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


Vector Nightmare

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Azgalor's deck is [i]really[/i] unfocused. It's fun, sure, but...

If/when Jacqueline duels again, I'd suggest switching her strategy from Synchro to Bambooshoot trolling.

And I just realized...a lot of the antagonists are using Duel Terminal archetypes. Actually, I think all of them are. Is that intentional?
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Yep. I knew somebody would pick it up sooner or later. All seven decks that were mentioned in chapter 20 each feature one archetype that was introduced in the Duel Terminal series. Although that doesn't apply to all antagonists in general. If you are including the Allies of Justice deck, for example, that was unrelated.

I reckon Bambooshot wouldn't work that well in a fanfic... and I kinda like the Synchro line of the Naturia monsters.

Azgalor's deck being like that was intentional as well. It's supposed to be a nod to the earlier days of Yugioh when the struggle wasn't what to take out of your deck to make it 40 cards, it was what to put in. Much smaller card pool and less tightly knit archetypes / groups. Also, it's not totally unfocused. Find ways to Special Summon big monsters and Tribute them for even bigger ones, and failing that, fight with those monsters. I really wanted to write a duel like that, and since this is the farthest back in the past I plan on going, I decided to go for it here.
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[quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1304364967' post='5184220']
I actually struggled a bit with the name. I didn't want to use Power Bond originally because it had a rather limited scope, but in the end it worked out.

If you think you got the order figured out, chapter 41 might surprise you a little.
[/quote]

Good

[quote]
You haven't explicitly met him, though the most observant of you should be anticipating his appearance by now, and you will probably go "oh jeez, finally, [i]that [/i]guy popped up..." when I reveal more.

Trying hard to keep it fresh.
[/quote]

Yeah, I'm not the most observant. :lol: Succeeding though.

[quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1304369176' post='5184357']
Yep. I knew somebody would pick it up sooner or later. All seven decks that were mentioned in chapter 20 each feature one archetype that was introduced in the Duel Terminal series. Although that doesn't apply to all antagonists in general. If you are including the Allies of Justice deck, for example, that was unrelated.

I reckon Bambooshot wouldn't work that well in a fanfic... and I kinda like the Synchro line of the Naturia monsters.

Azgalor's deck being like that was intentional as well. It's supposed to be a nod to the earlier days of Yugioh when the struggle wasn't what to take out of your deck to make it 40 cards, it was what to put in. Much smaller card pool and less tightly knit archetypes / groups. Also, it's not totally unfocused. Find ways to Special Summon big monsters and Tribute them for even bigger ones, and failing that, fight with those monsters. I really wanted to write a duel like that, and since this is the farthest back in the past I plan on going, I decided to go for it here.
[/quote]

So let's see that leaves four from Giskhi, Laval, Vairon, Dragunity, Gemknights, spoiler, spoiler...

Lockdown decks make fanfic writing awkward. I will soon learn this...

Yay for seemingly random decks... old skool.

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Since I might not be able to post later today, I'll put the new chapter up already:

[spoiler=Extra Chapter 4]
[center][b][u]Extra Chapter 4:[/b] High Ruler's Conquest[/u][/center]

"Draw." Maya said, a little unsteadily. Now Azgalor's field consisted of four monsters. Neosphere could destroy one of those dragons, but that would not do. If she left them on the field... who knew what Azgalor might pull off with them next turn. More importantly, she could not allow Five God Dragon to appear while The tyrant NEPTUNE was still on the field.

"Trap, activate - Call of the Living Dead brings back Gaius." She used her reclaimed card. "Then, Dark Dimension Release brings back my removed Hellway Patrol." The two monsters reappeared on the field, the dark monarch climbing up from a chasm in the earth that led into the bowels of the underworld, the wicked cyclist leaping in from a warphole to a different dimension.

[spoiler=Dark Dimension Release][b]Dark Dimension Release[/b]
TRAP / Continuous
Select 1 of your removed from play DARK monsters, and Special Summon it. When this card is removed from the field, destroy and remove from play that monster. When that monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler]

"Next, I summon Demon Roar God Raven." She brought forth the black-winged creature. "I activate the effect of Demon Roar God Grimro, discarding it to the Graveyard in order to add Demon Roar God Miztoji to my hand. Then, Raven's effect sends two cards from my hand to the Graveyard, in order to increase its Level by 2, and its attack power by 800 points. But, one of the discarded cards is Demon Roar God Krus, which in turn allows me to revive Demon Roar God Grimro." Five monsters now. It was time.

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Raven][b]Demon Roar God Raven[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend / Tuner
Level 2
1300/1000
Once per turn, you can discard any number of cards from your hand and increase the Level of this card by the number of discarded cards, until the End Phase. This card also gains ATK equal to the number of discarded cards x 400, until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Grimro][b]Demon Roar God Grimro[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend
Level 4
1700/1000
If you control a face-up "Demon Roar God" monster, you can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to add 1 "Demon Roar God" monster from your Deck to your hand, except "Demon Roar God Grimro".[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Miztoji][b]Demon Roar God Miztoji[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend / Tuner
Level 2
400/200
You can send this card from your hand to the Graveyard to select 1 face-up "Demon Roar God" monster you control. The selected monster is treated as a Tuner monster while face-up on the field.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Krus][b]Demon Roar God Krus[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend
Level 2
1000/800
When this card is discarded to the Graveyard, select 1 Level 4 or lower "Demon Roar" monster in your Graveyard, except this card, and Special Summon it.[/spoiler]

"I activate the effect of Demon Roar God Miztoji in my hand, sending it to the Graveyard. Now, I can turn my Demon Roar God monster, Grimro, into a Tuner monster. And of course, I'll use it right now - I tune my Level 6, Wicked Emperor Gaius, to my, now Level 4, Demon Roar God Raven, as well as my Level 4, Hellway Patrol, to my Level 4, now Tuner monster, Demon Roar God Grimro!"

"Two Synchro Summons at once?" Azgalor exclaimed, surprised, as the two Demon Roar God monsters split into twin identical series of four golden circles. Gaius and Hellway Patrol shattered into surges of light, forming two lines of six and four stars respectively, filing through the corridor formed by the designated Tuners.

"Synchro Summon!" Maya declared. From one gateway, a tall, bulky female demon with flaring red hair, clad entirely in crimson and gold and sporting twin sharp-edged wings materialized, glancing at the enemy's side with a condescending smile despite NEPTUNE's superior presence. From the other, a broad-chested, black-winged devil sporting similar gold and red adornments on its armor as Leviathan appeared. "Descend, Demon Roar God Leviathan! Demon Roar God Valkyrus!"

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Leviathan][b]Demon Roar God Leviathan[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend / Synchro
Level 10
3000/2000
1 "Demon Roar God" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monster.
When this card on the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you can select up to 3 "Demon Roar God" monsters in your Graveyard. Add them to your hand.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Valkyrus][b]Demon Roar God Valkyrus[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend / Synchro
Level 8
2900/1700
1 "Demon Roar God" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn, you can discard 1 Fiend-Type monster to draw 1 card.[/spoiler]

Currently on her field was the necessary amount of power to destroy the three dragons. There were still two reverse cards, however - there was no reason not to take some precautions. "Darkness Neosphere's effect activates, returning my face-up, now useless, Call of the Living Dead and Dark Dimension Release." The two revealed Trap cards vanished, replacing themselves on either side of the single card Maya now held. "And I activate the effect of Demon Roar God Valkyrus, discarding Demon Roar God Dianaira to draw once." She exchanged the cards with a smooth motion of her scepter. "I'll place three cards face-down." All cards she now held replaced themselves, reversed, on the field. With that out of the way, she was at least prepared, no matter what might happen.

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Dianaira][b]Demon Roar God Dianaira[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend
Level 8
2800/100
You can Tribute 1 "Demon Roar God" monster to Tribute Summon this card in face-up Attack Position. Once per turn, when your opponent activates a Normal Spell Card, its effect become "Your opponent selects and discards 1 card from their hand".[/spoiler]

"I attack with all three of my monsters." She held forth the rod, blazing with a golden light. "Demon Roar God Leviathan, Demon Roar God Valkyrus, Darkness Neosphere! Attack the three Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragons!" Despite Maya's worries, the attack went through unhindered. Leviathan vanished in a portal of its own creation, suddenly reappearing behind one of the flying behemoths, stabbing it with her claws. The creature gave out a painful wail before shattering to pieces. Neosphere's head twisted backwards, unleashing a massive scream that enveloped and blasted away the second dragon. Finally, Valkyrus took to the sky, dodging a blast of fire from the last of the dragons before viciously slashing it down.

"Turn end." She said finally.

"Most impressive." Azgalor exhaled. "You managed to completely obliterate my defense. But - my strongest monster still stands. And during this Standby Phase, I am one step closer to bringing out Five God Dragon."

"Then bring it." Maya challenged.

"As you wish." Azgalor nodded. "I activate my own Call of the Living Dead, bringing back Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon. And then I activate the effect of Red-Eyes, reviving Hard Armdragon. And then I tribute those two, to Advance Summon Light and Darkness Dragon!!" A majestic visage of a dragon, one side pure white, the other pitch black, began descending onto the field from the sky overhead. But, Maya was not going to allow this monster, which would negate the effects of all her cards, to exist on the field.

[spoiler=Light and Darkness Dragon][b]Light and Darkness Dragon[/b]
DARK / Dragon
Level 8
2800/2400
This card cannot be Special Summoned. While this card is face-up on the field, its Attribute is also treated as DARK. When a Spell or Trap Card is activated, or the effect of an Effect Monster is activated, that activation is negated and this card loses 500 ATK and DEF. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, select 1 monster in your Graveyard. Then destroy all cards you control, and Special Summon that monster.[/spoiler]

"Trap card, open!" She exclaimed, raising her scepter towards the divine winged serpent. "Declaration of God will negate the summon of your monster, before it can appear on the field!" Light and Darkness Dragon was enveloped in heavenly black chains, and gave a mournful cry as it was dragged back into the heavens.

[spoiler=Declaration of God][b]Declaration of God[/b]
TRAP / Counter
Pay half of your Life Points. Negate the activation of a Spell Card / Trap Card / Normal Summon / Flip Summon / Special Summon and destroy the Spell Card, Trap Card, or Summoned monster.[/spoiler]

[center][i][b]Azgalor[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 500[/i][/center]

"Do not forget, though, that you have to pay half your Life Points for that." Azgalor said. Maya's Life Points dropped to just 500, a mere breath away from defeat. "Also, the rules in your own card state that Declaration of God destroys the monster. Even if it never reached the field, Light and Darkness Dragon's effect activates when it is destroyed, destroying all other cards I control - of course, NEPTUNE still cannot be destroyed. Then, Light and Darkness Dragon revives Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon once more, in Defense mode, whose effect I use to bring out Hard Armdragon again."

"Even now, the tyrant NEPTUNE should be enough to finish this." Azgalor narrowed his eyes, gazing at Maya's reverse cards. One was Call of the Living Dead, the next was Different Dimension Release. There was only one unknown factor. Under these circumstances, there was no choice to make. He would attack.

"Battle! The tyrant NEPTUNE, attack Demon Roar God Valkyrus!" He ordered.

"Instant Magic, Book of Moon!" Maya countered. "I switch your monster to defense mode. Not only is your attack over, but once it is flipped face-down, all effects active on NEPTUNE, including its power modification and immunity to destruction, will disappear!" This was the trump card she had drawn with Valkyrus' effect. A card versatile enough, yet powerful enough to defeat even the monstrous behemoth that was the Legendary Planet monster.

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

"In this case, I have no further use for it." Azgalor shook his head. "I will not allow it to be disgraced in battle with your monsters. Counter, Instant magic! Mystical Wok! By releasing the tyrant NEPTUNE, I gain Life Points equal to its current attack power!" Maya watched, astounded, as the overwhelming presence vanished in a pillar of fire, dissolving into brilliant azure dust that rained upon her enemy, massively increasing his Life Point score.

