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

[Aerion Brightflame]

Comment time. Since, I'm bored at the moment, and I'm making no headway with stuff.

You really like Sword Breaker breaking the rules... Yet again his attack deals damage when he uses his effect... Unless Atlandis isn't Rock?

Hmm, Alice turns things around for certain. Namely stopped sucking. However... she never really had a threat to her I think. In the duel, since thats normally the part which captures my attention the most. She made a nice Atlandis play, but otherwise... It just lacked.

The time-stopping ability is just crazy. For a first stage as well? It's hilariously powerful. If my understanding of it is right anyhow. Since it made Alice's 5th stage seem weak in comparison, despite you saying that she got more powerful as things went on... The logic behind it is lacking to me.

But it was an improvement over the last couple I would say. My gripes aren't in the terms of the writing, since it was well written. Very well written infact

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Overlord Barty' timestamp='1355946601' post='6098241']
Comment time. Since, I'm bored at the moment, and I'm making no headway with stuff.

[i]Works for me; I'll take it.[/i]

You really like Sword Breaker breaking the rules... Yet again his attack deals damage when he uses his effect... Unless Atlandis isn't Rock?

[i]What do you mean? It didn't use the effect; it just attacked. [/i]

Hmm, Alice turns things around for certain. Namely stopped sucking. However... she never really had a threat to her I think. In the duel, since thats normally the part which captures my attention the most. She made a nice Atlandis play, but otherwise... It just lacked.

[i]I think a lot of the 'threat' that was supposed to come with her was difficult because 'Chronomaly' monsters don't really carry a threatening vibe. However, they're essential to the rest of the story so that's what I had to go with. Unfortunately. But, I did think the Atlandis sequence was really well done visually, in terms of being able to picture it as it was happening and as they were being like destroyed by it. Maybe it's just me; I don't usually like my own work but that's one I was proud of.[/i]

The time-stopping ability is just crazy. For a first stage as well? It's hilariously powerful. If my understanding of it is right anyhow. Since it made Alice's 5th stage seem weak in comparison, despite you saying that she got more powerful as things went on... The logic behind it is lacking to me.

[i]It's not so much a time-stopping ability as it is the ability to freeze time within a certain range, for very limited periods of time. He's able to use it within the distance that he's in which allowed Sora to stop Alice's final move. Sora's Feuer-zerbrechen attack breaks down energy from within, so it was able to separate Alice's attack, not "defeat" it. It just broke it down and then there was no more.[/i]

But it was an improvement over the last couple I would say. My gripes aren't in the terms of the writing, since it was well written. Very well written infact
[/quote]

Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll definitely try and work on sticking to the rules a bit more, but for the most part I can't really think of too many mistakes I've made.

[Aerion Brightflame]

I think what confused me is the fact you use Swordbreaker to detach, and then have it attack. When... there was no point? At all, it was just an uneeded bit of duel IMHO.

Since, if you didn't know that Atlanthal was a machine and not rock, then your assumption like mine was is that the ability was being used to kill Atlathal... If that makes sense?

[Synchronized]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Well, I'm two days late, but that's because the site was down for whatever reason, so here's the super episode. It comprises the conclusion of Calion's fight, plenty of exposition with Calle and his plot, as well as the majority of Sora's duel, with an awesome cliffhanger at the end...would love some feedback, and we'll be back with new episodes in 2013.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Episode 45-46: Duel Overload][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Episode 45/46: Duel Overload[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Tell me, would I have sat here, all this time, delivered that huge speech in a kick-ass fashion no less, only to die from your giant brick?” Suddenly, the Spirit was surrounded by a flurry of colors, and a series of hieroglyphic symbols appeared amongst his cloak. Dos had no idea what was going on, but it seemed to slow his pillar down tenfold. [i]Sora, I may not make it out of here alive, but I think I've finally realized what it is you were talking about when we first met. You didn't have the strength to fight me at all, but you did it, ignoring that fact. The refusal to surrender even when it could mean your death, that is what makes a true warrior. Human, Spirit, it doesn't matter; when it comes down to it, it's what you fight for.[/i] “{[i]4[/i][sup][i]th[/i][/sup][i] Stage: [/i]Jigoku Moeru Ryuu no Honou; Hell Blazing Dragon Flame}!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]It was a swirling mass of molten magma, literally as it materialized in front of Dos' eyes, born out of thin air, as the hieroglyphic symbols became parts of the fire dragon's body, wrapping itself around Calion's body and standing him upright. The dragon's head sat above his shoulder, seething through knife-edge teeth. The room had become brighter than before, and the temperature was so intense, Dos found himself sweating underneath the mask. The energy levels were off the charts; Calion's energy was entirely visible and he somehow had the strength to stand despite being on the verge of death. From the look in his eyes, he only had about half consciousness with what was going on; how could someone perform a 4[sup]th[/sup] Stage technique without being at full strength? Dos had never seen anything like it.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The pillar's fall returned to normal speed, and Calion did not move. Instead, before it struck, the dragon rose its head, letting out a brutally loud screech and biting the it in half. A five-foot wide stone fragment, shattered through the force of its teeth alone and split in two, leaving Calion unharmed.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]That's...impossible! He just...with one bite it shattered that pillar whole! [/i]This had to be an illusion or something. In order for any Spirit to perform a 4[sup]th[/sup] Stage technique, it took years and years of training, and even then the body could only sustain it for a period of time. Calion's condition should have prevented that completely, but instead just as he was about to die, it was released. How could this be? Unless...he had heard rumblings in the past that when humans were to use a Rakurai technique, it worked backwards, only to be unlocked in a moment of desperation due to the human's own drive. But Calion wasn't human, which left an unexplained missing piece. Could it be that...was he slowly becoming human? [i]No, such a thing is not possible. He has never had a human half, meaning he's had very little relation with the humans until recently. This must be a lucky strike. And still, it's nothing I can't handle! I'll just have to use my ultimate technique to counter him![/i] “I won't give you the satisfaction of learning your new power. This ends here. [i]Cascajo Finale[/i].”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Pressing his palms together, the entire room began to shake; this would violate Lucien's orders to keep things from getting too rough, but there was no other option. As Calion stood in the center of the room, pillars shot outwards from the ceiling, both walls, and the floor below. An all out attack from all sides. There was no chance of survival, even if that dragon could break through one pillar, the speed at which these would strike meant he really was trapped. Dos smiled as his handiwork. It should only be a second now. The look on Calion's face remained unchanged, and Dos watched as all the released stones from all four sides struck him at the same time. What a finale.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]He heard a weird noise – almost like a crackling sound. Where was it coming from? It...it couldn't be. One by one, the stone pillars began to disintegrate, turning into ash and flying through the air in a giant cloud of smoke. It wasn't easy to make out what was going on, but it appeared the dragon had formed a shield around Calion, spinning itself in a circular formation repeatedly; an encasement of fire. Any outside object that came into contact with it was obliterated within seconds. “His power...”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Soaring into the air, the dragon opened its jaws, creating a sphere of molten magma. It roared, preparing to fire it straight in Dos' direction. He wouldn't be able to block it; his energy had been exhausted using that last move. But just before it hit, Calion raised his arm into the air, calling off the attack. Begrudgingly, the dragon recoiled, before vanishing entirely. The Spirit dropped to his knees, while Dos watched on, confused.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Wh...why...you could've killed me!” Dos exclaimed, beside himself with rage. “I don't understand, why would you hesitate?! Once you have bested an enemy in battle...”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I don'...I don't consider you an enemy. Nor an equal.” It was visibly obvious that even kneeling was extremely painful for him, but Calion carried on. “You do not understand the ways of this world or the one in which you came from. You almost killed me, and if you had, I suppose I would have deserved such a fate given my actions in the past, but you fight for all of the wrong reasons. You fight to kill because you believe you have been handed an unfair chance from the start, instead of taking what you do have and using it to make something of yourself. There is no such thing as destiny; life is what you make of it, and if you think taking out your anger on innocent people because they have it better than you do is the solution to your problem, then I don't have to kill you, because you will discover that you have already killed “you”. The “you” that is clamoring for something more than a meaningless existence as so many of us are, remains hidden inside your mind while the you that believes the only answer is revenge lives on the outside. And the longer the outside you continues his ways, the farther and farther the real you is pushed away, until it no longer exists.”[/font][/size]

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

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Is he really...the same Calion that was once regarded as a brutal warrior? A threat, feared across the entire Mid-World, and now he is aligned with the humans? But why, why would he betray our world like this? I have sworn myself to defend and fight for my kind for as long as I live, until equality is brought to us. But it would appear he has...somehow...gained that sense of equality that I have searched for my entire life. Acceptance, whether by humans or Spirits. We have established our own world due to a mistake and yet have become an independent people. [/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Master Lucien's goals I have blindly followed because I believe that he wants to see this equality as well. Bringing peace to our world, taking the Rakurai from the humans and stopping senseless violence, putting power in the hands of those who do not know how to wield it, and bringing about a new world. But if that were the case, why would he be so against it? It does not make sense to me; I can't comprehend it. Calion said that killing for no reason is the worst possible action a person could take, and yet that is what Master Lucien is trying to change, isn't it?[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]When I was younger, I remember it so vividly. Growing up in a small village on the coast of the Mid-World's Capital. Everyone worked together, determined to build better lives for ourselves. I couldn't understand why we were blindly following orders of those who were put in charge when they had no right to wield the power over others. All I wanted was for people to be able to co-exist for the right reasons, not just because it was hand-fed to us by the Government. I tried to speak up, but they outcasted me, threatening to kill me if I didn't fall back in line and do exactly what was ordered. I was a stranger in my own home.[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]That's when Master Lucien saved me, offered me a chance to do more than simply live a saddening existence. He saved me from my misery and gave me the opportunity to see my dreams become a reality. That is why, although my life has led me to believe that there are no people who “deserve” to live, I have sworn my loyalty to Master Lucien's goals. He saved me from myself and now I'm forever in his debt. Your display of gratitude in allowing me to live, however foolish I may think it, I will no longer continue this fight. We have both suffered enough. But I can almost assure you, if fate has its way, we will meet again.[/i][/font][/size]

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

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Dos collapsed to the ground, and Calion did the same. This fight, at least for now, was over. Neither one of them could move, and it would only be a matter of time until the paramedics came. Before Calion closed his eyes, knowing he'd survive but needing significant rest, he remembered that Sora's duel was on the horizon. [i]You had better win, Sora. Or else these cuts and bruises will have been for nothing, you bastard.[/i][/font][/size]

