[LOCK PLEASE] [The Final Episode] Yu-Gi-Oh! D-Accel: Episode 74/75: The Ultimate End Game

Synchronized · November 10, 2012

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Episode 39: The Ultimate Comeback][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Things aren’t looking good for Calle here! In merely three turns, he’s lost nearly all of his Life Points, and he looks pretty roughed up, too! To make things worse, with both of those Solar Flare Dragons on the field, neither one can be targeted for an attack, meaning all Marconi needs to do is last one more turn, and Calle’s done for!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Looks like I'm going to have to make an all-out play here, if there's even the slightest hope of me holding on.[/i] “Good shot, mate. You almost got me completely out in the matter of a turn and a half. But it's not over yet. Not by a long shot.” His words had captured the crowd's attention. “Before I go, allow me to activate the ability of my Serene Psychic Witch. When she's destroyed, I'm able to search my Deck for a Psychic-Type monster and banish it. Then, during my Standby Phase, I get to add that monster to my hand.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Better`a make it count, muchacho.” Roaring with excitement himself, Marconi spoke with great passion. To even consider the possibility of losing at this point was out of the question. There was no way he'd lose. But an all-out effort to try and turn the tables would make for an awesome battle. “You've only got the turn.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Nothing a well devised strategy can't fix, but thanks for your concern,” Calle acknowledged the reply. “Anywho, I think I'll go ahead and banish Silent Psychic Wizard with Witch's effect.” He searched his Deck for the card, placing it in his back pocket, for now.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Maintaining his confidence would be important here. If he let himself get discouraged even slightly, his opponent would have too much of an advantage for him to even stand a chance. [i]Here goes.[/i] “Alright then, I draw, and with it, I'll add Silent Psychic Wizard to my hand. But he won't stay there for long, because I'm summoning him to the field (1900)!” Sporting blue armor with a very futuristic glow, the warrior appeared on the field, a metallic spear that he held with both hands, along with him. “When my Silent Psychic Wizard is summoned, I can banish Serene Psychic Witch from my Graveyard. And if he leaves the field, Serene Psychic Witch comes back to my hand.” Calle explained as he took the card from his Graveyard, the duel disk releasing it, and placed it in his pocket.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“A powerful monster to the field from Calle! But will it be enough?! Don't forget, with two Solar Flare Dragons, Marconi has created a lock that prevents either of them from being attacked! If Calle can't find a way to break through that lock, he'll face a guaranteed defeat!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I'm fully aware that right now, I can't attack either of your monsters,” Calle said. “But I've come prepared. I was hoping not to have to waste a card like this, but as luck would have it, you were able to draw into a second Solar Flare Dragon, and I've got no choice. Reveal set card, Emergency Teleport!” Calle pressed a button on the duel disk and the card, depicting the arrival of a new Psychic ally, revealed itself. “With this, I'm able to call to the field, Krebons (1200)!” A jester-like creature appeared on the field, juggling cubes in its right hand.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Ah, rearing for a Synchro Summon?” Marconi asked. “I'm impressed, but unfortunately that won't do you any good here! Even Synchro monsters can't break the lock my dragons create!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“How nice of you to reiterate the rules,” came the sarcastic reply. “But I wouldn't have made such a fuss over it if I was just going to Synchro. Unfortunately, the problem comes from the fact that you've forced me to use not one, but both of my face-down cards. So let me reveal the second one now, Psychic Transportation Unit!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Psychic Transportation Unit][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Normal Trap Card[/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Activate only while you control 2 or more Psychic-Type monsters with different Levels. Shuffle 1 Psychic-Type monster from your hand into your Deck. Then, Special Summon 1 Psychic-Type monster from your Deck with the same Level as the Psychic-Type monster with the highest Level that you currently control.[/spoiler][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“In case you're confused, let me recap. By shuffling Psychic Snail from my hand into the Deck, I'm allowed to Special Summon a Level 4 monster, one with the same Level as my Silent Psychic Wizard.” The fans anxiously awaited the play. Could he get himself out of this? “So then, I'll bring out Psi-Blocker (1200)!” A human-shaped android, dull silver in color and infused with neon green connector cables throughout appeared on the field.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]A'what is he planning? This is interesting.[/i] Marconi watched with genuine curiousity. He too was intrigued by Calle's fantastic strategic skill. In fact, if the duelist could break through this defense, it wouldn't be a bad thing. It would only mean the duel would get hotter.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Time to piece this puzzle together. With Psi-Blocker on the field, I can activate it's effect, go Psi-Wave!” The android's hand released a dark purple signal, covering the field for a brief moment and forcing the dragons to coil. “Once per turn, I can declare the name of a card, and if I do, that card and its effects cannot be used. So fittingly, I've chosen Solar Flare Dragon!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“So you [i]did[/i] manage to break through my defenses?” Marconi was fascinated. “Bravo, amigo. Very impressive. But can you follow up? I've still got a`two face-down cards.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Indeed you do. But I've still got plenty of plays left,” Calle said. “From my hand I activate the Spell Card Level Buster! With Level Buster, I can target any monster on the field and either increase [i]or[/i] decrease that monster's Level by one. In addition, during the turn Level Buster is used, if a monster I control of a higher Level than the Level of the monster I targeted with Level Buster destroys a monster by battle, I can Life Points equal to that monster's original attack points.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Level Buster][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Normal Spell Card[/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Target 1 Level 4 or lower monster on the field; increase or decrease that target's Level by 1. During this turn, if a monster you control destroys an opponent's monster by battle with a Level equal to or lower than the Level of the targeted monster and sends it to the Graveyard: Gain Life Points equal to that monster's original ATK.[/spoiler][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I'm a`confused,” Marconi replied, flustered. “Where are you going with all this?”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“It's simple. It took quite a bit of resources but now I can proceed to Synchro Summon, as you requested. “By lowering Silent Psychic Wizard's level by one, I can tune all three of my monsters to Synchro Summon the Level 9 Overmind Archfiend (3300)!” The stadium floor shook as the great might of Overmind Archfiend coarsed through the arena. A creature looking almost like a dragon, outlined with the same futuristic armor that the smaller monsters used to create it, including a lengthy tail with a sharpened end, descended down onto the field, leaving the crowd in awe.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Talk about a change of scenery! Would you just [i]look[/i] at that thing?! It's huge! Calle turns things around in a big way with a brand new Synchro Monster! Overmind Archfiend!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I must say, you've already earned my a`respect with such a play,” Marconi said. “And with your Psi-Blocker's effect still in play, my dragons can no longer defend themselves. An unbelievable move. So let's do battle!” [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I'd hold off on the respect for a bit there mate,” Calle replied. “The worst has yet to come.” In reality, he wasn't trying to be arrogant. He was, at least somewhat, genuinely worried about what would happen next. Undoubtedly his opponent was going to suffer a tremendous amount of pain from this attack, but whether or not he was prepared for it was another story. “But fair enough, if it's a battle you want, you'll get it. Overmind Archfiend, destroy his Solar Flare Dragon with Psychic Shatter Blast!” The creature raised its tail upwards, as the end of it opened up, releasing a scintillating shock wave, and causing the dragon to explode with one final shriek.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Marconi's Life Points: 2200[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The next few moments were painfully uncomfortable to watch as the attack hit Marconi. The fans couldn't tell, as expected, but the grimacing strain on the man's face were more than enough to show Calle that the pain they were experiencing was similar. Marconi wouldn't admit it, but the pain had caught him off guard as well. While it did get his fire going more, the fact was, this was real. This fight wasn't just a battle any longer. [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]He had no idea what was going on, but Marconi knew in a second that things had just gotten serious. In addition to the pain, he felt himself growing weaker, the energy being sucked out of his body, as though it was being absorbed by something. [i]What is this?[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]In the spirit of competition, and neither one wanting to risk their pride, neither of them would actually admit to the pain they were in. But to think they were both alright and just exhausted from a hard fought duel would be naïve.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Calle's Life Points: 2500[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Quite a move,” Gripping his chest, Marconi replied. “Now I, I've got to activate my face-down card, Burning Flares. This Trap Card allows me to take a monster from my Deck and add it to my hand, provided I...pay five-hundred Life Points.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Marconi's Life Points: 1600[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I take it you're searching another Solar Flare Dragon?” Calle asked, already aware of the answer.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“You a`catch on quick, amigo.” Marconi replied. “Doesn't mean you're going to have any easier of a time getting around it. Because just like you did on yours, I'll be activating a second Trap Card! Activate, Backfire!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The fans 'oohed' and 'ahhed' as Marconi's trap card revealed itself, and Calle was full aware of its effects. Each time he took a FIRE monster off the field, he'd be dealt an additional five-hundred points of damage. What that meant was, even with the Life Points he'd gained from Level Buster, it wouldn't take long to fall back into near-defeat territory. With the card standing upwards, surrounded by flames, the backlash would begin. A flurry of small sparks struck Calle's right shoulder, singeing him.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Calle's Life Points: 2000[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Another predicament for Calle, as the fiery Marconi Angelo strikes back with another big combo play! He's got another Solar Flare Dragon on the field, and one in his hand, meaning he'll be able to re-create the lock, but this time, with Backfire in the mix, even [i]if[/i] Calle can break the lock, things won't get any less difficult! This duel is reaching its boiling point!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Fiery puns aside,” Calle remarked, “I think it's about time we find out how this duel is going to go, one way or another. These people are waiting for a conclusion.” The reality of the situation was, he wasn't sure how much longer his body could hold up if things continued the way they were. Losing Rakurai as he went along meant his body's resistance to Rakurai-based attacks grew less and less powerful by the second. A normal human would not survive even a single attack, never mind an entire duel. He had to bring this to a close, one way or the other. The potential outcome, though, was terrifying. “So I'll end my turn with one face-down.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Alright`a then, it's my go!” Marconi drew his card with a fierce authority. With Psi-Blocker's effect still in play, he wouldn't be able to bring out another Solar Flare Dragon this turn, nor use the effect of the one on the field. Still, Backfire was in full effect, meaning that if the other one got destroyed, he'd still do damage. “First, I'll change Solar Flare Dragon to defense mode (1000).” The dragon coiled itself tighter, almost moving into a crouched position. “Next, I'll activate the Spell Card Bonfire!” The card materialized in front of him, and he took his Deck from the disk slot. “With Bonfire, I can search my Deck for a monster and add it to my hand, and I can't think of a better choice than Inferno! I'll set one card and end from there.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Another set of turns down, and we've reached a bit of a standstill! I'd like to think Marconi still has a good grip on the duel, but Calle's mounted some powerful offense as well! This next turn will be telling of the duel's outcome, for sure!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]---[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Since the duel had begun, Sora had watched in silence from a bench in the waiting hall. In boredom, he'd gone over his Deck a few times, shuffling through it and drawing a few test hands, just for practice. But as the duel had begun to pick up, his focus had become one-hundred percent glued to the television monitor. While the spectators more than likely had missed it, Sora had noticed the duel's effect on Calle particularly, starting with the first attack. His senses stronger than most due to his spiritual connection, he could sense a large transition of spiritual presence with each attack.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Can you sense that, Kioshi?” Sora asked, calling out to the Spirit who had, in a way, drifted off as well. The boy's words woke him quickly. “It's different. I'm not sure how. I'm aware that everyone participating in the tournament has Rakurai in one way or another, but I've never felt such a strong migration of energy.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I can.” Kioshi had picked up on it hours ago. His senses outmatched Sora's by miles, but even he was baffled as to what the feeling was. The tournament was a weird concept, in that he refused to accept that it was simply 'a tournament' for the sake of competition, but he kept his thoughts to himself, for now. Sora's emotions would get the best of him otherwise, and they couldn't risk that in such high circumstances. “I assume it plays into what Calion mentioned about the Rakurai being drained from the loser of the duel, restoring their humanity in full. But the missing piece to that puzzle is that if the Rakurai were to simply dissipate after the battle was over, it would have no need to migrate to another location. I believe there are other forces at work.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Sora was quiet for a moment, until he posed the question. “What do you think will happen when the duel is over? If there's no Spiritual Energy left, can a duelist even survive a final attack?”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Truthfully, Kioshi did not know the answer. Rakurai not only provided spiritual powers, but it strengthened one's physical and mental capabilities as well. With it, even the weakest of humans would become stronger than a human without such powers. But when it was active in such high levels, it became much more dangerous. Despite being a Spirit himself, his only knowledge came from what he'd gathered in the time spent within Sora's own mind. He lacked the ability to directly provide an answer. “I truly do not know. Sadly, the only thing we can do at this point is watch and see how it plays out.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Alright...” Sora drifted off back into the TV, feeling somewhat uneasy.