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

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

WOO! 30 chapters since I finally decided to look at my PMs at around 7 today!

I really really like this premise. The fighting makes it so that it doesn't boil down to the same 'fix everything with duels' mentality that surrounds basically the whole of the rest of the series and many of it's accompanying fics.

The cards that you create yourself are balanced and for the most part better than what the anime pulls off; if I didn't know many of the cards that you use, I honestly would not be able to tell the difference.

Only a few complaints, one of which was brought up a while ago, in that the formatting can make things confusing, such as when the characters are thinking and such. The other is that some of the duels don't really have enough substance to them, y'know? I understand that they're often not the main focus, and you write the combat sections really well, but still, I think that's your main area for improvement.

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[quote name='The Seal of Eon' timestamp='1349040995' post='6035305']
WOO! 30 chapters since I finally decided to look at my PMs at around 7 today!

I really really like this premise. The fighting makes it so that it doesn't boil down to the same 'fix everything with duels' mentality that surrounds basically the whole of the rest of the series and many of it's accompanying fics.

The cards that you create yourself are balanced and for the most part better than what the anime pulls off; if I didn't know many of the cards that you use, I honestly would not be able to tell the difference.

Only a few complaints, one of which was brought up a while ago, in that the formatting can make things confusing, such as when the characters are thinking and such. The other is that some of the duels don't really have enough substance to them, y'know? I understand that they're often not the main focus, and you write the combat sections really well, but still, I think that's your main area for improvement.
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Woo! Signing on to a new reader ! >

Okay so, I completely agree. I'd like to think that the most recent duel might have been my best to date; I tried to work on making it more even and making it look like the main character was actually in trouble. I struggle with dialogue and things like that, so I'm really working to find a balance.

I mean the combat part is easy and I'm not worried about it, but I completely agree that I have so much more work to do in that area.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Randomflyingobjects]

...Speaking of new reader, what ever happened to the other handful? There was Archbaron (Or Hivenet. Whatever.), and probably a few other guys in the mix.

And for anybody who reads this, there's this cool button on your profile that says 'My Content'. It's really cool, because you can press on your own and see all the things you've commented on, or added onto, or whatever. AND, it shows you which ones are unread, meaning something got posted there. Use this to keep track of threads, instead of trying to remember them time after time on your own, and having to go out and search for them to see if anybody posted on it.

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[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1349095065' post='6035591']
...Speaking of new reader, what ever happened to the other handful? There was Archbaron (Or Hivenet. Whatever.), and probably a few other guys in the mix.

And for anybody who reads this, there's this cool button on your profile that says 'My Content'. It's really cool, because you can press on your own and see all the things you've commented on, or added onto, or whatever. AND, it shows you which ones are unread, meaning something got posted there. Use this to keep track of threads, instead of trying to remember them time after time on your own, and having to go out and search for them to see if anybody posted on it.
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Not sure at the moment. I know Matt's supposed to catch up eventually, but he's probably working on getting 24! sorted out first; we've got at least three consistent readers plus a good friend who reads them off-site and helps me out, so I figure if I just keep writing eventually more people will get into it.

On that note, I do have a new episode for today.

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[spoiler=Episode 31: The Scars of Betrayal]
"At last, after you have strived so hard to ignore me, we finally meet once more." The voice was too familiar, and Calion almost allowed himself to be caught off-guard upon hearing it. He was walking through the rocky interior of the city's gates. In the Mid-World, things were formatted quite differently, although the basic infrastructure of a city was the same. The capital city, Tsukuyomi, earned its name because of the belief that on the night the city was constructed, it was the light of the moon that made such a thing possible.


Though the Rakurai is believed to have created the Mid-Worlders, it is believed at the same time that the world existed before that, and perhaps even that beings of some kind had inhabited it previously. Calion had sensed an odd presence for a while, but hadn't really been able to catch on that it was his old mentor, Ankoku. It had been a few weeks now since the events with Sora and Kenji, but it had been nearly a month since the two had spoken, Calion having decided to go down his own path.