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

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]There was a knock on the door, swift, but loud enough that Calle could've heard it without others noticing. Hastily, he rose from his seat and glanced through the peephole; finally she'd arrived. It had only taken seven hours; somewhat impressive. Would he tell her that though? Probably not. “Come in.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"This could be rather puzzling, don't you think?" The woman, taller than Calle and sporting a designer jacket a few sizes too small, stepped into the room carefully. "After all, I don't exactly fit in with the norm around here. These people aren't as classy as I'd like."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Aye, even though you're my sister, sometimes you make my blood boil," Calle snapped under his breath, speaking loud enough so that she would hear him.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]With a halfhearted smile, she brushed it off, handing him an envelope. "Is this what you dragged me out here for? Spending seven hours on that plane with awful Coach service was anything but fun."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Forgive me, the world is in danger and I wasn't kind enough to make sure you had proper accommodations," Calle replied sarcastically, prying the envelope open. He reached his hand inside and pulled out a small USB drive. Sitting down on the leather couch that had been provided for him in his quarters, Calle propped open the laptop on the desk in front of him and inserted the drive. After a few moments and a bit of typing, a menu appeared on the screen, depicting a large stone structure in the background. The man was intrigued. "So this is it then, all the information they've compiled. I'd meant to get around to look at it before now, but never had the time. Almost wish I had, would make things a lot easier around here."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"What is it, anyway? Some kind of lame vacation spot?" The girl, Stephanie, replied. Her high maintenance style and personality had often clashed with Calle's own demeanor, but he paid it no attention; she was much younger and reality would slap her in the face eventually. "Doesn't look like anything special."[/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"That's because you're ignorant," he muttered. "Anyway, it's called the Shihousen. More than likely, you wouldn't understand a thing about its relevance." Stephanie batted her eyes, ignoring his subtle insult. "It's an ancient artifact that up until now, I wasn't even sure really existed. The department had been pushing us to look into it, but it wasn't worth my time; that is, until I came here."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]She shook her head, not really interested. "It looks like a giant rock in the middle of nowhere. Even with your silly explorations, I can't see why you'd waste your time with this, Calle. Shouldn't you be focused on winning the tournament? There's probably some kind of super-expensive prize that the winner gets! Imagine all the new clothes and stuff I could, I mean we could get with that!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Right, I'll make it my first priority to throw all of my money away," Calle snapped. [i]What I don't think she realizes is that if we can't locate the Shihousen, there might not be anything left to spend that money on...[/i] "As important as this tournament is, it's actually just a ploy. It's meant to serve as a distraction while Lucien puts his real plan into motion. And there aren't many who realize it. He's collecting energy, real human life-force, and he's planning to use it to unlock this."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]That got her attention, at least a little. She could tell by the change in Calle's facial expression that he wasn't just messing around. Real...human lives? "He's...killing people to do this? But why?"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"That's the puzzling part," he shook his head, confused. "He's not actually killing them. For some reason, he's leaving them with just enough life to survive, and taking whatever energy is left to put towards releasing it. Think about it; if every time someone lost a duel, they were killed, people would get suspicious. Right now, it's basically the perfect crime. No one sees what's going on around them; he's a masterful villain, I'll give him that. An extremely brilliant man. I imagine he must be a skilled duelist, too."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"What makes you say that?" Stephanie asked. She too, had forged a path in the world of dueling, but she wasn't anywhere near her brother's level. She liked the thrill of it, and her sparkly, glamorous cards were almost as beautiful as she was. "Just because he's loaded with money and fancy things doesn't mean he's the best duelist, that's something you always taught me when I first learned this game." Trying to be sympathetic, she sat down next to him. But as she listened to the words, the realization that her brother's life could very well be in danger made her extremely uneasy.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"This tournament," he said bluntly. "He's picking us off one by one, see. With each round, a duelist loses, and he gets their energy. Since the tournament continues until there's a winner, that means 99% of the participants will all but be dead by the time this thing is over. But then, the winner of the tournament faces him in a duel for a chance to win a prize that I'm not even sure exists. I don't know if he expects anyone to get that far." He continued, after taking a breath. "By the time the remaining duelist gets to him, he will have virtually eliminated all of the competition, lost nothing in the process, and there will be no one to stop him because of the fact that all of the world's best duelists are participating in this tournament."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Nodding her head, she felt her hand begin to shake. Her brother... "So what are you going to do? Just drop out of the tournament, come home with me. You won't have to worry about any of this, it's all just a tournament." Listening to herself say those words, she knew he wouldn't go along with it, but pleading for him to make the right decision was the only thing she could think to do.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I think you and I both know that's not a realistic option,” Calle replied. “People's lives are at risk here. Many people have already lost, and the hope for them is bleak. At my hand a duelist suffered defeat, and I won't be able to live with myself if I don't try and right these wrongs.” Knowing what he'd done, though it had been necessary to get to this point, made him feel responsible for part of this. At the time, he hadn't been aware of what his victory would mean, but he'd been uncomfortable about things since the beginning. [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“So this is it then?” Stephanie asked through a frown. “I can't bear to watch you put yourself through this, Calle. It's not your problem. But if you insist...” She trailed off. “So what's your plan, then? What is this Shihoren or whatever its called?”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Shihousen,” he corrected her. “As I said, it's an artifact; it's believed to hold a great power that is somehow connected to the game of Duel Monsters. It has no association to Rakurai. However, Lucien requires the Rakurai to unearth it because the only way to break the seal is with an incredible amount of energy.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Once you find it...” [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“At that point, I'm not really sure.” Calle replied. “I have no idea what's in store, but I'm going to do everything in my power to take this guy down.” He stood up, closing the laptop shut. He'd obtained all the information he needed. Stephanie saw a burning passion in his eyes, something unfamiliar to her. For so long, her brother's work as a researcher had been his only focus, but this...this was different.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Well, you better not do anything stupid,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye and hoping he wouldn't notice. “After all, I need you to win this tournament, my wardrobe is in needed of renovating.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Aye.” Opening the door, he motioned for her to exit. “Now let's get you out of here.”[/font][/size]

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

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Are you ready for this, Sora?[/i] Kioshi asked the boy one last time. They had prepared as much as possible; while he wasn't 100% sure that Sora's emotions wouldn't play a part, he was as confident as he could be. The two of them needed each other, and this was where it really counted. All or nothing. Sora didn't say anything, though, as he stepped out onto the Stadium Floor. Simply nodded his head; but it was all Kioshi needed.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THANK YOU, WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR INTERMISSION! AND NOW, WITH THE FINAL DUEL OF THE DAY ON THIS BEAUTIFUL EVENING, WE'LL SEE TWO OF THE MOST UNIQUE DUELISTS THE TOURNAMENT HAS TO OFFER! FROM NEW DOMINO CITY, SORA TENJIOSHI, AND HIS OPPONENT, FROM THE ISLAND OF RAIYALI, XIAEL (SZAYEL) RIOTEN!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I suppose I'd be better suited to make this quick, but I feel it needs to be said.” Sora watched on as his opponent stepped onto the field, dressed in a somewhat eccentric fashion for a tournament like this, but he made no comment. The duelist's heavy Australian accent given his homeland off the coast of the country shone through in his words, giving him an almost comical tone. “The name's Xiael. As far as what you need to know, I'm here to duel. I'm fully aware of the consequences, too, and while I think they're inhumane, I've got no choice but to play by the rules. See, I'm fighting for something here mate. I'm sure you are too, aren't you? Simply put, given the circumstances, I feel it's only fair to let you know from the beginning that I won't be taking it easy on you, and I expect the same in return.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Short and to the point,” Sora replied casually. “I can tell this is gonna be a competitive duel then. Well, if we're both aware of the circumstances, I won't press any further. Let's do this.” [/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Duel!” They both stepped back, activating their duel disks as the virtual reality setting took effect, and the fans roared with excitement.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I suppose you won't mind if I take the first move then,” Xiael exclaimed, drawing his sixth card. He seemed satisfied. “So here's a fun fact, in my Deck I run a total of three monsters, all of which comply with the Element-only rules of this here competition. Not important now, but if I were you, it's something I'd keep in the back of my mind for later.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Only three monsters? [/i]Sora was confused; why reveal something like that? And how could the guy possibly expect to win with so few? “Thanks for the hint; I'll keep it in mind.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Good then, moving on, I'll begin with this, the Spell Card Earthbound Temple!” Xiael placed the card into the extension on the duel disk, as a monumentally large stone structure, comprised out of sedimentary rock and lined with strange carvings resembling Duel Monsters on both sides, unearthed itself. “I can only use Earthbound Temple if there's no cards on my field, but that drawback comes with a nice reward. Once during each Main Phase, I get to place a Boulder Token on the field.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Earthbound Temple][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Field Spell Card[/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]You can only activate this card if you control no cards. Once per turn, during your Main Phase 1: You can Special Summon 1 “Boulder Token” (ATK 0/DEF 0/EARTH/LV1) to your field in Defense Position. Each time a “Boulder Token” is removed from the field, place 1 Stone Counter on this card. If you Special Summon a Rock-Type monster from your hand that requires 1 or more EARTH monsters in your Graveyard: You can treat Stone Counters on this card as those monster(s) instead. Destroy this card if there is a non-Rock-Type monster in your Graveyard.[/spoiler][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Right now, I think I'll just use my Temple's ability to place a Boulder Token on my field, and end things with one face-down. Your go, mate.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Here goes,” Sora obliged. Kioshi could see his hand from within his sphere, but he found it best not to get involved. At least not yet. [i]This is my first time using these cards in a while...but I've got faith in my cards and there's too much on the line to even doubt myself now! [/i]“I Summon [url="http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff244/InvertRemix/hydrous1_zpsb882e923.jpg"]Hydrous[/url] (1000) in attack mode!” The bird exploded from the hologram in a cyclone of water, spreading its wings in the air. “Once Hydrous hits the field, I'm able to take a Winged Beast from my Deck and put it straight in my hand, so I'll take Raizous!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“By all means, proceed. Now we're gettin' somewhere,” Xiael kept his cool.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]I can do this.[/i] “Hydrous, attack his Boulder Token with Splash Wing!” Folding its wings together, the creature re-formed its cyclone, crashing into the stone fragment with ease. Xiael showed no concern. “With your Token out of the way, Hydrous is able to attack a second time, and this time he's going to strike you directly! Go, Splash Wing!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Not so fast, think I set this card for nothin? Reveal Trap Card, Stone Formation Delta!” Still in a tornado formation, the bird's attack was cut off completely as a large stone tablet emerged from the ground. Hydrous struck it, but to no avail. As it retreated to the other side of the field, the tablet crumbled, leaving two smaller fragments in its place. “See, thanks to this Trap, your monster's attack is negated, and thus the Battle Phase is over. But it gets better, because if I negate it successfully, I'm able to throw two more Boulder Tokens on the field.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]A skillful play[/i], Kioshi noted. [i]Just be careful, we've got no idea what else he's capable of right now.[/i][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Right,” Sora nodded, ignoring the fact that people might think him weird for talking to himself. “A good play, I guess you weren't kidding when you said you planned to go all out.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I've got no choice, mate.” Xiael's demeanor changed for a moment, but he was quick to hide it. “Back to the duel, I presume I'm good to go?”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Just about, except I'm gonna throw down this face-down first.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Fair enough,” Xiael drew his next card, as the first depiction on the cavern lit up. “First things first, don't forget my Earthbound Temple gains a Stone Counter since you were kind enough to remove my Boulder Token from the field. Next, I'll activate Temple's effect to throw a third Token out now.”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]A third rock fragment appeared next to the others. Sora tried to maintain focus; clearly he was setting up for something much bigger, but the more tokens he got on the field, the more difficult it became to have the advantage. And, those Stone Counters [i]had[/i] to count for something. What was he setting up for?[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Here's where things get fun, I activate the Spell Card Tumbling Stones!” Xiael placed the card into the duel disk as two of the fragments disintegrated, lighting up two more figures on the tavern. “Now, by sending two Boulder Tokens on their way, I can inflict 300 damage to your Life Points for each one!”[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Sora's Life Points: 3400[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The boy put his arms up to his face to shield himself as the boulders struck him. Though small, there was solid force behind them. He'd be fine, for now. “You can throw out as many tokens as you want, but it's not going to be enough. I'll go!” He glanced at his card. 'Brave Wing', a monster that would certainly give him the upper hand.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Just keep yourself focused, Sora. We can do this; with that card, you've got a significant advantage.[/i] Kioshi willed him on. [i]I know you're worried about his well being and so am I, but we've got too much at stake here; the two of you are fighting on an even playing field. You CAN win![/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"You're right, and that's exactly what I plan to do! I Summon, Brave Wing!" Wielding a spear carved from the finest oak, the eagle soared into the air, rustling its feathers and asserting itself next to its winged ally. "As long as Brave Wing is on the field, all Winged Beast-Type monsters I control gain an additional 300 attack points!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Hydrous = 1000 + 300 = 1300[/b][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Brave Wing = 1600 + 300 = 1900[/b][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Just remember, you asked for this! Go, Brave Wing, take out his last Boulder Token with Roosting Cutter!" Gripping its spear tight within the talons, the bird hurled it across the field, splitting the stone in two, and lighting up a fourth image on the Temple. Kioshi noticed, but Sora couldn't afford to pay it any attention now. "You're wide open, so Hydrous, go, Splash Cyclone!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Hydrous didn't relent or hold back as it struck Xiael, knocking him off his feet. He cried out, but he'd felt worse. It wasn't done though, as Hydrous circled in for another attack, striking him once more.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Xiael's Life Points[/b]: 1400[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]He was breathing heavily as he stood up, but there was a smile on his face no less. Sora immediately felt concern; so much damage in one turn, what kind of effect would that have? He couldn't afford to let his emotions get the best of him now, but seeing his opponent in rough shape like that and knowing what awaited him...it still didn't seem right.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Now that..." Xiael ran his arm along his face, wiping the dirt and sweat from his forehead. "That's what I call an all-out attack. I'm impressed, I didn't think you had it in ya. I can tell by the look on your face that you're already second-guessing yourself, but remember what I told you when this whole thing started mate. I can't afford to hold back, so if you do, you're only hurtin' yourself."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Whatever he's fighting for...I wonder, if it's anything like what we're fighting for. To be able to keep such a confident, positive attitude knowing what awaits him should he lose, that's real strength, and that's something I'm lacking.[/i] Sora thought aloud, not speaking to anyone but allowing Kioshi to hear him, keep themselves on the same page. [i]I don't have the determination that Kenji does, or the strength of Calion...[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Getting down on yourself already? What a foolish idea, comparing yourself to those two. You're all different, so much so that the three of you have come together to fight for a common cause. You all believe in what you're fighting, and have made great sacrifices to get to this point.[/i] Kioshi paused to let his words sink in. [i]Plus, I fear that Calion may not be in the best of ways right now. I've got a strong feeling that he's in serious danger.[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Wha...what do you mean?![/i] He hadn't been able to sense a thing. Calion, in danger? They hadn't spoken since this morning but he couldn't feel any differences in spiritual presence at all. Calion won his duel, so being exhausted might have made sense but, if Kioshi was sensing something more...[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Now is not the time. He will be fine, I promise. Right now we have to focus on this duel, Sora. If you can't do it for you, do it for Calion, and Kenji, and the millions of other people that will be even worse off if we can't stop Lucien.[/i][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Sora nodded. "Right. No more running away. We'll face this head on. Xiael, my apologies for the delay. You're good to go, I'm gonna throw two set cards and end my turn."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Xiael drew his next card. "All good mate, no worries on this end. But I too should apologize, because now I'm gonna kick this duel into high gear, with the Spell Card Blasting Gear!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Blasting Gear][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Normal Spell Card[/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Special Summon 3 "Boulder Tokens" (ATK 0/DEF 0/EARTH/LV1/Rock-Type) to your field in Defense Position. These Tokens cannot be Tributed for a Tribute Summon. During the End Phase of this turn, you can add 1 Rock-Type monster from your Deck to your hand.[/spoiler][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The ground began to rumble, as an old mechanical gear forced itself up through the soil. It spun for a few moments, depositing three more Tokens onto the battle field. "Blasting Gear makes things fun, because now you get the chance to see what my Deck can really do! First, it assures I've got the protection to block all of your attacks next turn, but just in case, I'll use Earthbound Temple to put a fourth Token onto the field."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Sora cringed. This was the big reveal.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"But now, since I'm about to end my turn, Blasting Gear's second effect kicks in, allowing me to add a Rock-Type monster to my hand." Xiael smiled, shuffling through his Deck and choosing a card, revealing it to Sora. "Sure, I can't use it this turn, but next turn is a different story. So if I were you, I'd prepare quickly, because you're about to face the wrath of my Megarock Dragon!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]So that's what he's saving all of these counters for![/i] Kioshi said; Sora had realized it too. Megarock Dragon was a Rock-Type monster that could be brought out using any number of Rock-Type monsters from the Graveyard, but with each one, it grew much, much stronger. In a sense, each time Sora removed one of those tokens from the field, he was making the Dragon more powerful. "I don't like this one bit."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Heh, I wouldn't either if I were you," Xiael remarked. "The plus side is, it's your turn now, so at least you've got prior knowledge. I'd make the best of it, mate."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Believe me, I plan to." Here it was...draw! 'A Spell Card, 'Burst Flight'. A quick play, he could use it during Xiael's turn, to at least save himself from an attack, but it wouldn't do much. Unfortunately with what he had now, there weren't many options. [i]What do you think Kioshi? Would it be wise to attack? Leaving the Tokens there, even if they're going to make it easier for him to bring out that dragon, only makes more of his Spells and Trap Cards live. At least if I clear some of them off the field, I'll be able to reduce the amount of plays he has for the next turn.[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Kioshi was caught by surprise. Asking him for advice? He hadn't expected it, with Sora's hesitance to rely on others for anything. Perhaps, as the duel went on, they would be able to work as a team, which truthfully might have been the only key to victory. Sora was slowly maturing, realizing that he couldn't handle all of these problems on his own was just the beginning. But he didn't want to chance it, either. [i]Indeed, it seems to me that's the best option we've got right now. Besides, don't forget about your Trap Card.[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Huh? Oh that's right.[/i] It clicked just as Kioshi pointed it out. With his set card, he'd be able to take out all four of those Tokens at once, leaving the field completely empty. The only drawback of course that his monsters would be left in attack position, prime targets for damage. Oh well, it was a risk he'd have to take. "Time to chizzle those stones down to soil! Hydrous, attack a Boulder Token, and a second one!" Right on cue, the bird slashed them both to bits. "Now, Brave Wing, take out a third one!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Defenseless, Xiael watched on. There was something intriguing about the boy, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Why was this so difficult for him? He could tell, even from his side of the field, that Sora commanding attacks made him cringe, shake even. Fighting for something, especially a moral cause, sometimes required one to take actions they normally wouldn't. Xiael himself had accepted this as fact, and resolved to never let it affect his battle; the struggles were too great. But why Sora? "I take it you're all done for the turn, then?"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Sora shook his head. "Not just yet. I'm aware that with each Token I take down, you only get more fodder for Megarock Dragon, but I've realized something, too. If you only run a total of three monsters, you can't waste all of your Tokens to bring him out, now can you? Because who's to say one of my face-down cards won't be enough to stop him, leaving you with nothing? You're going to play cautiously, especially if winning is as important as you say it is."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"I don't get what you're saying then," Xiael replied. "You doubt my resolve?"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Of course not," Sora said. "I don't know what it is you're going for here, but I know that no matter what happens, I can't afford to lose. So if that's the case, I must fight with everything I've got! Taking risks I'd otherwise avoid, such as using this, the Trap Card Aerial Assault!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Aerial Assault][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Normal Trap Card[/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Activate only if you control 2 or more Winged Beast-Type monsters. This turn, the monster you control with the lowest ATK can attack an additional time during this Battle Phase. Then, destroy it during the End Phase.[/spoiler][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]With a graceful speed, Hydrous took flight once more, spiraling in circles before taking off like a jet at the last token on the field. "Thanks to Aerial Assault, I've got more firepower, and Hydrous is able to take out your last line of defense! Not to mention, once he's finished attacking, he heads straight to the Card Graveyard, meaning he's safe from an attack at the hands of your dragon."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Another excellent play," Xiael smiled. This is where things were gonna get good. Nothing better than a competitive duel like this to take his mind off the events at home...[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Sora placed a card face-down, nodding. "Turn end."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]I have to agree[/i], Kioshi said to himself. [i]He's playing much better than I had originally anticipated. Not being able to use his normal cards or his normal playstyle should have hindered him, but it hasn't. If we can keep this up, Calion's fears of his emotion getting in the way might not be a problem. His opponent, I sense that he is a pure person with good intentions. Perhaps once this is all said and done we will be able to help him with whatever it is he's fighting to achieve, as well.[/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Well, here we go then! No sense waiting around," Xiael said as four more lights shined on the Temple, bringing the total to 8. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. You caught on to the fact that I don't plan to use all of the Stone Counters available to call my dragon to the field. Had you left the Tokens there, it might have been the end of the duel for you, but your play certainly paid off. The end result will be the same, I'm afraid."[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The Temple began to glow, as pieces of rock crumbled off the sides, creating a huge opening in the arena floor, and pulling five individual pieces of stone into the rubble. Adjorned with razor sharp scales from head to toe, the dragon revealed itself with a primal screech, its mere presence bringing hurricane force winds throughout the stadium. It was a sight to behold.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Now, by using five Stone Counters, I call forth, a beast derived from the Earth itself, created from the foundations of soil and stone, Megarock Dragon (3500)!" Xiael sprung back, giving his monster more space on the field.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Sora and Kioshi simply stared. [i]It's...incredible. How do I beat this thing?[/i][/font][/size]
[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"If you find this impressive, just wait, because his attack is even more incredible! Megarock Dragon, clip that bird's wings, Stone Fragment Cannon!" The tips of the monster's scales began to glow, and with a menacing roar, it completely annihilated Sora's only line of defense.[/font][/size]

