Yu-Gi-Oh! - Dead Zone [FINISHED]

[Vector Nightmare]

Ooooh. Derp. Kristya. I thought it was 'destroyed'. Bleh. Too much of that to cover up. I'll... find some other way around it. As for Deathcaliber, eh... just think of him as any other Level 4 Dark usefulish Fiend >.> I'll work that out, too. If I do decide to rewrite this, there's a lot of work to be done.

Thing is, I just don't dig Yugimanz any more. It's too derpy and has too much fine print by now. I play Vanguard, and have forgotten a lot of my Yugimanz stuff. So... yeah. I'll try to keep everything derpless from now on. Would help if I had a proofreader, at least for the duels.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Can appreciate how horribly difficult it was to resolve this satisfyingly. Probably impossible.

Given everything before it has been sort of... science and technology based and full of plausible explanation and possible theory... this all seemed a bit fantasy, too much so. And a lot of it just went over me... kinda read it without really getting to involved. So yeah, unfortunately not my favourite chapter.

It was good at the end with Maya summoning Battle Fader from Sinclairs hand as they got closer, and her relationship with Chaos Goddess (another helpful thing about BLS being available to use now huh), but didn't really get into this duel. Probably because I'm not that familiar with a lot of the agents and high power fairies. Usually discovering new cards in this I love doing (remember my reaction to seeing Wisel for the first time) but not this time for some reason.

Looking forward to the big finish with Ebony and Ivory coming up, and the ElemenCycle Tourney too.

[Vector Nightmare]

[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1316214841' post='5519162']Can appreciate how horribly difficult it was to resolve this satisfyingly. Probably impossible.

Given everything before it has been sort of... science and technology based and full of plausible explanation and possible theory... this all seemed a bit fantasy, too much so. And a lot of it just went over me... kinda read it without really getting to involved. So yeah, unfortunately not my favourite chapter.[/quote]

The part where it seems alien and hard to understand was intentional. They were fighting in a different world, with different rules than our own. That is the primary concept of the chaos that has almost become a meme in this story. You're not playing by your rules. Everything you know can be flipped around in an instant, and if you can't take advantage of that, you're screwed. But, don't worry. Later duels won't be as random, despite the theme. This one was special.

[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1316214841' post='5519162']It was good at the end with Maya summoning Battle Fader from Sinclairs hand as they got closer, and her relationship with Chaos Goddess (another helpful thing about BLS being available to use now huh), but didn't really get into this duel. Probably because I'm not that familiar with a lot of the agents and high power fairies. Usually discovering new cards in this I love doing (remember my reaction to seeing Wisel for the first time) but not this time for some reason.

Looking forward to the big finish with Ebony and Ivory coming up, and the ElemenCycle Tourney too.[/quote]

The duel itself wasn't the core element of these chapters. It was mostly about, uh... symbolism. An allegory. Not a very deep one, I'm afraid, but the interaction between Maya and Sinclair, and the memories, were more important than the plays.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

[quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1316291407' post='5520863']

The part where it seems alien and hard to understand was intentional. They were fighting in a different world, with different rules than our own. That is the primary concept of the chaos that has almost become a meme in this story. You're not playing by your rules. Everything you know can be flipped around in an instant, and if you can't take advantage of that, you're screwed. But, don't worry. Later duels won't be as random, despite the theme. This one was special.

The duel itself wasn't the core element of these chapters. It was mostly about, uh... symbolism. An allegory. Not a very deep one, I'm afraid, but the interaction between Maya and Sinclair, and the memories, were more important than the plays.
[/quote]

It's not so much the duel. it wasn't the duel that was hard to understand and I appreciate it wasn't the crux of the chapter. Heck I know by now its not all about the card games . It was the other stuff that was going on with the strange world and it closing in on them. Well I get that it was dying/collapsing but.

I still can't for the life of me work out what Sinclair and Maya really resolved at the end as to how was right and wrong about what either. There was a lot about Yuusuke and I was really thinking 'oh god Maya don't go all mushy on me when you're the kick ass Euro champion' by that stage (despite I do want Maya and Yuusuke to sort it out, I just think it should be Yuusuke pushing for it in my mind) and that it wasn't all about him.

I dunno, guess I'm just thick.

[Vector Nightmare]

If it helps, there wasn't supposed to be a clear-cut conclusion. There's a limit to how messed up things can get before you go past the point of no return. Maya was trying to find an answer, but there were no answers for her. She had to accept Sinclair as a part of her. She had to cope with the past she had been trying to run from. She had to deal with having to rely on others. There was never some magical solution. It wasn't 'win the card game and it's going to be alright', it was about facing your real problems, one-by-one, until you solve them. This was what the Countdown symbolized.

Uh, I can't really express it in any better way. I realize I didn't do a very good job at it, but it can't be helped as it was my first attempt at something like that. Just... it might help a little if you put yourself in the mindset I mentioned above. It wasn't about finding an answer, reaching a conclusion. It was about finding yourself, and accepting yourself.

And I didn't mean to make Maya seem weak here. She accepted she does have to and can rely on Yuusuke, but that doesn't mean it was all about him either. It probably felt that way because Yuusuke helped pull her out of the collapsing reality, but that was only a small part of the whole story, and that will become clearer by the end of the arc.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Yeah no worries mate, it was probably me. I'm not very good with deep feelings and soul searching stuff.

I can't believe it could have been resolved much better. It was actually much better than I'm making it sound with my posts, it certainly wasn't as awful as you're doing yourself the injustice of thinking it was. It would just be lying to say I overly enjoyed it like the previous chapters, like the Jacquline vs Yuusuke which I really enjoyed all of. And it was something very different, of course it would have sucked if it was regular duel Maya wins Sinclair disappears carry on. Card games aren't the answer (which I tried to go for, but didn't get off as well).

I'm not disappointed, I'm kinda just... content. At least Maya wasn't killed. I'll take happiness in that.

[blademac]

Quick question for you. Shouldn't [i]Cold Wave[/i] have prevented Sinclair from activating [i]Spiritual Operation[/i] and [i]Miraculous Descent[/i]?