[spoiler=Mystical Wok][b]Mystical Wok[/b]
SPELL / Quick-Play
Tribute 1 monster. Select either its ATK or DEF and gain that many Life Points.[/spoiler]

[center][i][b]Azgalor[/b] - LP: 9500[/i]
[i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 500[/i][/center]

"I'll place one card face-down. Turn end."

Maya took a deep breath. The difference in Life between her and her opponent was now 9000 points. The good news was, there was no longer Five God Dragon to be concerned about. All she had to do was get rid of his field's defense, and she could start whittling down his Life Points. With three of her strongest monsters on the field, it would not take long.

"Draw!" She said forcefully. "Call of the Living Dead revives Dianaira! I - "

"Trap card, Torrential Burial." Maya froze - she couldn't have heard right. "All monsters on the field are destroyed." A maelstrom of rain fell from above, washing away every single monster into a torrential cataclysm. In just an instant - both fields had been levelled once more.

Not exactly.

[spoiler=Torrential Burial][b]Torrential Burial[/b]
TRAP / Normal
Activate only when a monster is Summoned. Destroy all monsters on the field.[/spoiler]

"Leviathan's effect activates." Maya said. "When she is destroyed, I can add up to three Demon Roar God monsters from the Graveyard to my hand. And I choose - Raven, Krus, Lurrie! And now I remove from play Hellway Patrol in my Graveyard, to Special Summon Demon Roar God Kushano from my hand! Next, I summon Raven, and activate its effect to discard Lurrie and Krus, reviving Lurrie as well as Grimro! And I tune my Level 1, Demon Roar God Lurrie, to my, now Level 4, Demon Roar God Raven! Synchro Summon! Demon Roar God Reigion!" Raven's upgraded counterpart appeared on the field.

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Kushano][b]Demon Roar God Kushano[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend / Tuner
Level 3
1500/800
You can discard 1 "Demon Roar God" monster to the Graveyard except "Demon Roar God Kushano" to add this card from your Graveyard to your hand.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Demon Roar God Reigion][b]Demon Roar God Reigion[/b]
LIGHT / Fiend / Synchro
Level 5
2300/1800
1 "Demon Roar God" Tuner Monster + 1 or more non-Tuner Monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned, if you have 1 or less cards in your hand, you can draw until you have 2 cards in your hand.[/spoiler]

"Reigion's effect activates. I have no cards in my hand, so I draw twice." Maya stated. "But now I'll also tune my Level 4, Demon Roar God Grimro, to my Level 3, Demon Roar God Kushano! Synchro Summon, Psychic Lifetrancer!" The strongest Level 7 Synchro monster in her possession, a green-skinned cyborg whose hands seemed to be supporting two spheres of black and gold light, materialized on the field.

[spoiler=Psycho Health Trancer][b]Psycho Health Trancer[/b]
EARTH / Psychic / Synchro
Level 7
2400/2000
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 Psychic-Type monster from your Graveyard to gain 1200 Life Points.[/spoiler]

"Next, by removing from play all three Demon type monsters, Wicked Emperor Gaius, Darkness Neosphere, and Demon Roar God Lurrie, I can Special Summon Dark Necrofear from my hand! And of course, Different Dimension Release instantly revives the removed Gaius!" A terrifying figure of a blue-skinned, bald woman, looking at least in part cyborg and wielding in her arms the ravaged corpse of an infant, appeared along the resurrected dark emperor.

[spoiler=Dark Necrofear][b]Dark Necrofear[/b]
DARK / Fiend
Level 8
2200/2800
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing from play 3 Fiend-Type monsters in your Graveyard. If this card is destroyed by battle, or by your opponent's card effect while it is a Monster Card, equip it to a monster your opponent controls during the End Phase of this turn. Take control of the equipped monster.[/spoiler]

Four monsters again. She couldn't bring out anything else. She glanced at the last card in her hand. Her opponent's field was completely empty. If she made it through his next turn, her victory was assured.

"One reverse card. Then, battle begins. Dark Necrofear, attack directly!" The demonic monster's eyes widened, and twin streams of dark blue light struck Azgalor.

[center][i][b]Azgalor[/b] - LP: 7300[/i]
[i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 500[/i][/center]

"Gaius, continue!" She ordered. The dark emperor welded a sphere of dark electricity between his palms, unleashing its full force upon its target.

[center][i][b]Azgalor[/b] - LP: 4900[/i]
[i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 500[/i][/center]

Azgalor was panting slightly - taking too much damage while deeply immersed in the virtual reality had at least some effect on one's stamina. But Maya was not done yet. "Reigion, direct attack!" The winged marauder slashed Azgalor down with its claws.

[center][i][b]Azgalor[/b] - LP: 2600[/i]
[i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 500[/i][/center]

"And finally - Psycho Health Trancer, direct attack as well!" The psychic monster released the energy it was charging, striking with perfect accuracy.

[center][i][b]Azgalor[/b] - LP: 200[/i]
[i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 500[/i][/center]

"Looks like the tables have turned." She observed. "Turn end."

"We'll see about that..." Maya couldn't help but admire his composure. Brought to the brink of destruction, he was still calmly standing before her, unwilling to give up. This was the 'ideal' of a duelist. To never surrender, no matter the odds. "Draw!"

"You have put up an excellent fight this far, Stiyel Crystal." He said seriously. "However, fortune smiled upon me in the end. I activate Dragon's Mirror, which allows me to Fusion Summon a Dragon monster by removing from play the materials in my Graveyard. So I will remove the three Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragons, Hard Armdragon, and Light and Darkness Dragon." A large round mirror appeared floating above the field, and the spectres of the five united dragonic creatures flew into it, filling it with a bright light.

[spoiler=Dragon's Mirror][b]Dragon's Mirror[/b]
SPELL / Normal
Remove from play, from your side of the field or your Graveyard, Fusion Material Monsters that are listed on a Dragon-Type Fusion Monster Card, and Special Summon that Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon.)[/spoiler]

"The ultimate Fusion Summon! Descend, Five God Dragon!!"

[spoiler=Five God Dragon][b]Five God Dragon[/b]
DARK / Dragon / Fusion
Level 12
5000/5000
The Fusion Material Monsters for this card are any 5 Dragon-Type monsters. This monster cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. This card does not take any Battle Damage, and cannot be destroyed by battle with an EARTH, WATER, FIRE, WIND, or DARK monster. (Battle Damage is still inflicted to players.)[/spoiler]

When one thought about the strongest monsters, in terms of attack, there was only one that came to mind so quickly. Five God Dragon. Maya felt the fear from the descend of this unearthly creature. Wild lightning bolts streaked overhead, cackling with crimson flames welded around them. Torrential rains and violent quakes followed, an illusory pandaemonium, as the beast emerged from the stormclouds. A mighty, bulky torso supported by thick legs and powerful wings, claws extending to crush any opponent. Towering well over any other monster, even larger than the tyrant NEPTUNE, five different heads sprouted from the base of its neck. One steel-forged black, representing the Dark element. One warped in crimson flames, standing for fire. A brown for earth, a green for wind, and a deep blue for water. The creature that combined five of the six attributes, and was immune to battle with them.

But, in the end, it was over.

"Trap, activate." She said slowly, her low voice clearly heard despite the roaring elements. "Pitfall of Hades. A monster with over 1500 points of attack that is Summoned, is instantly destroyed and removed from the game." Unceremoniously, a massive black hole appeared under Five God Dragon's feet. It roared and stretched its five necks, trying to strike back vengefully at the opponent who had vanquished it before it could unleash its fury, but it was in vain. The darkness swallowed it whole, leaving no trace behind.

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

"I see." Azgalor sighed. "I have no more plays to make." He spread his arms, indicating the Abacus. All eleven slots were void now, and there were no cards in his hand. The upper indicator was filled with only a thread of green, indicating his almost depleted Life Points. "I will not surrender. I will have you finish this. Turn end."

"Very well." Maya acknowledged her opponent's final will. "I will do as you wish. Draw. Magic card, Raise Dead. Demon Roar God Leviathan is revived." The devil queen reappeared, grinning mischievously. The strongest Demon Roar God monster was a fitting tribute to her mighty foe.

[spoiler=Raise Dead][b]Raise Dead[/b]
SPELL / Normal
Special Summon 1 monster from either player's Graveyard to your side of the field.[/spoiler]

"Finish this, Leviathan. Attack directly." The demonic goddess vanished, only to almost seamlessly reappear behind Azgalor. Swiftly, yet with precise, almost tender motions, she stabbed an illusory finger through his heart from behind. He grunted as the rest of his Life Points disappeared, and Maya's five monsters vanished into thin air.

[center][i][b]Azgalor[/b] - LP: 0[/i]
[i][b]Stiyel Crystal[/b] - LP: 500[/i][/center]

---

Hours later, after much fanfare following her victory and crowning as the European champion of Duel Monsters, Maya was finally alone again. She examined her rewards - the Night Queen's Regalia was a beautiful outfit, and the Velvet Grimoire a useful appendage. Then there was the card - Tragoedia - which she was told was a limited edition card that would not be available outside of Europe. The darkbound monster depicted frightened her a little, but it was a perfect match for her deck.

She had done it. After a long, grueling battle, she had finally climbed to the very top. She was the uncontested champion. Smiling softly, she allowed herself to disconnect from the virtual world which she had now conquered. She did not know, yet, that she had taken the first step that would lead her in a downwards slope, initiating an unbelievable chain of events which would change her life, and the very world itself, forever.

---

"What do you think?"

Colt Barker regarded Cornelius Klein's words with care. The man was an eccentric fellow. More often than not, his mind seemed to be dwelling in distant things, yet he always remained focused on the conversation at hand. The two were standing in the <Starlight Reverie>, minutes before it would close down, sitting on two gold-adorned armchairs Klein had conjured.

"She was a formidable opponent." He sighed. Formidable did not even begin to describe her. Never before had he been so far outclassed by an enemy.

"Obviously. She would not be here if she wasn't." Klein responded, looking around in deep thought. "And, concerning that deck..."

"It needs better hand management." Colt said. "It is fast enough, but you have to drop a lot of cards to make it work. We'll have to test it further."

"I understand." Klein nodded. He rose to his feet. "We should be going. I'm sorry for your defeat. It was a splendid match." The old man vanished, leaving Colt Barker, Azgalor, alone with his thoughts. After a few seconds, he disappeared as well, leaving the starlit halls of the champion's arena empty once more.
[/spoiler]

This concludes the side story of this arc - before we delve deeper into her past, I wanted to directly show you a portion of her story. You didn't really learn anything very important, plot-wise, but I think it was a nice addition. Stay tuned for chapter 41, where

[spoiler=_]Someone remembers that shooting someone with a gun is more effective than beating him in a duel, legendary dragons are a stronger fighting force than supersonic jets, an army of Gagagigo's trolls Alaska, and Bahamut's list doesn't include the deck that will make its debut. =/[/spoiler]
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[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1304440943' post='5186015']Kinda feel hollow that Pitfall was the winning card.[/quote]

YEAH, people are starting to adopt the OCG names as well. Keikaku dori.

[spoiler=___][b]Ohyeah forgot you already mentioned the deck that will debut next. Awesome.[/b]

It's not Grannel, if that's what you had in mind. I was talking specifically about the decks we were discussing just previously.[/spoiler]
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Ladies and gentlemen, Chapter 41, the longest one in this story thus far. In the end, Bahamut did make the correct prediction =/. Enjoy.

[spoiler=Chapter 41]
[center][b][u]Chapter 41:[/b] Dark Arena[/u][/center]

"Whoa, look at that!"

"What is it?"

"Don't touch it!"

An agitated mother hurriedly rushed over to her two children. The boy was pointing with a stick at what appeared to be a dead animal. Yet there was no animal in this world quite similar to this blue-and-red hound, its body bearing several scorch marks as if it had been lit ablaze. From its neck, three heads sprouted forward, but each one was as lifeless as the other. Looking at its lower body, it was easy to see why, considering the entire part below its chest was missing. Blood was oozing freely from the remnants of the corpse. The children, who had not seen a dead thing before, stared at it fascinated, but their mother paled visibly and almost threw up.

