Vector Nightmare Posted January 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2012 Hopefully reading through the 4th Interlude will help you clear things up, Sharpshooter. In the meantime, I hope you continue enjoying this. This next chapter should have things to your liking. Time for Chapter 62. After this one, we will return to the Extra Chapter saga for a bit, before jumping straight into the main dish. [spoiler=Chapter 62] [center][b][u]Chapter 62:[/u][/b][u] Fulfillment of the Contract[/u][/center] For one moment, one blessed moment, the world thought that the nightmare was over. In an instant, the horrid cracked sky, the deathly black sun, they vanished, as if someone had lifted a veil, and the clear azure of the heavens appeared, spreading forth hope. Amongst the ruins, the survivors looked up and rejoiced, forgetting the horror, the danger, the death. But then, true terror began. For the sky literally shattered, a downpour of silver shards raining down on the Earth, and gave way to a new sky, a pitch-black infinity. There were stars, but they were motes of light so feeble, so distant, that they made the lightyears that separated the planet from the nearest suns seem insignificant. And closer, much closer, the huge, white spiral that dominated the sky. Only an instant passed between the time the virtual world separated from the real one, and the time the control system was activated. In that instant, the first wave of the energy surging from the Nexus struck. In that instant, millions of people disappeared, literally erased from existence by a gigantic force of chaos. Had Dunkan not taken precautions, that wave would have struck the virtual world as well, and with its much weaker Outer Sphere, would have erased it completely. But as it was, it held on, and the seven smaller globes, representation of the energy released by the phantasms sealed into the Pylons, appeared circling the Nexus, containing its uncontrollable power. Dunkan smiled reverently, observing the scene from a monitor's display. Seven phantasms. What he had predicted came true - if he had not foreseen Lee's betrayal, this would've been the end of everything. He checked the counter. [i]Time left: 2:58:47[/i] Three hours. For that time, he had to protect the portal, and make adequate preparations to be ready for when the Nexus drew close enough. And to do that, he had to rearrange his defenses. Space shifted around the Aria Tower, the fabric of the virtual world ripping and reshaping, as the entire area changed, merged. Now the Aria Tower was standing atop the Vision Cathedral, a giant spire reaching far into the heavens, the two great confluxes where energy had been assembled for so many years. This kind of feat was not something he could have done outside the volatile conditions presented by the proximity of the Nexus, however, it offered great strategic advantage, and put Dunkan in the ideal position to reach out to the Nexus. The Machine Emperors guarding the Tower's exterior disappeared, recalled into their cards. Dunkan would concentrate on his defense on the interior of the structure. An entire army of Cataphracts, hundreds of them, chosen amongst the millions of duelists who had been gathered, was already moving inside the Tower, a huge, living moat. Of course, the Machine Emperors were not meant to be used by these drones. Any enemy that appeared would have to go through hell to reach him - and reaching him would only be the beginning of their trials. [i]Time left: 2:53:12[/i] --- Yuko returned to the world with a gasp, every part of her body in crippling agony. She groaned, looking around, trying to see through the dark blots that covered her eyes. She was lying somewhere soft - a bed? - and there were people around her... she could see their vague shapes, but... "You are finally awake." A voice, tinged with worry, sounded to her left. She moved her hands, which felt like lead, to her face, rubbing her eyes forcefully. Another pair of hands reached out, gently, and removed hers, helping her to an upright position. "...Sugita?" She asked uncertainly, vision still blurry. "Where... am I?" "The Arc Cradle. The last place you should have been in right now." Another, less familiar, and much colder voice echoed from further away. Yuko was finally beginning to see things clearly enough to discern the occupants of the room. There was Sugita, standing close to her with a worried frown, Takechi, as well as Jinrei Yenma, Christina Neville, and Sanjou Kiishiro, who had spoken. A bit farther away were two more people, a tall man with flowing blonde hair and a silver-haired, regal female. The names attributed to these avatars caught her eyes - she did not know who Galahad was, but her eyes widened in shock. Stiyel Crystal? That was the standing European champion! She shook her head - that should be the least of her problems. In the meantime, Takechi was glaring at Kiishiro sharply. "What do you mean, the last place she should be?" He demanded angrily. "She has every right to be here!" Kiishiro shook his head. "If she's like this, she's of no use. We've already delayed long enough thanks to her." Delayed? And then Yuko felt it. Wrongness. Something was off. Something terrible was going on out there. She glanced around, bewildered, and noticed a giant holographic monitor with a countdown displayed on it. [i]Time left: 2:36:29[/i] "What... is going on?" She asked, dreading the answer. "Dunkan sealed off the virtual world, and is drawing the Nexus closer. He moved faster than ZONE expected - after the incident with Ebony, he caught us completely off-guard." Sugita explained. "The original plan was to attack at the very moment the control system was activated, but we missed that chance. We need to move fast, strike hard, before he can solidify his defense too much. That is our only hope." Yuko realized, with terrible guilt, that ZONE had probably had to save her as she was trapped in the void between the worlds, and delayed the whole operation. Her decision to return might have cost them everything. Sugita apparently caught the guilt in her eyes. "Don't worry. This extra time has not been wasted - ZONE has been making additional preparations. The important part is, you cannot leave. You have to stay here, in the Arc Cradle, where it is safe." "I don't want to leave." Yuko said firmly. "I - I changed my mind. I will fight alongside you, all of you." "She changed her mind." Kiishiro muttered sourly. "We're wasting time here with this nonsense. Only me, Yenma, and Christina should go anyway." "Excuse me?" Stiyel Crystal demanded coldly, stepping forward. "You have quite the opinion of yourself, but if what I've heard is any indication, the one who should be staying here is you." Kiishiro rounded on her, preparing an angry retort, but Takechi interrupted him with a mocking laugh. Sugita and Christina began talking at once, trying to diffuse the situation - but the tension ran too high, and everyone began shouting. Yuko closed her eyes, tears flowing from them. In this situation, what could she - "Everyone, just shut up for a moment!" Complete silence fell, seven pairs of eyes locked on the one who had stepped forward, raising his arms to stop the fight. After a few seconds passed with noone speaking, Galahad lowered his arms and nodded. "Good. We're not gaining anything by snapping at each other. Unless we concentrate on what is important, we'll lose, and everyone loses with us." The weight of this statement seemed to have an effect on everyone. Finally, a few murmurs of apology rose. Galahad sighed, smiling slightly. "Now, I think we aren't all familiar with each other. Let's start by introducing ourselves. The name's Aizawa Yuusuke. I live in Japan. I'm afraid I don't have much of a record to brag about in the present company." Yuko's head shot in his direction. Aizawa - ? "Yeah." Yuusuke said sadly, noting her expression. "However, let's forget about the past." Yuko bit her lip - back when they were still believing that the trouble in the virtual world was the work of a hacker, and following Sarunoki Moboro's orders, they had unknowingly assisted in the capture of this boy's father. "Ryusaki Sugita." Sugita spoke up next. "Also from Japan." "Oh, come on." Takechi said, exasperated. "That's all you have to say for yourself? The name's Bando Takechi. Sugita, myself, and that girl over there scored first, second, and third place in the Element Cycle tournament." He smirked. "I - my name is Iseya Yuko." She said finally. "Jinrei Yenma." The boy that had fought against Takechi piped in. "I only recently started playing this game, but..." He trailed off nervously. "Christina Neville." Nightshade spoke softly. "I think I was playing this game a long time ago, but I... I've lost my memory. I don't remember much about the past." A few minutes of silence passed, the only two people in the room who had not introduced themselves glaring at each other.Yuusuke sighed audibly. Finally, the pair broke eye contact, and spoke quickly, almost at the same time. "Sanjou Kiishiro." "Kirizaki Maya." Before the awkward silence could settle in again, one of the room's doors, behing the holographic screen which indicated three minutes had passed since Yuko came to, opened, heralding the master of the fortress. ZONE, sealed in his unicycle, remained unchanged. His very presence exuded serenity and control, to the point where Yuko felt a surge of confidence. She recalled how easily ZONE had overwhelmed her, how he had even beaten Moboro's God Mode. With him directing them, they might actually stand a chance. But when ZONE spoke, his voice was grave. "The situation has changed. The Aria Tower, where the portal to the Nexus lies, has been moved to the top of the Vision Cathedral. For those of you who do not know what that is, it is an area where the records of everything that happens in the entire virtual reality have been stored since it was created, and more to the point, a massive energy reservoir. Not only does this vastly increase their ability to defend the portal, but thanks to this relocation, I cannot move the Arc Cradle there without suitable preparation first. I've already begun the necessary procedures, but the navigation system will not be ready for at least two hours." "What... does this mean?" Christina said, her voice trembling. "In just two and a half hours, the portal to the Nexus will..." "Yes, in that time, Dunkan will be able to access the Nexus." ZONE said. "I do not know what will happen them, but it is likely that any chance we may have will be lost. Therefore, we cannot afford to wait. You'll have to go in alone." Everyone there had experienced, perhaps on more than one occasion, the terrible power Duel International wielded inside the virtual world. To assault their base of operations, without backing from the powerful fortress, should be considered suicide. Yet - "That's fine. We intended to go alone anyway." Maya's declaration, indicating herself and Yuusuke, seemed to surprise everyone, who stared at her. "And why would you do that?" Takechi demanded. "You've been acting all high-and-mighty ever since we got here. You may think you're better than the rest of us just because you hold a title, but - " "It's not that!" Maya snapped at him. She turned her gaze to ZONE, and though she could not see his eyes, Yuko thought ZONE was observing her carefully, too. "You cannot trust him." She said icily. This brought another brief silence, and surprisingly, the retort came not from one of ZONE's group, who were immersed in this confrontation, but from Sugita. "ZONE's decisions have proven correct so far." He said slowly. "It is almost a certainty that, without his help, any chance at victory would be long gone now. Would you still think he'd betray us, at this point?" "No." Maya responded without hesitation. "He will probably not betray you, not intentionally anyway. But his decisions have proven far from correct. ZONE arrived here from a different reality, which was obliterated when it came too close to the Nexus - but the one solely responsible for that disaster is him. Him, and his misuse of those Signer Dragons you three have." She turned to Kiishiro and the others, who were staring at her quietly. "You have not been chosen to be some benevolent saviors." She said scornfully. "You are wielding a power that can destroy worlds, that [i]has[/i] destroyed worlds. As far as I'm concerned, you're every bit as dangerous as Dunkan is. "That - !!" Christina exclaimed, then paused, as if uncertain how to finish that sentence. " - is the truth." ZONE filled the gap coolly, his tone not changing even slightly. He paused for a second, as if to consider what he was going to say next. "It began a long time ago. Our world was faced with a threat we could never hope to overcome alone. In our foolishness, we had opened portals to different dimensions, and a legion of alien lifeforms appeared in our midst, bringing us to the brink of extinction. In that time of dire need, the Crimson Dragon appeared through cracks in the sky, granting five chosen men and women of the era the power of its servants, five powerful phantasms in the forms of dragons. Those people were named Signers, after the scarlet marks that appeared on their arms, and collectively the Crimson Dragon's servants became known as the Signer Dragons." "For millenia, the Signer Dragons protected our world from the threats that reached out from the cosmos. But after many, many battles, it was forgotten that they, too, were an element of chaos - something that did not belong. And so we abused their power. We used them not as a counterweight, but as a weapon to combat danger and pacify the world to our image. That was during the time of myself, and the last generation of Signers. We pushed our dragons to their limits, uniting them with our own power in order to evolve, until there was no way to control the chaos born from this mad arms race. And at the time of our greatest battle, reality began unraveling, and the world crumbled to dust as the Nexus drew closer, drawn by our own folly. This evolution was our undoing." "The Crimson Dragon would not ignore this, of course - it punished the dragons that had fallen to greater depths than all others, which is probably why we haven't been able to find the final two. And of course, I, who have survived, no longer possess the power of a Signer." "But you used Black Rose Dragon, didn't you?" Kiishiro asked quietly. "I only channeled its power through its card." ZONE said. "The true power of the Signer Dragons can only be unlocked at the hands of those with the right to wield them. But they, alone, cannot guarantee our victory. Misused, they can seal our destruction. This is the incredible burden that I have entrusted you with. To succeed, where we failed." "And this is why I do not trust you, or your plan." Maya stated. "I do believe your intentions are good. But the risk is too great. The power of your opponents is too overwhelming. And the Signer Dragons, whose power you are relying on, are equally responsible for your world's fate! I cannot place my faith in these creatures, and that is why I will be going alone." "Everyone must follow the path they choose." ZONE said neutrally. "You are free to follow your own feelings, as is everyone here. This is also an important fact, which we often forget. We all have a choice, and the responsibility to make those choices falls to us. Even to allow others choose for us, or to delude ourselves into thinking we don't have a choice, are choices in themselves, whose burden we must carry. However, there is one last thing I'd like you all to do, before leaving." Everyone glanced at the ominous countdown. [i]Time left: 2:21:35[/i] "What is that?" Kiishiro said impatiently. "Pick out a card from your decks." ZONE instructed. "An important card to you, one that you would use when in a difficult situation - but not a phantasm." Everyone simply stared at him, miffed. "I am going to modify these cards slightly." ZONE explained. "They will act as trackers which will allow you to see the relative location of your allies while you are inside the Aria Tower - in there, that will be your only form of communication. Also, if said card is used, your allies will be alerted to the fact that you are engaged in a dangerous battle. This is unfortunately the only thing I can provide - you will most likely be separated forcefully even if you try to stick together, and such meager information may be your only way to survive." "Sounds good to me." Yuusuke, unsurprisingly, spoke up first. Walking forward, he produced a card in his hand, which he held out to ZONE. An appendage akin to a robotic hand spread from the unicycle, gently grasping the card and inserting it into a slot on the front control panel of the vehicle. The card briefly vanished, before being ejected again, and returned to its owner. Yuko caught a glimpse of it - Judgment Dragon. "Then, this is mine." Sugita walked up. Black Feather - Lone Silver Wind was his choice. Takechi walked forward, producing Lavalval Stelaid. While Yuko was shifting through her cards in her head, trying to find an appropriate one, Yenma also had his own card read, Dark Simurgh, while Kiishiro followed with a shrug, handing out Splendid Rose. After a brief hesitation, Maya also delivered her own card - Chaos Goddess. Certainly a strange card, and difficult to use, but Yuko did not doubt that if the European champion valued it that much, she must have had a reason. She rose from her seat and walked up to the man sealed inside the machine, trembling slightly as the robotic fingers removed Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier from her grip. After a brief delay, ZONE returned the card to her - no matter how she looked at it, it was completely unchanged. And yet she knew that ZONE had not lied - she could feel their chosen cards, pulsing counterbeat to each other, like a single, unified chorus. Hope beat through these cards. But one person had still not delivered hers - Christina had opened a panel before her, and was frowning at something she was reading. "What does this mean?" She asked, confused, pointing at her panel. Sugita walked close, his eyes narrowing as he read. "Someone sent you an item." He said. "It may be a trap. You should check its contents first." Everyone gathered around, even ZONE, gliding silently behind the girl. Sugita deftly handled a few options on Christina's profile panel, and what the girl had received was revealed, leaving everyone astounded. "No... way. Someone sent you a full deck?" Yenma said. "I've never even heard of these cards!" Yuko leaned closer, reading. An array of monsters called the Crystal Beasts, named after precious stones, various support cards and... most of these, indeed, were cards she could swear were not on the database. "Who do you think it's from?" Yuusuke asked, but Christina was not listening any more. Her eyes, firmly shut, were fluttering, and she looked ready to fall. Yenma hurried to support her. "I... remember." The girl panted. "These cards... I used them... long ago." She reached out to the visual representation of the deck, tapping a single card with her hand. "I know..." She whispered, to someone Yuko and the others could not see. "This... is my chosen card. Rainbow Dragon. "So then, is this your real deck?" Kiishiro asked. "What about Dryad?" "She is still with me." Christina breathed. "She will support me... but these cards... I am meant to use them. It's not a trap. I do not know who returned them to me, but with them... a piece of my memory came back. A piece that reminded me, that there is never darkness without light." Seemingly accepting the vague explanation, Kiishiro shrugged. Equally silent, ZONE modified the last of the eight cards. [i]Time left: 2:15:40[/i] "Now then." ZONE said. "I can only open a portal to the exterior of the Vision Cathedral for a few seconds. From there on, you will be on your own. Every battle you've fought, every price you've paid for each victory - they will all converge, here and now. You must be ready." One by one, eight faces nodded, some decisively, some nervously, but all with unbreakable resolve. "Then, it begins." --- He glanced at one of the many holographic displays hovering before him, which displayed the duel between Nakahara Inoue and Abraham Lee. He smiled. Entertaining as the spectacle might be, it was ultimately a distraction from what was important. There was one major advantage to following chaos. There was no plan. Nothing could go against a plan that did not exist. Everything was born of chaos, and everything would end in chaos - the process was irrelevant. And for that grand ending, drawing ever closer, there were a few more preparations to be made. A bit more time, until time would be irrelevant. Laughing at his own madness, he observed, and schemed. --- "My turn!" Inoue snarled, snatching a card out of her deck. Four cards in her hand. Her field consisted only of two monsters, Eviritua Gustkrake, at 2400 attack points, and a face-down monster. On Lee's side lay a reverse card, and Miraculous Descent, having resurrected Vairon Sigma, which was now equipped with Vairon Material, raising its own attack to 2400 as well. Unfortunately, his hand consisted of only a single card. More importantly, Inoue's Life Points stood at a comfortable 2600 - comfortable, barring the horrendous industries she had suffered, while Lee was hanging at a mere 1000, and Inoue knew it. Her features twisted into a sadistic grimace. "It's time to make you pay. I Normal Summon Ritua Noelia, and Flip Summon Ritua Marker. A sinister red-haired sorceress with body similar to that of an aquatic serpent, and a lance-wielding warrior with the head of an octopus, appeared side-by-side on her field. "Noelia lets me check the top five cards of my deck and send any Ritua monster, and any Ritual Spell card, among them to the Graveyard. Marker lets me target a Ritual monster or Spell card amongst those and add it to my hand." Five cards appeared briefly before her - only a single one was returned to her deck, with the other four landing in the Graveyard. "I return Ritua's Ceremonial Water Mirror to my hand!" The number of cards in her hand increased again. This had been Inoue's strategy from the beginning - exhaust his resources while preserving hers, until he had no more options left. [spoiler=Ritua Noelia][b]Ritua Noelia[/b] WATER / Spellcaster Level 4 1700/1000 When this card is Normal Summoned: Reveal the top 5 cards from your Deck. If there is a Ritual Spell Card or "Ritua" monster among these cards, send them to the Graveyard, and return the other cards to the bottom of your Deck in any order.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Ritua Marker][b]Ritua Marker[/b] WATER / Aqua Level 4 1600/1200 When this card is Summoned: You can target 1 "Ritua" Ritual Monster or "Ritua" Ritual Spell Card in your Graveyard; add that target to your hand.[/spoiler] "And now..." Two cards were singled out of her hand, the ritual mirror glowing brightly once more. "I activate Ceremonial Water Mirror! By releasing both Noelia and Marker, whose levels add up to eight, I Ritual Summon - Eviritua Soul Ogre!" From within the mirror, a bipedal seahorse-like creature, except disproportionally large, and with powerful claw-bearing limbs, emerged, roaring fiercely as it settled next to the kraken. [spoiler=Eviritua Soul Ogre][b]Eviritua Soul Ogre[/b] WATER / Aqua / Ritual Level 8 2800/2800 Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must first be Ritual Summoned. You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Ritua" Ritual Spell Card. Once per turn: You can discard 1 "Ritua" monster to target 1 face-up card your opponent controls; shuffle that target into the Deck.[/spoiler] "This is the end! I activate Soul Ogre's skill, discarding Eviritua Mind Ogress from my hand! Then, I can return 1 face-up card on your field to your deck. My target is Miraculous Descent, which destroys both Vairon Sigma and Vairon Material!" Lee shielded his face as a powerful psychic wave shot forth from the sea monster's hands, wiping out almost every card on his field. Lee watched in horror, as he was left open. "And now - Soul Ogre, direct attack!" "Trap card, open." Lee muttered. "To activate Wicked Reborn... I have to pay 800 Life Points." He cried out in agony as a jagged lance pierced his left lung, shooting outwards from the front of his chest, smeared with blood. "However... Vairon Sigma is... once again revived on my field." For an instant, Inoue glared at him furiously, until she regained her composure. [spoiler=Wicked Reborn][b]Wicked Reborn[/b] TRAP / Continuous Pay 800 Life Points, select 1 Synchro Monster from your Graveyard, and Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position. Its effect is negated, and this turn it cannot declare an attack. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler] [center][i][b]Nakahara Inoue[/b] - LP: 2600[/i] [i][b]Abraham Lee[/b] - LP: 200[/i][/center] "You are even more of an idiot than I thought! You are putting yourself through more agony for nothing! Sigma can't survive against my Ritual monsters! Since the number of monsters you control has changed, I will shift my attack pattern - Gustkrake, wipe out Vairon Sigma!" Lee glanced at the monster which he had placed his trust on, and at the single card in his hand. He had to do it, now. "I activate, from my hand, this card's effect." A card appeared, glowing bright golden, and a white-winged angelic figure materialized around Sigma, dissolving into motes of light that showered the mechanical robot. "Honest's effect... raises Sigma's power by the power of the attacking monster, to a total of 4200, for the rest of the turn!" Inoue simply stared as her attack was completely negated by the barrier of light around Sigma. Instead, the robot retaliated by sending forth streams of golden light that struck the multi-tentacled creature, annihilating it completely. She screamed as she received the feedback from the counterstrike - more steel spikes exploded through her body, which was now a ruined mess. Lee closed his eyes. They were both walking on a path of no return. At the end lay only death - the question was, who would get there faster? [spoiler=Honest][b]Honest[/b] LIGHT / Fairy Level 4 1100/1900 During your Main Phase, you can return this card from the field to its owner's hand. During either player's Damage Step, when a face-up LIGHT monster you control battles, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to have that monster gain ATK equal to the ATK of the opponent's monster it is battling, until the End Phase.[/spoiler] [center][i][b]Nakahara Inoue[/b] - LP: 800[/i] [i][b]Abraham Lee[/b] - LP: 200[/i][/center] "Still..." Inoue wheezed. "You are left with... nothing. Your Vairon can't beat Soul Ogre, it can't even use its effect... next turn... you will die. I place a card face-down and... end... my turn." That much was a very plausible reality, Lee knew. Everything would come down to his next turn. "...Draw. During my Standby Phase, the effect of Vairon Ohm adds Vairon Filament to my hand. And then... I summon, Vairon Sphere." A small round object appeared, floating next to Sigma. He saw the look of outrage in Inoue's face as she realized what was about to happen. Using the revived, weakened Sigma as a stepping stone, it was still possible to unlock a new power. "I tune the Level 7, Vairon Sigma, to the Level 1, Vairon Sphere. Synchro Summon!" The two creatures filed into an array of light, seven stars crossing through a single golden circle. "Appear now, Vairon Epsilon!" A giant silver consturct, armed with powerful arms and broad wings, its metal frame pure silver, with gold rings forming its helmet and a halo attached to its back, materialized out of the clustering light. [spoiler=Vairon Sphere][b]Vairon Sphere[/b] LIGHT / Machine / Tuner Level 1 400/400 If this card is sent from the Monster Card Zone to the Graveyard: You can pay 500 Life Points; equip it to 1 face-up monster you control. You can send this card equipped to a monster to the Graveyard to target 1 Equip Spell Card in your Graveyard; equip the target to the monster equipped with this card.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Vairon Epsilon][b]Vairon Epsilon[/b] LIGHT / Fairy / Synchro Level 8 2800/1200 1 LIGHT Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters Equip Cards equipped to this card cannot be targeted by cards or effects. Once per turn: You can send 1 Equip Card equipped to this card to the Graveyard to target 1 monster your opponent controls; destroy that target.[/spoiler] "Even this monster is not strong enough to overcome Soul Ogre." Inoue scoffed. "At best, they'll destroy each other." "Don't count on that - Epsilon also has an effect. I equip it with Vairon Filament, and then use its ability, sending Filament to the Graveyard in order to destroy Eviritua Soul Ogre!" "Not good enough! Trap card, open! Safety Zone protects Soul Ogre from being destroyed, whether by battle or by card effects!" Lee groaned as Epsilon launched an aerial bombardment on the opposing beast - yet the rays of light did nothing more than further enrage the aquaborne beast. [spoiler=Safety Zone][b]Safety Zone[/b] TRAP / Continuous Activate only by selecting 1 face-up Attack Position monster. That monster cannot be targeted or destroyed by your opponent's card effects, or be destroyed by battle. It cannot attack your opponent directly. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is removed from the field, destroy this card.[/spoiler] "Filament's effect activates when it is sent to the Graveyard, adding..." Lee frowned, examining his options. He could equip Vairon Material to Epsilon and raise its attack to inflict some damage - but Soul Ogre wouldn't be destroyed. Then, during Inoue's next turn, if she drew a Ritua monster, she would use Soul Ogre's effect to win. On the other hand, if he added Vairon Segment, Epsilon would be protected from Soul Ogre's effect, and in turn Epsilon would protect the equipment card. But then, nothing would stop her from just using Soul Ogre's attack to destroy Epsilon. "I add... Vairon Material to my hand, equip it, and attack with Vairon Epsilon." Unwillingly, he forced his eyes to remain open. More wounds appeared in his opponent's body, which looked just as much of a wreck as his did, now. She didn't even have the breath to scream. [center][i][b]Nakahara Inoue[/b] - LP: 200[/i] [i][b]Abraham Lee[/b] - LP: 200[/i][/center] "This is... the end of the line... for you." She whizzed, blood trailing from the edge of her mouth. "If I draw a Ritua monster, any of them... I will end you. My... turn!" --- Inoue knew that this was her last shot. She had a lot of monsters left, or cards which could bring back monsters. If she could just get one of them, return Vairon Epsilon to the deck... she would survive. Even if she couldn't attack directly with Soul Ogre, survival was more important. She'd be able to live on - if she was alive, she would find a way, somehow. Her fingers gripped the edge of the topmost card of her deck. Everything depended on this card. With a pained scream, she pulled it out. The green outline of a Spell made her panic for one moment, until she realized its identity. Laughing out loud, she turned it over. "I activate Pot of Greed and Modesty!" She declared. "This card lets me check the top 3 cards of my deck, and select one of them and add it to my hand! As you realize, the chances of not finding a card I need are almost nonexistant now, since most of my deck is comprised of Ritua monsters!" [spoiler=Pot of Greed and Modesty][b]Pot of Greed and Modesty[/b] SPELL / Normal Reveal the top 3 cards of your Deck, add 1 of them to your hand, then shuffle the rest back into your Deck. You can only activate 1 "Pot of Duality" per turn. You cannot Special Summon a monster(s) during the turn you activate this card.[/spoiler] Three cards appeared before her, with excruciating slowness, her eyes widening in gradually rising shock with each one. Trap card, Phantom Arts of the Aquamirror... Spell card, Fulfillment of the Contract... and... Ritua's Forbidden Arts. A Ritual Spell. All of them useless. "Wh - why..." She screamed. "Why is it - why can't I - !!" "Easy, isn't it? You can't win, because you are not trying to win." Both duelist's head whipped around. Eizan had reappeared on the scene, unnoticed, standing casually on an isolated platform to the right side of the battlefield. His rich, impeccable attire, almost too-perfect features, made a sharp contrast for Inoue's and Lee's ravaged bodies. "You are only trying to survive." Eizan continued airily. "Eventually, you become too focused on your own survival. Life is a means to an end. It is meant to be wasted, ravaged, sacrificed to chaos. Only those that give up on living will find true victory. Those transfixed on their own survival can only struggle uselessly from defeat to defeat, deceiving themselves with the idea that, as long as they are alive, they will always have another chance. You want to obtain power so that you can stay alive against everything that threatens you - but that is a contradiction, because the only real power will appear when you throw away your life." "Don't listen to him!!" Inoue and Eizan looked up, the first astonished, the second with an expression of bored curiosity. Abraham Lee was leaning over his platform, as far as the various torture tools piercing his body allowed. "Life, life isn't something you just throw away!" He said. "It is not wrong to live! Despite the sacrifices... holding on to your life is the right thing to do!" "You speak of interesting things." Eizan mused calmly. "Were you not prepared to throw your life away, if it meant saving the world? Would you say that your life has less value, because of your past sins? If so, how is this woman different from you?" Lee gritted his teeth. "I wouldn't expect... someone like you to understand." He spat. "I'm willing to risk my life exactly because I understand its value! If I gave up now, it would be the same as to keel over and die! I'm not fighting with the intent to lose my life - I am fighting to preserve it, along with the millions of other lives that are worth protecting!" Inoue wanted to laugh - lives worth protecting? This was nonsense. In this fallen world full of monsters, there were no lives worthier than yours. That's why you fought, fought tooth and nail so you could survive, even if you had to step on a mountain of corpses. ...she wanted to laugh, but for some reason, she was crying. She didn't even realize tears were flowing from her eyes. Nakahara Inoue had lived a life of misery, and even at this hour, she was not going to be swayed from her darkness. She could not understand the meaning of Lee's words. But what her mind couldn't process still reached out to her heart. Her heart that had been wounded, steeled, dark heart, but was still beating, throbbing, pulsing. And though she had forgotten it, in her very soul, Inoue, for one small instant, remembered. Remembered what it was to be human. "I see." Eizan's tone was mute. "Then, this is one of the lives you want to protect?" Her eyes widened. She had not seen him move, yet he was in front of her. She had not felt pain, but his hand was now submerged in her torso up to the elbow, his fist having plown through her heart in an instant. And thus, the pierced heart stopped beating. Her life was extinguished in a surge of agony, with a tinge of regret flowing away along with her final breath. --- He spared the corpse still standing upright, supported by his arm that had gone through it, no more than a glance. Now that this was dealt with, he needed to - Not often did something happen to surprise him. Now was one of those rare times. He jumped back, relocating himself to his starting place. He had expected some sort of weak attempt at attack from the other maggot, but this had come from Nakahara. Her ravaged body had exploded in a burst of blackness, a surge that spread out to the entire chamber. He calmly brought a barrier up to protect himself from any unexpected effects that phenomenon might have, and watched with interest as the black streams that were quickly expanding lost their momentum, and began retracting back to the source. When the darkness subsided, he lowered the barrier cautiously. Where Nakahara Inoue's dead body had been, now stood a wholly new creature. The thing was tall, at least twice the woman's original height, and her facial structure and features were more or less the same - except the eyes, which were pure white, with streaks of silver flowing from them like tears. Her skin was deathly pale. Her torso was garbed in a tight-fitting black cloak which spread outwards from the waist down, completely concealing her legs. From her back, two pitch-black feathered wings were folded close to her body. Perhaps her most distinguishing feature were her arms, which were stretched outwards, chained to a steel pole that was horizontally strapped across her shoulders, locked to a wooden collar around her neck. She looked like a grotesque statue, except he could feel it was not so - she wasn't alive, of course, not anywhere near alive. But somehow, her existence had been restored to a degree, rather similar to his earlier experiments on the revival of virtual entities. It did not take him long to realize what had happened. This was, no doubt, Nakahara Inoue's so-called God Mode. Dunkan must have tampered with them somehow, making it so that they'd activate automatically if their user was about to die, so that they would still stand and fight to the bitter end, even as mindless drones consumed by the program's influence. However, Inoue had died too fast, or perhaps she was consciously resisting the God Mode's activation. Regardless of the reason, though she had been revived in a sense after her death, she was still a lifeless husk - even the God Mode could not operate if the user was physically dead. Under normal circumstances, she'd stand there in that form for a few minutes, unmoving, unspeaking, until, without a power source, the God Mode ran out of energy and dissolved. Normally. His mouth twisted into an ugly grin. That at this late hour such an interesting possibility had appeared - this was chaos. As for the other vermin - he turned around, and frowned. It seemed that, in the middle of the blast following the God Mode's activation, he had found an opportunity and a method to escape. Regardless. This fight that he had set up as a distraction had turned up an unexpected pearl. Whatever the escapee did, it could do no more than add to the already rampaging chaos. Eizan approached the statue of the woman that had been Nakahara Inoue, gently caressing its cheek. She was going to serve him better in death than she had in life. --- Lee was panting heavily, barely able to stand upright. Though his flight from Eizan's space had caused his injuries to disappear, the sheer strain from the battle was almost killing him even now. His mind went to these last moments. How ruthlessly Eizan had eliminated Inoue. Until the very last moment, he had hoped that she did not have to die. Until the very last moment, he had hoped that one life that would otherwise be lost, could be saved. What had he done? What was he going to do? He had joined Dunkan's group, hopeful that their research and efforts would lead to a better world. He had stuck with them, even when their plans had seemed dangerous, or outright insane. Even when people died. If it was for the greater good, it was a worthy sacrifice. In the end, he had been no better than a killer, a weak-willed mass murderer. Why now? Had he been finally convinced that their plans led nowhere but to ruin, upon seeing the disasters wrought to the real world in just these past couple of days? He didn't know. He couldn't even explain it himself very well. But, when he had seen the girl he saved so long ago, the one person he had saved amongst the countless others that had been killed, reenter this virtual nightmare, prepared to battle, he had, without realizing it at the time, changed. He had no grand plans, like stop the Nexus, or save the world. But, if it was possible, before the end - he wanted to save, as many as he could, even if it was just one, he wanted to protect a life that would otherwise be lost. He had warped to the area of the Vision Cathedral. To his great shock, he saw the towering height of the Aria Tower stand above the massive palace. Dunkan had obviously never trusted them completely, if at all. Briefly, he wondered why he hadn't been attacked yet - even if he had reached a point far away from the Cathedral, surely Dunkan must have detected him already. But then he saw them. From a silver portal, eight figures appeared, hunched together - the gate quickly disappeared after the last one walked out. Eight people. They were too far to make out their features, but their identities were easy to predict. No sooner had they appeared than a barrage of attacks, bolts of flame and lances of lightning, torrents of water and gigantic meteors, lashed out at them. Three of them walked forth, raising their hands - even from that distance, Lee could clearly see the crimson marks emblazoned on them. Three dragons appeared, warding off the assault, protecting the group from harm as they hastened closer to the Cathedral. He saw her amongst them, and he could swear that for one second, even though she could not possibly see him from there without special equipment, she turned to look straight at him. And then, the sky parted, and through the void between the worlds, he saw the sight that had started it all. The great serpent, crimson and gold, gliding through the emptiness, unleashing its otherworldly cry, empowering its chosen warriors as they were about to enter the final battlefield. [i]Time left: 2:11:08[/i] Lee understood, at that instant, what he had to do. Offering a silent prayer, he began making his way, carefully, to the Vision Cathedral. [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Awesomesauce. Think Maya meant to say that Kiishri [b]shouldn't[/b] be there with them, slight error. Can't remember where she found out about Z-Ones reality, must have been from Ivory. Anyway. Z-One came off really well, as did in particular Yuusuke and Christina As for the duel; glad I got to see a bit of Ritua play so I know what to do with them. The ending was pretty freaking cool too, except for the... [spoiler=spoilers] How exactly did Lee get away just like that? [/spoiler] Also love how they arrived at their final battlegrounds. I'd be just 'Oh shi!' stepping out into that. Presumably there is many a tag duel coming up now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 [spoiler=Responses]Maya meant that Kiishiro should stay there, in the Arc Cradle, and let the others do the fighting. Maya knew about ZONE from stuff Sinclair had learned while they were separated - it becomes more clear in the next chapter, when we have scenes from her PoV. Also you have to remember that though the other executives don't have as much power in the virtual world as Dunkan or Eizan, they're still pretty much the ones who helped create it and can control it to a large extent. So thanks to a distraction and some blitz-speed reflexes, Lee basically released himself and high-tailed it out of there. Eizan could have tracked him and followed him, but at that point, he just didn't care. There are a few duels involving more than two people at the same time, yes. I won't go into more detail, but there are some hopefully interesting variations of the regular rules in there.