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

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The force of the attack nearly drove Sora into the ground, but he had been able to remain on his feet, despite serious pain. [i]Sora, are you alright?![/i][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]For a moment, Kioshi's vision went blurry, as if he was beginning to lose power somehow; he felt his energy being drained, and wondered if Sora's was doing the same. Clenching his chest, the boy said nothing for a moment.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Inhale, exhale. In, out. One deep breath after another, hearing nothing but the sounds of his body's silence. He could feel his heart beating, one after another. He pressed his palm against his wrist; the flow of energy, it was moving, just as Lucien had intended. With everything he had in him, he grabbed tight. Having to use this now...might have been his only option. "{2nd Stage: Rinkaitotsugeki; Critical Assault}".[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Like an explosion, he felt the technique take effect, sending massive amounts of energy through his body, almost losing control for a moment. His entire body, it felt stronger, renewed, he was visibly colored now, surrounded by an aura of blue and green, the two entities almost merging with one another.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]What is he...doing?[/i] Kioshi found himself at a loss for words. The strength he could feel flowing into him had completely overwhelmed whatever it was Lucien's magic had attempted to do.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Xiael was starstruck as well, seeing the visible energy as it surrounded his opponent. "That power level...what the hell is it?"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"You're wondering what this is, both of you," Sora acknowledged. "This duel is too important, there's too much riding on the line. Lucien wants to take my Rakurai, does he? Well, how much energy can he take before even he's completely overwhelmed? Rinkaitotsugeki takes the Rakurai in my body and multiplies its effects tenfold instantly. What that means is, if Lucien decides to continue the process of sucking out my energy in the middle of the duel, his entire system will be completely overwhelmed, destroyed."[/font][/size]

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

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Unos burst into the room to find Lucien seated on a couch. His immediate panic caught the boss' attention. "Sir, we've got a serious issue here!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"What the hell is it?" Lucien asked, angrily. "You know I don't like to be bothered, especially at a time like this!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"The brat's energy...it's off the charts! If the Spirital continues to absorb Rakurai at this rate, it'll have a meltdown!"[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Lucien leapt from the couch, eyes in a panic. Only now could he sense it; this immense power. He would have no choice but to stop the process for now, damn! If he kept it up and running like this...[i]You will pay for this...[/i][/font][/size]

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

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]"Now then, I'm feeling quite refreshed, so what say we get back to the duel?" Sora asked, grinning.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Xiael did the same. "Let's find out who's got this, mate."[/font][/size]

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

[size=4][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]So I'm extremely happy with the outcome. The next new episode should premiere on [b]January 4, 2013[/b] which is a Thursday, and from there we'll have new episodes every Thursday and a second day, though I'm not sure what day that'll be yet.[/font][/size]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Anyway, would love some feedback, comments, and I hope everyone has a great holiday![/font]

[Synchronized]

Just bumping to keep this up...one week till new premieres!

Still haven't gotten any comments yet! ):

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

Hey man, sorry for taking so long, but y'know, 'tis the season to something something... I forget what exactly. Onwards!

The fight ended pretty well in my opinion, with a predictable but awesome speech from Calion, and at least one of the El Nombre trio having doubts about their new power hungry overlord. It seems Calion is extremely, extremely powerful, and I don't know whether that is for better or for worse, cause I suppose it means his enemies can only get stronger, and thus more interesting, right?

I'm not one for reviewing fight scenes really, so onto the duel. I'm guessing Xiael is an Australian Aboriginal, which is cool, given his rock-themed deck. He was (and still is) giving me serious Jim 'Crocodile' Cook vibes, but that's okay I guess. Sora's deck is giving me Rio vibes, which is odd. I didn't count him as a very ice/water bird kinda guy. He always seemed more warriorish, but I suppose that's kinda cliche at the moment. Go with it. It intrigues me. As for the actual plays, Earthbound Temple took me a while to figure out, after I realised he wasn't running Earthbound Immortals. I thought it was tributes, not banishes from the grave, which made me confused when he got out Megarock Dragon out. I now see that it does, in fact, make sense, and I was just being silly. Write on, I'm hooked.

[Randomflyingobjects]

Apologizing for my lateness, but I was waiting for myself to get in the right mood.

Anyway, Calion and Dos finally end their battle, in something close enough to a draw to count. Meaning they have to fight again. But the battle brings up an interesting point: apparently, Calion... is becoming HUMAN??? *Gasp*

I'm liking how the duel's going, and how the other guy is so cocky in his three-monster deck, he decided to reveal it early on. Notice how pretty much everybody does that; reveal their plans to worry the main character.

One big error I found, though. When Xiael took the major damage from the direct attacks, why didn't Sora attack the Token with his Brave Wing (1900), then directly twice with Hydrous (1300). The most logical option would've been attack the Token with Hydrous, then directly once with Brave Wing and Hydrous. It only makes a 600 point difference, but... that's a lot when you only start with 4000.

I also realized that, at some point, Sora has to fight Calion. Ruh-Roh.

[Synchronized]

Just bumping this up. I'll get some responses up for your guys' comments within the next few hours; dealing with a few more personal matters at the moment.

Anyhow, D-Accel returns as we begin the Road to the Finale on [b]January 4, 2013[/b], meaning we'll have a new episode this Friday.

[Aerion Brightflame]

Oh yeah, I forgot to reply on this.