Almost, because at that time something forcefully dragged her attention away. A loud roar shook the earth, rippling along the yard like an quake. A massive shadow blotted out the light of the sun, which was always so bright in California. She might have thought, for a moment, that it was a relief to escape from that crimson light. But as soon as she set eyes on the giganttic black dragon that loomed over her, high enough over the ground to cast an oppressive shade all over the block, but close enough for her to catch a glimpse of its deadly red eyes, she simply collapsed where she stood, fainting instantly.

---

Red snow was falling. No, not quite snow. It was more like ash, except with more substance. Whatever the thing was that fell from those cracks in the sky was, it was purging what little life could sprout in the frozen reaches of Alaska. In the weather institute, everyone was locked up inside. All equipment had gone haywire since the red sun appeared, and any predictions were proven laughably useless - there could be a snowstorm, a typhoon, or a tsunami at any time and place in the world, as far as they had been able to gather before communications started failing as well. This ridiculous phenomenon that had shrouded the entire world - everywhere on the planet, that red sun stood out in the middle of a broken sky. Greg Phillis was not a particularly church-going man. But as he caught with his binoculars distant black shapes in the faraway sky, rushing across the heavens at breakneck speeds in this weather where the birds and animals of the land had been cowed into hiding, he couldn't help but think this a sign of the apocalypse.

"...boss." Alerted thus, Greg forced his attention away from the sky. He instantly registered what his assistant was trying to show him. He was not a particularly church-going man, but now he started praying fervently.

An army of gigantic reptilian creatures, looking like crocodiles standing on their hind legs and wearing what was, strangely enough, pieces of metal armor, were charging towards the institute from the north. And they did [i]not[/i] look friendly.

---

[i]This is Big Billy One. I repeat, this is Big Billy One. Reporting.[/i]

[i]Roger that, Big Billy One. Big Billy Two, standby.[/i]

[i]Big Billy Three, standby.[/i]

[i]Four, reporting.[/i]

[i]Any confirmation on the target yet?[/i] James Graham steered his V-17 fighter jet, as he received negative responses, trying in vain to trace this hostile object that he had been ordered to exterminate. Whatever this weather was, it had muted all heat-seeking and motion detection systems. In fact, it was a miracle that some of these bad boys were salvaged for use. The electric-propelled V-19 models could not fly in these conditions, so the older V-17 series had been the only solution. James had flown with a V-17 dozens of time before. It was slow, but surprisingly reliable, especially against EMP waves. The sound-wave communication system used for transmissions was working, as well, and hopefully so was the conventional weaponry stored in the plane's sides. Just this one was packed with 64 Deathcaliber missiles, and one of those could erase an entire city block as if it never existed. The phasers probably wouldn't work, and EMP pulses were a laughable idea in this situation. They had removed the air-to-ground artillery system, as it would prove only cumbersome here. Truth be told, until they had a notion of what they were up against, they could not say what they would need to fight it. The possibility that a war had broken out under these circumstances was highly unlikely, but...

[i]Target sighted. Ninety to the left. Assuming Phoenix Formation.[/i] Snapping back to the present, James shifted the handle sideways just so he would smoothly approach the right direction, without smashing head first into a potential enemy.

[i]...what, is that...?[/i]

The question was left hanging. All four pilots must have been thinking the same thing. Just what the hell was this massive creature, its heavy body a frigid blueish argent, two wings thrice as broad as the V-17 jet's spreading on each side, and crystal-cold sapphire eyes shifting from one jet to the other, as they circled around it, slowly, numbly led by the dumbfounded pilots?

[i]...dragon.[/i]

As if the word was a command, everything happened at once. At least two dozen Deathcalibers must have hit the thing at once. The explosive wave was so large that James felt his craft be dragged away by the wind, struggling to remain in control.

[i]Did we hit it?![/i]

[i]What the hell was it?[/i]

[i]Is it dead?[/i]

Only a piercing roar came in reply. The smoke did not clear - it was blown away by a whirlwind. Saliva fell from James' open mouth, unheeded, as he beheld the monstrous beast. It reared its head, roaring again, its very cries slashing at the sky like blades. What was it - ?

[i]Big Billy One, it's going to attack!![/i] But the warning came too late. James only saw a giant, solid stream of white light explode from the dragon's mouth and approach him at velocity that must have surely been faster than light, yet it felt like ages, millenia passing by painfully slow as, locked in time and space, one man called James Graham was erased from existence by an attack from a different world.

---

"[i]Be careful.[/i]" Inoue urged via the D-Pad. "[i]Output is calculated at over sixty percent, more now that the third Pylon is slowly materializing. The first real pulses should start becoming apparent in the outside world.[/i]"

Start becoming apparent? No. The first real pulses had already struck. Chaos reigned all over the once calm capital city. Japan, the whole world, was in uproar. The breaches in the Outer Sphere were now larger, comparatively, than the ozone layer holes - a metaphorical comparison, but an accurate one - and just like the broken ozone layer was bringing forth unholy heat from the sun, so too did the gaps in reality call out phantasms from different worlds. What had once been a minor hole, too small for the sharpened edge of a pencil to touch, was now a gaping chasm. What had once been a tiny mirage, a spectre that maybe one in ten thousand would notice in passing, dismissing it as a ghost or fancy of their imagination, was now a very real horror that dominated the earth. What was once a peaceful world, gently flowing along the stream of fate, was now a dark, twisted place wrapped in the Nexus.

Was this what they had strived for? Sannosouke Takizawa drew his coat around him, to shield him from a violent wind that had suddenly burst around him. He was quite close to his destination now, and driving here had already taken him long enough. He had abandoned his car to a desperate family trying to get away from the city. It was no use telling them that there was no real safe place for them to go. The father was carrying a baseball bat in one hand and a child in the other, and Takizawa as close, anyway. Was this phantasmal world what they had sought to achieve? Every step along the way had seemed a logical progression. Where had they lost sight of their target? When had they surrendered their will to chaos?

It was too late to stop now. All that was left was to ensure that things would not get any worse. They had made their choices. Takizawa put the world out of his mind. It did not matter, now. He had long since detached himself from a world filled to the brink with senseless knowledge, void facts. In order to broaden his horizons, there was only one place he could reach out to, and that was what lay beyond this world. Even this unraveling reality fascinated him as much as it terrified him.

It was certainly an inconspicuous place. Takizawa entered through the shattered glass doors, taking habitual care not to step on shards of glance. It seemed most of the residents of this apartment block had fled, but the one he had come for was most certainly here. Not even bothering to check the elevator, he began climbing the spiralling staircase. One floor. Two floors. This was the place. He stood in front of the plain door, guarded only by a single lock. Takizawa considered himself modest, compared to his colleagues, yet even he had invested in a suitably large mansion as a choice of residence. This place was too underwhelming. Yet again, when a company like Duel International uses almost all its resources to track you down, and it takes an entire week to do so, you know you have a good hiding place.

Since most locks had become obsolete as security systems, replaced by various electronic modules, the art of picking a lock had faded away as well. It was ironic how, at this moment, a quaint lock-and-key might offer more protection than any electronic equipment. But regardless, Takizawa was not unprepared, and modern technology offered faster and more reliable ways to go through a locked door than the old-fashioned designs. Takizawa retrieved a small spray can from his bag. He wrapped a kerchief around his mouth and nose, and put on a plastic glove before pointing the bottle's front at the lock. A sulfurous smell permeated the air, and the metal gave way instantly to the corrosive acid, melting into an unrecognizable green liquid. With the trivial obstacle removed, he simply shoved the door inwards, stepping inside.

Around sixty percent of the civilized world should by now be paralyzed, as far as electric systems were concerned, but none of the at least dozen computer terminals located in the single room of the apartment seemed to be affected. Most were in various stages of file processing, although some were locked onto images that Takizawa recognized as fields of the virtual world. It was no surprise that it could be accessed, of course - the servers themselves would never falter at something as minor as this, and booths had been recently outfitted with backup software systems to ensure that those who should remain locked inside the system did not abruptly disconnect thanks to a power failure.

But...

"You, are you really Miyataka Eizan?" Takizawa asked, confused. He had met the guy, what seemed like ages ago. Was it possible that he had changed this much? Takizawa had been older back then than Eizan should be now, but if anything, this person looked older than Takizawa was at this point. Could this wretched old man, ravaged by the curse of time, truly be the one responsible for this much chaos? But when he smirked, regarding him with those deathly black eyes, Takizawa saw the spark of insanity in him, the revolting, repulsive thirst for something which should not never be obtained.

"I am the man you seek, Sannosouke-san." He said. Takizawa thought this voice must be one that had not spoken often. "If you seek Miyataka Eizan, then Miyataka Eizan is who I am."

"Fair enough." There was no need for further discussion. Takizawa revealed a gun from his coat's inner pocket and pointed. Without pause, he pulled the trigger. Eizan had had no time to even change his expression. A piece of explosive lead had silently, unceremoniously put an end to all his schemes and aspirations.

Takizawa looked around him. There would be an immense volume of data in here, stored in those terminals. They needed to retrieve and process them all, if they were to revert the damage Eizan had done, or prevent what he had set in motion. Ignoring the corpse still sitting on the chair in front of the middle terminal, Takizawa got to work. It was unlikely anyone could drop by in this situation, but it was best not to dawdle. He quickly plugged a small wireless device in each terminal. Maximizing the security safeguards - who knew what systems Eizan had implemented to counter such an effort - he started automatically filtering data to a remote location, where they could be properly analyzed by Inoue.

...there were no windows in the room. No way to tell the time. Takizawa felt drowsy. He glanced at his watch. It had stopped working. No, wait - the electronic device had stopped functioning as soon as he had walked out in the open earlier.

Hold on. That wasn't right. His watch was an antique swiss model. It wouldn't stop functioning because of something like that. There was something... odd, yet something he did not care to pinpoint. Did the air feel this stifling when he had first walked in? Maybe it was the corpse, decaying already. But he had only been here for ten minutes. Half an hour, at most. Really, what time was it? It could be afternoon already. Or midnight. He glanced at the terminal screens. The progress bars had not moved an inch. Was he daydreaming, or had they actually reverted? Maybe the acid he had used on the lock had intoxicated the air. If so, he should get out, fast. He tried to stand up. If he had to be fast, why did every part of his body seem to be moving so slowly, so clumsily? He stumbled onto something, reached out for support. He grabbed something oddly wet, causing it to collapse along with him. He looked to his right - his hand was grasping Eizan's blood-stained face. He drew it back with horror, wiping the blood off on his coat. Was it just him, or were those lifeless eyes staring directly at him, shining with a sinister red glow? He was losing it. He needed to leave. He pushed himself up, only to lose his balance again and fall on top of a computer terminal, tearing out the cables connecting it to the network and knocking it down. He tried to regain his focus. How many minutes, how many hours had passed since he had decided to leave? Why did he even have to leave? He could not seem to remember. He looked around. He could almost smell the wrongness in the air. That was definitely the rotting corpse. Whose corpse was it?

Takizawa opened his eyes. When had he closed them? He was not in that small, claustrophobic room any more. This place was a vacant, spacious chamber, lit grimly by several chandeliers hanging from an unseen ceiling, shedding an unearthly red luster. The walls were plain black, except for occasional paint strokes of blood-like red. The room was dominated by what looked like an arena for Duel Monsters, one of Duel International's earlier plans, scrapped for the use of the less cumbersome Duel Disks later. Takizawa was pinned on one side - there was no way out of the heightened platform, barred by a blockade of spikes as tall as he, and besides there was no floor underneath. The arena seemed to be suspended from the ceiling by four bars rising from its edges. Only a dark mist swirled below.

"This is... the virtual world?" Takizawa mumbled, bewildered.

"Wrong, Sannosouke-san. This is [i]my[/i] world." Takizawa snapped his head upwards. Opposite to him was standing a man in his thirties, raven-colored hair flowing onto his shoulders. His deep blue gaze glistened playfully in the half-light. He was dressed in a thick white cloak embroidered with rich decorations, almost like a king of old. He had seen this face before. But where? He could not pinpoint it.

"Who are you?" He demanded. This could very well be a virtual avatar of some kind, but Takizawa did not believe so. He had definitely seen this guy before.