"Ignore you?" Calion asked, but as he spoke did not turn to face the man to whom he was speaking. "I have no desire to involve myself with you anymore, Ankoku. Things are different now."

"Different?" The elder asked. "In what way? For as I can see, you have not only failed in accomplishing what you were so close to doing, but you have betrayed us, as well. All I asked was that you do away with that one remaining duelist, and you could not accomplish such a simple task. How do you explain yourself?"

Calion smirked, but he doubted the other man could see it. In the darkness of the rocky tunnel, not too much was visible. It was lit, but dimly. "I have no reason to explain myself to the likes of you. Sure, I guess you could say I appreciate you helping me get my feet off the ground, but once I learned of your true purpose for doing so, it was no longer in my best interest."

"What is in your best interest should not have been a factor," Ankoku replied. Such had not been the goal. "Your orders were clear and you went against them willingly. Tell me, why did you spare the boy? Was it perhaps because you have become soft?"

"I wouldn't waste your time with something like that," Calion replied. He knew the emotional game Ankoku was trying to play and would not let himself be affected by it. "Tricks like that only work when the one you're using them on actually cares one way or the other. I have no interest to work as your puppet."

"You and I both owe a loyalty to CLEAR." Ankoku cleared his throat. "It is a fact. We were so close to achieving our goal and after your first failure, you failed once more by not going through with the duel. I don't understand it; Rai Valiant is a mere human, and one who has no relevance to you. Why would you care one way or the other if he is killed?"

"His life means nothing to me," Calion said. And he meant it, too. "However, I do not support the idea of killing someone who hasn't even begun to recognize his capabilities just because he has the potential to defeat CLEAR someday. If you don't recall, when I was younger, I was in a similar situation. They tried to kill me because they knew I would easily overpower them, and they failed."

"They failed because you were strong," Ankoku spoke to his former student. "This boy has not even learned to use his powers."

"Exactly my point," Calion replied. "In essence, this is the same as stepping on a snail, even though it has not yet proven it is a threat in winning the race. In its current state, the snail is defenseless, and simply continues along as it has become accustomed to doing. Should the snail prove a threat, then perhaps taking action to overpower it would be justified, but if it is merely a snail that does not recognize its potential, senseless violence is not warranted. It has now become my goal then, that Rai Valiant is able to see the full extent of his power."

"You can't be serious!" Ankoku exclaimed, his eyes filled with rage. "You wouldn't dare stand as opposition to CLEAR, knowing what could happen to you."

"I wouldn't stand as opposition to anyone unless absolutely necessary, Ankoku." Calion's words were spoken with such meaning behind them that Ankoku had to pause to take it all in. "Something to keep in mind should CLEAR decide they see me as a threat. Allow me to mention this, as well. My allegiance is to myself and myself only; though I will not hesitate to strike a former ally."

The words rang like a bell. Ankoku could not come to terms with the fact that his protege would openly threaten the organization that they both had become such a part of. "The boy, Sora. Why, if he has no relation to the one you are looking to save, would you let him live? If you have no allegiance to anyone, why spare him as though he were an ally?"

Calion heard the words, but found his mind somewhat clouded when he tried to find the answer. He pictured Sora in his head, taking on that entire gang at once. How each one had tried to hurt him because he was nothing more than a target, and he defended himself so effortlessly, but not without regret. Through Sora's eyes he could see the boy's heart; he was so different from the other humans, in that he had grown up with such hardships, no parents, no friends, and no reason to owe anyone anything. Yet the one thing he cared about more than anything else was protecting those who had no relevance to him at all. This concept of emotion and the willingness to fight the odds no matter what the cost, it was something that should not have had an effect on him, but did.

"Who knows? Maybe I saw something in him that made him worth keeping alive," Calion replied. "I'm still searching for my own answers, Ankoku. I am not a human, but I do not feel as though I belong here, either. So as I search for my purpose, I will do so in my own way; I do not hate humanity the way CLEAR does, I find them to be an interesting people." He thought of Sora once more, that burning passion in his eyes when their duel began. "They may not be so bad after all."

