Dr. Cakey Posted May 30, 2011 Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 I assume it was Inverz Greys (Steelswarm Hercules). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted May 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 Someone discovered Durarara!! =/ I was thinking about DAD, but he had spammed way too many Darks to be practical. I did want to fit Scout in there, since last time it was removed from play before it could be used, but it turned out a sub-par solution in most of the situations I had in mind. The final card isn't such a huge secret. It's just [url="http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Steelswarm_Hercules"]this[/url]. He could have used RfDD to push for game earlier, but saved it so he could remove enough Inverz to summon Greys. At least, that's how it was perceived by the others. EDIT: Ninja'd. Next chapter should be up Fridayish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted May 30, 2011 Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 [spoiler=Spoiler] Oh yes, forgot to mention the fact that I'm now second guessing who is going to end up with Stardust Dragon and Red Dragon Archfiend. I'm now erring to it being Sugita and Takechi as oppossed to Yuusuke and Maya. Which would be no bad thing. Being European Champion and Ranked 96 duelist not good enough for you dragons then? [/spoiler] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted May 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2011 If, up until the moment they are summoned, any of you manages to guess correctly who will be using either of them, my mind is going to be blown. Don't go around throwing random guesses, now >_>. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Nightshade~ Posted June 3, 2011 Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Dunkan ttly uses Stardust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted June 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 An interesting view. May I ask, how did you reach that conclusion? The next chapter is here. I apologize if it feels a little off-tune with the story right now. I'm afraid I can't entirely help it being a bit disconnected - I've been having trouble placing it, and up till I decided to expand into another story arc, I had decided to leave it for an Extra Chapter or something similar. But either way, the importance of the events in here will become apparent quickly. [spoiler=Don't read if you want to be surprised]I actually followed a suggestion yielded from the questionnaire for one of the decks used in this chapter. I've been considering a Mill deck for a while, but I didn't quite want to go down the usual road, so Voltic Bicorn it is ^^[/spoiler] [spoiler=Chapter 47] [center][b][u]Chapter 47:[/b] Light of Hope[/u][/center] She was standing alone in the midst of falling rain, clad in a one-piece black dress. A bouquet of white roses was in her hands. The earth around her was rotten, dying. Atop the rusted fence of the graveyard, crows squeaked their mournful cries. Haunted brown eyes, the glow of vitality drained from them, darted from one white marble tombstone to the other, reading the short, blunt inscription on each one. Sanjou Kiishiro, born September 17th, 2019. Deceased May 9th, 2037. Kirizaki Maya, born February 2nd, 2019. Deceased May 9th, 2037. Aizawa Yuusuke, born August 28th, 2019. Deceased May 9th, 2037. There were more, dozens more, of various people with various dates of birth, whose lives had all been cut down at the exact same day. In the middle of the cemetary, a giant black monolith had been erected, upon which the words had been carved with blood-red letters. [i]Their sacrifice was in vain.[/i] Directly overhead, a vortex of white chaos raged. Sanjou Kotomi shook her head. She knew that what she saw in this world was not <real>. She did not know how to describe it exactly, but it was an expression of <possibility>, a future that [i]could[/i] happen. And this bleak future was certainly something she wanted to prevent. Walking away, turning her back to her son's grave, she dismissed this shard of the future from this world. She did not know exactly how time passed in this space of existence, but she had first come to the virtual world on the 4th, so May 9th still couldn't be less than a couple of days away. And until that time came, she had to solved her predicament. Trapped within the world, <Hidden Village of the Magicians>, which according to Ebony was structured by her own mind, she had no way to escape that she could see. It was not as if the world was physically restricted - she had, at least, not encountered any boundary in her multiple attempts. Yet at the same time, getting <somewhere> was impossible, and she understood it. Because this was a separate world, even if she walked enough distance to circumvent the Earth, it would be utterly pointless. If she was to admit one thing, it was that this reality she had supposedly created was a pleasant place to live, for the most part. Around the small village after which the Field Spell was named, endless expanses of thick forest, crisscrossed by numerous streams, some of which had their sources inside the woods themselves, while others yet traversed incredible distances to various directions, stretched out seemingly infinitely. Here and there small clearings made for a pleasant change, and the uneven ground had allowed Kotomi a more expansive view of the landscape. While there was not an end to the forest that could be caught by the eye, far into the distance huge mountains stretched, their mist-shrouded peaks still covered by snow. A virgin, untamed land of pure fantasy, it felt dear to her, and she could feel every tree, every blade of grass, as an extension of herself. More than everything, that convinced her that Ebony's claims on the matter had been true, and thus that escape was also unlikely. Under different circumstances, it might have been a pleasant place to live. Might have, except for the occasional shard of a future vision that drifted into this reality. Like before, most of them were images of a macabre future, generated by her own worries and fears. And also, except for the village. Though it seemed to be protected by a semi-translucent barrier, nothing stopped her, at least, from entering. But everyone avoided her. The inhabitants of the village were, according to her guesswork, Duel Monsters, magicians and fairies of various sorts, some of which she had even seen during her duel with Ebony. They all refused to talk to her, though, and treated her as if she carried some sort of disease, locking themselves in their houses when she appeared in the village. She couldn't help but wonder why, since they were supposed to be part of her own mind. At any rate, with the situation like this, she lacked contact with any sentient being, or indeed living creature, as no animals, birds or even insects seemed to be inhabiting this isolated space - it was a good thing that she needed no food or water to survive. She seemed to need no sleep as well, as she never felt tired no matter how far she walked, but she did sleep, and it was a dreamless, deep slumber. When she woke up, she felt as if she had been sleeping for days - yet it was almost impossible to tell day from night in this place, as the sun and moon rose and fell at completely random intervals. She had spent her time thus far trying aimlesly to figure out a place to escape, but if this situation dragged on much longer, she might go insane. "Somebody, help me..." She whispered to her reflection in the crystal clear waters of a small pond she had discovered. The water rippled in response, and before her astounded eyes, the mirror image split into two, one remaining stationary, while the other slowly morphed into a new form. Blinking, she turned around to face the thing that had abruptly materialized next to her. Though she had only seen her once, she instantly recognized the Black Magician Girl she had used in her duel againt Ebony. The blue-clad sorceress smiled cheerfully at her, hovering a few inches above the ground. "Who - who are you?" Kotomi felt a little foolish, asking this of someone whose identity she already knew, but Black Magician Girl did not seem offended. "I am something you called for to help you in your time of need." She responded, brandishing her wand a little as if to stave off unseen enemies. "This is your own world, but make no mistake - it's a reality like any other, and with the Nexus drawing near, it's not even remotely safe. If you truly wish to escape this prison of your mind, there is a way." "What must I do?" Kotomi asked desperately. The Black Magician Girl smiled. "Let's go to the village." Kotomi could have sworn she had lost her way dozens of times in these woods, yet she always seemed to be able to find her way back to the central area rather easily. Likewise, it didn't take long for the pair to arrive at the intangible white magical field that protected the spellcasters' home. Much like Kotomi, Black Magician Girl seemed to have no trouble passing through. [i]What is this barrier, anyway?[/i] Kotomi wondered. "You should be able to answer that yourself." Black Magician Girl startled her by responding to her unvoiced question. "Those who live within this place are also part of your mind." She indicated the various figures, seen as if through a light haze when viewed from outside, that wandered within. "That part of you is afraid of something, trying to keep something out." "But what?" Kotomi frowned. "There's nothing outside. Nothing to threaten them, certainly." "That is how you perceive it." Black Magician Girl smiled. "Different parts of your mind will analyze and record reality very differently. What may be invisible to you here might be a very real terror to other parts of your mind." "You're telling me that... I am the conscious part of my mind, and those... they are the subconscious? And what I subconsciously fear is out there, trying to break through?" She shivered at the thought. She never considered herself brave or fearless. But perhaps in here, she had felt... safe. Secure in her own little world. Was she deceiving herself all along? "You are, to them, connected to that fear." Black Magician Girl floated in and out of the boundary field. "They avoid you because you are the one that will bring this fear to being. Your true enemy is yourself." Ebony had said something similar. That people had all the strength they required, they simply needed to draw it out. And perhaps facing one's fears was more complicated than it sounded. "What do I do?" She asked glumly. She tried to see, to hear, to touch, to smell, to taste this world, tried to understand what was out there that was threatening this world. "How can I defeat my fears?" "That answer, you must come to it yourself." Came the stern response. Kotomi closed her eyes, concentrating. [i]People are already as strong as they need to be.[/i] These words danced in her head. Right now, she needed the strength to break out of this world, and reach her son, prevent the terrible future that had appeared in front of her eyes from swallowing him. To do that, she had to challenge whatever terrors she held deep within her mind, and destroy them. What was she most afraid of? To lose her son, naturally. But, she immediately knew that wasn't the answer. "Don't be silly." Black Magician Girl cooed next to her. She seemed to be enjoying Kotomi's frustration - was that really a part of her? "You're thinking about this the wrong way. What you see, what you think, are merely projections of your consciousness. Stop trying to reason things out. Start [i]feeling[/i]." And so she did. Why did all these things exist anyway? Why would her mind, consciously or subconsciously, structure this multi-layered reality? What was that void that she was trying to - The answer was right there. She clutched her head, fighting against the blinding headache. The reason she had fallen to despair. The reason she had clung to such a tiny ray of hope. The reason her own subconscious was blocking her out. The fear that might take form. And the reason for her powerlessness... Solitude. The pain of loss, the loss of everything. Everyone and everything disappearing around her. The fundamental fear of man. If she faced her fear, it would be realized, and this world of hers that protected her from that absolute isolation would vanish. Screams resounded across the normally quiet forest. The sky overhead, always cloudless and clear, was now black, raging with thick stormclouds. A putrid smell filled her nostrils. Black Magician Girl faded away into a dark mist. Everything became shrouded in a thick fog. From the depths of the forest, a shape became visible, closing in, the corruption accompanying it. As soon as it was close enough for her to see clearly, she screamed herself. It was, at first glance, a man, a giant, bare-chested beast of a man. But thick fur grew from its skin, and its hands were clawed, and instead of a human head, it had the head of a goat, with two giant curly horns sprouting from the top. This was the very image of Satan from many depictions. "I am the Beast." It said, in a deep, rumbling voice. "You have allowed darkness to consume your soul, and you have called me unto yourself. I am nothing, and I am everything. I have come to take everything from you. I will swallow your world, and turn it to chaos." Kotomi could not formulate any coherent thoughts, much less words. She felt freezing cold seep her energy, at the sight of this embodiment of death. There was no possible way she could persevere, no possible way she could win. [i]People are already as strong as they need to be.[/i] For the umpteenth time that day, she considered those words. Did she already have the strength to overcome these odds? Ebony had - by accident, she was sure - given her a valuable message. A message not only for her. If she was going to defeat her own fear... "You misunderstand." The creature before her said in a deep, unearthly voice. "You cannot be stronger than me, because I am already all that you are. There is no other path for you, who have foolishly brought me here, but to be swallowed up. Devourerd, and lose everything, until the very core of your existence is exposed to the fires of hell." "Then, what are you waiting for?" Kotomi asked desperately. "We are still inside the context of the virtual reality, so I will bring about the end with this." The devil raised his hand, and five images of cards, almost halfway as tall as their wielder, appeared with their backs facing towards Kotomi. Without really understanding what she was doing, Kotomi conjured a silver-white Duel Disk on her arm, on which a deck was already loaded. "I will start." The demon said slowly, another card appearing in front of him. "And I will show you the void that awaits you." [center][i][b]_[/b] - LP: 4000[/i] [i][b]Sanjou Kotomi[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] Kotomi tensed. She understood that all she was seeing as a projection of her own mind. That it wasn't real, and for the most part, it as a symbolic interpretation of her consciousness. But in here, wasn't that the true, unwavering reality? "I summon Berserk Gorilla in attack mode." Her opponent said. A giant ape, breathing hell's fire from its mouth, appeared on the field behind the demonic goat creature. Then, this thing was using Beast monsters? It seemed oddly fitting. "Two cards face-down. Turn end." [spoiler=Berserk Gorilla][b]Berserk Gorilla[/b] EARTH / Beast Level 4 2000/1000 If this card is in face-up Defense Position on the field, destroy this card. The controller of this card must attack with this card if possible.