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

[Randomflyingobjects]

That souds great, based on the speed I post MY fanfic chapters. I recently posted MY chapter 4, and I started that thing at the start of the year.

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 27: Sweet or Sour, Part Two]

"I'm aware it sucks but unless you have a better idea, there's nothing we can do but actually play this duel," Sora said, hesitant as Kenji but hiding it. "You know I'm against fighting at all, but unless you've got another way out, we're in a lose-lose. Might as well take the path less dangerous."

"But..." Kenji cut himself off; he knew Sora was right and hated to admit it. Hurting an innocent bystander was against everything he had been taught, but there was no other choice. The sooner he could end the duel, the less damage he'd do. That had to be the focus. "Alright then, here goes nothing."

"Enough blabbering, it's my turn!" The Shopkeeper growled, drawing another card. "And I'll begin by activating the Madolche Chateau Field Spell Card!" A large tower appeared behind him, decorated with candy and sweets alike, covering the entire street around them with an illusion of a much friendlier place. "As long as my Chateau is active, any Madolche monsters I bring to the field gain an instant five-hundred point power boost! But I'm not going for power just yet, because next I'll summon Madolche Baaple (0/1800)!"

A fluffy white sheep appeared on the field, standing on what appeared to be a half-eaten pancake. It flashed a friendly smile. "He may look friendly, but he's special ability is nothing to gloss over. See, by changing Baaple to Defense Position, I can do the same to your Karakuri Buriedo!"

"Whoa, say what?" Kenji asked as his monster was forced to a kneeling position. "Bureido!"

"And it gets worse for you, because no matter what you do, you can't change your monster back to attack position without a card effect." The Shopkeeper grinned at his success. "Oh, and don't forget, Baaple gains five-hundred Defense Points!"

[b]Madolche Baaple: 1800 + 500 = 2300[/b]

"I think I'll end my turn for now," he said, placing one card face-down.

"As much as I hate the fact that this duel has to take place," Kenji said, "I hate the fact that I'm being locked-down by farm animals on baked goods! Time to change that, with the Spell Card Karakuri Cash Cache!" A hologram appeared in front of him; a card depicting a dojo. "With this, by changing the battle position of a monster on my field, I can add a Karakuri monster from my Deck to my hand!"

The shogun broke free of the bind holding it down, returning to a "standing" position. "So first Bureido is back to his old self, and next, I can take Karakuri Merchant mdl 177 "Inashichi"! I'll be using him shortly, but first, lets untangle that ball of fluff! Bureido, attack with Steel Pressurizer!" With Baaple unable to defend itself against the immense forces of Bureido's gravity attack, it exploded into pixels, reforming as a card within the Shopkeeper's hand.

"Hold on a second," Kenji interrupted. "You said when a Madolche monster is destroyed, it returns to the Deck, so what gives?"

The Shopkeeper laughed. "You don't pay much attention, do you? Normal for an officer, I suppose. Only paying attention to the big things and ignoring the small details. People like me are irrelevant to you in the grand scheme of things." Kenji shook his head in frustration. "But I'll tell you anyway. Since Chateau is in play, if a Madolche monster would return to the Deck, I can put it straight back into my hand instead."

[i]That could be a problem[/i], Sora thought. If every monster Kenji destroyed went straight back to the hand, the amount of advantage, not to mention defenses, his opponent would have would be overwhelming. [i]The consistency is bad enough, but that castle gives all the monsters a power boost. Bureido is strong, but I've got to imagine it's only a matter of time until that guy finds a way to take it down. Kenji has to keep a clear head here despite what's going on otherwise we're going to be screwed.[/i]

"That's no problem, because I should be able to finish it off right here!" Kenji closed his eyes, not wanting to see what would happen once the attack went through. "Kuick, end this duel with Razor Shred!"

The ninja leapt to strike, but was stopped by a bright light, emerging from the Shopkeeper's face-down card. "Don't tell me you thought you'd get one over on me that easily? I activate the Trap Card Madolche Happy Festa!"

"What the?" Kenji asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"That's right, Madolche Happy Festa activates when you declare an attack, and it allows me to Special Summon any number of Madolche monsters from my hand! So come forth Baaple (1800), Mewfeuille (300), and Croiwanssant (1700)!"

Kenji and Sora watched with an awe-struck look as the sheep returned to the field, only this time a small kitten and an overly-cute puppy dog appeared alongside it, all of them in Defense Position.

"Of course, Happy Festa's drawback is the fact that during the End Phase, it puts all monsters back in the Deck, but with Chateau active, they'll simply return to my hand instead, meaning I've got a defense you can't break through!"

[i]Even if I destroy Mewfeuille, the only one Kuick can actually take out, it'll just return to his hand anyway. There's not much of a point.[/i] While it was true he could use Kuick's effect to bring back a monster under normal circumstances, Chateau made it so the cat would return right to the hand, meaning it would be useless. Besides, even though it wasn't an attack that would inflict damage, pointless attacks weren't worth the risk here. "I'll end my turn with a face-down."

"Figured as much, you've got no idea what kind of man I am," he said. "Each one of my monsters is as priceless as the next. I value them all the same, and therefore I will not allow them to be destroyed and humiliated; they always come back stronger, just like me! That's the way I was raised and the idea I live by! So allow me to demonstrate that at full power! I activate the Spell Card Double Summon! This card allows me to summon an additional monster this turn, as opposed to just one! So I'll Summon Madolche Chouxvalier (1700) and Madolche Butlerusk (1700)!"

A knight riding a small wooden horse, and a suited-gentleman holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a towel in the other, appeared side-by-side on the field.

"These things just get more and more strange," Kenji muttered.

"Now that you've experienced the appetizers, it's time for the full-course! I build the overlay network using Chouxvalier and Butlerusk, and with that done, I'm able to Xyz Summon Queen Madolche Tiaramisu (2200)!"

[i]An Xyz Monster?![/i] Sora and Kenji both shared the thought as a relatively small woman with long flowing hair descended onto the field, seated in a throne of a similar size, atop a slice of chocolate cake large in the shape of a puzzle. There were a few small creatures at her side and a lengthy staff in her hand.

[b]Madolche Tiaramisu[/b]: 2200 + 500 = 2700

"Why do I get the impression she's not as friendly as some of the others?" Kenji asked, concern growing over whether or not he'd be able to topple this thing. There's no way the guy would have summoned a weaker monster without a special ability to boot, and it was more than obvious they were all just seconds away from finding out exactly what it was.

"I'll fill you in," the Shopkeeper said. "Tiaramisu is unlike any of my other monsters; you could argue that she's the most valuable one in the collection."

"I thought you said no one card had more value than another?" Kenji asked. "That you treated them all as equals."

"Of course I do, but I'd like to believe my Queen is the one exception." He laughed. "She holds a power far superior to any of her underlings, and I'm going to demonstrate that right now! By taking the Madolche Happy Festa in my Graveyard and shuffling it back into my Deck, Tiaramisu can do the same to a monster on your field, namely Karakuri Bureido!"

"That's crazy!" Kenji exclaimed, but there was nothing he could do as the powers from the Queen's staff forced Bureido to retreat, leaving him with nothing but Kuick and a face-down card on the field.

"And don't forget, because Chateau is active, Happy Festa returns to my hand instead of being sent to the Graveyard," the Shopkeeper replied, getting cheers from the bystanders. "It's time to attack! Tiaramisu, destroy his Kuick with Impulse Blast!" Rising from her seat, the Queen held her staff outwards, firing a blast of energy, but not before Kuick was able to shift to Defense Position to resist any damage from the attack.

"Alright, but before it hits, Kuick's effect activates, changing him to Defense Position!" Kenji barely got the words out before he was knocked back by the blast. Nothing but a few scratches.

"Kenji, are you alright?" Sora asked, rushing to his aid.

"I'm good, stay back," he said. "I'm not sure how much power is really being surged through the duel right now. Don't risk yourself. I'll be fine. In fact, it's about time I ended this duel."

"Awful confident for someone with nothing but a measly face-down card," the Shopkeeper replied. "What's the best way to counter that? I think I'll set four cards face-down."

[i]Four cards? That's an almost unbreakable defense![/i] Sora was puzzled by the lack of worry on Kenji's face. How could he not realize that things had just gone from bad to worse?

"I can see you're concerned, Sora," Kenji said. "But I was expecting a powerhouse like that, so I saved my plays accordingly. Now then, I'm not sure what your name is, but I hope you realize this is nothing personal!" Kenji turned his attention to the Shopkeeper. "I'm sure in a few hours everything will return to normal and you won't remember any of this anyway, but for the time being I don't have a choice but to win this game! We'll get your shop up and running for sure; just bear with me. Here we go, Karakuri Tactic: Last Resort!"

A portal opened within the duel field, black in color as surging waves of energy spun around within it. "By banishing Karakuri Kuick and Karakuri Nishipachi from my Graveyard, I can Synchro Summon Karakuri Shogun mdl 000 "Burei"!"

The two wooden warriors broke down into separate components, being pulled into the vortex. After a brief moment, a new, much larger being took to the field, this one a combination of wood and metal, comprising a warrior that towered over the field, vaguely resembling a human in form. An odd key-like weapon rested in the holster around its waist, as the tattered red cape which represented its superiority blew in the wind behind him.

"I can see Burei and all, but what about all the backrow he's got?" Sora asked. "Even if you can manage to declare an attack, if you lose Burei, you won't have any way to come back, and he'll win!"

Kenji turned to Sora and gave him a friendly smile. "I thought of that, too. Which is why I'm activating my face-down card, Earth Ruler's Might!" The Shopkeeper was perplexed, listening on. "Earth Ruler's Might allows Burei the ability to shut down all Spell and Trap Cards this turn, including ones that are already face-up on the field!"

"That must include my Chateau then!" He said, panicked. "That's impossible!"

[b]Madolche Tiaramisu[/b]: 2700 - 500 = 2200

"But there's one last thing I gotta do before it really takes effect, and that's chain the Spell Card in my hand, Limiter Removal!"