[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 [spoiler=Responses to responses] Whoops, misread on my part. And me being forgetful. Ah I see. Hope Lee does alright for himself, rooting for him. Variation is good. [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 Bumping for the sake of activity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted January 9, 2012 Report Share Posted January 9, 2012 My mind's too blown to say anything constructive right now, other than that this is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aviv: D's Knight Posted January 28, 2012 Report Share Posted January 28, 2012 I started reading this in summer -before middle school- now after completing 1/2 of it I think the villains are sane. O_o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted December 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, some dude posted a pretty cool fic. Time passed and said fic had a surprisingly good run, reaching dozens of chapters and soaking up a decent amount of popularity. Â But all that changed when the Fire Nation attacked. With only a handful of chapters left to go until the end of the story, the writing simply stopped, leaving thousands of faithful fans hanging. Â And now it's time for that act of great evil to be set right. Today, on the third anniversary of this thread's opening, I'm announcing that Dead Zone is about to get its long-overdue ending. Â Now, obviously, this is coming out of the blue and I doubt there's anyone left who cares remembers anything about this, really. In the foreseeable future, I'll try to repost this story in its entirety in a less chaotic manner, fixing a few errors here and there, to make it easy for potential new readers to get into and for any old ones to go through it again (if and when I go for this depends on general interest, if any of that happens to be around). But until then, this thread, messy as it is, will be used to feature the ending to the story. In the meantime I'll try to at least fix the hyperlinks in the first post, so that you won't have to wade through hundreds of posts if you want to read the story (again). Â In the following weeks, the remainder of the story will be posted in more or less regular intervals (since it's all already written and ready). Here's to hoping I get to see some old and new faces around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Sage Posted December 19, 2013 Report Share Posted December 19, 2013 OH MY GOD YES I should probably reread the whole thing. Too bad Bahamut is no longer active… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Probably going to have to re-read myself.  I'll be re-launching Accel as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted December 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Woo, two people. That's actually... two more than I had expected, and I'm not being sarcastic. Although it's less than I had hoped for. Â Anyway, I realize it's probably impossible to get back into the story without doing some catching up, so I prepared a special Christmas present for you guys. Â WARNING: The following synopsis is very short and only covers the important events. It is in no way meant to replace actually reading the story, and only those who have already read the story and need to refresh their memory should read it. Needless to say, major plot spoilers ahead. If you haven't read the story before, or if your memory is just too fuzzy, then I suggest not reading the summary at all, and instead going through the story again. Arc 1's hyperlinks are fixed (all the chapters were almost in a row in the first few pages anyway), and by the time you read those, the rest will have been fixed as well. Â So, here goes: Â [spoiler=Synopsis] Our story begins in a world very similar to our own. The day is the 28th of April, year 2037. The location is the country of Japan. The past couple of decades have not treated the world kindly - wars over the ever-diminishing natural resources, worldwide environmental deterioration and collapse of modern economy in many nations have severely hampered and even pushed back all forms of advancement. However, the world is beginning to recover, if slowly. One of the most impressive breakthroughs of modern technology is the development of full-fledged virtual reality systems. One such system is the Duel Terminal world, created and controlled by the gaming company Duel International, which is used as a venue to play the card-based game called Duel Monsters through a complete holographic experience. Unfortunately, the entire project has been developed with far more sinister goals in mind. [spoiler=Arc 1]It all begins when a teenager, Sanjou Kiishiro, while inside the Duel Terminal world, is challenged to a duel by a mysterious character called ZONE (note: the design and concept of ZONE is entirely based on the character with the same name from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, but they are not the same entity). In that duel, he faces ZONE, using a Plant-based deck similar to Kiishiro's own, and wielding a never before seen Synchro monster, Black Rose Dragon, whose attack inflicts physical damage on the battlefield and causes him to experience intense pain, something which was not supposed to be possible inside the virtual reality. Following this, Kiishiro's physical body collapses into a comatose state. Two of Kiishiro's classmates, Aizawa Yuusuke, who is the son of Duel International employee Aizawa Taihito, and Kirizaki Maya, the winner of the last Duel Monsters tournament in Europe who moved to Japan after the death of her parents and is hiding her status as continental champion, begin investigating this bizarre occurence. In the process, Yuusuke is forced into a duel against a seemingly new, unorthodox artificial intelligence dueling program, hiding its name and using unidentified cards called the Allies of Justice. Despite the fact that Ghost's Light-killer deck is a lethal match for Yuusuke's Lightlords, he manages a breakneck victory, upon which the area he is in begins to collapse, but his father and Maya manage to disconnect him from the virtual reality just in time. Growing more and more suspicious, Maya decides to take matters into her own hands and, using her privileges as European champion, enters a restricted area of the Duel Terminal world, the Vision Cathedral, that holds records of all duels that have been conducted in the virtual reality. However, her research is interrupted by the appearance of Cornelius Klein, one of Duel International's top executives, who has discovered the fact that she has been using an illegal double account to access the virtual world while hiding her identity. He blackmails her into a duel, where Maya's deck based on the Sun and Moon Dragons, Inti and Quilla, is overwhelmed by Klein's deck, which is focused on summoning the three Devil God cards. Maya manages to turn the tables and destroy the DREAD-ROOT and the ERASER, which results in her own field being wiped out. However, the destruction of the Gods is a huge strain for Klein, who perishes in the aftermath. Shocked, Maya learns that Cornelius Klein's physical body was dead several hours before their encounter. Meanwhile, ZONE, who has brought Sanjou Kiishiro on his personal fortress that is capable of crossing through dimensions, the Arc Cradle, explains to him part of the huge danger they are into - thanks to Duel International's schemes, their world, which is only one world in a multiverse consisting of many different realities, is drifting close to a mass of chaotic energy called the Nexus, which can obliterate it completely. Meanwhile, over at the United States, Gregory Dunkan, CEO of Duel International's American branch, introduces Riding Duels to the game, despite the death of Mike Nicholson, a beta tester of the project, against a Ghost. Kiishiro engages another Ghost in a Riding Duel and wins, thanks to his improved deck and strategy, but encounters a mysterious young girl calling herself Ivory, who warns him not to trust ZONE. Against his better judgment, Yuusuke reenters the virtual world in order to find his friend, Nakazawa Shugo, where he confronts another one of the mysterious AI programs, this time identifying itself as Ghost. Even though Ghost almost manages to assemble all pieces of the frightening Exodia and achieve an instant win, Yuusuke disrupts his strategy thanks to the changes he made to his deck, and wins the duel, only to be dragged further inside the virtual world. Maya follows suit, and is confronted by another Ghost in a Riding Duel. Despite her inexperience in the format, she overwhelms her opponent with her original Demon Roar God deck, changed to suit the use of Speed Spells. The ruling body of Duel International, consisting of eight - formerly nine, including Cornelius Klein - high-ranking executives of the company, all of whom are working together to fulfill their master plan which involves accessing the Nexus and tapping into its unimaginable energy reserves, convene to discuss the recent developments. Klein's defection and the removal of the Devil God cards, which comprised one of the three Pylons needed to control the Nexus and are now in Maya's hands, has thrown a wrench in their plans, but they decide to proceed forward regardless.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Arc 2]According to ZONE, there exist five people branded with the Crimson Dragon marks, who are capable of harnessing the power of the five holy dragons, Black Rose being one of them, with Kiishiro being its rightful wielder. A second dragon is in ZONE's possession, Blackfeather Dragon. Kiishiro manages to track down its owner, a boy named Jinrei Yenma, who has been caught up in the chaos enveloping the virtual reality ever since Duel International's plan was put into motion, just before he is forced into a duel by two duelists named Sinclair and CrossWing. Sinclair is the second virtual world alias of Kirizaki Maya, which was supposedly deleted by Klein, while CrossWing is the alias of Mike Nicholson, who died during the Riding Duel testing. The two are acting without emotion or any form of human behavior, practically like primitive AIs, but are dangerous duelists, even using Maya's and Nicholson's decks. After an arduous battle, and despite Yenma's inexperience, Kiishiro and Yenma manage to overcome their opponents. Kiishiro takes Yenma to the Arc Cradle, where ZONE gives Yenma the option of fighting alongside them - however, Yenma declines and decides to escape the virtual world. Yuusuke, who is also trapped within the virtual reality, encounters another one of Duel International's top brass, Jacqueline Devereaux. Jacqueline reveals to him part of the truth regarding Duel International's plot, and explains to him the concept of the Ghost program, as well as its spiritual successor, her personal Cataphract program, which turns the avatars of duelists who have fallen into comas as a result of losing duels into hosts for even more advanced artificial intelligence programs. That was actually the fate that had befallen Shugo, whom Yuusuke had attempted to find, and is now forced to fight against in a battle to the death. Despite Shugo's use of the powerful Six Samurai deck, Yuusuke manages to secure victory with his Judgment Dragon. This results in Shugo's death in the real world, and Yuusuke swearing vengeance against Jacqueline who, unpertrubed, allows him to log off the virtual reality. In the meantime, another danger is stirring. Sanjou Kotomi, Kiishiro's mother, distressed over her son's condition, is lured into the virtual world by a malevolent entity called Ebony, Ivory's counterpart and 'sister', both of them living representations of different aspects of the virtual world. Ebony forces her prey into a duel which she wins - that results in Kotomi's mind being trapped in the virtual world as well, and Ebony herself using her virtual persona as a vessel to escape the prison she had been locked into by Ivory several years ago. Her main motivation is to exact revenge on her sister, but she also has darker designs. Maya is confronted by a very unlikely opponent - Sinclair herself, her own alternate virtual avatar, that she had thought Klein had purged from the system. As it turns out, Sinclair had been severed from Maya and developed into a pseudo-independent entity by virtue of yet another party's machinations. Sinclair's motivation is to either defeat or be defeated by Maya, which would result in them being 'merged' into one 'self' again, even though they would most likely die as a result. Maya overpowers Sinclair and prepares to deliver the finishing blow, accepting whatever fate might follow, but the duel is interrupted by Yuusuke's intervention, who misunderstands the situation due to the fact that the avatar of the person he knows as Maya is actually Sinclair, rather than Stiyel Crystal, which is currently her true avatar. Duel International has now prioritized the termination of all parties that could pose a threat to their plan, and ZONE's faction is high on their list. To this end, Sarunoki Moboro, one of the company leaders from the Japanese branch, recruits three high-ranking duelists - Ryusaki Sugita, Bando Takechi and Iseya Yuko, who claimed the first three spots in the Element Cycle, a high-profile tournament themed around different attribute decks hosted on the Japanese server a while back. The four confront and place Aizawa Taihito under arrest due to his recent meddling in the virtual world's affairs in order to save his son. Bando Takechi with his fire-themed Flamvell deck engages in a duel against Jinrei Yenma, but their bout is interrupted when the circuit they are riding on collapses, sending them spiralling down into an unknown abyss.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Arc 3]Kiishiro and ZONE have managed to locate the third of the five dragons, Ancient Fairy Dragon, hidden in an obscure part of the virtual world. To get the card, Kiishiro has to duel its guardians, the Spirit Envoys and their leader, Elemental Master Dryad. Through his duel against Dryad, Kiishiro realizes the destructive power of the dragons and the dangers they pose to reality as a whole. Yuusuke, desperate to reach his father, who has been trapped in the virtual reality by Moboro, finds an unlikely ally in Jacqueline, who gives him the means necessary to reach and save his father as well as log out of the virtual reality. The plan does not go so well, though, when he is forced to confront Dread_T, the duelist who placed third in the Japanese tournament at the same time as Maya's victory in the European server. He bluffs his way into a narrow victory and manages to bring his father back, but is unable to escape himself. Moboro, Sugita and Yuko invade the Arc Cradle. Sugita faces off against Kiishiro and manages to defeat him with his Black Feather deck, to the latter's shock and frustration. Yuko meets ZONE in the interior of the Arc Cradle, but her Ice Barrier deck is quickly decimated by ZONE's Time Machine Gods. At that time, Moboro himself steps up, claiming he has received enough data on ZONE's deck to ensure a victory, and transforms into his ultimate dueling form: the God Mode, which, in Moboro's case, resembles a horrible alien monstrosity. The duel between the two begins. Yenma and Takechi have fallen into the Outer Sphere of the virtual world, the Zero Zone. The Outer Sphere is an invisible layer of reality wrapped around a single world, which serves to both isolate and protect it from what exists outside of it, as well as prevent interference from different realities - though its functions are compromised by the presence of the Gap, which collectively refers to small breaches in the Outer Sphere that allow outside interference to break through. Inside the Zero Zone, they are saved by Ivory, who explains to them the dangers of the place. However, they have been tracked down by Draco Ross, another high-ranking Duel International CEO. Takechi manages to win a duel against him, which allows them to escape safely, and Ivory opens a portal to the Arc Cradle. Christina Neville, a girl who was once used in Duel International's experiments, but has lost all memories of the past thanks to an unknown intervention, finds herself drawn to the virtual world, upon which she claims her old avatar of Nightshade and encounters Elemental Master Dryad, who explains to her a part of her past, as well as the fact that she is meant to use one of the five dragons, Ancient Fairy Dragon, which currently rests in Kiishiro's hands. With Dryad's guidance, Christina also travels to the Arc Cradle. Back in the fortress, ZONE is facing off against Moboro. Moboro uses a deck uniquely designed for him, the Worms. Using stalling and control tactics, he proves a dangerous opponent, but ZONE manages to outlast his strategies and defeat him, which results in his disintegration.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Arc 4]Still recovering from his loss against Sugita, Kiishiro is confronted by an unexpected enemy. Ebony, who has used his mother as a pawn to escape her prison, has appeared before him in order to send him back to the real world, thus clearing up Sanjou Kotomi's residual influence on her avatar which Ebony is using as a vessel. Enraged, Kiishiro challenges her to a duel, which Ebony gladly accepts, since killing him would serve her purpose just fine. Kiishiro is easily overwhelmed, but is spared from the killing blow by Ivory and the others. Ebony makes her retreat, which results, unknowingly, in Draco Ross becoming swept up in a wave of her dark power, and his mind being corroded. Disillusioned by the events on the Arc Cradle, Sugita, Takechi and Yuko all decide to join ZONE in his effort to stop Duel International. Maya and Yuusuke are lured into a duel against each other by Jacqueline, with both their identities concealed so that they will not know who they are dueling until one of them is dead. However, they manage to see through her deception thanks to a specific "Honest" card Maya has kept in her deck that both she and Yuusuke recognize as a symbol of their friendship. Jacqueline joins the fray herself, seeking to eliminate them herself, but the two combine forces and quickly defeat her instead. It is revealed that most of Duel International's leaders agreed with Dunkan's plan to accomplish some form of personal desire, some more and some less noble, but now it seems unlikely that those will ever be fulfilled, and that the attempt to access the Nexus is pushing the world straight to destruction. At this point both the physical reality and the virtual reality are suffering the dramatic consequences of the close proximity to the Nexus. Duel International has identified yet another threat - the puppeteer responsible for a lot of the oddities and bizarre occurences that have been disrupting their plans and the natural order of the virtual world, Miyataka Eizan. Sannosouke Takizawa, CEO of the Japanese branch, tracks him down personally and fires a bullet through his head, seemingly killing him. However, he is then trapped in Miyataka Eizan's mindgame, which leads him to a remote area of the virtual world, where Miyataka Eizan's virtual persona, somehow living on despite the body's physical death, forces him to a brutal duel. Takizawa pits his Genex deck against Eizan's Psychic monsters and even uses his own God Mode, but he is defeated and dies as a result. The standing American champion, Adam Fergusson, is revealed to have been part of a project, along with his brother and a mysterious third party called Ylaidus, aimed at disrupting and taking advantage of Duel International's plans, which ended with their discovery and the death of his brother. He, too, is confronted by a mysterious Ghost, using the Synchro killer, Machine Emperor Grannel, but manages to defeat it. Draco Ross, corrupted by Ebony's residual influence, appears in the Arc Cradle, challenging Yenma and Takechi in a revenge duel. Despite the power of the God Mode, the two defeat him, which results in his death.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Arc 5]Maya, having been sent on a three-pronged quest by a mysterious entity named Lorelei, continues scouring the virtual world for clues on how to reintegrate with the fragmented piece of herself, and how to overcome Duel International and Eizan. She confronts her grandfather, Kirizaki Ryouga, a major criminal boss in Japan's underground who took her in after the death of her parents. Ryouga seems to have obtained some form of immortality inside the virtual world thanks to Cornelius Klein, and apparently seeks to defeat Maya, but Maya turns the tables on him regardless, for the first time using the powers of the Devil Gods. The aftermath of her fight against Ryouga leaves Maya exhausted and unconscious. Jacqueline Deveraux, who has been a double agent for Miyataka Eizan for a while, captures her and travels to the Arc Cradle, eager to make up for her previous failures. The battle and her plan are disrupted by Fergusson, who appears and snatches Maya before escaping. He is chased down by Yuusuke, and the two begin a duel, which Fergusson intends to use in order to complete his brother's project and fulfill their ambition, but they are interrupted when the world begins disintegrating around them. Fergusson makes his escape, and Yuusuke and Maya are saved by Ivory. Meanwhile, Ebony, now unrestrained, proceeds with her sinister plan - she confronts Lorelei, who is hiding a weapon of unimaginable strength capable of tearing through dimensions, the Symphonic Arsenal. Ebony defeats her and claims the Arsenal, and then travels to an area of the virtual world directly under the Vision Cathedral, where she initiates the Arsenal. The echoes of the machine's power threaten to tear apart both the virtual and the physical reality, and Maya, Yuusuke, Ivory, Kiishiro, Sugita all travel there to stop her. Jacqueline, accompanied by Ylaidus and Sinclair, both under Eizan's control, and Fergusson, are also on the site. Sugita confronts and defeats Fergusson who, frustrated and almost driven mad by his earlier failures, is willing to allow the world to be destroyed. Yuusuke finally faces off against his nemesis, Jacqueline, who uses the power of her God Mode and her Naturia monsters to push him to the brink of defeat. Her true emotions of regret, however, slip out of her control, and she hands Yuusuke the card he needs to defeat her, the legendary Chaos Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning. Sinclair teleports herself and Maya to another, dying dimension, the stage for their final battle. It seems like a hopeless ordeal, since the only foreseeable outcome is their mutual demise, but Maya finds the courage and acceptance she needs in order to reintegrate with the shattered fraction of herself. The duel ends and Maya, now complete again, escapes death by using the power of her Devil God, resonating with Yuusuke's newly acquired Chaos Soldier, to return to the virtual world. That leaves only Ebony to be dealt with. Ivory, Ebony and Kiishiro engage in a three-way duel, in which Ivory and Kiishiro plan to combine their powers to defeat her. But Ebony reveals she is holding Kiishiro's mother, Sanjou Kotomi, hostage, and links her Life Points to her, making Kiishiro's attacks put her through excruciating pain. Devastated, Kiishiro is unable to fight, and even turns against Ivory until she knocks him out, and continues the duel alone. Kiishiro has a vision apparently instigated by Black Rose Dragon and his own memories and sense of duty, which allows him to return to the duel with renewed resolve. The Signer Dragons as well as Ivory's Dragunities overcome the threat of Ebony's Earthbound Gods, and manage to destroy the Symphonic Arsenal and end its destructive song. However, Ebony escapes death and flees with Kotomi still captive. Kiishiro wants to chase after her, but Ivory persuades him to return to the Arc Cradle and regroup for the final battle, while she herself deals with her sister.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Arc 6]Abraham Lee, one of Dunkan's associates and the man who helped Christina escape Duel International's clutches a long time ago, has decided to betray Dunkan - to that end, he steals a part of the third Pylon. He is stopped by Nakahara Inoue, another one of Duel International's leaders, who is revealed to have been Eizan's accomplice for a long time. Eizan intervenes and, dissatisfied with Inoue's handling of the situation, forces them to a lethal duel against each other. Lee wins and Inoue's mind collapses, which causes her God Mode to instantly activate, allowing Lee to escape. In the Arc Cradle, ZONE, Kiishiro, Christina, Maya, Yuusuke, Sugita, Takechi and Yuko, who left the virtual world briefly but resolved to return, are all ready to begin the final battle. Because of Ebony's interference, Dunkan's plan has been sped up quite a bit, and the Nexus is in extremely close proximity to the virtual world. Additionally, Dunkan has also moved the Aria Tower, his stronghold, on top of the Vision Cathedral, and reinforced it with additional layers of defense. ZONE plans to bring the Arc Cradle to the tower, while the seven duelists infiltrate Dunkan's stronghold and attempt to stop him.[/spoiler] [/spoiler] Â Also, I strongly recommend that you read, along with the above synopsis, the latest Interlude, as well as Chapters 61 and 62, which are the beginning of the 6th story arc which I'm about to continue. They will help greatly in refreshing your memory and bringing you up-to-speed with events. Â Actual updates will begin in a couple of days with Chapter 63. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerion Brightflame Posted December 24, 2013 Report Share Posted December 24, 2013 Since basically every fan fic I've actually read on this site has mentioned Dead Zone at some point and how amazing it is, I will be giving it a read over the course of the holidays. Â Just letting you know that in advance and stuff so you know you've got a 3rd reader and stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted December 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 25, 2013 Merry Christmas to all ~ and I wish you a fulfilling read, Barty. However, I will take this chance to put a disclaimer: you (as in all readers) might find writing and storytelling quality rather lacking throughout the first arcs - they were written long ago and back then I had entirely less grandiose plans for the story. Also YCM has been through a lot of changes since those were posted, so some formatting and such might be awkward. Â Either way, for those who want to dive straight into the new stuff, as a Christmas gift, the story continues. Â [spoiler=Chapter 63] Chapter 63: Reversal World Everything was chaos and destruction. Maya thought of the scenes she had witnessed in that isolated realm, during her duel against Sinclair, of the annihilation of another world. These paled before what was happening around them. It was as if the earth and sky had turned against them, battering them with enough force to undo them completely. As had been the plan, the Signer Dragons were protecting the group, while Sanjou Kiishiro, Jinrei Yenma, and Christina Neville were making their way ahead of the others, who were reserving their strength. Aside from them, there was no other living being outside the gates of the Cathedral. This was not quite surprising - there was no need to waste resources protecting the exterior, when the interior was far more defensible, and large-scale attacks were a much more effective way to wear them down. She was certain that once they made their way into the building, the place would be swarming with Cataphracts and anything else Dunkan might have enlisted to guard it. Only a few hours had passed since she had reassembled the shattered pieces of herself, and she already felt significantly stronger. The knowledge Sinclair had obtained had now passed on to her, and she was going to need all of it for the upcoming battle. Aside from Dunkan, who controlled the portal to the Nexus, Miyataka Eizan also had to be eliminated - if left unchecked, he could pose a much greater threat. Sinclair's memories suggested great care when attempting to deal with him. It seemed as if Eizan, directly or indirectly, had been responsible for many more ordeals that Maya had gone through in the virtual world than she had originally imagined. A man whose face she only knew through Sinclair's memories, in a way, he was a much more troublesome opponent than Duel International, who were at least straightforward in their plots. However... Yuusuke was here. She did not place her trust in the others, but she at least acknowledged they were strong. With all of them together, their chances were as good as could be asked for. Running madly towards the entrance, she evaluated each one of them. No matter how adept they were at using their monsters in this manner, they would eventually be forced to duel, probably after being worn down to exhaustion by whatever fodder awaited them. At that time, skill, endurance, focus - everything came into play. Yuusuke had more than proven his ability already, after defeating Jacqueline. She had heard that Yenma and Takechi had defeated Draco Ross. But the others... could they really be trusted, to fight at this level? Most especially, Sanjou Kiishiro. Her expression darkened. She had intuitively disliked him from their first meeting. She knew why, now. She had felt it, back then - the shadow that gripped him. The marks of the Crimson Dragon were a curse, not a blessing. Sinclair's memories had revealed to her the threat that the Signer Dragons, and ZONE's plan, posed to the world. She could never agree to such a mad gamble, where the danger far outweighed the chances of success. No, she had to quickly separate herself from them. If those Dragons got anywhere near the portal to the Nexus... Maya realized the barrage of attacks had lessened significantly. They were too close to the Cathedral now, and obviously Dunkan was hesitant to endanger the base of the tower. Which was just as well. Christina's eyes were closed, and her chest was heaving as she tried to steady her breath. Yenma, too, looked like he was about to collapse from exhaustion. And even though he tried to hide it behind a collected expression, Kiishiro, too, was sweating profusely. You weren't supposed to sweat in the virtual world. So much had changed. Was it really possible that this dimension where chaos reigned and nightmares came to life was the same that they had spent so much of the previous years enjoying? Could a world that held so many memories, good and bad, be only a means to this dark end? "So, we're here. Any idea how to get in, miss European champion?" Takechi's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She realized they were standing in front of the Cathedral's gates, which would normally open at a mere touch, but of course, that wasn't the case now. Sugita and Yuusuke had already tried forcing their way in, with little success. "As a matter of fact, I do." She replied dryly. "Stand back." The others hurried to get out of the way, looking at her apprehensively. "Dianaira!" The giant purple-skinned bull appeared in a burst of light before her. With an unspoken command, the demonic deity launched itself against the gates, battering them with its bulk. It took several blows, but finally, the doors cracked and shattered, raising a huge cloud of dust. "Well, anyone could have done that!" Takechi complained as the group hastily walked into the Cathedral, shielded by potential attacks by Dianaira. The Signer Dragons vanished as soon as their protection was no longer needed - their wielders had to regain their strength. Maya noticed that the gates behind them were reforming even as Yenma, the last to get in, slipped inside - by the time everyone had gotten in, the door had restructured itself impeccably. But soon they realized that this was the least of their problems. The Vision Cathedral had been a large building, but it was possible to capture it with one's eyes upon entry - the three doors that led to the Aeroscopium, the Halls of Reflection, and what Maya had recently discovered to be the most dreadful battlefield in the virtual world, the Dead Zone, were accessible with just a few steps. That had changed. The hall they were in was larger, much more massive than its exterior should have allowed - the far walls couldn't even be seen, thanks in part to the odd, sickly yellow lighting. Only a vast expanse of empty floor. And it was filled to the brim with enemies. Hundreds of Cataphracts, split into small groups, were waiting for them. Most were on standby - if everyone tried to attack at once, the friendly fire would've been much more detrimental to them. Besides, their objective wasn't to survive, or even to win. They were just meant to stall, and wear them out. They were not about to waste any time, though. The group closest to the door, three young men - Maya thought it best not to focus too much on appearance; those were people, living people they'd have to go through and probably kill - immediately summoned their monsters. Machiner's Fortress, a giant blue armored robot. Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman, a green-skinned, masked hero in glowing silver winged armor. And Vampire Genesis, a bulky demon with sickly purple skin, sharp fangs and great bat-like wings. Monsters that would normally require much effort to summon in a duel, could now be brought out by simply drawing out the energy from their users, since the worlds where the forms of those monsters originated were now much closer thanks to the magnetic effect of the Nexus. As they proceeded closer to the portal, and the Nexus drew closer, their most dangerous opponents would force them to duel to avoid the undesireable consequences the uncontrolled summoning of phantasms could have, but for now, not having to waste time suited them as well. "Attack, Dianaira!" Maya commanded just as Yuusuke stepped up beside her. Gragonis appeared by his side, launching a stream of white fire that consumed Shining Flare Wingman as he tried to retaliate, while Dainaira smashed its fist into Vampire Genesis, causing it to shatter to shreds. Another good advantage was that the regular rules for battles did not apply here - if two monsters were fairly close in power, the one to land a hit first would win, and the Cataphracts were expectedly rather sluggish in their actions, and generally unable to control their monsters in the way they were. The last one, seeing that he was outmatched, raised his arm, and Machiner's Fortress shifted into a massive bipedal android equipped with boosters attached to its shoulders and a rifle. Machiner's Force would not be as easily dealt with as the others. It shot forward a devastating bolt, but just as Dainaira jumped in the way of the attack to protect them, Maya triggered the effect of Honest. The demon bull swatted the blast away as if it was nothing more than a mosquito, and charged against the robot, grabbing it by the foot as it tried to escape into the sky. Holding it firmly in its grip, Dianaira brought the mechanical monstrosity down, and plowed through its frame with a powered fist, crushing it to pieces. Maya let out a deep breath. The three duelists, all their energy drained, lay on the floor before them. The Machine user was screaming, visible injuries appearing all over his body from the massive amount of damage he had received and the additional effort summoning Force had required. Before their horrified eyes, he began deforming, his body dissolving into particles. Within a few seconds, only blood was left of him. "T - this is..." Yuko muttered, her eyes wide, as if unable to look away. She looked ready to vomit. "Don't lose focus!" Kiishiro snapped. "Here they come!" The next wave of attackers had indeed reached them, and a massive, floating silver-and-black robot, a shining halo wrapped around its short torso, approached them, ready to bombard them with a barrage of energy strikes. "Well, it's my turn then!" Takechi walked forward. "Come! Flamvell Urquizas, Ancient God Flamvell!" The two great fire demons materialized, rushing to meet their opponent. "You idiot, don't!!" Maya and Sugita screamed at the same time, but it was too late. The combined blows from Takechi's monsters struck home, and the silver robot's plated armor shattered, revealing a very unstable core. Maya hastened to find a card in her deck that could help in this situation, but it was too late - the creature exploded, a massive blast that would surely incinerate them - A mournful, otherworldy cry. They were alive, unharmed. Maya opened her eyes to see the great figure of Blackfeather Dragon hovering before them, having absorbed the brunt of the blast. Yenma stood beside her, arm raised with the wings of the Crimson Dragon blazing on it, looking even worse for wear than before. "That was the Planet series monster, The great SATURN." Sugita explained to a stunned Takechi. "When you destroy it, both players take damage equal to its attack. Pay attention, or you could get us all killed!" "More are coming!" Yuko's screech warned them. Exhausted, Yenma let his Blackfeather Dragon retreat, while twin blasts of energy shot down Urquizas and God Flamvell. With a wounded cry, Takechi recalled his monsters as well. Without being able to see well yet, Maya sent Dianaira forth to meet further attacks, followed closely by Yuusuke's Gragonis. A huge mistake. She realized the monster's identity a second after it completely evaporated both their monsters with streams of black light. This one belonged to the Ally of Justice series, and it was one of those she had read about the last time she had been here. A massive, stationary artillery base, equipped with several cannons, two of which had just shot down their monsters. Ally of Justice - Decisive Arms, the most dangerous creature of the archetype. Both Maya and Yuusuke reeled in pain from the feedback of the attack. "Be - careful!" Yuusuke grunted. "If we have Light monsters out... this thing... will be impossible to stop!" "No problem, then." Sugita said calmly. "Black Feather - Armored Wing, attack." The powerful dark bird did not show any hesitation in following these seemingly suicidal orders. Even if Armored Wing's power was lower, Sugita knew what he was doing. Yuko, catching on, brought out a monster of her own, Samurai of the Ice Barrier, a swordsman clad in glacial black armor, which followed Armored Wing closely. The Black Feather monster dashed straight into the opponent's beam attacks, seemingly impervious to all damage, until it reached melee distance. Ramming one of its fists near the center of Decisive Arms' bulk, it quickly retreated, dodging the counterattack, while a black metal sharpnel was revealed, having just pierced the Ally monster's plate. From the impact point, cracks quickly began spreading across the robotic artillery's frame, weakening it so much that a follow-up sword blow from the Samurai was enough to destroy it completely in a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, two more Cataphracts lay on the floor. Not dead, not completely, but they would be soon enough. Two down, a hundred more to go. "This is taking too long." Kiishiro said darkly, as if reading her thoughts. He walked forth. "Come, Black Rose Dragon." The crimson-and-black behemoth materialized with an ear-piercing shrill. Five more Cataphracts were advancing towards them, ready to release their monsters. "Kill them." Voice frozen, Kiishiro ordered. Before anyone could react, black thorn-covered tendrils shot out from Black Rose Dragon's underside. They wrapped around the bodies of the duelists and restricted them, raising them in the air. The Cataphracts groaned and screamed as the thorns dug into their skin, tearing apart their flesh. The vines continued to constrict them, until their life finally gave way, and they vanished into motes of black light, as if they were mere monster holograms. Everyone remained silent, frozen in place. "...I understand why you did it. I even understand why it was necessary." Maya said slowly, pausing at every word. Her eyes had locked with Kiishiro's, a relentless glare, filled with hatred. "But I will never accept someone who can murder people with that expression. You've fallen too far into darkness, Sanjou Kiishiro. I suggest we part ways here, before I decide you are a threat that must be put down." The tension could be cut with a knife. It seemed an eternity passed without anyone speaking. Then, suddenly, Kiishiro shrugged, breaking eye contact. "That works for me." He said. "This is getting us nowhere." Heading towards his dragon, he mounted the beast and ordered it to fly upwards. Black Rose took off, heading straight towards the ceiling - until about halfway through, a layer of translucent energy appeared in front of him. The moment the dragon touched it, both steed and rider disappeared in a flash of light. "It was a trap!" Takechi exclaimed, while Sugita had quickly brought up a panel in front of him. "No... he's still alive." He pointed at the holographic display of the area they were in. The Aria Tower was depicted as a tall structure with nine distinct floors. They were directly underneath the last floor, on the base of the tower that was the Vision Cathedral. This was the tracker used alongside their modified cards. For Kiishiro, a dark green dot was moving slowly along the Aria Tower's first floor. The rest of the dots - grey for Sugita, red for Takechi, blue for Yuko, white for Yenma, purple for Christina, golden for Yuusuke, and black for Maya herself - were all huddled together directly underneath. Maya noticed the indication next to the visual display.Time left: 1:52:13 Surprisingly little time had passed since Kiishiro had murdered those Cataphracts, or, for that matter, since they had arrived at this place. Surprisingly little time, yet every second mattered. "We are going, too." She glanced at Yuusuke. "There is something I need to check here." And without another glance at the group, followed by Yuusuke, she began walking forward before the Cataphracts could assemble again and attack them. She knew they needed to go to the Aria Tower, but the way Kiishiro had gone there seemed too easy. There was bound to be a trap. No, first of all, drawn by an inexplicable urge, she had to visit the Dead Zone. --- "...great. So, where does that leave us?" Takechi asked, watching Maya and Yuusuke as