With that, he began walking, the sound of his footsteps echoing throughout the cave, when Ankoku called out once more. "You do realize it's all for nothing, right? Very soon, they will encounter Alice, and she will carry out the orders that you could not. A duel will most certainly take place, but that will not be their downfall. You know full well, Calion, how strong she is. She will kill them and it will all have been meaningless. This entire thing, everything you have said, your betrayal, it was meaningless."

Unexpectedly, Calion turned around to look at him. There was a stern, serious look on his face as he gripped the sword at his side. "You may call what I've done a betrayal, but I would not speak of such things so soon. Ankoku, you're right. I do know how strong she is better than anyone perhaps I should pay them a visit."

Calion's words struck a chord within his former mentor's eyes. "I cannot let you do something like that, Calion. You know this just as well as I do."

"I do," he said. "However, you know just as well that I will not fight you, Ankoku. We are far from evenly matched, and I could more than likely kill you with a 1st Stage technique."

He wanted to protest and exert his superiority, but Ankoku knew Calion was right. He could try to stop him, but if the boy wished to return to the Human World, he would be unable to do a thing about it. To have come so close only to fail; he could not believe it. "Do you believe this to be true? I will not stand here and just take it!" Ankoku placed his palms together, firing a bolt of lightning at his former protege.

"{3rd Stage: Crimson Thunderblade}." Within seconds, the sword at Calion's side materalized in his hand, without him touching it at all. It had become a sleek blade, black and red in color, with bits of static electricity circulating it. The handle was designed to look like a pair of wings, and the sword completely repelled Ankoku's attack.

"That manuever...how can it be?!" Ankoku exclaimed. "In the span of a month, you have mastered a 3rd Stage technique?" To have been able to move the sword from the holster to his hand that quickly, so fast that Ankoku couldn't even recognize the movements himself, was a feat very few would be capable of, especially someone so young and inexperienced. Merely holding the sword in place had been enough to completely dissipate his attack, an expansion of his first stage, no less. [i]Have I grown weaker or has he become that much more powerful?[/i]

"One cannot master a technique; there is always more to learn." Calion held the sword still. "Once you believe you have mastered something, you begin to let your abilities slip, and from there, your confidence overtakes you. The only way to effectively use any technique to its highest potential is to believe that you have barely begun to tap into its abilities. That, Ankoku, is what you taught me." A chilling wind came across the area. "Your strength is the perfect explanation for why I do not wish to be involved with CLEAR. By becoming a personal servant, you not only lose your independence, but the opportunity to become stronger is taken away as well. This is evidenced by the fact that in a matter of four weeks I have managed to surpass your abilities in full."

"Your words..." Ankoku said. He shuttered to think. "They cannot be true; I command respect!" Once more the elder placed his palms together, focusing all of his inner strength and releasing a lightning bolt, this one black in color, and much larger than the first. "You have made me resort to this!"

Calion, without batting an eye, leapt forward, sword reached out, slicing through the lightning bolt like a stick of butter, clean down the middle. While Ankoku appeared right in front of him, he shifted his direction to the right, appearing behind him instead. "I told you, Ankoku. You do not have the strength to stop me. I do not consider you an enemy, and I do not wish to hurt you. Keep your allegiance to CLEAR, if that is what you want. I am going now; if you choose to follow me, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Ankoku felt the tip of Calion's sword press against his back, pulsating as the static continued to surround it. He was unable to move a muscle. [i]He has become...[/i] "I've always known this day would come. It was the same, when you left Houshou Island in the Human World to return here, surpassing even Hayate. While you may believe otherwise, in your heart, you detest evil. This is the same reason you would not go forth with Hayate's plans, and ten years later, the same you have chosen to betray us here. You were born of good and because of that you have made yourself an enemy."

