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

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

Okay, let me get this straight. The Queen was good all along. The Queen, who sent not one, but two people, one of which was hosting the spirit of the prime antagonist of this story (I guess), to kill Calion, suddenly gives him the Spirital, just like that, no motivation, no reason given, nothing at all. Excuse me if I ponder the remains of my willing suspension of disbelief.

 

The whole thing is rushed. I had to look back to check that Calion had broken the Spirital, because it was mentioned in about 4 words in a very short paragraph. It could have been drawn out, it could have been explained more, and now this whole arc seems (with the exception of the exposition given by Allier) rather pointless, to be honest.

 

I think that before I might have gotten my criticism slightly the wrong way around. You don't deliberately write short chapters, you just miss detail that you, as the writer, can live without, because you know the story inside out, but we, as readers, might need, as we are prone to missing things, forgetting details and generally being a bit thick. It is sometimes necessary to over-explain, to repeat points, and to emphasise important events so that this doesn't feel like the summary of a story, it seems like a story in its own right.

 

That's all for now, and despite my words, I am really looking forward to new chapters. Always. But what kind of comment would this be without some feedback?

[Synchronized]

Trust me, I'm well aware of the lack of simplicity in the whole thing. Umbra and I did a lot of talking about this whole stance before I posted it, and even started the writing process.  The Queen has been Scarlet all along - however it was done intentionally and I purposely waited to reveal the motives behind it.  Keep in mind that Calion has to go back to the human world at this point to finish things up - before the final battle takes place (and this is a bit of a spoiler), we're going to learn the reasoning behind it.

 

As much as you may think I'm not a fan of criticism - I love it.  And you responded EXACTLY the way I was hoping.  I wanted people to sit there and wonder why everything happened so quickly to make the backstory more meaningful.  So when you read it and sit there you think back and say "oh, so THAT'S why that happened".  It was done on purpose and I'm actually pleasantly surprised to see that you're not afraid to hold back on criticism - truthfully you're one of my favorite readers and I always look forward to your responses because you take the time to go through and really break things down.  I joke with you sometimes, but I'm really grateful and I hope you carry over to Series II, without a doubt.

 

I do understand the 'shortness' of it all, but to keep you waiting since it's going to be another Chapter and a half before that part of the story is all brought together, think about this - Scarlet's mysterious disappearance and her association with the El Nombre trio - remember she called off Unos' attack, when he would've likely killed Calion and the others.  There were subtle hints dropped there to show that she wasn't exactly evil.  Also remember that while the duel with Allier was going on on the outside, she (and everyone else) through camers were well aware of what was going on.

 

So it wasn't as 'random' as it seems if you break it down.

[Umbra]

I'm going to have to agree with Eon here, and I know that we've talked about this in the past; this disconnect between reader and author. I mean, thanks to our extensive planning I know pretty much exactly what's going to happen, but the average reader is going to have a very limited scope as to what is actually relevant or not. Piecing together the puzzle seems like an easy task on your end, but to someone who is only fed the story in the order that you write it, it's not easy. 

 

It's not even a matter of "breaking it down", it's a matter of knowing everything in the story. You have been doing a fair bit of worldbuilding in this series, especially leading up to Accel II. You know the world, and the story, much better than anyone else. When you write the chapters, you live and breathe D-Accel; you create the world itself. This information seems natural to you, something that doesn't have to be explained, but to a reader who only gets to inhale D-Accel every now and then, they only get small sips. It doesn't make as much intuitive sense.

[Synchronized]

I'm going to have to agree with Eon here, and I know that we've talked about this in the past; this disconnect between reader and author. I mean, thanks to our extensive planning I know pretty much exactly what's going to happen, but the average reader is going to have a very limited scope as to what is actually relevant or not. Piecing together the puzzle seems like an easy task on your end, but to someone who is only fed the story in the order that you write it, it's not easy. 

 

It's not even a matter of "breaking it down", it's a matter of knowing everything in the story. You have been doing a fair bit of worldbuilding in this series, especially leading up to Accel II. You know the world, and the story, much better than anyone else. When you write the chapters, you live and breathe D-Accel; you create the world itself. This information seems natural to you, something that doesn't have to be explained, but to a reader who only gets to inhale D-Accel every now and then, they only get small sips. It doesn't make as much intuitive sense.

 

I agree, and I'm aware that both of you guys are right.  I think the amount of time I've put into the series and developing a story and like you said, worldbuilding.  

 

I do apologize for any confusion and I'm going to make sure to put more effort in going forth to make sure you guys have a better understanding.

[Randomflyingobjects]

How, exactly, did all you guys miss that and I not? Smashing the Spirital to the ground was not what I was expecting, but it did happen. Though I am a bit confused; Calion smashes the Spirital and jumps in... what? What does he jump in? The spirital blows up, but I didn't see any mention of anything that Calion could jump into. It's all confusing.

 

As for Scarlet, the last I remember is her showing up way before the first duel with the Mr. Number People (just putting it out there). She was banded together with Lucien and stuff, so how did she become queen of the spirit world and suddenly join forces with Calion? Bit confusing.

[Synchronized]

How, exactly, did all you guys miss that and I not? Smashing the Spirital to the ground was not what I was expecting, but it did happen. Though I am a bit confused; Calion smashes the Spirital and jumps in... what? What does he jump in? The spirital blows up, but I didn't see any mention of anything that Calion could jump into. It's all confusing.

 

As for Scarlet, the last I remember is her showing up way before the first duel with the Mr. Number People (just putting it out there). She was banded together with Lucien and stuff, so how did she become queen of the spirit world and suddenly join forces with Calion? Bit confusing.

 

I'm not sure what you were asking what we missed.  

 

Smashing the Spirital (well the piece of it) released a massive amount of Rakurai at once, plain and simple.  It's like when Calle and Tres achieved D-Accel, and there was just that huge burst of light all at once and Calle jumped into it.

 

If you remember, I specifically mentioned that she wasn't banded together with Lucien at all.  In fact, I remember mentioning that Lucien didn't even know she had ordered them to call off their attack.  Her motives behind it will be explained in 72 (71 features a duel), and it'll make more sense.  Still, I did make a mistake by assuming that people would catch on to more than I did because I already know what's going on.

 

I'll do my best to clear that up.

[Randomflyingobjects]

I'm not sure what you were asking what we missed.  

 

Smashing the Spirital (well the piece of it) released a massive amount of Rakurai at once, plain and simple.  It's like when Calle and Tres achieved D-Accel, and there was just that huge burst of light all at once and Calle jumped into it.

Smashing the Spirital was the thing that everybody was complaining that they missed because it was only briefly explained. I do agree that it wasn't very long, but I was saying that I noticed the spirital getting smashed as it happened, as opposed to having to re-read stuff. I suppose I wasn't clear on that.

[Synchronized]

Smashing the Spirital was the thing that everybody was complaining that they missed because it was only briefly explained. I do agree that it wasn't very long, but I was saying that I noticed the spirital getting smashed as it happened, as opposed to having to re-read stuff. I suppose I wasn't clear on that.

 

I gotcha.  The plus side is, with Accel II (which I hope you guys will be sticking around for), Umbra and I have done hours upon hours of planning, everything is broken down into separate arcs and there won't be all sorts of mystery like there was with this one, at least not in the "confusing" context.  I'm really excited to finish this up so we can get to work on the new series. :D

[Synchronized]

And after a few days break, here's 71...only 4 episodes left now...
 
[spoiler=Episode 71: Clash of the Elements]
 
Finally, after years and years of waiting and planning, of using everything he had to maintain a patient attitude, Lucien Grasciou was going to see his most elite of plots move forward.  Understandably so, he’d forged doubts of those below him, the El Nombre trio.  While they had always proved to be valiant warriors, they were not blindly loyal, even if that was the image they gave off on the surface.
 
Dos, he had always been the type to quietly and calmly lead the rest of the group.  The level-headed one, who could more than hold his own both in duels and in hand-to-hand combat.  An effective leader and a great soldier, no doubt.  But surely to maintain that calm demeanor it took a significant amount of patience and withholding on his part.  Lucien had always wondered if that would catch up to him, and so it did.  Dos, the strongest of warriors, had suffered defeat to the one they call Kiryu.  Other than his name, Lucien knew nothing about him, or the role he played in this.  He was told to simply stay out of it, and let the boy’s interference play out.
 
Tres, he was always nice, respectful, just the right amount of fearful.  The tactical strategist of the three, Tres’ skills were not in his combat but in his dueling – he was an expert, and rightfully so.  The amount of time he’d spent practicing and honing his skills should have more than gotten him to that point.  But at the same time, it was obvious that the boy was pure-hearted.  He did not have it in him to do whatever was necessary for the cause – he would often show resistance and battle with his own inner emotions.  He assumed it was only a matter of time before Tres had betrayed or gone against him, and it appeared that now even in blind loyalty the Spirit had joined the other side.
 
Episode 71: Clash of the Elements
 
Unos, on the other hand, was extremely temperamental and always had been.  He’d had no fear of speaking his mind, and didn’t pretend to be intimidated by or even respect Lucien.  Not in the slightest.  But as irritating as the soldier could sometimes be, he always produced results.  There were in fact times that Lucien had worried about Unos straying off on his own, but in time he learned to realize that the warrior would always come back.  Why?
 
Well that was a question unanswered, but it didn’t matter.  Even in his duel with Calion, Unos had strayed away from the original objective and dueled him in the Valley of Souls, but it didn’t matter.  He won the duel and got rid of Calion in the process, eliminating him from the equation.  At this point, very little of the resistance remained – and Unos had finally caught up with them.  He was much stronger now after his victory over Calion, which in turn left the rest of the resistance without a solid leader.  Calle Anden, Xiael, and Kiryu, that was all they had left – and none of them were any match for Unos.
 
 
Taking a sip of his chardonnay, he sat back and smiled.  He’d allow the rest of this to play out un-interrupted, and once Unos had done away with the rest of them; he could finally step in and achieve his ultimate goal.
 
---
 
In the days that had passed since Calion’s disappearance, the rest of the resistance had managed to gather together.  Calle and Xiael were re-united, only this time, Calle’s noticeably more mature look was a direct result of his fusion with Tres.  He filled them in on the happenings of D-Accel, and at the same time, Xiael shared their story of the encounter with Marionn.  Calle had his doubts about Kiryu’s loyalty, what with the man’s arrogant attitude, but if he had saved Xiael, then there was no reason to believe he was not on their side.
 
With Calion’s disappearance, this was all they had left.  It wasn’t even Kiryu and Xiael who had discovered Calion’s defeat – it was Tres himself.  They were still working out the kinks of the mind-communication, but they were getting the hang of it no less.  Tres had been able to sense through Spirit Connections that Calion had lost his duel to Unos, and as a result ended up in the Valley of Souls, the Underworld, so-to-speak.  After a while their signal with Calion’s whereabouts had vanished – they had no idea where he was anymore, but he was not here, and he could not help them.
 
It had only been moments ago that Unos had arrived – the only spirit remaining.  He was powerful, no questions about it.  If he had been able to defeat Calion in a duel, the guy wasn’t a joke at all.  Something about his appearance had been different since the last time they had seen him, though.  The half-mask that covered his face had been torn and tattered.  It remained, but not the same as before.  The side of his face as well had been warped, changed by the energy levels that had increased all over his body from absorbing Calion’s duel energy upon defeating him.
 
None of them could match him physically – at least not right now.  There was no way Calle could awaken D-Stage, especially when they didn’t understand a damn thing about it, and Kiryu was still recovering as well.  Xiael’s refusal to use Rakurai and lack of experience eliminated him from that equation too.
 
Which is why it shocked everyone when the boy was the first one to step up and issue the challenge.
 
“I don’t know whether to feel insulted or pity,” Unos quipped, activating his duel disk.  “That a measly little brat like you thinks you can hold a candle to me.  I could crush you right now, but I think a duel might be more fun.  Besides, there’s three of you – I can duel one and just kill the others.” 
 
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that mate,” Xiael said, stepping back as he activated his own duel disk, causing the virtual reality link to establish itself.  “But I guess talking about it ain’t gonna change things, is it?”
 
“Xiael, are you sure about this?” Calle interrupted.  “We’ve only just regrouped and...he’s not like the others.  He’s extremely strong.”
 
Xiael shook his head, giving Calle and Kiryu a ‘thumbs up’ in response.  “This is where we’re at now; we’re all gonna have to fight one way or another, and since the two of you have already done your fair share, it’s only fair I contribute too.  If I can beat this guy, then none of us will have to fight.  We’ll do it in Calion’s honor – and Sora’s as well.”
 
“In Calion’s honor?” Unos scowled.  “I hope for the sake of entertainment that you provide more of a challenge than he did, otherwise I’m just wasting my time.  No matter, we’ve already begun.  So let’s duel!”
 
---
 
“No point in standing around, ha!  I’ll make the first move!” Xiael exclaimed, drawing his starting hand.  “And I’ll start by activating the Earthbound Temple Field Spell Card!”
 
[spoiler=Earthbound Temple]
Field Spell Card
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]
 
“Thanks to my Field Spell, I don’t have to worry about a defense, which is a relief seeing as I only run a total of three monsters here,” Xiael said.  “And since it’s my Main Phase, I can Special Summon a “Boulder Token” to my side of the field!  Then, I’ll throw down a face-down and end it.”
 
“Hold up,” Kiryu turned to Calle.  “He only runs three monsters?  What kind of Deck is that?  He’s going to get absolutely annihilated out there!”
 
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Calle replied.  “While it’s true that there’s some big risks to his style of play, there’s also some significant rewards.  Just sit back and watch, it’s all a part of his game play.  The kid’s an impressive duelist.”
 
“Yeah...well I hope you’re right,” he said.  “Because if he loses, this isn’t just losing a duel anymore.”  His concern had genuinely grown after hearing it – he would’ve stepped in to duel himself.  Without a doubt he would’ve had a better chance.  They didn’t need to lose anyone else.
 
He may be arrogant on the surface, but it seems Kiryu’s taken a liking to Xiael.  And understandably so – he’s a good-hearted kid.  Calle stood strong.  He could sense Tres’ presence, but the Spirit was quiet, watching his former ally duel.
 
“What a pathetic move, I’ll go now.  And I begin by activating this, the Spell Card Fire Formation – Tenki!”  As the circle of flames surrounded them, Unos pressed the button on his duel disk as a card popped out.  “With it, I’m able to turn up the heat, and take Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Bear from my Deck to my hand!  Next, I’ll bring Bear to the field in attack mode (1600)!”
 
The armored warrior took a fighting stance, with the feint outlines of a bear spirit behind him.  “Don’t think Bear’s just for show either, because now by activating his effect, I can send Fire Formation – Tenki to the Graveyard to destroy your Boulder Token!  Go, Flame Brigade!” 
 
The heat was real – no doubt about that.  Even Calle and Kiryu felt it on the sidelines as the boulder was shattered effortlessly into a pile of crumbled rock.  “Damn, that’s not good.”  Xiael tried to fan the flames away from him to reduce the pain.
 
“And that was only the beginning, because now Fire Fist Bear can attack your Life Points directly!  Go, strike him against with Pyro Slash!”  In a spiraling formation, the warrior drove his claws right into Xiael’s shoulder, drawing blood as the boy tried to stay on his feet.
 
Xiael’s LP: 2400
 
“Damnit, he’s gonna get himself killed out there,” Kiryu muttered quietly.  Calle heard him, but didn’t turn his head.  “How can you just be okay with standing there and watching this?  Isn’t he supposed to be your friend?”
 
“Look, I don’t want to see anything bad happen to him either, but you’re not looking at the big picture,” Calle replied.  “We don’t really have another option – eventually we’re all going to have to fight him, and he’s the only one with the strength to do it one on one right now.  So either we get killed and he has to fight him alone, or we take this time to recover our strength and hope for the best.  If he loses the duel he’ll lose all of his Rakurai, but at least he’ll still be alive – if only barely.  But let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
 
“Had enough yet?” Unos asked, smiling.  Xiael shook his head.  “We’ll have to change that, then.  I’ll set two cards face-down and end my turn.”
 
That hurt, but I’ve still got plenty of fight left in me.  We’re just getting started.  He drew.  “Alright, first things first I’m activating the effect of my Earthbound Temple to place another Boulder Token on the field!”  Another circular rock, plain as day, materialized in front of him.  “But let’s not forget, Earthbound Temple gets a Stone Counter from the Token you took out last turn.”  One of the spherical orbs along the top of the temple lit up, piquing Unos’ interest.
 
“Huh?  What’s up with the circle?  Why’s it glowing?” He demanded.
 
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”  Xiael said.  “Maybe you shouldn’t be so quick to rush into things.  Anyway, it’s not important now, but what is, is the Spell Card I’m activating next!  Blasting Gear!”
 
[spoiler=Blasting Gear]
Normal Spell Card
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]
 
As three more stones materialized next to the one that was already there, Unos couldn’t help but smile.  “This is your pathetic excuse for a strategy?  A large pile of rocks?  I don’t care how many Tokens you place on your field, I’ll take them all out!”
 
“I hate to agree with the enemy, but Unos is right,” Kiryu said.  “If he’s just going to sit on those Tokens it’ll be no time at all before he’s out of Life Points.”
 
“Just watch,” Calle said.  “Stop being so quick to judge.”
 
Xiael wasn’t so doubtful.  “We’ll see what happens, give it your best shot.”
 
“As you wish,” he replied.  “I draw!  And since you can’t seem to do much else but sit on those poor excuses for monsters, I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity to crush you!  I Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Dragon (1800)!  But then, I’m activating one of my Set cards, Fire Formation – Tensu!”  Another circle of flames surrounded them, this one only slightly different.  “With Tensu active, I can summon another Fire Fist monster this turn!  So I’ll go ahead and bring out Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Snake (1800)!”
 
Three monsters in one turn?  This should be fun.  With four Tokens, he was safe for now, but that was some serious firepower.  No pun intended.
 
“But they’re not just for show!  Besides, like I showed you last turn, Bear has more than just one use!  By sending Tensu to the Graveyard, one of your Tokens goes bye-bye!”  Unos ordered another attack, this time with all three.  “And now, I can take out the rest of your Tokens with Bear, Dragon, and Snake!  Go Searing Tri-Attack!”
 
As the tokens were destroyed, four more lights lit up atop the temple, bringing the total to five.  Unos noticed it too, but only after the smoke cleared.
 
“Thanks for that, because you’ve allowed me to activate my Trap Card!  Magna Pressure Force!”
 