[Vector Nightmare]

Oh, yeah. That was supposed to be another example of how they were 'merging' and their reality was fluctuating (an earlier example would be the mirroring fireballs of the Countdown, and how memories only appeared on Maya's turns). But somehow I skipped the actual explanation, even though I'm pretty damn sure I had written that segment. Switching between 3 computers all the time can have some bad side-effects.

[Lexadin]

Really an interesting and good chapter. The method of them returning to thier old shared self through sharing more and more of thier dueling fields is quite brilliant.
Though I must say the ending is kinda wierd, and you lost me when "Pyro Clock of Destiny" was activated. I mean, how did 3 turns pass with its effect? It can only pass 1 turn.

But beside that it was all great.

[Vector Nightmare]

Thanks. As for the clocks, 3 of them were used consecutively. They were the face-downs Maya had set in Sinclair's turn, and Maya's own.

[Lexadin]

Ah, now that part makes sence.

[Divine Chaos]

I have just finished reading 58 chapters in the span of 2 days. That's just another testament to your awesomeness. This definitely captured me from the first chapter and I eagerly await the next one. It's real easy to see why the best author on YCM is you.

[Vector Nightmare]

Aww, thanks. Incidentally, the wait is now over ~

[spoiler=Chapter 59]
[center][b][u]Chapter 59:[/b] End of the World[/u][/center]

[i]Just what the hell is going on?[/i]

Hell was an apt word to describe things. Closely after Yuusuke's duel began, everything had started going downhill. The unholy melody had only further intensified, and now the very fabric of reality seemed to be giving way to some powerful external interference. Kiishiro did not know what was happening. He could not bring himself to think about it. About anything, beyond what awaited him at the top of that mountain. Ebony. And his mother, whom had been imprisoned by her. The fate of the world be damned, he could not abandon her. Never. He was finally close to the top, after what felt like an eternity of climbing. The ground was barely visible in the far distance, the few people still left able to walk looking no larger than ants. Kiishiro felt dizzy, and redoubled his efforts to get those last few meters done. The source of whatever was going on was up here. It seemed as though Ebony had not spotted him yet, because no lightning bolts had come specifically his way. That was good. If he could catch her off-guard... he crawled behind a tall rock, stealing a glance at the plateau that was lying atop the peak.

Ebony was indeed there, right in the middle, a few feet away from him. Behind her was a huge silver construct, vaguely resembling a conglomerate of various musical instruments. Its front part was shaped to the statue of a woman, frozen in mid-scream. There was no doubt - this was what was causing the song of death. Ebony was wrapped in a sheet of lightning, arms upraised, sending jagged bolts to the slopes and base of the mountain. She had not noticed him yet, and she was too absorbed in what she was doing. The organ behind her was glowing brightly, and Kiishiro thought he could see it vibrate at the pulse of the melody. This was it. If he took the chance, if he attacked without warning, he might be able to both kill Ebony and stop that thing at once. As quietly as possible, he prepared to call out Black Rose Dragon.

"Come now, there's no need to hide. If I wanted you dead, I'd have put you down the moment you got here."

Ebony's off-hand comment, spoken without as much as a glance at him, startled Kiishiro. He rose slowly, moving forward to confront his nemesis.

"Where is my mother? What have you done to her?" He demanded. Finally, Ebony seemed to take note of him. She turned her cruel eyes to him, and her smile widened.

"She somehow managed to break through my prison." She said. "Your family is an interesting one. However, her efforts were in vain, for right after she escaped, she fell directly into my hands. Now, she is paying penance for her insolence." She waved her hand, and the air behind her shimmered, parting like a curtain to reveal a large, translucent pyramid-like structure. Its base was formed of four crystals, and bright golden rays of light united them with the tip a few feet above the ground, which was also represented by another crystal. The walls of the pyramid were light blue sheets of energy, translucent enough for Kiishiro to discern what lay inside them.

"Mom..." He whispered. Sanjou Kotomi appeared oblivious to the events around her. She was huddled in the center of the pyramid, as far away from the walls as possible, her knees brought up to her chest, her face covered with her hands. She was crying. Upon closer inspection, Kiishiro could clearly see burn marks all over her arms.

"I warned her that she couldn't escape this time." Ebony said distastefully. "She still kept trying to go through the walls. It took an admirable amount of time for the pain to break her down."

"You..." Kiishiro growled, raising his arm - but Ebony lashed out with her hand. Kiishiro felt as if he had been struck across the chest with a whip. He staggered backwards, almost falling from the precipice.

"Come now. This world will end soon. The least you can do is spare yourself - and her - some pain. You can't stop me. Noone can."

"I can."

Kiishiro's head whipped around. He had not noticed Ivory, who was now standing on the opposite side of the small plateau, behind Ebony. The black-clad woman, on the other hand, seemed completely unpertrubed.

"I didn't think those meager thunderbolts would harry you for so long." She said with a self-satisfied smirk, turning around, as if Kiishiro was already forgotten. "Are you losing your touch, sister?"

"Drop the nonsense." Ivory said sternly. "It's time for some long-overdue goodbyes."

A stream of solid white lightning exploded from Ivory's hand, just as a jet of pitch-black flame shot forth from Ebony's. The two beams collided in the middle of the distance between the two sisters. The ground shook and the sky cracked, giving way to the immense power concentrated on that one spot. Kiishiro was almost knocked off his feet by the shockwaves, and only barely managed to hold on by lying flat on the ground. He looked, bewildered, at the battle before him. Though the direction they were facing as well as her unholy prison kept both Kiishiro and his mother safe... neither of them seemed willing to give way. With each subsequent pulse, the energy gathered, unable to release itself, converged and enlarged.

"We can keep doing this." Ebony said loudly, to be heard over the cackling of their colliding powers. "Our powers may be equal, but thanks to this, I will outlast you." She nodded towards the instrument behind her. "Furthermore, this reality will probably give in long before we do. Either way, it suits me just fine, but I don't know about you."

Kiishiro stood up as well as he could. While Ivory distracted Ebony, he had the perfect opportunity to strike, finish her off from behind. Finish this, once and for all.