"Don't you dare mention his name again!" Calion screamed, having to keep his hand under control to prevent driving the sword straight through Ankoku's body. "Hayate deserved his fate, and though I would have enjoyed killing him myself after the chaos he created, whoever was responsible did the world a favor, as far as I'm concerned. I am no one's puppet, and that includes you, Ankoku." He lowered the blade and turned to face the other direction. "Do not follow me, or try to stop me. Feel free to report back to the organization, if you will. Though something tells me they'll be aware of it soon enough."

And he was off. Back to the Human World.

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

Okay, so new Chapter's up. In the spoiler below, I've explained a few points for those who may have been confused, but don't read it until after the Chapter.

[spoiler=DO NOT READ BEFORE READING CHAPTER 31 - CONTAINS SPOILERS]

* Just for anyone who might not remember that far back, Calion is the "villain" that appeared in Season 1. He was the one with the [i]jikokusori[/i], the time-warp, and the one who dueled Sora (or started to).

* He is also the one who appeared in Chapters 3 & 4 and dueled against Rai's father, Allen Valiant, searching for the Lightray card. Of course, Allen was defeated but able to prevent Calion from actually entering the Human World at the time.

* This is where the link between Seasons 1 & 2 is introduced. Calion is Hayate's (the bad guy from Season 2) former apprentice. Hiyoru mentioned they each had one, with Calion being Hayate's. Of course, he did not stay with him for long which would explain how Hayate ended up "training" Kimora, but we'll get into that more later.

* Ankoku and Calion had been working for CLEAR, as it was Calion's goal to take out a select number of duelists including Sora, at the time.[/spoiler]

[Aerion Brightflame]

Hey, I still comment. I just... have had a frustrating time as of late, and I would rather give Neo a review when I'm in a good mood than bad.

Speaking of which:

Blaze kinda annoys me. Not in a bad way, he's just far to confident. Though kudos on his seeming insanity with the over elaborate fire pit of death trap.

No fic is complete without something like that. Laval;'s fit his name, despite me not having started the duel, I kinda find it funny about his claims when he uses lavals. Umm, but yeah its an improvemnt over my disapointments about the last few chapters.

I will endevoir to read the next chapter by the end of the day, and if you ever want someone to look at duels before you post them feel free to ask. I think it's a good way to do things, and I don't particularly care about being spoiled. Its not what happens but how if you get my drift.

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And I appreciate your reviews tremendously. ^^;

I was content with that whole 3 part episode, I think it came out really well. Blaze was a character I'd worked on for a while (but I'm awful with names), though I can say I'm proud of how it turned out.

31 is somewhat shorter than most, but very important plot-wise as it reveals a ton of things.

[Randomflyingobjects]

Hm... 31... I had a bit of trouble remembering Calion, but thanks to the spoiler at the bottom, I managed.

^And of course, any chapter without dueling or any other form of action is probably going to be dedicated to information. Or else it would just plain fail.
This entire chapter does seem important, so we'll see what it has to do with the plot...

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I thought for sure that some people might not have remembered him especially with the Season 2 story being so different.

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I am working on a new episode, just so everyone knows. I figured I'd take a few days off just to give anyone that wants to read and/or follow the story a chance to catch up. You can expect a new episode Tuesday.

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[spoiler=Episode 32: Unfinished Business]

Neo Domino City had become increasingly quiet over the past couple of days, or so it seemed. People continued their business as normal, and very few people mentioned CodEn at all. New technologies were still being produced, and supplies were continued as necessary, but there were no speeches, everything was done in silence, and with such little promotion or notoriety, business continued to plummet. With Takumi Moreno no longer alive, and the employees having no direction, the company itself had pretty much fallen, leaving many to wonder and speculate where these products were coming from.

But the only ones wondering were those who knew the truth; through the power of an illusion of some kind, to the citizens of Neo Domino, nothing had changed. As far as they knew, Takumi Moreno was still alive and well, and business was continuing as normal. It was a relatively calm time of year for business anyway, so no one said much at all about the lack of promotion, advertisement, and even new releases. The mentions and rumors of Duel Runners making a return had long since ended; no one even considered the possibility.