[spoiler=Magna Pressure Force]
Normal Trap Card
Activate only when a Rock-Type monster is destroyed; place 1 Stone Counter on a face-up “Earthbound Temple” you control for each Rock-Type monster destroyed during this turn.[/spoiler]
 
Four more lights lit up.  Now nine in total.  And his real plays could get going here.  “That was impressive, but give me a chance to show you what I can do!  Before your turn ends, the effect of my Blasting Gear kicks in, which lets me add a Rock-Type monster from my Deck to my hand!  So come on, Megarock Dragon (?)!”
 
“Too bad,” Unos spat.  “You can’t even summon it, how worthless!”
 
“I beg to differ.  Check it out, I’ll demonstrate!”  He drew a card.  “It’s my move, and this is where the effect of my Earthbound Temple comes into play! If I summon a monster that needs me to banish monsters from the Graveyard, I can use counters from the Temple instead!  So we’ll go with...say...eight?”
 
“The hell?!”  Unos shrieked.
 
“Come on out, Megarock Dragon!”  From the depths of the earth around them, the ground began to shake as the menacingly large dragon revealed itself, roaring and screeching at the top of its lungs.  (700 * 8 = 5600)
 
Kiryu stood in awe – and Calle flashed a smile.  “So this is what you were talking about...”
 
“Hey Unos, check out what this ‘giant pile of rocks’ is capable of!  Megarock Dragon, take out his Fire Fist Snake with Foundation Beam!”  The dragon opened its mouth wide, charging a blast of energy, firing it straight across the field.  The attack tore open a crevice in the ground and smashed into Unos at the same time.  The warrior cried out in pain.
 
Unos’ LP: 200
 
“Oh man, he almost took him out in one shot,” Kiryu said, jaw-dropped.  He couldn’t believe what he had just seen, and Calle was in a similar boat.  In fact, processing what had happened was still taking him a minute.  “I guess you were right after all.”
 
Calle nodded, but even he hadn’t expected Xiael to do that much damage in a single turn. 
After an attack like that, would Unos even be able to stand? 
 
“It seems as though this boy wasn’t joking when he said he was the best suited to duel,” Tres said.  “Unos is as tough as they come, yet I can sense that he had no idea that attack was coming – it was not a part of his plan.”
 
 I guess it’s all about the follow-up then, Calle noted.  He and Tres were still getting used to the fact that their minds were now one.  It was interesting – the ability to communicate, but not out loud.  It was a new dynamic, and everything had happened so quickly, but it was meant to happen, and so they accepted it.  With that being said, exploring the reasons behind their fusion was definitely an importance, but it could wait.  This was far more so.
 
“That’s not going to be enough to defeat me,” Unos said, spitting blood on the dirt as he willed himself to his feet.  He’d been slammed hard from the attack – his face had been scarred badly.  But his power level was still quite high – there was no noticeable drop, and he didn’t seem concerned at all about the behemoth staring him down.
 
He’s still standing... Xiael wondered how strong his opponent truly was.  To stand up so easily after taking an attack like that, he was definitely not normal, Spirit or otherwise.  And his confidence further suggested that he had a way to take the dragon down, which would not bode well for them.  “I didn’t think you’d be able to stand so quickly, but I’m good with this.” He said, setting one card.
 
“Didn’t think I would be able to stand up?”  Unos asked rhetorically.  “I’m insulted that you think you actually have the strength to keep me down!  Think about this, Calion, a duelist leagues better than the likes of you, was absolutely nothing compared to me.  So how do you expect yourself to fare any better?  It’s simple, you can’t!”
 
“Aye, you’re wastin’ your time if you think I’m gonna fall for some mind game, mate.”  He replied, smiling.  “So if you think you can counter-attack, go ahead and give it your best shot.”
 
“Be careful what you wish for,” he smirked.  “I draw!  And just like I suspected, I activate the Spell Card Fire Formation – Tenrai!”
 
[spoiler=Fire Formation – Tenrai]
Continuous Spell Card
During the turn this card is activated, “Fire Fist” monsters you control cannot be targeted by the effects of Spell and Trap Cards.  All Beast-Warrior-Type monsters you control gain 300 ATK.[/spoiler]
 
“Another one of those Spell Cards?” Xiael sighed.
 
“Of course it is, but this one is far more powerful for reasons I’m about to display,” Unos said.  “During the turn Tenrai is activated, you can’t target “Fire Fist” monsters with Spell or Trap Cards, which means that my next play can go through uninterrupted!  Since I have two Level 4 monsters on the field, I can build the Overlay Network, and in doing so I can Xyz Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Tiger King (2200)!”
 
Unlike his brethren, this warrior was different.  Clad in royal golden armor, the man-beast emerged on the field, carrying the spirit of a vicious tiger behind him.  His razor-sharp claws were released and ready for battle.  (Tiger King = 2200 + 300 = 2500)
 
Is that the card he used to defeat Calion?  Sure looks like it could be.  Calle thought to himself.

“This is the end for you, now you will pay the price for your arrogance!  Tiger King, activate your special ability!” Unos commanded, as one of the spheres hovering around the beast vanished into a portal.  “With this, Tiger King’s effect kicks in, negating the effect(s) of all monsters on the field for the turn that aren’t Beast-Warrior-Type monsters!”
 
“Uh-oh, this ain’t good!”  He exclaimed.  Negating the effects would make Megarock Dragon’s effect null and void, leaving it with 0 attack points.  “His Spell Cards have made it too powerful...”
 
“Now you see, you were never a match for me,” Unos cackled.  “Your dragon has been rendered useless, go, Tiger King, destroy his Megarock Dragon and end this duel!”
 
“Damnit, he’s going to lose!” Kiryu called out.  “And there’s nothing we can do about it!”
 
The attack struck, and the tumbling pile of stones crashed into Xiael’s body, knocking him out.  The last thing he remembered was the fade to black.
 
Xiael’s LP: 0
 
To be continued...[/spoiler]

[Randomflyingobjects]

Spoiler: There goes Xiael.

 

In my opinion, if Xiael has a deck with a whoppin' THREE monsters, you'd think that he'd have a Negate Attack at least. Really, anything from Mirror Force to Gravity Bind would've been helpful. Unless every card he owns is geared toward summoning one of three cards, what is he wasting his time with? If I were running that deck, I think I'd have a dozen Trap cards hanging out in there for backup.

 

On a different note, when does this take place? Obviously not after the previous episode, where Calion pulled out the D-Stage Maneuver that lets him break the rules of the physics. Then again, practically every chapter breaks the laws of physics one way or another. But really, Calion should have swooped in last second to save the day. I'm getting sick of Unos winning- he already beat two main characters, so Calion's rematch had better not be delayed any longer. Or you could refrain from putting anybody else against Unos until Calion shows up. Either way works.

[Synchronized]

Spoiler: There goes Xiael.
 
In my opinion, if Xiael has a deck with a whoppin' THREE monsters, you'd think that he'd have a Negate Attack at least. Really, anything from Mirror Force to Gravity Bind would've been helpful. Unless every card he owns is geared toward summoning one of three cards, what is he wasting his time with? If I were running that deck, I think I'd have a dozen Trap cards hanging out in there for backup.
 
On a different note, when does this take place? Obviously not after the previous episode, where Calion pulled out the D-Stage Maneuver that lets him break the rules of the physics. Then again, practically every chapter breaks the laws of physics one way or another. But really, Calion should have swooped in last second to save the day. I'm getting sick of Unos winning- he already beat two main characters, so Calion's rematch had better not be delayed any longer. Or you could refrain from putting anybody else against Unos until Calion shows up. Either way works.

Basically, the episode takes place on the same exact timeline as Calion leaving the Valley of Souls.  He has to travel between the two worlds (much like Ichigo's traveling through the Garganta, but I didn't want to draw MORE Bleach references), but yeah.  It would've been cliche to have Calion show up out of nowhere.  And with four Chapters left, Unos' resolution is about to happen.

 

He has to be built up strong, he's the strongest of the El Nombre and (at this point) a rogue warrior.

[Aerion Brightflame]

Just something I noticed whilst reading the chapter.

 

Unless I missed something whilst reading the cards used... What possible reason is there that he wouldn't go all out for the kill by removing the 9 counters instead of 8? I mean, yes there was a face down, but it would have seemed better that he uses all 9 counters, and then something like Tensen saves Unos instead. Since, well he didn't even target Bear for the attack, so Megarock was more than likely going to get popped. And given that Xiael set a card, it still makes more sense for him to go all out.

 

It seemed kinda like bad foresight on his part, and kinda made the duel... unexciting. I'm all for Unos beating him down, but I'd rather it be that Unos does out play him, not that Xiael makes bad plays. Well, from my view of it.

 

Also, I doubt Xiael is gone, given you emphasize the fact he has 3 monsters in his deck, and unless I've missed something, he'd still only showed two of them. And I'd assume you wouldn't emphasize it if it weren't going to show up.Especially since in this chapter, you mentioned it out of nowhere really.

 

Anyhow, sorry for sounding negative on it, since it was otherwise a good chapter, as have the ones before now that I haven't commented on. Just... this is the final few chapters, so things should step up a gear in terms of moves. In my view anyhow.

[Synchronized]

@Barty, I'll write up a full reply to your post tomorrow.  Way too tired now, but I wanted to get this posted.

 

Episode 72 is done, and with almost 5,000 words it's the longest Chapter I've ever written, and also one of my favorites.  Hope you guys like it!

 

[spoiler=Episode 72: The Pre-Finale, Part One]

 

He couldn’t see much – but Xiael knew he was still alive, if just barely.  Sweat was dripping from his forehead.  Or was it blood?  He couldn’t tell.  His vision had become so blurred that even when he wiped it with his hand to try and see, he couldn’t tell one way or the other.  Rustling and other noises nearby, they had become a blur as well – but he knew the others were still there, and still alive.  He could feel it, Calle and Kiryu both.  Unos as well.

 

The Rakurai had been drained from his body – somewhere in the time he’d blacked out, all in a matter of seconds, nearly all of it was gone.  Not that he’d used it anyway, but it left him feeling weak, helpless even.  Rakurai strengthened the body and changed the way the cells worked, too.  By taking it away in such a way, the body couldn’t react to the changes, and would continue to try and perform at a high level.  A level which – without Rakurai – it could not sustain.  That was the effect of the Spirital, and though he’d escaped it once before, losing the duel had made that a reality.

 

Unos said himself that they were no match for Calion, and if Calion was no match for him, then what chance did they stand?  At least he’d given it his best shot...but he couldn’t even move now.  It looked like this might be the end.

 

Episode 72: The Pre-Finale, Part One

 

“Pathetic,” Unos scowled.  “And to think the two of you actually believed in this kid’s ability to win.  Let’s be honest, we’re all intelligent here – that’s just not realistic.”

 

The sound of Unos’ voice and the way he tore into Xiael caused Kiryu to rattle with rage.  He looked to Calle, who tried to calm him down, before turning his attention back to Unos.  They could sense that Xiael was still alive, but his condition was not good, not at all.  He had lost all of his Rakurai, what made it so his body was conditioned to handle as much as he could.

 

Even though he refused to fight with it based on the promise he made, it was still a method of protection.  A method of protection he was now without.  And Kiryu blamed himself for not stepping in.

 

“I bet you think you’re untouchable, don’t you?” Kiryu growled, stepping forward and cringing as the pain in his left shoulder began to act up.  “Let’s see you take me on, then.”

 

“Don’t be an idiot,” Calle stopped him.  “You can barely move without hurting yourself, there’s no way you could survive a duel with him right now.”

 

“Ha! I’m amused that you think it matters, you simple-minded fool!”  Enraged, Unos lowered his duel disk.  “You’ve reached the end!  All of this pathetic fighting and nonsense, it’s done with!  I can’t afford to waste my time with you anymore, when all the while I could be increasing my power exponentially!  What I can do...the things I will be able to achieve, they are limitless!  Now it’s time I kill the two of you!  {1^st Stage—”

 

About to release his gravitationally-influenced weapon, Unos stopped in his tracks, feeling the point of a sword press into his back.  How had he been caught off guard like that?  Who could...

 

“I’d be careful before you make such a rash decision; after all, exhausting your energy when this fight has not yet begun is, as you put it, simple-minded.”  The man behind the sword was the last person he’d expected to see.  Calion.  But the voice was indistinguishable. 

 

“You...” Unos scowled once again.  “You were dead, I killed you!  How have you returned here?”

 

Calle was stunned – and Kiryu on the other hand clueless – at the revelation.  It was Calion, live and in the flesh.  “So he’s back.  Looks like this story’s still got a few twists and turns left after all.”

 

The Spirit was completely refreshed – all of his wounds had healed and he was sporting a new get-up, complete with silver and blue armor that looked like something out of a futuristic hero novel.  His sword had returned to normal, having used the rest of his time in D-Stage to break through the portal back to this world, but he was at full strength now.  “I could kill you right here, but I won’t.  And you know I won’t.  Because I’ve been waiting all this time for a rematch, Unos.”

 

“Heh, you want me to kill you a second time?” He asked.  “You may have cheated Death once but you won’t be so lucky now!”

 

“I’m glad to see he’s returned.”  Kiryu interjected.  “On that note, I’ll be on my way.”

 

“Hold on, what?!” Calle asked, shocked.  “You’re leaving...now?”

 

Kiryu nodded.  “I’m sorry, but I’ve done all I came to do.  You made it here safely and you’ve got your group back.  Unfortunately, I have some serious business to attend to.”

 

“Right now in the middle of this war?!  How could you be so –”

 

“Let him go, Calle,” Calion said.  “Kiryu, thank you for keeping them safe.  Best of luck with whatever it is you seek.”  They shared a nod of mutual respect, and Kiryu was off.  Calion couldn’t help but wonder to where...

 

---

 

“Since you got the honor of beating me last time, I think I’ll go first this time around.  So here goes! I summon Heraldic Beast Leo (2000)!” Calion said as the golden-mane of Leo shone on the field. “You’re lucky I can’t attack this turn, cause Leo would love nothing more than to tear your ugly ass to shreds, but I can wait.  I’ll set one card face down and end my turn.”

 

 “But hold on, why would he summon a monster like that knowing it was going to be destroyed during the end phase?  It doesn’t make any sense.”  Calle wondered aloud.

 

“Sure I lose Leo, but that’s alright, because when Leo goes to the Graveyard, I can search my Deck for another Heraldic Beast monster and place it straight into my hand.  Come on, Heraldic Beast Aberconway!”

 

“So you gave up a stronger monster to search a weaker one?” Unos asked. “Heh, and I thought you were bad before.  It doesn’t matter now, because it’s my turn, and you’re wide open!  I’ll take advantage of this and attack your Life Points directly with Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Dragon (1800)!  Go Burning Fang!”

 

Calion’s LP: 2200

 

“You can pretend to be fine now, but it’s not going to last much longer, Calion.” Unos replied, trying to dig into his confidence. “Not once my next turn rolls around.”

 

“I guess I’ll just have to beat you before then, huh?  My draw!  I’ll kick things off with Heraldic Beast Aberconway (1800)! The young crimson-colored dragon appeared on the field.  “But next, I’m activating the Spell Card Heraldry Reborn – with this, I can bring back a Heraldic Beast monster from my Graveyard straight to the field, so I think I’ll welcome Leo back to battle!”

 

Two pathetic monsters instead of one.  Even with Leo’s stats, I’ve got no concerns about taking it down.  He’s going to manage to attack me directly and watch – he’ll get much more confident because of it.  Unos grinned.  “I hope I’m not supposed to be concerned now.”

 

“Don’t be silly, you’re not supposed to be concerned yet.  But I’ll change that!  Now I build the overlay network to Xyz Summon Diamond Dire Wolf (2000)!” Calion said.  “Let’s see how confident you are after this.  Diamond Dire Wolf, take out his Dragon with Crystalline Slash!”

 

Unos’ LP: 3800

 

I can tell that attack hurt him, even at such minimal damage.  Calion noted.  While I’ve been able to recover completely, he’s been here continuing to fight.  Even with the energy he absorbed from defeating me he can’t keep up at a constant pace for that much longer – it’ll eventually destroy him. He set a card; it would come in handy soon.  “I end.”

 

“If that was your worst, I’m even more confident than I was before.  You don’t know what it’s like to endure pain, Calion.” Unos said, his soul a twisted one.  “I may have taken it easy on you the first time we dueled, but this time around I’ll show you no mercy!  I activate my face-down card Fire Formation – Tenki!”!

 

“Perhaps you remember it from our last duel, but when Tenki is activated I can search my Deck for a Fire Fist monster and add it to my hand, so watch now as I call forth Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Bear (1600)!” A circle of flames surrounded them.  “Ask your friend Xiael how strong Bear can be.  Or better yet, I’ll show you first hand!  By sending Tenki from the field to the Graveyard, I can destroy your Diamond Dire Wolf!”

 

“I was hoping this one would be a bit more original, but it looks like we’re gonna have some repeat moves,” Calion quipped. “Oh well, it is what it is.  Activate Trap Card, Heraldry Charge!”

 

[spoiler=Heraldry Charge]

Normal Trap Card

Target 1 Xyz Monster you control with 1 or more “Heraldic Beast” monster(s) as Xyz Material.  During this turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from that monster; activate its effect.[/spoiler]

 

“Perhaps you remember it from our last duel, but Heraldry Charge has proven to be one of Bear’s least favorite cards, and here’s why!  By detaching Heraldic Beast Aberconway as Xyz Material, I can use Diamond Dire Wolf’s effect, and that means that since Dire Wolf is gonna be destroyed anyway, he can take Bear down too!  Diamond Dire Slash!”

 

“Damn you, Calion,” Unos quipped in rage.  “I hate you, truly I do.  I will break you, no matter what it takes!”  He slammed a card face-down, signaling the end of his turn.

 

“I’m not your biggest fan either, Unos,” Calion replied.  “But I can promise you this.  You’ll never shake my confidence – not this time.  Not after everything I had to go through and everyone who has suffered because of it.  This time, I’ll beat you if it takes everything I have!  Draw!”

 

“Just what I was hoping for!  I’ll reveal my face-down card, Heraldic Emblem!” Pressing the button on his duel disk, the hologram revealed itself.  “Here’s a refresher course, by sending Heraldic Beast Berner’s Falcon (1000) from my Deck to the Graveyard, I can draw 2 brand new cards!  Of course, I can only use this card if I control no other cards, but you made that possible thanks to your monster.”

 

[spoiler=Heraldic Emblem]

Normal Spell Card

Send 1 “Heraldic Beast” monster from your Deck to the Graveyard; draw 2 cards.  You must control no cards to activate and to resolve this effect.[/spoiler]

 

“It looks like fate’s on my side this time around, check it out, I just drew the Spell Card Advanced Heraldry Art!” He said, placing the card into his duel disk.  “And I’m gonna put it to use right away, see, because I’ve wasted enough time on you already, Unos!  Now from my Graveyard I overlay Heraldic Beast Aberconway and Heraldic Beast Berner’s Falcon to Xyz Summon Lightning Chidori (1900)!”