Before he could even fully formulate his plan, though, a jolt of flame sprang from Ebony's beam, headed towards him. In desperation, he ducked, barely avoiding the attack as it passed through where his head had been. The flame was so intense he still felt the edge of his hairs cackle, singed from the terrible heat. And the focus Ebony was putting into her duel with Ivory had not lessened whatsoever.

"Very well." Ivory said suddenly. In an instant, the power output of the two waves dropped drastically, and continued lessening until they dissipated completely. "Let's settle this like we did in the past." Ebony nodded.

"Just don't expect the outcome to be the same." She warned.

Kiishiro scrambled to his feet, producing his Duel Disk. "Hold it!" He yelled. "I'll fight, too. I want her released!" He pointed at his mother. Ivory turned to him, prepared to tell him off - but Ebony laughed.

"Interesting. I'll accept this challenge."

"You're involving outsiders now?" Ivory asked coldly. "The boy has nothing to do with this."

"Don't be so single-minded." Ebony said playfully. "I have a score to settle with him. But if you're worried I'm somehow trying to slight you, so be it. We'll fight with battle royale rules. Each for his own, no holds barred."

"Fine!" Kiishiro shouted. A battle royale, but in truth a two-against-one match - this gave them an immense edge. His deck shuffled itself, and he drew his five cards. The two sisters had no need for such appendages, of course, so their own hands simply materialized in front of them.

"I'll take the first turn." Ebony said. "It's only fair, since it seems both of you are bent on teaming up against me.

"Then I'll go second." Kiishiro said. Ivory simply shrugged.

[center][i][b]Ebony[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]Thunderbolt Knight[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]Ivory[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center]

"I'll begin by setting a monster." Ebony said. "Then, I'll place three cards face-down. That's all for now."

[i]It's down to this now.[/i] Kiishiro knew noone could attack in a battle royale, until everyone else had played out their first turn. There was an easy method to clear out Ebony's field, and allow Ivory to as much as settle the game in the next turn. "I summon Night-Rose Knight, and activate its effect!" He said. The short swordsman in black armor appeared in front of him. "Now I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Plant monster from my hand! Come, Koa Kimeiru Gravirose!" The tall whip-wielding female appeared in a flurry of petals.

[spoiler=Night-Rose Knight][b]Night-Rose Knight[/b]
EARTH / Warrior / Tuner
Level 3
1000/1000
Your opponent cannot select a Plant-Type monster as an attack target. When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Plant-Type monster from your hand.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Koa Kimeiru Gravirose][b]Koa Kimeiru Gravirose[/b]
EARTH / Plant
Level 4
1900/1300
During each of your End Phases, destroy this card unless you send 1 "Iron Core of Koa'ki Meiru" from your hand to the Graveyard or reveal 1 Plant-Type monster in your hand. During each of your Standby Phases, you can send 1 Level 3 or lower monster from your Deck to your Graveyard.[/spoiler]

"Now I tune my Level 4, Koa Kimeiru Gravirose, to my Level 3, Night-Rose Knight!" Kiishiro went on. His monsters shattered into motes of light, four glowing red stars filing into three green circles. "Synchro Summon! Descend, Black Rose Dragon!" The black-and-red behemoth with the wide petal wings and the thorned tentacles protruding from its underside appeared before him. With a violent roar, it cast forth a flurry of rose blossoms.

[spoiler=Black Rose Dragon][b]Black Rose Dragon[/b]
FIRE / Dragon / Synchro
Level 7
2400/1800
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can destroy all cards on the field. Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 Plant-Type monster from your Graveyard to change 1 Defense Position monster your opponent controls to face-up Attack Position, and reduce its ATK to 0 until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

"Now, Black Rose Dragon's effect activates." Kiishiro began. "When it is Synchro Summoned, it destroys every card on the field!"

"Hold on." Ebony waggled her finger at him. "I activate the Trap card, Wrath of God. This card lets me discard a card from my hand, in order to negate the effect of your monster and destroy it."

[spoiler=Wrath of God][b]Wrath of God[/b]
TRAP / Counter
Discard 1 card. Negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect and destroy that Effect Monster.[/spoiler]

A massive jolt of lightning struck down Black Rose, just as it was preparing to unleash its devastating gale. Kiishiro ground his teeth as he placed the card in his Graveyard. Angry at his failure, he slammed two cards in his disk's Spell and Trap zone. "Turn end."

---

Ivory nodded. Black Rose Dragon being obliterated should not have surprised Kiishiro - he really did underestimate Ebony. But the damage could be recovered, since it was now her turn. Which, again, raised the question: why had Ebony agreed to a duel under such unfavorable circumstances? It wasn't like her to be that arrogant. There was something amiss here, and she had to find out what, or they might well be doomed.

"It's my move." She said. "First, I activate Future Fusion from my hand. Targetting the Fusion monster, Five God Dragon, I can send the Fusion materials straight from the deck to the Gaveyard, in order for it to be summoned in two turns." As five hidden cards briefly appeared in the air in front of her, before vanishing, she allowed herself to smile. The real purpose, of course, wasn't to summon Five God Dragon - but to get what she needed to the Graveyard.

[spoiler=Future Fusion][b]Future Fusion[/b]
SPELL / Continuous
Send, from your Deck to the Graveyard, Fusion Material Monsters that are listed on a Fusion Monster Card, and select that 1 Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck. Special Summon a Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck with the same name as the selected Fusion Monster during your 2nd Standby Phase after this card's activation. (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon.) When this card is removed from the field, destroy the monster. When the monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler]

"Now I summon - Dragunity Partisan!" A burst of violent wind ravaged through the field, heralding the appearance of one of Ivory's servants. A clan of dragon worshippers, the Dragunity warriors shared a powerful bond with their steeds, a connection that allowed them to tap into each other's power. The creature that appeared now was one of those steeds - a human-sized dark blue dragon in golden armor, whose well-muscled body looked able to withstand a lot of damage. Its head was shaped like the tip of a broad spear, outlined in gold, pointing forward.