they dashed away from them. Soon, they were forced to call forth monsters to defend them - but by that time, there was already a wall of Cataphracts between the two groups. "We can't abandon Kiishiro." Yenma said. "I - I know what he did was too much, but..." He fell silent. Everyone acknowledged that, if they played Dunkan's game and wasted time fighting the Cataphracts, they might not even make it out of the Cathedral by the time the countdown hit zero. Most likely, Dunkan had been banking on that to stall them. "Well, up seems the right way to me anyway." Sugita said skeptically. "Those two should be fine, they seem more than capable of handling themselves. Kiishiro will probably need us if he challenges what defenses have been placed inside the Tower. Now..." The dozen or so Cataphracts that were closing in were obviously not so willing to let them fly away. "Let me." Yuko said. "Brionac!" The ice dragon materialized in the middle of a howling blizzard. Its wings flapped, and strong frozen winds swept the Cataphracts in the front, knocking them back. "Let's go, quickly!" Christina called forth Ancient Fairy Dragon, helping Yenma, who was too exhausted to summon another monster at the moment, climb up. Sugita recalled Armored Wing, and Takechi brought Flamvell Grunika, while Yuko climbed onto Brionac. One by one, they took to the sky, launching a few feeble attacks at the Cataphracts to stall them. Some of them tried to summon flying monsters in order to hunt them down, but by the time they got to the air, the group had reached the warp layer. The world flashed white. --- Gregory Dunkan had to refrain from laughing out loud. So far, his plan had been working perfectly. His biggest source of concern, the European champion, had decided to stay in the Vision Cathedral, which was fine for him - in possession of the Devil Gods, she was a bigger threat than the rest of them combined. He had also lured the other six into the Tower - of course, the system was set to change target location after each warp. It was unfortunate that he could not precisely control the defenses of the Aria Tower any more - the proximity of the Nexus made direct control of the area dangerous, if not outright impossible. However, it should take too long for them to even reach him. If they managed to - he had absolute confidence in his last layer of defense, and it was moving, even now, to eliminate the invaders. And even assuming they managed to reach him, they would not catch him unprepared. Very soon, he would seize the final victory. --- The instant Yuko found herself in her new surroundings, she knew they had been trapped. She was alone in the narrow, spiralling corridor - no doors or windows to be seen. In panic, she quickly checked the holographic display. They had all been scattered around the Aria Tower. She briefly wondered why Dunkan hadn't just relocated them somewhere completely different, for example straight to their deaths by warping them into a volcano. But then she remembered how bringing the Aria Tower here had foiled ZONE's plans. There should be restrictions, even for them, especially now that the Nexus was so close. Given how random the pattern of their locations was, she had a feeling Dunkan had had no control over where they were teleported. Kiishiro's dark green dot was still wandering around the first floor, with Maya's black and Yuusuke's gold directly underneath. Sugita's grey was on the sixth, while Takechi's red on the fifth, about halfway through. The white and purple dots that represented Yenma and Christina were together on the seventh floor, closest to the top - they had apparently been warped to the same place. While her own, blue dot, was hovering on the third. ZONE had theorized that the portal to the Nexus would be at the top of the Tower - that would help Dunkan perfectly align it once the Nexus approached enough, tapping directly into it. She needed to go up, hopefully find her scattered allies along the way. However, either direction looked exactly the same, so Yuko randomly decided to go forward. Now that she was alone, her fears and worries returned to her. Was she really qualified, in any way, to be here? What had she managed so far, except get in the way? Her thoughts returned to her mother. She had arrived injured, dying - and she had left her, abandoned her, possibly to die, to get here. She believed this was the right thing to do... she believed that, if they all fought together, they stood a greater chance at victory. But, she had seen Kiishiro and Maya. They were strong, independent. They did not rely on others. Maybe that mindset was right. Maybe the weaker links should just stay back, so they don't hold down the ones with the power to fight. Maybe... So immersed was she in her thoughts as she walked on the winding road that she almost stumbled into a pair of Cataphracts. One was tall, dark-skinned, with short-cropped black hair, dressed in a gladiator-like armor. The other was a bit shorter, his skin almost pale, clad in similar attire. Both had that dead, glazed look in their eyes. With a startled yelp, she bolted backwards, getting ready to call forth a monster, when the Cataphracts suddenly moved out of the way. Astonished, she watched the shorter one point forward, where the corridor broadened, and a large door was positioned, leading into some other room. Extremely wary, Yuko took a few steps, keeping her eyes locked on the Cataphracts to make sure they wouldn't do anything sudden. As she approached the round, steel door, it opened inwards, allowing her to proceed. No sooner had she gotten in the new, large chamber, than the door snapped shut. Expecting this, Yuko took in her new surroundings. She was in a grand hall, stylized a pale blue. In its center, an arena for dueling was clearly designated. All around it were giant statues of various monsters. Unsure of what to do, she walked towards the battlefield. "Welcome, miss Aurora. You arrived quite earlier than expected." The sudden voice did not catch her by surprise, since she was prepared for something like that. The appearance of the person who emerged from behind one of the great statues, however, did. His appearance was regal, dressed in a dark blue garb, with a purple cloak wrapped around it. Only a hint of his pitch-black hair, flaring wildly over his head, was visible under the hood he had drawn up. His deep, calculating black eyes were locked onto hers, measuring her every step. He walked slowly to the other edge of the arena, a small smirk on his lips. And then, Yuko noticed it. His rank, ninety-one. His name - Azgalor. Everyone with any aspirations to enter the competitive leagues had at least followed the results of the previous tournaments, and knew the top bracket of players worldwide. Azgalor had been the runner-up of the last national tournament in Europe. His only loss throughout the whole competition had been against Stiyel Crystal, against whom he had used a deck based on dragons and The tyrant NEPTUNE. Yuko's whole body trembled. This was the opponent she was supposed to fight against? "Wait." She said slowly, as much to buy time as because she noticed something unusual. "Are you not... one of those Cataphracts? How come you can speak?" Azgalor chuckled softly. "The Cataphracts have their basic functions erased in order to replace them with artificial intelligence programs, to increase their capacity to duel and use monsters. I was already good enough, it seems. All that they needed to purge was my morality." "So, you've retained your consciousness?" Yuko asked incredulously. "Then why? Why are you doing this?" "I've told you already, I've lost my morality." Azgalor responded airily. "I tried to fight against the Ghosts, but was defeated and captured. Then... it was over. Next thing I knew, I was in this... state. It's not something you can resist or fight. Right now, destroying you is as natural a course of action for me as breathing would be." "But that is not you!" Yuko said desperately. "You're being controlled, manipulated! They've changed you into this thing, and you know it! You have your own free will, don't you? Surely you remember how you were before! You wouldn't do this, would you?" "No, I wouldn't." Azgalor admitted. "However, I am not the same as I was before. Free will is nothing but instinct. Our instinct to survive by defending ourselves, our instinct to be accepted into society by obeying its moral codes, our instinct to receive appreciation by helping others, or even our instinct to protect that which is valuable to us by sacrificing ourselves - there is nothing else involved. Our instincts shape our desires, our desires shape our will, and our will defines our actions. When you change the base instincts, everything else becomes irrelevant. The instincts that have overwhelmed everything else in my mind right now drive me to hunt you all down and defeat you, one by one. The reason or consequence of such an action is of no importance. It is my nature to do this." Yuko took a step back, eyes wide in shock. There was a certain difference between having one's mind wiped, and replaced with a killing machine, and with... this. That they'd go so far, as to change a human being, change their nature while allowing it to keep its consciousness, its memories - twisting it into a willing slave... it was horrible. The kind of enemy they were facing would not hesitate before such atrocities. Yuko's hands balled into fists. She could never allow these people to obtain the sort of power they desired. "So you've committed yourself, young lady." Azgalor smiled, seeing Yuko's expression. "Very well. But be warned - you cannot beat me. I have already received and analyzed all your data as a duelist, and with this deck, there is no way I would lose either way. Are you ready?" He did not wait for Yuko's nod. Five cards materialized in front of him, hovering in the air without any support. Yuko, restrained to more traditional methods, allowed her Duel Disk to shuffle her deck, and drew her opening hand. "Duel!!" Â Azgalor - LP: 12000Aurora - LP: 4000 "Life Points... twelve thousand?" Yuko groaned in desperation. Between everything else, she had failed to consider the obvious - summoning monsters at will was fine and all, but the balance of the game was subjected to the rules imposed by Duel International - it stood to reason that they could easily shift the rules to their advantage. But Azgalor shook his head firmly. "We won't cheat." He stated. "If there was providence for altering the rules, it would be definitely found and exploited - if not by you, then by people like ZONE. So, the fight will be fair. There is a balancing factor for this great discrepancy in starting Life Points - whether you can find it and exploit it, is up to you." Yuko considered this. However twisted it might be, the logic was sound. Rather than create unfair conditions that others could find and use to their advantage, they played around with technically fair rules, subtly manipulating them so that they had the upper hand. Which meant that undoubtedly, even if she could find whatever secret advantage was there for her that balanced the difference in Life Points out, this setup definitely favored Azgalor. But, she reminded herself, this was no more and no less than what she had signed up for. She had resolved to fight, even against these hopeless odds, even if victory seemed impossible. "You're on." She growled. For the sake of her mother, her friends, the entire world - she would win this. "I like that expression." Azgalor taunted, calling forth a sixth card. "As a reward, I'll have you witness the indomitable power that reigns over the virtual world! I set a monster, then set a card! Turn end!" Yuko blinked. She had certainly expected a more overwhelming opening. However, even a single reverse monster could be extremely dangerous. She had to be careful not to fall into a trap. "My turn, draw!" She said heatedly. "I summon Skreech!" The reptilian green fish materialized in front of her. A mediocre monster, but it would serve to feel the opponent out. "Skreech attacks!" She expected something to happen, but the mutated fish simply plowed through the defensive monster - a white mechanical sphere, similar in shape to an egg, cracked in the middle to reveal a core of pulsing blue light. [spoiler=Skreech]Skreech WATER / Reptile Level 4 1500/400 When this card is destroyed by battle, select 2 WATER monsters from your Deck and send them to your Graveyard.[/spoiler] Yuko had never seen that monster before, but that did not surprise her. What did surprise her was that no effect had been activated - the monster, with zero attack and defense points, had simply been allowed to land in the Graveyard. "...I place a card face-down. Turn end." She said, once it became clear that Azgalor did not intend to make any move. "Before you do that, during the End Phase, I activate Limit Rebirth, which revives a monster with 1000 or less attack." Azgalor interjected. "Sky Core fits the bill quite nicely." The monster she had just destroyed reappeared, equipped with the Trap card. "And now it's my turn." [spoiler=Limit Rebirth]Limit Rebirth TRAP / Continuous Select 1 monster with 1000 or less ATK from your Graveyard, and Special Summon it in Attack Position. If that monster is changed to Defense Position, destroy it and this card. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Sky Core]Sky Core WIND / Machine Level 1 0/0 ((When this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, destroy all monsters you control. Then, Special Summon 1 "Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity", "Skiel Top", "Skiel Attack", "Skiel Guard", and "Skiel Carrier" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.))[/spoiler] Yuko shivered slightly. She had a bad feeling. Just what was about to happen? "I activate the Spell card, Magic Planter." Azgalor stated. This sends my face-up Trap card to the Graveyard, in order to let me draw twice." "But if you do that, your monster will - " Yuko started. "Yes, since Limit Rebirth is gone, Sky Core is destroyed." Azgalor smirked. "And, since Sky Core was destroyed by a card effect, its effect triggers! All monsters on my field are destroyed, and then..." Yuko watched with horror as five cards materialized out of nowhere, forming a pentagon. They turned slowly towards her, revealing five Level 1 monsters, seemingly harmless with low attack and defense scores. But... "From the deck, hand, and Graveyard. Special Summon!" Azgalor ordered. "Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity, Skiel Top, Skiel Attack, Skiel Guard, and Skiel Carrier!"What... is that thing? Yuko wondered. Five monsters had appeared, shaped like pieces of some greater machine - torso, head, cannons, shield, wings. They combined, as if drawn by some magnetic force, into an airborne blue robot, a deformed mechanical bird with tentacle-framed wings, and a giant hole in its chest, shaped like a horizontal eight - the symbol for infinity - in which a blue energy core was glowing brightly. [spoiler=Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity]Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity WIND / Machine Level 1 0/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Sky Core". Other monsters you control cannot attack, except by card effects. Once per turn, you can select 1 Synchro monster on the field and equip it to this card. This card gains ATK equal to the ATK of all Synchro monsters equipped to it. When this monster is destroyed, destroy all other monsters you control. This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the ATK and DEF of all "Wisel", "Skiel" and "Grannel" monsters you control, except "Infinity" monsters.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Skiel Top]Skiel Top WIND / Machine Level 1 600/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Sky Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Top", "Skiel Top", or "Grannel Top" monster. Once per turn, when your opponent activates a Trap card, your opponent takes 300 damage.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Skiel Attack]Skiel Attack WIND / Machine Level 1 1000/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Sky Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Attack", "Skiel Attack", or "Grannel Attack" monster. When an "Infinity" monster you control destroys a monster by battle, deal damage to your opponent equal to that monster's DEF.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Skiel Guard]Skiel Guard WIND / Machine Level 1 200/300 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Sky Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Guard", "Skiel Guard", or "Grannel Guard" monster. Once per turn, when a monster you control is selected as an attack target, you can negate the attack.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Skiel Carrier]Skiel Carrier WIND / Machine Level 1 400/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Sky Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Carrier", "Skiel Carrier", or "Grannel Carrier" monster. Once per turn, when your opponent's monster declares an attack, your opponent takes 300 damage.))[/spoiler] "Machine Emperor Skiel." Azgalor said. "A monster composed of its individual parts... it is the monster that defeated me. And now you, too, will experience its power. Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity's effect activates! Its attack and defense power become equal to the sum of its parts!" The robot's scores rose to 2200 and 300 respectively. "There's no need to get frightened already." Azgalor said, in a mockingly soothing voice. "After all... the show has only just begun." --- Standing opposite to each other on either side of a broad, circular stadium, covered in black-and-red marbles, two duelists weighed each other with their eyes. Takechi found himself grinning, despite the situation. "Even if you've been hammered into this ruthless dueling machine, I'm still quite excited to be able to fight you like this." He said. The other duelist only acknowledged his words with a nod. Haderon, rank 92, Japanese finalist in the last national tournament, undefeated, except by the mystery-shrouded champion Ylaidus. It was the thrill of competition, that he had been denied when he was forced to quit sports, which drove Takechi into the virtual world's tournaments in the first place. That drive had led him to the top of the Element Cycle. And even though it was easy to forget such things at this time, Takechi still knew that it was facing people like the one standing in front of him, that had been his ultimate goal. Haderon was a tall, well-built man with severe, gaunt features. His skin was pale, and he had somehow procured several golden rings that he had attached to his ears. He was clad in a full-body white uniform, similar to those of martial artists, except tighter and covered by a black haori. His eyes seemed, at first, glance, almost as expressionless as those of the Cataphracts - but Takechi could see a well-hidden fire burning in them. Even if, right now, this man's mind had been wrapped to the point where his only desire was to destroy him, this was the kind of battle Takechi sought. "Duel!!" They both proclaimed. Takechi's eye twitched as he saw his opponent's Life Point counter rise to twelve thousand. This was crazy! Â Vortexflame - LP: 4000Haderon - LP: 12000 "I will not dishonor our duel." Haderon said in his deep voice. "The difference in our Life Points is a challenge you must overcome, yet it is does not come without advantage for you. If you aspire to fight at our level, you should definitely be able to find what you need, in order to reverse this situation." "You've got that right!" Takechi grinned. "The first turn goes to me - draw! Let's see... I'll set a monster, and then two face-down card cards. Turn end." It was a neutral opening, but he didn't want to go on the offensive without first seeing what kind of strategy his opponent was using. From what he remembered of Haderon's matches, he used a brutal deck based on Rock monsters - but something told him his deck had changed a lot since the national tournament. "My turn - draw." Haderon stated. "I set a monster face-down on the field. And then I activate Shield Crush, which targets one defense position monster and destroys it." Takechi gritted his teeth - his UFO Turtle wouldn't trigger if it was destroyed by a card effect. However, astoundingly, Haderon pointed at his own monster. "I destroy my face-down Wise Core!" He announced. [spoiler=Shield Crush]Shield Crush SPELL / Normal Select 1 Defense Position monster on the field and destroy it.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Wise Core]Wise Core DARK / Machine Level 1 0/0 ((When this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, destroy all monsters you control. Then, Special Summon 1 "Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity", "Wisel Top", "Wisel Attack", "Wisel Guard", and "Wisel Carrier" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.))[/spoiler] "What is the point of that?" Takechi demanded. He couldn't really believe it, but maybe Haderon was trying to lose on purpose? Maybe some of his consciousness remained, and he was purposefully sabotaging this duel? But no. These eyes betrayed unwavering confidence, and a will to fight. Controlled or not, these weren't the eyes of someone who would just throw the match. "When Wise Core is destroyed by a card effect, its effect activates." Haderon explained calmly. "All monsters on my field are destroyed. And then... from my deck, hand, Graveyard - these five monsters can be instantly Special Summoned. Appear now, Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity, Wisel Top, Wisel Attack, Wisel Guard, and Wisel Carrier." "Just what the hell..." Takechi mumbled as he watched five distinct pieces - a head, a torso, two arms, and a pair of legs, materialize on the field. They were covered in white plate, a distinctly mechanical appearance. "Combine, Machine Emperor Wisel." Haderon said. The five pieces flew together, forming the frame of a tall, white humanoid robot made of the individual parts. His left arm expanded into a sword, while his right one broadened, gaining a shield-like appearance. Takechi noticed a large cavity in its chest, shaped like two adjacent circles, containing a dark green glow. [spoiler=Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity]Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity DARK / Machine Level 1 0/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Wise Core". Other monsters you control cannot attack, except by card effects. Once per turn, you can select 1 Synchro monster on the field and equip it to this card. This card gains ATK equal to the ATK of all Synchro monsters equipped to it. When this monster is destroyed, destroy all other monsters you control. This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the ATK and DEF of all "Wisel", "Skiel" and "Grannel" monsters you control, except "Infinity" monsters.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Wisel Top]Wisel Top DARK / Machine Level 1 500/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Wise Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Top", "Skiel Top", or "Grannel Top" monster.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Wisel Attack]Wisel Attack DARK / Machine Level 1 1200/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Wise Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Attack", "Skiel Attack", or "Grannel Attack" monster.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Wisel Guard]Wisel Guard DARK / Machine Level 1 0/1200 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Wise Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Guard", "Skiel Guard", or "Grannel Guard" monster. When another monster you control is selected as an attack target, you can switch the target to this card instead.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Wisel Carrier]Wisel Carrier DARK / Machine Level 1 800/600 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Wise Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Carrier", "Skiel Carrier", or "Grannel Carrier" monster. This card cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effets.))[/spoiler] "Wisel Infinity gains the attack and defense points that its parts have." Indeed, the combination monster's attack rose to 2500, and its defense to 1800. "Be ready, for this monster is unlike any you've ever faced!" --- A lone woman was standing in the middle of one of the Aria Tower's chambers. She was wearing a pure white dress, long enough to reach down to her feet, but loose and comfortable, similar to clothing one would wear in the desert. Her light brown sandals, barely visible under the folds of her dress, accentuated that image. Her skin was leathery and gaunt. But her most distinguishable features lay in her face. She had short-cropped black hair, her scalp clearly visible underneath. Her eyes were white, without irises, and the skin directly around them bore marks similar to cracks that spread outwards. The name attached to this virtual avatar was Jericho, and it belonged to a twenty-two year old woman called Phoebe Dale. Five years ago, she had competed in the Duel Monsters national tournament in America. She performed brilliantly, remaining undefeated. Until the very last match. Anyone who studied the progress of the game between Adam Fergusson and Phoebe Dale, Firesoul and Jericho, would have ascertained it had been a very close match that could have gone either way. However, for those that had a chance to witness it, it would not have seemed so. With his theatrics and playstyle aimed at riling up the viewers with grand maneuvers and focused on show rather than substance, he had not just defeated her - he had humiliated all of her efforts, everything she had invested into getting at that stage. He had made it all seem like a giant circus, with her as the star attraction. Of course, this wouldn't be enough to send an average duelist over the edge. But for Phoebe, who was suffering from an incessant desire for recognition and acceptance, it was the trigger that led her to a downwards spiral. All her attempts to arrange a high-profile rematch with Fergusson were met with rejection. She grew more frustrated, and more spiteful, with each passing day. Even several years later, she spent most of her time in the virtual world, hounding after duelists, mercilessly crushing them to increase her reputation. However, no matter what she did - nothing was enough for her to vent her frustration, her anger. After the trouble Maya and Fergusson had caused, Gregory Dunkan had realized that his plan could still be endangered by powerful duelists, if they were organized by someone like ZONE. Therefore, he secretly sent the Ghosts, wielding the Machine Emperor monsters, against the top ranked duelists of the world, to prevent further interference. This was how Azgalor and Haderon had been subjugated, and turned into useful pawns. But Jericho had managed to defeat the Ghost that had been sent after her. Following its trails, she arrived at Duel International's door. But, rather than oppose them, once she learned that she would be given a chance to finally exact her revenge - she decided to join them. Unlike her fellow finalists, that had already been corrupted to harbor no other desire, barring to defeat their targets - she had all the incentive she needed. As long as she could stand on the top, she would fight, without care for the cause she was contributing to. Phoebe sensed another presence enter the room. She turned around to find Lynette Rayleigh, having warped quietly behind her, regarding her with an amused expression. She scowled. "Please don't glare at me like that." Lynette said pleasantly. "I came all the way in here to visit you, since it was a pain to use the warp systems." Phoebe wondered when Lynette had returned, not to mention learn where she was and locate her. Though most people regarded her as aloof, almost oblivious to her surroundings, Phoebe wondered what kind of person lay underneath that facade. Lynette's enigmatic smile betrayed nothing. "What do you have for me?" She asked in a drawling voice. In the end, the woman was of no interest to her. All she needed was information. "Oh, I have some news." She smiled. "There is a man in this Tower, a duelist who, besides a last-minute interruption, would have defeated your nemesis, Adam Fergusson." Phoebe's eyes snapped wide open. "What did you say?" She demanded angrily. Lynette opened a panel, demonstrating Ryusaki Sugita walking alone through the Aria Tower's corridors, and then another, showing his last turn against Fergusson." As Phoebe watched, her face twitched slightly, before returning to its usual, stony state. "Then I will destroy this guy first." She said flatly. "I'm guessing that is part of your plan, too?" Lynette shrugged, feigning innocence. Phoebe shook her head. "Very well. I don't care about the conditions, as long as I get my revenge. I'm off." As she departed, she was oddly aware of the woman's eyes watching her carefully, the tiniest smile perched on her lips. --- Sugita clenched his fists. To meet such an opponent here - Duel International had certainly kept their best weapons well under wraps. Jericho had become notorious throughout the Duel Terminal system after her defeat in the American national finals, for her ruthless tactics and aggressive behavior. Sugita had heard she had even been banned from several unofficial competitions on behalf of her attitude. And now she stood before him. "I will confirm." She said in a cold, slow voice, which emphasized every word. "You are the one who defeated Adam Fergusson." It wasn't really a question. Sugita cursed inwardly - that woman was known for her grudge against the American champion. "News travels fast, but our match was interrupted before a winner could be determined." He said dryly. He would have been able to win, most likely, thanks to a well-timed bluff, but there was no point telling Jericho that. But she nodded, as if everything she wanted to know had been ascertained. "Then you will fight me." The Duel Disk on Sugita's arm activated automatically. On Jericho's, a large, white-and-grey disk seemingly crafted out of bones, a dragon-like skull near the front, materialized. No time wasted. No choice given. "Duel!!" Â Gawain - LP: 4000Jericho - LP: 12000 Sugita blinked, to confirm he was reading right. Twelve thousand Life Points? "What kind of game is this?" He demanded. "Is this how you want to prove your worth? By starting out with an enormous advantage?" Jericho merely shrugged. "I took no part in the arrangement of these rules, but since they are based on a legitimate game format, you should be assured that there is a balancing factor. Regardless, I do not care. I will trample you, no matter the rules we play under. You may begin." "...alright." There was no reason whatsoever to believe her, but also, there was no option whatsoever. "I'll start. Draw." He examined his hand. He could have asked for better, but at least it gave him what he needed. "I summon Reborn Tengu to the field." A winged black creature, armed with two blades, appeared in front of him. It was one of the most reliable forms of defense he could play, able to bring out another copy of itself no matter the way it was removed from the field. "I place two cards face-down. Turn end." [spoiler=Reborn Tengu]Reborn Tengu WIND / Winged Beast Level 4 1700/600 When this card is removed from the field, Special Summon 1 "Reborn Tengu" from your Deck.[/spoiler] "Draw. I summon Grand Core." An odd, vaguely oyster-shaped gold machine, partially concealing a black interior with three white rods protruding from either side, appeared before her. Even if the monster had been placed in attack position, its attack and defense scores stood at zero. [spoiler=Grand Core]Grand Core EARTH / Machine Level 1 0/0 ((When this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, destroy all monsters you control. Then, Special Summon 1 "Machine Emperor Grannel Infinity", "Grannel Top", "Grannel Attack", "Grannel Guard", and "Grannel Carrier" from your hand, Deck, or Graveyard.))[/spoiler] "What do you intend to do with that?" Sugita asked. He had never seen the monster before, and the usually helpful display of statistics was blank, allowing only the most basic of information to be reviewed, with no reference to its effect. "You'll see. First, I activate Spiritual Operation, to take control over Reborn Tengu for the turn." [spoiler=Spiritual Operation]Spiritual Operation SPELL / Normal Take control of 1 monster on your opponent's side of the field until the End Phase. This monster cannot declare an attack or be Tributed.[/spoiler] Sugita quickly regarded his options. If he let Reborn Tengu be taken over by his opponent, his face-down card would be locked, and he wouldn't even be able to use Tengu's effect if it was removed from the field. Therefore - "I activate my face-down, Godbird Attack!" He declared. "I release Reborn Tengu to destroy up to 2 cards on the field - namely, Grand Core is annihilated!" He might not know what effect the thing had, but it was safer to get rid of it with an effect than try to battle it, or let it linger too long. Reborn Tengu was enveloped in a violent gale, slamming into the unknown creature. "At the same time, Reborn Tengu's effect activates, letting me Special Summon another one from my deck!" As quickly as the first had disappeared, a second materialized to replace him, kneeling in defense position. [spoiler=Godbird Attack]Godbird Attack TRAP / Normal Tribute 1 Winged Beast-Type monster to select 2 cards on the field. Destroy them.[/spoiler] Jericho's expression turned to one of raw fury, so much that Sugita unwittingly stepped back. He thought he was on the right track, if he had caused her to become so angry by foiling her plan, but... "Are you trying to tell me that you almost beat Fergusson, yet you are merely at this level?" She barked. "You fell directly into my trap! I activate Grand Core's effect. When it is destroyed by an effect, I can Special Summon, from my deck, hand, or Graveyard, the following monsters. Appear now, Machine Emperor Grannel Infinity, Grannel Top, Grannel Attack, Grannel Guard, and Grannel Carrier." [spoiler=Machine Emperor Grannel Infinity]Machine Emperor Grannel Infinity EARTH / Machine Level 1 0/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Grand Core". Other monsters you control cannot attack, except by card effects. Once per turn, you can select 1 Synchro monster on the field and equip it to this card. This card gains ATK equal to the ATK of all Synchro monsters equipped to it. When this monster is destroyed, destroy all other monsters you control. This card gains ATK and DEF equal to the ATK and DEF of all "Wisel", "Skiel" and "Grannel" monsters you control, except "Infinity" monsters.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Grannel Top]Grannel Top EARTH / Machine Level 1 600/500 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Grand Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Top", "Skiel Top", or "Grannel Top" monster. "Machine Emperor" monsters you control gain ATK and DEF equal to half your Life Points.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Grannel Attack]Grannel Attack EARTH / Machine Level 1 1600/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Grand Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Attack", "Skiel Attack", or "Grannel Attack" monster. During your battle phase, you can Special Summon a Synchro monster equipped to an "Machine Emperor" monster you control (a single monster can only be Special Summoned once per turn by this effect), ignoring your Monster Zone limit. Its effect(s) are negated. The Special Summoned monster can attack one monster your opponent controls during this battle phase. If the Special Summoned monster is still on the field after Damage Calculation, equip it to a Machine Emperor monster you control.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Grannel Guard]Grannel Guard EARTH / Machine Level 1 0/1800 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Grand Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Guard", "Skiel Guard", or "Grannel Guard" monster. During your opponent's battle phase, if your opponent declares an attack, you can Special Summon a Synchro monster equipped to an "Machine Emperor" monster you control (a single monster can only be Special Summoned once per turn by this effect), ignoring your Monster Zone limit. Its effect(s) are negated. The Special Summoned monster must be the target of the attack your opponent declared. If the Special Summoned monster is still on the field after Damage Calculation, equip it to a Machine Emperor monster you control.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Grannel Carrier]Grannel Carrier EARTH / Machine Level 1 800/200 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Grand Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Carrier", "Skiel Carrier", or "Grannel Carrier" monster. Once per turn, if a monster you control would be destroyed, it is not destroyed.))[/spoiler] Shocked, Sugita watched five separate parts, a mechanical head, an arm bearing a massive cannon, another carrying a shield, and a pair of treads, unite into a single entity, a giant golden robot, heavily armored, with a huge black cavity in its chest, shaped like an infinity symbol. He had been goaded by Jericho's play, and his own card had led to the appearance of this creature. Though at first it looked like a conglomerate of weak parts, Sugita had no doubt that something terrible was hidden in its abilities... "Machine Emperor Grannel Infinity gains attack and defense power equal to the total attack and defense of its parts." Sugita warily observed the Emperor's scores rise to 3000 and 2500 respectively. "And then..." For the first time since she had appeared before him, Sugita saw Jericho's face contort into a grin, a grimace that sent shivers up his spine. "The effect of Grannel Top further increases Grannel Infinity's attack and defense... by an amount equal to half my total Life Points."Oh, no. A mask of mute horror covered Sugita's face, as Grannel's power rose to a total of 9000. [/spoiler] Â Â Â And since it has been a while, let me remind you of some basic things. This: --- denotes change of POV. As long as you are within the same segment, then POV is consistent and should be pretty easy to figure out whose POV you're reading. Italics denote thoughts (or otherwise used for emphasis and such). I always use OCG names for cards, but the spoiler after each card's first appearance in a specific duel will display its stats and effects. OCG/TCG effects are generally used outside of some specific circumstances. Also, keep in mind that the story was written during the 5Ds era, and will remain so despite new releases. So, as a rule of thumb, you won't see any cards from Generation Force and onwards in this fic. Â [spoiler=and a spoilerific thing for this chapter]The Machine Emperors are used in the same way as in the anime, rather than their lackluster reallife incarnations. I've taken the liberty with some effects, more specifically giving effects to some effectless parts and coming up with effects for upgraded parts that were not shown in the anime. However, Grannel received a bottom-up redesign, to make it more streamlined with how the other two function.[/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted December 29, 2013 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2013 ...it's a bit quiet still, I see, but hopefully activity will start perking up again over time. In the meanwhile, here is the next chapter.  [spoiler=Chapter 64] Chapter 64: Twist of Fate "This is..." Christina pointed at the projection display. Yenma looked at it, grimacing. Kiishiro was still wandering around the first floor, but the others - they had all been scattered into different floors of the Aria Tower. As ZONE had said, their separation had been inevitable. Maya and Yuusuke had not left the base level, but Yuko, Takechi and Sugita were located in the third, fifth and sixth floor respectively. Yenma and Christina, on the other hand, at the seventh floor, were the closest to the top. Which meant - "We have to climb up." Christina's voice was tinged with despair, even as she said so. "Even if it's just the two of us... we have to put an end to this." Christina inwardly turned to her spirit companion. What do you think? She projected towards Dryad. Do we... do we have a chance?Believe in yourself, girl. The serene reply came. You are not fighting alone. Even if you are separated now, remember that you have allies fighting for the same cause. "Hey, are you... worried?" Yenma asked her hesitantly. "About your family, I mean... ah, of course, I know you lost your memory, and you don't know your real parents, but..." Christina sighed. "Yes, I am worried about them." Her mind turned to her adoptive parents. Where were they? Had they managed to remain safe, despite the chaos raging in the world? She had no answers. "They are the ones who raised me, even when I knew nothing of myself... and now I, in turn, want to protect them. But..." She gazed at their surroundings, taking in the oppressively silent, uniform corridor. With no sense of direction, their only path was to blindly walk into whatever horrors chance took them. "I'm so scared." She finished in a whisper. "The others... how can they be so brave?" Yenma seemed to hesitate for a moment. But then he walked up to her, grabbing her hand in his own. "I'm frightened, too." He said shakily. "But, everyone has their own resolve, their own reasons to fight. For me... I ran away once." It had been too much for him, after he had experienced the terror the virtual world, and he had chosen to escape. Of course, that had backfired badly, and he had ended up trapped in the Zero Zone with Bando Takechi, where an extremely unlikely turn of events eventually caused him to return to the Arc Cradle with Ivory, battle-hardened enough to take part in the upcoming fights. Regardless of how it had turned out, though, he still regretted turning his back on Kiishiro when he was needed. "I don't want to let everyone down again. I think, it's because everyone is fighting together, putting their own reasons on the line, that we can find the courage to go on. We're not alone, after all." Christina smiled, as Yenma repeated Dryad's reassurance. They were not fighting alone. But... did everyone feel the same way? --- "Just stop getting in my way!" Kiishiro howled at the unheeding enemies. He had landed at the very bottom floor, whereas the others had been somehow teleported further up, and the place was crawling with Cataphracts. He had not managed to move a single step since he had gotten here, fighting a relentless horde of mindless drones. He had killed... how many had he killed, by now? What did it matter? He wiped sweat from his brow, leaning against the wall for support. His vision was getting blurry - summoning monster after monster, he was defending himself successfully. But how long could he last? Splendid Rose snapped her thorned whips, causing two more Cataphracts to retreat as their monsters were obliterated. Scar Warrior slashed down another one directly, not allowing him to even bring out a monster. He ignored the person who fell - in here, he was a tall, bulky man in armor. Outside, what? A child, even younger than him? He shook his head. He couldn't afford to be distracted. If he could somehow just get to the Nexus, somehow defeat Duel International... if Ivory somehow saved his mother... too many somehows, too little chance for it all to work out. But what else did he have left? --- Yuko gazed at the opponent's field, where the combined Machine Emperor Skiel stood dominant. 