Sora knew that one all too well, and by the looks of things, the Shopkeeper did, too, as Burei nearly doubled in size.

[b]Karakuri Shogun mdl 000 "Burei"[/b]: 2600 * 2 = 5200

"There's more to Earth Ruler's Might though, see. In addition to its normal effect, it makes it so none of your monsters can be destroyed by battle this turn, and at the same time, allows any of my EARTH monsters to inflict piercing Battle Damage! So in other words, even if you had an out, there's really no way around it! It's game over! Burei, attack his Queen!"

The key in Burei's hand began to morph, becoming slimmer in size and significantly sharper at its end. The red and white that comprised the majority of the key itself became the holster, as the shogun grasper the massive sword, swinging it straight into the chest of its enemy. A massive amount of energy was released from the blast, obliterating Tiaramisu and crashing into the Shopkeeper, causing panic in the crowd as he fell to the ground.

[b]Shopkeeper's Life Points[/b]: 0

---

"So that's the game then," Sora said as he joined Kenji. "You think he'll be alright?"

"By the looks of it, he's still breathing, but the attack hit him pretty hard. Having to use Limiter Removal made it worse, but there was no other way around it." Kenji spoke in a calm, but serious demeanor. "If my predictions are right, whatever that girl did was some sort illusion, meaning that maybe there's no real damage in this area after all. If that's the case, then we have to find her and get some answers."

"How exactly are we going to do that?" Sora asked. "She's a little kid, there's not really any way to go about "getting answers" in a way that wouldn't seem suspicious, no?"

"Don't kid yourself," Kenji said. "I could tell from that smile on her face that what we're seeing and what really is are two different things. Make no mistake, this is related to CLEAR."

"You think so?"

"I'm sure of it," Kenji answered. "Before the duel I wasn't sure, but the more I thought about it, the more it makes sense. With Kimora defeated, in order to advance anything in their plans, which we're still unaware of no less, they needed to send someone new. It's obvious we're targets - Aruda said that himself. They'll probably stop at nothing to try and stop us because of the connection we have with the Rakurai. Whoever this girl is, we have to find her, because it's our only hope of actually getting anywhere."

---

"It appears they have won," a little girl's voice laughed playfully. "How interesting. I planned to toy around with them some more, but I didn't expect the duel to go so quickly, and I wasn't able to lay any further plans. Oh well; guess I'll just have to eliminate them myself."

She continued to laugh uproariously; they had no idea the fate that awaited them.[/spoiler]

[Synchronized]

New episode should be coming soon! Still no responses guys?

[Randomflyingobjects]

I'm responding.

Anyway, this was another good chapter, with good cards and all, but that's all I can really say. I liked the opponent's deck type some, but I doubt I would play it, just because... I don't really know. He wasn't doing any damage, really, and he just kept neutralizing Kenji's moves. No offence, only defence, unless he had his strongest card out, which didn't have very high attack. The only looming devestation was the fact that they were about to kill a random citizen... but that was it. The main character didn't seem to be getting very close to losing, and I didn't see him do anything special that prevented the full death of the opponent. Sort of all for nil.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1348179072' post='6028886']
I'm responding.

Anyway, this was another good chapter, with good cards and all, but that's all I can really say. I liked the opponent's deck type some, but I doubt I would play it, just because... I don't really know. He wasn't doing any damage, really, and he just kept neutralizing Kenji's moves. No offence, only defence, unless he had his strongest card out, which didn't have very high attack. The only looming devestation was the fact that they were about to kill a random citizen... but that was it. The main character didn't seem to be getting very close to losing, and I didn't see him do anything special that prevented the full death of the opponent. Sort of all for nil.
[/quote]

This is just part of the story arc, and he was mainly a filler character to sort of expose more of Kenji's cards and start to really get down the stretch in terms of villians and such. I suppose I could understand where you're coming from with that whole angle, but I didn't really want to put Kenji in a position where he was losing only to make a huge comeback because that was the same approach I took in his last duel, the one with Aruda.

I wanted to keep it somewhat different so that it just showed that he can hold his own in a duel, etc.

[Randomflyingobjects]

[quote name='Thunder Spark' timestamp='1348181128' post='6028903']
This is just part of the story arc, and he was mainly a filler character to sort of expose more of Kenji's cards and start to really get down the stretch in terms of villians and such. I suppose I could understand where you're coming from with that whole angle, but I didn't really want to put Kenji in a position where he was losing only to make a huge comeback because that was the same approach I took in his last duel, the one with Aruda.

I wanted to keep it somewhat different so that it just showed that he can hold his own in a duel, etc.
[/quote]That makes sense. However, what I'm trying to get at is how, after the whole issue of NOT killing the citizen, but realizing it was his only chance to win, and after overdosing the damage, and the guy randomly SURVIVES? I thought that, when Kenji declares the winning attack, the other guy would quit or whatever, seeing as he was about to die. At least explain how the guy survives, because that was one of the main points.

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[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1348185275' post='6028956']
That makes sense. However, what I'm trying to get at is how, after the whole issue of NOT killing the citizen, but realizing it was his only chance to win, and after overdosing the damage, and the guy randomly SURVIVES? I thought that, when Kenji declares the winning attack, the other guy would quit or whatever, seeing as he was about to die. At least explain how the guy survives, because that was one of the main points.
[/quote]

Oh, of course I will. I wasn't going to leave that plot point untouched.

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 28: Turn Up the Heat, Part One]

“I’m not really sure where you want us to go from here,” Sora said, gripping onto the side handles of Kenji’s Duel Runner as the two continued to speed off down a path outwards of Neo Domino City. Following the Duel with the Shopkeeper, the people had somewhat dispersed and spread out, but nothing had changed. It was obvious they had to do more than win just that duel in order for things to return to normal, but they had taken a step in the right direction.

When the duel had ended, Kenji noticed an odd light in the sky for only a brief moment that directed them towards this area, where they were headed now. He’d managed to find an abandoned D-Wheel and jumpstart it; one of the times police experience had come in handy. The two of them decided that trying to find the source of that light was the best lead they had, and had taken off out of the city.

Kenji was growing concerned, though. They had been traveling for about an hour and the longer they went, the less and less familiar things became. It was opposite the direction of the where the Satellite District used to be, and a relatively unexplored territory. There were trees and such on either side of them, as well as some randomly scattered buildings that looked as though they were nothing more than old construction sites.

“Don’t think we have much of an option other than to go as far as possible,” Kenji said, raising his voice a bit over the engine of the bike. “This road doesn’t look like it’s going to go much farther anyway.”

The two of them, while they couldn’t actually see one another’s faces, could recognize the fact that they both shared the same expression as Kenji brought the Duel Runner to a complete halt. He was right. The road had, in fact, ended. Randomly. They could go no farther because all that stood in front of them was a triple story house, completely refurbished and new; it couldn’t have been more than a year old, especially on the outside. There was a driveway of sorts, and the front yard was lined with all sorts of expensive plants and other garden decorations.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Sora asked.

“If you’re seeing a mansion in the middle of nowhere, then yes, yes I am.” Kenji parked the bike and stepped off, being careful not to make any sudden movements or noise that would attract attention. After all, a house like this couldn’t possibly have someone living in it, right? But if not, why would it be in such a creepy location?

“What the hell is this place?” Following suit, Sora stepped off the bike, placing his helmet on the seat. They looked around, and nothing but emptiness surrounded them, making the entire appearance of the house so surreal; an empty driveway more than likely meant that no one was living there, but who would have a brand new house built only to completely abandon it? “I don’t know whether to feel marveled or totally sketched out.”

“I’m feeling a little of both,” Kenji said. “Unfortunately, I have a feeling this is where that light we saw earlier came from. It’s too much of a coincidence not to be.”

Sora shrugged his shoulders. “In other words, you’re saying we’ve got no choice but to go inside.”

“Looks that way.” Kenji nodded his head. “Things just get weirder and weirder around here. I hope this Rai kid is worth saving after all the s*** we’re going through.” He laughed, a playful laugh, though it felt nice to be able to smile at something after everything that had happened so far, and knowing that it was only going to get worse.

“I’m sure he is,” Sora grinned. “After all, I can’t see investing the time into a multi-thousand operation to save him if he wasn’t. Wouldn’t you agree? Though I’m the type to save anyone, think about someone like Calion; he’s not exactly friendly. And yet he’s willing to save him as well.”

“About time we head in then.”

---

After a minute or two of careful walking, they reached the door. Surprisingly, there were no windows on the first floor of the house, perhaps to prevent people from seeing in, though it was hard to picture there being too many visitors at a place like this. Cautiously, Kenji knocked on the door.

There was no response. He tried knocking a second time, no doorbell to be found. “Just as I figured; it’s empty.”

“Are you sure?” Sora asked; he wasn’t convinced.

“What do you mean?” Kenji replied. “You’d think if someone was here, we’d have heard some movement or something. I knocked pretty loud.”

Sora shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m not sensing anything odd, but I’ve just got a weird feeling. For someone to be putting all the answers right in front of us seems too easy.” Sora explained. “CLEAR has targeted us, but instead of trying to kill us right away, it’s like they’re trying to test our limits in some way. Just like making you duel against the Shopkeeper knowing you’d be hesitant to duel knowing there was potential to be hurting him; they want to force us to act different than we normally would, to go against what we believe in just to demonstrate how much power they really have.”

“That’s a crazy theory,” Kenji rolled his eyes; knowing full well there was a good chance Sora was right. “But you’re probably right. And I don’t like that at all. Sometimes I think I liked it better when you didn’t say much.”

“I could say the same.” Sora turned the handle; it was locked. “Doesn’t look like we’ve got any other option. We’re already here and we’ve already made enemies; if there’s a chance we could find more information about CLEAR by going through this place, that’s what we have to do.”

“I’m a former police officer man,” Kenji said. “I can’t condone breaking and entering; that goes against the damn oath.”