[spoiler=Dragunity Partisan][b]Dragunity Partisan[/b]
WIND / Dragon / Tuner
Level 2
1200/800
When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Winged Beast-Type "Dragunity" monster from your hand and equip this card to it as an Equip Card. If this card is equipped as an Equip Card to a monster, the equipped monster is treated as a Tuner monster.[/spoiler]

"When Partisan is called to the field, I can Special Summon a monster from my hand." Ivory explained. "Namely, this one! Dragunity Angus!" The creature was appeared was a humanoid figure clad in such a costume that caused him to resemble an avian beast. Blue wings protruded from its back, though it was unknown if they enabled it to fly, for as soon as it materialized it leapt onto Partisan's back, dragon and rider ready to march into battle.

[spoiler=Dragunity Angus][b]Dragunity Angus[/b]
WIND / Winged Beast
Level 5
2100/1000
If this card is equipped with a Dragon-Type "Dragunity" monster, 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]

"I equip Partisan to Angus with Partisan's effect." Ivory explained. "Now that Partisan is equipped to it, Angus is treated as a Tuner monster. And since it's equipped with a Dragunity monster, Angus, by its own effect, deals piercing damage. Now, I think I have a good idea of what that reverse monster is. Therefore, I first set two cards from my hand face-down, and then attack!" Angus drew back the string of his bow, the arrow he had mounted on it glowing fiercely before it shot forth to find its prey.

"Not so fast." Ebony interjected. "From my Graveyard, Necro Gardna activates, negating your attack." The ghastly figure appeared between projectile and target, intercepting the strike.

[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]

Ivory gritted her teeth - she had hoped to take this opportunity and deal a lot of damage in one shot. "I end my turn."

"Then I'll take it from here. Draw!" Ebony smiled. "Ah, perfect. I flip summon my reverse monster. I fear your predictions were spot on - Metamorpot's flip effect activates, forcing all three of us to discard all cards in our hand, and then draw five new cards."

[spoiler=Metamorpot][b]Metamorpot[/b]
EARTH / Rock
Level 2
700/600
FLIP: Both players discard their hands, then draw 5 cards.[/spoiler]

"Maybe so, but one of the cards in my hand is Dandylion." Kiishiro said. "That means that two tokens are Special Summoned to my field!" Ivory nodded as the sole card in her possession disappeared. It was well that Kiishiro had some monsters now, but Ebony's plan was far from over.

"Now, two cards are discarded from my hand to the Graveyard, but I won't keep you in the dark about their identity." Ebony grinned unpleasantly. "First of all, War God of the Dark World - Siilva is Special Summoned when discarded!" The demonic silver-and-black armored warlord appeared on her field in a shimmer of black mist.

[spoiler=War God of the Dark World - Siilva][b]War God of the Dark World - Siilva[/b]
DARK / Fiend
Level 5
2300/1400
If this card is discarded from the hand to the Graveyard by a card effect, Special Summon it. If this card is discarded from the hand to the Graveyard by your opponent's card effect, your opponent selects 2 cards in their hand and returns them to the bottom of their Deck in any order.[/spoiler]

"And next, this." The second card flipped around to reveal itself. Ivory gasped - not this thing! "When Dragon God of the Dark World - Grapha is discarded, I can destroy one card on the field. I target Dragunity Angus!" A ghastly spectre of a long-necked, pitch-black dragon materialized around the dragunity warrior and his steed, burying them in its unholy confines before it dissipated. Ivory braced herself from the impact. She glared at her sister, disgust in her eyes.

"You even brought out that creature... will you stop at nothing?" She muttered.

"That thing's in the Graveyard now." Kiishiro said skeptically. "It's done its harm already, so - "

"It won't stay in the Graveyard for long. Keep your guard up!" Ivory warned.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now." Ebony said. "First, we all draw." Five new cards appeared before Ebony and Ivory, while Kiishiro picked out the appropriate number from his deck.

"And now, rise from the darkness!" Ebony shouted. "By returning Siilva to my hand, I can revive Grapha from the Graveyard!" A monstrous black cloud appeared around the demon warlord, swallowing him as his card returned to its place in front of Ebony. That cloud took shape, a very real form of the phantasm they had seen before. The dragon bared its fangs at them, screaming its hatred, its madness. Ivory felt its dark pulse resonate with the chaos raging around them. It might not have been on the same level as the Earthbound Gods, or even One-Hundred Eye Dragon, but it was a creature of death, a harbinger of things that should not exist within this reality.

[spoiler=Dragon God of the Dark World - Grapha][b]Dragon God of the Dark World - Grapha[/b]
DARK / Fiend
Level 8
2700/1800
You can return 1 face-up "Dark World" monster you control to the hand, except "Dragon God of the Dark World - Grapha", and Special Summon this card (from your Graveyard). If this card is discarded from the hand to the Graveyard by a card effect: Target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy that target. If this card was discarded by an opponent's card effect, look at 1 random card in your opponent's hand also. If that card is a monster, you can Special Summon it.[/spoiler]

"Then I'll just activate Dark World Lightning. This card lets me destroy one face-down card on the field, such as one of your Trap cards." Ebony grinned at Ivory, pointing towards one of her reverse cards.

[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]

"Then, I'll chain the targeted card." Ivory responded calmly. "Book of Moon flips Grapha to face-down defense position."

[spoiler=Book of Moon][b]Book of Moon[/b]
SPELL / Quick-Play
Flip 1 face-up monster on the field into face-down Defense Position.[/spoiler]

"Very good." Ebony applauded. "But my true aim was Dark World Lightning's second effect, which lets me discard this card." She smirked, and another card revealed itself. "Guru of the Dark World - Celeri!"

[spoiler=Guru of the Dark World - Celeri][b]Guru of the Dark World - Celeri[/b]
DARK / Fiend
Level 1
100/300
If this card is discarded to the Graveyard by a card effect, Special Summon this card to your opponent's side of the field in face-up Defense Position. When this card is Special Summoned by the effect of a "Dark World" card, your opponent selects 1 card in their hand and discards it.[/spoiler]

"Oh, no." Ivory muttered as a short, malformed armored sorcerer materialized in front of Kiishiro. The boy looked at the creature, bewildered.

"Celeri, when discarded by a card effect, Special Summons itself to the opponent's side of the field." Ebony explained. "And if discarded by a Dark World card, such as Dark World Lightning, another interesting effect activates. Now I have to discard any card I choose from my hand."

"But that means - !!" Kiishiro finally caught on.