 

“You son of a bitch...”

 

“Sorry to break it to you, but Chidori makes your face-down card useless, so why don’t you go ahead and put it at the bottom of the Deck?” He replied, arrogant.  “There look, now you and your cards have something in common – you’re both at the bottom.  But enough of that, Lightning Chidori, attack his Life Points directly with Emerald Static Blaster!”

 

Unos’ LP: 1900

(dialogue)

 

“Heh...hahahahah,” Unos laughed uproariously.  “I love it, the pain, it’s such a great feeling!  The motivation to defeat you grows stronger with each attack! Only this time, you won’t be able to return!  Now allow me to demonstrate.” Unos said.  “My move, and I’ll begin by summoning Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Snake (1800) to the field.  But that’s not all, because I’ll combine Snake with the power of Fire Formation – Tensu!”

 

“That’s the same card he used against Xiael,” Calle said aloud.  “This isn’t looking good – he’s going to bring out that Tiger King.”

 

“All we can do is watch and hope for the best, at this point.” Tres said.  “Besides, Calion is strong – I noticed it the first time we met him and it’s been confirmed now – especially because he returned to the world of the living from the Valley of Souls.  He’s our best hope.”

 

“Thanks to Tensu’s power, I can summon an additional Beast-Warrior monster this turn, so I’ll summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Gorilla (1600)!” He said.  “And no point in the theatrics, let’s get down to business! I overlay both of my monsters to Xyz Summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Tiger King (2200)!

“I can’t let him intimidate me, no matter what.  I won’t, because I’m better than that.  Calion felt something strange at his side – his Deck box was glowing.  Was it Number 08?  Thanks, but I’m not ready for you yet.  You made me wait, and I’m going to do the same.  I’m gonna fight this battle on my own.  He’d decided – he wouldn’t use his Number card unless Unos did the same, at least for the sake of the others.  But it was almost unavoidable – he’d have to use it eventually.

 

“I’ll take pleasure in this!  Tiger King, destroy his Lightning Chidori with Infernal Mastery!” – “Let the flames destroy you!”

 

Calion’s LP: 1600

 

“Calion, are you alright?!”  Calle called out.  That attack had struck him hard – he didn’t show signs of fear but he’d taken one hell of a landing.

 

“I’ll be fine...” He said, coughing up blood. “Listen, Calle, I need you to do me a favor.  You need to get Xiael out of here.  You don’t have to go far away, but he’s right in the crossfire.  And this duel is about to become much more than just a battle.”

 

“I’m not sure, then you’ll be alone,” Calle hesitated; the last thing they needed right now was to separate again, leaving them all vulnerable.

 

“I don’t remember asking for your opinion on the matter,” Calion replied bluntly, staring at the ground.  He was bleeding, but most of what covered him was dirt from the fall he’d taken after the last attack.  “You’re of no use standing by playing cheerleader anyway.  If we want to win this war, I need to win this battle.  And I can’t fight this battle if I spend the whole thing worrying about the two of you.”

 

“Calion...”

 

“Now go, get him out here.” He ordered.  “Get somewhere safe, I’ll find you when the battle is over.”

 

Calle nodded.  “Right.  As you wish.” He sprung into action towards Xiael’s body, grabbing the boy.  He was barely conscious, so he was unable to offer any help in the process.  But before Calle took off, Xiael said something.

 

“H-hold on,” he reached into his pocket, his hands shaky, using what little energy he had left.  “Cali—Calion, take this.”  He threw a card in the Spirit’s direction.  “I wasn’t able to ma—make use it of it, but I think you can, mate.”  And he started to fade again as Calle leapt into the air, moving quickly from treetop to treetop.

 

---

 

Calion glanced at the card he’d been given.  Is this...it must be one of the three monsters he was talking about.  After all, we’ve only ever seen one of them in his duels.  That explains why he made the plays he did...  He tried to fight back emotion.  He’d sent Calle off for their own safety.  What happened at this point was anyone’s guess, and being harsh about it was the only way to guarantee they’d move.  But Xiael had trusted him with this, and he would do everything in his power to make use of it.

 

“Enough with the distractions, let’s get back to the duel!” – “Before I end my turn I’d like to clue you in, thanks to Tiger King being summoned, I can take a Fire Formation Trap from my Deck and place it directly on the field.  So behold Fire Formation – Tenken!”

 

He drew.  No matter what, he had to make this next play count.  Tiger King was strong, and with Tenken on the field, any trap that tried to affect it during Main Phase 1 would instantly fizzle.  He had the card Xiael had given him – but using it now would be too risky; he had to get Tenken out of the way first.  Unos wanted a fight – he’d get one.  “Your Tiger King might be strong, but I’m going to take it down.  Because let’s face it – I’m just that much better than you.  So let’s do it!  I activate the Field Spell Card Heraldic Realm!”

 

[spoiler=Heraldic Realm]

Field Spell Card

Once per turn, during their respective turns: A player can target up to 3 monsters from their Graveyard; Xyz Summon using those monsters as Xyz Material.  Any monsters used as Xyz Material by this card’s effect are banished after they leave the field and remain banished for the rest of the duel.  Neither player can use monsters on the field they control for Xyz Summons.[/spoiler]

 

In an almost tripped-out way, the entire field became surrounded by a pseudo space like way, like they were dueling outside of the planet itself.  A starry design almost resembling the northern lights formed far off in the distance, adding a colorful glow to the scene.

 

“Explain yourself,” Unos demanded.  Looking around, he was taken aback by the field change – it was out of the normal.  “What kind of trick is this?”

 

“Oh, this is no trick,” Calion smiled.  “You wanted a fight.  Remember in our first duel when you said I was the most challenging opponent you’ve ever faced?  Well as much as I hate to compliment an enemy, I have to say the same.  The truth is, you’re the toughest duelist I’ve ever faced.  In our first duel, you managed to do what no other opponent has ever done – you truly did break me.”

 

The two locked eyes.  It was time for this duel to enter second gear.

 

“Add it to your resume; because it’s the farthest you’ll ever go.”  With a blazing passion in his eyes, Calion reached into his Deck Box, grabbing a card and slamming it onto the duel disk with great force.  “Thanks to Heraldic Realm, I’ll be able to overlay both Heraldic Beast Leo and Heraldic Beast Berner’s Falcon!  And this is their last hurrah for now, since after they’ve been used as material they’re gone for the rest of the game, but that’s more than enough.  I call forth the strongest warrior, an impenetrable fighter comprised from stone stronger than the earth itself!  Come forth, Gem-Knight Pearl (2600)!”

 

“I forgot about him,” he cried out in desperation.  “Damnit, I don’t have the firepower to take it down!”

 

“Too little too late,” Calion quipped.  “Gem-Knight Pearl, attack his Tiger King with Oni-Gami Combo!”  Kicking off the ground, Pearl rushed across the field, driving its fist straight into the sternum of the feline commander.  And again, then to the face, a multitude of shots so strong that there was no way to defend itself, as the creature exploded into pixels with one last cry.

 

Unos’ LP: 1600

 

Damnit, damn you Calion!  With Tenken, he would’ve been able to make Tiger King’s attack points equal to those of Gem-Knight Pearl, but due to the Trap’s Main Phase-only restriction, there was no time to respond.  He’s managed to take down my strongest monster.  I have but one option left, and I’m inclined to believe that this is what he’s been working towards.  He’s trying to get me to bring out my Number.  Unos flashed a smile.  So be it, then.

 

“That’ll do it for now.”  Calion said.  “I end my turn.  And if I were you, I’d make yours count.  Because I’m not sure how many you’ve got left at this point.”

 

“Fine then, no more trash talking,” he said.  “That has played itself out.  You’re a brave warrior, Calion, but a foolish one at that.  I know all of this has been geared to get me to bring out my Number monster, for you believe that you can defeat it.  But I promise you, you will meet the same fate you met before.”

 

Unos drew a card, revealing it.  “Since Tiger King is of no use to me any longer, neither is my Fire Formation.  So I’ll do away with it!  I activate the Spell Card Fire Chant!”  In a whirlwind of intense flames, both Unos’ set card and Calion’s Field Spell were whisked away, returning the field to its normal state, the half-destroyed woodland area of Houshou.  “By destroying my Fire Formation Trap, I can then destroy a card on your side of the field.”

 

[spoiler=Fire Chant]

Normal Spell Card

Target 1 Set card you control and 1 card your opponent controls; destroy those target(s). You can only activate 1 “Fire Chant” per turn.[/spoiler]

 

“And now Calion, you’ll get what you’ve been asking for!  I play the Spell Card Blazing Whirlwind!”  Placing two cards from his hand into the Graveyard, Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Swallow and Fire Formation – Tensen, Unos threw a card into his duel disk.

 

[spoiler=Blazing Whirlwind]

Discard 2 cards.  Target 2 FIRE monsters from your Graveyard; Special Summon those targets to your field in face-up Attack Position.  The Levels of both monsters become equal to their combined Levels.  You can only activate 1 “Blazing Whirlwind” per turn.[/spoiler]

 

A molten wall of flames began to spiral upon the field, continuing to destroy the field around them.  From within the confines, two battle-scarred warriors emerged on the field, their beast spirits barely visible in the flames behind them.  “To the field I call Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Bear and Brotherhood of the Fire Fist – Swallow (2000)!”

 

I knew it was going to come to this eventually.  I’m going to have to face it head on.  Calion held strong; he wasn’t afraid, not like last time.  He had prepared himself to have to go up against Dyson Sphere.  Destroying it would be the only way to solidify his victory.  Speaking indirectly to the Number, he thought to himself, it’s about that time, King.  I hope you’re ready.
 

“You should consider yourself lucky that you sent your friends away, but it won’t make a difference when all is said and done!  No one has ever had the ability to see my Number twice, Calion!  But you’re going to be the first to get that honor!”  As the familiar green aura from earlier, from their first match-up, surrounded Unos once again, the feel to the battle was different.  This wasn’t a squash anymore.  It was all or nothing.  “Now I overlay Bear and Swallow to Xyz Summon Number 09: Dyson Sphere (2800)!”

 

It was incredible – the Field Spell was gone but with Dyson Sphere’s emergence, the entire sky was eclipsed.  The stone platform lowered itself into the sky, opening each of its panels until it stood above the rest of the field, an absolutely formidable presence.  And unlike the others, it was real.  In some ways, Unos must have had a connection with Number 09 like Calion had begun to realize with Number 08.  They were on different sides, but the two of them were far more similar than he had first realized.  It was time for the battle to reach its conclusion. 

 

“Prepare yourself for my ultimate attack!  Dyson Sphere, annihilate his Gem-Knight Pearl with Interplanetary Blast Wave!”  From its core, Dyson Sphere released a charged wave of fire, so intense that Pearl didn’t stand a chance, swallowed whole by the flames.

 

Calion’s LP: 1400

 

It went further than that, too, singeing Calion’s left shoulder and tearing off a piece of his armor.  He could feel the monster’s incredible presence; it was something to behold.

 

It’s come down to this.  He closed his eyes, focusing all of the energy he had in him to the center of his body.  Heraldic King, I need you.  Please, lend me your power, so that I can defeat this evil once and for all!  For everyone, I need to do this.

 

He drew, what would be his final card.  And it appeared the King had answered his cries; Heraldic Beast Aberconway.  That, combined with the two other cards in his hand – one of them Xiael’s – would give him the fortitude to win this duel.  “Unos!  It’s over!  I’ve put everything forward into this play to be able to defeat you, I’ve risked it all, but I’m not doing it for me!  This time, I’m kicking your ass for everyone who has suffered up to this point!  Sure, I’ve said it before, but it’s never really packed as much of a punch as it will now!”

 

“You’re all talk,” Unos replied, stern.  “You and I both know you have no way to take down my Number!”  Wait a second, that card the brat on the ground gave him!  His eyes widened.

 

“Looks like you’re not so sure.  Let me show you firsthand what I’m talking about!  In Xiael’s last effort, he entrusted me with this – and I’m going to put it to use now!  I send from my hand Heraldic Beast Aberconway, and doing so, I’m allowed to activate the ability of Redox, Elemental Dragon of Crags (1600)!”

 

A pillar of energy exploded from the ground before him, and emitting from Calion’s body itself at the same time, shot upwards into the sky.  The feint outlines of a formidable stone dragon, carved from the Earth itself, hovered over the field. 

 

“What is that thing!” Unos exclaimed, the dragon’s outline overwhelming even the massive Dyson Sphere.  “And how is it bigger than my Dyson Sphere?!”

 

“Redox is a legendary dragon, capable of all sorts of things, but it just so happens I’m using him for a much more important purpose!  See, by sending Redox to the Graveyard with Aberconway, I can Special Summon a monster from my Graveyard! So I’ll welcome Heraldic Beast Aberconway (1800) back to the field!  And now in my hand, I summon the last card I’ve got!  Heraldic Beast Unicorn (1100)!”

 

“So in actuality your dragon was just a pathetic illusion, an attempt at frightening me when all you were doing was bringing back another one of your weak monsters,” Unos spat.  “How disappointing.  I thought I might have been in for a challenge, but I should’ve known better!”

 

“Shut up, Unos,” Calion smiled, his face brimming with confidence.  Just as he did so, he felt the King’s presence – it was about damn time.  “You know just as well as I do that you can’t win this duel, and you’ve been doing nothing but trying to convince yourself otherwise.  Now!  I overlay both Heraldic Beast Aberconway and Heraldic Beast Unicorn to Xyz Summon the monster that will bring about your defeat!  Rise, Number 08: Heraldic King Genom-Heritage (2400)!”

 

“No way a Number monster that’s impossible!”  Unos stumbled backwards, nearly losing his balance as the monster appeared on the field in all its might.  “How can this be?!  You’ve not only returned, but with a Number!  This can’t be – this isn’t how it was supposed to be!”

 

“Nice to see you finally showed up,” Calion said to the King somewhat smarmily.

 

“Oh quit your whining, I’m here now, aren’t I?  And besides, you had the duel under control up until this point.  I admit, I’m impressed I didn’t have to come to your rescue earlier.  But you’ve proven yourself, Calion.  And I’ll now lend you my power to destroy that abomination.”

 

Unos was in denial, Calion could see the fear on his face.  As if he truly hadn’t believed this moment would come.  But he’d known it all along.  “I’ve been waiting to defeat you since the moment I laid eyes upon you for the first time, and now it’s going to happen!  I activate Number 08’s special ability – Heraldic Capture!  By detaching an Xyz Material, your monster’s attack points become 0!  But in addition to that, Heraldic King’s attack points become equal to Dyson Sphere’s original ATK, and he gains all of its effects, while Dyson Sphere’s effects are no more!”

 

“From darkness comes light!  Heraldic King, the power of two!  Let’s end this!  Attack his Dyson Sphere with Chaos Ray!”

 

Now powerless, the stone structure fell with no effort at all, crumbling on top of Unos in the process, piece by piece, until nothing remained, as the Spirit tumbled backwards over and over until he’d been flung a good thirty feet from where he’d been standing.

 

Unos’ LP: 0

 

Finally, the duel was over.  But was the battle?

 

To be continued...[/spoiler]

[Randomflyingobjects]

At the point where Unos' Life Points hit 1600, .Accel added a major plot twist. He, to everyone's surprise, added, in parenthesis, the word 'dialogue' in bold. Why he actually did it is a mystery.

 

No, really. Right there, when his life points hit 1600, you added the word 'dialogue'. Not sure what that's supposed to mean.

 

Question about the duel- is that legal? I mean, Xiael tossing Calion a card in the middle of a duel, and that card either going to his hand, or going to the deck. You can't walk up to somebody who's dueling and give them a free card, which is then added to the guy's deck. Switching around a few card rulings is okay- changing the basic laws of Yugioh is something completely different. If I were you, I'd have Xiael give Calion the card before the duel.

[Synchronized]

Just something I noticed whilst reading the chapter.

 

Unless I missed something whilst reading the cards used... What possible reason is there that he wouldn't go all out for the kill by removing the 9 counters instead of 8? I mean, yes there was a face down, but it would have seemed better that he uses all 9 counters, and then something like Tensen saves Unos instead. Since, well he didn't even target Bear for the attack, so Megarock was more than likely going to get popped. And given that Xiael set a card, it still makes more sense for him to go all out.

 

It seemed kinda like bad foresight on his part, and kinda made the duel... unexciting. I'm all for Unos beating him down, but I'd rather it be that Unos does out play him, not that Xiael makes bad plays. Well, from my view of it.

 

Also, I doubt Xiael is gone, given you emphasize the fact he has 3 monsters in his deck, and unless I've missed something, he'd still only showed two of them. And I'd assume you wouldn't emphasize it if it weren't going to show up.Especially since in this chapter, you mentioned it out of nowhere really.

 

Anyhow, sorry for sounding negative on it, since it was otherwise a good chapter, as have the ones before now that I haven't commented on. Just... this is the final few chapters, so things should step up a gear in terms of moves. In my view anyhow.

 

I'm not going to say whether or not Xiael is "gone", but I can say that will be answered before the Series is over.  I don't really have much of an argument for most of your points - some of it might have been lazy storytelling on my end, especially because of how much pressure there is on me to make sure these last few episodes are the biggest episodes out of all of them.

 

That being said, I think the duel and the episode itself went well - there's definitely room for improvement but I think 72 was so much better, and (in my opinion) one of the best Episodes in the entire Series.

 

At the point where Unos' Life Points hit 1600, .Accel added a major plot twist. He, to everyone's surprise, added, in parenthesis, the word 'dialogue' in bold. Why he actually did it is a mystery.

 

No, really. Right there, when his life points hit 1600, you added the word 'dialogue'. Not sure what that's supposed to mean.

 

Question about the duel- is that legal? I mean, Xiael tossing Calion a card in the middle of a duel, and that card either going to his hand, or going to the deck. You can't walk up to somebody who's dueling and give them a free card, which is then added to the guy's deck. Switching around a few card rulings is okay- changing the basic laws of Yugioh is something completely different. If I were you, I'd have Xiael give Calion the card before the duel.

 

Here's something I actually have a counter to.  This story is something Umbra and I talked about in detail before I actually put it into action - giving Calion Redox, I mean.  It plays into the story more than just this one occurence, but I won't go into more than that.  What I CAN say is that you're not thinking about the fact that duels in this world (because of Rakurai) are REAL.  It's not so much a "card game" as it is a way o f competition - a real battle.  This wasn't me "twisting the rules" for the sake of the story - it was Calion calling on a REAL monster to come to his side.