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]---[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Time to shift gears. The only way to go at this point was up, and defeat was not an option. One of them was going to suffer immensely, but Calle could not allow himself to be that person. “It's my turn, and with that, I'll draw!” He might have been walking straight into a trap, but there was no choice – he had to attack and take out that dragon before another one hit the field. “I'm sure you've figured it out already, but I only have one move to make. Overmind Archfiend, take out his second dragon, go Psychic Shatter Blast!” [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Your attack may have a`gone through, but don't forget about my Backfire Trap Card!” Marconi reminded him, as the trap took effect once again and a shower of sparks rained down on the Swedish duelist.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Calle's Life Points: 1500[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“But that's not all, I'm afraid, because I'm`a activating my face-down card, Michizure!” Marconi exclaimed, revealing the card that would win him the duel. Or so he hoped. “Since you've destroyed my Solar Flare Dragon, I'm now allowed to return the favor, and do the same to your Overmind Archfiend!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]A crevice opened in the ground below and pulled the monster in; Calle was powerless to stop it. But then, the strangest thing happened. Just as the MC prepared to make a comment of his own, Calle flashed a vibrant smile.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“What's this?! Calle's most powerful monster and his only defense against Marconi's onslaught has just been destroyed, but it appears he's...smiling! This is a new one, ladies and gentlemen!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Your confidence is something I can admire,” Marconi said. “But for the a`life of me, I don't understand how you could be smiling right about now, aside from the fact that the intensity is so high! This duel...it is over.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Aye, sorry to disappoint ya, but it's not over yet.” Sure enough, Calle's words rang true, catching the entire arena by surprise as what had once been his Overmind Archfiend was replaced by an arsenal of monsters, Serene Psychic Witch, Silent Psychic Wizard, Krebons, and Psi-Blocker. “I had expected you'd find a way to destroy Overmind Archfiend, so I wasn't relying on it doing much at all, outside of serving as bait for your Trap Card. You see, Overmind Archfiend is strong, but his true use lies in the ability to ensure a backup plan. When he's summoned, he takes all the Psychic-Type monsters from my Graveyard and banishes them, only to bring them all back to the field once he leaves it.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“This a`can't be!” Speechless, Marconi had to force himself to focus. The duel had reached maximum intensity, but what he thought would secure the game had completely backfired. Or had it? [i]Wait a minute, I didn't think of that. There's still some hope a`yet.[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“You said you wanted a challenge, mate.” The sun was shining bright over the field, and for a moment Calle felt the power within him growing stronger. With the Life Points he'd gained, it had felt slow to come back, but now he could feel the effects. He could win this, after all. “That was the game-plan from the get go. But now, we're down to the final two turns, because one way or another, this duel's gonna end on my next go. If you've got a plan, you'd best put it into action. I'll end.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“As you wish, here's my final draw!” Marconi drew his card, adding it to his hand. He grinned. To let himself get discouraged like that, how foolish. This duel was his, as was the whole tournament! “Let's go all out! I'll banish Solar Flare Dragon from my Graveyard to Special Summon Inferno (1100)!”[/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Calle had to shield his eyes from the flames as this new monster appeared on the field. At first, it was difficult to see anything, until the outline of a shield (at least almost), comprised of fire, with a fiendish grin, took to Marconi's field. “Get a`ready for this, because I'll boost my firepower with the Scorching Flames Spell Card!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Scorching Flames][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Equip only to a FIRE monster. It gains 1000 ATK. If it would be destroyed by a card effect, you can send this card to the Graveyard instead.[/spoiler][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Inferno = 1100 + 1000 = 2100[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]This poses a problem. [/i]Calle recognized the card immediately, but he'd never had to face it. Once it destroyed a monster, it hit the owner of that monster for an additional fifteen-hundred points of damage. Meaning even if he survived the attack, he'd be left unbelievably low. With Silent Psychic Wizard being the only monster he had in attack position, that would likely be the target of Inferno's attack, meaning he'd have nothing more than three-hundred points left. [i]One hell of a problem.[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Go, Inferno, annihilate his Silent Psychic Wizard with Molten Blazing Flash!” The warrior stood no chance, despite its best efforts. The explosion carried back in Calle's direction, knocking him off his feet, but more than that, nearly destroying a piece of the stadium wall in the process. The pain was so great, but so instant, that he didn't have much time to react before it hit him. Unfortunately, there would be no way the people wouldn't notice this time. Calle's body was in bad shape now, with merely any points left at all, and the energy he'd felt restore itself was no longer there. He felt closer to being fully human than ever before.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Was this what it felt like to be truly helpless?[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Calle's Life Points: 300[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Even if he managed to destroy Inferno, he'd take five-hundred points of damage from Backfire, and that would end the game. He had to stand up, but how? Numb from head to toe, even trying to move his arms gave him such a strange feeling. What little bit of energy he had left, he had to use to breathe, otherwise he'd likely be knocked unconscious from the next attack.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“It looks like that attacked rattled Calle pretty hard! Even with a full field against him, Marconi was able to make one heck of a comeback! He's got Calle locked in a pretty tight spot, because no matter which way he goes, it's probably going to be game over! Folks, I think we've seen the end of this one! Hold on, what's this?”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]His body was numb and getting worse by the second, but he had to use what little strength he had left to win, even if it meant risking further damage to himself. Having come this far, he couldn't afford to fail. At least not until he found it. “Well, you knocked me around pretty good there. Guess it can't be helped though, such is the nature of the game. About that though, I do have one play left, and I guess now's gonna be the time to use it, cause like I said, the duel's over at the end of this turn.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Marconi, partially frightened by the response, awaited his opponent's move with anticipation.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Like you said, nothing makes a duel like passion, and man, have you dueled with more of that than anyone I've ever had the honor of facing,” Calle talked up his opponent. “But I think in a way it's that same passion on your end that's forcing me to go that extra mile. So let's finish this, shall we? I activate the Spell Card Miracle Synchro Fusion!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Miracle Synchro Fusion?!” Marconi exclaimed. “Say what?!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I can use Miracle Synchro Fusion to combine the Overmind Archfiend in my Graveyard with the Silent Psychic Wizard in my Graveyard, in order to Fusion Summon [url=http://yugioh.wikia.com/wiki/Ultimate_Axon_Kicker]Ultimate Axon Kicker (2900)[/url]!” With razor sharp claws the size of small buildings, the demonic monstrosity appeared on the field, towering over everything else, and drawing remarks of surprise and disbelief from the awe-struck fans. “I wasn't sure I'd have to use my most powerful monster here, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Oh well, what's done is done. But before I attack, I've got one last play to make, and that would be the card I drew this turn. Just for safe keeping, of course, let's hit that Scorching Flames with Mystical Space Typhoon!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]As the dust cyclone wiped away Marconi's Field Spell, the Italian extraordinaire felt a feeling of fear rush over him. Suddenly, he wasn't liking his chances.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Now, Ultimate Axon Kicker, destroy his Inferno with Psycho Blaster Shock Cannon!” With a screeching roar, Axon Kicker released an electromagnetic shock wave from its grasp. Inferno didn't stand a chance.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Marconi's Life Points: 400[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Wow! What an explosive comeback! But I don't think Calle remembered Backfire was still in play! Now because Inferno was destroyed, he's cost himself the duel!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Marconi grinned. “He may be annoying, but he's right. By destroying my Inferno, you've activated Backfire, meaning you take a grand total of five-hundred damage, and this duel ends in my favor!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I've noticed one thing about you that stands out above everything else,” Calle said, drawing his opponent's interest. “As good of a duelist as you are, when it comes to expression, you lack the basic comprehension to read your opponent's movements and facial expressions to understand the difference between their words and their actions. I've you've paid attention throughout the course of this duel, each move I've made, I've made knowing that it would end one way or another. I'd never blindly rush into something, especially not when the stakes are so high. I didn't forget about Backfire, it's just [i]you[/i] didn't take into account my Axon Kicker's special ability. As soon as it inflicts Battle Damage, I can Life Points equal to the amount it hits for.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Calle's Life Points: 2100[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“But if that's the a`case, that means Backfire isn't enough to win, and now I'm wide-open!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Calle's Life Points: 1600[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Precisely. Serene Psychic Witch, finish this duel, Neo-Charming Cutter!” The pink-haired beauty charged into battle, striking Marconi in the chest and knocking him to the ground.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Marconi's Life Points: 0[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]---[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]He had won, but no sooner did the meter drop that Calle felt himself growing quite dizzy. The images of the crowd cheering and the MC exclaiming all sorts of over-dramatic lines became nothing but flashes in his mind, his consciousness beginning to fade. Quickly, he backed up towards the stadium wall, placing his hands against it to keep himself from falling as the dizziness grew worse. Across the field, he could barely make out his opponent, who had fallen unconscious himself, being escorted out of the stadium by EMT's. [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The MC played it up as nothing more than exhaustion from a lengthy opening duel. Bullshit. Something else was going on here. He had to get to the lobby.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]---[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“It's growing much stronger now, what's happened?!” Kioshi exclaimed. He and Sora had been watching the duel from one of the monitors, but just as Calle's final attack was about to go through, the feed had cut out entirely, leaving all the spectators in chaos.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The other tournament competitors were anxious to see what had happened, and all of the sudden the feed had been lost entirely. People were trying to get out into the stadium to see what was going on, but security had blocked off the entrances, citing an intermission as the reason they didn't want duelists going out on the field.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I have a bad feeling about this,” Sora said. “That energy transfer we felt earlier, for just a moment, it grew really, really strong. And then it was gone, just like that. It's like something's happening here that they're trying to keep from us.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“That much is obvious,” Kioshi said. “But what is it?”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]---[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Lucien Grasciou had been watching the opening duel from his chambers, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. One of the Tournament Officials burst in, sweat dripping down his forehead and a sense of panic in his eyes. “Sir, please forgive the interruption, but the duelist, Marconi, after the duel ended, he fell into a state of unconsciousness!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“He did?” Lucien acted somewhat worried. “Is everything alright? For some reason, my feed cut out just before the duel concluded. I already put in a call to the production crew to ensure something like that doesn't happen again – we've got millions of people watching and that is inexcusable!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Sir, with all due respect, I think the man's condition is a bit more of a priority than television ratings, don't you think?” The official asked. “He's being looked at now, but they don't understand how it happened! He took an attack and then all of the sudden just collapsed with no explanation. He's breathing but not very heavily at all. His condition is far from stable.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Right, right.” Lucien replied. “Forgive me, I just got caught up in the moment of things. Of course, his condition is of the upmost importance. See to it that he is treated and then get him off the island, fly him home as soon as he is in stable enough condition to do so. Have them send along an update, will you? I don't wish to be bothered right now, I've got some business to attend to.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Yes sir,” the official replied, closing the door behind him.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Such simple minded fools.[/i] Lucien chuckled to himself. [i]Such an...unfortunate circumstance that the power was to cut out at such an important time. We can only hope something like that doesn't happen again. [/i]As he wondered to himself, twirling around the small spherical object in his hand, he couldn't help but smile. [i]I can feel its effects almost instantly. Truly, I have stumbled upon something even more powerful than I'd first believed. How wonderful. And this is just the first duel. So much more to come.[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]He trailed off into laughter, aloud, though no one could hear him from the seclusion of his chambers. The second duel would be starting shortly.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]---[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Det är Calle. Jag är i grov form. Jag har inte tid att stå i det öppna och ha en konversation, fan jag kan knappt andas som det är. Men jag drog segern. Mullret går runt säger de skär ut fodret innan det hände. När du får detta meddelande, kontakta Stephanie omedelbart. Jag har en del viktig information högkvarter behöver höra om. Detta har att göra med Rakurai, men jag är av den uppfattningen att det hon sagt om Shihousen, kan det vara sant. Jag tror att det är vad de försöker gräva.” [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]He hung up the phone. This wasn't good.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]To be continued...[/spoiler][/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Just something to address. For the sake of the story (and because I didn't want to actually modify cards to any extent other than necessary, we're assuming all the Psychic-Type monsters used in the duel are EARTH, to go along with the rest of them. By that I mean Krebons, Overmind Archfiend, and Axon Kicker.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Comments guys?[/font][/size]