“So does a hell of a lot of the other things we’ve done up to this point,” Sora said, tapping Kenji on the shoulder. “I think it’s safe to say your days as an officer are over with, just like my days of sitting quietly and not bothering anyone. If we don’t stop CLEAR and whatever it is they’re planning, a lot of people are going to get hurt, or worse. Protecting people should be your top priority as an “officer”, no matter what you have to do to achieve that. Besides, worst case scenario, we’ll buy the guy a new door when this is all done.”
Tightening his fists, Kenji stared towards the ground. This was a small action, but it would definitively mark the end of his career as a police officer. Oh well. They had bigger things to worry about. “I made a promise to save Rai’s life, and to avenge what happened to Raio. I know one of them, and the other I’ve never met, but at this point I owe them both everything I’ve sworn to give them, and for that, I can’t coward out. Let’s do this! 1[sup]st[/sup] Stage, {Shippuuhishu; Hurricane Dagger}!”

As the Rakurai within Kenji materialized around his right hand, forming an oval shaped blade comprised entirely of energy, he drove his arm forward, shattering the door into thousands of small fragments and releasing a blast of energy throughout the room.

“Talk about making a grand entrance,” Sora laughed. “You’re getting better at that, aren’t you?”

Kenji retracted the blade. “I guess so.” He sighed. “Still, even using it for a brief amount of times takes a ton of wind out of me. Man, look at this place.”

The two of them stood awe-struck as they took in the unbelievable scenery in front of them. Everything you could imagine, from giant plasma screen TV’s, to pool tables, floors made out of marble, it was the ideal rich man’s house, only amplified. A spiral staircase took up the center of the first floor, spanning all the way up to the roof, or so it looked. The house itself had to have been brand new, but it looked like no one had lived there at all, making it all the more strange.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’m almost freaked out,” Sora said. “Something is creepy about this place.”

“I’m wondering if maybe she’s here...” Kenji replied. Sora didn’t ask who; he knew Kenji was referencing the girl they had seen earlier, the one who brainwashed the Shopkeeper. Her connection with CLEAR was more than obvious, though to what extent they had no idea. Finding her would be the only way to make any progress at all.

“Think we should split up?” Kenji contemplated the idea, but he wasn’t sure.

“I don’t know. We don’t know too much about this place, Sora.”

“Well then, allow me to fill you in!”

---

They heard the voice instantly, followed by the sound of footsteps. Whoever was speaking, they were doing so with an incredible strong Texan accent.

[i]Looks like someone’s here.[/i] Sora said. “Kenji, stand your ground. I don’t like the looks of this.”

Kenji nodded, and the two of them stood still as a man made his way to the first floor, stepping off the staircase. He was odd looking, with long black hair and a suit that clashed with his personality. His hair was slicked back, and there was a stack of money sticking out of his pocket. “The name’s Blaze. Welcome to my humble abode. I see you’ve made yourselves at home.”

[i]This one’s an oddball. I’m not sure how to handle it.[/i] “Kenji. Nice to meet you. About the door...”

“No need to worry ‘bout it,” Blaze cut him off. “I’m well aware of why y’all are here, but unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much of a way I can help ya.”

“You know why we’re here?” Sora asked. “How is that possible? No offense, but we’re not exactly here for friendly conversation, though I’m sure the condition of your door is more than enough to explain that part.”

“Ya’ll are here looking for Alice, but you ain’t gonna find her here.” Blaze said in an unstable manner before breaking out into laughter. “I was specifically told to take care of you, but I ain’t in much of a fightin’ mood, and that girl annoys the heck outta me, so if you wanna take off, I’ll say I never saw ya.”

[i]Alice?![/i] The two men shared a look. That must have been the girl. So that light was intentional. “For someone so creepy, you think she’d have a more frightening henchman.” Kenji said quietly.

“Something doesn’t click here,” Sora said. “If you’re working for Alice, whoever she is, and she’s presumably working for CLEAR, I should have been able to sense your presence because of the Rakurai inside you.”

“Hahahah, that’s where you’re wrong,” he laughed. “You see, I ain’t got any of that power that most of y’all have; that’s what makes me such a valuable asset!”

“I don’t understand.”

“See, you’re damn right I work for CLEAR, but instead of relyin’ on magic powers to do the job, I use my immense dueling skills!” Blaze grinned. “In exchange, I’m granted a supply of unlimited funds to have anything and everything I please, such as this house here!”

[i]So that explains the house, and how someone so clueless has such nice things.[/i] Kenji understood somewhat now, but at the same time realized that there was no way they could just leave. This was closer than they had been before, and to leave at this point would put them right back where they started. “It’s a very nice place. Listen Blaze, you sound like a smart enough guy, and I’m not a fan of fighting myself. But we can’t just leave, as much as that would be an excellent solution to our problem. We’re gonna need some answers, and you can either work with us or we’ll have to settle things in a less pleasant manner.”

With his eyes fixated on Kenji and Sora, Blaze wasn't budging, managing a friendly smile. "I'm afraid that ain't gon' work for me. If I just went around handin' out answers and whatnot, I'd get a ton of flack from the higher ups, and that just makes me miserable."

Kenji glanced in Sora's direction. "How do you propose we settle this?"

"We can't fight the guy - he's got no fighting abilities and there's a likelihood that because of that, he wouldn't survive even a single move." Sora continued. "It looks like we're going to have no choice but to duel. There's still plenty of risk of harm there, but at least it's more controlled and not an all-out slaughter."

"Pardon the interruption," Blaze said. "But I'm hearin' y'all talk about a duel, and in that case, we might be able to work somethin' out. See duelin's my biggest passion aside from spendin' money, and after all it's the reason I've got this here gig. So if one of ya wants to take me on, if'n you could win, I'd be more than glad to admit defeat and share some answers with ya." He began to laugh, almost losing control of himself before returning to a serious state. "But I'm sure we all know that ain't a realistic outcome."

They could duel him, for sure. Someone working for CLEAR was an enemy, human or not. The chance to actually get some idea of what was going on here was something impossible to pass up, but still, with everything that had happened with the Shopkeeper, and his condition was still unknown, as the remaining Police Officers had taken him to a nearby hospital for treatment, the thought of having to hurt someone else left both Kenji and Sora feeling uneasy.

"You may talk a big game, but I'm gonna knock you down off your high horse," Kenji said, preparing to activate his duel disk, only for Sora to place his hand over it, stopping him. "Sora?"

"I'm gonna take this one," he looked at Kenji, who could tell there would be no convincing him otherwise. "You've played the last few games and I'm sure your body needs some time to rest up. The duels are only going to get more difficult."

"But Sora," Kenji tried to reason with him. "You haven't dueled since the duel with Calion, and though your fighting style may have changed, the method of dueling and simply waiting to be attacked before fighting back isn't going to work here. If you're hesitant to face him with all your strength, you'll..."

"Don't worry, I'm well aware." Sora smiled. "But if you're hogging all the duels, there's no way we'll ever find out if I can handle it, is there?"

"Yeah but..." Kenji's voice trailed off.

"So it's decided then?" Blaze asked, smiling. "You there, we'll be duelin' then I reckon? Follow me."

---

The two of them reluctantly followed Blaze as he led them down a hallway to a big metal door. There was a pinpad on the side of it, and upon Blaze's prompting with the entry of a few numbers, the door slid open, revealing a massive duel field inside, surrounded by a makeshit rocky canyon; it was an impressive sight for sure.

"This here is my personal duel arena!" Blaze exclaimed excitedly as he entered the room. "Hand carved from the finest stone on the outside, and the floor made of solid steel to hold up against any kind of opponent! You won't find nothin' better than this, it's the best money can buy!"

"Enough talking," Kenji said. "I don't know if you're confused or not, but we're not friends here. You're an enemy, and there's no interest in socializing. You should consider yourself lucky that you're still alive; if you were up against someone else, surely they would have killed you already." He started to walk into the room as well, but Blaze stopped him.

"Hold up a minute, only one of ya is allowed to answer. Since this here boy accepted the duel, I'm afraid you'll have to wait on the outside!" He laughed uproariously as the metal door slammed shut, leaving Kenji and Sora separated.

"Sora!" Kenji called out, but his friend could not hear him. "s***!" He banged on the door repeatedly to no avail.

---

On the inside, Sora was well aware of his surroundings. He had expected a cheap trick like that and somewhat appreciated it, if only because it kept Kenji out of danger and his body would be able to recover while the duel went on. Sora's own physical strength, as well as endurance for that matter, were far beyond the norm, so even in the instance that he lost this duel, there was a good chance he'd survive relatively unharmed, especially since it was his first Rakurai-surged duel.

"Now then, what'ya say we get this little game of ours underway?" Blaze's duel disk was adjourned with jewels of every sort. You name it, it was there. With a solid gold exterior, it was obvious the thing must have cost at least a couple million dollars, if not more. "You're about to see just how good I am! Duel!"

They both activated their duel disks.

[i]Kenji's right though; I'm not going to be able to take that same approach that I normally would. I'm still adjusting to this entire overhaul, but I have to remember I'm doing this for the right reasons. My mentor would do the same.[/i] He was silent for a moment, then drew his starting hand, and a sixth card to boot. "If you're such an expert, I'm assuming you won't mind if I make the first move, so here goes! I Summon Valiance Knight (1000) to the field in Defense Position!"

A tall warrior, complete with flowing brown hair and a katana emblazoned with the symbol of a phoenix in his right hand, with a shield bearing the same marking in his left, appeared on the field, down on one knee.

"He may not look like he packs much of a punch, but when Valiance Knight is the target of an attack, I'm allowed to activate Spell Cards from my hand to defend him, meaning I don't have to make my cards vulnerable to your offense!" Sora explained, looking over the cards in his hand. Still, it couldn't hurt to set something. Even if it was merely a bluff. "One face-down card should do it for me."

"Well alrighty', I reckon it's my move!" Blaze drew his card. "And what better way to kick things off than with the Spell Card Swelting Heat Transmission Field!" Sora was unfamiliar with the card, but there wasn't even time for him to take it in as the floor in front of him began to separate, with both steel platforms pulling backwards, revealing the lava pit above which they were dueling.