"The <Immersion Venom> must have some side-effects yet." He said, frowning. "Your brain must be a little fuddled. How else could you so soon forget the man you killed?"

Takizawa shook his head. This guy was not Eizan. Even moreso than the old man he had shot, he did not match any of Eizan's characteristics in Takizawa's memory - and he had a pretty good memory. Then, why couldn't he remember where he had seen that face before?

"This is the <Trick Room>." The guy said with a flourish, indicating the area around them. "You killed me <out there>, but <in here>, victory and loss, life and death, will be decided in fair combat." A deck appeared in his hand, and he slammed it onto the duel panel on his side, as if declaring his challenge.

Takizawa considered. He did not fancy himself a skilled duelist. In fact, he did not have any decent grasp on the game's mechanics. However, in here, he was at this guy's mercy. He had no control over this piece of virtual reality, if that was what it was. At the same time, the way he understood it, his real body had been drugged, and it wasn't safe to assume that noone would come across the violated door and discover them. Furthermore, his mission was not complete. Eizan had assuredly taken counter measures against such an event. What he was facing now was a final obstacle to prevent him from ruining Eizan's work. This wouldn't be over unless he settled this.

"Very well. I do not know who you are, but I will eliminate you." It was a choice he dreaded, but he steeled his resolve. Moboro had fallen because he was too weak, too unstable. A superior mentality would be able to maintain control. He would make it. Grimly, he reached out to the recesses of his mind. He might not have control over the world around him in this space, but all nine of them - seven, now - had almost god-like control over their own essences in here. No matter what Eizan or anyone else did, he could not stop him from doing this. Sannosouke Takizawa activated <God Mode>.

The room that had been so bleak and dark was now a kaleidoscope of colors. The tiniest shade of grey danced in Takizawa's eyes, each thread splitting apart from all the others, the previously smooth, uniform surfaces forming intricate tapestries of extremely elaborate designs. The tiniest whisper of a breeze - wind did not exist, of course, in this world, but the more advanced fields could emulate it sufficiently - could now be captured by his ears. He laid a hand upon the panel of the Duel Arena, and every fiber of its material could be recognized, the tiniest bump distinguishable by the briefest touch. Even the sense of smell was active now, even though it should not normally be so in this world. The unpleasant odor of rot and decay suddenly assaulted his nostrils, but he ignored it. The name of this <God Mode> was Black Solomon, and like the other <God Modes>, it was placed on the uppermost rank of 100. Try as he might to retrieve his opponent's data, but the name merely read as an enigmatic EH, and the rank was a ludicrous 9. Obviously the work of hacking, as names under four characters were not acceptable, and certainly this guy was not a beginner in the game.

"That's better. I will crush you at your very best!" The opponent laughed. Takizawa ignored him. His mind was filled with endless volumes of knowledge. The dream he had pursued was within his grasp. Turning observation into fact faster than the fastest supercomputer, such a mind was indeed a miracle achievable only by those who had surpassed the limitations of this world. Takizawa materialized his deck in his hand and placed it on the designated slot. Crushing this insect would be a trifling task for this superior intellect.

"As the guest, you can take the first turn." The man who claimed to be Eizan said, adding five cards to his hand. Takizawa did not object. It would not take long.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center]

"Draw." Unlike his colleagues, Takizawa's <God Mode> only slightly affected his appearance, and had not been constructed with any particular features such as remote dueling functions. Such extravagance was futile - the only thing that mattered was in the mind. Therefore, he conventionally picked up a card from the top of his deck and added it to his left hand. "I set a reverse monster, and one reverse card. Turn end."

"My turn. Draw!" The man said gleefully. "You understand, Takizawa, right? I don't hate you for killing me. In fact, my death is of no consequence. True life lies here." He motioned around him. "But I'll show you. I activate the permanent Magic card, Teleport. This allows me to, once per turn, pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon a Psychic monster from my hand, provided you control a monster and I control none."

[spoiler=Teleport][b]Teleport[/b]
SPELL / Continuous
Once per turn, if your opponent controls a monster and you control no monsters, you can pay 800 Life Points to Special Summon 1 Psychic-Type monster from your hand.[/spoiler]

"Psychics..." Takizawa frowned. That was an uncommon deck type, based on the knowledge accumulated in his brain. Various strategies and counter-strategies were analyzed, calculating a thousand possible paths in a fraction of a second.

"I activate Teleport's effect, paying 800 Life Points to summon Armored Psykicker from my hand!" A cyborg clad in purple and green armor, equipped with various tubes, flickered into existence directly opposite to Takizawa. With his enhanced vision, he could discern the lack of detail in the monster. Whatever this place was, as indicated by the Dueling Arena, it used far inferior technology to project the monsters on the field.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 3200[/i][/center]

[spoiler=Armored Psykicker][b]Armored Psykicker[/b]
EARTH / Psychic
Level 6
2200/1800
If you control a face-up Psychic-Type monster, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributing. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you take damage equal to half the destroyed monster's ATK. Then, you can Special Summon 1 monster from your Graveyard with ATK less than or equal to the damage you took.[/spoiler]

"Watch now." Takizawa's attention was drawn to the opposite platform, and despite the complete focus of the <God Mode>, he couldn't avoid gasping in shock. From somewhere behind his opponent, a black steel pipe had pierced his chest just below the heart, sticking out from the front. Ample blood already flowed from the open wound. Takizawa blinked. This was merely part of the <Real System>. An illusion of injury was certainly possible. Besides, there was little use for physical wounds in this virtual realm. This was just an effect.

"You don't understand, do you?" The enemy questioned. "My <Immersion Toxins> take you far deeper into this world than you could otherwise go - and even if they didn't, your little project has already ravaged the boundaries of reality enough. Take damage here, and it will be translated, bit by bit, to your real self out there. Only, you won't feel the pain in that <God Mode> of yours. You'll stand there and see your body pierced, broken, savaged little by little, unable to avert your gaze, unable to even register the fact that you're dying even as your life fades away. So, how is it? This is my own <Real System>!"

"All that requires that you first do damage to me." Takizawa noted grimly. He did not like where this was going. But he could afford to take [i]some[/i] damage this way. And he would just have to avoid taking more.

"I summon Clairvonce in attack mode." This statement came instead of a response. A little jester figurine, surrounded by a spiral of numbers and symbols, appeared next to the android. "And now I tune my Level 6, Armored Psykicker, to my Level 2, Clairvonce!" The Duel Arenas had been scrapped before elaborate Synchro visual systems could be developed for them, so the union of the two monsters was rather underwhelming. "Come forth, Mental Sphere Demon!" Regardless, the floating green-skinned behemoth, wrapped in thick grey plates, featuring a skull rather than a face, was imposing enough.

[spoiler=Clairvonce][b]Clairvonce[/b]
DARK / Psychic / Tuner
Level 2
1200/400
When this card is selected as an attack target, you can pay 800 Life Points to negate the attack.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Mental Sphere Demon][b]Mental Sphere Demon[/b]
DARK / Psychic / Synchro
Level 8
2700/2300
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, gain Life Points equal to that monster's original ATK. You can pay 1000 Life Points to negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card that targets 1 Psychic-Type monster, and destroy it.[/spoiler]

"Battle! Mental Sphere Demon, attack that face-down monster!"

"I fear that this is entirely within my design." Takizawa said. "When destroyed by battle, the effect of Genex Searcher activates!" Looking like a scrapped design of an android, left without an exterior cover, the monster that was blown away to shreds nonetheless had a crucial effect for Takizawa's 'Genex' deck. "It allows me to Special Summon a Genex monster from my deck, if its attack points are not higher than 1500. My monster of choice is Genex Controller." A small black robot with an oversized head, out of which several screws and bolts protruded, appeared on the field.

[spoiler=Genex Searcher][b]Genex Searcher[/b]
EARTH / Machine
Level 4
1600/400
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, you can Special Summon 1 "Genex" monster with 1500 or less ATK from your Deck in face-up Attack Position.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Genex Controller][b]Genex Controller[/b]
DARK / Machine / Tuner
Level 3
1400/1200
[i]As a master of all powers and elements, this is one of the few Genex monsters that can communicate with its companions.[/i][/spoiler]

"Even so, do not think I'm done with just that." The enemy claimed haughtily. "Genex Searcher had 1600 attack points, so thanks to Mental Sphere Demon's effect, I will recover just as much." A sickly green aura surrounded him, but the injury did not heal, and the steel rod did not withdraw from his chest. Regardless, he smirked as his Life Point counter rose to 4800.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 4800[/i][/center]

"I will end my turn with just that." He said audaciously, as if claiming that this would be enough to stop Takizawa's efforts. Takizawa shook his head. Just this level? It was almost disappointing.

"My turn. Draw." He stated. "Genex Controller is on my field, and this means that I can Normal Summon Genex Heat without a sacrifice." A golem-like monster crafted out of clay, its round chest holding a raging furnace within its bowels.

[spoiler=Genex Heat][b]Genex Heat[/b]
FIRE / Pyro
Level 5
2000/1300
If you control a face-up "Genex Controller", you can Normal Summon this card without Tributing.[/spoiler]

"So, is this a product of your great intellect?" His enemy challenged. "All you can do is assemble lifeless husks, monsters without essence? These <God Modes> and the sets of cards that go along with them are materialized miracles, incarnations of your ideals. This is the extent of your desires? A mechanized, soulless world?"

"My ideal is to create a world free of the fear born from uncertainty." Takizawa said heavily. He had lived too long, and he had seen the true face of this world. Despite the technological advances, despite the revolutionary discoveries, the world was still living in fear. The stronger mankind grew, the stronger the fear grew. It was a never-ending cycle - power only gave birth to fear that something with an even greater power would appear. Power without knowledge was meaningless. If one could know everything, if they could understand everything, then the fear would vanish, and a new era would arise. An era of hope and freedom, where man would be set free from the cruelest of slavemasters - his own mind. "If you say these Genex monsters represent my ideal, then that is exactly right - for they have discovered everything, and tamed everything, making it part of their own power. I tune my Level 5, Genex Heat, to my Level 3, Genex Controller!" As if ignited by the force of his will, the smaller black robot burst into motion, whizzing and revving its gears. Wires shot out from its gigantic head, attaching themselves to the fiery furnace, gently removing each plate until only the fiery core remained, which ignited into five blazing stars. Genex Controller split into a series of three rings, into which the array of stars converged, and in a burst of deep blue flame, a new monster appeared.

"The incarnation of fire, Thermal Genex, is now on the field." Hovering slightly over the floor of the arena via steam pumps protruding from its underside, a blue robotic engine roared with the ferocity of its churning core, so hot that it emitted a blinding white light.

[spoiler=Thermal Genex][b]Thermal Genex[/b]
FIRE / Machine / Synchro
Level 8
2400/1200
"Genex Controller" + 1 or more FIRE non-Tuner Monsters
This card gains 200 ATK for each FIRE monster in your Graveyard. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the number of "Genex" monsters in your Graveyard x 200.[/spoiler]

"In the industrial era, people deified and worshipped the machines which offered them god-like potential compared to the tools previously available. Fire and coal and metal suddenly took the form of horrendous demons or terrible angels of judgment. Their fear was not illogical. They were faced with something new. Fear always takes root in the unknown. Thermal Genex gains 200 attack points for every Fire monster in my Graveyard - for now I have one, Genex Heat." The monster's power rose to 2600.

"That was a nice little history lesson, but your monster's attack is weaker than mine's." His opponent reminded him, although there was no need.

"Permanent Magic, Leader's Burden. Those who stand on top will eventually find the balance shifted against them, as people begin to rationalize and personify them, and stops fearing them. This card causes all your monsters to lose a hundred attack points for every one of their Levels. Thus Mental Sphere Demon now drops to 1900 points. Thermal Genex, attack!" His enemy grunted as another pole pierced his stomach, just as soon as the flamebound machine annihilated the psychic demon.

[spoiler=Leader's Burden][b]Leader's Burden[/b]
SPELL / Continuous
Each face-up monster your opponent controls loses 100 ATK x its own Level.[/spoiler]

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 4100[/i][/center]

"I end my turn." Takizawa stated coolly.