Randomflyingobjects · November 10, 2012

Hey, guys! That last bit was in Swedish! Just thought you all might like to know...

So, what relevance does this duel have? No main characters, as far as I can tell, but just another ol' duel. Heck, that's GOT to get boring after a while, long duels like that. Don't tell me we're going to see EVERY duel, right? Though the duel WAS done well, it just seemed... unimportant, if you get my drift.

Synchronized · November 10, 2012

That last bit was in Swedish for good reason!

Anyway, there was plenty of relevance there. I couldn't have Sora or Calion compete in the first duel and we established a new protagonist in the process. So you thought the duel was too long?

Randomflyingobjects · November 10, 2012

It's only too long to be a side event. If either duelist is a protagonist, than it's worth the time. A reasonable length for Sora or Calion, but if these guys are random side guys, then... well, it was long.

Umbra · November 10, 2012

Much, much better. This is exactly what I was talking about; simple interaction between the characters that doesn't necessarilly forward the main storyline, but provides some continuity and backstory to the world. While you were just a tad blatant with the whole "energy transfer" theme, you're a lot better at dialogue than you think.

The duel really turned itself around, and I like how you ended it. (Of course, I am not biased at all in this situation.) MSF was a bit unexpected, but that's alright since the character hadn't actually appeared before.

Overall, good chapter.

Synchronized · November 10, 2012

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1352579988' post='6065876']
It's only too long to be a side event. If either duelist is a protagonist, than it's worth the time. A reasonable length for Sora or Calion, but if these guys are random side guys, then... well, it was long.
[/quote]

I can completely understand where you're coming from there, but it's not a side event. It's in fact, very important. Think about, say, when a movie opens with a scene that somehow introduces a villain, and ends up functioning as a flashback later. I can assure you, the duel cutting out like it did when it ended was very much essential to the main plot.

[quote name='Umbra' timestamp='1352580164' post='6065882']
Much, much better. This is exactly what I was talking about; simple interaction between the characters that doesn't necessarilly forward the main storyline, but provides some continuity and backstory to the world. While you were just a tad blatant with the whole "energy transfer" theme, you're a lot better at dialogue than you think.

[i]Blatant as in, I didn't do a good job like conveying the confusion they had? Or blatant as in my attempts to make it suspenseful were too forced? I don't know, I'm not good with dialogue because I feel like it ends up being really repetitive. Not sure why.[/i]

The duel really turned itself around, and I like how you ended it. (Of course, I am not biased at all in this situation.) MSF was a bit unexpected, but that's alright since the character hadn't actually appeared before.

Overall, good chapter.
[/quote]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. It was only my second time writing a full-length duel since the series began, so I'm glad with how it came out. MSF was the plan from the get-go, especially because I think Ultimate Axon Kicker makes for an awesome boss monster.

Umbra · November 10, 2012

Repetitive is the better word, yes. A bit too repetitive.

Synchronized · November 10, 2012

[quote name='Umbra' timestamp='1352583123' post='6065917']
Repetitive is the better word, yes. A bit too repetitive.
[/quote]

I don't know how to fix that.

Randomflyingobjects · November 11, 2012

[quote name='- Neo -' timestamp='1352582493' post='6065906']
I can completely understand where you're coming from there, but it's not a side event. It's in fact, very important. Think about, say, when a movie opens with a scene that somehow introduces a villain, and ends up functioning as a flashback later. I can assure you, the duel cutting out like it did when it ended was very much essential to the main plot.
[/quote]
What I was trying to get at was that it was too long for a side event, but just right for something important.

Synchronized · November 11, 2012

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1352592900' post='6066034']
What I was trying to get at was that it was too long for a side event, but just right for something important.
[/quote]

Okay, so you like that length if it's a plot-relevant duel, or something involving a main protagonist. Got it. I'll keep that in mind - I thought it worked out well in that respect. From there, I'll have to work on toning down the plot elements that aren't as important.

Synchronized · November 14, 2012

[spoiler=Episode 40: Thunder Clash, Part One]
“Hey, hey, calm it down, what's going on around here?” The booming, almost burly voice of the Stadium Security's head official echoed over the rest of the voices chattering about the tournament's proceedings thus far. Duelists on both sides cleared the way as the security force charged through the crowd, heading for a specific group of individuals at the end of the hallway.

A few more First Round duels had just finished, and after a brief intermission, the remainder of the duels for the day would begin. The target of the Security Guard's 'hunt' was actually a group of four young children, each of them looking relatively similar, not standing out in any way. One of them was slightly taller, and his hair was blonde in comparison to the muddy brown hair the other three had, but other than that the only differences between them was the colors of their shirts.

Each one wore a different colored plain T-Shirt, with a small logo reading 'GENEX' across it. From left to right, starting with the blonde boy, the colors went blue, green, yellow, and red. The symbolism was a representation of their Team Name, GENEX, in reference to the Decks they had come to wield. Confusion was amass among the duelists because the blonde boy had dueled and won his first match earlier in the day, and word going around was that the others would not be required to participate in any further First Round duels.

The main voice speaking out against their seemingly 'free pass' was Nikolai Marchev, a young Russian duelist who was competing in his first mainstream tournament. Despite being one of the many duelists here who had far from mastered his own Rakurai powers, Nikolai was quite the duelist, and felt that the unfair treatment these young'ins were receiving showed some unfair favoritism, and had managed to rile up quite a crowd. With the security guards at the center now, he'd gotten everyone's attention. The kids had no idea how to respond so they simply looked to the slightly older blonde one for guidance.

“I don't understand what's going on here,” Nikolai beckoned. “This tournament is rigged, giving all of them free passes to the next round, how can you claim to be holding a huge, prestige tournament and pull a stunt like this?”

Shoving aside some of the spectators getting in his face, the ever-so friendly Security Official was the first to respond to Nikolai's threats. “Don't you dare talk down to me, you runt. Listen, as far as I'm concerned this whole tournament is pointless, all of you are totally meaningless to me. The orders I'm acting on tell me that these four are operating as one unit, meaning that the brat who dueled in the first round, won't be the one dueling in the second round.”