Well I caught up at last, and was getting bored of only doing a brief reply to each chapter as I went. So now I will do a brief reply to a large number instead

Really there isn't a lot to say that isn't praise I found, so it made more sense to save it all for now. But yeah it was all good.

Callion becoming a person is a nice touch, and I love the villian. It's nice when villians aren't villians, but are simply being pragmatists. Your characterisation is good, and dialogue which I know you have been worried about was awesome.

The customs still need some... balancing. It's nice that they aren't as situational as anime ones are, but they can still be very unbalanced. The X,Y and Z ones were the main ones, and that spell that the opponent of the Heraldry user whose name I have forgotten used.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='The Seal of Eon' timestamp='1356559953' post='6102761']
Hey man, sorry for taking so long, but y'know, 'tis the season to something something... I forget what exactly. Onwards!

[i]This is true; hope your holiday(s) went well![/i]

The fight ended pretty well in my opinion, with a predictable but awesome speech from Calion, and at least one of the El Nombre trio having doubts about their new power hungry overlord. It seems Calion is extremely, extremely powerful, and I don't know whether that is for better or for worse, cause I suppose it means his enemies can only get stronger, and thus more interesting, right?

[i]That's what logic would dictate, anyhow. I'm not going to go into too much detail because really, where we're at now, is where the plot starts to thicken and everything will see its resolution, so I can't give away too many spoilers. But yes, Calion is far more powerful than many of them have been able to comprehend.[/i]

I'm not one for reviewing fight scenes really, so onto the duel. I'm guessing Xiael is an Australian Aboriginal, which is cool, given his rock-themed deck. He was (and still is) giving me serious Jim 'Crocodile' Cook vibes, but that's okay I guess. Sora's deck is giving me Rio vibes, which is odd. I didn't count him as a very ice/water bird kinda guy. He always seemed more warriorish, but I suppose that's kinda cliche at the moment. Go with it. It intrigues me. As for the actual plays, Earthbound Temple took me a while to figure out, after I realised he wasn't running Earthbound Immortals. I thought it was tributes, not banishes from the grave, which made me confused when he got out Megarock Dragon out. I now see that it does, in fact, make sense, and I was just being silly. Write on, I'm hooked.
[/quote]

Funny you mention that, because Jim Cook was a basis for the character, if only slightly. There haven't been that many Australian duelists and Jim Cook was a personal favorite of mine, but a character that I don't think really got as much of a story as he should've, so I'm sorta using Xiael for that purpose. Should make more sense going forward. Sora using Warriors, in my opinion, would've been way too predictable, which is why I went with this theme instead. There's a few more surprises we've yet to see.

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1356576114' post='6103058']
Apologizing for my lateness, but I was waiting for myself to get in the right mood.

[i]Understandable. Again, hope your holiday went well too![/i]

Anyway, Calion and Dos finally end their battle, in something close enough to a draw to count. Meaning they have to fight again. But the battle brings up an interesting point: apparently, Calion... is becoming HUMAN??? *Gasp*

[i]I can assure you without even giving away a spoiler that they will, in fact, fight again. This was done intentionally because there's a bit more story to the two of them than people will understand from what I've given so far. One of the most exciting plot elements to resolve in my opinion.[/i]

I'm liking how the duel's going, and how the other guy is so cocky in his three-monster deck, he decided to reveal it early on. Notice how pretty much everybody does that; reveal their plans to worry the main character.

[i]True. But Xiael's not even going for a cocky theme as much as he is trying to set the tide for the duel.[/i]

One big error I found, though. When Xiael took the major damage from the direct attacks, why didn't Sora attack the Token with his Brave Wing (1900), then directly twice with Hydrous (1300). The most logical option would've been attack the Token with Hydrous, then directly once with Brave Wing and Hydrous. It only makes a 600 point difference, but... that's a lot when you only start with 4000.

[i]Well, for the sake of the story and that I was taking a vacation from writing I didn't want to end the duel in one episode. (One that was over 6,000 words no less.) So I had to pace it out so that there would be enough story to tell in the next Chapter without making it too short, since the duel will (almost definitely) conclude there. [/i]

I also realized that, at some point, Sora has to fight Calion. Ruh-Roh.
[/quote]

Such is a very real possibility.

[quote name='Overlord Barty' timestamp='1357083427' post='6108495']
Oh yeah, I forgot to reply on this.

[i]I missed ya![/i]

Well I caught up at last, and was getting bored of only doing a brief reply to each chapter as I went. So now I will do a brief reply to a large number instead

[i]Awesome, glad you've finally caught up![/i]

Really there isn't a lot to say that isn't praise I found, so it made more sense to save it all for now. But yeah it was all good.

[i]Thanks. [/i]

Callion becoming a person is a nice touch, and I love the villian. It's nice when villians aren't villians, but are simply being pragmatists. Your characterisation is good, and dialogue which I know you have been worried about was awesome.

[i]Dialogue is definitely something I struggle with, but I took a little extra time to really make sure it was as good as I wanted it to be.[/i]

The customs still need some... balancing. It's nice that they aren't as situational as anime ones are, but they can still be very unbalanced. The X,Y and Z ones were the main ones, and that spell that the opponent of the Heraldry user whose name I have forgotten used.
[/quote]

I understand that XYZ would be broken in the context of the actual TCG, but in the anime they had no purpose other than to set up for a quick XYZ. The fact that they can't be used for XYZ Summons other than "Delta Warrior" is what makes them relatively balanced in my opinion. They can't do much other than just sit there.

Thanks for all the feedback guys! New episode premieres tomorrow!

[Synchronized]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Qoc-F9VgQ[/media]

Aaanndddd we're back. It was awesome to have a few weeks to really take a break and recoup, but I'm excited to get this story finished. I tried to build some hype leading up to the release with a Countdown Clock, but I didn't take the time to execute it well enough. Maybe it worked, maybe not, who knows? Anyway, Episode 47 picks up right where we left off with the duel between Xiael and Sora. Who wins this epic encounter? Will you find out now? Let's go!

[spoiler=Episode 47: The Countdown to Victory]

"This power is overwhelming," Sora remarked, feeling the energy flowing through him at a crazy rate. "But it won't last forever. Now that I've used it, my body will only hold up for so long, meaning I have to finish this duel soon. Your dragon has attacked; so what's next?"

[i]His power...I can't even sense the Rakurai of the others like I could before. It's completely taken over my spiritual presence. This is absolutely insane; what kind of kid has this much energy?[/i] Xiael froze with fear; he had made his attack and taken out a sufficient chunk of Life Points in the process, but Sora's release of power had thrown him off. "Right, I must say, you knocked my mind for a loop with all this. But I'm intrigued. I'll throw down a face-down, and that should do it for now."

"Hey Kioshi, I can tell you're speechless." He said. "Forgive me, I would've said something beforehand but it wasn't worth the risk; taking a chance was the only thing to do." By not mentioning a word, in thoughts or otherwise, he'd been able to assure that Lucien wouldn't have seen it coming. Without the Spirital in play, he could duel with everything he had without having to worry about rendering his opponent nearly dead afterwards. "But now that there's no risk of serious injury, I can duel at full strength."

[i]Speechless, but taken away at the same time. Being aware of your own weaknesses and the fact that your emotion would eventually overtake you if the duel continued on, and using that to your advantage despite the damage it could cause to your body, I would've never expected something like that.[/i]

"I guess I'm just a bag of tricks today," he said, drawing another card. "But anyway, back to the duel! First things first, I'm activating the Trap Card Beacon of Flight!" Placing the "Battlestorm" in his hand into the Graveyard, Sora pressed the red button on his duel disk.

[spoiler=Beacon of Flight]
Normal Trap Card
Discard 1 Winged Beast-Type monster. Draw 2 cards from your Deck. You can only activate 1 "Beacon of Flight" per turn.[/spoiler]

"So by sending Battlestorm off to the Graveyard, I can add two new cards to my hand!" Awesome, he'd managed to refresh his hand and his plays at the same time. Still, Megarock Dragon would be a challenge to get over. If he was going to make a big move, he had to make it count. "Alright then, you asked me to bring you my best, and you're gonna get it! Xiael, I hope you're ready, because here it comes! I'll banish Battlestorm from my Graveyard, in order to Special Summon from my hand, Garuda the Wind Spirit (1600)!"

In a violent gust of wind, the half-human half bird descended onto the field, flapping its wings for good measure. It stood strong. "But I'm not done yet, because that was a Special Summon I can still call another monster to the field, and I'll do that by Summoning Pyrous (1000) from my hand!"

A blaze of fire brought forth a second creature, a much smaller winged warrior constructed from flames.

[i]He's got two level four monsters...that means![/i] Xiael didn't have to finish his own sentence. Sora was now able to build the overlay network for a Rank 4 Xyz. Could the boy make a comeback? All that talk had to mean something, right?

"Here goes! I'll build the Overlay Network with my two Level 4 monsters, in order to Xyz Summon Static Skyhawk Raizoden (1800)!" Stormwinds ablaze, a new winged menace took to the field, the soaring deity clad with armor in the form of a lightning bolt, wrapping itself around the bird's body and conforming to it. The edges of its wings were lined with static electricity, ready to be fired at any moment.

[spoiler=Static Skyhawk Raizoden]
****/WIND
2 Level 4 Winged Beast-Type monsters
This attacking card cannot be destroyed by battle. You take no Battle Damage from battles involving this card. A monster that battles with this card cannot declare an attack as long as it remains face-up on the field. If this card is removed from the field: You can draw 1 card from your Deck.
1800/1000[/spoiler]

"That's a new one," Xiael took notice. "But unfortunately, you're not even close to the number of attack points you need to tackle my dragon. And I'm not sure you can survive too many more attacks." He smiled. "At least I know you'll fight me at full power, now that there's no physical risk."

"Just remember, you asked for this. Go, Raizoden, attack his dragon with Electromagna Tornado!" The dragon showed no fear, and with good reason. Skyhawk's attack was far too low to do any real damage. But that didn't stop the bird from trying, launching itself forward into the dragon's center, a space between two of the rocks in a repeated spiral formation. It came full circle, returning to Sora's command.

"I'll give you credit on the stunning visual display mate, but that attack was a waste of time." Flapping its wings, Raizoden remained in place, stern against the dragon's might. But Xiael was quick to notice something; that attack should've almost taken Sora out of the duel. Instead, no damage was taken at all. What kind of trick...? "Wait a second here, you should've taken quite a blustering from that, what gives?"

"Oh come on, I don't seem that bad, do I?" Sora asked, gritting his teeth with a slight smile. "This is Raizoden's special ability. Whenever he battles another monster, not only is he guaranteed protection, but my Life Points stay safe, too."

"That's impressive," Xiael nodded. "But I don't see the point, unless..." As he caught up with his words, the dragon's center began to rumble, as bolts of static electricity coarsed up its sides, trapping the beast in a cage of electricity. It shrieked and roared, jolting its head from side to side, but there was no escape. "Aye, reckon this ain't gonna end well! He's got a bit of a jolt in his step!"

“I forgot to mention the second part of Raizoden's effect, the one that makes it so any monster he battles loses its ability to attack for the rest of the game!” The bird flew into the air, spreading its wings as Megarock Dragon tried to break free from its electric prison. “Megarock Dragon has become useless, and that means, I no longer have to worry about it. I've already attacked though, so for now I'll just throw down a face-down and pass the turn.”

[i]Sora's turned the tide of battle rather excellently. Knowing he will not injure his opponent is allowing him to duel with all he's got, and it's a spectacle to behold. I best not interrupt him, for unless he needs it, there is no point in getting involved. It's his duel, after all.[/i] [i]“No offense taken, just keep it up. You've almost got this.”[/i]

“It's my turn now, and it looks like the time for playing around is over!” Xiael slid a card into the Spell/Trap slot on his duel disk. “Megarock Dragon, you've served me well, but unfortunately I can't allow you to stay around much longer! Activate Spell, Weathering!”

[spoiler=Weathering]
Normal Spell Card
Activate only while you control a face-up “Earthbound Temple”. Destroy 1 Rock-Type monster you control and place a number of Stone Counters on “Earthbound Temple” equal to that monster's Level.[/spoiler]

In a crumbling heap, the dragon began to crack, turning into nothing more than rubble and dust as it fell to the ground, the static disappearing along with it. In its place, seven new sections of the Earthbound Temple had lit up, a few on Sora's side, and the rest on Xiael's side of the field. Odd placement; Sora wondered why the ones on his side of the field hadn't lit up before, and if it made any sort of difference.

“Well, you managed to take down the first monster,” Xiael said. “If I'm gonna lose this duel, which I'd like to assume won't be the case, I can guarantee you're gonna have to get through all three of 'em first.”