 

(Dialogue) was there by accident because I wrote the duel itself separate from the rest of the episode and added in the context later.  I thought I edited it out but I must have missed one. :(

 

Theoretically, it IS legal because it's not dueling by the rules of dueling - it's fighting to save the world.

[Aerion Brightflame]

Sorry for only ever picking on the duels for the majority of my reviews, it's just since I'm not as good at looking at the wider story as Umbra and Saber, I might as well pick something I know to do in great detail. 

 

Firstly, the whole screw the rules thing involving Redox, whilst I can understand why you're doing that, (Though if that's Xiael's last monster I'm annoyed, since... it doesn't fit in my mind) you kinda killed the fundamental part of Redox's effect, by having him discard a WIND monster... I mean that one I can't forgive as much, because that's the fundamental part about the Dragons. Also, he's bigger than Dyson Sphere? O.o Just because... Well Dyson Sphere is bigger than a Star... which are bigger than planets, but that's not a criticism, that's just my reaction to it.

 

Otherwise, the only other fault I found with it was the just before he made Diawolf. I mean, he brought back Leo... and then goes for Diawolf instead of the direct attack? There weren't any face downs to stop him, and even then, it'd be better to attack with two monsters, and then if something like D-prison hits, he still has a monster left after it. 

 

But yeah, the duel was an improvement, as for the story itself. I feel that, at times you could probably put more detail into things. I mean, a good example of it is Number 8 destroying Dyson Sphere. It just happens, you don't elaborate on it. Part of a writers job to me is painting the picture of what's happening in the world. But you didn't really. It should have been a huge dynamic moment, but it just wasn't since none of the details were there. But, that's just my impression of it.

 

Again, sorry for being negative about it.

[Synchronized]

Sorry for only ever picking on the duels for the majority of my reviews, it's just since I'm not as good at looking at the wider story as Umbra and Saber, I might as well pick something I know to do in great detail. 

 

Firstly, the whole screw the rules thing involving Redox, whilst I can understand why you're doing that, (Though if that's Xiael's last monster I'm annoyed, since... it doesn't fit in my mind) you kinda killed the fundamental part of Redox's effect, by having him discard a WIND monster... I mean that one I can't forgive as much, because that's the fundamental part about the Dragons. Also, he's bigger than Dyson Sphere? O.o Just because... Well Dyson Sphere is bigger than a Star... which are bigger than planets, but that's not a criticism, that's just my reaction to it.

 

Otherwise, the only other fault I found with it was the just before he made Diawolf. I mean, he brought back Leo... and then goes for Diawolf instead of the direct attack? There weren't any face downs to stop him, and even then, it'd be better to attack with two monsters, and then if something like D-prison hits, he still has a monster left after it. 

 

But yeah, the duel was an improvement, as for the story itself. I feel that, at times you could probably put more detail into things. I mean, a good example of it is Number 8 destroying Dyson Sphere. It just happens, you don't elaborate on it. Part of a writers job to me is painting the picture of what's happening in the world. But you didn't really. It should have been a huge dynamic moment, but it just wasn't since none of the details were there. But, that's just my impression of it.

 

Again, sorry for being negative about it.

I think one of the things you have to keep in mind when you're reading and analyzing is the fact that this is supposed to be Anime-based, at least in terms of stories and duels.  A lot of your critiques (though many of them are valid) are if you're playing in a Meta-Game sense where bringing out something like Diamond Dire Wolf (A RK4 Xyz) is actually a rather impressive move, when you consider that it's not as simple to take down a monster like that.

 

Being able to bring out a powerhouse monster like that is (in an Anime/canon sense), a bigger move to make then "attacking for game" with two weaker monsters.  Like I said, your criticism certainly has merit but I'm not writing like it's supposed to be coverage of a YCS, I'm writing like it's "in-anime" duels, in that style.  It's just a different style, especially if you watch something like Zexal and actually see the way the duels play out.

 

Note: Redox is not BIGGER than Dyson Sphere, but the activation of its effect was nothing but the Dragon's spirit, which for story purposes was made to look bigger than Dyson Sphere and to create an impressive monster.

 

There were story reasons for Redox's introduction that Umbra and I have talked about for a while and we're still trying to work out the final details.

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

Oh hey, I'm back after many computer troubles. Luckily I only missed 2 chapters, but man were they important.

 

It seems we're back to the real world, and Xiael loses against Unos, apart from the fact that, y'know, he could have won the turn before. Why he didn't is a mystery, and I hope for the sake of your behind that there was a greater motive, cause if there isn't, I am going to kick it. Hard.

 

Then there's Calion coming back and being the main character. Again. I honestly can't wait for some other characters to finally get a look in, because it seems as if he's the one doing everything at the moment. He gets a card during the middle of the duel and uses it, blah blah, Barty has so kindly pointed out any qualms I might have had, even the one about not describing the important parts of a duel! Man that guy is good.

 

Apart from that, still enjoying the story, and I hope that the conclusion is as good as it should be.

[Synchronized]

Oh hey, I'm back after many computer troubles. Luckily I only missed 2 chapters, but man were they important.

 

It seems we're back to the real world, and Xiael loses against Unos, apart from the fact that, y'know, he could have won the turn before. Why he didn't is a mystery, and I hope for the sake of your behind that there was a greater motive, cause if there isn't, I am going to kick it. Hard.

 

Then there's Calion coming back and being the main character. Again. I honestly can't wait for some other characters to finally get a look in, because it seems as if he's the one doing everything at the moment. He gets a card during the middle of the duel and uses it, blah blah, Barty has so kindly pointed out any qualms I might have had, even the one about not describing the important parts of a duel! Man that guy is good.

 

Apart from that, still enjoying the story, and I hope that the conclusion is as good as it should be.

 

I missed you! Thrilling to see you've returned! Fun-fact; Calion won't even appear in the first Arc of Accel II.

 

At all. :P

[Synchronized]

To think we've gotten this far, in less than a year no less, is still crazy as a writer.  I've talked to people who said that finishing a story is one of the best feelings, and I completely agree.  Of course we're not done yet - there's still one Mega Chapter to go.  74 & 75 remain, but they'll be two episodes' length comprised into one Chapter.  I believe it'll pack more of a punch and just bring a definite resolution to the story as a whole.

 

Episode 73 is another long one, and with no duels or anything like that, I'm hoping there won't be much in terms of mistakes.  Again, me and Umbra have been doing plenty of discussion regarding the duels and that's something that's definitely going to be improved upon in Accel II.  It's a learning process.

 

[spoiler=Episode 73: The Pre-Finale, Part Two]

 

It was a long time coming.  Almost ten years in the making, but truthfully it was more.  It was more than just a battle he was searching for.  This was the culmination of the one thing he’d spent his entire life searching for – a true purpose.  Being a skilled duelist had gotten him very far in life, particularly in a world where it was the main form of competition.  Dueling was more than just a game, it was a lifestyle, and though he’d never been able to make it as a pro by choice, he’d considered himself the best of the best.  That attitude, though it gave him sufficient confidence, it had always been a front, something to cover up the way he’d truly felt underneath.

 

The day he’d met her, everything changed.  In his head, he knew it from the second he locked eyes with her – not through the mask, but afterwards.  Sure, she was irritance, but in that time he had grown to care for her deeply.  But with that, even though they had never formally spoken, came great resentment.  Resentment for the one behind her twisted and evil actions, the one manipulating her behaviors and tearing apart the person who was trapped so deeply on the inside.  Hayate.   And yet he’d been forced to duel her and defeat her, forced to watch the one person he’d ever truly cared about disappear from his life forever as a result of his own doing.

 

He’d taken the time to save Xiael and make sure the resistance had been brought back together.  He’d even dueled Dos, although he was not ordered to.  Because the reality of it was, Hiyoru had not ordered him to come here.  He’d chosen to come her e of his own free will to exact revenge.  Now that the others were safe, he could focus on his true target. 

 

It was time to kill Hayate and make him pay for the years of suffering.

 

Episode 73: The Pre-Finale, Part Two

 

Heavy breathing, Calion struggled just to maintain his footing as rain began to pour from the sky like buckets, washing the blood off his armor in the process.  The cool rain actually helped to relieve his pain, while the Rakurai worked tirelessly to close up the wounds he had suffered.  Meanwhile, Calle and Xiael – who was barely conscious no less – had returned to the scene; the Swede had propped the young boy up against a nearby tree, trying to keep him out of the rain and allow him to recover whatever strength he had left.

As cold as it sounded, the truth was Xiael was no longer able to partake in the fight.  He couldn’t duel because his body wouldn’t be able to withstand it, and he’d be annihilated in seconds if he tried to fight.  But they had to protect him at all costs – he’d risked his life to try and defeat Unos and although he’d failed, he’d managed to buy Calion enough time to re-appear in this world and save the day.

 

He hated to see another soul destroyed because of his inability to get the job done, but Calion no doubt owed the boy one.  But that was it – Xiael’s well-being would be the final thing sacrificed in this battle, this war.  No one else was going to be hurt on his watch.  With Unos defeated, Lucien was next.  And then Hayate.  Yet Calion knew that if he focused on his former mentor too much now, the rage would over-take him and they would not be able to defeat Lucien.  So for now, he focused on the task at hand. 

 

But first, he had to know.  He had to know the motives behind his greatest rival.  Never before had he met someone, Spirit or not, who had pushed him to the level that Unos had, and it was likely that he would never again.  Even after everything had happened, he had to admit that he carried respect for him, for Unos.  Upon meeting the El Nombre, the consensus was that they were a bunch of senseless goons who were working for no reason with blind loyalty, but as Dos and Tres had shown, that was not the case at all. 

 

Dos’ whereabouts were unknown; he may not have been alive any longer.  And Tres, he had fused with Calle...but Unos, what was his story?  In order to bring closure to this story, he had to know.  Slowly, he stepped towards the fallen Spirit, who’s mask had all but been destroyed with the final attack.  But his face was too visibly destroyed to recognize.  Perhaps over time, he could make a full recovery, but the chances weren’t too likely.

 

“Tell me something,” Calion said quietly, almost a whisper so that the others could not hear him.  As he stood over Unos’ fallen body, he made an effort not to look at him, so as not to dishonor his pride.  Despite the fact that he had been an enemy, deep down Calion was a warrior, too.  Someone who would fight at all costs, and a fallen enemy who had fought for his cause, however twisted it may be, deserved that same respect.  They were similar in many ways.  “Without a doubt, you are the strongest duelist I have ever faced, and significantly stronger than your allies, no less.  Why is it that with their defeat and the realization that Lucien Grasciou is not the man you believed him to be, did you continue to fight for him?  What is it about Lucien that makes you so determined to fight for his ideals?”

 

Silence, as Unos lay on the ground with his eyes wide open, staring up at the rain as each drop hit the ground with a soft pat.  The water struck him on all sides, but it was cooling, calming even.  He almost felt at peace.  “When we first met, I was sure you were a weak-minded fool, a good-for-nothing showoff who could talk one hell of a talk with no real ability to back it up.”  His mind flashed back to the first time they met, during Calion’s encounter with Dos, where the two fought to a draw.  “And yet you managed to do battle with Dos as his equal, if not his superior.  Still, I did not see you as a valiant warrior.”

 

“I think somewhere along the line, I realized that Lucien’s ideals were wrong, that nothing he said was actually to be believed,” he said.  “And I think at the time I realized this, I was too far into it to do anything.  I had already allowed myself to become a puppet of war, a disposable soldier, a killing machine and nothing more.  Whatever had existed of myself before this battle began was no longer alive.  It was because of this that I swore to fight harder, to always battle at full power.  Because my existence in and of itself was nothing more than a means to an end.  The only way to truly right the wrongs I’d committed was to leave this world, and the only way for that to happen was for a truly valiant warrior to defeat me.”

 

“That’s a lie,” Calion said, his words backed by a significant drive.  “No one’s existence is set in stone; no one’s past actions are the landmark of the person they have to be.”  Recalling his own experiences throughout this war, he began to realize how alike he and Unos truly were.  “The majority of my life was spent devoid of a soul, devoid of real emotion.  Devoid of any meaning other than to fight and to kill.  But if there’s one thing I learned it’s that no one’s life is written in stone, no one’s destiny is laid out in front of them.  You make your own, you create your life and your journey based on your own will and the others around you.”

 

Calle couldn’t help but feel for the both of them as he listened to the words they shared.  He knew in that moment that he’d made the right decision that fateful day, the decision to join the resistance and put his own life on the line alongside Calion and the others.  They’d both endured hardship since this fight had begun, but nothing to the extent of Calion, who had lost nearly everything.

 

“Before we became one, you said to me that you would fight this battle even though it was not yours to fight because you had a moral obligation to.” Tres said, though Calle had not expected it.  “Knowing what little I do about human emotion and what it means, I’ve come to speculate that those words were not the real reason – I don’t believe you chose to fight this war because you had to, rather because in your heart – whatever that is – you have a connection to them.  To Sora, and Calion, and all the others who suffered along the way.  I think I finally understand now what it means to fight at all costs.  For so long I had believed it was such a senseless concept, but now I see.  Now I see what it means to a human to call someone a ‘friend’.  Perhaps someday, we will achieve that same status.”

 

Calle felt a tear run down his face, just thinking of all those who had lost their lives for them to get to this point.

 

“I don’t understand your words,” Unos said.  “But at this point, it’s no longer worth it to argue.  I’ll never process the concepts that the humans hold so dear, but that doesn’t matter now.  What does matter is that if you were strong enough to kill me, then you have what it takes to kill Lucien.  Don’t you dare lose.  Not after you defeated me.  I won’t have my final fight in this world be against a loser who wasn’t good enough.  Do you understand that, Calion?”

 

He nodded his head – no more words were necessary.  As Unos faded into the darkness before disappearing entirely, Calion turned his attention to the others. 

 

“I hate to sound cold, but we’re all we’ve got,” he said.  Xiael was still in rough shape – he was trying to stand, but Calle pushed him to remain in place.  Exerting any extra effort at this point just put him at risk of further damaging his body.  “I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen more than enough people hurt because of this battle.  I’m ready to end this once and for all.”

 

He and Calle shared a look, neither one of them saying a word as the wind whisked by between them.  Xiael, in his state of half-consciousness, couldn’t help but be intimidated by the determination they shared.  Even as worn out as they were, their respective spirit energies were so strongly recognizable.  Finally, after the standstill – Calle nodded his head.  “Indeed.  Let me assure you you’re not the only one.  I’m not a violent person, but after everything Lucien’s done, at this point, there’s no need to hold anything back.  It’s time to bring this battle to a close.”

 

“Then let’s do it.”

 

Xiael tried to stand, prompting Calle’s attention, but Xiael pushed him off.  “I’m coming with you.”  He struggled to stand, a strong shakiness in his legs; his body was lacking the energy to even perform at a normal level.

 

Calion shook his head.  “Thank you, but we can’t do that.  Your body, the condition you’re in, we can’t bring you into this battle, there’s no way we can protect you and defeat Lucien at the same time.  If you stay here, you’ll be safe, and once we defeat him we can find a way to-”

 

“No,” Xiael interrupted, his stern eyes meeting Calion’s.  “I wasn’t asking for your permission, Calion.  I’m coming with you, and that’s not negotiable, mate.”  He stood up – fully vertical.  “With all due respect, you don’t determine things around here – we’re a team.  And no matter what, I’m going to see this fight out until the end.  It’s the least I can do to repay everyone who has put their life on the line for me...and above all that, Scarlet is still out there.  I don’t know where she is or why she was with the El Nombre, but it doesn’t matter – I know that if we can defeat Lucien, we can bring her back.”

 

“If you’re absolutely set, then I won’t bother trying to change your mind,” Calion said.  “But know this, we can’t protect you.  We have to fight this battle with everything we’ve got and if you’re not willing to put your life on the line then please, stay here.  But if you’re absolutely decided on this, Xiael, then there’s something I should tell you.”  He smiled, for what would probably be the one and only time for a while.  “Scarlet is alive.”

 

Huh...?  His eyes widened.  “How...how do you know?”

 

“In the Valley of Souls...” he said, remembering the last thing he saw before returning to this world.  “She saved my life.  Now I don’t know her, and I don’t know how she ties in to all of this, but unfortunately I don’t have the time to try and figure out the logistics.  All I know is that somehow, your friend is involved in this battle, and she risked her life to allow me to return here alive.  So if you insist on fighting for her, now that’s a goal I can get behind.  But enough talking, it’s time to go.”

 

She’s...alive. He didn’t know what it meant, or if even he’d be able to see her again, but if she was still alive, then he had a reason to fight.  Even if it meant his own life.  His mind was made up – he had sworn never to use the power of Rakurai because of what it did to Scarlet and those of his home, but now, for the first time, he could do it.  He could put it all aside and do whatever he had to in order to bring them back.  Kind’ve funny, huh?  The moment had finally come where he could bring himself to use his powers, and he’d only be able to do it once.  Because in his condition, his body wouldn’t be able to sustain it.  But it would be a worthwhile sacrifice.

 

“Let’s get to the Stadium.”

 

---

 

“My my, how surprising it is to finally see you here – in the flesh, no less.”

 

It had been ten years, but he knew this day would come, eventually.  From the first time he’d locked eyes with the young duelist protégé, he knew they would meet face-to-face.  It was only fitting then that their last meeting place would be the same as the first, in the obscure underground cave that had long since been sealed off to Houshou residents.  The Government created the rumors that it was no longer existent, and that it had been used as the building grounds for Lucien Grasciou’s brand new Stadium, but that was only partially true.

 

Pieces of it long since remained, and it had been his center of operations for quite some time.  They wouldn’t dare take that away from him.  He had long since commanded control over this island, but only subtly.  Very few people even knew he existed, and of the power that he possessed.  But he’d chosen to return to this cave now, knowing that the young Kiryu Ryouten would finally take the chance he’d been waiting on for ten years to extract his revenge.  What beautiful tool anger was.

 

“Don’t speak, I don’t want to hear your voice, you bastard,” was Kiryu’s scathing response.  “Hayate Ayoshi, I didn’t come here to fight you, or even to duel you.  I came here to kill you.  To kill you for destroying the one thing in this world that meant anything to me!”  His spiritual pressure was rising – he could feel his energy building up inside of him like a geyser, forcing its way to the top and waiting to burst.  “You knew I was going to come here, we both did, we both knew this fight was going to happen.  All the people that have suffered because of you, while on the surface the world believes it to be Lucien, he’s nothing more than a pawn.  And while the others defeat him, I’m going straight to the source.  If you cut the head off the snake, the rest of it crumbles.”

