Yu-Gi-Oh! Armageddon (PG13) - Finished

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Thanks dude.

 

I was getting a bit concerned that a lot of the cards that crop in the 5/6 duels I've written for this so far are a bit non-meta worthy and situational, but I didn't want to use the same cards over and over (I think at this time, only 3 cards have been used by two or more duelists, one of which is marauding captain for goodness sake :lol: )

 

But still glad to know this is being enjoyed.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Chapter the sixth in that there spoiler.

 

No duels here, feel I could have gone into more detail here really as it's more four little snippets and side stories than one chapter.

 

Having gone their seperate ways, we get a bit of a look at each individual that we've met so far, as well as being introduced to three new characters.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 6]

Chapter 6 - The Great City, Sen’nenki

 

Juruo stalked through the busy streets of the Uria slums. Word of the appearance of a duelist who had been able to defeat Osborn had spread across the entire city already, although thankfully by ‘borrowing’ another cloak, he was able to pass by undetected by passersby. He could sense the peoples hope that the events had inspired, although some ridiculous exaggerations were being made; from what he could hear it was believed that his skin gave off a red glow and his voice was dark and commanding, and that he himself had struck the golden knight so hard he had shattered his golden armour completely. He couldn’t help but smile as children laughed as they passed by. This was how things should be.

 

Maybe Inpachi was right after all. Ever since he had met him in the forest, his whole view of the world had been changed, everything he saw was in a different light.

 

So deep in thought, he wandered at random, until he found himself standing on a familiar doorstep. He looked up. Without realising it or even thinking, he had made his own way back to his home, the place where Hikari had broken in on him doing his chores, and they escaped from the guard together. For the first time, his thoughts turned to his mother, and he gulped. She would have been in bed when the guards stormed the house, was she okay? Uneasy, he placed his hand on the door, paused, and knocked.

 

The door was opened by a petite woman, who used to be quite beautiful, but the loveliness had been lost somewhere, in the tiredness of her eyes that were still so kind, and the hair that was starting to become unmanaged and grey, as much as she tried to hide her troubles, she couldn’t mask her worries. She stood on the doorstep and looked at the boy in front of her, before holding out her hands, worn and marked with work in a factory. Juruo held them, and the woman burst into tears and hugged her son.

 

...

 

In a dark alley somewhere in the Haman slums, Sabin paced up and down. Everything that had occurred to him in the last few hours was strange, and he wanted nothing to do with any of it. He had met this other teenager, Juruo, and lost to him in a duel. He passed it off as a fluke, but one that infuriated him. He had then played a part in the bizarre release of three duelists, where Juruo had somehow managed to scrape his way to another victory, as well as escaping by the skin of their fingertips. He had managed to escape the ruckus in the square in the confusion without being followed but regardless, it was a miracle he wasn’t in the dungeon by now. Scowling at his stupidity for going along with these events in the first place, he booted a stray can in anger.

 

Sabin was the only child of a family who originated from outside of the Empire, but had moved there when he was very young to seek a better life. At that time the city was the place to be, as there were many opportunities of decent work and prospects. The emperor Nero was as well-known for his clever management of his capital as he was for his tactical military genius in defending it from envious neighbouring kingdoms. He worked tirelessly on production of new energy resources and building a strong trading economy. For a few years his family had been happy to live in the city, his father became a builder and mother worked as a seamstress.

 

That was until six years ago, when his father was drafted into the army for an assault on the capital of another nation that was the main rival to the Emperors power. Such recruitment was previously unheard of in the Empire’s nonviolent history. The war ended with the fall of the opposing nation and peace was reached as the Empire took over, but his father did not return. Struggling to survive on a meagre income as taxes began to rise sharply, his mother died of illness shortly afterwards, unable to receive the treatment she needed. Resentful, Sabin went through several care homes, but was continually involved in fights and theft, leading to his expulsion from each of them.

 

He had acquired his duel shield and deck a little over a year ago. He had stolen it from a black market dealer who supplied resistance groups. The dealer had chased him for it, but he was long since arrested. Since then, Sabin had used his Deck of high attack warrior and spellcaster types to steal, bully, blackmail and hurt whoever he needed to in order to survive. Sitting down again and running his hands through his hair, Sabin felt tired and frustrated.

 

A mother and child walked past. They had been present at the gallows earlier that day. The small boy, in tatty clothes approached Sabin. He gawked at his striking outfit, at his silver duel shield.

 

“Are you a duelist mister? Are you gonna fight the guards for us?

 

Sabin looked up and stared the boy in the face.

 

“No.”

 

...

 

Hikari sat down on the church pew. She was depressed. She had not seen her companion Rinyan since they were separated in the palace dungeons. It was not the spirits capture that worried her, Rinyan could easily just have taken herself back to the spirit world if no other method of escape was possible, and would take care of herself, but they had not been separated for so long since they first met six months ago. She felt weird without having a duel shield attached to her arm, as if she was missing her entire arm. She wondered if Rinyan was connected to the duel shield and had to stay in range of it, and if without it, she would not be able to find her. The thought of never seeing her again made her feel even worse. Also, she had been within seconds of dying today, and the thoughts she had before being taken to the gallows bothered her. In her final moments, she had given up, accepted she had not made a difference, and was relieved to be at peace and escape from this world. Hikari - furious at these perceived weaknesses - slammed her fists down on the pew in front of her, the sound echoing around the church’s tall ceilings.

 

An old priest looked up, and smiled as he noticed the girl, proceeding to hobble over and sit beside her. His name was Father Bartholomew, a man with receding white hair and a thick beard. He was crippled, and required his crooked staff to get around. He had talked with this girl several times before in the months prior to now, he was aware of her crusade against the Empire, and after many attempts to discourage her had failed, he had taken it upon himself to give her guidance and refuge, at his own personal risk. He had already heard the news of her pending execution and subsequent escape. He sat down and waited, Bartholomew’s greatest asset was his tact.

 

“Oh Father, I don’t know what to do anymore” cried Hikari as she looked up at the priest. He was shocked, this was the first time he had ever seen her cry. “I’ve tried so hard, and all it got me was to the gallows. If it hadn’t... been for Juruo... What if I’ve been wrong all along?”

 

“Peace, my child. You know the path you have chosen is hard, almost impossible, but it has never deterred you before. I know you still believe in your cause, deep down, and you have the strength to overcome. Maybe this Juruo fellow will aid you.” If anyone ever needed words of serenity and support, Father Bartholomew was who to find.

 

“I don’t want to get him into more trouble than I already have” she murmured, looking down again.

 

Father Bartholomew chuckled. “He just rescued three people held for treason, and defeated Nero’s captain of the guard didn’t he? I think he’s got himself into a world of trouble on his own; he probably needs you as much as you need him.” Hikari blushed. “You know Hikari, something has been wrong for a while now. I can’t explain it, but the night seems to draw a little earlier each day, and I have seen dark shadows around the town. There are wheels in motion beyond both of our knowledge, I fear. Maybe it is the paranoid ramblings of an old man, who knows. But I know, I just know in my bones, something terrible is going to happen.” The old man coughed and hacked, the motion knocked his mitre askew. “Oh by the way, I’m glad you came here, as your friend has been waiting for you to arrive.”

 

Hikari jerked her head as Father Bartholomew rapped his staff against the pew three times, and from behind the altar, a small cat-like creature with thunderbolt ears and a ring around its tail appeared. Rinyan bounded over to her companion, who hugged it, overcome with relief and joy.

 

...

 

Erin knocked and waited to gain admission into the old boarded up house, while her little brother stood at the end of the street to make sure the coast was cleared. She folded her arms and sighed, impatient to get underground and meet with her superiors. A slot opened in the door to allow a pair of eyes to see who was seeking entry, before being closed again and a latch clicked, letting the door swing open. Erin motioned for her brother to come over, and hurried inside.

 

The person who had let them in was in his late teens, the same as Erin was. He was an athletic young man with flowing green hair that caught in the wind, and wore loose clothing with hanging sleeves. He had customized his unique look with many earrings and braids, and a fine white scarf. The pair followed him over to a large mahogany wardrobe, which he opened and grunted as he lifted up the false bottom. Inside the bottom of the wardrobe was a hole with a ladder attached to the back wall. Melanc went first, followed by his sister, then their accomplice, pulling on a rope that would shut the fake bottom behind him.

 

At the bottom of the ladder, the group followed a small passageway into Resistance Headquarters. Situated in the city’s underground waterways, the tunnels had been converted into a small underground village that served as home for the resistances thirty members, where they could reside safely. It was not an unpleasant place, as the tunnels were large and there was plenty of light, as opposed to a dark and dingy hideaway. The man unlocked the first door dug into the rock, and entered inside. Behind the door was a small living quarters, with some basic facilities and the owners personal additions of a small bookcase and workbench covered in all sorts of fantastic model wooden birds. The two boys sat down, while Erin stood up and spoke.

 

“I must thank you Aerial, for it could only have been your archery skills that saved our lives earlier.”

 

Aerial smiled and twiddled with his braids. He was far and away the best shot in the Resistance, and he enjoyed being recognised as such. “No problem Erin, I couldn’t let the lives of our top duelists go to waste, whatever Vardus says. Although I suppose I’ll be reprimanded later for disobeying him.”

 

“I will speak with Vardus. I understand his reluctance to risk further lives trying to rescue the captured, but it would be harsh to punish you for succeeding so admirably.”

 

“Yeah, well since you’re alive, he’ll probably want to speak to you anyway. Especially concerning what went on today, everybody in the city seems to have heard about it. He will be eager to capitalise on the confusion caused in the guard’s ranks, and even more so to get these new duelists down here. That was some monster that guy bought out and took Osborn down with.”

 

Melanc picked up on the mention of their rescuer and got all excited again. “Yeah, that was so cool. Best duel I’ve seen ever. Oh yeah, I mean, you were great too Aerial.” Melanc liked Aerial, as he often took time to hang out with the young duelist. His energy and cheeriness was sometimes a great lift for people, but it often got the better of him and he struggled to keep focus on any one thing, much to the annoyance of senior members. Aerial chuckled. Only Melanc could be so exuberant given the events of today.

 

“Glad you enjoyed your little excitement, little man.” (Little man was his pet name for Mel, one that drove the kid nuts, much to his continued amusement). “Now before you go, I also managed to sneak in to the palace, and recovered these. Not bad for a day’s work huh?” Aerial reached under his bed and pulled out two duel shields, which the siblings took and re-attached to their arms.

 

“You have my thanks again. Now I will meet with our leader, where hopefully I can repay the favour for you. Come on Mel.” The boy, who had been busy checking through his deck, looked up, before exiting the room. Erin waited until he was out of earshot, then turned to Aerial again. A few seconds passed in awkward silence. Erin looked to the workbench, where she noticed a different statuette, out of place alongside the winged creatures. It was a large tiger. “Your latest carving is very nice Aerial.”

 

“It’s for you, you know” replied the young archer, staring at his boots.

 

Erin sighed and nodded. “I know.” Without a further comment or second look back she left the room and headed towards the centre of the headquarters, leaving Aerial alone with his carvings.

 

...

 

Juruo passed a chipped mug of tea to his mother and sat down across the dining table from her. He glanced a look at the clock on the wall; it read 3 o’clock in the afternoon. It seemed difficult to imagine that it was only 12 hours ago that he had woken up to the sounds of a riot in the streets, and had attacked Hikari with a frying pan. The ridiculousness of the image amused him. He took a sip from his tea, and thought about everything that had happened to him today, and if his mother would believe him. Maybe she had heard about the events at the gallows already, everybody else seemed to have done. Her eyes kept glancing from his face to his duel shield. Emily Daisuke was a loving woman who had always supported him with anything he had wanted to do, as well as her doing her bit for almost everyone in the street whenever they were in need of something. She tried her drink, then cleared her throat to speak, as if she didn’t know what to say.

 

“When your father was arrested five years ago... I struggled to keep going for a while, but thanks to our neighbours and you, I got through it. If I lost you as well Juruo, I don’t know if I could bear it...” She clasped Juruo’s hands in hers again, fighting back the tears the horrible thoughts brought on.

 

“I’ll be fine mom. What concerns me most is how you are. I left you last night and anything could have happened. I’m really sorry, I was in panic...”

 

“You were in panic? How do you think I’ve been feeling all day, after having a stream of guards kicking my door in and chasing you across the city, and then you being missing all day, no-one knew anything about you, there were numerous arrests last night. I didn’t know what to do...” Juruo had rarely heard her shout before as she was normally so gentle... but he deserved it, she must have gone through hell today.

 

His mother regained calm. “I’m fine, the guards just shouted at me, and they left when they realised you had gone. So, where did you get this from, and why are you fighting the emperor’s top guard?”

 

Juruo proceeded to explain everything that had happened; about Hikari’s arrest and how she had kept him out of jail, his encounter with Inpachi who had given him the duel disk and introduced him to his duel spirit. Emily looked confused by this, she couldn’t take it in. Juruo desperately wanted to prove he was telling the truth, that he was doing what he had been told... what he was now convinced was his destiny, not just some foolish crusade made on a whim. He racked his brain for a way to convince her, until the answer hit him. He thought of the Decoy Dragon, and concentrating hard, hoped it would take this moment to reappear. There was a cry in the back of his mind, and he opened his eyes, just as the little dragon slowly faded into existence as it made its way between the two worlds, and materialised on his shoulder. It chirped happily away at him, then it noticed the woman across the table. It hopped down and sniffed her hand, then proceeded to cuddle up to her. Emily gasped, then smiled as the cute beast looked up at her. Juruo proceeded to tell her about his encounter with Sabin, and finally the rescue of the three imprisoned duelists, and his contest with Osborn. She nodded simply; she didn’t seem upset or worried anymore.

 

“I know this is hard mom, but I can’t turn back now. I have to do this. I’ve been given the power to changes things, I can’t reject it. But I don’t want to put you in danger.”

 

Emily immediately got the gist. “You think I’ll be captured and held against you right?” Juruo nodded. She sighed and tickled the little dragon’s belly, much to its delight. “Well don’t worry about me, worrying is a mothers job. There are plenty of places I can stay. I can even go to stay with family out of town if you think it will be safer.”

 

They spent the rest of the afternoon helping his mother pack some essentials. A phone call had been made to her brother, which would give her somewhere to stay as long as she needed. Her brother lived in a small village far east of the city, by train it would take most of the night to get there. Juruo also packed some things for himself, as he would also have to find new accommodation. They cooked a basic meal of stew and mash together and ate, Juruo rolled his eyes as his mother repeatedly tried to get the importance of eating properly and wearing clean underwear through to him. By early evening, they locked up the house and walked through the streets busy with people finishing work, towards the station in the centre of town, Juruo carrying both of their bags and the dragon hiding in his hood. The ticket was very expensive, and Emily had to part exchange some of her few jewellery items to make the fare. They were family heirlooms, but her safety was far more important. The train, an old and battered steamer, was already waiting on the platform. Juruo hoisted her bag into her compartment, and they hugged through the window for a long time. His mother could only manage a few words.

 

“Your father would be proud of you.”

 

A whistle blew, and the hug broke off as the train pulled away. Emily continued to wave out of the window, until the train pulled out of the station and disappeared, on its way towards the outer city and beyond. Juruo hutched up his rucksack and left to find somewhere to spend the night.

 

 

[Lexadin]

I'v finally managed to read through it all. And I must say it's awesome. Seriously this > 5D's.

 

It has an excelent writing style, the characters are well thought through. And I love Osborns Deck. I might even try one like that out myself.

 

There are only a few pointers I want to point out.

 

The entire 1st, And 2nd Row thing is kinda vague. I know what you mean with it, but I think you can better write something like "Monsters: ,S&T: (ok the second one needs some work). But that's my oppinion.

 

And 1 small thing, Impachi is an agressive monster, so it just seemed wierd to me that it was acting vriendly.

 

Anyways I can't wait till your next chapter.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Thanks Lexadin.

 

I just thought Joker Knight suited him, so I made a deck around it with themed cards like Protector of the Throne and stuff. I like making decks like that.

 

[spoiler=Inpachi]

I've been struggling with Inpachi's character all morning, especially as he has a duel somewhere in the story, and I've been mulling over his match for a while. It's definately been the toughest to write so far.

 

 

 

Speaking of duels, there's one in this chapter. Along with some other stuff.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 7]

Chapter 7 - Resistance

 

He watched helplessly as his last monster was destroyed, and the huge demon bore down on him with its terrible axe. He lifted his shield to defend himself, but the blade struck with incredible force, smashing the amour to pieces. Pain shot through his brain and into every part of his body as he fell to the floor. His tormentor approached from across the darkened room, face covered by his dark hood. He knelt beside him, and reached out towards his face...

 

...

 

Juruo woke with a start, it was light outside. He regained his cool and stretched; back sore from the rough night. He was lying in a communal hall used for homeless people, of which there were roughly twenty spending the night here. It was a poignant reminder for him about who he was doing this for, as these people had to beg and scrap for anything they could get. He had still been cautious in not revealing himself to them, he had hidden his bag and duel shield underneath his bunk, and had kept to the corner of the hall, quietly observing his fellow ‘roomies’. He got up and joined a queue waiting for some breakfast (gruel) and took it back to his bed, eating in silence as he thought about what to do. It was all very well being told he was going to defeat the empire and free these people, but he didn’t have the foggiest idea of how he might go about actually doing it.

 

Decoy Dragon crawled out from under the bunk, where it had spent the night in order to guard Juruo’s possessions, and jumped up next to him. It took an interested sniff at the gruel, but pulled away in revulsion. Juruo wondered if and how he was supposed to feed the spirit; despite its childlike appearance, it had not yet made any indication it was hungry. Perhaps it ate when it was in the spirit world. Or maybe it ran solely of emotion, like Inpachi had described. Finishing his tasteless meal, Juruo collected his belongings and, checking no-one was looking, shuffled through his cards. He made a conscious effort of memorizing the strength and effects of every card he possessed, running various basic combinations in his head. Satisfied, he put his cards back into the disarmed duel shield and reattached it, slung his cloak over him as the draconic duel spirit found itself a large and comfortable inside pocket to take a nap in, and left the hall.

 

While wandered the streets for the next hour or so, he passed the royal palace. It was a spectacular building made of pure white stone, and had a very obscure layout; it was as if three architects had failed to come to any agreement over it and had all built what they each wanted. There were random arches and balconies here and there, and even the type of windows and doors differed from section to section. There was a large dome roof on the central structure, and the occasional tower stuck out in a few of the corners. Somewhere inside would be the emperor, probably dreaming up new ways to inflict a little bit more misery to everyone lives. The palace was heavily guarded, so it was best not to stick around. Next he wandered back to the Uria slums. There was a market he wanted to visit, as it was a prime source of gossip where he might be able to pick up something useful. It was business as usual along the narrow street of shops today. A few people were shopping from the greengrocers and bakers, but mostly it was a place for friends to meet. Juruo stopped at a fruit stall to listen in on the lean vendor and the pair of haggled old ladies he was serving. One was clearly in distress.

