete your task, and also failed to follow Dunkan's orders. Before you start explaining to me why I shouldn't make you disappear on the spot, I will let you know - if your continuous blunders had not accidentally opened a previously unforeseen possibility for me, you would have already been dead." Jacqueline couldn't bring herself to ask what exactly he meant by that. For now, she was relieved that there was at least [i]something[/i] keeping her useful - and by extension, alive. "Now, we've wasted a lot of time. It's been nearly an hour since Fergusson grabbed the girl under your nose. By now, those two should have already arrived there, but I won't be able to contact them for a while." "An hour?" Jacqueline replied mechanically. She checked the system clock, and instantly verified the truth of that statement. "Yes." Eizan said, irritated, his attention already on other issues. "What were you doing for so long, honestly? You should have known there was nothing you could do to escape from me. Now..." An hour. But it had certainly not been an hour since ZONE's Metaion struck her, and it had certainly not been anywhere close to that since Fergusson appeared to wreck her carefully designed plan. Then, could it be... the thing Dunkan and the others had claimed would be impossible, even with the aid of the Nexus? Had she transcended the time boundary? "What's wrong with you?" Eizan frowned. "I already said, I'm not going to harm you. Not yet, anyway." Jacqueline quickly masked her expression. Eizan didn't know. That alone was important enough. Silently, she listened to Eizan speak, as she considered her next move. It wasn't over yet. --- The hour lost to Jacqueline had been a turbulent one. Maya had triggered a series of chain reactions. The activation of the card Lorelei had entrusted her caused a gigantic breach in the Outer Sphere, large enough for one of the Pylons' cornerstones to be materialized into this reality. Ivory, who had retreated to the Zero Zone in order to track down her sister, felt the full effects of that. Myriads of phantasms, some impossibly powerful, had appeared to attack her - and it had taken her full power just to keep them at bay while she confirmed that Ebony was, indeed, not present in that space, and retreat afterwards. It had been quite literally the final blow that this boundary could take. What could have been controlled, delayed, for many hours yet, was rapidly coming to fruition. Through that cataclysmic event, the Nexus had touched the Outer Sphere - it was a matter of a few hours before it fully breached through. In this chaotic situation, it was even more imperative that she found Ebony. And there was no way she could do it alone. It did not take her long to track down Maya and Yuusuke who, once more, seemed to be in the same spot. She did not precisely know that either of them was involved in the event that had caused so much mayhem, but she could sense it nonetheless. Frantically, she weaved a portal to their location. The war was now a race for survival. --- One and a half hours before Jacqueline emerged from the time-space continuum directly into Eizan's hands, Dunkan had ordered the assembly disbanded, and everyone, even Lynette, was assigned to work to retrieve the Pylons. Dunkan himself would remain, alone, in the portal chamber. They had calculated that this incident, whatever the hell it was, had accelerated the approach of the Nexus by several hours. With this in mind, the control system would have to be activated at least six hours before the appointed time. To prevent another freak-case scenario, they would set out to try and track down the stolen Pylon. It was too late to use it, but they needed to secure it. If the control system was set in motion, and another incident like that happened... Lynette and Jacqueline left almost instantly, though Abraham Lee couldn't fathom what course of action either of them had in mind. For himself, he was not too eager to go chasing after something whose location and status he had no clue of. But even if he did have the necessary information, it was no priority of his. Without even realizing it himself, he had relinquished all hope in Dunkan's project. Right now, he sought only to salvage what was left of the broken world. And somehow, he was convinced that the girl he had rescued so long ago, the girl who had just reappeared in the virtual reality, would be the key to that salvation. Thus, Lee remained in the Aria Tower, stalking after Nakahara Inoue. He knew that the control room, which Inoue had access to, provided at least some measure of control over the system. He watched carefully as the woman put all the systems on standby, double-checking everything for potential anomalies beforehand. She was muttering angrily to herself, probaby not enjoying the fact that she'd have to abandon the relative safety of the tower and enter the fray directly. If he found a way to sabotage the framework without causing too much of an issue, that would certainly delay Dunkan's schemes a reasonable bit, buying enough time to do... something. He did not know what. But he knew that he needed more than the 16 hours left until the preordained initiation time to do it. Finally, after painstakingly examining the systems, Inoue left. Lee counted to one hundred slowly, then again. Only after that did he dare head towards the conglomerate of terminal systems. He had picked up enough knowledge to hopefully make this work without alerting any - "So, you've turned traitor now. Somehow, I'm not surprised." Lee turned to face Nakahara Inoue, who was slowly descending the staircase she had last seen her climb five minutes ago. So, she hadn't left at all. "Inoue." He said, trying to appeal to her sense of reasoning. "You must have seen it for yourself, the insanity of this plan. There is no path left for us except destruction. We're not past the point of no return yet. If you help me - " "What was it?" She snapped, interrupting him. "When you first joined Dunkan, what did you wish for? What was your motive behind taking part in this project?" "I - I merely wished for a better world." Lee sighed. "It was a feeble hope, and a long term scenario, but I clung to it. Eventually, it became less about what I wanted, and I let myself be led by those with a stronger will. I don't have an ideal attached to this scheme any more. I don't know if Dunkan has some plan for survival, but the rest of us will certainly die if this keeps up. You're walking straight into your own demise." "I won't die." Inoue said, strangely calm. "You don't have to be concerned about me. I can't let you interfere with our plan, either - but I do not wish you any harm. Leave quietly, while you still can." Lee considered his options. If he faced off against her now, there could be no desireable outcome. Slowly, he backed away. "How many of us have died for this, Inoue?" He asked bitterly. "Klein, who chose to betray us, was murdered. Moboro is gone, lost in his own madness. Takizawa is dead, too, and so is Ross. Four already. How much longer until the rest of us are sacrificed, thrown away for some greater scheme? After you've seen all the others perish, can you truly claim that Dunkan will bother with us when his plans come into fruition? We're nothing more than fodder to him, pawns to get to his goal. He has too much power already, but if we unite, we can thwart him." As if to accentuate Lee's ominous predictions, a massive tremor hit the Aria Tower, shaking it to its core. As Lee struggled to catch his balance, Inoue, frowning, produced a visual display of the tower's exterior. Lee glanced at the image and gasped. "He's gone and done it already..." Inoue muttered. Lee stared at the three monstrous robots, a white, humanoid android, a lithe bird-like azure creature, and a bulky golden mechanical golem, that were hovering around the top of the tower, forming a protective barrier against any would-be intruder. He did not know what they were, but they were an obvious sign that one more step had been taken forward, driving them through this final road to damnation. --- The embodiment of destiny, Lorelei, sat quietly atop her prairie, her artificial mind with its infinite capacity reaching out to the far ends of reality. She was no more than an oracle, a being with the ability to perceive fate, and guide others according to its whims - but she could not change anything. Floating separately from the infinite streams of time, her insight was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to the unlimited capacity of the world's evolution. This last, fateful day was dominated by three single points that could drastically affect the future. The first had already occured one and a half hours ago, and the aftermath was still clearly visible across reality. Lorelei knew it had been her hand that had indirectly caused this, by handing Maya the means to bring forth the greater phantasms that she had taken from Cornelius Klein, and at the same time knew that she had no real choice in the matter. Another point existed further down the road. It was originally placed at midnight, but had now moved to just three hours ahead. It signified the time when the two realities would be perfectly aligned, and the Nexus would envelop both of them. From that point onwards, there was only blackness. The world should survive for a while, depending on the efficiency of the control system - but Lorelei could see nothing of the future beyond that instant. The final point lay much closer, though. Lorelei had no sense of her own fate, no knowledge of what she was born, or created, for. But the time to discover it was at hand. The true effects of Maya's actions would just now become apparent, and Lorelei very much feared that the following minutes would largely determine the destiny of everything. --- He had quietly observed the outcome of the battle between Aizawa Yuusuke and Adam Fergusson. Truthfully, the blame which Fergusson laid on Aizawa's father was unfounded. It had been him, Miyataka Eizan, who had planted the evidence about Project REVOLT where someone could find it. Events had unfolded right as he had predicted they would. And the so-called Road to Tomorrow, flowing like an endless river of infinite energy, was carrying the world to its demise. He had been correct in selecting Kirizaki Maya, as well. Her actions had been enough to trigger the penultimate switch. The song of chaos was echoing across realities. The infinite pathway of the Road to Tomorrow had been blockaded by him. Fergusson's failure was not due to lack of a driving force, though his assumptions on the subject had led to an interesting situation. His failure's cause was Miyataka Eizan's own plan. The only thing needed now was someone to activate it, and again, thanks to his own advance planning, this had been all but fulfilled. Dunkan and the others had thought to reach the Nexus. Ylaidus, Fergusson and his brother had thought to take advantage of them in order to reach the Nexus first. But Miyataka Eizan had exploited their scheme, and even after they had fallen, his own plans continued onwards. It was about time for his grand design to reach the finale. The world would burn in chaos, and noone would be able to stop it. --- Ebony took a deep breath, savoring the scent of chaos. She did not know who had done it - that Kiishiro boy and his allies, her sister, those insolent fools that had created this world, and lost control of it, or that old spider that was crawling around [i]her[/i] domain, foolishly thinking he held some modicum of power - or any of the other, now numerous entities that had some measure of influence over the fate of this world. But whoever it was, it had been a powerful pulse that had jerked existence to the absolute boundaries of instability. A tiny push was all that was needed, now, and the world would be submerged into a new, dark era of chaos. And Ebony was here to obtain what she needed, in order to do just that. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Lorelei..." The blonde-haired, blindfolded woman regarded her coldly, able to sense her presence as easily as she might have, had she been able to see her. "I know what you came here for." Lorelei said slowly, weighing each word. "I'll never let you get your hands on what is sealed here." "That suits me just fine." Ebony smirked. "I'll take it by force, and be rid of you at the same time, you miserable fraud. You were never, and will never be my equal. Weak, fragile concepts such as fate and destiny hold no sway over my power." The two women stared at each other impassively. Lorelei was not in her league. But, if there was ever any opportunity for their strengths to match, it was right here, right now, when the Melody had begun its unearthly singing, in resonance to the chaos before. However, Ebony would win regardless. "I'll be as kind as to let you choose the manner of our battle. You can come at me directly, or we can try and play by the rules." She smirked as Lorelei wordlessly initiated a duel. Of course, that much was expected. Neither of them had any need for duel disks or other apppendages. Calling forth the forces they had sealed into their arsenal, they caused them to appear as five large, glowing stone tablets before them. "I'll go first." Lorelei said, and a sixth card materialized next to the others. [center][i][b]Lorelei[/b] - LP: 4000[/i] [i][b]Ebony[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] Lorelei regarded the woman who had presented herself before her. "To have come here, you must have realized it, no? This place is... the crossroads of fate. The residue from all the chaotic energy from the humans' foolish attempts to reach the Nexus gathers here. The cries of the mangled dimensions resonate through here. You, too, should be able to hear them." "I do. I revel in those screams." Ebony smiled with reverence. "I feed on them. They are the birthing cries of a new entity, a being that transcends worlds, the embodiment of chaos itself." "Then our paths irreversibly lead to battle." Lorelei stated. "I place one monster in defense, and four face-down cards. Turn end." Ebony scowled. Four face-down cards, right off the bat? But it wouldn't make much of a difference in the long run. "Draw." She said coldly. Far stronger than when she had obliterated Kiishiro, the darkness of her servants pulsed to her, calling out for her to use them. "I activate Dark World Lightning, targeting your reverse monster. This card will destroy it, and then I must discard a card from my hand." A cackling surge of electricity flew from above, completely tearing apart what was revealed to be a three-eyed spherical demon. Without comment from either of them, another card appeared in front of Lorelei, and one of the cards before Ebony vanished. [spoiler=Dark World Lightning][b]Dark World Lightning[/b] SPELL / Normal Select 1 face-down card on the field and destroy it, and after that, select 1 card from your hand and discard it.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Critter][b]Critter[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 3 1000/600 When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, add 1 monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler] "Next, I summon Mad King of the Dark World - Brron." Ebony said, unfazed by her apparent inability to gain the advantage during the previous move. The demented ruler of the underworld realm appeared before her, cackling with insanity. "Brron will attack directly." [spoiler=Mad King of the Dark World - Brron][b]Mad King of the Dark World - Brron[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 4 1800/400 When this card inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points, you can select 1 card in your hand and discard it to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Holy Barrier - Mirror Force." Lorelei retaliated. "This erases your monster from existence before it can attack." Ebony nodded - it was no surprise that she could do at least that much. A white shockwave struck down Brron, cutting him down in pieces even as he laughed in defiance of his own demise. [spoiler=Holy Barrier - Mirror Force][b]Holy Barrier - Mirror Force[/b] TRAP / Normal Activate only when an opponent's monster declares an attack. Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.[/spoiler] "Then I'll set two cards." Ebony said. "Turn end." "Draw." Lorelei said. "It's done. This turn will be the final one." "Oh?" Ebony questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Be aware of whom you are addressing, worm. Nothing will be left of you when we are done here." "True." Lorelei said sadly. "But you will be gone as well. Since my birth, I have been able to see the future of the world, the many intertwining futures. But there was one thing I could not see - and that was my own self. But the lament of the fallen has opened my eyes. I cannot allow you to trample on our destiny. I summon Red Gadget to the field, which allows me to add Yellow Gadget to my hand. And then I activate Compensation of Blood, letting me pay five hundred Life Points to Normal Summon Yellow Gadget, which adds Green Gadget to my hand. And lastly, I summon Green Gadget as well, which adds Red Gadget to my hand. But that is irrelevant. It's over now." Ebony stared at the assembly of the three mechanical toys of varying colors - and she cringed as understanding dawned on her. [spoiler=Red Gadget][b]Red Gadget[/b] EARTH / Machine Level 4 1300/1500 When you Normal or Special Summon this card, you can add 1 "Yellow Gadget" from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Compensation of Blood][b]Compensation of Blood[/b] TRAP / Continuous You can pay 500 Life Points to Normal Summon or Set 1 extra monster. You can only activate this effect during your Main Phase or your opponent's Battle Phase.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Yellow Gadget][b]Yellow Gadget[/b] EARTH / Machine Level 4 1200/1200 When you Normal or Special Summon this card, you can add 1 "Green Gadget" from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Green Gadget][b]Green Gadget[/b] EARTH / Machine Level 4 1400/600 When you Normal or Special Summon this card, you can add 1 "Red Gadget" from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler] [center][i][b]Lorelei[/b] - LP: 3000[/i] [i][b]Ebony[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "You fiend - !! This was your plan, all along?" She growled. "To think that, someone like you could have - " "I've found my fate now." Lorelei whispered. She brought her hands to the back of her head, untying her blindfold. "This is what I was born for. This is who I am. This is your end." The white veil fell, and twin eyes filled with molten steel glared directly at the black-clad woman. "Once more, I give my own life to use Compensation of Blood, and release all three of the Machine monsters. The screams of the shattered world - I will take them all in me, and carve the path to a new destiny." She stepped forward, and the liquid metal fell from her eyes like tears, covering her skin, devouring her whole. [center][i][b]Lorelei[/b] - LP: 2500[/i] [i][b]Ebony[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "I summon the ultimate living weapon." Even her voice warped into a dark, musical tone, melancholic in its mechanic hue. Her features drew back, and the lower part of her now fully-metal body twisted into the shape of a conglomerate of instruments, bound together at their base. The world trembled as a symphony of pain erupted from the organ. "The melody of the end - Symphonic Arsenal Lorelei!" [spoiler=Symphonic Arsenal Lorelei][b]Symphonic Arsenal Lorelei[/b] LIGHT / Machine Level 8 2400/2000 This card cannot be Special Summoned. To Tribute Summon this card, you must Tribute 3 Machine-Type monsters. If this card attacks your opponent directly and reduces their Life Points to 0, you win the Match.[/spoiler] "To think that something like this was..." Ebony growled, backing away from the divine object. "This thing..." She knew that now, her own power was dwarfed. The Symphonic Arsenal was what she had come here for, even though she had never seen its true form. Lorelei's Prairie had simply served as a point to gather the excess energy from the Aria Tower and the Road to Tomorrow. She knew that, inadvertently or not, great power had amassed here. She had come to claim it - but she had not imagined that this girl would be able to use it, to take it unto herself. Against this massive conduit of chaos - she was powerless. THE WORLD SCREAMS THROUGH ME. IT CRIES OUT, IT BEGS FOR RELEASE. Yes, the world was screaming. The amount of power that had been gathered here was astonishing. It might even be enough to reverse the path of destruction the world had taken - or to speed it up drastically. EVEN FOR ONE SUCH AS YOU, THIS WILL BE THE END. Unconsciously, Ebony stepped backwards. An attack of this magnitude, that ignored the laws and limitations of reality itself, would be enough to erase her. But she'd be damned if she fell this easily. REVERSE CARDS, ACTIVATE. FIRST, TRAP STUN, WHICH NEGATES THE EFFECTS OF ALL OTHER TRAPS THIS TURN. THEN, GIANT GROWTH DOUBLES THE ATTACK POWER OF THE EQUIPPED MONSTER, IF MY LIFE POINTS ARE LOWER THAN YOURS. THIS IS THE END. [spoiler=Trap Stun][b]Trap Stun[/b] TRAP / Normal Negate the effects of all other Trap Cards on the field during this turn.