That still wasn't fair, in Nikolai's opinion. And many of the other duelists agreed, creating a chattering mess of voices and complaints that drowned out the sounds of the cheering fans. “I think I speak for all of us when I say that's still not enough! How is it fair that they get a different Deck every round, but the rest of us don't get so much as a break? I demand you do something about this!”

“I don't think you're in a position to be making demands,” the Guard grumbled. After a moment of thought, though, he began to reconsider. While he had received his orders, if he didn't do something about this, it would just mean more work in trying to keep everyone calmed down, and keep the tensions at a minimum. “Perhaps you're right, though. I do think some of these brats have to go. In fact, only one of you will be able to participate in the tournament.” The young group was definitely afraid, huddling behind the tall blonde one for protection, but there wasn't much even he could do as the Guard moved in.

As the Guard went to grab them, a pulse of energy cut through the space between them in such a precise line that only he and the boys could feel it. Paralyzed with shock, he didn't want to move. The crowd parted as a man revealed himself, taking a few steps into the circle and locking eyes with him. Calion.

---

"I'm glad to see you've all made it."

From the mouth of Lucien Grasciou came those words, as a group of three individuals knelt down in front of him, located in a room north of the Gathering Hall. He commanded their attention with each word and movement, and they would not dare show him a sign of disrespect for fear of being reprimanded. "This competition is my birthright, and I have hired you to see to it that it goes as planned, with no mistakes or interruptions. I believe this is not too much to ask, is it?"

With no verbal response, the three men nodded. From left to right, they were concealed in an almost ninja-esque attire, making it difficult to identify any of them. Constant security was on duty, and though this was Lucien's own brainchild, he couldn't be seen associating with competitors because of the effects it might have on his views in the eye of the public. After all, he was the rich billionaire hosting the world's biggest Tournament. "Unos, Dos, Tres, these are the names which have been assigned to you and represent your ranking within the standings. For safe-keeping, it is best if you do not reveal anything beside that; I cannot risk my public image, at least not until the tournament has concluded."

Unos, the tallest of the three with a slight British accent, tilted his head upwards only slightly to pose a question. "Pardon the interruption, my lord, but was there not to be a fourth member of the group?" No sooner did he finish his question that Unos lowered his head once more, returning to his humble positioning.

"All is well, for I expected one of you to ask." Lucien's reply was filled with genuinity; he had no intention of deceiving these men, and if they had worked as he commanded, actually planned to reward them with much more than they were expecting. Unlike most in a position of power, manipulating and using those beneath him was not in his gameplan. All it did was make future employees dis-trustful, and that made things difficult. "You see, Silver was a viable asset, but unfortunately his judgment was quite clouded, and I felt he was a...risk to the overall plan, so I had him dismissed."

The word 'dismissed' shook Unos for a moment; would they meet a similar fate upon failure? While it was certainly possible, he was following Lucien's orders because he truly believed in the man's goals. The sense of future betrayal was not there, and if it were, he would've abandonded this organization entirely. Silver had always carried himself in such a cocky manner that it wasn't surprising to see him dispatched. It made things easier for them; if everyone was working towards a common goal as opposed to working for no one but themselves, the plan would run much more smoothly.

"Forgive me for speaking out of tone, sir, but I'd like to think that is a benefit to all of us." The other two came across surprised by Unos' remarks; of the group, he had assumed an almost leadership-based position and was the only one with the balls to stand up to Lucien, despite his lack of a threatening nature when actuality, the boss respected the brass behind Unos' words. "I can assure you, we will not fail in the areas that he did."

"Oh, Unos, you always know just the right things to say," Lucien smiled, motioning for them to stand. "Dos, you've already won your match in impressive fashion, and that leaves but the two of you. There are quite a few matches remaining for the First Round, and I expect none of you will disappoint. Be on your way then, I fancy myself a glass of wine. I'd like to enjoy what's left of this intermission before the action picks up again."

"Yes sir," came the universal reply as the three men showed themselves out.

---

The voice on the other end of the line was that of a woman's; she seemed to be in quite a panic. “I tried to call you back as soon as I could, Calle. Things have been crazy over the past few days with the coverage of the Tournament going on, and with that feed cut-out that happened at the end of your duel, the channels airing coverage has now doubled; apparently we can't afford to miss a second of the action. I got your message, though. Do you really think that's what he's going for? I know we've heard about it before but come on, holding a national tournament for something like that, it's a bit farfetch'd.”

“Aye, I'm well aware that it's a crazy theory, but I've scoped the place out, and I've heard some interesting things.” Calle said. “Think about it like this, he's got people here from every single country on the globe and then some, it creates this ultimate image of cultural competition and unity, like the Duel Monsters Olympics, basically. While people from every country are so focused on that, he can focus on what he's got going on in the background here. I felt it myself; each time I took damage I felt my physical strength being pulled from my body, only to restore it when my points went up. Then, when I actually won the duel, I nearly lost consciousness, but my opponent, dude got knocked out bad.”

“Probably just a side effect of the Rakurai, no?” The girl asked. “When the energy is that high during a duel you're likely to have some injuries.”

“You're missing the point, Stephanie. The feed cut out on purpose. Whoever is behind this didn't want people to see the results because it was the first duel. Whatever force is at work when it comes to draining energy hadn't been perfected yet, and what better way to test it than the first duel of the tournament? The media's not getting wind of it, but all of the losers have met the same fate, emergency hospitalization. It doesn't happen right after the duel, though; they wait until the duelist is out of sight and then the process kicks in. The Rakurai is being taken from us and driven towards another force. But that's as much as I've been able to gather.”

“That's...crazy.” She nearly dropped the phone in the process. “Something like that...manipulating all of these people, it's like they walked right into their own demise. If they're not aware the Rakurai is being drained from them and they're becoming fully humanized, the attempt to use their abilities could be fatal. And...you mentioned the Shihousen...how could that even be a topic of conversation right now...”

“This is purely speculation at this point, but I'm to believe the Shihousen plays into this plan somehow,” Calle said. “The energy is being collected to open it. If that happens, we've got worse things to worry about then just humanization. You need to get here, and soon.”

“Right...” The woman was at a loss for words. “I'll get on the next flight out. In the mean time, be careful.”

“Aye, I'll be fine.” There was a click as he hung up the phone.

---

“Sora, something's been troubling me.” Kioshi called out to him. The two had a weird social relationship. Kioshi lived inside his mind, but they didn't speak constantly, and it wasn't really possible for one to see how the other was feeling, so there were often lengthy periods of time when nothing was said between them. It was a different way of communication, unlike when they were able to freely sense one another inside Sora's mind.

Furthermore, Sora had yet to see a visual of the Spirit, acting on nothing but voice alone. Whether or not Kioshi had an actual physical form, he didn't know, but Calion did, so it was safe to assume the same was true for all Spirits. Kioshi had never been to the Mid-World like Calion, but knew very well of its existence, including what it looked like and how it was structured. How that was actually possible, neither of them had an answer; there were plenty of confusing points to this whole thing.

The method of communication was thought-based, meaning that Sora didn't have to risk looking like a random crazy by talking aloud to no-one. In essence, it meant they could have conversations without the outside world picking up on it, through a method called Mind Communication. This came with the Rakurai, and the reality that this connection would be lost entirely should Sora lose a duel was a frightening reality. Kioshi was the closest thing he had to answers right now, and the two had barely gotten to know each other with everything going on.

Since the Spirit's first appearance during Kenji's duel with Aruda, where Sora was able to learn his frst technique, Feuer-zerbrechen, with Kioshi's help, the boy held an eternal gratitude, knowing that were it not for Kioshi, neither of them would be alive right now. But the Spirit was very modest and refused to take credit for such an idea. It was Sora's own will and strength that allowed him to learn the technique, he just needed slight guidance.

And Kioshi knew that soon, that time would come again. Before this tournament was over, Sora would have to learn his 3rd Stage technique. It wasn't the time to bring that up now though. Just had to keep having hope that they'd win the first round and move on the second.

“What is it, Kioshi?” Sora answered, a bit delayed. “I'm sorry, I'm just really worked up about this duel; there's a lot on the line and I haven't had much of a chance to play with this Deck in some time; do you think we've got a chance? Oh, right. I'm rambling. You were saying?”

Kioshi laughed for a second. “No worries; you're over-thinking it. Once you go out there and do it, it'll be no problem.” Then, he went silent, thinking. “It's Orii. Since he first arrived, just as Calion told us he would, I've had a very strange feeling about him. I don't doubt that he's on our side, but I sense a strong emotional distance inside him, conflicting feelings, if you will. I imagine there must be a sense of difficulty since he's had to face the loss of his closest friend, but I can't shake this feeling that he might not be in the right state of mind.”

“I know where you're coming from,” he said. “I've wondered the same thing, too. Every time I try to talk to him he just brushes me off. I figured maybe he wasn't the type for conversation. Then again, neither am I, but under the circumstances we don't have much of a choice but to communicate. I suppose after his duel, I could try and have a word with him. It's just, I don't want to make things any worse right now. We all have to trust each other.”

“I suppose that's true,” Kioshi replied. But he wasn't so sure.

---

"Who are you? Beat it, I've got this situation under control," the Security Officer replied as Calion inserted himself into the center of the crowd. "These brats have nothing to offer me, so three of them are going!"

"I was going to ask why someone so intimidating on the outside would have such a meaningless job as a Stadium Security Guard, but all it took was one sentence to answer that one," Calion snapped back. "It's obvious you've got the intelligence of a squirrel on crack. Why don't you put your ignorance aside and get out of here? I'll handle this; you have no idea what you're talking about."

Beat-red, the security guard got in Calion's face, fists clenched, and breath smelling like a trash receptacle. "You want to threaten me?! I don't need to duel to beat someone like you into the ground! I was put in charge of overseeing the Tournament Proceedings and I believe I'll be doing just that!"

"Nikolai, is it?" Calion questioned, ignoring the Security Guard's presence and focusing on the Russian duelist. "You're flustered because a group of young duelists has a few extra participants in the tournament? Are you truly that insecure in your own abilities that having to face a different opponent each round frightens you to the point of making serious threats? If that's the case, I must say I'm not too worried about the potential outcome of this competiton."

"Excuse me, but I don't even know who you are," Nikolai responded, the Security Guard's frustration growing with the fact that both duelists were ignoring him. "Where I come from, Duel Monsters is a very prestigious game and I take it very seriously. To be competing in the 'World's Greatest Duel Monsters Tournament' and have such ignorance of the rules dampens the entire tournament's prestige, affecting me as well. It has nothing to do with my own insecurities, but protecting the prestige of the game."