 

“Oh it was dreadful dear. I had just got up for a glass of water, and I could hear this shouting in the street. I looked out of my kitchen window, and I could see a load of those bloody soldiers coming out of a house across the street, and it was on fire! Shugo went out to see what was going on, you know how he is, but they just ordered him back inside. I couldn’t go back to sleep, thinking of the poor people who must have been inside there.”

 

A cold chill gripped his stomach. He recognised the old lady from across the street. Immediately he made straight for home, dreading what he would find. Sure enough, he was greeted by the sight of the charred black remains of his home, the door had been broken in, and the windows were smashed, smoke still billowing through some them. He made his way inside; everything had been destroyed in a rage of finding the house empty. He found a bucket under the sink and filled it, putting out the various fires around the house. He was relieved that his mother was now half way across the empire. Finished, he sat at the charred table where he had ate yesterday, feeling slightly numb.

 

A creak at the door made him start. He activated his duel shield and put a hand to his cards, ready for the intruder. A woman entered, with pale skin and striking blue hair, an emotionless expression on her face. It was the woman he had rescued yesterday. She made her way over to the table and sat opposite him, ignoring his readied stance. She had changed to a dark blue cloak today, which did little to cover the tight and revealing shirt she wore, but the blue trousers and heeled boots remained the same. She looked completely unaffected by their surroundings, as if it was perfectly normal to sit in such ruin.

 

“My name is Erin, and as you may have guessed, I am a member of the underground resistance that fights the empire in this city. Your actions yesterday seemed to have touched a nerve somewhere. The thought of someone powerful enough to defeat Nero’s top knight must terrify him, hence the raid on your house. I knew you would turn up here eventually. Now, I will get straight to the point; I have a proposal for you. My friends wish for you to join us in our fight against the people who did this to you, and many others. Do you accept?”

 

Clearly this woman was not one for small talk. She had not offered him any thanks for his aid yesterday, or concern for anything that happened here, she just seemed cold. Even her voice was devoid of feeling. Juruo paused at the offer. The resistance was something everyone knew existed, but no-one knew much other than that. They caused trouble for the empire, but their methods were ineffective and bought as much terror to the people as the guard did. Juruo hated the resistance, as they were prepared to hurt innocent people to get at the emperor. They were no better than the empire. Something in his expression must have given away his thoughts to the woman, who frowned at him.

 

“No would be a bad answer for you to choose. Look at what the empire has done to you, to everyone. We need fighters to aid our cause, and you are obviously talented enough to catch our leader’s eye. Accept, and you could make a difference. Refusal however, would not go down well for you.”

 

Juruo was annoyed that she had a point. Although not ideal, he was being presented with an answer to his earlier dilemma, and looking around at the charred remains, he did feel anger, but it was more because it proved the actions of the cruel and evil rule they lived under, rather than a personal need for vengeance which Erin was trying to exploit. Besides, it was clear with the guard after him, he needed allies rather than more enemies. He stared at the woman and held out his arm. Unsmiling she shook his hand, and stood.

 

“I am glad you are sensible. My brother seems to idolise you after your stunt yesterday, and even I admire you a little, I would have disliked having to waste your talents. Now follow me.”

 

...

 

A short while later and Juruo found himself in the underground waterways that were the base for the Resistance. He and Erin were waiting in a small room being used by a secretary, who sat her desk going through a balance sheet. The room had two doors, one through which they had entered, and a grand oak door in the opposite wall. There were six seats in this office. He sat on one, with Erin across from him, arms folded and looking impatient, re-crossing her legs occasionally and tapping the floor with her boot. There was a knock at the door, and four people walked in. One was Erin’s brother, who smiled and waved at him. The next was a tall man with flowing green hair he had never seen before, who went over to the secretary and began a whispered conversation with her. But the two who followed them in caused Juruo to blink in surprise, for they were familiar faces. He laughed, he shouldn’t have surprised, and stood to greet them. Hikari saw him and immediately her face lit up, blushing slightly. She held her spirit, the cat like being Rinyan, in her arms, who purred. Sabin seemed less pleased; he nodded and stood in a corner away from everyone. Meanwhile, the secretary spoke into some sort of intercom device, and got the approval to let them in. She nodded to the tall man, who walked over to the grand door, knocked, and entered, as did the young boy. Erin stood, and motioned for everyone else to follow them inside. Juruo noticed Sabin glower and crack his knuckles as he passed, and Hikari looked anxious too. Nervous, he entered after them, with Erin closing the door behind them.

 

Inside was a grand circular office, which was cluttered with different antiques and embellishments. There were crammed book shelves stacked high against each wall, and in any gaps between them hung maps and portraits of various people of importance. It was as if the occupant did not know whether to commit his room to study or art. In the centre of the room was a large desk covered in papers, and a large comfy armchair behind it. At the back of the room there was a staircase, presumably to living quarters. It was from this staircase that the group watched as a man slowly descended. He was a huge dark skinned man; his thick arm muscles bulged under his fine purple linen coat, which he wore open without a shirt, exposing his broad chest. His hair was neatly combed back into place, his stubble was trimmed short on his chin and neck, and several rings adorned his fingers. He obviously took a lot more care over his appearance than his office, but all his finery could not divert attention from the tattoos covering most of his visible skin, or from the deep scar that cut down the left side of his face onto his neck. He sat down in the chair and smiled broadly at the six people stood before him.

 

“Greetings duelists. I am Vardus Jackson, leader of the Resistance. It is my mission to rid our fine nation of the hand that strangles us all, the traitorous Nero. The number of supporters of our cause has grown steadily over the last two years, and we have had minor successes in derailing some of his plans to extend his terror. However we may have been able to limit the growth of his power, we have been unable to diminish the grip he already has. But then, we have never had so many talented duelists in our flock. I am truly glad for your joining us.” His smile widened, he was quick to paint a pretty picture of the resistance, and gloss over the many deaths their riots had caused, as well as the lack of choice given to his new recruits. “Now I am aware of some of your independent exploits, but I will make it clear that you answer to me here. My orders will be passed on to you by my various members of my council, such as Erin and Melanc. As for Aerial, he is a recruit here on your level. Talk to him if you need any help.” Juruo opened his mouth to speak, but the man known as Aerial, who was on his left on the end of the group, stood on his foot, shaking his head slightly.

 

“What success? You’ve never achieved anything here, and this thug practically abducted me!”

 

Vardus’ dark eyes darted up to see who the outburst had come from, and narrowed at the sight of Sabin. He had stepped forward and was clearly angry about being here. Juruo noted he was bruised, as if he had been punched. Aerial bought his hand to his head, muttering ‘you idiot’ to himself.

 

Vardus spoke; a hint of menace had entered his voice. “I know you. You’re the bastard who raided one of my dealers and took a duel shield from him, before you handed him in to the guard.”

 

Juruo turned on his onetime accomplice in astonishment. “Your deck is stolen?”

 

Sabin nodded. “Yeah, so? Now I’m telling you to your face, oh great Vardus. I don’t care about any of this. These losers have got me into enough trouble as it is, and I’m not risking my neck on some fantasy cause, and you can’t make me.”

 

Vardus was standing now. At his full height, he cut an intimidating figure. “You think I want vermin like you here? You are most certainly leaving, but not until I have taken back what is mine. Erin, take this boy to our training arena, where I will teach him not to stand in the way of the Resistance.”

 

...

 

Juruo, Hikari and Melanc sat together on a small viewing stand overlooking the large duel area. The arena was in the waterways itself, the tall structure of the underground channels, supported by massive pillars, allowed plenty of room for duels to take place here. They were enclosed by rivers of fast flowing water, with a bridge to this central square at each end. A duel area had been painted on the floor, at one end of which Sabin stood, Erin standing guard on the bridge behind him. Not that she was required; Sabin didn’t look like he wanted to run. Vardus approached from the other side, wearing a massive duel shield encrusted with more gems on his right arm (most duelists had it on the other arm; clearly Vardus must be left handed). Each participant armed their shield and drew five cards, glowering at each other with intense hatred.

 

“Duel!”

 

Vardus drew his sixth card and paused, carefully plotting his move. “I play Oppressed People in Defence.” The image of a bearded man in rags, holding a long farming tool appeared from the cards hologram, boasting an impressive defence. (DEF: 2000)

 

“Pitiful” declared Sabin.”I play Mystic Swordsman Lv4, and have him attack your monster.” The white cloaked warrior appeared on the field (ATK: 1900), and charged the defending monster, only to be blocked by its high defence. Vardus raised an eyebrow as Sabin smirked as his Life Points took a small hit. “Now that may have struck you as strange, but that’s because you can’t duel at my level. I summon Sword Master from my hand, and then I play Fiend Sanctuary.” A masked Arabian warrior, armed with twin scimitars, and a metal gargoyle appeared either side of the Mystic Swordsman. “Now I tune my three monsters, to Synchro Summon the unstoppable Colossal Fighter.”

 

There was a rumble as the three monsters were swallowed by the familiar columns of light that signalled a Synchro Summon, the ground parted as a huge bionic fist broke through the concrete floor. As the gigantic fighter pulled itself from the depths, Juruo recognised it from his first encounter with Sabin back in the forest: it was the monster he has beaten the guard with (ATK: 2800).

 

Vardus - FR: Oppressed People. BR: -. Hand: 5. LP: 4000

Sabin - FR: Colossal Fighter. BR: -. Hand: 3. LP: 3900

 

Vardus frowned. “An impressive monster, but it is of little concern. I summon Clear Cube in Defence.” A crystal rose out of Vardus’ card, encasing a small droid with arms and tracks. The crystal shattered, freeing the little robot to set itself (DEF: 0).

 

“That’s your big move? How did you get appointed leader with this deck, pulled from a hat? Next I play Level Modulation, allowing me to bring back my Mystic Swordsman at the price of two cards for you, not that it’ll matter if they’re just as pathetic. Next I play Level Up! which gives my swordsman an upgrade, to become the Mystic Swordsman Lv6.” The small knight returned and was bathed with light. His shining silhouette grew larger in size, until the light faded to reveal an impressive fighter with twin swords (ATK: 2300). “Now Swordsman, attack Oppressed People.” The warrior moved with incredible speed, cutting through Vardus’ defence. “Now Swordsman’s effect sends your monster back to the top of your Deck, limiting your draw. And let’s not forget Colossal Fighter. Go!” The bio-suited battler swung its mighty fist at the robot, crushing it.

 

Vardus - FR: -. BR: -. Hand: 7. LP: 4000

Sabin - FR: Colossal Fighter, Mystic Swordsman. BR: -. Hand: 2. LP: 3900

 

Vardus drew, seemingly unruffled. “Hmm, it appears action is required. When Clear Cube is destroyed, I get to summon another from my deck.” An identical robot appeared on the field (ATK: 0). “Next I shall summon Clear Golem in Attack.” Another crystal rose and shattered, to give birth to a creature made out of rock (ATK: 1600). “Now I activate my field spell that will seal your fate, Clear World.” A brilliant radiance filled the waterways, as a great crystal appeared, suspended in midair above the arena, emitting a fierce glow, throwing long shadows everywhere. It was an eerie sight. “Now I must pay 500 Life Points during each of my End Phases to keep Clear World in play, but it will be worth it.“ (LP: 3500)

 

“Bah, if I’d have known it would be this light underground, I’d have bought sunglasses. Oh well, I attack your stupid monsters.” Both warriors motioned towards Vardus again, seemingly defenceless. There was a flash from the crystal overhead, causing Sabin to look away. When he turned back, both his monsters were unmoved, and Vardus’ monsters were untouched. “What? Alright, what did you do?”

 

Vardus chuckled. “Clear World punishes players with different handicaps for every monster with a different attribute they control. Your Colossal Fighter is DARK, and therefore your attacks are blocked. My clear monsters however are attribute-less, and are unaffected by the crystal.”

 

Sabin snarled in frustration. “I play one face-down, your move.”

 

Vardus - FR: Clear Cube, Clear Golem. BR: Clear World. Hand: 6. LP: 3500

Sabin - FR: Colossal Fighter, Mystic Swordsman. BR: Face-down. Hand: 2. LP: 3900

 

There was a cheer from the various resistance members watching from the stand, which Vardus acknowledged as he drew in extravagant fashion. “Next I summon Fox Fire in Attack Mode.” A small fox appeared on the field, the tip of its tail lit like a candle. “Now Sabin, I’ll give you a chance to get rid of that annoying attack restriction by playing Creature Swap. I’ll give you my Fox Fire, in exchange for one of your monsters. Which would be...?” Vardus let the question hang in the air, but Juruo knew he had made his opponent’s choice for him. Sabin would hand over Colossal, which would free him up to attack again, but why would he play this card? Sure enough, Colossal Fighter was chosen, and the two monsters disappeared into light, only to reappear on the opposite sides of the field moments later.

 

“Now I shall play the spell, Clear Wall, and set one face down. Pay the cost for Clear World, and end.”

 

“About time, now this time my Swordsman will attack that pile of nuts and bolts. Go!” The swordsman swung its swords for the little robot, but Vardus was ready. A wall of crystal appeared between the monsters and took the brunt of the swordsman’s assault.

 

“A wasted move. Clear Wall prevents all my Clear monsters from being destroyed by battle, and by activating my trap, Spirit Barrier, I don’t take any damage either.

 

“First you hide down here in the ground, now behind some shiny rocks, you spineless two-bit gangster? Since we’re playing hide-and-seek, I’ll summon Big Shield Gardna in defence, and end my... aaaaahh!!”

 

The crystal emitted another flash of light, and Sabin writhed with pain (LP: 2900).

 

“Did I forget to mention that when one of us controls a FIRE attribute monster, that player takes 1000 points of damage during the end of each of their turns? I would destroy Fox Fire for you, but I can’t, as keeps coming back after the Battle Phase, and he can’t be tributed either. So you’ll be stuck with that little problem for some time.” An uneasy grimace appeared on Sabin’s face.

 

Vardus - FR: Clear Cube, Clear Golem, Colossal Fighter. BR: Clear World, Clear Wall, Spirit Barrier. Hand: 3. LP: 3000

Sabin - FR: Mystic Swordsman, Fox Fire, Big Shield Gardna. BR: Face-down. Hand: 2. LP: 2900

 

Juruo admired the way Vardus was duelling. He was able to manipulate his opponent’s moves from behind his impenetrable defensive line, and let Clear World reverse the strength of each type of deck it faced. He was in complete control of the entire match, as he drew in his showman-like manner.

 

“Now I equip Colossal Fighter with Scroll of Bewitchment which changes its attribute to WATER. This frees me to attack Mystic Swordsman.” Sabin recoiled as his warrior was obliterated by the strength of the punch, raising his hands up to his face (LP: 2400). Juruo blinked. Had his eyes deceived him, or had Sabin pulled a card out from under his gloves during the blast? He looked at Hikari, but she didn’t seem to have seen anything.

 

Vardus frowned, contorting the cut on his face. He must have suspected something too. However he continued his turn. “I set one card face-down and end my turn. Now I must not only pay the cost for Clear World, I must discard Totem Dragon from my hand, as I now have a WATER monster out. But now as your turn begins, Clear World is activated again, for as you have an EARTH monster out in defence position, it is destroyed.”

 

Sabin jumped as the crystal flashed for the third time, and his shield carrier was destroyed by the blast. He lost his temper. “Alright, no more messing around! Let’s see you defend yourself against Dark Hole.”

 

A swirling vortex appeared in the middle of the field, dragging every monster on the field into the oblivion. Juruo frowned. It was incredibly convenient that Sabin had just drawn this card in just this situation.

 

Vardus maintain his nonplussed expression. “I activate Clear Cubes effect, to summon another one.”

 

“Yeah whatever. Next I use Mystical Space Typhoon to get rid of that oversized nightlight once and for all, and according to the panel on my duel shield, Clear Wall goes with it.” Sabin smirked as the crystal overhead shattered and dissolved into nothing. “Now I summon Marauding Captain in attack, and use its effect to bring out Drill Synchron. Now get him.”

 

A small spherical machine with drills producing from its body appeared, and drove itself into the last of the Cube monsters. This freed up the battered knight to attack Vardus directly. Vardus met the attack with his enormous shield, wincing only slightly as his Life Points dropped. (LP: 1300)

 

“I’m not done yet Capone. I activate Urgent Tuning, which allows me to conduct a Synchro Summon right in the middle of my Battle Phase. I tune these two monsters to summon Goyo Guardian.”

 

The two monsters were engulfed in light, and from it emerged a large warrior with ceremonial war robes and geisha face paint and hair, carrying a long whip (ATK: 2800). An attack from this warlord would end the duel. Sabin gave the command to finish off the leader. Melanc and Hikari gasped.

 

“I activate A Hero Emerges. This allows you to select one card in my hand, and if it is a monster I can summon it. But there’s only one card to pick, and you should already know what it is. Oppressed People defends me.” Once again Vardus had stayed a step ahead of his opponent, as the bearded man reappeared in a flash and blocked the geishas attack, sacrificing himself. Sabin was unconcerned.

 

“Goyo Guardian activates his effect. When he destroys a monster, it gets bought over to my side.” The geisha flicked its whip at his adversary’s shield, snatching the card away and bringing it over to Sabin’s side of play. “How the mighty fall? Now make your last move.”

Vardus frowned as he put his hand to his deck; he was indeed in an awkward situation. He drew, and his face lit up with a broad smile. His strongest monster had emerged to save him again.

 

“I activate the effect of Totem Dragon from my graveyard, resurrecting him to the field.” Juruo recognised the tiny dragon with oversized wings and neck from his previous duel, and felt a surge of adrenaline as he knew what was coming. Vardus had been waiting for this all duel, and now he was going to beat this boy who had cost him a precious ally. Melanc turned to the pair and mouthed ‘Watch this’. Vardus raised his drawn card into the air, and roared with gusto as he inserted it into its slot. “Now I tribute my Totem Dragon to bring forth the mighty clear beast, Clear Vice Dragon.”

 

The largest crystal yet rose into the air, perfect in shape and its encased creature barely visible. There was a huge roar, and the crystal vibrated, echoing the sound through the waterways. The rock exploded, unleashing a huge white dragon. Sabin stared up at the beast, his face white and eyes wide.

 

“Now when my dragon attacks, its attack becomes double that of the attack target. Go Clear Dragon!”