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Giant Growth][b]Giant Growth[/b] SPELL / Equip While your Life Points are lower than your opponent's, the original ATK of the equipped monster is doubled. While your Life Points are higher, the original ATK of the equipped monster is halved.[/spoiler] The metallic horror towered over Ebony, the arsenal's offensive power rising to 4800, more than enough to wipe out her entire Life Points, and with it, her own life, in one shot. For the first time in her life, she felt the cold, solid tendrils of fear grip her. She had always considered herself above everything in this world - but this was an entity that was out of this world. With the chaotic energy from the encroaching Nexus, a new Transcendent had been born - a Transcendent that was far above the others. Ebony grinned wildly. This was what she was here to take. The song intensified. The Symphonic Arsenal's pipes turned to face Ebony directly, and the face's mouth, frozen in quicksilver, contorted in a terrible howl. "You may have sealed my Traps, but I am not completely defenseless!" Ebony cried out. "The effect of Necro Gardna in my Graveyard activates, negating one attack!" [spoiler=Necro Gardna][b]Necro Gardna[/b] DARK / Warrior Level 3 600/1300 Remove from play this card in your Graveyard to negate 1 attack this turn from a monster your opponent controls.[/spoiler] By the mechanics of this duel that had been arranged, she had stopped the attack. But it was not that simple. The energy that had been compressed into this space, released in the form of Lorelei's song, was threatening to break reality apart, the very rules that held this world together crumbling before it. Mechanically, almost without realizing it, she tried to impose her will over it. Of course, she knew very well that it wouldn't work - concepts could only be overpowered by brute force when faced by a superior concept, and even within the boundaries of her own Domain, Ebony was far from superior here. But as soon as that thing had come into being before her, she had already discovered its weakness. To use this much power against her, Lorelei had taken all of it unto herself, which had resulted in this form. At the core still lay the far weaker Lorelei. If [i]she[/i] was defeated, then Ebony would be able to take control of that power. And yet the question remained - how would she survive the killing blow, the song that echoed across dimensions? Despite the fact that she had blocked the attack, if she couldn't enforce upon the phantasm the rules of this reality, it would still eliminate her. Thankfully, the solution appeared rather quickly, as she remembered the method Ivory had used to overpower her One-Hundred Eye Dragon, back when they were warring for supremacy. Like her own creature fed on the living essence of its target, this thing worked much the same. All the chaotic energy that was swirling around this reality was drawn in by it, rising and rising, until it would either implode and disappear quietly, or explode and ruin everything. That was why the boundaries, weak as they were before this much force, were being erased. But - In the blink of an eye, Ebony created an isolated subspace around them. Instantly, it deteriorated into nothing, corroded by the energy flowing into the Symphonic Arsenal - but no sooner had it disappeared than she erected another space, preventing the influx. That one crumbled soon, too - but while in those subspaces, Ebony was safe from the attack, and the Symphonic Arsenal's song would not last forever. It all came down to who had the most energy and stamina - Ebony, who had to keep creating separate dimensions or Lorelei, who had to maintain the form of that thing. Almost five minutes passed. Ebony had lost count of how many times the procedure had repeated itself. Her palms and face were sticky with sweat - she had never sweated before. Her face was a mask of focus - but her energy was depleting fast. Even for her, crafting a subspace on such short notice took a considerable amount of power, especially as she had to keep imposing her rules onto her target. With the virtual world's energy drawn into the Arsenal, she was denied her additional power source, and was running on her own strength alone. But, the same could be said for Lorelei. She was in the heart of that creature - but it was her consciousness directing it. She could only handle it for that much. If she lost control, if she slipped, even for one second, it would go dormant again. Ebony could not see her. Was she close to her limit? As close as [i]she[/i] was? And then, suddenly, as if an overly stretched chord had snapped, it was over. The song quieted down to a barely audible hum. The Symphonic Arsenal lost its unearthly glow. The massive storm of raging energy settled into a calm, infinite immovable ocean. Lorelei had been broken. With a triumphant smirk, Ebony let the final subspace dissolve around them. "Looks like you finally ran out of power!" She panted heavily, even though she doubted Lorelei could hear her now. "Regardless, this match is still on, and I won't just forgive you after pushing me this far! Draw!" Truth be told, even standing felt like a challenge. But Lorelei was still alive in there - and she could not allow that to remain so. The Arsenal would be hers. But of course, right now, it was in a precarious condition. If she attacked it with an overpowering force, it could be destroyed - violently. That wouldn't do. Ebony chuckled. She had just the perfect solution. "Field Magic, Tomb of The Dead Emperor!" Suddenly she was standing on a bridge, the magical instrument on the opposite side. Around them four golden pillars, like massive tombstones, emerged from the ground. Underneath, dozens of granite statues, figures of identical soldiers, formed a giant, frozen forest. [spoiler=Tomb of The Dead Emperor][b]Tomb of The Dead Emperor[/b] SPELL / Field Both players can Normal Summon or Set monsters without Tributing, by paying 1000 Life Points x the number of monsters needed for the Tribute Summon.[/spoiler] "With this card, I can Normal Summon monsters that I would otherwise have to Advance Summon - provided I pay a thousand Life Points for every one of the sacrifices needed. I pay two thousand Life Points!" With this sacrifice of her life, though she was weakened, the power of the Symphonic Arsenal, still affected by Giant Growth, also fell, and Ebony was able to regain a hold on some of the energy in this space, using it to partially restore her stamina. But, more importantly, she was now able to summon this. [center][i][b]Lorelei[/b] - LP: 2500[/i] [i][b]Ebony[/b] - LP: 2000[/i][/center] She had stumbled across them during her war against Ivory, when she had fled into an unknown dimension through one of the Zero Zone's fluctuating portal gates. Seven terrible creatures, bound by powerful seals into an eternal slumber. Ebony, seeking new, strong minions to aid her, unlocked those seals - but the Earthbound Gods would not be controlled easily. So she made a pact with them - in exchange for their servitude, she would fulfill their desires, which seemed to be an eternal, infinite world of chaos. Their interests in this coincided anyway, and thus Ebony tamed them. She would not use them often, because their very presence drained off the world around them, substantially weakening it and the concepts that comprised it, including Ebony herself. But, right now, that did not matter. She would have access to a nigh unlimited amount of energy, enough to finish off everything. A giant, black stone appeared on the sky, pulsing with a grim force. Dark purple flames exploded into a huge drawing that hung in mid-air, a depiction of a giant bipedal creature with a uniform, massive upper body. And then the seal exploded. "Descend, Earthbound God Ccapac Apu!" The living embodiment of the creature illustrated in the burning sky emerged from the earth. First, a giant arm exploded from the ground like a missile, supporting the weight of the pitch-black behemoth that rose more slowly, towering over the Symphonic Arsenal like a mountain. Glowing blue markings made the upper part of the beast look vaguely like a head, and formed a runic shape in the lower part. [spoiler=Earthbound God Ccapac Apu][b]Earthbound God Ccapac Apu[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 10 3000/2500 There can only be 1 face-up "Earthbound God" monster on the field. If there is no face-up Field Spell Card on the Field, destroy this card. Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. This card can attack your opponent directly. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's ATK.[/spoiler] "This will finish it." She said slowly, trying to keep herself upright. "Earthbound God monsters can attack the opponent directly. Ccapac Apu, attack!" Though it seemed like the giant's arm would smash the dormant Symphonic Arsenal to shreds, the phantasmal flesh went right through it. The true target was lying within, Lorelei's soul, hidden inside her living weapon form, yet still fragile as a mosquito. Like one such, it was crushed, extinguished in a fraction of a second by the corrosive touch of the defiled God. [center][i][b]Lorelei[/b] - LP: 0[/i] [i][b]Ebony[/b] - LP: 2000[/i][/center] Ebony sighed. The field around them vanished, and Ccapac Apu dissolved into a black mist, burying itself back into the ground. The Symphonic Arsenal remained in front of her. This dimension was already done for. Ebony would have to do this fast. She approached the thing with utmost care. She could feel the pulse of chaos, raging even in this still quietness. The calm before the storm. And it would be a storm to break everything. She placed her hand onto the screaming face, now forever locked in that anguished expression. Power surged into her like a torrential downpour, filling her to the brim and threatening to overwhelm her. She smiled in raptured ecstasy. She was now floating within infinite darkness, observing countless worlds from without as they converged into one giant, meeting point. The Nexus. Despite what had been done earlier, it would still take a few hours for the Nexus to break into them, to tear them apart. The timing was just perfect. Ebony began weaving threads of energy, manipulating power as she never had before. She opened a portal directly into the heart of the virtual world. A vast, deserted area buried deep underneath where the Aria Tower had been erected, it was the perfect place for what she planned. All the energy fused into the Arsenal - she would push it through the portal, into the Nexus. The feedback from the collision... She shivered in delight, as she envisioned the infinite, ruined universes, fragile little islands in the eternal ocean of chaos - slowly, one by one, burning into cinders. [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aviv: D's Knight Posted July 25, 2011 Report Share Posted July 25, 2011 Wait, if everyone lost the will to live, wouldn't they become shadows? Oh, wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexadin Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Mhh, I half expected Blightbringer to use a Skill Drain Deck. If he had used one, he probebly would've won. Then again I'm not shure how the banlist is there. Anywho I'm somewhat disapointed at Blightbringer, but it was a nice duel nonetheless. I must say I really like Extra Chapter 6, it really felt like it was a tournament. Great job. O... MY... GOD... ALIENS!!! I'm so glad they finally came, and not just ET's but the actual archetype. NOW, this fic has been completed. I can actually name them in apearance. [spoiler=If you're interested] Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar (the ship hull part confused me for a while) Alien Grey (easy one) Alien Warrior (I wasn't shure about this one, but this' my best gues) (And finally) Cosmic Horror Gangi'el [/spoiler] Wow, even all 3 of the [s]Meklords[/s] Machine Emperors apear all at once. This chapter really is impressive. For some reason I didn't expect a Matchwinner to apear. Even with you telling that there will be a forbidden card and Lorelei apearing. Also that was an excelent use of a "EI". Great chapter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Ebony's deck still feels messy, though I suppose that's inevitable, particularly in a duel that doesn't really have much to do with tactics. I assume in the future you'll use the new Dark World support? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted July 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 [quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1311773703' post='5391363']Mhh, I half expected Blightbringer to use a Skill Drain Deck. If he had used one, he probebly would've won. Then again I'm not shure how the banlist is there. Anywho I'm somewhat disapointed at Blightbringer, but it was a nice duel nonetheless.[/quote] We didn't get to see a whole lot of his deck, though. Maybe more will appear in the battle for the bronze, hm? [quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1311773703' post='5391363']I must say I really like Extra Chapter 6, it really felt like it was a tournament. Great job.[/quote] Well, it [i]was[/i] a tournament, so not sure how else it would feel =/. Still, I'm glad I managed to convey the atmosphere properly. [quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1311773703' post='5391363'] O... MY... GOD... ALIENS!!! I'm so glad they finally came, and not just ET's but the actual archetype. NOW, this fic has been completed. I can actually name them in apearance. [spoiler=If you're interested] Cosmic Fortress Gol'gar (the ship hull part confused me for a while) Alien Grey (easy one) Alien Warrior (I wasn't shure about this one, but this' my best gues) (And finally) Cosmic Horror Gangi'el [/spoiler] Wow, even all 3 of the [s]Meklords[/s] Machine Emperors apear all at once. This chapter really is impressive. For some reason I didn't expect a Matchwinner to apear. Even with you telling that there will be a forbidden card and Lorelei apearing. Also that was an excelent use of a "EI". Great chapter. [/quote] Maybe I'm just having a stupidity block or something, but what's ET's? Anyway, you mixed up Warrior with Overlord, and you also missed Alien Mother. But the others were correct. I thought Lorelei would've been more obvious, but I'm not disappointed that it caught someone by surprise. [quote name='機皇神龍アステリスク' timestamp='1311788774' post='5392175'] Ebony's deck still feels messy, though I suppose that's inevitable, particularly in a duel that doesn't really have much to do with tactics. I assume in the future you'll use the new Dark World support? [/quote] It's because Ebony's deck is less of a deck and more of a... 'hey, this monster is grimdark and evil-looking, can I has it? Yes'. More seriously, though, it's basically just Dark World running Earthbounds for the lulz. To be fair to me, though, I had hinted at the EBGs lurking in her deck, since she was using 100-Eye Dragon. And yeah, I expect to use some of the new DW cards. Chapter 54 arrives, aptly titled Grand Cross. We've reached the halfway point for this arc, too, and though the pace has slowed down a bit, we're still steadily approaching the finishing line. Stick with it until then, and enjoy ~ ! [spoiler=Chapter 54] [center][b][u]Chapter 54:[/b] Grand Cross[/u][/center] The very world around them was screaming. Several minutes passed, and every being, living or not, human or not, within this virtual world, the outside reality, and even within countless other realities that were also drawn in by the Nexus, stood on edge, awaiting the end that this vengeful song foretold. And then it stopped. But it was only for a few minutes. After that, something much worse began. Huge tidal waves swallowed the coasts. Volcanoes erupted without warning. Meteors the size of islands fell from the burning skies. Dragons and demons, huge winged beasts and serpents crawling on the earth, even humanoid figures and angels, now dominated the world - but even they quickly died off, to be replaced by new ones. Death. Above everything else, death dominated. People died. Animals died, otherworldly monsters died. Worlds died. Boundaries faded away. In a way noone could have predicted, existence was ending. The virtual world was not in a much better shape. The Zero Zone was collapsing, removing the last remaining boundary protecting it from the chaos outside. The sky over every field had cracked, and above, the churning, writhing Nexus could be seen. Far yet, but drawing closer and closer. And through the portal in the Aria Tower - enraged, Dunkan could not bring himself to believe just what was happening there. This was something they had to deal with - could they deal with it? - but he had just sent the four pawns he had been left with out, and whatever was happening had cut off all ways of communication that were available to him. He screamed, his voice resonating with the new song that had begun. A wild, ferocious song of damnation and chaos. The three Machine Emperors floated above the tower, but they could not defend it against every threat. He had to remain here. Otherwise... --- Maya was clad in a fine yukata, white with crimson flowery patterns. Her feet were covered by ornate sandals, and her long black hair was tied up in a ponytail. She had only worn these traditional Japanese garments four or five in her life, in festivals or celebrations. Strangely enough, she was carrying a wooden sword, used for kendo practice. She remembered briefly participating in the kendo club of her school, but quickly quitting. She had no real talent with swordsmanship. This odd mismatch of attire, along with the place she was located in, the kendo club's training hall, convinced her she was inside a dream. A person appeared opposite to her. He was tall and bulky, certainly much more suited to wield the shinai he was holding than the comparatively petite Maya. He was clad in a white, loose-fitting training uniform tied by a black belt. His face was covered by an oni mask. Without warning, he raised the wooden sword, and lunged at her. Self-preservation and instinct, moreso than actual training, kicked in and Maya rose her own weapon like a barrier. The two swords collided with a dull noise. Maya was pushed backwards, and had to kneel down to prevent herself from falling. But her opponent was relentless, and he charged again and again. Maya managed to regain her footing, but each strike blocked sent a surge of pain up her arms. This could not last long - her frail physique would quickly gave way. She sensed more than saw an opening, through skills she should have had no way of acquiring. Diving leftwards, she dodged a downwards strike, which allowed her to bring her sword up from the undefended left side. The surprise she felt upon seeing that the wooden blade had transformed into a razor-sharp, steel-edged katana was not enough to halt her movement. With a swift motion, she lopped her enemy's head off, blood sprouting from the clean-cut neck like a fountain, staining her face and dress. She should have collapsed, she should have thrown up - but her dream-self only calmly picked up the head, which had flown upwards and then swiftly descended towards her. The mask had fallen off, and Kirizaki Ryouga's aged face was staring at her with a mocking smirk. Maya woke up gasping, but it did not even take her a second to realize that the world she had woken to was much worse than murdering Ryouga in cold blood. For starters, a piercing noise, vaguely resembling a song, echoed everywhere. And then, a huge burning meteorite was about to fall directly on top of her, followed by a river of flowing lava. But she didn't even have time to scream, and something [i]very[/i] weird happened. The lava and the rocks froze in place, then started quickly ascending, as if drawn upwards by invinsible strings. The ceiling began... repairing itself, the molten magma converging over it as chunks of rock formed solid ground. She could only stare at this paradox in utter disbelief. "It's worse than I thought. Even time is being violated." Maya realized she was not alone. Ivory was next to her, rather forcefully dragging her to her feet. She had been laying on some sort of - altar? - in what looked like an underground cavern. What looked like an underground cavern with a pool of lava over it that had just been about to collapse onto them. Somewhere