 

“Ah, so you saw right through this clever ruse of mine,” Hayate replied, his back still turned to the younger upstart.  “How silly of me, I guess now I have no choice but to retreat.”  His tone was entirely sarcastic, and with each word Kiryu felt his hatred for the man grow stronger.  “I’ve been discovered.”

 

“I bet you think you’re clever, but your mocking words have no effect on me whatsoever, Hayate.”  Kiryu said.  “Nothing is going to stop me from killing you here and now!  You’re through!”

 

“Oh, but we’ve only discovered so little about your so called “grand scheme”,” Hayate feigned sadness, but as the tension grew stronger, his voice changed; the carelessness was no longer evident.  “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, you and I both know how a fight between the two of us is destined to resolve.  You lack the true resolve to kill me, Kiryu Ryouten.”

 

“Shut your mouth!” he exclaimed.  “You don’t know anything about me! You don’t know the hardships I’ve endured, how much my hatred for you has grown with every waking moment of my life!  You’re the reason she’s not here anymore, you’re the reason the one thing I ever actually cared about is gone, and because of you she’ll never know!”  Kimora had died as a blind servant to Hayate’s malicious actions, and Kiryu had almost as much resent for himself as he did for Hayate for being unable to save her.  But none of that mattered now.  All that mattered was revenge.  Hayate would pay for his actions.

 

“How wrong you are, boy.  I am not the reason she is no longer here, she is.  She was weak, a disappointing apprentice at best.  I would’ve killed her sooner myself had she not been such a useful tool, a detterance.”  Hayate spoke in such a magnificent way, able to command the response he so desired from his youthful enemy.  With each word he could feel the boy’s spiritual energy growing stronger – soon he would strike, and no matter how strong he may have been, fighting with nothing but rage was a promise of certain defeat.  “Originally I had intended for her to be the ideal opponent to defeat you, but thanks to Hiyoru’s training you managed to surpass the strongest protégé I could muster up.  But as good as you are, Kiryu Ryouten, even the strongest champion must fall, and now is your time.”

 

“I’m done talking!”  Kiryu kicked off his feet, accelerating off the ground as he hurled his body forward, his right fist outstretched.  Hayate turned around, but not in time to block as Kiryu caught him with a right hook to the jaw, sending him crashing into the cave wall and through a few levels of the stone.  His body had left an outline in the wall, and created an opening about five feet deep.  But that was just the start.  One punch wasn’t enough to compensate for the pain and suffering. “Take this!”  He kicked off again, meeting with another fist to the skull, splitting Hayate’s forehead open and drawing blood instantly as he struggled to crawl out of the crevice.

 

After letting the shot sink in for a moment Kiryu withdrew, sensing his energy continuing to increase as he felt the blood drip from his knuckles.  Hayate had fallen to the ground as images of the girl flashed through Kiryu’s mind, vivid memories so real they could have happened yesterday, from the duel in which they first met.  “Stand up, you bastard!   You’re an invincible warrior, supposedly the strongest human to ever command the power of Rakurai, and your pathetic reality is showing true!”

 

Clawing at the cold stone, scraping and looking for something to grab onto to get to all fours, Hayate managed to propel his body upwards so he could stand using a nearby rock.  He wiped the blood from his forehead and smiled at his enemy, sensing nothing but hatred in his eyes.  “The truth is what keeps you going, isn’t it Kiryu?  It’s that which has driven you to fight me here today, and with each blow you land you feel as though you have absolved more and more of the guilt from yourself for Kimora’s death and placed it upon me.  But deep down inside you know the truth; you know that I am not the one responsible.  And you hate it, because you want nothing more than to kill me, but you don’t have what it takes.”  He grinned.

 

“Shut UP!!!”  He closed his eyes shut, focusing on the energy particles in the air and drawing them towards him, forming a sphere of visible Rakurai in his left hand.  He hadn’t intended to use a Stage Technique, but it was the punishment that this bastard deserved.  “{3^rd Stage: Gyakuten sufia; Reverse Sphere}.”  His forehead still doused in blood, Hayate stood and embraced the attack head on, as Kiryu charged forward, hurling the construction straight into his chest.

 

“Gyakuten sufia is anything but an ordinary move,” Kiryu explained.  “In fact, it’s the one move in my arsenal that is not designed to heal, even though in some ways it is.  I’ve been able to adapt my fighting style when necessary by using my medical skills in unordinary ways, but Gyakuten sufia does that on its own.”  He couldn’t help but feel accomplished as Hayate’s body sat propped against the cave wall, with a giant opening having formed in his chest.

 

“Gyakuten sufia can be used to heal a person’s wounds, but at the same time, it can do just the opposite,” he continued.  “By using the same method but reversing it, the technique that would heal your wounds now exemplifies them, literally ripping the life out of you instead of restoring it.  It’s a highly dangerous technique on that basis alone.”  He shook his head.  “But I can’t say I’m remorseful – because it’s the means of your death!”

 

There were no sounds but the occasional pitter-patter of blood splashing the floor, drip by painful drip.  The two of them stood in a stand-still, with Kiryu breathing very heavily as Hayate was barely breathing at all.  Using the 3^rd Stage technique, despite not being the highest rank, took an incredible amount of energy and was a risky technique on that alone.  He wouldn’t have done it if he hadn’t resolved that what happened to him after this battle was irrelevant.  His own conditioning would be very bad – because of the amount of effort it took to reverse the effects of the move.  It had taken him years to perfect its use and even then training was a challenge because his body needed significant amounts of rest after each time he’d performed it.  But always in his mind was the image of Hayate, and it reminded him that this was worthwhile; that in the end he would be able to exact is revenge.  He was the good person in all of this. After all this time he’d ended the battle.

 

“Goodbye, Hayate Ayoshi,” Kiryu turned around as he spoke, not wanting to look at the disgusting excuse for a human being any longer.  “I hope you burn in hell.”

 

 “Tell me, do you feel as though you’ve accomplished something now?”

Kiryu froze in his tracks; there was no way he could be alive still.  It wasn’t even possible.  No human could withstand the effects of that technique; it had been designed with that in mind.  Even someone as powerful and expansive as Hayate was not immune to its effects.  He felt himself beginning to shake – afraid to turn around and see what he feared most.  That somehow the attack had failed.

 

“Your posterior,” Hayate said, chilling.  “You’re no longer carrying yourself as though you’ve succeeded, the confidence and hatred you’d been radiating, I can no longer sense it.  Tell me, Kiryu Ryouten, do you feel at peace now?”

 

“With that hole in your chest there’s no way you could still be breathing,” he gasped.  “I don’t understand, you shouldn’t be alive!”

 

“Don’t think for a moment that I wasn’t expecting you to use a move like that,” Hayate smirked.  “You forget, it seems, that along with Hiyoru I am amongst the first to ever harness this power.  The things I am capable of exceed your comprehension; you’re nothing but a child.  Anything that you might consider ‘innovative’, I’ve already thought of and executed.”  Silent, Hayate stood up, revealing that the wounds which had opened on his chest had closed themselves shut without him doing anything at all.  “I am able to command and bend Rakurai at my will, it is one with my body and thus no physical wounds can hurt me.  I simply countered your forces with my own.  So while it looked like you did serious – perhaps even fatal – damage, you didn’t even leave a scratch.”

 

This can’t be possible...there’s no way he’s that strong! I know Hiyoru used to say that he was the strongest human alive, but surely it was just an exaggeration?  Kiryu wanted to retaliate, but he found himself frozen in place; he had just unleashed everything he had into one attack and it was all for nothing.  Damnit.  His breathing grew heavier as he tried to keep a calm head.  “I can still do this; I can still kill you, Hayate.  No matter what it takes I will end your life!”

 

Screw senses.  At this point, it didn’t matter.  There was no point in a sound strategy; recklessness was the way to go.  Sure, his 3^rd Stage attack had failed, but he still had his physical strength.  He’d put everything he had left into one last attack, one that the Rakurai couldn’t hold up against.  It was his only choice.  Hayate had yet to fight back, but it was only a matter of time – he had to make use of what little advantage he had.  Clenching his fists, he focused all his strength, zoning in on nothing but the force of his punches.  But as he prepared to strike, he discovered himself to be too late.

 

Hayate’s sword had already pierced through his chest, cutting a wound all the way through.  By the time he’d noticed, the blood had already shot through and splattered onto the ground around him.  He coughed uncontrollably, only amplifying the pain in his gut.  “But...how...?”

 

How had he moved so fast?  It was like less than a second, but Kiryu’s eyes had been focused on Hayate the entire time – he didn’t even flinch.  To have been able to maneuver behind him like that and manage to stab him all in the matter of a second?  He wanted to scream out as he felt the sword’s grip tighten, but opening his mouth to do so, he found there were no sounds. 

 

“The more you move, the faster you’ll die, Kiryu Ryouten,” Hayate said, driving the sword forward slightly.  Blood continued to drip onto the ground, trickling down the razor edges of the blade.  “By waiting until just the right moment, I was able to strike multiple points of your body at once, hitting more than one vital organ in succession.  Truth be told, the fact that you’re still conscious is a feat in and of itself.  You’re witnessing first hand the capability of my {Tsuki no kage; Shadow of the Moon}.”  Hayate withdrew his sword as Kiryu’s lifeless body fell to the ground, what little consciousness he had left geared towards knowing the resolution of this battle. If he was going to die, he had to know how.  Where had he gone wrong?

 

“Tell me...” he spat up blood as he barely managed the words.  “How did you...”

 

Hayate laughed, sheathing his blade, an almost rapier-esque blade with a sleek curve resembling a crescent moon.  Kiryu hadn’t noticed its distinct shape until now.  “This blade is perhaps my most powerful tool,” Hayate said.  “But it comes in conjunction with many other skills.  You see, because of the way Tsuki no kage is curved, it becomes ten times more dangerous when in contact with the physical body.  The first part is actually piercing you, but once that’s done is when the real effects kick in.  Upon entering the body the blade manipulates itself only slightly, allowing it to perform additional cuts in the surrounding areas.  If I can be precise with the first slash, it’s a guaranteed kill from there.  No matter how strong an individual is on the outside, with all of your vital organs slashed to bits, it’s hopeless.”

 

He did...all of this without even using a Stage Technique.  If this is true, he’s the most deadly person I’ve...  Before he could finish the thought, he drifted off into another world.  His body could no longer withstand it.

 

Lowering his head for a moment, Hayate flashed a smile.  He reached down into Kiryu’s pocket and withdrew his Duel Monsters cards, looking over the Deck only briefly before placing it in his pocket.

 

Your desire for revenge led you down a path over which you lost all control.  Recklessly attacking an enemy without taking the time to analyze their movements and use some sort of strategy is guaranteed failure.  So sad to see, you were doomed from the start, and manipulating you into a state of hatred allowed me to kill you without breaking a sweat.  I had expected things to be somewhat more challenging, but I guess it’s true, the reasons Hiyoru had wanted to hide the power of the Rakurai from you all those years ago, because you were not able to comprehend or understand its power.  Someone so enclosed from the outside world and someone with so few faults, you lacked the skills necessary to exist in a normal world.  The one case of emotion you truly developed would lead to your undoing, Kiryu Ryouten, because you lacked the ability to comprehend it.  And so now you’ve walked straight into the Valley of Death with no escape plan.  I almost feel sorry to have had to take your life, but in essence I saved you from having to experience it down the line. 

 

Our fight has shown me something, though.  I’m not quite ready to commence with the final stages.  Lucien Grasciou has been a complete and utter failure and I’m certain he will die at the hands of Calion and the others that remain.  While I could kill them now, it would serve me no real purpose and it saves me the trouble of having to handle Lucien myself.  I need time – but I will indeed resurface again, and when I do, victory will be all but guaranteed.

 

The cold stare in his eyes, the look of a venomous being with no real soul.  He vanished.

 

To be continued...[/spoiler]

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

Well, I'm certainly looking forward to the conclusion of this series. Whether it's a fight or a duel, I'm psyched to find out how it's going to end.

 

You've done a great job, and despite a shaky start the whole story has come together for this conclusion, which I hope will be the ultimate show of your writing ability.

 

 

Until Accel II, that is.

[Randomflyingobjects]

WHAAAAAAAT?????? Booo......

 

You can't kill of Kiryu like that. Huge final encounter, and Kiryu isn't only unable to defeat Hayate, but he died. What is this? Spend all this time building up a character and he gets beat up and killed rather quickly. Not the hero he seemed to be. I was at least expecting Kiryu to fight back with some big Stage 5 technique, knocking out both.

 

But then, you really didn't emphasize his death. Actually, all you did was switch suddenly into first person POV with Hayate talking (or thinking) to Kiryu. All that really happened was Kiryu attempts to defeat Hayate, who's barely hurt. Then, Hayate, in a swift attack, strikes tons of spots on Kiryu's body, who's basically presumed dead. Then, Hayate walks over and takes Kiryu's deck.

 

There are two possibilities:

a) Kiryu isn't dead yet

b) you didn't make his death clear enough

 

Honestly, though, if he's dead, I am a little disappointed at his death being in vain like that. I mean, someone like Calle or Xiael, but this dude... 

[Synchronized]

WHAAAAAAAT?????? Booo......

 

You can't kill of Kiryu like that. Huge final encounter, and Kiryu isn't only unable to defeat Hayate, but he died. What is this? Spend all this time building up a character and he gets beat up and killed rather quickly. Not the hero he seemed to be. I was at least expecting Kiryu to fight back with some big Stage 5 technique, knocking out both.

 

But then, you really didn't emphasize his death. Actually, all you did was switch suddenly into first person POV with Hayate talking (or thinking) to Kiryu. All that really happened was Kiryu attempts to defeat Hayate, who's barely hurt. Then, Hayate, in a swift attack, strikes tons of spots on Kiryu's body, who's basically presumed dead. Then, Hayate walks over and takes Kiryu's deck.

 

There are two possibilities:

a) Kiryu isn't dead yet

B) you didn't make his death clear enough

 

Honestly, though, if he's dead, I am a little disappointed at his death being in vain like that. I mean, someone like Calle or Xiael, but this dude... 

 

Take a second and look at your response, and then read it again and think about it.  Kiryu, in retrospect, wasn't a main character at all.  On top of that, Kiryu was an extremely one dimensional character who only got stronger as the series went along while not really having any sound reasoning behind it.  It was almost like a more basic version of Ichigo, with that with each villain he just grows stronger and is able to defeat them but not much changes emotionally.

 

Now think about this; the entire twist of the Episode was that Kiryu hated, despised even Hayate because of what he did to Kimora and how he twisted her into an evil, soul-less being.  In the process, his hatred did the same to him.  On another scale, it was "Hayate" that caused Kiryu to become soul-less.  Kiryu's one flaw was the fact that his humanity was very rarely shown, and he didn't know how to handle it when it was.  On top of that he's a Medical Class, meaning his Stage 5 technique would've been something on a healing scale as opposed to otherwise.

 

He could never even touch Hayate because he never had the skill to fight someone stronger than him - it was all in his mind, his confidence but he had never been faced with someone more challenging than that.  The point was as 'perfect' as his character was, he couldn't handle someone who truly might not have flaws due to his incredible skills.  That's why Hayate was able to kill him with no problem.  The plan has been to write Kiryu out of the story before the Second Series begins, and this was in fact, the last time we'll see him.  The very end was Hayate's thoughts, directed at Kiryu, but Kiryu was killed.

 

He was killed because in some ways he was never really "alive".

 

The end was meant to be open to your interpretation, but I'm going to be honest due to Kiryu's lack of relevance to the story over-all in that his arc was about Hayate, not about Kiryu himself, makes it self-explanatory.  That's the end of him.

 

I can promise this: Another character will die before the Series is over.

 

Spoiler?  Perhaps.

 

But who?

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 74 & 75: The Ultimate End Game, Part One]

 

Words from the Author

 

I’m stunned to think about it, in fact.  It’s been almost a year since I put pen to paper and started working on this story, which truthfully I didn’t expect to go very far at all.  As a writer, I’ve always wanted to be able to lay claim to the fact that I wrote and completed an entire story, but as the years passed and my interest in a lot of things, especially Yu-Gi-Oh! which had been the base for most of my Fiction up until now started to decline, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to do it.  I came close with Hidden Legacy; I made it to about 35, then gave up.  So to see this story through to its conclusion is an awesome feat as a writer.

 

Wasn’t entirely sure what to include here, other than a few comments just making my thoughts public, but another thing I want to do is thank everyone, the readers those of you who commented and those who didn’t, and those who have stuck with it since the beginning.  It would’ve written either way, but it’s awesome to have a following and I hope all of you guys will give Accel II a chance.  I’m not going to spend time plugging it here because I want all of the focus to be on the epic conclusion to this story, but the one thing I will say is that Umbra and I have put a ton of planning into it and it’s great to have someone of his skill level on-board.

 

Accel II will be very different in structure from this one, too.  Whereas I spent so much time focusing on mystery that it took me an extra ten chapters just to bring everything together, the new series will be much more fluid (and probably about the same length when all is said and done)  All I’m asking is that you guys give it a chance – I think you’ll like it.

But wrapping this up, I think it’s about time we push forward for the final Mega-Episode.  After all the duels, the fights, and the combinations, we’re at the final stage and Calion, Calle, and Xiael, all that remains of the resistance are about to face the ultimate test in Lucien Grasciou.  The rich tyrant has seen his plans fall apart step by step, and now he’s forced to do battle on his own – the only effective way to get things done.  With Xiael’s body in near useless condition, can the three of them even pose a threat to Lucien, who possesses the Spirital and can bend it to his will?

 

The story, in truth, is more than just a generic tale of action.  When you look at it from start to finish, you really question the concept of morality, and the effect it has – both positive and negative – on those who choose to embrace it.  The human mind is structured to work a certain way, but we add these sociological expectations and codes to it and suddenly everything changes.  But if that’s the case, why is it that the brute warrior stands just as much of a chance as the tactical genius?

 

Just a note, while I’m aware this is a different formatting than most Fan-Fictions use, for the sake of the story and really packing a punch and bringing everything together at once, there’s a few flashbacks included in the beginning of the Chapter.  Anything that’s flashback will be italicized, but also between [brackets] just for the sake of simplicity. Normally, using these kind of flashbacks draws one out of the story in the sense of realism, but I think it’s actually somewhat beneficial here only because it’s the final chapter and it brings everything together.

 

Who are we to define right and wrong?

 

Without further adieu, I present to you, the 75^th and final Chapter of Yu-Gi-Oh! D-Accel!