 

The dragon soared into the air with a beat of its powerful wings (ATK: 5600). It tipped its head back, and fired a narrow beam of brilliant focused light from its mouth at the geisha warrior. The monster yelled in pain and disappeared, as Sabin’s points reduced to zero. He collapsed, panting heavily. Vardus petted his mighty dragon until it faded into the otherworld, before he marched over to the fallen teenager. A guard hauled him to his feet, and he forced the duel shield off the boy’s wrist. He grabbed him by the throat, and stared at him with fury.

 

“You are a thief, a cheat, and unworthy to call yourself a duelist. Get out of my headquarters.”

 

Juruo and Hikari watched dumbstruck as Sabin, mute for the first time in his life, was dragged away.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Housekeeping]

Yeah I know I shouldn't have been able to summon MS4 off the bat like that. Sorry purists.

 

 

[Vector Nightmare]

This is good. Really good, better than I had initially given it credit for. The characters become more diverse and the story is action-packed. The duels are alright, personally I like those kinds of duels, rather than giving everyone good cards and having them make powerful plays all the time, I like the slower, more controlled pace, a nod to the older anime series. Though I don't like how Sabin ends up being played out as. I think you were pretty harsh on him, I liked him more as the reluctant hero rather than the cheating jerk. Ah well, he's still probably my favorite character so far.

 

I'm looking forward to this. So far it's pretty damn solid. I just think you need to put a bit more power behind some scenes, because a lot of description of actually important events ends up sounding quite neutral. Thumbs up for a job well done.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

This is good. Really good, better than I had initially given it credit for. The characters become more diverse and the story is action-packed. The duels are alright, personally I like those kinds of duels, rather than giving everyone good cards and having them make powerful plays all the time, I like the slower, more controlled pace, a nod to the older anime series. Though I don't like how Sabin ends up being played out as. I think you were pretty harsh on him, I liked him more as the reluctant hero rather than the cheating jerk. Ah well, he's still probably my favorite character so far.

 

I'm looking forward to this. So far it's pretty damn solid. I just think you need to put a bit more power behind some scenes, because a lot of description of actually important events ends up sounding quite neutral. Thumbs up for a job well done.

 

Wow, epic praise is epic.

 

Regarding writing, yeah I sometimes feel I haven't gone deep enough. Do you mean emotion and atmosphere, etc? I'd like to think Chapters 9 and 10 will be the big acid test of how well I can do that. They are going to be... well, I suspect I will get a lot of comments on 9 and 10...

 

Regarding duels, anyone who knows me knows of my hatred for staple cards, generic extra decks, and seeing the same cards over and over in general. I just wanted to make a variety in the duels and hopefully it's going okay.

 

Regarding Sabin, glad you like him. He's just had it hard and has grown to treat people as badly as they treated him when he lost his family. He is very much based on Chazz, who is one of my all time fav characters, but without the rich and snooty background and a bit more steel. Never fear, he will be back at some point with a brand new deck, I'm actually currently writing his next duel (which is being very awkward to finish :lol: ).

 

I forgot to credit Lewk for suggesting the 'cheating' idea. No I'm not trying to palm the thing off it was his suggestion when I was struggling for draw cards and I liked it, so he deserves the mention there.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Chapter 8 is up...

 

...tomorrow.

 

Made you look. :P

 

Just felt like bumping this up for those who haven't read it yet. I'm pretty much nearly there in terms of 'Book 1', and am starting to put together ideas for the second part.

 

Duel writing is just so much fun, yet very frustrating at the same time!!!

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

No this isn't a false alarm, chapter 8 is actually up now.

 

Bit of a short one but still.

 

About a week has passed since Juruo and Hikari joined the resistance, and this had made someone very very angry...

 

[spoiler=Chapter 8]

Chapter 8 - Minds of the Tyrants

 

The emperor stared down at the wretch cowering before him. The man was in his late fifties; he was short and had a stooped back, covered by his ripped shirt. His hair was receding slightly, and his thick glasses magnified his wide eyes comically. He was Nero’s bursar, who he would meet with once a month to discuss the city’s finances and where money should be spent. Every month the bursar would babble on about returning some of the takings to public services, such as health care and education, or about lowering taxes. And every month the emperor would have the guards drag him back to his cell, so that he could spend his time coming up with a budget that was more to the tyrants liking. When this meeting had ended in its usual fashion, another servant came in to inform him lunch was prepared. Without hesitation he made his way to the royal dining room, a grand space that seated thirty guests at the main table, where a diner could observe the many fine artworks hanging from the walls whilst they ate their fine food. Guests to this magnificent table were rare nowadays. Today’s dish was a wild duck with orange sauce. The emperor ate ravenously as he sat alone in his beautiful surroundings.

 

His hunger sated, Nero returned to his throne room to decide upon how he was going to spend his free afternoon. Should he orate letters to the nobles, informing them of a new apprenticeship scheme for their children to work in the palace, or maybe organise a meeting with his chief of maintenance about rebuilding the Raviel Gallows? Or perhaps he could take a nap? Yes, a post-lunch nap sounded like a fine idea, he thought as he entered the throne room, which he had to go through anyway to get to the stairwell leading to his quarters. He told the guard he was not to be disturbed, and went through. The room was dark, but he preferred it that way as he walked across. It wasn’t until he had reached the base of the steps towards his throne that he chanced to look up at it, and in astonishment discovered someone, a man in long dark robes, was lounging in it.

 

“What on earth are you doing?” Nero barked. “Get off my throne.”

 

The hood of the robe turned lazily so it was looking in the emperor’s direction, although no facial features were visible. The man shrugged as he stood up and stretched. He spoke in a cold drawl. “I got tired standing up waiting for you, and this is the only seat in here. Bit too fancy for my tastes though.”

 

Nero’s faced reddened with fury as he sat down in the throne.

 

“What do you want anyway?”

 

“I am becoming concerned with the growth in resistance activity in the city. Their boldness grows, as do their numbers. You’re guards have been useless, frankly, especially since that dunderhead Osborn was put in hospital, and you yourself have been slow to act. Action against the palace could soon be at hand. This is something neither of us wants...”

 

“I’ve been slow to act?! The resistance scum are all I ever hear about at present. I’ve had the guard raid high and low looking for them. Not one blasted subject seems to know anything. I’d like to know what you and your associates have been doing for the last week. I haven’t seen any of you.”

 

The hooded man shrugged again, unaffected by the ruler’s outrage. “We have our own matters to deal with, things that are beneath your interest, nor would I imagine you would particularly want to hear what we do while we’re away. I am powerful, but not a miracle worker. If you want the resistance taken care of, I’m sure some of my followers will be able to deal with the head of their revolution.”

 

Nero raised an eyebrow. “You mean that rioter girl and the common boy who rescued her? They are in the resistance? Bah, I knew it. Damn that self-righteous Osborn and his merciful attitude. Well, like you say, cut off the head and the body will wither. If you think your men can find them and administer sentence, I’ll assign you the task.”

 

The hooded man bowed low before the emperor. “Don’t worry yourself your highness; I shall make sure my allies take care of them. Then there will be no-one who can stop you from ruling this land until the end of its days.” With that, the mysterious man vanished into the darkness.

...

 

Juruo looked at his hand, pondering his next move. He was sat opposite Aerial in the archer’s room, deeply immersed in their match. Since he and Hikari joined the resistance a week ago, he had trained regularly with Aerial in all manner of fitness regimes, weapon training, and duelling. They had agreed to duel each other in this casual manner to get the practise in, but rather than conduct full scale duels in the training area, they had these table top matches in each other’s quarters instead. There were no appearing duel spirits, no pain of a direct attack, just a relaxed game between friends. Juruo knew he certainly needed to become familiar with all the cards he possessed, and after several of these training duels, he was quickly picking up on each ones strengths and weaknesses. He had won most of their matches. Aerial wasn’t the most talented opponent, with his Swift Birdman Joe deck, but he still pulled off the occasion win with smart tactics. Juruo learnt from his losses, and would not give him the opportunity to do the same thing twice, forcing Aerial to make up new moves. Thus they developed together. Juruo summoned Gae Bulg a few times, and had also discovered another Synchro, Dragunity Knight - Gae Dearg. Vardus, who was very well read, had educated him of the way all the dragons of the Dragunity were named after various kinds of weapons, mostly spears, whereas the winged warriors were named after soldiers who bore such items. Juruo absentmindedly stroked the back of the Decoy Dragon, who was sleeping in his lap, and made his move.

 

“I use Dragunity Militum’s effect to separate from Dragunity Javelin, and tune them to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight Gae Dearg. I use its effect to add Dragunity Legionnaire to my hand. I summon my Legionnaire, activate his effect to equip him with Javelin from my Graveyard, and then send it back to destroy your Simorgh Bid of Divinity. Gae Dearg attacks Swift Birdman Joe and Legionnaire attack directly, meaning game.”

 

Aerial frowned as he took a sip from his drink, annoyed he lost his two strongest monsters and the match all in one turn, when he had been in such a strong position. He shrugged, and shuffled his cards back into his deck. He was about to ask for a rematch, when there was a knock on the door. Melanc poked his head round, beaming as usual.

 

“Hey guys, working hard again? Sorry to interrupt, but Vardus wants to see Juruo. Like now.”

 

Juruo rose, thanking Aerial for his hospitality and perching his stirring dragon onto his shoulder, and followed Mel from the room and through the winding waterways towards the leader’s office. He liked Mel, as he was very enthusiastic and cheery. He would sometimes sit in on his matches with Aerial, and had the annoying habit of peering over his shoulder at his hand, giving his strategy away in his excitement. Mel always wore his small duel shield, decorated with the childish images of a simplified dragon and skeletal demon. Juruo wondered if Mel had done it himself, but was too polite to ask. Eventually they found themselves in the secretary’s office. She spoke into her intercom, received approval, and nodded curtly to Mel, who opened the door for him to enter.

 

Vardus was sat in his armchair, enjoying a glass of red wine and humming away to an old orchestral record he had on in the background. Standing in front of the desk was Hikari, with Rinyan in her arms. She smiled as Juruo entered and stood beside her. They had seen little of each other in the last week, but he was aware of some of the ‘operations’ she had been on. The dragon leapt into flight and settled on Hikari’s shoulder. It attempted to engage with the cat-like spirit, but it clearly wasn’t in the mood, turning its head away and licking its paws instead. Hikari stroked it though, so it was content enough, crying with pleasure. Vardus cleared his throat, focusing all of their attention.

 

“Ah Juruo, there you are. I was just discussing with Hikari the success she has had so quickly in her time here. She is a fine warrior for her cause. Now I want to know how you are settling in down here. I trust that your training is coming along well?

 

Juruo nodded. During his intensive work, his body had altered significantly, becoming more muscular in the arms and shoulders as he worked with the heavy swords and shields. The training swords were made of thick bone rather than metal to prevent needless injuries, but he had still picked up some fine bruises from his early encounters with them.

 

Vardus grinned. “Good. I wouldn’t usually fast-track new recruits as much as I have you two, but you are exceptional talents, and great weapons in the fight against the empire.”

 

“I am not a weapon” Juruo interrupted. He was shocked to be referred to like that, and rather repulsed.

 

Vardus frowned at him. “You are whatever I tell you you are. Nero is threatened by you two. He has guards searching for you everywhere, but I doubt he would ever find us here. Here, these might focus your minds as to how much of a problem he finds you.”

 

He opened a draw in his desk, and took out two pieces of parchment, passing them to the two duelists. Juruo went numb. He saw his own face staring back at him, well, sort of his face, but it had been edited in the drawing to depict him as scowling and menacing. The poster read ‘Wanted, dead or alive, for 500,000.’ A reward that could set up anyone in the slums for life. Juruo hoped his mother had not seen this where she was. He looked over to Hikari, gathering from the frown on her face that she had received a similar poster for her own capture.

 

Juruo struggled to get his voice back. “You said the guards were searching for us... does that mean?”

 

Vardus bowed his head slightly. “Yes, there have been people captured, tortured and killed as they try futilely to find us. I suspect that most of these acts, which have been carried out in Raviel, have actually been more about punishing those who successfully rebelled against the guards during the fall of the gallows, but the blame has been passed off onto your heads to turn the people against you.”

 

Juruo felt liking vomiting. People were being killed because of him? And Vardus did not seem affected in the slightest! His body was shaking, he wanted to shout at him, he half wanted to punch him. The dragon growled at Vardus, which gave away his resentment. The man stood up and leaned over the desk towards him, his scarred face contorted with fury. Juruo moved forward, their heads a few inches apart.

 

“Innocent people are dying up there, and you’re not going to do anything to help them?”

 

“Do not be so childish. This is war boy. People die. There is no way to avoid it. If we went after out to right every wrong, we would be swiftly eliminated. That’s not our purpose. Now when we have defeated the Empire, these deaths will be avenged, and no more will occur, do you not understand that? Now when the time is right, we shall make our move on the palace. In the meantime, you must continue to train, as you are clearly not ready for operations yet. You two are dismissed.”

 

Juruo wasn’t done; he would tell Vardus exactly what he thought of him. He opened his mouth to speak, and grunted with pain, staggering backwards as he clutched his stomach. Vardus stood there gravely, flexing and extending his fingers, nodding to Hikari. Without a word she backed away, grabbing Juruo by the collar of his jacket and pulling him out of the room. The secretary was waiting at the door, and shut it behind them. Wheezing heavily from the big man’s punch, Juruo shrugged Hikari off and charged the heavy oak door, pulling the handle with all his strength. The door would not budge. He snarled with fury, arming his duel shield, he would break down the door instead then. A hand rested on his shoulder.

 

“Let it go Juruo. I know it hurts, but he’s made his mind up.”

 

Still frustrated, the pair left the office to find Melanc waiting for them outside, skimming pebbles along the underground canal at random. He looked up as they approached, and called them over. He was holding a white envelope in his hand, and his face was pale with fear.

 

“Hey guys. Erm... I found this in the secretary’s inbox when she went out, not that I meant anything by peeking, I think it is addressed to you two, and figured if Vardus read it he wouldn’t give it to you.”

 

He passed it to Juruo and looked away as the two duelists read the note together. The paper was the fancy stuff that nobles used for invitations and such, and had been sprayed with scent, but this did not detract from the red stains that were scattered across it, or from the words that were artistically scribbled on it in blood.

 

To the two resisting traitors engaging with duel spirits,

 

The stage has been set for your final curtain call. Come to the church in the Raviel slums, the one that the girl oft visits. Be swift as you can, for the priest here is dying to be in the audience for our performance, and the spectacle we have in store for you will be the ultimate show-stopper...

 

 

[Lexadin]

Great new chapters. They where very enjoyable.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Here is chapter nine.

 

Ever since I first wrote this chapter I have been eagerly waiting to publish it. I consider it to be a real test of my writing skill and ability to get people talking. Because that's waht I want to do, create a moving and popular story.

 

WARNING

This chapter contains scenes that may be considered controversial, shocking, or even distressing to some readers. I apologise to anyone who is upset by the contents of this chapter. You have been warned...

 

[spoiler=Chapter 9]

Chapter 9 - Tag Team Chaos

 

The rain hammered down as Juruo and Hikari hurried through the narrow streets. They were able to make swift progress, as there weren’t many people about in this weather. A few people were making their way home after working late, and were scuttling about to get out of the approaching storm. Hikari was possessed; tearing through the streets ahead of Juruo. He kept trying to stop his companion, to get some sort of explanation, but there was no stopping her as she hurtled onwards.

 

Despite their large coats, they were still soaked by the time they got to the church. It was placed in the middle of an everyday street of houses and towered over them the small residences as though it didn’t really belong there; house, house, large civic building, house. Despite its considerable size (for you could easily get a good four or five hundred people seated in there) it was far from an impressive building. It was grey in colour and had fallen into some disrepair, with tiles falling off the roof and weeds creeping through the cracks in the stone. The front entrance was supported by two great pillars, and there were three angel statues on a plinth at the top of the steps; one covered her eyes, her neighbour shielded her ears, and the third covered her mouth. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Juruo shuddered. He thought the statues were incredibly creepy. Hikari hammered on the large oak doors, but they were locked fast. Rinyan pawed at her companion, clearly distressed. Undeterred, she made her way around to the left side of the building, Juruo in pursuit. Here she found a side door, which was already ajar...

 

Cautiously the pair made their way inside the darkened church. The dim candle light did not help their nerves, as every shadow was lengthened, and the biting cold added to the terror. There was a continuous thudding as the heavy rain continued to bombard the roof, making it tricky to hear over. A few mice scuttled past. They reached the main room, all was dark and silent. Hikari touched Juruo’s arm, saying she could find the light switch for the room, and disappeared behind a curtain. Uneasy at their separation, Juruo felt his way through the darkness until he found the back wall. He shuffled along, all senses on high alert, duel shield armed and ready if danger should strike. There was a squelch under foot. Juruo stopped dead, heart pounding out of his chest, breathing shallow. Slowly he bent down. Maybe he was just standing in a puddle of rainwater, caused by a leak in the roof. No... this definitely wasn’t water... There was a crackling noise behind him as the main lights flickered, slowly awaking to admit their dim revealing light. Juruo looked down at the red pool he had stepped in, and his breathing stopped completely. Filled with dread, he looked up...

 

“Hikari. Don’t come out here! We’re leaving!”

 

Too late, Hikari re-emerged from behind the curtain. There was a long silence, followed by a scream, as she set eyes on the horrifying sight of her dear friend, Father Bartholomew, suspended high on the wall, still and bleeding, tied to a crucifix. She sank to her knees, clutching her spirit friend, unable to speak. This kind old man had sheltered her, counselled her, protected her, and now he had paid the ultimate price.

 

“Hmm... not the most striking looking martyr... is he?”

 

The voice sent a chill down Juruo’s spine as he looked up. In the front row of pews sat a man dressed all in robes of white, his features hidden as he had his hood pulled forward and hands raised in front of his face, almost in a position of prayer. On his right arm was a wedge shaped duel shield, with a white pearl at the heart of its design. His gloves were also white, but covered in red flecks of blood. His fear turned into rage. This person had committed a brutal and depraved act, and was admiring his work.

 

“You... you called us here to witness this...how could you... why? Who are you?”

 

The man cackled and revealed his face, making Juruo jump again. He found himself staring into a pair of black slit eyes above a wicked upturned smile, as the man was wearing a plain white death mask, done in a similar style to those in the theatre. The laughing became more maniacal as he rested his chin on his interlocked fingers, the mask dancing up and down. It was a truly haunting image.

 

“We are in church dear boy, do not raise your voice, or I may have to cut out your tongue. Is it truly wrong for a man to seek forgiveness for the sins he has committed, or is about to commit? We all must pay our penance for our crimes, least the reaper will pass his judgement on our souls and condemn us to hell. I doubt the good father will have the same trouble passing through the golden gates as we all will have. Why have I done this you ask? The answer is simple; because I can. I am untouchable by the laws of humans, but I fear I am not unbound from the law of God, thus I must pray for my soul.”