to her left, she noticed Yuusuke, who was groaning in pain as he pushed himself to his feet. "What... happened...?" He voiced the question Maya could not find the words for. "Something [i]really[/i] bad." Ivory said, not mincing any words. "I thought you might be in trouble, so I tracked you down, but then... well, you saw it. We'd better get out of here, before time flows forward once more. Don't ask any questions." She opened a portal right in front of them, and practically threw Maya into it with astonishing strength. Before she could fully pass through, she caught a glimpse of their unlikely rescuer tossing Yuusuke after her, then jumping in herself. "This is it." She heard Ivory say, once she had regained her bearings. They seemed to be underground again, though this time the area they were in was [i]massive[/i]. The far walls of the cave were barely visible in the horizon, and they were actually standing rather close to its center, from which an extremely tall, spiralling mountain rose, to reach up to the distant roof of the cave. Maya had no clue how this place was illuminated - but the silver luster that was spreading all over the cave was clear as daylight. "So, this is all [i]her[/i] doing." Ivory grunted, glaring at the invisible peak of the mountain. That certainly drew their attention. "Ebony?" Yuusuke asked, agitation obvious in his voice. "What has she done? What happened after I..." He gulped audibly. Maya rubbed her temples. What [i]had[/i] happened? The last thing she remembered was... she fought the urge to vomit. She had summoned the Devil God, thinking it was the key to defeating Ryouga and passing the trial of her 'past'. Now that she considered it - that couldn't have anything to do with [i]this[/i], right? "I don't know much myself." Ivory sighed. "But we don't have time to waste. This place is directly underneath the Aria Tower, where the portal to the Nexus lies open. Ebony is up there, and she is doing... something. And that something will cause everything to fall apart, if we don't stop her soon." "Let's go, then." Yuusuke said grimly, materializing his D-Wheel. But, the sounds and flashes of light of multiple portals opening, and several people charging through into the spaceous underground chamber, made it clear that it was not going to be that easy. --- Kiishiro and Sugita were the only ones to step through the portal. Takechi and Yenma had been rather exhausted from their fight against Ross, which was quickly followed by the brief scuffle against Jacqueline, to barge into such a dangerous situation, and ZONE had prohibited Christina from joining them despite her sudden insistence. Their instructions were simple: find the cause for what was happening, and stop it. The execution, though, might not be as easy. "Whatever we're looking for is probably up there." He pointed at the peak of the mountain that rose a fair distance ahead of them. He made as if to start forward, but Sugita held his shoulder. "Look." He pointed. Around them, several more portals had begun opening. Most of them spewed out dozens of the mindless drones that Duel International had replaced the Ghosts with - Cataphracts, Yuusuke had called them. Whether they were here to defend what was happening or stop it was unclear, but they all made their way towards the mountain, ignoring their surroundings for the most part. Kiishiro did not think they would maintain that attitude, though, if they got in their way. Regardless, they had no way to sneak past, and no way to devise a plan. They should, though, avoid attracting too much attention, so their D-Wheels wouldn't be used. Faces grim, they prepared their Duel Disks, and strode forward. --- Jacqueline slumped backwards as the Cataphract before her was felled by Barkion's attack. The third one, in less than five minutes. They were no match for her, but it was appaling how her own creations would be turned against her like that. Furthermore, the continuous fights were rapidly draining her energy. At least she was closer now, quite close to the mountain. It would be easier if those two Sabers Eizan had sent along with her - the strongest he had, according to him - would help. But they had both vanished without explanation as soon as they stepped foot in here, and though Jacqueline would have been grateful for the absence of someone to watch over her actions, right now, she was boiling with anger. Eizan's orders had been to prevent anyone from interfering with what was going on. Because he had likely predicted that Jacqueline would disobey, he had also sent those two. But it seemed like at least a hundred Cataphracts were in here, trying to get to that mountain. Dunkan would have sent them, which meant that this had not gone according to his plans. But Jacqueline agreed with him. Whatever was happening was too dreadful to be allowed to continue. Deactivating her Duel Disk until she'd have to use it again, she kept walking at a steady pace, cursing the twist of fate that had brought her here. --- Adam Fergusson stood near the edge of the Road to Tomorrow, where the path, glowing bright with all colors of the rainbow, ended abruptly in a cataclysmic fall. On the precipice of the endless abyss, where reality ended and nothingness began, he was smiling rapturously. He had done it, somehow. Finally, the path was complete. The melody of despair that was resonating throughout the world was proof of that. He did not know what he had done, in the end, or even if something he had done had affected it at all. But the road to the Nexus was complete. Now, all that remained - He spun around. Ylaidus was facing him. Riding the massive, pitch-black D-Wheel he had caught a glimpse of during his duel against Ghost, even though his face was half-hidden by the dark helmet, and no indicator flashed to identify him, Fergusson instantly recognized him. For a few, long seconds, he couldn't speak. What could he say to the man who had, so many years ago, carved the outset of the path that would carry his brother to death and him to... this? "You are alive." He croaked. "Not alive." Ylaidus responded. "Less than alive. I have maintained my consciousness and my free will, but that's all that is left to me now. I am dead, and my death cannot be reversed, not even with the Nexus." "And... my brother?" Fergusson asked. "Is he, too..." "No." Ylaidus shook his head. "Thomas is gone. I have only been brought back because I was needed. Regardless, I had to find you. You have completed the Road to Tomorrow marvelously." He sighed softly, removing his helmet. His face was just as Fergusson remembered it - gaunt, with stark features, framed by rich black hair. Dark green eyes stared into his, interrogating, questioning. "But your path does not end here." He motioned towards the endless abyss. "There is one more task you must undertake, and I will lead you to it." A portal opened next to him, leading somewhere deep underground. Fergusson did not question him. He had gone too far, done too much, even killed others for this. He simply stepped through. The least he could do was see it through to the end. Ylaidus stared after the portal for a long time, even after it closed. Memories filled his resurfaced consciousness, of the time before his death. Of the dream they had tried to achieve. Of how wrong they had been, of the mistakes they had made. But that wasn't something he could have told his former ally. Adam Fergusson would have to discover the truths behind the Project REVOLT by himself, and hopefully make the better choices. And at the end of his road to redemption, perhaps, they could meet again. --- Sugita followed Sanjou Kiishiro with small, measured footsteps. The difference between the man he had fought atop the Arc Cradle and the one he was following right now was drastic. His energy, his vigilance, the willingness to struggle, to fight - they had all been warped by a twisted sense of justice - vengeance - into a darkness that hung around him like a black veil. Driven by those feelings, he seemed oblivious to everything else but the goal. So focused was Kiishiro's attention on the mountain, and Sugita's attention on Kiishiro, that when he stopped abruptly, Sugita almost bumped into him. A portal had opened on top of a small rock formation before them, and a man walked out. Sugita gasped as he instantly recognized one of the most popular duelists in the history of the virtual world - Adam Fergusson, Firesoul, the former American champion. He was staring down at them with an expression Sugita thought felt familiar. Then he realized that that same expression was mirrored in Kiishiro's face. Grim determination to push forward no matter what happened to whatever stood in your way. Despair. And darkness. And the way these two saw it, probably, each one was standing exactly in the other's way. Sugita wondered if Fergusson actually recognized them from the incident in the Arc Cradle, or even registered them as anything more than obstacles to be removed. Quickly predicting how badly it could turn out, Sugita stepped forward. "Kiishiro, I'll handle this. You go on." It looked as if Kiishiro hadn't even heard him. He stayed there, immobile, staring at Fergusson. Then he shook his head, as if dismissing some errant thought. "I must find her." He murmured, so low that Sugita thought he might not have heard correctly. "She's here." With that, he simply strode forward. Fergusson made as if to follow him, but Sugita activated his Duel Disk, and drew out a card. He had no qualms about simply launching an attack from behind - but the American champion slowly turned to face him again, eyeing him disdainfully. Sugita took a good look at him. It made no sense to him that Fergusson would appear to oppose them, especially considering his earlier appearance in the Arc Cradle. He did not seem to have been turned into a Cataphract, either. "If you stand in my way, I'll take you down." He warned, materializing his own Duel Disk. "I don't know who you are, why you are here, and what your purpose is, but I won't let you interfere with my plans." "Unfortunately, I cannot let you do as you please either." Sugita said. Inwards, he cringed. Defeating a national champion would be no mean feat, and who knew what would happen if he were to lose. "It looks like from here, only one of us can go forward." Fergusson nodded. "Duel!" "Since you are already at a disadvantage, I'll allow you to choose the turn order." Fergusson said. Sugita smiled wryly. "Very well. I'll take the first move." [center][i][b]Gawain[/b] - LP: 4000[/i] [i][b]Firesoul[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] They both drew their cards in silence. Sugita examined his opening hand. It was enough for a powerful start. "I'll begin with the permanent Magic card, Black Whirlwind. When I Normal Summon a Black Feather monster, this allows me to add another one to my hand from my deck, provided its attack is lower. And now I summon Black Feather - Jinn the Empty Wind!" A tiny black winged creature with dark blue plume flapped around forcefully before settling on the ground, and an abrupt wind picked up. Sugita plucked out another card from his deck, and flipped it around to show it to his opponent. [spoiler=Black Whirlwind][b]Black Whirlwind[/b] SPELL / Continuous When a "Black Feather" monster is Normal Summoned to your side of the Field, you can add 1 "Black Feather" monster from your Deck to your hand that has less ATK than that monster.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Black Feather - Jinn the Empty Wind][b]Black Feather - Jinn the Empty Wind[/b] DARK / Winged Beast / Tuner Level 1 600/500 If this card battles with a monster whose DEF is lower than this card's ATK, destroy that monster immediately with this card's effect (without applying damage calculation).[/spoiler] "Now that a Black Feather exists on the field, I can Special Summon Black Feather - Blast the Black Lance from my hand." The lancer bird jumped out of a black tornado. "And now I tune my Level 4, Blast the Black Lance, to my Level 1, Jinn the Empty Wind! Synchro Summon!" The smaller bird spun around in a typhoon forming a single circle, while Blast the Black Lance dissolved into four stars that crossed through it. "Come, Vortex the Whirlwind!" An avian creature with humanoid features, sporting brown feathered wings, green armor and wielding a chain as a weapon, emerged from the powerful gust. Now, even if Fergusson followed through and Synchro Summoned another monster to defeat it, Sugita could still gain something. [spoiler=Black Feather - Blast the Black Lance][b]Black Feather - Blast the Black Lance[/b] DARK / Winged Beast Level 4 1700/800 If you control a "Black Feather" monster other than "Black Feather - Blast the Black Lance", you can Special Summon this card from your hand. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Vortex the Whirlwind][b]Vortex the Whirlwind[/b] WIND / Winged Beast Level 5 2100/700 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Winged Beast-Type monsters When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Winged Beast-Type monster from your Deck.[/spoiler] "I set two cards. Turn end." "Then it's my turn." Fergusson said. "Draw. I activate One for One, discarding Jurak Velo from my hand, to Special Summon Jurak Auro from the deck!" Partially hidden within its egg, a baby blue-skinned dinosaur appeared on the field. [spoiler=One for One][b]One for One[/b] SPELL / Normal Send 1 Monster Card from your hand to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your hand or Deck.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Jurak Velo][b]Jurak Velo[/b] FIRE / Dinosaur Level 4 1700/1000 When this face-up Attack Position card attacks or is attacked, and it is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 "Jurak" monster with 1700 or less ATK from your Deck.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Jurak Auro][b]Jurak Auro[/b] FIRE / Dinosaur / Tuner Level 1 200/200 You can Tribute this card to select 1 Level 4 or lower "Jurak" monster in your Graveyard, except "Jurak Auro". Special Summon that monster from the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "But that's far from all. I chain the Instant magic card, Hell Reckless Summon. In exchange for letting me Special Summon as many copies of Jurak Auro as I can, you can also select a monster of yours to duplicate. However." He smiled unpleasantly. "Synchro monsters that have not been Synchro Summoned first, cannot be Special Summoned. Therefore, this boon is meaningless for you!" Sugita gritted his teeth as two more tiny dinosaurs appeared next to the other one. [spoiler=Hell Reckless Summon][b]Hell Reckless Summon[/b] SPELL / Quick-Play You can only activate this card when 1 monster with an ATK of 1500 points or less is Special Summoned to your side of the field while there is a face-up monster on your opponent's side of the field. Special Summon all cards with the same name as the Summoned monster from your hand, Deck, and Graveyard in face-up Attack Position. Your opponent selects 1 monster on their side of the field and Special Summons all cards with that same name from their hand, Deck, and Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Now, I release Jurak Auro to trigger its effect, Special Summoning Jurak Velo from the Graveyard. And then I Normal Summon Jurak Brachis!" A serpentine entity wrapped in hot flames materialized between the two duelists, hissing loudly. [spoiler=Jurak Brachis][b]Jurak Brachis[/b] FIRE / Dinosaur / Tuner Level 3 1000/1000 While another face-up "Jurak" monster is on the field, this card cannot be destroyed by battle.[/spoiler] "And now I tune Velo to Brachis! Synchro Summon!" A bulky, blue-skinned bipedal carnivorous dinosaur appeared through a cascade of fire, its head covered in a crimson blaze. "Jurak Giganoto!" [spoiler=Jurak Giganoto][b]Jurak Giganoto[/b] FIRE / Dinosaur / Synchro Level 7 2100/1800 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Dinosaur-Type monsters All face-up "Jurak" monsters you control gain 200 ATK for each "Jurak" monster in your Graveyard.[/spoiler] "And now I'll release my other two Auro, to Special Summon Brachis and Velo to the field, in defense and attack position respectively." Fergusson continued. "Due to the effect of Giganoto, Giganoto and Velo gain 200 points of attack for every Jurak in the Graveyard, and since there are currently three, their attack power rises to 2700 and 2300 respectively. Battle begins." Sugita gritted his teeth. One of his reverse cards was Godbird Attack. He could release Vortex now to destroy Giganoto and Velo, and prevent himself from taking damage. But that would leave him with no monsters. If he allowed Giganoto's attack to go through, he could use the effect of Vortex to Special Summon Vayu, and then trigger his Trap card. 600 points of damage was a fair trade for getting one of his key monsters in the Graveyard. "Jurak Giganoto attacks Vortex the Whirlwind." The creature's fiery breath struck down the airborne warrior, incinerating it instantly. Knowing better than to stay in one spot, Sugita ducked out of the way of the flames, watching in slight trepedition as they incinerated the ground he had been standing on. [center][i][b]Gawain[/b] - LP: 3400[/i] [i][b]Firesoul[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "Vortex the Whirlwind's effect activates!" He declared. "When destroyed, it can bring out another Winged Beast from the deck! I Special Summon Black Feather - Vayu the Grand Flag in defense mode, and chain the Trap card, Godbird Attack! By releasing Vayu, I can select and destroy up to two cards on the field - so, I'll get rid of both Jurak Giganoto, and Jurak Velo!" The tiny, misnamed white-winged bird in the black cape appeared briefly on the field, only to be absorbed in a huge tornado born in its wake. The wind flared up into a gigantic blaze which struck down Fergusson's dinosaurs, incinerating even their flamebound bodies instantly. [spoiler=Black Feather - Vayu the Grand Flag][b]Black Feather - Vayu the Grand Flag[/b] DARK / Winged Beast / Tuner Level 1 800/0 If this card is face-up on the field, you cannot use it for a Synchro Summon. If this card is in your Graveyard, you can remove from play this card plus 1 non-Tuner "Black Feather" monster in your Graveyard, and Special Summon 1 "Black Feather" Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck whose Level equals the total Levels of the removed monsters. The effect(s) of that Synchro Monster is negated.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Godbird Attack][b]Godbird Attack[/b] TRAP / Normal Tribute 1 Winged Beast-Type monster to select 2 cards on the field. Destroy them.[/spoiler] "So, that was the method you chose to fight. Interesting." Fergusson noted. "It's not enough, though. I activate the Spell card, Greed Grado. Since I destroyed a Synchro monster you controlled, I can draw twice." He added two cards to his hand, and then flipped over another one. "One of the cards drawn is also Greed Grado, which I instantly activate, drawing a second pair of cards." He smiled. "If you happen to survive this battle, and plan to continue on fighting, you may want to heed this piece of advice. Don't rely on Synchro monsters, not more than absolutely necessary." [spoiler=Greed Grado][b]Greed Grado[/b] SPELL / Quick-Play Activate only if you destroyed a face-up Synchro Monster controlled by your opponent this turn, either by battle or by a card effect. Draw 2 cards.[/spoiler] Sugita narrowed his eyes. What was that about? Still, the problem remained. Even though he had evened the field a little, his opponent's hand had increased to a comfortable size. Well, he should still be able to handle that much. "I'll set a pair of cards." Fergusson continued. "Turn end." "Very well. It's my turn." Sugita added a third card to his depleting hand. "When I control no monsters and you control at least one, I can Normal Summon Black Feather - Sirocco the Dawn without a tribute." A lean bipedal creature with broad black wings and a bird's face appeared before him. "And due to Black Whirlwind, I can add a Black Feather monster with lower power from my deck to my hand - I choose another Blast the Black Lance, which I Special Summon due to its effect." [spoiler=Black Feather - Sirocco the Dawn][b]Black Feather - Sirocco the Dawn[/b] DARK / Winged Beast Level 5 2000/900 If your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can Normal Summon or Set this card without Tributing. Once per turn, you can select 1 face-up "Black Feather" monster you control. It gains ATK equal to the total ATK of all face-up "Black Feather" monsters on the field except itself. Monsters other than the selected monster cannot attack the turn you activate this effect.