"Yes." Ebony pointed at another card, which began glowing with a pitch-black light. "The last time, you never got to see the full extent of its power. But now I'll demonstrate it! Awaken, Devil of the Dark World - Reign!" The demonic behemoth, brandishing its giant axe, its black armor reflecting all seven colors of the rainbow, took form in front of her.

[spoiler=Devil of the Dark World - Reign][b]Devil of the Dark World - Reign[/b]
DARK / Fiend
Level 7
2500/1800
If this card is discarded from the hand to the Graveyard by an opponent's card effect, Special Summon this card. If this card is Special Summoned this way, destroy all monsters OR all Spell and Trap Cards your opponent controls.[/spoiler]

"When I Special Summon Reign by its own effect, one of two effects activates." Ivory continued her explanation. "Either all monsters you control are destroyed, or all Spell and Trap cards. I think I'll go with Spell and Traps, and obliterate my sister's meager defense."

"Oh, no you don't! I activate Compulsory Evacuation Device, returning Reign to your hand!" Ivory countered.

[spoiler=Compulsory Evacuation Device][b]Compulsory Evacuation Device[/b]
TRAP / Normal
Return 1 monster on the field to its owner's hand.[/spoiler]

"And I activate Call of the Living Dead, reviving Dandylion!" Kiishiro piped in. "When Call of the Living Dead, and by extension, Dandylion, are destroyed, I Special Summon two more tokens." His second reverse card, Dimensional Imprisonment, was blasted away unused.

[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]

"Impressive!" Ebony clapped her hands. "But you're not in the clear yet. I release Grapha to Advance Summon Siilva, and then return Siilva to my hand to revive Grapha!" The dragon that Ivory had hoped was out of commission for at least this turn reappeared, every bit as wicked as before.

"Unfortunately, I can't bring out any more monsters." Ebony frowned a little, examining the four cards in her hand, as well as the two that were left on the field. This meant that none of the four unknown cards offered some way to discard Siilva, or otherwise produce more monsters. This was a relief - but a temporary one. "So for now, I'll just attack directly with Grapha."

Ivory braced herself as the dragon's pitch-black breath exploded from its mouth, enveloping her in a corrosive shroud. At this level, it was not enough to damage her seriously, but the pain was almost too much to handle. How long since she had last experienced pain? Real pain, not the agony of this world reflected through her. Probably since the last time she and Ebony had faced off against one another.

[center][i][b]Ebony[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]Thunderbolt Knight[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]Ivory[/b] - LP: 1300[/i][/center]

"My attack is over, but my turn, not quite." This time, Ebony did look at Kiishiro, with a knowing smile that sent shivers up Ivory's spine. "I activate Advance Draw, sacrificing Grapha to draw twice. Then, I'll set two more cards. It's up to you."

[spoiler=Advance Draw][b]Advance Draw[/b]
SPELL / Normal
Tribute 1 face-up Level 8 or higher monster you control. Draw 2 cards.[/spoiler]

---

Kiishiro examined the field. Ivory's had been completely wiped out, whereas his was full of the small tokens from Dandylion's effect, as well as the Celeri Ebony had revived on his side. On the other hand, Ebony... why had she released her monster? It was easy to see that Grapha could be revived over and over, but at this timing, it simply left Ebony defenseless. Sure, she had four reverse cards to protect herself. But if he managed to draw them all out, with both their hands and Graveyards set up, they should be able to win this.

He shook his head. There was no use overthinking things. His mother's life was on the line. He would simply go all-out and force Ebony to play her cards, so that Ivory could finish her off. "Draw!" He declared out loud. "I sacrifice Celeri and one of the tokens! Advance Summon, Camellia Princess Tytannial!" With a flutter of leaves and flowers, the floral ruler materialized on the field. "And then, I remove Dandylion from play to Special Summon Spore from the Graveyard! Spore's Level becomes equal to Dandylion's plus one! So I tune my Level 1 token to my, now Level 4, Spore! Synchro Summon! Scar Warrior" The bandaged knife-wielding fighter came to being next to Tytannial.

[spoiler=Camellia Princess Tytannial][b]Camellia Princess Tytannial[/b]
WIND / Plant
Level 8
2800/2600
You can Tribute 1 face-up Plant-Type monster you control to negate the activation of a Spell, Trap, or Effect Monster's effect that targets a card(s) on the field and destroy it.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Spore][b]Spore[/b]
WIND / Plant / Tuner
Level 1
400/800
If this card is in your Graveyard, you can remove from play 1 other Plant-Type monster from your Graveyard to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard, and increase its Level by the Level of the monster removed from play to activate this effect. Each player can only use the effect of "Spore" once per Duel.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Scar Warrior][b]Scar Warrior[/b]
EARTH / Warrior / Synchro
Level 5
2100/1000
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
While this card is face-up on the field your opponent cannot select other Warrior-Type monsters as attack targets. Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed.[/spoiler]

Kiishiro was fully aware that Mirror Force could cripple his offensive efforts. But even if both his attacking monsters were destroyed, he would not be left completely defenseless, and barring that, Tytannial could negate most other hazards. He could not draw out Ebony's traps, unless he attacked her head-on.

"Scar Warrior, direct attack!" He commanded. He narrowed his eyes. Ebony made no move to defend herself. And just as Scar Warrior's blade reached her, a terrible premonition hit him.

"Stop!!" He ordered. But it was too late. The attack struck head-on, and Ebony cringed a little as she took the full force of it. And only then did Kiishiro fully realize the consequences of his action.

[center][i][b]Ebony[/b] - LP: 1900[/i]
[i][b]Thunderbolt Knight[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]Ivory[/b] - LP: 1300[/i][/center]

Blue lightning bolts streaked through the air, cackling like fire. "Wh - what have you done..." Ivory muttered, her eyes wide in fright. But Kiishiro barely heard her. His attention was fully turned to the energy cage that imprisoned his mother. She was still trapped inside, but now she was screaming, her body convulsing as if she was being struck by those visible jolts of electricity. She could obviously not see outside her prison, as she had not reacted when Kiishiro appeared even if he was within her theoretical line of sight, but Kiishiro rushed towards her anyway.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ebony said as Kiishiro stretched an arm out to the cage. Shock struck him as he touched the transparent wall, a powerful stream that sent pain through every fiber of his being. He was knocked flat on the ground. He rose a trembling hand in front of his eyes. His skin was blackened and smoking. Still, he pushed himself up, blinking wildly to clear the black spots from his eyes.

