Vector Nightmare Posted January 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Bumping FOA GUREITO JASTISU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Borg Posted January 8, 2011 Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 So... the ghost summoned the library in attack position!??!?!? Keep up the great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 4000 LP excluded, ground duels follow the same rules as the TCG so far. You can either set in Defense, or summon in Attack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 10th Chapter, and things are getting srs. [spoiler=Chapter 10] [center][b][u]Chapter 10:[/b] Chaos Burst[/u][/center] Exodia. A legend in Duel Monsters, and one with both an ill and good reputation. Most duels ended with one duelist running out of Life Points. Some duels would end with a duelist running out of cards in his deck. Most decks were designed to finish off the opponent's Life by battle damage. Some had the capacity to do the same via direct damage, the so-called 'burn' decks. And then the 'mill' decks, which were aiming to deplete the opponent's supply of cards. Those last ones were extremely risky, as it often happened that the enemy's deck would benefit from having cards sent to the Graveyard, and sometimes those 'mill' decks could not accomplish their goal fast enough in order not to lose. And then, even rarer, were the automatic win conditions. There were three so far, and all three relied on a combination of luck, and the capacity to stall for time, while you gathered the necessary pieces to win the game. Exodia was the most famous of those victory conditions. Exodia was a monster split into five parts. Each part was worthless in battle, and they had no effects. However, when all five were in the player's hand, an automatic victory was proclaimed. That was a difficult task, an almost impossible task in the modern high-speed dueling. But Yuusuke had seen a few skilled duelists use Exodia effectively. He had never personally lost to one, though. He certainly hoped today would not mark a first. "Magic card, Upstart Goblin." Ghost said, seemingly enjoying Yuusuke's squirming. "You gain a thousand Life Points, but I can draw a card." The final orb in Royal Magical Library was lit up, indicating that it possessed all the Spell Counters it could handle. "And the effect of Royal Magical Library lets me draw another card, if I remove all Spell Counters from it." [spoiler=Upstart Goblin][b]Upstart Goblin[/b] SPELL / Normal Draw 1 card from your Deck. Increase your opponent's Life Points by 1000 Life Points.[/spoiler] [center][i][b]Ghost[/b] - LP: 4000[/i] [i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 5000[/i][/center] [i]I'll be in trouble if this keeps up... How many pieces does he have in hand?[/i] Yuusuke wondered, but he had no answer. "Then I activate, in succession, Foolish Burial and Dark Burst." Ghost demonstrated his cards. "I will use them to send to the Graveyard the card, Sealed Exodia, and reclaim it immediately." [spoiler=Foolish Burial][b]Foolish Burial[/b] SPELL / Normal Send 1 Monster Card from your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Dark Burst][b]Dark Burst[/b] SPELL / Normal Add 1 DARK monster with an ATK of 1500 or less from your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Sealed Exodia][b]Sealed Exodia[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 3 1000/1000 When you have "Right Leg of the Sealed One", "Left Leg of the Sealed One", "Right Arm of the Sealed One", and "Left Arm of the Sealed One", in addition to this card in your hand, you win the Duel.[/spoiler] "Finally, I activate Sealing Swords of Light. For three turns, your attacks are barred." A series of light-forged blades fell from the sky, restricting the field. "And now that Royal Magical Library has three counters once more, I can remove them to draw another card. Turn end." [spoiler=Sealing Swords of Light][b]Sealing Swords of Light[/b] SPELL / Normal Flip all monsters your opponent controls face-up. This card remains on the field for 3 of your opponent's turns. While this card is face-up on the field, monsters your opponent controls cannot declare an attack.[/spoiler] [i]Calm down.[/i] Yuusuke noticed his breath had quickened, his legs trembling. Exodia was, perhaps, the most dangerous thing he could face in a situation where 'damage' could be translated to real harm. An automatic win condition, he did not dare speculate what that would mean in terms of what Ghost had said, and he had the feeling it had not been randomly chosen. But, as long as he kept his cool, he could control the situation. The important part was to watch what the other player had in hand, and destroy the key cards he needed at the moment. From his opening hand of six cards, he had played Royal Magical Library, five. Using Mana Seize and Upstart Goblin had not reduced that number, and he had drawn an additional one thanks to his monster's effect. Out of the six cards he held, one was the Mana Seize he had added. And then he had gone to five again with his combination of Spell cards. And one of those five was Sealed Exodia. So, he had three cards in his hand which were the unknown factor. His last play had stopped Yuusuke from attacking, but thanks to that Library, he had still maintained his hand advantage. Five cards, of which one was Mana Seize, and at least one Exodia part among the others. "Draw." Yuusuke said. "You have picked the wrong opponent for that kind of deck. My Lightlords will tear you apart faster than you can gather the pieces." Ghost did not respond. Unfortunately, Yuusuke could not back up that statement yet. He had hoped Leila would be in his opening hand, so he could get rid of those annoying Swords of Light, but... "I set one monster in Defense mode. One card face-down, turn end." "My turn. Draw." Ghost continued smoothly. Six cards. "I activate Mana Seize again, adding two Spell counters to my Library, and retrieving another one. Then I switch my Library to Defense mode, and also set another monster in Defense." Five. "And then, Golden Chest of Sealing. I remove from play Right Leg of the Sealed One, so that I can add it to my hand in two turns. Royal Magical Library gains another counter, which means I can remove them all to draw a card." Five again. And the position of two of the pieces had been ascertained. The problem - Ghost could have as few as no others in hand, or as many as all three he would need. There was no telling. So Yuusuke had to hurry, before he got annihilated. [spoiler=Golden Chest of Sealing][b]Golden Chest of Sealing[/b] SPELL / Normal Select and remove from play 1 card in your Deck. During your second Standby Phase after this card's activation, add the removed card to your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Right Leg of the Sealed One][b]Right Leg of the Sealed One[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 1 200/300 [i]A forbidden right leg sealed by magic. Whosoever breaks this seal will know infinite power.[/i][/spoiler] "My turn!" He exclaimed. "I switch Lightlord Hunter Raikou to attack mode!" A small white wolf appeared, baring its fangs at Ghost. "Raikou's effect activates, destroying the Sealing Swords of Light!" The restricting blades were torn to shreds. "I can also send the top three cards from my deck to the Graveyard." He picked up three cards, and smiled. "One of my cards is Lightlord Beast Wolf! When he is sent from the Deck to the Graveyard, he is Special Summoned!" A beast-man in white-and-gold armor, trademark of the Lightlords, brandishing a stave, appeared next to the lesser creature. [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] [spoiler=Lightlord Beast Wolf][b]Lightlord Beast Wolf[/b] LIGHT / Beast Level 4 2100/300 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. When this card is sent from your Deck to the Graveyard, Special Summon it.[/spoiler] "I release Raikou to advance summon Lightlord Angel Cherubim!" The azure-haired prime angel of the Lightlords descended from the sky. [spoiler=Lightlord Angel Cherubim][b]Lightlord Angel Cherubim[/b] LIGHT / Fairy Level 5 2300/200 When you Tribute Summon this card by Tributing a "Lightlord" monster, you can send the top 4 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard to destroy up to 2 cards your opponent controls.[/spoiler] "Cherubim's effect! By sending four cards from my deck to the Graveyard, I can destroy up to two cards you control." Yuusuke snatched away his cards, hardly paying attention to what he was discarding. "I will destroy both your monsters!" "Very well, but my reverse monster was Critter." Ghost said, as the library structure and the small three-eyed beast were blasted apart by a ray of light. "His effect lets me add Left Arm of the Sealed One to my hand." Six cards, and certainly two pieces. But it was too late. [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] [spoiler=Left Arm of the Sealed One][b]Left Arm of the Sealed One[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 1 200/300 [i]A forbidden left arm sealed by magic. Whosoever breaks this seal will know infinite power.[/i][/spoiler] "I attack directly with both monsters!" Yuusuke declared. "It's over, Ghost!" "Nothing is over!" He snarled. "Battle Fader's effect activates, ending your Battle Phase!" The pendulum-like creature that, ironically enough, had saved Yuusuke during his last duel, materialized on the field, blocking both of his monsters' attack. [spoiler=Battle Fader][b]Battle Fader[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 1 0/0 When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack, you can Special Summon this card from your hand and end the Battle Phase. If this card is Special Summoned with this effect, remove it from play when it is removed from the field.[/spoiler] Five cards, two pieces, one Mana Seize. "Turn end." Yuusuke said angrily. "My turn. Draw." Six cards. "I activate Black Hole, and Raise Dead!" Two of the most sought-after, powerful cards appeared on the field. "First, Black Hole will destroy all of our monsters. And then Raise Dead will revive Critter in Defense mode." Cherubim and Wolf cried out as they were blasted to shreds, and the three-eyed critter reappeared on Ghost's field. And one card face-down. Turn end." [spoiler=Black Hole][b]Black Hole[/b] SPELL / Normal Destroy all monsters on the field.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Raise Dead][b]Raise Dead[/b] SPELL / Normal Special Summon 1 monster from either player's Graveyard to your side of the field.[/spoiler] Three cards, then. Two pieces, and one useless Spell card. The third piece would appear as soon as Critter was destroyed. The fourth would reach Ghost's hand during his next turn. He'd have to end this now. "I summon Lightlord Summoner Luminous!" He called out. A dark-skinned caster clad in white, with short blonde hair covered by a monk's cap, materialized on the field. "I send Necro Gardna from my hand to the Graveyard to revive Lightlord Beast Wolf!" Luminous raised her staff, and from a pillar of light the beast-warrior of the Lightlord army rose again to join her. [spoiler=Lightlord Summoner Luminous][b]Lightlord Summoner Luminous[/b] LIGHT / Spellcaster Level 3 1000/1000 Once per turn, you can discard 1 card to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Lightlord" monster from your Graveyard. During each of your End Phases, send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Now, Call of the Living Dead will revive Cherubim!" Yuusuke said. Strengthening his fold with another monster, he now held the firepower necessary to finish Ghost off. [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] "Battle! Luminous, wipe out Critter!" The summoner unleashed a bolt of light, annihilating the fiendish monster. "Critter's effect activates, adding Right Arm of the Sealed One to my hand. And now I activate my reverse card, Emissaries of Harmony." Ghost said, unfazed. "For this turn, no monsters of mine are destroyed by battle, and I take no damage either." [spoiler=Right Arm of the Sealed One][b]Right Arm of the Sealed One[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 1 200/300 [i]A forbidden right arm sealed by magic. Whosoever breaks this seal will know infinite power.[/i][/spoiler] [spoiler=Emissaries of Harmony][b]Emissaries of Harmony[/b] TRAP / Normal You take no Battle Damage this turn. Your monsters cannot be destroyed by battle this turn.[/spoiler] "Ugh..." Yuusuke shuddered. What could he do now? "I end my turn." He said finally. One more turn, wasted. "Draw." Ghost retorted. The golden sarcophagus that contained one of the Exodia pieces opened, and the card added itself to Ghost's hand. Four pieces now. Could he have drawn the fifth? Yuusuke waited, anxiously. And then - "Spell card, activate. Hand Obliteration. Both of us send all cards in our hands to the Graveyard, and draw as many cards as we discarded from our decks." [spoiler=Hand Obliteration][b]Hand Obliteration[/b] SPELL / Normal Each player discards their hand and draws the same number of cards they discarded.[/spoiler] "What?!" Yuusuke could not contain his shock, as both of them discarded what they held. Yuusuke only had three cards, but Ghost had five. "Are you throwing away the Exodia pieces?" "You forget, that I can retrieve my pieces as I want. I will tell you now - this duel is over. In my hand lies the last piece of Exodia. And since my Graveyard contains the other four - activate, Dark Burst, and Dark Factory of Mass Production! I return to my hand Exodia the Sealed One, as well as the Right Arm and Leg. Now all that is left is the Left Arm." He smirked. Which is why I send Royal Magical Library to the Graveyard, to activate the Spell card Reincarnation of the Dead. Now I can add any monster I want from my Graveyard to my hand! It's all over for you, Aizawa Yuusuke!" [spoiler=Dark Factory of Mass Production][b]Dark Factory of Mass Production[/b] SPELL / Normal Select 2 Normal Monsters from your Graveyard and add them to your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Reincarnation of the Dead][b]Reincarnation of the Dead[/b] SPELL / Normal Discard 1 card. Add 1 Monster Card from your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler] Yuusuke shook his head. Four pieces in hand. The fifth about to get there. He had lost. He should have lost. Had this been his 'Lightlord' deck, he would have lost. But this was not so. The last additions he had made to his deck - he had found a better synergy between some cards. Moreso after his last duel, where some elements had proven critical - no, his Deck was no longer a 'Lightlord' deck. it was a 'Chaos' deck. And therefore - !! "From my hand, the effect of the monster, D.D. Crow!!" He announced, holding up a card before placing it in the Graveyard slot. An illusory raven appeared in the sky, diving down to reach for Ghost's graveyard before he could retrieve the card I needed. An image of the last part of Exodia, the Left Arm of the Sealed One, briefly appeared overhead, before vanishing into another world, forever beyond its owner's reach. [spoiler=D.D. Crow][b]D.D. Crow[/b] DARK / Winged Beast Level 1 100/100 During either player's turn, you can discard this card to the Graveyard to remove from play 1 card from your opponent's Graveyard.