[/spoiler] "My turn! Draw!" Kotomi plucked a card out of her deck. Frustrated, she realized none of the monsters she could summon could match that monkey's attack points. But, it wasn't like she was out of options yet. "I set a defensive monster. And then I play one card face-down. Turn end." "My turn." The demon continued. Its goat-mouth twisted into a grin, and Kotomi felt the fear in her heart pulse. "By discarding the Level 2 Beast monster, Dark Desertapir, in my hand, I Special Summon the Level 5 monster, Giant Monkey of Vanity, from my hand." The ghost of a fierce monkey, even larger than Berserk Gorilla, appeared out of the shadow of a blue elephant-like creature. "When it is Special Summoned by this effect, I can either increase its Level by the Level of the discarded monster, or decrease it. I choose to decrease it." [spoiler=Dark Desertapir][b]Dark Desertapir[/b] EARTH / Beast Level 2 1100/300 When this card is removed from play, you can select 1 Level 4 or lower Beast-Type monster in your Graveyard and Special Summon it.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Giant Monkey of Vanity][b]Giant Monkey of Vanity[/b] EARTH / Beast / Tuner Level 5 1200/1200 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by sending 1 Beast-Type monster from your hand to the Graveyard. When this card is Special Summoned this way, you can activate 1 of these effects: • Increase the Level of this card by the Level of the Beast-Type monster. • Decrease the Level of this card by the Level of the Beast-Type monster.[/spoiler] "Eh? Why would you decrease your own monster's Level?" Kotomi asked, befuddled. "I tune the Level 4, Berserk Gorilla, to the, now Level 3, Giant Monkey of Vanity." He declared, ignoring her. It was a Synchro Summon, then! "Synchro Summon, the roaring thunder. Voltic Bicorn!" The sky rattled and the clouds parted, revealing a pitch-black horse with golden bolt-like patterns on its back, featuring two giant horns that were cackling as if charged. Thunder followed its hooves as it descended, settling next to its controller. [spoiler=Voltic Bicorn][b]Voltic Bicorn[/b] LIGHT / Beast / Synchro Level 7 2500/2000 1 Beast-Type Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters If this card is destroyed by your opponent's card (either by battle or by card effect), both players send the top 7 cards of their Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Voltic Bicorn, attack that reverse monster!" The demon commanded. Kotomi shielded her face from the thunderstrike that swept away her concealed creature as if it was nothing. She felt her hair stand on edge as lightning cackled around her. "But, the monster you attacked was Old Vindictive Magician! When she is flipped face-up, a monster you control is destroyed!" Voltic Bicorn was surrounded by a dark aura, obliterated by the curse of the vengeful witch. [spoiler=Old Vindictive Magician][b]Old Vindictive Magician[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 2 450/600 FLIP: Destroy 1 monster your opponent controls.[/spoiler] "You do not understand. Trying to fight your own fears is meaningless. The terror will consume you. Voltic Bicorn's effect activates, sending, from both of our decks, the top seven cards to the Graveyard." "Eeh?" Kotomi said thoughtfully. She plucked out, one by one, the uppermost seven cards from her deck, examined each of them and placed them in the discard pile. "Sending cards from the deck to the Graveyard..." "You haven't caught up?" Her opponent inquired. Your deck is formed out of forty cards. Once all those forty cards are removed from it, you will be unable to draw any more - thus, the duel will be over for you. And just like those cards are taken away from you, everything will disappear, and you will alone in a world of terror." Unsettled, Kotomi quickly did the math - there were now twenty-seven cards in her deck. However - "The same applies to you!" She realized, as shillouettes of seven cards appeared between her and her enemy, vanquished in a chaotic fog. "If you started first - that means that, if we lose cards at the same rate, your deck will run out faster!" "A foolish assumption. My deck is forged from the darkness in your heart. It will never run dry." The goat-creature's features twisted into a smirk. "I have not Normal Summoned anything yet. I set a reverse monster, and place yet another card face-down. Turn end." "I... draw." Kotomi said, conscious of the twenty-six cards she had remaining in her deck. She would have to attack fast, if she wanted to defeat this thing before her deck ran out of cards to use. Thankfully, it wasn't as if Voltic Bicorn's effect had been completely disadvantageous to her. "I activate the Spell card, Swing of Reminiscence! This revives a Normal monster from my Graveyard, in exchange for it being destroyed during the End Phase. So I will Special Summon Black Magician!" [spoiler=Swing of Reminiscence][b]Swing of Reminiscence[/b] SPELL / Normal Special Summon 1 Normal Monster from your Graveyard. It is destroyed during the End Phase of this turn.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Black Magician][b]Black Magician[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 7 2500/2100 [i]The ultimate wizard in terms of attack and defense.[/i][/spoiler] "I activate the Field Spell, Hidden Village of the Magicians." She placed a card on her disk's field spell slot, which opened to accomodate it. An eerie feeling accompanied this activation. It was as if the world around them was shifting, the paradox of an identical reality materializing inside this isolated space straining its consistency. [spoiler=Hidden Village of the Magicians][b]Hidden Village of the Magicians[/b] SPELL / Field If you control a Spellcaster-Type monster and your opponent does not, your opponent cannot activate Spell Cards. If you control no Spellcaster-Type monsters, you cannot activate Spell Cards.[/spoiler] "With this, no Spell cards can be used by me, unless I control a Spellcaster monster. Furthermore, while I control a Spellcaster monster and you do not, you cannot use any Spell cards." She had spent her time here researching the game that had cost her so much - that had cost Kiishiro so much - and even though she had noone to compete against, she managed to understand the deck that Ebony had said was hers. Now she was able to control her cards with relative proficiency. "I'll also bring out Magic Knight Defender, who gains a Spell Counter due to his effect." Two monsters now on her side of the field, she was ready to go onto the offensive. [spoiler=Magic Knight Defender][b]Magic Knight Defender[/b] LIGHT / Spellcaster Level 4 1600/2000 When this card is Normal Summoned, place 1 Spell Counter on it (max. 1). Once per turn, if a face-up Spellcaster-Type monster(s) on the field would be destroyed, you can remove 1 Spell Counter from a card you control for each of those monsters instead.[/spoiler] "I attack with Magic Knight Defender, and activate my face-down card, Magician's Circle! Since a Spellcaster monster attacked, I can bring out another Spellcaster from my deck! Come, Black Magician Girl!" The scantily-clad sorceress that had appeared to give her advice sprang from a magical portal into the fray. "Now, Magician's Circle applies to the opponent as well, but I assume your deck has no Spellcaster monsters?" [spoiler=Magician's Circle][b]Magician's Circle[/b] TRAP / Normal Activate only when a Spellcaster-Type monster declares an attack. Each player Special Summons 1 Spellcaster-Type monster with 2000 or less ATK from their Deck in face-up Attack Position.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Black Magician Girl][b]Black Magician Girl[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 6 2000/1700 This card gains 300 ATK for each "Black Magician" or "Magician of Black Chaos" in either player's Graveyard.[/spoiler] "You assume wrong." The demon said curtly. "I Special Summon The Tricky from my deck." A marionette-like creature sporting a deep blue cloak and golden armor, with two red question marks on its face and chest, appeared on the field. "Furthermore, the monster you just attacked is Metamorpot. This one's reverse effect forces us to discard all cards in our hands, and draw five cards from our decks." Kotomi clenched her teeth - with this, not only did she lose the two cards she was holding, whereas her opponent's empty hand did not suffer that penalty, but her deck was now reduced to twenty cards, half its original size. [spoiler=The Tricky][b]The Tricky[/b] WIND / Spellcaster Level 5 2000/1200 You can discard 1 card to Special Summon this card from your hand.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Metamorpot][b]Metamorpot[/b] EARTH / Rock Level 2 700/600 FLIP: Both players discard their hands, then draw 5 cards.[/spoiler] "Black Magician is stronger than that monster! Attack!" Kotomi commanded. The high-class sorcerer pointed with his scepter at the mechanical contraption, blowing it away with a single black magical blast. [center][i][b]_[/b] - LP: 3500[/i] [i][b]Sanjou Kotomi[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "And now, Black Magician Girl, direct attack! Since there is a second Black Magician in my Graveyard now, she gains three hundred attack points!" Her enemy did not seem intent on defending himself, so Black Magician Girl's strike shot straight through his torso. Straight through, because right before it connected, the part that would have been attacked dissolved into black mist, reforming just as soon as the blast was through. [center][i][b]_[/b] - LP: 1200[/i] [i][b]Sanjou Kotomi[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] Now that her hand was replenished, she at least had more options to use. "I release Black Magician and Black Magician Girl!" She said decisively. This was one of the strongest monsters she possessed, and she was willing to bet her chances on it. "Since they are both Level 6 or higher, and they are both magicians, I can Special Summon the ultimate sorcerer, Magic Hierophant of Black!" A vortex of energy stormed in front of her, and both magicians were consumed in that pillar of chaos. An unholy circle formulated on the ground, and above it, the visage of a black-clad sorcerer, similar to Black Magician, but exuding an incomparable amount of magical power, came into view. [spoiler=Magic Hierophant of Black][b]Magic Hierophant of Black[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 6 3200/2800 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Tributing 2 Level 6 or higher Spellcaster-Type monsters. You can negate the activation of any Trap Cards and destroy them.[/spoiler] "Magic Hierophant of Black not only has high attack power, but he can also negate any Trap cards I target." Kotomi explained. "I think I'll set another card face-down. Turn end." "So this is the monster you bring out in this situation. Would you like to see my true face? The true meaning of fear..." The face of the goat began shifting, changing, its body shrinking in size, a flowing black robe gathering around it... Kotomi gasped. The creature transformed into an identical replica of Ebony, her cold eyes sending shivers up her spine as she regarded her. "Poor girl." She said sarcastically. "Do you really think you can defeat your fear like that? Don't make me laugh. You haven't learned anything. Draw!" Unlike before, in this form, Kotomi's opponent made use of a shiny black duel disk, and used actual cards, rather than gigantic replicas of them. "The effect of Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy's effect in my Graveyard activates, removing itself from play to Special Summon another one from my deck. And then I Normal Summon Unibird!" A bare-chested winged warrior with demonic claws on its arms and feet, and a small blue bird shining with a golden aura appeared in front of Ebony. [spoiler=Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy][b]Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy[/b] DARK / Warrior Level 6 800/800 You can remove this card in your Graveyard from play to Special Summon 1 "Destiny Hero - Diabolic Guy" from your Deck.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Unibird][b]Unibird[/b] WIND / Winged Beast Level 2 100/600 You can remove from play this face-up card, and 1 face-up monster you control, to select 1 Synchro Monster in your Graveyard with a Level less than or equal to the combined original Levels of the other 2 monsters. Special Summon that Synchro Monster.[/spoiler] "Unibird's effect is such that, when it is removed from play along with another face-up monster, I can Special Summon a Synchro monster from my Graveyard, provided its Level does not exceed the combined Level of those two monsters. I remove from play the Level 6, Diabolic Guy, and the Level 2, Unibird, to Special Summon the Level 7, Voltic Bicorn!" The storm-bound twin-horned horse reappeared on the field, somehow looking more menacing than before. Ebony smiled, not bothering to conceal her cruelty. "I will cut down straight to the chase. Trap card, open! Torrential Burial! All monsters on the field will be swept away!" [spoiler=Torrential Burial][b]Torrential Burial[/b] TRAP / Normal Activate only when a monster is Summoned. Destroy all monsters on the field.[/spoiler] "Eh? But, Hierophant can negate the activation of a Trap card." Kotomi said. She would expect an attempt to destroy Voltic Bicorn, but this effort could be quickly neutralized by the effect of - "Counter Trap, Wrath of God." Ebony stated. "I discard one card, and the effect of Magic Hierophant of Black that negates my Trap card is negated, and that monster is destroyed. Since it is a Counter Trap card, and within the same chain as Hierophant's own effect nonetheless, your monster's effect is meaningless before it." True to those words, lightning from the sky struck down the dark magician before it could seal the torrential rains from devouring the entire field. All three monsters were obliterated completely. [spoiler=Wrath of God][b]Wrath of God[/b] TRAP / Counter Discard 1 card. Negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect and destroy that Effect Monster.