 

“You have no soul!” screamed Hikari, standing to confront the assailant, Rinyan was hissing furiously as she clutched her in her arms. “Father Bartholomew was a kind and generous man, and you murdered him on a whim? And you expect forgiveness!?!”

 

“I do not expect forgiveness, not for this or any of my sins. Nor did I do this out of mere fancy. The good father has meddled in the affairs of my master for long enough, as have you two. And now that I have your full attention, I shall deliver you two problem children to a similar fate. I think that your heads will look much more of a symbol of doom spiked on the palace gates than this old man does. Then there shall be no one left who can stop my master from achieving his ultimate goal.” The man high pitched voice danced with excited hysteria as he stood, he was much taller than either Juruo or Hikari.

 

“Ultimate goal? What does Nero have planned?” demanded Juruo.

 

“Oh... you wish we served Nero...”

 

The pair spun at the deep menacing tone, to see a second figure emerge from the opposite side of the main hall, apparently having been sat in the shadows. He would have been impossible to see, for he was garbed entirely in black, his robes flowed as he shuffled down the aisle in the poor light. There was a flash of lightening that shone through the glass windows as he approached, revealing a black death mask, this one depicting a face of sorrow. He stopped before he reached the altar, and was joined by the man in white. He was slightly shorter than his apparent ally, and although it was difficult to tell from their flowing robes, he appeared broader, stockier than his lanky opposite. He was also armed with a similar duel shield, personalised with a black pearl at the centre. He continued in his dark tenor.

 

“The emperor has no control over us; my associate has already told you that. We work for a much higher authority, and we have been sent to deal with you. What would be the point of telling you our masters ambitions, when you are about to die on this stage, here and now.”

 

Juruo frowned, these guys were clearly insane. “If I am going to die, then I won’t be able to tell anyone.”

 

The pair continued their mirthless laughter. The tall one spoke again. “Your ignorance amuses us boy. But enough talk, it is time to put you out of the final act. You and your lady friend will duel us in a tag match. The rules are simple; the members of a team share their field, graveyard and life points, their only separate entities being their hands and decks. Each team member will take alternate turns, and no attacks can be declared until everyone has had one turn. You cannot possibly win, but we will take pleasure in your pointless struggle, as we descend to the abyss together.”

 

The man in black robes reached under his cloak, and pulled out a duel shield, kicking it across the stone floor towards them. The pattern was instantly recognisable as Hikari’s old shield. Hikari stood beside Juruo and nodded, picking up her duel shield and attaching it. Her eyes blazed with a passionate fury. Juruo hoped the despair at her loss would not affect her duelling ability. Given their confidence, these guys were probably fierce duelists and they would have no chance of winning if she let anger cloud her judgement. He watched as Rinyan snarled a battle cry as she faded into the other world, desperate that she would be able to return to the field to exact revenge on those who had hurt her friend.

 

“Don’t worry Juruo, I will be fine. However you two... you will not be fine... we accept.”

 

The cloaked pair activated their duel shields, still laughing as their prey stood against them and followed suit. The four duelists faced each other across the top stage of the church, in the middle of an almighty storm, with the crucified priest overlooking the fight from on high. A daunting battle arena.

 

The man in white robes cackled, “My name is Alpha.”

 

“And my name is Omega.”

 

“Together, we will destroy you.”

 

“Duel!”

 

“I shall go first” announced the white robed Alpha. “I begin by summoning Royal Magical Library in defence mode.” The church shook as towering shelves of books rose in front of each wall, surrounding the combatants (DEF: 2000). “Now every time a Spell card is activated, a spell counter is placed on the card, up to a maximum of three. Next I activate Mana Seize which places one spell counter on my library card, as well as an additional one for activating the spell. I also draw one Mana Seize from my deck. With that I end my turn.”

 

Juruo got the nod from his partner to go first. “Draw. I summon Dragunity Militum in attack (ATK: 1700) and set one face down card, then end.” The female warrior appeared, swords drawn.

 

“My move begins” declared the black robed Omega. “I play Toon Table of Contents, which enables me to add another one from my deck. This also adds the third spell counter to Royal Magical Library, so I will remove the three counters to draw another card. I repeat this process with Toon Table of Contents twice more, using my third card to add Toon Cannon Soldier to my hand. Now for some monsters. I summon Armageddon Knight in attack, and thus activate his effect, which lets me send a DARK monster from my deck to my graveyard. Then I’ll end with one face down.”

 

Hikari shuddered as the battered knight rose from its card, its facial features hidden by a torn red scarf (ATK: 1400). She looked at her opening hand; it wasn’t as good as she had hoped for in terms of offence. But that was the beauty of her deck, as it would not stay that way for long. In the meantime, some protection would be in order.

 

“Finally. I summon Aurkus, Lightsworn Druid in defence.” A bright light emitted from the card, and from it came forth a regal albino warrior holding a stone tablet, his spirit giving off a radiant glow (DEF: 1800). Hikari’s Lightsworn were strong warriors of noble cause, and they would aid her abolish these fiends. “I set a face down and end my turn. Now is when it gets interesting, as Aurkus sends the top two cards from my deck to the graveyard.” It was hard to read the expressions of her opponents, but they would be wise to recognise this peril as she removed her cards and placed them in the graveyard slot. A glowing sword appeared in the hand of the druid. Juruo was taken aback by the weapons appearance.

 

“Where did that come from?”

 

“Some of my cards activate their effects when they go from the deck to the graveyard, in this case Lightsworn Sabre which boosts my monsters ATK by 700. Unfortunately he’s not in attack yet, but you two will feel the sword of justice soon enough.”

 

Alpha & Omega - FR: Library, Knight. BR: Face down. LP: 4000. Omega’s Hand: 5

Juruo & Hikari - FR: Militum, Aurkus. BR: Sabre, 2 face downs. LP: 4000. Hikari’s Hand: 4

 

“I very much doubt that” said Alpha as he drew. “Your card has placed a third spell counter on Royal Magical Library, allowing me to draw an additional card. Now I activate my second Mana Seize, adding the third to my hand, followed by Treasure of Heaven. By removing Shining Angel from my hand, I draw two more cards. Then I activate Royal Magical Library’s effect again, drawing once more.”

 

Juruo scowled as Alpha’s hand grew to eight cards. Both of the masked men were going through their decks at an incredible speed, as if they were in search of something. He looked at them again as the tall man in white considered his next move. No, surely not...

 

“I tribute my library to summon Airknight Parshath.” The bookshelves disappeared as the new monster emerged from the light, a female centaur warrior in fine blue armour adorned with white feathers that matched her body, clutching a sword and shield. “I equip my Airknight with Cestus of Dagla which gives her an attack increase. Now attack the druid.”

 

The centaur reared with its new found strength (ATK: 2400) and charged the braced warrior. Hikari thought of activating her card, but held back. There would be a better time later. She grimaced from the blow as Aurkus was destroyed, as their life points inexplicably fell (LP: 3400).

 

“Why so confused, I thought you were prodigal saviours of duelling” mocked Alpha. “Airknight Parshath inflicts battle damage to monsters in defence, and when it does, I can draw another card. Also, thanks to Cestus of Dagla, our life points increase by the damage you took (LP: 4600). Now I end with one face down card. Just try to fight back.”

 

Juruo drew, feeling a rush as he drew what he wanted. “You bet I will. I play Dragon Mastery. Now I can equip dragon monsters from my hand to my winged beasts on the field. So I equip Militum with Dragunity Brandistock. Then I activate Militums effect to unequip it, letting me use it as tribute for Dragunity Primus.” The dragon in silver armour appeared briefly, before disappeared again to allow the arrival of another warrior, the leader of the Dragunity riders, Primus. He leapt from the vortex of feathers, wearing his fine red and gold armour and brandishing a whip as a weapon (ATK: 2200). “Now for his effect, this lets me equip Militum with another dragon from my deck, Dragunity Javelin. I then unequip him, so that I can tune him and Militum to Synchro Summon Dragunity Knight - Gae Bulg!”

 

The yellow dragon appeared on the field, only to be swallowed along with Militum by an emerald light. The mighty Gae Bulg appeared above them, its roar drowning out the thunder outside (ATK: 2000). “Now my monsters attack.”

 

“A predictable plot. I am aware of your duel with that buffoon Osborn, and how your Dragunity work. I activate the trap Mirror Force.”Alpha revealed his face down with wild relish, to Juruo’s dismay. A barrier materialized across the field, one that would destroy his monsters. This explained his earlier attack on the defending Aurkus. Desperate at being wide open, Juruo revealed his own trap.

 

“I activate Burst Breath, taking your monsters with mine.”

 

Flames burst forth from Gae Bulg that penetrated the reflective force field, causing a huge blast that cleared the field of all monsters. Not a good situation with that black mask staring down on you.

 

Alpha & Omega - FR: - BR: Face down. LP: 4600. Alpha’s Hand: 5

Juruo & Hikari - FR: - BR: Mastery, Face down. LP: 3400. Juruo’s Hand: 2

 

“I draw” came the deep voice of Omega. “First, by removing from play one Destiny Hero Malicious from my graveyard, I can summon one from my deck.” A terrible demon with horns, claws and devils wings and twin tails appeared in a black light (ATK: 800). “Now I activate Dark Spirit Art Greed by tributing Malicious, drawing another two cards. Next I play Allure of Darkness to draw two more cards, removing from play my other Armageddon Knight in the process. Now I summon Dark Grepher from my hand.”

 

Another demonic monster emerged from the darkness, this one a muscular swordsman with pitch black skin and red eyes, wicked spikes pronounced from various parts of his neck and limbs (ATK: 1700). “Grepher’s effect, by discarding a DARK monster from my hand, I get rid of another from my deck. So I send Toon Cannon Soldier and Mystic Tomato to the graveyard. Now go Grepher, attack!”

 

As the monstrous warrior advanced, Hikari couldn’t hold back any longer. “Activate Threatening Roar.” She shook herself as the attack was cancelled; their powerful plays, along with their scare tactics, were starting to get to her. These guys were already ahead, yet they still plundered through their cards with abandon. Omega placed two face down cards, permitting her to begin her comeback.

 

“I play Charge of the Light Brigade. First I must send the top three cards of my deck to the graveyard, and then I get to add a Lightsworn monster of my choice to my hand.” As she removed her cards, a savage howl echoed around the church, amplified to new heights by the tall ceilings. A bright light appeared, giving birth to a huge wolf in white armour, carrying an enormous golden axe (ATK: 2100). Omega reeled slightly in alarm. This encouraged her; they were not immune to fear.

 

“Another mill effect, say hello to Wulf, Lightsworn Beast. Now where was I, oh yes, adding another Lightsworn to my hand. One I will immediately bring out. Arise Jain, Lightsworn Paladin.” The light appeared again, this time came a knight in glowing white armour, whose sword shone through the dullness of the room (ATK: 1800). “Now Jain, attack Dark Grepher.”

 

The paladin ran his shining blade through the dark swordsman, destroying it (LP: 4200). Before Hikari could let Wulf in for the kill however, Omega unleashed an already all too familiar counter strategy. The trap activated to unleash a beam of light, printing a large ‘D’ on the church ceiling.

 

“Destiny Signal brings forth from my deck the impenetrable protection of Destiny Hero Defender.”

 

The enormous golem emerged in a defensive stance (DEF: 2700). Hikari scowled, this would only buy their opponents more time, even though at the price of giving her and Juruo extra drawing power. Reluctantly she placed another face down and removed two cards from her deck as she ended her turn, feeling uneasy as Alpha drew again.

 

Alpha & Omega - FR: Defender. BR: Face down. LP: 4200. Omega’s Hand: 4

Juruo & Hikari - FR: Jain, Wulf. BR: Mastery, Face down. LP: 3400. Hikari’s Hand: 3

 

Alpha looked at his card, and his wild cackling began, reaching terrifying new levels of delirium. Juruo’s blood froze. The maniac had finally got what he had wanted, but what was it? He glanced over at Hikari; if she was as scared as he was, she hid it well. Candles began to flicker, the wind and rain roared ominously as the masked man played his card.

 

“I remove Shining Angel and Armageddon Knight from play to summon the forbidden bringer of chaos.”

 

“No way!”

 

“You can’t...”

 

“Your resistance ends here. Rise, Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!”

 

 

 

Wow, hyperlinks were awkward to put in for some reason. Comments are always appreciated.

 

[spoiler=Yeah, I made a slight screwup]

I may have got away without mentioning this, but I only just realised when putting in the hyperlinks that I'm not allowed to conduct a Battle Phase the turn 'Treasure of Heaven' is used. Oops, well there's the danger in using Japanese print only cards, you can miss these things. Forgive me for not going back and thus re-writing the entire thing.

 

 

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Must say I'm shocked and dismayed by the absence of comments. It looks bad on the contents page. :(

 

[spoiler=Chapter 10]

Chapter 10 - Will to Live

 

The chaos cards! The unstoppable forces of light and darkness. They were the legendary cards that no one had ever been able to use, so powerful that they had been sealed away and consigned to stories of the tavern. Rumoured to be the two most powerful monsters to have ever existed in the game, two opposing beings of destruction. And now they were being lined up by one of them, the almighty warrior of creation, Black Luster Soldier... How on earth could they fight back from this?

 

Juruo’s head spun as a blinding white circle of light formed high above them. Slowly, the Black Luster Soldier descended from the portal, encased head to toe in magnificent sapphire and gold armour, floating to the floor in slow motion, broadsword in one hand and shield in the other. He stood taller than either of the other monsters on the field, and its face was just visible under the helmet, it was emotionless. Juruo felt a crushing pulse on his mind, as the spirits incredible power flowed throughout the church (ATK: 3000). He barely registered Alpha’s command of attack, fixed wholly on the monster.

 

Hikari was not so dumbstruck, and sprung to battle stations. “Activate Lightsworn Barrier, nullifying an attack on my monsters at the cost of two cards from my deck.”

 

“I counter with Royal Surrender, negating your defence” Alpha roared back. Hikari’s card obliterated to smithereens, they were defenceless as the soldier swung its mighty sword, destroying Jain effortlessly. The power of the attack created shockwaves that made the pair writhe in agony, the duel shields unable to absorb the entire blast. Hikari clutched her side, Juruo held his head as if it might ease the mental torture. The shield indicated a huge point drop in life points (LP: 2200). It seemed an almost literal counter of their remaining strength. This was no mere game anymore; this was about life and death.

 

“You are hurting, yes?” Alphas tone had suddenly changed to something harsh and scornful, revelling in their suffering in some sick way. “You have not felt the worst yet. My monster can keep attacking, until all your monsters, and then your bodies, are turned to dust. It is already over. Attack!”

 

“Not over” yelled Hikari. “From my graveyard, Necro Gardna.”

 

A zombie warrior in glowing green armour and long white hair materialised in front of Wulf, a split second before the soldier struck. It emitted an unearthly scream as it absorbed the attack. Alpha growled in frustration as his agent of devastation was halted, however temporarily.

 

“My... my turn... draw.” Juruo was shocked at how much his voice was shaking. He looked at his card, hoping, praying, for something big. Windstorm of Etaqua, not good enough. However, he had a second chance. “Your Destiny Hero Defender allows me another draw.” Please... please give me something...

 

“Dragunity Legionnaire, to arms!” The strongman of Juruo’s winged knights rose, without his own weapon as ever, but it would not remain that way, as Juruo’s strength slowly returned.“I activate Legionnaire’s effect, equipping him with Dragunity Brandistock from my graveyard. Now I send him back, and destroy one monster you control. Care to guess who I’m going for with this?”

 

The silver armoured dragon charged at the Black Luster Soldier.

 

“From my hand, Herald of the Orange Light. By discarding it and Herald of the Green Light from my hand, your monsters effect is nullified.” Alpha discarded his two cards, there was a flash of vermillion light and Brandistock disappeared. Juruo grimaced as he imagined the smug grin on Alphas true face was now wider than the one on his mask.

 

“Alright, I set all three of the remaining cards in my hand face down and end my turn. Now, explanation time. You care to enlighten us as to who you two really are, and why the emperor, or whoever you work for, is so desperate to get rid of us? Come on, you can tell me, since you’re so confident I’ll be silenced soon anyway.”

 

Alpha & Omega - FR: Black Luster Soldier, Defender. BR: - LP: 4200. Alpha’s Hand: 3

Juruo & Hikari - FR: Legionnaire, Wulf. BR: Mastery, 3 face downs. LP: 2200. Juruo’s Hand: 0

 

Omega scowled at his question. “Insolent fool, you would not understand even if told you the truth, the horror of the chaos afoot would drive you to despair. But then again, we have Black Luster Soldier for that. You should focus less on us, and more on your own perilous situation. You dare to smile in deaths face? Then you will present yourself to more suffering! I draw, now Soldier, extinguish them.”

 

Juruo had expected as much, but it was worth attempting. Maybe if he beat them they would reveal their motives? He was amazed he was even thinking about winning this. But he had already proved to himself the monster they faced was not immune, and the masked men would have to do as much defending as he was to keep him on the field.

 

“Activate Icarus Attack. I sacrifice my Legionnaire to destroy two of your cards, let’s go for a face down and Black Luster Soldier.”

 

Legionnaire took off into flight, and dive-bombed the field, accelerating rapidly. There was a flash of violet light. Juruo was forced to shut his eyes. When he opened them, he sagged with dismay. Legionnaire had gone, but the armoured soldier had remained, and Alpha was laughing again.

 

“From my hand, Herald of the Purple Light and Shining Angel are discarded to negate your trap. A nice try, but in vain. Now Soldier, continue your attack.”

 

“A flattering remark, wonders never cease with you two. I activate Negate Attack, shutting down the Battle Phase completely. Nice try.”

 

Juruo watched as the pair shook with anger, no longer laughing. His refusal to give in, his aggressive defence, even the disrespectful retorts, were throwing them completely. Their intimidating spell was wearing off, they were no longer unbeatable, just two nutcases who liked playing dress up... not that he was going to push his luck and dare telling them that. He hoped Hikari was picking up on this too. This match was winnable.

 

“I summon Marauding Captain in attack, which in turn summons Mystic Tomato. I set one card face down. End turn.”

 

Hikari had watched the little exchanges in silent thought, and was starting to believe in Juruo’s strategy. Their defence had to run out eventually, and then the swordsman would be vulnerable. She ignored the appearance of the familiar war veteran and the fiendish tomato Omega had summoned and looked through her hand as she added two cards. 'Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress' and 'Ehren, Lightsworn Monk’ were powerful, but not what she needed. A few protective spells and traps were also not going to take down the powerful monster. But there had to be something she could do. She glanced at Juruo, he was smiling, the transformation he had undergone since she first met him was scarcely believable. He looked at her and nodded, he was putting his trust in her. She looked at his remaining face down, and decided to gamble. “Activate face down card.”