2200 attack points. Certainly, higher than her own monster. But considering the trouble Azgalor had gone through to put it together... there had to be much more to this Machine Emperor than obvious. And without any way to understand the effects of its parts, she was completely in the dark. Azgalor smiled at her, an ugly grimace. "Machine Emperor Skiel, attack Skreech!" Even knowing what would come, Yuko offered no resistance. The cannons mounted on the robot's underside shot a powerful pulse of energy, piercing straight through her monster. Prepared, she ducked out of the way to dodge the errant bolts, that struck the ground, leaving a shower of sparks and blackened marble in their wake. She screamed as she felt the intensified feedback from the attack.   Azgalor - LP: 12000Aurora - LP: 3300 "Skiel Attack's effect activates, dealing further damage to you equal to half your monster's defense!" Azgalor continued. Completely unprepared, two smaller shots caught Yuko straight in the chest, causing her to almost lose her balance. She grunted, trying to withstand the pain. Thankfully, Skreech only had a few points of defense.     Azgalor - LP: 12000Aurora - LP: 3100 "The effect of Skreech activates, sending two Water monsters from my deck to the Graveyard, when it is destroyed by battle." She mumbled, plucking out two cards. She didn't feel at all obliged to share their identity, and Azgalor didn't seem to care. "Three cards face-down. Turn end." He stated airily.Alright. Even if she was behind in Life Points - way behind in Life Points - her Graveyard had been set up. She was wary of the guy's three reverse cards, but with a little luck, she could overcome that problem. Against the effects of her monsters, whatever powers Skiel banked, they would likely prove useless. "My turn, draw!" She placed a fifth card in her hand. "I summon Deep Sea Diva, and use her effect to Special Summon Needle Guilman from my deck!" A mermaid songstress, accompanied by a trident-wielding humanoid warrior covered in blue fish scales, appeared on the battlefield before her, Guilman placed in defense mode. [spoiler=Deep Sea Diva]Deep Sea Diva WATER / Sea Serpent / Tuner Level 2 200/400 When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 3 or lower Sea Serpent-Type monster from your Deck.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Needle Guilman]Needle Guilman WATER / Sea Serpent Level 3 1300/0 All Fish-Type, Sea Serpent-Type, and Aqua-Type monsters you control gain 400 ATK.[/spoiler] "I also activate Call of the Living Dead, reviving Strategist of the Ice Barrier from my Graveyard." The robed elder materialized on the field. "Strategist can, once per turn, discard an Ice Barrier monster from my hand to let me draw once." Now there were multiple Water monsters in her Graveyard, which suited her just as well. And now it was time for the main show. [spoiler=Call of the Living Dead]Call of the Living Dead TRAP / Continuous Select 1 monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the monster. When the monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Strategist of the Ice Barrier]Strategist of the Ice Barrier WATER / Spellcaster Level 4 1600/1600 Once per turn, you can send 1 "Ice Barrier" monster from your hand to the Graveyard to draw 1 card.[/spoiler] "I tune my Level 4, Strategist of the Ice Barrier, to my Level 2, Deep Sea Diva!" She commanded, both monsters dissolving into a series of two aqua blue rings, and a file of four frozen stars. "Synchro Summon!" A chaotic blizzard, and from within, the same serpentine dragon she had conjured before appeared. "Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!" [spoiler=Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier]Brionac, Dragon of the Ice Barrier WATER / Sea Serpent / Synchro Level 6 2300/1400 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters You can discard any number of cards to the Graveyard, to return the same number of cards from the field to the hand.[/spoiler] Too late did she notice Azgalor's ugly grin widening further, too late did she realize that she had just made a fatal mistake. Shaken, she decided to try and call a potential bluff. "What are you smirking at?" She demanded. "Surely you know Brionac's effect - by discarding a card from my hand, like this, one monster on the field returns to its owner's hand. The way I see it, Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity is the core that holds everything together, so if I get rid of it - !!" "A nice theory." Azgalor interrupted. "But, it assumes I will allow you to pull it off. With this timing, my face-down instant magic, Forbidden Chalice, activates. The effect of Brionac is sealed for this turn! But, don't look so down." He noted Yuko's dejected expression once she realized that she had wasted a card from her hand pointlessly. "After all, there is an upside - Brionac gains 400 attack points." [spoiler=Forbidden Chalice]Forbidden Chalice SPELL / Quick-Play One face-up monster on the field gains 400 ATK, but its effect is negated until the End Phase.[/spoiler] That much was true and, though Skiel had concentrated the power of all of its parts onto it, Brionac, especially with the power boosts from Needle Guilman and Forbidden Chalice, was still stronger. "Brionac, attack Skiel Infinity!" She commanded. But Azgalor shook his head. "Once per turn, Skiel Guard can negate one of your attacks." He explained as the ice dragon's frost breath was met with a translucent barrier. "I play a face-down card. Turn... end." Yuko sighed. She had guessed that simple tactics would not work in this situation - an opponent of this caliber would have surely anticipated this much. What was worse than her plan having not worked was the feeling of overbearing dread that consumed her as Azgalor began his move, a feeling that she had made a lethal mistake... "My turn begins." Azgalor stated smugly. "And then... I activate Machine Emperor Skiel Infinity's effect! Once per turn, a Synchro monster on the field..." He pointed ominously at Brionac as the cavity in the mechanical monster's chest opened, releasing a stream of light-forged azure tentacles from within. Yuko instinctively shielded herself, but she was not the target - like snakes, the sinister bounds coiled around Brionac. The dragon struggled helplessly against the restraints, but it was in vain - slowly, but surely, it was dragged towards the other side of the field. Yuko realized what was happening, but that did nothing to reduce her fright, as her monster disappeared within Skiel's bird-like body, and the Machine Emperor's attack power rose to 4500. "...is absorbed!!" --- Takechi watched the combination monster in front of him closely. At first glance, it didn't seem too impressive - 2500 attack points for all that fuss seemed like no big deal. But not knowing its effects, of course, made things more complicated. To add to that, though Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity stood out, one could not ignore the fact that the four satellite monsters were still there, fused into the main body. Was this a weakness he could exploit, by targetting them individually? Or some additional layer of attack, defense, or utility, that his opponent could work in his favor? Both? He had no way to know, yet. "Brace yourself. Machine Emperor Wisel attacks your reverse monster!" Takechi, of course, was not going to try and defend his monster from an attack it was meant to bait out, so Wisel's green laser shot incinerated the armored turtle. "When UFO Turtle is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon a Fire monster with sufficiently low attack power from my deck!" He declared. "I choose Laval Lady of the Burning Lake!" A young girl in bright, fiery orange appeared before him, juggling streaks of lava with her hands. [spoiler=UFO Turtle]UFO Turtle FIRE / Machine Level 4 1400/1200 When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 FIRE monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck in face-up Attack Position.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Laval Lady of the Burning Lake]Laval Lady of the Burning Lake FIRE / Pyro / Tuner Level 3 200/200 If there are 3 or more different "Laval" monsters in your Graveyard, you can remove from play 1 "Laval" monster and this card from your Graveyard to select 1 Set card your opponent controls. Destroy that card.[/spoiler] "Fine, then. I place one reverse card. Turn end." Takechi drew silently. He had brought out Laval Lady with the intent to Synchro Summon, naturally - but, he could have chosen something that would allow him to summon a stronger monster, to give him more of an opportunity to destroy Wisel. The catch was, though, that he was certain no matter what he summoned, Haderon would have at least some countermeasures to defend his monster against it. The duel would not be decided this quickly - thus, Takechi felt he had to take things slowly, and move up one step at a time. Looking further ahead, summoning Laval Lady of the Burning Lake was an important long-term investment. "I summon Laval Magma Artillery." He announced. A blue-skinned armored golem, with two cannons mounted on its back, their insides brewing with volcanic flame, appeared on the field. "With this, I have a Fire Tuner monster, and a Pyro non-Tuner monster. Synchro Summon!" The two creatures burst into flame, forging the fiery array of a Synchro summon. Four orbs filed into three burning rings, and a bronze golem-like figure, enveloped in a hellish blaze, appeared from within. "Come, Ancient God Flamvell!" [spoiler=Laval Magma Artillery]Laval Magma Artillery FIRE / Pyro Level 4 1700/200 Up to twice per turn: You can send 1 FIRE monster from your hand to the Graveyard; inflict 500 damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Ancient God Flamvell]Ancient God Flamvell FIRE / Pyro / Synchro Level 7 2500/200 1 FIRE Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Pyro-Type monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned, select and remove from play cards from your opponent's Graveyard, up to the number of cards in their hand. This card gains 200 ATK for each card removed from play this way.[/spoiler] "When Ancient God Flamvell is Synchro Summoned, I can select cards in your Graveyard up to the cards in your hand, and remove them from play! Right now you have three, so I will remove both Wise Core and Shield Crush from the game, and Ancient God will gain 400 points thanks to it!" This way, if he was to get rid of Machine Emperor Wisel, Haderon couldn't bring back Wise Core so easily to Special Summon him again. "Building your offensive while steadily vying for control over the field." Haderon said appraisingly. "I approve of your fighting style. Too many opponents have been felled, because they launched an all-out offensive before the time was ripe, and were demolished by a brutal counter attack." "I'm happy you would praise me like that, but I can't afford to hold back!" Takechi grinned. It wasn't simply that he could not lose. He did not want to lose. "Let's go! Ancient God Flamvell attacks Machine Emperor Wisel!" He would be able to deal more damage, if he targeted the individual parts, but he was pretty certain it would be a better move to go for the central piece, try to get the entire robot to collapse. However... "Wisel Guard's skill activates." Haderon explained calmly. "Once per turn, an attack can be redirected to this monster." Well, it's not like he had expected things to go so smoothly. The fire golem's attack changed trajectory, incinerating the shield-like armament equipped to Wisel's right arm. "I end my turn." Takechi said, trying to control his breathing. Things were not going too badly. He had figured out part of Wisel's structure, and he had set up his Graveyard with a few Laval monsters right off the bat. Then, what was that uneasy feeling... "My turn, draw." Haderon declared. "Since there is now an empty monster slot, I will replace the destroyed Wisel Guard with Wisel Guard 3." Takechi groaned - with the replacement of the 'Guard' unit, it meant he could not get through with his attacks so easily again. Plus, the increased level and stats indicated that this upgrade might hold some additional effect. [spoiler=Wisel Guard 3]Wisel Guard 3 DARK / Machine Level 3 0/2000 ((You can Special Summon this card from your hand by Tributing 1 "Wisel Guard" you control. Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Guard", "Skiel Guard", or "Grannel Guard" monster. When another monster you control is selected as an attack target, you can switch the target to this card instead. Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed.))[/spoiler] "However, the worst is yet to come... I will now reveal to you the true terror of the Machine Emperor! Wisel Infinity's effect activates!" Takechi shuddered as the robotic construct roared, the cavity in its chest widening to reveal a shining emerald core. "Once per turn, Wisel Infinity can absorb a Synchro monster!" Before Takechi even had time to think, streaks of light shot forth from Wisel's chest, wrapping around Ancient God Flamvell. Quickly, they retracted, carrying the fruitlessly struggling monster along - until it was absorbed, without trace, into Wisel's body. And just like that, the Machine Emperor's power rose to 5000. --- Sugita groaned as Grannel towered before him, its attack points way beyond what he would term as manageable. He had blundered, badly. He should have anticipated that summoning Grand Core first before activating Spiritual Operation was meant to lead him into a trap. Because he was too hasty, he had ended up doing exactly as Jericho had planned. His playing style was based on meticulously calculating each step, moving forward slowly, but with as few mistakes as possible. One moment of carelessness, and... "Machine Emperor Grannel will attack your monster. And don't think you can hide behind its defensive mode! I activate the Equip spell card, Meteor Strike, and equip it to Grannel, which lets him deal piercing damage with a total attack power of 9000!" Jericho's ugly grin widened even further. "If you are going to betray my expectations to this extent, then I have no use for you, so you may as well die now. Grannel!" [spoiler=Meteor Strike]Meteor Strike SPELL / Equip When the equipped monster attacks a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the equipped monster's ATK, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] "I'm sorry, but I won't fall down that easily." Sugita spat as Grannel charged its giant cannon. "During the damage step, I activate my reverse spell card, Cyclone, to destroy Meteor Strike! Grannel loses its piercing effect!" Grannel's assault incinerated the winged creature, but his Life Points remained blessedly safe. But the cannon blast did not let up - a massive shockwave burst forth from the impact, knocking him with tremendous force to the back wall of the arena. He grunted, massaging his battered ribs, as he struggled to get up. "Furthermore, when Reborn Tengu disappears from my field, another is Special Summoned from my deck!" With this, even though he had lost both of his reverse cards, at least he was able to maintain some field presence. [spoiler=Cyclone]Cyclone SPELL / Quick-Play Select 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field. Destroy it.[/spoiler] "Have it your way." Jericho did not seem frustrated. "I will allow you to stand up to me - but do not present before me that shameful performance again. I place all three cards in my hand face-down. Turn end."Three face-downs, on top of everything else... Who knew what Jericho was up to. As much as it galled him, though, she was right about one thing. He was in a completely different stage than ever before. Fergusson had been a lethal opponent, most certainly, but this opponent, these conditions... he would have to push his game to the utmost best he was capable of. "Draw!" Great. "I activate Black Whirlwind! While this card exists, when I Normal Summon a Black Feather monster, I can add another one from my deck to my hand, if its attack power is lower than the Summoned monster! And then I Normal Summon Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite, add Black Feather - Breeze the Zephyr to my hand, and activate the effect of Breeze, Special Summoning it in attack mode!" Jericho watched impassively as two monsters, a lean humanoid winged creature equipped with sharp claws, blue feathers decorating its head, and a smaller flame-plumed bird, assembled next to Tengu. [spoiler=Black Whirlwind]Black Whirlwind SPELL / Continuous When a "Black Feather" monster is Normal Summoned to your side of the Field, you can add 1 "Black Feather" monster from your Deck to your hand that has less ATK than that monster.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite]Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite DARK / Winged Beast Level 4 1600/1000 If this card is in your Graveyard: You can return 1 face-up card you control to the hand; Special Summon this card from the Graveyard, and if you do, take 400 damage. Each player can only use the effect of "Blackwing - Zephyros the Elite" once per Duel.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Black Feather - Breeze the Zephyr]Black Feather - Breeze the Zephyr DARK / Winged Beast / Tuner Level 3 1100/300 If this card is added from your Deck to your hand by the effect of a Spell, Trap, or Monster Card, you can Special Summon this card. This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Black Feather" monster.[/spoiler] With this formation, he could Synchro Summon Armored Wing. This would probably be the best approach - with such an overwhelming attack power, it was unlikely Jericho would have taken additional precautions to ensure Grannel's ability to prevail in battle. If he had a monster like that, Sugita would focus on protecting it and its components from card effects, and allowing it to mow down the opposition freely. Therefore, Armored Wing's effect, which would negate battle damage and its own destruction, was perfect for this situation. Even if Jericho had some means of protecting Grannel from attack, for example, by using the effect of its individual parts, whose presence had not escaped Sugita's attention, Armored Wing would at least be able to ensure a temporary stalemate..."If you happen to survive this battle, and plan to continue on fighting, you may want to heed this piece of advice. Don't rely on Synchro monsters, not more than absolutely necessary." Fergusson's seemingly off-hand words came, uncalled for, to the foremost of his mind. At the time, he was more preoccupied with surviving their bout - but why had he said that? Synchro monsters were the backbone of his Black Feather deck. He could not afford not to use them, unless... his eyes narrowed. He looked at Jericho's impassive face. From what she had said, Sugita could gather that she and Fergusson did not battle each other since this mess began. He shook his head. He was overthinking things. Fergusson simply talking about something else was by far more probable. To assume that Fergusson had faced this Machine Emperor at some point before Jericho acquired him, and that his comment was related to it, was beyond coincidence. Changing his strategy, changing his entire pattern of victory, for this miniscule thing... why was he even considering it? Following a gut instinct like this, instead of acting in accordance to logic and calculations, was against his entire dueling philosophy. If he didn't Synchro Summon, the chances of victory were minimal, if they existed at all. If he did, there was no guarantee whatsoever that it would backfire on him, as Fergusson had said. The choice should be obvious, but... "I change Tengu to attack position." He growled finally. "I attack the 600 attack point Grannel Top, with Breeze the Zephyr!" If he could get rid of the individual parts, the Machine Emperor would become weaker. "You are even more foolish than I thought." Jericho sneered. "Trap card, open. Standing Before a Worthy Opponent! This negates your efforts to target my other monsters, and forces all your monsters to attack Grannel Infinity! Suicide is a fitting end for a failure, won't you agree?" [spoiler=Standing Before a Worthy Opponent]Standing Before a Worthy Opponent TRAP / Normal You can only activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Select 1 face-up monster on your side of the field. During this turn, your opponent can only designate the selected monster as an attack target and your opponent must attack the selected monster with all face-up monsters on his/her side of the field.[/spoiler] "I activate the instant magic, Book of Total Solar Eclipse!" Sugita said desperately. "This flips all face-up monsters on the field face-down." This effect might save him for this turn, but it had a nasty side-effect... Both Grannel, including all of its parts, and all three monsters on Sugita's side disappeared, leaving the field empty for the moment. Jericho laughed, a terrible sound. [spoiler=Book of Total Solar Eclipse]Book of Total Solar Eclipse SPELL / Quick-Play Change all face-up monsters on the field to face-down Defense Position. During the End Phase, flip all face-down Defense Position monsters your opponent controls face-up, and your opponent draws 1 card for each.[/spoiler] "However pathetic, your struggle is beginning to amuse me. You know, right? During the End Phase, Grannel and all of its components are flipped face-up, and then I draw one card for each." "Before that, I set a face-down card." Sugita said. "Turn... end." The earthen robot reformed out of thin air, and Jericho added five new cards to her hand. Sugita felt despair gripping him. It was only the third turn, yet he had managed to push himself into the most unfavorable situation possible. "Back to me." Six cards in hand, two face-downs, and an entire array of monsters... in the meantime, Sugita was left with only a single reverse card, and his three monsters. At least they were safely in defense position. For now. "Don't think I will restrain myself due to your blunders. You are an eyesore - disappear! I activate my face-down, Grand T-3, releasing Grannel Top to Special Summon Grannel Top 3 from my deck!" The head of the Machine Emperor was replaced by a larger, more heavily armored helmet. "Because Top 3 has higher attack power, Grannel's attack increases by the difference." Sugita thought the extra 200 points hardly made any impact, but... "Furthermore, instead of adding half my Life Points to Grannel's score, Grannel Top 3 adds the entirety of my current Life Points!" Sugita watched in awe, as the robot's power rose to a grand total of 15200. [spoiler=Grand T-3]Grand T-3 TRAP / Normal Tribute 1 "Grannel Top" you control. Special Summon 1 "Grannel Top 3" from your hand, Deck or Graveyard.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Grannel Top 3]Grannel Top 3 EARTH / Machine Level 3 800/700 ((You can Special Summon this card from your hand by Tributing 1 "Grannel Top" you control. Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Top", "Skiel Top", or "Grannel Top" monster. "Machine Emperor" monsters you control gain ATK and DEF equal to your Life Points.))[/spoiler] "Your composure betrays that you still don't get it." Jericho taunted. "You think you will survive, because your monsters are in defense mode. Do not delude yourself. I activate my second Trap card, Meteor Rain! This lets all my monsters deliver piercing damage for this turn! Grannel, finish this! Attack Reborn Tengu!" [spoiler=Meteor Rain]Meteor Rain TRAP / Normal During this turn, when your monsters attack with an ATK that is higher than the DEF of your opponent's Defense Position monster, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent's Life Points.[/spoiler] "I activate Guard Block, negating the battle damage!" Sugita wailed, as much from terror as to be heard above the sound of the blast. Because, while Guard Block would prevent his instant defeat, the incoming stream of light was not something he would be able to survive. Jericho stared at him, impassively, as Grannel's attack tore apart the air between them, striking his monster. The moment of impact, he knew, would spell death for him. Seeing no way out, he braced himself, in a vain hope that he would somehow survive - A huge explosion rattled the whole tower, shaking the very floor under their feet to its foundations. Sugita was thrown violently aside, just in time to see Grannel's attack miss its intended target - the huge robot had been unbalanced by the explosion, and the cannon strike had blasted straight into the wall, which, despite the powerful blast, remained mostly intact - after all, the Aria Tower had been structured to survive the approach of the Nexus, so something on this level was probably well within its ability to withstand. Bewildered, Sugita looked around. Jericho had skidded several feet back, and was only now catching her balance, looking equally surprised as he was. Despite the massive explosion, there seemed to be no visible harm to the building - yet the aftershock could clearly be felt, booming upwards like a spiral of disaster.What the hell was that? Whatever it was, it had saved his life. If Grannel's cannon had struck the intended target, he would have disappeared without a trace. "Hmpfh. What a lucky fellow - you managed to survive this time." Jericho said spitefully. "I place three cards face down - turn end." --- "Look, Maya, I'm not surer if this is the right - " "Come forth, THE DEVIL'S DREAD-ROOT!!" The entire Tower rumbled. The devastating wicked force that was unleashed rippled through space and time, gnawing onto the fraying edges of reality. Outside this area, at this time - this could've easily brought forth the end. But the Aria Tower and, by extension, the Vision Cathedral that it now stood upon could withstand enormous conceptual weight. Therefore, reality held even as the gigantic black demon materialized over their heads, roaring viciously. The few cataphracts that were still around fled, even their broken minds unable to process the horror of the Devil Gods. Yuusuke had only caught a glimpse of the ERASER in the void between dimensions, when Maya had used it to propel herself back into the virtual reality, but he still staggered back, eyes wide in terror. This was on a completely different level than the Signer Dragons, or his own Chaos Soldier. A black miracle, an incarnation of destruction. Maya's form swayed. Summoning and controlling such a monster was a huge feat, even for her. Yuusuke rushed to support her. Even though she had brought this out... inside this Dead Zone, as Maya had called it - the macabre colosseum where she had once fought Klein, facing the same Devil Gods that she now controlled - he could not see an enemy for it to combat. What did she intend to do with this? "Underground..." Maya grunted, trying to stay focused. "Under this area... we have to... ugh." "Take it easy!" Yuusuke shouted at her. "It won't do anyone any good if you faint here!" "I know that, but..." For Maya, it was hard to quite explain what she felt she had to do, even to herself - much less to Yuusuke. But, there was some secret hidden here, something that they could not afford to overlook. Wordlessly, she gave the command - the DREAD-ROOT's palms spread downwards, as if pushing against the ground with some invisible, tremendous force. And surely enough, bit by bit, the floor gave way, and underneath... "Oh my god..." Yuusuke muttered. To replace the slowly-disappearing ground of the arena rose a bottomless abyss, a pitch-black void. Even though the two of them were safely mounted on top of the DREAD-ROOT, whose giant bulk was slowly descending into the empty darkness, Yuusuke felt terrified. "Where... where are we going? Whatever's down there... isn't it wiser to deal with Dunkan and his plan up in the Tower first? No matter what, time is pressing..." He indicated the countdown, which was drawing close to the one-and-a-half hour mark. From the original time, they only had half left.Time left: 1:38:56 "Maybe it is wiser." Maya said. "Right now, I don't have much more than my instincts to go by but..." Her expression hardened. "Unless I'm way off my mark, Miyataka Eizan is down there. And I feel that if we leave him alone any longer... it will be too late. If you want to go help the others, that's fine. But this man was responsible for Sinclair - he also was involved with Klein and Ryouga. He's put me through so much - I will settle things with him here." "Idiot, like I'd let you do that alone." Yuusuke smiled. "But, what if it's a trap? Eizan's been dancing us all on the palm of his hand - I doubt he isn't expecting something like this." "If it's a trap, I'll spring it." Maya said coldly. "Look - we're about to find out." The darkness was giving way to the shape of a chamber, the transition nigh-seamless, so much so that Yuusuke didn't even realize when they had crossed into its boundaries. It was a large, round hall, without much distinguishing features. Dark granite walls surrounded them, leaving no opening, except a sealed iron door directly opposite to them. Illumination was provided by torches symetrically positioned on the wall. A thick red carpet flowed underneath their feet, completely covering the floor. On either side of the door, macabre gargoyle-like statues could be seen, their grey forms seemingly glistening with red under the eerie torchlight. Overhead, rather than a ceiling, the starless night they had just crossed expanded infinitely into the heavens. "Behind that door is probably our target... but it seems it won't be that easy." Yuusuke grunted. Indeed, between them and their goal stood an obstacle, and probably the harshest one they had faced so far. "This guy is..." "Ylaidus..." Maya ground her teeth, glaring at the austere, gaunt figure of the black-haired man. "Or, the Japanese national champion. Frozen emeralds returned the stare. Ylaidus was already prepared for them, Duel Disk in hand, his D-Wheel parked directly behind him. Sinclair's memory had warned her he was under Eizan's control, and she had expected this encounter, but still... though she had heard he had inexplicably disappeared not long after winning the national championship, Ylaidus had managed to achieve, back then, rank 98, the highest rank of all legitimate terminal players, a rank that had not been surpassed till now. "This is bad." "You flatter me, Kirizaki Maya." Ylaidus spoke. His voice was deep and measured, tempered and cold like steel. "Come. It will be an honor to test whether you are qualified to progress further than this." "Fine." Maya growled. "Yuusuke, step back. I will finish this fight quickly." Even if I have to use the Devil Gods, I can't afford to waste time here. She materialized the Rod of Dominion. The time had come for the two continental champions to decide who would stand at the top - who would survive. "Oh, no you don't! This fight is mine!" The three duelists all turned around. A trail of fire streaked across the black sky. Akin to a meteor, a single object descended upon them, landing in a pillar of flames a few feet behind Maya. Despite the forceful impact, the blast and sound were strangely contained, as if this area stifled them. Adam Fergusson climbed down from his D-Wheel and removed his helmet, grinning wildly. "You!" Maya snarled, turning towards him. "You bastard, I'll make you pay for earlier - !" "Oh, hold your horses, woman." Fergusson raised his hands defensively. "It's all water under the bridge, right? I mean, we are fighting a common enemy, after all..." He nudged towards Ylaidus. "I don't trust you." Maya spat. "Why are you here?" "I thought I might as well pitch in, after the trouble I put you two through." Fergusson replied airily, without a hint of remorse of apology. "But more importantly, me and this guy, we have some history between us. It's only fair that I get to deal with him, no?" "I don't care about fairness!" Maya growled. "You left us to die! I won't trust you not to betray me the moment my back is turned!" "Look, we can stand here and talk about this, or we can just get on with my plan. Time isn't in our favor." Everyone checked the timer display.Time left: 1:29:53 "Besides, you say you want me to leave you be and fight this guy yourself." Fergusson noted. "But, have you even figured out the truth about him?" Maya's head snapped towards Fergusson. "What do you mean?" She inquired, curious despite herself. "Oh, come on. You've come this far, and you can't figure something like this out? Put that pretty little head of yours to work now." "What do you - " Maya's eyes narrowed, as she glanced at Ylaidus - he had remained unmoving during this exchange, like a guardian statue. She had only ever seen the guy once before, during some ceremony after the championships. Was Fergusson saying there should be a clue to his identity somewhere, something - "Oh, no. No way." "I see you've caught on." Ylaidus interjected smoothly. "That is correct. You were far from a unique case. What happened with you and Sinclair was only a fragment of a much larger experiment, and I, as well as the person who you now know as Miyataka Eizan once were, in fact, one and the same." "You... you are kidding, right?" Yuusuke sounded strangled. "You are... Eizan's..." "I was once his virtual persona." Ylaidus corrected. "That was a long time ago. We have been separated for too long - Maya, you must have surely felt the detrimental effects of being split from a part of yourself. Though we have survived, we are no longer part of each other - we exist only as fragments of what was once one. This is the truth behind Miyataka Eizan, who recklessly tore his own soul apart, as he waded through the pathways of chaos." "If what you say is true, then as long as we kill you, Miyataka Eizan will also perish." Maya said. "Isn't that a huge risk for Eizan to take?" "That might have been once so, but not any more." Ylaidus shook his head. "As I said, he and I are no longer tied to one another. He will feel my demise, but our fates are not tied. I am but a gatekeeper now, and I will not allow you to go beyond this door so easily." Maya remained silent for a few moments. Yuusuke observed her, aware of the clock ticking persistently. In the end, the choice was hers... to him, he didn't seem much of a choice. They'd have to let Fergusson deal with Ylaidus here, so that they could proceed to Eizan. But, Maya was quite stubborn - if she decided she couldn't trust Fergusson, she was perfectly capable of challenging them both at once... that would be quite a predicament in their current situation. In the end, Maya rounded on Fergusson. "You said you two have history?" She asked warily. "What did you mean by that? If you want us to trust you, you'll have to come clean." "I'll give you the short version." Fergusson sighed. "Several years ago, this guy approached me and my brother, and explained to us the truth about Duel International's schemes, including the Nexus. He then made an offer - us three could cooperate, and not only thwart Dunkan, but claim the Nexus for ourselves. We agreed, and quickly got to work. Our plan was developing fairly well, until we were discovered. A battle followed, during which my brother and, supposedly, Ylaidus, were killed. You understand that seeing this guy alive and well was quite a shock to me - but given who he is, I wouldn't be surprised if this was his master plan all along. No matter what, he manipulated me - and I will get back at him for that." The last words, spoken steadily, held such menace that Yuusuke felt chills running up his spine. It was easy to forget that this seemingly aloof guy, with his nonchalant behavior, was in fact one of the strongest duelists alive. "The alternative is that we have a battle royale here." Fergusson offered. "The one who wins gets to do what he wants - the two who lose, die." For a moment, it looked as if Maya was going to take him up on that challenge. But she shook her head. "Fine." She said finally. "You deal with Ylaidus here. We will find Eizan, and wrap things up. Is that acceptable?" She addressed Ylaidus, who nodded. "One last thing." He said, as the gates behind him opened. "A word of advice, if you will. You may believe, from what you know via Sinclair's memories, and from what we've talked about here, that you have figured out the man you are after. Don't be deluded. Your enemy is a beast that exists in chaos, that lives outside the boundaries of what you consider humanity. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can understand him, because chaos is beyond comprehension. Do not think you can win, without understanding him." "So what you are saying is that winning against Eizan is impossible?" Maya demanded. Ylaidus smiled. "Impossible, yes. It is very much impossible. But..." He looked at them, and for the first time, Yuusuke thought there was life in those frozen eyes of his. "To turn something impossible into a possibility, a certainty... that, is the definition of a miracle, something that can only be born in the abyss that is chaos." --- "After the removal of your Synchro monster, your field is empty. With the power drained from Ancient God Flamvell, Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity attacks you directly!" Takechi watched the frightening Synchro-absorbing robot raise its blade, preparing to strike... "You fell for it!" He grinned. "Trap card, Magic Cylinder! The attack is negated - and you take damage equal to your monster's power!" Though this wouldn't finish Haderon off, due to the insane amount of starting Life Points, it would at least put enough of a dent to - [spoiler=Magic Cylinder]Magic Cylinder TRAP / Normal Negate the attack of 1 monster your opponent controls and inflict damage to your opponent equal to its ATK.[/spoiler] Takechi found himself suddenly on the ground, several feet backwards. His whole body was vibrating, and his ears were ringing. A massive explosion had just shaken the entire tower. Bewildered, he jumped to his feet. Haderon was standing in the same position, entirely unaffected - in front of him, his own reverse card had opened. "I activated Blackboard Eraser Trap." Haderon explained, as if nothing had happened. "Don't think I didn't come prepared for your effect damage deck. This card negates an instance of effect damage, and then has you discard a card." Ruefully, Takechi placed a card in his Graveyard. "Of course, Wisel's attack has been stopped, so I will simply place two more cards face-down, and end my turn." [spoiler=Blackboard Eraser Trap]Blackboard Eraser Trap TRAP / Normal You can only activate this card when an effect that inflicts damage to your Life Points is activated (except Battle Damage). Negate the Effect Damage you receive and your opponent then selects 1 card from his/her hand and discards it.[/spoiler] "Draw." Takechi said, still a little shaken. That had been one powerful explosion... he shuddered to think what could have caused that. Then again, he couldn't afford to be distracted. He was in a difficult situation. Admittedly, due to the Blackboard Eraser Trap, he had managed to place a third Laval monster in his Graveyard already. But he couldn't move carelessly. If he summoned a Synchro monster like Scrap Dragon, but failed to destroy Wisel, Wisel would absorb that too, and things would get nasty. He looked at the card he had just drawn. Synchro Cancel? This just might work. "I summon Nitro Synchron, and, since I have 3 Laval monsters in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Laval Burner as well." This move had won him second place in the Element Cycle... it was time to put it to the test again. [spoiler=Nitro Synchron]Nitro Synchron FIRE / Machine / Tuner Level 2 300/100 If this card is sent to the Graveyard for the Synchro Summon of a "Nitro" Synchro Monster, draw 1 card.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Laval Burner]Laval Burner FIRE / Pyro Level 5 2100/1000 If there are 3 or more "Laval" monsters with different names in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand).[/spoiler] "Let's go! I tune my Level 5, Laval Burner, to my Level 2, Nitro Synchron!" The tiny creature that looked like a pink battery with arms and legs split apart, and the liquid within swirled around to form two large circles. Through them, a spiral of five burning stars rose, formed from the body of the rock-formed blazing golem. They spiralled into a burst of red light, and from within, a green-skinned monstrous warrior, equipped with a huge turbine, appeared. "Blaze forth, Nitro Warrior!!" It was a dangerous gamble, but... [spoiler=Nitro Warrior]Nitro Warrior FIRE / Warrior / Synchro Level 7 2800/1800 "Nitro Synchron" + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters Once during each of your turns, if you activated a Spell Card(s), this card gains 1000 ATK during its next attack, for damage calculation only. Once per turn, if this attacking card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can change 1 face-up Defense Position monster your opponent controls to Attack Position, and attack it with this card.[/spoiler] "Because I used Nitro Synchron to summon this guy, its effect activates, letting me draw once." He forcefully dragged out another card, adding it to the sole Synchro Cancel. This actually has a chance of working... "You will Synchro Summon even after you know what my Machine Emperor does." Haderon commented. "I commend your bravery, but courage is not enough. I'm looking forward to seeing what you have planned." "Since you asked for it, why don't I show you! Nitro Warrior attacks Wisel Guard 3! Since Wisel Guard had the effect of attracting opposing attacks, I assume the upgraded version has that sort of effect as well!" "You assume correctly." Haderon said calmly as Nitro Warrior charged across the field, its turbine blasting back a powerful shockwave. "So you intend to take down Wisel Guard, then use Nitro Warrior's skill to attack again, weakening my Machine Emperor and taking out some Life Points. Then, you probably have some means to protect Nitro Warrior from the absorption effect. But, you forgot to factor the fact that Wisel Guard 3 has an additional effect - once per turn, it won't be destroyed by battle, rendering your Warrior's effect meaningless." The warrior's fist met with the robot's shield, which created an energy barrier that deflected the strike harmlessly. "Guh... well then, I activate Synchro Cancel. This will return Nitro Warrior to the Extra Deck, and instead Special Summon the Synchro Material monsters from my Graveyard! Return, Nitro Synchron, Laval Burner!" Nitro Warrior vanished into a pillar of fire, and the two smaller monsters that had been used to summon him returned on the field, kneeling defensively. [spoiler=Synchro Cancel]Synchro Cancel SPELL / Normal Target 1 face-up Synchro Monster; return that target to the Extra Deck, then, if all the monsters that were used for the Synchro Summon of that monster are in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon them.