"Protecting the prestige of the game?" Calion shook his head. "I don't buy it for a second. If jughead over here took a second to listen to what I'd have to say, he'd realize that this team has been granted special permissions to participate straight from Lucien himself. While all four of them possess the powers of the Rakurai, it is in very limited amounts. Their individual strength is great, almost too strong to be contained. Therefore a seal was created that limits the amount of power they may release. What I'm getting at here is that it takes weeks for a duelist's energy to recharge when a seal is in effect."

Nikolai stared, and Calion had now grabbed the crowd's full attention. The four kids in the back were frightened, but hopeful as the new presence spoke.

"Each of them only has the physical strength to compete in one duel. Since there are four rounds in the tournament, there are four of them," Calion said. "When one of them loses, the entire Team is eliminated. But on another note, I recall you mentioning that you felt bad for whoever your first round opponent was, because you planned on making more of an impact than just a duel, am I right?"

Nikolai nodded. "You bet I did. I will break down the curtains on this joke of a tournament with my own special powers, and if my opponent is lucky enough to survive such a thing, then I shall proceed to finish him in a duel. My purpose for joining this tournament is to prove to the world that even though I have long been ignored, Nikolai Marchev is anything but a weak link!"

His hands at his side, Calion grasped the sword handle on his waist. Beams of red energy shot outwards from it, as he pulled the weapon to his front, causing the duelists to scatter in a rush of panic. Even the Security Guard scurried to the other side of the room in fear, though he was quick to regain his composure and keep his image as that of a tough guy. "Well, allow me to introduce myself. The name's Calion, and I'll be your opponent this evening."

"You mean...you're the one I'm facing?" Nikolai's demanding exterior had diminished in an instant as his eyes were glued to Calion's blade. "You think that...a sword will intimidate me? Your light show is impressive but I...I am no weakling myself! I will demonstrate my power here and now!"

"Don't be an idiot, there are far too many people around here to fight like this," Calion said. "If you wish to fight, I will not deny you the ass-kicking of a lifetime, but risking the lives of others in the process could affect my placement within the tournament, and that is not a risk I am willing to take right now. I suggest you use your better judgment and face me in a duel. Once I've secured entry into the next round, if you have a death wish, I'll bring it to fruition."

The duelist was shaking from head to toe, attempting to withhold his confidence appearance but he wasn't fooling anyone. Calion sheathed his sword, and began to head towards the arena entrance. "I trust you'll do just that. So I'll see you out there shortly. The duel is about to begin."

[b][i]To be continued...[/i][/b][/spoiler]

Here's a brand new Episode. No duels this time around, but plenty of plot advancement.

Randomflyingobjects · November 14, 2012

Alright, I'm confused, mainly about the 'free passes'. The best I can figure is that these guys are like a team, and if one wins, they all advance. Which I'm probably wrong. That's about as strange as it gets, I suppose.

Synchronized · November 14, 2012

They're actually important characters with relevant backstory. Basically, only one of them can duel each round due to conditions regarding their health. That part will make more sense in the next Chapter, where they duel.

Canopy Star - Eon Sphere · November 14, 2012

I know I'm probably late to this conclusion, but Calion is my new favorite character. Seriously? "Squirrel on Crack"?

I would like to see more of his deck, since last time it seemed to be an amalgamation of Fiend-type monsters. More duels for Sora also seems to be a good thing. I realise you probably don't feel the same way, but tons of Karakuri duels really didn't appeal to me. Nice to see Sora getting more attention.

Also, going with the Number = Name thing are we? Seems... [i]original[/i]. I kid, I kid, I look forward to seeing what they can do.

Synchronized · November 14, 2012

[quote name='The Seal of Eon' timestamp='1352911844' post='6069396']
I know I'm probably late to this conclusion, but Calion is my new favorite character. Seriously? "Squirrel on Crack"?

I would like to see more of his deck, since last time it seemed to be an amalgamation of Fiend-type monsters. More duels for Sora also seems to be a good thing. I realise you probably don't feel the same way, but tons of Karakuri duels really didn't appeal to me. Nice to see Sora getting more attention.

Also, going with the Number = Name thing are we? Seems... [i]original[/i]. I kid, I kid, I look forward to seeing what they can do.
[/quote]

Calion is hands down my favorite character. writing his dialogue is probably 1 of the coolest parts of this. I'm glad I made the decision to make him a protagonist early in the story.

As for Sora I'm aware that he hasn't dueled as much as people would like. that's actually part of the reason that Kenji is taking a bit of a vacation from the story. we focus plenty on Kenji's back story but not as much with Sora.

Yes as it pertains to the names, it might have been inspired slightly by the TV show. who's to say? but it definitely makes more sense than trying to come up with jumbled Japanese names the don't have any relevance in the context of story.

Ideally the next chapter will be up tonight or tomorrow. Glad to see people are liking the direction of the story right now.

Synchronized · November 14, 2012

So here's something I should have done months ago, but better late than never. I've begun working on a series of Character Bios that will cover both Main Characters and one-offs, etc., to give readers a better idea of the people they're following and make it so one-offs in particular are much easier to follow. Here's the first installment.

I'll provide a link to all of this in the Table of Contents, as well.

[spoiler=Character Bios: First Installment]

[size=5][font=Aparajita, sans-serif]Character Bios[/font]

[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Kenji Christianson[/b][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Age: 24[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Hometown: London, England[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Bio: [/b][i]Born in London, England, Kenji spent much of his early life a loner, with parents that were rarely home due to work commitments. Working around the clock, they had money, and lived in a wealthy area where Kenji spent most of his time exploring, choosing not to engage himself in the rich and famous lifestyle. Because of this, he never had much of a closeness with his parents – they felt he was detached from them and his lack of appreciation for the fancy life was something they couldn't come to terms with. At age fifteen, Kenji dropped out of Grade School, but his parents were unaware. When he wasn't home, he spent the majority of his time with the few friends he'd made in the area, playing Duel Monsters. His original goal to become a Pro Duel Monsters player was put on hold when one of his friends was killed in an almost supernatural manner, at which point he devoted himself to becoming a Police Officer to protect people and make up for his inability to save his friend's life. His memory of the situation is faded and what he does remember about it, he prefers not to talk about, but subconsciously it's the driving force behind his motives.[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Deck:[/b] Karakuri Geargia [/font]

[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Sora Tenjioshi[/b][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Age: 18[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Hometown: New Domino City[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Bio[/b]: [i]Sora's never really had any friends. Being born with superhuman strength that to this day is unexplained, he's always been viewed as an outcast by his peers, made worse by the fact that both of his parents were killed while he was still young, causing him to take refuge on the streets of New Domino and the Satellite District. At age 12, he was discovered by a man named David Gertin, who would go on to become his mentor, teaching him the ways of the world that he had not been fortunate enough to learn earlier. Sora took quite a liking to Duel Monsters, as a way to take out his frustrations without actually harming anyone. Despite his incredible physical strength, Sora made an oath to himself not to fight or use his strength to hurt anyone, unless absolutely necessary, a trait he gained through his mentor's displays and actions, something reflected in his duels, as well. With the events of CLEAR's attack, some of these moral codes were forced to change, but the basic premises he stands for have always been true to his heart. Sora devoted himself to protecting the innocent no matter the cost to himself.[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Deck[/b]: “Djinnstruments”[/font]

[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Calion[/b] (last name unknown)[/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Age: (unknown), Spirit[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Hometown: Mid-World[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Bio[/b]: [i]A Spirit created by the events of the Rakurai bolt many years ago, Calion has spent most of his life in the Mid-World, unwilling to befriend or ally himself with anyone. His true purpose is unknown, but he believes it is to fight and learn his purpose, in essence a Catch-22. Initially joining CLEAR as a methods of becoming stronger, Calion began his journey by taking the life of Allen Valiant, a former Pro-League Duelist possessing the powerful 'Lightray' cards. After Allen's final efforts prevented him from going further with that goal, Calion reconsidered his ways, deciding that CLEAR's intentions were not what he believed them to be, and (unbeknownst to himself) felt compelled to ally himself with Kenji and Sora. He has a very confident, almost cocky personality and resembles a young Seto Kaiba. His fighting skills are beyond that of any human, Rakurai or not, and he is not afraid to use them if need be. While he does believe in 'good', his moral code is not the same as that of Sora and Kenji; he believes sometimes things must be done even if one's 'feelings' would contradict it.[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Deck:[/b] Storm Winds[/font]

[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Kioshi[/b] (last name unknown)[/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Age: (unknown), Spirit[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Hometown: Mid-World[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Bio[/b][i]: Kioshi is a Spirit taking residence within the mind of Sora Tenjioishi. When the Rakurai happened, Kioshi was created out of nothing, meaning he does not have experience in the outside world and everything he has learned has come from within Sora's mind. That being said, it is apparent that he is somehow able to pick up on things that happen in the Mid-World through some extent, but he does not know how. It is seen that Kioshi's senses are extremely powerful; he can read the emotions of humans and Spirits alike and understand how they are feeling without truly knowing what 'feelings' are. He is familiar with Duel Monsters, likely due to the amount of time he's spent living within Sora's mind as Sora has picked up the game, but has yet to duel. In the Grand Tournament Arc, he makes his first duel-related appearance.[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Deck:[/b] “Djinnstruments”[/font]

[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Alice[/b] ([i]last name unknown), Spirit[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Age: Unknown, Spirit[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Hometown: Mid-World[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Bio[/b]: Gaining the nickname 'Wandering Legend', Alice roamed the Mid-World for years trying to survive and find people who were worthy of challenging her. With her abilities to manipulate Rakurai that uniquely got stronger as the object got weaker, she was regarded as a one-of-a-kind warrior. When she met Calion, she was handed her first defeat in battle, and a significant one at that, as Calion could have killed her but chose not to, deeming her “not worthy of such a defeat”. After the fight Calion decided to withdraw from CLEAR, at which point the Organization recruited Alice and trained her to get revenge on Calion for his betrayal. Under CLEAR's orders, Alice attempted to kill Calion but was once again unsuccessful, as the warrior warned her that living such a lifestyle and fighting with no purpose would only lead to her unfulfillment. She was defeated by Kenji and Sora thanks to assistance from Calion and died after using her 5[sup]th[/sup] Stage technique as a final effort to try and destroy them, though she was unable to do so.[/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Deck[/b]: Chronomaly[/font]

[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Lucien Grasciou[/b][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Age: 35[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][i]Hometown: Houshou Island[/i][/font]
[font=Aparajita, sans-serif][b]Bio: [/b]Significant amounts of investment returns and current stocks have led Mr. Grasciou to become quite the wealthy man, taking residence in his 16.8 million dollar home on Houshou Island, where he presides over multiple companies that ensure his cash flow is consistent as can be. An excellent businessman as well as Duel Monsters expert and former Pro Duelist, Grasciou's biggest dream is to host the World's Biggest Duel Monsters Tournament, and because of this has spent over 20 million dollars to have a Stadium Built that could house such an event. His motives are relatively unknown as of now, but there is speculation that he's acting on more than just 'dreams' with his contest.[/spoiler][/font][/size]

Randomflyingobjects · November 14, 2012

Oh, so that duel in Arc 1 involving Calion was actually important, and lead him to become a protagonist? That makes a bit more sense. I thought that he was a cruel being, trying to escape the mid-world, then suddenly siding with Sora and Kenji.