[/spoiler] "I activate Sirocco's effect." He continued. "I target Blast the Black Lance, and increase its power by the combined power of all Black Feather monsters on the field. In exchange, only the targeted monster can launch an attack." Black threads sprang out of the large raven to empower the smaller lance-wielding creature. "Blast the Black Lance deals piercing damage! Attack Jurak Brachis!" With one swift motion, his monster launched its drill forward, and the blazing lizard screeched as it was annihilated. Slashing waves of wind burst forth from the explosion, dramatically reducing Fergusson's Life Points. [center][i][b]Gawain[/b] - LP: 3400[/i] [i][b]Firesoul[/b] - LP: 1300[/i][/center] When the blast cleared out, Sugita halfway expected to see his opponent reduced to a torn-up corpse. But Fergusson was just standing there, surrounded by a thin, translucent red veil that had apparently shielded him from the attack. As the protective shroud dissipated, Sugita noticed a change in Fergusson's eyes. He seemed more... focused now. More intent on winning. Sugita sighed, taking a glance at the field. Fergusson was left with only his reverse cards, which likely weren't meant for stopping attacks. On his field were Sirocco the Dawn and Blast the Black Lance, as well as his own concealed card. Instead of using Sirocco's effect, he could have attacked with both of his monsters and then triggered Swallow's Nest to deal enough damage in this turn to win. But if Fergusson did have something to block him, it would leave him totally defenseless and without other options. Sugita didn't like taking chances, not against an opponent of this caliber. "Turn end." He said. "My turn." Even as Fergusson spoke the words, Sugita saw that his eyes were transfixed on him, rather than the cards he was holding. "I activate both reverse cards, Lost Star Descent, and Limit Rebirth. Lost Star Descent revives the Synchro monster, Jurak Giganoto, from my Graveyard - however, it is limited to defense mode, its effect is negated, and its level is reduced by 1. On the contrary, Limit Rebirth Special Summons a monster with 1000 attack or less, namely Jurak Auro, in attack mode. And then I Normal Summon Jurak Ptera." The burning airborne prehistoric creature, along with the tiny egg dinosaur and the larger Synchro monster, all appeared on the field. Sugita quickly calculated their Levels - along with the reduction from Lost Star Descent, it all added up to - !! [spoiler=Lost Star Descent][b]Lost Star Descent[/b] TRAP / Normal Select 1 Synchro Monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position. Its effect is negated, its Level is reduced by 1 and its DEF becomes 0. Its battle position cannot be changed.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Limit Rebirth][b]Limit Rebirth[/b] TRAP / Continuous Select 1 monster with 1000 or less ATK from your Graveyard, and Special Summon it in Attack Position. If that monster is changed to Defense Position, destroy it and this card. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Jurak Ptera][b]Jurak Ptera[/b] FIRE / Dinosaur Level 3 800/1500 If this card is attacked, return the attacking monster to the hand after damage calculation and this card gains DEF equal to the returned monster's Level x 100.[/spoiler] "It's about time I finished this." Fergusson said. "I tune my, now Level 6, Jurak Giganoto, and my Level 3, Jurak Ptera, to my Level 1, Jurak Auro!" The infant dinosaur took to the sky, its egg shattering to reveal a fully-formed body glowing in crimson light. Its entire form illuminated thus, it split into particles which converged to form a burning circle, hovering in mid-air parallel to the ground. The two larger creatures took flight after it, their shapes shattering into nine star-shaped fragments of solid magma, crossing through the circle. The distant ceiling of the cavern was set ablaze, and Sugita stared in horror as the monster he had seen before, the genocidal meteorite with the capacity to tear apart a small legion of monsters, slowly came to view above him, descending through a fiery veil. "When Jurak Meteor is Synchro Summoned, every card on the field is destroyed." Fergusson said calmly. "Prepare yourself." [spoiler=Jurak Meteor][b]Jurak Meteor[/b] FIRE / Dinosaur / Synchro Level 10 2800/2000 1 "Jurak" Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner Dinosaur monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned, destroy all cards on the field. Then, you can Special Summon 1 Tuner Monster from your Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Instant magic, activate!" Sugita screamed. "Swallow's Next, at the cost of releasing Blast the Black Lance, can Special Summon Shura the Blue Flame from my deck, which has an equal Level, and dodge Meteor's effect!" Jurak Meteor was coming down, fast. Regardless of the duel's outcome, Sugita might not survive the impact if it struck head-on. The drill-wielding monster vanished quickly enough to avoid the blow. [spoiler=Swallow's Nest][b]Swallow's Nest[/b] SPELL / Quick-Play Tribute 1 face-up Winged Beast-Type monster you control to Special Summon 1 Winged Beast-Type monster from the Deck with the same Level as the Tributed monster.[/spoiler] Sugita stared up. He could not outrun the blast, not at this range. He had no cards on his field or hand that could defend him from it, and in the middle of the duel, he could not randomly take a card from his deck. Then, the only method of survival... Before Fergusson could react, Sugita rushed towards him. Even as he recoiled in surprise and tried to step backwards, Sugita grabbed the front of his uniform and held him in place. As Sugita had predicted, the red shield came into being around them just moments before the meteor reached the ground. A gigantic explosion rattled them both, but they remained unharmed. It took Sugita a few seconds to regain his bearings after the blast cleared out. Fergusson had not moved, and was staring at him with an unreadable expression. Everything around them had been razed to the ground, and they were standing on the bottom of a large crater. Slowly, he released his opponent and stepped backwards once the protective barrier disappeared. "You were really trying to kill me." He muttered, still trying to cope with the amount of destruction around him. He had expected it, but... it was different to see it with his own eyes. "Why?" He demanded angrily. "Why go that far? What has driven you to... this?" "I won't be questioned by the likes of you." Fergusson snapped. Anger was evident in his voice. "You survived this blow thanks to the artifact my brother left me - but there won't be a next time. Due to the effect of Jurak Meteor, Jurak Auro is revived from the Graveyard." Sugita stared at him. Was he still willing to continue the duel, even after all that? This was... [i]inhuman[/i]. No sane person would - he clenched his teeth. Thinking like that was useless. This was not the same world as a week ago. "The effect of Swallow's Nest Special Summons Shura." He said crisply. A lean, black bird, sporting large arms equipped with razor-sharp claws, blue feathers adorning the top of its head, appeared through a sudden gale. [spoiler=Black Feather - Shura the Blue Flame][b]Black Feather - Shura the Blue Flame[/b] DARK / Winged Beast Level 4 1800/800 When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 "Black Feather" monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck. That monster's effect(s) is negated.[/spoiler] "I'll use Auro's effect to release it, and Special Summon Jurak Velo." Fergusson retorted. Sugita narrowed his eyes. Jurak Ptera would have been a better choice, since Velo could not destroy Shura. Unless - "All monsters in my Graveyard are Dinosaurs, which means that this permanent magic card can activate its effect." Fergusson explained. "Tribe Unity. It increases the power of all my monsters on the field of that type by 800 points, powering up Velo beyond your monster's attack! Battle!" The burning predator moved to strike down the winged warrior. [spoiler=Tribe Unity][b]Tribe Unity[/b] SPELL / Continuous If you have only 1 original (printed) Type of monster in your Graveyard, face-up monsters you control with the same Type gain 800 ATK.[/spoiler] "The effect of Black Feather - Jet the Blue Sky in my hand activates!" He shouted, thankful for his provision to add this monster to his hand via Black Whirlwind during the first turn. "By discarding this card, my Black Feather monster is not destroyed by battle!" [spoiler=Black Feather - Jet the Blue Sky][b]Black Feather - Jet the Blue Sky[/b] DARK / Winged Beast Level 1 100/800 Activate by sending this card from your hand to the Graveyard during damage calculation. A "Black Feather" monster you control is not destroyed by that battle.[/spoiler] "But, battle damage will still be taken." Fergusson noted. Sugita quickly avoided the flames, and his monster persevered, protecting him from further assault. "I'll set one card face-down. Turn end." [center][i][b]Gawain[/b] - LP: 2700[/i] [i][b]Firesoul[/b] - LP: 1300[/i][/center] "So be it. My turn!" Sugita could see that he could not afford to delay this match any longer. "When I control another Black Feather monster, from my hand, I can Special Summon Black Feather - Gale the Whirlwind!" "Naive." Fergusson countered. "Trap card, Oppression of the Royal Palace. By paying eight hundred Life Points, either player can negate an opposing Special Summon, or even an effect that would trigger the Special Summon of a monster." [spoiler=Oppression of the Royal Palace][b]Oppression of the Royal Palace[/b] TRAP / Continuous Pay 800 Life Points to negate a Special Summon of a monster and/or the effect of a card that Special Summons a monster and destroy it. Both you and your opponent can use this effect as long as this card remains face-up on the field.[/spoiler] [center][i][b]Gawain[/b] - LP: 2700[/i] [i][b]Firesoul[/b] - LP: 500[/i][/center] Sugita placed Gale in his Graveyard dejectedly. Though his opponent no longer had enough Life Points to trigger that effect, and he could use it to his favor instead - with only one card left in his hand, he could not make a difference this turn. "I... set a monster." He said skeptically. "And I switch Shura to defense mode. Turn end." "Then it's my move." Fergusson said. He glanced at the card he drew and his face contorted into an unpleasant grin. "I summon Jurak Guaiba!" A long-necked, lean dinosaur appeared next to its bulkier counterpart. "Guaiba, also powered up by the effect of my Spell card, will attack Shura!" The dinosaur easily ripped through the winged monster with a single slash. "And, thanks to the effect of Jurak Guaiba, I can Special Summon a Jurak monster from my deck, provided its attack power does not exceed 1700 points." His deck automatically ejected his choice. "Come, Jurak Stauriko, in defense mode!" Much smaller than the other monsters, a blue-skinned lizard with flaming wing-like appendages appeared between them. [spoiler=Jurak Guaiba][b]Jurak Guaiba[/b] FIRE / Dinosaur Level 4 1700/400 If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can Special Summon 1 "Jurak" monster with 1700 or less ATK from your Deck. It cannot declare an attack this turn.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Jurak Stauriko][b]Jurak Stauriko[/b] FIRE / Dinosaur Level 2 500/400 If this card is destroyed by battle, Special Summon 2 "Jurak Token"s (Dinosaur-Type/FIRE/Level 1/ATK 0/DEF 0) in Defense Position. These Tokens cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon, unless it is for a "Jurak" monster.[/spoiler] However, Sugita shook his head. "Your attack order was wrong." He declared. "If you had attacked with Velo first, you could have avoided this mistake, but now... your defeat is all but ascertained." Fergusson narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?" He demanded. "I'll tell you." Sugita said. "My reverse monster is Critter. When you destroy it by battle, I can add Black Feather - Blizzard the North Pole to my hand via its effect. Then, next turn, I will Normal Summon Blizzard and use its effect to revive one of my Level 4 monsters from the Graveyard, allowing me to Synchro Summon Arms Wing. Normally, even if I did so, your monsters would still be stronger. But Arms Wing deals bonus piercing damage to defense position monsters - by Summoning Stauriko, you guaranteed your defeat at its hands. Now, what will it be? Will you stop this madness already?" "Hmpfh. You've thought a little bit ahead, it seems." Fergusson allowed grudgingly. "But if you were hoping to end this duel prematurely, think again. I forfeit my attack, and end my turn. Now, the outcome depends on your next turn." "So you say." Sugita sighed. "Very well, then. Draw." He picked up a card and glanced at it. "I'll begin by activating the effect of Vayu the Grand Flag in my Graveyard, removing it, along with Sirocco the Dawn, from play, to Special Summon Black Feather - Arms Wing from my Extra deck." The silver depiction of a giant bird's wings towered up in the sky behind him, and five black stars filed into a single line through it. A new monster was forged from the cascading light, with fully black feathers concealing its body, except for the red mane around its head. It was armed by a massive gunblade. [spoiler=Black Feather - Arms Wing][b]Black Feather - Arms Wing[/b] DARK / Winged Beast / Synchro Level 6 2300/1000 1 "Black Feather" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, it gains 500 ATK during the Damage Step only. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower then the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] "Even if you do that, the effect of the monster summoned by Vayu is negated." Fergusson pointed out. "Arms Wing cannot penetrate my defenses." "It cannot." Sugita agreed. "But that will soon change. I flip summon my reverse monster - namely, Black Feather - Breeze the Zephyr!" A fairy-like creature with bright orange body and golden wings attached to its arms, quite contrary to the name of the archetype, appeared on the field. [spoiler=Black Feather - Breeze the Zephyr][b]Black Feather - Breeze the Zephyr[/b] DARK / Winged Beast / Tuner Level 3 1100/300 If this card is added from your Deck to your hand by the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Monster Card, you can Special Summon this card. This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Black Feather" monster.[/spoiler] "That is not Critter!" Fergusson observed. Sugita shrugged. "Were you assuming I would hesitate to lie to the person who just tried to kill me?" He inquired. "Don't be ridiculous. I remove both these monsters from play! Special summon, Black Feather - Aurora the Northern Light!" Twin black vortexes appeared behind the two monsters, absorbing them into a different world. A mystical white light shone through the field, and a spectral winged creature, tiny, yet enlarged by the massive blue aura that surrounded it, came into view through it, fluttering through the space overhead. [spoiler=Black Feather - Aurora the Northern Light][b]Black Feather - Aurora the Northern Light[/b] LIGHT / Winged Beast Level 10 ?/0 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by removing from play 2 face-up monsters you control (1 "Black Feather" Tuner and 1 non-Tuner). Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 "Black Feather" Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck. This card's name, ATK, and effects become the same as that monster's, until the End Phase.[/spoiler] "Th - this monster..." Fergusson growled, realizing its effect, along with Sugita's plan. "Once per turn, Aurora the Northern Light can remove from play a Black Feather Synchro monster in my Extra deck to acquire its effects and power, until the End Phase. Luckily, another Arms Wing lies in my Extra deck, which I now remove, to have Aurora gain its ability." As he picked out the card from his disk's Extra deck slot, and placed it in the one designated for banished creatures, Aurora glowed with an even fiercer light, and the aura around it grew and molded to resemble the form of the removed Arms Wing. Its attack points rose to 2300, and then 2800, as Sugita pointed at his opponent's defensive monster. "Now, what will it be? You can surrender, or you can take the blow, but either way, I expect some answers." Sugita said coldly. Fergusson stared at him for one, long moment. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then, a series of fast, consecutive explosions in the distance, near the mountain's base, rippled through the cavern and knocked them to the ground,raising huge dustclouds that obscured everything. When his vision finally cleared, coughing and bleeding, Sugita pushed himself to unsteady feet. In the chaos, his duel disk had deactivated, causing the materialized monsters to vanish. His opponent had also disappeared, and along with him, a chance to get some answers. Putting Adam Fergusson out of his mind for the moment, Sugita began slowly limping out of the crater. Kiishiro should have had already reached that mountain - if those explosions had anything to do with him, he could certainly use Sugita's help. He just hoped his help wouldn't arrive too late. [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aviv: D's Knight Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 What's-his-face is talking about his mom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexadin Posted July 28, 2011 Report Share Posted July 28, 2011 [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1311865123' post='5395163'] We didn't get to see a whole lot of his deck, though. Maybe more will appear in the battle for the bronze, hm? [/quote] Well considering that duel will be against an Ice Barrier Deck, and as those are crippled beond repair when thier effects are negated. I presume it won't be played. And even if it would be played (seeing as he became 4th, if I recall correctly) it would probebly be dispatched relativly quick. [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1311865123' post='5395163'] Well, it [i]was[/i] a tournament, so not sure how else it would feel =/. Still, I'm glad I managed to convey the atmosphere properly. [/quote] Well I've read enough stories that didn't quite portray the atmosphere correctly, so I liked it how you managed to do that here. [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1311865123' post='5395163'] Maybe I'm just having a stupidity block or something, but what's ET's? Anyway, you mixed up Warrior with Overlord, and you also missed Alien Mother. But the others were correct. I thought Lorelei would've been more obvious, but I'm not disappointed that it caught someone by surprise. [/quote] Extra Terrestials. Or in the common mouth, Aliens. *facepalms* God I forgot to add Overlord. And I was quite thinking if that would be mother, but 3 out of 5 isn't that bad, I guess. Tbh, I only vaguely know the Matchwinners by name. So they aren't quite the 1st thing that comes into mind when thinking about forbidden cards for some reason I was expecting either "Dark Hole" (that is forbidden, right) or one of the "Chaos Envoy's". [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1311865123' post='5395163'] Chapter 54 arrives, aptly titled Grand Cross. We've reached the halfway point for this arc, too, and though the pace has slowed down a bit, we're still steadily approaching the finishing line. Stick with it until then, and enjoy ~ ! [/quote] I'll read it tomorow. Enjoy my reply for the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted July 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 [quote name='Lonely Horus' timestamp='1311869929' post='5395438']What's-his-face is talking about his mom.[/quote] And the captain obvious award goes to...! Hehe, seriously though, he might be trying to find his mother directly, or find the person who knows what happened to her and get that person to spill the beans. Who knows. [quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1311872458' post='5395563']Well considering that duel will be against an Ice Barrier Deck, and as those are crippled beond repair when thier effects are negated. I presume it won't be played. And even if it would be played (seeing as he became 4th, if I recall correctly) it would probebly be dispatched relativly quick.[/quote] I guess we'll just have to wait and see. [quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1311872458' post='5395563']Extra Terrestials. Or in the common mouth, Aliens. *facepalms* God I forgot to add Overlord. And I was quite thinking if that would be mother, but 3 out of 5 isn't that bad, I guess.[/quote] Oh. Now that part makes more sense. [quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1311872458' post='5395563']Tbh, I only vaguely know the Matchwinners by name. So they aren't quite the 1st thing that comes into mind when thinking about forbidden cards for some reason I was expecting either "Dark Hole" (that is forbidden, right) or one of the "Chaos Envoy's".