[/spoiler] "Strike and return, and produce a defensive wall as well, all the while maintaining some hand presence due to the effect of Nitro Synchron." Haderon said appraisingly. "That's not tactics you have a chance to enjoy every day, even at a high level. I feel my blood heating up. However, this does not change the fact that the Machine Emperor presents an insurmountable wall that cannot be surpassed by you right now."He's right, damnit. Takechi surveyed his hand. Only a single card, and another face-down. These might be able to hold out for a bit, but... "I... I tune Nitro Synchron with Laval Burner again!" Takechi growled, earning himself a surprised glance from Haderon, the first he had seen him blink throughout the match. "Come back, Nitro Warrior, in defense mode! And with Synchron's effect, I draw once!" If this doesn't work... "I... set a card." Takechi sighed. "Turn end." "Then my turn begins. I cannot understand why you'd leave yourself exposed like that, but... Wisel Infinity! Absorb that Synchro monster!" "Hah, I can't believe you walked straight into this one!" Takechi jeered. "Trap card, open! Blazing-Dust Explosion! By banishing every single Laval monster from my Graveyard, I can target a number of cards on the field and destroy them! Burner, Laval Lady, Lancelord, Magma Artillery! For a total of four, I can destroy up to four cards - so this should leave your field quite empty!" [spoiler=Blazing-Dust Explosion]Blazing-Dust Explosion TRAP / Normal Banish all "Laval" monsters from your Graveyard; destroy any number of cards on the field, up to the number of monsters banished for this card's activation.[/spoiler] "Foolishness!" Haderon spat. "I expected more from you! You think my Machine Emperor will be felled by such a trick? Trap card, open! Wise C-3! By releasing Wisel Carrier, I can Special Summon, from my hand, deck or Graveyard, its upgraded form - Wisel Carrier 3! And Wisel Carrier 3, once per turn, when my Machine-type monsters would be destroyed by a card effect, can negate that effect! Furthermore, thanks to this, Machine Emperor Wisel gains plus 200 attack points! " [spoiler=Wise C-3]Wise C-3 TRAP / Normal Tribute 1 "Wisel Carrier" you control. Special Summon 1 "Wisel Carrier 3" from your hand, Deck or Graveyard.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Wisel Carrier 3]Wisel Carrier 3 DARK / Machine Level 3 1000/800 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Wise Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Carrier", "Skiel Carrier", or "Grannel Carrier" monster. This card cannot be destroyed by your opponent's card effets. Once per turn, if your Machine-Type monsters would be destroyed by a card effect, you can negate that effect and destroy that card.))[/spoiler] Takechi remained silent, as the legs of the Machine Emperor was replaced by an upgraded, bulkier version. With more powerful thrusters, they took the robot higher up in the sky, where it would be safe from the white-hot blaze that was sweeping the field. However... "...just who said now, that I was targeting your Machine Emperor?" "What?" Indeed, though Wisel Carrier 3 was supposed to negate the effect completely, it had only seemed to protect the monster. Blazing flames crept through the field, destroying Nitro Warrior and the second reverse card Haderon had placed. But they did not stop there - they rose, sneaking up to Wisel's body, thrusting themselves through the cavity in its chest. A rumbling, piercing screech was heard from within, and as great Wisel's whole body was surrounded by a searing blaze, its attack power dropped to 2700. Bewildered, Haderon glanced at his Duel Disk's projected information panel, where indeed... "My targets were: all three cards in your Spell and Trap card zone, including Ancient God Flamvell, and my own Nitro Warrior." Takechi said coolly. "Now your Machine Emperor has lost its chance to power up, and you've also lost your reverse cards. Plus, I know what Carrier 3 does, thanks to your explanation. I'd say that's a pretty good turn of the tables, no?" Haderon didn't react. He merely shook his head, and pointed upwards. "You fool. You think you've outplayed me? You've forgotten one thing. Wisel Infinity - direct attack!" Takechi couldn't have imagined a robot so large could move so fast. In the blink of an eye, Wisel was upon him - and the great energy sword came swooping down. He used the only available shield he had to protect himself - his Duel Disk, which took the full brunt of the impact, knocking him backwards. He slammed forcefully against the wall so fast that he thought he should have broken his spine - strangely enough, the wall itself seemed to absorb the impact, so he fell on the floor. Panting, his whole arm in agony, but fairly unharmed, considering, he pushed himself up - and a triumphant smirk was visible on his lips.     Vortexflame - LP: 1300Haderon - LP: 12000 "It looks like I misjudged you." Haderon said, disappointment evident in his tone. "Only idiots allow themselves to feel elated, when all they've managed to do is barely hold on to their lives. Struggling even in the face of terrible odds is something I respect - but being unable to acknowledge your shortcoming is foolish. Next turn, I will finish you off. I set a card, turn end." "Finish me off?" Takechi, whose smile had not faltered even for a moment, said. "Oh, no, my friend. This duel... has only just begun!" [/spoiler]    Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 2, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2014 All hyperlinks are now fixed for your reading convenience. Enjoy ~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinforce Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Just found this again and I am so glad you're back updating it once more. After the two new chapters as well, I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next, and glad to know I can go back and read the old chapters as well. In the meantime, since not many people seem to have found their way here yet, a spoiler for the new chapter spoilers.  [spoiler=Spoilers] First off, I was not expecting the Machine Emperors to actually reappear as opponents during the duels, despite the fact you've been hinting at their continued use as defences. It's interesting to see them wielded by the three second place winners of the Championship tournaments. I have to say though, while there is a lot of synergy in doing it that way, their appearances came as somewhat of a surprise, since we hadn't seen any of them previously aside from Azgalor, and even his appearance was only in an extra chapter. Ylaidus being the original avatar of Miyataka Eizan was another surprise, but actually made a lot of sense after it was explained. As for the duels themselves, they are rather interesting, even with all three being shown concurrently to each-other, and I do find myself rather curious to see what the advantage is that the three Elemental Burst duellists have to counteract the bonus life points that their opponents use, as well as just how they'll win against the Machine Emperors using decks designed in particular with Synchro Summoning in mind. With Sugita, I'm predicting an appearance by Sirocco the Dawn to boost something else's attack points to similarly absurd attack levels, possibly a Bora the Spear to just attack and have the attack redirected into the Guard for Piercing Damage against the life points. Yuko possibly just making use of the Ice Barrier's defensive abilities until she can find a way to simply remove Sky Core, and absolutely no idea for Takechi. Regardless of how they win, I'm sure it'll be entertaining though. [/spoiler]  At the very least, you've got a fourth reader back for this, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the chapters. One question though, are you planning on posting the fourth chapter in the elemental burst bonus arc as well sometime soon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted January 3, 2014 Report Share Posted January 3, 2014 Make that fifth reader. But then you already knew that. Was just about to critise the lack of posts on here when someone actually posted. Â Anyway, like I said in PM I'm uptodate up to Arc4 now in terms of a re-read of most of it, and will hopefully be up to speed soon and commenting on the new chapters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aerion Brightflame Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 So I hath finished reading the first arc, and thought now would be a prudent time to give some comments on it. Despite the fact you probably wrote this so long ago you've forgotten most of it. [spoiler='Arc One'] For starters I must give praise: Your writing style has a form of elegance to it that I'm greatly envious of. You seamlessly blend description with story telling to the extent that the two feel as one and the same, rather than separate extensions.  I mean, as a technical piece of writing, I've yet to really find fault with it.  As for the rest of it. For the most part I found arc one to be excellent, and nothing absolutely stood out as wrong to me. Biggest issue I felt was pacing, which you commented on back then, but I did feel one to many things did happen occasionally.  The arc finisher was possibly the only chapter I didn't love from it, simply because the board room scene put slightly to many new players in at once. I mean, sinsiter boardroom meetings are fine, hell I can't imagine something with this setting not having one, but 8 new players is a very big deal. I mean, yeah I know you'll probably have dealt with it better latter on in the fic, I'm just of the view that to many new players introduced at once, even in passing as it were, spoils it slightly.  But as you yourself said, it was a long time ago, so presumably you've improved all of that, and know not to repeat such a thing again.  It was very good however, I have to admit that. Like I said, I envy your actual writing talent. Generally the arc was flawless.  And now onto arc 2 and beyond~  [/spoiler]  EDIT: Since I finished reading Arc 2 since I posted this, I thought I might as well do arc two at the same time:  [spoiler='Arc 2'] First of all: I didn't like this arc as much as I'd liked Arc One. I kinda feel like the reasoning for it is kinda ironic after what I said about Arc One, but still:  It honestly felt like until the last chapter very little happened. Like only half an arcs worth of stuff. Which is still pacing issues, but just in reverse. I do have to admit to loving a few of the things like the whole deal with Maya and Sinclair, and the duel between the two. Aside from that ending... ¬_¬ Which presumably means it had the desired effect.  Characters: Beyond Maya, Sinclair, Ebony and maybe a few of the boardroom guys like Gregory, everyone felt... unmemorable as characterization goes. Again, old complaint which I'm sure you added onto, but I just feel kinda unconnected to most of the other cast.  Again, it was technically brilliant, I just felt that it needed something more to it as an arc. And I kinda blame the tag duel for being one chapter to long there. It really didn't help with matters for me personally.  [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted January 8, 2014 Report Share Posted January 8, 2014 Ahem. Â I believe I was promised a new chapter today. And I came here to see it and I bloody can't anywhere. >=( Â How dare you have a real life with other stuff you need to do? Your no1 priority should be here filling me with awesomeness. I demand satisfaction! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Synchronized Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Okay, so I'm caught up. Â Well, sort've. Â Up to 63, anyway, which I just finished reading. Â I have a bad attention span when it comes to reading, but I can write (more or less) with no problems. Â Annyyyway... Â You tell such a gripping story which is legitimately a blast to read. Â Every little detail is covered so well that I can only imagine the amount of planning you must have had to put into this. Â I must say I like Kishiiro quite a bit, and his (resolution?) will be really cool to see. Â You're obviously building up to so many plot elements and it's got a can't-miss feel. Â Keep up the good work, and thanks for the inspiration! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Welp. Yeah. I took much longer to get to this than I had expected... but I will reward your patience well. But first, to reply to your comments:  Okay, so I'm caught up.  Well, sort've.  Up to 63, anyway, which I just finished reading.  I have a bad attention span when it comes to reading, but I can write (more or less) with no problems.  Annyyyway...  You tell such a gripping story which is legitimately a blast to read.  Every little detail is covered so well that I can only imagine the amount of planning you must have had to put into this.  I must say I like Kishiiro quite a bit, and his (resolution?) will be really cool to see.  You're obviously building up to so many plot elements and it's got a can't-miss feel.  Keep up the good work, and thanks for the inspiration!  Sweet, thanks. The amount of planning was... a lot, but apparently not quite enough, because throughout all the last arc and the finale I often found I had written myself in some messes (plotlines that were kickstarted without being able to get anywhere and what-have-you) that I needed to untangle. I am especially happy that you like Kiishiro's character - I often felt he was actually one of the weakest protagonists in the story (character- and development-wise) and that I should have done some things differently with him, so people liking him is a relief.  Just found this again and I am so glad you're back updating it once more. After the two new chapters as well, I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next, and glad to know I can go back and read the old chapters as well. In the meantime, since not many people seem to have found their way here yet, a spoiler for the new chapter spoilers.  [spoiler=Spoilers] First off, I was not expecting the Machine Emperors to actually reappear as opponents during the duels, despite the fact you've been hinting at their continued use as defences. It's interesting to see them wielded by the three second place winners of the Championship tournaments. I have to say though, while there is a lot of synergy in doing it that way, their appearances came as somewhat of a surprise, since we hadn't seen any of them previously aside from Azgalor, and even his appearance was only in an extra chapter. Ylaidus being the original avatar of Miyataka Eizan was another surprise, but actually made a lot of sense after it was explained. As for the duels themselves, they are rather interesting, even with all three being shown concurrently to each-other, and I do find myself rather curious to see what the advantage is that the three Elemental Burst duellists have to counteract the bonus life points that their opponents use, as well as just how they'll win against the Machine Emperors using decks designed in particular with Synchro Summoning in mind. With Sugita, I'm predicting an appearance by Sirocco the Dawn to boost something else's attack points to similarly absurd attack levels, possibly a Bora the Spear to just attack and have the attack redirected into the Guard for Piercing Damage against the life points. Yuko possibly just making use of the Ice Barrier's defensive abilities until she can find a way to simply remove Sky Core, and absolutely no idea for Takechi. Regardless of how they win, I'm sure it'll be entertaining though. [/spoiler]  At the very least, you've got a fourth reader back for this, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the chapters. One question though, are you planning on posting the fourth chapter in the elemental burst bonus arc as well sometime soon?  Oh, hey thar. Yeah I admit that introducing two-three new opponents all the way in the last arc was a bit of a questionable approach. In the end, there were practical reasons - there just weren't enough guys alive on the bad side to give everyone a proper challenge / conclusion, and since I wasn't gonna do cannon fodder for the endgame duels, I pulled up that twist. It was also kinda helpful because it connected Maya's and Yuko's as well as Sugita's and Yuusuke's storires somewhat, giving a sense of continuity / bigger picture (at least that's what I'd like to think happened). Maybe reading the third and fourth chapter of this will pull some loose ends together. The counter-advantage the three have isn't meant to be a secret for the reader, it should actually be pretty obvious - their opponents' Life Points are a collective, so when one gets damaged, the other two get the same damage as well (or more like, Sugita, Takechi and Yuko are all firing at the same LP pool). The 12000 should've clued you in. Glad you liked Ylaidus, too, I was worrying it might be a bit out-of-the-blue there.  As for the aforementioned extra chapter... ask and thou shalt receive as they say, this post contains the long-awaited update.  So I hath finished reading the first arc, and thought now would be a prudent time to give some comments on it. Despite the fact you probably wrote this so long ago you've forgotten most of it. [spoiler='Arc One'] For starters I must give praise: Your writing style has a form of elegance to it that I'm greatly envious of. You seamlessly blend description with story telling to the extent that the two feel as one and the same, rather than separate extensions.  I mean, as a technical piece of writing, I've yet to really find fault with it.  As for the rest of it. For the most part I found arc one to be excellent, and nothing absolutely stood out as wrong to me. Biggest issue I felt was pacing, which you commented on back then, but I did feel one to many things did happen occasionally.  The arc finisher was possibly the only chapter I didn't love from it, simply because the board room scene put slightly to many new players in at once. I mean, sinsiter boardroom meetings are fine, hell I can't imagine something with this setting not having one, but 8 new players is a very big deal. I mean, yeah I know you'll probably have dealt with it better latter on in the fic, I'm just of the view that to many new players introduced at once, even in passing as it were, spoils it slightly.  But as you yourself said, it was a long time ago, so presumably you've improved all of that, and know not to repeat such a thing again.  It was very good however, I have to admit that. Like I said, I envy your actual writing talent. Generally the arc was flawless.  And now onto arc 2 and beyond~  [/spoiler]  EDIT: Since I finished reading Arc 2 since I posted this, I thought I might as well do arc two at the same time:  [spoiler='Arc 2'] First of all: I didn't like this arc as much as I'd liked Arc One. I kinda feel like the reasoning for it is kinda ironic after what I said about Arc One, but still:  It honestly felt like until the last chapter very little happened. Like only half an arcs worth of stuff. Which is still pacing issues, but just in reverse. I do have to admit to loving a few of the things like the whole deal with Maya and Sinclair, and the duel between the two. Aside from that ending... ¬_¬ Which presumably means it had the desired effect.  Characters: Beyond Maya, Sinclair, Ebony and maybe a few of the boardroom guys like Gregory, everyone felt... unmemorable as characterization goes. Again, old complaint which I'm sure you added onto, but I just feel kinda unconnected to most of the other cast.  Again, it was technically brilliant, I just felt that it needed something more to it as an arc. And I kinda blame the tag duel for being one chapter to long there. It really didn't help with matters for me personally.  [/spoiler]  First of all, I'm really glad you are enjoying this even through the first few arcs and sticking with it. I remembered all the things I had written because I re-read it all relatively recently, when I was working n the ending. And even though I (hope I) have improved on some things, comments are always helpful - it's great to have another perspective.  My reasoning with chapter 12, which introduced the entire main villain cast, was that I wanted two groups of villains - one who worked in the shadows, was really secretive and all that, and another who was exposed from the beginning and we had insight into them, and explored them little-by-little. It did pan out eventually but that chapter was definitely an overkill of too much at once, a fact which definitely came back to bite me later, when I had villains sitting around and had to write scenes for them that didn't really hold any substance.  Arc 1 was where I introduced the main story and arc 2 was where I tried to expand it and build up the individual plotlines. You're right in that the tag Riding duel definitely dragged on, which wasn't something that should have happened at the beginning of the arc. Arc 2 was definitely exposition arc, too, so things indeed slowed down.  Arc 3 has more development for characters and much more stuff going on - the plot gets thicker, too. I feel that you will enjoy it more. After that there's arc 4 and 5, which I honestly feel are a big step-up in general.  Ahem.  I believe I was promised a new chapter today. And I came here to see it and I bloody can't anywhere. >=(  How dare you have a real life with other stuff you need to do? Your no1 priority should be here filling me with awesomeness. I demand satisfaction!  I already explained the reasons for the delay which was basically... exhaustion, along with having many other things to do. But rest assured, this will all be made up now.  Behold, ladies and gentlemen, Extra Chapter 8, the fourth and final chapter of the Element Cycle mini-arc that explores the fights between Sugita, Takechi and Yuko that helped bring them to their current position. Additionally, it is the one collective of words that I've had the most trouble writing in my life. I've written this chapter around three times, most of my problems with it caused by the really awkward duel (I was using Fire and Wind, which were quite undersupported before the Zexal era, and I wanted to use 'fresh' cards, and I didn't want burn, and I had to set up the duel in certain ways... yeah). In the end I feel the duel might have been a couple of turns too short, but there was really nothing I could do to prolong it without dragging things out. Also I was forced to make a single change to a card, which considering how minor the card's role and the change is (and the card in general, the reason I even made that change was because I had been convinced that its Attribute was a different one so I wrote everything around it - after that there was just no way I was going to rewrite all that).  It is not an exaggeration to say that this chapter was a big reason why I stopped writing this story for such a long period of time - the difficulties I met had frustrated me to a big extent here. But at last, here it is, and I hope it's worth all that trouble at least >.> also, it should go without saying but before reading this, you should read Extra Chapters 5, 6 and 7 which directly lead up to it.  [spoiler=Extra Chapter 8] Extra Chapter 8: Great Storm Takechi and Sugita were standing a few feet apart, facing off in the arena known as the Lava Basin. This last stadium was emulating the top of a volcano. The two duelists were standing on platforms that were floating on top of a pool of lava. They could feel the stone tremble under their feet. Being in the virtual world, of course, they were spared the scorching heat that would have caused their blood to boil, but the air was still warm enough to be noticeable. Yuko and Danjuro were standing on larger platforms, farther away from where the battle would take place. "The rules are clear." One of the two referees, sitting cross-legged, like pitch-black scarecrows, on chunks of rock floating in mid-air near the edge of the volcano, said. "All Fire monsters gain 300 attack points while in this field. On the contrary, a player without any Fire monsters in their deck may, once during this duel, invoke the right to draw an additional card during their Main Phase. Are you ready?" Both Sugita and Takechi nodded without hesitation. "Wait." The other one interrupted. All four duelists looked up in surprise. "This match will have two more observers." The lava churned and writhed, and two forms ascended from its depths, washed over by rivers of molten fire yet left utterly untouched. They rose until they were above the surface of the pool, and then solid rock platforms formed underneath their feet. The first one, a short, rather plump balding fellow with a peacable expression, was instantly recognized, but Takechi had trouble pinpointing the identity of his taller, hawk-nosed companion. To cover for this, one of the referees coughed softly, and proceeded to introduce both of the new arrivals. "Sannosouke Takizawa-sama, president of Duel International's Japanese division." He offered a deep bow. "Sarunoki Moboro-sama, head of research and development." That was followed by a less steep gesture. Takechi had never seen those two in the virtual world before. They were not using avatars, so their appearances were hardly impressive compared to everyone else here. However, their identities were enough to give weight to their presence. "It is an honor to meet you." Sugita inclined his head, while the other three mimicked him. "The honor is ours." Sannosouke Takizawa replied formally. "People such as you, who strive your hardest to ascend to the top, are the very soul of this world we've tried so hard to create. We look forward to seeing the full extent of your resolutions." Yuko's face beamed with pride - though she had only reached the third place, Takechi would be the first to admit that she more than deserved to be standing where he was right now. Danjuro's only showed contentment. Takechi himself felt even greater drive to win than before. And Sugita... Takechi was most interested in his reaction. However, he only nodded mutely, his expression unreadable. Takechi sighed - he knew the guy wasn't the most exciteable, but couldn't he afford to wear some emotion on his face once in a while? "Then, let the finals begin." Sugita was entitled to selecting the turn order. He chose to take the second turn. Takechi's hand shook with excitement. This was it - the last battle, that would determine the victor. Everything he had done in this tournament had been building up to this one moment. "Duel!!"  Vortexflame - LP: 4000Gawain - LP: 4000 "Since you were so kind as to grant me the first turn, here goes! Draw!" Takechi declared confidently. "I set a monster, and end my turn." "So be it. Draw." Sugita was calm as always. "As per the rules of the arena, I can draw one extra card." "What?!" Takechi gasped, and even the referees seemed to shift slightly. "You are using that already?" "Of course." Sugita added a seventh card to his hand. "There is no merit to waiting until later. The faster I can open up more options, the sooner the path to victory will reveal itself." "Psh." Takechi muttered. "You have no flair for the dramatic." He had to admit, he was slightly impressed by the rationale of such a decision, though. Most duelists, himself and the other two finalists apparently included, would opt to keep that privilege as a last resort. But Sugita had calmly chosen to utilize it from the start, in order to increase the number of options available to him from the offset. This guy... he has a different approach to victory than the rest of us. "I activate Divine Wind of Mist Valley." Takechi grunted - this card had been instrumental in Yuko's defeat. The lava rippled and shook as a gale picked up, forming a circular barrier around the field. [spoiler=Divine Wind of Mist Valley]Divine Wind of Mist Valley SPELL / Field Once per turn, if a face-up WIND monster you control returns to the hand, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower WIND monster from your Deck.[/spoiler] "Now, I call out Reborn Tengu to the field." Sugita continued. A black ancient bird-like creature, wielding twin rapiers, appeared before him, riding on the intense wind. "Battle! Reborn Tengu, attack that face-down monster!" As Sugita's monster slashed open Takechi's card, though, a small rock golem carrying a heavy burning wheel jumped from underneath, leaping into the lava, where it was soon crystallized into a sphere of burning magma. [spoiler=Reborn Tengu]Reborn Tengu WIND / Winged Beast Level 4 1700/600 When this card is removed from the field, Special Summon 1 "Reborn Tengu" from your Deck.[/spoiler] "The monster you just destroyed is called Laval Rotating Firewheel." Takechi explained. Laval monsters were another aspect of his deck, that he hadn't showcased against Danjuro. Hopefully they would be enough to catch Sugita by surprise. "When this is destroyed, I can send two more Lavals from the deck to the Graveyard." Two more rocks like the first appeared floating on the surface of the volcanic pool, indicating the number of discarded Laval monsters. "Additionally, one of the sent monsters is called Tender of the Laval Flame Volcano. When it is sent to the Graveyard, while another Laval monster exists there, I can send yet another Laval monster from my deck to the Graveyard... like this." Takechi held out two more cards, which were revealed to be the second and third copy of his Laval Tender. "And the last one's effect also activates." Now, including Firewheel, there were a total of 6 Laval monsters in Takechi's Graveyard, incicated by six lava spheres materializing on the surface of the pool. Sugita, however, did not seem fazed. [spoiler=Laval Rotating Firewheel]Laval Rotating Firewheel FIRE / Pyro Level 3 300/400 When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: You can send 2 "Laval" monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Tender of the Laval Flame Volcano]Tender of the Laval Flame Volcano FIRE / Pyro / Tuner Level 1 100/200 When this card is sent to the Graveyard, if you have a "Laval" monster in your Graveyard other than "Tender of the Laval Flame Volcano": You can send 1 "Laval" monster from your Deck to your Graveyard.[/spoiler] "I set a card. Turn end." "Then it's back to me. Draw!" Takechi considered. Sugita's face-down card was likely Compulsory Evacuation Device, which combined seamlessly with the effects of Reborn Tengu and Divine Wind of Mist Valley. But, in that case... I can snatch the advantage by going on the offensive! "I call out Flamvell Helldog, and when there are three or more Laval monsters with different names in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Laval Burner from my hand." A blazing dog-like demon and a new rock golem, its giant fists burning with fierce blazes, appeared in front of him, their attack points rising to 2200 and 2400 respectively. [spoiler=Flamvell Helldog]Flamvell Helldog FIRE / Beast Level 4 1900/200 When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 FIRE monster with 200 or less DEF from your Deck, except "Flamvell Helldog".[/spoiler] [spoiler=Laval Burner]Laval Burner FIRE / Pyro Level 5 2100/1000 If there are 3 or more "Laval" monsters with different names in your Graveyard, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand).[/spoiler] "Now, I attack!" Takechi declared. "Helldog goes first! Strike down Reborn Tengu!" "Trap, activate." Sugita said coolly, and in front of Takechi's shocked eyes, both of his fire monsters were obliterated by the searing light of Mirror Force. [spoiler=Holy Barrier - Mirror Force]Holy Barrier - Mirror Force TRAP / Normal Activate only when an opponent's monster declares an attack. Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.[/spoiler] "You were expecting something else?" Sugita asked, the faint hint of sarcasm dancing on his tone. Takechi clenched his fists. He had assumed Sugita would have chosen a conservative play, but he had instead walked right into his Trap. He... how could he afford to be so careless, when the entire tournament would be decided on this one match? "I set a card." He muttered. "Turn end." --- Ryusaki Sugita was good at maths, and at age 18, he had been accepted into college, his expertise at probability theory highly valued at his age. He was a proper honors student - serious, and devoting a lot of his time to studying. However, there was something that he sought, beyond calculations and algorithms. The risk factor. Decision making that did not follow predetermined patterns, that did not lead to inevitable results. However, most games that didn't involve luck required only a certain time before they became simply problems of memorization and execution of predefined patterns, and most games that did involve luck relied too much on it. Sugita was good at this game - he had known from the beginning that he would be, since it played on his strong points. However, being good was nowhere near sufficient reason to keep playing it. During his four years in the virtual world, the number of opponents who, win or lose, could give him the excitement he required could be counted on the fingers of both hands. The rest always streamlined their game. They did not just try to predict their opponent's moves - they firmly believed that their opponent would play in a certain manner, and played their own game according to it. This reduced the whole match into a glorified game of probability. Right now, Bando Takechi had assumed Sugita had placed face-down the card Compulsory Evacuation Device, that would have returned Tengu to his hand, activating the effects of both Tengu and the Field Spell. He had summoned these two monsters specifically in order to destroy all three copies of Reborn Tengu, using Helldog's effect, and he had avoided using the effect of Laval Lady of the Burning Lake, which had been sent to his Graveyard, for the same reason. The card was indeed in his hand - but Sugita had predicted this outcome. Therefore, he had reserved it in favor of the stronger Mirror Force, and thanks to that, he had gained a huge advantage in this turn. But in the end, this wasn't anything more than seeing who would read ahead further. This alone wasn't enough. "Draw." Sugita said. "I summon Mist Valley Shaman." A lady in full-body black clothes, wearing a transparent veil, materialized in front of him. "And now I activate Shaman's effect, returning Reborn Tengu to the hand in order to increase her attack power by 500 points. Of course, according to Reborn Tengu's effect, this means that a new one is Special Summoned from the deck. And furthermore, Divine Wind of Mist Valley Special Summons Mist Valley Falcon." [spoiler=Mist Valley Shaman]Mist Valley Shaman WIND / Winged Beast / Tuner Level 3 1200/1200 Once per turn, you can return 1 other monster you control to the hand, to have this card gain 500 ATK until the End Phase.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Mist Valley Falcon]Mist Valley Falcon WIND / Winged Beast Level 4 2000/1200 This card cannot declare an attack unless you return 1 card you control to its owner's hand.[/spoiler] "And now, I tune my Level 4, Mist Valley Falcon, to my Level 3, Mist Valley Shaman. Synchro Summon." The divine winds that had been summoned forth from the Mist Valley surged forward, creating a violent cyclone. The lightning-bound giant he had used in the semi-final round emerged from within. "Mist Valley Thunder God Ogre!" [spoiler=Mist Valley Thunder God Ogre]Mist Valley Thunder God Ogre WIND / Thunder / Synchro Level 7 2600/2400 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Mist Valley" monsters Once per turn, you can select and return 1 card you control to the hand, and this card gains 500 ATK until the End Phase. This effect can be activated during either player's turn.[/spoiler] "Ogre's effect returns my Field Spell to my hand in order to raise its own attack power to 3100. Coupled with Reborn Tengu's own power of 1700, this should be enough to finish you off. Tengu, attack!" Takechi grimaced as the black bird slashed him.  Vortexflame - LP: 2300Gawain - LP: 4000 "And now, God Ogre!" "Not so fast!" Takechi interrupted, flipping over his reverse card. "Guard Block neutralizes all Battle damage from one attack, and lets me draw a new one!" Sugita nodded - despite his aggressive disposition, Takechi's deck wasn't all about offense. [spoiler=Guard Block]Guard Block TRAP / Normal Activate only during damage calculation during your opponent's turn. The Battle Damage you would receive becomes 0. Draw 1 card.[/spoiler] "I reactivate Divine Wind, and place two cards face-down. Turn end." --- Takechi was impressed, so far, by his opponent. Not only had he planned ahead his first move brilliantly, tricking him into a reckless attack, but also managed to use his resources to the fullest, building up a sizeable force while maintaining advantage. Well, that was all about to end now. "I admit you almost had me there, for a moment." He smirked. "But you're not the only one who can pull off a one-turn-kill! You'd better get ready for this - I activate Sweltering-Heat Transmission Field, sending two more Laval monsters from my deck to the Graveyard!" Sugita's eyes narrowed as Takechi pulled out another two copies of Laval Lady of the Burning Lake, increasing the number of crystallized magma spheres to ten, since Helldog and Burner also counted. [spoiler=Sweltering-Heat Transmission Field]Sweltering-Heat Transmission Field SPELL / Normal Send 2 "Laval" monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Now, I activate the effect of Laval Lady of the Burning Lake, removing her and another Laval monster in my Graveyard from the game, to destroy one of your Set cards! I use this effect twice!" He had plenty of choices, and he removed two copies of Laval Lady and two more of Volcano Handmaiden. Four rubies sank into the lava, and tendrils of molten heat rose to strike at Sugita's back row. The first card was revealed to be Pitfall of Hades, and was promptly destroyed. The second - "I chain Compulsory Evacuation Device." Sugita said coolly. "I return the second Reborn Tengu to my hand, and activate its effect to Special Summon the third from my deck in Defense Position. And I activate the effect of Divine Wind, Special Summoning Dragonfly, also in Defense." [spoiler=Laval Lady of the Burning Lake]Laval Lady of the Burning Lake FIRE / Pyro / Tuner Level 3 200/200 If there are 3 or more different "Laval" monsters in your Graveyard, you can remove from play 1 "Laval" monster and this card from your Graveyard to select 1 Set card your opponent controls. Destroy that card.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Compulsory Evacuation Device]Compulsory Evacuation Device TRAP / Normal Return 1 monster on the field to its owner's hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Dragonfly]Dragonfly WIND / Insect Level 4 1400/900 When this card is sent to the Graveyard as a result of battle, you can Special Summon 1 WIND monster with an ATK of 1500 or less in face-up Attack Position from your Deck. Then shuffle your Deck.[/spoiler] "Nonetheless, at least you have no more Traps to protect you now!" Takechi proclaimed. "First, I activate Foolish Burial, sending Flamvell Baby from my deck straight to the Graveyard! And now, Pureflame Eruption! I revive any Fire monsters in my Graveyard, if their defense is exactly 200 points!" One by one, five magma crystals shattered and their fragments reformed into the respective monsters. "Come, Laval Lancelord, Tender of the Laval Volcano, Laval Lady of the Burning Lake, Flamvell Helldog, and Flamvell Baby!" A rock golem wielding a flaming spear, a young fairy with bright red, fire-shaped hair, covered in metal armor, a similar, but taller older woman, his flamvell beast and a tiny fiendish living flame all materialized on the arena. [spoiler=Pureflame Eruption]Pureflame Eruption SPELL / Normal Special Summon from your Graveyard as many FIRE monsters as possible with 200 DEF. During the End Phase, remove from play all monsters that were Special Summoned by this effect.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Laval Lancelord]Laval Lancelord FIRE / Warrior Level 6 2100/200 You can Normal Summon this card without Tributing. If you do, this card is sent to the Graveyard during the End Phase. When this card on the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you can add 1 of your removed from play FIRE monsters to your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Flamvell Baby]Flamvell Baby FIRE / Pyro / Tuner Level 1 800/200 During your Main Phase, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to select 1 face-up FIRE monster you control and have it gain 400 ATK.[/spoiler] "Here goes! I tune the Level 4, Flamvell Helldog, to the Level 1, Flamvell Baby!" The two monsters spun into rings and orbs of flame, forging a spiralling Synchro array that exploded out of the volcanic bedrock. "Synchro Summon! Laval Dual Slasher!" A muscular bare-chested soldier, its armor and skin melded almost seamlessly into red-hot, sturdy rock, with twin blazing blades fused into its arms, appeared out of the vortex, landing heavily on its legs. [spoiler=Laval Twin Slayer]Laval Twin Slayer FIRE / Warrior / Synchro Level 5 2400/200 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner FIRE monsters This card gains effects based on the number of "Laval" monsters in your Graveyard: • 2+: Once per turn, if this card attacks a Defense Position monster, it can attack once again in a row. • 3+: If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing Battle Damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] "Now that there's a spot open, I summon Flamvell Dragnov." Takechi continued, placing the last card in his hand on his Duel Disk as a small, but fearsome looking dragon in sharp black-and-crimson armor, blinding white flames erupting from its mouth, burst into the field. "And I tune the Level 2, Flamvell Dragnov, to the Level 3, Laval Lady of the Burning Lake!" With great satisfaction, Takechi watched Sugita flinch slightly, as the second Synchro spiral formed on his field, resulting in a new creature being born - a dragon with a lean, elongated body covered in rocky scales, weaving its way upwards through the sheet of flame that heralded its birth. "Lavalval Dragon!" He was even more satisfied when he caught, with the corner of his eye, the two judges as well as Duel International's executives leaning in to get a closer look. I've got this in the bag! [spoiler=Flamvell Dragnov]Flamvell Dragnov FIRE / Dragon Level 2 1100/200 When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, inflict 500 damage to your opponent. You can remove from play this card in your Graveyard, along with 1 face-up FIRE monster you control, to add 1 "Flamvell Dragnov" from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Lavalval Dragon]Lavalval Dragon FIRE / Dragon / Synchro Level 5 2000/1100 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner FIRE monsters You can shuffle 2 "Laval" monsters from your Graveyard into your Main Deck to target 1 card your opponent controls; return it to the hand.