[i]I still can't figure out why he's being so open about this. If this is his key to victory, why make it so obvious?[/i] Sora couldn't grasp the idea; giving away your entire strategy beforehand made the opponent much more aware of how to counter it. He hadn't been sure [i]what[/i] Xiael would bring out with the first monster, but the set-up guaranteed it would be something big. And he had been able to counter it due to the predictability of it. The guy's Deck was good, but his playing style was puzzling to say the least.

---

“Sensei, I've finished all of my training, just like you asked!” Through the blurred vision of a memory he saw the young girl, her scarlet brown hair flowing in the breeze behind her as the waves washed upon the shoreline. She had grabbed his arm and woken him, excited to show him that her task had been performed. “I stacked every log, didn't miss a single one! And no splinters either, isn't that awesome? Well, Xiael-sensei, isn't it?!”

Rubbing his eyes, needing a second to adjust to being awake once more, he shifted his gaze to the corner of the area; so she had managed to do it, after all. To think, that much work, he thought for sure she would've given up half-way through. In truth, he just wanted to take a nap, and figured assigning her some meaningless chore would be the most effective way to get her to be quiet for a while. It had been a long day and most of the other villagers were either hard at work or asleep themselves, so it was the ideal time for him to get some rest. “I guess you did, I'm impressed, Scarlet.”

On the tip of his last word, the brightest smile in the world lit up the girl's face, like she had just received everything she wanted on Christmas morning, but better. Something about the look in her eyes, the look of acceptance, or was it the look of success he couldn't be sure, but it shook him. She...looked up to him. Many of the villagers did, it was a small group of no more than thirty or forty people on a relatively small island, but they'd done alright. Xiael had assumed a leadership position, though unofficially, after they had separated from the mainland.

Scarlet had always been bugging him to do fun things, or go on adventures, all these crazy wild goals that he didn't have much time for, honestly. Maintaining the island and keeping the peace had become the most important thing. But one day, she had pestered him to the point that he'd agreed to take her under his wing, assigning her meaningless tasks to keep her entertained. She'd taken to calling him “sensei”, and he'd given her a series of “training exercises”, many of which she would do without hesitation. Not a second had gone by where the girl was not right by his side, waiting on his next mission which she would carry out with the biggest smile on her face.

At only fourteen, he was four years her elder, but they had a different kind of relationship. She was like his younger sister; as much as he hated to admit it, he'd actually started to take a liking to her. He had become her protector; she would help him in organizing daily tasks and things like that. It was such a change from his days as a loner, what with his parents having been killed when he was only three years old. A battle he'd prefer not to recall.

It hadn't been more than a few months later that it happened. The main-landers attacked, claiming that their choice to separate was an act of treason and would not be tolerated. They ordered all the island's inhabitants captured and imprisoned, with sentences to be determined later. They attacked with some strange powers, humans, but wielding abilities that people had never seen before. The ability to command fire, ice, other elements, and that was just the start of it. There was no way the islanders could fight back.

That's when Xiael first learned of his own powers. Intending to head to the front of the battle, he first got Scarlet to a safe location, making her promise she would stay put and that she would have her chance to fight later. She reluctantly did so, but by the time he returned to the fight, the village had been wiped out, and nothing remained but rubble and personal belongings that had somehow survived the attacks.

That wasn't the worst of it, though. They had taken her, too. His attempt to keep her safe had failed to the might of the powers they had at their disposal. He was the only one left, and had everyone who depended on him down. But the last thing he could remember, the burning memory that would forever be etched in his mind was the look in Scarlet's eyes as she watched him walk away to return to the battle, and she muttered the words “You better come back.”

It was then he made a promise, an oath to himself and to Scarlet, though she hadn’t been around to hear it; he would never use his own powers. He had learned about the Rakurai inside of him and while its origins were unknown, mastering his abilities had become quite simple. Using them, however, would make him no better than those from the main-land, the ones that took all of his people, his family.

Winning this tournament would be the key to saving them all; the prize money wouldn’t do much at all, but the Spirital...he could use the Spirital to protect himself from the powers of the main-landers. In addition to granting the controller a massive strength boost, the Spirital had the opposite effect as well; it could protect the user from Rakurai that was not their own. It would be a matter of getting into the city and defeating those who were holding his people captive.

Many of the older men on the island were more than capable of fighting for themselves, but against the Rakurai, they stood no chance at all, and that served as the reason they were unable to defend the rest of the villagers. He would save them all. He [i]would[/i] save Scarlet. No matter what it took.

He’d made a promise.

---

Still brimming with power, Sora noticed the change in Xiael’s expression without a moment’s notice. Kioshi had too; neither of them said a word to the other, but the kid’s determination had just skyrocketed tenfold. [i]I don’t know what just happened there, but he’s like a different person than before.[/i]

[i]Indeed.[/i] Kioshi response was short, but he’d realized it much sooner. Xiael’s strong emittance of spiritual pressure had briefly placed them both on a similar wavelength. He had been able to grasp some of the boy’s thoughts, getting images in his head that did not quite match-up with the words. But the premise was simple; there was a girl, a young girl, that Xiael had to protect. She was attacked, by other humans, so it looked. His home was destroyed and he was unable to partake in the battle. It had to be Rakurai.

If Sora knew of this, what would it mean for the duel? It would more than likely cause him to second-guess his strategy, maybe even throw the game, with the thoughts that maybe Xiael being able to rescue his people would be more important than Sora’s own survival. But in doing so, he would be blind to the fact that if they could not win, the entire world, including Xiael’s ambitions, would fall to CLEAR. In times like this, people do not realize the morality in such a situation. [i]It pains me to remain silent about this matter, but I believe the only thing I can do at this point is watch the duel play out. If I were to get involved, disrupting the flow of the duel, it could cost us everything.[/i]

“Forgive me, I got a little lost in thought, mate,” Xiael said. “Now if you don’t mind, we’ve got a duel to get back to. Since my Earthbound Temple has a grand total of seven counters, I can now use six of them, and doing so will allow me to bring out the monster that will bring about your defeat! So rise from the soil, Weathered Stone Golem (3000)!”

Drawing power from both sides of the temple, the ground at Xiael’s feet gave way to a behemoth, carved entirely out of stone, with a pair of eyes colder than the rock itself. There was nothing fancy about it; a towering menace having endured years of nothing but destruction and wearing away. And it was ready to give back some of that punishment.

[spoiler=Weathered Stone Golem]
LV9/EARTH
Rock / Effect
Cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. Must first be Special Summoned (from your hand) by banishing 6 or more Rock-Type monsters from your Graveyard. This card is unaffected by the effects of your opponent’s Spell or Trap Cards. If this card leaves the field: You can add 1 Rock-Type monster from your Deck to your hand.
3000/3000[/spoiler]

“That thing...it’s even bigger than the last one!” Sora took a step back, overwhelmed by the Golem’s presence. “What the hell do I do?”

“Go, Weathered Stone Golem, let’s put an end to that bird, it’s a flight risk!” Xiael quipped. “Stone Summit Smash!” With a somewhat slow motion, the golem raised its arm into the air, bringing a force of gravity along with it that prevented the bird from escape, causing it to explode into pixels, with a force that knocked Sora off his feet and high into the air.

[i]Sora![/i] Kioshi exclaimed, seeing the boy caught off guard by the sheer force of the attack. Even without the Rakurai actively being captured, these were still two powerful forces at work here. Sora’s condition wasn’t stable, not with the 2[sup]nd[/sup] Stage technique having a limited time before it took its effects on the user...

Kioshi could feel the spiritual connection between them beginning to fade. Sora was drifting in and out of consciousness at a crazy pace...no, the technique couldn’t be taking effect now...it couldn’t be...

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

[Randomflyingobjects]

Yet another good chapter... when do we see the end of this duel? It feels like it's dragging, but that could be because of the time in between chapters.

One question: Is the whole 'Scarlet' thing a part of the plot, or just a tragic back story? Basically, does Xiael have a larger role than fighting Sora?

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

I like this duel a lot more now. As someone before pointed out, I was worried that all of these duels might just be filler before the next big shocker, and Calion's whooping of Nikolai didn't exactly put me at ease. But this. This, I feel, is good. I'm stuck here, because I'm a sucker for save-the-girl situations, and yet Sora's quest seems more important. And of course, only one can leave with their power level intact. Gripping stuff.

With the duel, it was reasonably good, with the second of Xiael's monsters making an entrance, with a pretty valid cost, actually. 3000 ATK protected from Spells and Traps is gonna be hefty, so 6 Rock-types seems alright as a payment. Battlestorm isn't Wind, but I'm sure another Wind attribute monster could've been banished for Garuda's summoning. Just sayin'. Despite that, the Xyz looks good too, with a good effect and stats for what it is. Plus Sora's gonna get a draw off of it next chapter.

I hope that the next chapter brings this to a close, cause any more than that and it will drag on, but I'm still hooked.

Eon out.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1357356811' post='6111621']
Yet another good chapter... when do we see the end of this duel? It feels like it's dragging, but that could be because of the time in between chapters.

One question: Is the whole 'Scarlet' thing a part of the plot, or just a tragic back story? Basically, does Xiael have a larger role than fighting Sora?
[/quote]

The end of the duel will be in Episode 48. I've always had it planned this way - I didn't want to end the duel on this one because of the gap between episodes. That, and I had to give some time to Xiael's back story at the same time. I'd like to think the pacing is actually much better than we've seen in earlier story arc; since this is the Arc's last duel and the biggest one no less, I've managed to add a nice amount of story and pacing while keeping the duel interesting.

Just my opinion, of course.

[quote name='The Seal of Eon' timestamp='1357387257' post='6111796']
I like this duel a lot more now. As someone before pointed out, I was worried that all of these duels might just be filler before the next big shocker, and Calion's whooping of Nikolai didn't exactly put me at ease. But this. This, I feel, is good. I'm stuck here, because I'm a sucker for save-the-girl situations, and yet Sora's quest seems more important. And of course, only one can leave with their power level intact. Gripping stuff.

[i]That was the plan. Believe it or not, this is actually the last duel of the Arc, which ends with Episode 50. There's going to be a bit more story after the duel before the Arc's conclusion, but I wanted to make this duel something big. Sora's quest and Xiael's are both important, and I wanted to build that possible reason for a draw, or things like that, not that I'm saying it will or won't happen. But think about it; Calle's opponent was not evil, but he had a passion for fighting, and was actually inspired by the former Espada from Bleach, whose name I can't remember, the Mexican guy Ichigo fights.[/i]

[i]Calion's opponent was meant to be evil, so to have another 'generic' evil character as Sora's opponent wouldn't have made any sense. So yeah.[/i]

With the duel, it was reasonably good, with the second of Xiael's monsters making an entrance, with a pretty valid cost, actually. 3000 ATK protected from Spells and Traps is gonna be hefty, so 6 Rock-types seems alright as a payment. Battlestorm isn't Wind, but I'm sure another Wind attribute monster could've been banished for Garuda's summoning. Just sayin'. Despite that, the Xyz looks good too, with a good effect and stats for what it is. Plus Sora's gonna get a draw off of it next chapter.

[i]Right, thanks. Battlestorm isn't WIND? Oh well, I thought for sure it was, but whatever. Brave Wing was in the Graveyard anyway, so it didn't make a difference in terms of the story. The Xyz isn't Sora's boss monster, but it's meant to be an Anime-style mid-level boss, if that makes any sense.[/i]

I hope that the next chapter brings this to a close, cause any more than that and it will drag on, but I'm still hooked.

Eon out.
[/quote]

Thanks again for the responses guys. We're gearing up for the big 50th episode, which will be the Arc finale and will have a cliffhanger that I promise will leave everyone shocked.