 

Instantly a small hurricane whipped across the field, as Windstorm of Etaqua activated successfully. The masked men recoiled as all their monsters were forced to change their battle positions, even the almighty chaos soldier (DEF: 2500, Defender: ATK 100, Marauding Captain: DEF 400, Tomato: DEF 1100). Adrenaline pumped through her. “I summon Ehren, Lightsworn Monk in Attack.”

 

The dark skinned martial artist burst through the ring of light, garbed in white and gold armour and a crimson skirt, holding a long staff as her weapon of choice. But she had to take care of one thing first.

 

“Wulf, destroy Marauding Captain.” The beast roared, and launched itself at the captain with a savage assault of claws and steel. Hikari’s heart did somersaults. Omega had not activated the face down card. “Now Ehren attacks, and when she does battle with a monster in defence mode, her target is automatically returned to its owner’s deck. Force Black Luster Soldier back.”

 

The monk launched a flying kick at the crouching soldier, and the attack was met without resistance, forcing it to disappear. Hikari placed another card face down and stared icily across at the pair as they stood like statues, strongest monster gone, their thoughts hidden from view.

 

“Great move Hikari” encouraged Juruo.

 

Alpha & Omega - FR: Defender, Tomato. BR: Face down LP: 4200. Omega’s Hand: 2

Juruo & Hikari - FR: Ehren, Wulf. BR: Mastery, Face down. LP: 2200. Hikari’s Hand: 3

 

Alpha drew his next card, the silent stare was deafening. “First I put Destiny Hero Defender back into defence. Then I discard Thunder Dragon from my hand to add another two to it. Activate Omega’s face down, Reload, to shuffle my hand into my deck and redraw.” Juruo and Hikari waited as Alphas deck was shuffled, everyone was edgy now. Their opponents were raising their game and combining their cards seamlessly to restart their methodical deck search. Surely he couldn’t draw it again. There was a sigh of relief as he set two face-downs and ended. Juruo felt the duel begin to swing their way as he drew his next two cards; now they needed to take advantage of the current field and do some damage.

 

“I activate Cards of Consonance by discarding Dragunity Phalanx, letting me draw two more cards.” Juruo looked at his two new monsters. He had summoned neither of them before, but as he looked over them, their combined effects were just what he needed. “Next I summon Dragunity Partisan.” A purple dragon in gold body armour, with a large dagger producing from its head, appeared on the field.

 

“Now for Partisan’s effect, allowing me to instantly special summon a Winged Beast Dragunity from my hand, and it equips itself to it. I summon Dragunity Angusticlavii.” A male archer in a bird headdress appeared from the whirlwind of white plumes, its magnificent blue wings spread and bow drawn and ready. He saddled himself on the dragon which took flight with a bellow, gaining an additional 500 ATK from the still active Dragon Mastery (ATK: 2600). “Now while combined with his draconic mount, Angusticlavii can inflict damage to monsters in defence, much like your Airknight from earlier. Now attack Mystic Tomato.”

 

The winged warrior released his arrow, which dug itself into the strange monster, destroying it instantly. Alpha and Omegas life points sank accordingly. Neither moved as Juruo continued. “Now ordinarily, Mystic Tomato would summon another DARK monster to the field, but let’s face it Alpha, we all know you haven’t got one to bring out. Your reliance on your Chaos Soldier has given you no backup option and left you exposed. Now for Hikari’s Lightsworn to join the action. Ehren will work her trick on Defender and return him to your deck, which frees Wulf to strike you directly.”

 

The huge wolf struck Alphas duel shield with savage force, knocking him down. The blow knocked his mask and hood askew, revealing some long hair that was, perhaps unsurprisingly, pure white in colour. The man desperately clutched his face to reposition his mask, staggering to his feet.

 

Alpha & Omega - FR: - BR: 2 Face downs. LP: 600. Alpha’s Hand: 1

Juruo & Hikari - FR: Angusticlavii, Ehren, Wulf. BR: Mastery, Partisan, face down. LP: 2200. Juruo’s Hand: 0

 

The eternally expressionless Omega drew in silence. “I activate Alpha’s face down Magical Mallet to add my hand to my deck and redraw.” Juruo frowned as Omega picked out his three new cards, and sinister laughter filled the air once again. The lights flickered and dimmed, as the cheerless death mask danced in the gloom.

 

“I remove from play Thunder Dragon and Mystic Tomato to summon the bringer of the apocalypse, the all supreme ‘Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End’!”

 

A purple ring appeared on the stone floor between them, opening a dark portal to the neather world. Sparks of lightening flew around the swirling vortex, as Juruo and Hikari watched the terrifying dragon rise. It was huge, with muscular pale blue scaled skin that was covered in skeletal silver armour across its whole body. The armour extended down its arms to form wicked claws and spikes that could tear an enemy to shreds. The armour continued up its long neck, to form a skull like helmet that masked its face, although it allowed a plume of fire red hair to fall down its neck. It stood on the field, spreading its huge wings and unleashing a terrible roar (ATK: 3000).

 

Omega mocked, “How appropriate that this monster, the envoy of the end, will be the last thing you ever see, as it incinerates your minds and bodies, bringing you to your demise. I summon Card Guard, and immediately activate his effect to place one ‘Guard Counter’ on Chaos Emperor Dragon. Now go dragon.”

 

The dragon tipped back its head as it gathered energy to unleash its attack, before it unleashed a stream of black flame that destroyed Ehren (LP: 800). The blast was the most intense attack Juruo had ever received. He felt a burn in his brain as the shield absorbed the fiery attack. Sweat produced from his brow.

 

“Then I activate Share the Pain. I tribute my Card Guard, and now you must do the same.”

 

The peculiar demon disappeared; forcing him to make the sacrifice. The decision wasn’t difficult. He chose his own monster, hoping Hikari would be able to make something with Wulf on her turn. He watched the archer and dragon fade away in silence, and hoped this wouldn’t be the last time he would see them.

 

“My turn” Hikari declared, keeping her hand to her deck for a few seconds as she drew, hoping it would give her a difference maker. She blinked in surprise at the monster she had drawn, she hadn’t used it for a while as she practised more with her Lightsworn, but it had picked a perfect time to appear now.

 

“First I activate Soul of the Pure to increase our life points by 800 (LP: 1600). This might not seem a lot, but you’ll see why this is important in a minute. I follow that up by placing a face down card. Now I summon from my hand my Trust Guardian.” A tiny fairy child with pink wings appeared next to the mighty Wulf. “Now I tune my Trust Guardian with Wulf to perform a Synchro Summon.”

 

Excitement surged through Juruo as he watched the two monsters evaporate into the columns of light. He had no idea Hikari used Synchro monsters, but he could tell from the voice she had a good one coming. There was a deafening shriek, as a serpent dragon flew out of the light. Its snow white body was covered in mystic symbols, and its blonde mane danced as the creature cut effortlessly through the air. He checked the panel on his shield, and his face fell. Its attack didn’t match Chaos Dragons (ATK: 2100).

 

However, Hikari was smiling. “This is the Ancient Sacred Wyvern, and she has a pretty cool ability. Her strength is determined by the difference in our life points. We have 1000 more than you, so she gains 1000 more ATK, taking her over and above your dragons. Now Sacred Wyvern, attack.”

 

The wyvern instantly let go a burst of misty, hissing white flame that engulfed Omegas dragon entirely. The dragon turned its head away, but it didn’t disappear. Juruo frowned, maybe it just took a while for such a mighty creature to be destroyed, that was all. The seconds dragged as the attack continued, and still the accursed dragon wouldn’t go. Hikari glanced around in confused panic, as the wyvern slowly ran out of steam. Chaos Dragon roared with defiance, angered by the assault, but completely unharmed.

 

Alpha & Omega - FR: Chaos Dragon BR: Face down. LP: 600. Omega’s Hand: 0

Juruo & Hikari - FR: Sacred Wyvern. BR: Mastery, 2 face downs. LP: 1600. Hikari’s Hand: 1

 

“No way, how?”

 

Omega laughed. “Ignorant child, my Card Guards counter shields Chaos Dragon one time from destruction. Now Alpha, finish this.”

 

“With pleasure” smirked Alpha. “I summon Magical Merchant in defence mode.”

 

A cockroach in baggy pants and carrying two enormous backpacks appeared, holding items of various kinds in each of its six arms (DEF: 700). “Now for Merchants effect, letting me pick up cards from my deck until I get a spell or trap. I draw, and immediately activate Broken Bamboo Sword, equipping it to the Magical Merchant. Now I can play Golden Bamboo Sword to draw two more cards... Then I remove Airknight Parshath and Dark Grepher from play.”

 

Oh no. Not again.

 

“Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning.”

 

The knight emerged for the second time, smaller than his opposing force, but just as powerful. Juruo shook his head. Both Chaos monsters on the field, winning was now almost impossible. He glanced up at the figure of Father Bartholomew and shivered. They couldn’t lose, or they’d suffer the same fate.

 

“Now I activate my face-down, Gift of the Mystical Elf, increasing our life points by 300 multiplied by the number of monsters on the field (LP: 1800). Thus, your Wyvern is weakened significantly, to just a pitiful 1900 ATK. Now Soldier, attack Sacred Wyvern.”

 

The Black Luster Soldier charged and struck the wyvern, which emitted a scream of pain, but did not disappear (LP: 500). Juruo blinked at Hikari, who gave a forced smile.

 

“A monster that uses Trust Guardian as a tuner gains the ability of not being destroyed once per turn, although it does lose another 400 attack points for it.”

 

“Irrelevant. Now Chaos Dragon attacks, and ends this once and for all.”

 

“Activate face down, Defence Draw! The damage from the attack becomes zero, and in addition, I get to draw a card.” Hikari buckled in pain as the Chaos Dragons black fire engulfed the weakened wyvern and obliterated it, feeling the same mental burn as before, but her Life points remained blissfully intact.

 

Omega sneered “So what? You’re not going to get the chance to use it. With both Chaos monsters on the field, you cannot hope to last another assault. The black curtain is about to descend on your lives. You should thank us really. You will not have to suffer the torment of the grand finale that is yet to engulf this world. The end is coming, and you cannot hope to stop it, for you have as good as lost.”

 

Juruo closed his eyes. He refused to believe Omega was right. He had already faced many challenges in his short time duelling and had been in tough situations, and his deck had not let him down yet. His thoughts passed over the people he knew were relying on him; the resistance, the people of the Empire, Inpachi and the other duel spirits, his mother and Hikari. Somehow, he was not going to be stopped by these two. He drew and felt the pulse of his card, opening his eyes to the sight of Dragunity Dux. There was a roar in the back of his brain, as a foggy image crept across his mind’s eye. Time passed in slow motion, as he tried to tap into the voice in his head, his duelling instinct, telling him what to do.

 

Then he got it.

 

“I summon Dragunity Dux in attack mode, and activate its effect to equip it with Dragunity Phalanx from my graveyard. Phalanx unequips itself, giving me the materials for another Synchro Summon.” Pillars of emerald light engulfed the bronze dragon and masked warrior, ripping a new portal into the spirit world way above them. Alpha took an involuntary step back as he looked up to the sight of the new dragon pulling itself through the void. A long serpent with four wings, encased in fiery red armour with gold spikes, rode by a magnificent knight, descended to the field, effortlessly floating on the air (ATK: 1900).

 

Hikari looked at Juruo, standing tall and confident, focused on his move, it was like an entirely different side to him had taken over.

 

“I summon the Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana. His attack may be low right now, but that will soon change. I can equip one Dragunity in my graveyard to him, I select Partisan.” Juruo’s body quivered as Partisan, tiny in comparison to his new dragon knight, reappeared on Vajrayana’s back. This time Omega took a step back. His facial expression may be hidden, but given the duos previously displayed knowledge, he must have known what was coming next. Maybe he knew better than Juruo, as his sub-conscious took over, gifting him with the life saving move.

 

“Now for Vajrayana’s main effect. I send Partisan back to the graveyard, to double my monsters attack. Now destroy Black Luster Soldier, once and for all.”

 

With a mighty beat of wings, the Vajrayana rose towards the roof in a slow spiral, its long body armour glinting in the little light (ATK: 3800). The rider gave the order, and the dragon swooped down on the Black Luster Soldier with force. The almighty knight rose to meet it, as the Dragunity Knight bought down its mighty long bladed sword. The warriors collided, and the superior strength of Juruo’s monster came through as the force of its attack threw the light soldier to the floor, spirit shattering on contact. Alpha sank to one knee, panting heavily (LP: 1000). Omega stood like a statue. The mighty dragon soared back to Juruo and coiled around its ally, duelist and monster as one, united. He stood motionless. They still hadn’t won yet, and something about the remaining monster still bothered him, it was a sure bet these hellish enemies wouldn’t go down quietly. He stared at Omega as he drew a card from his shield and looked at it. The silence lasted an eternity. Then the sadistic laughing filled the air once more, this time higher pitched and more possessed than before. The dark mask danced up and down faster than before, as Alpha joined in, their laughing becoming wilder. Omega began to speak; he could barely get the words out for giggling.

 

“I... will not fail you master...! It is ti... time for us... us all to meet the great Lucifer him... himself...! I... I activate... Primal Seed... to add two of my removed from play cards to my hand. Now I end this all... with Chaos Emperor Dragons effect. I must pay the remaining 1000 Life Points we have to activate it, costing us the duel, but we will still achieve... our objective. Chaos Dragon destroys every card on the field and in all our hands, nine in total, to cause a cataclysmic explosion, one that will... surely kill us all! Pray for your souls... as we unleash the end...! Goodbye vermin...”

 

The whole church began to shake, as the dragon opened its mouth, forming a huge sphere of energy that was absorbing everything in sight. The cards on the field began to vanish, even Vajrayana, to Juruo’s alarm, was sucked into the vortex. This was insane, this attack was suicide. He felt something wrap around him, as Hikari grabbed him around the waist, screaming for the activation of her face-down, as the giant sphere of energy exploded...

 

There was a terribly ghastly silence... There was a terribly ghastly noise... There was a terribly ghastly silence...

 

 

 

Rep for anyone cultured enough to recognise that line.

 

Now post something, or be destroyed by chaos!!!

[Vector Nightmare]

Hmm.

 

Those two last chapters weren't the greatest. There were a few mistakes other than what you already mentioned. Lightlord Rapier wouldn't add a counter to RML if it is equipped due to it being milled. Also, why did Mana Seize suddenly have its OCG name rather than its TCG one (since you've been using TCG names, generally)? Also funny how Broken Bamboo Sword got upgraded to just a plain Bamboo Sword =/.

 

Besides those few points, the duel was quite good. It was kind of hard to see why Alpha and Omega (such corny names btw) had so much difficulty winning with all the crazy card advantage they got (not to mention EFFING BROKEN cards). I actually hoped for some epic teamwork between Juruo and Hikari, though there's only so much you can do when you put Lightlords and Dragunities together. It was still good, and given how hard tag teams usually are to get down right, you did a nice job.

 

Moving on from the duel, I just... couldn't get along with the characterization of Alpha and Omega. They just seemed to change their personalities and speech patterns too much, and the fact that, after that quite epic speech by Alpha in the beginning, and perhaps the very ending, they had nearly no other speech barring duel related stuff and taunting their opponents (which felt too dub-like at moments), did not quite improve things. I believe you just couldn't settle as to how high you wanted them in the villain scale, that you originally wanted them to be quite important, and then you just decided to give the good guys the win and they sort of plummeted down. That, or you just wanted them insane. But I did not find it particularly well-done.

 

On the other hand, Juruo and Hikari were portrayed very well in these chapters, and if I were to ignore the villains completely, I'd give you a lot of points for characterization. Only thing I didn't like was how Juruo was all like "oh come on guys, just tell us the big secret already". That sounded kind of stupid, especially when he repeated it. But everything else was nice, Hikari's reactions to the priest's death were flawless. Speaking of which, very good job with that scene.

 

So yeah, general impression is good, but it still leaves a lot to be had, like they could be so much better if more attention was paid to details, and perhaps the two enemies were fleshed out a little better beforehand, or retconned to be more consistent.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Yes, indepth analysis on a great scale. Thanks man (Rep). Going through paragraph for paragraph.

 

Regarding card names, baiscially I just hate the name 'Spell Power Grasp' :D Broken Bamboo Sword was a slight lapse in concentration, edited.

 

I found this really quite tricky to write because trying to do the whole overcoming huge odds thing whilst still trying to hold back the Chaos cards from instantly wiping them out (more on that in a sec). I decided to use the Chaos cards for a couple of reasons, i.e. due to the environment where all cards are outlawed, I felt I'd never get a better chance to use them, and they'd make a big impact (well certainly a bigger one than the originally planned Light and Dark End Dragons anyway). Also, this is the first time Juruo has seen Hikari duel, so I thought it would be pretty unbelievable if they immediately click together seemlessly, although there was one or two nice little moves.

 

Regarding A&O, yeah I can see what you mean. I'm still struggling with 'sledging' a bit and more so with in-duel convo. Alpha and Omega are suppossed to be a few cards short of a deck, which is what makes them so dangerous. I was trying to make it so they had a lot of opportunities to just win that duel, but they would prolong it and enjoy the suffering. Yeah, looking back, Juruo's attempt at an interrogation was pretty poor. :lol:

 

Thanks for the praise at the end. Will bear in mind what you said and work on it.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

This thread has surpassed 500 views, huzzah! Even though it does feel like I'm talking to myself at times.

 

First things first, the first arc of this story will be concluded next week. At some point I will post a Saber-style character bio's section, detailing the personalities, roles and deck listings of all the characters we've met so far.

 

As for Arc Two, I've got it all planned out, in regards where the plot is going, who is dueling who, etc, etc, and have also scripted three duels already. But I only just started writing it out proper today. It's going well, but there may still be a bit of a break from my regular Monday-Wednesday-Friday routine until I build up enough of a lead on you all again.

 

Anyway, Chapter 11. This is, the opening two chapters aside, the shortest chapter so far, and also the last one in this arc that is duel-less. (Spoilers)

 

Boxes of tissues are avilable if you need them.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 11]

Chapter 11 - Scars of the Past

 

It was a normal spring day as a small girl with long brown hair walked the streets of her neighbourhood, on her way home after a day spent with her friends. She had had so much fun today, swimming in the stream, playing netball, and doing all the things all young children like to do. All these fun and games were very tiring though, and now she wished to go home and see her parents, who would scold her for being out all day instead of helping out at home, but they would soon forgive her, have a meal together and then do something as a family. She was happy as she walked through the narrow city streets, looking in every shop window that she passed, before she eventually arrived at her house. She knocked on the door, and went inside.