[i]What the hell is that?![/i] The heat intensified tenfold, and Sora had to shield his eyes from the fragments of rock that were shooting upwards from the boiling lava.

"What's the matter? It looks as though you ain't a big fan of the interior design!" Blaze cackled. "Ain't nothin' like a pit of fire to get the duel spirits up, right?! See, what I lack in ability I can make up for with cash, and you're about to witness the true meanin' of high risk, high reward!"

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked, stepping back as far as he could to avoid the flames. "Explain yourself!"

"Well ya see, in addition to the Rakurai surging through this here duel, I figured we'd up the stakes!" He laughed once more. "With every bit of Life Points one of us here loses, the fire pit gets a little higher, and when they reach zero, well, lets just say things heat up a little bit!"

"That's insane!" The entire idea was beyond absurd, and Sora could see now just how crazy this guy was. "That means if either one of us loses, we both die! What's the point in that?!"

Blaze shook his head, smiling. "I ain't that stupid, boy. See the victor of the duel is granted a shield, more heat-resistant than any of them there technologies you see out on the street. Paid great money for this system; ain't nothin' I enjoy more than a duel like this!"

[i]So in other words...[/i] Sora didn't want to finish the thought. [i]Only one of us is making it out of here alive.[/i]

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

Making some real progress, which is awesome. For those wondering, the duel will conclude in the next episode. I'm starting to get a better grasp on writing duels which is cool because the most important part of the story duel-wise is right around the corner. Definitely "feeling the flow" right now in terms of writing.

[Randomflyingobjects]

I don't know whether this is obvious or not, but the other guy is an idiot.

Paying a few million bucks for a pit of lava is simple enough, but making the lose fall in? That's insane. Even some of the top duelists lose every once and a while, so why should he even CONSIDER putting himself in at least a 15% chance of dying? Unless he's one of those creeps, who loses and activates a secret escape pod, so he'll make it out alive regardless of the victor, then he's toast. (Bad pun intended)

However, I do like the moving plot, and the fact that we get to see Sora throw down every once in a while. I also like the flavor you gave CLEAR, a weird guy obsessed with... whatever cards he used, a strange girl, with epic fighting skills and is currently posessed, some new girl, who takes over people's minds, and now a rich, bumbling, powerless fool with lots of money. I like where this is going.

[Synchronized]

Sora (in a biased way) is my favorite character, but he's definitely not the main character, and that's almost disappointing in some ways.

I'm glad the plot is moving forward though because there's still plenty of story to come. I appreciate you sticking with it, and I'm hoping to do some more promoting to get some more readers.

[Synchronized]

New episode tomorrow? I think so. Responses would be fantastic!

[Aerion Brightflame]

Ok. Since I've been lax on commenting out of a minor petty issue, I may as well give you a boost.

I think I left at the end of the mini arc, so I'll pick up there:

Chaos. And a random girl with mind control. Or so it seems.

And the cake puppets? Hmm, kinda fits a shop keeper I guess. But, I'm hoping for better in the next part of the duel, since he's already at less than 1000. Not the best of starts. So if people are kinda taking damage... the shopkeeper lost over 3000 life points, and he just can't feel his arm? I think some proportion is needed.

I shall do the other chapters at some point soonish. Try not to update to quickly

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Archbaron Barthandelus' timestamp='1348521549' post='6031325']
Ok. Since I've been lax on commenting out of a minor petty issue, I may as well give you a boost.

I think I left at the end of the mini arc, so I'll pick up there:

Chaos. And a random girl with mind control. Or so it seems.

And the cake puppets? Hmm, kinda fits a shop keeper I guess. But, I'm hoping for better in the next part of the duel, since he's already at less than 1000. Not the best of starts. So if people are kinda taking damage... the shopkeeper lost over 3000 life points, and he just can't feel his arm? I think some proportion is needed.

I shall do the other chapters at some point soonish. Try not to update to quickly
[/quote]

That part is simple; the longer a duel goes on, the more serious the damage becomes.

I appreciate the feedback.

I'm working on Episode 29 now, but I'll try not to rush!

[Randomflyingobjects]

[quote name='Thunder Spark' timestamp='1348539559' post='6031566']
That part is simple; the longer a duel goes on, the more serious the damage becomes.[/quote]

That makes sense.

[quote name='Thunder Spark' timestamp='1348539559' post='6031566']
I'm working on Episode 29 now, but I'll try not to rush!
[/quote]
I have no problem with you over-dosing us with episodes. Also, you can still rush, but stockpile the chapters until the public is ready. It doesn't hurt to take it all one (Or two) step(s) ahead of the game.

[Aerion Brightflame]

Umm.. So I read sweet and sour part two.

I was disapointed.

The shopkeeper was never a threat. I understand it was a given who was going to win, but this was worse that k's first duel for me, becuase he never did anything directly threatning. Tiramasu yeah, maybe that one, but otherwise... it just seemed to easy.

Writing was good, and the girl is really creeping me out... I want to say she used Gimmick puppets, but i know i am wrong. Despite the fact that would be a niceish fit.

So yeah, thats me catching up more.

Also, it would be greatly appreciated if you return the favour. I understand you may be busy.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1348610736' post='6032042']
That makes sense.


I have no problem with you over-dosing us with episodes. Also, you can still rush, but stockpile the chapters until the public is ready. It doesn't hurt to take it all one (Or two) step(s) ahead of the game.
[/quote]

That's true, too. That happened the few days YCM was down and I ended up posting a few episodes at once or however I did it; might try something like that, not sure though.

[quote name='Archbaron Barthandelus' timestamp='1348611136' post='6032047']
Umm.. So I read sweet and sour part two.

I was disapointed.

The shopkeeper was never a threat. I understand it was a given who was going to win, but this was worse that k's first duel for me, becuase he never did anything directly threatning. Tiramasu yeah, maybe that one, but otherwise... it just seemed to easy.

Writing was good, and the girl is really creeping me out... I want to say she used Gimmick puppets, but i know i am wrong. Despite the fact that would be a niceish fit.

So yeah, thats me catching up more.

Also, it would be greatly appreciated if you return the favour. I understand you may be busy.
[/quote]

I actually have a review written as I have finished all of your Chapters currently, but I'll post that once I get home so you're all good to go with that, don't think I haven't returned the favor. I just had a big exam yesterday and another one tomorrow so it took me a little while to catch up.

I'm trying to work on making the duels more even; duels aren't my strong point and now that they really matter it's becoming increasingly difficult for me, but I'm trying. I'll get there.

[Randomflyingobjects]

^ Really? You aren't good with duels? Well, thinking about it... you are sort of right... but this IS a yugioh fic that takes place in the Yugioh universe, has Yugioh in it, but isn't ABOUT Yugioh, or not directly. This is a good enough fic, even without good duels, because that's not the main part.

@Archbaron Guy: My thoughts exactly. I wasn't really the biggest fan of that part, but the shopkeeper was just a fall guy to vaguely show the powers of CLEAR.

[Synchronized]

Still, this is the farthest I've gotten with a Fic since Hidden Legacy in 2007; I want to make it as good as I possibly can; I feel like I'm going to improve with the duels as I get more practice. The duel between Sora and Blaze is coming along nicely.

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 29: Turn Up the Heat, Part Two]

"This is crazy, this entire duel is a death trap!" Sora exclaimed. Blaze just laughed once more, almost keeping his composure in an eerie way. "It's no wonder they stuck you out here in this house away from society - you're insane."

"You can take shots at me all you like, but it don't change the fact that we're playin' by my rules," he said. Sora cringed, but he kept talking. "I can already tell you're frustrated, you don' gone and taken half the fun out of this from the get-go. Ah well, CLEAR couldn't tell me much about ya, so I'll be sure to send 'em back a report letting 'em know you're nothin' but a scared coward."

[i]Hold up a second, did he just say-[/i] Sora ignored the insults; they were nothing but mind games anyway. What had really stood out was CLEAR's lack of knowledge on them. If Blaze's job was to defeat them as well as scout them, it meant one thing; CLEAR may have been extremely formidable, but they didn't know everything. They knew they were up against enemies they had to defeat, but their knowledge ended there. What that meant was, he and Kenji as well as the others had an upper hand, if only slightly. Shielding his eyes from the intense heat of the flames, Sora turned his attention back to his opponent. "Let's continue this duel."

"As you wish," Blaze said, his face lined with a delighted smile. "Since we got da ground rules outta the way, I can finish with my first move! When Sweltering Heat Transmission Field is activated, I can take two Laval monsters from my Deck and send 'em straight into the fire!" Quickly, he shuffled through his Deck selecting two monsters, which he held side by side revealing them to Sora. "I reckon I'll do just that, by sendin' Laval Magma Cannoneer and Laval Volcano Handmaiden!"

Materailizing into balls of fire no bigger than the palm of Sora's own hands, the two cards shot downward into the lava, causing a small explosion but nothing big enough to reach either duelist. Sora watched on, slightly ridden with concern as the magma began to boil. [i]I don't like the looks of this at all...[/i]

"I can tell you ain't too pleased with my display. I guess I'm gon' have to change that! By activatin' the ability of my Volcano Handmaiden!" He searched through his Deck once more, grabbing three more cards. They were all monsters, two of them additional 'Handmaidens' and the other one a weird looking creature that vaguely resembled a bird. "Since Handmaiden hit the Graveyard, I can send another Laval monster from my Deck to join her! Of course, if I send two more Handmaiden, then I can send my Laval Coatl at the same time! Talk about firepower!"

[i]He's already got five monsters in the Graveyard and he's not even half-way through his first turn. What's he planning?[/i] Knowing his own field had nothing but Valiance Knight, Sora was worried about the potential of multiple attacks. There were a few cards in his hand he could utilize to protect himself thanks to his Knight's ability, but something about this entire set-up made him think he was in for one hell of an onslaught. He had to keep his focus. The dueling strategy and realistically, way of life that had worked for him up to this point would work no longer. Not with the Rakurai in play. The fact that one of them would be screwed by the time this duel came to an end couldn't factor into the way he played. It was irrational, but there was no other option. For a moment, he thought of Kenji, wondering how he was faring on the other side.