[/quote] I didn't say 'forbidden' (which, incidentally, Dark Hole isn't any more, and has been used in the story). I said 'illegal'. As in, a card that cannot be played even in Traditional format where the Forbidden cards become Limited. Basically, a card with the text 'This card cannot be used in a Duel'. Incidentally, even with the change in format, I've managed to dodge every banlist since the story began (Monster Reborn and Dark Hole were @1 then). But, I don't intend to use any more cards that are currently @0, and no more Illegal cards either. The Envoys were tempting, but nah. Now, I'm in a bit of a dilemma. On Tuesday, I'm leaving again for a week - which means no internet access, so no new chapters. I'm almost done with 55, but I really don't want to leave such a huge gap between 55 and 56, for obvious reasons. If I finish 56 by Monday, I'll post them both in a double release, but if not, I'll wait until I come back and resume the regular releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aviv: D's Knight Posted July 30, 2011 Report Share Posted July 30, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted August 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 So yeah, I've decided to not get any updates before going off. I'll be returning next Tuesday / Wednesday. After that I'll try to get the next few updates are a more regular pace. Till then, fellas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexadin Posted August 2, 2011 Report Share Posted August 2, 2011 [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1312016399' post='5400683'] I didn't say 'forbidden' (which, incidentally, Dark Hole isn't any more, and has been used in the story). I said 'illegal'. As in, a card that cannot be played even in Traditional format where the Forbidden cards become Limited. Basically, a card with the text 'This card cannot be used in a Duel'. Incidentally, even with the change in format, I've managed to dodge every banlist since the story began (Monster Reborn and Dark Hole were @1 then). But, I don't intend to use any more cards that are currently @0, and no more Illegal cards either. The Envoys were tempting, but nah. [/quote] Oh, I didn't notice that tbh. You might aswell have used "Get Your Game On!" XD. Also nice work of Sugita, basicly beating the American Champion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 There was me thinking I'd be coming back from my holiday to lots of new chapters and having to have a DeadZoneathon... Oh well... hope you are well mate and that you return to your epic storytelling soon. (I'm back Monday, before I'm called a hypocrite ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brinolovania Posted August 20, 2011 Report Share Posted August 20, 2011 BLS IS GOING TO ONE IN SEPTEMBER! YOU CAN LEGITIMATELY USE IT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted August 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 21, 2011 Hey everyone, I'd like to apologize for failing to update this in a long time. I've been extremely busy and my time at home has been drastically reduced since this month, so I haven't had time to sit down and write anything. Also, I've been extremely estranged from this forum by the update, which honestly I found unnecessary, cumbersome and confusing. Hopefully this will change soon, and I will be able to make up for it by posting at a faster pace. Sorry Matt, but I'll try my best to get some writing done soon =/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1313941532' post='5459235'] Hey everyone, I'd like to apologize for failing to update this in a long time. I've been extremely busy and my time at home has been drastically reduced since this month, so I haven't had time to sit down and write anything. [/quote] Know how that feels. No worries mate. [quote][b]Also, I've been extremely estranged from this forum by the update, which honestly I found unnecessary, cumbersome and confusing.[/b] Hopefully this will change soon, and I will be able to make up for it by posting at a faster pace. Sorry Matt, but I'll try my best to get some writing done soon =/ [/quote] This. Just updated Armageddon and f*** me it was awkward to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted August 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 Rejoice everyone, as the long-awaited update is here, and the first of the three major battles that will dominate the conclusion of this arc begins. Hopefully everything is fine with the formatting and all. If you notice any errors, please let me know. [spoiler=Chapter 55] [center][b][u]Chapter 55:[/b] Guardian of Order[/u][/center] In the huge cavern under the Aria Tower, on top of a high peak that reached the very foundations of the structure, Ebony stood alone, revelling in the chaos below. She did not know what exactly was happening, or what everyone who had gathered there were attempting to do - stop her or prevent the others from doing so - and it mattered little. She already had in her hands what she needed. The Symphonic Arsenal, as Lorelei had called it - the instrument of demise. She had activated it, and it was working at a terrific speed. The portal that was meant to cross into the Nexus was now a giant conduit forcing several years' worth of energy back into it. At this rate, the inevitable overload would happen within hours. All she had to do was stop anyone with the capacity to undo it. Her sister was there, too, close to the foot of the mountain. Ebony had no doubt that she'd be coming after her, but Ivory would not approach her carelessly. Here, Ebony held much more power than ever before. Regardless, it would do well to remind them of that. She raised her hand, and pitch-black stormclouds formed suddenly and inexplicably, above her. Lances of black lightning raged down from them, striking the distant ground. A few of the drones that had been assembled here were struck, incinerated instantly. Those people had been humans that were trapped into the virtual world, and had had their minds purged and replaced by artificial intelligence programs. Just because they did not feel fear or pain did not make their murder any less entertaining for Ebony, who laughed out loud as more thunderbolts struck home. --- The foot of the mountain had turned into a field of brutal warfare. Ivory, Yuusuke, and Maya had encountered Jacqueline, and the woman seemed to fly into a rage as soon as she saw them - though Yuusuke realized the reason, Maya's shock was understandable, since she was unconscious at the time. Regardless, Jacqueline had instantly engaged in battle along with several Cataphracts that had miraculously gathered to her side. Thankfully, Maya had picked up the fact that she could summon her monsters to fight for her fairly quickly, and the Lightlords were fighting along the Demon Roar Gods against Jacqueline's Naturia army, and a mass of various other beasts. Ivory did not bother with monsters - she simply dispersed the enemies she engaged into nothingness, imposing her will over the inferior concepts - but even she had trouble dealing with Jacqueline's arsenal. Thunder roared overhead, and several bolts of black lightning fell. Some struck a few of the Cataphracts, who were incinerated instantly. Yuusuke clenched his fists as he thought of what that meant - people out there, in the real world, were [i]dying[/i]. But if they didn't stop this, everyone could die. A few bolts headed their way, but Ivory simply manifested a silver barrier above their heads, blocking the strikes - though each deflected jolt caused Yuusuke's hair to stand on edge. "I must go up there." Ivory shouted to them to be heard above the chaotic noise. "I must stop her, and fast. You two must fend for yourselves." "We'll be alright." Yuusuke yelled, slamming Judgment Dragon onto his duel disk. The black holy dragon opened its jaws, and a storm of judgment blasted away several monsters at once. Yuusuke tried not to see what happened to the Cataphracts that were within range of the attack. When the aftermath calmed down, Ivory had already left. It was quiet all of a sudden. Judgment Dragon disappeared, along with the other monsters Yuusuke, Maya and Jacqueline had summoned. Only the three of them were now in the immediate area, the other Cataphracts gone or left behind during the chase. Yuusuke felt as if he had run for miles, and judging from the expressions on Maya's and Jacqueline's panting faces, so did they. "What do you want from us?" Yuusuke demanded, stepping forward. "Haven't you caused enough harm already?" "It is you who keep getting in my way!" Jacqueline snapped, her features contorting. "If you would just not interfere, this... all this... it wouldn't have..." Her voice faltered, as if she was afraid to continue speaking. Yuusuke frowned. Jacqueline seemed certainly not the same as the ruthless, devious woman he had dealt with before. She seemed angry, afraid, and... vulnerable. Regardless, what she had done could not be forgiven. "He promised me." Jacqueline continued, almost whimpering now. "He said he'd stop... this... if I helped him get his revenge. He swore... but..." She grimaced, straightening herself. "My path has already been determined. There's nothing else for me to do, but follow my orders. If you want to interfere, then I will stop you." Yuusuke shook his head. Something was [i]definitely[/i] off here. But perhaps, this wasn't the right time to find out what. They had to stop Ebony [i]fast[/i], and if Jacqueline stood in their way... "Then we'll take you on." He said, arming his Duel Disk, watching Maya do the same beside him. "Don't harbor any delusions - you can't defeat the both of us together." Jacqueline opened her mouth to respond, but at that time, a portal opened between them, and a woman riding a sleek black-and-white D-Wheel, covered in a riding outfit of matching colors, emerged. Maya and Yuusuke gasped at the same time - both had instantly recognized the rider. That was - !! "I fear you won't be fighting together." Sinclair said, staring at them through her helmet's black vizor. "The time has come... Maya. Stiyel Crystal. I will settle the score with you. Have you prepared yourself? Are you ready to face your future?" Maya withdrew the necklace she had called the Soul-Binding Pendant. It was glowing violently. She smiled weakly, walking towards her alter-ego - [i]herself[/i], the part of her that had been forcefully torn apart, purged, and then born anew. "I'm afraid I must go, Yuusuke." She whispered. Yuusuke nodded. It was time. Time to settle everything. Maya walked up to Sinclair. Stiyel Crystal's form was much more imposing, taller, with silver waist-length hair, like an exotic creature of lore compared to some mundane human woman. Yet, they were both - the same. Yuusuke could clearly see that, now. He closed his eyes, and offered a prayer. Maya's battle was not a battle for victory. Unless she found a way... unless she managed to disrupt the tangled schemes surrounding her, unless she managed to overcome her own weaknesses, to defeat her own failings - she would be gone, forever. "Jacqueline." Sinclair stated, just before the two walked into the portal. "This does not really concern me any more, but I have a message to relay. Eizan told me - if you fail again, no matter how or what, you will disappear." Saying these grim words as nonchalantly as one might recite the newspaper titles, she disappeared into the black void of the gateway, followed closely by Maya. The hole closed quickly behind them, but Yuusuke's attention had already been diverted. Eizan. That man... he was now beginning to grasp the picture. Next to Duel International, next to Dunkan, he was another threat. A more insidious, hidden threat, but all the more dangerous because of that. He had been pulling the strings behind Sinclair's appearance, it seemed, and caused much agony to Maya. And now - was he manipulating Jacqueline as well? Was this what Jacqueline was talking about earlier? If she was under Eizan's control - no, not precisely under his control. If Jacqueline was talking about him, then he must have promised her something so that she would obey his commands. But what was that? Duel International was already trying to acquire the power of the Nexus. Was Jacqueline a traitor? Were Eizan's goals opposed to Dunkan's? "Jacqueline..." Yuusuke started. Perhaps he was making a mistake. If she was truly - but he halted, shocked, when he saw her expression. She had turned pale as a ghost, frozen in place, staring at a place beyond him. Before Yuusuke could say anything else, she snapped out of her momentary trance. She clenched and unclenched her fists, muttering something inaudible. Then she looked into him, and her cold eyes bored deeply into Yuusuke's skull. "Prepare yourself, Aizawa Yuusuke." She said. A violent wind picked up, surrounding them with a barrier so forceful, that Yuusuke was sure no outside interference could reach them. "Prepare yourself, for I will have to destroy you." And then Yuusuke screamed. He had heard of this twice, from both Maya and ZONE's group, but he still felt pure terror fill his heart as he observed Jacqueline's transformation. Twin diaphanous, butterfly-like wings spread over her shoulders, glowing with a pink aura. She grew taller and taller, and her clothes were torn apart, replaced by a far more revealing veil of leaves and flowers. Branches filled with thorns emerged from her arms and legs, burying themselves into the ground, or hovering in the air like monstrous appendages. Her duel disk disappeared, too. When he managed to look at her eyes again, the irises were a bright lustrous green. She was no longer a woman. She was no longer an opponent. She was a terrible force of nature, a thing beyond the allowed boundaries of existence. And all that devastating power was directed at him. --- Though twenty-five years had passed since that day, Jacqueline remembered every little detail of it vividly. She was in the park, playing alone near the swings. It was a beautiful, sunny Wednesday afternoon, ridiculously warm for that time of the year - as a child, she wasn't too concerned about issues like global warming, and was simply enjoying her free time after school. And then, it was as if a shadow had passed over the sky. She had blinked and look up - but no cloud marred the clear azure. However, the uneasy feeling remained. Her heart started throbbing, pulsing rapidly. She could... [i]hear[/i] them. Screams of pain, of agony. Though all her ears caught was the sound of other children laughing, in her mind, those noises were twisted to cries for help. Thunder roared in her head, causing her hair to stand on edge. The cackling of unseen flames, the scorching heat, the stench of burned flesh, of rotten corpses, of... death. That was Jacqueline's first experience with the concept of different realities, and simultaneously, with the concept of bridging those realities. But at the same time, it was also her first contact with death. It lasted less than three minutes, but it marked her entire life. Humans have an uncanny ability to push convenient things to the back of their minds. More than just a trait, it is a method of survival for a species that has to overcome the greatest of challenges. The courage to push forward despite all adversity is what has driven mankind to its current glory, and it is based upon that simple characteristic. Thus, it was not difficult for the nine-year-old girl to continue her regular life after a relatively quick rehabilitation. However, the scars of that day were never truly forgotten. And almost ten years later, while studying the liberal arts in Paris - thanks to, more or less, a series of coincidences that she would later learn were far from coincidental, came into contact with numerous other people who shared similar experiences with her. They had glimpsed through the boundaries between dimensions, and captured a vision from a different world. Mind-boggling as it might have sounded, it, in fact, provided the answers to several questions that had tortured Jacqueline. Intrigued, she agreed to enter the small clique of researchers and scientists. Her fascination quickly took over, and within no less than three years, she was a leading executive of the world's largest corporation, and an active member of the most ambitious virtual reality project to have yet been developed. But she was much more than that. Under Gregory Dunkan, the multi-national company was only a front for its truer, darker goal. To finally reach, and breach, that which separated each world from the others. People think of chaos as disorder, but that is inaccurate. Everything that occurs within a world must obey the standard set of rules that that dimension was created with. An isolated world is a world of order, untouched by chaos. Chaos only occurs when something [i]outside[/i] the world's natural order occurs within its boundaries. The magnitude can vary, but every element of chaos, small or large, contributes to a fragment of power, of colorless, neutral energy, converging into some point in the theoretical space between dimensions. This fragment of energy becomes the Nexus. The more energy that gathers, the larger and stronger the Nexus grows. The Nexus acts like a magnet, drawing the 'nearby' realities close to it. Once a world's Outer Sphere comes too close to the Nexus, it will burn away, and that world will be, without question, annihilated. Duel International's sole purpose was to find a way to bring their world close to the Nexus without that destruction happening. For that purpose, they had decided the control system of the Pylons. Phantasms that, together, were greater than even the estimated power output of the Nexus, they could be used as a barrier to protect the Outer Sphere. Then, they could tap into the untold energies hidden within it. What would follow was anyone's guess, but logic dictated that, with such unfathomable power, miracles would be well within reach. Despite all that, though, Jacqueline could not forget what her original insight into the other worlds had been. What she had felt was most likely a different world that had been drawn too close to the Nexus. That reality had to be close enough to their own that, when the layers of its Outer Sphere were incinerated, some sort of interaction between the worlds became possible for a brief period of time. And, growing stronger with each passing day that she learned more and more about the Nexus and different realities, grew the desire to prevent such a disaster from occuring. Not in their world, not in other worlds. Not ever. For a very long time, she had believed that she could achieve that very goal by using the power of the Nexus. However, after the portal had been opened, and she realized the true extent of what they were attempting - the true lengths they had gone to, the amount of destruction they had already caused, the number of worlds that had already been extinguished around them due to their mad plan, and would yet die off - the fact that their very reality would be brought to the brink of extinction before they could reach their goal - she realized that that scheme was a fool's errand, a dangerous insanity that could never accomodate her own desires. Filled with despair as she realized that she had been used, that she was still being used, and that she was being forced to work against her own goals, she was ready to turn to whatever door to escape happened to open before her. And that was when Miyataka Eizan reached out to her. A man who had worked for Duel International in the past, who held a grudge against Dunkan and the others, and whose knowledge and control of the virtual reality was second to none, not even their own, Miyataka Eizan was a huge mystery, and a giant wrench in Dunkan's plans. Seeing no other force capable of challenging him, Jacqueline joined Eizan, who promised to revert the portal to the Nexus and restore order to this world, once Duel International had been destroyed. And thus, Jacqueline's role as a spy and a saboteur, a traitor, began. It quickly became apparent, though, that despite her original beliefs, Gregory Dunkan and Miyataka Eizan weren't the only influential forces with conflicting interests currently vying for supremacy. There was ZONE's group, there was Kirizaki Maya and Aizawa Yuusuke, and there was Adam Fergusson. And there were others, too. Each group was bound to the others in a unique way, and noone could say for sure who was allied to whom. Along with that, Jacqueline also came to the conclusion that trusting Eizan was probably a mistake. Of course, she had suspected from the beginning that he was trying to use her, but she was thinking she could outwit him and make use of him, instead - but that had been a critical error. From the moment she had placed herself in his hands, her free will was all but irrelevant, and she had been forced to dance almost entirely to his tune. Trapped in a