[/spoiler] "Since Voltic Bicorn was destroyed again, you lose another seven cards from your Deck." Ebony said. "Now, feel the agony of your very life disappearing!" As Kotomi took one card from the top of her deck and placed it in the Graveyard, she felt a throbbing pain strike her mind. First card, her sixteen-year-old birthday party. Second card, the day she found out she was pregnant. Third card, her parents' divorce. Fourth card, her first bicycle. Fifth card, her grandfather's death. Sixth card, a family visit to the beach. Seventh card... Kiishiro lying before her helpless self, his broken body injured beyond healing... She gasped for air, staggering backwards. What was this? The future, the past... memories and visions flashed past her, cycling in a lightspeed kaleidoscope. She could not quite grasp the concept - but those things seemed to flow away from her. "Do you see, now? The terror of losing everything... memory of the past, sense of the present, thought of the future... everything will be taken from you, and you will perish as a nameless person without even sense of self." Ebony said coldly. "Magic card, Raise Dead. Voltic Bicorn is revived! Direct attack!" Kotomi screamed as the overcharged horns of the mythical creature stabbed her chest like twin lances, instantly bringing her Life Points down to around the same Level as her opponent's. [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] [center][i][b]_[/b] - LP: 1200[/i] [i][b]Sanjou Kotomi[/b] - LP: 1500[/i][/center] "Let's see how you can keep up. Turn end." Kotomi cringed, unsteadily holding her ground as she pulled out her next card. Total number of cards left in her deck was now only twelve. She had lost the important pieces of her lockdown strategy. Unless she did something fast... no, in this turn, she had to initiate her counterattack. "What you said... at that time... was it true?" She panted. Ebony raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "That I am already as strong as I need to be? That I just have to discover that strength?" "I wouldn't know." Ebony smiled. "I am just a fragment of your mind, constructed from memory. I can tell you that you have a lot of strength piled up inside you. But all of that strength lies within me, because you are a coward, and let your fear overwhelm you. Now, come! Fight back against that fear, if you can!" "..." Something was a bit off. Kotomi narrowed her eyes. It was as if her senses, her perception, had grown sharper during her time here. Something about this thing she was facing was not as it seemed. Regardless, for now, nothing changed. "By removing from play the Light monster, Magic Knight Defender, and the Dark monster, Magic Hierophant of Black, in my Graveyard from play, I Special Summon Chaos Sorcerer!" The sinister mage that warped light and darkness appeared through a pillar of energy. "Chaos Sorcerer's effect activates, removing from play Voltic Bicorn!" If she got rid of that monster in this manner, there would be no more cards removed from her deck. No more memories she would have to relinquish. [spoiler=Chaos Sorcerer][b]Chaos Sorcerer[/b] DARK / Spellcaster Level 6 2300/2000 This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by removing 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster in your Graveyard from play. Once per turn, you can remove 1 face-up monster on the field from play. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack during this turn.[/spoiler] "So you think, but I activate my reverse card, Destruct Potion! Voltic Bicorn is destroyed, and I regain Life Points equal to its attack!" Kotomi gasped as her opponent's Life counter returned to almost their original value. "And you understand, right? Voltic Bicorn was destroyed, so you have to give up another seven cards from your deck!" [spoiler=Destruct Potion][b]Destruct Potion[/b] TRAP / Normal Select 1 monster you control. Destroy it, and gain Life Points equal to its ATK.[/spoiler] [center][i][b]_[/b] - LP: 3700[/i] [i][b]Sanjou Kotomi[/b] - LP: 1500[/i][/center] One by one, more cards, more aspects of herself flew away from her. Seven more instances of her life, past, present and future, relinquished her mind. She staggered, trying to grab a hold of them - but it was like trying to hold onto flowing water, deceptively easy, yet utterly impossible. "It's not over yet!" She growled, regaining her composure. "I summon Eccentric Boy!" A small child creature with bizarre clothing style, flaring blonde hair standing tall over its head, and twin thin membrane-like wings appeared on the field. "And then I use its effect! If I want to Synchro Summon with it, I have to use another monster in my hand! So I tune my Level 4, Spellcaster monster, Magical Conductor, from my hand, to my Level 3, Eccentric Boy!" The monsters on the field and in her hand shattered into shards of light, combining into three circles and four stars, converging to bring forth a new power. Shrouded in blue, wielding a luminous scepter in its arm, a powerful Spellcaster appeared to her aid. "Synchro Summon, Arcanite Magician!" [spoiler=Eccentric Boy][b]Eccentric Boy[/b] WIND / Spellcaster / Tuner Level 3 800/200 When using this card as a Synchro Material Monster, the other Synchro Material Monster is 1 monster in your hand. The Synchro Monster that used this card as a Synchro Material Monster cannot activate its effects, its effect(s) is negated, and is removed from play when removed from the field.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Magical Conductor][b]Magical Conductor[/b] EARTH / Spellcaster Level 4 1700/1400 Each time a Spell Card is activated, place 2 Spell Counters on this card. Once per turn, you can remove any number of Spell Counters from this card to Special Summon a Spellcaster-Type monster from your hand or Graveyard whose Level is equal to the number of Spell Counters you removed.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Arcanite Magician][b]Arcanite Magician[/b] LIGHT / Spellcaster / Synchro Level 7 400/1800 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner Spellcaster-Type monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned, place 2 Spell Counters on it. This card gains 1000 ATK for each Spell Counter on it. You can remove 1 Spell Counter from a card you control to destroy 1 card your opponent controls.[/spoiler] "Eccentric Boy's effect locks down the abilities of the Synchro Summoned monster." Ebony said indifferently. "Your vaunted Magician cannot even use its effect to increase its own power." "Perhaps, but my aim was this! Fusion!" Kotomi revealed the last card in her hand. "I fuse my Spellcaster monster, Chaos Sorcerer, and my Spellcaster Synchro monster, Arcanite Magician!" A spiralling vortex of light appeared overhead, drawing together the two individual monsters. "Fusion Summon! Arcanite Magician, the Supreme Wizard!" Its armor twisting and growing, enlarged to the point where it was bulky enough to dwarf its wearer's imposing figure, the magician transformed into a being of higher caliber, an unparalleled grandmaster of magic. [spoiler=Fusion][b]Fusion[/b] SPELL / Normal Send Fusion Material Monsters that are listed on a Fusion Monster Card from your hand or your side of the field to the Graveyard, and Special Summon that Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Arcanite Magician, the Supreme Wizard][b]Arcanite Magician, the Supreme Wizard[/b] LIGHT / Spellcaster / Fusion Level 10 1400/2800 1 Spellcaster-Type Synchro Monster + 1 Spellcaster-Type monster This monster can only be Special Summoned by Fusion Summon (from the Extra Deck). When this card is Fusion Summoned, place 2 Spell Counters on it. This card gains 1000 ATK for each Spell Counter on it. Once per turn, you can remove 1 Spell Counter from your side of the field to activate one of the following effects: • Select 1 card on the field, and destroy it. • Draw 1 card.[/spoiler] "The Supreme Wizard's effect activates, allowing it to gain two Spell Counters. For each one, my monster gains a thousand attack points!" From a feeble 1400 points, the spellcaster rose to an overwhelming 3400 power. "So what?" Ebony demanded. "Even if that thing attacks me directly, I won't be finished off, and next turn I'll drain your remaining deck and deal with you, once and for all." "Even so..." Kotomi clenched her teeth. "Battle! Arcanite Magician, direct attack!" The powerful sorcerer aimed the tip of his scepter at Ebony, unleashing an azure maelstrom of energy. Ebony screamed as she was enveloped by that vortex. When the blinding light subsided, Kotomi saw her opponent's body slowly breaking apart, pieces of it flickering in and out of existence. The entire right side of her face had transformed into an amorphous, ugly black mass, pulsing and growing with each second. [center][i][b]_[/b] - LP: 300[/i] [i][b]Sanjou Kotomi[/b] - LP: 1500[/i][/center] "So you will lose your consistency if I defeat my fear..." Kotomi said thoughtfully. But, that wasn't all there was to it. Still, one very important factor... "You'll never defeat your fear. You'll never escape nothingness!" Ebony snarled, her twisted features mutating into a wicked smile. "Draw! Let me take everything from you! I summon Dark Bug, and activate its effect to Special Summon the Level 3 Tuner monster, Dark Resonator, from my Graveyard!" A spider-like creature appeared, spinning a web that dug deep into the ground, rising to drag with it a fiendish monster bearing a fork and a rod. [spoiler=Dark Bug][b]Dark Bug[/b] DARK / Insect Level 1 100/100 When this card is Normal Summoned, select and Special Summon 1 Level 3 Tuner monster from your Graveyard. The effect(s) of that monster is negated.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Dark Resonator][b]Dark Resonator[/b] DARK / Fiend / Tuner Level 3 1300/300 Once per turn, if this card would be destroyed by battle, it is not destroyed. (Damage calculation is applied normally.)[/spoiler] "And now I tune my Level 1, Insect monster, Dark Bug, to my Level 3, Dark Tuner monster, Dark Resonator! Synchro Summon!" Unlike before, the light was completely black, and so was the monster that emerged from within. "Pitch-Black Zumwalt!" Wrapped in a sickly green aura, the sorcerous demon brandished its gnarled stave. [spoiler=Pitch-Black Zumwalt][b]Pitch-Black Zumwalt[/b] DARK / Fiend / Synchro Level 4 2000/1000 1 DARK Tuner + 1 non-Tuner Insect-Type monster This card cannot be destroyed by battle. If this card attacks an opponent's monster that has higher ATK than this card, that monster's ATK becomes the same as this card's, until the end of the Battle Phase. When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, send the top 3 cards of your opponent's Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] "Battle! Pitch-Black Zumwalt, attack Arcanite Magician, the Supreme Wizard!" "But that's insane!" Kotomi exclaimed. "Arcanite Magician is much stronger!" "Not for long. Pitch-Black Zumwalt's curse lowers the target monster's attack power down to its own level. Thus, Arcanite Magician's attack drops to 2000!" "Then our monsters will destroy each other." Kotomi concluded, watching in horror as two magical blasts, one black, one blue, collided with each other, creating a gigantic explosion. "And thanks to Pitch-Black Zumwalt's effect, you'll lose an additional three cards from your deck." Ebony grinned. Kotomi gritted her teeth. That only left two cards. Too little space to figure out what she was going to do. "I'll set another two cards face-down. Turn end." "It is my - " Kotomi started. "Hold it!" Ebony interrupted, raising her hand. "Trap, activate! Call of the Living Dead revives Voltic Bicorn! And then, instant magic, Cyclone! Call of the Living Dead is destroyed, and thus Voltic Bicorn is also destroyed!" [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=Cyclone][b]Cyclone[/b] SPELL / Quick-Play Select 1 Spell or Trap Card on the field. Destroy it.[/spoiler] Kotomi considered for a second. The last card she had set face-down, that had been lying on the field since her first turn, was, coincidentally, Reincarnation Premonition. This Trap card would return cards from the Graveyard to the owner's deck. She had placed it as a last measure against her opponent's deck destruction strategy. After Voltic Bicorn's effect concluded, she could return the two Chaos Sorcerers in her Graveyard. Whichever one she drew, she could use its effect to remove Zumwalt from play, rendering it meaningless. Then, if no additional trouble appeared next turn, she could win. But... "I... very well." She muttered. Sighing heavily, she plucked out the last two cards in her hand. One was Magician of Black Chaos. The other was the Beautiful Goddess of Salvation - Norsewemko. She regarded them for a moment, before placing them into the Graveyard. "This is the end." "Oh? Are you saying you can still make some sort of reversal with that single card on your field?" Her opponent mocked her. But those words did not allow the creature to see the truth. It was shrinking, losing its coherence, its body slowly fading away. "No, I understand now. I do not have to defeat my fear. Because fear is what drives us, what gives us strength." Kotomi stood her ground firmly, as her opponent's face contorted into rage. The beast screamed, and reached out with a clawed hand for Kotomi - but she did not move an inch, and before it could touch her, it broke apart into thin air. "If I kept resisting this fear, I'd never realize the truth. That, no matter how much we lose, how much is taken from us, there is one final thing that will remain. That is... hope." The world around her dissolved into nothingness. She closed her eyes, emptying her mind. In the pitch-black void, she discovered the answer she was looking for. The emotions that had piled up on her heart had suppressed the one thing she should not have forgotten. For herself, for Kiishiro, for everyone else fighting in this condemned war - they had to see it. Driven by fear of solitude, the despair of nothingness, each one fought - but as long as they did not realize the feelings hidden deep in their hearts, their struggle would only lead to more despair, more darkness. This different sort of courage that Kotomi had found - it was now her purpose to carry that hope to the ones who needed it. Slowly, she opened her eyes, taking in her new surroundings. [/spoiler] The following chapter will conclude this arc with one big catching-up of all, or nearly all, the separate plot threads. I can't say exactly when it will be up, but probably not that long. After that... there will be a hiatus of sorts, not quite sure of the details yet. I'll say more when the next chapter is done. 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Crimson Blaze Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Oh, I'm honored that you would use my idea in one of your chapters. This was good and all, but I regret to inform you that Voltic Bicorn's effect only activates when it is destroyed [i]by your opponent[/i]. But, there's no immediate reason to change anything because they used the same effect you used in the anime. Other than that, keep the good stuff coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted June 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Oh, damnit. I was watching the Team Unicorn fight right before I wrote this chapter, so I got carried away. And I was thinking to myself, 'hey, that's a pretty good card!', but as it turns out it's really restrictive, huh... ah well. Yeah, I'll pay more attention in the future, and will correct this when the time comes. Thanks for pointing it out. Oh yeah, noticed I hadn't updated the first post and thread sub title. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 Didn't expect Kotomi to turn up again? Dunno why, but everytime she's mentioned I think of Dorothy. Please don't make her a signer, surely not. Can't say I'm thrilled by her potential involvement, although the preminition at the start was freaking epic. Duel was not as good as I hoped, I was expecting the mill deck to come against Yuusuke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexadin Posted June 5, 2011 Report Share Posted June 5, 2011 I almost forgot about Kotomi, glaf you continued her story otherwise I'd totaly forgot what happened to her. This chapter was quite good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 >.> I should do better with descriptions, then. Tbh, descriptions have always been my weakest point, as I tend to focus on other parts of the narrative... I'll see what I can do about it. But you can rest assured - she won't be a Signer. Anyways, it's time for this arc to come to an end, too. As promised, this chapter will hunt down a whole bunch of individual plot threads and bring them together, so we're all up-to-date with almost everything that's been going on. I intentionally left out the main character cast, as they will get their exposure with the new arc's beginning, and I wanted to set up the side characters that have not seen the spotlight for a while. From this chapter, you can work out the timeframe of the remaining story, and may even be able to guess the breaking point between the two final arcs. I hope you all enjoy it. Note: the title is a rather loose translation of the Japanese name of "Final Countdown". [spoiler=Chapter 48] [center][b][u]Chapter 48:[/b] Countdown to the End[/u][/center] One more day slowly approached its conclusion. The red sun never set, and the appearance of the sky, like a dome of cracked glass, never changed, but hour after hour passed, each one bringing the world one step closer to the final end. Yuko had locked herself in her apartment. Her parents were gone somewhere - she did not know or care where. She just wanted to stay there, alone, and pray. Though after what she had witnessed, she could not even fathom what good prayers would do to her. She did not regret abandoning the virtual world. To begin with, the whole thing was insanity. Takechi and Sugita... they had not realized what they had gotten themselves into. She had pleaded with them, tried to explain the overwhelming difference between monsters like ZONE and Moboro and themselves, but they would not listen. Her mobile phone ringing frightened her so much that she almost fell off her bed. Cursing her destroyed composure, she scrambled for the phone. The number was unknown. "Hello?" She asked hesitantly. "[i]Hello. Am I talking to Iseya Yuko-san?[/i]" An unfamiliar, female voice came through the other side of the line. "Who is it?" She demanded curtly. She was in no mood to speak to anyone. "[i]My name is Aizawa Hikari.[/i]" Aizawa. Where had she heard that name before? Her eyes widened, and she barely suppressed a gasp. Aizawa Taihito had been the man that Moboro had brought along during that Riding Duel between Takechi and that boy Yenma. Yuko had not paid much attention, but she was pretty certain Moboro had shoved the blame of the malfunction in the Duel Field to him and put him under lock - even though she was now rather certain that that had been all set up. "I don't want anything to do with you!" She yelled at the phone. "I don't know anything! Leave me alone!" "[i]Silence, child.[/i]" Something about that voice, so commanding, so confident, made her obey. "[i]You can't deny your involvement in this any longer. Listen carefully to this. Right now, more than sixty million people are logged into Duel International's virtual reality system.[/i]" "Si - sixty..." Yuko almost dropped the phone. She must not have heard well. Sixty million people? She could swear that, a week ago, not even a third as many even had an account on the system, worldwide. What was this woman saying. "[i]Word has it that the sky outside is a sign of the apocalypse. Duel International seems to have promised that, if they seal themselves in the virtual world, people can escape the coming doom, or at the very least pass on peacefully. This offer has been met with enthusiasm, especially since it is free for everyone interested. But of course...[/i]" It had all been calculated beforehand. There was no way millions of Duel Terminal booths could be distributed all over the world to accomodate that many people. The server capacity also had to have been increased - this was definitely the culmination of a long-term plan. And the only possible cause - !! "D - don't tell me..." She shivered, even though the heat was tremendous for some reason. "They plan to... to use all those people..." "[i]I'm sure you understand better than me, but we both know it can't be good.[/i]" Hikari stated firmly. "[i]More importantly, the end of the world is not simply rumors this time. If we don't do something, everything will be over.[/i]" Yuko bit her lip. She had decided to stay out of it. To leave the fight, and her future, the future of the world, to others. Because she had seen her weakness first hand. But... "I'll tell you what I know." She said heavily. She would at least not turn her back on those who fought. At least... --- Hikari shut down the phone, nodding thoughtfully. "We need to contact Yuusuke." She addressed her husband, who was hovering over the Duel Terminal chair their son was situated in. His head was blocked from view by the D-Tacher, but his muscles were tense, and his fingers were unconsciously gripping the edges of the chair. This was not the natural state of someone absorbed in a virtual reality. "It appears there is some sort of... coalition inside the Duel Terminal system, with both the means and the will to fight Duel International on even terms." "Even so, I can't seem to reach him." Taihito muttered desperately, constantly inputting commands on the console. "I knew this was a trap. Who knows where that damn woman took him... any word from Maya?" "None." Hikari said curtly. "Hopefully, she hasn't gotten herself involved in any of this." She most likely had, but there was no reason for her husband to know more than he should. "What should we do?" Taihito asked, helpless. "How can we fight against all... this?" "It's not over yet." Hikari gritted her teeth. "If there was something, no matter how small - " "What's wrong?" Taihito turned around anxiously. Hikari had stopped in mid-sentence, standing still as a statue. "What happened?" "...Yuusuke mentioned, that that Jacqueline woman was searching for someone named Eizan, right? Miyataka Eizan..." Hikari rushed to the nearby computer, scanning rapidly through several files. "That guy, I've most definitely seen this name somewhere recently... ah! No wonder I didn't remember it straight away... some of those files Jacqueline directed me to in order to create that drug linked back to highly confidential medical records, records that less than half a dozen people in all of Japan, including me, have access to... I was curious, so I checked them out, but time was pressing so I couldn't take the time and research more thoroughly. I'm quite sure I caught that name - here it is!" She pointed at an indexing page, where the name Miyataka Eizan was listed, along with all projects he was linked to. "There is one project with even higher rank than the one I saw earlier..." Hikari muttered, clicking on it. To her shock, she was not allow her to view its contents. Even clearances of the highest rank in the entire Japanese medical department were not enough to access that file. "Let me check that." Taihito muttered. Booting up another program on the background, he began reading through thousands of lines of code that appeared on the screen. He whistled softly. "This is the same type of encryption used in Duel International's secret files! It will take a while, but I think I might be able to bypass it." Hikari paced back and forth impatiently, as Taihito tried method after method, growing more frustrated by the minute. Finally, almost an hour and a half later, he slumped back on his chair, sighing with relief. "I did it... that was some pretty hardcore security. If I hadn't had a friend in the anti-hacking department to teach me some things..." He coughed at his wife's severe glance. "Ah well... anyway." He opened the file. They both read in silence for several minutes. "This is... impossible." Taihito whispered in horror. "Even for them, something like this..." Hikari did not speak, but her eyes mirrored the severety of the situation. What they had read was... heresy. "Extension of one's natural lifespan via use of virtual reality technology, even indefinitely..." Hikari muttered angrily. "For all intents and purposes, an immortal life inside a virtual system, even past the body's natural death." "To think that they were going for something like this..." Taihito was pale, his hands shaking as he clenched and unclenched his fists. "That there were even experiments, tests of such nature..." "Something doesn't add up." Hikari said abruptly. She was glaring at the screen, as if the monitor was at fault for the nature of the contents displayed. "This is too convenient. Why would they leave the files like that, for anyone to see? If this was Duel International's work, would they truly use their own encryption to hide something this important? While I do not doubt your ability, if it's something someone like you could access... no. Someone [i]wanted[/i] this found, perhaps even at this very time. Which means there is a trap ahead. That someone could only be - " " - Miyataka Eizan." Taihito finished in a hoarse voice. "What can we do now?" "We need to gather more information." Hikari said gravely. "I'll make some calls, though I don't know what good it will do. And we need to find Yuusuke. If..." She checked her watch. It was almost midnight. "If by this morning, we haven't managed to contact him, we'll go into the virtual world ourselves." --- [i]Maya, If you are reading this, I am dead, and you probably hate me more than you do at the time of this letter's writing. I will not ask for forgiveness, of course. I made my choices, and I will carry through with them.[/i] Kirizaki Ryouga paused, biting the edge of his pen. He was not good with words. Sighing, he finished the letter quickly, and called for his servant. Expressionless, Victor appeared on the door, patiently waiting his instructions. "If, in three days time, you are still alive, search for Maya." Ryouga said simply. "Give her this letter, along with my will. Search for her until you find her, until you see her dead body, or for six months. If you haven't found her by then, or she is dead, you are free to do whatever you wish." Almost anyone would have balked at this strange request, but Victor took it in stride. He caught the sealed letter carefully in his hands, bowed silently, and left, understanding his master's need for privacy. "And so our story comes to the finale." Ryouga shook his head. He walked up to a bookcase near the wall. With great effort, he pushed it aside, revealing a safe. After inputting a lengthy password, the silver door unlocked with a click, and Ryouga dragged it open. Inside was but a syringe, protectively coated in a glass case, filled with a fluorescent green serum. "You bastard, Klein." He grumbled as he sat down, pulled up his sleeve, and retrieved the medical instrument from the case. "This had better work as you said, otherwise I'm going to haunt your ghost." An instant after the luminous liquid entered his bloodstream, he had already fallen into unconsciousness. When Victor entered the room half an hour later, he only found a frozen corpse. --- Surrounded by swirling, black chaos, Ebony revelled in the echoes of the coming doom. She could feel the pulse of the Nexus drawing closer and closer. Once it was within reach, she could reshape this world as it was truly meant to be. A boundless, limitless reality - no, a living thing, ever-growing, devouring everything in its way. She smiled in her apocalyptic reverie. However, obstacles had to be removed. ZONE. Ivory. Sanjou Kiishiro. Her features briefly contorted with rage. How dare he, a mere intruder of this realm, stand up to her. If it hadn't been for that woman's suppressed willpower... it was no coincidence that Ebony had chosen this particular woman for her vessel. Speaking of which - Ebony paused. The reality she had imprisoned Sanjou Kotomi in had been crafted from her victim's mind, certainly, and was absolutely isolated to the outside, but it was of her own design. She could tell that that space no longer existed. She grinned fiercely. She did not need that girl any more, and there was no reason to keep her imprisoned now, but it certainly grated at her that she would have the gall to defy her will. The monsters she had used against Kiishiro were mere fragments of her original strength. If she gathered up all her power, all the power of this world, feeble, ephemeral creatures like the Crimson Dragon's servants would not be able to touch her. --- ZONE was alone now, locked in the solitude of one of Arc Cradle's hidden chambers. Within the armored confines of his vehicle lay a battered, broken body, supported by mechanical means. There was one part of that original body, though, that he kept carefully preserved. In the middle of this room was an arm, cut down from the elbow, stored in a container filled with preservation fluids. On that arm, the mark of the dragon's head was emblazoned, glowing faintly in the half-light. ZONE knew what it symbolized. The arm that originally belonged to him had marked him as one of the chosen of the Crimson Dragon. Not any more, though. ZONE knew that the mark was still there because the Crimson Dragon had not yet located a suitable person in this world to accomodate the legacy of the Signer birthmark, and wield one of the sacred dragons. The Crimson Dragon did not forgive failure. No, if ZONE had to be honest, it was not failure he had been guilty of - it was total, absolute disaster. The kind of sin that ZONE could not forgive himself for - why was he even considering the possibility that he would be forgiven by others? Two of the dragons remained silent. Their identity was not a coincidence. ZONE knew full well that the power of these dragons could be disastrous if misused. It could be disastrous anyway. Three screens monitored the anomalies of this and the external world's Outer Spheres. The imagery was now a blur of throbbing, twisting lines. The boundary between realities was breaking apart - it would not last more than forty-eight hours, at maximum. He knew that something was delaying Duel International's plans, but they would make their move soon. Thirty hours, and the chance might be gone. By that time, ZONE would have to make his move. He had made sure Kiishiro, Yenma and Christina all had the capacity to fight. Of the three, Yenma was probably the most reliable right now, but they all needed to be ready for the coming war. One minor slip-up, and everything would be ruined. ZONE had to make sure that wasn't allowed. With the other two boys, he would at least match the enemy's numbers. He did not have the luxury to make a small army to deal with Ghosts, or whatever else their enemies might pit against them. Those would have to be dealt with quickly, or avoided. The core part of the operation fell on him. As soon as the boundary between the worlds had destabilized enough to prevent any drastic measures on Duel International's part, and