"If you thought that was somethin," Blaze remarked with a grunt, "I'm just gettin' warmed up. I'll summon a monster face-down in Defense Mode and end my turn."

[i]All that set-up for nothing? That doesn't seem right.[/i] "I've got no idea what you're planning, but I sure as hell don't plan on waiting around to find out. Valiance Knight (1800)!" He ordered his monster into attack position, as the warrior stood raising its sword high above it head. "Take out his face-down monster with Phoenix Burst Slash!" The warrior leapt into the air, the phoenix on the sword's holster turning a bright orange color as it swung the sword, releasing a stream of fire across the field and shattering the face-down card into pixels, but not before another fireball shot downwards into the lava. [i]No way, the attack went through? But why would he waste so many monsters?[/i]

"You just don't catch on, do ya?" Blaze asked, rhetorically. Sora glared at him angrily. "I can tell its been a while since you've dueled. Anyway, the monster you destroyed was my Laval Lakeside Lady (200) and since she had barely any Defense Points, she's off to the Card Graveyard. That all?"

He had to Set something. Even with Valiance Knight's ability, the reliance on Quick-Play Spells might not be enough, especially when Blaze was building to something big. "I'll throw one card face-down and end my turn." He was quiet, but what worried him was that ever-so-slowly boiling down below. The more fuel Blaze added to the fire, the more intense it got. He made it clear that it would only rise when a player took damage, but with the Rakurai in play making everything one-hundred percent real, there was no telling if there was other, real danger to worry about.

"Ahha, what a surprise, playing defense already; shows I'm gettin' through to ya." Blaze took a card from his hand and placed it into the duel disk. "But whattya say we heat this up even more! I activate the special ability of my Laval Lakeside Lady! You know, the one you just destroyed? By banishin' Lakeside Lady and Laval Volcano Handmaiden from my Graveyard, your face-down card goes down in flames!"

Sora could do nothing but step back and try to shield himself as a massive pillar of flame shot upwards from beneath them, encasing the face-down card and causing it to explode. 'Dimensional Prison', he had set, would no longer be of use to him.

"What a shame; to think, that card probably woulda done wonders for ya," Blaze said. "Oh well. I told ya, you're duelin' someone out of your league! Next up, I'm summonin' Laval Cannon (1600) to the field!" With a coat of armor comprised of molten rock, a warrior clad with a flame-filled cannon for a right arm appeared on the field, drawing its power from the flames below. "And once Laval Cannon hits the field, its special ability kicks in, allowing me to grab a monster from the banished zone and summon it straight to the field! So say hello once more to my Laval Lakeside Lady (200)!"

The familiar sight of a young, orange-haired girl sporting a blue and white dress, only this time in a standing position, appeared alongside the much more menacing Cannon. "You may have destroyed my Lakeside Lady, but now she gets a chance for some payback! Cause now I'm Synchro summonin' a monster by tunin' Laval Cannon with Laval Lakeside Lady! Say hello to the ultimate monster, Laval Stennon (2700)!"

A noticeable change in atmosphere circulated the room, as Sora could feel strange forces of wind coming upwards from the lava pit below, but they weren't breezy at all; in fact, the steel on which they were standing began to heat up so much that he could barely stand on it. His resilency was strong physically, but this heat was something else. As the orange haired girl disappeared from the field, the remains of her presence circulated Laval Cannon, who began to grow in size, almost double its original. The cannon on its arm became much smaller, but much more powerful as well, and the rocky exterior that had once comprised its armor was now solid steel, adjorned with spikes on the front and metal rings along the arms and legs.

[i]What the hell is that thing...twenty-seven hundred attacks points is going to be nearly impossible to get over.[/i] The Synchro eyed him like a hunter stalking its prey, ready to fire at any moment.

"It's time to show you what I'm capable of!" At Blaze's command, the creature raised its cannon. "Laval Stennon, destroy his Valiance Knight with Magma Cannon!" Quickly charging a ball of flame within the steel weapon, Stennon raised its arm once more, this time releasing the blast.

"Hold on, when you attack my Valiance Knight, you activate its special ability," Sora said, revealing a card in his hand. "I'm allowed to activate the Forbidden Lance Spell Card! This card takes Stennon's attack points and reduces them by eight-hundred! It's not enough to save my Knight, but it'll definitely reduce the physical impact!"

"Hate to break it to you, but Laval Stennon's special ability can activate, and by banishing a Laval Handmaiden in my Graveyard, your Spell is rendered useless, you can't target him!" Blaze grinned as the fireball struck Valiance Kngiht at full force, and Sora brutally crashed back into the steel wall behind him.

His head was spinning. Not only was the impact incredibly painful, the steel was heated from the lava below, making the damage all the more great. He had the gift of extreme physical strength, but the Rakurai was different. The toll it took on the body...it was the same feeling he had when Aruda's attack had hit him before that duel with Kenji. Even trying to stand was difficult.

[b]Sora's Life Points[/b]: 3100

"I reckon you ain't got much left in the tank already!" Blaze laughed as Sora noticed through blurred vision that the lava below was beginning to rise. There were four markings, presumably one for each one-thousand Life Points a player lost. It had already made it up to just below the first one. "Sure, I could've let that effect go through and destroyed your monster regardless, but showin' you what yer up against was much more excitin'! Yer pathetic; you ain't even got the strength to stand up and continue this duel. Not that I can blame ya; you must be realizin' just how much of a mistake you really made here. Can't stand the heat, get out the kitchen!"

He broke down into laughter once again, as Sora clenched his fists against the burning steel. "Well then, I reckon if that's the case, we might as well not wait for the lava to rise on its own, eh?!"

"Shut up." The cold determination behind Sora's words stopped Blaze in his tracks, silencing him for the first time since the duel had begun. Against his body's wishes, Sora returned to a standing position, adjusting his duel disk and placing the Valiance Knight in the Graveyard. It felt like he might have pulled a muscle in his shoulder from the impact, but there was no time to worry about that now. "You talk way too much for your own good, you know that? I'll be honest, I'm having some trouble adjusting to this new style of dueling, but if you think one attack is going to keep me down and let everyone who's relying on me down that easily, you're crazier than I thought you were."

"You talkin' tough to me? Did that last attack not do enough to convince you you're in over yer head?" Blaze asked.

"Listen, I get we're in your house and all, but it's time I turn this around in my favor, so forgive me for cutting you short, but let's get back to the game!" Sora drew a card, placing it on the field immediately. "I Summon Valiance Footsoldier (100) in Defense Mode!"

A short, brown-haired warrior clad in medieval armor and wielding nothing but a shield that was nearly larger than the man himself, appeared on the field. "When my Footsoldier hits the field, I can banish the Forbidden Lance in my Graveyard to bring out a second one!" Another, identical warrior appeared on the field alongside the first.

The more motivated he became, the less Sora could feel the pain. It's as though he had quickly become numb to it, at least for now. The importance of this duel was much greater than he'd originally thought. It wasn't just about getting answers now; this guy was insane and if he was this much of a threat, imagine how much more powerful the higher-ups would be. "Now that I control two monsters, I can build the Overlay Network! And I think I'll do just that, to Xyz Summon Gachi Gachi Gantetsu (1800)!"

A muscle-bound warrior, not sporting much in armor but incredibly impressive physically, appeared on the field over a horizontal card, both Overlay Units floating around it. "This may be a defense tactic, but it's leading somewhere, I can assure you of that. I should inform you though, of Gachi's special ability. What it does, is give a power boost to all monsters on my field; two hundred for each Overlay Unit, to be exact."

[b]Gachi Gachi Gantetsu[/b]: 1800 + 400 = 2200

Sora took a deep breath. [i]This strategy might work. It's all about baiting out his plays at this point.[/i] "I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"All talk and no action," Blaze said. "You build yourself up as someone who might actually do somethin', but instead you're just sittin' on a wall that my Laval Stennon is bound to run over! In fact, I'll do that shortly, but first, I'm about to show you another mistake you made! It appears you forgot that my Lakeside Lady returned to the Grave! So here's a reminder! I'll banish Lakeside Lady and Cannon from the Graveyard to destroy that face-down card to your right!" Blaze pointed at the card, and another pillar of flame exploded from below, encasing it entirely.

"I expected that one, which is why I set a card I'd be able to respond with," Sora said, pressing the red button on his duel disk to reveal the card. "I'll chain Forbidden Robe in response!"

"Don't think so!" Blaze exclaimed, as he banished another monster from his Graveyard, causing a wall of fire to protect Stennon. "I'll banish Laval Coatl to activate Stennon's special ability once more, negating the effect of your card entirely!"

[i]Yes, it's working![/i] Sora exclaimed. The strategy he had come up with was simple, but extremely important. Blaze could only protect himself if he had fuel in the Graveyard, and by Sora's count, only one monster remained. By baiting the effects that would force Blaze to remove his Laval monsters from the Graveyard, the flames would eventually die out. With only one more left, and Gachi's effect allowing him to survive two attacks, he figured he may yet stand a chance at tackling that thing.

"I told you when this game started, there's a reason CLEAR chose me." Blaze continued to speak as Stennon charged up another fire blast. "It's because even without powers I'm the best duelist there is! Laval Stennon, obliterate his monster with Magma Cannon!" Gachi took the attack head on, remaining in place as one of the orbs hovering above him disappeared. "What in tarnation? That thing should be molten rock by now!"

Sora grinned. "Sorry to disappoint, but Gachi Gachi has more than just one ability. See, if he would be dsetroyed, I can give up one of his Overlay Units instead to keep him intact and on the field."