"Then I'm up." The man growled. "You are wrong, Takizawa. You want a world without fear - but fear defines us, and it is fear that gives us power. You want to free yourself from fear - I want to fill myself with so much fear that every moment becomes an eternity of insanity! Gaze that fear! I activate Teleport's effect, paying 800 Life Points to Special Summon Final Psycho Ogre from my hand!" Its looks were similar to those of the synonymous folklore creatures, but its skin was a kaleidoscope of colors near the ultraviolet end of the spectrum. Regardless, its 2200 attack points quickly dropped to a mere 1700.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 4000[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 3300[/i][/center]

[spoiler=Final Psycho Ogre][b]Final Psycho Ogre[/b]
EARTH / Psychic
Level 5
2200/1700
If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can pay 800 Life Points to select 1 Psychic-Type monster in your Graveyard, and add it to your hand.[/spoiler]

"I also Normal Summon Mental Master. A human brain encased in what looked like a lamb globe, with a pair of comic hands protruding from its base, materialized next to the ogre.

[spoiler=Mental Master][b]Mental Master[/b]
LIGHT / Psychic / Tuner
Level 1
100/200
You can pay 800 Life Points and Tribute 1 Psychic-Type monster, except "Mental Master", to Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Psychic-Type monster from your Deck in face-up Attack Position.[/spoiler]

"You cannot escape from this fear. I tune my Level 5, Final Psycho Ogre, to my Level 1, Mental Master! Synchro Summon!" A grotesque dark blue dragon leapt forth from the pitch-black flames, unleashing a bellowing roar. "Psychic Nightmare!"

[spoiler=Psychic Nightmare][b]Psychic Nightmare[/b]
WIND / Psychic / Synchro
Level 6
2400/1800
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Psychic-Type monsters
Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can pick 1 random card in your opponent's hand and call what type of card it is (Monster, Spell or Trap). If you call it right, this card gains 1000 ATK until your opponent's End Phase.[/spoiler]

"That monster - " No matter how deeply he searched, Takizawa could not locate it within the archives of the <God Mode>. Could it be some special monster uniquely designed - ?

"Psychic Nightmare - I'd say this monster represents quite well what I am going to teach youl." Takizawa looked carefully at the man who had risen to fight him. At first he had thought he was just an artificial intelligence program, designed by Eizan as a last-ditch effort to, even after his death, deal some damage to Duel International. But that was not exactly the case. This complex behavioral pattern that could not be analyzed, this unfathomably rich emotional spectrum that was detected - Takizawa could no longer accept his previous conclusion. "Nightmare. It is a terror you cannot escape from, a phantasm that will haunt you forever, the herald of insanity. Even if you turn your mind into that of a machine - even machines have minds, and every mind lies within the domain of fear. And fear is [i]my[/i] domain. The world of chaos."

"Your insanity is of no interest to me." Takizawa countered. "There is only merit in cold, hard facts. Your monster cannot defeat mine."

"Maybe it can't." His opponent said. "But maybe it can, and it is this uncertainty that will destroy all that you strive for. Psychic Nightmare's effect activates. I target a random card in your hand, and declare a card category. If the selected card falls within that category, for the full duration of this and the next turn, Psychic Nightmare's power increases by 1000." A card fled from Takizawa's hand, floating upwards until it stood with its back towards the enemy. Takizawa scowled - that kind of troublesome effect...

"I declare it to be a monster card." The certainty of those words surprised Takizawa as his card was reversed to reveal that, indeed, the guess had been correct.

"You already knew it was a monster." He accused, narrowing his eyes, as if visually searching for a device which would enable such violation of rules. His opponent laughed.

"Maybe I did. But maybe I did not. You cannot answer that question with certainty. Even here, in your supposedly own damn world, with all your vaunted intellect, you cannot escape from uncertainty. You cannot escape from fear. You cannot escape from madness. You cannot escape from chaos." Blue flames enveloped Psychic Nightmare, as its attack power rose to 2800. "Psychic Nightmare, attack Thermal Genex!" The dragon released a sphere of blue energy, surrounded by cackling sparks of electricity. It struck the Genex monster, and it was annihilated without a trace.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 3800[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 3300[/i][/center]

[i]What... is this?[/i]

Something in his leg felt warm. He looked down. A piece of thick barbed wire was impaled right through his kneecap, binding him to the platform he was standing on. Blood was already forming a small pool under his feet. Logic told him that he should be in extreme pain - even if his sensations were dulled by the <Real System>, simply the mind acknowledging the fact that he was injured would afflict him. Then why? Why did he feel so detached from it, as if it was someone else's body being ravaged?

"It seems you do not understand, even now. Don't you realize? You isolated yourself from reality. You believe that power without knowledge is void. But knowledge without intellect is the same. You seek to know everything - but the more you know, the harder it is to process them. To accomodate this paradox, the mind becomes more and more detached from what is a real fact because you experience it, and what is a real fact because you [i]know[/i] it. This is your ideal. No emotion, no sensation, no feeling. A make-believe world of your own in which you know everything, and outside which you know nothing, you understand nothing, and you can't even reach out to in order to grasp it. I will take great pleasure in trampling over such a fragile aspiration. Reality will hunt you down sooner or later. One card face-down, turn end."

"My... turn." Takizawa was panting slightly. It was not from pain or exertion - such things were, as stated, not known to this form. But what he had just heard had shaken him. If this was the form of ultimate knowledge, how could he be so easily harassed by things he could not comprehend? This irregularity was already straining the boundaries of <God Mode>. Takizawa was slowly, but finally realizing that it was not weakness or lack of discipline that had eradicated Moboro. It was the obsession with an ideal that is unmasked as nothing but a fake, when coming to contact with reality.

It was too late, though.

"I summon Genex Undine." An azure-colored conical robot came into view. "Undine's effect activates, sending another Undine from my Deck to the Graveyard. This in turn allows me to bring my second Genex Controller from my Deck to my hand."

[spoiler=Genex Undine][b]Genex Undine[/b]
WATER / Aqua
Level 3
1200/600
When this card is Normal Summoned, you can send 1 WATER monster from your Deck to your Graveyard to add 1 "Genex Controller" from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler]

"Jar of Avarice activates, returning Genex Controller, Thermal Genex, Genex Undine, Genex Searcher and Genex Heat from my Graveyard to my deck. I can then draw twice." He exchanged his cards and exhaled softly. Everything was going according to his calculations.

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

"I activate One for One, discarding Genex Blast in order to Special Summon a Level 1 monster from my deck." He browsed through his cards. "My chosen monster is Recycle Genex, defense mode." A black android with a lot of parts missing or broken materialized before him.

[spoiler=One for One][b]One for One[/b]
SPELL / Normal
Send 1 Monster Card from your hand to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 Level 1 monster from your hand or Deck.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Recycle Genex][b]Recycle Genex[/b]
DARK / Machine / Tuner
Level 1
200/400
Once per turn, you can select 1 "Genex" monster in your Graveyard. Until the End Phase, this card's name is treated that monster's name.[/spoiler]

"This next card I activate is called Tribute to the Devil. I can send one Special Summoned card on the field to the Graveyard. Of course, I will target Psychic Nightmare. But that is hardly all, because this card's effect allows me to Special Summon one Level 4 or lower monster with no effect from my hand - Genex Controller fulfills that criteria." The psychic dragon was greedily devoured by a demonic spectre, just as the two Genex monsters were joined by their unique Tuner.

[spoiler=Tribute to the Devil][b]Tribute to the Devil[/b]
SPELL / Normal
Send 1 Special Summoned monster on either side of the field to the Graveyard and Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from your hand.[/spoiler]

"Like fire, water is also one of the elements that has been the source of fear." He waved at the arena. "The depths of the ocean were for millenia forbidden territory to mankind. Nature's wrath often took shape in its water-bound element. It was too long until man learned to harness that power and make it his own. The sea's incarnation! I tune my Level 3, Genex Undine, to my Level 3, Genex Controller! Synchro Summon!" A colossal wave flooded the field, allowing the emergence of a new Synchro monster. Similar to Undine, except with not only added legs and arms which were used to wield a long stave, but with wing-like appendages used for better propulsion in water, and a semi-translucent life support system on its back. "Come, Hydro Genex!"

[spoiler=Hydro Genex][b]Hydro Genex[/b]
WATER / Machine / Synchro
Level 6
2300/1800
"Genex Controller" + 1 or more WATER Non-Tuner monsters
When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, gain Life Points equal to the ATK of the destroyed monster.[/spoiler]

"Subsequently, the effect of Recycle Genex activates." Takizawa explained. Once per turn, I can target a Genex monster that lies in my Graveyard, and have this monster gain the same name. My target is Genex Controller. Now I activate the Spell card, Machine Reproduction Technique. The target of this card can only be a Machine monster with 500 attack power or less, but its effect allows me to call forth up to two monsters with the same name from my deck. Genex Controller's power would normally be too high to be a candidate for this card's effect, but Recycle Genex now shares its name and fills the criteria. Which means I can Special Summon two Genex Controllers from my deck." A duo of robots appeared, each on either side of the scrapped creature that had ushered them forth, identical to the previous Tuner monster.

[spoiler=Machine Reproduction Technique][b]Machine Reproduction Technique[/b]
SPELL / Normal
Select 1 Machine-Type monster with 500 or less ATK on your side of the field. You can Special Summon up to 2 cards with the same name from your Deck.[/spoiler]

"You are undoubtedly familiar with Call of the Living Dead." Takizawa said. "I activate this card to Special Summon the discarded monster, Genex Blast." A creature that looked like a mechanical round blastfan with arms and legs completed Takizawa's field. "And, when Genex Blast is Special Summoned, I can also add a monster to my deck, namely a Dark Genex monster." Feeling little need to demonstrate the added monster to the opponent, he placed it in his hand. The time had come.

[spoiler=Call of the Living Dead][b]Call of the Living Dead[/b]
TRAP / Continuous
Select 1 monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon it in face-up Attack Position. When this card is removed from the field, destroy the monster. When the monster is destroyed, destroy this card.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Genex Blast][b]Genex Blast[/b]
WIND / Spellcaster
Level 4
1600/1300
When this card is Special Summoned, you can add 1 DARK "Genex" monster from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler]

"After the industrial age passed its peak, humans began being concerned about the side effects such widespread use of their new technology might have. They turned to more natural, environment-friendly sources. The destructive power of the wind was also harnessed and added to mankind's arsenal. I tune my Level 4, Genex Blast, to my Level 3, Genex Controller. Synchro Summon! Wind Farm Genex!" A massive robot with a huge spiral fan embedded into its chest that kept whirling at incredible speeds arrived with a forceful gust of wind.

[spoiler=Wind Farm Genex][b]Wind Farm Genex[/b]
WIND / Machine / Synchro
Level 7
2000/1600
"Genex Controller" + 1 or more non-Tuner WIND monsters
This card gains 300 ATK for each face-down Spell and Trap Card on the field. You can send 1 card from your hand to the Graveyard to destroy 1 face-down Spell or Trap Card on the field.[/spoiler]

"Wind Farm Genex gains 300 Attack points for every reverse Spell or Trap card on the field. There is only one currently, so its attack power becomes 2300." Takizawa explained, gauging his opponent's reaction. So far, he had shown none, merely waiting while Takizawa brought out his array of Synchro monsters.

"This is enough." Takizawa raised his hand, pointing a finger at the target. "With no monsters on the field, I will not hesitate to attack you directly. Wind Farm Genex, attack!" A massive sphere of compressed wind lashed out from the mechanical creature's body.

"Trap, activate." The counter came. Takizawa had decided against using Wind Farm's second effect, which would allow him to destroy that reverse card at a cost of his own hand. He did not want to risk losing card advantage, and his <God Mode> analysis presented him with statistical figures that demonstrated why he should not. However, in the face of a Holy Barrier - Mirror Force, it would all prove meaningless. He blinked. Wasn't absolute knowledge the equivalent of purging uncertainty? Then, where did this hesitation, this dismay come from?

But his enemy's Trap was not apparently meant to destroy his monsters. "Psycho Charge will return Psychic Nightmare, Mental Master, and Mental Sphere Demon from my Graveyard to my deck, allowing me to draw twice. And then the effect of Battle Fader in my hand activates, stopping your direct attack, and ending the Battle Phase."