substantially reduce their control over the virtual reality, ZONE would bring the Arc Cradle above the Aria Tower, where the portal to the Nexus was located, and assault it from above. Once they had conqured the Tower, it would be a race against a time to shut down the portal and reverse the situation. But the invasion had to be timed correctly. Too soon, and Kiishiro and the others would be crushed by the enemy's superior counter measures. Too late, and even their victory would be meaningless. ZONE had resolved to save this reality, compensating for his failure in his own world. He had long since forsaken every other emotion or desire. There were two ways things could go, if left unchecked: either Duel International could not control the flow of chaos from the Original Sin, and the moment the Nexus enveloped this reality everything would be over. Or, against the odds, their primitive means would succeed in controlling the Nexus, to an extent. There's no telling what would happen then. But ZONE was aware of human nature. Even if they somehow managed to use the unfathomable energies hidden within the core of the Nexus, power capable of miracles beyond even what ZONE himself could realistically imagine, they would probably cause greater destruction with it. Their greed, their lust for more power would lead them to challenge even greater frontiers, and sooner or later, everything would collapse out of control. The end result was, in both scenarios, the same. Absolute disaster, the complete disappearance of this reality, of many realities currently rotating around this Nexus. As it was, a gateway to the Original Sin had been opened, and a great amount of energy was flowing between this world and the beyond. That energy was slowly dragging the Nexus towards this plane of existence, until it would be fully aligned with it, and the Original Sin could be accesed. This was a steady, certain, but slow process that had began several days ago, when the portal was first opened. For whatever reason, Duel International wasn't ready yet. Time was against them - if they took too long to set up the system which would control the Nexus, the convergence would happen violently, resulting in a catastrophic end. But to activate whichever system they had would require more energy to flow through the portal, and thus the Nexus would draw in much faster. If that system happened to be incomplete, annihilation was certain. If they took too long, the Nexus would be so close that the alignment would happen before the control system could contain it. Both sides were struggling against an imminent end as well as each other. ZONE made up his mind. The key moments for the two would coincide. At the exact same time that the enemy activated the final system, pushing through to the final part of their plan, they would begin the invasion. Aside from catching them in their weakest moment, there was one more reason ZONE chose this path. Despite the overwhelming technology contained in the Arc Cradle, he did not know whether he could successfully seal off the portal to the Nexus at this point, reversing the damage done. In the worst case scenario, even if they won, they might have to go through with Duel International's plan themselves, try and hang on a hair-thin thread of hope. And then... well, there was no use thinking that far into the future. The next two days would likely swallow up all his predictions, and make all his plans meaningless. He started initiating the systems to prepare the Arc Cradle for quick transport. He had no doubts that, whenever Duel International made their move, it would not be later than twenty-four hours from now - at any rate, events would be kicked into motion much earlier, and there would be a lot to react to in the following day. They had to make the best of the time and tools alloted to them, and had to deal best with the fate assigned to them. That was the limitation of the human race. That was the truth he had once tried to overcome. That was the truth that had, in the end, condemned him. --- Duel International's system created an imprint of each person's mind onto the virtual world, decorating it with the details provided during the avatar creation. Such a thing was a unique entity - that rule was not changed. Even when Kirizaki Maya had created a second account via the card provided to her by Miyataka Eizan's hand, it was still true that Stiyel Crystal and Sinclair were one and the same, simply clad in different bodies. That was no longer true. When Sinclair had been banished from existence, a part of the virtual 'persona' of Kirizaki Maya disappeared with her. That had meant little, perhaps, then. But currently, reality was fragile. The part Maya had lost there was going to vanish, sooner or later, from the real world, as well. That fate would be equivalent to death - perhaps worse than death. Then, Sinclair had been revived by Eizan. The complication was that she was now a separate existence from Stiyel Crystal. Two aspects of the same entity, torn apart. One would never be complete without the other. Sinclair was already experiencing the symptoms of their severed existence, and though Maya, in the aspect of Stiyel Crystal who embodied most of her 'self' had still not consciously felt it, she was already suffering from it. When the time to battle was at hand, that weakness would prove lethal. The first time Sinclair had been reborn as a separate entity, she had been a mindless drone, sent after Jinrei Yenma for purposes she could not fathom. She only remembered this after she was revived for the second time, with full consciousness. The person who had revived her had given her two orders. The first had been to find and duel Maya - which coincided with her own interests. But that duel ended without any conclusion, thus Sinclair was unable to reunite with herself. And the second had been to lead that boy, Adam Fergusson, to the information he needed inside the Vision Cathedral. She had met Maya again, then, perhaps not so coincidentally. What had been outright bizarre was the appearance of the Machine Emperor. She was certain those monsters were Dunkan's servants. What business did that Ghost have there? She had, of course, entered the Vision Cathedral via a route that wouldn't be intercepted, but Fergusson had been allowed to cross through the front door. In the end, who was behind all of it? She couldn't undo that tangled web, and didn't care to. All that was important was to find Maya, and become whole once more, even if that meant dying. This immense solitude, being split apart with oneself, was too much to withstand. Sinclair was still connected to her alter ego, thus that she would be able to locate her. Maya had been in the Duel Field <Battlegrounds of Asgard> for a while now. Her emotions were a mixture of pain, sadness, relief, and fear. She did not know what had happened to her, but she could tell she had been in a death match not too long ago. If someone got her before she could... no. As Stiyel Crystal, she was still too strong to be put down easily, no matter the opponent. But... Sinclair was aware of an irregularity. Right before she entered the Battlegrounds, Maya had been somewhere... else. Somewhere even Sinclair couldn't determine. Something had been set in motion then, something that would be critical in deciding their future. For the better or worse, she did not know for sure, but... as she sat in solitude on the edge of the marble balcony of the <Hall of Vanity>, she couldn't help but smile a little, feeling a tiny, flimsy glimmer of hope illuminate her torn soul. It wouldn't be easy, and it wouldn't be without sacrifices, but even if the world was torn apart - she would find herself, and be complete once more. --- Abraham Lee verified the records of the entity known as Nightshade, whom had been the girl he had met nine years ago, Reesha - or, as she was called now, Christina. There was no doubt that she was currently present in the virtual world - though as she was within the confines of that accursed fortress, the Arc Cradle, there was no way for him to affect her account, or reach her at all. He wasn't certain what he would say if they met, anyway. He had been the one responsible for dragging her into this mess, for taking her life away from her. He was alone in the living room of his small mansion. The world outside was pure chaos - no, not just outside. Even in his own house, things weren't as they should be. The geometry of the walls was not quite right - the lines didn't seem to match, and sometimes a piece of wall would be completely gone, Lee not daring to even get close to the black void that replaced it. When he had walked out of the room earlier he was suddenly in the middle of a pitch-black forest with gnarled old trees as tall as skyscrapers - everything, even the smell of the air had been changed. But as soon as he took a step back, he was in his own house once more, and he never even thought of leaving this room again. And those were the relatively bearable abnormalities. In his kitchen, he kept a collection of plates attached to ropes of different lengths, hanging from the ceiling. When he had last been there, the plates were all severed human heads, their eyes gouged out, their mouths twisted into macabre smiles. Needless to say, he had since decided to finish his business as soon as possible, and enter the virtual world - even if it was by no means 'normal', at least the situation there was more 'controlled' than this reality, which was already dismantling under the influence of the ever-closing Nexus. This difference in stability could lead to severe problems, and Lee wondered, not for the first time, whether Dunkan had considered this difference between the relatively stable virtual world they had designed, and this volatile reality. He had assured them that they would put the Nexus under control before irrevocable damage could occur in any of the connected realities - but what was really his goal? What if - no. There was no use thinking about that now. It was already too late, way too late. He had quickly completed Dunkan's orders. He suppressed the regret he felt at misleading so many people into serving their own plan, against their will. He had activated the new systems that Dunkan had the company design to accomodate the massive influx of people in the virtual world, and initiated the project - from there on, it was mostly a predesigned procedure. With so many things going wrong lately, Lee expected to run into trouble, but it had all gone smoothly - everyone who opposed them was focused on the virtual world at the moment. Everyone else was already in the Aria Tower. In less than thirty minutes, Dunkan would gather them all again in the portal chamber to review the current situation, and make further changes as necessary. Lee needed no more than a few minutes to complete what he had decided to do, but he was still hesitating. Even though that decision was certainly nothing Dunkan would approve - most certainly, he would be furious just to find out Lee had been withholding the related information - it was not thought of betrayal that had given him pause. After Reesha's supposed death, Lee had kept the deck they had made for her. Unlike most cards which were produced virtually, those had been taken directly from real-world counterparts, counterparts so rare that with all their resources Duel International had only found a single copy of most. They could duplicate them, certainly, and they had created various support for them later, but there was something special about those cards. Klein had told Lee they could form the way to a new possibility. A package had arrived for Lee on the day that Cornelius Klein died. That package contained one, final card, and Lee had understood Klein's words from back then. Those cards were not of the same type as the cards created for their own use, like the 'Worms' Moboro used or the Takizawa's 'Genex' monsters. But they were unique in their own way, and in a world of endless possibilities, Lee couldn't predict what they might eventually lead to. Those cards - Lee felt that he should return them to that girl. But at the same time, he knew that by doing so, he would only get her more deeply involved. Letting loose such a volatile element could be catastrophic to their plans. But Lee had resolved to do only what he felt was right. If fate had it for him to be destroyed by this very action, he should accept it. It was no less than he deserved, after all. Sighing, he loaded each new card on the terminal, scanning them and bringing forth their virtual replicas. Along with the completed deck deck of the Gem Beasts that had been constructed back then, he passed them on to their rightful owner. Fate had bound them that day under the light of the red dragon. Even now, they could not escape from that fate. They would meet again, and when they did - it would probably be as mortal enemies. --- The energy that had been released after Adam Fergusson's duel with the Ghost had drastically increased the output of the <Road to Tomorrow>, so much that Fergusson had been forced to flee the Riding Field. Normally, all he had to do was ride along with the flow, and he would be taken to the destination he yearned for. He would be the very first to touch the Nexus. It should be quite possible now. But he could not do it. Doubt was clouding his thoughts, diminishing his resolution. Why had Ghost told him about the man who supposedly betrayed his brother and the team, resulting in Thomas' death? And what was that black D-Wheeler that looked so similar to Ylaidus? Could it be one of those Cataphracts? But then, why had he helped him? Could Ylaidus still be alive? But then, why hadn't he contacted him? He recalled his conversation with Maya. This was a war fought on multiple fronts. Perhaps the answers to the questions that were tormenting him, to questions he could not proceed without solving, lay elsewhere. Until he had at least confirmed the truth about his brother's fate, and Ylaidus as well, he would not be at peace. And of course, that still left his revenge at hand. --- "You are late." Jacqueline did not bother to respond to the caustic criticism. She barely spared a glance at the Japanese woman, who had the gall to treat her as an equal. Nakahara Inoue may be a genius as far as computers were concerned, but her part in this was miniscule. Jacqueline did not know Inoue's purposes for joining the endeavor, but she dismissed them as trivial. During every plan, every course of action decided, she was merely an aide, with no real presence of her own. Whatever ambitions or delusions of greatness she might have, they hardly mattered. "Dunkan is already in the portal chamber. He is waiting for us." The two women climbed the marble staircase in silence - instant relocation systems within the Aria Tower would be too unstable, too unsafe. Jacqueline's felt her stomach churn as they stood in front of the plain, wooden door, which nonetheless identified their presence with utmost care before starting to open. In there lay the portal, the root to all that was chaos and destruction. Such a thing shouldn't exist - Jacqueline had realized that not too long ago. Now that it had been opened - she could only place her trust in Eizan's