[b]Gachi Gachi Gantetsu[/b]: 2200 - 200 = 2000

The frustration on Blaze's face was clear. Sora had trumped him, at least temporarily. It was obvious being on the losing end of things, if only for a minute, wasn't this guy's strong point. "I'll end with one card down. Don't think you've got much of a chance even if ya managed to turn it around."

"There's no doubt you're good," Sora said. Blaze perked up. "But you're also extremely easy to read. See, I know exactly what moves you're going to make before you even make them, which is why I was able to stay in this as long as I have. At heart, I'm not as much a duelist as I am a fighter, but I know I have what it takes to knock you off your pedestal. And what better way to do that than with the Double Rank Trap Card!"

At Sora's command, the face-down card on his field revealed itself, and a blue aura began to surround Gachi as he prepared to leave the field. "Double Rank can only be activated if I control an Xyz Monster, and what it does is allow me to take an Xyz Monster with twice the rank of the one I currently control and Overlay it, adding the materials and the current Xyz itself as materials for the new monster! If that part was confusing, then let me show you! I Overlay Rank 4 Maestroke the Symphony Djinn (1800)!"

In what could best be described as a badass band outfit, Gachi was replaced by a new monster, standing about the same length as Sora himself and wielding a brass staff, the Djinn appeared on the field ready for battle, with two Overlay Units around him.

"And what exactly are ya plannin' to do with that?" Blaze spat on the ground. "It's pitiful."

"Not really, cause you see, by using an Overlay Unit, Maestroke's effect allows him to change your monster to face-down Defense Position!" The energy of the Overlay Unit was absorbed into Maestroke's staff as the creature attempted to carry out that order.

Blaze was beside himself with laughter. "Fool! Have you forgotten Stennon's effect again? You can't touch my monster! By banishing another Laval Volcano Handmaiden from my Graveyard, I can negate that effect entirely!"

[i]And that's the kicker.[/i] "Ah, how forgetful of me. Why don't I try it one more time? Maestroke!" Sora exclaimed. "Use another Overlay Unit, go Symphonic Brigade!"

"You can't be serious," Blaze replied. "I'll banish-" Suddenly it hit him. There were no targets left in the Graveyard. "What in the world?!"

"Looks like you're out of monsters." Grinning, Sora couldn't help but chuckle at the rage in Blaze's eyes. "What was that you said? If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen? Well, I was just getting warmed up! I'm good to go now, and thanks to a little brilliant scheming, I tricked you into wasting all of your monsters, meaning Stennon is wide open for an attack! So Maestroke, do your thing!" Despite its efforts, the creature was unable to defend itself as Blaze placed the card face-down on the duel disk, with reluctance in his eyes.

"Oh and one last thing," Sora said. He could tell Blaze was growing more frustrated by the minute. "Rank Double has another cool ability; during the turn the Xyz Monster is Summoned, it gains attack points equal to its Rank times two hundred!"

[b]Maestroke the Symphony Djinn[/b]: 1800 + 800 = 2600

"Stennon's going down! Attack, Symphonic Strike!" Maestroke leapt into the air, swinging wildly with the staff and obliterating the face-down card with ease. The force of the attack almost threw Blaze off his feet, but he held still.

---

Breathing heavily and taking a second to let his body rest as the adrenaline of the turn caught up with him, Sora noticed Blaze standing with an odd smile on his face. Out of nowhere, he began to laugh once more, only this time it was different; it was as though he had finally lost it. Suddenly, the lava below began to rise, skyrocketing upwards to almost the third line. The heat grew almost unbearable in a matter of seconds. [i]What the hell is going on?[/i]

"So this is the kind of game you want to play then, is it?! That's fine, you've just sealed your fate! Since I've activated the Trap Card Infernal Magma Rage!" The face-down card on Blaze's field flipped upwards, depicting a spiraling flame. "By paying half my Life Points, I can return any and all banished Laval monsters from my banished zone straight to the Graveyard!"

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

"But it gets worse for you, because next I can activate the Spell Card Rekindling from my hand!" Before Sora could even blink, five pillars of magma shot up from below, all of them nearly spiraling out of control, much like Blaze himself. "This Spell Card allows me to Special Summon as many Laval monsters from the Graveyard as possible! So watch as I Summon Laval Cannon, Laval Volcano Handmaiden, Laval Coatl, Laval Magma Cannoneer, and Laval Lakeside Lady!"

The flames only intensified as the monsters returned to the field with a newfound purpose. The room and the steel heated up even more, and Sora found himself sweating without even realizing it. [i]Five monsters...in one turn...[/i]

"You should've ran when I gave ya the chance! Cause now you're gonna die and your friend will be all alone, and you'll have no one but yourself to blame for it!"

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

I was originally going to do the entire duel in this episode, but it makes sense in the context of the story to have it span one more. If only because the after-duel events are important to, and I'd like to be able to continue with the story starting at 31. I'm actually pleased with how this is going so far; I'm at least trying to make things balanced, and I'm hoping it's working so far.

Looking forward to the feedback.

[Randomflyingobjects]

That could have gone better. For Sora, I mean.

First, he manages to outsmart some guy, making him run out of fuel, and destroys his prime monster, and Blaze forfeits half his points. Then the other guy decides to bring back almost his entire army, thus concluding the episode.

In all? Good chapter, but even more, good duel.

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 30: Turn Up the Heat, Part Three]

Ah, the silence. Alice found it so peaceful, as she took in the inviting whispers of the darkness and everything they had to offer. In her peace, she could feel the energy flowing through her like a cycle, in and out, keeping her entirely refreshed as she sat on the floor in the center of the room, watching the events of the duel unfold without having to physically see it. Rather, she was able to simply close her eyes and focus, and the information would flow right through her, like it were telepathy.

She had not expected them to venture into Blaze's territory; it threw a bit of an interesting twist on things. With the defeat of that mortal in the city, she thought for sure they would find their way to her location, following her in a way with the subtle hints she left in her brief appearance. Something must have happened to throw them off that path, but what it was she couldn't be sure. Her abilities were great, but some things eluded even her.

It didn't really matter, though. This was the reason she had forewarned Blaze of their possible arrival, just in case something like this were to happen. He was a more than competent duelist, although it was likely he would fail in his efforts to defeat them, which brought a smile to her face. He had always been a nuisance, but killing him would have been a waste; he could at least make them squirm a little. With the Rakurai infused in the duel, in addition to Blaze's own death trap of an arena, she knew for certain they would be pushed to their limits.

CLEAR had planned to kill him eventually, but it made no sense to do so before getting as much use out of him as they could, and with no Rakurai, he would have no methods in which to defend himself. It was amazing the limits to which humans would go for money, something of which they had a limitless supply. His death would be his own doing.

"I am ever so excited for our eventual showdown," she said, breaking off into a fit of innocent laughter. Though laughter, it was laced with nothing but evil intentions. It was only a matter of time now.

---

"It's all come down to this, thanks to Rekindlin', of course!" Blaze had been entirely refreshed; even his body felt more energized, something that stood out to Sora as he stared down a field of monsters, ones that more than likely wouldn't stay long. "Why waste any time, right?! I'll tune Laval Volcano Handmaiden with Laval Magma Cannoneer, and Laval Coatl with Laval Cannon, to Synchro Summon Lavalval Dragon (2000) and Lavalval Phoenix (2400)!"

The flames grew so strong that Sora could not see through them; rather a monumental wall of fire encompassed the entire duel field, with heat too overwhelming to be just a hologram. As it began to settle, a dark red dragon, clad with all sorts of magma fragments, alongside a bird-like creature, orange in color with a wingspan about the size of Sora himself, appeared side-by-side on the field.

"Maestroke, might wanna hang tight here," Sora said, grabbing his monster's attention as the musician responded with a nod of its head. "I'm not sure this turn's gonna end well."

And Sora was right. He was defenseless facing two Synchro Monsters, both with the power to completely annihilate him. From what he could see, Blaze had run out of cards in his hand, meaning he didn't have the ability to actually end the duel this turn, but the damage was going to hurt. Even trying to brace himself for the incoming onslaught was useless.

"Ya see, you're playin' in my domain, and to be honest, I wasn't plannin' on takin' it to this extreme," Blaze said, mockingly. Sora cringed, ignoring the words but continuing to prepare himself for the attack. "I reckoned you weren't worth the effort. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe, beatin' you in this duel and destroyin' you is the only way to really show you how good I really am! Enough talk, let's finish this! Lavalval Dragon, attack his Maestroke with Flame Spiral!" The dragon flapped its wings, taking into the air, as it released a spiral blast of flames from its mouth, an attack the Djinn could not withstand.

[b]Sora's Life Points[/b]: 2900

The force of the attack knocked Sora backwards, but he was able to time his landing just enough to prevent any sort of crash. With his field empty, he knew the real damage was about to come, and there was no telling what he was in for here. What had happened to the Shopkeeper was probably only a tenth of what he was in for, considering the duel stakes were much higher here.

"If you thought that was bad, just wait, because here comes the real fun!" Blaze remarked. "Lavalval Dragun, attack with Pyro Incinerator!" In a similar fashion, the phoenix opened its beak as a charge of fire appeared, although this one wasn't taking the form of a spiral. Rather, it was a giant fireball, almost the size of Sora himself, and the bird released it with one swoop. There was nowhere to go, and it struck Sora immediately.

[b]Sora's Life Points[/b]: 500

---

Everything became a blur, until he could no longer hear or feel anything. The last thing he could remember was seeing the fireball as it headed towards him, striking nearly his entire body at once due to its massive size. He had tried to defend himself but it was like the fire ripped him to shreds, breaking through all of his defenses and forcing him back into the unforgiving steel of the arena walls, and then some. There was no pain, at least not that he could remember. Mentally he had tried to prepare himself to handle the injuries that might come with it, but with his body already weakened and stressed from the duel up to that point, in addition to the fact that the heat from the magma was becoming more and more unbearable, he wondered if perhaps that had been the end of him.