 

---

 

[Allen dropped to the ground, barely any life left. Calion remained in place, but was noticeably weakened, as well. “What have you accomplished, human? You may have won the game, but you won't be able to move anymore, you've not the strength left to escape from this world!”

 

“I...may not have the...strength to go on...” Allen tried to stand, but couldn't. So he looked up at the spirit instead. “But I will tell you this much. By defeating you, I have put a stop to the destruction you've intended to bring to my family, you see? I know this battle is far from over, and I can't help the fact that my son will have no choice but to involve himself, especially after he realizes my disappearance, but hey, if he's anything like his old man, perhaps the final result will still remain your defeat.”

 

“You are foolish to think -”

 

“And besides,” Allen interrupted. “You're not looking so strong yourself, whatever you are. I knew this battle would come, but I had no idea how to prepare for it. I was able to defeat you by allowing my pure emotions and instinct to control the battlefield, and that was more than enough to guarantee my victory. I know these cards will watch over my son, and I will do the same. So I wish you good luck in your endeavors, because...you will need it.”

 

With that he closed his eyes.]

 

What was that? The spirit, that figure...looked like Calion.  Twisted, darker, with a strange energy resonating through him, but the distinction was unmistakable.  But who was he dueling?  What was this about?

 

[“I don't know who you are or why you made this challenge, but I know that too much rides on this duel for me to lose! It's time to end this, and I'll do it with my Twilight Veil!” Yoruki exclaimed, drawing no response. “But before that, I have one thing to ask you. What is the reasoning behind this? How do you know who we are?”

 

“Unfortunately,” the duelist replied calmly “I can't give out that information. What I can tell you is this. I challenged you for the sole purpose of testing your skill. As I assumed, it was more than effortless to win.”

 

“What?!” Yoruki felt his fist curl up in frustration. “This duel is far from over, don't insult my ability with your petty confidence!”

 

“You're wrong. For you see, this duel has already reached its conclusion.” The duelist explained, deactivating his duel disk, as it retracted and became much smaller on his arm. “This game has been over for about three minutes now, in fact.”

 

“I'm afraid I can't go into detail, but I'll explain in the simplest terms. You see, I've already won this duel. Upon the summoning of your Chaos Sorcerer, and the equipment of Twilight Wing, you declared your attack, at which point I played the Trap Card Phantom Token.” The duelist continued, “With that, I was able to block your attack and bring forth another monster to the field, my Phantom Bounzer. At that point, it was as simple as building the overlay network with both of my monsters to call upon my Photon Strike Bounzer.”

 

“None of this happened, what are you talking about?!” Yoruki was trying to process the information; was this a mind game of some sorts? It couldn't have been – his opponent had already deactivated the duel disk. What the hell is going on?

 

“I'm not finished. Strike Bounzer's attack led to the activation of your Instant Boost Trap Card, which of course, would allow you to use Chaos Sorcerer's ability on my turn. This turned out not to be the case due to Strike Bounzer's own effect. From there, I used the Spell Card Overlay Reversal to bring my original monsters back to the field and attack for game. Don't worry though, Yoruki Izumaya. It'll catch up to you eventually.”]

 

His mind shot back again to the blankness.  This second vision had come and gone about as quickly as the first one.  But again, the presence was un-mistakable.  Calion.  He had won that duel with the Jikokusori, the 1^st Stage technique he had displayed when he rescued them from the El Nombre trio, with the ability to temporarily stop time.  But why had his demeanor been so drastically different from the first duel?

 

[The duelist went to respond, but something stopped him. He sighed, “While I understand the reasoning behind your theory, I must inform you, it is incorrect. The objective, that day one year ago, I was supposed to duel Allen and defeat him, then proceed to grab the card and take it back to my world. As I tried to do so, Allen proved to be far more powerful an opponent than anyone expected; he somehow managed to gain a power that had long since eluded him, and utilize it to stop me, for fear that his son would somehow be dragged into this fight. The defeat left me stranded in the Mid-World for a few days, until I was able to gain the power necessary to return here. You see, for a spirit to survive in this world takes far more energy than it does for any other being. By using a human subordinate, the energy needed is greatly reduced. Not to mention, no harm is inflicted to the human, as long as one is careful.”

 

Chris was puzzled. “So that’s not Rai you’re controlling?”

 

The duelist nodded. “In fact, I’m not controlling anyone. By utilizing a human subordinate, under the effects of the jikokusori they are left unharmed entirely, “frozen” in time until the spirit leaves the body. While my intention upon returning was to use Rai for this cause simply to obtain the card, I was unable to do so. For when I tried to make my move, I discovered that the boy was nowhere to be found; he’s been missing for almost a year, and not a single person knows of it because whoever is responsible for taking him has used some kind of ability to clear the memory of those who knew him.”

 

“If your objective was to defeat me,” Sora asked, interjecting for the first time since the confrontation had begun, “then why did you save my life? Even with my strength, there was a similar power in that one, the one he called Rondo. I’m not sure I would have survived at all.”

 

“I don’t know,” came the reply, “maybe I felt like as much as I prefer not to associate with anyone, you were just too inspiring a person to allow to fall in such a way. I dislike humans in general, but there aren’t many like you. You lack greed, selfishness, ego, you simply act on emotion and instinct and you respect those around you. That kind of power might be a useful addition in the fight that lies ahead.”

 

Suddenly, the duelist jolted backwards. Chris nearly fell trying to move out of the way, and all three of them stared upwards at the sky, a weird light, not too different from the normal color of the sky, but somehow it carried a very strange feeling. “Sora Tenjioshi, I am afraid I must cut our duel short. I can assure you, I am not your friend, but I am not your enemy, either. This power I have seen in you, and in you as well, Kenji Christianson, has caused me to open my eyes to something I had not yet noticed. Eventually, we must all work together to save Rai Valiant, whether we choose to, or not.”

 

“I don’t understand,” Chris said, “why would you save him if your objective is to seize that card?”

 

“I have a very strange feeling that soon, my objectives will be different, at least for now. Besides, I don’t believe that card is where it once was. Whoever took Rai more than likely has the card as well, and that means we have a common enemy. I am not capable of feeling emotion, per se...” Chris and Sora heard nothing but the sound of the duelist’s footsteps as he began to walk away, back facing them.

 

“But I offer my sincerest apologies for the loss of your friend. As I too detest violence that is unnecessary, I will tell you this much. While it goes against my orders, I will do everything within my power to aid you in avenging that loss. By the way,” he looked back for a brief moment, revealing his face for the first time, “I’d suggest losing that uniform. We need you far more than the police force does now.”

 

“Wait,” Chris called out, as Sora watched on, somehow realizing everything he was hearing was truth, even if the source wasn’t the most reliable given the events of the duel prior. “Where are you going?”

 

“I have some things I must attend to. By the way, I’m not sure whether or not you figured it out, but the once CEO of CodEn Enterprises, Takumi Moreno, has died.” Chris and Sora exchanged a stunned glance. “Perhaps you’ll find some information there. Get to know each other, by the way. You’ll need it if you have any hope of returning to your normal lives and preventing the destruction of this world.”

 

“How do we contact you?” Sora asked.

 

“You don’t.” The duelist responded. “But I guarantee we will see each other again. The name’s Calion, by the way.”]

 

The vision faded a third time.  He wasn’t sure whether he was awake or asleep, or what exactly had happened – his mind was acting on his own.  He tried opening his eyes, but he was unable to.  Something was keeping him here – someone or something wanted him to see how this story had gotten to this point.  What had brought them all together?  He was seeing Calion’s actions play out before his eyes.  Rai Valiant, it was a name he’d heard once before, when they first met Calion.  He had mentioned it briefly, but Calle hadn’t given it a second thought.  This story was beginning to piece itself together much differently than he had imagined – there was much more to Calion than met the eye – he was a brave warrior, but the Calion standing in front of them now was not the same Calion who had begun this journey.

 

["Too predictable!" Calion kicked off the monster's chest, flipping over his shoulder and slicing the left arm clean off, bringing forth another piercing screech that shattered any remaining windows in the area.

 

He caught his breath, landing on his feet effortlessly, like a leaf in the wind. The Shopkeeper, or what remained of him, dropped to his knees, blood pouring from the places where his arms used to be. As it shrieked once more, Calion couldn't help but notice a chance in the tone, something much more light, and far more sinister. A laughter, a child's voice. Alice. The greenish glow that had become familiar to her presence occupied the large creature, and it turned around to face him.

 

"I am so happy to see you've decided to join in on the action," the girl said, speaking through the Shopkeeper's body. "It's been a long time since we've had the opportunity to play, Calion. This has been fun, wouldn't you agree?" She laughed, a playful one.

 

"Still as creepy as ever," he remarked. "Guess that's no surprise, though. I'm well aware you're controlling it. Unfortunately, that's not going to make a difference. Why you've chosen to reveal yourself now is a bit perplexing, considering I was about to put an end to this battle."

 

Alice laughed again, becoming more uncontrollable with each second. "You were going to put an end to this battle? Oh, but that ruins the fun. I was just getting warmed up. Besides, I need something to do while I wait for your friends to stumble into their imminent death. I must say though, I'm glad you showed up. I'm looking forward to dueling with them, and if you hadn't arrived when you did, I'm afraid they wouldn't have lasted much longer."

 

Part of him worried for Kenji and Sora's sake; whatever she was planning wouldn't be good. They would have to find a way to beat her, though. After all, that's why they had been chosen and had come together in the first place. They had gotten this far; if they were to die then everything they had done would have been pointless, and somehow he didn't think they'd stand for that. "Save it. This battle is as good as over. I'm prepared for your big final attack, so why not simply release it?"

 

"Aww, are you not having as much fun as I am?" The girl laughed again. "Using humans in this manner is so riveting, I really enjoy it. Maybe I'll turn your friends into human puppets after I defeat them, and allow them to suffer a little longer. But, as you wish, prepare to meet your demise!" With a final piercing shriek, bolts of green energy flew out from the creature's shoulders, both forwards and sideways, forming a new pair of wings and a new set of arms. Only this time, they were created entirely of Rakurai.

 

What the hell...? Calion was beside himself; was there really that much energy stored up within this guy? How much stronger had she become? Unfortunately, the time to sit and ponder wasn't now.

 

Melding its two "arms" together to form one giant lance, the creature released a massive shockwave of energy, straight in Calion's direction, prompting Alice's unstable laughter once more. "Bye bye!"

 

He sprung into action. Waiting until just the right moment, Calion held his sword outwards, splitting the bolt straight down the middle, much like he had done with Ankoku's technique, only on a much larger scale. The lightning kept coming, and he began to swing his sword around by the holster, reflecting it entirely now az opposed to splitting it. As soon as the lightning struck the blade, it disintegrated and made way for the next bolt to come.

 

"What's this?!" The girl's bewildered voice asked. "How could you be stopping an attack of this level?!"

 

"Simple." Calion pressed forward, as Alice began to amplify the force, using energy from the Rakurai-created wings as well, and still the sword broke through the attack. "I've advanced far beyond where I was when we last met, Alice. You're witnessing just a fragment of the power of my Crimson Thunderblade. At the sword's center lies a sliver, a piece so small you can't even see it with your own eyes, of the original Rakurai bolt. Legend says that when the bolt first struck, fragments of it remained scattered throughout the area, while others were infused into the Spirits which had received its power. My sword contains this power, and as such, can slice through and reflect any pure Rakurai-based attacks with ease. Without using a Stage Technique, you can't even hope to scratch me."]

 

His eyes opened.  Everything was back to normal like something had jolted through his body in a matter of seconds and snapped him back to reality.  Seeing these stages of Calion’s development, through whatever  force it was, there had to be a reason for it.  When he looked around him, Xiael was still propped against the tree and Calion was staring skyward towards Lucien’s quarters.  It was like no time had passed, they hadn’t even noticed what he’d experienced.

 

But in that time he pieced together the reasoning behind it, and the key to their victory in this battle.  Calion could not engage this battle as someone who had others to protect – he had to fight this battle like the care-free warrior he had once been.  In fact, if he fought in this still shaken state, a state of remorse, there was no hope.  They needed Calion the warrior, and they needed him now.

 

---

 

Episode 74 & 75: The Ultimate End Game

 

Calion felt something in the air – a change in the spiritual pressure.  It was unmistakable.  “So it begins.  I don’t think Lucien has any desire to wait for us to come to him; he’d rather kill us while we’re trying to re-group.”  He looked to Calle, then Xiael, and shared a nod with both of them.  This was it – this was everything they had been waiting for.

 

“Can’t say I blame him for that,” Calle said.  “Aye, I’m afraid we’re not dealing with a simple-minded individual, not after he’s come this far.  But that doesn’t matter now; all that matters is that we bring the fight to him with everything we’ve got.”

“Agreed”, Tres chimed in, though only Calle heard him.  “It should be interesting to say the least, doing battle with the one person I’ve always been loyal to.”

 

Think you can handle it? Calle asked rhetorically.

 

“I do not believe I have another choice,” Tres replied. “There are many things I wish to understand and if Lucien is to destroy everything, I’m as you humans say “up the creek without a paddle”.”

 

“Here it comes,” Calion interrupted.  The wind forces grew stronger, Lucien was approaching.  But as far as they could tell, he was doing so by air.  Calion felt another, significantly weaker presence.  Whatever that was, it must’ve been his method of travel.  Of course that went without saying.  “Hold on tight, I don’t think this is gonna be a fun one!”

 

Whisking away the trees surrounding the nearby area, Lucien made his grand entrance right on cue, descending down upon them.  He sat atop a creature all sorts of ugly, a nightmare-black griffin with a wingspan of about six feet.  Its face was hideously disfigured, but the razor sharp fangs seething through its grizzly fur were nothing to laugh at.  As the creature’s feet hit the ground, it drove its knife-blade talons into the ground allowing Lucien to step off.  He acknowledged them with a nod, but said no words.

 

The silence was frightening – the obvious tension between them, but Lucien seemed to show no direct expression one way or another.  His face was covered by a look of patience – a waiting game.  Would he make the first move?

 

“Lucien...,” Calion muttered through gritted teeth.

 

“So this is our beloved tournament organizer?” Calle quipped, but instantly his focus was on Xiael – the boy was barely able to breathe, never mind move. Someone had to be able to protect him if Lucien made a strike...

 

Then again he remembered what Calion had said about Xiael staying behind, and that if the boy had chosen to get involved in the battle then no one would be able to protect him, but...

 

Lucien said nothing, and it soon became apparent he was not their primary concern.  For as soon as their focus had re-shifted, the griffin made it apparent that hunting season was underway.  With a cackling tilt of its head and a gruesome shriek, it took off towards Calion at crazy speeds. 
 

Damnit, Calion’s not going to be able to move in time! Calle worried, watching as the spirit stood in position, there was not going to be any reaction time.  Not at that pace.

“It would appear your worrying is for naught.  Your friend not only saw it coming, but it looks like he was able to make a counter-attack even faster.”

 

“What are you talk...” Calle trailed off, confirming Tres’ words.

 

Lucien had distanced himself from the scene of the fight.  It was bad enough he’d had to come to the location physically, but at least he would not have to get his hands dirty.  Surely the laytr would take care of them.  Coming from the Mid-World, the latyr was a half phoenix, half griffin like creature that was devoid of anything but the desire to hunt.  A vicious, repulsive creature, personally he couldn’t stand it, something so disgusting for a man of his tastes, but there was no denying that summoning one would provide a quick conclusion to the battle that never was.

 

That’s why it stunned him as he watched from afar, as the laytr’s right wing was sliced clean off, falling to the ground at its side in a shower of blood.  Calion had reacted even faster than the creature’s attack, using his sword to slice the wing clean off.  The creature roared and shrieked in pain, rolling around on the ground and trying to regain composure.

 

“You’ve got to be bloody kidding me,” Calle said, his eyes still wide as he surveyed the scene.  “How in the name of Atem did he react so quickly?”

 

“So, you’re hesitant to fight, but you bring an oversized bird?” Calion smirked as Lucien stared at him with disgust.  “Looks like Thanksgiving might be coming early this year.  I’ve got no desire to stand around and play games, Lucien.  Trust me if I could have, I would’ve killed you during our first encounter.  Now, I truly believe you made a mistake by revealing yourself – you could’ve at least tried to make it challenging.”

 

“Look at you, Calion, talking as though the battle is over, though it has not even begun,” Lucien smiled.  “My pet is just the beginning, and I do not believe is down for the count just yet.” Lucien snapped his fingers, calling the laytr to its senses.  Still seeing blood, its target was not Calion this time, but Calle.  Like it was perfectly healed, the bird charged at the Swede with great force.

 

“Brace yourself, we might have to attack!” Tres warned.

 

“That won’t be necessary,” Calion chimed in, acting as a human shield before they could even see his movement.  The creature didn’t slow its charge, but Calion hadn’t wanted it to; he thrust forward, slicing off the remaining wing, causing the creature to topple about in incredible pain. “And screw it, I’m not waiting for this thing to get up again, I’ll finish it off! {3^rd Stage: Crimson Thunderblade}!”

 

His sword in hand, Calion’s technique took effect, drawing in Rakurai around him as the solid steel of the blade became a static black and red, shortening in length ever so slightly.  “Truthfully I hope you didn’t expect this thing to be a threat,” Calion said, his words directed at Lucien but his eyes still focused on the fallen laytr.  It was still alive, but with both of its wings removed, not only was it in great pain, but it couldn’t exactly do much in terms of moving one way or another. 

 

His confidence was strong and fear was not evident, at least not yet.  In his mind, he continued to shift back and forth, wondering what Lucien had in mind, knowing that he couldn’t have reasonably expected this thing to slow them down in the slightest.  If it was a distraction, he could understand, but Lucien hadn’t moved a muscle since touching the ground.  Something to keep his eyes on.  “Screw it, I’m done playing around.”  Hoisting his sword into the air, Calion turned to face the fallen beast.   Closing his eyes, he thrust his sword straight into its chest. 

 

But before he could strike, it was gone. What the hell?!

 

The creature reared its ugly head, now standing in front of Lucien as it had done upon landing.  Only this time, its wounds were completely healed – and its wings had been entirely restored.  Calion was beside himself, and Calle too for that matter.  A smiling Lucien, however, revealed the small green sphere in his hand, holding it with his thumb and index finger, and with just a slight amount of energy radiating from it, he had brought the creature back to one-hundred percent.

 

“Marvelous,” Lucien replied with a satisfied smile.  “It would appear we’re back to square one.  Only you’re slightly more exhausted and my pet is feeling better than ever.”