 

Her father was sat in the kitchen. He was a tall and thin man, with receding hair and glasses. He was a very peaceful person, not as strong or as good a duelist as her friends fathers, but he was still a popular and respected member of the community. He worked as a tailor in the city, and often gave discounts to those he knew who were in need of school uniforms for their children or such. Here he was now, motionless at the dining table, his head buried in his hands, an untouched meal pushed away in front of him. This behaviour seemed very unusual to the small girl. She said hello to him, but he did not respond. She was shocked; he never ignored her like this, he always told her she was his little princess, and that she meant the world to him. What could be so wrong with him? She walked over and tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at her. His eyes were bloodshot, and his mouth trembled.

 

“Are you alright daddy?”

 

The man paused, as if he didn’t know what to say.

 

“Yes, yes I am fine. Just... a little weary is all... um... I guess you’ve had a fun day... I can make you some dinner if you’re hungry...” His voice was fragile and shaky. He stood up, and unsteadily made his way over to the sink and began peeling some potatoes left on the side. The girl was confused, but decided to leave him to it. She went upstairs to her room to drop off her things. Something was weird about her room, she usually left it a bit messy, but it looked as though some items had been moved around. She dropped her bag on the bed, and took her cards out of the side pocket, placing them away in a special draw under her bed that none of her friends knew about, and headed back downstairs. It was very quiet in the house, as she looked around. She poked her head into her parent’s room. It was a mess, with drawers pulled out of their fittings and their contents scattered all over the floor. Her parents never allowed such untidiness in their room. She made her way back downstairs to the kitchen. Her father had stopped peeling vegetables, and was frozen over the sink, holding onto the worktop as if he would fall if unsupported.

 

“Daddy... where’s mom?”

 

Her father sighed as she came up to him. He knelt down beside her, embracing her in a tight hug.

 

“Mommy... had to go away. It’s not because of you or me, because she loves us very much. But she has needed to go away for a while...”

 

Shocked by this odd behaviour, the girl hugged her father back, withdrawing with alarm as he winced slightly. Filled with fear she pulled up his shirt. His body was covered in bruises and cuts, as if he had been restrained and beaten. She looked at him in horror. Surely this wasn’t happening, not to her family.

 

“Daddy... tell me the truth... did mom get taken away by the guards?”

 

The man bit his lip, and inclined his head, unable to look at her. Shock overcame her as she burst into tears. Her father hugged her tighter as she wailed in despair.

 

“It’s okay, we’ll be okay. Mommy is in a better place now. Oh my sweet Hikari, we’re going to be okay.”

 

...

 

Hikari woke with a start, lurching bolt upright and panting heavily. She was sat in a small bed surrounded by a green curtain, which made her surroundings darker. As she regained her senses, she realised she was wired to some kind of heart monitor. It was probably not the cleverest thing to do to rip them off. Exhausted, she lay down again and pressed the buzzer at her bedside, which she guessed would summon a nurse.

 

The curtain was drawn back, letting her see the rest of the room. There were a few other beds and various medical equipment around. Confused, she looked at the people standing beside her. There was Juruo, who looked incredibly worried, Erin, who was frowning at her, and also a kind looking dark skinned doctor. She opened her mouth to speak, but the doctor cut her off.

 

“Ah, you are awake at last. You gave us quiet a scare little miss; you’ve been unconscious for two days. Your heart rate seems to have jumped quite high at the minute...”

 

“I was having a nightmare...” mumbled Hikari. The doctor smiled sympathetically.

 

“I see. Well, maybe the shock helped you wake up. The mind can be powerful like that. Well, your blood pressure seems to be normal, so you should be able to leave soon. We’ll keep you here to rest for a few hours just to be sure, but you should be out of the woods. I’ll leave you with your friends now, if you need anything just buzz for the nurse.” With that he left to attend a patient across the room, leaving Hikari with Juruo and Erin. Juruo pulled up chairs for them. He still looked deeply concerned.

 

“Where am I?” croaked Hikari. She was still confused and weak. Juruo poured a glass of water and passed it to her to help her ease her throat.

 

“We’re in resistance headquarters. I’ve been under observation here as well, though I was never in the condition you were in. The card you activated shielded us from the blast from Chaos Dragon, but it was such a massive explosion, it couldn’t take all the force. I think I was out for a few hours as well, because the storm had ended when I came around. Mel and Aerial found us, and helped us back here.”

 

Her memory of what had happened at the church slowly began to return to her. She remembered their masked opponents, how they had commanded the enormous dragon to use its suicidal blast, trying to destroy them all. She had attempted to activate her face-down card ‘Pikeru’s Circle of Enchantment’ to shield them, and then blacked out. She sat up again in panic, Juruo jumped in alarm.

 

“What happened to Alpha and Omega? What about Father Bartholomew?”

 

Juruo shook his head. “When I woke up, the church was empty. There was no sign of the dragon, or of Alpha and Omega. They must have been unable to escape the blast. As for the Father, Aerial and a few others got him down and buried him in the church graveyard.”

 

Hikari sighed. “Thank Mel and Aerial for me.”

 

“If I might interrupt” snapped Erin. She had sat there impatiently, tapping in her high boots while Juruo had helped Hikari calm down, and had maintained a look of cold fury on her face throughout. “What the pair of you did was stupid. You did not have permission to leave us to go on some vendetta against these two, and nearly got yourselves killed. You can’t help anyone going off like that. Vardus is livid.”

 

Juruo shrugged. Clearly he had already been given this lecture. “Vardus has encountered Alpha and Omega before. He said he met them when he was a young man. They were apprentices to some old medicine man, and meddled in black magic. They started some kind of cult, and they offered Vardus membership. He refused, which lead to some incidents, but he escaped in the end.”

 

“The re-emergence of these sorcerers has got him worried. Especially when Juruo told us that they referred to serving another master. We can only assume the worst; that there are other forces working as Nero’s arm of enforcement. He has locked himself in his study since, planning what to do.”

 

Hikari nodded. This was a lot to take in right now.

 

“I’m sorry Erin. Can I go back to sleep now please?”

 

Juruo looked at Erin, who nodded. The pair stood and closed the curtain, leaving Hikari to rest.

 

...

 

Juruo and Erin stood outside the med bay in silence, listening to the sound of the water rushing by. The waterways were surprisingly quite a peaceful place to walk around if you needed to think or just pass the time. The grand structure of the place was a magnificent piece of engineering, underneath the very heart of the city that supplied clean water to all sections of the capital. Occasionally a city engineer would come along to check up on things. This alarmed Juruo when he first saw him, as he thought he would go to the palace to inform the guard of his discovery. However Aerial was quick to reassure him that the engineer and his men were allies with the resistance. Now he was here with the senior female of the resistance, who had first recruited him in her forceful manner. He hadn’t seen much of her since then, as she spent most of her time away on assignments on Vardus’ orders, but he had heard a lot about her. She was portrayed as severe and ruthless to allies and enemies alike, and was very guarded, perhaps as a result of deep scars in her past. She sat on the edge of the passageway and dangled her feet towards the water below, motioning Juruo to follow suit.

 

“When I was first recruited by the Resistance, I was just like you and Hikari. I missed my parents, who had been arrested and taken away from me by the Empire, and I struggled to understand how I could fight those who made me and my brother suffer. I was rebellious and couldn’t follow orders, recklessly taking on any guard who crossed my path, naively thinking it might ease the hurt of my losses. But I grew up quickly down here. I am still a deeply scarred warrior, but in time I’ve learnt to protect what I still have. You have already grown quickly. I don’t know what it is about you, but you seem to have something inside you that I lack. You are not fuelled by the vengeance that I once was.”

 

Her piercing blue eyes bore into Juruo. He squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze. “When I rescued you from the gallows, I saw all the people the Empire has hurt. It is not about me, it’s about them. Surely you can relate to that.”

 

“Not really” she replied to his astonishment. “Yes I know I shouldn’t say that, given my position after all. The Resistance is no more loved than the Empire. We are vilified and feared as much as the oppressors. The little friends I had when I was young shunned me as soon as they discovered I had joined up. My grandmother, the only other living member of my family, has refused to speak to me, as she sympathises with the emperor. She tried to take Mel into her custody, but I would not allow it. The only people I can relate to our down here, but I cannot relate to them as my friends or family, hence I’ve become the woman I’m viewed as. Don’t look shocked, I’ve heard every word spoken about me, the ‘Ice Queen’ as I am known. I am not like that, not always. I do have some feelings, but I cannot share them with others. I just want to be able to live in a free world with my brother. Is that too much to ask?”

 

Juruo sat and listened, not knowing quite what to say. Why was she telling him all this? As some kind of message of advice, or did she just need someone to talk to? She stared at him again, but she had a more friendly expression than her usual fierce look. He realised it must be difficult for her to open up like this. An awkward silence followed.

 

“Anyway, in light of the information you’ve given us, Vardus seems to be accelerating plans on a strike on the palace” she said looking down at the water again. “You will be involved, as will Hikari, providing she is fit enough. You should get some more rest too. I’ll stay here for a bit.”

 

There was a note of finality in her tone. Respecting her wish to be alone, Juruo stood up and left, as Erin stared across the water, deep in thought.

 

 

[Vector Nightmare]

I'm not one to speak but...

 

...two sob stories in a single chapter?

 

That was bad technique. The important thing about character development is to remember the characters' individuality. Stacking character development on top of each other is by no means as bad as having no character development, but it is bad. What you should have done here was focus on Hikari, either expand more on her or continue on after her awakening with plot related stuff, rather than expose us to Erin. Shedding light on the stories of two separate characters in one chapter without them being actually connected directly, especially when there are many similarities that can be drawn, is not a good idea. You greatly lessened the impact of both Hikari's and Erin's stories by stacking them together. And I also didn't like how the impact left Hikari out cold for days, whereas Juruo apparently just casually woke up a few hours later and was in a condition to move around, establish their situation, and stuff. If this means that the last scene of the tenth chapter caused Hikari to take the brunt of the blast and be injured more severely, it should have been noted in this one. Now this makes me think Juruo is either a buff dawg who takes explosions in the face and doesn't afraid of anything, or that he is a massive jerk who doesn't even throw his friend a thank you for saving his life (or at least preventing him from falling unconscious for two days rather than a couple of hours) at the risk of her own.

 

Probably the best part of this chapter was the flashback. Well-drawn and absorbing. But what followed kind of drained it dry. You've done better than this.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

I'm not one to speak but...

 

...two sob stories in a single chapter?

 

That was bad technique. The important thing about character development is to remember the characters' individuality. Stacking character development on top of each other is by no means as bad as having no character development, but it is bad. What you should have done here was focus on Hikari, either expand more on her or continue on after her awakening with plot related stuff, rather than expose us to Erin. Shedding light on the stories of two separate characters in one chapter without them being actually connected directly, especially when there are many similarities that can be drawn, is not a good idea. You greatly lessened the impact of both Hikari's and Erin's stories by stacking them together.

 

And I also didn't like how the impact left Hikari out cold for days, whereas Juruo apparently just casually woke up a few hours later and was in a condition to move around, establish their situation, and stuff. If this means that the last scene of the tenth chapter caused Hikari to take the brunt of the blast and be injured more severely, it should have been noted in this one. Now this makes me think Juruo is either a buff dawg who takes explosions in the face and doesn't afraid of anything, or that he is a massive jerk who doesn't even throw his friend a thank you for saving his life (or at least preventing him from falling unconscious for two days rather than a couple of hours) at the risk of her own.

 

Probably the best part of this chapter was the flashback. Well-drawn and absorbing. But what followed kind of drained it dry. You've done better than this.

 

Fair comment is fair. I had no idea about the potential impact of the double sob story thing. I wasn't really going for that as I didn't think Erin's part was that down feeling really, given how she kind of dismisses it as 'yeah, stuff happened, its done, move on and leave me alone' kinda attitude. I also thought I'd left her out for too long. I understand that better now. Thanks.

 

But I should definately have done better with the whole explosion aftermath, I certainly didn't mean to make Juruo some super human buff or ungrateful jerk. Will definately go back and reduce the whole 'two day' thing because it is a ridiculous difference.

 

As for the long term effect on Hikari, I'm actually writing a chapter for Arc Two as we type, and it focuses (solely) on Hikari, and this will be mentioned.

 

Think I'll go back and edit that chapter and expand it when I get the chance. Thanks for the comment, will notify you when the revised version is up.

[Vector Nightmare]

Tbh, it's better to continue than revise. If you go down the revision road you'll never get the story done. It's not like you made a tragic mistake that will impact the rest of the story and needs to be corrected now, just something noticeably weird. Oh, and it generally doesn't matter how a character perceives things, it's how the reader perceives things that defines their effect. If a character has grown emotionless because of their past mishaps, then that makes their story even more of a bummer.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Tbh, it's better to continue than revise. If you go down the revision road you'll never get the story done. It's not like you made a tragic mistake that will impact the rest of the story and needs to be corrected now, just something noticeably weird. Oh, and it generally doesn't matter how a character perceives things, it's how the reader perceives things that defines their effect. If a character has grown emotionless because of their past mishaps, then that makes their story even more of a bummer.

 

I see.

 

Thanks for the sound advice dude, will make sure I learn from it.

 

Chapter 12 up Monday, and a forgotten ally will return to the fore...

 

Completely off-topic, I don't get a notification when you quote me. Weird...

 

Anyone else wish to say anything at all. You don't have to be as indepth as Saber, just say what you like.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Chapter 12 below

 

[spoiler=Chapter 12]

Chapter 12 - Rise of the Reluctant Hero

 

Somewhere in the dark depths of the Sen’nenki forest, Sabin darted through the thick undergrowth, panting heavily from the effort. His fine silver hair was ragged and awry, his shirt ripped, and he was covered in mud and cuts. He had been running for hours, only adrenaline was keeping him going as he desperately tried to escape. Strength was beginning to fail him, as he leaned against a thick tree, trying to catch his breath. There were shouts behind him as the three guards smashed and cut their way through in pursuit of the outlaw. Sabin cursed, and set off again.

 

Ever since he had been beaten by Vardus and stripped of his duel shield, he had gone into hiding in the forest. He knew the guard would still be looking for him, regardless of him not being a duelist anymore, and had worked hard to train his body physically, in an effort to make up for the loss of his monsters that protected him. His routine had improved his strength and fitness slightly, but it took a heavy toll for that slight gain, as the energy expended drained him as he struggled to find food and a safe place to sleep. In his starved state, he had stolen food from farms on the edge of the woods. Presumably it was one of the farmers who had called for the soldiers. Now he was running for his life, with every passing minute it was becoming harder and harder to stay ahead of his pursuers. His hope was beginning to run out, as the guards got closer and closer. He sprinted into another large clearing, there was some sort of shrine there, made out of stone that encased a single oak tree. As he approached it, his vision became blurred, as he staggered around, all energy spent. Desperately, he got round to the opposite side of the shrine and pressed his back against it. This was it, he was going to be arrested, maybe even killed on the spot. Sabin leaned back against the stone, his vision failed completely, and he passed out.

 

...

 

Vardus ran his hands through his hair, and stretched. He had worked all through the night. The appearance of the two sorcerers troubled him deeply, and worse still were the rumours of a dark man who had been seen around the castle by his spies. He buzzed for his secretary to request a report he had asked for, yawning as he did so. Frustrated, he began to flick through another file on... something or other, he wasn’t concentrating properly. The secretary entered, carrying a tray in her hands that had a set of papers on it that were neatly bided, as well as a plate of toast and scrambled eggs. Vardus blinked in surprise and looked at the ornate grandfather clock in the corner, it was 8 o’clock. The secretary began to pour him a coffee, studying the bleary eyed leader, scolding and tending to him at the same time, like a mother would do having seen their child scrap their knees doing something stupid.

 

“Really sir, you can’t work effectively in these conditions. It is important you take a break and let the other generals help. Now I’ve got the patrol timings and routes of the palace guards our scouts managed to obtain, as well as your breakfast that the chef made specially. He knows you love scrambled eggs. You look awful sir, if I may be so bold, you really should get some sleep.”

 

Vardus accepted the coffee and stirred it, failing miserably to stifle another yawn, which earned him another tut of disapproval from the secretary as she cleared a space on the desk for the tray. She was right of course, but he hated not being involved in every single aspect of leading the Resistance, especially in matters of this magnitude.

 

“Okay, thank you Miya. If you could call the other generals, I shall pass this onto them before I go to bed.” The secretary nodded, relieved he had seen sense, and made her way out of the office. Vardus downed his coffee in one gulp and began his breakfast as he waited for the others to arrive, mulling over his plans. What he was preparing was risky, but he sensed it had to be done, before time ran out.

 

...

 

Open your eyes...

 

Sabin lurched upright, heart pounding as he looked around desperately for the guards. He couldn’t see anyone in the clearing. That was strange, he knew they were right behind him, and he hadn’t been able to hide. Then again, this clearing looked somewhat different. Not completely different, but kind of... the opposite of what he vaguely remembered. There was natural light streaming into the clearing through a large gap in the tree cover, something that never occurred in the forest as far as he knew. The grass was longer and greener with life, due to the sunlight no doubt. He staggered to his feet, and looked around. The shrine he had hidden behind was gone. A square patch of earth was in its place, as if it had been lifted from the ground. Where was he? He looked across this new clearing to the being stood a few yards away, a tree being that resembled a human form. He recognised it from duel monsters, the cursed spirit of a cut down tree, Inpachi. This being stood before him, larger than life, as real as he was. It had a large wooden shield on its right arm, it seemed more grown out of his body than attached.

 

“Welcome to the spirit world, Sabin Krieger” the tree said. Sabin blinked, surprised the tree knew his name. He had heard tales of the spirit world before, but never really believed it. Still, he clearly wasn’t in a world he knew at the moment. “I have bought you here as you found my shrine, in your escape from Nero’s guards, although my mercy may be seen as lenient by some considering your tainted past. I could send you back to their clutches at any moment, should I think I’m wasting my time. I have watched you for a long time Sabin, as you have hurt many people in your life.” The tree was harsh, but there must be more to this than a simple lecture.

 

“I only did what I had to in order to stay alive” Sabin said, already knowing his answer would not be good enough.

 

“Even at the cost of others” the tree raised its unearthly voice.

 

“You think I’m proud of that?” Sabin blurted in anger. “I have spent my entire life on the run; from the guards, from my past, from death. My father was forced to fight, and he was killed, and for what? I take no pleasure from what I’ve done. I know I’m gonna suffer worse for it later, so I do what I’ve always had to do, and try to postpone it, however inevitable.” His body began to shake as he shouted at the spirit.