Synchronized · November 15, 2012

Everything has been important in one way or another, I just haven't conveyed it as well. There will be a few important examples of this in the next Chapter.

Umbra · November 15, 2012

Alright, time for that long overdue review of mine.

Other than what I mentioned on Facebook (Calion is still a badass) I do have a few things I want to nag on a little. The GENEX team, first and foremost. You play them up to be really important, with the security guards looking for them and this Nikolai fellow having his panties in a twist about them, the team themselves take a backseat. You color code them for convenience, but they have no personality of their own. I would have expected more from them, given their rather central role in this chapter.

While the naming scheme for the Lucien's Number Squad was mayhaps a bit clichéd, I do like that you're at least giving one of them some character. Unos' interactions with Lucien are a welcome departure from the traditional dialogue we've come to expect from a team of YGO villains, so that's another plus.

The rest of the chapter's good, nothing to really point out. I look forward to see where you're taking some of these plots; the Shihousen intrigues me (even though I have no idea what it is) and you're building up Sora's and Kioshi's characters really well.

Overall, I would say well done.

Synchronized · November 21, 2012

[quote name='Umbra' timestamp='1352974041' post='6070156']
Alright, time for that long overdue review of mine.

Other than what I mentioned on Facebook (Calion is still a badass) I do have a few things I want to nag on a little. The GENEX team, first and foremost. You play them up to be really important, with the security guards looking for them and this Nikolai fellow having his panties in a twist about them, the team themselves take a backseat. You color code them for convenience, but they have no personality of their own. I would have expected more from them, given their rather central role in this chapter.

[i]They will play an important role, but not so early in the story, if that makes any sense. I wanted to introduce them as characters but I purposely avoided giving too much information on them as a whole because I felt like that was something that could comprise an entire Chapter. Hopefully that part will make more sense once I actually get around to writing the damn thing.[/i]

While the naming scheme for the Lucien's Number Squad was mayhaps a bit clichéd, I do like that you're at least giving one of them some character. Unos' interactions with Lucien are a welcome departure from the traditional dialogue we've come to expect from a team of YGO villains, so that's another plus.

[i]That was the plan. I'm aware it was cliched but I didn't really know where to go with it, since in actuality they're not hugely important, except maybe Unos, but I don't want to get too ahead of myself, either. I'll admit they were inspired by a combination of ZeXal's trio and the Primera Espada from Bleach, but oh well. This story's head plenty of influence from other animes molded to fit my own twists and styles, so I think something as simple as names which aren't really as important as the characters themselves and the stories they tell, is something that can be excused.[/i]

The rest of the chapter's good, nothing to really point out. I look forward to see where you're taking some of these plots; the Shihousen intrigues me (even though I have no idea what it is) and you're building up Sora's and Kioshi's characters really well.

Overall, I would say well done.
[/quote]

Much appreciated. In my opinion at least, it's very important to establish and build-on the connection between Sora and Kioshi because before the tournament, it was never at risk. To have something like that actually have any meaning at all especially in the later stages of the tournament, I need to establish the close connection between the two of them, so that's something to look forward to down the stretch.

Anyway, now that the dust has settled on 24's finale (I figured I'd wait a few days before even attempting to post something new because I knew it would be entirely overlooked), I'm working on Chapter 41 as we speak and hoping to have it posted tomorrow as a bit of a "Thanksgiving Special" sort of thing. So yeah, stay tuned.

Synchronized · November 25, 2012

Well, it's one of the longest episodes I've written since the Fic began, but I'm very pleased with it. I hope everyone had a nice holiday (those of you that celebrate) and I know I enjoyed taking a little time off, but we're back with a week of brand new episodes. So here's the first one, and I'd like to think it's got all that plot advancement everyone's been clamoring for.

[spoiler=Episode 41: Thunder Clash, Part Two]

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WE ARE READY TO RESUME THE COMPETITION WITH THE FIRST POST-INTERMISSION DUEL! IT’S BEEN A CRAZY DAY SO FAR AND WITH SOME OF THE BEST DUELS STILL TO COME, WE HOPE YOU’RE ALL FIRED UP AND READY TO GO! IT’S TIME…TO DUEL!”

Calion had already stepped onto the field, showing no reaction one way or another towards the adoring fans. There was a smirk on his face, as he knew his opponent would gladly answer the challenge, only to try and prove himself. Even if he had been hoping for a fight, being challenged like that in front of almost every other duelist in the competition was more than enough to sway Nikolai in the other direction. People like that were too predictable.

In some ways, though, he figured he should appreciate it; having to fight there would’ve drawn way too much attention to himself and he couldn’t let that happen. Only he, Sora, and Orii were aware of the real motives behind this tournament, and it was essential for at least one of them to make it to the finals despite the extremely-high stakes. Part of him felt bad knowing that his opponent would lose his powers should he lose the duel, but it was a necessary roadblock, and besides, he’d be fine and flown out on the next plane, so he’d live. It was worrisome; the fact that with each duel Lucien’s collection of Rakurai grew stronger.

Sora had surely picked up on the transfer, and it was safe to assume Orii had as well, although the two hadn’t had much in terms of communication since they’d arrived. Calion’s senses were much stronger than theirs and given that he was the only Spirit competing in the tournament, at least that he was aware of, it made sense. At least it’d be a quick match.

Moments later, his opponent was introduced to nothing more than a lukewarm response. He was hardly recognizable, and something about his person as a whole screamed arrogance; instant dislike.

Supporting the Russian elements of his character, Nikolai’s duel disk and robe matched the colors of the Russian flag. Rather boring in Calion’s opinion, but he kept it to himself.

“Glad to see you finally showed up,” Calion smirked. “For a moment there I was worried you might actually do something foolish and get yourself killed before we had a chance to play. That would’ve been rather disappointing.”

“For someone so confident, I must say it will bring me major satisfaction to pound you into the ground,” Nikolai retorted. “You embarrassed me, and now I’m going to embarrass you. See, I’m here to win, and that’s exactly what I plan to do!”

“Duel!” Both of them shouted, activating their duel disks.

---

Nikolai appeared quite satisfied with his opening hand, just as he’d expected. “This is just perfect! I can’t wait to crush you, and with the Spell Card Predatorial Gathering, I can do just that!”

[spoiler=Predatorial Gathering]
Activate only if you control no cards. Special Summon any number of Level 4 or lower “Shark” monsters from your Deck with different names. Their effect(s) are negated and they are destroyed during the End Phase.[/spoiler]

“I told you I’d have a power play right out of the gate.” And he was right, whether Calion wanted to admit it or not. Nikolai called out the names of each sea creature with great might as they swarmed the field one-by-one. “So I call upon Metabo Shark (1800/LV4), Abyssal Kingshark (1700/LV4), Hammer Shark (1800/LV4), Left-Hand Shark (1300/LV3), and Right-Hand Shark (1500/LV4)!”

From left to right, the meat-hungry assortment of oceanic predators stood poised, only held back by the fact that it was the duel’s first turn, and somewhat angered by it. With a moment’s notice, they would swarm across the field and consume Calion in a second, if only they were able.

“Now that we’ve resolved that, I’ll begin by using Right-Hand Shark and Metabo Shark to build the Overlay Network, and Xyz Summon Rank 4 Bahamut Shark (2600/RK4)!” A swirling mass of furious riptides intertwined with one another on the field, giving rise to an new creature, deep, ocean blue in color and standing on two legs as though it were a human. Regardless of its odd stance, the creature was a force to be reckoned with, and far from a friendly one.

“Don’t think I’m done just yet though, because now I’ll activate Hammer Shark’s special ability, which allows me to reduce its Level by 1 to Special Summon a WATER monster from my hand, so come on out, Big Jaws (1800/WATER)!” Robotic in structure, another shark appeared on the field, only this one’s great power came with a drawback; it could only attack once before it forced itself off the battlefield. “Next, I’ll overlay Hammer Shark with Left-Hand Shark and Big Jaws to Xyz Summon the Rank 3 Tiger Shark!”

[spoiler=Tiger Shark]
R3/WATER
Aqua / Effect
3 Level 3 WATER monsters
This card inflicts piercing Battle Damage. When this card destroys an opponent’s monster by battle: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to allow it to attack once more in a row.
2500/1000[/spoiler]

Much smaller than Bahamut Shark, but no less frightening, the three monsters merged into one, clad with black and orange stripes down its sides, and wielding a trident in its right hand created in a similar pattern. It stood alongside Bahamut Shark, just as flesh-hungry as its predecessors.

“THIS IS CRAZY! WITH JUST TWO CARDS UP TO THIS POINT, NIKOLAI HAS MANAGED TO CREATE A NEARLY UNSTOPPABLE FIELD, AND I’M NOT EVEN SURE HE’S DONE YET! BEFORE CALION CAN EVEN TAKE HIS TURN, IT LOOKS LIKE HE MIGHT BE DONE FOR!”

“And finally, before I finish up for good here, I’m going to use Bahamut Shark’s effect, and trust me, this one’s gonna sting a bit!” Swallowing one of its overlay units whole, Bahamut Shark made a fist, smashing the ground at its feet. “By using an Overlay Unit, I can Special Summon an Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck as long as its Rank is 3 or lower, so prepare yourself for Submersible Carrier Aero Shark (1900/RK3)!”