[/spoiler] Ghost was speechless, his grin turned into a mask of madness, as his fingers clutched invisible air. Had he not been programmed, perhaps, to react to such an unexpected situation? But as Yuusuke began to wonder if he would have to wait for the timer on Ghost's turn to run out, his focus returned, and he directed a gaze full of spite at Yuusuke. "Finish it." He hissed. "As you wish." Yuusuke responded, drawing a card and using it to point at Ghost. "Direct attack!" In a flash of light and a furious claw cutter, Ghost's Life Points dropped to 0. [center][i][b]Ghost[/b] - LP: 0[/i] [i][b]Galahad[/b] - LP: 5000[/i][/center] Yuusuke sighed, deactivating his disk. That had been a close call, a very close call. If, rather than Hand Obliteration, Ghost had directly drawn the last piece, Yuusuke would have lost. It was only thanks to Ghost's card that he had managed to get the card to cripple Ghost's return-from-grave strategy of gathering the pieces. And it was only thanks to an insightful rework of his deck that he had even included that card in the first place. And then, without warning, a great rumble shook the entire tower, and the side of the platform which Ghost was standing on collapsed into the abyss, dragging Yuusuke's enemy down with it. --- "Hikari-san!" A loud voice, and a knock on her office's door startled Aizawa Hikari from her concentration. She had been working ten hours straight. The number of Duel Terminal-related incidents had drastically risen during the week since Sanjou Kiishiro's hospitalization. She estimated that there might well be over a hundred people in a coma all over Japan. And that damned secrecy and antagonism between japanese hospitals! If she had all the data, she might have an easier time figuring something out. "Enter." She called, gathering her focus. The door shifted open, and a blonde female assistant doctor, only recently having risen to the spot, walked in. "Hikari-san." She panted, exertion and excitement obvious in her urgency. "We have a person awake! Case 29, Okubo Bokkai, 17 years old. He seems to be delirious." "Take me to him." Hikari rose instantly. If even one of those kids woke up, it was a blessing. Once he was well enough to speak, they might finally discover something about those disturbing accidents. Without condemning evidence, Duel International wouldn't shut down the system, but maybe - They reached the door. Loud cries and moans could be heard from within. Was Bokkai's condition stable? Without wasting any time, she went in. Four doctors were required to restrain the young bou in his bed. He seemed to have collapsed into violent spasms. Only the white of his wide eyes was visible, his mouth was open, struggling to produce a sound, but all that came were gasps and screams. "Did you try a tranquilizer?" She asked calmly, approaching the patient. The kid's arms and legs tried to flail wildly against the doctors' grip, and its entire torso had gone into convulsions. Hikari quickly skimmed through the patient's file. "We tried the minimum dose, but it had no effect." One of the doctors said, breathing heavily. "We are hesitant to provide any more, considering the situation..." "Can you hear me?" Hikari asked loudly. "Just nod if you can. A short nod is fine." No response. She took a step closer, then suddenly the boy sat up, completely still. His head was turned upwards, his blank eyes staring at something Hikari couldn't see. "The end is near." Bokkai whispered, barely audible, though thankfully, the room had fallen so quiet Hikari could easily make out the words. "I have seen it... when the fifth is found, the last battle will begin... and, win or lose, it will all be over..." And with that, he collapsed onto his bed. When Hikari tried to shake him to consciousness, he was already dead. --- Maya slowly drifted off to sleep. It had been an exhausting week. But, whatever was happening in the Duel Terminal system, she had managed to keep both herself and Yuusuke out of it. She hadn't even dared contemplate what might await her the next time she logged in. Whatever had happened in the Vision Cathedral bordered on the realm of impossibility. She had, of course, kept up with the situation. How the so-called Riding Duels spread into the Duel Terminal world. How the number of people collapsing into comatose states during a Duel Terminal session kept rising. How Duel International refused to take responsibility, and how Duel Terminals still remained in operation. And how noone took the situation seriously. However, she would involve herself no longer. It was obvious now that something much larger was at work than she or Yuusuke could handle. And entering the Duel Terminals was literally walking into the lion's jaws. Yuusuke's parents would do their best to handle the crisis - even his scatterbrained father could be very capable, if the need arose. Then, as if on cue, an alarm sounded. Maya's eyes shot open. That was no ordinary alarm. As a precaution against Yuusuke's foolishness, she had removed the Duel Terminal booth from the abandoned lot and replaced it in her own apartment. It had taken quite a bit of effort, but thanks to her modifications, it would alert her if Yuusuke happened to log into the system. For a week, it had stayed silent. And this was about as far as Maya's luck went. Gritting her teeth, she rushed to the booth. The fact that Yuusuke had logged into the European servers made no difference - Maya had foreseen that possibility, and rigged the terminal herself to cover for that possibility. Needless to say, on that occasion - which Maya had a sinking feeling would come to being sooner rather than later - there was only one course of action she could take, and that was to go in and snatch Yuusuke out herself. Of course, she would not take in the form of Stiyel Crystal - not after what had happened in the Cathedral. Her alternate account, the thirty-four ranked Sinclair, should be safe enough, however. She retrieved a small flask of powder from her desk and shoved her fingers into it. Now her fingerprints were slightly altered, shifting into the pattern registered to her alternate account. Even if Cornelius had done something - but as she placed her hand on top of the reader, she recoiled. It was not recognized. Cursing, she tried again, but it was in vain. It had once been claimed by Duel International that deletion of accounts was not done, because of the vast number of procedures involved. Every card produced inside the Duel Terminal system was unique and tracked, and deleting an account along with the cards it possessed was more complex than one may have thought. At worst, accounts were suspended or banned as punishment, but Maya could easily get around such a restriction. Somehow, though, she felt it was pointless to try. Not for the lack of warning when she tried to log in - that might as well have been disabled. But, just as something told her that Sinclair was no more, the same something told her that Stiyel Crystal still existed. Someone wanted her in there, alright, and he wanted her at her full power. Gritting her teeth, she placed her other hand on the reader, and without waiting for anything in particular, put the D-Tacher on, initiating the virtual reality system. Maya's <Duelist Home> was a grand hall, its walls, ceiling and floor seemingly grafted out of pure translucent crystal. It was massive, much larger than Maya's entire apartment in real life, and held all sorts of decorations, including statues, flora, and furniture of various forms and shapes, from a giant ebony wooden desk to entire libraries containing dueling cards and other items. She paid those things little heed - on impulse, she had spent upwards of one hundred thousand Duel Points to create the ideal home, but she hardly ever spent time here. She quickly moved her hands - a well-kept secret was that you could manipulate everything in your Duelist Home via simple motions, if you would send the appropriate signals from your brain - some said it could be done without motions at all, just by thought, since the location had a special adaptor that read and transmitted the user's signals. Thus, Maya verified Yuusuke's location. She gasped. He was no longer in the <Revenant Spire>, but his current location indicated the <Hellfire Circuit>. A Riding Field, it seemed. Maya tried accessing the warp gate that would take her there, but it was pointless. Without a D-Wheel, she could not enter a pure Riding Field, not even in <Observer Mode>, it seemed. Gritting her teeth, she made another series of motions, bringing up the relative menus. She browsed through the list of the available D-Wheels - the most expensive one was priced at fifty thousand Duel Points, a sum most Duelists would have to waste months of hard work purchasing nothing to acquire. Maya bought it without a seocnd thought, spending around a third of her total points, then gave up another twenty thousand to equip it with the most advanced parts she could find. To top it off she added the riding suit <Black Mirage> to her list of purchases, as well as a <Garage> for her Duelist Home - even though the latter was not a necessity. But as she was ready to go, she reconsidered. Caught in a Riding Duel with a regular deck was bad news. She didn't know what would happen if she entered the <Hellfire Circuit>, but she had to be prepared, or she wouldn't be able to help Yuusuke at all. Fuming at the further delay, she switched to different menus, purchased a set of all Speed Spells she could find, and brought up her deck list, to build one suitable for Riding Duels. The 'Inca' deck she had used formerly was the main deck she possessed as Sinclair, and though her cover had been blown by the time she had to duel, and she could still freely make a choice courtesy of her Velvet Grimoire, she had subconsciously picked that. Now she chose her real deck and, after saving a copy of its regular version to bring alone - she did not have the luxury of her Grimoire or her Rod in a D-Wheel - she began modifying it. One of the better perks of being a professional was that you did not need much time to get the feel of new cards, and especially with a deck she had used so much she knew by heart, it was an easy process to change it around. She'd probably have to do a more thorough job later, but it had to suffice. It still had taken her the best part of ten minutes, and she was anxious to get to the Circuit. Once she was done, she quickly equipped all her gear - she would have to restock on Duel Points now - and, after verifying Yuusuke was still in Hellfire Circuit, opened a portal to the arena. Then screamed in frustration, as the system, recognizing her as a first-time D-Wheeler, automatically took her to the tutorial stage for Riding Duels, the <Red Circuit>. Granted, Maya had no knowledge of D-Wheels or Riding Duels, but she knew how to ride a motorcycle, and she knew how to duel, even if the rules were changed a little. A tutorial would only be a pointless waste of time. As she was relocated to the arena, she was surprised to find herself already positioned on top of the DUel Disk. Visually, at least, both the vehicle and the riding suit had been worth their price. Her black suit was almost skin-tight, but surprisingly warm and convenient, presumably to buffet the rider from the intense wind. Even if the interior was thick wool, the exterior shone with a metallic gleam. Her helmet was black with silver stripes. The D-Wheel, which she nicknamed 'Avalon' on a whim, followed the same color scheme - black with white crystal veins running along the side of its main frame. Aerodynamic, sharp wing-like appendages extended from the back, and the controls were quite thorough for both driving and dueling. One quick glance was enough to ascertain the presence and location of all the controls she might need, but the tutorial went through them anyway, instructing her on how to insert her deck, hand, graveyard, extra deck, and removed cards, and how to use the monitor, switching between <Duel Display>, <Transmission Display>, and <Camera Display>, as well as the various angles for the latter. It went on to demonstrate engaging and disengaging Duel Mode, auto pilot, and various other features. After several tedious minutes, she was finally given control of her machine, and was instructed to start it up. Maya, without waiting for step-by-step guidance, revved up the engine and stomped on the accelerator. In the blink of an eye she was seeing the world as a blur, driving way faster than she ever had on a motorcycle. Knowing better than to abruptly break, she slowly pushed the speed back to a level she could control. She danced around the Circuit, performing complex maneouvers as easily as she breathed. She could never do any of those things on a real motorcycle, of course, partly because of the limitations of her own abilities, and partly because no motorcycle she knew about was so powerful and easy to control. But here, just by understanding the concept, she could easily materialize the result. That was a fundamental property of the Duel Terminal system, and one that Maya had mastered. After a few quick laps, she finally found herself back where she had started, with the tutorial section on driving finally finished. She guessed she was now going to be allowed to - "Oh, you've got to be [i]kidding[/i] me." The D-Wheel's display indicated the beginning of a new tutorial - a Riding Duel tutorial. And next to Maya, her practice opponent was already starting up his engine. But she had the sinking feeling that the sinister, fully black-clad rider, with a helmet that did not conceal a set of white teeth carved into a sinister smile, riding a black-and-crimson D-Wheel a little bulkier than Avalon, and without a few of the more luxurious additions Maya had afforded, but still looking like it could stand toe-to-toe with the fastest engine, was [i]not[/i] the kind and helpful instructor most people would usually expect at this stage. "Fine by me." She sighed. "I wish you didn't have to go for that kind of dramatic flair, but if beating you is what it takes to move on..." Her deck already equipped, she engaged Duel Mode. [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 The plot thickens. Hmmmmm.... Loving it. Though what anyone/thing has to gain from 'killing' all these duelists is beyond my imagination. All will be revealed in time, but until they then I can enjoy this engrossing read. DAMN THOSE SHADY CORPERATIVE B@STARDS!!! I do enjoy the mix of 5d's generation cards and old-school monsters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Borg Posted January 9, 2011 Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 The moral of the story: Anti-Trust allegations are true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2011 [quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1294585331' post='4922710']The plot thickens. Hmmmmm.... Loving it. Though what anyone/thing has to gain from 'killing' all these duelists is beyond my imagination. All will be revealed in time, but until they then I can enjoy this engrossing read. DAMN THOSE SHADY CORPERATIVE B@STARDS!!![/quote] The purpose for doing that to the duelists is already hinted at, to the point where I'm sure you'll figure it out if you think about it hard enough. But, if you don't feel like it, it will be revealed in Chapter 13. Chapters 11 & 12 will conclude the current saga, unofficially nicknamed "Ghost Arc", and after that a small interlude will follow. Then the beginning of the second saga will make a lot of things clear. [quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1294585331' post='4922710']I do enjoy the mix of 5d's generation cards and old-school monsters.