Was this it? Sure, the duel hadn't officially ended, but if he could no longer continue, it might as well have. But if he was dead - if the Rakurai had killed him - how could he still be thinking right now? Unaware of his surroundings, sure, but he could still process thoughts and think rationally, which wouldn't have made much sense unless somehow, he was still alive. Somehow, this moment was reminiscent of that moment back in the warehouse when he was knocked out by Aruda's energy reflection technique; he had ended up in another world, his own mind, but it was different; he could not see the outside world. How could he be alive, yet not able to see and experience everything around him? The Rakurai was still new to them, but did it really have the power to transport them between worlds?

"Interesting, it appears you are beginning to catch on, though I can tell your body is in such a rough condition that none of this is making sense to you, despite experiencing it before."

That voice...where had he heard it before? He couldn't see anyone; best he knew his eyes were open, but there was nothing except never-ending blackness on all angles. Could he form words? Or was everything just happening inside his mind? "I...I don't quite remember what's going on, but something about this entire situation is familiar."

"I wouldn't have expected otherwise," the voice said. Sora was confused, as it sounded like the voice was speaking to him out loud, but inside his head at the same time. Where was this source? He couldn't make out a damn thing. "You are still very young, and your perception of events like this is nowhere near what it would need to be in order for you to fully grasp how things like this happen. However, our timing is crucial. There's not much of it."

"You..." Sora said. Or at least tried to. "You're that spirit; I can remember it now, the voice I heard inside my mind when Kenji and I were attacked. You said you were a part of me, or were me, or something. I'm too jarred to even think straight."

"I am known as Kioshi," the voice said, still no figure to go with it. "Perhaps when first we met my explanation of my existence was too vague, so allow me to try and explain it in a way that might make more sense. While my sole being is inside your mind, you and I are two different entities. This kind of things come to be as a result of the Rakurai itself. The moment that bolt struck, the entire world was changed. Several thousand humans were entrusted with powers never before known to them, and with the creation of these powers came the 'Spirit Half'. It was intended that the source of these powers would be an entitity in and of themselves, two beings in one body, one the human, one the source of the human's power. Through an unknown event, things did not work as they were anticipated. Instead, the powers of the Rakurai were infused with the humans and at the same time, the 'Spirit Halves' were created as a separate entity entirely."

"You mean...like other people?" Sora had no idea what he was asking but tried to make sense of the situation.

"Sort of," Kioshi replied. He paused for a moment to find the right words. "But we're not humans, though many of us have the appearance of a human as originally, we were intended to be one and the same."

"Hold on, you said the Rakurai didn't work. If that's the case, how are you and I even communicating like this right now?" If Kioshi was inside his mind, that would've meant that in some way, the Rakurai hadn't failed completely, wouldn't it?

"One of many unanswered questions, I suppose." Sora looked around, though Kioshi still didn't reveal himself. "You and I, as far as I am aware, are the only two Spirit Partners connected in this way. Why you are the one exception is unknown, but it's not something to complain about. Being able to communicate in this way means your powers are much sharper, and is part of the reason you are as physically strong as you are. Have you ever noticed how resistant you are to pain?"

Finally something was making sense. Everything kinda clicked at once. "I think I understand now..." He was still confused, but Kioshi's existence within him explained the incredible strength he had always wondered about. His power was a combination of Kioshi's and his own.

"Yes, that's good." Kioshi said. "That is where CLEAR comes in. CLEAR is an organization comprised entirely of 'Spirit Halves' that do not wish to unite with their partner. Many 'Spirit Halves' have tried to search for and combine with their partners as they were destined to do, and others have been outcasts, but none have done so with malicious intent as opposed to confusion. CLEAR, on the other hand, wishes to see to it that those they are supposed to align with are no longer alive, thus taking the full power for themselves. Does that make sense?"

"It's a lot to take in, but I think I've got it," he said. He nodded his head, still not feeling anything physically. "It actually makes things a lot easier to put into perspective. But there's a missing piece; for someone like Blaze to be aligned with them, if he's a human with no Rakurai abilities at all, what sense would that make?"

"Blaze is irrelevant." Kioshi's tone was stern. "I do not mean to sound so cold in saying so but he has becmoe nothing but a puppet, allowing himself to be taken over by greed and has lost nearly all of his humanity. In fact, even if he were to some way win this duel, CLEAR plans to kill him. You cannot let his humanity or any moral values get in the way of this victory; the only way to truly save anyone at this point is for CLEAR to be beaten. Then and only then is it possible that we could reverse the damage done, but we're not even near that point yet."

Sora clenched his fists as he felt a wave of emotion come over him. It was a mixture of hatred, and determination, and regret that he had allowed even one person to be hurt by all of this. His lack of knowledge made him all the more energy, as if it was his fault and his fault alone. "I have always hated fighting because of the powers I have. To enter a fight knowing my opponent has no chance of winning is always such a burden, not on the body, but on the mind. To know that innocent people could be hurt on the account of my actions, it is something that has always eaten away at me, no matter how hard I've tried to overcome it. So many people have been hurt already because of what CLEAR is trying to do, and it doesn't matter whether they're humans or not...everyone has a right to live! How could they be so careless to put all of these lives at risk for their own selfish gain...Something like that... I can't allow that to happen! I will save them! Kenji, and his friend who died as a result of CLEAR's actions, and my mentor, who fought to defend me, as well as the countless innocent lives...even Kimora...and Aruda...all of these people who have fought because they believed what they were doing was right despite the fact that they were being manipulated in the process..."

As he spoke, the images and thoughts of those people and the fights they had experienced so far flashed through his mind, and with each one, he felt a little bit of his strength flow into him. Suddenly, he was grasping the realism once more, the world around him was becoming real once more and he could feel the pain, only for it to slowly begin to disappear. He clenched his fists tighter, and the more he focused the more the world around him came back into view. The Duel Arena, and all of it, it was all very real. He still could not see Kioshi, but he could feel the Spirit's power within him. Across from him in plain sight was Blaze, looking as confident as ever, and Sora realized that the attack had knocked him to the floor, while Blaze himself was still standing. Gripping his right hand against the steel and somehow fighting through the intense heat, he started to stand. Suddenly, he noticed a bluish glow around his hand, spreading up his arm, and throughout his entire body. [i]This light...what is this?[/i]

"What's this? Are you still alive?!" Blaze's asked, shocked. "That can't be, you don't move for five minutes and somehow you're standin' again!" The lava below had nearly reached them at this point, and the monsters on Blaze's field were still there, strong as ever. "Ah well, if that didn't kill ya, the fire sure will!"

[i]I've got it now...somehow I know what this is...what Kioshi was trying to tell me![/i] "Blaze, let me ask you something," he said. Taken aback by the change in subject, Blaze remained quiet. "Giving up everything, including your own humanity, just for money, has it brought you happiness? Knowing that many people have been hurt in the process and knowing that you've aligned yourself with a cause that wishes to do nothing but hurt people...do you regret this?"

With a thought-provoking look in his eyes, Blaze stared at the ground, repeating the question aloud. "Do I regret this?" He looked back up, locking eyes with Sora, and burst into laughter. "Of course not! What kind of question is that?! I've become untouchable! With the money I have, and the duelin' skills, I'm far stronger than anyone could hope to be! I control everythin', I don't need CLEAR anymore, now that I've got all the money I could ask for, I'm in business for myself! I don't regret a thing, except the fact that I haven't finished you off yet! Now I-"

"Shut up!" Sora's demanding voice caught even himself by surprise. "I've heard more than enough! You told me all I needed to know! Because now, when I win this duel and you die as a result, I don't have to feel sorry for you to think you weren't acting on your own! It's time you get a reality check, I'm going to make you pay for all the innocent lives you've aided in taking! I'll do it with this! I summon Forbidden Priestess in defense mode (1000)!"

A brown-haired woman wearing an Ancient Greek robe appeared on the field. "On her summon, I can activate her special ability, and with it, I'm allowed to add a 'Forbidden' Spell Card from my Deck to my hand! So come forth, Forbidden Mace!"

"I don't see the point in any of this...I reckon you're still about to die."

"I "reckon" I've heard enough, and at this point you've become a blur to me! My only focus is breaking through these defenses and getting out of here! I activate the Spell Card Valiance Saving Grace!" With this, I can call my Valiance Knight back to the field, but first, I have to target a monster on your side of the field, so I think I'll choose your Lavalval Dragun!" The knight appeared on the field once more, looking good-as-new. "And now the second part of my Spell Card kicks in, meaning the Level of all monsters I control becomes equal to the Level of the monster on your field that I targeted, and since Lavalval Dragun is a Level Six monster, both Valiance Knight and Forbidden Priestess become the same!"

"But why?!" Blaze asked, panicked. He didn't understand what was going on. After all, there was no way the kid stood a chance at turning things around.

"Why? I could explain, but I'd rather just show you," Sora said. "Isn't that what you said earlier? It doesn't matter now; I build the Overlay Network with both monsters to Xyz Summon a monster, come out, Swordbreaker (2700)!" In a sealed arena no less, gusts of wind blew across the field created from the full force of Sora's monster as the warrior appeared on the field, sporting unbreakable silver armor and an array of weapons on its back, one of every shape and size. "And finally, I'm activating the Spell Card Forbidden Mace that I added to my hand earlier! By decreasing Swordbreaker's attack points by one thousand, I can make it so he's allowed to attack all of your monsters once each this turn!"

[b]Swordbreaker[/b]: 2700 - 1000 = 1700

With sleight of hand, the warrior reached into the arsenal on his back, pulling out a spiked mace, solid steel from the top to the bottom. It was attatched to a chain, which he swung around repeatedly, building some momentum in the process.

"I guess you finally have gone off the deep end," Blaze grinned. "Your only chance of evening the playing field was just thrown away with that Spell Card, now your monster ain't got enough points to take down either one of my monsters!" Before Blaze could finish his sentence, Swordbreaker flung the mace, obliterating both monsters in one single swipe as a pixelated explosion covered the field. "Wait! Damn you! How could you have--?!"