[spoiler=Psycho Charge][b]Psycho Charge[/b]
TRAP / Normal
Select 3 Psychic-Type monsters in your Graveyard. Return them to the Deck, then draw 2 cards.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Battle Fader][b]Battle Fader[/b]
DARK / Fiend
Level 1
0/0
When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack, you can Special Summon this card from your hand and end the Battle Phase. If this card is Special Summoned with this effect, remove it from play when it is removed from the field.[/spoiler]

"I end my turn." Takizawa declared angrily. That he would be countered so smoothly, so simply felt... wrong. Wrongness could not be tolerated. He had to win.

"My turn." The opponent said. "And I think it's about time I got serious, Sannosouke-san. Welcome to my madness."
[/spoiler]
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My good sir, your epicness knows no bounds.

The whole world in chaos thing was so well done.

Then the breakin, the passing out, the duel, the talking, everything was brilliant.

Love the way you've given people decks that fits their ideal of a perfect world as you put it. Takizawa sees the perfect world as free of fear, emotion and pain, marching like a machine. Jacequleline sees a perfect world as something beautiful and majestic. Moboro, the collected single being thing of Worm Zero.

Sorry I finally guessed right. I would have gone though all of them need be :D

Probably my favourite chapter so far.

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Really glad you guys all liked this chapter. I had started this arc off on a rather bad foot, so I wanted to work hard and get back on the right track quickly. Hopefully this one will be just as well-received.

[quote name='Luxray' timestamp='1304553042' post='5188533']
A duel while debating chaos versus order, knowledge versus emotion? Epic.

Eizan is starting to freak me out though, with all his talks about madness and Immersion Toxins.
[/quote]

You've seen nothing yet.

[quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1304615577' post='5189636']
Read all the chapters (including Extra Chapters) that I haven't read before.

I must say I quite liked the latest one, including the part where Bewd totally owned those jets. Is that wrong?
[/quote]

Well...

...yes. =/

[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1304618961' post='5189692']
My good sir, your epicness knows no bounds.

The whole world in chaos thing was so well done.

Then the breakin, the passing out, the duel, the talking, everything was brilliant.

Love the way you've given people decks that fits their ideal of a perfect world as you put it. Takizawa sees the perfect world as free of fear, emotion and pain, marching like a machine. Jacequleline sees a perfect world as something beautiful and majestic. Moboro, the collected single being thing of Worm Zero.

Sorry I finally guessed right. I would have gone though all of them need be :D

Probably my favourite chapter so far.
[/quote]

Let's see if you can guess what the others will use =/. Three decks left (remember that someone doesn't have a deck). I hope the conclusion is equally to your liking.

[spoiler=Chapter 42]
[center][b][u]Chapter 42:[/b] Mind Monster[/u][/center]

After the brutal fight's conclusion, the interior of the Arc Cradle was strangely quiet. Yenma and Ivory were almost next to him, after they had blocked Ebony's final assault. Right behind them, the two people he had confronted on the roof of the fortress, along with another orange-haired guy he did not know were standing, seemingly unsure of how to react. And on the other side, the girl who had to be the owner of that Ancient Fairy Dragon, with the spirit Dryad next to her, was equally hesitant. For his own part, Kiishiro just wanted to disappear from their sight.

"Since we only have a little time before that guy gets here, we'd better get done with the introductions soon." Ivory said irritably. Kiishiro's head jerked upwards. She was talking about ZONE. He could not help but recall her warning. [i]Do not trust him.[/i]

As if the words were a cue, everyone loosened slightly. Kiishiro discovered that Gawain, Aurora and Vortexflame - Sugita, Yuko and Takechi respectively - had been brought here by the man called Sarunoki Moboro to conquer the Arc Cradle - but ZONE had defeated him and finished that part. Now they were rather uncertain about their standing - they had most certainly been used by Duel International, and though they would not say it outright, none of them had any interest to continue opposing them. He discovered what had happened to Yenma, and Christina reluctantly revealed her own story. Kiishiro remained silent for most of this. He had failed again. There was nothing he could hide behind, now.

"Don't fret too much over it." Ivory said, imperious despite her short stature. She had remained rather quiet as well, allowing Takechi and Yenma to explain her part in the story. "Everyone here would have been defeated by her, except, perhaps, myself. She is strong, but you have an advantage over her. She wouldn't have come all the way out here to get you if she didn't want something. And if we can find out what that is, we can certainly counter her." With much effort, Kiishiro told her what Ebony had said about his mother. That caused her frown to deepen considerably.

"That would explain how she managed to release herself." Ivory said. "A soul pulsing with an iron resolve can touch the Nexus. Reality itself can waver under the power of what we call miracles. She must have used your mother's will to break through the barrier between dimensions - but in doing so, she had to feed on the part of her mind that was strongest - that was, the will to 'save' you which drove her here. But even the most intense of desires cannot hinder her power too much - she is, after all, the very incarnation of will. I suggest she simply saw taking you away from this world as an easy wait to pacify that part of her. In the end, she even hesitated to deliver the killing blow. Her method of escape might actually provide us with what we need to tackle her."

"Before that." Dryad interrupted with her melodic voice. "Sanjou Kiishiro, you have something this girl owns. I loaned you Ancient Fairy Dragon so that she could support you, but now its rightful owner has appeared."

"Of course." Kiishiro said heavily. He felt ashamed to even hold the dragon whose power he had so vainly thought to harness. Such arrogance had twice led to his downfall, and he could truly count himself lucky that the consequences had not been far worse - for himself, and for everyone else. He pulled it out of his deck and handed it over to Christina. Her hand trembled slightly as he touched her. She had lost all memory of her past, which apparently included some traumatic event regarding this world - Kiishiro was not surprised, with what he had seen of Duel International and their methods - and was only now beginnign to rebuild her past. Kiishiro just hoped there was enough time for her to do so. Enough time before the final battle. He realized it now, that the path of escape he had offered Yenma before had been merely an illusion. He could see the resolve in his eyes, as well as in Christina's. In everyone's. They were all resolved to fight, and win.

Then, what about him? What was left of him with which to fight?

---

"It is my turn." Takizawa tensed as his opponent drew. "During this turn, I release Battle Fader, removing it from play with its own effect, in order to Advance Summon - Max Teleporter!" A ridiculous-looking man in a blue overcoat with various futuristic designs, featuring a vizor over his eyes and dark purple hair, appeared on the field, cackling loudly.

[spoiler=Max Teleporter][b]Max Teleporter[/b]
LIGHT / Psychic
Level 6
2200/1200
This card cannot be Special Summoned. You can pay 2000 Life Points to Special Summon 2 Level 3 Psychic-Type monsters from your Deck. This effect can only be used once while this card is face-up on the field.[/spoiler]

"Max Teleporter cannot be Special Summoned, but it has a very useful effect. At the cost of two thousand Life Points, I can Special Summon any two Level 3 Psychic monsters from my deck." He laughed as one, two, three thick metal cords twisted their way into his flesh, further destroying his body. In return, though, a soldier riding a small round tank and a red-haired girl in white and purple armor, wielding two glowing curved blades as weapons, joined his field.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 3800[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 1300[/i][/center]

[spoiler=Psycho Commander][b]Psycho Commander[/b]
EARTH / Psychic / Tuner
Level 3
1400/800
When a Psychic-Type monster you control battles, during the Damage Step you can pay Life Points in multiples of 100 (max. 500) to have the monster it's battling lose that much ATK and DEF, until the End Phase.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Psycho Witch of Stillness][b]Psycho Witch of Stillness[/b]
EARTH / Psychic
Level 3
1400/1200
When this card on the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you can remove from play 1 Psychic-Type monster with 2000 or less ATK from your Deck. During your next Standby Phase, Special Summon the monster removed from play by this effect.[/spoiler]

"Psychic Nightmare again?" Takizawa frowned. Psychic Nightmare had been returned to that guy's Extra deck, so it could be Synchro Summoned again. Its effect would assuredly activate, as his opponent already knew the single card in his hand right now was a monster. But...

"I tune my Level 6, Max Teleporter, to my Level 3, Psycho Commander. This will bring back some nice memories. Synchro Summon, Hyper Psycho Gunner!" A relatively short android, fully encased in unblemished white armor and wielding twin blaster guns attached to its mechanical arms emerged from the union of the two monsters.

[spoiler=Hyper Psycho Gunner][b]Hyper Psycho Gunner[/b]
EARTH / Psychic / Synchro
Level 9
3000/2500
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Psychic-Type 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's Life Points. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, gain Life Points equal to the difference at the end of the Damage Step.[/spoiler]

However...

"Powerful as that monster may be, Leader's Burden is still in effect, meaning its power is considerably reduced, to 2100 points." That was still enough to tackle Wind Farm Genex, but not quite enough to cause serious damage. Unless, of course, that guy opted to use Gunner's effect instead.

"My target is neither of your Synchro monsters." Takizawa clenched his fists. "Remember how you shot me? Consider this payback. Hyper Psycho Gunner, attack Genex Controller! When Hyper Psycho Gunner attacks a defense position monster with superior offensive power, my Life Points increase by the difference - and yours drop accordingly!" The psychic soldier took aim and shot two volleys of laser bolts, which smashed right through Takizawa's monster, piercing through until they struck him. There was no pain. Just a mild warmth. Even as he looked at his chest, Takizawa could not believe that the front of his cloak was torched, and his skin was so blackened and blistering.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 2900[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 2200[/i][/center]

"And now my Psycho Witch of Silence will attack Recycle Genex." Slashing the small robot to shreds proved to be an easy job even for the weakened female warrior.

"With a face-down card, my turn is now over." The power of Wind Farm Genex increased to 2300 again.

"Then my turn begins." Takizawa said, unconsciously scratching his injury. He gripped the iron bar next to him for support. His thoughts were beginning to fade, instinctual mechanical reaction taking over. But this was what he himself had claimed as his desire. Acting without thinking, simply based on analysis of facts. This was his <God Mode>. Then, why were his only thoughts ones of regret?

[i]No.[/i]

He had not wished for a soulless world. He had simply wished for a convergence of knowledge, only desiring to be released from the darkness of ignorance. He had reached out for the Nexus, hoping that, by conquering the ultimate chaos in the universe, there would be nothing left to fear. But that was merely another form of running away. So be it, then. Even if the internal conflict cost him his life, he would stand by his ideals until the very end. He would seek his own truth, through this battle of mind and soul.

"Whenever they met something unfamiliar, the Genex army did not hesitate to enlist it to their cause. That was the source of their greatest power. That is what I am trying to achieve. They assimilated what was outside their world, in order to understand it and turn it into part of their own strength. And these monsters are proof of that accomplishment! I summon Ally Genex Chemistry!" A small blue robot armed with a toy gun, carrying two large flasks of acidic liquid on its back, appeared on the field. Just like the Genex monsters - if he could build a world that could encompass all of reality, then there would be no contradiction. He would define his own path. The 'Ally Genex' monsters would carry that resolve.

[spoiler=Ally Genex Chemistry][b]Ally Genex Chemistry[/b]
DARK / Machine / Tuner
Level 2
200/500
During either player's turn, you can discard this card and declare 1 Attribute to select 1 face-up "Genex" monster you control. That monster's Attribute becomes the declared Attribute.[/spoiler]

"Do not try to hide behind words like 'ally'." His enemy said. "In everything that is absolute, there is no room for 'sharing'. You either stand alone, or fall alone. This is why I chose chaos. Chaos itself is the opposite of absolution. Nothing is absolute. Ever changing, shifting, merging and splitting. You have no true allies, Takizawa. Just machines you tame to do your bidding. But I, I am never alone. In this madness, there is no solitude."

"Is that so? Then, I'll put that theory to the test. I tune my Level 6, Hydro Genex, to my Level 2, Ally Genex Chemistry. A new power awakens! Come, Ally Genex Accel!" A human-shaped robot with oversized limbs, sporting dark blue armor and copper bronze skin, materialized in a flash of black light.