[/quote] Thanks, I try to generally keep a variety between the decks that are used - there will actually be quite a few non-Synchro-spamming duelists in the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 And here is chapter 11. This is actually as far as I've written, so it might take a few more days to dish chapter 12 out. I'm hoping not too many - my plan is to be done with chapter 12 and the first arc, as well as the accompanying interlude, by Friday, which I should be able to fit into my schedule. At any rate, this chapter is a little longer than usual, mostly because I wanted to fit this duel into a single chapter. Enjoy! [spoiler=Chapter 11] [center][b][u]Chapter 11:[/b] Dark Piercing Light[/u][/center] Thanks to Yuusuke's manipulation of the Duel Terminal system, it had taken quite a while before the alert Maya had set went off. In the meantime, Yuusuke had finished his duel with Ghost, and had watched the <Revenant Spire> crumble almost underneath his feet, taking his opponent down with it. And in front of him, Yuusuke now saw an open portal. Though it was hard to see through the glimmering white circle, the dimly outlined field of brimstone and fire that lay beyond was certainly [i]not[/i] the way out, as he had been promised. He was curious, so he had to try, but disconnecting didn't work either. Well, he was already on a road of no return. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the portal, to face the next challenge in this hellish game his enemies seemed to have set him on. --- Kiishiro had quickly ascended from the base of the mountains to the highest peak that was present in the Riding Field, <Falcon Ridge>. There was still no sign of anyone here, nor was there any indication on his D-Wheel's screen. There seemed to be a crucial difference between <Duel Fields> and <Riding Fields>. The motion lock system was done away, at least as long as someone was riding a D-Wheel. That meant that Riding Fields were not instanced, like regular Duel Fields. A new instance was created every hour or so, and all duelists that joined within the timeframe of that hour were in the same instance. A Riding Field had tracks for multiple Riding Duels going on at once, and if by any chance the limit was reached, duelists were put on a waiting status until the new instance could be initialized. This system was created to save 'space' rather than optimize resources. What this meant in the grand design scheme, Kiishiro could not guess. He looked up at the sky. To his surprise, the clear, bright blue dome that covered Falcon Ridge was replaced by the assembling thunderclouds of an ominous storm. [i]It's coming.[/i] He realized, just before the alarm on his D-Wheel rang. --- [i]Ambushing me during a tutorial test run? What's next?[/i] Maya scowled. Both decks were automatically shuffled, and the D-Wheels engaged into Duel Mode. "Speed World 2, activate!" The opponent said. Maya simply shook her head. [spoiler=Speed World 2][b]Speed World 2[/b] SPELL / Field If you activate a non-"Speed Spell" Spell Card, take 2000 damage. During each player's Standby Phase, place 1 Speed Counter on this card (max. 12). You can remove any number of Speed Counters from this card to activate an appropriate effect: • 4: Inflict 800 damage to your opponent for each "Speed Spell" Spell Card in your hand. • 7: Draw 1 card. • 10: Select and destroy 1 card on the field.[/spoiler] [center][i][b]Riding Duel - Acceleration![/b][/i][/center] This time, Maya spared no effort in outrunning her enemy. As advanced as his engine was, Avalon was still superior, and Maya reached the first corner in a burst of speed that left even herself a little dazed. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 4000[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "Ghost, eh? I guess I'll have to get rid of you for good this time. Draw!" She snatched a card out of her deck, and placed it in the hand slot of the motorcycle. One of the biggest challenges in Riding Duels was supposed to be driving with one hand, while using your cards with the other. She supposed that might be troublesome in real life, but in here, Avalon seemed to respond to her thoughts as much as her movements, and she had no difficulty controlling the machine even at such a great speed. "I summon Critter in defense mode. Two face-down cards, turn end." She said simply. A generic defensive monster that would net her an advantage. She would not show her deck's true colors yet. [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] "My turn, draw!" Ghost barked. Instantly, the Speed Counters rose for both players. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - SPC: 1[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - SPC: 1[/i][/center] "You're not gonna like this..." He chuckled. "I summon Koa Kimeiru Guardian in attack mode!" A granite knight whose armor and weaponry was inexplicably shining appeared on the field. "Guardian, strike down her Critter!" With a single slash, the Koa Kimeiru monster wiped out the small fiend. [spoiler=Koa Kimeiru Guardian][b]Koa Kimeiru Guardian[/b] EARTH / Rock Level 4 1900/1200 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 Rock-Type monster in your hand. You can Tribute this card to negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect and destroy that monster.[/spoiler] Koa Kimeiru deck. One of the most feared decks for duelists who used prominent strategies based on fast speed and quick Special Summons. The Koa Kimeiru cards were designed to counter them all. They were a 'control' deck. They meant to stop the opponent from doing what he needed in order to win, and then proceed to win by attrition. It sometimes worked, it sometimes didn't. Koa Kimeiru monsters prided themselves on high attack for their level, and aimed to negate any effects that would destroy them. The downside was having to either pay a cost in the form of discarding the Iron Core, or holding a specific type of card in one's hand, which they would be required to reveal during the End Phase. "I am activating Critter's effect. Are you going to counter it?" Maya asked coolly. "Why bother? Add whatever you want." Ghost sneered. "Very well." She picked out a card, and did not bother to display it to her opponent. He could check his D-Wheel's panel if he so wished. But he showed no sign of interest, and placed three cards face-down. "In my End Phase, I reveal the Rock monster Koa Kimeiru Wall to preserve Guardian on the field. Turn end." He said. "Then back to me. Draw." Maya retorted. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - SPC: 2[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - SPC: 2[/i][/center] [i]Here goes.[/i] "I summon Demon Roar God Raven!" She declared. A demonic creature of humanoid appearance, but clad in black feathered armor and wearing a raven mask, appeared on the field. From its lower arms, twin sinister black-and-crimson wings sprouted. [spoiler=Demon Roar God Raven][b]Demon Roar God Raven[/b] LIGHT / Fiend / Tuner Level 2 1300/1000 Once per turn, you can discard any number of cards from your hand and increase the Level of this card by the number of discarded cards, until the End Phase. This card also gains ATK equal to the number of discarded cards x 400, until the End Phase.[/spoiler] "Raven's effect allows me to send any cards from my hand to the Graveyard, in order to give it a power boost. However, both sending the cards and powering Raven up are part of the effect. Therefore, you must choose to negate it now, if you desire to use Guardian's effect." "Then I will." Ghost snapped. Koa Kimeiru Guardian glowed in a bright luster, evaporating Raven. "I happen to know Raven's discarding effect is a core strategy for the Demon Roar God deck. "And I have to thank you for clearing the way for me to use it." Maya replied. "Trap, activate! Call of the Living Dead!" The all-too familiar revival card brought Raven back from the Graveyard. [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] "Raven's effect! I send from my hand to the Graveyard two cards, to power Raven up by two levels, and eight hundred points! But, as one of the cards sent to the Graveyard via this effect is Demon Roar God Lurrie, it is Special Summoned!" A tiny masked devil, soaring on its oversized black wings with a wide grin on its face, settled next to Raven in defense mode. [spoiler=Demon Roar God Lurrie][b]Demon Roar God Lurrie[/b] LIGHT / Fiend Level 1 200/400 When this card is discarded from your hand to the Graveyard, Special Summon it.[/spoiler] "A Synchro Summon?" Ghost asked suspiciously. "There's no need for that now." Maya replied. "Raven is strong enough. Demon Roar God Raven, direct attack!" Raven lashed at the enemy, using its wings as blades to slash down his D-Wheel. "Then I retaliate with Dimensional Imprisonment! I will remove Raven from the game once and for all!" Ghost snarled, as an interdimensional warphole opened between himself and Raven. [spoiler=Dimensional Imprisonment][b]Dimensional Imprisonment[/b] TRAP / Normal Activate only when your opponent declares an attack. Remove from play the attacking monster.[/spoiler] "It's not that easy." Maya sighed. "I counter with Compulsory Evacuation Device. It returns Raven to my hand, and dissolves the effect of your Trap card." Raven vanished, its card glowing briefly before being deactivated so that Maya could restore it to her hand before it would be absorbed by the effect of Ghost's trap. [spoiler=Compulsory Evacuation Device][b]Compulsory Evacuation Device[/b] TRAP / Normal Return 1 monster on the field to its owner's hand.[/spoiler] She looked at the three cards she held, and her lips formed a small smile. Next turn, she would be able to surprise her opponent greatly. "I set one face-down card, turn end." "Draw!" Ghost said forcefully, apparently unhappy that his Dimensional Imprisonment had failed to do any damage last turn. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - SPC: 3[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - SPC: 3[/i][/center] "I summon Koa Kimeiru Wall!" He said. A giant brick wall with arms, legs and a head, looking like some sort of cartoon golem, appeared on the field. [spoiler=Koa Kimeiru Wall][b]Koa Kimeiru Wall[/b] EARTH / Rock Level 4 1900/1200 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 Rock-Type monster in your hand. You can Tribute this card to negate the activation of an opponent's Spell Card and destroy that card.[/spoiler] "Crush her Lurrie!" Ghost ordered, and the cumbersome creature smashed the small demon with a rock-hard fist. "I think that's all for now. During the End Phase, I reveal this card in my hand to keep Wall out." Maya's eyes narrowed, and she recoiled in surprise as she detected the monster via her D-Wheel's display. Legendary Jujitsu Fighter? Then that meant - this guy wasn't using a Koa Kimeiru deck. He was using a Rock deck, focused on ways to control the opponent's moves! [i]If that's the case, I'll have to deal with him fast, before he can pull off a lockdown.[/i] "Draw!" Maya said. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - SPC: 4[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - SPC: 4[/i][/center] "First, I summon Raven again. Any objections?" She inquired as the humanoid bird reappeared on the field. "None." Ghost said flatly. "Then I activate Raven's effect, sending the remaining two cards in my hand to the Graveyard. This increases his Level to four, and his attack to 2100." She waited a little, but she gathered no reaction. "Next, Limit Rebirth. I can revive Lurrie with it, since her attack points are a thousand or less." [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] "Why bother reviving that weakling?" Ghost taunted. "Even Critter would have been a better option..." Critter [i]would[/i] have been a better option, most of the time. But, Maya had a better way of maintaining hand advantage, and a better way of pulling out Ghost's traps. "I tune my Level 1 Demon Roar God Lurrie to my, now Level 4, Demon Roar God Raven." Maya said then, raising her hand as her two monsters disappeared in pillars of surging light. "Synchro Summon!" No less than four green circles warped into existence next to her, crossed by a single bright star. The monster that burst forth looked like an upgraded form of Raven, with sharpened features and longer wings, clad in armor of red, black and gold. "Appear, Demon Roar God Reigion!" [spoiler=Demon Roar God Reigion][b]Demon Roar God Reigion[/b] LIGHT / Fiend / Synchro Level 5 2300/1800 1 "Demon Roar God" Tuner Monster + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned, if you have 1 or less cards in your hand, you can draw until you have 2 cards in your hand.[/spoiler] "Impressive, but not good enough." Ghost said. "I activate Pitfall of Hades, which not only destroys your monster, but also removes it from the game, rendering you unable to use it again!" [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] "Pitfall of Hades doesn't stop the effect of Reigion from activating, though." Maya said calmly. Ghost growled - perhaps he had thought Maya would have not known that, or not known about the 'priority' rules instead - the second was unlikely, since it was a programmed machine, and if the case was the first, the one who had sent Ghost there clearly didn't know who they were targeting. "Since I hold no cards in my hand, I can draw until I have two cards." She waved her empty hand to demonstrate, although she didn't actually keep her cards in her hand during the Riding Duel. Her deck ejected its top two cards, which she plucked into the appropriate slot, examining them. "I'm sure you've noticed that, even though I used both Call of the Living Dead and Limit Rebirth, both of them remain on the field uselessly, since, rather than destroying the Summoned monsters, I instead removed them via means of Synchro Summoning. Therefore, I can use this card without a significant cost. Speed Spell - High Speed Crash! It destroys one card on my side, namely Call of the Living Dead, and one card on your side, namely your Koa Kimeiru Wall." [spoiler=Speed Spell - High Speed Crash][b]Speed Spell - High Speed Crash[/b] SPELL / Normal Activate only while you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Destroy 1 card you control and 1 other card on the field.[/spoiler] "Fine!" Ghost snarled as both cards were blown away. "And now that that's out of the way, I will use Speed Spell - Angel Baton!" Maya continued. "I get to draw two cards, provided I discard one afterwards. And I'm sure you understand why this Spell is even more useful than normally in my deck." The enraged expression on Ghost's face said that he did. [spoiler=Speed Spell - Angel Baton][b]Speed Spell - Angel Baton[/b] SPELL / Normal Activate while you have 2 or more Speed Counters. Draw 2 cards. Afterwards, send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Now I draw." Maya stated. "And I send Demon Roar God Krus to the Graveyard. That means, I can select a Level 4 or lower Demon Roar God monster from my Graveyard, except Krus herself, and Special Summon it instantly." [spoiler=Demon Roar God Krus][b]Demon Roar God Krus[/b] LIGHT / Fiend Level 2 1000/800 When this card is discarded to the Graveyard, select 1 Level 4 or lower "Demon Roar God" monster in your Graveyard, except this card, and Special Summon it.[/spoiler] "So what?" Ghost said. "All your Demon Roar God monsters in the Graveyard are weak." Maya shook her head. If this was the level the Ghosts were at, there was almost no reason to be worried about them at all. Well, except that she knew that whoever was behind them was the true threat here. At any rate - "With Raven, I discarded a total of four cards." She explained. "One of them was Lurrie. You never saw what the other three were, even though it would have been a simple matter. If you had, you would have known there was something stronger sleeping in my Graveyard - namely, Demon Roar God Urustos!" The monster that appeared could be described as a black spectre, faithful in many ways to the typical image of a grim reaper, except its robes were tattered and it bore skeletal feathered wings. The skull that had replaced its face also had a strange grin-like expression, that made the creature seem even more bizarre. Well, this kind of appearance was hardly unexpected from the Demon Roar God creatures, who drew inspiration from the strangest mythological sources and fables. This was one of the reasons why Maya had become so attached to them - controversial and unpredictable, Light-bound demons of strange sorts that could be fallen angels, or fiends turned to a noble cause. They had won her the European tournament several years ago, and they had thus been hailed as a powerful archetype - but people soon found out that, much like the Lightlords, and perhaps even moreso, their use entailed many risks as the lack of hand advantage could prove crippling to a duelist, moreso than depleting one's deck might. Still, in the right hands, they were devastating. [spoiler=Demon Roar God Urustos][b]Demon Roar God Urustos[/b] LIGHT / Fiend Level 4 1500/200 While you have 2 or less cards in your hand, all face-up "Demon Roar God" monsters you control gain 400 ATK.