dead-end with no escape, all she could do now was follow the path she had chosen through to the end, and pray, hope, that somewhere within that bottomless pit of despair, a ray of hope would shine through, an alternate path that led to salvation. Jacqueline was afraid for her life, of course, but more than that - she feared that she had betrayed her very self, and that her actions would lead to exactly what she had been trying to prevent. She had been willing to sacrifice many people to revert that course. But she had not been willing to sacrifice herself. Filled to the brim with the monstrous power of the God Mode, Jacqueline Devereaux - no, Gaia Queen - looked at Aizawa Yuusuke with pity. There was no other way. Even if she herself disappeared - she had chosen to place her trust on Eizan's plan, and, mistaken or not, she would carry it through. If she fell, let her demise would be the redemption for her sins. --- Sanjou Kiishiro had begun scaling the walls of the mountain in the center of the cave. After he and Sugita had split up, he had managed to avoid any more obstacles, and made his way quickly to the goal. A spiralling, narrow path led to the top, circumventing the mountain. Kiishiro wished he could use a monster to fly up there, but then he'd be an easier target for those bolts of black lightning that were filling the sky. A series of explosions almost directly below him rattled the spiralling mountain to its foundations, almost causing him to lose his balance. He glanced underneath. There was fighting down there - he recognized the plant-beasts Jacqueline Deveraux used, and Yuusuke's Lightlords, among others. So they had come, too. Kiishiro ignored them, though, continuing his climb. No matter what, he had to find Ebony, and force her to tell him what she had done with his mother. Gritting his teeth, he pushed onwards. --- Yuusuke recoiled slightly before the... creature that had been Jacqueline. He had heard enough about the ultimate fighting method Duel International's top brass used to understand the implications of the God Mode's activation. Jacqueline was putting her life directly on the line, perhaps even moreso than he was, in exchange for a dramatic increase in her capacity as a duelist. At the same time, all other possible courses of action had disappeared. Now, they could only fight. "You may begin." Jacqueline said softly in a voice that had become much more melodic. At other times, Yuusuke might have been entranced by her - a fey creature of tales and legends, bound to the earth she protected. Now, he felt afraid. Still, there was no other way, and he had been the first one to pursue this confrontation. Whatever Jacqueline felt now, she had been responsible for Shugo's death, and so many others along the way. Those were not sins that could simply be absolved. Yuusuke steeled his resolve. [center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 4000[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "Draw!" He called out. "I summon Card Gunner!" The mechanical tank materialized before him. [spoiler=Card Gunner][b]Card Gunner[/b] EARTH / Machine Level 3 400/400 Once per turn, you can send up to 3 cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard. This card gains 500 ATK for each card sent to the Graveyard, until the End Phase. When this card you control is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, draw 1 card.[/spoiler] "At this moment, I activate a card effect." Jacqueline interjected smoothly. Yuusuke stared in shock - there were no cards on her field! "From my hand, Naturia Cosmobeet, when the opponent Normal Summons a monster, can be Special Summoned instantly." A small sphere of dark soil, from the top of which three flowers bloomed, appeared on her side of the field. Like most of the Naturia monsters he had seen, Yuusuke realized this creature was actually alive, with miniscule hands, legs, and a pair of big round eyes. [spoiler=Naturia Cosmobeet][b]Naturia Cosmobeet[/b] EARTH / Insect / Tuner Level 2 1000/700 When your opponent Normal Summons or Sets a monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.[/spoiler] "At any rate, I activate Card Gunner's effect." He said, frowning at the non-threatening monster. Despite its appearance, Yuusuke knew Jacqueline could convert it to a formidable force next turn. "Once per turn, I can send a number of cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard, and increase Card Gunner's power by 500 for each of them. I send three cards!" He placed the three topmost cards in his damage zone after glancing them. Garos, Grow-Up Bulb, and Gragonis - not bad at all. "I set two cards face-down, turn end." "My turn." Jacqueline said. Her voice had changed - it was now colorless, without tone or emotion. "Naturia Cosmobeet is released. Advance Summon, Naturia Bamboo Shoot." The small bulb vanished, replaced by a larger pinecorn monster. However, at 2000 attack points, it wasn't that strong for a tribute monster, unless... [spoiler=Naturia Bamboo Shoot][b]Naturia Bamboo Shoot[/b] EARTH / Plant Level 5 2000/2000 If this card is Tribute Summoned by Tributing a "Naturia" monster, while this card remains face-up on the field, your opponent cannot activate Spell or Trap Cards.[/spoiler] "From here on, Bamboo Shoot's effect is active." Jacqueline said. "Since it was advance summoned through the sacrifice of a Naturia monster, you are not allowed to activate either Spell or Trap cards." Yuusuke glanced at his two face-down cards. Bamboo Shoot might not be as threatening to his deck, which relied on monster effects and power moreso than Spells or Traps, but for this turn, at least... "You understand, right? Bamboo Shoot, attack Card Gunner." Jacqueline ordered. The large plant monster rose upwards, skydiving onto the mechanical tank like a homing missile. At that instant, Yuusuke felt something grip his heart. He felt as if someone had put a massive weight on his chest. He couldn't breathe. He felt a slow, numb pain spread out from his heart, which began beating more and more slowly, onto his appendages. He felt as if it lasted for an eternity - an instant of stillness, where he could only observe in horror, unable to react, as his body was dying. [center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 2400[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] Yuusuke fell on his knees, breathing heavily. He was unable to believe he had not been harmed. It was as if his own life had been squeezed out of him by that monstrous pressure. Jacqueline regarded him with pity. "We're standing at the crossroads of chaos, and the damage we take will burn our souls away little by little." She explained. "I will be spared from the pain, but the loser's fate awaits both of us." "You don't have to tell me that!" Yuusuke snapped, clutching his chest. Moreso than being injured or burned, this feeling of drowning, of asphyxiation - it had been terrible. "Card Gunner's effect activates, allowing me to draw once when destroyed!" He snatched a card from his deck. [i]Yes.[/i] "I set two cards face-down. Turn end." Jacqueline stated. Two of the cards in front of her, keeping their backs turned to Yuusuke, slid downwards until they were positioned vertically behind Bamboo Shoot. "My turn..." Yuusuke muttered, drawing a new card. "I set a monster. And then I set one more reverse card. Turn end." "Then, it's back to me." Jacqueline said quietly. "I summon Naturia Pumpkin. And, when Naturia Pumpkin is Normal Summoned while you control a monster, I can Special Summon another Naturia monster from my hand - so Naturia Rosewhip will also appear on the field." An oversized pumpkin creature, followed by a tulip-like flower monster, appeared side-by side besides Bamboo Shoot. Yuusuke tensed - two monsters at once, and... [spoiler=Naturia Pumpkin][b]Naturia Pumpkin[/b] EARTH / Plant Level 4 1400/800 When this card is Normal Summoned, if your opponent controls a monster, you can Special Summon 1 "Naturia" monster from your Hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Naturia Rosewhip][b]Naturia Rosewhip[/b] EARTH / Plant / Tuner Level 3 400/1700 Your opponent can only activate 1 Spell or Trap Card per turn.[/spoiler] "And now I tune the Level 4, Earth monster, Naturia Pumpkin, to the Level 3, Earth monster, Naturia Rosewhip." Jacqueline announced. The floral creatures dissolved into bright emerald light, converging into four stars filing into three circles. "Synchro Summon, Naturia Landoise." [spoiler=Naturia Landoise][b]Naturia Landoise[/b] EARTH / Rock / Synchro Level 7 2350/1600 1 EARTH Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner EARTH monsters While this card is face-up on the field, you can send 1 Spell Card from your hand to the Graveyard to negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect, and destroy that Effect Monster.[/spoiler] Yuusuke had only caught a brief glimpse of this enormous rockstone creature during their bout before. Towering well over five times the height of Jacqueline's new form, which was considerably larger than before, it resembled a monstrous turtle, with an entire patch of landscape in place of a shell. As he regarded it in awe, he wondered why Jacqueline had called it - its attack fell exactly 50 points short of finishing him off, and he found it difficult to believe that she could not have gone for a stronger choice. Regardless, if Yuusuke's plan worked... "Bamboo Shoot attacks." Jacqueline declared, pointing at his reverse monster. The creature dove from the sky once more, preparing to squash what was underneath it completely. But a blinding light exploded from the reverse card. "Lightlord Hunter Raikou's effect activates!" Yuusuke exclaimed. "When it is flipped, I can select and destroy one card! I will get rid of your Bamboo Shoot now!" Whatever else Jacqueline might have on the field, if he could use his Trap cards... [spoiler=Lightlord Hunter Raikou][b]Lightlord Hunter Raikou[/b] LIGHT / Beast Level 2 200/100 FLIP: You can destroy 1 card on the field. Send the top 3 cards of your deck to the graveyard.[/spoiler] "I won't allow that." Jacqueline interjected. "Naturia Landoise, when an effect monster's skill is activated, can negate it at the cost of a single Spell card from my hand." The single card still remaining in her hand dissolved into nothing, and Landoise raised its foot, stomping on Raikou before it could retaliate against the attacking monster. Yuusuke cringed - this was what she had been aiming for - !! "Furthermore, with the field clear, Landoise will now attack directly." "I won't let that happen!" Yuusuke knew that if that thing hit him, he would probably be finished on the spot. "Battle Fader's effect activates, negating your direct attack and ending the battle phase!" "You're prolonging your own demise." Jacqueline shook her head. "You can never defeat me. The earth will rise and constrict you, as trying to fight me is like trying to oppose this very world. These monsters are miracles born from my desire to save our world, every world, from the horrendous fate that awaits at the edge of the Nexus. A pitiful resolve such as yours can never measure against them." "[i]What[/i] did you say?" Yuusuke certainly thought he had not heard right. But, watching Jacqueline's expression, he was forced to let the words sink in. "You want to... [i]save[/i] our world? That is what you desire?" It seemed to Yuusuke as if Jacqueline smiled slightly at that. "Is it so hard to believe?" She inquired calmly. "Our purpose was never to destroy the world. It was to expand it. For me, I wanted to use the power of the Nexus to that end." "But what you're doing is [i]destroying[/i] the world!" Yuusuke said incredulously. "Look around you!" With a broad motion of his hand, he designated the black lightning that was still cackling overhead, striking random spots on the mountainside and around them - though they never struck close to Jacqueline's barrier. The corpses of the fallen Cataphracts that lay beyond that circle. "Ever since you started this insane scheme, this world, and our world as well, have been falling apart! You can't seriously believe this course is right!" "What I believe or not believe has stopped being important." Jacqueline sighed. "For now, I am just... I am just doing what I must. Believe me, Aizawa Yuusuke, I am aware of my mistakes - and I will not stop fighting until I see them corrected. Whatever it takes." Yuusuke frowned. Jacqueline had no motive to lie to him about this at this point. Assuming it was the truth, and considering everything else that had happened... his eyes widened in shock, as the reality hit him. "You've betrayed Dunkan and the others!" He exclaimed. "You're working with Eizan, because he promised you that if you helped him stop them, he'd grant you what you desire!" Jacqueline's expression was unreadable, but her silence told him everything he needed. "Jacqueline." He tried to reason with her again. "That person is... [i]mad[/i]. I've learned of some of the things he's done, and they are pure... insanity. He's dangerous. He's likely no better - no, he's probably much worse - than Dunkan. Whatever he's doing, we must stop it!" "You don't understand." Jacqueline said crisply. Suddenly, she was distant again, a queen observing her straying subject from her faraway throne. "You want to stop this, you want to stop that, but you [i]can't[/i]. You are like ants compared to the powers at play here, and your incomplete knowledge is a surefire path to your demise. The same applies to us, to a lesser extent. You can divert the flow of a river even with a weak dam, but you need much stronger tools to halt it entirely. I had to make a choice, and I cannot - I will not - back down from this path. You, who has only been scrambling around in the true depths of this world for a week, who is bound by blind idealism, cannot comprehend the situation. Call it the lesser of two evils, call it the path with the highest possibilities of survival, however slim they might be - whatever it is, I will see it through to the end, and it is time to remove you. You've helped me, Aizawa Yuusuke, and I did honestly try to save you. But I cannot fail again. I must finish this here." Yuusuke sighed, examining his options. His situation was desperate. He could not sway Jacqueline's mind - would it even matter if he could, now that God Mode was active? But on the other hand, his chances of winning this duel were slim. His only chance lay in being able to summon, right now, a monster that could take down Bamboo Shoot, and allow him to use his cards freely again. With no cards in Jacqueline's hand, that wasn't impossible. He just had to get the right card. "Draw!" He said heatedly. "I summon Lightlord Paladin Jean!" The silver-armored vanguard of the Lightlords appeared before him, brandishing his blade. [spoiler=Lightlord Paladin Jean][b]Lightlord Paladin Jean[/b] LIGHT / Warrior Level 4 1800/1200 If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 300 ATK during the Damage Step only. During each of your End Phases, send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Since you can't negate his effect with Landoise, Jean will be stronger than your Bamboo Shoot when he attacks! Battle!" Yuusuke commanded. The warrior leapt forth, preparing to deliver a straight piercing strike. "How foolish. You forget that, even though you cannot activate Trap cards, I can." Jacqueline said. "Mirror Force will obliterate your offense." Jean screamed as it was countered and annihilated by the shining silver streams of light. [spoiler=Holy Barrier - Mirror Force][b]Holy Barrier - Mirror Force[/b] TRAP / Normal Activate only when an opponent's monster declares an attack. Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.[/spoiler] "Looks like I have no choice..." Yuusuke surveyed his field. If he only left Battle Fader there, Jacqueline would definitely destroy him next turn. "Grow-Up Bulb in my Graveyard activates, sending the top card of my deck to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon itself in defense position." He picked up a card and showed it to Jacqueline. "The card I sent was Lightlord Beast Wolf, which is now Special Summoned, also in defense. Turn end." "Worthless efforts." Jacqueline said. "It's time to bring this duel to a close. Draw. I summon Naturia Maron in attack mode." A tiny chestnut flower with shy eyes within its bloom materialized before her. "Maron's effect lets me send a Naturia monster straight from the deck to the Graveyard." A card appeared briefly between them, before dissolving without Yuusuke having a chance to see it. "And then its second effect lets me shuffle the two Naturia monsters, Rosewhip and Cosmo Beet, to my deck, in order to draw a card." [spoiler=Naturia Maron][b]Naturia Maron[/b] EARTH / Plant Level 3 1200/700 When this card is Normal Summoned: You can send 1 "Naturia" monster from your Deck to the Graveyard. Once per turn: You can target 2 "Naturia" monsters in your Graveyard; shuffle them into your Deck, and then draw 1 card.[/spoiler] "And now, all my monsters attack." She said menacingly. "Maron destroys Battle Fader. Landoise will deal with Wolf. Bamboo Shot will strike down Grow-Up Bulb." Yuusuke shielded himself from the brutal series of attacks that, although they failed to reach him, left his field completely empty once more. "Turn end." Jacqueline said. "Then it's... my draw." Yuusuke huffed, trembling as he pulled out a card. This was his final chance. If he failed now, if he didn't manage to initiate a reversal... As he drew out a card, he felt the powerful energy pulsing through it. A miracle that could cause a reversal - but Yuusuke was not allowed to fail again, as he had done during his match against Fergusson. He stood to gain a lot, but he could also lose everything. He surveyed the field. One card in Jacqueline's hand - could it be a Spell card? On the other hand, one reverse card on her field. What could it do? "I summon Lightlord Magician Leila!" The hallowed white-clad priestess appeared, bathed in sacred light. Yuusuke waited for a brief moment, before turning the card sideways. "Leila's effect will destroy a single Spell or Trap card, provided I switch her to defense position." [spoiler=Lightlord Magician Leila][b]Lightlord Magician Leila[/b] LIGHT / Spellcaster Level 4 1700/200 You can change this card from face-up Attack Position to face-up Defense Position and destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls. If you activate this effect, this card's battle position cannot be changed until the end of your next turn, except with a card effect. During each of your End Phases, send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "I'll activate this, then." Jacqueline said. "Chain, Cyclone! One of your reverse cards is destroyed!" Yuusuke shielded his face from the strong tornado that brewed before him, obliterating one of his Trap cards. His own Holy Barrier - Mirror Force was now gone. But, it did not matter. Now that the field was free of reverse cards, the choice was obvious. [spoiler=Cyclone][b]Cyclone[/b] SPELL / Quick-Play Select 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field. Destroy it.[/spoiler] "From the light of dawn, emerge!" He called out, holding up a card wrapped in golden luster. "When I have four or more Lightlords in my Graveyard - and currently there are Wolf, Garos, Gragonis, Raikou and Jean - I can Special Summon this! Descend, Judgment Dragon!" Holy lightning slashed the air, contrasting those black electric lances. For a brief second, the image of the pure, blue sky, streaked with golden clouds, appeared, to be obscured by the form of a massive behemoth, a black dragon of unparalleled power. The ultimate monster of the Lightlords, and Yuusuke's ace. [spoiler=Judgment Dragon][b]Judgment Dragon[/b] LIGHT / Dragon Level 8 3000/2600 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by having 4 or more "Lightlord" monsters with different names in your Graveyard. You can pay 1000 Life Points to destroy all other cards on the field. During each of your End Phases, send the top 4 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "I hope you're ready for this, Jacqueline." Yuusuke warned. "You told me that you have to see your path through to the end, but the same goes for me. I will avenge Shugo and protect Maya. I will defeat you, and I will defeat everyone else who stands in my way. You are right - if I were to be fighting for some grand concept beyond my understanding, I'd have no chance. But the things I'm fighting for - they're far closer to me, and as long as I'm here, as long as I can still stand, I will not allow anything to harm them!" 