promise. "You are all here." Gregory Dunkan, his back turned to them, said, his tone unreadable. He seemed unnaturally solemn, as if distracted by something. She noticed Lee standing on the far side of the small chamber, equally expressionless. Lynette was there as well, but if she felt any different than usual, she did not wear it on her face. This was all of them, now. It had been nine, at first. Klein had been assassinated after betraying them, and they still couldn't find his killer. Moboro had fallen in the Arc Cradle, Takizawa had disappeared without a trace - well, as far as the others knew, at least. What exactly had happened to Ross was an enigma, yet one thing was for certain - he was also gone, permanently. "This will be the final time we assemble like this." Dunkan said. "Because here and now, I will pass on the final decisions that have to be made. Lee, Jacqueline, what do you have to report?" "So far, so good." Jacqueline said, as nonchalantly as possible. "Thousands of people are assimilated into the virtual reality every minute. The expansion of the servers went down without a single flaw. The Cataphracts are prepared as well. As you instructed, based on level of ability - I have shifted out a hundred for the defense of this place. The rest are dealing with the newcomers." Dunkan nodded in acknowledgement. "The third Pylon is now almost sixty percent complete. By this morning, two of the three points will be fully functional. I do not know if the third point will be finished in time, but we must move regardless. I have set the time for the ascendance of the Pylons." They all tensed. Everything was determined now. Dunkan took his time, looking into the chaotic vortex, perhaps looking beyond even what lay on its other side. "...Twenty-four hours. Tomorrow will be the world's final dawn. In twenty-four hours, we'll initiate the system, and the next day will bring a closure to the dreams and hopes we've harbored for so long. This will be our final hour." "Then, what about..." Jacqueline regretted speaking out as every head turned towards her. She gulped audibly, but it was too late to stop. "What about everyone who opposes us? That Fergusson boy? The others in the Arc Cradle? Aizawa Yuusuke?" She avoided mentioning Maya's name. Eizan had strictly ordered her to keep her away from Dunkan's reach. "Fergusson has one final part to play. I've given him the proper footing - he will be instrumental in our plan when the time comes." Dunkan did not seem concerned about the fact that he had not disclosed to anyone here what that part was. Anyone? Well, that was not certain. Jacqueline was not about to ask, but she had caught Nakahara's eyes. That woman knew something. "Aizawa has served his purpose well - I cannot use him any more. If you feel it is necessary, deal with him, as long as you're back before the appointed time. As for ZONE and his group..." His expression steeled. "I'm certain they have already made plans to attack us, when our defense is at its weakest. I will not be caught unprepared. The Cataphracts are meant to serve as a buffer against them, and by the time they even come close to us, it will be too late. We will dispose of them ourselves, when we have the ability to do so." And that was it. There were no longer complex plans to be resolved, no grand webs to be untangled. For better or worse, everything had come down to this, and little more had to be said. They still had their individual tasks to tend to, but eighteen hours from now, they would all return here for the final stand. Twenty four hours, the Pylons would be set. Thirty hours, and reality as they knew it would be completely erased from existence. Before that happened, Jacqueline had to make her move. --- May 8th, 2037, quarter past midnight. The first minutes of the day that would determine the fate of several realities passed atop a dead world. No human dared to be outside. Noone could shrug off this phenomenon that was plaguing their world. The only sign of life was the huge shadows crossing the shattered sky, cosmic horrors and phantasms from different realities. Millions were already dead. Of the survivors, more than sixty million had heeded Duel International's call, seeking refuge in a virtual world, hiding from the coming end. The rest hid, their hearts filled with despair, praying to whatever God they thought might safeguard their souls. The few who knew the truth had banded together within the virtual world and fought, seeking to destroy those responsible for this madness, to salvage what could be salvaged. But aside from the last enemy, they also had to face their personal demons, and one misstep along the way could mean the end of everything. All warring sides had to pull all the stops, and fight until the bitter end. In the shadows, the thing that had once been Miyataka Eizan observed quietly, as everyone danced to his tune. His goals were going to be accomplished regardless of the outcome of this battle. Goals? He had one purpose. Chaos. After all, it was only within the mad reverie of chaos that true life could be found. Pitch-black darkness cast its shadow across existence. The grand finale was at hand. [/spoiler] Now, concerning the continuation. As I mentioned, there will be a relatively long (for this story's standards) hiatus before the penultimate story arc begins. My estimations have the next arc starting within the first week of July. This does not mean no updates, though. Before the plot continues, I plan to follow up with a new set of Extra Chapters for you to have something to enjoy during the wait. I have two sets in mind - one is two chapters long, and the other is four. They are more or less interchangeable, meaning they do not tie to a specific point in the plot, so their placement and order is not important. I'll need to first organize my time to see how much exactly I can devote to writing, and determine which set will be written posted now, and which will be reserved for later. Well, you'll see when the time comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Read through it all, in slightly fragmented fashion. Really good arc closer. Good to see everyone is still important in someway, even the likes of Yuko, Hikari, Taihito, etc. Don't understand, did Lee send the cards to Christina's account or has he got them with his avatar to give in person? Also, using vehicle to describe Arc Cradle when Zone was looking at the arm was confusing. Made me think it was in his unicycle vehicle thing. But yes, every base covered, every pawn moved into position, and throughly engrossing reading. Best of luck with your exams/papers and see you in july. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted June 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 [quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1307497992' post='5265701']Read through it all, in slightly fragmented fashion. Really good arc closer. Good to see everyone is still important in someway, even the likes of Yuko, Hikari, Taihito, etc.[/quote] They never actually [i]lost [/i]their importance, just faded into the background for a while. [quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1307497992' post='5265701']Don't understand, did Lee send the cards to Christina's account or has he got them with his avatar to give in person?[/quote] He sent them directly to Christina. [quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1307497992' post='5265701']Also, using vehicle to describe Arc Cradle when Zone was looking at the arm was confusing. Made me think it was in his unicycle vehicle thing.[/quote] That [i]was [/i]his unicycle =/ [quote name='Bahamut ZERO' timestamp='1307497992' post='5265701']But yes, every base covered, every pawn moved into position, and throughly engrossing reading. Best of luck with your exams/papers and see you in july. Matt[/quote] Thanks, I'm gonna need the luck >.> Not like I'm gonna disappear from the face of the Earth =/ I'll still be around, posting a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bahamut - Envoy of the End Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 [quote name='~ Epic Hero - Saber ~' timestamp='1307527171' post='5266395'] They never actually [i]lost [/i]their importance, just faded into the background for a while. He sent them directly to Christina. That [i]was [/i]his unicycle =/ Thanks, I'm gonna need the luck >.> Not like I'm gonna disappear from the face of the Earth =/ I'll still be around, posting a bit. [/quote] Thanks for clearing that up. Think I'll switch my phone and everything else off for future chapters. No distractions!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexadin Posted June 8, 2011 Report Share Posted June 8, 2011 Quite a nice finish for this card. I'll await your return and the continuation of this fic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reinforce Posted June 13, 2011 Report Share Posted June 13, 2011 Just finished reading the story, an excellent read in my opinion, keep up the good work, you have another supporter in me, and I am looking forward to the next arc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Hey guys. Most of my exams are finished, except for one on Tuesday which is still going to drain quite a bit of my time until then. Throughout these 3+ weeks I did pull off a satisfactory amount of work in the story, so it's high time we got back on track. Saturday will see the new release. Unlike what I had said, it will not be an Extra Chapter at this time, rather, direct continuation of the story with Chapter 49. The reason is that I do not want to stall the continuation of the plot for the time it will take to get 4 Extra Chapters done and posted. There's plenty of time for them to fit throughout the two arcs that are coming up. Thanks to everyone who has commented thus far, and I hope you stick with and enjoy the story until its end, which is now approaching. Remember, any comments and criticism are all welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Your exams are a gajillion years. Mine are three days. Does that make you an equivalent amount smarter than me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndlessOcean Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 [quote name='機皇神龍アステリスク' timestamp='1309463735' post='5322872'] Your exams are a gajillion years. Mine are three days. Does that make you an equivalent amount smarter than me? [/quote] Mine are 4 Days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted June 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 [quote name='機皇神龍アステリスク' timestamp='1309463735' post='5322872'] Your exams are a gajillion years. Mine are three days. Does that make you an equivalent amount smarter than me? [/quote] [s]Yes[/s] no, it just means that I learn more useless stuff at university. September's exam period lasts a month and a half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vector Nightmare Posted July 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 Finally, update time! Next and penultimate arc, titled Rise of Destiny, begins with Chapter 49. Everything will now start coming together, in preparation for the grand finale - but this last stretch before the end is always the hardest one. Enjoy. [spoiler=Chapter 49] [center][b][u]Chapter 49:[/b] Trust Guardian[/u][/center] Chaos. It is a word often mentioned, but rarely referred to in the correct context. A concept that is not understood, because people choose to avoid its literal meaning. Because they are afraid of the path that understanding might lead them. The gateway to that path lies in the entrance to the Nexus. The Original Sin is aptly named, because it is exactly the origin of chaos. Chaos is not a concept, it is a state of existence. The key to that state is desire. Human beings, at the core of their very nature, will not be satisfied no matter what they obtain. They will devote their lives to obtaining more, becoming better than they are, better than the others are. This desire to 'gain' is exactly what corrodes the structure of order. Human happiness is an ephemeral emotion of no significance, because it is instantly replaced by a desire to extend it, which can only be satisfied by increasing the origin of that happiness. Humans will never be complete, because they have an infinite capacity to increase their desires proportionally to the level they are fulfilled. In Christian cosmology, the first man and woman were expelled from Heaven because they were tempted by the Devil to eat the forbidden fruit of knowledge. The only misconception about that allegory is that there is no Devil. No external force feeds human greed. It is a part of themselves that cannot be purged. As long as humans strive for 'more', they instantly oppose order, and instantly give in to chaos. But, even if they were to realize that much, there would be nothing to be done. Because to a human, being content with their current state without wanting to improve it is an alien concept that contradicts their entire existence. Chaos is the root of mankind. It defines them and carves their path, and it is the ultimate destination. Of course, that is not limited to humans. All species with the tendency of 'evolution' base their existences on that same concept. Which is why chaos is the dominating force of the universe, the eternal and infinite black sea of the cosmos, and order is a dying, fake ideal, secluded in an imprisonment that is constructed from its very own basis. Those who failed to grasp this would be the first to be devoured by its absolute darkness. Therefore, fighting against chaos is contradictory to the human nature. To accomplish that goal, a new type of humans would have to appear, a type that could exceed the limitations forced unto them by the legacy of mankind, built into their soul over the millenia of humanity's existence. Then again, such a thing was impossible to begin with. It was a futile circle. Chaos would always prevail. And this was what Dunkan and the others failed to realize, what would lead to their doom. Only after abandoning everything, losing everything, had this man, whose name had once been Miyataka Eizan, been able to grasp the true nature of chaos. The end was near. --- For many hours, Maya talked. It was probably the first time she had spoken for so long. She revealed to him the details about her former life. The death of her family, shortly after she became the European champion, her subsequent move to Japan and her flight from her grandfather's house. She even spoke about Sinclair, and the events that led up to the current situation. Hiding nothing, she answered every question that she could. It wasn't out of guilt, or some feeling of obligation. Maya had realized the point of this first trial. Even though it was Jacqueline who had trapped them, the fate that had led her here worked in entirely different ways. Maya needed to learn trust. Opening up her heart, revealing things that she had forcefully pushed to the back of her memory - it was only after doing this, that she realized just what kind of resolve and strength one could attain by leaning on their friends, instead of trying to stand alone. Yuusuke remained silent after she had finished, processing her revelations. It was certainly a lot to take in at once, even after the recent events. Her heart clenched slightly - it was inevitable that she had to admit she had been deceiving him, or at least actively hiding the truth from him for so long. Feelings of distrust were inevitable. A rift had opened between them, a rift that could, perhaps, not be reconciled - She had not realized she had been spacing out, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up. Yuusuke was leaning over her, wearing a serious expression. "Don't worry." He whispered to her. "It will be fine. We'll make it so." Like a counter-spell, it was as if these words had lifted the oppressive darkness that was clouding her mind, drowning her heart. Maya felt unwanted tears well in her eyes. She couldn't help but smile softly, and nod. [i]It will be fine.