 

“Damnit, but how?” Calion replied, holding his sword with both hands as he tried to avoid dropping it; his whole body was shaking.  “There’s no way it could be fully recovered, not in that span of time.”

 

“Is that what I think it is?” Calle asked aloud, prompting Tres’ reply.

 

“I’m afraid it is, it would appear that we’re seeing the true Spirital first hand, right before our very eyes.” He paused for a moment as Calle surveyed the scene.  It wouldn’t be long before the griffin charged in for a second attack, and what was to stop it from being far more careless this time if it could not truly be injured? “The source of Rakurai as a whole.  He’s able to manipulate and modify any amounts of energy with that device; it’s truly the most dangerous thing in the world in the wrong hands.  And contrary to what I had once believed, it’s become quite clear that Lucien’s hands are in fact those hands.”

 

Calle, too, was unsure how to respond.  His senses had heightened, and he was doing his best to keep the fear from creeping in.  He wasn’t scared of Lucien directly, but they couldn’t even touch Lucien unless they were able to kill this thing.  But as long as Lucien was alive, they couldn’t kill it.  “Suddenly things have taken a turn for the worse.”

 

There was no need to ask; it had only taken him a second to put it together.  This was the real Spirital.  The item he had destroyed in the Valley of Souls was just a fragment, a small piece that was Allier’s only means of existence.  But the terrifying reality was still there – if a chunk of the Spirital 1/16^th the size of the real thing was enough to allow Calion himself to achieve D-Stage, what could Lucien do with the other 15/16^th’s?  He had a limitless supply of energy.  The only benefit we’ve got right now is that this thing doesn’t seem too smart.  I’ve got to try to throw it off somehow, to get it far enough away from Lucien that there’s no way for him to restore it again.

 

“Interestingly enough, I can see you struggling with your confidence, Calion.” Lucien called him out.  “I can see it going up, then down, then back up again as you rack your mind for solutions.  Please, if you will, allow me to save you the trouble.  This device in my hand is the Spirital, once the grand prize for my lifelong dream, the Grand Tournament which you were responsible for destroying.  So instead of giving it out to a lucky duelist and making their dreams come true, I am now relegated to using its power to wipe out those of you who were responsible for its failure and achieve my dream through other means.  And it just so happens that those means are being able to watch you be torn to pieces!”

 

The laytr launched itself, only this time it was striking with a vengeance; it was out for blood.  Talons out, it clawed and slashed at Calion, who dodged each attack with merely seconds to spare.  Until randomly, the creature changed direction, clipping him right on his left shoulder and tearing the skin wide open.  Calion shouted jumbled words, dropping to his knee for merely a second before his instincts kicked in, forcing him to move.

 

The laytr circled around for a second attack, this time targeting the upper body.  It was going straight for the neck – a trained hunter.  Calle saw it happening but wasn’t sure he could do anything in time.  What other choice did they have, though? Calion was bleeding profusely and he wasn’t going to be able to move in time, no doubt about it.

 

“{1^st Stage: Kamisori no kaze; Razor Winds}!” Palms pressed outwards as he leapt into the air, Calle fired a series of compressed air in the creature’s direction, cutting it open in multiple spots.  The wounds, though small, were enough to deter its trajectory and cause it to recoil, heading back towards Lucien’s direction.

 

“Brilliant timing there,” Calion remarked.  “Sorry, I don’t know what happened.  I guess I let that attack get to me more than I should have.  That thing has repulsive breath.”

 

“Indeed, can’t argue with that one,” Calle laughed in response.  The two of them set their sights on the laytr, prepared to make another strike.  Once again, Lucien had healed its wounds.  “Our only hope to take this down is going to be a double-team assault of some kind.  On our own, we’re not fast enough to out-run it, and counter-attacking becomes challenging as I’m sure you can attest to.”

 

Calion nodded.  As much as he wasn’t much of a teamwork guy, Calle was right.  They didn’t stand a chance against this thing based on size alone.  The pure hatred in its eyes, the hunter-like instincts, and its desire to kill didn’t make for a winning combination on their end.  Plus, there was Xiael.  But for now, luckily, it hadn’t seemed to notice him.  He was banking on the fact that Xiael was already out of Rakurai, so perhaps Lucien wouldn’t bother with him.  They could only hope.

 

“We can’t waste any time,” Calle said.

 

“You’ve got a plan?”

 

“I wouldn’t call it a plan, but I think I’ve got a reckless idea,” he replied.  Unsheathing the short sword as his waist, he leapt back into the air getting a solid amount of distance from Calion and the laytr.  But the beast noticed his movement, and on cue, it set in motion.  But Calion had noticed what Calle was going for right before the creature took off.  With his sword in his left hand, he was gathering a charge in his right hand, drawing in energy from the air around them.

 

A modification of Reza Ayori.  If he let the creature get close enough to strike him with the sword, he could use the Stage technique and force the pulsating wind charge straight into the creature’s neck.  That’s it, I get it now.  Lucien can continue to recharge and revive the creature as long as its vital organs are still working.  But if you hit it straight in the jugular, there’s no life force left to restore.

 

“Are you sure this is the best idea?!” Tres said, not exactly used to reckless decision making.  He’d caught on to what Calle was trying to do, but the execution wasn’t as easy as the impulse.  “If you don’t time this perfectly we’re both gonna be torn to shreds!”

 

What other choice do I have? Calle said, tightening his vision; he could see nothing but the laytr approaching him, his eyes locked on the creature.  I can do this...it’s just gonna take some careful precision...and...here it comes!

 

With a squall loud enough to shatter windows, the laytr pounced for the kill. Damn, there wasn’t enough time!  “{1^st Stage: Jikokusori; Time Warp},” Calion muttered the words just as Calle caught on, and for a brief moment he and the creature were frozen in the air as everything else had stopped around them.

 

That move – he’d seen it before.  When Calion saved them the first time.  By focusing on a certain area of space, he could freeze time for a matter of seconds, then to minutes, depending how much energy he wanted to extend.  However, whereas normal humans can’t do anything about it while they’re frozen, those with Rakurai could move freely.  This meant that while he had the advantage – he had to take it.

 

“Thanks for the heads up!” Calle said.

 

“Had to return the favor for you saving my ass,” Calion replied.  “Now stop talking and kill that thing already.”

 

“Right,” he said.  He’d gotten a bit caught up in the moment, but the compressed energy had charged enough.  “Time to cut this oversized turkey down to size!  Ahhhhhh—HA!  Reza Ayori!”  And boom, just as the attack struck, Calion released the time-grip, causing the knife-edge winds to pry into the laytr’s neck, blasting it out into the water a good fifty feet, crazy distance thanks to the delay in acceleration. 

 

The creature shrieked as its neck was split open, blood spattering across the ocean like wildfire.  As the damage spread throughout its body, the creature became minimized until there was no longer anything there, having been torn apart entirely, the wind slicing through its body like butter.

 

“Talk about a powerful display,” Calion broke the silence, breathing heavily in the process.  “I think it’s safe to say we got him.”  He turned his attention to Lucien, who stood frozen.

 

---

 

This...they annihilated him in one combined attack.  But how! How could I have not been able to see this coming?  He reached into the Spirital, trying to draw energy from it to bring the creature back to life, but to no avail.  There was no longer a creature to revive.  Damnit, how could they have managed to figure out the trick?  He was hoping to be able to get through this without having to ruin his cashmere suit, but alas that would not be the case.  He would have to kill them with his own hands.  And so it had come to this.

 

“Lucien,” Calion said, his sarcasm no longer there.  This was the moment they had been awaiting.  The final hour.  “Let’s take this fight elsewhere.”

 

“What’s this?” he asked.  “Are you afraid, Calion?  Do you not want anyone to see you suffer the defeat that has long since awaited you since your betrayal?”

 

Calion shook his head, and with his confidence returning the size of the Thunderblade grew.  “Xiael is in no condition to fight, we’re all aware of this.  I don’t believe I’m capable of fighting you at full power when I have to worry about protecting him.  Besides, if you’re as powerful as you say you are, wielding the power of the Spirital no less, it should be beneath you to need to take out your frustrations on a near-dead opponent.  Let’s fight on a level playing field.”

 

Lucien didn’t appear to budge.  Holding the Spirital in his hand, the embodiment of his power and his confidence, for that matter, he was the strongest one.  He had no reason to fear his enemies.  Realistically, one of them was a step away from being dead outright and the others were worn out from their previous fights.  So why, in some way, did he feel a hint of fear?  Or maybe that wasn’t the best way to word it; it wasn’t fear.  But his iron, un-shatterable self assurance had the slightest of cracks.

 

“Heh, such a worthless gesture,” Lucien remarked.  “What difference does it make, in all honesty?  Sure, you managed to defeat my pet, but I assumed that you would.  It doesn’t surprise me that two warriors of your caliber were able to figure out some way around it.  I never stoke the claim that the laytr was invincible,” the man responded, twirling the Spirital around in his hands.  “Myself on the other hand...through the power of the Spirital and long, long years of patience, I have truly reached a level of invincibility.  And it is for that reason that I politely decline your request.  We shall fight here, you do not deserve the honor of dictating this battle.”

 

“So you’re not gonna change your mind,” Calion gripped the holster tight.  “Fine then.  I’ll just have to change it FOR YOU!”  Sword outright, he charged at Lucien, who didn’t bat an eye.  As Calion got within striking distance he swung for Lucien’s right shoulder, only to find that he couldn’t even get close enough to do so.  He swung right into a shield of some sort, but as his blade made contact, the shield sent the energy back at him, a static shock of sorts, and he fell to the ground wounded.  What the hell was that?  I didn’t even see a forcefield around him and yet I couldn’t get within striking distance!

 

“Calion, are you alright?!” Calle called out.  He didn’t understand what had happened – one minute Calion was charging in for the attack and the next minute he was repelled and on the ground.  Lucien hadn’t moved at all.

 

“I’m not sure if I’d define it as alright, but I’m breathing,” he replied, getting back to his feet.  “So you wanna play that game, do you?  Try this on for size!” He rushed in again, only this time he pulled back before swinging, shifting behind Lucien instead of in front of him, and slashed at his lower back.  But again without any movement on Lucien’s end, he was shocked by the barricade and knocked back.

 

“Again! What is this!” Calle called out.

 

“It’s a barricade,” Tres chimed in.  “More specifically a repellent forcefield.  It’s modeled very similarly to my Okibi be-ru, except instead of just acting as a shield, whatever power he’s using not only protects him from being harmed, but inflicts damage in the process.  I believe this is what he was implying when he said he reached a level of invincibility.”

 

“Can you see it?” Calle asked.  “In any way at all?  Because I don’t see a damn thing.”

 

“Just barely, but not enough to give you any sort of strategic approach.  I can see feint outlines of the barricade, it extends about two feet on all sides of his body, meaning no matter where you try to strike, he’s completely safe from harm.  Surely it’s the Spirital’s doing.” Tres paused for a moment, trying to figure out if there were some flaws in the shield’s design.  “There’s no way a technique is that complex on its own – while admittedly I’ve never seen what Lucien can do with my own eyes, I know that a full body shield to that extent is out of the realm of possibility.  Whatever he’s doing, it’s amplified significantly by the Spirital’s power.  But the problem is, if we can’t get to the Spirital, we can’t stop it.  And there’s no way to touch him as long as its in effect.”

 

Calion dragged his sword in the dirt, using it as a base to pull himself back to his feet once more.  “Hey Calle, am I right in thinking he’s using some kind of force field to repel attacks?” He asked.  “I can’t see it myself but I know your friend there has that capability.  If so, enlighten me on where I can break through it.  Every barrier has a weak point.”

 

The Swedish duelist nodded.  “It’s there alright, but as to how we’re going to break through it, I’m not sure.  There doesn’t appear to be any openings, and it spans a two mile radius on all sides.  This is a tough one even for a researcher.”

 

“Allow me to interrupt your strategy session,” Lucien chimed in, the widest of smiles across his face.  “Gentlemen, you are wasting your time.  All this time, I’ve been slowly saving and building my power for this very moment.  As you can see, the Spirital is the source of this power, taking someone of a normal skill level like myself and turning me into the most powerful being in existence!  I  am truly untouchable!  Come at me all you wish, but you will only be killing yourselves in the process, and I do not have time to waste on you meddlesome fools any longer.  It’s time this fight goes to the next level!”

 

With the Spirital prominent in his view, Lucien began to step forward, where Calion still struggled to stand.  Using his hands, he grabbed the young Spirit by the throat, bringing him to a stand.  Calion tried to pry himself free, but Lucien’s strength was incredibly overwhelming.  And he couldn’t even try to strike back because doing so would only result in further injury.  Lucien tightened his grip, his muscles nearly exploding out of his clothing from the power the Spirital was transmitting through his body.

 

“Calion, I think I’ll kill you first, just so that the others can watch their proud leader die.”  He said.  “I am a man of class, but sometimes you have to put that aside for the sake of getting the job done.”  Smiling, he continued to tighten his grip, and Calion felt his breath being drained by the second.  The grip was just too damn strong.  There was no way to break free and he couldn’t move his sword.  The Spirital was so powerful...”I...won’t let you...go to hell you bastard!”

 

This time we’ll do the saving...there’s no way this fight’s gonna end like this.  Are you ready, Tres?  “Let’s do this!  D-Acceleration!”  Calle felt his spirit energy duplicate as a blast of light exploded from the center of his body, shining so bright that the entire area was consumed by the illumination.  Their body became morphed by the black and silver armor, which covered about 75% of them as a whole.  A silver half-visor covered their eyes, specifically to allow them to identify Rakurai based substances as a whole.  As the dust settled, the light spiraled out of view, and a far stronger warrior was left in its place.

 

“If you’re such a powerhouse, then why not fight me?” Calle and Tres said, their voices mixed with one another as they spoke together in a formed state.  Lucien, stunned, dropped Calion and grasped the Spirital tight, increasing his force field.

 

“You think your little tricks are going to be enough to challenge me?!”  He beckoned.  “Don’t even try and fool yourself!  You’re nothing!”  He pressed his right hand outwards, releasing a burst of fire about five feet in diameter in Calle’s direction.  It was bigger than Calle himself.

 

“Well this is awkward, the fact that we’ve got to dissipate your first big attack so quickly after you fired it,” he said.  “Oh well, what’s done is done.”   Propped on his right shoulder was a large silver cannon, intertwined with black lighting bolts along the sides.  In one swift motion, Calle grabbed the handle.  “{DStage: Ba-suto Terasu Kyanon; Bursting Illumination Cannon}!”

 

The bright blue flash exploded from the cannon, meeting the fireball head on in a monstrous collision, creating a huge crater in the center of the island.  But it had worked to stop Lucien’s attack.  When the smoke cleared, he was trying to retreat even further as Calion worked to recompose himself – shaken from Lucien’s attacks.

 

“It’s only the second time we’ve done this and I’m still not sure what the hell just happened,” Calle laughed.  “But while we’ve got this power, we might as well make full use of it.  I think one more attack should be enough to actually hit him.”

 

“Normally I wouldn’t advise such a reckless idea, but we might as well strike while we’ve got him on the run.” Tres said, feeling the anticipation grow as they charged up the cannon for a second attack.  “I think Calion needs to buy a little more time, so let’s see if we can make this one count.”

 

How could he have been able to match my searing flame? Lucien sprawled back into the air, trying to create a good amount of distance between him and his enemies.  While he couldn’t be hit, it still took a great amount of focus to maintain this force field.  He couldn’t defend himself and launch a full-on attack at the same time.  Meanwhile, he had to get over to Calion.  While he was still weak, he could finish him off once and for all.  After all, his power was still growing, as he dipped into the Spirital’s power once more, his muscles beginning to expand and tear through his shirt, giving him an almost inhumane look.  Yes, continue to flow into me!

 

Unanimously, Calle and Tres called out as they leapt into the air – “Take this, Bursting Illumination Cannon!”  The cannon fired a second blast, molten-hot charged energy with the force of an army behind it.  Lucien continued to flip backwards in the air to throw off the blast, but it began to catch up with him.  Just in time, it struck, but the force field had repelled it again.  Damn! They didn’t have enough to break it, even in D-Stage!

 

“How pathetic,” Lucien called out, his body continuing to grow and expand in all directions as his energy levels reached unrealistic proportions.  “To think you could’ve struck me! What a fool! I don’t care what powers you dip into, I hold the creation of Rakurai itself in my hands, at my disposal! I am its master!  And I will destroy everything!”

 

His arm became surrounded by a reddish glow and he called out a command.  “{3^rd Stage: Jigoku no akumu; Infernal Nightmare}!”  The blast fired, taking on the form of a demon spirit, heading straight towards them.  Even a hundred feet away they could feel the supernova-like levels of heat.  “Not only does the Spirital enhance my energy and my physical being as a whole, but it absorbs the force of your attacks and allows me to use that energy to return the favor! Your own measly cannon will be the death of you!”

 

“We can’t dodge it in time, what the hell are we supposed to do?!” Calle exclaimed, and Calion wasn’t going to be able to come to the rescue; he was barely breathing in his condition.  This looked like it might be the end.  “Even with D-Stage in effect, there’s no way we can meet that thing head on – there’s too much power behind it.  If we try to run away we’ll risk it hitting the others at the same time.  If this is the end, I have to thank you, Tres, for showing me that there’s more to a battle than just senseless fighting, and for reaffirming that I was right in following my instincts from the get-go.  Now let’s do-”

 

“{Stage 3: Ōroraburasuto; Aurora Breaking}!”

 

---

 

Ravaging in the earth below, a crack opened up along the ground at their feet, radiating strange lights that vaguely resembled those in the O-Zone.  As the demon-spirit flew across the way, looking to make its death shot, the lights shot upwards, encasing it entirely, wrapping around it and concealing it – there was no means of escape. 

 

Calle, Calion, and Lucien all stared at the location with disbelief that was immeasurable with words.  Because there he stood, amidst the chaos and fighting; Xiael.  Right before the attack had struck, he’d thrust his staff into the ground, releasing what must have been his own Stage Technique.  But the boy had never before used one.  An ideal time to start, no less.

 

“Unbelievable,” Calle said... “It can’t be.”  He’d seen his life flash before his eyes and all in the blink of one the attack had been completely nullified.

 

“Is that Xiael...” Calion wondered aloud.  His vision was still blurred, just now gaining back most of his consciousness.  He could see the feint outlines of the boy, barely able to stand on his feet, but he had somehow gathered up the rest of the energy he had left to save Calle’s life.  He’s a damned fool, using Rakurai like that! His body doesn’t have the physical wherewithal to do it!  His organs are going to break down and deteriorate due to the pressure on his body, he’s just sealed his own fate! Why did he get involved, damnit!