[/spoiler] "As I'm holding just one card at the moment, Urustos gains four hundred points." Maya explained. "So? Ready to lose just about half your Life Points in one blow?" "Hardly. Trap card, open! Call of the Living Dead!" Ghost said. "I revive Koa Kimeiru Guardian from my Graveyard!" The shining form of the iron-clad warrior appeared on the field. "What now? Our monsters' scores are tied. If you battle, you'll be wide open next turn." "Battle!" Maya continued, unimpended. "Demon Roar God Urustos, attack Koa Kimeiru Guardian!" Just as the flying reaper struck at the shining golem, the Guardian brought up its sword to pierce the devil's heart. Both monsters were annihilated instantly. "Turn end." She said, letting no hint of emotion penetrate her tone. "My turn! Draw!" Ghost sneered. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - SPC: 5[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - SPC: 5[/i][/center] "You are going to regret leaving yourself open... I summon my third Koa Kimeiru monster! Come, Koa Kimeiru Sandman!" Another golem, with a massive torso supported by deceptively small and fragile legs, which seemed to be built out of hard sand, appeared on the field. Like its predecessors, its attack and defense scores stood at 1900 and 1200. [spoiler=Koa Kimeiru Sandman][b]Koa Kimeiru Sandman[/b] EARTH / Rock Level 4 1900/1200 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 Rock-Type monster in your hand. You can Tribute this card to negate the activation of an opponent's Trap Card and destroy that card.[/spoiler] "Next, I remove from play Koa Kimeiru Guardian, to Special Summon Gigantes from my hand!" He held out the Guardian's card, and it dissolved in light, making way for a new monster, a red-skinned ogre armored in spiked plates, which used a massive log held in one hand as a club. [spoiler=Gigantes][b]Gigantes[/b] EARTH / Rock Level 4 1900/1200 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing from play 1 EARTH monster in your Graveyard. When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.[/spoiler] "Both of you, direct attack!" The two Rock monsters leapt against Maya's D-Wheel. "Those two will be enough to deal 3800 points of damage... that won't finish you off..." "...I'd like to say that, but you people have a tendency to make the most impossible reversals." Ghost concluded. "That is why, I'm taking you down right now!" "How?" Maya asked. "The only card left in your hand is that Legendary Jujitsu Fighter." "I don't have to take your Life Points down to zero to beat you." The sound of wheels slashing at the road like steel blades suddenly pierced the air, causing Maya to flinch. In that burst of sudden acceleration, Ghost had ridden right up to her. "Overdrive System?!" She exclaimed in surprise. It had been an investment she had, of course, partaken to, as the acceleration boost could prove valuable in the beginning of a Duel regardless of the slowdown effect afterwards. But now Ghost had used it, a trail of blazing blue fire leaping out of his D-Wheel's exhaust pipes, and had cornered her just as they were about to take a steep right turn. "Prepare to experience the meaning of a 'Death Riding Duel'! Gigantes, strike her down!" The giant struck her D-Wheel with its club, and Maya screamed from the impact, being thrown off her course. Ghost slammed into her, and despite her desperate attempt at breaking, she was in no condition to control her D-Wheel. She started losing her balance, but struggled to stay upright. If she crashed at this speed - ! [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 2100[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "Sandman, press on with the attack!" Ghost laughed mercilessly, as his second monster slammed its fist into Maya's side, targeting her directly despite the cover of Avalon's side wings. Maya gave an agonizing scream as she felt her ribs shatter. [i]No! This is what happened to the others - if a strong enough shock is delivered, the mind interprets it as real, and translates the virtual 'death' to a real one! Whatever is happening here is imaginary! If I can just - ![/i] But when you were about to slam onto the asphalt, possibly in very close proximity to a D-Wheel that could explode at any second, after taking a brutal strike, what was imaginary and what was real were not quite so easy to tell apart. Ghost kept slamming his machine against Maya's, and she was about to crash - Darkness exploded. Shadow tendrils rose from around her, from [i]within[/i] her, cloaking the world in blackness. In that ultimate void, Maya thought she was dead. Fear gripped her like an iron chain. Had she died like this, uselessly, not even able to finish off one duel - ? And then, something whispered in the darkness. It was not a benign entity that offered a hand of salvation. It was a herald of doom, one whose dread Maya - no, not Maya. It was Stiyel Crystal, the Night Queen, who was now her, and Kirizaki Maya was merely a reflection of her in another world. For she remembered that feeling well - this was real. Stiyel Crystal was familiar with this dread. She raised her hand, dissolving the darkness. The Queen of the Night would not fall to the devil's shadow, and she would certainly not fall to some mere dueling bot, no matter how malignent its programming. She opened her eyes. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 200[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "I - impossible!" Ghost screamed in frustration. Maya glanced around, and she noticed that she had activated her own Overdrive System, barely crossing the corner and leaving her opponent behind in the process. How she had managed to do that, then regain her balance, was a miracle to her - but in this world, where she was who she was, a miracle was very much possible. "Upon the conclusion of your second attack, I activate the effect of Tragoedia." She said coldly. "This monster can be Special Summoned after taking damage from a direct attack." The shadow had settled beside her, materializing into a terrible visage. A massive demon crafted out of pure black, vile claws and wings like sharp spears protruding from its body, its face a mask of terror with a gigantic mouth ready to swallow all, had arrived on her empty field. [spoiler=Tragoedia][b]Tragoedia[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 10 ?/? You can Special Summon this card from your hand when you take Battle Damage. This card gains 600 ATK and DEF for each card in your hand. Once per turn, you can send 1 monster from your hand to the Graveyard to take control of 1 face-up monster your opponent controls with the same Level as the sent monster. Once per turn, you can select 1 monster in your Graveyard; this card's Level becomes the same as that monster's, until the End Phase.[/spoiler] "Tragoedia?!" Ghost sounded strangled. "That is - !!" "Yes, I suppose it is an illegal card." Maya said. "It is one of the few - very few - cards that were released exclusively in one continent. This one was released in Europe, and though, like all other cards, it was freely available to the public, its cost was so steep that few ever owned it, and fewer used it well. But I was the first to acquire it, when I won the championship, as a promotional card. And this monster will finish you off." "Boast all you want, but I know that Tragoedia's effect determines its attack and defense scores by the number of cards in your hand!" Ghost said. "And you have just one! Unless you draw something that can really tip the scales for you, Tragoedia will be of no use! And I'd like to see you try beating me in this single turn! Turn end!" "Draw." Maya said simply, and at this point, both D-Wheelers' Speed Counters rose to six. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - SPC: 6[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - SPC: 6[/i][/center] "I activate the Speed Spell - Shift Down." Maya said. Most D-Wheelers would agree that, thanks to Speed World 2's drawing feature, Shift Down was a worthless Spell to include. But, the fact that all regular Spell cards were left unusable had permitted a lot of extra deck space for Maya. After a quick scan, she had determined that Shift Down was as good a Spell card to include as any, for those situations where one Speed Counter was all the difference between victory and defeat. After all, her Demon Roar God deck relied so much on discarding cards from the hand that, if it ever turned out to be a dead draw, she could easily send it to the graveyard as part of one of her cards' cost. And now her decision had paid off. "I reduce my Speed Counters by six, to zero, and instead I can draw twice." She fell behind Ghost, and she noticed with a certain pleasure that he was forced to turn his head back, looking at her uneasily. [spoiler=Speed Spell - Shift Down][b]Speed Spell - Shift Down[/b] SPELL / Normal Remove 6 of your Speed Counters. Draw 2 cards.[/spoiler] [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - SPC: 0[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - SPC: 6[/i][/center] "Tragoedia's effect activates, targeting a monster in my Graveyard." Maya said. "The monster I target is Level 6, so Tragoedia's Level will become 6, until my End Phase." "A level 6 monster?!" Ghost was surprised. "You don't have any - " "I told you." Maya interrupted. "The monsters that were discarded by Raven... you only saw two of them. The monster I emulated with Tragoedia is Demon Roar God Soulkius!" [spoiler=Demon Roar God Soulkius][b]Demon Roar God Soulkius[/b] LIGHT / Fiend Level 6 2200/2100 You can send 2 cards, except "Demon Roar God Soulkius", from your hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon this card from the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Next, I activate Tragoedia's second effect. By discarding the Level 4, Demon Roar Beast Gallabas, from my hand, I can take control of Koa Kimeiru Sandman." She sent another card to the Graveyard, and Sandman shifted over to her side of the field. [spoiler=Demon Roar God Gallabas][b]Demon Roar God Gallabas[/b] LIGHT / Fiend Level 4 1500/800 You can discard 1 card to the Graveyard to destroy 1 face-up monster your opponent controls with DEF lower than this card's ATK.[/spoiler] "And now, remember how I said there were four cards sent by Raven? Well, one of them was Lurrie. The second was Soulkius. When I called out Raven again, I sent Urustos. And I also sent one more card, whose effect I am activating now! Demon Roar God Kushano's effect activates! I can send any Demon Roar God monster to the Graveyard, to add this card to my hand!" [spoiler=Demon Roar God Kushano][b]Demon Roar God Kushano[/b] LIGHT / Fiend / Tuner Level 3 1500/800 You can discard 1 "Demon Roar God" monster to the Graveyard except "Demon Roar God Kushano" to add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler] "Do you know why the Demon Roar God monsters are so much stronger now than when I won the tournament with them?" Maya inquired. She took Ghost's silence as a no. "It is because a new set of cards has been released, monsters that work in perfect synergy with the Demon Roar Gods. And now I'm discarding one of them to retrieve Kushano! Demon Roar God Beast, Cerburrel!" She exchanged her cards, but immediately, she picked out the card that had just been sent to the Graveyard, and Summoned it to the field. A three-headed puny dog, looking almost like what a cerberus plushie would have, had one been made, materialized next to the horror of Tragoedia. [spoiler=Demon Roar God Beast Cerburrel][b]Demon Roar God Beast Cerburrel[/b] LIGHT / Beast / Tuner Level 2 1000/400 When this card is discarded to the Graveyard, Special Summon it.[/spoiler] "How did that happen?" Ghost demanded. "It's simple. Cerburrel's effect allows it to be Special Summoned, when it is discarded from my hand, as it was just now thanks to Kushano. And don't forget, I haven't Normal Summoned anything yet. Come, Demon Roar God Kushano!" At first glance, what appeared was a female clad fully in a diving suit complete with a mask. However, it was her skin that was actually a light blue color, as betrayed by her azure hair flowing freely behind her, and the twin wings were also of that unusual coloration. "Wha - what do you intend to do with all these monsters?" Ghost was literally swaying on his D-Wheel right now, trying to keep track of all of Maya's creatures. "What else?" Maya said, not even bothering to hide her disdain. "Beat you down to death. Both Kushano and Cerburrel are Tuner monsters. Now, let's go! I tune my, now Level 6, Tragoedia, to my Level 2 Demon Roar God Beast Cerburrel." Light and darkness seemed to intertwine, as the unholy union between demon and beast took place. The sky shimmered, as from within a ring of two concentric circles passed six dark stars, coruscating into a pillar of light that heralded the appearance of a new creature. "Synchro Summon! Rise, Demon Roar God Valkyrus!" Another winged devil appeared, this one of a much more majestic form than the others. Tall and imposing, following Reigion's color scheme but with the gold and scarlet parts more emphasized, it was a ferocious sight. [spoiler=Demon Roar God Valkyrus][b]Demon Roar God Valkyrus[/b] LIGHT / Fiend / Synchro Level 8 2900/1700 1 "Demon Roar God" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters Once per turn, you can discard 1 Fiend-Type monster to draw 1 card.[/spoiler] "Now, if my math is right, my monster's attack totals at 6300, which, deducting the 1900 points of your Gigantes, is more than enough to leave you with nothing. But, I figure I should at least put that creature of yours to good use before I send you to meet your maker... or whatever happens to you when you are put out of comission. So, let's do this thing. I tune my Level 4 Koa Kimeiru Sandman to my Level 3 Demon Roar God Kushano!" "A level seven Synchro? There is none within the Demon Roar God archetype..." Ghost spat. He seemed to be trying to pick up speed, maybe escape from the circuit, but despite the difference in the Speed Counters, Maya's Avalon kept up with her opponent. "But there is one such Synchro monster of the demon type, and it is occasionally a quite useful one." Maya explained, as the light of another tuning process burst forth. "Synchro Summon! Descend, Demon Chaos King!" A blue-skinned demon with flaming red wings protruding from its arms appeared on the field, settling next to its more majestic counterpart. [spoiler=Demon Chaos King][b]Demon Chaos King[/b] DARK / Fiend / Synchro Level 7 2700/2600 1 Fiend-Type Tuner monster + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters When this card declares an attack, you can switch the ATK and DEF of all face-up monsters your opponent controls, until the end of the Battle Phase.[/spoiler] "And when Demon Chaos King attacks, the attack and defense scores of your monsters are switched." Maya said. The demonic creature leapt to Ghost's D-Wheel, slashing at Gigantes, whose attack power had been reduced to 1200, with its bladed wings. Ghost grunted as his Life fell to 2500, and his D-Wheel started staggering sideways. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 200[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - LP: 2500[/i][/center] "And this is payback for earlier." Maya said coldly, raising her hand. Ghost looked up in fear, as Valkyrus loomed over him. "Demon Roar God Valkyrus, direct attack!" The winged beast pointed its clawed hand at Ghost, and a powerful shockwave erupted forward from its fingers, striking down its target. Ghost screamed as his D-Wheel totalled, exploding in a massive burst of fire. [center][i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 200[/i] [i][b]Ghost[/b] - LP: 0[/i][/center] Maya did not bother stopping to check the status of her opponent. With swift motions, she deactivated Duel Mode in her D-Wheel, and instead opted to create a portal to her original destination. She had wasted a long time with this farce, and the fact that Yuusuke was still in <Hellfire Circuit> probably meant he had run into trouble of the same variety. Maya would not allow anything to happen to him there. The warpgate opened in front of her, and she ran through. [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2011 Inb4bump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Borg Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 I am amazed Maya uses Fableds. Shouldn't there be safety devices in place to stop the competitors from ramming each other? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 [quote name='Naturia Cat' timestamp='1294704370' post='4926217'] I am amazed Maya uses Fableds. Shouldn't there be safety devices in place to stop the competitors from ramming each other? [/quote] Yes, but Ghosts can work around any such restrictions, as demonstrated as early as chapter 2, when Yuusuke's opponent was unbound by the motion lock system. Since there is, actually, a provision for manually removing that system during a duel (for a more 'realistic' experience - it should be remembered that, under regular conditions, even crashing should cause no harm to the physical body of the user, simply an unpleasant sensation in the virtual reality), it is simpler than other means of hacking. It is actually a powerful weapon Ghosts possess against ordinary duelists - what Ghosts are trying to do is cause a sensation that is the equivalent of a killing blow. Of course, they would not be able to use guns or, say, bombs, are such things do not even exist in the Duel Terminal system. But whether they try to accomplish their goal by attacking with powerful monsters (after, of course, they disable the impact absorbers that are meant to greatly reduce and regulate the stimulation the brain receives from such events), such as ZONE did with Kiishiro, or whether they impose such a feeling by causing the opponent to crash while running at high speed, or throwing him off a tower, or whatever, is entirely up to the circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Borg Posted January 11, 2011 Report Share Posted January 11, 2011 And they didn't just make it so the monsters went right through you, removing the need for impact absorbers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2011 [quote name='Naturia Cat' timestamp='1294783467' post='4928013'] And they didn't just make it so the monsters went right through you, removing the need for impact absorbers? [/quote] That's what happens, in a sense. When you're in a virtual reality, the purpose is to have a system that stimulates the brain with signals, that the brain can then accept as real. But that means that everything that happens there is accepted as real. The dangers are obvious - if your brain is stimulated with the fact that 'a giant dragon just bit your head off', you'll probably go into shock and die (unless you have titanium nerves). Therefore, simulating a duel requires those signals that are sent when you are attacked and take damage to be controlled, otherwise the brain could easily translate that damage into reality and fall apart. Therefore, the signals are controlled. You do not receive the signal that 'a dragon just bit your head off', you receive the signal that 'the illusion of a dragon just bit your head off', and a slight discomfort / shock for the damage. But, this is obviously not a fool-proof system. The virtual world still emulates reality - otherwise it would serve no purpose. If you remove the regulators (which is possible), then that 'illusion' will become reality, and your brain will receive the full shock of the attack. And then you're probably rather screwed. Could a system without those dangers have been implemented? Yes. But people don't use the Duel Terminals to just play Duel Monsters with only visual stimulation. It would be extremely simpler - not to mention much cheaper - to construct machines like Duel Disks and arenas and use them instead. The point is to let players experience the duel in a more direct fashion. After all, the system wasn't constructed to be hacked. The same principles described above apply to everything experienced in the virtual world, including riding a D-Wheel. Of course, that last argument goes out the window when you consider that the ones that are exploiting this system and causing all this damage are, apparently, the ones who constructed it in the first place. You can make up your own interpretations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Chapter 12. With this, the first arc is concluded. No dueling here, but quite a bit of exposition. As has been mentioned, next installment will be character profiles for the first arc. [spoiler=Chapter 12] [center][b][u]Chapter 12:[/b] Beginning of the End[/u][/center] [center][i][b]WARNING: The system is shutting down for emergency maintainance. All duelists are required to log out within the next fifteen minutes. Repeat, all duelists are required to log out within the next fifteen minutes.[/b][/i][/center] Fifteen minutes had passed since Kiishiro had arrived at the <Falcon Ridge>. He had been about to swoop down onto the three D-Wheelers that had arrived at the area near the base of the mountain, two clearly in pursuit of the third, when that sudden announcement froze him right in his tracks. "ZONE?" He called, quickly switching the customized Glass Stream into remote communications system. "Did you hear that announcement? What is going on here?" "[i]Most likely, their plans have been finally set into motion.[/i]" Came the response. "[i]There is no point in even trying to disconnect right now - it has been completely disabled. That announcement is only there as a distraction. I suspect something terrible happened in your world, which caused them to begin faster than they normally wanted to.[/i]" Kiishiro did not respond. Something terrible... that could only mean... "[i]More importantly, they are there. Kiishiro, can you locate them?[/i]" "Yeah, I see them." He responded, starting up the engine of his D-Wheel again. He raced down the mountainous track, crossing the distance from the peak to the ground in only a few minutes. Two D-Wheels, one black-and-white, the second red-and-gold, were racing behind a third one, whose color was metallic green. The first two were of similar design, broad and with a large volume, built for strength and endurance rather than mobility, while the third was leaner and rather plain. On top of that last D-Wheel there was a person - a young boy, from what Kiishiro could see under the helmet. He was clad in a simple black riding outfit, and was very clearly frightened. The other two D-Wheelers, he could not discern clearly, but they were dressed in uniform black outfits. They were not like the Ghosts Kiishiro had faced. Their suits were skin-tight and metallic, with a single sharp blade-like appendage on the left shoulder. Their helmets concealed their entire heads, but Kiishiro saw, to his surprise, that the one on the black-and-white D-Wheel was clearly female. There had been no female Ghosts. The mysterious pair was obviously chasing down the boy. Their D-Wheels had already smashed into their prey's side several times, judging by the state of the frame, and he was barely able to keep going. His head turned surprised towards Kiishiro, and he stretched out a hand, as if pleading for help. Kiishiro, not slowing down, smashed the sharp front of his D-Wheel into the red-tinted frame of one of the pursuers, knocking him off his course. With one of the people flanking him temporarily out of the way, the boy was able to pick up speed again, though he would not hold out at this rate. "I don't know who you guys are or what do you want, but I'll deal with you the same way as always." Kiiishiro proclaimed loudly enough for both to hear him. He engaged his D-Wheel's Duel Mode, but to his great surprise, he had entered combat under a different set of rules: the <Tag Team> rules, one of the sets of conditions that allowed teams to participate in battle, as opposed to single duelists. And on one side was him and the mysterious boy. "No choice, then." Kiishiro sighed, pushing forward. Whoever would pass the first corner first would take the first turn. The first person to pass from the enemy team would take the second turn, then the second person from the first team would be up, and so on. "Hey, you over there!" Kiishiro called out to the person following him, the woman on that bulky machine close behind. "What's your name?" "Jinrei Yenma." The boy muttered, still frightened. "Do... do you know what's going on? Those crazy people started hunting me down, and even though the announcement said that, I can't disconnect..." "I'll tell you what I know, but first, we have to deal with these two." Kiishiro said. "Play carefully, and we should be able to win..." He wished he was certain of that - in a tag team duel, you had to rely on your partner as much as on your own skills, and Kiishiro had no idea how good this guy was, not to mention, in that terrified mental state there was no telling if he would be up to the challenge... But suddenly, Kiishiro felt a strange pulse, something like an afterglow in the back of his head. Distracted, he pulled a card out of his deck slot and looked at it, then back at the boy. It couldn't be - !! "Take this." He shouted, tossing the card at him. The woman made as if to move for it, but Kiishiro knocked her out of the way, allowing Yenma to catch the card. At least he had rather good reflexes. His eyes widened in shock. "This is - !! Where did you get such a card?" "Leave that for later. Just put it to good use, and pray we get out of this so that I can tell you." Kiishiro muttered. All four duelists were at about the same level, rather close to the first corner of the uphill slope. It had begun. [center][i][b]Riding Duel - Acceleration![/b][/i][/center] It was time to compete for the first turn. Without another word, Kiishiro turned around and pushed on the accelerator, surging forth at a speed that neither Yenma nor his pursuers could hope to match. The woman abandoned the tagging of her prey and rushed forward behind Kiishiro, while the guy tailed Yenma closely. Kiishiro quickly secured the first turn for them, but that was hardly any guarantee for victory. There was nothing else to do except fight. --- The concept of the stock market had collapsed twelve years ago, when an extremely skillful hacker, who as of yet has been unidentified and remains at large, had caused a massive disaster worth billions of dollars to a large amount of companies and stock buyers. This period, which initiated one of the largest economical revolutions in the history of the world, was a wake-up call for most large corporations. Unwilling to trust their funding to outside organizations, they either degraded to small, privately funded companies, or merged with others into huge trusts. Such was the case with Duel International, which was, up to ten years ago, a relatively small company stationed in Japan known as Duel World. It sought partners in many other corporations, major players in the world of hardware and software development, as well as general entertainment. It could even be said that the stock market's sabotage created the right conditions for those companies to set onto a path of revolutionary progress. Now a multi-national organization with dozens of subsidiaries and a variety of partners, Duel International's leadership was handled by a directive board consisting of, originally, nine people, the three most prominent executives of each continental branch. Using the virtual technology available, of course, it was child's play to organize staff meetings of the highest secrecy, without even one of the members having to move from their room, much less their country. However, this gathering was considered important enough that all of the commitee's members had travelled to the company's headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany. Except, in the massive conference room on top of a huge skyscraper, where the view through the reinforced glass window sheets extended to the entire expanse of the city and beyond, there were only eight people present. In this chamber, only the elite nine were allowed in during conferences. Armed guards waited outside barred steel doors. No sound could escape from within the room's confines. The room was generally round, its floor of pure white marble, and the ceiling a dome, with great chandeliers hanging overhead. In a way, it was more impressive than any area constructed for the virtual world of the Duel Terminals, as if a reminder that fable would never surpass reality. In the center a massive oaken table stretched to around half the size of the room, with nine seats placed symetrically around it. In front of each seat sat a computer, with top-security access to both the Internet and the company's internal network, as well as a separate network restricted to only within this room. In a way, Duel International's heart operated with as much privacy and secrecy as America's ministry of defense. Today, noone sat. Everyone was standing besides their designated chair, occasionally casting a nervous glance at the others. It was no secret between them that trust was a foreign concept in such a circle. Each and every one of them plotted for influence and vied for control, and a single wrong move by one member could bring them all down, along with the entire company. It was a precarious situation, and the balance was literally hanging from a thin thread. And under their dangling feet lions awaited to devour them whole. The absence of the ninth and final member was what had them all on edge. The three people standing closest to the door were Japanese in origin. They kept close together and cast suspicious glares at the others. If one were to divide the board into groups based on their branch of operations, the Japanese were the most tightly-knit bunch. It wasn't saying much, of course. But compared to the Americans and Europeans, who distrusted and hated each other, the Japanese's suspicion of foreigners weighed greater than their internal strifes. Sannosouke Takizawa, the CEO of the Japanese branch, a middle-aged, balding man, slightly plump but still in relatively good shape, wearing rectangular spectacles with a white skeleton. Sarunoki Moboro, the president of technological research and development department. He was tall - though not as tall as any of his foreign male co-workers - and lean. His hair, combed back, was also balding slightly on top of his head, but was pitch-black, as were his eyes, which seemed to constantly dance around, perhaps tracking something invisible in the air. His fingers unconsciously twitched, occasionally touching the expensive golden watch he wore. And, Nakahara Inoue. Her official position was that of a secretary to Koizumi Nishio, head of the anti-hacker department, but her true standing reached much higher. She was petite, almost