Beyond proud of his incredible first-turn open, Nikolai took a moment to wallow in the “awe” of the crowd, before shifting his attention to Calion with a mocking stare. “Frightened yet? Look at it this way, you’ve got one turn to actually make something out of all that talk you shared backstage, and then I’m going to crush your dreams and eliminate you from this tournament!”

---

Without even realizing it, Sora had stood up, his eyes glued to the television monitor. Each duelist had been given their own room in the stadium to get ready and prepare, but there were multiple monitors scattered throughout the backstage area as well; each duel was important because you never knew who your next opponent would be.

It had been hours since he and Calion had last spoke, but both of them had exchanged words briefly on the strangely-timed “feed cut-out” at the start. Calion once again warned him of the possible outcomes and told him to be careful, and to keep his emotions in check. Kioshi had been making an effort to ease him into that mindset as well. Losing didn’t just affect Sora. It would nearly kill their chances of saving everyone and righting the wrongs CLEAR had caused up to this point.

But seeing Calion in such a predicament before even beginning his duel worried him; if Calion couldn’t win, his chances of winning were even less.

“Beginning to doubt yourself already, are you?” Kioshi chimed in. “Are you forgetting the conversation we had earlier?”

“No...it’s just, I…” Sora found difficulty expressing the words. “When I dueled Calion, he dueled with such confidence, showing no fear or hesitation in response to any play I tried to make. And I can assure you, I didn’t open with a field like that. He must be shaken to his core out there.”

“Ah, so naïve of you,” Kioshi said. “Take a closer look.”

Heeding the advice, he scanned the second monitor, the one showing Calion’s side of the field much more prominently. Wait, that couldn’t be...he rubbed his eyes, but alas, they were not deceiving him. Calion was smiling.

---

“What’s this?” Nikolai asked, disconcerted with the look on his opponent’s face. “Seems like a weird time to be smiling...have you finally lost it?”

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? But no, I’m just smiling because your turn is finally over.” Tensions rising amidst the fans as the two stood face-to-face, Calion examined the field rather briefly. “While I’m quite aware of how good I really am, it’s not beneath me to compliment the skills of my opponent. With that in mind, I’m not that impressed. Sure, you spammed the field with a bunch of huge beat-sticks, but what then? What would you say if I told you I could clear your entire field using just the cards in my hand?”

“I’d say that’s impossible!” Nikolai shouted, calling the bluff. “People like you, who spend so much time talking up their own success, don’t know how to react when you face someone of my caliber so you result to lame insults to try and throw me off, but Nikolai Marchev is no average duelist!”

“You’re right, you’re far from average,” came the sarcastic response. “It would be insulting and careless of me to label you as average; think of how bad that would make so many duelists look. Enough with the childish insults though. I’ll show you exactly what I mean. I activate the Spell Card Divine Heraldry Ribbon!”

[spoiler=Divine Heraldry Ribbon]
Normal Spell Card
If you control no monsters: You can send up to 2 “Heraldic Beast” monsters from your Deck to the Graveyard. You can only activate 1 “Divine Heraldry Ribbon” per turn.[/spoiler]

“Check it, this card lets me take Heraldic Beast Aberconway and Heraldic Beast Twin-Head Eagle from my Deck to the Graveyard,” Calion explained, pressing the red button on his duel disk to shuffle the Deck as he placed the cards. “Before I go forward with anything else though, I’m gonna throw Book of Moon from my hand onto the field! And I’ll use its effect to target your Bahamut Shark and flip it into face-down Defense Position!”

The Shark’s best efforts to resist were for naught as the mythical blue book appeared on the field, encasing it and forcing it into a Set position. “With that out of the way, I can play the Spell Card Advanced Heraldry Art!”

At Calion’s feet, the ground cracked open, releasing a powerful light from within it. The outlines of the two bird-like “Heraldic Beasts” became very visible, morphing into spherical overlay units. But the lack of an Xyz Monster prompted confusion from both Nikolai and the spectators.

“I can tell you’re confused,” Calion said. “Not that I’m surprised given, well, you, allow me to explain. Advanced Heraldry Art is a unique Spell Card that lets me take two monsters from my Graveyard and perform an Xyz Summon using them as the Overlay Units.”

“Go ahead, do your worst! Even your most powerful Xyz Monster can’t hope to break down my prehistoric pandemic!”

"Funny, you said even the strongest monster in my Extra Deck couldn't take down your facade,"
Calion said; Nikolai swiftly nodded. "That makes it interesting, then, that the weakest one can.
Watch, as I use these Heraldic Overlay Units to Xyz Summon the static fury, Lightning Plover
(1900/RK4)!"

A series of electromagnetic waves shot across the field, much to Nikolai's surprise. He made his
best effort to conceal that catch, playing it off as though he wasn't impressed to the crowd and
the cameras. The Plover itself was comprised almost entirely of electricity, taking on the form of a
pterodactyl of sorts, relatively small in size but carrying a fierceness about it. Once it hit the field,
a screech and a flap of its wings fired a lightning bolt straight at the now-Set Bahamut Shark,
banishing it from the field.

"My Bahamut Shark!" A worried Nikolai exclaimed, gritting his teeth. "What have you done?!"

"I haven't even gotten started yet," Calion said. "Lightning Plover may be the weakest monster in my Extra Deck, but it's got some crazy powers. Like the one that activates once it hits the field, allowing me to take a Set monster on your field and shuffle it back into the Deck."

That part was making sense now. Nikolai shook his head. "Argh, so that's why you used Book of Moon in the middle of your combo." [i]I played it off as an amateur move but he knew what he was doing the entire time. Why didn't I set the card in my hand?[/i] His power rush had lead him to think nothing but monsters, and because he was anxious to tear into Calion's Life Points, hadn't bothered to set anything, while the 'Dark Bribe' Trap Card in his hand could've saved him.

"WHAT A TURNAROUND PLAY! SURE, CALION STILL HAS PLENTY TO DO IF HE WANTS TO GET EVEN THE SLIGHTEST SHOT IN AT NIKOLAI'S LIFE POINTS, BUT TO TAKE DOWN THAT BAHAMUT SHARK SO QUICKLY WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE!"

"Nice to see you're catching on," Calion's next words were followed by Lightning Plover's heinous screech as it consumed an overlay unit. "Now check this out, I'll use Lightning Plover's ability to absorb an overlay unit in order to shuffle a monster on your field back into your Deck. So go, get rid of that Tiger Shark with Electro Whirlwind Blast!"

Nikolai was growing frustrated, but did his best not to deter. He still had two monsters on thevfield, and one of them was just as strong as Calion's monster. Next turn, he'd be able to turn things around. He just had to keep his cool. "Is that all? I've grown quite bored myself."

"Oh you have?" Calion mocked the duelist; he could see right through his cherades, having expected to win this easily and not knowing how to handle this comeback other than to play it cool to the crowd. Calion himself felt the contrary; he had never worried about the outcome of this duel because it was obvious from the beginning. "Someone's a bit arrogant, eh? Oh well, time to cut it down. Go, Blustering Winds!"

"Blustering Winds?" Nikolai asked. He didn't like the sound of that.

"Congratulations, you can hear. Yes, Blustering Winds, the Spell Card that gives my Lightning Plover an additional one-thousand attack points until the End Phase of this turn."

[b]Lightning Plover[/b]: 1900 + 1000 = 2900

[i]I don't like the look of this one bit![/i] Nikolai shuddered to think. In the span of a turn, Calion had done exactly what he'd claimed; taken out all three of his Xyz, leaving him with nothing but Right-Hand Shark on the field. He had some plays to turn things around, but no one was going to take him seriously after such a field sweep. His impressive play had been stopped by one card.

"I'm glad to see you look thrilled, allow me to make it even more fun for you," Calion said, thrusting his hand upwards as the lightning beast took flight. "Lightning Plover, take out his Aeroshark with Blustering Static Blaster!" A flap of its wings was all it took and the last threat on Nikolai's field was wiped out in an instant.

[b]Nikolai's Life Points[/b]: 3000

The attack hit full-on, but Calion noticed something strange about the whole thing. It wasn't so much Nikolai's no-sell of the blast; in a slight glimpse that only someone paying significant attention to the duel's movements would pick up on, the aftershock of the move avoided Nikolai's body completely, whisked away in another direction by what appeared to be an outside force. Coincidence? Possibly. But Calion had other ideas.

Either way, there was nothing he could do about it right now. "I'll set one card down and end my turn. Pardon me for borrowing a term from your duel lingo, but I think you're the one with one move to turn this all around before I crush you completely."

---

Nikolai looked around; something was calling out to him. Was it someone in the crowd? No, it couldn't be. The voice was coming from near-by; it would be unrealistic for a bystander's voice to be that clear and concise from so far away. He could only hear echoes of the words, but they were there, no doubt about it. [i]Who's there? What's going on-I can hear you![/i]

“[i]Who...or what I am does not matter, young Nikolai. What does is that you heed my advice, should you hope to win this battle. You are very skilled but your opponent far exceeds your level of ability. Allow the powers that be to take a hold of you, and with it shall come the tools necessary for your victory!”[/i]

Allow the...what? He tried to understand what he'd heard as a gripping presence began to overtake him. He tried to fight it, as everything became red, the color of rage and anger; he could see nothing for a moment, until his eyes focused in on Calion across the field. The one he must defeat...destroy...obliterate. To allow the power within to come to the surface and use it to defeat his enemy, that was his only option.

---

[i]Something's different about him, but I can't figure it out. This entire duel reeks of tampering; my instincts want to say it's Lucien's doing, but would he make it so obvious? Surely he'd know I could see through such effortless charades.[/i] Calion stood his ground as Nikolai drew a card from his Deck with an evilish smile on his face.

“Enough of this, I draw!” Nikolai declared as a monster card revealed itself from the confines of his Graveyard. “With the effect of Left-Hand Shark in my Graveyard, since I control a Right-Hand Shark on my field, I can call it back to the field! And when it's Summoned in this way, its level becomes equal to that of Right-Hand Shark's!” The two hunters of the sea stood side by side, fiercer than the tides themselves. “Now, I'll overlay both Right-Hand Shark and Left-Hand Shark to Xyz Summon, Bahamut Shark! You removed this power from the field once, but now you have no hope of doing so!”