[spoiler=Ally Genex Accel][b]Ally Genex Accel[/b]
DARK / Machine / Synchro
Level 8
2600/2000
1 "Genex" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn, you can discard 1 card to select 1 Level 4 or lower Machine-Type monster from your Graveyard, and Special Summon it. The ATK of that monster is doubled until the End Phase, but it cannot attack your opponent directly. Remove that monster from play during your End Phase.[/spoiler]

"Ally Genex Accel's effect activates. Once per turn, I can send a card from my hand to my Graveyard, in order to Special Summon one Machine monster from my Graveyard, if its Level does not exceed 4. So I'll bring back my Recycle Genex. And now, I'll tune my Level 7, Wind Farm Genex, to my Level 1, Recycle Genex! When they absorb and process their knowledge, their true power will materialize! Synchro Summon! Real Genex Vindikite!"

[spoiler=Real Genex Vindikite][b]Real Genex Vindikite[/b]
WIND / Machine / Synchro
Level 8
2400/1000
1 "Genex" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner WIND monsters
Your opponent cannot select this card as an attack target. If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, you can add 1 "Genex" monster from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler]

"So you claim this is the true form of your ideals? How foolish." His opponent said, coldly regarding the green-plated jet plane that appeared. "By the end of this duel, I promise you, you will have discovered the [i]real[/i] truth about who you are."

"Real Genex Vindikite, attack Psycho Witch of Stillness!" Takizawa commanded, ignoring the taunt. From a set of machineguns attached to its wings, the Real Genex monster let loose a stream of bullets that obliterated its target, increasing the difference in Life Points to 2000 again. His opponent did not seem to even care that twin thorn-filled blossoms sprang from his upper arms, like grotesque blood-coated shoulderpads.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 2900[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 900[/i][/center]

"The effect of Psycho Witch of Stillness activates when she is destroyed. I can search through my deck, and remove a Psychic monster with 2000 or less attack from play. Then, during the start of my next turn, that monster is Special Summoned." He quickly picked out a monster, placing it next to his deck slot.

"Vindikite has an effect too, allowing me to add a Genex monster to my hand, when it destroys another monster by battle. Ally Genex Accel, attack Hyper Psycho Gunner!" Takizawa continued. But at this point, the card behind that monster flipped open.

"Sorry, but Cyclone activates, destroying Leader's Burden and taking away its effect. With the attack already declared, it's too late for your monster." Hyper Psycho Gunner's attack rose back to normal, and it raised its weapons, shooting down the opposing android before it could even begin its attack.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 2500[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 900[/i][/center]

"Turn end." Takizawa said, ignoring the bones sticking out from his ribs, after the entire left side of his chest had been burned to dust. Even the stench of scorched flesh seemed detached from him, as if it was something unreal, that did not touch him.

"My turn. During the Standby Phase, the card I removed from play is Special Summoned. That card's name is Psy Girl." A brown-haired girl, wielding a long white staff and garbed in elegant clothing complete with knee-high boots and a cloak, appeared on the field. "Psy Girl's effect. When she is removed from play, and then Special Summoned, I can remove from play the top card of my deck. Then, when she is sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can add that card to my hand."

[spoiler=Psy Girl][b]Psy Girl[/b]
EARTH / Psychic
Level 2
500/300
When this removed from play card is Special Summoned, remove from play the top card of your Deck face-down. When this card is sent from the field to the Graveyard, add the card removed from play by this card’s effect to your hand.[/spoiler]

"Next, it's time for a little trick. I activate the Magic card, Quiz. This card forces you to guess the monster that lies at the bottom of my Graveyard. If you guess it correctly, it is removed from play - but if not, it is Special Summoned to my side of the field." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, waiting. Takizawa mentally chuckled. Using a card based on memory against an opponent with a mental capacity higher than any supercomputer in the world -

Which card was it? The answer to this question was twofold. The first monsters that were sent to the Graveyard were Clairvonce and Armored Psykicker, which were used for the Synchro Summon of Mental Sphere Demon. That fact was undeniable. However, in which order had they been placed in the Graveyard? There were no regulations concerning which of the Synchro Material Monsters had to be sent to the Graveyard first. Takizawa could not known the answer to this question, because he had not observed his enemy as he placed the two monsters in the appropriate slot. No matter what, it was a fact that he could not answer.

[spoiler=Quiz][b]Quiz[/b]
SPELL / Normal
When activating this card, your opponent cannot check cards in your Graveyard. Your opponent calls the name of the first monster found at the bottom of your Graveyard. If he/she calls it right, the monster is removed from play. If he/she calls it wrong, the monster is Special Summoned to your side of the field.[/spoiler]

"What's wrong? Is your memory really that weak? Or perhaps, that absurd intellect cannot process such a basic fact? You claim to seek, no, to already possess, infinite knowledge. Your mind is probably filled with facts which can be recalled and presented in the space of a millisecond. Then, something that happened right in front of you, something that is so critical to you right now - why is that you do not know it?"

Takizawa shook his head, trying to formulate a reply. There was none. This was not... what he had claimed. There was no way, of course, that he would know something like -

A blinding headache warned him. This might not have been what he had meant. But that guy was right. Didn't he have the utmost extreme of knowledge? But if he did, why was this duel a constant series of leaps between uncertainties? Why was this contradiction hurting so much?

"Time is ticking." His opponent cackled. "The stricter the rules you wall yourself in, the more exposed you are when those walls crumble down. And there are no walls that cannot be broken. Your walls are made from sand, Takizawa. All I have to do is blow at them, and your whole world comes crashing down."

"I..." When knowledge failed, logic would have to work. Takizawa would prove that what he strived for was not empty, not without essence. If his opponent had foreseen that scenario, then the monster he would have placed would be one he would benefit from more when it appeared. Currently he had a Level 2 Tuner on the field. Clairvonce, as another Tuner, would not do much - but if Armored Psykicker was Special Summoned, Mental Sphere Demon, which was returned to the Extra Deck, could be brought out again. Therefore, the answer was obvious. His chances were higher if he called out Armored Psykicker, and even if he guessed wrong and his opponent summoned Clairvonce, there wasn't quite that much that could be done with it. "The monster I declare is Armored Psykicker." He said finally.

"Oh?" A card appeared in the middle of the arena, its back faced towards Takizawa, slowly reversing. He gritted his teeth. Clairvonce appeared again, its tiny figure seemingly mocking Takizawa's incompetence. "Do you see this, Takizawa? The moment 'fact' disappears, your mind becomes weak and vulnerable like that of a baby. This is the difference between you and me, between your muted, crippled dead world of order and knowledge, and my world of chaos and fear, where every minute of uncertainty is another proof that you are alive. I summon Mental Protector to the field! And now I tune my Level 3, Mental Protector, to my Level 2, Psy Girl! Synchro Summon, Magical Android!"

[spoiler=Mental Protector][b]Mental Protector[/b]
LIGHT / Psychic
Level 3
0/2200
This card's controller must pay 500 Life Points during each of their Standby Phases. If they cannot, destroy this card. Monsters with 2000 or less ATK cannot declare an attack, except for Psychic-Type monsters.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Magical Android][b]Magical Android[/b]
LIGHT / Psychic / Synchro
Level 5
2400/1700
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
During your End Phase, gain 600 Life Points for each face-up Psychic-Type monster you control.[/spoiler]

Takizawa could not seem to focus on the monster that had now appeared. His vision, so clear before, was too blurry, as if he was seeing through a sheet of running water. He shook his head, trying to pull himself together - but even that simple act seemed beyond him, now.

"Psy Girl's effect activates, adding the card I removed before to my hand. I tune my Level 5, Magical Android, to my Level 2, Clairvonce. Synchro Summon! Psycho Health Trancer! Health Trancer's effect activates, removing Clairvonce in my Graveyard from play, and increasing my Life Points by 1200." Some meaningless number somewhere increased. Why could he not concentrate on what he was doing? Without a doubt, he was in the middle of a duel. He needed to win. He had to win, or the aftermath of using <God Mode> would kill him. Hold on. Wasn't he already dead? He had to be. He couldn't be living with so many injuries. But - wasn't this the virtual world? If so, did injuries matter? Everything here was a matter of perception. However, he distinctly recalled that what they had done had made reality not as solid as it was before.

[spoiler=Psycho Health Trancer][b]Psycho Health Trancer[/b]
EARTH / Psychic / Synchro
Level 7
2400/2000
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
Once per turn, you can remove from play 1 Psychic-Type monster from your Graveyard to gain 1200 Life Points.[/spoiler]

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 2500[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 2100[/i][/center]

"Sorry, but, I cannot allow you to lose touch with reality just yet."

Blinding, searing pain filled every fiber of his existence. Takizawa thought he might be screaming, but his mind was too bloated with pain to comprehend it. Every wound, every single injury that afflicted him suddenly burst ablaze, annihilating everything that was himself in a huge torrent of fire. A few seconds, it lasted, a few seconds that felt like eternities, and then he was back, back to life, back to his real body. Real. It felt real, now. Wounds, pain. Thought. Sensation. It all came back to him in a cataclysmic awakening.

"Until I show you what reality is all about, I won't allow your mind to be destroyed." His opponent grinned wildly. "Right now I removed the buffers your <God Mode> provided against sensation and pain, allowing you to absorb all the agony you should have suffered. It won't kill you, not yet, and it will force you to rebuild enough of your vital functions to keep you conscious and in control. I want you to experience every moment of this, until, at the very end, you will beg me to drown you in fear and bury you in chaos. Now then, I noticed that Real Genex Vindikite cannot be attacked. So I'll just set a card face-down. it's your turn. Show me your resolve, if you want to live."

Takizawa's hand was shaking as he reached for the deck. He was alive, if only barely. This was the reality that existed within chaos? No. A false reality was better than this maelstrom of pain. If emotions could cause this much agony, then emotions should be erased. Fully conscious, he made his choice. He made his final stand. Regardless of wrong or right, he - he just did not want that pain to exist.

"Draw!" He said forcefully. He felt something pulsing, breathing within his battered body. As if revitalized, the cards he had placed in his Extra deck shone. But it was a pitch-black light. It warned him that, if he tapped into its power, he would forever forsake all facades, accepting the untainted, dark truth about his world. "I summon Real Genex Oracle!" A tiny black robot carrying a comparatively massive plated container on its back appeared on the field.

[spoiler=Real Genex Oracle][b]Real Genex Oracle[/b]
DARK / Machine / Tuner
Level 1
300/300
If this card is added from your Deck to your hand by the effect of a "Genex" monster, you can Special Summon this card. This card cannot be used as a Synchro Material Monster, except for the Synchro Summon of a "Genex" monster.[/spoiler]

His ideal wasn't 'absolute knowledge'. It was a world where he could live away from the pain, the fear, the uncertainty. Power drawn from the deepest recesses of his mind, he pulled on the true power of the <God Mode> which made miracles possible. "I activate Bewitching Scroll, equipping it to Real Genex Vindikite in order to shift its attribute from Wind to Dark." The fighter jet was surrounded by a pitch-black aura, the metal plates protecting it dyed into the colors of shadow. A world that turned everything that was unwanted black, so they could be kept away from sight, hidden in the endless abyss of what lay outside its boundaries. "I tune my Level 8, now Dark monster, Real Genex Vindikite, to my Level 1, Real Genex Oracle." His hand reached out to the darkness outside this world. His soul reached out to the depths of his existence, dragging out all that was him, materializing his wish into a new ideal, the new ideal into a miracle, and the miracle into the final darkness. "Synchro Summon! Descend, Real Genex Black Engine!!"

[spoiler=Bewitching Scroll][b]Bewitching Scroll[/b]
SPELL / Equip
Select 1 Attribute when you activate this card. Change the Attribute of the equipped monster to the one you select.[/spoiler]

The earth trembled as a massive figure rose from beneath. Freed from its boundaries, the gigantic robot's height reached far above into the darkness that covered the arena. Its monstrous cylindrical arms could lay waste to entire buildings in a few blows. Its central core, constantly spinning, constantly hissing, was proof of the 'life' buried within it. This monster would become the embodiment of Takizawa's ideal.