The frightening part of all of this was how quickly it had happened. Kenji and Sora were well aware, but most everyone else had no clue. To see all of these people walking around continuing like normal and having no idea of the trouble they faced was nerve-wracking. Neither one of them knew how to handle it and so they tried to stay away from the general public as much as possible. To an outsider, things would seem normal, but they were not outsiders. It was like all of the people were outsiders, and they were the only ones who knew the truth. Whether or not Blaze was still alive, they hadn't stuck around to find out, but it seemed like any time someone found out about CLEAR, they were promptly removed from the equation once the work was done.

The City Square, which had once been occupied by bustling townspeople just hours ago after the chaos that had happened from a series of break-ins at local downtown stores, was now empty, save for a few people. Kenji and Sora tried to keep themselves hidden, not wanting to draw any extra attention after what had happened earlier. People might recognize them and it was very possible that Alice's mind control was still in effect, though to what extent they had no idea.

Kenji was the first to speak, after nearly an hour of walking in silence. "So this Alice girl, she's the one we're after. Any ideas on what we're up against?"

Sora shook his head. There wasn't much to go by. "Not really. Blaze mentioned something about her, but I wasn't paying much attention. The guy was insane anyway, I'm not sure there was much credibility to anything he said."

"I agree," Kenji said, looking ahead of them. "It's odd though; I've got an extremely strange feeling, something I haven't been able to shake for the past hour or so. I'm not sure what it is so I didn't want to bring it up and worry you..." he lowered the tone of his voice, "but I think we might be being followed."

"So you caught onto it too," Sora replied. "I sensed it a while back myself; it's a large presence of energy, that's for sure. Doesn't feel anything like what I sensed when Alice revealed herself, though."

"You think it might be Blaze?" Kenji asked. "Maybe he decided to follow us."

"It's not him, I'm sure of it." Sora slowed his pace for a moment to look around discreetly. "There's a completely different spiritual presence; it's familiar, but different at the same time. I'm not sensing Rakurai but I'm not sensing a normal human being, either."

"You feeling alright?" Kenji asked. Sora was somewhat surprised by the question. "I'm not trying to be that guy, but I know you just went through a brutal fight; I just want to make sure you're fully recovered, we've got no idea what's up next."

"I'm fine; using that move completely restored my energy." Sora wasn't sure how that worked, but since the technique itself defied reality in every sense, he figured it was best not to question it now. The best theory he could come up with was that it gave him a temporary burst of energy, and then whatever remained when the fight was over was infused with his body and allowed him to recover. Perhaps he was wrong, but now wasn't the time for analyzing.

The two of them stopped talking for a moment at the sound of footsteps nearby. Perhaps whoever was following them had decided to reveal themselves, or maybe there was -

[i]No way...it can't be...[/i] Kenji was the first to notice it, and his response was nothing but a dead stare. The man, or what had been, that he was staring at was no longer human. The Shopkeeper. It had been maybe a day, if that, since Kenji's duel with the brainwashed owner of a Collector's Shop in downtown Neo Domino, and he had defeated the man with relative ease. Something was different now. His arms had become pitch black, with weird markings on them that Kenji and Sora both were entirely unfamiliar with.

It looked as though he had wings of some sort, as well, but it was too obscure to tell. He had nearly doubled in size since the last time they had seen him. "Kenji, I think you've got your answer man. How is this possible? He wasn't infused with Rakurai and I'm pretty sure injuries don't lead to duplicated muscles and wings!"

"What the hell is that?!" As far as Kenji could tell, the Shopkeeper still had some sort of consciousness, but whether or not he was in control of his own actions was an entirely different story. He was still armed with his duel disk, but he didn't know whether or not to prepare for a fight or a duel. Either way, things were gonna get ugly. "Do we make a run for it?"