[/spoiler] "Once more!" He declared, raising his hand to the sky. "I have two more monsters! I tune the Level 6, Laval Lancelord, to the Level 1, Tender of the Laval Volcano! Synchro Summon!" For the third time, the two monsters' forms dissolved into fiery motes, converging to reform a whole new entity. From the depths of the lake of fire rose a third creature, lava rolling off its metallic body - this one was a golem, its blue skin hard as diamond, sporting a massive cannon replacement to its left arm and thick slabs of armor. "Laval Stellaid!" [spoiler=Laval Stellaid]Laval Stellaid FIRE / Pyro / Synchro Level 7 2700/1800 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner FIRE monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned: Send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard. During either player's turn, when this card is targeted by a card effect: You can banish 1 "Laval" monster from your Graveyard; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy the targeting card.[/spoiler] Taking a moment to catch his breath, Takechi turned to Sugita, who was eyeing his array of monsters warily. "Let's get started." He declared triumphantly. "First, when Tender is sent to the Graveyard while I have another monster, I can send a new Laval monster there from the deck." He carelessly discarded a second Lancelord. "Second, this guy's effect would have me discard one card - but I have none in my hand right now." He pointed at Stellaid. "Third, Laval Twin Slayer can deal piercing damage and can strike twice in a row when it attacks defensive monsters if I have enough Laval monsters in my Graveyard, of which I have plenty. Fourth, Lavalval Dragon can return two Laval monsters in my Graveyard to my deck, and return one card of yours to your hand. I'll return my Burner and Rotating Firewheel. Guess which card of yours I'll be sending off?" He asked mockingly, the two gems dissipated as he recycled the two cards, while Lavalval Dragon shot a searing hot breath from its jaws that enveloped Mist Valley Thunder God Ogre, causing it to disperse into nothingness. Because it was a Synchro monster, it was immediately returned to Sugita's Extra Deck, leaving him with only Reborn Tengu and Dragonfly as shields. "And fifth... don't forget this field we're standing on! All my Fire monsters gain an extra 300 attack points!" Stellaid rose to 3000, Lavalval Dragon to 2300, and Twin Slayer to 2700. --- Sugita let out a small breath, glancing at his hand. I might... not be able to reverse this. Was this what he had been waiting for? The challenge that would prove enough to stop him? No, not yet. I can still... It was the end of the line. Normally, he would have planned two, even three turns ahead - but right now, the path he could see ended at the very next draw. At the very least... "Laval Twin Slayer, attack Reborn Tengu!" On the other side of the battlefield, Takechi ordered. The bulky fighter crossed the gap in an instant, jumping over the lava and striking at Sugita's monster with its left-hand blade. A razor-sharp shockwave exploded outwards as his monster was blown to bits, the massive breakthrough damage from Twin Slayer's piercing effect. Sugita braced himself for impact, and - His eyes bulged, and a heavy grunt escaped his lips. He felt his body - physically, though such a thing should not have happened here - collide with the shockwave, experiencing the full impact of the blow like a hammer's strike. It hurt. He gasped for air, holding his hand to his chest.  Vortexflame - LP: 2300Gawain - LP: 1900 "W - wait..." He managed to get out, but his opponent, caught up in his victory pattern, did not even notice him falter and stumble, and already ordered the second attack. Twin Slayer struck at his Dragonfly, obliterating the giant insect. This time Sugita screamed as the second, somehow physical, pulse struck him. It didn't seem to have enough momentum to actually move him, but the blow was real, as real as anything he'd felt in the real world. This... what the hell is going on?! He fell on one knee, panting heavily. True, there was some simulation of pain in the system - but that was always handled with a minor shock-like feeling, which no matter the intensity of the attack would not cause anything more than a minor discomfort. And yet... those two attacks, they had been different.  Vortexflame - LP: 2300Gawain - LP: 100 "Wait..." He eventually managed to get through to Takechi, who had finally realized something was not as it should. Sugita pushed himself up on wavering feet - he still felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. "Something... something's wrong! The damage from these last two attacks, I really felt it!" It was only when Takechi looked at him with obvious suspicion, that he realized how he must have sounded - pretending that something was wrong with the system to try and get a duel that wasn't going in his favor voided, or at least leave some implications of foul play. But that... that had nothing to do with it! He whirled on the referees, and Duel International's executives. "What happened?" He demanded, even though everyone's incredulous eyes seemed to be asking him that very same question. Sarunoki Moboro and Sannosouke Takizawa looked at each other, expressions unreadable. --- Takechi narrowed his eyes. He had thought Sugita was just setting up some dirty play... but no. He didn't know the fellow well at all, but... he was the kind of guy who seemed to hold onto his honor. More importantly, the bewildered expression, the momentary twisting of his features - they were definitely genuine. Takechi didn't think Sugita could fake pain that well. Concerned, he glanced at the overseers of the match. If there was some sort of flaw in the system, during this important match... Sarunoki Moboro cleared his throat. They were both staring intently at several panels they had brought up before them. "There seems to be nothing wrong with the system." He said, sounding just a tad bit unnerved. "I believe anything outside the ordinary you may have experienced might be a result of your own anxiety. I suggest trying to calm down - everything should be normal." Sugita simply stared at them. Takechi's eyes narrowed. Could nervousness really intensify pain here? This sounded beyond fishy. If he was having doubts about what Sugita had said before, this dodgy answer suddenly added quite a bit of credibility to his claims. "Hey, what's wrong?" Danjuro shouted from the sidelines. "If there's some glitch, you guys should take care of it!" Yuko, standing beside him, nodded fervently, her eyes locked on Sugita, who was still apparently struggling to remain upright. Takechi found himself agreeing - even if he was about to win this duel, he definitely wanted it to be a clean, proper end. Duel International's employees seemed to consider the suggestion to put the match on hold, when - "No." It was Sugita who stated this, through gritted teeth, but firmly. "No. We won't stop or postpone this. I don't know what's happening, but I will finish this game, no matter what." He was now looking at Takechi. Gone was his cool, collected expression from before. A large part of it was the shock, but... there was also acknowledgment there. Takechi had become a challenge that Sugita needed to overcome. He could understand those feelings. Takechi himself knew that, no matter what situation he was in, he, too, would want a clean end - and those feelings resonated with his opponent as well. "...very well." Takizawa seemed a bit hesitant, but eventually he conceded, signalling the judges with a sharp gesture. "Continue." "Dragonfly... its effect activates." Sugita wheezed. Takechi tensed. Dragonfly could only summon monsters with 1500 attack or less. They'd become easy prey for his Dragon and Stellaid, along with the rest of Sugita's Life Points... but something told him the match was not over yet. "I Special Summon Shuttleroid from my deck!" [spoiler=Shuttleroid]Shuttleroid WIND / Machine Level 4 1000/1200 When this card is targeted for an attack: You can banish this card. During your next Standby Phase after this card was banished by this effect: Special Summon this banished card. When this card is Special Summoned with this effect: Inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] The cartoon-faced mechanical plane that materialized in front of Sugita was admittedly not a monster Takechi expected to see in this duel. Still, only 1000 attack points would not last long, and if Sugita attempted to use its effect, then Takechi could attack directly instead. "Stellaid, attack!" Takechi commanded. "I activate the effect of Shuttleroid!" Sugita grunted. Just as a wall of flames began advancing from the golem's cannon towards the hapless machine, Shuttleroid took to the sky, outspeeding the attack and disappearing from sight. "I can remove it from play when it's attacked, and then it is Special Summoned in my next Standby Phase!" "Then, direct attack!" Takechi roared. "Finish this, Laval Stellaid!" "I activate the effect of Quick-Attack Scarecrow from my hand!" Sugita snapped in response. "I can discard it, in order to stop a direct attack and end the Battle Phase!" Takechi watched in shock as a tiny mechanical figure resembling a scarecrow materialized in front of the flames. Mysteriously, it seemed to absorb the attack, draining its energy into its body while remaining unharmed. Further attacks would be pointless. He managed... to endure all that. [spoiler=Quick-Attack Scarecrow]Quick-Attack Scarecrow WIND(*) / Machine Level 1 0/0 When your opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can discard this card; negate that attack, then end the Battle Phase (this is a Quick Effect). (*) changed from EARTH in the OCG[/spoiler] "I end my turn." He admitted begrudgingly. Still... with these three powerful Synchro monsters, there's no way he can get past them so easily! Next turn, I'll settle this... "My turn... draw." Sugita added a new card to his hand, but he didn't glance at it. Instead, he was looking at Takechi, hesitating. Takechi knew what he was thinking. "Do it." He said firmly. After a brief second, Sugita nodded. "Shuttleroid returns to the field." He murmured, the toy plane jumping back into the scene from behind some rock formations. "And when it does... the opponent takes 1000 direct damage." Several cartoonish missiles flew from the sentient aircraft's hull, headed straight for him. Takechi had been still half-doubting the credibility of Sugita's claims. That changed immediately, though, once he was struck with the supposedly holographic attack. A sensation like a wall of fire washing through him, searing every pore of his body, ripped through him like a whiplash. The attack was physical, that was almost certain. It lacked kinetic force, but this wasn't pain that could simply be simulated or produced by a simple shock. He gasped, coughing reflexively - thankfully, despite its realism, he wasn't actually burned.  Vortexflame - LP: 1300Gawain - LP: 100 "This is insane!" He shouted once he was able to regain his bearings. He suddenly felt extremely guilty - this had been a mere 1000 points of damage, whereas he had dealt almost four times as much to Sugita during his previous turn. Angrily, he shook his head. He was prepared for this. He would see this through. --- "What... what could be causing this?" Yuko bit her fingernail anxiously, hovering as close to the edge of their platform as the Motion Lock allowed. Danjuro shrugged helplessly, unable to offer any answers. "Whatever it is, they'd better resolve this fast." He grunted, pointing at the two executives, who were still furiously browsing through their virtual control panels. "If word of this gets out..." --- "I..." Sugita glanced at his new card. With this, maybe... "I activate Jar of Avarice, returning Mist Valley Thunder God Ogre, Reborn Tengu, Swift Scarecrow, and Mist Valley Shaman and Falcon to my deck, in order to draw twice." He quietly performed the exchange, looking at his two new draws. "...I Normal Summon Reborn Tengu again! And then I activate One for One, discarding my last Reborn Tengu, in order to Special Summon a Level 1 monster from my deck! Come out, Turbo Synchron!" The winged beast and a small mechanical green warrior appeared side-by-side, flanking the plane. This has to work. "I tune the Level 4, Shuttleroid, and the Level 4, Reborn Tengu, to the Level 1, Turbo Synchron!" The miniature warrior took to the sky, dissolving into silver waves that forged a spiralling cyclone 0that began pulsing overhead, forming a massive silver ring. His two monsters were sucked into the maelstrom, transforming into six orbs of white light that rolled through the circle, accompanied by the roar of crashing thunder. "Synchro Summon! Mist Wurm!" A huge dark purple worm emerged from the typhoon, dark smoke emanating from holes in its spine. [spoiler=One for One]One for One SPELL / Normal Send 1 Monster Card from your hand to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your hand or Deck.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Turbo Synchron]Turbo Synchron WIND / Machine / Tuner Level 1 100/500 When this card declares an attack, you can change the attack target to Defense Position. When you take Battle Damage while this card is attacking, you can Special Summon 1 monster from your hand with ATK equal to or less than the Battle Damage you took.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Mist Wurm]Mist Wurm WIND / Thunder / Synchro Level 9 2500/1500 1 Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned, return up to 3 cards your opponent controls to the hand.[/spoiler] "Mist Wurm's effect activates!" He ordered. "Up to three cards you control can be returned to the hand! I target Lavalval Dragon and Laval Twin Slayer!" Stellaid could become immune to targeting effects by Banishing a Laval monster in its owner's Graveyard - not only that, but it would completely negate Mist Wurm's effect and destroy it. So Mist Wurm blew a cyclone laced with lances of thunder towards Takechi's field, which was strong enough to envelop Twin Slayer and Lavalval Dragon and hurl them into the distance, where they dispersed into particles upon hitting the ground, but Stellaid remained rooted in place, unflinching even in the face of the storm. "Furthermore, because I control a Level 8 or higher Synchro monster, I can Special Summon this - Create Resonator!" A small fiendish warrior holding a rod and a tuning fork, propelled by a blastfan attached to its back, appared next to the much larger Thunder creature. [spoiler=Create Resonator]Create Resonator WIND / Fiend / Tuner Level 3 800/600 If you control a face-up Level 8 or higher Synchro Monster, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.[/spoiler] "It won't be so easy to get through to me!" Takechi bragged. "As long as Stellaid stands, it doesn't matter what you do!" "Yes..." Sugita muttered. "But... I have this!" He held out the last card in his hand. "This card... I activate Quill Pen of Gulldos! It allows me to return two Wind monsters in my Graveyard to my deck, in order to return one card on the field to its owner's hand!" [spoiler=Quill Pen of Gulldos]Quill Pen of Gulldos SPELL / Normal Target 2 WIND monsters in your Graveyard and 1 card on the field; shuffle both of those first 2 targets into your Deck and return the other to the hand.[/spoiler] "But Laval Stellaid still can't be targeted!" Takechi, who had assumed that Sugita would use that card to easily get rid of his opponent's monster, protested. But Sugita had a different plan. "My target... is Create Resonator." He pointed to the fiendish warrior, who was sucked into an air vacuum, disappearing from sight. "What was the point of that?" Takechi demanded. "You still can't - oh, no." Finally, he realized... just what path Sugita had opened. "When Create Resonator returns to the hand, the effect of Divine Wind of Mist Valley activates!" He declared. "I can Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Wind monster from my deck, like Mist Valley Falcon!" The handsome feathered swordsman materialized on his field once more. "Since I still control a high Level Synchro monster, Create Resonator Special Summons itself once more... and now, Synchro Summon! I tune the Level 4, Mist Valley Falcon, to the Level 3, Create Resonator! Synchro Summon!" He picked out the card he had earlier returned to his Extra Deck. "Appear once more, Mist Valley Thunder God Ogre!" With a loud crash, the winged behemoth descended from the stormy skies, landing underneath the massive flying worm. "Th - this is..." Dumbfounded, Takechi watched this new development with wide eyes. Sugita nodded. "I activate the effect of Thunder God Ogre, returning Divine Wind of Mist Valley to my hand in order to power itself up above your monster." The ogre warrior's attack strength increase to 3100. "Battle!" The winged beast collided with its earthbound opponent, claws scratching the golem's seemingly impregnable armor. Stellaid retaliated with its cannon, unleashing a barrage of bolts, but the thunder creature was surprisingly fast despite its bulk - it danced just beyond the golem's fire range, avoiding all attacks - until Stellaid paused in order to recharge its energy. Then, like an eagle swooping on its prey, the God Ogre attacked. Rather than go for the torso this time, its armored fist met the head of Stellaid's currently inactive cannon - there, the sky king unleashed a massive electrical jolt that ripped through the golem's body with a gigantic explosion, causing duelists and spectators alike to shield their faces. By the time the Ogre retreated to Sugita's side, there were only debris left - and nothing standing between Takechi and Sugita's final attack.  Vortexflame - LP: 1200Gawain - LP: 100 Still, he hesitated. They both knew now what kind of impact the attack could have. In this situation, what should he - "Do it." His doubts were met with Takechi's firm answer. He looked his opponent in the eyes, and saw only determination there. Determination, and pride. He, too, would have it no other way. They would see it through to the end. "Mist Wurm... direct attack." He said quietly. --- Takechi braced himself as best as he could, preparing for the worst as the giant worm unleashed a cyclone of wind and thunder. But thankfully, whatever had caused the pain before seemed to have been fixed now, because he only felt a slight jolt as his Life Points hit zero - and just like that, it was over.  Vortexflame - LP: 0Gawain - LP: 100 He sighed. In a way, he was still disappointed with this outcome... but he was also content. He had done the best he could, and fought to the edge of his ability. For now. Next time... there was no way he would lose. "Ahem." Their judges and officials seemed distracted now, and took a few moments to actually register the fact that the duel had concluded. "With this, the Element Cycle tournament is now complete." Takizawa announced, although his voice sounded rather flat now. "Congratulations to all finalists, and especially duelist Gawain, who managed, despite all odds..." He let Takizawa's speech wash over him. The awards ceremony followed, where they received their rewards - but more so than the Duelist Points, the invitations, the premium items - it was the participation that had really counted here. And now it was over. He had been stopped, just a hair's width before the end... but that made him want to try even harder for the next battle.But... Darker thoughts crossed his mind as he logged off, returning to the real world in his small downtown apartment. Those attacks... that was definitely real pain we felt. What... the hell went on there...? --- Sannosouke Takizawa was not a person who expressed heated emotions, generally. This, Moboro thought, was about the closest to open fury he'd ever seen him in. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" He growled. "Messing the Real System, no, more than that, modifying the damage controllers, in the middle of such a high-profile match... do you have any idea how much damage you caused?" "Except it wasn't me." Moboro said, irritated at the barrage of accusations. "Why would I even want to do something like that? I'm telling you, it was something else." "If Dunkan finds out about this..." As if the words were a summons, Gregory Dunkan, no doubt already fully informed of the situation, appeared before them. The three directors were still inside the virtual world, in a private conference area. "Calm down." Dunkan ordered, staring them down. "It was me who ordered the removal of the damage controllers in this duel." "You? Why?" Takizawa asked incredulously. "Why weren't we informed? No, more importantly, those kids - " Dunkan raised his hand. "Those kids will learn that what happened here today was the work of a hacker. There is nothing that legitimate players hate more than hackers. We will impress upon them the dangers these supposed hackers pose, and offer them the opportunity to help us get rid of them. When the time comes to put our plan into motion, should anything untoward happen, they will come in quite handy." Admittedly, it was a brilliant plan. Both Moboro and Takizawa nodded. "Now return, and deal with this as needed." Dunkan said. "Make sure that they understand quite clearly what happened." "We will." Moboro grinned. Takizawa only shook his head slightly. Takizawa focused only on the big picture. He didn't realize the necessity of such small measures in the grand scheme. His tendency to underestimate what looked small and insignificant at first would one day be his downfall. --- Aurora faded out of existence, replaced only by the frail teenager Iseya Yuko. She stood up from the Terminal, allocating some time for the aftereffects of her prolonged stay in the virtual reality to wear off, and for her concerned thoughts to clear away. What had happened in the final match troubled her greatly - none of them had even imagined such a danger lurking inside the Duel Terminal system. She promised herself to exercise great caution in the future. She took a moment to straighten her rich auburn hair after removing the D-Tacher. Glancing at the mirror attached to her wardrobe, she caught a glimpse of her figure. Rather short, not too slim or particularly fat, with nondescript features. She was no striking beauty, but her mother had taught her to walk with a posture that made her 'stand out', according to her. They lived in a two-story apartment, which afforded them a lot more extra space than they actually needed. Yuko walked out of her room and down the stairs to the kitchen, only to find her mother sitting at the table, glaring at her as she walked in. Iseya Ayami was a forceful, prideful woman. Slightly plump - she never exercised, as far as Yuko remembered - but with a tall, heavy build that made her seem as if she was looming when standing. Right now, she wasn't looming, but Yuko could still feel the pressure burned into her piercing black gaze. "I thought you would be at work until later." She said, trying to break the ice-cold silence. "Where have you been?" She inquired, cutting straight to the chase. "In my room." Yuko replied carefully. "Fiddling with that... game, again." The word rolled distastefully on her tongue. It was not a question. "What about your studies?" "I finished my homework a long time ago." Yuko said icily. Her mother shook her head. "You may be too old for me to spank you back to your senses, but you should understand this. I've invested too much into you to approve of you messing up your life like this. Games for children do not belong in our world. As long as you stubbornly stay away from the path that is right for you, I will never accept you. When you finally decide to stop wasting your time and mine, let me know." "Then I guess we're not going to be talking much for a while." Yuko turned on her heels and fled, not wanting her mother to see the tears welling up in her eyes. That was all she was to her - an investment that had failed. And no matter what she did, her mother would never acknowledge it. --- The real life persona of the Element Cycle champion, Ryusaki Sugita, was lying on his bed, eyes firmly shut. He rubbed his temples. They hurt. It was faint, almost imperceptible, but they throbbed. Something had happened there, something beyond a mere malfunction that intensified the slight feedback duelists would receive when taking damage. And no matter what they had been told, he could not shake off the feeling that there was a lot more, a lot that they hadn't been made privy to. This was not something he could easily ignore. Pulling his laptop that was lying on the small table next to his bed close to him, he booted the computer up. He ran his fingers through his shoulder-length pitch-black hair, settling them back down. His light blue eyes danced across the screen as he began searching for various combinations of keywords. 'Real System'. 'Duel International'. 'Duel Terminal'. 'Real damage'. Nothing relevant to what he was looking for. Instances, like today, where people had been hurt in the virtual world. Instances where that damage had carried over to the real world. It was no secret that virtual reality technology was dangerous. It was obvious, even - messing directly with the brain could have various consequences. However, the technology itself was not new. Duel International was supposed to have evolved it into a completely safe system. Such a claim was not unfounded - millions of people around the world were using it. Surely if 'accidents' were happening, not even a multi-million corporation could keep everything under wraps. Surely... Sugita walked over to the window and opened it. There was not much clean air to be had in the middle of the city, but the view outside kept his mind racing. Many people were out and about at this hour. As he observed the traffic, an unpleasant thought crept to his mind. There was a web site, that Sugita was now accessing, that kept track of all the people that were reported missing. That listing provided detailed information on each record, and allowed for various criteria-based queries. Sugita knew he wouldn't find anything recent. Anything would be hidden too well. No, he had to dig into the past. He aimed for... the first five years since Duel International's creation, taking care to cover a lot of possible scenarios that could be relevant in his query. As the results filed in quickly, he frowned. Yes, there were several related cases. However, given the inherent weakness of such a search, they went nowhere near proving anything. Even as he searched for more information regarding several of the missing people, he only discovered a couple that were vaguely connected to the company. No, this was not even close to 'evidence'. But... He left the detailed criteria unchanged, and instead shifted the time scope of the disappearances. Instead of five years after Duel International's official kick-off as a company, he looked into five years before that. "I knew it..." The results had more than quintupled. Without even looking at the cases, that alone was quite disturbing. And he had the sinking feeling he was only scraping the tip of the iceberg. Cases were deleted from this archive once the person was found, even if all that was found was a corpse and the death remained unsolved. "I will find out your secrets." He grunted. "I'll play your game until then, but I won't let you get away with things like that." But even then, Sugita could not have imagined in his wildest dreams, the true extent of the dreadful nightmare he had just taken the first step into. [/spoiler]  However, I didn't want to leave you with just that after this short break, so lo and behold - chapter 65, and the continuation of the fight against the Machine Emperors. The story is neatly wrapped up in chapter 66 (which will be posted soonish), and then we move on to the second half of the arc... with things getting even more srs.  [spoiler=Chapter 65] Chapter 65: Ultimate Last Stand "You are really quite considerate, Adam Fergusson, despite your rough exterior." Ylaidus said noncommitally. "You took up my challenge and even dragged me out here, in hopes of weakening Miyataka Eizan by increasing the conceptual distance between us. An interesting theory, but unfortunately, I cannot guarantee that this, or anything, will be enough to create a chance of victory against that being." Fergusson did not respond. The 'here' that Ylaidus referred to was, of course, the Road to Tomorrow. The place where it had all begun, for them - for him. The pathway that he had once thought connected all of their hopes and dreams. Right now, to access the Nexus, it was one of the only two paths: climb to the top of the Aria Tower, or get to the end of the Road to Tomorrow. A volatile, uncertain, dangerous path, without guarantees, without failsafes. Though Fergusson had carefully nurtured it over the years, there was no telling whether the road would take them all the way through, or whether it would break down somewhere in the middle, scattering them in the infinity of the cosmos. In all likelihood, even if they were to approach the Nexus this way, they would be instantly devoured, reduced to astral nothingness. In this state, it might have been safer to scale the Aria Tower and challenge Dunkan himself. But it was a path, a path forged by their hard work and sacrifice. And for Fergusson, nothing more was required. They summoned their D-Wheels, black and red monstrosities, and mounted them. Even if Riding Duels had not been conceptualized yet by the time of this virtual space's creation, it felt right. The Road had always been meant to be raced through. "You had planned this, all along." Fergusson said. It was not an accusation, but it was not a question either. "There are no plans to be made in the midst of chaos." Ylaidus corrected. "Walking through chaos is like swimming through an endless, dark ocean, traversing across the vast infinity of possibilities with no compass. Only your courage and sanity - only your fear and madness - can guide you." "You will give me the answers I require, when I beat you." "If your path leads to these answers, then answers you will have." Nothing more needed to be said. In fact, there had not been much of a point in the exchange from the beginning. The iridescent, mirage walls of the Road rose around them, not a barrier, but a sideroad to the outside of this world - of all worlds. The two engines revved, Fergusson's machine roaring with burning resolve, with fiery rage. Ylaidus pitch-black D-Wheel gave an imperceptible sound, the low growl of a stone wall harassed by the first waves of the raging tide, resolved not to break.  Riding Duel - Acceleration! --- "...what do you think we should do?" Yenma asked anxiously. He and Christina had reached a point which seemed to be where all the corridors converged. In front of them, a giant circular gate blocked their path. It was pure black, with three symmetrically placed spheres embedded into its frame. They were glowing brightly with a blue, green, and brown light. "This looks like the right way, but..." Christina walked closer to the door, testily pushing it with her hands. Of course, it didn't budge even an inch. "It's not working." She shook her head. This was their only lead so far - everywhere else they had been to had been uniform empty corridors. "Maybe we should try to destroy it." Yenma drew into the force hidden in his deck, and Dark Simurgh materialized before them. On his command, the bird released a stream of black energy - but it dissipated harmlessly before it even struck its target. Simurgh tried to assault the gate physically, but an invisible forcefield knocked the beast backwards. "Maybe if we used the Signer Dragons..." Christina said testily. Together, they raised her hands. But immediately, pain shot up from their marks, which began rapidly flashing crimson. The two teens cried out, dropping to their knees. "What... was that?" Yenma asked, panting. Christina, tears welling up in her eyes, shook her head. Whatever had happened, it seemed like they wouldn't be able to summon the two sacred dragons right now. "It's best that your dragons chose not to materialize themselves. If they had, before this Infinity Gearframe, they would have likely been absorbed already - and that would have been the end for you." Yenma and Christina scrambled to their feet, turning around to face the one who had approached them unnoticed. Before them stood a fairly nondescript dark-skinned man, slightly plump, with a calm, relatively serene expression. "Who are you?" Yenma demanded, taking a step forward. "What are you doing here?" But before the man could answer, Christina screamed. Yenma turned around to see her clutching her head, her whole body trembling. "What's wrong?" He asked, aghast. "This man..." Christina groaned. "I... remember... he is... the one who took me..." "That is correct." The man sighed. "My name is Abraham Lee, and I worked for Duel International. I will admit that I was fully aware of the Nexus plan, and until recently, instrumental in its realization." "So you admit it yourself!" Yenma exclaimed. "You... do you have any idea how much damage your plan has caused? How many people died? And you dare speak so casually about it!" Lee didn't respond to the blames. He simply stared firmly at Christina. Yenma protectively stepped in front of her, materializing his Duel Disk. "You... if you want a fight, I'll be your opponent!" But suddenly, Christina's hand grabbed his own, pulling him back with surprising strength. "No..." She whispered, and Yenma shivered. Her voice, her eyes - what he saw in them, was only raw hatred. "This one... he's mine." What had she remembered? Yenma didn't dare think about it. "But first... I'll have you tell us what this is about." She pointed at the door behind them. Surprisingly, Lee complied without hesitation. "The Infinity Gearframe is the ultimate line of defense Dunkan has placed in the Aria Tower. It has been reinforced so strongly that only a high-level phantasm, something as powerful as your Signer Dragons, would be able to break through. However, the Infinity Gearframe draws its power from the Machine Emperor monsters - terrifying robots developed entirely for the purpose of defeating and taking the powers of Synchro monsters. If you tried to use a Synchro monster here, the Signer Dragons being no exception, it would be completely drained of its power, which Dunkan would then claim for his own." "So how do we get past?" Yenma asked. Lee walked forward, placing his hand on the closest embedded sphere. "If the Gearframe is active, then the Machine Emperors are also active somewhere. Dunkan had originally entrusted the Machine Emperors to artifical intelligence robots, but recently he changed his mind, and gave them to human duelists instead. Your friends are probably dueling them as we speak." "Wait a minute." Yenma said slowly. "Something's not right. If the Gearframe is invincible while the Machine Emperors are active, why would Dunkan employ them in the frontline? If he summoned them behind the gate, then there would be no way to get inside at all." "The Gearframe isn't invincible." Lee corrected. "If you gathered enough power here, you would, eventually, be able to break through. Dunkan is making a preemptive strike - he would rather use his guardians to weaken you and prevent you from joining together. The reason is probably... even if the Machine Emperors were to be defeated, which he considers very unlikely, if one or two of you were to break in, he doesn't view it as a problem. Not with the defenses that lie further ahead. So your only choice..." "...is to defeat the Machine Emperors." Yenma finished the sentence. But right now, they had no idea how they could go about accomplishing that. "What are you waiting for?" Christina demanded. Yenma turned to her. Her voice was low and steady - but somehow, that made more of an impression than if she had sounded angry or afraid. "You must have an idea of where the Machine Emperors are. Take us to them. We'll take them down first." "I have no access to the control panel of the Tower." Lee explained. "As soon as Dunkan realized what I was doing, he completely locked me out of the system. I couldn't tell you where the Emperors were. But knowing Dunkan, he has set them against your friends already. What you can do... trust in them. You've come this far, together. --- A massive quake shook the entire building. Yuko gasped, struggling to maintain her balance. Azgalor remained stiff, expression betraying nothing. Between them, Skiel Infinity, powered up to a frightening 4500 attack points, after having absorbed Brionac. And only her Needle Guilman, scooting defensively, to protect her from it. A feeble guardian. "Don't get too shaken already." Azgalor warned. "With me as your opponent, you cannot afford to be distracted by trifles. Skiel, attack Needle Guilman!" It took no more than a quick laser shot to erase the monster that Yuko wasn't quite willing to defend. Thankfully, with Guilman's defense standing at zero, she took no further points of effect damage. "That is enough for now - turn end." The man declared. "But the outcome is as good as determined. You cannot hope to match the Machine Emperor, not without your Synchro monsters, and if you use them and fail to finish the job, Skiel can take them away. I will not be unmerciful. Surrender, and I will allow for your life to be prolonged, for as long as that may be." "At what price?" Yuko challenged. Azgalor smirked at her defiance. "The end, of course. For you, and your group - your path will cease to exist, and those of you that will be left alive will witness, powerless, your enemies' plan reach fruition. That is the price for surrender. But even if you fight to the end, to the best of your ability, preventing this outcome will be impossible, I'm afraid. You cannot defeat me." "You are wrong." Yuko said unsteadily. "I will bring down your Machine Emperor." Of course, such confidence was faked, and her opponent probably realized as much. She of all people was not suited to be here, not capable of carrying such a burden. She bit her lip. She was afraid, and hated herself for it. This stage belonged to those with courage... worse, Azgalor's penetrating gaze seemed to call her out on her cowardice. She breathed deeply. She was here, right now, and she couldn't let herself give up without a fight. She concentrated. Even without the Synchro monsters that she didn't dare use, she could think of two ways her deck possessed that were capable of dealing with the Machine Emperor, despite Skiel's superior attack power. Unfortunately, her hand did not contain a method for realizing one of those ways, but with these cards, there was a chance. "I... activate Salvage, returning Deep Sea Diva and Needle Guilman to my hand." She said mutely. "And then I activate Greedy Eel, returning Needle Guilman and Cryomancer of the Ice Barrier from my hand to the deck, in order to draw three cards." Back to four cards in hand, and blessedly, the one she had been hoping for. [spoiler=Salvage]Salvage SPELL / Normal Add 2 WATER monsters with an ATK of 1500 or less each in your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Greedy Eel]Greedy Eel SPELL / Normal Return 2 WATER monsters from your hand to your Deck and draw 3 cards.[/spoiler] "Here goes! I activate Miracle Fusion, in order to merge together the monsters in my Graveyard! Elemental Hero Ocean, Skreech! By fusing an Elemental Hero monster with a Water monster - be born, Elemental Hero Absolute Zero!" A violent, frozen gale picked up. Shillouetes of the blue-skinned, aquaborne stave-wielding superhero, and the gigantic eel, materialized briefly, to be absorbed in a whirling spiral. The tornado gave way to reveal a broad-shoudered, agile fighter, clad in pure white armor, and surrounded by a flurry of snow. [spoiler=Miracle Fusion]Miracle Fusion SPELL / Normal Banish, from your side of the field or your Graveyard, the Fusion Material Monsters that are listed on an "Elemental HERO" Fusion Monster Card, then Special Summon that Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon.)[/spoiler] [spoiler=Elemental Hero Ocean]Elemental Hero Ocean WATER / Warrior Level 4 1500/1200 Once per turn, during your Standby Phase, you can return 1 "HERO" monster from your side of the field or your Graveyard to its owner's hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Elemental Hero Absolute Zero]Elemental Hero Absolute Zero WATER / Warrior / Fusion Level 8 2500/2000 1 "HERO" monster + 1 WATER monster Must be Fusion Summoned and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. This card gains 500 ATK for each face-up WATER monster on the field, except "Elemental HERO Absolute Zero". When this card leaves the field: Destroy all monsters your opponent controls.[/spoiler] Azgalor remained impassive, even with the appearance of this new monster. "Not too bad." He commented. "Skiel can't absorb Fusion monsters, and if I get rid of that Hero of yours, my cards will be destroyed. But, it's not like you can attack me either. How do you plan to break this stalemate?" "It's simple - I'll send Absolute Zero off the field myself! I activate the Instant Spell card, Mask Change! With this card, I tribute Absolute Zero, in order to Special Summon a corresponding Masked Hero from the Extra Deck!" Absolute Zero's form slowly disintagrated as he was wrapped in a pillar of ice, as a glowing blue-colored mask materialized on its face. "Mask change!! Appear now, Masked Hero Acid!" [spoiler=Mask Change]Mask Change SPELL / Quick-Play Target 1 face-up "HERO" monster you control; send it to the Graveyard, then Special Summon 1 "Masked HERO" monster from the Extra Deck with the same Attribute.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Masked Hero Acid]Masked Hero Acid WATER / Warrior / Fusion Level 8 2600/2100 Must be Special Summoned with "Mask Change" and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. When this card is Special Summoned: Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards your opponent controls, and if you do, all monsters they control lose 300 ATK.