[spoiler=Real Genex Black Engine][b]Real Genex Black Engine[/b]
DARK / Machine / Synchro
Level 9
2500/2000
1 "Genex" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner DARK monsters
When this card is Synchro Summoned, take control of the face-up monster your opponent controls with the highest Level. (If it's a tie, you get to choose.)[/spoiler]

"Black Engine's effect activates, taking control of one monster on your side of the field." His opponent's head jerked, finally shaken by surprise. Takizawa had armored himself in the superior <God Mode>, and he had lost what was truly important. He had focused on his goal, but forgotten his purpose. A world free from pain. Pain was caused because of others. Uncertainty caused people to seek the company of others, and that caused them to be hurt. In an ideal world, a human would be alone, perfect in his own existence, self-sufficient in his limited knowledge. Therefore - "The monster that will be taken over is the one with the highest level. Hyper Psycho Gunner becomes mine now." The giant black robot stretched out its arm, grabbing the much smaller android with its tractor-like fingers and bringing it over to the opposite side of the field.

"As I thought, this is your true self." His enemy said. He shook his head, as if disappointed. "You are nothing but a black monster that feeds on others, that devours everything that contradicts it, in order to define and maintain itself. Up until the very end, you are a coward and a liar. I was hoping to bring out your true potential, but all you've done is fail again."

"Say what you will." Takizawa said coldly. "This move will be the last! Real Genex Black Engine, attack Psycho Health Trancer!" With an effortless swing of its arm, the ultimate Genex monster obliterated the psychic healer. The impact of the blow struck the opponent straight in the chest, knocking him backwards into a wall of spikes that had appeared, piercing his body.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 2500[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 2000[/i][/center]

"This will settle it! Hyper Psycho Gunner, direct attack!" Impaled as he was, it did not seem to take effort for that guy to detach himself from his position, returning to the console.

"Hmpfh. You deluded, old fool. I have no use for you. Trap, activate. Dimensional Imprisonment will seal away that monster you stole, and with it, all chances of victory for you."

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

"Turn end." Takizawa said, as Hyper Psycho Gunner disappeared in a black void. No matter what, he still had the 2500 attack power Black Engine on the field. With no cards on the field or in his hand, there was little his enemy could do to stop him from claiming victory next turn.

Then why, why was he so, so very afraid - ?

"Draw." Takizawa shivered. There was something about that voice. Not human, not animal, not machine either. Something that surpassed, or maybe combined all this. Shadows leapt up from the arena floor, swirling, surrounding the field. Takizawa recognized the form. Like the portal in the <Aria Tower>, this was - something that should not be in this world. A conglomerate of chaos.

"When reality is slipping away, and everything you thought you knew crumbles to dust, the only truth that can keep you alive is fear. Pain. Chaos. You've seen pain, and you've seen fear. Chaos is all around you now. All that's left for you is to embrace them. Abandon your mind, and fill your soul with madness. Magic card, Miracle Synchro Fusion. I remove from play the Psychic monster, Max Teleporter, and the Psychic Synchro monster, Psycho Health Trancer. In doing so, I will fuse them together! Fusion Summon! Awaken, the embodiment of madness - Ultimate Psykicker!"

[spoiler=Miracle Synchro Fusion][b]Miracle Synchro Fusion[/b]
SPELL / Normal
Remove from play, from your side of the field or your Graveyard, the Fusion Material Monsters listed on a Fusion Monster Card that lists a Synchro Monster as a Fusion Material Monster, and Special Summon that Fusion Monster from the Extra Deck. (This Special Summon is treated as a Fusion Summon.) If this Set card is destroyed by an opponent's card effect and sent to the Graveyard, draw 1 card.[/spoiler]

Everything disappeared in a vortex of chaos. The shadows of the declared monsters, rising from the bowels of the earth to join together in an otherworldly union, faded and flickered in the twilight. And within that rising mist, the opponent's eyes, scarlet like the blood flowing from his body, the blood flowing from Takizawa's body as well, regarded him with pure contempt. Almost as large as the Black Engine, a dragonic serpent, its whole body covered in a silver exoskeleton, and the edges of its wings and claws coated in pure gold, a shining green core pulsing within its chest and cackling energy of the same color filling the air around it, slowly came out of that black infinity.

[spoiler=Ultimate Psykicker][b]Ultimate Psykicker[/b]
LIGHT / Psychic / Fusion
Level 10
2900/1700
1 Psychic-Type Synchro Monster + 1 Psychic-Type monster.
This monster can only be Special Summoned by Fusion Summon (from the Extra Deck). This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you gain Life Points equal to the destroyed monster's ATK.[/spoiler]

"Even if you will have some Life Points left after this, it's over. You've made the mistake of clinging to a single notion, pathetically restricting yourself to only a fraction of what you can achieve. You want to know what the cause of fear is? It's not chaos, and it's not ignorance. It's this disgusting creation of limits that gives birth to fear. Once you remove all limits, fear becomes power, and by immersing myself in chaos, I have become madness. I have become everything. I am no longer bound by anything, and I cannot be defeated by anything. This monster that carries the essence of yourself - I will make it as if it never existed, and erase what will be left of you from my sight. Ultimate Psykicker, attack Real Genex Black Engine!" The dragon screamed its madness, and brought its hands together, creating a massive energy storm contained within a sphere no larger than the platform Takizawa was standing on. But as soon as that ball struck the giant robot, it was over. Enveloped in eternal chaos, the dark avatar of Takizawa's soul vanished, and with it, all that had once been himself was forever extinguished from reality.

---

The being who was known to others as Miyataka Eizan, but whose existence far transcended the limits of a singular entity like that, regarded the empty space where his opponent had been standing. The final attack had activated Ultimate Psykicker's effect, restoring his Life Points by an amount equal to the destroyed monster's attack power, so his injuries had been removed completely.

[center][i][b]Black Solomon[/b] - LP: 2100[/i]
[i][b]EH[/b] - LP: 4500[/i][/center]

He only now realized that his whole body was shaking uncontrollably. He had been afraid, so afraid. Not knowing he would win until the very moment, in a fight for his own existence. He would have been a fool to be certain, a fool to not be afraid, when everything could change a thousand times over faster than he could blink. But that fear made him strong. That was what Sannosouke Takizawa had failed to understand.

He let the <Trick Room> fade around him, as he became accustomed to the new reality. Miyataka Eizan's death in the outside world changed little, but it did change some things. He did not know how Dunkan and the others would react to the events here, or even how much they would find out about them. But he had a feeling he knew who their next target would be. Once he took care of that... Kirizaki Maya had passed the first <Trial>. She had discovered light. Now it was time for her to discover darkness. After that, chaos. And at the end of that road, he would be waiting.

[/spoiler]

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I... Have... Just... Read... 42 chapters... In a weekend. One word.

Amazing. The way you write is brilliant, keeping track of all these characters, introducing new plots, making all of these decks.
There is one mistake i have noticed. The first time (i think) queen of thorns was summoned, you called her Hell Bramble, then Queen of Thorns, then Hell Bramble again.
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*Fumes at the sight of yet another new reader of this and shakes with jealous rage* :lol:

Nah, you deserve the success this is getting.

[spoiler=Fun Deck Predictions]
Inoue - Well, for the sake of mixing it up, Gishki
Lee - Fighting for a united world, Dragunity
Dunkan - Well he says he wants to be a creator, so Vairon (Alpha and Omega)

Rayleigh - No deck
[/spoiler]

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[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1304730384' post='5192093']
LEAVE MAYA ALONE YOU B@STARD!!!

:D

At the end of the day, all you really need is a villian is completely off the wall out of his mind, and lots of bloody gore.

Plus the mind****s of his speechs are pretty cool too.

Zone's position called back into question for the first time since the 1st arc is also nice.
[/quote]

I intentionally left that part hanging longer than I normally would, because I wanted to see what 5Ds would do with ZONE.

Now that the conclusion is done, I realized I'm way better off ignoring everything they did and going along with my own ideas.

[quote name='Psychic Almighty' timestamp='1304809534' post='5194444']
I... Have... Just... Read... 42 chapters... In a weekend. One word.

Amazing. The way you write is brilliant, keeping track of all these characters, introducing new plots, making all of these decks.
There is one mistake i have noticed. The first time (i think) queen of thorns was summoned, you called her Hell Bramble, then Queen of Thorns, then Hell Bramble again.
[/quote]

Actually, for whatever reason, I had called her Queen of Rose, which is totally unrelated =S. Anyway, fixed, thanks for pointing it out. I'm really glad you enjoyed the story so much, having new readers is always inspiring. I hope you continue enjoying it.

[quote name='No. -1 Dr. Cakey' timestamp='1304816108' post='5194617']
Instead of Scroll of Crap, you could probably have used a second Ally Genex Chemistry...

Well, the fantastic fantasticness continues. These mind games are crazy fun.
[/quote]

Yes, yes I could. But I wanted a little bit of variety. I am aware that scroll is terrible, but...

[quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1304820135' post='5194798']
*Fumes at the sight of yet another new reader of this and shakes with jealous rage* :lol:

Nah, you deserve the success this is getting.

[spoiler=Fun Deck Predictions]
Inoue - Well, for the sake of mixing it up, Gishki
Lee - Fighting for a united world, Dragunity
Dunkan - Well he says he wants to be a creator, so Vairon (Alpha and Omega)

Rayleigh - No deck
[/spoiler]
[/quote]

One out of four correct. Not bad.

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Alright guys, I've got an important announcement to make. I dreaded making this decision, but I clearly see now that there's no other choice.

...no, I won't be cancelling this. Calm down.

When I originally started this story, I had planned for it to be four arcs long (48 chapters). But relatively soon, I realized that was impossible. It would mean that we would now be basically six chapters away from the end, which would just not be feasible. So I extended my original planning by one arc. Now, ever since I started writing this arc 4, I've been having the same feeling.

Trust me, noone wants to see this story finished more than I do, and I am aware that the longer I prolong it, the better the chances are that I'll give up somewhere along the road. This is why I definitely did not want to go for another arc. In fact, I considered several solutions. I tried to cut down as much material as possible - but that would leave many plot threads hanging, and would definitely be unfair to those characters that haven't had a chance for some spotlight yet. I considered making the final conclusion a separate mini-arc, three or four chapters long. But I really wanted this to be uniform, you know? 12-chapter main story arcs, and a single 12-chapter bonus arc (yes, I might as well say it now, there will be 12 Extra chapters in total. 4 already down, 4 definitively planned, and 4 whose content still remains to be conclusively determined). Plus, when I, experimentally, thought of adding a new arc, I did a test - for how many chapters did I have material that I was prepared to write? The answer was eight out of twelve, and that's not counting any extensions I might want / need to make. The most recent example would be this last duel - it originally was meant to be a single chapter long, but upon writing it I realized there was no way I was going to shove Takizawa off in one chapter like that, and that threw my planning off by quite a bit. I also realized that a lot of the characters simply weren't ready to be thrown into the conclusion of their stories just yet, and could do with a bit more time to develop.

So, in the end, I decided to add another story arc. Things that were supposed to be stuffed in this arc will make up the first part of it, and things I would otherwise cut down from the last one will form the second part. I've stuck with this story for this long, and I've really come to enjoy what was originally only a mock project to get me back into the writing groove. Might as well see it to a proper end.

tl;dr you'll have to read an extra arc's worth of chapters before reaching the end.

Chapter 43 won't be too long now, but I'm planning a bit ahead. Depending on how it goes, I might do a double chapter release for 43 and 44 to make up for it.
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That means there are thirty more chapters until we get all the answers and everything is settled?

I don't know whether to be happy or frustrated by this.

Well as long as you maintain your high standards of writing and continue to make it gripping reading (which every chapter has been so far) then I guess it's a good thing. I fear a bit its like once of those TV series that is dragged further and further out for money spinning reasons and gets progressively less good becuase of it (Lost and Prison Break, looking at you) but obviously all you have to gain is respect and stuff.

I'm rambling but you probably know what I mean. I know you're not dragging it out for the sake of it, if you believe the story needs to be longer for everything to be resolved in a satisfying, not rushed manner then thats cool.

Looking forward to more epicness.
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