The Shopkeeper's eyes were devoid of emotion, instead replaced with a greenish glow, similar to the one which had surrounded Alice when they first spotted her. In that regard, it was easy to tell that she was still connected to this; but was it a result of the duel or had she done something else? Using him as a puppet, it was just sickening. Still, even if they tried to escape, they'd have to fight eventually. "I'm not sure there's much of a point. He - or it - isn't going to just let up, otherwise he wouldn't have revealed himself. We're going to have to fight him one way or another, might as well - Kenji!"

But Sora was too late. Before he could even realize what had happened, the Shopkeeper had moved in and blasted Kenji right in the gut, driving his much larger fist straight into the former Officer's chest. The force not only knocked Kenji down, but caused blood to shoot out from his mouth in the process. That speed...it was almost like his movements weren't actually identifiable until he was within range, making it impossible to block or defend an attack.

The punch having struck him like a bullet, Kenji found himself having difficulty trying to open his eyes, nevermind stand. He leaned against the wall, trying to prevent himself fro m falling, but the cold brick exterior of the building wasn't much of a comfort. "I'll...be fine...Sora, get out of here while you can, this thing is too strong!"

"And leave you here to fight it alone?" Sora asked. He looked towards his partner, not taking his eye off the monster in front of him. There was some sort of liquid dripping from the man's mouth; all of his actions were so menacing that the thought of him having any sort of sensibility at this point was completely irrational. Whatever she had done, Alice had removed his humanity in full, and turned him into a grotesque killing machine in the process. "No way. {1st Stage; Feuer-zerbrechen; Light Shatter}."

As the monster charged in for a second attack, this time using its right fist as opposed to the left, Sora rushed in, meeting it head on with his own punch. As the two fists made contact, a stand-still of sorts, Sora's technique began to take effect, breaking down and refracting the power. But with a grunt and a swift movement, the Shopkeeper began to increase the pressure behind the punch, overwhelming Sora and breaking through his defense, knocking him into a streetlight post, denting it in the process.

[i]He deflected my attack completely![/i] Sora looked up; the Shopkeeper was moving towards him, one giant step after another. Kenji had been hit harder, and he could only imagine that the shock had made it worse. Sora was still alright, but Kenji was out of it. It appeared he was still breathing, but there was no denying how hard he'd been hit. [i]I have to buy him some more time to recover, but how the hell am I supposed to get a move in on this thing?[/i]

The one advantage Sora had was his speed; the Shopkeeper was insanely strong, but because of his size his movement was very limited. Toe-to-toe neither of them stood a chance, but if he could come up with some way to actually get a move in, he might have a chance to take it down. He stood up, immediately feeling the pain in his back, but fighting through it as he locked eyes with the Shopkeeper, who was heading towards him like a tiger hunting its prey. It didn't make much sense, but somehow, any feelings of fear had simply disappeared. Well aware of the fact that he was fighting to protect someone, Sora felt the energy inside him growing stronger, the need to guard his friend's life and rescue everyone who was in danger...[i]Kenji...[/i]

With a piercing screech, the wings sprouting from the monster's back began to expand, and Sora watched as the creature transformed before his very eyes, growing a full set of wings and elevating itself into the air. There was no time to react - it flew in towards Kenji to strike with a finishing blow. ""{2nd Stage: Rinkai Totsugeki; Critical Assault}!" Just like the first time, an overwhelming rush over power overtook him, amplifying the Rakurai inside of him. Without even realizing it, he had stepped in front of his fallen friend, still trying to recover, and meeting the Shopkeeper's beastly fist with the palm of his hand.

Kenji looked up, still in a bit of a daze, but able to experience bewilderment at the same time. [i] That's...impossible. He stopped that attack with nothing more than the palm of his hand, when his first stage technique couldn't even faze it. Is there really this much of a difference between his first and second stage? [/i]

Sora still didn't understand this power. His movements were much more fluid, one step allowing him to move fifty feet in half a second. And his strength, while using the technique he felt himself become so much stronger; there was no need to even exert pressure when blocking the attack. On top of that, his senses had been amplied as well. Sounds were much clearer, and it was almost like he was able to sense a movement before it was made.