diminutive, but the imperious gaze of her faded blue eyes, rare for a person of her nationality, did not go unnoticed. With a still youthful face, features that would be noted in a crowd, and an almost provocatively short black skirt which bared her shapely legs, almost in contrast with the too-formal dressing code of the room, accompanied by a tight blouse of the same color, might raise the question of why, exactly, she might be in that chamber. However, those who knew her personally realized that her intellect and shrewdness was exceptional. Opposite to them, the American representatives were calmly analyzing the situation. Gregory Dunkan, the CEO of the American branch, and rumored to be one of the most cunning men alive. Tall and lanky, his lips seemed always half-curved into a small smirk. Then there was Abraham Lee, a black man already past his middle years, slightly plump and with curly short black hair. He was not tall, and his face was gentle and serene. But the keen observant would not miss the nervous flicker of his eyes, or the clenching and unclenching of his fists, or the small beads of sweat that ran along his temples. Compared to Dunkan's stiff posture that seemed to exude condenscendance, and Abraham's nervousness, the final member of the group from the United States seemed the most at ease. Lynette Rayleigh, a blonde young woman with an absent-minded look on her hazel eyes. She was the only one whose choice of clothing seemed at odds with the rest - against her co-workers' black suits, she had opted for a long green dress, plain except for a silver scarf on the left breast. She barely seemed to notice the tension that was almost palpable in the air. Her position was chief of the sales division. Rumor had it that all the employees in the American branch wanted to be relocated to the sales department, as Lynette was the most lenient and generous of all the division chiefs. But, there was certainly a reason why she was in this place. The remaining group consisted of only two people. Draco Ross was a tall caucassian man whose origin was lost somewhere in Eastern Europe. Though he had begun with almost nothing except a name he had adopted for himself, he had quickly risen to prominence thanks to his sharp intellect, and was the head financial consultant of not only Duel International, but most of the corporations within the trust. He had dirty blond hair, shaved close to his scalp, and rough features. He seemed oddly out-of-place with his expensive suit, but the reason he was shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot lay elsewhere. Jacqueline Devereaux, lead designer and artist, was a tall French woman with the flair for the extravagant, as was obvious in her choice of jewelry, which consisted of twin sapphire earrings, larger than her ears, which shone brightly in the glittering sunlight. Though her knee-length skirt was modest enough, her blouse was low-cut enough to reveal an emerald-encrusted large necklace dangling between her breasts. Her auburn hair wavered as she turned her head, her imperious, cold stance spoiled by the anxiety dancing in her deep black eyes. Those two could not be blamed for being exceedingly nervous. One of the main reasons this meeting had to be scheduled ahead of time, and the cause for a lot of other inconveniences, was the absence of the third member from the European branch, Cornelius Klein. Even though the two claimed they had nothing to do with either his schemes or his assassination, they would surely take at least part of the blame for the mess he had caused. And it was a huge mess. "How many?" Dunkan was the first one to speak, skipping any greetings or formalities. At least theoretically, he held the most influence in this room. For now. "Maybe as few as thirteen thousand, maybe as many as fifteen." It was Nakahara who answered him, in perfect English with only a slight hint of a foreign accent. "We have had difficulties calculating, thanks to certain... difficulties." Her gaze shifted over to where the European duo seemed to be trying to appear defiant. "We could have had double that much. Triple." "What's done is done." Lee interjected, raising a preemptive hand as Deveraux tried to raise a protest. "What about the Pylons?" "Everything's fine on my side." Sarunoki said. Everyone's eyes shifted to Ross. "I had some difficulties." He admitted. "But I managed. The Pylon should be stable." "Then that's settled." Sannosouke said. "But, with one less Pylon, our margin of error has grown much more narrow. Our calculations need to be extremely precise." "We had no margin for error to begin with." Dunkan said sternly. "Control is slipping from us with every passing minute. I want Klein's case investigated. I want to know what that bastard was hiding, and why he betrayed us." "Our research has reached a dead end." Jacqueline said dejectedly. "He hid his tracks well. All we got that could be of use was one name we found in his files, but we haven't managed to trace it down yet." "What name?" Dunkan demanded. "Miyataka Eizan." She responded. Noone as much as flinched - noone but Sarunoki, whose head suddenly perked up, like a hawk's who had just caught sight of its prey. "Eizan, you say?" He asked, and without waiting for a question, sat down and started up his computer with a few clicks. "I think we have something here." He turned his monitor around, so that the rest of his group could see the profile he had opened up. "That guy's name is not Eizan." Ross observed. "It's Yakuta Honzou, and we all know him as an expert in the field of artificial intelligence design, one of the best that worked in this company. And just in case you haven't noticed, he died five years ago." "But look at his resume." Sannosouke said with a sudden interest, leaning forward to see better. "This, project code-named DW9001... both Honzou and this Eizan guy worked on it!" "This information wasn't available to us!" Jacqueline hissed. "I knew you people were holding things back! We would have found this earlier if you had publicized those files to our network!" "We had to take precautions." Nakahara said coldly. "After recent events..." Jacqueline whipped her head at her. "I want all files on Honzou, the project, and every other project he worked on during that time, as well as whatever you can find out about Eizan from here, delivered to me." Dunkan ordered. "I should not have to note that I expect thorough research conducted instantly?" "Regardless, president." One voice that had not been heard echoed through the silence that had fallen after Dunkan's declaration. Dunkan spun around to confront miss Rayleigh, who seemed impervious to the chamber's grim mood. "Cornelius Klein is, ultimately, nothing more than a distraction from what is important. Every minute we spend here is precious. The Nexus has been outlined and its perimeter measured. With two of the Pylons in place, soon, the Nexus Nebulae will burst through the Outer Sphere. If we are going to move, we must do it now." For a moment, noone dared respond. Then - "Alright. I will give the command." Dunkan sighed. "People, for better or worse, we are about to break the world. Before this is through, we'll have passed into history as mankind's saviors - or its greatest nemesis." --- Sanjou Kotomi wiped the sweat off her brow as she packed another paperbag full of vegetables. It was getting rather late, and after a full day's work, she felt like she would collapse right on the spot. "Ah... Kotomi-san." She noticed the client, a friendly elderly man that lived close to her apartment, trying to strike up conversation as he retrieved his wallet to pay for the wares he had bought. "Is there... any change?" Kotomi shook her head, smiling sadly. "Nothing, Shunso-san." She sighed. "We can only pray now..." "Yes." The old man hurried to console her. "And our prayers are with you, as well." He bowed slightly, paid and left. Kotomi ran a small grocery shop close to her house. That meant that most of her clients were acquaintances. And of course, during the week of Kiishiro's hospitalization, she kept receiving questions and consolations concerning his health. She most certainly appreciated the concern, but it did nothing but keep reminding her of her son's condition. Kotomi and her husband Ryozo had given birth to Kiishiro at a relatively old age, and raising him had taken its toll on both of them. The accident that suddenly threw him into a comatose state was like an arrow to the chest. Ryozo now worked overtime on a daily basis, sometimes returning home long after midnight. They had both closed themselves to the outside world, instead of seeking solace in each other, trying to find their own individual escape. But it just didn't work. Kotomi was about to start gathering her things and call it a day, but a sudden noise interrupted her. It was a voice, though that was a contradiction, as there was no human currently in the store excluding her, and she had not made a sound. [i]Do you wish to save your son?[/i] "Who is there?" She called out. Someone was probably playing a prank on her. It had not happened, yet, but some school teachers had warned her about... certain things Kiishiro's schoolmates might do. It seemed Kiishiro wasn't the most popular kid in his school, and children tended to make fun of nearly everything. [i]I will ask again: do you wish to save your son?[/i] The voice echoed again, and this time Kotomi was certain. It did not come from 'outside'. Rather, there was not even a voice. There was merely the impression of words being imprinted into her mind. "Of course I do!" She said out loud. "But what do you mean? What do you know about Kiishiro?" [i]He is in grave peril.[/i] The voice said, causing Kotomi to shudder. [i]He dives head-first into a war where every side is an enemy. His trust is misplaced, and he has neither the knowledge nor the resolve to do what must be done. He walks along a thin string, and the end in sight is as certain a doom as the fall.[/i] "What are you talking about?" Kotomi was on the verge of crying. Somehow, she understood that what she was being told was the truth. But - "What can I do? How can I wake him up? How can I save him?" She finally asked, lowering her head. She did not care who the voice belonged to. If it was a god, or a devil from hell, as long as they gave her a way to reach out to Kiishiro, she would obey. And she was so absorbed in the words being carved into her head, that she did not even notice the echoes of a faraway storm. --- In the chaotic coundrum of worlds that is the universe, a conglomerate of infinite realities, there are two absolute laws: time, and space. The universe is moving forward. Something that exists within the concept of the universe cannot 'return' to a previous point. That is the law of time. And each dimension, while it may seem to float so close to its neighbours if perceived from the eye of a theoretical supreme God, overseeing the endless ocean of realities, cannot interject with the others. That is the law of space. There are, however, entities which can violate those laws. When Order is shattered, Chaos is born. Chaos acts like a beacon to itself - it gathers, converges, amasses. When a violation of the universal laws occurs, Chaos is unleashed. A Nexus is a gathering of Chaos - a place where what must be is not, and what cannot be, is. A single Nexus holds the power to unravel millions of realities, erase them as if they never existed. That is the Cosmic Threat. Thankfully, Chaos has no consciousness. No will, no desire, no purpose. It simply exists. If left untampered with, it will float endlessly in the vastness of the universe. But if tapped into, if touched - the consequences cannot possibly be predicted. Transcendents are those beings that violate the laws of reality. They can cross time, or they can cross dimensions. They can be living beings or forces of nature or inanimate things - yet they all share one thing in common. They are beings of Chaos, forces that can channel the power of the Nexus. As a cluster of realities whose fate circles around Chaos homes into the Nexus, as if drawn by an interdimensional gravity pull, the Nexus Nebulae, masses of raw Chaos, break into that world. And that's hardly good news. Then, why? Why would a person consciously risk so much by shattering the laws, by gathering Chaos? Does lust for the unknown go so far that to reach it, one must put the entirety of existence, of many existences, into mortal danger? Or is it something else? Fate, perhaps, a power beyond the guiding force of the universe itself, that pulls those strings? One might think of it as insignificant, inconsequential, a child's game. But Duel Monsters is more than that. A bridge between dimensions, a force that manifests imagination into reality, that translates concepts into power. A road of clustering stars above time and space, its destination the very heart of the Nexus. But it is still only a medium, a way to an en end. Whether this path is one of salvation or of ruin is entirely up to those who ride on it, and the choices they make. Destiny is not predetermined, we like to claim, but we neglect to consider the truth hidden underneath that statement. If our fate is not decided by an external force, doesn't that mean that we, ourselves, have not only the ability, but also the responsibility to carve out that future? [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Borg Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 I have a feeling I know who the hacker is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted January 13, 2011 Report Share Posted January 13, 2011 Just finished reading the first arc. Wow... Just... wow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Borg Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 It is amazing and deserves an award. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 As I said, this will be a compilation of character profiles, summed up information about all characters that have made a significant appearance, and what we know about them so far. An easy reference list, and a transition to the next arc. Took me a bit longer than expected, but I did manage to put quite some work down for the next chapters in the meantime. Note that the information is up-to-date with the end of the first arc, meaning a lot of things can change during the following chapters. Where you see an '??', it means that the character has been confirmed to possess an item (for example a D-Wheel or ZONE's unicycle which falls under Equipment), but its name has not been revealed. Where you see 'N/A', it means that the character has not appeared to possess an item yet. Characters marked under 'Duelists' are humans who have been shown to possess and use duelist accounts. Their attributes, both in the real and virtual world, will be listed. Characters marked under 'Virtual World Entities' are characters that only appear in the virtual world. For obvious reasons, only their traits there will be listed. And characters marked under 'Other' are humans who have not been shown to possess a virtual account yet. The Ghosts will not appear in this interlude, though a listing of them is being considered. [spoiler=Interlude] [center][b][u]Interlude:[/b] Heroes' Guild[/u][/center] [u][b]Duelists[/b][/u]: [spoiler=Sanjou Kiishiro] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Sanjou Kiishiro [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 18 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Student [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.68m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 71kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Regular [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short-cropped [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Brown [spoiler=Terminal Avatar] [b][u]Avatar Name[/u][/b]: Thunderbolt Knight [b][u]Duelist Rank[/u][/b]: 34 [series start] || ?? [current] [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.85 [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Athletic [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short, spiky [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Green [b][u]D-Wheel[/u][/b]: > Glass Stream [b][u]Outfits[/u][/b]: > White Knight Regalia [regular] > Sin Armor [riding] [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Decks[/u][/b]: > Plant deck [regular] [spoiler=Decklist] [u]Monster Cards:[/u] > Petit Tomabo [x2] > Tomabo > Dandylion > Grow-Up Bulb [u]Spell Cards[/u]: > Foolish Burial [u]Trap Cards[/u]: > Threatening Roar [u]Extra Deck[/u]: > Splendid Rose [/spoiler] > Plant / Black Rose Dragon deck [riding] [spoiler=Decklist] [u]Monster Cards:[/u] > Card Gunner > Dandylion > Grow-Up Bulb > Evil Thorn [x3] > Lonefire Blossom [x2] > Camellia Princess Tytannial > Gigaplant > Debris Dragon > Spore [u]Spell Cards[/u]: > Speed Spell - Overspeed [u]Trap Cards[/u]: > Call of the Living Dead > Thorn Wall [u]Extra Deck[/u]: > Splendid Rose > Hell Bramble > Black Rose Dragon [/spoiler] [/spoiler] [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: An otherwise regular high school student, he was sucked into a maelstrom of events when he was approached and forcefully recruited by ZONE, an entity that seems to be fighting against a mortal danger to both the virtual and the real worlds. Kiishiro has been in a coma ever since that duel, but in the virtual world, he is fighting against the malignent bots known as Ghosts, protecting duelists from their assaults. He has grown persistent and strong-willed, and his skills as a duelist have vastly improved. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Aizawa Yuusuke] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Aizawa Yuusuke [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 18 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Student [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.76m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 73kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Athletic [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short, spiky [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Blue [spoiler=Terminal Avatar] [b][u]Avatar Name[/u][/b]: Galahad [b][u]Duelist Rank[/u][/b]: 55 [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.88 [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Athletic [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Blonde [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Long, flowing [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Blue [b][u]D-Wheel[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Outfits[/u][/b]: > Nobility Attire [regular] > Black Imperial Armor [regular] [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Decks[/u][/b]: > Lightlord deck [regular] [spoiler=Decklist] [u]Monster Cards:[/u] > Lightlord Magician Leila > Lightlord Angel Cherubim > Necro Gardna > Lightlord Beast Wolf [x2] > Lightlord Warrior Garos > Lightlord Paladin Jean > Destiny Hero Diabolicguy > Zombie Carrier > Battle Fader > Lightlord Dragon Gragonis > Lightlord Hunter Raikou > Lightlord Summoner Luminous > D.D. Crow [u]Spell Cards[/u]: > Solar Exchange > Reinforcements of Light > Lightning Tune > Jar of Avarice > Spiritual Operation [u]Trap Cards[/u]: > Illusion of Flashing Light > Proclamation of the Royal Palace [u]Extra Deck[/u]: > Light End Dragon > Dark End Dragon [/spoiler] [/spoiler] [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: A young man with a strong sense of justice, whose stubborn personality and tendency to take things for granted often lead him to more trouble than he can handle. He seems to have a strong friendship with Maya, and is often trying to befriend Kiishiro. Despite the harsh experience of being one of the first to duel with a Ghost, he kept pursuing the truth behind the incidents, unwillingly placing a friend of his in danger. After another deadly duel, he was relocated to the <Hellfire Circuit>. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Kirizaki Maya] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Kirizaki Maya [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 18 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese (presumably) [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Student [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.58m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 55kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Petite [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Long, straight [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [spoiler=Terminal Avatar] [b][u]Avatar Name[/u][/b]: Stiyel Crystal [b][u]Duelist Rank[/u][/b]: 92 [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.68m [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Regular [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Silver [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Waist-length, straight [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Blue [b][u]D-Wheel[/u][/b]: Avalon [b][u]Outfits[/u][/b]: > Night Queen's Regalia [regular] > Black Mirage [riding] [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b]: > Velvet Grimoire > Rod of Dominion [b][u]Decks[/u][/b]: > Inca deck [regular] [spoiler=Decklist] [u]Monster Cards:[/u] > Priest of the Sun > Red Ant Ascator > Supay > Chaos Sorcerer [u]Spell Cards[/u]: > Magic Planter > Cyclone > Miracle Synchro Fusion [u]Trap Cards[/u]: > Holy Barrier - Mirror Force > Limit Rebirth > Skill Drain [u]Extra Deck[/u]: > Sun Dragon Inti > Moon Dragon Quilla > Arcanite Magician > Arcanite Magician, the Supreme Wizard [/spoiler] > Demon Roar God deck [riding] [spoiler=Decklist] [u]Monster Cards:[/u] > Critter > Demon Roar God Raven > Demon Roar God Lurrie > Demon Roar God Krus > Demon Roar God Urustos > Tragoedia > Demon Roar God Soulkius > Demon Roar God Gallabas > Demon Roar God Kushano > Demon Roar God Beast Cerburrel [u]Spell Cards[/u]: > Speed Spell - High Speed Crash > Speed Spell - Angel Baton > Speed Spell - Shift Down [u]Trap Cards[/u]: > Call of the Living Dead > Compulsory Evacuation Device > Limit Rebirth [u]Extra Deck[/u]: > Demon Roar God Reigion > Demon Roar God Valkyrus > Demon Chaos King [/spoiler] [/spoiler] [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: There is certainly more to Maya than she initially lets on. The Duel Monsters champion in Europe, a world-class duelist, she disappeared without a trace. She is revealed to have moved to Japan, and is concealing her identity in both the real and virtual worlds using a duplicate account and a patented method to hide the presence of her real one behind it. For whatever reason, she is overly protective of Yuusuke and takes great steps to ensure no harm comes to him. Following a confrontation with a seemingly deceased Cornelius Klein, and the deletion of her alternate account, Maya has been forced to step up her game and personally get involved in the chaos, demonstrating the power of the European champion. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Cornelius Klein] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Cornelius Klein [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: ?? [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: German [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: CEO of Duel International's European Branch [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.72m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 84kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Regular [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Grey [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Balding [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [spoiler=Terminal Avatar] [b][u]Avatar Name[/u][/b]: King of Dead [b][u]Duelist Rank[/u][/b]: 100 [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 2.15 [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Regular [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]D-Wheel[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Outfits[/u][/b]: > ?? [regular] [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Decks[/u][/b]: > Devil God deck [regular] [spoiler=Decklist] [u]Monster Cards:[/u] > Dandylion > Hero Kids [x3] > THE DEVIL'S DREAD-ROOT > THE DEVIL'S ERASER [u]Spell Cards[/u]: > Golden Chest of Sealing > Treasure of Dark World > Devil Sanctuary > Cyclone [u]Trap Cards[/u]: > Truth Reinforce > Dark Shrine Bribery > Sub-Space Matter Transfer Device > Oppression of the Royal Palace > Phantom of Darkness [u]Extra Deck[/u]: [/spoiler] [/spoiler] [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: A man with motives difficult to decipher. He used to be the president of Duel International's European branch, until he was assassinated. However, even after his death in the real world, he appeared in the virtual reality, confronted Maya, who had logged in via illegal means, and challenged her to a duel with the purpose of apprehending her. However, the duel ended prematurely from the backlash of energy caused by the destruction of both his Devil God monsters, and, apparently, he perished in the virtual world as well. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Mike Nicholson] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Mike Nicholson [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 20 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: American [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Beta-tester for Duel International [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.83m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 74kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Athletic [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Brown [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short, spiky [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Hazel [spoiler=Terminal Avatar] [b][u]Avatar Name[/u][/b]: CrossWing [b][u]Duelist Rank[/u][/b]: 38 [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.86 [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Athletic [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Blue [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Spiky, medium-length [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Grey [b][u]D-Wheel[/u][/b]: > Thunder Hawk [b][u]Outfits[/u][/b]: > ?? [riding] [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Decks[/u][/b]: > Dragon deck [riding] [spoiler=Decklist] [u]Monster Cards:[/u] > Vice Dragon > Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon > Prime Material Dragon > Delta Fly [u]Spell Cards[/u]: [u]Trap Cards[/u]: [u]Extra Deck[/u]: > Trident Dragion [/spoiler] [/spoiler] [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: An ambitious young man who was hired by Duel International to participate in a testing program for the new <Riding Duel> system. He met an untimely end during the final test run, when he was confronted by an opponent using unidentified cards and defeated, receiving such a shock that his body instantly perished. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Nakazawa Shugo] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Nakazawa Shugo [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 18 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Student [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.73m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 73kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Regular [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Brown [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short, combed to the side [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Hazel [spoiler=Terminal Avatar] [b][u]Avatar Name[/u][/b]: Doveren [b][u]Duelist Rank[/u][/b]: 13 [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.90 [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Muscular [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short cropped [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]D-Wheel[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Outfits[/u][/b]: > Hardleather Garb [regular] [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Decks[/u][/b]: N/A [/spoiler] [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: One of Yuusuke's acquaintances in class, he aspires to become a lawyer, and is well-versed in the subject. However, he is easily intimidated by the consequences of violating rules and regulations. He joined Yuusuke's effort to discover what was wrong with the Duel Terminal system, but ended up logging in when he received a message from the administrators regarding his illegal entry. His fate is currently unknown. [/spoiler] [u][b]Virtual World Entities[/b][/u]: [spoiler=ZONE] [b][u]Avatar Name[/u][/b]: ZONE [b][u]Duelist Rank[/u][/b]: 87 [apparent] [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: ?? [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: ?? [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: ?? [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: ?? [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: ?? [b][u]D-Wheel[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Outfits[/u][/b]: > ?? [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b]: > ?? [b][u]Decks[/u][/b]: > Plant / Black Rose Dragondeck [regular] [spoiler=Decklist] [u]Monster Cards:[/u] > Night Rose Knight > Lord Poison [u]Spell Cards[/u]: > Fragrance Storm > Cyclone [u]Trap Cards[/u]: [u]Extra Deck[/u]: > Black Rose Dragon [/spoiler] [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: A mysterious entity that appears to be sealed inside a comma-shaped unicycle. He seems to know a great deal about the virtual reality and the cause behind the recent disturbances, and has recruited Kiishiro to his cause. His virtual space is a giant floating citadel, the <Arc Cradle>. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Ivory] [b][u]Avatar Name[/u][/b]: Ivory [b][u]Duelist Rank[/u][/b]: ?? [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.60m [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Petite [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Platinum [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Long, flowing [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Green [b][u]D-Wheel[/u][/b]: > ?? [b][u]Outfits[/u][/b]: > ?? [b][u]Equipment[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Decks[/u][/b]: N/A [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: Noone knows much about this being. Appearing like a young girl, mounting a top-tier D-Wheel, she warned Kiishiro after his fight with a Ghost that associating with ZONE might be more dangerous than he expected, and told him about the importance of the Crimson Mark, which he seemed to recognize, before vanishing as abruptly as she had arrived. [/spoiler] [u][b]Other[/b][/u]: [spoiler=Aizawa Taihito] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Aizawa Taihito [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 46 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Duel International Japanese Branch Employee, Technical Research Division [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.64m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 78kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Regular [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Balding [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: Yuusuke's father and a relatively high-ranking employee in Duel International. He got personally mixed in the rampage caused by the malfunctioning systems when his son got caught up in a fight against a Ghost, and received a lot of blame for the confusion caused by the situation. Rather scatter-brained and weak-willed, he can be easily pushed around by both his son and wife. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Aizawa Hikari] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Aizawa Hikari [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 43 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Head of the Japanese medical union [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.61m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 65kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Slim [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Blonde [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Long [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Blue [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: Yuusuke's mother. In contrast to her husband, she is incredibly strong-minded and stubborn, and tends to bully people into their places. She is protective and forceful. Well-renowned for her accomplishments in medical science, she is a figurehead in Japan's medical circles, and is struggling to control the situation with the comatose duelists. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Sanjou Kotomi] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Sanjou Kotomi [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 56 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Grocery store owner [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.59m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 62kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Regular [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Brown [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Ponytail [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: Kiishiro's mother. A kind-hearted woman who has suffered a lot from her son's accident. She seems to be desperately clinging on to hope, but despair swallows her from within. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Howard Rowen] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Howard Rowen [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 43 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: American [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Duel International American Branch Employee, Head of Technical Research [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.71m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 93kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Plump [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Brown [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short, combed back [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: One of the highest-profile employees in the American branch, and responsible for the development of the <Riding Duel> system. His career was endangered due to Mike Nicholson death, but the issue was covered up by his superiors. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Sarunoki Moboro] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Sarunoki Moboro [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 57 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Duel International Japanese Branch Employee, Head of Technical Research [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.69m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 66kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Lean [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Balding, combed back [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: The man responsible for the research and development division of the Japanese branch, and a member of the elite group leading Duel International. He has recently been forced to take a lot of heat due to the mix-up with Yuusuke and his father's involvement. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Sannosouke Takizawa] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Sannosouke Takizawa [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 69 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: CEO of Duel International's Japanese Branch [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.55m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 93kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Plump [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Grey [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Balding [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Brown [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: A leading member of Duel International. Though he seems docile and peacable at first, he is ruthless and determined. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Nakahara Inoue] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Nakahara Inoue [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 32 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Japanese [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Duel International Japanese Branch Employee, Secretary of the Anti-Hacker Division [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.53m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 58kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Petite [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Long, curly [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Blue [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: An intelligent woman and a computer expert, she is one of the members governing the company behind the scenes. Though she rarely seems to take initiative of her own, and is following her instructions to the letter, one cannot help but be unsettled by her shrewdness and tendency to expose secrets. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Draco Ross] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Draco Ross [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 45 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: Unknown, presumably from Eastern Europe [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Duel International European Branch Employee, Financial Consultant [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.93m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 86kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Bulky [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Blonde [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Shaved [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Blue [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: He began with almost nothing, and quickly rose to one of the most prominent positions a man of his specialty could dream of. His true standing is even higher, but with Cornelius Klein's mishap, he is in danger of seeing his career collapse right in front of him. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Jacqueline Devereaux] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Jacqueline Devereaux [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 34 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: French [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Duel International European Branch Employee, Design Division Head Artist [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.68m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 56kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Slim [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Brown [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Long, loose [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: She is the leader of the division responsible for the development of new cards, and a prominent artist. She leads Duel International along with her colleagues, but she has been greatly unsettled by recent events. Her short temper and tendency to overreact to blame have placed her standing in great danger. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Abraham Lee] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Abraham Lee [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 50 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: African-American [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Duel International American Branch Employee, Chief of Human Resources [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.76m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 107kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Plump [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short, curly [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Green [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: Cool and level-headed, but hard-pressed to cope with pressure and unexpected events, Abraham Lee holds one of the highest positions in Duel International. He seems as determined as the rest of the group to see things through to the end of their purposes, and is trying to settle disputes between them in favor of collective progress. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Lynette Rayleigh] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Lynette Rayleigh [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 29 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: American [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: Duel International American Branch Employee, Sales Division Head [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.78m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 61kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Slim [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Blonde [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Long, straight [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Hazel [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries of the entire company. Lynette is a kind woman, forgiving and generous to her employees, to the point where people try to get relocated to her division. She often seems absent-minded and aloof. However, beeing part of the group spearheading Duel International from within implies that there must certainly be more to her than meets the eye. [/spoiler] [spoiler=Gregory Dunkan] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Gregory Dunkan [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 44 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Ethnicity[/u][/b]: American [b][u]Occupation[/u][/b]: CEO of Duel International's American Branch [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 1.85m [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 83kg [b][u]Figure[/u][/b]: Lean [b][u]Hair Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Hair Style[/u][/b]: Short, straight [b][u]Eye Color[/u][/b]: Black [b][u]Notes[/b][/u]: A genius who is, not wrongly, considered responsible for almost single-handedly maneuvering the Duel International's branch in America to the top of the business world. Unsurprisingly, he is cunning and often cruel, and his true agenda, along with that of his elite group, is obscure and dark. Within the company, his power is unrivalled, and even inside the group of nine, few dare oppose him directly. [/spoiler] [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted January 18, 2011 Report Share Posted January 18, 2011 Incredible. You are...amazing. I love...[i]everything[/i] about it...the story, the use of Japanese card names...everything. EDIT: I just realized, the monster known as Fabled Ragin, that is, Demon Roar God Reigion, is probably Demon Roar God [i]Legion[/i], the name of a demon expelled by Jesus. I feel so smart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Borg Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 So Ivory only exists in the virtual world? How interesting. And with Cakey's approval, amazing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 [quote name='Dr. Cakey' timestamp='1295370306' post='4942928'] Incredible. You are...amazing. I love...[i]everything[/i] about it...the story, the use of Japanese card names...everything. EDIT: I just realized, the monster known as Fabled Ragin, that is, Demon Roar God Reigion, is probably Demon Roar God [i]Legion[/i], the name of a demon expelled by Jesus. I feel so smart. [/quote] Hurr durr, I guess that means I'm not getting a Growing Praise review. I actually feel kind of sad =/. Still, though, thanks. Your praise means a lot to me. Also, apparently, notable strong points, in order of importance: • Story. • JAPANESE CARD NAMES!! • The rest. I feel it's kind of accurate, actually. Concerning Reigion, at least wikia seems to list its romanization differently rather than the romanization for legion that I'm familiar with, so I went with Reigion. Actually, I went with it because it sounds kind of cooler. But you're probably right. [quote name='Naturia Cat' timestamp='1295398205' post='4943793'] So Ivory only exists in the virtual world? How interesting. And with Cakey's approval, amazing! [/quote] As I said, the profiles are based on current information only. 'Virtual World Entities' are those that have only made an appearance in the virtual world. It is not yet known whether they are parts of the world, as in, artificial intelligence, or other lifeforms that only exist within the virtual space, or actual humans who access the system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Borg Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 Okay then, I thought she would go in other, just because she is so mysterious. Also I am surprised you didn't make a category for Duel International employees/heads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anbu-of-Sand Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 All I read was the first Chapter so far, but I gotta say, I'm loving the story (so far that is). So no spoilers please D: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted January 19, 2011 Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 [quote name='Anbu-of-Sand' timestamp='1295447222' post='4944614'] All I read was the first Chapter so far, but I gotta say, I'm loving the story (so far that is). So no spoilers please D: [/quote] ZONE IS YUS*gets shot* I think I might actually do a joke episode of Growing Praise where - instead finding something terrible and saying how amazing everything is - I take something really good and criticize everything about it. In other words, this fic. Yeah, I'll do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2011 [quote name='Naturia Cat' timestamp='1295407771' post='4944125'] Okay then, I thought she would go in other, just because she is so mysterious. Also I am surprised you didn't make a category for Duel International employees/heads. [/quote] Hmm, the division was made specifically as to how they relate to the virtual reality. The first category has those with a physical presence in both the real and the virtual world. The second has those with a presence only in the virtual world, and the third and last for those who only appear in reality. (this is starting to sound dangerously like Digimon) Since I divided characters based on that, it would make no sense to include a different category for the company's workers. In future such Interludes, different divisions may be considered. [quote name='Anbu-of-Sand' timestamp='1295447222' post='4944614'] All I read was the first Chapter so far, but I gotta say, I'm loving the story (so far that is). So no spoilers please D: [/quote] Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. I'm looking forward to your views once you read further into it. [quote name='Dr. Cakey' timestamp='1295465633' post='4944928'] ZONE IS YUS*gets shot* I think I might actually do a joke episode of Growing Praise where - instead finding something terrible and saying how amazing everything is - I take something really good and criticize everything about it. In other words, this fic. Yeah, I'll do that. [/quote] That would actually be pretty awesome =/. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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