Inpachi nodded. “Well then, given your little outburst, as well as recent events, it appears you want redemption, so I will give you the chance. You could be crucial in the salvation of both our worlds, but only if you can take responsibility for your past and future actions. You shall duel against me, to prove yourself as a true warrior. It is time for you to stop running Sabin, and start fighting. Defend yourself.”

Sabin looked at the spirit in bewilderment as it took a dueling stance across the clearing, how on earth was he going to fight without his deck? He looked at his right arm, and recoiled in shock. A dark grey shield materialised from thin air around his wrist, laced with a gold trim and a black gem in the centre. Everything about it; the weight, the balance, felt more natural than his old shield. Alright then...

 

“Duel!”

 

Both players glared at each other as they drew five cards. Sabin took it upon himself to add a sixth, and looked over his new monsters. There were three in his hand, all dark machines that bore the same title, ‘Ally of Justice.’ He had heard of these guys, they were designed specifically to take out light decks, such as Worms or the Lightsworn. No doubt Inpachi would not be as accommodating as to use a light deck, but no matter, how good a duelist could the spirit be?

 

“Guests first, I summon ‘Ally of Justice Garadholg’ in attack and place one card face down.” The images of the two cards appeared, as an armoured battle robot rose, humanoid in build although without a head. It stood before him, a fair bit taller than him, armed and ready for battle (ATK: 1600).

 

Inpachi drew his next card and considered his move carefully. “It is a great irony that you have been given a deck called Ally of Justice, is it not? Dark machines that combat the light, but for good against evil. I myself use a deck consisting of the spirits that live in this forest. I summon Mystic Tomato in defence, and then I play two spell cards, ‘Spiritual Forest’ and ‘The World Tree’.” There was an almighty rumble as tall trees rapidly shot out of the ground on Inpachi’s half of the field, one at the centre was a grand leafy oak, the others grey and magical looking. They emitted a light all of their own. Amongst them stood Inpachi and the demonic fruit, razzing at him (DEF: 1100).

 

Sabin - Front Row: Garadholg. Back Row: Face down. Hand: 4 LP: 4000

Inpachi - Front Row: Mystic Tomato. Back Row: Spiritual Forest, World Tree. Hand: 3 LP: 4000

 

“Alright then, my turn. I summon ‘Ally of Justice Unknown Crusher’, which I send straight after Tomato.” A large mechanical mammoth appeared beside the Garadholg. It lifted its trunk, which acted as a cannon, and fired a thick laser beam at the tomato (ATK: 1200). However, the fiend was not destroyed.

 

“While Spiritual Forest is on the field, it prevents the destruction of the first blow that would destroy a Beast or Plant type monster each turn.” Inpachi kindly informed him as the tomato razzed again.

 

“Fine, then Garadholg will take it out.”

 

The armoured robot extended both its arms, firing lasers from its palms. This time the plant was destroyed, but Sabin knew its effect well, as Inpachi searched his deck for another monster to summon. The great tree behind him started to glow lighter, as blossoms grew on its lower branches.

 

“Using my monsters effect, I summon ‘Violet Witch’ in attack. You should also note that each time a Plant type monster is destroyed; a flower counter is grown on the World Tree, which I can use for various means, as you’ll see momentarily. Now I draw, and summon ‘Lord Poison’ in attack.” A disgusting zombie like creature with tentacles appeared beside the witch garbed in purple robes with large leaves incorporated in the cloak (ATK: 1500 and 1100 respectively). Next I activate the effect of The World Tree, by removing one flower counter, I can increase Lord Poison’s attack to 1900. Now I attack your Garadholg.” The tentacles shot out from the plant, towards the machine.

 

“I activate the trap card, ‘Covering Fire’, combining my monsters attack to overwhelm yours.” Both machines fired their respective lasers (ATK: 2800), repelling the tentacled lord and causing a hit to Inpachi’s life points. However thanks to Spiritual Forest, the monster was not destroyed.

 

Sabin - Front Row: Unknown Crusher, Garadholg. Back Row: -. Hand: 4 LP: 4000

Inpachi - Front Row: Lord Poison, Violet Witch. Back Row: Spiritual Forest, World Tree. Hand: 3 LP: 3100

 

As Inpachi signalled the end of his turn, Sabin looked over his hand again. Nothing there contained the means to get rid of those annoying spell cards, or had sufficient attack. He needed his next draw to be a good one; hopefully his new deck would serve him better than his previous one. He paused as he drew, another Ally of Justice, and a powerful one. He wouldn’t be able to use its effect, due to it only activating when battling light monsters, but the attack strength was good for now. “First I place one card face down. Then I tribute Unknown Crusher to summon ‘Ally of Justice Omni Weapon’. Attack Violet Witch.” The mammoth machine disappeared, to be replaced by a bulky robot that stood on three legs like a tripod. Many tendrils extended from its body, each ending in a different weapon (ATK: 2200). It selected the laser attachment, and fired at the witch. It screamed as it was unprotected by the forest spell. Inpachi took a step back as the blast depleted his life points again (LP: 2000).

 

“When Violet Witch is destroyed, I get to add a plant from my deck to my hand. I choose Glow Up Bulb. Now I begin my turn with ‘Foolish Burial’ to place another monster from my deck in my graveyard. Next I summon ‘Botanical Lion’, who gains 300 ATK for each plant I control, including itself.” A lion made of bark and green leaves roared as it emerged onto the field, shaking the impressive purple flower that was its mane. Roots extended where there should be claws (ATK: 2200). It lunged and mauled the Omni Weapon. Usually when two monsters ATK are tied, they are both destroyed, but once again, Spiritual Forest protected Inpachi’s monster, and only the machine was destroyed. Lord Poison extended its tentacles again and tightly wrapped them around Garadholg, obliterating it as well. Sabin coughed and hacked from the intense heat of the explosion caused, the damage felt more real here. Well of course it does, he thought. If I am in their world now, then this is real to them. He paused as he considered what might happen to his body if he should lose, an alarming possibility given his current situation.

 

Sabin - Front Row: -. Back Row: Face down. Hand: 3 LP: 3700

Inpachi - Front Row: Botanical Lion, Lord Poison. Back Row: S Forest, World Tree. Hand: 3 LP: 2000

 

“Alright, before I start my turn, I activate my face down spell ‘Fires of Doomsday’. This lets me summon two of these little nasties.” Two tiny black fire demons emerged from sparks of blue flames, they were tokens as opposed to proper monsters, but still counted as level 1 monsters with no attack and defence. “Now I officially begin my turn, and summon my ‘Ally of Justice Cycle Reader’.” A mechanical spider like creature, as tall as Sabin, materialised beside him (ATK: 1000). “Now I tune Cycle Reader and my two Doomsday tokens to summon a level 5 Synchro monster, ‘Ally of Justice Catastor’!”

 

The three monsters were engulfed in columns of black light that stretched beyond the tree tops and into the sky, causing a black rip in the azure blue. The columns merged as one, and shrank back towards the earth, unveiling the terrifying machine of ruin. A great silver contraption with gold armour, standing tall on four pincers, a laser eye producing from its head piece (ATK: 2200). This thing was widely regarded as a tool of mass destruction, given its ease to summon and devastating effect, anyone lucky enough to own this card would immediately add it to their deck. Sabin looked at his key monster. To him it didn’t look a tool of mindless violence, but a protector, as it was originally intended to be. It was weird, but he had never felt so at one with his cards before. Maybe this deck was just meant for him.

 

“Now I have this man-made horror out, I can attack almost any monster you bring out and destroy it immediately, without damage calculation. Catastor, attack Botanical Lion.” Sabin gave the command, and it fired its laser attack straight at the lion, destroying it without difficulty.

 

“I am impressed, but do not think you are out of the woods yet. You must raise your game further. Lion’s destruction adds another counter to The World Tree. Next I summon ‘Glow Up Bulb’, but it won’t be hear long, as I destroy it with ‘Fragrance Storm’.” A small bulb with one eye appeared, then disappeared in a storm of petals. Sabin scowled

 

“What was the point in that? You just wasted your one normal summon.”

 

Inpachi chuckled. “Allow me to explain, as this accomplishes a lot for me. Now I draw a card, and by revealing ‘Prickle Fairy’, I can draw another. Also, because a plant was destroyed, I can summon the monster I had buried earlier, ‘Snyffus’.” A bizarre warthog appeared among the trees across from Sabin, beside Lord Poison. A column of light shot up into the sky, as Inpachi performed his own Synchro summon. Seconds passed, then from the column charged a unicorn, a striking blue body with a golden mane and tail, and a thunderbolt horn pronouncing from its head (ATK: 2200).

 

“Also, because Glow Up Bulb was technically destroyed, The World Tree gains a second flower counter. Now by removing the two counters from it to destroy one card on the field, your Ally of Justice Catastor. Leaving you wide open. ‘Thunder Unicorn’, direct attack.”

Sabin reeled as his machine was engulfed in a blizzard of blossoms, destroying it. The unicorn charged at him at alarming speed, head lowered to spear him with its horn. He raised his shield to meet the blow. The pain was unimaginable. Electricity coursed through his entire body. The force of the shock threw him backwards, paralyzing him for a few seconds. His eyes rolled in their sockets as he struggled to regain his senses.

 

Sabin - Front Row: -. Back Row: -. Hand: 3 LP: 1500

Inpachi - Front Row: Thunder Unicorn. Back Row: S Forest, World Tree. Hand: 4 LP: 2000

 

...

 

Vardus leaned forward in his chair and poured over his papers yet again. Every detail about this operation had to be spot on, had to be checked repeatedly, or everything could fail. Across from him sat his three generals, each looking at various reports, maps, records, or files. One was an old warrior, with bushy white eyebrows and a long beard. He was dressed in fine flowing robes, and his hair was tied back with a clip. He put down his map of the castle grounds, and scribbled some arrows and circles on it.

 

“So my team will enter here at precisely 2310” he said, pointing to a small room in the south east corner of the palace that he had circled. Vardus nodded, and passed the ancient warrior the route maps of patrolling guards he had been given over. The warrior studied it; no guards would pass his route of entry for five minutes either side of his time of entry. He passed the map over to the man sat next to him. A muscular and wild looking man with dark eyes and an unkempt beard, he pushed his wild dreadlocks out of his face as he studied it. He silently pointed to a spot west of the northern gate, where the palaces vegetable crop was. There would be some natural cover there with all the tree cover as they climbed the wall, having taken care of the patrol. Vardus took the map, and drew a route towards and through the palace for him. The dreadlocked man took back the map and studied it, taking a few pictures from the desk of the rooms he would pass through.

 

The third and final member of Vardus’ inner circle sat patiently, tapping her boots as she looked through the list of members of the Resistance who would be participating in the operation, it had nearly thirty names on it. Erin put a number one, two or three beside each name, dividing them into three equal groups. She swapped notes with the dreadlocked man, and looked at her entry point; an underground passage would put her and her team underneath a room in the west wing.

 

“Er, why have you put Mel with me? I’d have thought you’d want him by your side?”

 

Erin glanced up at the dreadlocked general who had asked the question. She ignored him and turned to Vardus instead. “Are you sure we are ready to do this, tonight?”

 

“Yes Erin, I am sure. We need to make our move now, while the guards are in disorder and before things can become worse than they are. I believe we have done everything we can to research and plan this final mission. If no-one has anymore to add, I think I may get some rest. I advise you all do as well. We shall assemble in the training area at 2100 hours, and split up from there. Good day.”

 

The generals rose and filed out of the office. Vardus began to collect his papers and file them away into his desk, before he got some sleep ahead of the night ahead. Later, he would have the members who had signed up assembled, and deliver his address to them. Tonight, the Resistance would rise and overthrow the Empire, once and for all.

 

...

 

Sabin slowly made his way back to his feet, clutching his side from the blow. He looked across at the field, and the odds he was against. Thunder Unicorn, backed up by Spiritual Forest, and nothing on his side. He had probably come back from worse situations than this, he just couldn’t think of one right now. He drew his next card and looked at his hand. Nothing there that was greatly helpful.

 

“I summon Ally of Justice Searcher in defence, and play one face down.” A green buggy machine appeared, its defence was pitiable, but it was all he had (DEF: 100). “Now bring it.”

 

“I admire that you’re not going to quit, but you need more than guts to back it up. From the graveyard, I activate the effect of Glow Up Bulb, to return it to the field by sending the top card of my deck to the graveyard. That said card is ‘Dandylion’, and when it’s sent to the graveyard I get to summon two fluff tokens to my field. Next I summon ‘Key Mouse’ from my hand.” A cute little mouse with a collar with a lock and key appeared beside the rapidly multiplying monsters. “Now I tune Key Mouse with Thunder Unicorn and a fluff token, to summon ‘Voltic Bicorn’.”

 

The light columns appeared among the trees, and from it burst forth a jet black mare with twin horns of lightning (ATK: 2500). Sabin scowled. “I suspect you’re not done.”

 

“Correct Sabin. I see you have intelligence, if only you chose to use it better. Now I tune Glow Up Bulb with Voltic Bicorn to summon ‘Lightning Tricorn’. The columns appeared a third time, and the sound of thundering hooves filled Sabin ears. A golden horse came forth, with a wild blue mane and scarlet tail hair, and covered with huge spikes down its flanks, as well as the three magnificent horns on its head (ATK: 2800). “Next, by discarding Prickle Fairy, I activate ‘Wonder Clover’. This allows my Tricorn to attack you twice. If you thought the last attack was intense, this one will be truly shocking. Tricorn, attack.” The horse reared, striking the buggy with a thunderbolt generated from its horns. It then stared down Sabin. There were no more monsters there to protect him. The Tricorn reared again, unleashing a second bolt.

 

 

 

Yeah, about the absense of hyperlinks. Partly, I suspect they may be distracting in their bright and blue ness and may give away moves before you guys get to the end of a sentence.

 

But mostly they are a complete b**** to put in. After 45 minutes I nearly have them all, then while pressing backspace to change the hyperlink name, I end up going back a page and having to start over!!! So unless I get a shed loads of cries for their return, the hyperlinks are gone.

 

Ps. Arc One will end... Friday 25th Feb...

[Vector Nightmare]

Good chapter was good. Really liked this one. Sabin using AoJ was... kinda meh for me. Dunno what I expected / wished for. Still the duel was really nice, it's good to see AoJ being played without the usual Light monsters around. And that Inpachi had kind of godly drawing luck. I liked the Beast / Plant mix, it was a perfect fit for the situation. And the scenes with Vardus were also cool. In fact I should say this chapter is one of your best ones so far, even though I'm biased with Sabin being my favorite character. Excellent work.

 

I don't really mind hyperlinks or the lack thereof. You are descriptive enough with card effects to make them generally unneeded. But there is a trick to doing them easily if you want. Encase the card name in [] as you are writing. Then copy-paste into Notepad (or wherever you prefer to write) and Ctrl + H to replace all instances of '[' with and all instances of ']' with . Then all you have to do is copy-paste the urls into the brackets. Or, if you are a little savvier, you could replace with instead and just copy-paste the card names (which should be right next to the link) after the slash. Just be careful about spaces (should be replaced with underscores) and special characters.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Fast response was fast (makes me feel guilty having not read Chapt.23 of Dead Zone yet).

 

Thanks man. Good to be back on track.

 

Never really done the switching back and forth between a duel and a non-duel scene elsewhere before, so would like people (not just Saber guys :angry:) to note how well/not so well that worked.

 

Hey, who in the history of Yugioh anime hasn't had a canny knack at drawing? (answer my own question, Damon :lol: )

 

Hyperlinks aren't there so much for pictures, but for clarifying effects of cards unknown/new to people. But it's easy enough to open and search Yugioh Wikia isn't it?

[Lexadin]

Chapter 9: Lol, Lumis and Umbra much? Didn't found it even a bit disturbing, YGO Season 0 was way more desturbing then this. Oh and btw, Parshath is male not female. Other then that a great chapter. I love the apearance of BLS- EttB (my bro's most powerfull card).

 

Chapter 10: Awesome chapter, I love how they did that Kamikazi attack.

 

Chapter 11: Nice background stories. Not much more to say about it.

 

Chapter 12: Great chapter, I like how it switches from Vardus to Sabin, it really reminded me of a YGO episode.

 

Can't wait to read more.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Chapter 9: Lol, Lumis and Umbra much? Didn't found it even a bit disturbing, YGO Season 0 was way more desturbing then this. Oh and btw, Parshath is male not female. Other then that a great chapter. I love the apearance of BLS- EttB (my bro's most powerfull card).

 

Who? (Quick trip to Yugioh Wika, aaaaah...) Drat and double drat, curse you and your nerves of steel! :)

 

Chapter 10: Awesome chapter, I love how they did that Kamikazi attack.

 

Chapter 11: Nice background stories. Not much more to say about it.

 

Chapter 12: Great chapter, I like how it switches from Vardus to Sabin, it really reminded me of a YGO episode.

 

Thanks.

 

Can't wait to read more.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Penultimate chapter of Arc One in spoiler, and it is on now...

 

[spoiler=Chapter 13]

Chapter 13 - Assault on the Palace

 

Juruo sat on his bed, staring at the bright silver helmet in his hand. He was dressed in his usual duelling outfit, but it was mostly hidden by an old metal breastplate, gauntlets, and leg protectors that he had been given. A short sword was slotted into a sheath hanging from his waist. He continued to mindlessly stare at the helmet; it hung long at the back to protect the back of his neck, and had several dents. The Decoy Dragon sat in his lap and cried at him for attention. He stroked its back absentmindedly, barely focused on it, his mind pre-occupied by what was to come.

 

There was a knock on the door as Hikari and Aerial entered. They were dressed in similar armour, although theirs was in a bit better condition than Juruo’s. Hikari had only recently left the medical bay, but was desperate to be involved tonight, duelling tirelessly against anyone in the resistance who would face her as she was determined to prove her fitness. She had even faced Vardus, and although she had lost, the leader was impressed enough to give her the all clear and insert her into the operation. Her spirit Rinyan followed at her heels, it leapt up onto the bed and began to clean itself, oblivious to the dragon spirits interest. Aerial leaned with his back to the wall, while Hikari sat down beside Juruo.

 

“You’re worried about this, aren’t you?”

 

“Terrified. I never thought I’d be involved in something like this. Many people are going to be killed you know.”

 

She nodded, unsmiling. “Just think though. If we’re successful, the emperor will be overthrown tonight. I know we have to do some terrible things to achieve that, but it’s for the greater good.”

 

“It’s really that simple is it?”

 

“I know you have trouble trusting Vardus, but I trust him. He knows what he’s doing. The emperor has no plan in place for a successor, so unyielding is he that he will keep his power forever. The empire will crumble, and be returned to the people, as a republic. No more repression, no more suffering.”