[/i] However, their predicament was hardly solved. The fact did not change that, one way or another, they had played right into Jacqueline's hands. Yuusuke had entered the virtual world following her instructions - but what was he to do now? Maya, on the other hand, presumably had to go through with the second trial - but she had no idea how she was to go about it. Answers would arrive in an unpredictable manner. --- Twisting through the threads of emptiness that connected the various parts of the virtual reality, Ivory finally found what she was looking for. Drawing a portal in mid-air, she materialized in the target area. She had realized by now that the so-called Signers were completely dancing to ZONE's tune. She might acknowledge that ZONE's intentions might be benevolent, but she doubted that would yield any different results. That [i]thing[/i] carried the scent of disaster, destruction that could not be contained by the natural boundaries of reality. She did not trust him - in fact, she thought it necessary to bring him under control. But for now, he was a reasonable countermeasure to some of her problems. The lesser of two evils, at least based on short term estimations. If ZONE hadn't beaten her to it, she might have been able to assemble the bearers of the crimson marks and prepare them properly - but with Ebony on the loose, that was no longer a viable solution. She just had to make do with whatever tools were at hand. The Crimson Dragon had intervened by transferring some of its power into this world, to give birth to a joint force that could thwart the plan to access the Nexus, and the inevitable doom that would follow. But that did not mean that it was the only factor at hand. This reality already contained the potential for great power, not restricted to those touched by transcendent concepts. She could instantly feel the wrongness in the air. Something terrible had happened here, even if everything looked peaceful at first hand. Massive amounts of energy had been assembled, and Ivory could definitely see why. But at the same time, this confirmed her guesswork. As she approached the couple who was sitting between their D-Wheels, talking quietly, she sensed the residue of the portal that had brought the girl here. It was foreign to her, but she could tell that it had been produced by a hardly insubstantial force. Maybe not quite comparable to what ZONE could cause, much less Ivory herself, but close enough to be cause for concern. Concern for later, perhaps. Now, there was no time. The two instantly shot up upon noticing her. The girl stepped forward, producing a gilded scepter from thin air. Though not quite as crude as the common Duel Disks, it was still an instrument for conceptual materialization - feats that Ivory could perform by mere thought. Regardless, she was not here to fight. Aizawa Yuusuke, and Kirizaki Maya. Even without the support of some transcendent force, these two had already demonstrated the ability to assist her, and unlike the Signers, they had not been influenced by ZONE. The question was, would they be willing to? "Calm down, girl." She snapped. She understood that, by human standards, she looked less than half as old as the other one did - but such standards did not apply here. "I do not want to harm you." "You are - !!" The boy exclaimed. Ivory turned her attention to him. "Yes, I called out to you when you were trapped inside this reality." Following his first duel against a Ghost, the part of his mind located inside this world had been imprisoned in a small subspace inside the Zero Zone. "What exactly are you?" Maya demanded. Ivory smiled - she could see this girl had already caught on. She was pretty sharp. "I could tell you, but you may find it difficult to believe." She warned. "After what I've seen here, I'd believe just about anything." Yuusuke sighed. Maya nodded, carefully eyeing Ivory. So she told them. To their credit, they were not nearly as shocked as Ivory had expected them to be. It took a while, but finally, the explanations were finished. She explained everything, including the Arc Cradle and the current assembly of people that were fighting against Duel International. "Unbelievable, that Kiishiro..." Yuusuke shook his head, surprised. Sanjou Kiishiro had been the original reason Yuusuke had entered the virtual reality. "At any rate, I'm glad he's still alive." Maya remained silent, processing all the information. "So, what will you two do now?" Ivory asked them. "There is not much time, and your decisions are important. I could transport you to the Arc Cradle, if you wish to meet up with the others." "I'll pass." Maya said crisply. Ivory looked at her more carefully. That tone - it couldn't be, even though she hadn't known anything about it, could she have realized something about Sanjou Kiishiro as far as back then, before he was trapped in this virtual world? Regarding his power as a Signer, and his interaction with ZONE - Ivory was concerned, but had no definitive proof that something was wrong. If she had seen that much, that girl's perception must be more than extraordinary. "I have something else I must do." Her lips pursed, and she retrieved an item that had been stored in her D-Wheel. Maintained inside a silver vial, a pair of contact lenses were hanging suspended in some translucent liquid. "Do you know anything about this? It's called the Miracle Gazer. It's supposed to be something of a link to the past, but..." Ivory looked at the item for a few seconds. Finally, the pieces clicked together. "Ah, Lorelei must have given it to you." She said. "This explains what I felt earlier... but, more importantly. Be careful. That woman is not what she claims to be. Unlike ourselves, she was not born into this world. I don't know much more, and I cannot say for certain what her intentions are. You cannot trust her completely." "I know that." Maya sighed. "But for now, that's the only path I have left to take." Ivory detected fear, as well as determination in her voice. She did not know what Lorelei had made her do, but at the very least, it seemed to be guiding her to the right direction, if their meeting here was any indication. She nodded. "Very well. I do not know how to use that item, but if it is related to your past, there is only one place I can think of where you might find some clue." She waved her hand, and a portal appeared. "The <Cradle of Memory>. I'm afraid I have no time to accompany you, but it should be safe enough." "Then I will go with you." Yuusuke offered immediately. "No." Maya replied, gazing at the whiteness beyond the opened gateway. "It seems this is something I must do myself. Yuusuke... thank you. You've already helped me a lot. It is this fight between us that showed me what I needed to know. But now, I must cast aside the shadow in my heart." "...alright. It goes without saying, but... don't do anything stupid." Yuusuke said. Maya nodded. "Don't worry about me. What will you do?" "I may as well visit the Arc Cradle." Yuusuke rose, straightening himself. He caused his D-Wheel to vanish with a wave of his arm. "Ivory, would you open a portal there? At the very least, I should find Kiishiro. That was why I came here in the first place." "Then you should be careful as well." Ivory warned. "Well-intentioned as he might seem, it cannot be denied that ZONE is as dangerous in his own way as Dunkan and the others. You shouldn't trust him easily." "You seem to distrust an awful lot of people, Ivory." Yuusuke said with a soft smile. "But, you know... sometimes, trust is the biggest weapon we have." And before Ivory could formulate a response to this enigmatic statement, he waved them goodbye and walked into the portal, which closed shortly thereafter. "He may look like that, but he says some nice things some times." Maya smiled affectionately. Her expression turned grim, though, as she regarded her own destination. "Thanks for your help." She said. "I'll be going now." "Yes." Ivory replied. "After... I deal with some things, I'll look out for you again. Just in case you need my help." Maya nodded before vanishing inside the gateway, whisked away into another area of the virtual world. Despite the urgency, Ivory remained still for a few seconds more, contemplating those words. Trust. Could it be, the important piece she had been missing... --- Yuusuke took a few moments to adjust to the change in his surroundings. The desolate battlefield had been transformed into a narrow corridor paved by metal plates. The path extended indefinitely to either direction, with no doors or other exits in sight. This was the mechanical floating fortress, the Arc Cradle. A structure that could traverse throgh the void between dimensions. Despite the fact that he could only see this underwhelming part of it, he was still fazed by the magnitude of the concept. "You, who are you?" A voice snapped behind him. Yuusuke whirled around. Of roughly the same height and figure, where Yuusuke's avatar had long blonde hair flowing behind his neck, the other guy had short black hair that flared upwards. His body was shrouded by a silver armor, covered by a white cloak. Light green eyes gazed at him. It seemed Yuusuke had hit the jackpot in only his first few minutes here. He had never seen this avatar before inside the virtual world, but there was no doubt about it. The name that appeared on his indicator was all the proof he needed. This Thunderbolt Knight was one and the same as Sanjou Kiishiro, the person he had been looking for. "I'm relieved, in a way, to see you're just as snippy as always." Yuusuke laughed, extending a hand. "It's me, Yuusuke." "Aizawa Yuusuke?" Kiishiro asked, blinking as if to somehow visually confirm the statement. "It can't be - what are you doing here? You aren't supposed to be here!" "What a rude thing to say." Yuusuke clicked his tongue. "I'm here to save you, you know..." Both remained silent for a moment. "...that's what I'd like to say, at least, but there's a little more to this now than that." "You should get away from this virtual world." Kiishiro said. "While there's still time, you should get out. Things won't be much safer in the real world, but safer than here, I think. You're in way over your head. You have no idea what's about to happen. How did you get in the Arc Cradle, anyway?" "I have the gist of it down." Yuusuke said, more seriously than before. "I met this girl Ivory. She explained most things, and sent me here." "Ivory brought you here?" Kiishiro asked in disbelief. "Why?" "She seems to think I can help somehow." Yuusuke shrugged. "Look, Kiishiro, I know what's going on here. If we don't do something about it, it could be the end of everything. Besides, my father worked for Duel International. Regardless of everything else, I have a personal responsibility to all those people whose lives were ruined by the company." Kiishiro simply stood there, staring at him. After a while, he shook his head. "If you say so. To begin with, I don't have any say in this. I'll take you to ZONE." He waved his hand in the same manner that Ivory had, and a portal opened between them, only instead of a white emptiness, this one clearly led into a circular chamber, filled with high-tech machinery and computer terminals. Wordlessly, he motioned for Yuusuke to follow as he stepped in. --- The Cradle of Memory was a small area. A wide ring of water surrounded a small patch of ground. The water was flowing, as if fueled by an underlying current. She was standing in the center of the small island, whose ground seemed paved by pale brown cobblestones. A white fog obscured what lay beyond the aquatic boundary. This was, at first glance, a regular Duel Field. Though Maya had, theoretically, access to every Duel Field by now, she had never seen this one. Well, there were many areas in the virtual world that had been scrapped or otherwise left incomplete - according to Yuusuke's father, the data was never fully purged. Given Ivory's words, Maya was inclined to believe this was one of these areas. However, she had no further clue. No further clue, except a large stone archway that towered over the middle of the arena. She had overlooked it at first, as it seemed merely part of the scenery, but as she observed it more closely, she noticed that various symbols had been scribed onto the stonework. Gradually suspecting what her next action sshould be, she retrieved the Miracle Gazer and activated it. A rush of pain reached her eyes, and she blinked furiously, but as her vision gradually cleared, the next step became clear as day to her. What previously had been empty space under the arch, was now a cackling sheet of energy, not dissimilar to the portals that were used to teleport from one region of the virtual world to another. The carved runes were glowing with a bright green luster. It couldn't have been more obvious. Not wasting time with second thoughts, she walked forward. She didn't feel herself change, but as soon as she stepped onto the other side of the mystical arch, Maya knew she was different. Looking down at her body, she realized she was no longer Stiyel Crystal - she had reverted to her real-life appearance. Even the name in her indicator had changed to her own name. That shouldn't be possible in the virtual world. But noone knew what was possible any more. Even her clothes had changed, to her black school uniform. She was in a traditional japanese-styled house, in a room surrounded by ornate wooden walls and floor. Plain, yet clearly catered for, the limited furniture - a large desk framed by a couple of bookcases filled with manuscripts - placed in a neat, organized fashion. "Welcome, Maya. You look well - I'm glad." Maya spun around, facing the person comfortably lounging on the massive chair behind the desk. "You." She growled. "Will you not leave me alone, even here?" Kirizaki Ryouga placed his hands on top of the desk, knitting his gnarled fingers together. "As always, so cold. The thing is, I'm here for business. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to die here." "What are you talking about?" Maya demanded, instinctively reaching for the Rod of Dominion. However, none of the supernatural privileges granted to her in the virtual world were available here. She might as well have been in the real world, for all she could do. Ryouga placed his hand in the top drawer of his desk. She tensed - if he pulled a gun now... "Relax." He smirked, retrieving a deck of cards. "We have to abide by this world's rules now. I'll take you on, and kill you. Then, what was promised to me..." "What did they promise you?" Maya snapped. "Money? Power? Nothing will last now. It will be over soon. Either they die, or we all die." "But that's the thing." Ryouga was unfazed. "I have no need for money or power. Those things have long disappeared from my mind. As I told you, I'm dying. What they promised me was... life. An immortal life here, secluded in a world shaped by my own mind. For using me as a puppet to get rid of you, that will be the reward." "You idiot. There is no life after death. If you die, it's all over." Maya winced, instantly knowing that what she was saying might well be untrue. "Then how do you explain my presence here?" Ryouga inquired. "I killed myself, you know. By the time I was immersed in this virtual realm, I was dead. But my mind still lives on." "You... monster." Maya stepped back, her eyes widening. "You're nothing but a ghost now. Like Klein, you won't last." "That's where you're wrong." Ryouga rose, raising the deck of cards. "You can survive her indefinitely. Eternally, even. As long as you can take the power that has been gathered in this world, you can prolong your life. That's where you come in. After this duel is over, one of us will live on, and one of us will be gone forever." "Delusional idiot." Maya shook her head. "What you hope for is only a fantasy, a dream. You will soon wake up, and realize your life is only a nightmare." "Perhaps. Perhaps you are right, and there is no future for me. No, more than likely, you will defeat me here - I could always see through Klein's plans, and he is more than likely using me for your sake, than the other way around. But... nothing of this matters now. I am a dying man, hanging from a thin blade of grass, above the endless abyss. The grass will snap, and I will fall - but until then, I will do whatever it takes to cling to life." From the same drawer that contained his deck, Ryouga pulled out two duel disks, of basic, rounded white-and-blue design, and placed one on his arm, while he tossed the other to Maya, who caught it one-handed. "If you're that resolved, then you should have no objections with me finishing you off here." Having gradually regained her confidence, she attached the device to her arm. This thing before her was nothing but an obstacle to be removed. She did not care for this man - no, more than that, she hated him completely. She should have no qualms about dealing with him. Her deck was in her hand instantly, and she equipped the disk with it, with her opponent following suit. Ryouga walked opposite to her, each step infuriatingly slow and calculated. They moved to the edges of the room, taking advantage of the empty space in the middle to use as a makeshift battlefield. "Duel!!" The first turn was defaulted to Ryouga. Without another word, they each drew their opening hands. [center][i][b]Kirizaki Ryouga[/b] - LP: 4000[/i] [i][b]Kirizaki Maya[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "Draw." Ryouga said. Once more, he took his time observing every card in his hand, before reaching out for one. "Do you know that a large part of the funds for this world's creation came from me?" "No, though it doesn't surprise me." Maya replied coldly. "It is clear to me now what kind of relationship you and those murderers had." "They approached me twenty five years ago, before you were even born." Ryouga continued, unfazed. "At first I found their proposal ludicrous, but as they explained to me just what it was they really wanted... the money was a lot, even for me, who was one of the dominating forces of the Far East criminal scene. I coerced, robbed, even killed thousands of people to gather the cash required. This world that calls you champion has been built with the blood and flesh of countless innocents." "Why are you telling me all this?" Maya spat, disgusted. "Even if you apologize now..." "Apologize? Didn't you listen to anything I told you the last time we met?" Ryouga shook his head. "I do not regret anything. I will live and die by my choices, following my own path. I am only trying to warn you - this world that we fight on has been born due to, in large part, my efforts. We're fighting on my own territory, now." "I don't care. Just get on with it." Maya retorted. "As you wish. Then let me show you the power of this deck, created for those who have relinquished their natural lives. I summon Infernity Guardian, in attack mode!" Emblazoned with a burning emblem featuring a skull on its center, a large dark shield appeared before Ryouga. It did not escape Maya's attention that its appearance and name, as well as the relation between its attack and defense scores, contradicted the battle position it was summoned in. As expected, she couldn't see any information about the card's effect. [spoiler=Infernity Guardian][b]Infernity Guardian[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 4 1200/1700 While you have no cards in your hand, this face-up card cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects.[/spoiler] "Like you, my deck is composed of demon monsters. However, mine are of a different sort." Ryouga said. "I place three cards face-down. Turn end." Maya drew wordlessly, and frowned. She couldn't figure out the deal with that Infernity monster except by one method - to brave her enemy's three reverse cards, and go for the kill. That didn't mean she'd have to walk into the opponent's trap blindly, though. She had the perfect card in her hand for regulating the situation. "I summon Demon Roar God Beast Kokkator!" A large, green-skinned fowl appeared on the field. With 1700 attack points, and an effect that would benefit her greatly, it was an ideal way to test out Ryouga's scheme. [spoiler=Demon Roar God Beast Kokkator][b]Demon Roar God Beast Kokkator[/b] LIGHT / Beast Level 4 1700/1500 When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can discard 1 "Demon Roar God" monster to the Graveyard to draw 1 card.[/spoiler] "Kokkator, attack Infernity Guardian!" She ordered. "Not so fast. Trap, activate! Infernity Inferno!" Ryouga retaliated. "This card's cost forces me to send two cards from my hand to the Graveyard - in exchange, I can pick out two Infernity monsters in my deck, and send them to the Graveyard as well." He quickly picked out his cards without demonstrating them, and placed them all in his discard slot. He indicated that this was the end of his response, and Maya's attack proceeded. [spoiler=Infernity Inferno][b]Infernity Inferno[/b] TRAP / Normal Discard up to 2 cards and send the same number of "Infernity" cards from your Deck to the Graveyard.[/spoiler] Taking out all the remaining cards in his hand, just to drop two cards from his deck - what kind of trade-off was that? No, more importantly, how did it stop - surprised, Maya watched Infernity Guardian block Kokkator's attack. The damage still went through, but the demonic shield was unharmed. [center][i][b]Kirizaki Ryouga[/b] - LP: 3500[/i] [i][b]Kirizaki Maya[/b] - LP: 4000[/i][/center] "When I have no cards in my hand, Infernity Guardian will not be destroyed, either by battle or by card effects." Ryouga explained. "This is the 'handless combo' of the Infernity deck. Witness the resolve of those who have lost everything, given up on everything!" "Handless combo..." Maya pronounced the English words. It boiled down to this guy's deck benefitting from him having no cards in his hand, rather than suffering. If the hand could not be used to provide the necessary resources for victory, there were three other areas those could be drawn from - the deck, the Graveyard, and the removed from play cards. Given the effect of Infernity Inferno, it was clear as day to Maya which of the three was the core element of Ryouga's deck. From an in-game perspective, Maya might not have gained anything from this attack - but she had now access to valuable insight concerning her opponent's previously unknown strategy, and that was the single most important key to victory here. "I'll set two cards face-down. Turn end." She said. "Very well. I will continue, then. And I'm afraid this turn may well be your last. I summon Infernity Necromancer!" A horrifying purple-cloaked sorcerer, wrapped in an aura of black magic, appeared on the field. "When Infernity Necromancer is Normal Summoned, it is switched to defense. However, that's the least of its abilities. Once per turn, I can Special Summon any Infernity monster from my Graveyard, except for another Necromancer!" [spoiler=Infernity Necromancer][b]Infernity Necromancer[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 3 0/2000 When this card is Normal Summoned, it is changed to Defense Position. While you have no cards in your hand, this card gains the following effect: Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 "Infernity" monster from your Graveyard, except "Infernity Necromancer".[/spoiler] "I won't let you do that! Trap, activate! Wrath of God!" Maya declared. "By discarding Demon Roar God Lurrie, this card will negate the effect of Infernity Necromancer and destroy it! Furthermore, since Lurrie was discarded, it is Special Summoned!" The small winged devil appeared on her field, just as divine lightning prepared to strike the evil magician. [spoiler=Wrath of God][b]Wrath of God[/b] TRAP / Counter Discard 1 card. Negate the activation of an Effect Monster's effect and destroy that Effect Monster.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Demon Roar God Lurrie][b]Demon Roar God Lurrie[/b] LIGHT / Fiend Level 1 200/400 When this card is discarded from your hand to the Graveyard, Special Summon it.[/spoiler] "Your efforts are meaningless! Counter Trap, Infernity Barrier! If I control an Infernity monster in attack mode, such as my Infernity Guardian, and I have no cards in my hand, the effect of your card are completely negated!" [spoiler=Infernity Barrier][b]Infernity Barrier[/b] TRAP / Counter Activate only when your opponent activates a Spell Card, Trap Card, or Effect Monster's effect, if you control a face-up Attack Position "Infernity" monster and have no cards in your hand. Negate the activation and destroy that card.[/spoiler] "What a card..." Maya whispered, as her attempt was foiled once more. "Now, Infernity Necromancer's effect! I revive Infernity Demon from the Graveyard!" The fact that its form was vaguely humanoid did not make the demonic creature any more appealing, its sharp claws and multiple rotating eyes were more than enough to cause Maya to recoil in disgust. [spoiler=Infernity Demon][b]Infernity Demon[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 4 1800/1200 When you have no cards in your hand and draw this card, you can reveal it to Special Summon it. When this card is Special Summoned, if you have no cards in your hand, you can add 1 "Infernity" card from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler] "There's more than just that, of course. When Infernity Demon is Special Summoned, if I have no cards in my hand, I can take any card with Infernity in its name from my deck and add it to my hand. The card I choose is a Spell card, which I will activate immediately - Infernity Gun! According to its continuous effect, once per turn, I can send one Infernity monster from my hand to the Graveyard - but that now serves no purpose, so I will activate its second effect, sacrificing it to bring out two Infernity monsters that have already been sent to the Graveyard!" [spoiler=Infernity Gun][b]Infernity Gun[/b] SPELL / Continuous Once per turn, you can send 1 "Infernity" monster from your hand to the Graveyard. If there are no cards in your hand, you can send this card to the Graveyard to select up to 2 "Infernity" monster(s) in your Graveyard and Special Summon them.[/spoiler] "You've got to be kidding me!" Maya exclaimed. Those cards were insane! Without any cost whatsoever, they allowed their user to perform plays that would otherwise require extreme dedication of resources. Even with the downside of being unusable while the controller's card had even one card - compared to how easy it was to fulfill that requirement - !! "Infernity Gun's effect activates, reviving Infernity Destroyer, Infernity Beetle!" Ryouga declared. A monstrous black-skinned devil with crimson runes scribed upon its body, large claws and shoulder plates, and a small winged black scarab materialized side-by-side, completing Ryouga's array of monsters. [spoiler=Infernity Destroyer][b]Infernity Destroyer[/b] DARK / Fiend Level 6 2300/1000 While you have no cards in your hand, when this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict 1600 damage to your opponent.[/spoiler] [spoiler=Infernity Beetle][b]Infernity Beetle[/b] DARK / Insect / Tuner Level 2 1200/0 While you have no cards in your hand, you can Tribute this card to Special Summon up to 2 "Infernity Beetle" from your Deck.[/spoiler] "Now then, let us begin." Ryouga said coldly. "I tune my Level 3, Infernity Necromancer, and my Level 4, Infernity Demon, to my Level 2, Infernity Beetle!" The small insect dissolved into black light, forging two rings in mid-air right above its controller, while the other two demons propelled themselves through the array, turning into shadowy shillouettes that transformed into seven pitch-black stars. "Synchro Summon! Mist Wurm!" Spectral thunderclouds appeared overhead, heralding the descent of a monstrous purple worm. A sheet of lightning rained down on Maya's field, and though she tried to shield herself from it, all her cards were still swept in the maelstrom of the creature's appearance, returning her last line of defense to her hand. [spoiler=Mist Wurm][b]Mist Wurm[/b] WIND / Thunder / Synchro Level 9 2500/1500 1 Tuner + 2 or more non-Tuner monsters When this card is Synchro Summoned, return up to 3 cards your opponent controls to the hand.[/spoiler] Just like that, she was left with nothing. [/spoiler] Updates should be semi-regular for a while, at least, so no worries there. 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EndlessOcean Posted July 2, 2011 Report Share Posted July 2, 2011 That was AMAZING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Cakey Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 [quote name='Insanious' timestamp='1309632177' post='5328352'] That was AMAZING. [/quote] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexadin Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 Excelent chapter, I expecially like how Maya agrees that the Infernities are horribly OP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiksilver Posted July 3, 2011 Report Share Posted July 3, 2011 First... [quote name='Insanious' timestamp='1309632177' post='5328352'] That was AMAZING. [/quote] And second... [quote name='Lexadin' timestamp='1309702284' post='5330196'] Excellent chapter, I expecially like how Maya agrees that the Infernities are horribly OP. [/quote] So yes, most of what I want to say has already been said. I spotted one spelling mistake- when Ryouga is talking to Maya about living forever, he says "You can survive [b]her[/b] indefinitely. Eternally, even." I'm pretty sure you meant "here". Other than that, this chapter was incredibly good. I still want to see Ivory duel though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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