[i]That blue aura surrounding him...[/i] Kenji was awestruck. He had seen Sora's battle with Blaze, but being this close and personal and witnessing it, there were no words to describe the spectacle. [i]That's visible energy, overflowing to the point where there's not enough room in his body to store it all. I have to help... [/i] Kenji forced himself to stand, drawing Sora's attention.

Turning his head and continuing to block the attack as the Shopkeeper tried to force his way through Sora's defenses, the boy looked at Kenji. "What are you doing? Y--you don't have the strength to fight yet, you got smacked around pretty hard from that attack. I'll handle this."

"Don't be an idiot," Kenji replied. "I can't let you continue to do all the fighting, can I? Besides, there's no guarantee that you'll be able to take it down yourself. After all, we don't know if we've seen the full extent of this thing's power." Kenji extended his right arm outwards. "Besides, I've got a plan. 1st Stage, {Shippuuhishu; Hurricane Dagger}!" The Rakurai materialized in a pointed oval shape around Kenji's arm. He grinned. "Nothing like a good fight, I always say."

"I can't hold him off forever," Sora said. "What's your gameplan here?!"

"Think you can charge up enough energy with that technique to knock him off his feet? As far back as you could possibly send him, then kick him into the air!" Kenji called out the orders.

"Into the air?" Sora didn't understand. "That's crazy! The thing can fly, all we'd be doing is giving him a speed advantage!"

"Precisely the point," Kenji replied. "Just trust me on this one, okay?"

It might have seemed like the worst idea ever, but he had no reason not to place his faith in Kenji. [i]Alright then...[/i] While the Shopkeeper-monster-thing continued to try and break his forces, Sora focused his mind on his right hand, trying to balance out the energy between the two. As he did, he felt his ability to resist growing weaker. If he was going to strike, the time to do it was now. "Here goes nothing....Sonic Blastwave!" He lowered his hand, pressing both palms into the Shopkeeper's chest. The creature shrieked, and the force of the attack sent him flying, shattering a series of windows along both sides of the street at the same time. Sora took one step, then kicked the creature in the gut, causing him to fly upwards.

"Here's my shot!" Kenji called out, raising the Shippuuhishu. "Hurricane Meteor Shower!" Breaking down into several small pieces, the Rakurai-formed blade on Kenji's arm became a small arsenal of controlled objects, fired straight into the air. "Go!" As the creature started to regain its composure, the blades flew down around him, striking him right in the shoulders on both sides, slicing both of its wings clean off as it dropped to the ground.

"Would you look at that," Sora muttered under his breath. "That actually worked."

"I got it," Kenji said, trying to catch his breath, feeling completely drained from the energy the attack required. "You think that was enough to do it?"

"I'm not sure, I can't tell whether or not it's alive." Sora didn't want to rush to conclusions, watching the monster carefully as it lay there, wings at its side; they were no longer viable nor attached to its body. The only way to tell whether or not it was still alive would be to get close to it, but he didn't want to get close enough that if it was still alive, it could strike him.

"GRAAAAA," echoed the noise, and they got their answer. The creature was still alive. It made a fist, pounding the pavement and leaving a crack in the ground in the process. Soon, it stood, looking much more angry than before.

"Still wondering?" Sora asked sarcastically as he leapt backwards, putting some distance between the creature and himself. Kenji's Shippuishu was still intact, but whether or not he could actually use it any time soon was another question. Not to mention, Sora was running out of energy, too. They had combined their forces for one ultimate attack, but still it had not been enough. "I don't think we beat it."

[i]That's impossible...for it to still be alive after that shot, the controlled movements of my Hurricane Meteor Shower should have killed him...[/i] Kenji stood, frozen in shock, unsure of how to respond as the creatured headed straight towards him.