 

Juruo stared blankly between her and Aerial. His stomach felt like it was in knots. Aerial stretched and approached him, rummaging in his pockets for a minute.

 

“I felt the same way before my first mission. But if all goes well, this will be your last too. The last one for all of us. Here, I want to you to take this as a good luck charm. You’re a great duelist, hopefully you can put it to better use than me.” He pulled out a single duel monster card from his pocket, and handed it to Juruo face down. Juruo flipped it, it was Simorgh, the Bird of Divinity, and Aerial’s strongest monster. Sheepishly he tried to force him to take it back, but Aerial wasn’t going to take it.

 

“Alright, I’ll give you one of my cards. Let’s both stay alive long enough to give them back to each other, alright?”

 

Juruo flicked through his deck until he found what he wanted to trade, his Dragunity Arms Leavatein, and passed it over. Aerial laughed. It wasn’t a happy laugh, just an awkward forced one. The situation must have been getting to him too. The two shook hands, and Aerial pulled Juruo up to stand. Curiously, Hikari leaned out of the way, not looking at the guys as she put on her helmet, and picked up Rinyan in her arms. Juruo placed the dragon on his shoulder as the trio left for the training area, where the others were waiting.

 

...

 

The pair joined the other members of the resistance on the training area. There were maybe thirty people in total. On the stand of seats at the side of the arena, Erin stood dressed in fine armour and holding a long thin blade. Alongside her were an older man with a long beard and bushy white eyebrows, who wore flowing robes of red under his armour, and a stockier man with wild dreadlocks and wearing little armour over his bare torso, looking like a savage shouldering a huge two handed sword. Behind these three stood Vardus, who clutched a fine war helmet under his arm. The hilt of the sword sheathed by his side was covered in jewels, like his shield. He approached a microphone that had been set up for him, and began his address.

 

“My friends, tonight is our time to decide our fate. We shall make our strike at the heart of the Empire, at the Royal Palace itself. There we shall fight for our families, for our fallen comrades, and for our freedom. We will purge our land of the evil that Nero has poisoned it with. Our plan is to split into three teams, lead by Erin, Nataka, and Chetema. Follow their commands to the letter, and you will live to see a free world in the morning. May your shields defend you well, and may your swords deliver justice.”

 

The crowd burst in cheers as Vardus ended his speech. The three generals made their way down from the improvised podium and called for all duelists to step forward. Hikari and Juruo pushed to the front, where they were joined by Melanc, Aerial, a pretty girl who introduced herself as Chou, and one other man who Juruo had only seen once before, who Chou told him was the resistance’s head cook and her father, Goro. He was a middle aged man, short and doughy in body and face, with balding hair and tattoos covering his bare arms, hardly an impressive looking warrior. He grunted and nodded to him. Juruo reasoned Chou must have got most of her looks from her mother. The three generals, who all had duel shields as well, marched over. The older man, Nataka, explained they were to divide the duelists equally between each party. He seemed stern, focused on the task ahead. However they did not seem to be as decided on their accompanying teammates, as the other two argued over his shoulder.

 

“I still do not understand Erin, why would you want to be separated from your little brother, especially at this time of all?” asked the barbarian Chetema in a slow tone.

 

“I have my reasons. Mainly that you should not be left with the weakest two duelists protecting you, since I know you will rely on your sword more than your duel monsters. Take Mel and Juruo with you. I’ll be fine with the Mishima’s.”

 

“Cease your bickering you two, you are supposed to set an example.” Nataka rounded on them, and the two stopped immediately. “If you are so against it Erin, Chetema will take Melanc, and Chou as well, as her healing deck will aid him, since he refuses proper armour. I will take Hikari with me, and this Juruo boy, for he is still a novice in combat. That leaves you with Aerial and Goro. I hope there are to be no more objections from anyone.”

 

No one dared argue further.

 

...

 

Sabin shouted over the noise of the crackling electricity for his face down to activate, as the thunderbolt flew towards him.

 

“Face down, ‘Reanimation Wave’. The damage is halved, and I get to special summon a Synchro monster from my graveyaaaaaaa....” The electric attack finished his sentence for him, bringing him to his knees (LP: 100). However, he had got what he needed. The ground opened up in front of him, and Catastor climbed out of the hole. Expressionless, Inpachi placed a face down, and ended his turn.

 

Sabin - Front Row: Catastor. Back Row: -. Hand: 2 LP: 100

Inpachi - Front Row: Lightning Tricorn, Fluff Token. Back Row: S Forest, World Tree, face down. Hand: 1 LP: 2000

 

“Alright Inpachi, you’re a good player. You even make the dodgy puns of a good duelist. But I am better than good. The guts you mentioned, they’re new, and they are the backup... to outright talent. Draw!” He looked at the card. Solemn Judgement, not great. With so little Life Points, he would have to be cautious. He needed rid of the monster facing him, but the face down was unnerving. What if it was Mirror Force, or Dimensional Prison? He would have to chance it. He stood up again, and gave the order.

 

“Now I attack Tricorn with Catastor.” The machine settled itself into attack, preparing to fire.

 

“Activate Threatening Roar, preventing your attack before it begins” Inpachi countered. The thunder mare roared as the trap activated. Annoyed, but knowing it could have been a lot worse, Sabin placed two more cards face down. At least Catastor would protect him from further attack.

 

“I draw, and I got the perfect card. I cannot attack directly, but I play ‘Seed Cannon’.” A thorny plant appeared between the trees. Now each time I summon a Plant type monster, a counter is placed on the cannon. I tribute my remaining token to summon one, ‘Gigaplant’. Now by simply sending Seed Cannon to the graveyard, it does damage of 500 directly to your life points.” The plant withered, firing a stream of bullet seeds at Sabin before it died.

 

“Activate ‘Damage Polarizer’, negating the damage, and giving us both a card.” The bullet seeds faded into nothing as the trap activated, inches away from Sabin’s face. He did not flinch.

 

“A good counter” Inpachi commented as he drew another card. “Your deck has protected you well so far. But it cannot hold out forever, now that I have Gigaplant at my side.”

 

Sabin - Front Row: Catastor. Back Row: Face down. Hand: 2 LP: 100

Inpachi - Front Row: Lightning Tricorn, Gigaplant. Back Row: S Forest, World Tree. Hand: 1 LP: 2000

 

Sabin drew again. Inpachi was right; the monstrous fly trap was the last thing he needed, as it would swarm monsters that would eventually overcome him. He looked at his last two cards, and smiled. Finally, a powerful spell to boot up his machines, and one with the effect he needed. “I summon ‘Ally of Justice Cyclone Creator’.” A bird like machine hovered in the air before him, supported by fans in its wings that powered its flight (ATK: 1400). “Next I activate ‘Limiter Removal’, to double the attack of my two allies until the end of the turn.” (Catastor ATK: 4400, Cyclone Creator ATK: 2800).

 

“So what?” Inpachi sounded unconcerned. “With Spiritual Forest on the field, it will take two attacks to take down either of my monsters, then Limiter Removal will destroy your machines at the end of the turn, freeing my remaining monster to attack you directly.”

 

“Yeah, about that. My little birdie has a neat little trick, and it’s not copying my voice. By discarding the last card in my hand, I get to return one card in your back row to your hand. I choose Spiritual Forest.” The Cyclone Creator tilted its wings as Sabin chucked his final card to the Graveyard slot, to unleash a gust of wind that blasted the trees on the field, the force ripping them up as the card was returned to Inpachi’s hand. The field cleared, the two machines went on the assault, Cyclone firing a laser from its beak at Gigaplant, and Catastor doing the same as before for Lightning Tricorn. Both were destroyed. (LP: 1600)

 

“Tricorn’s effect is activated, bringing Thunder Unicorn back from my graveyard.”

 

“Don’t think so. Activate ‘Solemn Judgement’, negating the summon at the cost of half my life points.” Sabin’s life points were on the brink now, but it was worth it to keep the advantage (LP: 50).

 

“Excellent Sabin, excellent. But I am still not beaten. When a beast type monster is destroyed, I can pay 1000 life points to summon this monster from my hand. ‘Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest’.” Sabin groaned as a giant and wild monkey fell from the large tree that was still on the field, its body covered in thick natural armour, and carrying a club in its hand (ATK: 2600).

 

“I've got one last play left. I tune my Cyclone Creator and Catastor to Synchro Summon ‘Ally of Justice Light Gazer’.”

 

The column of darkness rose again, pulling down from the sky a nightmarish machine, that floated high above the battle field. It had a grey main body with two arms, and was supported by a spinning ring to keep it airborne. Searchlights produced from its eyes, arms, and various other places (ATK: 2400).

 

“A clever move all in all, but my baboon will end this now. I attack... wait a second...” The spirit paused as he watched the Light Gazer’s strength rise (ATK: 3000). “What?” Sabin smirked at him.

 

“I’d thought you’d have learnt my deck inside out before you gave me it. Light Gazer gains 200 attack points for every LIGHT monster in your graveyard, namely your three little ponies.”

 

Inpachi grunted irritably at him. “I did not select your deck. It is one chosen for you by the hands of fate. I merely serve as fate’s arm, in this instance. I re-activate my Spiritual Forest and place Baboon in defence mode. Then I set this card face down and end my turn.” Inpachi thought about what this duel could mean for them. Little does he realise my face down card is ‘Doom Petal Countdown’. As soon as he ends his turn, I shall defeat him. And if he can’t defeat me, then how can we place our hopes on him defeating the forces of darkness?

 

Sabin didn’t like that look. Something was telling him he had to win this, on this turn. And he was only going to get one shot at it. This next card had better be something special. For the first time in his life he paused as he put his hand to his deck, breathing slowly, focusing on what he needed, trying to force a card that could win the match to the top. Draw... The card did not disappoint. It was truly his real deck.

 

“I activate the spell card, ‘Shield Crash’. This card instantly destroys one monster that’s in defence position. That means bye bye for your baboon, and a clear route to your life points. Light Gazer, finish this.” The baboon howled as it was instantly destroyed by the spell, as a whirring sound started above his head, as the huge UFO-like machine fired a barrage of lasers straight at the defenceless Inpachi. The tree spirit yelled, life points depleted. The Light Gazer and the other card images faded into nothingness, as Sabin deactivated his shield, panting heavily with exhaustion. He had gone to the limit against the spirit and won with a mere fifty life points to spare.

 

“Congratulations Sabin, you have bested me.” Inpachi limped across the fading battlefield towards the victor. “You have kindled your fighting spirit and proven your determination to aid those in need. I can send you back to your world now, content that our hopes are not in vain.”

 

“Ok, ok, let’s not get too mushy. Before you send me back though, I could do with a proper explanation. There’s more going on here than you’re telling me, isn’t there?”

 

“Alas Sabin, I wish I could, but time is not on our side. You are needed back in your world. Make your way to the palace. Find Juruo and Hikari. I think they’ll be able to explain things in more detail for you. Until we meet again.” Sabin called from him to wait, but no sound came from his mouth. His sight faded as he felt his body go numb, and his knees gave out. The grass was soft underneath his fall, as if he was passing through it. He felt like he was going to sleep, as everything went black.

 

...

 

Sabin woke with a start and looked around. He was sitting in the clearing he had passed out in earlier, his back resting against the stone shrine. The forest seemed darker than usual, maybe it was night time. Evidently he was back, then again had he left at all? Well proof would be easy to find. He looked down at his right arm. There was the large grey shield. He stood, and looked at his new duel shield, examining it as he walked out from behind the altar.

 

“There he is!”

 

Sabin looked up to see the three guards who had been chasing him earlier sat around a campfire, cooking something or other on it. They were scrambling to their feet, unsheathing their swords, preparing to arrest the target who had mysteriously vanished into thin air that morning. Sabin sighed as he pulled the top three cards from his deck. Cyclone Creator, Unknown Crusher, and a new card, ‘Attack Gainer’. That one seemed a bit out of place, but whatever, it might be useful one day. He smiled as he remembered the little boy in the slums who asked him if he would fight the guards for them, and the look on his face when he said no. Maybe he would see the kid again, and tell him he had changed his mind. Besides, he missed this, as he summoned the trio of monsters.

 

“Bring it!”

 

...

 

Holding the torch high above his head, Juruo followed Nataka down the narrow underground waterway. Somewhere behind him was Hikari, and seven other warriors armed with swords and regular shields. They followed the path along, as the water rushed past right beside them. They stopped halfway down this path, there was nothing special about it, everything was just the same as the other waterways. The wizened warrior paused and stared at his map, they seemed to be in the right place. He took the torch from Juruo and cast around the gloom, until a tile with a pattern of the royal seal was seen in the wall. He pushed it, and there was a rumble as his hand sunk into the wall, as he pressed against the switch. The wall rose, revealing a small inlet appeared with a ladder at the back. Nataka motioned for quiet. He had already explained that this passage would lead them right into the palace grounds. Juruo felt his breathing quicken. Nataka threw the torch into the water, and began the climb, followed by his group.

 

The group emerged in a small room, that was pretty empty aside from the trapdoor they came up from up. It must have been used solely for the purpose of access for maintenance to the tunnels below. The door was locked from outside, but that was no problem, as one of the men stepped forward to pick the lock. He crouched at the door and began to work away at it. Juruo felt uneasy, this wasn’t right. He looked over to Hikari. His own spirit had gone back to its own world, but Rinyan never left Hikari. Now the cat spirit was clawing at her arms in panicked frenzy. Sensing something was going to happen, Juruo activated his duel shield, just as the lock clicked and the man opened the door.

 

Pandemonium ensued. There was a cry from somewhere, and armed guards charged into the room, swords bared and ready. The men failed to react, struggling to get their shields up in time. The crushing wave of the surprise attack was too much, as they were forced against the walls, three men were killed before they knew what had happened. Nataka drew his long samurai blade and charged the nearest guard, expertly finding the weak spot between the helmet and neck piece and slaying him. The men who hadn’t been immediately killed began to fight back as best they could. Everyone was struggling for space. Juruo ducked under a swinging sword and pushed his two cards into their slots, bringing forth Dragunity Dux and Legionnaire. Hikari did the same thing from somewhere else in the confusion, as the Lightsworn warriors Jain and Wulf appeared, along with Rinyan. The five monsters leapt into the fray to protect their duelists, pushing the guards back out of the room. Outside they were in the darkness of the palace grounds; at least out here there was space, but even more guards waiting for them. Juruo drew his own sword and charged through the melee, joining Legionnaire to double team a spear carrier. The muscular winged fighter caught the man’s arm with one hand, using the other to deliver an uppercut, dislodging his helmet, as Juruo drove his sword into the man’s neck. The soldier went limp and collapsed; his grey eyes flickered as he gasped for air. ‘Car...la...’ he muttered, before his eyes closed. Juruo froze at the sight. He looked down at his bloody sword in horror. The realisation of what he had done, of ending the life of this man, who for all he knew was just trying to fund and support a family, was overcoming. He had known this may happen, but the actual real event made him ill.

 

There was a shout behind, causing him to turn. While he had been distracted, another guard had snuck up behind him, only to be stopped by the presence of another warrior, a man in long black robes covered by lightweight violet body armour, that pulled his wicked samurai sword out of the back of the soldiers body. It stared sternly at him. Confused, Juruo looked around, and spotted Nataka battling two men alongside another one of these samurai, clad in green armour and fighting with two glowing jade swords. They must be his monsters. Head bought back to focus, and thankfully still attached to his neck, Juruo rejoined the battle alongside the dark samurai. The guards were many in number, more experienced and better armed than the resistance, the allies’ number were quickly being diminished as the swordsmen fell. The spirits of the three duelists were all that could stop the onslaught, Wulf was being particularly destructive, swinging his huge axe around. Bodies littered the ground. Chaos reigned.

 

Then it was over.

 

Juruo staggered across the battlefield, relying on Dux to support him. Legionnaire had disappeared; he must have taken too many attacks and ran out of energy that supported the duel spirit while it existed here. The pair made their way over to where Wulf was standing, growling furiously as it waited for its next challenger. The beast was stood over Hikari, who was laid on the ground, panting heavily. Rinyan was licking her hand, meowing in distress. Her stomach was bleeding from a stab wound.

 

“Juruo... find the medical kit... I can sort myself out with it. It’s not too serious if I can stop the blood...”

 

Despite the reassurance, her breathing was still laboured. After some frantic searching, Juruo found the medical kit on the decapitated body of the assigned medic back in the waterway access room, and bought it over. Helping her sit up and remove her breastplate, Hikari was able to bandage herself up effectively enough to stop any more blood loss. Knowing it wouldn’t be safe to stay here, Juruo pulled her upright so they could find somewhere safe to regroup. The spirits, knowing they had done enough to protect the duo for now, faded back to the otherworld.

 

“How the... what happened...” he asked, as they staggered through the shadows.

 

“We were ambushed...” Hikari replied, her confusion and anger were clear. “Those guards must have known we were coming... at the exact time and place... I hope the others are okay. Did you see Nataka?”

 

He shook his head. “I saw him during the fighting, but not since. He must have taken down half the guards himself, but he isn’t superhuman...”

 

The pair found a side door, and crept inside. They found themselves in the palace kitchens, which were mercifully deserted. They sat down to try to recover. “Are we still going ahead as planned?” Hikari asked. The plan was for each team to enter in separate locations, and make their way through the palace, taking out any guards they passed on patrol, although with the intelligence collected they should avoid most of them, and had the ambush not occurred, they would be able to overwhelm any they were forced to cross mostly two against ten without difficulty. Now they were compromised, clearly the guards were expecting the assault and prepared for it. Juruo looked at his companion.

 

“No, we make for the throne room, where the emperor will be, and hopefully some others will be too.”

 

...

 

Vardus casually opened a door that would lead him to the reception area to the throne room. He had snuck into the palace alone, he had not even told the generals what route he would be taking, other than he would appear after them and make for the emperor. He had heard the sounds of battle as he made his way through the palace, but had seen no-one, friend or enemy. The emptiness was eerie. There were two guards in here though, as expected Nero’s best men would be stationed permanently by these doors. They charged. Vardus drew his jewelled sword to meet them, deflecting their attacks with his giant shield and dispatching them with ease. He looked up at the great doors that separated him from his adversary. This was way too easy, but he was so close. Without hesitation he made his way over and entered the dark throne room. The sight before him was not what he could have expected.

 

 

 

Have really got to get back into the groove of writing...

 

I've got all of Arc Two planned out and some of beyond, and even scripted three duels. But I just can't get motivated to actually write it up at the moment. Grr!!!

 

Suggestions?

[Lexadin]

Excelent new chapter, I like how it mentiones the 3 Generals as it (probebly unintentionally) reminds me of the 3 Ice Barrier Generals.