 

That boy...I sensed nothing from him.  His energy was drained from his duel with Unos, how could it be that he mustered up the power to stop my 3^rd Stage attack? It’s inconceivable! “What is the meaning of this!  You dare defy my power?! And to think I was going to spare your life so you could watch these others die trying to protect you!  Now you shall be the first to die!  Rah!” He fired another blast of flames; Xiael couldn’t move, but before the attack struck, Calle saw a look in his eyes.

 

“No, damn you Lucien! You bastard you’ll pay for this!” Calion called out, an absolute hatred in his voice as he watched helplessly as the young boy was swallowed by the flame, thrown around like a piece of dust in the wind.  His clothing was torn to shreds and what little was left of his body was annihilated by the attack.  He hit the ground with a thud, but there was hardly any pain.  He’d become numb entirely.

 

Hovering above, Lucien was all smiles.  He took great satisfaction in watching the suffering on the faces of the others as they watched helplessly. He had changed the game.

 

Calion fell to his knees, desperately crawling and tumbling his way towards the boy’s fallen body, showing no regard for a potential attack from Lucien in the process.  Having watched firsthand the life of that young boy who had nothing to do with this battle in the first place be ripped away.

 

He felt tears streaming down the sides of his faces, his entire body shaking as he grabbed Xiael and tried to shake him to life, calling out to him in all jumbled words.  But he couldn’t move, there was nothing.  With every second that passed he felt his remorse and anger growing, for Lucien to target them was one thing, but to kill him, to know that Xiael risked his life for them up until the very end and then some.  To use the Rakurai knowing it would kill him anyway...another one had died on his accord.

 

Calle himself was visibly shaken by the scene, watching the distraught in Calion’s eyes.  Tres was silent, he could not truly experience the emotion, but even he knew.  Something was different; the entire atmosphere had changed with that attack.  That was not battle for the sake of it that was a ruthless killing. “Calion...”

 

“Hahahahahahhaah!” Lucien bellowed, hovering above them as the sky darkened.  Such a large concentration of energy in the air had literally morphed the atmosphere as a whole.  “Look at you, so emotional, such a pathetic, disgusting excuse for a Spirit.  It’s so funny, you were supposed to be the perfect experiment,” Lucien said.  Calion shot him a look while not letting go of Xiael’s arm.  “Got your attention now, do I?  You were supposed to be the absolute ideal experiment.  That is what Hayate told me.  When I founded CLEAR, I believed you would be the one to carry out the goals that I had to enlist the help of the El Nombre to do so.  And look what happened, they failed me as well!”

 

“What do you mean,” he said flatly.  “What do you mean experiment? Damnit, explain yourself!”

 

“All in good time, boy,” Lucien said.  “For you are about to die, both of you, I see no harm in telling you the truth behind this story.  You see, Calion, since you abandoned us and chose to side with the humans, you have been nothing but a nuisance to CLEAR as a whole.  You defeated Alice with the help of those weakling brats, and you were able to defeat the remainder of the El Nombre, as well.  But what you didn’t know, and what you were never supposed to know, is that your mission which at its center was to rescue Rai Valiant, the same being you were sent here to kill, will never be accomplished.  For you see, you and he are one in the same.”

 

“What in the HELL are you talking about?!”

 

“It was about eighteen years ago, if I remember it correctly.  Maybe a little longer than that, I can’t quite recall,” he said.  “The young Rai Valiant appeared to have major amounts of potential, a true star duelist and warrior, better than anyone else in his age group by far.  This was to be expected as his father was trained by one of the originals, and until you killed him was one of the strongest human beings alive.  Of course he showed too much restraint, Allen did.  And he would never have admitted that he carried such power, but he was a threat, and we needed him removed.  So what better way to defeat him than to use his own son as a piece in the puzzle?  Through Hayate’s experiments, we were able to kill Rai Valiant completely, but we did not realize that a Spirit half had existed within him.  That Spirit half was you, Calion.”

 

Calion was frozen in fear.  A combination of hatred and confusion.

 

“Realizing that you were still alive, rather than kill you Hayate decided to keep you alive, believing that you would be the perfect pawn to carry out his mission.  You see, while we’d killed Rai Valiant, you hadn’t even existed yet.  So from the moment you began to develop, we began to use you as a weapon, and finally you did what you were supposed to, and ended the life of Allen Valiant.  From there, you were to retrieve his cards, as we believed they were to contain the secrets of his power.  But that was for naught.  After you strayed, we obtained the cards, only to discover they were nothing, it was all misinformation.  And yet now all this time later here you stand, believing that you’re doing something by trying to save someone, when in reality there’s not a person alive to save!”

 

Everything had hit him so fast – he didn’t know how to process it.  If what Lucien was saying was true, his entire life had been a lie.  His hatred for Hayate had grown even stronger, his resentment, but to know that he and Rai Valiant were one in the same...it answered so many questions but created a new one all the same.  But now...now he didn’t care about the reasoning for Lucien’s motives.  Now...now he understood why he was able to achieve D-Accel, and why his emotions were so strong despite being a Spirit.  Because in truth, a small portion of Rai Valiant’s existence must have lived on inside him.

 

“So that’s your answer then...” Calion said.  “You believe that all of this will be resolved because you’ll kill Calle and myself just like you killed Xiael, and Sora, and the others...and you believe that now because this is all set in stone, you can tell me and there’s no concern of any sort of retaliation.  Well,” he tilted his head upwards, meeting Lucien’s eyes.  “You miscalculated.”

 

A cyclone of silver-colored energy exploded around him, spiraling around his body from head to toe. In a chaotic, uncontrolled release, energy poued out of his body from all angles, forming an almost spherical explosion around them; the pressure was overwhelming.  Calle and Tres tried to jump to higher ground to avoid the release of energy, while Lucien was too caught up in his own words to react in time.

 

“D-Acceleration.” Were the only two words he spoke as the dust settled, the explosion his release had created only adding to the multiple crevices and openings in the now torn island. His internal organs, damaged as they were from the lack of air that had circulated while Lucien drained his life away had begun to heal.  Rakurai flowed through him at uncontrollable rates, taking everything he had to contain it as the silver-plated armor with hints of blue resembling the wings of an eagle covered his upper body.

 

They covered his arms and legs, too, but despite having the appearance and feel of a suit of armor, it didn’t affect his movement much at all.  Crimson Thunderblade had once again taken on a much sleeker look, gaining about two feet in length and a coat of silver, different than the sword’s original form as the crimson-black electricity could still be seen throughout.  This was his ultimate form.

 

“So that’s his D-Stage then,” Calle noted.  The same armor he’d returned to this world wearing was the one he bore now.  Only at full power.  Lucien’s words and the mixture of emotions flowing through him had allowed Calion once again to achieve D-Accel.  But they were both on a limited time frame.  If they were going to defeat Lucien, it had to be when they could match his power, and with both of them in D-Stage, it was the only opportunity they had. 

 

“What’s this? A shiny new outfit?” Lucien mocked the design.  “You expect this to make a difference? You expect this to be able to do what your friend couldn’t?  You make me laugh.”

 

But before Lucien could say another word, Calion had materialized in front of him; it was clear by the look in his eyes that Lucien was the only one laughing.  Rich in taste but not in character, the tournament extraordinaire turned psychopath found himself with nowhere to run.  Had he said too much?

 

“Calion, be careful, if you attack him that close, you’ll face the full backlash of his force field!”  Calle called out, but he was too late.

 

“{D-Stage: Wings of the Fallen Eagle}” Calion had made his mind up, and he wasn’t going to let anything deter him from blasting this monster to pieces.  Holding his sword outwards in a vertical stance, the edges began to glow, and the eagle-formation fired straight at Lucien like a crossbow.

 

Smiling, he put his hands up, strengthening the force field as the attack met it head on.  He was safe.  Even Calion’s strongest attack couldn’t touch him.  Wait a moment, hold on...  He had just noticed it, ever-so-small, but it was damn real.  A slight crack in the barrier.  The attack may have been held off, but it had broken a line in the force field. How could this be?!

 

“Am I seeing that correctly?” Calle asked.  “It looks like he broke through it.  Tres, this could be our chance!  If we can create an opening, we can hit him once and for all.  Without his shield he’s useless, he’s only as powerful as he is because of the Spirital’s power!”

 

“So what do you suggest? He doesn’t seem to be willing to listen to reason right now.”

 

“That doesn’t matter anymore,” Calle replied.  He’d made up his own mind.  “We need the real Calion back.  We need to break through to him.  He can have emotional all right, but the Calion who battled as if his life was the only one that mattered is the only one capable of defeating Lucien and saving us all.”

 

“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?  It’s not exactly ideal, but perhaps it could work...”

 

“ I take it you’re done, then?  That flashy display was all for nothing, Calion.  Even in your strongest state you are no match for the power of the Spirital!”  He shouted, his voice echoing throughout the skies.  “Now, prepare to...what in the...”

 

Calion snapped out of his angered rage just in time to realize that Calle had taken advantage of the distraction to grab Lucien from behind.  Wrapping his arms around the man’s back, he had been able to utilize the crack in the force field to hold him in place.  “Calle, what the hell are you doing?! You have to get out of here or else I can’t finish him off!”

 

“I won’t,” Calle replied, looking into the destroyed eyes of his  last remaining ally.  “This is our only chance to kill him once and for all and put an end to all of this, to put an end to all the suffering! Both humans and Spirits alike, we’ve come together for a common goal, things aren’t as he says they are, don’t you understand that?! I understand that you’re going through extreme amounts of emotional torment right now and I’m here for you, I promise, but we need the old Calion back, the real Calion.  No gimmicks, no emotion, just the unstoppable warrior who wouldn’t stop until the battle was won.  The arrogant personality, the kick-ass trash talk, all of it is what made you who you were, you see.  I saw these visions...and I don’t know where they came from or who showed them to me but I know I saw them for a damn reason!  We have to defeat him and I’m willing to give my life in the process! You can hit him now, while I’m holding him and we’ll end it once and for all!”

 

“I won’t...I can’t...I can’t let someone else die because of me...no I refuse!”

 

“And what, let everyone else’s sacrifices go to waste because you couldn’t handle the pressure?  Are you a man? Because to me you seem like nothing but a shell of your former self, a coward!”

 

His hands were shaky as he gripped the weapon.  He could hit Lucien directly now, but not without striking Calle too.  But if he didn’t...he closed his eyes.  He couldn’t bare to watch it happen.

 

“Let go of me you worthless scum!” Lucien tried to break free, but Calle’s grip was strong.

From the sky above a pillar of light encased Calion as he thrust his blade up into the air.  The eagles’ wings folded downwards, resembling more of an umbrella-style sword.  “Accel Transformation! Lucien Grasciou, it’s time for you to die for the suffering you’ve caused to everyone! {DStage: Spiral Crescent Wings}!  He spun his body around in a circle repeatedly, charging up his strength, before taking off in Lucien’s direction.  With the sword extended, he shattered the barricade and drove it straight into Lucien’s chest.

 

Just as it pierced, Lucien dropped the Spirital, which emitted a massive burst of energy at the same time, only this time it struck Calle and Tres.  “He did it, but what’s this?!”  Before the blade was able to strike them, Calle and Tres separated into two separate entities, both looking identical with the exception of Calle’s armor being a strong black, whereas Tres’ was silver.

 

“Was this your plan?!” Tres asked.

 

“No, but screw it, let’s go with it! I don’t know how we managed to separate but it looks like it’s only temporary, so let’s give him what we’ve got with one final blast!”  Lucien had begun to panic, he could feel his life force fading rapidly.  Calion’s sword had struck him directly in the heart – there was no way for him to move.  And now on both sides, Calle and Tres came together, both sporting a duplicate of the cannon on their shoulders.  “Are you ready?!”

 

Tres nodded.  “Not really, but here goes nothing!”

 

Unanimously they called out, “{DStage: Bursting Illumination Double Cannon}!”

 

“No, not like this!”  Lucien exclaimed.  “I cannot die like this, I will not lose at the hands of you!”

 

The two cannon blasts struck at the same time, swallowing Lucien up and causing his body to disintegrate into the air, leaving nothing but the Spirital behind.

 

Both warriors lowered themselves to the ground, barely able to stand any further.

 

“No...I refuse!  I will not let it all come to an end like this!!!” Calion, Calle and Tres shot their gaze towards what remained of Lucien’s body in the center of a crevice that had opened as a result of the attack.  Somehow he was still alive, the resilient bastard.  “I don’t care how many times you knock me down, I control the entity of power itself! I’ll always come back stronger!  Fear my wrath, I’ll kill you all! {5^th Stage}…”

 

But before he could utter the words, a trail of light exploded from Calion’s waist, his Deckbox to be specific.  The light surrounded Lucien, forming a seal around both him and the Spirital itself.  It was Number 08’s work.  About time you showed up

 

“What is this?! This cannot be!” Lucien exclaimed, shaking his head back and forth in disbelief, refusal to accept his failure.  “Curse you, this seal is too strong!  This is not your doing! Where is this power coming from?!”

 

Lucien tried to force himself from the crater, but as he tried to draw from the power of the Spirital, he found his sources cut off; the energy was flowing against him instead of into him.  Before his eyes, although somewhat blurred because of the barrier of energy holding him in place, appeared a majestic creature.  Draped in lush golden robes, its mane extended outwards into four different sections, blowing gently behind it in the winds.  The rest of its outline had only partially formed.  For the first time, Calle had seen Number 8 in the flesh.  It was a sight to behold.

 

“Lucien Grasciou, I stand before you as the jury and the executioner, a representative of the Royal Guard, the elite group of nobles who watch over both the human world and the Mid-World, more properly known as Erebos. For too long you have maintained a sense of control and a grasp to power that is not only out of your hands, but undeserving of someone with a heart as sinister as your own.  It is because of this that the Royal Guard decided to enlist the help of these brave and valiant duelists, such as the ones you see standing here before you and those who unselfishly gave their lives to aid us in bringing you down.  Decades have passed and CLEAR has continued to cast an untruthful shadow upon Erebos as a whole, creating the belief that Spirits and Humans could not co-exist as one, yet it is the power of that human-Spirit alliance that has led to your defeat here today.  Now, thanks to the valiant efforts of the resistance, I will seal you and the Spirital away, given the blessing I’ve received from the Royal Guard.  Calion, I do apologize for your losses and the fact that you’ve come to find out your true nature as a result of this battle.  Truthfully I wish you should know that there was never a moment of doubt in any of our minds that you were the right choice to command this battle.  We thank you for your help.  You too, Calle Anden.  Your Grandfather was a great man and one of the few humans I’ve had the privilege of knowing on a personal basis.”

 

Stunned, Calle went to reply, but found it best to stay quiet.

 

“Now then, Lucien.  It is time!  Begone, as you are sealed away!  Forbidden Seal #17: Mippū Goka!”  The beast vanished in the blast, but in one brief moment, Calion saw the creature nod and bow its head as a sign of respect and thanks.  He didn’t respond, but in his heart he knew he owed the Number. 

 

In one final scream, Lucien’s voice was drowned out by the seal as it closed down upon him, taking him to another dimension who-knows-where. 

 

Calion and Calle dropped to the ground, the latter almost tripping as he sat, prompting a laugh from both sides and for the first time since the battle had begun, a smile of mutual respect, and friendship.  The one thing that had gotten them through this battle with an iron resolve.  The road ahead was a long one, sure, but what would life be if it wasn’t?

 

After all, the path to get to this point had been as twisted and convoluted as anything, but in the end, things had finally come full circle.  In some ways, he smiled as he realized he’d achieved the goal he set out to accomplish – to save Rai Valiant.  Though he could never truly meet the boy he’d call his Spirit Half, he would live on for both of them, continuing to grow and learn his purpose as both a duelist and a warrior – and apparently a human now, too.  There was a lot to sort out, but he had to start somewhere, right?

 

Oh man, he’d almost forgot! In his pocket, he pulled out the card Nikolai had given him right before his departure from the Valley of Souls.  Memory of an Adversary, a Trap Card.  In part, he wondered why Nikolai would give him such a random card, but the more he thought it over, the more he realized a direct reason didn’t matter.  He’d made plenty of enemies along the way, but even more that he’d have willingly laid his own life on the line for.  Sora, Nikolai, Xiael, Alice, and even Kenji – they’d all see each other again one day, he was sure of it.  He didn’t know how or when, but he could feel it.

 

“A life lesson.  Protecting the innocent and fighting to truly understand your purpose in life in the process...that is the true purpose of D-Accel.  At least that’s what I’ve come to believe.”

 

But the battle wasn’t over, not by a long shot.  Hayate was still out there, and he was very much alive.  Lucien was only a pawn and a weak player in the game...

 

In fact, he would go so far as to say that while this Chapter may have been written, the story of D-Accel was far, far from over...

 

He grabbed the handle of his sword.

 

---[/spoiler]

 

---

 

And that's the end.

 

This was an emotional thrill ride to write and I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Hands down my favorite piece of writing and I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing what everyone has to say about it.  Thank you so much to everyone who's stuck with it along the way, it means so much as a writer. :D

[Randomflyingobjects]

[spoiler='Spoiler, because I don't want anybody to accidentally see the result of the final episode before they read it']

What? Okay, all the characters are dead, save it be Calion, Dos, Tres/Calle, Hayate, and Kenji (he didn't die yet, right? Last we saw, he was staggering down the street, looking for Calion & co. I totally expected him to drop out of nowhere and aid in defeating Lucien) You killed everybody else. Not much of a problem, except that you sort of built up to Hayate not getting defeated. It was as if Arc 2 was just there to introduce the villain of Accel II. Well, it looks like I now have to wait 75 more episodes to see what happens to him...

 

The fighting itself worked out pretty well. D-Stage attacks, giant behemoth monster, Xiael's last breath (I thought all his Rakurai was drained when he fought Unos...), it was all really good. Especially the second to last line, breaking the fourth wall like that...

 

Note this math equation based off the facts you gave us:

Lucien+Spirital= (almost) Infinite Powers

Lucien+Spirital=Weak pawn in game<Hayate

Uh-oh.

 

I could have sworn that you mentioned somewhere that Rai was intended to be a main character, but things wound up working differently. Then, you mentioned that he was going to play a big role in Accel II. A bit hard to do if he's dead.

 

I noticed that you mentioned 'Atem' in there, who I'm pretty sure is the pharaoh from the original Yu-Gi-Oh.

 

So D-Accel is over. I did expect everything to resolve (Hayate), with D-II being a sequel, as opposed to continuation. Oh well. Anyway, this is Randomflyingobjects signing off. See you in D-Accel II.

[/spoiler]