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Lexadin Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Mhh, nice chapter. But I was wondering, wouldn't 'Landoise' just be able to stop 'JD' effect? Though... Nevermind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted August 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Unless my knowledge of Yugimanz is rustier than I thought, which it probably is, Judgment Dragon's summon doesn't start a chain, so no, it's not an effect that could be negated by Landoise. It would be able to stop both its destruction effect, and the effect which sends cards from the deck to the Graveyard, which is why Yuusuke destroyed Landoise afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1314215153' post='5465966'] Unless my knowledge of Yugimanz is rustier than I thought, which it probably is, Judgment Dragon's summon doesn't start a chain, so no, it's not an effect that could be negated by Landoise. It would be able to stop both its destruction effect, and the effect which sends cards from the deck to the Graveyard, which is why Yuusuke destroyed Landoise afterwards. [/quote] [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1314215153' post='5465966'] Unless my knowledge of Yugimanz is rustier than I thought, which it probably is, Judgment Dragon's summon doesn't start a chain, so no, it's not an effect that could be negated by Landoise. It would be able to stop both its destruction effect, and the effect which sends cards from the deck to the Graveyard, which is why Yuusuke destroyed Landoise afterwards. [/quote] That's correct. You're not [i]that[/i] rusty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted August 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 Welp, like a baws. Chapter 56 can be read below. [spoiler=Chapter 56] [center][center][b][u]Chapter 56:[/u][/b][u] Fake Hero[/u] From somewhere within the emotionless, cold void of the God Mode, Jacqueline distantly observed the situation she was faced with. She would not have needed the advanced analytical abilities of this form to tell her that Aizawa Yuusuke had finally found a way to escape the lockdown imposed by Bamboo Shoot. Jacqueline felt mild surprise caress the edge of the God Mode - she had not expected him to do that much, not before she could finish him off anyway. She had to end this fast, otherwise... the pressure from the God Mode was already piling up on her mind. Already, information, memories, were being wiped clean to accomodate for the increasingly complex algorithms that needed to be stored. If she allowed Yuusuke to push her farther, her mind would be irreversibly consumed. Yet despite the urgency, she felt a strange tranquility. This was the end of the line. No more hiding, plotting, scheming. No more anticipation. No more fear. Everything would come to an end. "Battle!" Yuusuke called out. "Judgment Dragon, destroy Naturia Bamboo Shoot!" There was nothing she could do to prevent that attack. As Yuusuke had correctly guessed, in her hand lay a single Spell card, which she was willing to discard with Landoise to prevent Judgment Dragon's effect from activating. She had not wasted it on Leila, of course, but Yuusuke had planned at least this much ahead. A holy stream erupted from the dragon's mouth, extinguishing her monster as if it was never there. [/center][/center] [center][center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 2400[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 3000[/i] Though the damage was not felt physically by her, she could sense it. Another portion of her mind, crumbling away, to allow for the damage evaluation and recovery routines to be executed. The God Modes have been built as undefeatable, but that did not mean that they could not deal with a scenario where the tables were reversed on them. They just required more room to work with - and they did that by erasing more of the wielder's mind. If the conditions became too severe, if loss was suffered - then definitely, the entirety of the human brain would be purged, and nothing would be left of Jacqueline Devereaux but an empty husk, regardless of victory or defeat. Her eyes wavered a little. She did not realize she had raised her arm until it was already in front of her face. Muscle reactions, physical senses, little by little they were being removed from her. If this kept up, she would disappear soon, replaced by Gaia Queen, the ruthless dueling machine. "Trap, activate!" Yuusuke continued. "With Bamboo Shoot gone, I can do this! Call of the Living Dead revives Gragonis from the Graveyard!" Contrary to Judgment Dragon's fully black skin, the feathered dragon stallion was white with gold girdled armor. Jacqueline wondered, briefly, if Yuusuke would be so relentless if he knew the exact specifics of what he was causing to her. She shook her head - it did not matter. [spoiler=Call of the Living Dead][b]Call of the Living Dead[/b] TRAP / Continuous Select 1 monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the monster. When the monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Lightlord Dragon Gragonis][b]Lightlord Dragon Gragonis[/b] LIGHT / Dragon Level 6 2000/1600 This card gains 300 ATK and DEF for each "Lightlord" monster with a different name in your Graveyard. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent. During each of your End Phases, send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Gragonis gains three hundred points for every Lightlord in the Graveyard, and there are four!" Yuusuke declared as his monster powered up to 3200 points. "The battle continues! Gragonis attacks Landoise!" More damage could be dealt by attacking Maron, of course, but Yuusuke intended to neutralize the bigger threat here and now. A sacred beam of energy struck the mammoth rock turtle, and it slowly disintegrated into motes of light. Another monster destroyed, more damage dealt, less of Jacqueline's mind remaining. How long until her consciousness, her very sense of self, would be depleted? Was this how Klein, Moboro, Takizawa had died? Losing themselves slowly, watching in frightening serenity as what was them was ripped away from them, one piece at a time? [/center][/center] [center][center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 2400[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 2150[/i] "I set one card. Through the effects of Judgment Dragon, Leila, and Gragonis, a total of 10 cards are sent from the top of my deck to the Graveyard. Turn end." Yuusuke said finally. Jacqueline felt the muscles of her body push her into a more upright stance. She might not be feeling the damage, but it was still in effect, and even the well-protected body of Gaia Queen had reeled backwards from the two consecutive strikes. "Draw." The melodic voice that was so unlike, and yet so like her own, said softly. It would not be long now. --- Yuusuke watched anxiously as his opponent took her time, examining her options. He had managed to gain the upper hand, both in monsters and life points, and break free of that accursed lockdown. But it was now her turn, and he was not in the clear yet. Beneficial as dropping his cards might be, he had now gone through more than half of his deck. Despite the resources contained within those last ten cards, he was aware of the quickly thinning pile they originated from. He had to be careful. "The effect of Naturia Maron triggers again." Jacqueline said. "By returning Landoise to my Extra deck, and Pumpkin to my deck, I can draw once." A third card appeared before her. "Now I activate Raise Dead, reviving the monster I sent to the Graveyard via Maron's first effect. Naturia Cliff!" The monster he had seen during his earlier duel against Jacqueline reappeared - this could only mean one thing. She would once more go for the same strategy. [spoiler=Naturia Cliff][b]Naturia Cliff[/b] EARTH / Rock Level 4 1500/1000 When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Naturia" monster from your Deck to your side of the field in face-up Attack Position.[/spoiler] "Next, I summon Grow-Up Bulb." The tiny seed appeared next to the stone wall. He knew what was coming up. "I tune my Level 4, Earth monster, Naturia Cliff, to my Level 1, Earth monster, Grow-Up Bulb." Vines sprang from the earth, enveloping the two creatures in their thorny embrace. They shattered into green light, and a deep brown circle was crossed by four bright green stars. "Synchro Summon, Naturia Beast." The floral target jumped out of that light, landing before Jacqueline with a soft noise, crouching, as if ready to annihilate every threat before it. Of course, with just 2200 attack points, it wasn't likely to do much harm to either of his dragons, but Yuusuke knew better than to underestimate it. [spoiler=Grow-Up Bulb][b]Grow-Up Bulb[/b] EARTH / Plant / Tuner Level 1 100/100 You can send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard and Special Summon this card from the Graveyard. Each player can only use the effect of "Grow-Up Bulb" once per Duel.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Naturia Beast][b]Naturia Beast[/b] EARTH / Beast / Synchro Level 5 2200/1700 1 EARTH Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner EARTH monsters While this card is face-up on the field, you can send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard to negate the activation of a Spell Card and destroy it.[/spoiler] "The effect of Naturia Cliff Special Summons Naturia Stinkbug from my deck." Jacqueline went on. A small green beetle appeared next to the great tiger. Yuusuke grimaced - he was ready for this. Jacqueline would bring out Barkion to complete the lockdown - it'd be exactly as if Bamboo Shoot had still been on the field. The difference was, Yuusuke's monsters were now stronger. [spoiler=Naturia Stinkbug][b]Naturia Stinkbug[/b] EARTH / Insect / Tuner Level 3 400/1700 When a face-up "Naturia" monster you control is selected as an attack target, you can send this face-up card you control to the Graveyard to negate that attack and end the Battle Phase.[/spoiler] "I activate the effect of Grow-Up Bulb in the Graveyard, discarding the top card of my deck to revive it." Jacqueline explained. Yuusuke frowned - was she not going to use Maron and Stinkbug to bring out Barkion? "I tune my Level 5, Earth monster, Naturia Beast, to my Level 1, Earth monster, Grow-Up Bulb." Yuusuke stared at her - why was she giving up this important piece of her strategy? "Synchro Summon." The same light that had formed Beast exploded from the field, except this time, it was Naturia Beast itself that dissolved into five emerald globes which filed through the single circle. "Naturia Barkion." The serpentine dragon seemingly carved out tree barks appeared with a hissing noise, like leaves whistling at a raging gale. [spoiler=Naturia Barkion][b]Naturia Barkion[/b] EARTH / Dragon / Synchro Level 6 2500/1800 1 EARTH Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner EARTH monsters While this card is face-up on the field, you can remove from play 2 cards in your Graveyard to negate the activation of a Trap Card and destroy it.[/spoiler] "Next, I'll tune the Level 3, Naturia Maron, to the Level 3, Naturia Stinkbug." Jacqueline proceeded. Yuusuke nearly choked - three Synchro Summons, one after the other? This time, the bright shape converged into a regal form, a female monster clad in a skin-tight green outfit, a large rose blossoming from her feet, and thorns and vines protruding from her body and limbs. This was not an unknown monster to Yuusuke like the Naturia monsters had been, but it was still an unsettling one. "Synchro Summon, Splendid Rose." [spoiler=Splendid Rose][b]Splendid Rose[/b] WIND / Plant / Synchro Level 6 2200/2000 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 Plant-Type monster in your Graveyard to halve the ATK of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls, until the End Phase of this turn. If this card attacks, during the same Battle Phase you can remove from play 1 Plant-Type monster in your Graveyard to halve the ATK of this card (until the End Phase) and attack once again.[/spoiler] "Grow-Up Bulb is removed from play to trigger the effect of Splendid Rose." Jacqueline said smoothly. "Judgment Dragon's attack drops by half." Like tentacles, roots emerged from the ground, grabbing Judgment Dragon's legs and slowly lowering the great behemoth to the ground. The more the proud dragon struggled, the more vines and thors sprang to restrict it, until it was left, exhausted and powerless, sagging against the barren rocks, its scarred body still held immobile by the risen plants. "And now, battle." Yuusuke grimaced. The card on his field was Lightlord Barrier, which would be useless due to Barkion's effect. He could only watch as Splendid Rose took a stab at Leila, tearing her to shreds with an extendable thorn whip. Barkion, on the other hand, dove towards Judgment Dragon and bit into its neck. From within its battered body, plants began growing, breaking apart bone and skin, and the powerful monster groaned in agony as it disintegrated to nothingness. [/center][/center] [center][center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 1400[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 2150[/i] Yuusuke felt as if his [i]own[/i] body was being torn down. The pain in Judgment Dragon's dying throes was mirrored in his eyes. He clutched his head, trying to subdue the blinding headache. The asphyxiating feeling struck him once more. Was it his impression, or did it take longer to pass? Was it a bit more difficult to breathe afterwards? Was the pain in his chest more intense now? "One card, set. Turn end." There was something slightly different about Jacqueline now. Her eyes seemed glazed, unfocused. Yuusuke wondered just what the God Mode was doing to her mind. But he had no time for answers. He snatched a card - he was still in the lead. Amongst the last ten cards sent were Zombie Carrier, Diabolic Guy, Luminous, and Cherubim. He could finish the match in this turn! "The effects of Zombie Carrier and Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy activate in the Graveyard!" He declared. "I can Special Summon Zombie Carrier by sending a card from my hand to the top of my deck! And the card I replaced is my second Diabolic Guy, which I can Special Summon by removing the first from play!" The two dark monsters were revived onto the field, flanking the holy dragon. [spoiler=Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy][b]Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy[/b] DARK / Warrior Level 6 800/800 You can remove this card in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon 1 "Destiny Hero - Diabolic Guy" from your Deck.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Zombie Carrier][b]Zombie Carrier[/b] DARK / Zombie / Tuner Level 2 400/200 You can return 1 card from your hand to the top of the Deck to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. If you do, remove this card from play when it is removed from the field.[/spoiler] "And now I tune my Level 6, Dark monster, Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy, to my Level 2, Zombie Carrier! Synchro Summon! Dark End Dragon" Darkness overlapped with darkness, and six pitch-black stars filed into two shimmering rings. A dreaded form emerged, a black dragon whose origin lay in the deepest bowels of hell. [spoiler=Dark End Dragon][b]Dark End Dragon[/b] DARK / Dragon / Synchro Level 8 2600/2100 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner DARK monsters Once per turn, you can have this card lose 500 ATK and DEF, and send 1 monster your opponent controls to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "And now, Dark End Dragon's effect activates - " Yuusuke started, but Jacqueline's reverse card was already turning upwards. "Torrential Burial. Every monster on the field is destroyed." She said coolly. Yuusuke watched desperately as both of his, and both of Jacqueline's monsters, were swept away in a cataclysmic maelstrom. [spoiler=Torrential Burial][b]Torrential Burial[/b] TRAP / Normal Activate only when a monster is Summoned. Destroy all monsters on the field.[/spoiler] "My turn is not over yet!" He said, trying to keep his cool. "I summon Lightlord Monk Eileen, and attack!" Eileen was not the strongest of monsters, but all he needed to get in was two attacks. Jacqueline had no more cards left - if he could get through her next turn, victory was as good as his. The copper-skinned martial artist charged at his opponent, striking her heavily with a kick empowered by magic. [spoiler=Lightlord Monk Eileen][b]Lightlord Monk Eileen[/b] LIGHT / Warrior Level 4 1600/1000 If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, return that monster to its owner's Deck before damage calculation. During each of your End Phases, send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] [/center][/center] [center][center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 1400[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 550[/i] "During the end phase, Eileen will also send three cards from the deck to the Graveyard." He picked up the top of his severely diminished deck. He almost swore. Both Honest, and Judgment Dragon? This was likely the most unfortunate result Eileen could produce at this moment! He forced himself to calm down, stay focused. The next turn. Everything would ride on the next turn - if Yuusuke managed to stay in the game, he could win. But soon he realized that something was [i]very[/i] wrong. The air felt heavy and stifling. It was the same sensation as when he had taken damage, but on a much larger scale. The very space between them seemed to distort. Jacqueline opened her mouth in a soundless scream. Thin white strands of light extended from her body, dissipating into a formless silver fog that eventually dissolved, too. Nothing drastic was happening. All Yuusuke could see was just that. But then, why could he feel that overwhelming torrent of emotions consuming him? The pain, the regret, the sorrow... the hope? What could this - "Beautiful, isn't it? A soul, floating away." Yuusuke whirled around at the melodic female voice. "You are..." He started, but frowned, realizing he could not attribute a name to the woman who stood before him. She was quite tall, taller than Aizawa Yuusuke though shorter than Galahad, with a petite figure and delicate features. Her light hazel eyes seemed to sparkle in the silver light that was filling the air, and her straight blonde hair reached all the way down to her waist. She was smiling, which was strange. She was here, which was stranger. And somehow, Yuusuke felt that what he had before him was a real person, not a virtual avatar. "My name is Lynette Rayleigh." She introduced herself politely once it was obvious Yuusuke could not name her. "I am chairman of the sales division of Duel International's American branch." Yuusuke frowned - he was sure he'd heard the name somewhere before, possibly even seen this woman, but he knew it did not matter much. "What is happening to her?" He demanded, looking at Jacqueline again. Though her body seemed to have settled down, her posture was now a little hunched, and she was staring at him with eyes fully devoid of life. The roots and vines protruding from her body withered and shrank, falling into rot. The green aura surrounding her turned sickly purple, and what had been a visage of nature and life was now death incarnate. "Are you aware of what God Mode does?" Lynette asked. Without waiting for Yuusuke's response, she continued. "God Mode is a program that can be loaded into an artificial intelligence entity in this virtual world. For all intents and purposes, the signals our minds send are converted into electrical signals when we are connected to the network, and are thus able to operate our virtual selves as if we were alive here. God Mode takes over a large part of this sending of signals, and manipulates them to vastly increase our knowledge and tactical ability in this game. They were developed as weapons, in case interference came at a point where it would be too dangerous, or simply impossible, to use our conventional control over the virtual world to erase the obstacles. Normally, God Mode will emulate the minimum of brain activity, allowing the wielder to still think and act like a human being. However, if the situation grows dire, the constant need to reallocate resources and create better algorithms for victory increasingly consumes the virtual body's capacity, to the point where the feedback of those signals becomes frantic. In simple terms, Jacqueline's mind has been fried by now, due to the excessive strain the God Mode put to the connection between her brain and her virtual self. At the very least, that's the explanation I would have given you a week ago. Right now, I can't even fathom how the opening of the Nexus portal and our rapid course towards it has influenced reality. Regardless, the outcome is the same. She is dead now." Yuusuke felt his throat dry. She tried to refute Lynette's claims, but how could he, when the truth was standing only a few feet away from him, glaring at him with those dead eyes? Even if it was this woman... he had killed. Again. "On your toes." Lynette warned. Yuusuke caught a glimpse of a new card materializing before his opponent. "Even if her mind has died, it will maintain the minimal activity required for the God Mode for a bit longer. She's even more dangerous now than before." "Magic card, activate." It was still Jacqueline's voice. But it was also the voice of a dead person, whose thoughts, memories, emotions, will - everything about them had perished, except what could only be described as implanted muscle memory, forcing them to perform some preprogrammed actions. "Miracle Synchro Fusion." [spoiler=Miracle Synchro Fusion][b]Miracle Synchro Fusion[/b] SPELL / Normal Remove from play, from your side of the field or your Graveyard, the Fusion Material Monsters listed on a Fusion Monster Card that lists a Synchro Monster as a Fusion Material Monster, and Special Summon that Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon.) If this Set card is destroyed by an opponent's card effect and sent to the Graveyard, draw 1 card.