Once again the swirling mass of the Overlay Network embedded itself within the field, giving rise to the great sea titan. Only this time, it was surrounded by a coat of red, an energy representing anger and evil itself, that same energy which now took to Nikolai's body, consuming him both human and duel monster alike. “But it is not from Bahamut Shark alone that I shall defeat you, because you see, I'll be using its Overlay Unit to Special Summon an Xyz Monster!”

“Another Aero Shark, eh?” Calion replied sarcastically. “You've got me shaking.”

“Wrong! Your arrogance may have gotten you far, but against this newfound power you stand no chance at all!” With Nikolai's words, Calion could feel a strange presence in the arena. Something was definitely off. “Now thanks to Bahamut Shark's special ability, I will Special Summon Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction (3000/RK3)!”

The stadium began to shake, the ground between them crackling and exploding as bits of lava flew out from beneath it. A presence that felt strong at first became much more so, as the towering creature that was the Acid Golem of Destruction, a stone behemoth with a heart of darkness, emerged from the depths, embodied with the same dark-red aura as its controller. With that monster's presence on the field, there was an eerie feeling in the air.

It didn't take a genius to know something was wrong; that monster card, the Acid Golem of Destruction, felt identical to the [i]Chronomaly[/i] Xyz Monsters used during Alice's duel. Whereas cards of an evil existence reflected such in battle, this beast did not feel good nor evil, rather fake, like it had just come into existence with no real connection to the Duel Monsters universe at all. This transmission of power that Nikolai had awakened, it was the reason behind this force coming alive in the first place. Lucien.

At first, he had been unsure, attributing the change in demeanor to Nikolai's Rakurai abilities; perhaps he had decided to try and implement one into the duel. But now he was sure of it – the duelist was receiving outside help, outside help from a person who very much wanted Calion [i]out[/i] of the tournament. To think Lucien would stoop to such heights so early on...surely he'd have waited until the second round, or even the semi-finals, when Calion was least expecting it. But now, to intentionally sabotage the duel by lending just a fraction of his power to this useless duelist, meant he and the rest of the organization had realized Calion as quite the threat to their goals. Quite a compliment. [i]Alright Lucien, I'm not sure how you were able to create a monster out of nowhere, but since this golem appears to be more of a lumbering fool than Nikolai himself, I'll be glad to put them both out of commission.[/i]

“So you've got a final trick up your sleeve?” Calion was careful not to say too much; while he was completely sure of Lucien's involvement, this kid probably had no idea he was being used as a puppet. Best not to let out more information than necessary. “Interesting. Tell me, will it be easier to take this one down than the last barrage of monsters, or you gonna fail with this attempt too?”

“Just watch, because the power I wield is far greater than anything you could hope to comprehend now!” With Nikolai's words, he carried a sense of power, but much of it was false, not controlling his own movements. He placed a card into the duel disk. “Because I activate the Spell Card Tidal Safeguard!”

[spoiler=Tidal Safeguard]
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 WATER monster you control and 1 monster your opponent controls; shuffle the second target into the Deck and shift control of the first monster to your opponent. You can only activate 1 “Tidal Safeguard” per turn.[/spoiler]

“Watch as your Lightning Plover is washed away and you take the reigns of Acid Golem of Destruction!” The crowd watched in awe as a large wave washed over Calion's field, taking the Plover with it – the creature stood no chance from the overwhelming force. With a few bumbling footsteps, Acid Golem switched sides, carrying the red aura along with it.

[i]I don't understand; I knew this guy was a clueless fool, but why give me a monster more powerful than that other Xyz there? [/i]Calion wondered to himself. [i]He could've simply shifted Bahamut Shark to my side of the field and attacked it with the Golem, leaving me relatively defenseless. Instead, I've got a more powerful monster. [/i]Something wasn't making sense; why would Lucien let up his influence at this point? His one chance to turn the duel around, at least while he maintained control over Nikolai's dueling, would've been to make the exact opposite move. With no Overlay Units the Golem was just a giant beat stick, but three-thousand points was nothing to laugh at. [i]What's going on...[/i]

The air was full of tension; even those in the crowd had been able to sense something different about Nikolai's artificially-created monster; it looked evil, and carried itself, the soulless creature that it was, in such a manner. With a figure so fearsome, towering over the stadium itself, many parents held their frightened children against them, to console them from the fear that had taken over. Even the MC had quieted, not feeling the energetic persona he had just moments ago.

----

[i]Yes...young Nikolai. You have played your part to perfection, and now the pieces have fallen into place. What a wonderful pawn you have been.[/i] The voice called out to him, those being the only words he could make out.

“Who...who are you? What's going on?” Nikolai asked, trapped within his own mind. “I can see the duel but I'm not the one playing out there! I don't need the help, I can beat this guy by myself! I want to prove that I wasn't just talk back there, he deserves to suffer for his arrogance!”

[i]Oh, do not fear, boy. Suffer he shall. You have played a big part in this duel and without you, our efforts would surely have been far more exhilarating. Simply sit and watch now, for this duel will end without you having to make another play.[/i]

“But that monster, it's not real!” Nikolai exclaimed. “I've never played that card, I've never even heard of it! To play with a card that doesn't exist is cheating, and that goes against everything I wish to prove by participating in this tournament in the first place! The importance of this game is not something I will assist in destroying!”

[i]Silent now, boy. You have done your part as I said and now is the time to sit and observe. Calm down and enjoy the show, for you have won as you set out to do. The rest of this plot shall now unfold.[/i]

---

“You think you've got it all figured out, but I'm not going to lose to someone like you,” Calion drew his card. But as he prepared to make a play, he found himself blocked from doing so completely, as the red aura around the Acid Golem began to take effect. “What is the meaning of this? I haven't ordered a move!”

“This is precisely what I was talking about! The ability that my Acid Golem of Destruction carries along with it! Whereas most monsters use their Overlay Units to activate abilities, Acid Golem does the exact opposite. Once Acid Golem is out of materials, its controller is not aloud to declare an attack with it, nor Special Summon any monsters at all! And on top of that, during each Standby Phase, you take two-thousand points of damage!” There was no time to dodge as the Golem smashed its giant palm right into Calion's head, forcing him to the ground and into a great amount of pain.

[b]Calion's Life Points[/b]: 2000

[i]This...this is impossible. His artificial card, he's created something, perhaps the only thing that would be able to stop my plays in such a situation...this pain feels far too real. Lucien...you bastard.[/i] His body unused to much pain at all, Calion found it difficult to stand, the Golem's presence still looming over his field.

“Since you are powerless to make plays, this duel will end within a single turn!” Nikolai was raging with laughter, a wide smile on his face.

“I wouldn't be so sure about that. Sure, that hurt like a b****, but this isn't my first trip to the rodeo.” Nikolai's eyes widened at the response. “Losing to you would be embarassing enough, but losing to you when you need outside help to try and win, well that's just something I'd rather not have on my conscience. If I had one, that is. So you scratched me up a bit. Let's be realistic though. Now I actually have a reason to try. And if I nearly won without trying, imagine how much harder I'm gonna kick your ass in the second go-round.”

[b]To be continued...[/spoiler][/b]

Randomflyingobjects · November 26, 2012

Now we see Calion duel... we don't see that much, don't we? So, does his deck revolve around Heraldic Beasts, or just general coolness? ...And yes, I did see Acid Golem going over to Calion's side. Lastly, in what way is Acid Golem 'fake'? He seems pretty real to me...

Synchronized · November 26, 2012

Calion's Deck is Heraldic Beasts, with more support to come. It was different writing him in as a good. Don't forget, were in the context of the 5D's era. Numbers don't exist so to speak because the events that have created them didn't happen here. I'm taking a different approach with the Numbers (a lot of it will have to do with the sequel series if and when I get to it) by introducing some of them here.

Canopy Star - Eon Sphere · November 26, 2012

I get the Numbers' involvement in this, and they are 'fake' because they aren't the same as the actual Duel Monsters from ancient times (if you follow the backstory at least), instead they are from the Astral World. I think that's what you were getting at?

I must say, this is the first time the custom cards do disappoint slightly. Both Predatorial Gathering and Divine Heraldry Ribbon are so broken that they wouldn't even be in the anime. You do realise the graveyard potential of Heraldic Beasts, right? Pretty much all their effects activate there, bar Basilisk. Not to mention the fact that Nikolai summons 6 monsters (Metabo, Abyssal, Hammer, Right-Hand, Left-Hand and Big Jaws) on his first turn using one card, and that would never be allowed.

Synchronized · November 26, 2012

[quote name='The Seal of Eon' timestamp='1353949663' post='6078382']
I get the Numbers' involvement in this, and they are 'fake' because they aren't the same as the actual Duel Monsters from ancient times (if you follow the backstory at least), instead they are from the Astral World. I think that's what you were getting at?

[b]Basically, yes. In the context of ZeXal, the numbers are supposed to be Astral's memories, so-to-speak. Well, Faker's alliance with the Barian World and all of that would not have even happened because we're before the ZeXal era, so I decided to take a different route with the Numbers. What I meant to convey was that they are not actually printed cards, per se, like the other Xyz. It'll make more sense later, I promise. I don't want to give too much away though.[/b]

I must say, this is the first time the custom cards do disappoint slightly. Both Predatorial Gathering and Divine Heraldry Ribbon are so broken that they wouldn't even be in the anime. You do realise the graveyard potential of Heraldic Beasts, right? Pretty much all their effects activate there, bar Basilisk. Not to mention the fact that Nikolai summons 6 monsters (Metabo, Abyssal, Hammer, Right-Hand, Left-Hand and Big Jaws) on his first turn using one card, and that would never be allowed.
[/quote]

Predatorial Gathering is somewhat broken I can agree with that. However, it was the only type of card fitting for the situation. It has its drawbacks, per se, but it was meant to be a somewhat broken card to set Calion up against "odds" that would be very hard for the normal duelist to get through without taking some significant damage. With Divine Heraldry Ribbon, though, I don't think the same can be said. The problem is there aren't enough Heraldry Beasts to really do much, and it's basically like a Molten Conduction Field (the Laval card) for the archetype. I don't think that's "too broken" to be in the anime when cards like Card of Demise were used regularly, am I wrong?

What did you think of the duel?

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[LOCK PLEASE] [The Final Episode] Yu-Gi-Oh! D-Accel: Episode 74/75: The Ultimate End Game

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