[Synchronized]

[size=3][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]It took a few days, but here we go. Episode 48. There's two episodes left until the final Arc begins, and there's some big things planned. The dialogue in this one left something to be desired, in my opinion, but I'll more than make up for it with the next one. [/font][/size]

[size=3][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Episode 48: Winged Illuminator! Sora's Ultimate Sacrifice!][/font][/size]

[size=3][font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Silence...[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]The link connecting Kioshi's mind to Sora's had completely ceased to be receptive. Not a single trace of energy passed between them. From an outside view, the Spirit watched his fallen ally, covered in dirt and battle scars, as he lay on the ground unresponsive.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Chatter had commenced among the crowd, as the fans wondered whether or not something serious could happen; Xiael sensed a change in things, too. The attack had certainly struck hard, but if Sora's last move had caused the Spirital to stop working, the actual in-game damage should've been significantly reduced. So what was it?[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]What Sora had said earlier...[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“[i]Rinkaitotsugeki takes the Rakurai in my body and multiplies its effects tenfold instantly. What that means is, if Lucien decides to continue the process of sucking out my energy in the middle of the duel, his entire system will be completely overwhelmed, destroyed.[/i]”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]More or less a giant surge of power, then. Sure, he didn't understand the Rakurai entirely, but from what he'd learned of his own power, he knew enough to understand that overloading the Spirital would force Lucien to turn it down, at least for a while. There was no way, not any realistic possibility that Lucien would've restored its power already – the risk was far too great. So that meant, the only explanation for Sora's sudden loss of consciousness was his body's inability to keep up with his strength.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Sora...using that move has its risks, he had to have known that it would only be a matter of time before his body collapsed entirely, unable to keep up and maintain the structure of the Rakurai inside him. While his power level continued to grow, the exterior could only handle so much before it fell apart completely.[/i] Kioshi felt himself shaken; not emotion, but something strange, concern perhaps, for the one person he'd begun to consider a “friend”. [i]Is he...he can't be, not like this, not now.[/i][/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Mate, you alright there?” Xiael called out, concerned. He'd begun to take a liking to his opponent and though his victory was necessary, there were certainly no hard feelings between the two. He didn't want to win on such disingenuous terms.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]But Sora had no response; the MC sprung up, holding the microphone close to his face, waiting before he spoke any words. “Ladies and gentlemen, it appears that...under extremely rare circumstances, Sora Tenjioshi has...well his condition is not...”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“I...don't...know wha...what you-you're talking about...” Impossible. It couldn't be. The MC stopped in his tracks as the boy drove a fist into the ground, using it as his only basis to stand. There was blood dripping down the left side of his face and his body was visibly shaken; the spiritual energy that had once been strong was no longer there; in fact, Xiael couldn't feel any at all. “Too many...people a...are cou...counting on...me. Even...if I...have to...fight to my last ounce...of life...”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]He's...he's overcome his physical limitations somehow! Impossible![/i] Kioshi could feel himself beginning to fade, losing his grip with Sora; it was weak, the lack of Rakurai in Sora's body made Kioshi's life-force very minimal in its own right, but he could hold on. At least for now. [/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“You'll...have to...to forgive me...” Sora forced a draw, grabbing the top card of his Deck with what little strength he had remaining. “But thi...this has...I must win!”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“It appears Sora is not out like we thought!” The MC exclaimed. “We'll see this stunning duel continue after all! But with so few Life Points left on each side, who will claim victory?!”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Well, I don't know what's going on here mate, but if you're standing, then it looks like we'll continue this duel.” Xiael nodded, with a slight smile. Sora looked rough; he was probably going on pure adrenaline alone. He didn't want to take a tainted win, but there was no other choice. Too much relied on his victory.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“[i]Hey Kioshi...” [/i]Sora called out, catching the Spirit off guard.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]What is it? [/i]He replied. [/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“[i]I don't know how much longer I'm going to be able to hold up here. My body is weak. Mentally I can communicate just fine, but I can't hold up in this state. Even though the Spirital is no longer active, the spirit energy between the two of us is very real, and that means this duel is real, too. I thought Critical Assault would last long enough for me to win, but I'm not sure that will be the case. Either way, I think this is my last move. Whatever happens here, I need you to know something. I will be eternally grateful for what you've done. There are so many unanswered questions and even if we can't find them now, I'm confident Calion will be able to stop CLEAR. Even if I manage to win this duel, I won't be able to survive much longer than that. I don't know what will happen to you, or even to myself. But I know that I'll never stop believing in my goals.”[/i][/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Sora...[/i] Kioshi searched for the words of comfort, but could find nothing. This emotion, he supposed it was sadness, the sadness of watching his only connection to this world, his friend, continuing to fight until the very end. Was this emotion? Was this a purpose? He had been so confident in Sora's abilities, but this duel, it had become unlike anything they'd expected. Xiael's purpose, it was also one of honor, of good. No matter the winner, there was no way this would end well. [i]I don't know what awaits us, but I know this; if the only option we have is to fight with everything we've got, then make this last play count![/i][/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Xiael, here I go!” Sora slammed a card onto his duel disk with the last ounce of strength he had remaining, and a burst of light came forth from the card, in the outline of the monster which had just been destroyed, Static Skyhawk Raizoden. “I activate the Spell Card Luminous Aerial Assault!”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Luminous Aerial Assault][/font]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Normal Spell Card[/font]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Banish 1 “Static Skyhawk Raizoden” or “Diawolf the Terrorfang” from your Graveyard; Special Summon 1 “Winged Illuminator” from your Extra Deck and attach this card to it as Xyz Material.[/spoiler][/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“With this card, I can banish Raizoden from the Graveyard...” He slowed to catch his breath, feeling his body begin to weaken again despite the temporary blast of momentum. “To call forth the beacon of light, the guardian of the skies, Winged Illuminator (3000)!”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Winged Illuminator][/font]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]RK4/WIND[/font]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Winged Beast / Effect[/font]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]3 Level 4 Winged Beast-Type monsters[/font]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]If this card has no Xyz Material, it loses 3000 ATK. When this card battles an opponent's monster: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card (before Damage Calculation); destroy both monsters and inflict damage to both player's Life Points equal their original ATK.[/font]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]3000/3000[/spoiler][/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]For a moment, the entire field was covered in a bright light, a glow so powerful that many had to shield their eyes from the intensity. When it cleared, all that remained on Sora's field was the outline of a great beast, a winged creature so powerful it carried no physical form, merely a frenzied light-force, as it shone in the sky like a great beacon. [/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]That thing's somethin else...[/i] Xiael watched in amazement, finding it hard to take his eyes off the monster. [i]The kid's got that much strength left, to make a play like that...what is he?[/i][/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Now...I made a promise to Calion that I would do this...” He dropped to one knee, panting heavily. “For everyone! Winged Illuminator, attack his Weathered Stone Golem with Lightforce Shatterblast!”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“But hold on, our monsters have the same attack points!” Xiael interjected. “If you attack, we'll-”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Both be destroyed,” Sora finished his sentence. “And that's where Illuminator's special ability comes in. By detaching its one and only overlay unit, when our monsters battle, not only do they destroy each other, but we both take damage equal to their combined attack points! You swore I wouldn't win this duel without seeing all three of your monsters, and I guess in that part you were right, because this duel won't end with a clear-cut winner!”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]Incredible...[/i] Kioshi said. [i]He had the ability to bring out this monster and find away around losing. Could he have somehow understood Xiael's memories through my own mind? Why else go for a draw? But no, that couldn't be...[/i][/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“It's over!” Sora dropped to both knees as his winged creature went in for the final swoop, annihilating the field in a burst of light. He heard Xiael cry out, but it was impossible to see anything else. [/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Sora's Life Points[/b]: 0[/font]
[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][b]Xiael's Life Points[/b]: 0[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]And that last thing he heard before he hit the ground was the standing ovation of the thousands of fans in the crowd around them.[/font]

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

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Calion sensed the cut-off of Sora's spiritual presence almost immediately. He sat up in the bed, the one he didn't quite remember being helped to, but given the circumstances of how his fight with Dos had ended, such was par for the course. He could feel himself beginning to shake, his own spiritual energy and anger rising. At first, he had been out of it for a while, only picking up on bits and pieces of the duel, but he had never lost hope. And even with the last play he'd made, Sora had been able to prevent losing. He sacrificed himself...the same thing Calion would've deemed necessary at the start of all this now felt un-needed. It felt wrong, he could feel his hatred towards Lucien beginning to grow, being responsible for such a thing.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Throwing the fleece blanket that had served as his means of cover onto the floor, he climbed out of the bed, ignoring the pain surging through him. Unsure of where he was, he searched around the room for some sort of clue; he was still in the Stadium. Lucien wouldn't have risked him being taken anywhere else for fear of losing another competitor in the tournament and affecting his public image. His mis-driven goals and desire for power, it was the reason for all of this in the first place. [i]Damn you, you bastard.[/i][/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Sora's life had ended and at the same time his opponent had nearly endured a similar fate. Traveling a ways down the hallway, he stumbled upon a television monitor, which was still running the tournament footage as a group of EMT's tried to bring them both to. Xiael was somewhat responsive, but there was nothing on Sora at all. They loaded him onto a stretcher, taking care to wipe the blood from his forehead that had been a result of his collapse.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]He couldn't sense Kioshi's presence, either. That distinct feeling that he'd been able to understand when the two of them communicated prior was no longer there; it was completely obscure. The harsh reality had set in; Sora was no longer with them.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Still watching on the monitor, Calion felt himself jump as a man clad in a white uniform appeared on the field, hoisting a mostly unconscious Xiael onto his shoulder. Dos? No, it wasn't. It was another one; he'd felt the presence once before, but he couldn't be sure who...what could they have wanted with the other one? The duel had ended in a draw, so would that disqualify the both of them? The kid was defenseless. He had to do something.[/font]

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

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Well, this sure took an interesting turn, wouldn't you agree?” Lucien laughed aloud, prompting the other men at his side to follow suit. He stood in the center of his throne room, which had been destroyed by the battle prior. Unos, Dos, and Tres were with him, with the first of the three carrying a fallen Xiael on his shoulder. He lowered him onto a table at Lucien's command.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“A draw, certainly not what I expected.” Dos' reply was blunt, but to the point. “This entire tournament has been like that, I suppose.”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Ah, yes, there have been some...different expectations,” Lucien said half-sarcastically, internally disappointed about [i]any[/i] wrong-goings with his prized tournament, but keeping those thoughts to himself for the most part. He would have his moments soon enough. “But what matters is that now, things are back under my control. Now then, gentlemen. Since the duel ended in a draw I see it fit to disqualify both participants, don't you agree?”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]There was no response verbally. The three men just nodded, with Unos shrugging his shoulders a bit. He couldn't be bothered to waste his time with such stupid proceedings. Truthfully, he could care less about any of the weakling competitors. [/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“So I suppose we should begin. I believe the Spirital has had plenty of time to rest,” he said, walking slowly over to another table set up against the wall. On it, the Spirital sat. A small, red orb about the size of a rubber ball, if not only slightly larger. It was made of glass. Ironic, how something so fragile contained such incredible power. Power that would soon belong to Lucien himself. He smiled as he watched the boy, unable to move or respond. To have come so far only to fail anyway, what a disappointing journey that must've been. Though he wouldn't kill him; just take all of his energy.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Sora had fallen, meaning that Calion remained his only real threat. And with Xiael, who he feared might pose a threat to him down the line, it was best to eliminate that problem despite his presumed victory. “Let the proceedings commence.”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Raising the sphere into the air, it began to emit a red glow, darker than the color itself, as it literally pulled the Rakurai from Xiael's body. He was powerless to defend.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“{Ayori Tengukaze; [i]Sudden Winds[/i]}!” Ripping a straight path in the floor, a blustering force flew straight forward, nearly crashing into Lucien, who dodged it at the last moment. Unos attempted to jump into action, but it was too little too late, as the attack reached the opposite side of the wall, creating a hole large enough for a human being to pass through. They heard the sound of footsteps, and Lucien identified them...the duelist from earlier. Calle Anden.[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“You'll have to excuse the late interruption. Really, I meant to stop this whole ceremony before it got started, but a few family...matters had me a minute or two short.” He smiled. “I hope I didn't scare you all that much.” He surveyed the wreckage his attack had caused. “It's been a while since I've used that one. But what else do you expect from a 1[sup]st[/sup] Stage technique?”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif][i]He did that much damage with a first stage technique?![/i] Tres felt a sudden rush of fear over-take him. He'd seen the duelist before, but to think that kind of power would come from someone who's primary abilities seemed to lie in intelligence...[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Well, look who's decided to show up.” Lucien's response was calm, as he slowly headed for the exit. This wasn't his fight. Not yet. “Another unexpected visitor. While I'd love to handle you on my own, I'm afraid I'm not prepared to fight. Unos, Tres, take care of this pest, would you? It should be an even fight.”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Now this was his cup of tea. Unos smiled, shoving Tres out of the way. “I don't need him; I can handle this one on my own. You there, I-”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“{Reza Ayori; [i]Razor Wind[/i]}!” Calle didn't give him the chance to finish. Right palm extended, he fired a blast of wind. Unos just barely dodged it, catching his left arm in the process and tearing through his sleeve. [/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“That power...what is that?!”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“It's called [i]Razor Wind[/i].” Calle answered. “By focusing the Rakurai in my body to my right arm, I'm able to release a gust of wind sharp enough to slice through steel. If you hadn't been able to dodge that attack, you would've been cut to pieces. Are you sure you'd like to go one-on-one? I don't quite have the time for two separate battles, and I might be able to defeat the two of you far more easily if we just do this whole thing in one.”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“His ability to control the air at will puts us at an extreme disadvantage,” Tres explained to his ally. “If we fight separately, he's going to kill us both in no time. I don't know about you, Unos, but I'm not ready to die. Now stop being stubborn and let's make quick work of him.”[/font]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]“Aye, that's more like it,” Calle replied. “Well then, shall we get started?”[/font]

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

[Randomflyingobjects]

Only two more episodes to the arc? These guys are only in the first round of dueling... unless there's a major twist in events, which is likely.