[/spoiler] "This is bad." Lynette said nonchalantly, while Yuusuke watched the faint shadows of Naturia Beast and Naturia Barkion reappear in the sky, twisting and converging into a massive spiral. A cataclysmic green light connected the earth with the distant ceiling, and from within, a creature that was neither beast nor plant, neither dragon nor tiger, appeared. Its four legs shaped like tree trunks, its long green body covered in leaves and bark, the head of a tiger wrapped in a dragon mask. Not as enormous as Landoise, it still pulsed with unfathomable power. "That's Naturia Extrio." Lynette said, observing the beast the same way a child might look at a strange insect. "It's the highlight of the Naturia cards that Jacqueline personally designed for herself. The unwavering, final guardian of nature that will not allow anything to penetrate its sacred sanctuary." [spoiler=Naturia Extrio][b]Naturia Extrio[/b] EARTH / Beast / Fusion Level 10 2800/1400 "Naturia Beast" + "Naturia Barkion" A Fusion Summon of this card can only be conducted with the above Fusion Material Monsters. While this card is face-up on the field, you can negate the activation of a Spell/Trap Card, and destroy it, by removing from play 1 card from your Graveyard, then sending the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Any advice on how to beat it?" Yuusuke asked, shivers running up his spine. This troublesome monster that appeared now... Lynette turned to look at him, her eyebrows raised questioningly. "Why should I give you advice? Do you forget who I am?" And for the first time, Yuusuke realized what should have struck him immediately. This woman was another enemy, and he had put that fact aside so easily until now, simply because she had not been hostile towards him. What a fool - "Focus." Yuusuke glanced upwards. Extrio was already galloping towards Eileen. "Trap, activate!" He called. "Lightlord - " But before he could complete his sentence, Extrio simply stepped on the half-revealed card, tearing it to shreds. [spoiler=Lightlord Barrier][b]Lightlord Barrier[/b] TRAP / Continuous When a face-up "Lightlord" monster you control is selected as an attack target, you can send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard to negate the attack.[/spoiler] "Extrio can negate the effect of a Spell or Trap card." Lynette said, as if she was discussing the news over breakfast. "The cost is simply removing a card in one's Graveyard from play, and subsequently sending the top card of one's deck to the Graveyard." Yuusuke found this information too late. The Lightlord monk tried to evade by jumping backwards. However, Extrio's giant paw reached out, and from it, thick whip-like vines extended, piercing straight through Yuusuke's monster. Eileen screamed, and vanished instantly. The vines had not stopped. They reached Yuusuke and wrapped tightly around him, so tightly he thought they'd crush his bones. Now rooted into the ground and moving independently of the creature they had originated from, which had returned to Jacqueline's side of the field, they lifted him up into the air. Yuusuke screamed, horrified, as tiny thorns extended from the tentacles, piercing his skin. It was with even greater terror that he realized those thorns had not been meant to just injure him. They were sucking his blood - his life - out of him. Numbly he registered the Life Point counter on the Duel Disk attached to his right arm. 1400. 1399. 1398. He could see the individual digits decreasing as he screamed in burning agony, wondering if his sanity would crack first before his mind imploded from the excruciating pain. Either would happen long before the vines stopped draining his life. An eternity passed. His eyes were unfocused. His mind must be playing tricks on him - the counter could not be only at 1200, not after this much time. He had long forgotten when the counter would stop, but he knew his life would end before it. In a daze, he tried to glance at his opponent, anything, to help him maintain his loose grip on reality. The imposing figure of the Gaia Queen was hunched now, its eyes locked into a point beyond Yuusuke. They seemed unwilling to move even an inch, but for just a moment - Yuusuke did not know how he knew it, since they had no pupils - they turned to look at him. And in that instant, reality faded away from him. He was standing on a beautiful sunlit beach, a place he instantly recognized. This was the Sunlit Bay, a Duel Field where he and Maya had dueled what seemed like an eternity ago. This was a memory, then - he had heard that when a person was dying, all his life flashed in front of his eyes. He was laying on the sand and turned around, half-expecting to see Maya there beside him. But it was neither Sinclair nor Stiyel Crystal nor Maya herself garbed in that light blue dress. Jacqueline was holding her head up with her arm, elbow buried in the sand, and was regarding him with a serene, slightly amused expression as he instinctively tumbled backwards. "H - how?" He asked, not sure if he was hallucinating, or going mad, or if he was already dead and this was the afterlife. "Extrio's attack is draining your life, converting it into pure energy, that the God Mode Gaia Queen feeds on to survive. I am allowed to partake in her meal, and thus I seem to have found a cozy little place in your memories, to spend my last minutes in this space of existence." She smiled sadly while looking at the brilliant sky. But when she turned to look at him, her expression had turned grim. "Yuusuke, I must apologize to you. I have... caused you a lot of harm." Yuusuke had to restrain himself - that she was saying these things with a straight face, as if the sins she were referring to could easily be forgiven - !! "I've followed the wrong path." She continued, oblivious to his barely-suppressed outburst. "Even though I tried to follow my dreams and desires, I always pushed responsibility away. I followed the instructions of others blindly, because I had entrusted the completion of my goals to them. Because I was too weak to take action, too afraid to face the consequences of failure. It was always someone else's plan, someone else's work. There was always someone else to blame. But when we reach this final crossroads, who is there besides us? Ultimately, I remained that innocent, irresponsible girl I was the day I felt the death of a faraway world. That single day was my entire future, and now that future is over." "But you are..." Yuusuke started, then realized he was unwilling to say 'alive'. "I'm gone." Jacqueline read the unspoken word. "This is a fragment of myself that has regained a semblance of consciousness - but no matter how much a single gear wants to run, when the machine is out of power, it will stop. My mind is dead, and what I am is a fleeting existence that will fade away. Even if I'm no more than a shadow, though, I'd like to, for once, take responsibility for what I've done." She rose, and Yuusuke mechanically mimicked her. They stood side by side, staring at the glistening blue ocean. "I wanted to protect this world forever." Jacqueline muttered sadly. "This world, and all other worlds. But my ideal was flawed. There is no 'forever' in eternity. It is because things are fleeting, fragile, that they are beautiful. It is the small things that occupy our hearts and define our lives. I was only a fake hero after a fool's errand. In the end, I did more harm than good. Everything is in shambles now, and I will die knowing that I helped cause the very fate I was trying to prevent." At a loss for words, Yuusuke watched the woman's form slowly become transparent, until she was nothing more than a shade under the sun. "But." The words were no more than a whisper of the wind, and yet Yuusuke could clearly hear them, as if they had been spoken straight into his heart. "You have maintained hope, and not given up. You have taken the responsibility that has been forced on you, and are bearing its burden. Where I failed, I believe... I believe you can succeed. Stay true to yourself. You and that girl you hold so dear in your heart... the future will fall on people like you. I would never have believed it. But in just this place, for just this moment... yes, I can see a brighter future carved by your hearts." He could only see her eyes now, the deep black streaked with tears as they dissipated. [i]Therefore... this last thing I can provide, I will entrust it to you...[/i] The world around him shattered. --- Lynette almost never felt surprised, and never showed it. In fact, the very fact that her delicate lips were slightly open, and her hand had frozen while adjusting the hem of her skirt, was proof that a momentous occasion was taking place before her. She did not know what had happened after Aizawa Yuusuke had passed out, but now the vines restricting him had been torn to shreds, and the boy had landed smoothly on his feet, surrounded by a sphere of white light that healed his injuries. He looked at the corpse that was opposing him with an expression so feral that Lynette, standing to the side, almost stepped back. [/center][/center] [center][center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 200[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 550[/i] "My turn, draw!" Yuusuke roared. The top card of his deck was shining golden as he snatched it out, and lifted it high over his head. "Light and dark will unite to forge the foundation of a new reality! In the dawn of the world, awaken! I remove from play the Light monster, Lightlord Dragon Gragonis, and the Dark monster, Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy! Descend, Chaos Soldier - Envoy of Creation!" "Th - this thing..." Lynette muttered. Converging streaks of white and black streaked like thunder, dissolving the wind barrier Jacqueline had created around them, and causing the air to shimmer and burn like a mirage. A huge column of black light, warped in a white spiral of energy, towered into the heavens. Yuusuke was no doubt a talented duelist with plenty of willpower and ability, but he lacked something which would allow him to fight on equal footing with his opponents during this final hour. Unlike the three young Signers, that wielded the creatures blessed by the Crimson Dragon, ZONE and his mechanical angels, or even Maya who was now in the possession of the three Devil Gods, unlike them, for whom decks had been exclusively designed containing materialized miracles like the floral tiger-dragon that stood before Jacqueline, trying to shield her from the chaotic maelstrom, Yuusuke had possessed no greater phantasm, no monster that could match the conceptual power of these miracles. But the swordsman in deep blue armor protected by black plates, carrying a shield in one hand and a broad black sword on the other, impressively tall, and in full command of the chaotic energies that surged around it, was certainly one such creature. Lynette could only hazard a guess how Yuusuke had managed to obtain it at this moment, and it was not a pleasant guess. [spoiler=Chaos Soldier - Envoy of Creation][b]Chaos Soldier - Envoy of Creation[/b] LIGHT / Warrior Level 8 3000/2500 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster in your Graveyard from play. Once during each of your turns, you can select and activate 1 of the following effects: • Remove 1 monster on the field from play. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack during this turn. • If this card destroyed your opponent's monster as a result of battle, it can attack once again in a row.[/spoiler] "Battle." Yuusuke commanded. "Erase it!" The monster lifted its blade and pointed it at Naturia Extrio. A beam of pulsing, living energy shot forth from the blade. It embraced the monster completely, vaporizing it to dust. [/center][/center] [center][center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 200[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 350[/i] "And now, when Chaos Soldier destroys a monster by battle, it can attack once again in a row." Yuusuke's eyes seemed transfixed on the figure of Gaia Queen, but Lynette could tell he was looking at something beyond her. Something beyond what the eyes could see. "The souls of all that have fallen, of all that have been sacrificed, are bound in this sword. Attack!" The warrior jumped straight at Gaia Queen, and slashed her down with a vertical strike. Jacqueline's God Mode froze, defeat and death catching up to its processes simultaneously. In less than a second, chaotic light burst from within her, and she dissolved into nothingness with barely a sound. [/center][/center] [center][center][i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 200[/i] [i][b]Gaia Queen[/b] - LP: 0[/i] "What a troublesome woman, until the very end..." Lynnete muttered, watching the spectre of Chaos Soldier fade away, and Yuusuke, whose sudden burst of energy that had invigorated him had now been drained, collapse on the ground, exhausted. "Now, what to do with this..." She sighed, and walked over to the fallen boy. Yuusuke had lapsed into unconsciousness, and his newly acquired card was lying on top of his chest, ripe for the picking. "I should at least get you to a safe place, shouldn't I?" Lynette asked the air, without expecting a response. Almost gently, she picked up the card and placed it inside Yuusuke's deck, then caused the duel disk along with his cards to dematerialize with a tap of her finger. He would need these in the future. Then, she quickly performed the function that would return Yuusuke to his Duelist home. There, he could rest for a while. Too short a while, probably, but it would have to do. She watched him disappear, then she warped out of the underground cavern as well. She had been given a lot to think about. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Spoilerz, read after the chapter!]So pimp!BLS fit a very nice niche in the story that I had been struggling with. I'm satisfied to have included him. I'm also satisfied with how this chapter wrote out - the plotline that was resolved here had been developing for a very long time and I was anxious about doing it justice, but in my own eyes at least, it went down well enough.[/spoiler][/center][/center] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 Konami unbanned BLS just so you could write that chapter. I'm trying to think of what DT archetypes are left...Vilon, Gem-Knight...did anyone use Lavals? Oh, and Ritua. And Gusta. Mm, there are still plenty of archetypes left. Based on what little we know about Lynnette, I'd speculate that she uses Gusta. Oh, one (rather large) error. Naturia Cliff's effect, sadly, misses the timing (if it didn't Naturias would probably be Tier 1-1.5), and so you can't summon a Naturia from your deck if it's used for a Synchro Summon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexadin Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 Wasn't BLS-EvtE Banned? Or did I miss something? I have to admit I'd expected anything but that. It does fit his Decktype. Anywho it was a nice chapter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted August 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 [quote name='機皇神龍アステリスク' timestamp='1314242475' post='5467065'] Konami unbanned BLS just so you could write that chapter.[/quote] I was like... "what to use, what to use, what to use... *BLS unbanned* THIS." [quote name='機皇神龍アステリスク' timestamp='1314242475' post='5467065']I'm trying to think of what DT archetypes are left...Vilon, Gem-Knight...did anyone use Lavals? Oh, and Ritua. And Gusta. Mm, there are still plenty of archetypes left. Based on what little we know about Lynnette, I'd speculate that she uses Gusta.[/quote] When I first referred to the decks this guys were using in the story, I mentioned there were 7 of them. 4 of the 7 have been revealed (Naturia, Genex, Inverz, Worms), so out of the 4 people who haven't dueled yet, only 3 will have such a deck. Who will be the oddball remains up for grabs, but keep that in mind. [quote name='機皇神龍アステリスク' timestamp='1314242475' post='5467065']Oh, one (rather large) error. Naturia Cliff's effect, sadly, misses the timing (if it didn't Naturias would probably be Tier 1-1.5), and so you can't summon a Naturia from your deck if it's used for a Synchro Summon.[/quote] Hmpfh. I thought I was safe because Synchro Summons don't start a chain... damn you, Yugimanz. Meh, we'll live with it for now. [quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1314265563' post='5467347'] Wasn't BLS-EvtE Banned? Or did I miss something? I have to admit I'd expected anything but that. It does fit his Decktype. Anywho it was a nice chapter. [/quote] BLS is still banned technically, but it is due to be unbanned in September. I guess this also marks a first, since the card is still banned at the time it was first used, but since it'll be off the list in a month, it doesn't really matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexadin Posted August 25, 2011 Report Share Posted August 25, 2011 [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1314270116' post='5467393'] BLS is still banned technically, but it is due to be unbanned in September. I guess this also marks a first, since the card is still banned at the time it was first used, but since it'll be off the list in a month, it doesn't really matter. [/quote] Huh, my lil bro with be glad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted August 26, 2011 Report Share Posted August 26, 2011 Yes this is back at last. Hooray. To kick things off, the set up for the penultimate arc is revealed more or less straight away, with Yuusuke vs Jacqueline, Maya vs Maya(Sinclair), and finishing Ebony vs Ivory with Kiishiro possibly invloved too. I find pluses and minuses in this. There have been some big battles that have been in the offing for a while now and need to be resolved, before the final arc. Lee vs Inoue was hinted at, I dunno about leaving that hanging in thin air for too long unless that opens the final arc. Possibly a major problem is that Kiishiro has barely been seen this arc unless he makes a dramatic impact late on, and Yenma, Bando, Christina haven't really featured at all. We'll see how this turns out. As for the first of our three duels, I'm really happy with how this turned out. Lockdown decks are difficult to navigate a hero out of a tough position of (captain obvious) which is why they don't seem to appear that often. Delighted that BLS is Yuusuke's boss, but now you realise that you must work CED in as well somehow. You know you want to. What was most satisfying was the graceful way that Jacqueline left. As someone (might have been yourself) not all baddies have to be stomping great maniacs. Its funny how those with the purest intentions can sometimes do the most harm, but I really liked the way you handled her passing as someone who meant well, just made the wrong choices and couldn't escape. I'm genuinely sad for her passing, so well done sir. As for Ms Rayleigh, that was weird (not badly written weird, I mean weird personality weird). As one plot line closes, another mystery opens... Hmmmm... As for the remaining members of DI and their decks; well the only six that haven't been used at all in this story are Dragunity, Gusto, X-Saber, Gishki, Gem-Knights and Vylon. I remember you saying I got one right last time I tried this and I'm adamant that was my prediction Lee will use Dragunity. Thingy is probably right about Rayleigh using Gusto, so that leaves Inoue... I've no idea, can't see any potential symbolism in the remaining ones except Vylon. All in all looking forward to everything thats in store. Starting with Maya's next (turbo, yes) duel. PS: Use C.E.D!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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