"What are you doing to her?" He demanded. His mother was still trapped - still screaming. "Stop this! Release her!"

"I linked my Life Points to those crystals." Ebony said, pointing at the five objects holding the structure together. "If you damage me, she'll share an equivalent amount of pain. And I can assure you, I have a [i]much[/i] higher threshold for pain than her." She smirked. "Another hit like that, I don't think she can handle. Feel free to test it out, though." She pointed at the cage. Sanjou Kotomi was crumpled on the floor, still sobbing and groaning. As much as it prevented the prisoner's vision from escaping its confines, it had done nothing to mute her screams. Her body bore the same signs of injury as Kiishiro's arm - burns and scorch marks.

"Well, while you think about it, I'll activate this." Ebony went on, unhindered by Kiishiro's lack of response. "Damage Condenser is a card that will hopefully make the pain you just put your mother through worth it. By discarding one card from my hand - I will relinquish Reign, who has already served his purpose - I can Special Summon a monster from my deck with an attack power equal to or less than the damage I just took. So, come here, Double Coston." Two small black spirits, locked in a circle as they were chasing one another, appeared in front of her. "Can you guess what I will do with that?" The question was addressed to Ivory, whose face was contorted with outrage.

[spoiler=Damage Condenser][b]Damage Condenser[/b]
TRAP / Normal
Activate only by discarding 1 card when you take Battle Damage. Special Summon, in Attack Position, 1 monster from your Deck with ATK equal to or less than the Battle Damage you took.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Double Coston][b]Double Coston[/b]
DARK / Zombie
Level 4
1700/1650
This card can be treated as 2 Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a DARK monster.[/spoiler]

"You fiend... you can't have revived those..." Ivory said through clenched teeth. "Will you stop at nothing? Do you wish to see everything destroyed, everything gone?"

"Yes, for only within that destruction can true power be realized." Ebony responded. "I embody only the desire, the will of the world that birthed us, Ivory. Unlike you, I am not held back by useless, borrowed morality. I will prove that my power is superior to yours through this fight. But the young man over there could tip the scales, perhaps... if he still wishes to fight, that is."

"Kiishiro." Ivory said sternly. "Snap out of it. You can't back down now. If we don't stop her, everything - [i]everyone[/i] - will die. You have to go through with this!"

But Kiishiro wasn't listening. All he could hear were his mother's screams, trapped as she was. Helpless. Hurt. Harmed by him, who had come to save her. What was he doing? Everything he tried seemed to backfire. His very destiny was only guiding him to more destruction. More pain. More agony. He glanced at the monster Ebony had summoned. He knew Double Coston could be used as two sacrifices when one was summoning a Dark monster, which meant that Ebony was preparing for something big. Regardless, all that information that crossed his brain was irrelevant right now. He knew that, no matter what, he could not declare another attack.

"I place two cards face-down. Turn end." He said bleakly.

---

Ivory clicked her tongue in disgust. Not at her sister's machinations - she had expected something like this - but at Sanjou Kiishiro. That boy had been entrusted with a destiny that reached far beyond him and his family, far beyond even his world. Couldn't he see that unless they beat down Ebony here, everyone would die, including the very person he was trying to protect? She shook her head. If Ebony summoned an Earthbound God, the chances for reversal would drop to almost zero. She had to decide this by herself, and fast.

"Draw. I summon Dragunity Dux!" Another winged warrior, this time with sharp, finely edged wings and brandishing a whip-like weapon, appeared within a small hurricane. "When Dux is Normal Summoned, I can equip to him a Level 3 or lower Dragunity steed from the Graveyard - so I will target Dragunity Phalanx." Another armored dragon with shield-like pieces of metal attached to its arms and a long horn stretching back from the top of its head entered the fray, allowing the rider to mount it.

[spoiler=Dragunity Dux][b]Dragunity Dux[/b]
WIND / Winged Beast
Level 4
1500/1000
This card gains 200 ATK for each face-up "Dragunity" card you control. When this card is Normal Summoned, you can select 1 Level 3 or lower Dragon-Type "Dragunity" monster in your Graveyard and equip it as an Equip Card to this card.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Dragunity Phalanx][b]Dragunity Phalanxx[/b]
WIND / Dragon / Tuner
Level 2
500/1100
Once per turn, while this card is equipped to a monster as an Equip Card by a card effect, you can Special Summon this card.[/spoiler]

"The effect of Phalanx allows it to be Special Summoned from the Spell and Trap zone when it is treated as an equip card." Ivory explained as mount and rider separated once more, each taking their own place on either side of her. "I hope you have not forgotten the true power of those dragon knights. I tune the Level 4, Dragunity Dux, to the Level 2, Dragunity Phalanx!" A tornado was born, a fierce, savage gust of wind. The dragon and the winged warrior soared into the heart of the cyclone, becoming one with the raging storm. Two white rings formed by the spectral image of the dragon, crossed by four bright red stars, were born into the gale, pointing upwards like an arrow to the invisible sky. "Synchro Summon!" When the new creature emerged, almost nothing of the pair remained in its features. A giant serpentine dragon with bright red scales, mounted by a fully-armored lancer, came into being. "Dragunity Knight - Vajuranda!"

[spoiler=Dragunity Knight - Vajuranda][b]Dragunity Knight - Vajuranda[/b]
WIND / Winged Beast / Synchro
Level 6
1900/1200
1 Dragon-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Winged Beast-Type monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can select 1 Level 3 or lower Dragon-Type "Dragunity" monster in your Graveyard and equip it to this card as an Equip Card. Once per turn, you can send 1 Equip Card equipped to this card to the Graveyard to double this card's ATK until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

"I know that monster." Ebony said appraisingly. "It can equip a Dragon from the Graveyard, and by sending it back to the Grave, it can double its attack. I wonder if that will be enough to finish me off."