But Sora getting disqualified for tying? That's not exactly what I was expecting.

Now Calle showed up again, after disappearing for 10 chapters, and he's obviously WAY more powerful that almost any individual.

The duel was finished fairly well, with a draw. That's the only possible way to make sure both duelists win. Question: Does either duelist lose Rakurai when they lose to Exodia, Final Countdown, losing all cards in their deck, etc.?

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1357738776' post='6116124']
Only two more episodes to the arc? These guys are only in the first round of dueling... unless there's a major twist in events, which is likely.

[i]Well, I didn't say the Tournament was over, per se. But Sora's no longer alive, so there's no way for him to be the center piece of it anymore.[/i]

But Sora getting disqualified for tying? That's not exactly what I was expecting.

[i]You realize he died, right? There was no disqualification on his part. The duel ended in a draw and he literally is no longer alive. I wasn't sure how well that part resonated because I wasn't too high on the idea of doing a big death scene this early in the final stretch.[/i]

Now Calle showed up again, after disappearing for 10 chapters, and he's obviously WAY more powerful that almost any individual.

[i]Calle's backstory and importance as a character, I intended to save that for the final arc since I introduced the character all those episodes back. Now we learn who he is and why he's as powerful as he is.[/i]

The duel was finished fairly well, with a draw. That's the only possible way to make sure both duelists win. Question: Does either duelist lose Rakurai when they lose to Exodia, Final Countdown, losing all cards in their deck, etc.?
[/quote]

Like I said, the duel ended with a draw, but what was intended was to convey that even though Sora didn't lose, he gave up his life in the process, and stayed true to his morals. Will we see him again? Only time will tell, perhaps if there's a way to reverse things.

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

Well, I must say you beat most other writers in terms of killing off characters the earliest. Don't know whether that's a good or bad thing at the moment, but we'll see.
So Sora, instead of, y'know, surrendering when he knew it was either that or die, he goes for broke to not only kill himself, but also ruin the chances of Xiael as well? I don't know, that seems a little... dense. Even if he couldn't have survived anyway, he didn't have to suicide attack a guy he knew had a worthy cause.

I need to read back to see who this Calle guy is. I thought it was Calion for a minute. Damn similar names! He seems to be powerful as well, and so I feel the power [s]crepes[/s] creep beginning again. But another fight scene, 2 (maybe 3? I don't know if Lucien wants in) on 1 this time, should prove to be gripping reading. Just need Sora's motives to be cleared up a bit.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='The Seal of Eon' timestamp='1357745998' post='6116223']
Well, I must say you beat most other writers in terms of killing off characters the earliest. Don't know whether that's a good or bad thing at the moment, but we'll see.

[i]Neither do I. The entire premise of D-Accel has been to do something different. Whether it's your cup of tea or not, you'd have to admit this story is far from run-of-the-mill, even if it's been somewhat confusing at points. That being said, I didn't kill him off for the sake of that difference, and whether or not he's gone for good, well I'm not going to go too much into that. We'll see what happens.[/i]

So Sora, instead of, y'know, surrendering when he knew it was either that or die, he goes for broke to not only kill himself, but also ruin the chances of Xiael as well? I don't know, that seems a little... dense. Even if he couldn't have survived anyway, he didn't have to suicide attack a guy he knew had a worthy cause.

[i]Now here's where we're a bit confused. Kioshi knows of Xiael's backstory due to his ability to kinda read his memories, but Sora doesn't know, at least as far as WE (the readers) know. Sora's fighting to win because he knows how important it is to stop Lucien. While he knows Xiael isn't a bad guy, he knows nothing of his cause and the point was to convey that he'll fight to win down to the very end. It wasn't something he meant to do in terms of "screwing" Xiael, because he doesn't know a thing about him.[/i]

I need to read back to see who this Calle guy is. I thought it was Calion for a minute. Damn similar names! He seems to be powerful as well, and so I feel the power [s]crepes[/s] creep beginning again. But another fight scene, 2 (maybe 3? I don't know if Lucien wants in) on 1 this time, should prove to be gripping reading. Just need Sora's motives to be cleared up a bit.
[/quote]

Calle was introduced at the beginning of the Arc and was the first one to duel. I knew people would think it was Calion, and perhaps the similarities between names was an oversight on my part, but oh well. The Power Creep is something I've had to be [i]extremely[/i] careful with because you can't have people getting TOO powerful before the end of the story. The fight scene is something I'm confident about and that's why I saved it until the Arc conclusion, so it will end the Arc on a good note, per se.

Like I said Sora's motives were not malicious, but he was in the mindset that he had to win no matter what because he promised Calion and Kenji and the others.

[Randomflyingobjects]

I did NOT expect to see Sora wiped out. ...But at least tell me, did Xiael make it through that last move? If not, then Sora completely screwed EVERYTHING up.

I hadn't thought of Sora showing up again (as a spirit or whatever), but now that you mention it, the story is weird enough as it is, so its possible. Then, this is a darker story, so...

And why did Sora suicide attack? It's better for one of them to make it out than neither. Sora didn't know anything about Xiael, so why try to take him out?

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1357771029' post='6116546']
I did NOT expect to see Sora wiped out. ...But at least tell me, did Xiael make it through that last move? If not, then Sora completely screwed EVERYTHING up.

[i]I'm wondering if you read the entire Chapter. o.o[/i]

[i]Of course he survived. That's why Los Numeros takes him into the chambers, to use the Spirital to take his energy right before Calle makes the save.[/i]


I hadn't thought of Sora showing up again (as a spirit or whatever), but now that you mention it, the story is weird enough as it is, so its possible. Then, this is a darker story, so...

[i]We'll see what happens. The story's weirdness is more or less going to be minimized at this point as we enter the final arc, and everything will wrap up and come together to actually finish the story.[/i]

And why did Sora suicide attack? It's better for one of them to make it out than neither. Sora didn't know anything about Xiael, so why try to take him out?
[/quote]

The premise, although it may not have been carried out as well as I'd hoped, was to show that even though he would lose his life, Sora continued to fight until the very end. It was more about the morals of his character than it was trying to stop Xiael. A draw would've been basic writing 101 and I wanted to do something somewhat different. It'll make some sense hopefully as we continue.

[Synchronized]

Another personal favorite. It's amazing how much better (in my opinion) I do when it comes to writing fight scenes compared to duels. I was very, very happy with this episode as a whole and it's definitely in my Top 5 since the series has started. The next episode will be a big one, since it's the conclusion of the Arc and the beginning of the Final Arc.

Hope for some feedback, guys!

[spoiler=Episode 49: Chaos-End Game, Part One]

“I don’t need your help, Tres. Stay out of this, it’s my fight.” Unos snarled at his “partner”. He’d spent enough time since this poor excuse for a tournament began posing as simple security; he was itching to inflict some punishment; this poor sap would do just fine. “I will kill him; simply on the basis that he doesn’t believe I can handle him on my own.”

Sighing, Tres shook his head. Always so rash, Unos never took the time to think things through. He couldn’t stand him, truthfully. If Lucien hadn’t ordered it, working together wouldn’t have even been an option in Tres’ mind. “So ignorant, Unos. He’s already hit you and the fight hasn’t even begun, what makes you think you can handle him on your own?” Before giving his comrade the chance to reply, Tres spoke once more. “You know what, forget it. If you want this fight, I’ll sit out. But don’t come crying to me once you get yourself killed.”

That pestilent brat, who did he think he was, talking to him like that? It didn’t matter; Unos shook his head, focusing his attention on the enemy that had appeared before him. He’d seen Calle’s first duel, and admittedly his skills were somewhat impressive. But dueling and combat were two entirely different battlefields; this punk stood no chance. “Tell me something before I crush your skull and turn you to dust.”

“Hm?” Calle mumbled, meeting Unos’ gaze.

“Why have you decided to interfere?” He demanded. “Why willingly put yourself in a situation where your death is imminent, when you could’ve simply continued to participate in the tournament and win, escaping with your life intact? Why are you such a damned fool?”

“A very interesting question indeed.” Calle nodded. “I can see why you’d wonder such a thing, after all your mind is so one-centered, it’s quite clear you lack the brain power to process anything outside of violence and blindly obeying orders.” He ignored Unos’ rageful glare, proceeding. “With that being said, I suppose I could’ve continued to play, but in my research I’ve discovered that your organization is not playing by its own rules.”

Tres stepped himself out of the equation, taking a place next to Dos in the far corner of the room, where they could observe the fight without being in harm’s way.

“If you were following your own guidelines, then I suppose you would’ve had no need to kidnap that one just now,” he said, pointing to Xiael. “Using the Spirital, Lucien has slowly been draining energy from any of the competitors that are unfortunate enough to suffer defeat. Anyone with a half-decent knowledge of their own abilities could sense this. So why, tell me, if Xiael did not lose, would this be the case?”

“Heh,” Unos replied smarmily. “What’s it to you? This kid is just another irrelevant sacrifice for Lucien’s grand scheme; I’m simply following orders, but to be honest his life is of no meaning to me, nor is yours. I’ll gladly kill you both.”

Calle let the words sink in, noticing the blind hatred in Unos’ eyes. There was blood dripping down the side of the man’s left arm, a result of the wind-based attack Calle had used earlier. It was a lucky shot, but the pain did not seem to show at all. He had no doubt Unos was tough; surely Lucien would not employ someone who would be unable to hold up his end of the fight. But there was something frightening about him, his ruthlessness. “I suppose you’ve just discovered your own answer. Why, tell me, would I knowingly sit back and let one over-irritated, emotionally torn brat who can’t get his way take the lives of an innocent duelist?”

“What did you say?!” Unos became enraged, the childish insult causing the fury inside him to rise to almost visible levels. “The time for talking is over; it’s time for you to die!”

Swinging wildly right his right arm, Unos released a blast of pure, concentrated energy in Calle’s direction. Without moving, and in a bit of a blur from Unos’ perspective, Calle sliced the blast in half, causing it to dissipate.

[i]Whoa...[/i] Tres remarked. “How did he do that...?”

Dos, too, had noticed it. [i]Remarkable. There’s no way Unos would’ve seen that.[/i] “If he is unable to control his rage, he’ll be killed in no time. And I’ve no plans to offer him assistance.”

“Heh, don’t get so confident, you dodged one blast, I don’t even need to use a Stage to annihilate you!” He leapt into the air, swinging his hand once more, but this time firing two blasts instead of one, but in succession. Again, with no words, Calle was able to eradicate them both. “But how the hell is that possible?!”

Calle smirked. “It’s not often I offer advice to an adversary, but it’s not often I fight someone of such low intelligence, either. So listen here, because I’m only going to say this once. If you attempt to fight with nothing but blind rage, I promise you will die. Any long range attack you might employ, I will slice to pieces without hesitation. That, is my specialty. You said yourself my intelligence is what you recognized me for. Think about it like this, I don’t need to have significant power levels; sure you’ve got me beat in that regard.”

He noticed he’d gained Unos’ attention, but he was more intrigued by the fact that the two on the sidelines were listening as well. Both times he’d stopped the attack, the one they called Dos had a significant shift of focus. Even underneath the mask, it was clear that he was visibly shocked. “It’s just like in a duel. You don’t need to have the strongest cards, you just need to know how to take them down, bit by bit. You’re so focused on going straight for the kill and if you do, I’ll dodge every single one of your attacks.”

“Shut up, I don’t need your tutelage!” Unos snapped. Maybe he couldn’t hit Calle, but there was a target he could hit—Xiael. The brat was still helpless on the table, if he targeted him, surely Calle would be distracted enough that he’d be able to get a hit in.

[i]His arrogance will surely be his downfall. Calle’s ability to harness wind-based maneuvers give him a significant speed advantage. [/i]Dos could see clearly that Unos was paying no attention to this fact, a very important one at that. He was so focused on getting a shot in that he wasn’t taking any time to strategize. It was much different than Dos’ own fight with Calion, in which the two had engaged in a very strategic battle. Calion had started out the same way, brash, rushing into things, but he allowed himself to regain composure and developed a strategy.