"While you were blabbering about how much of a failure I am, I decided to use one of Swordbreaker's overlay units, and doing so allows me to declare a Type of monster," Sora explained. "From there, any monster of that type that Swordbreaker battles during this turn is automatically destroyed. Since Forbidden Mace allows Swordbreaker to attack all of your monsters and the only ones you control are Pyro-Type, the combo fits hand-in-hand."

"That can't be!" Blaze exclaimed, in disbelief. "I reckon you cheated!"

"And now I've got one card left in my hand, so it only makes sense to use it at this point. Activate, Retreating Reversal!" For a moment, there was a flash, and then the mace in Swordbreaker's hand became much larger, as the monster appeared to gain a new sort of confidence. "With Retreating Reversal, the effects of any 'Forbidden' Spell Cards that would affect a monster during this turn are now negated, meaning Swordbreaker's attack returns to normal! But it gets better than that because now, Forbidden Mace's one- thousand point drawback becomes a power boost, meaning Swordbreaker gains an additional one-thousand points!"

[b]Swordbreaker[/b]: 1700 + 2000 = 3700

"This last attack...this is for the innocent people who have died for such a ridiculous cause." Blaze felt himself beyond intimidated by the dead stare; the passion and intensity inside Sora's every word was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. "Swordbreaker, end this duel, Hybrid Cutter!" As the warrior swung his mace, striking Blaze in the chest with the force of Sora's willpower behind it, Blaze flew back into the wall, nearly losing his grip and falling off the platform.

[b]Blaze's Life Points[/b]: 0

---

The magma began to rise with an unstoppable flow, nearly reaching where they were standing already. It didn't appear to be stopping. Sora looked around frantically, searching for the protective pod that would drop down, but nothing appeared. The flames were approaching quick and he had no way out. Blaze looked up from the ground, laughing a bit.

"Heh, so you beat me," he said. "I ain't done yet though, cause when all is said and done I'll be the one standin' tall. Enjoy your fiery plummet!" With that, a pod did descend, but contrary to what he'd said at the beginning, it was Blaze who received the protection. Sora had nowhere to go and it would be a matter of seconds until he was consumed by the flames. Even with his physical strength, he was no match for natural elements, especially not of this level. "I told you, no matter what, Blaze ain't ever gonna lose!"

Keep calm...that's what Sora told himself. He continued to repeat it in his mind, but things were looking quite bleak as pillars of magma began to rise on all sides of him, shooting upwards and only adding to the ever-rising fire. The steel walls were the opposite of a safe haven, too hot to even touch. His body was still weakened from the duel, and the doors were completely sealed off at this point. Panic, fear, adrenaline, just three of the things he felt rising up within him. The flames had surrounded Blaze's pod, leaving him untouched due to the heat-resitant nature of it, but Sora could still see the hellish smile on his face.

As a giant wave of magma crashed up, heading straight towards him, like a tidal wave but worse, it appeared this was the end. He had survived once, but twice, didn't seem to be possible. He braced himself, arms folded across his chest.

No...he couldn't give up.

Not now.

"{2nd Stage: Rinkai Totsugeki; Critical Assault}!" Uttering words he didn't know in the slightest, the bluish glow surrounding Sora's body returned, only this time it was a mixture of that and green, creating a very weird visual display. Blaze must have noticed it too, because his facial expression changed entirely. The magma wave crashed down, and Sora sidestepped it, through no control of his own, and found himself standing on the dome of the building in the span of a millisecond. [i]Holy...how the hell?[/i] He moved again, this time appearing above the pod which had been surrounded by flames at this point, but it had no effects on him.

Blaze was at a loss for words, watching a man move through a sea of lava entirely unaffected. Sora drove his fist into the steel of the pod, splitting it in half with a single blow. Before Blaze could be pulled into the fire, he grabbed him by the arm, and once again ended up on the ceiling. [i]These movements...it doesn't even make the slightest bit of sense, moving at this pace defies every law of physics...[/i] As though on cue, the magma began to descend back into the pit from which it came as the steel platform closed up. [i]Whoa, what's going on here? It's closing![/i]

"What the hell do you think you're doin!" Blaze exclaimed. "Get your hands off me!"

"As you wish," Sora said. With the flames gone, he let go, dropping Blaze from the ceiling of the arena, following suit, only he was in complete control of his body unlike the opponent. He drove his right foot into Blaze's chest as the duelist smacked the floor, the force of Sora's attack denting it at least four feet in. [i]That's unbelievable...this power... I can feel this energy flowing through me...to make a four foot dent in a steel platform, well, that's new.[/i] He landed on the ground, and in a flash stepped to the sealed doors of the arena. With one punch, he blew them off the hinges entirely, blowing both steel doors back about fifteen feet into the wall at the end of the hallway. "Looks like I might have destroyed a picture in the process. Oops."

---

One glance back at Blaze, who wasn't moving, and probably wouldn't be for a while if he was still alive, and Sora was good to go. He found Kenji standing at the end of the hallway, having safely dodged the blast. "Kenji...you're, is everything alright? You seem pretty calm given the situation."

Kenji smiled, a genuine one at that. "Why wouldn't I be? You told me you had it under control. Besides, I watched the entire thing through a camera I found in one of the rooms upstairs. You didn't expect me to just stand around and not go exploring, did you?" Sora couldn't help but laugh. "That was some pretty cool s***, except for the part where you nearly took my head off with the doors, but oh well. I'd like to think we're on the same page with the CLEAR stuff, for that matter. Found some interesting stuff upstairs that matches up with what you said to Blaze. I don't know how you came across all of that on your own, but you must be exhausted. We'll figure it all out later."

---

Kioshi felt something strange, a feeling he couldn't quite describe.

"Ever since I've come into existence, I've sat here patiently waiting for the time when Sora would be called upon to fight in this battle, and it was at that time I would be called to fight along with him. I'm a unique case for sure, having never actually gone to the mid-world due to being here. But I couldn't consider that a bad thing. I'm aware not all humans are like this one, but Sora is...different. From what I understand, human morality is only existent to a certain extent, if the situation calls for other action to be necessary than it is ignored. But Sora had more than one opportunity to 'finish off' his opponent, yet instead chose to save him from falling into the flames, despite the fact that Blaze was perfectly willing to allow Sora to meet that fate. He would put his life on the line for a random stranger, Sora that is. Is this a characteristic of human emotion? Humans are a weird people, much different from the 'Spirit Halves', as we came into this world acting on nothing but survival. If life is so important, than why is this boy so willing to give up his own for the sake of someone he has never even met? I think that is why he and I were chosen to fight together, so that I may learn from him, and he from me. Being able to exert power over anyone and choosing not to do is a quality I would have never believed to exist, but Sora has shown that such a thing is very real. Perhaps all hope is not lost, for I believe CLEAR has no idea what they are up against. If they are expecting to fight against normal humans, they are mistaken. Sora, I too will offer my life if such a thing should be necessary. With true honor and sacrifice comes true power, and if the day comes where such a thing is asked of me, I will do so without hesitation. Because that is what this entire battle is all about; proving that there is still some morality left in this universe."[/spoiler]

I was so pleased with this one. I think we've finally reached that point where things are starting to come together, and that could only make for a better story.

Love the feedback guys, taking it all into consideration!

[Randomflyingobjects]

Did I see that coming, or did I see that coming? Of course, as predicted. Blaze decided to escape anyway. Then, unlike I thought, Sora suddenly goes all super-power-Hey-I-had-no-idea-I-could-do-that! I see why you bumped the duel another chapter in now, because you had to show the beginning scene. I always knew Blaze was just another pawn, but CLEAR killing their own dimwitted servant off? Those guys are... strange. Very strange. Then again, they probably don't want to waste any more money on that jerk, so it makes sense. But if so... then why hire him in the first place?

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1348871666' post='6034121']
Did I see that coming, or did I see that coming? Of course, as predicted. Blaze decided to escape anyway. Then, unlike I thought, Sora suddenly goes all super-power-Hey-I-had-no-idea-I-could-do-that! I see why you bumped the duel another chapter in now, because you had to show the beginning scene. I always knew Blaze was just another pawn, but CLEAR killing their own dimwitted servant off? Those guys are... strange. Very strange. Then again, they probably don't want to waste any more money on that jerk, so it makes sense. But if so... then why hire him in the first place?
[/quote]

I'm pretty sure Blaze escaping anyway was going to happen regardless; there wasn't even a way to make it seem as though it wasn't going to happen. Sometimes obvious is better for story-telling purposes.

Sora unlocking his 2nd Stage was somewhat necessary; I mean the story is advancing and I don't want to wait until the last three episodes to have them unlock more stages, you know?

CLEAR is not human, remember? What do they care about one (or one hundred) human lives? Anything to gain the upper hand is a benefit to them.

[Randomflyingobjects]

[quote name='Thunder Spark' timestamp='1348876567' post='6034161']
I'm pretty sure Blaze escaping anyway was going to happen regardless; there wasn't even a way to make it seem as though it wasn't going to happen. Sometimes obvious is better for story-telling purposes.

Sora unlocking his 2nd Stage was somewhat necessary; I mean the story is advancing and I don't want to wait until the last three episodes to have them unlock more stages, you know?

CLEAR is not human, remember? What do they care about one (or one hundred) human lives? Anything to gain the upper hand is a benefit to them.
[/quote]I don't really mind the Blaze Escape type-deal, and the unlocking stages was also good, but I didn't see it happening at the specific time.

Well, I'm pretty sure there were 1-2 humans in the CLEAR mix, like Aruda seemed somewhat human, and Kimora (Or whatever her name is) has taken a human host... and there are humans with that power (which I cannot pronounce, nor spell, because I am lazy and don't want to look it up), so I thought that CLEAR would at least use a few of them.

[Synchronized]

They will, but it will be much more interesting (and make more sense, I think) with more reveals down the line. As we get closer towards the finale (it's still a ways away), There are some humans involved with CLEAR, but the main panel, so to speak, meaning by this the five leaders, are not human.

It's hard to explain without spoiling things.