"I'll make it enough." Ivory snapped, but at that time, one of Kiishiro's reverse cards opened. A hole leading into the bottomless abyss appeared underneath the Dragunity Knight, vanquishing it instantly.

[spoiler=Pitfall of Hades][b]Pitfall of Hades[/b]
TRAP / Normal
Activate only when your opponent Summons a monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK. Destroy and remove from play the monster(s).[/spoiler]

Ebony broke into a fit of clear laughter. "Good boy!" She cooed. "We wouldn't want your dear mother to come to any more harm, would we?"

"W - why..." Ivory questioned, even though she already knew the answer. "Don't you understand?" She yelled. "If we don't stop her, everyone will die! Us, your mother, everyone!"

"Give it a rest." Ebony said. "You cannot comprehend these creatures. Emotion overrides morality, even logic. That boy could never hurt his mother now, or allow anyone else to hurt her. Whatever the cost of that."

Ivory glared at Kiishiro. She had thought there was something odd about this. Now she knew. Ebony had planned to use him as a weapon against her all along. And the situation had turned from bad to disastrous. She'd have to change her strategy.

"I activate One for One, discarding a monster from my hand to Special Summon a Level 1 monster from my deck. Come, Dragunity Tribul!" A white-winged warrior of relatively small stature, featuring an eagle mask, appeared on the field. "And Tribul's effect lets me send a low-level Dragon type monster from my deck to the Graveyard."

[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=Dragunity Tribul][b]Dragunity Tribul[/b]
WIND / Winged Beast
Level 1
500/300
When this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can send 1 Level 3 or lower Dragon-Type monster from your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler]

"Now, I activate Jar of Avarice, returning five monsters from my Graveyard to the deck, in order to draw twice." Thanks to the various effects she had used, including Future Fusion, she had more than enough to select from and replenish her options. She glanced at her newly acquired cards and smiled, glad that her servants had still provided her with a way to pull through.

[spoiler=Jar of Avarice][b]Jar of Avarice[/b]
SPELL / Normal
Select 5 Monster Cards in your Graveyard. Return those cards to the Deck, then draw 2 cards.[/spoiler]

"I release Dragunity Tribul to Special Summon from my hand, this monster! Come, Dragunity Arms - Misteil!" The winged fighter was replaced by a large, golden-scaled dragon brandishing a long sabre in one hand.

[spoiler=Dragunity Arms - Misteil][b]Dragunity Arms - Misteil[/b]
WIND / Dragon
Level 6
2100/1500
You can Special Summon this card from your hand by sending 1 face-up "Dragunity" monster you control to the Graveyard. When this card is Normal or Special Summoned from the hand, you can select 1 Dragon-Type "Dragunity" monster in your Graveyard, and equip it to this card.[/spoiler]

"Misteil's effect also lets it equip a Dragunity from the Graveyard. This time I'll target Dragunity Brandistock." A tiny dragon in bright azure armor flew up to the sky, meeting up with its larger counterpart. Brandistock's form shifted, changing into two blue gauntlet-like pieces of armor that attached themselves on Misteil's arms. "With Brandistock equipped, Misteil can attack twice during the same Battle Phase."

[spoiler=Dragunity Brandistock][b]Dragunity Brandistock[/b]
WIND / Dragon
Level 1
600/400
While this card is equipped to a monster, that monster can attack twice during each Battle Phase.[/spoiler]

"Now, Misteil, attack!" The empowered dragon soared across the field to strike Ebony with its blade.

"No!" Kiishiro shouted desperately.

"Don't worry, I won't be allowing that just yet." Ebony said. "Trap, activate - Dimensional Imprisonment. Your monster is banished to a different dimension." She smiled as Misteil disappeared into a warphole.

[spoiler=Dimensional Imprisonment][b]Dimensional Imprisonment[/b]
TRAP / Normal
Activate only when your opponent declares an attack. Remove from play the attacking monster.[/spoiler]

"Fine." Ivory growled. "I'll set three cards face-down. Turn end."

"Then it's my move now." Ebony said. Abruptly, all of her taunting, playful mood disappeared, replaced by pitch-black murderous intent. She was no longer smiling - she glared at Ivory with pure contempt. Kiishiro might as well have been forgotten now, so much was the hatred directed to her sister. "I'll take great pleasure in wiping you out. Watch, as I activate the Field magic, Gate of the Dark World!" A massive black metal gateway, firmly shut, shimmered behind Ebony.

[spoiler=Gate of the Dark World][b]Gate of the Dark World[/b]
SPELL / Field
Face-up Fiend-Type monsters gain 300 ATK and DEF. Once per turn: You can banish 1 Fiend-Type monster from your Graveyard; discard 1 Fiend-Type monster, then draw 1 card.[/spoiler]

"Oh no..." Ivory knew exactly what this meant.

"I sacrifice Double Coston!" Ebony screamed. Power flowed from her, abyssal, terrible power. It surged and roared, reaching upwards, where a single dark stone, pulsing with purple energy waves, materialized. Ivory knew what that thing was - a relic from a different world meant to seal the most insidious of creatures. Kiishiro just stared at it, stunned. A volatile beam of light shot down from the stone, which shattered, and struck the ground between them. The flat depiction of a massive bipedal monster formed in the sky, covering the roof of the entire cavern.

"Descend, Earthbound God Ccapac Apu!"

[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]

It was more of an amorphous, vaguely-defined black mass than a creature. Yet it did not make it any easier to the eye to take in the towering, somewhat humanoid giant, with arms so big that they could squash any of them like an insect. Deep blue lines were carved along its lower body, leylines that could channel the immense power needed to support the demon.

"What... is that thing?" Kiishiro whispered, terrified. His mother, too, had stopped crying, and was gazing upwards with fear, as if sensing the horror that had descended upon them through her prison.

"This is the beast you allowed her to summon." Ivory croaked. "Something that should not exist within this world. Something that could bring the end, before the Nexus does it."

[/spoiler]

Soooo yeah. I hope you enjoyed this - it was a difficult chapter, but I think it turned out rather well. Pretty long chapter, too (the next one will be even longer). Kudos to anyone who finds what a certain scene in the chapter's start (in the segment before the duel starts) drew some inspiration / ideas from. It won't be easy, though.