It was that strategy that allowed Calion to win their first encounter. But that was another matter, and one that would resolve itself in due time. For now, Dos sat back to watch the battle continue.

“See if you can dodge this one!” Unos roared, firing another blast, but this time it wasn’t directed at Calle. No, the charged energy flew straight towards Xiael at a break-neck pace. [i]That’ll teach this punk to think he can outsmart me! Who’s the smart one now?[/i]

“No way, it can’t be!” Tres exclaimed aloud, noticing before Unos did as the stone table which Xiael had been resting on was blown to pieces from the force of Unos’ attack. “I didn’t even see him take a step!” The table had become a pile of rubble, but Xiael was safe and sound, propped against the wall, at a relatively safe distance. Calle stood in front of him, smirking. Tres made a fist, his palms shaking. [i]But how...if he had prepared himself to defend from Unos’ attack it’s one thing, but he didn’t even realize the target was...unles...[/i]

“No! No, no! You bastard, there’s no [i]way[/i] you could’ve seen that coming!” Unos exploded with anger, wildly firing a series of shots around the room without a single ounce of concern. His energy levels were off the charts, but there was no direction to his movements. “Don’t toy with me!”

Tres looked to Dos, appearing concerned. “This isn’t good! He’ll destroy the whole room at this point, we’ve gotta relocate!”

Dos nodded. “Right. Don’t worry, he doesn’t have enough range to hit us over here, but I suppose it’s better safe than sorry. He’s such an [i]idiot[/i].”

[i]Oh come on, this is getting a bit absurd. Aye.[/i] Calle shifted out of the way, but his concern wasn’t for himself, but Xiael. He was defenseless, and this wild flurry of attacks, there was no way to defend both Xiael and himself with a guaranteed success rate. “I’ll have to play defense for a moment. [i]Ayori Tengukaze[/i]!” A stream of wind tore up the area once more, but this time Calle’s target wasn’t his opponent, but one of the stone pillars. It shattered on contact, falling down in front of them, creating an oddly-structured barrier. It wouldn’t hold long, but if he could at least use the temporary distraction to move Xiael to another location...

“You can’t stop me, you couldn’t hope to!” Unos was spiraling around in a circle, firing shot after shot, blasting holes in the walls, the ceilings, and everything in between. There wasn’t a safe place to stand because of the falling rubble. He had lost sight of what he was actually trying to destroy, and just unleashing everything he had at once.

---

“If we don’t do something, he’s going to destroy the entire place,” Tres said. “I don’t want to help the enemy, but I’m not sure we have much of a choice right now.”

Dos turned his head, but offered no rebuttal. Those words...

[i]“I don'...I don't consider you an enemy. Nor an equal.” It was visibly obvious that even kneeling was extremely painful for him, but Calion carried on. “You do not understand the ways of this world or the one in which you came from. You almost killed me, and if you had, I suppose I would have deserved such a fate given my actions in the past, but you fight for all of the wrong reasons. You fight to kill because you believe you have been handed an unfair chance from the start, instead of taking what you do have and using it to make something of yourself. There is no such thing as destiny; life is what you make of it, and if you think taking out your anger on innocent people because they have it better than you do is the solution to your problem, then I don't have to kill you, because you will discover that you have already killed “you”. The “you” that is clamoring for something more than a meaningless existence as so many of us are, remains hidden inside your mind while the you that believes the only answer is revenge lives on the outside. And the longer the outside you continues his ways, the farther and farther the real you is pushed away, until it no longer exists.”[/i]

What Calion had said to him at the end of their fight. Could it be that Unos’ blind rage and aggression, his lack of anything but a desire to kill, did that spawn from his resentment? [i]Rushing so blindly into battle, fighting without a care for anyone or anything, does he even care about Master Lucien’s orders? Or does he simply use them as an opportunity to fight, to kill, to take out his anger for the suffering he and all of us have been forced to undergo? Killing innocent people, but aren’t all humans guilty? Guilt of subjecting us to this torture, the torture of being alone and lacking acceptance, is that not something we are justified to feel anger towards? I do not understand this confliction.[/i]

“You heard it from Unos himself, Tres; this is not our battle.” Dos said. “He does not wish to fight [i]for[/i] Master Lucien, he wishes to fight for the sake of fighting. And who are we to stop him? Let us make this fight as even as it can be.”

Tres shook his head, confused. “Huh? What are you suggesting?”

“The boy, Xiael. As long as he is in harm’s way, Calle will not fight to his fullest potential.” Dos explained. “Lend me your power; we shall shield him. This fight, it is what Unos desires and so we must let him do it.”

[i]Shield him?[/i] But why? Why would Dos want to rescue someone they were just about to kill, before this invader had shown up? The sudden change of heart, all of this was so weird. The thing was, he trusted Dos. Significantly his elder, the man knew what he was talking about, and he had not a doubt about his allegiance to Master Lucien. If he thought this was the best of ideas, then so be it. “{[i]1[sup]st[/sup] Stage: Okibi Be-ru; Blazing Veil[/i]}.”

---

What was that? The rising heat! Calle turned his attention to the boy as a barrier of flames encased him. The other two; they must have gotten involved somehow. [i]Damnit. I have to do something! Wait a second...[/i] The barrier wasn’t inflicting pain, rather acting as a shield. They were [i]helping[/i] him? Suddenly, he understood. It wasn’t that they were on his side, but that they realized the danger that Unos brought to the rest of them; he was the only one with the power to stop him, and if Xiael was temporarily safe, then he could fight without having to defend. [i]I hate to place any trust in the enemy, but it’s either that or we both die, so I’ve got to admit, it sounds like a slightly better option.[/i]

Soon enough, Unos would run out of power. Theoretically, Calle could stand his ground and let him run wild, but there were risks involved, too. Despite the expensive construction that went into the place, it wouldn’t hold up forever. Especially his power level continued to grow. He considered himself lucky that Unos wasn’t smart enough to actually play strategically; otherwise he might be in for some serious issues. That was his one advantage, but thinking of the proper way to strike and end the fight in one blow was easier said than done.

“You can’t hide from me forever, come out now and take your defeat like a man!” Unos continued to rage, firing blast after blast. But wait—Calle noticed something. He was only firing blasts with his right hand. There was no way he had done enough damage to the left arm to render it useless, so why wasn’t he firing twice as many? Did that have something to do with the attack? Restrictions? Interesting. That might have been his out. “Enough playing games! Now die!” Once more, he released a blast, but this one was just one long, fluid motion, an endless stream that shattered the pillar “barricade” in front of him. Unos noticed the shield protecting Xiael. That was...Tres’.

“So...you’re working against me now, are you?” Unos called them out, to no response. Tres held his ground, keeping his hands pressed together, maintaining the veil. No movement from Dos, either. Just a stern look in his eyes. “Are you just as weak as they are now?! The humans?! Fine, then I’ll kill you, too! Take this!”

“Not so fast.” Calle said, and it was at this moment his weapon became visible to Tres, for only a moment. A bow, crafted out of energy, so translucent in color that you could barely see it. From within, the arrows it fired were comprised of air, compressed so tightly that it struck like an actual arrow upon contact. He pulled back the string and released it, slicing through the blast before it reached Tres, and piercing Unos’ right arm at the same time. He howled in pain, almost losing his balance and falling to the floor.

[i]I saw it! For only a moment, but it was there, a weapon![/i] Tres almost cried out, but he’d realized that Dos had seen it as well. Unos had lost it, his anger pushing him to a place from which he could not return, so at this point it was best to keep quiet and let the fight continue, if it would happen at all. [i]How could he prepare it so quickly?[/i]

“That part is self-explanatory,” Dos said, reading Tres’ thoughts. “Throughout the course of his fight, he’s released bits of energy slowly to maintain the bow’s figure at all times. Because it’s a Rakurai-based weapon, he doesn’t have to physically hold it, he can control it using nothing but the energy stored inside him. What that means is, he can move and use other attacks, but save just enough so the weapon is always there. It’s a brilliant tactic.”

“But…how…” Unos grasped his right arm, shooting himself with a jolt of energy to close the wound. Any more bleeding and he would’ve been rendered unconscious. He hadn’t seen the weapon. “How are you...able to fight without...damn you!”

“In most cases, it’s had to do with your reckless intent,” Calle said. “Blocking your attacks and cutting them down with the wind was easy, but this time, I took a different approach. While it may have looked like I took your attack and split it in two, I aimed for your arm from the beginning.”

“My...arm...but...” He trailed off.

“You’re wondering how I was able to figure out that the source of your random energy blasts is limited to your right arm,” Calle interrupted. “While you were spinning around up there, not once did you move your left arm, and I didn’t do enough damage to it to make it so you would be unable. If you could use your left arm [i]and[/i] your right arm for attacks, you would’ve been able to fire twice as many, and it would’ve led to things picking up far more quickly. But instead, you completely snapped, and it was basic math from there.”

“Don’t think you’ve got me beaten!” Unos stood up, ripping the piece of blood-soaked fabric from his uniform and throwing it onto the ground. “It took that much for you to stop me without even using a Stage-based technique, and in that case, the real fight begins now!”

[i]He’s forced Unos to resort to using his Stages...[/i] Tres got shaky once more. [i]If that happens, I don’t know how long I’ll be able to maintain this barrier. It’s hard enough as it is with such a powerful amount of spiritual pressure, but...if this fight gets any more intense, it might mean the end for all of us.[/i]

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

[Randomflyingobjects]

Now there's a good fight scene. Not so complicated that you forget who's who, but not so simple that I lost interest. Plus, it wasn't a directly even battle (Like Calion vs Dos), but one player was clearly better. (Calle) Plus, I can see exactly where Dos and Tres stand. Not with the good guys, but not too terribly evil.

I'm still confused about Xiael. So, he's badly hurt, sure, but they mentioned that they were going to 'kill him anyway'. I don't really understand that concept.

Another thing: These guys can use Rakurai without using Stage moves, right? So how come Sora, Kenji, and Calion [i]always [/i]use stage moves?

Anywho, nice going with the fight scene, and I'll be glad to see more.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1357873941' post='6117763']
Now there's a good fight scene. Not so complicated that you forget who's who, but not so simple that I lost interest. Plus, it wasn't a directly even battle (Like Calion vs Dos), but one player was clearly better. (Calle) Plus, I can see exactly where Dos and Tres stand. Not with the good guys, but not too terribly evil.

[i]Basically, yeah. And the fight's not over yet, either. Eventually, Dos and Tres will have to get involved, right? Lucien wouldn't want Calle to escape alive, so there's going to be some conflict there that should definitely test their loyalty.[/i]

I'm still confused about Xiael. So, he's badly hurt, sure, but they mentioned that they were going to 'kill him anyway'. I don't really understand that concept.

[i]Think of Unos as an early-stage Grimmjow. As much as I've tried to stray away from Bleach as we move further into the story, Grimmjow is a good representation of someone who basically lives to fight. Unos has no remorse and has no problem killing anyone and everyone; it's what he does. They weren't literally going to kill Xiael, they were going to do what they've done to the other duelists who have lost and drain all the Rakurai from his body, leaving him in a completely mortal state without his body realizing that the Rakurai was gone. I.e., he basically becomes so weak that even the smallest of attacks would kill him. Because Calle interrupted, they weren't able to do that, but he's still unconscious because of the duel and the start of that process.[/i]

Another thing: These guys can use Rakurai without using Stage moves, right? So how come Sora, Kenji, and Calion [i]always [/i]use stage moves?

[i]Yes, they can. At least, the more experienced ones. Stage moves are like, I guess "Jutsu", to make another Anime reference, in the sense that they're powerful attacks, but they can do other things as well. Calion is experienced but he's still learning at the same time; he doesn't have the level of experience that Calle does and we'll learn why soon enough. [/i]

Anywho, nice going with the fight scene, and I'll be glad to see more.
[/quote]

Thanks, I appreciate the response! Hoping to get Episode 50 posted over the weekend, but it's a big episode that will involve a lot of hype so I don't want to take any chances.

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

Cool beans, I don't think anyone has any quarrels with your writing of fight scenes; they're what you do best, frankly.

I like that the El Nombre Trio are getting more and more character. I was afraid they'd be a standard Quirky Miniboss Squad with one overarching personality and would be practically interchangeable. Most definitely not the case now, and it's nice to see that power and skill aren't always equated. Would be nice to see Unos doing more than just energy bolts, but that's the point you're at now, isn't it? I want to see more Stage moves, they all seem really cool.

Is this battle the final one of the arc? I'm not sure if it's major enough, but I'm sure you have something to make it more influential. Otherwise you'd have ended it after Sora's duel. That would've racked up lots of tension, but I trust you know what you are doing.