[/spoiler] The Elemental Heroes were an old-fashioned archetype of superhero-themed monsters, with powers tailored after their individual attributes. Their most important victory pattern was Fusion, which allowed two or more of the individually weaker Heroes to combine into a powerful monster. The Fusion mechanic dropped radically in popularity when Synchro monsters came into the picture, however, the Elemental Hero archetype, though it wasn't updated with the new mechanic, continued enjoying expansion, joined by other types of 'Hero' monsters. The Mask Change that had just been used, allowed the exchange of a Hero monster on the field for a Masked Hero monster, and combining it with Absolute Zero's effect was a potent tactic. A masked warrior in tight blue-and-red hydraulic armor, brandishing a handgun, appeared in place of the replaced hero. "At this moment, the effect of Elemental Hero Absolute Zero activates, destroying all monsters you control! And then, the effect of Masked Hero Acid also activates, destroying all of your Spell and Trap cards!" "Nice try." Azgalor said darkly. "I activate Wrath of God, discarding one card to negate Absolute Zero's effect." If he had chained that card to Acid's effect, that would have also destroyed her monster, but Yuko noted that it was more important for Skiel to remain on the field. "And then, my second reverse card, Sky A-3. This tributes Skiel Attack, to Special Summon Skiel Attack 3 from my deck." [spoiler=Wrath of God]Wrath of God TRAP / Counter Discard 1 card. Negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect and destroy that Effect Monster.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Sky A-3]Sky A-3 TRAP / Normal ((Send 1 "Skiel Attack" you control to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 "Skiel Attack 3" from your hand, Deck or Graveyard.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Skiel Attack 3]Skiel Attack 3 WIND / Machine Level 3 1200/0 If you do not control a face-up "Machine Emperor" monster, destroy this card. Once per turn, you can select 1 face-up "Infinity" monster you control. Until the End Phase, that monster's ATK is halved, and it can attack your opponent directly.[/spoiler]The parts can upgrade? Yuko thought to herself as she watched the Machine Emperor's cannon be replaced by a larger version. The blizzard that had begun when Absolute Zero had fallen raged, but lightning fell from the sky, shattering the violent frozen winds. At the same time, two of the three targets for Acid's effect had disappeared. Her plan had netted her some advantage, but in the end, she was in just as much a predicament as before. "Still, Acid's effect destroys my own Brionac, that has been absorbed by your Machine Emperor!" The masked warrior shot a stream of acid from his weapon, which buried itself into the cavity in Skiel's stomach. The mechanical bird stirred, and from within its body, a stream of molten liquid fell. Yuko sighed. Skiel's power, raised temporarily by the replacement of the attack part, fell to 2400, below that of her Masked Hero. But Skiel Guard would block her attack. She sighed. She could still Normal Summon Deep Sea Diva, and use her effect to bring out a new monster. But even if she Synchro Summoned Divine Ocean Dragon Gishilnodon, and launched a combined offensive, her monster wouldn't be able to destroy the empowered Skiel, and it would be absorbed next turn. On the other hand, if she destroyed the annoying Skiel Guard... "I summon Deep Sea Diva." She said, steeling her voice. "And then I use her effect to Special Summon Sea Archer from my deck. Then, I use Sea Archer's effect to equip Deep Sea Diva to it, increasing its power to 2000." The new monster that appeared was an obviously combat-ready mermaid, riding a flying fish, and wielding a crossbow. Uncomfortably, the diva joined her atop her mount, and the two prepared for their joint attack. [spoiler=Sea Archer]Sea Archer WATER / Sea Serpent Level 3 1200/200 Once per turn, you can equip 1 Level 3 or lower monster you control to this card. If you do, this card gains 800 ATK. If this card would be destroyed, you can destroy the equipped monster instead. (You can only equip 1 monster at a time to this card.)[/spoiler] "Let's go! Acid attacks Machine Emperor Skiel!" "Skiel Guard negates that attack." Azgalor said dismissively, as his robot blocked the acid stream with a transparent forcefield. "Fine, but you can't keep using this forever!" Yuko snapped. "Sea Archer, take down his Skiel Guard!" The mermaid complied, firing a powerful shot that plowed right through Skiel's tail, which the thing used for defense. "Turn end." She said warily. With some degree of satisfaction, she noted that Azgalor's expression seemed a bit forced now. He was finally taking her seriously. Even though she had not managed to topple Skiel yet, she had backed her opponent into a corner with this turn. If she kept this up - " - that expression of yours, it seems you have gained some confidence. But allow me to assure you - such confidence is misplaced. Your situation has not changed even a tiny bit." He smirked. "A top class duelist cannot afford to allow his emotions to waver. Confidence is just as destructive as doubt. In the end, the gap that separates a true expert from an amateur that stumbled her way into the big league is not something you can conquer with some feeble effort like that. You are outclassed, miss Aurora, and I will prove this to you now." "T - try me!" Yuko snapped, trying to prevent her body from trembling. What Azgalor had voiced... weren't those her own thoughts? She should not be here, and it was obvious to everyone. Her mother... was she right? Had she been just playing around, wasting her time? Was it now time to pay for that irresponsible attitude? Her mind flashed to her duel with ZONE. How easily had she been outmatched, how badly had she been trounced. "You have begun to understand the weight of your failure, it seems." Azgalor said. "Let me put you out of your misery. I sacrifice Skiel Attack 3, in order to advance summon Skiel Attack 5!" The robot's cannon was upgraded once more into an even bulkier weapon, and the Machine Emperor's attack rose to 2600. [spoiler=Skiel Attack 5]Skiel Attack 5 WIND / Machine Level 5 1400/0 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Tributing 1 "Skiel Attack 3" you control. If you do not control a "Machine Emperor" monster, destroy this card. All "Machine Emperor" monsters you control can attack your opponent directly.[/spoiler] "Two reverse cards, and then - the effect of Skiel Attack 5. My Machine Emperor can now attack directly!" Yuko didn't even have time to scream. A flash of blue light, and she was reeling against the wall. Her body - she couldn't feel anything. Her senses were slipping away fast. Her vision blurred. She coughed, and gagged on her own blood. And as life quickly seeped away from her, the world blacked out.  Azgalor - LP: 12000Aurora - LP: 500 --- Azgalor remained still, watching his opponent's lifeless body. He was no longer capable of emotions, but if he had been, he'd have felt some pity for this girl who had found herself in the wrong place, at the wrong time. He shook his head. From the beginning, it had been like this. Cornelius Klein had approached him with an enticing job offer, which he had, a penniless, unemployed law student, gratefully accepted. For the better part of two years, he had helped with various testings in Duel International's virtual world. Oh, he had known, even back then, that something was wrong - when other testers disappeared without a trace, when his duels seemed to inflict real pain on his opponents, when the scent of wrongness, of murder, hung thick in the air, even inside this virtual environment. But it was convenient for him. He asked a few discreet questions, got a few vague answers, and that was it. He was simply doing a job, and getting paid for it. Even reaching the top of the European tournament - he was just, methodically, working his way to an end. And, when the world fell apart, he had finally mustered the courage to challenge his employers. But he had already been dismissed, thrown away, a tool that had outlived its usefulness, and he had quickly found himself in a state much similar to the girl in front of him, felled by the Machine Emperor. And the tool that was no longer willing to obey was now forced to obey. He did not care - not enough of his personality had remained to allow for such emotions. To the machine that had been Colt Barker, Azgalor, these were all facts of little importance. Even now, his only concern was to move on to the next opponent, mow everyone down, to seal Duel International's victory. But, casting one final glance at the fallen woman, a ghost of a thought -In the end, this was the wrong place and time for all of us. --- Takechi looked over his limited resources. Truthfully, the situation wasn't too bright. He had no monsters, a single card in his hand, and one reverse card, standing against the terrifying Machine Emperor Wisel. Normally, he'd be satisfied with this. He had done the best he could, and had almost gotten to the end. Even if he lost, even if he perished - if this was his limit, then he'd go with it to the end. With his reverse card, he had a chance at managing a breakneck victory, and if not that, he could at least go out with a bang. But... He stole a glance at the holographic projection.Time left: 1:19:37 Time was running out. He forced the display of the Aria Tower into focus. All of them, split into different floors, divided, struggling... he was not alone, in this. He could not afford to act as if it was only his fate at stake. That was why... "...even if it takes me a miracle, I will defeat you!" He shouted. Haderon stared at him without expression.Come on, I need something to work with here. "Draw!!" He smiled as he saw what he had pulled. "I activate Reinforcements of Light! I drop 3 cards from the top of my deck, to add a Lightlord monster from my deck to my hand!" Cards from the Lightlord deck might seem off-place in a deck based almost entirely around Fire monsters, such as Takechi's, but a select few of these cards had useful effects that allowed the user to send cards straight from his deck to the Graveyard, which was quite useful for the Flamvell and Laval card effects. [spoiler=Reinforcements of Light]Reinforcements of Light SPELL / Normal Send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. Add 1 Level 4 or lower "Lightlord" monster from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler]If my luck holds... he pulled out a card, and smiled broadly. "First, Laval Burning Verdant Temptress is sent to the Graveyard." Next... He scowled, as he dropped Black Hole. One more chance...Excellent. "I add Lightlord Magician Leila to my hand, and summon her to the field!" The white-clad sorceress appeared before him. "Leila's skill, by moving to defense mode, I can destroy one of your Spell or Trap cards - such as your reverse card!" Haderon scowled as his hidden card was shattered by a bolt of light from Leila's stave. Dark Shrine Bribery. [spoiler=Lightlord Magician Leila]Lightlord Magician Leila LIGHT / Spellcaster Level 4 1700/200 You can change this card from face-up Attack Position to face-up Defense Position and destroy 1 Spell or Trap Card your opponent controls. If you activate this effect, this card's battle position cannot be changed until the end of your next turn, except with a card effect. During each of your End Phases, send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "And now, I activate Raise Dead! The monster I revive... come forth, Laval Lord Judgment!!" [spoiler=Raise Dead]Raise Dead SPELL / Normal Special Summon 1 monster from either player's Graveyard to your side of the field.[/spoiler] The sacred cross appeared on the field, fires wrapping around it, until it transformed into a pillar of hellfire. The ground shook, and the flames converged and split, transforming into a giant, clad in a tattered red cape formed from the blaze. The beast's bronze skin seemed almost impervious, backed as it was by thick layers of armor. The leader of the Laval tribe released a fearsome war cry, causing the entire room to shake, as he fearlessly stared down the Machine Emperor. [spoiler=Laval Lord Judgment]Laval Lord Judgment FIRE / Warrior Level 7 2700/1800 Once per turn: You can banish 1 "Laval" monster from your Graveyard; inflict 1000 damage to your opponent. "Laval Lord Judgment" cannot declare an attack the turn this effect is activated.[/spoiler] "Even if you've summoned a strong monster, your attacks won't get through." Haderon noted coldly. "You are simply prolonging your demise." "My attacks may not get through, but I can still do this!" Takechi shouted. "Lord Judgment's effect! I remove Laval Burning Verdant Temptress from play - and then, you take 1000 points of damage!" The giant raised his arm. On his palm, a huge sphere of fire gathered. When the ball had grown to almost the size of the monster itself, the Laval Lord launched it forth like a projectile. Flames streaked across the field, ignoring the assembled Machine Emperor, and striking Haderon directly. The explosion forced Takechi to cover his eyes.  Vortexflame - LP: 1300Haderon - LP: 11000 "You... do you think 1000 points of damage makes any difference, at this point?" Haderon growled. The blast cleared, revealing him unharmed. "Maybe not." Takech admitted. Maybe not. But... Somehow, he felt that this turn had been important. "During the end phase, Leila sends the top 3 cards from my deck to the Graveyard." He knew he was hanging by a thread now - luck was all that was keeping him in the game. Luck, and his resolution. "Turn end." Haderon drew his next card slowly, examining it. "Do you understand why I didn't use Dark Shrine Bribery, to negate your Reinforcements of Light?" He asked. "You have been a worthy opponent, but your desperate, aimless strugglings are unsightly of a warrior. Farewell, Bando Takechi. I release Wisel Attack to Special Summon Wisel Attack 3." The robot's sturdy left sword-wielding arm was replaced by a new version, coated in a sturdy exoskeleton. Wisel's attack power rose to 2900. [spoiler=Wisel Attack 3]Wisel Attack 3 DARK / Machine Level 3 1400/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Wise Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Attack", "Skiel Attack", or "Grannel Attack" monster. "Machine Emperor" monsters you control inflict Piercing damage.))[/spoiler] "And now, the end. When armed with Wisel Attack 3, my Machine Emperor inflicts piercing damage. Therefore, the Lightlord Magician Leila you have carelessly placed on the field - annihilate her, Machine Emperor Wisel, and finish this battle!" It was now or never. Wisel charged forward, brandishing its sabre. Takechi ducked and rolled backwards, at the same time clicking his Duel Disk. Between him and the incoming monster, a ghostly warrior materialized, and though the much larger sword struck his black shield, the spectre stood its ground. Eventually, Wisel abandoned the effort and retreated, allowing Necro Gardna to dissolve into black mist. [spoiler=Necro Gardna]Necro Gardna DARK / Warrior Level 3 600/1300 Remove from play this card in your Graveyard to negate 1 attack this turn from a monster your opponent controls.[/spoiler] "You..." Haderon said angrily. "One card face-down... next turn, you won't be able to escape any more." "No." Takechi breathed, smiling. He jumped to his feet, eyes focused on the display next to him, which was now pulsing with a silver light. "No. Because right now..." --- Sugita was still dizzy from the impact and the explosion, struggling to keep himself upright. He was panting slightly. Jericho stood there like a statue, framed by the gigantic form of Machine Emperor Grannel, looking at him with ice-cold eyes. With her cracked skin and stiff posture, she seemed inhuman. But underneath that exterior... "You... why are you doing this?" He demanded. "The whole world is in danger... and you still obey them, for some petty grudge. If this keeps up, we will all die!" "Don't speak as if you can understand anything!" Jericho barked. "I'm sure you've had it easy, earning victory after victory, getting praised for every small thing, acknowledged for your achievements... but that was never enough, not for me. If there was even one person who was better, I was never good enough. No matter how much I won, I was nothing. So I had to win everything, no? Make sure that noone could stand above me. And this is my chance. I will destroy you first, then I will go after Fergusson - this time, I will prove that I am the strongest, even if the world burns for it!" With both fear and sorrow, Sugita stared at his deranged opponent. It is true that, even if he was one of the top players in Japan, he had never understood the lengths to which certain people would go to satisfy their thirst for competition. To him, Duel Monsters was always a way to enjoy himself, by challenging his intellect and tactics. To see people reduced to this state, simply because they had been denied victory..."...do you think I'm good at this game?" "Of course. Most likely, one of the best. Why do you ask?" The conversation had taken place around six months ago. Ryusaki Sugita and Iseya Yuko, who had become acquainted during the Element Cycle's finals, had met for the first time outside the virtual reality environment. After a cup of coffee and some idle talk, they had decided to sit on a park, and the conversation had inevitably shifted to Duel Monsters. Yuko seemed uncomfortable, avoiding to look Sugita in the eye. "Well... it's just my mother. She tells me I shouldn't be wasting my time with games... that they will get me nowhere. I got far in the Element Cycle but who's to say that I can do the same in the national tournament? It's different for someone like you... but for me, maybe..." "I don't think you are wasting your time." Sugita said, frowning. "As long as you do what you enjoy, it is not important whether you win or not. But I do think you have what it takes." Yuko smiled shyly. "Thanks." She whispered. The scene flashed, unwillingly, to the forefront of Sugita's mind. Back then... he hadn't been able to say what he should have said. And now... this woman, she was beyond his help. But that, which he had not said to Yuko... "I... I always took things lightly. My parents are both easygoing folks - they would not pressure me or anything. So yeah... it's no tlike I can understand your circumstances. But let me tell you one thing." His expression steeled, and he placed his hand on top of his deck.What do we fight for? Sugita had wondered this when he had learned the truth about this virtual reality from ZONE. To save the world... that's what he had thought back then. But - "Sometimes, we all have to face raised stakes. Whether it is a desire for glory, or chasing after a prize, or to be acknowledged, or even a morally inferior reason such as revenge, there comes a time when we cannot afford to just sit back and enjoy ourselves. Just like you, I have a reason to be here. Along with the companions that are fighting here with me, I will protect this world! And when the time comes that two people with a reason to win stand against each other, the thing that will determine the victor is the strength of our convictions, and our resolve to follow our path to the end!" "That was a nice speech, but the resolution of someone like you cannot be compared to mine." Jericho said, anger rising in her voice. "I have spent years chasing after my goal! I will trample anything that gets in my way!" "You're wrong!" Sugita retorted. "Because..." He glanced at the display next to him. "The resolve I carry, is not just my own!" Yuko, who was always unsure of herself, bravely made her resolve and came here... Takechi, always fighting with his own, fierce sense of honor, putting his pride on the line with every duel... Yenma, Christina, Kiishiro... Maya, Yuusuke, ZONE... everyone who is relying on once... "Yuko was wrong. Of all the people here, I was probably the most unsuitable to be part of this. Because I am a conservative person, who can only act after carefully thinking things through... I had my concerns about Duel International for a long time now, but I never acted on my worries. If I had, maybe things would have been different."But that's what it means to be part of a team. Everyone has their failings - and your allies can help you overcome them. "You have no idea what you're talking about." Jericho spat. "Right now, you stand alone - and it won't be long before you - ugh!" Suddenly, she caught her chest, her expression contorting in pain. Surprised, Sugita glanced upwards - her Life Point counter...  Gawain - LP: 4000Jericho - LP: 11000 I see. So, from the beginning, that's how it was. He sighed. Way to go, Takechi. He felt it had been his doing. With this, he no longer had any doubts. Now, there was only one thing to do. "Let's go!" He shouted, drawing his card. The time for holding back was over. "I tune Black Feather - Zephyros the Elite to Black Feather - Breeze the Zephyr! Synchro Summon! Come forth, Black Feather - Armored Wing!" [spoiler=Black Feather - Armored Wing]Black Feather - Armored Wing DARK / Winged Beast / Synchro Level 7 2500/1500 1 "Black Feather" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters This card cannot be destroyed by battle, and you take no Battle Damage from battles involving this card. If this card attacks a monster, you can place 1 Wedge Counter on that monster at the end of the Damage Step (max. 1). You can remove all Wedge Counters from your opponent's monsters to reduce the ATK and DEF of each monster that had a Wedge Counter to 0, until the End Phase.[/spoiler] "That monster..." Jericho muttered darkly, watching the black-coated winged beast take to the sky. Armored Wing's effect could bypass even Grannel's monstrous attack power. "I don't know what you're planning, but... Pitfall of Hades will Banish that creature instantly." [spoiler=Pitfall of Hades]Pitfall of Hades TRAP / Normal Activate only when your opponent Summons a monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK. Destroy and remove from play the monster(s).[/spoiler] Sugita realized something. Jericho had become wary. Until that point, she believed herself to be fully in control, to be leading the duel exactly as she desired. Now, this was not so. Whether it was the reduction in her Life Points, or Sugita's unexpected move, something had unsettled her. She was now paying attention, taking Sugita's moves into careful consideration, rather than sticking to her own tune. He smirked. This was exactly what he needed. "I respond with the Instant magic, Swallow's Nest! I release Armored Wing!" The black-winged warrior vanished in a storm of feathers. "And in its place, I can bring out a Winged Beast monster from my deck with an equal Level!" [spoiler=Swallow's Nest]Swallow's Nest SPELL / Quick-Play Tribute 1 face-up Winged Beast-Type monster you control to Special Summon 1 Winged Beast-Type monster from the Deck with the same Level as the Tributed monster.[/spoiler] "There are no Level 7 Black Feathers that you can Special Summon!" Jericho snapped. "Not Black Feathers, but there are other Winged Beasts. Like this." Sugita pulled out his chosen card and flipped it around. "Arise, Storm Shooter!" A bird with golden and green feathered wings wrapped around its body appeared from within the tornado. "Storm... Shooter...?" Jericho growled. "That thing..." [spoiler=Storm Shooter]Storm Shooter WIND / Winged Beast Level 7 2300/500 Once per turn, you can select and activate 1 of these effects: • Move this card to an adjacent unoccupied Monster Card Zone. • Return 1 Spell, Trap or Monster Card on your opponent's side of the field in the same column as this card to its owner's hand..[/spoiler] "Storm Shooter is a monster with two effects, and I can only activate one of them once each turn. The first effect lets it change the column it is positioned in. The second effect, and the more relevant one... lets it return a card that exists in the same column as itself to the hand. And as you've already noticed, Storm Shooter is placed on the very center of my formation - in the same place that your Machine Emperor exists!" Storm Shooter spread its wings, and a violent gale picked up. "Enough!" Jericho shouted over the wind. "I won't be done in by those pesky tricks! I activaet Grand C-3, releasing Grannel Carrier to Special Summon Grannel Carrier 3 from my deck! And once per turn, it can prevent my Machine Emperor from leaving the field!" Grannel's powerful lower body was replaced by an even more massive version armed with heavy spikes. "But that's not all! I also activate Grand C-5, releasing Grannel Carrier 3, to let me upgrade it to the final version! Come, Grannel Carrier 5!" The base was replaced by a monstrous armored compartment, sporting powerful defensive and offensive armaments. "Grannel Carrier 5 has the same effect as Carrier 3 - but when it activates it, it can trample over two of your monsters, obliterating them and dealing damage to you equal to half their total attack power!" With the added weight, the gale generated by Storm Shooter's wings was not enough to even budge the mechanical monstrosity. It instantly burst into motion, rushing forward and annihilating Storm Shooter and the final Reborn Tengu. Sugita screamed as the shockwaves from the impact slashed into him, knocking him back. He stood up trembling, hesitantly touching the deep wounds that had appeared on his chest. [spoiler=Grand C-3]Grand C-3 TRAP / Normal Tribute 1 "Grannel Carrier" you control. Special Summon 1 "Grannel Carrier 3" from your hand, Deck or Graveyard.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Grannel Carrier 3]Grannel Carrier 3 EARTH / Machine Level 3 1000/400 ((You can Special Summon this card from your hand by Tributing 1 "Grannel Carrier" you control. Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Carrier", "Skiel Carrier", or "Grannel Carrier" monster. Once per turn, if a monster you control would leave the field, it does not leave the field.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Grand C-5]Grand C-5 TRAP / Normal Tribute 1 "Grannel Carrier 3" you control. Special Summon 1 "Grannel Carrier 5" from your hand, Deck or Graveyard.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Grannel Carrier 5]Grannel Carrier 5 EARTH / Machine Level 5 1200/600 ((You can Special Summon this card from your hand by Tributing 1 "Grannel Carrier 3" you control. Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Carrier", "Skiel Carrier", or "Grannel Carrier" monster. Once per turn, if a monster you control would leave the field, it does not leave the field. If you activate this effect, destroy up to 2 monsters your opponent controls, and deal damage to your opponent equal to half their combined ATK.))[/spoiler]  Gawain - LP: 2000Jericho - LP: 11000 "Now your field is empty again!" Jericho gloated. "You are left with nothing! What do you think you can do?" "..." Sugita looked at the last card in his hand. Then he looked at the field. With this... "The stage is set." He said simply. "I've made you use up all the cards in your back row... and Grannel Carrier 5's effect helped me out greatly. Now all that's left..."Is to bet on a miracle. "I activate Jar of Avarice, returning Storm Shooter, Breeze the Zephyr, and my three Reborn Tengu to the deck." He said, shuffling the indicated monsters back. "Then, I can draw twice." Before Jericho's enraged stare, he added two new cards to his hand. "And now..."Takechi, Yuko. Stay strong. Together, we will do this. "I activate Foolish Burial, sending Black Feather - Vayu the Emblem of Honor to the Graveyard!" He declared. A brief image of the tiny smartly-dressed bird appeared, before vanishing into the shadows. [spoiler=Foolish Burial]Foolish Burial SPELL / Normal Send 1 Monster Card from your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Black Feather - Vayu the Grand Flag]Black Feather - Vayu the Grand Flag DARK / Winged Beast / Tuner Level 1 800/0 If this card is face-up on the field, you cannot use it for a Synchro Summon. If this card is in your Graveyard, you can remove from play this card plus 1 non-Tuner "Black Feather" monster in your Graveyard, and Special Summon 1 "Black Feather" Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck whose Level equals the total Levels of the removed monsters. The effect(s) of that Synchro Monster is negated.[/spoiler] "And now that Vayu has been buried in the Graveyard... I can Banish it, along with the Armored Wing that rests there, to Special Summon a new Synchro monster!" Vayu reappeared, a giant black emblem forming under its body. The small creature turned into a single black ring, followed by Armored Wing, which dissipated into an array of seven stars. "Descend from the jet-black skies! Black Feather - Lone Silver Wind!!" [spoiler=Black Feather - Lone Silver Wind]Black Feather - Lone Silver Wind DARK / Winged Beast / Synchro Level 8 2800/1500 1 "Black Feather" Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can select and destroy up to 2 face-up monsters on the field with DEF lower than this card's ATK. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this effect. The next time a "Black Feather" monster you control would be destroyed by battle during your opponent's turn, it is not destroyed; this effect only happens once.[/spoiler] The glorious winged beast, sporting black-and-gold armor-like plume, and brandishing its long rapier, smoothly flew down from the vortex, taking a fearless stance. And with this...Let's go. [/spoiler]    Also, a general question: I'm considering putting up duel transcripts after each chapter, where I basically go through each duel turn-by-turn (like the wiki does for episodes, for example). Do you guys think that would be helpful? I already almost do that anyway, since I keep the flow of the duel around in my notes. I have a feeling that certain duels might be really confusing. There's no way I'm going back to do that for every duel in the story of course, just the new ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Finally... :) Â Read Chapters 53 and 53 today, and then got onto the new material. I know how much of a bane this duel/extra chapter has been for you, so I'm delighted to say quite honestly that the final product was good. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to help more and sooner with it. Couldn't care less about the change to QA Scarecrow, it was needed and the duel was great. Takechi and Sugita I think, and it's probably the benefit of being supporting cast that I find is often enjoyed over the leads, to be developed and interesting than say Kiishiro and Yuusuke at this point. Your duels, I know you've been worrying about them over the passing of time, but they are unpredictable, on the edge with finish/counter/reversal/finish/counter and so many extraordinary and outside-the-box moves, like the winning play with Creation Resonator and Quill of Gusto, will always be superior to mine. Dunkan, as always, is evil bastard supreme. Â I'm still not the greatest fan of Yuko, more out of personal preference. The only thing I was kinda wtf about was the end segment with Sugita looking up disappearing people. The existance of such a site is not unreasonable and is something that is probably well-known to everyone except me to exist, but what exactly was his search criteria to find all these people definitely linked to Duel International? It just... I dunno... all seemed a bit convenient to get something like all that up, maybe? Â But that's a small note; overall the finale of this mini-arc was great, and now you can finally be at peace. It's done! You've finished it. The Element Cycle that has been such a monstrous f***ing hurdle is complete and you can move on now. That alone is worth comendment. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted January 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 Thanks Matt, it's great to have a consistent voice around. I'm glad you liked the extra chapter; you of all people knows best what a pain that one has been. Â I... think Yuko would've come across better in general if this chapter had been pushed earlier, to around the end of the fifth arc (as was originally planned, before it decided it didn't want to be written until like a year later). On the other hand I feel this worked better for the other two, so ah well. And Dunkan plans ahead... a lot. You will soon find out just how much. Â Sugita didn't find any definitive evidence, but when a person dies / disappears and an investigation opens up, the police / homicide / federal agency / whoever's in charge of it will typically look into the victim's connections, contacts etc and record them. Even if they don't find evidence linking those contracts to the death / disappearance and the case is closed, records of that investigation will remain. What Sugita discovered was that a lot of people who mysteriously vanished over a certain period of time had some sort of link to Duel International - this wouldn't be something one could find unless he knew what he was looking for, and of course it'd way too vague to make a compelling case, which was why Sugita didn't really act on his suspicions. Â Meanwhile, the show must go on as they say, so behold, Chapter 66, which brings the first half of the arc to a close: Â Â [spoiler=Chapter 66] Chapter 66: Trigger of Tragedy "Did you feel that?" Christina said suddenly, turning to Yenma. The boy's attention was split between Abraham Lee, who was standing impassively before them, and the gray signal that had began pulsing from their holographic projectors. "Sugita used that card..." Yenma breathed. "That means... the others are fighting already." "Let's pray for them." Christina whispered. Yenma nodded, and the two teens held out their hands, where the marks of the Crimson Dragon shone fiercely. Seeing their resolve, Lee couldn't help but smile. --- Having finally managed to shake off most of the Cataphracts chasing after him, Kiishiro was slumped against a wall, trying to catch his breath. He was getting nowhere... he needed a plan. But, just as he decided he should get a move on again, something drew his attention. The alert ZONE had set to allow some form of contact between the group, in the event that they got separated, had begun ringing. Kiishiro recognized Sugita's gray-colored identifier. "They're fighting..." He muttered. He lifted his hand - the red mark, which had faded to a pale shade, was now glowing brightly, and he felt Christina's and Yenma's signs resonating with his. The flow of emotions that they shared through this peculiar bond intensified. He sensed their anxiety, their fear, their helplessness... but also, their hope. Their determination. And their desire to see it all through to the end, along with everyone. And, even though he knew that should be impossible... he felt as if that bond stretched, enveloping all of them - Takechi, Yuko and Sugita, and even Maya and Yuusuke. He shook his head. Getting distracted like that would lead him nowhere. Ignoring the radiant mark on his arm, he stalked through a corridor, trying to find his way up to the next floor. --- "It has begun." Yuusuke muttered. They were enveloped in complete darkness, making their way through an abyssal corridor, with the only illumination coming from their projectors. In this oppressive void, it felt as if even a remotely loud sound could attract lethal danger. "Sugita's pulled out his ace monster already... what do you think?" Maya's pace stiffened. "They will do what they must." She said sternly. "And we will do the same. Our paths are different now, but in the end, we are all fighting against the same enemy." She looked at the clock display.Time left: 1:13:21We all have to do our best... Suppressing the dread of encroaching doom, the pair pressed on. --- "...so, that's how it is." Takechi smirked, looking at the indicator. "This guy, I knew I could rely on him." "What is going on?" Haderon demanded, eyeing the gray pulse warily. Instead of responding, though, Takechi snatched a card out of his deck. "This is the end! By paying half my Life Points, I activate my face-down card, Return from the Different Dimension!" He winced as his diminishing Life counter fell even further. "With this, I can bring forth any monsters I choose that I have removed from play!" [spoiler=Return from the Different Dimension]Return from the Different Dimension TRAP / Normal Pay half your Life Points. Special Summon as many of your removed from play monsters as possible. During the End Phase, remove from play all monsters that were Special Summoned by this effect.[/spoiler] Â Vortexflame - LP: 650Haderon - LP: 11000 "Dream on!" Haderon snarled. "I chain my second Dark Shrine Bribery, negating this effect!" [spoiler=Dark Shrine Bribery]Dark Shrine Bribery TRAP / Counter Negate the activation of an opponent's Spell or Trap Card and destroy it. Your opponent draws 1 card.[/spoiler] "...but on the flip side, I get to draw a card." Takechi muttered. Come on, now! I need a miracle... no! Something that transcends a miracle!! Eyes shut, he pulled the card out - "I - impossible! To draw that, with this timing!!" Haderon exclaimed. Takechi glanced at the card in his hand. Pureflame Eruption... "The monsters you can summon from your Graveyard..." Haderon quickly clicked on a few panels, then instantly regained his composure. "None. Even if you drew that card, you still have no way to use it!" "...then, what if I do this?" Takechi quietly placed the second card he had been holding, and Haderon froze, eyes latched onto the card that appeared. "You... very well." He sighed. "I was wrong about you, all along." "I activate Burial from the Different Dimension!" Takechi shouted. "And then, Pureflame Eruption! I return Laval Magma Artillery, Laval Burning Verdant Temptress, and Laval Lady of the Burning Lake to the Graveyard, and then Special Summon all of them to the field!" A black-hooded girl appeared through a sphere of flame, joined shortly by the flare-haired maiden and the rock golem equipped with the volcanic cannons from before. Now... [spoiler=Burial from the Different Dimension]Burial from the Different Dimension SPELL / Quick-Play Select up to 3 Monster Cards that are removed from play, and return them to their owners' Graveyard.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Pureflame Eruption]Pureflame Eruption SPELL / Normal Special Summon from your Graveyard as many FIRE monsters as possible with 200 DEF. During the End Phase, remove from play all monsters that were Special Summoned by this effect.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Laval Burning Verdant Temptress]Laval Burning Verdant Temptress FIRE / Pyro / Tuner Level 2 300/200 When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard: All face-up "Laval" monsters you currently control gain 200 ATK for each "Laval" monster in your Graveyard, until the End Phase.[/spoiler] "I Tune the Level 4, Lightlord Magician Leila, to the Level 2, Laval Burning Verdant Temptress! And the Level 4, Laval Magma Artillery, to the Level 3, Laval Lady of the Burning Lake! Double Synchro Summon!!" He pulled out two cards - one of them blazed a searing crimson. The whole chamber rumbled, and the ground cracked to reveal a sheet of illusory magma beneath. The four monsters sank into the sea of fire, where two large horizontal black shapes formed, depicting two series of two and three overlapping circles respectively, each one crossed by four stars. "Flamvell Urquizas, and Laval Stellaid!!" The steel-skinned, heavily-armored warrior with the fiery fists appeared, confidently glaring at Haderon's monster. And next to him, a new creature was born - a towering golem crafted from pale blue granite, pyramid-shaped spikes protruding from its body, which was augmented by pieces of heavy armor. [spoiler=Flamvell Urquizas]Flamvell Urquizas FIRE / Pyro / Synchro Level 6 2100/400 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent. This card gains 300 ATK each time it inflicts Battle Damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Laval Stellaid]Laval Stellaid FIRE / Pyro / Synchro Level 7 2700/1800 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner FIRE monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned: Send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard. During either player's turn, when this card is targeted by a card effect: You can banish 1 "Laval" monster from your Graveyard; negate the activation, and if you do, destroy the targeting card.[/spoiler] "Verdant Temptress activates her effect, which increases the power of my Laval monsters by the amount of Laval monsters in my Graveyard, times 200. Right now I have 3 Laval monsters in the Graveyard, so both Laval Stellaid and Lord Judgment gain 600 points, to a total of 3300!" --- "...what the?" Azgalor, who had almost left the chamber, turned around. Near his victim's unmoving body, a single gray mark was pulsing, hovering above her like a beacon of energy. Soon, a second sphere formed, this one pure red. And before his shocked eyes, light blue and white threads suddenly began forming around the girl, expading into a net-like pattern... Yuko stirred. Where there had been no feeling, now pain was shooting through her body. She wanted to give up, to faint, to surrender to the agony... with great effort, she forced her eyes open - and cried out in shock. Her body, which had been almost completely incinerated by Skiel's laser shots... icy tendrils of white and blue were wrapping around her, flowing through the injured areas. Where they touched, a numbing cold overcame the pain. The blood flow lessened and ceased as her arteries were frozen, and the scorch marks disappeared. Soon she realized that she could even move the injured areas.What... is this? She did not give voice to her thoughts. But, clouded as her mind and vision was, she noticed two things. First, the gray orb next to her. Sugita... he was fighting. Second, Azgalor's Life Points had dropped to 11000. But, as she tried to puzzle her way through these circumstances, Azgalor interrupted her thoughts. "I don't know what kind of miracle allowed you to recover, but enough is enough. This fight is over. I don't know how your friends managed the impossible, but you will surrender now - or, the next blow will take your life." "W - who would..." Yuko managed to raise herself to her feet. She still felt nauseous, but she held her ground. In the end... "We are all together in this... I will... stand by my team." Shaky fingers pulled a card out of her deck. Azgalor shook his head. "I warned you. Make your move - but it will be your last." "I activate... Limit Rebirth!" She breathed. "This revives... a monster with 1000 or less attack from my Graveyard... I target Preacher of the Ice Barrier!" A bearded priest coated in a blue cloak and hood, holding a wooden stuff with a crystal snowflake on the tip, appeared on the field. [spoiler=Limit Rebirth]Limit Rebirth TRAP / Continuous Select 1 monster with 1000 or less ATK from your Graveyard, and Special Summon it in Attack Position. If that monster is changed to Defense Position, destroy it and this card. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Preacher of the Ice Barrier]Preacher of the Ice Barrier WATER / Aqua Level 2 1000/4 Â If you control a face-up "Ice Barrier" monster, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). You cannot Special Summon any Level 5 or higher monsters the turn you use this effect. You can Tribute this card to target 1 "Ice Barrier" monster in your Graveyard, except "Prior of the Ice Barrier"; Special Summon that target.[/spoiler] "Then... if I release Preacher... I can Special Summon an Ice Barrier monster from the Graveyard. With this... I revive Strategist of the Ice Barrier. And then, I Normal Summon... Water Reflection of the Ice Barrier..." [spoiler=Water Reflection of the Ice Barrier]Water Reflection of the Ice Barrier WATER / Aqua / Tuner Level 2 1200/800 If the only face-up monsters you control are Level 2 or lower monsters, this card can attack your opponent directly.[/spoiler] "Those three monsters..." Azgalor muttered. "Impossible - !"You... you were the one who saved me, weren't you? As Yuko held the card in her hand, she felt a warm, blue light radiate into her heart. Rather than just install a signal pulse in them, ZONE had instilled, to the best of his ability, a transcendent element in those cards, which also connected them to one another, turning them into lesser phantasms. It's time... "I tune... Level 4, Strategist, and Level 3, Sea Archer... to Level 2, Water Reflection!" The world turned to ice. The room froze instantly, the air crystallizing into snow, and then hail. The flaring wind turned into a blizzard, an arctic typhoon, concentrating all the frost in one spot. Two large rings, carved as if from frozen sapphires, burst into existence, and seven glowing spheres of frost filed through them. The structure exploded into a pillar of ice, the shadow of a giant creature visible within. Cracks appeared on the monolith's surface, and with a violent explosion, it shattered completely. The unsealed behemoth stirred, landing on two thick, powerful legs. It was a dragon - although, the word did not seem to describe it correctly. Scales and wings of frozen steel, heavy armor covering its three serpentine heads and its torso. The blizzard seemed to give way before the descent of this monster, whirling around it like a protective barrier. This was Trishula, the final dragon and guardian of the Ice Barrier - a monster with the ability to control winter itself. [spoiler=Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier]Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier WATER / Dragon / Synchro Level 9 2700/2000 1 Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned, you can activate this effect to remove from play up to one card each from your opponent's hand, field and Graveyard. (The card in the hand is chosen at random.)[/spoiler] "Trishula's... skill!" Yuko breathed, raising her hand. The three-headed beast roared with arctic fury. "Skiel Infinity is removed from the game!" "Foolish! You think I haven't prepared myself for something like this... Trap, open! Imperial Iron Wall!" Though Trishula released a stream of frost forward, a huge granite wall appeared before Skiel, absorbing the attack. "Trishula's entire effect falls apart!" [spoiler=Imperial Iron Wall]Imperial Iron Wall TRAP / Continuous Cards cannot be removed from play.[/spoiler] "Fine." Yuko said. "Then... Masked Hero Acid, take down Skiel!" "The Machine Emperor will not fall so easily! I activate Call of the Living Dead, reviving Skiel Guard, and negating your attack!" "But, I still have one attack left!" Yuko's words came out in labored breaths. "Trishula..." Heeding the wordless order, the creature reared its heads, prepared to unleash the final strike. Azgalor grinned. "You fell for it! My last card - Sky C-3! This upgrades Skiel Carrier to Skiel Carrier 3! With Skiel Carrier 3, I could negate your attack, but why bother? Skiel Carrier has 600 attack points, and since the Machine Emperor's power is equal to the sum of its parts, this places Skiel's attack to 2800!" [spoiler=Sky C-3]Sky C-3 TRAP / Normal ((Send 1 "Skiel Carrier" you control to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 "Skiel Carrier 3" from your hand, Deck or Graveyard.))[/spoiler] [spoiler=Skiel Carrier 3]Skiel Carrier 3 WIND / Machine Level 3 600/0 ((This card cannot be Summoned except by the effect of "Sky Core". Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" monster. You can only control 1 "Wisel Carrier", "Skiel Carrier", or "Grannel Carrier" monster. Once per turn, when a monster you control is selected as an attack target, you can negate the attack.))[/spoiler] The Machine Emperor charged its cannons, preparing to counterattack. The great ice dragon reared its heads, howling at its empowered opponent. However, with the difference in their powers reversed... Skiel's cannon launched a stream of almost solid light, ripping apart the air. The burst struck Trishula, followed by a huge explosion... "...looks like, I was right." The light from the blast disappeared. Azgalor's eyes first narrowed in suspicion, and then widened in shock. "H - how can you - ?!" Iseya Yuko was still standing in front of him, and more importantly, so was her dragon. Other than the grey light that had lit up beside her, a red one had also flashed into existence. Sugita, Takechi... all three of them, all seven of them, Yuko could feel their resolutions beat as one. "Instant magic card, Shrink." Yuko sighed. "I target one of your monsters, and its original attack power is halved." "But the Machine Emperor's original attack is zero... unless - " Azgalor growled in outrage. "No!" "That's right. The Machine Emperor will always have power equal to the sum of its parts, so even if its the middle of battle, if the attack of one of the part changes, so will the unified monster's..." Skiel Attack 5 dropped to 700 attack, and respectively, Skien Infinity to 2100. Trishula roared. Three sets of eyes concentrated on the target, blazing with sapphire flames. "This... what I can do right now... even if I'm not suited for it, even if I'm too weak, I will try my best to do it. Trishula..." Flames burst in the three gaping jaws, flames that were not crimson, but a crystal white, and were not hot, but cold like the heart of winter. The three breaths struck simultaneously. The air around Skiel spiralled into a blizzard. "No!" Azgalor shouted, watching his Emperor as its robotic body, unable to break free of the frozen tempest, was slowly encased in a pillar of ice. "No! I will... I cannot lose - !!" Snarling, he leapt forward. Yuko cried out - if he attacked her physically now, in this state... Trishula shot a spike-shaped icicle from its central mouth. The attack speared through the frozen tomb that had surrounded the Machine Emperor. An enormous blast rattled the entire chamber. And in front of Yuko's frightened eyes, frozen metal shards flung forward, spearing through Azgalor's chest. Â Azgalor - LP: 10400Aurora - LP: 500 "..." Azgalor wavered, crimson spreading through his ornate clothes. He coughed, spitting blood. With unfocused eyes, he tried to find Yuko's gaze. "You have a lot of fight in you, girl..." He muttered hoarsely. "Even if you look pretty timid... you exceeded my expectations, by far..." He choked on his blood, falling onto his knees. With trembling hands, he removed the blood-stained icicles from his body - but it was too late. "Aaah... so stupid." He chuckled weakly. "I'm kicking the bucket here, and my only regret is that I didn't get to see this through to the end... Aurora, no, Iseya Yuko... you were..." Azgalor stretched out his hand. Yuko was still far away, of course, but with his fading sight, he thought she was within his reach. To stretch his hand out, and to grasp her own. To feel it again... the enjoyment of a duel against... "...a worthy... opponent..." A strong wind blowed, and the duelist's body began slowly disintegrating into particles. Clenching her hands to her chest, Yuko watched as his remains drifted away into nothingness. --- Takechi looked at the azure glow dancing next to him, as Haderon's Life Points dropped marginally. Yuko... you did it. He smiled. Then, I, too... Â Vortexflame - LP: 650Haderon - LP: 10400 Haderon stared at the three formidable monsters Takechi had summoned thoughtfully. He had probably realized, like Takechi had, that this was most likely - "Urquizas, attack Wisel Guard 3!" Takechi ordered. The flame giant struck the defensive shield of the Machine Emperor with its burning fist. "Once per turn, Wisel Guard 3 will not be destroyed by battle." Haderon explained. But even as the weapon persevered, flames burst through, scorching Haderon. "Urquizas inflicts piercing battle damage!" Â Vortexflame - LP: 650Haderon - LP: 10300 "And now Lord Judgment, burn Wisel Guard down!" The creature raised its hand, and a sphere of white-hot flame surged forward, completely incinerating Wisel's defensive right arm. "With this, your Machine Emperor's defenses are gone!" "..." Haderon ducked to avoid the flames spilling over from the assault. He locked his eyes to Takechi's. "...tell me. What drives you?" He asked suddenly. "What is it that pushes you so far, even against these odds?" Takechi considered. What was his motivation? Certainly, the desire to help out his friends. To save the world. Those were his reasons for fighting. But why he would stand up again and again, why was he incapable of giving up, what fueled the fire that raged inside him, leading him to the method to stay true to those reasons and accomplish his goals... "...it's the words, 'you can't do it'." He admitted. Haderon nodded. "Stellaid!" The fused monster which he had chosen as his signature card pulsed, and Takechi's feelings burst through it, through the invisible connection he had to the others. The pyramid-shaped emblem attached to the center of its chest ignited. "Machine Emperor Wisel Infinity... incinerate it!!" A tornado of fire burst forth from Stellaid's body. The flames expanded, blazing forth. As soon as the Machine Emperor's metal skin came into contact with them, it began melting, disintegrating into liquid steel. "What are you doing?" Takechi demanded. Haderon was not moving an inch from where he was standing. And as the body of the Machine Emperor melted down, the searing hot metal rained down. "Move!" "No." In the face of his impending demise, Haderon did not budge. "One way or another, this is the end for me. Throughout my life, many things were taken away from me, Bando Takechi. But even now that my own consciousness has been stripped away...I have not given up on my pride. Even if it's death, I'll face it standing." In front of Takechi's astonished eyes, the molten metal licked his opponent's body. Haderon didn't move. He didn't scream. He simply stood there and looked at Takechi, a satisfied expression etched in his face, as his existence was burned away. ---Five years ago Liberty Tower. It was one of the most famous Duel Fields in the entire American server. Its design was certainly worthy of its reputation. A crystal-clear blue sky, a radiant sun shining directly in the middle, stretching over a single, tall ivory spire, the tower for which the field was named after. The top of the tower, a good fifty meters above ground level, was where the dueling arena was situated. Underneath, vast expanses of lush greenland reached out as far as the eye could see. The building itself was seemingly built of alabaster marble. No effort had been spared to make it as visually impressive as possible. Statues of angels, demons, monsters and men were carved alongside its smooth, lean body, some stretching out into the sky, others intertwined in a frozen, eternal battle. The figures were in line with the theme of the tower. An everlasting struggle to reach the top, which promised the greatest reward - freedom. No matter who you had to trample on to get there. Everyone desired freedom, because everyone was enslaved to something. Physical slavery was a thing of the past, but mankind was never meant to be free. Therefore, in lieu of enslaving themselves to other humans, they found other things to call masters: money, food, power, love, hate, fame, ideals. It was no more than the sad truth of a fake world. The hidden meaning was fairly ironic, when you considered what truly made this field unique. The Liberty Tower had been constructed for one purpose only, and that was to house the finals of the continental tournament. The ones who now stood at its peak were the two who had managed to overcome all obstacles, conquer all the hundreds of competitors who, from all over the American server, had fought for these very spots. Much like the figures depicted on its walls, there had been hundreds struggling to reach that top. But the top wasn't liberty. No, at the top, what awaited was one more fight. The loser would plummet, and the higher you climbed, the farther you fell. And the winner? The winner would be condemned to stand at that top, stranded in the solitude of perfection, until someone else reached that lofty height and knocked them, too, off the edge. "You look too skeptical, my friend. Cheer up. This is a rather important moment." Abraham Lee felt the hand of his direct superior, Gregory Dunkan, the president of Duel International's American branch and, unofficially, the entire company, clasp his shoulder. He sighed. The finals were about to begin. He glanced at the three-dimensional holographic projection of the field that was displayed in front of them with uncanny realism. None of his dark thoughts seemed to be crossing the minds of the two finalists, each of whom had an entirely different philosophy regarding battles. For Firesoul, namely Adam Fergusson, they were a way to express himself, to show off, to have fun. At least, on the surface, he hardly seemed to be taking things seriously, and always seemed to enjoy himself, no matter the stakes. Lee had met him in person twice so far, and more times in the virtual reality, and he had sensed a serious undertone underneath that carefree persona. However, it didn't feel as if his attitude was a facade. It was difficult to explain, but Lee felt Fergusson hid many more secrets than he let on. For Jericho, it was completely different. Phoebe Dale cared neither for showing off nor for having fun, it seemed. She was focused only on victory. Conquering the next objective, climbing the next step. All that mattered to her was to stand at the top, where she believed she belonged. She fought to be recognized, to be praised. Concepts such as sportsmanship were lost to her, because they were unneeded. She wasn't competing. She was fighting. In other words, a person who views what should be a hobby as a battlefield. The almost tragic irony was not lost to him. Between these two, at first glance, it would seem Jericho was investing much more into her victory. When two people at such a level, with roughly equal skills, fought, what determined the outcome would be luck, determination, and resolve. Then, it could be said that Jericho was the favored contender... however, Lee wouldn't be so quick to place a bet. There was more to Fergusson. A hidden layer lurking under his flippant personality, that may just contain the qualities needed to achieve victory. One way or the other, the result would be revealed soon. The duel had lasted quite a while, the lead constantly switching hands in a long sequence of turnarounds. But as the turns went by, the number of cards and Life Points dwindled, and the winner would be decided soon. Â Jericho - LP: 2800Firesoul - LP: 1600 "You're not making it past this round, Fergusson." Jericho sneered, her voice stone cold. Her black eyes regarded him haughtily - a prey who did not deserve any form of sympathy. However, Fergusson seemed to be taking this in stride. He smiled at her. "Bring it!" He challenged. At the moment, on Firesoul's field there was one reverse monster, and two reverse cards on the back row. He held two cards in his hand. Jericho, on the other hand, had no monsters and only one reverse card on the field, while her hand contained four cards. However, she had been setting things up for quite a while, and the situation would soon turn in her favor. Her opponent was using a flamboyant Duel Disk, laced in crimson and gold. She, on the other hand, had opted to use one of the rare replacement items, instead. The Eye of Horus, a golden pendant with a black opal gemstone engraved in its center, was tied around the top of her head. It was supposed to allow the wearer to commune with spirits and demanded their obedience. One of the trinkets that was accessible only by high-ranked players, it was a way to show off their prowess. The fact of the matter was, Duel Disks weren't really needed to duel in the virtual reality. They simply served as an interface for inputting commands, but everything else happened "behind the scenes", so to speak. Items such as the Eye of Horus or the Rod of Dominion merely replaced that interface with a direct link. Therefore, Jericho's four cards were now arrayed in front of her, their backs facing Fergusson, and all she had to do was mentally make the appropriate decisions. The system would then interpret her commands automatically. The concept was easier to understand when one considered that everything that happened in this virtual world was a result of 'thought interpretation', the brain sending electronic signals to the server, which then translated them into actions and movements. This was nothing different. One of the four cards was flipped around at Jericho's will, revealing a Spell card that depicted a futuristic city being obliterated by some form of energy pulse, while the sky was dominated by a massive, flat hexagon-shaped image, filled with peculiar patterns like a bizarre carpet. Immediately, the same pattern spread across the sky above them, hiding the blaring sun and covering the field in an ominous twilight. "Ritual Spell card, End of the World." She said, smirking maliciously. "I suppose I don't have to explain... I offer Ritual Offering from my hand as a sacrifice." A strange black bird with a large, but almost flat body and two disproportionally small wings, two golden, laughing face masks carved on either side of where its head should be, materialized before her, flying into the center of the hexagon. "If I'm Ritual Summoning a Dark monster, I can use Ritual Offering as the entire sacrifice regardless of level. However, I want to offer another one... from my Graveyard, Ritual Devil Disserere." A small fat devil wielding a six-pronged shield with a skull in its midst appeared, surrounded by a ghostly white aura, similarly flying to the center of the giant ritual spell. [spoiler=End of the World]End of the World SPELL / Ritual This card can be used to Ritual Summon "Goddess of Destruction, Ruin", or "King of the End, Demise". You must also Tribute monsters from the field or your hand whose total Levels equal the Level of the Ritual Monster you are attempting to Ritual Summon.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Ritual Offering]Ritual Offering DARK / Fiend Level 1 300/300 If you Ritual Summon a DARK Ritual Monster, this 1 card can be used as the entire Tribute.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Ritual Devil Disserere]Ritual Devil Disserere DARK / Fiend Level 1 200/200 When you Ritual Summon a Ritual Monster, you can remove from play this card from your Graveyard as 1 of the monsters required for the Ritual Summon. The monster Ritual Summoned using this card is not affected by Trap Cards.[/spoiler] "Ritual Devil Disserere can be used as a sacrifice for a Ritual by removing it from play while it is in the Graveyard." Jericho explained to Firesoul, who was listening warily. "It may seem like a waste when Ritual Offering already gives me the required releases for what I intend to summon... but Disserere has a useful ability. When it is sacrificed, the Ritual Summoned monster is bestowed with a boon... complete immunity to all Trap cards!" "No matter what you do, you cannot stop this..." She raised her hand to the sky, and a gigantic pillar of blue light exploded from the center of the ritual, smashing down into the tower terrace in front of her. "The end is now... and with it, the devil of armageddon appears! Descend! King of the End, Demise!" The blue light slowly subsided, turning into a mass of azure flames that wrapped around a black shape that slowly rose from the impact. It was a creature coated in black armor, sporting white guards over the arms. It was twice as tall as Jericho, possessing a demonic skull-shaped face, and wielding a giant axe. [spoiler=King of the End, Demise]King of the End, Demise DARK / Fiend / Ritual Level 8 2400/2000 This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card, "End of the World". You can pay 2000 Life Points to destroy all cards on the field, except this card.[/spoiler] Fergusson whistled. "That was quite the summoning sequence! I'm impressed!" "You won't be so happy after this." Jericho snarled. "I activate the effect of Demise! By paying 2000 Life Points, I can destroy everything on the field, except Demise himself! And without your cards, there is nothing to stop Demise from attacking directly, which will drain away whatever few Life Points you have left! Do it, Demise!" The demon roared, raising his axe. Waves of raw energy began tearing the ground apart, similar to what was depicted in the Ritual card. The entire tower began shaking violently, and it seemed as if the very rock under their feet would collapse under the pressure. Â Jericho - LP: 800Firesoul - LP: 1600 ...however, Firesoul simply stood there, unfazed. "That was quite the plan." He said appraisingly. "By using Disserere, you ensured I could not stop Demise with a Trap card... that would, indeed, make things a little awkward..." "...if I was relying on a Trap card, that is..." He winked at Jericho who, enraged, watched as one of his face-down cards turned upwards. "I activate Forbidden Chalice! This card increases Demise's attack points by 400, but for the turn, it loses all of its effects!" Golden chains wrapped themselves around the demon's axe, who howled in vain as he tried to free it. The destruction subsided, diminishing to a rumbling that faded away, as both the demon and its controller glared at their opponent in outrage. [spoiler=Forbidden Chalice]Forbidden Chalice SPELL / Quick-Play One face-up monster on the field gains 400 ATK, but its effect is negated until the End Phase.[/spoiler] "Sadly, the Life Point cost you paid cannot be recovered." Firesoul said with an expression that betrayed nothing even remotely close to sadness. "Too bad for Demise, it seems his spotlight was short-lived." "You... YOU!" Jericho growled. "You think you've beaten me? Think again! I summon Manju God!" A thousand-armed, crimson-skinned demon materialized next to Demise. "With its effect I can pick up any Ritual Spell or Ritual monster from my deck and add it to my hand! I choose another copy of the End of the World!" [spoiler=Manju God]Manju God LIGHT / Fairy Level 4 1400/1000 When this card is Normal Summoned or Flip Summoned, you can select 1 Ritual Monster Card or 1 Ritual Spell Card from your Deck and add it to your hand.[/spoiler] "Oh boy..." Firesoul muttered, chuckling quietly. "I can't catch a break over here." "I activate the End of the World!" Jericho screamed this time, causing the ritual spell to be redrawn across the sky. "I sacrifice Manju God and I also activate the effect of Ritual Devil Presider in my Graveyard, removing it from play to serve as an additional sacrifice!" Another fat goblin-like demon, wielding a short sword, appeared, both it and the multi-armed devil being drawn into the vortex. [spoiler=Ritual Devil Presider]Ritual Devil Presider DARK / Fiend Level 4 1800/1400 When you Ritual Summon a Ritual Monster, you can remove from play this card from your Graveyard as 1 of the monsters required for the Ritual Summon. If the monster Ritual Summoned using this card destroys a monster by battle, the controller of the Ritual Monster draws 1 card.[/spoiler] "Geez, another Demise?" Fergusson asked, seemingly entertained. "Even worse." Jericho said darkly as another pillar slammed down from the sky. "Behold! Goddess of Destruction, Ruin!" Unlike the positively demonic Demise, its counterpart that rose beside him could even be called beautiful. A woman with long silver hair, sporting a red dress that flowed into a tight black skirt, leaving openings at the waist and the thighs. She was also wielding an axe-like weapon, though, and her eyes were glowing with a sinister red light. [spoiler=Goddess of Destruction, Ruin]Goddess of Destruction, Ruin LIGHT / Fairy / Ritual Level 8 2300/2000 This card can only be Ritual Summoned with the Ritual Spell Card, "End of the World". If this card destroys your opponent's monster by battle, it can attack once again in a row.[/spoiler] "Wow, I must admit, she looks much hotter than her husband." Firesoul laughed, prompting Ruin to glare at him with murderous hatred. "But I heard the battlefield isn't a place for ladies. Does she have what it takes?" "Oh you just wait." Jericho's grin had returned, now that she was in control again. "Ruin... annihilate his monster!" The destruction goddess needed no further motivation. With a swing of her long-handled axe, she made to slash through the concealed card - "Trap, activate." Fergusson didn't miss a beat. "Holy Barrier - Mirror Force!" Ruin screamed as silver threads of light slammed into her, piercing holes through her demonic body. Her true form finally revealed itself as, purged by the holy light, she transformed into a wicked demon, her hands trying in vain to claw at her target before she was blasted into particles. "Now as I recall, Demise is immune to Trap cards thanks to your Disserere... but Ruin obviously isn't." [spoiler=Holy Barrier - Mirror Force]Holy Barrier - Mirror Force TRAP / Normal When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.[/spoiler] "Won't you just die!?" Jericho screeched. "Demise!" The demon hurried to complete the job Ruin had failed to accomplish, instantly obliterating Fergusson's concealed monster. However, that creature proved to be a turtle with a mechanical shell similar to a UFO. Jericho gasped. [spoiler=UFO Turtle]UFO Turtle FIRE / Machine Level 4 1400/1200 When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 FIRE monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck in face-up Attack Position.[/spoiler] "Thank you." Fergusson said sarcastically. "Don't know what I would've done without you... because UFO Turtle was destroyed by battle, I get to Special Summon this guy from my deck." He placed a new card on top of the recently vacated spot. "Flame Ruler!" A man with heavily tanned skin, flames dancing around him, materialized on the field, opposing Demise. [spoiler=Flame Ruler]Flame Ruler FIRE / Pyro Level 4 1500/1600 This card is treated as 2 Tributes for the Tribute Summon of a FIRE monster[/spoiler] "I... set a card." Jericho said through grinding teeth. "Turn end... you may have snuck your way past this round, but there's no way you're going to survive the next one!" "That's right." Fergusson agreed smoothly. "There's no way I can survive your next round..." "...because there won't be any! Draw!"He's just a bluffing idiot. Jericho thought. The card I just placed is Pitfall of Hades, it will instantly destroy whatever he summons with Flame Ruler. And should he summon more monsters, I still have Dimensional Imprisonment from my last turn. There's no way he's getting through. Next turn, I will finish him off! "I release Flame Ruler!" Fergusson declared dramatically, holding up a card which shone with a brilliant crimson light. "And as we all know, Flame Ruler serves as two tributes when I'm summoning a Fire monster... like I am right now! Behold, the predator that once stood at the top of the food chain! I advance summon Jurak Titan!" The ground before him exploded into a pillar of flames, transforming into a monster that towered even over Demise. Its body was scalding red, armored heavily with thick plates, and its eyes glowed with hatred. [spoiler=Jurak Titan]Jurak Titan FIRE / Dinosaur Level 9 3000/2800 This card cannot be Special Summoned. While face-up on the field, this card cannot be targeted by the effects of Traps or Effect Monsters. Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 "Jurak" monster with 1700 or less ATK from your Graveyard to have this card gain 1000 ATK until the End Phase.[/spoiler] "Meet the ultimate Jurak." Firesoul announced dramatically, the dinosaur emphasizing his words with a growl. "Much like your Demise right now, Titan's pretty strong against Trap cards..." "You fool!" Jericho said gleefully. "Jurak Titan is only immune to Trap cards that target! On the contrary, if I use something like Pitfall of Hades here..." [spoiler=Pitfall of Hades]Pitfall of Hades TRAP / Normal Activate only when your opponent Summons a monster(s) with 1500 or more ATK. Destroy and remove from play the monster(s).[/spoiler] "Whoops, guess I overlooked that." Fergusson said mirthfully, watching his dinosaur struggle hopelessly as it disappeared into a bottomless fissure that opened under his feet. "Sorry, my friend, I guess your moment was short lived... what to do, what to do... gotta defend at all costs! I activate Raise Dead and summon Jurak Ptera from the Graveyard!" A lean pterodactyl, flames wrapped around its wings, appeared in front of him. "How's this?" He asked triumphantly. "Ptera will return any attacking monster to the hand! You're backed into a corner now!" [spoiler=Raise Dead]Raise Dead SPELL / Normal Target 1 monster in either player's Graveyard; Special Summon it.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Jurak Ptera]Jurak Ptera FIRE / Dinosaur Level 3 800/1500 If this card is attacked, return the attacking monster to the hand after damage calculation and this card gains DEF equal to the returned monster's Level x 100.[/spoiler] "...are you a complete idiot?" Jericho asked in disbelief. "You summoned the thing in attack mode..." Firesoul's eyes widened. "Oh no!" He exclaimed in exagerrated disdain, grabbing the sides of his head. "Oh my god, what a disaster! What shall I do..." He glanced helplessly at the last remaining card in his hand. "Might as well set this." He muttered hopelessly. "I guess... my turn is over." "Then I'll end this!" Jericho snarled. "Draw! I - " "Sorry girl, but you don't." Firesoul winked at her, causing her to stop mid-sentence as he triggered the card he had just set. "I activate Fire Spirit Art - 'Crimson'! I release Jurak Ptera and hit you for an amount of damage equal to its attack... which, coincidentally, is exactly as much as your remaining Life Points!" [spoiler=Fire Spirit Art - 'Crimson']Fire Spirit Art - 'Crimson' TRAP / Normal Tribute 1 FIRE monster on your side of the field. Inflict damage to your opponent's Life Points equal to the original ATK of the tributed monster.[/spoiler] Jericho didn't notice the illusory flames washing over her. She didn't hear her Life Point counter drip down to zero. She didn't see the demon in front of her vanish. She simply stood there, hand reaching out towards a card that had now disappeared, a card she had not had a chance to play. Her mind had frozen into one, single thought.I lost. --- "E - even if you summoned that thing, it changes nothing!" Jericho snarled. She looked furious now. "You can't do anything this turn!" Grannel has still over 10000 attack points, your monster's effects are negated, and you only have one card left in your hand! That monster is useless!" "It's not useless." Sugita countered. "Because..." A red orb ignited next to him. He smiled. Takechi had caught on. "...this is just the beginning. The beginning of the end for you, that is." "How dare you!" Jericho spat. "Someone like you, defeat me? You are an exceptional duelist, there is no doubt about that. But you hide yourself behind pesky tricks and pretty words. You don't commit yourself! That half-baked way of dueling... how can you tolerate it? Don't you have any pride?" "Pride?" Sugita questioned. "No, I don't have much pride, I suppose. To play is enough. To win is enough." But I understand a little now. How it feels to want to reach some height beyond your grasp... a desire that you can't seem to fulfill... Yuko... and even you... being driven by that kind of pursuit is... "I summon Black Feather - Blizzard the North Pole." Sugita stated. "It lets me revive Zephyros the Elite." The polar bird materialized on the field, followed by the humanoid avian creature. "And the effect of Black Whirlwind activates, letting me add Breeze the Zephyr, which was returned to my deck earlier, back to my hand - and by its own effect, Special Summon it." The southern red-plumed bird also joined the ever-growing array of monsters. "I tune the Level 4, Zephyros the Elite, to the Level 2, Blizzard the North Pole!" The two monsters disappeared into a spiralling vortex. "Synchro Summon! Black Feather - Arms Wing!" The drill-wielding creature appeared, a confident smirk under its long beak. [spoiler=Black Feather - Blizzard the North Pole]Black Feather - Blizzard the North Pole DARK / Winged Beast / Tuner Level 2 1300/0 This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card is Normal Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Black Feather" monster from your Graveyard in face-up Defense Position.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Black Feather - Arms Wing]Black Feather - Arms Wing DARK / Winged Beast / Synchro Level 6 2300/1000 1 "Black Feather" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, it gains 500 ATK during the Damage Step only. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower then the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] "Even now... I'm not done." Sugita glared at Jericho. "I will beat you down with all my power. I activate the effect of Zephyros the Elite in my Graveyard. I return Black Whirlwind to my hand, to Special Summon Zephyros to the field - to do this, I need to take 400 points of damage first." He winced slightly as black static run through him like an electrical current, but the monster he had just used for the Synchro Summon materialized on the field again. Â Gawain - LP: 1600Jericho - LP: 11000 "I tune the Level 4, Zephyros the Elite, to the Level 3, Breeze the Zephyr." He said heavily. Again his monsters warped into a seven-star Synchro array. "I Synchro Summon my second Armored Wing." The heavily-armed warrior appeared again with a proud roar. Now, his front line was complete. Having summoned all of his Black Feather Synchro monsters, all that was left... "Don't get cocky!" Jericho howled. "Just because you - just because you - !!" Her face contorted in rage. "DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME! I AM NOT GOING TO BE OUTDONE BY THE LIKES OF YOU!" At that time, a visible shock struck Jericho - the woman screamed. A second wave rippled through her, and then a third. With each, her Life Points climbed down a little. Â Gawain - LP: 1600Jericho - LP: 9900 "So they've done it." Sugita breathed in relief. "My friends have beaten the other Machine Emperors." He nodded towards the lights next to him, that were pulsing a bit less intensely now. "All that's left is you." As if by magic, Jericho's rage vanished completely, replaced by an icy expression. "Try it, then." She hissed. With her Life Points reduced, Grannel's attack had been adjusted accordingly to 13500. But that was about to change, fast. "Armored Wing, destroy Grannel Top." Sugita commanded. The beast took flight, surging right through the air on the wings of the storm. Using its sharpened claws, it ripped right through the Machine Emperor's head, obliterating it completely. Jericho screamed as the debris rained down on her. Not only did her Life Points drop, but without the central controller part, the converter had also disappeared, and the combined monster's attack fell drastically down to 2800 points. Â Gawain - LP: 1600Jericho - LP: 8200 "Arms Wing." Sugita continued. "Strike the defense position Grannel Carrier 5. Because of Arms Wing's effect, it gains 500 attack points and deals piercing damage!" The monster struck Grannel's base with its gunblade, sending a destructive shockwave through it that was enough to blast it away. The explosion struck Jericho, who was knocked back forcefully. Â Gawain - LP: 1600Jericho - LP: 6000 "..." Despite himself, Sugita's heart clenched. The woman rose again - but it clearly took her all the effort she could muster and more. Her body had been ripped apart, her white dress incinerated or dyed a deep crimson. She had lost one eye, and was glaring at him with the remaining one. Grannel's attack fell to 1600 points. "This is enough." Sugita murmured. "Just... surrender already. You've fought long enough. You don't have anyone to prove yourself to!" "I don't?" She whispered, a murderous sound. "You're wrong. You don't understand. To try your best, again and again, and be ridiculed over and over, trampled, tossed aside, disregarded, humiliated!" Her voice rose to a scream. "Just because you didn't manage to stand at the very top! Even if you would be satisfied with what you've accomplished, when everyone around you keeps spitting on you for your failures, when you are forcefully reminded of them every day, again and again... do you think you could maintain your composure if you were in my shoes?" She demanded. "Do you think you could do better? Everyone rejected me! If there is no place for me, then the whole world can go burn for all I care!" "YOU'RE WRONG!" Jericho recoiled in surprise. Sugita walked forward, panting heavily. "Even if I can't understand you completely... I know a little about how you feel. Because I know a person who walked the same road that you do... she fought with her all for acceptance from the person who was dearest to her. And because I know... I'll tell you what I should have told her! There is always a place for you! Even when everyone rejects you, somewhere, somehow, there will always be someone who won't! And for the sake of that someone, you should hold your head high and move forward, not hide behind your anger and turn your bitterness against the world!" The seconds ticked between them. Two duelists, battered and exhausted, injured to the brink of death. Two different lives, two different people, who could not walk the same path. Their breaths labored, their vision fading. This was the limit for both of them. But in that final instant - It seemed, as if their hearts had connected, even just a little bit. "..." Jericho closed her remaining eye. "...even if you say all that, this is all I have now." She said. "Finish it. Just make sure, if you see that friend of yours again, to tell her what you told me right now." "I will." Sugita breathed. "Lone Silver Wind..." The creature he had chosen as his designated card was a beast that soared through the heavens, always solitary, carving out its own path. Like the woman before him, it was a proud, noble, lonely existence. What was Jericho's sin? Did she deserve this ending? Was Sugita, who had not walked the same road, qualified to deliver it? He had no answers. But in the end, as he looked at the field, at his monster about to strike down the Machine Emperor which, without its base or its head, was hovering a bit over the ground, the thought came to him - it had all begun like this, on the bitter battlefield of a Duel Monsters arena. Just maybe, this was how things should end. Silver Wind's rapier slashed across the weakened Grannel's body. A series of blasts tore through the mechanical behemoth's body, tearing it apart from the inside. A massive explosion shook the entire field to its foundations, and Sugita sought cover. When he looked again, nothing was left of his opponent. 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Aerion Brightflame Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 So time for my thoughts on chapters 25-58. (Stopping at 58 wasn't entirely arbitrary, since it was a fairly major chapter I thought I should give more in depth stuff on it.)  So essentially a lot of my earlier doubts went away about characters and that. Even though it feels like there's a couple of people at least who still could've done with more character development by this time. Like a whole lot more. (Christina, Kiishiro, and a couple of the villians whose names I keep forgetting). Otherwise everyone feels very fleshed out. Loved Jaqualine's farewell though. Like really loved it. That just her character fleshed out the villians so much more, making them feel more than just like villains.  I had a lot of minor gripes that I've mostly forgotten since I had planned on this review earlier, but mock exams got in the way. Safe to say it was only personal things that I found minor irritating from your writing style rather than anything major I felt needed addressing because it outright felt sucky.  Now really I wanted to mention about was chapters 57 and 58. Partially because they were one of the most beautiful things I've read in a very long time. And partially because it was the big gripe I had about how you handled it. I do understand how hard they must have been to handle, given that it's obvious from just the set-up around it.  But I really felt like:[spoiler='Because spoiler'] Maya and Sinclair should've died. Rather than become one due to acceptance as it appeared to be. [/spoiler]  I mean I get the symbolism behind it, and assume she goes on to be really relevant afterwards, but I think it would've been far more... hate to use the term dramatic, but it's what it would be. It would've also rounded things off.  I only really felt that after the whole 'praying for a miracle moment' that just felt... bad to me. I don't know, it's just what stood out to me there. Praying for a miracle, and then essentially one occurring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted January 17, 2014 Report Share Posted January 17, 2014 Well I've taken a break, and also just reread chapter 57-58. And the second time I appreciated it much more. Dunno why I didn't the first time. Â Why would you want Maya dead Barty? I said at the time it was possible because it was so hard to see a way out way back then, but why would you want to write a major character out... in that way? What's wrong with you man? =0 Â Agreed I never liked Yuusuke praying though. =) Â Seriously, I loved rereading that, just for the imagination and the meaning and everything. I really dunno why I was so moany about it before. Repped it. Â Will try and force myself through Chapters 59-60 sometime tomorrow, for sake of Ivory and Ebony, cuz Kiishiro brings it down. I don't like that guy <_< Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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