Stay tuned for chapter 60, which will mark the thrilling finale of this arc. Following 60, I have plans for a few more Extra Chapters (at least two to conclude the Element Cycle, maybe a third one regarding Yenma) and perhaps another Interlude before the next arc begins. Till then, folks.

[Brinolovania]

So Ivory uses Dragunity...

Was not expecting that...

Epic chapter, though.

[Northern Sage]

I'm guessing... the duel between Yami Yugi and Yami Marik (in the Battle City finals). (for what it resembles)

[Divine Chaos]

Awesome chapter, as always. Kind of interesting to have Kiishiro turning against Ivory. How will this dilemma play out?

[Lexadin]

Mhh, interesting duel. I kinda suspected something aswell when Ebony accepted the duel. And my suspicions where anwsered.
Suprising though that Ivory used Dragonity, I expected more something in the direction of 'The Agents' though.
Nice chapter overal and I can't wait for the next one.

[Vector Nightmare]

Funny noone saw Dragunities coming. They were actually in Ivory's original concept, back in Arc 1. I wanted to steer away from the classic Light and Dark, which was already being overused in the story. That original plan also had Ivory using Ritua, but I ended up going with Dark World for her.

Also, nah, the reference I'm talking about is nowhere near Yugimanz-related. I suggest not trying to find it - unless you have specifically seen it, there's no way you'll get it. I'll reveal it some time in the future anyway.

[Dr. Cakey]

Hasn't it been the End of the World for like, twenty chapters now?

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

End of the World? Already? Surely that was reserved for final chapter name...

*Reads chapter*

Fitting though.

Dragunities. Yay, why did I not see that (because I was blinded by the '[i]fact' that[/i] it [i]'had'[/i] to be light vs dark thing as well, shamefully).

Brilliantly twisted duel as well. Love how sick Ebony can be, and so casual about it as its all in good fun for her.

I'm definately on Ivory's side and want to slap Kiishiro about for being a tool. Dude, it's either your mother, or your mother... and everything else. Yes its hard to take but stop being useless and kill the evil witch!!!

[Synchronized]

Brilliant use of human emotion to really draw the reader into the story. The duel itself was full of excitement and I didn't catch the Earthbound twist coming at the end at all.

Kiishiro seems like an idiot for thinking that trying to save his mother will make any sort of difference, though I'm assuming he'll change that around in 60 and get back on the same page.

Looking forward to it.

[Tentacruel]

Read the first 3 chapters. Good so far, but the OCG card names is kind of annoying. =3

[Vector Nightmare]

Thanks for the comments, people. Next chapter is coming along pretty neatly, shouldn't be too long a wait now.

[quote name='Tentacruel' timestamp='1317395302' post='5550021']Read the first 3 chapters. Good so far, but the OCG card names is kind of annoying. =3[/quote]

Was it annoying because you couldn't recognize the cards by name and had to read the spoilers to see which card it was, even though you knew what the actual card did, or because you just didn't like them being unfamiliar to you? I'm thinking about different approaches for this, as I'm fully aware that the TCG names are more widespread and I do want to cater to that somehow. Either way, thanks for commenting.

[quote name='Dr. Cakey-chan' timestamp='1317259753' post='5546923']Hasn't it been the End of the World for like, twenty chapters now?[/quote]

The world has been heading towards the end for a while now, yes. However, now, we're at a crossroads. It's either they stop Ebony and the Symphonic Arsenal, or the world ends. If they fail, there's nothing else between this fight, and the end - hence the title choice.

[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1317320992' post='5548244']End of the World? Already? Surely that was reserved for final chapter name...[/quote]

Ah, the final chapter's name is kind of a classic. You'll see.

[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1317320992' post='5548244']Dragunities. Yay, why did I not see that (because I was blinded by the '[i]fact' that[/i] it [i]'had'[/i] to be light vs dark thing as well, shamefully).[/quote]

I'd done it enough to be able to rightfully subvert it =/. You weren't wrong to think it'd be like that, but I wanted something different for them.

[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1317320992' post='5548244']Brilliantly twisted duel as well. Love how sick Ebony can be, and so casual about it as its all in good fun for her.

I'm definately on Ivory's side and want to slap Kiishiro about for being a tool. Dude, it's either your mother, or your mother... and everything else. Yes its hard to take but stop being useless and kill the evil witch!!![/quote]

If someone gave you a gun and told you to shoot [insert very close person to you here], or else they'll kill both you and her, you should still have a lot of trouble going through with that. Whatever you decide to do in the end (and Kiishiro's decision isn't made yet), it'll be awfully hard.

[quote name='Star' timestamp='1317321970' post='5548262']Brilliant use of human emotion to really draw the reader into the story. The duel itself was full of excitement and I didn't catch the Earthbound twist coming at the end at all.[/quote]

Ebony used an Earthbound before, though I don't blame you, updates have been slow lately so yeah.

[quote name='Star' timestamp='1317321970' post='5548262']Kiishiro seems like an idiot for thinking that trying to save his mother will make any sort of difference, though I'm assuming he'll change that around in 60 and get back on the same page.

Looking forward to it.[/quote]

Well, my response to Matt applies here. When you're the guy that's practically pulling the trigger... things aren't as straightforward as they might seem from an outside perspective.

[Synchronized]

I think I missed a bit before I started reading this again which could explain why I wasn't completely caught up.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

[quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1317479248' post='5552474']
If someone gave you a gun and told you to shoot [insert very close person to you here], or else they'll kill both you and her, you should still have a lot of trouble going through with that. Whatever you decide to do in the end (and Kiishiro's decision isn't made yet), it'll be awfully hard.[/quote]

If it was just me and *her* say, dying together or me shooting her, I probably wouldn't do it. I'd probably be shot afterwards anyway, so we'd just go to heaven together.

However, easy as it is to say now, I'd like to think if it was one person or the universe I'd have to do it. I'd be very tearful and begging she forgives me, but hopefully if she was also aware of what would happen if I didn't she'd understand. Be harder if, like Kotomi, they were oblivious. I dunno, lets hope none of us ever get in that 'fate of the world' situation.

I'm sure if Kotomi could speak she would do the noble thing and tell Kiishiro to let her go and get Ebony.