"Kenji, don't just stand there!" Sora felt a rush of panic come over him; he had never seen Kenji so fearful and yet there was no way he could intervene. The creature was moving at a much faster pace, and he had already used his 2nd Stage technique. "Come on, do something!" But instead, he was forced to watch as the creature raised its arm, swinging with its giant hand straight towards his friend. "Kenji!"

"{3rd Stage: Crimson Thunderblade}!" In a flash of red and black, happening so quickly that Sora couldn't actually make out a visual, the creature's massive right arm was sliced off, crashing into the pavement like a ton of bricks. It took him a moment, but he was able to realize the person responsible: Calion. He was cloaked and all, but those movements and the way in which he had been able to intervene so quickly, there was no doubt about it, the mysterious duelist he had faced once before had come to their rescue.

Kenji must have realized it too, as the look on his face turned from shock to disbelief. What was once the Shopkeeper retreated to the other side of the street, gripping where its arm used to be as Calion sheathed the sword in his hand. "Don't ask questions right now, we don't have the time for it. I didn't think I'd have to save the two of you so soon, so I guess you can be thankful for my excellent timing. Now then, Alice is straight on ahead. The two of you need to go and find her, and defeat her. I'll handle this one."

"But, wait, how did you know..." Kenji began to speak, but Calion interrupted him.

"Are you going to stand there asking questions, or are you going to get going?" The creature began to recoup, preparing for a second attack. "This thing's still got some fight left in him, and I can't worry about getting the two of you out of here and taking it down at the same time, so go."

He turned his attention to the Shopkeeper. "So this is what Alice's magic is capable of. Interesting. Well, it's got one arm and two wings, but if storytelling history means anything, it's about to get a hell of a lot stronger before I take it down. Come on then."

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

[Aerion Brightflame]

So, next chapter updating mabob whilst i remember I need to do it:

Where would Lavals be without Rekindling?

The duel did flow quite well, and it was nice to see them automaticlly going Quasar. Yeah we are done here.

I think... the reaction to Gachi's effect was a bit out of character. You would think really Blaze being such a 'great' duelist he'd know that. Which was my one concern about it. Otherwise great.

I'll do the next review soonish as well.

[Randomflyingobjects]

So! An all-fighting war-chapter thingie. Well played, though I'm not sure why Calion suddenly decided to SWITCH SIDES.... I remember, last episode, there was some kind of event where he claimed his loyalties were a total mystery... but isn't he also that one guy from earlier on who fought that one dude, and tried to break out of the Shadow Realm or something...?

[Synchronized]

Lmfao well, when you're writing "anime style", you write under the impression that characters aren't too familiar with obscure cards. Or at least, that's how I've done it.

@RFO you're correct, and I'm actually glad someone remembered that. That does play a part in things; we'll get there. But at the same time, remember that Calion was mentored by Hayate, and thus was working for CLEAR before they really were such. Ill try and explain it better in the next episode.

Also noticed you have a fic, least I can do is try and get around to leaving some feedback for ya

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 33: Written in Stone, Part One]

Episode 33: Written in Stone, Part One

"Alice's magic has a weird way about it, that's for sure. I only remember facing it once, but it's got a way of unfolding backwards, instead of steadily increasing, so to speak." Calion spoke aloud, but he wasn't really "talking" to anyone, just putting his thoughts and strategy out into the open. He gripped the handle of his sword tightly, as the creature still stood about fifty feet away, regrouping and recovering from the most recent attack.

"The best way to describe it is simple, it's sort of like a stick of dynamite," he said. "In order to detonate the dynamite, you have to ignite it, and as the flame works its way down the wick, growing in power, it generates a huge explosion once it reaches the bottom. Her powers start out weak, and grow stronger the more damage is inflicted."

It was fair to assume the same thing was taking place with the Shopkeeper's body. As she first used her magic to control it, he was nothing more than a puppet duelist, and a rather adequate one at that. Once he was defeated in the duel and took the brunt of the Rakurai, instead of losing the majority, if not all of, his consciousness, he turned into this...thing. Kenji got in a good shot, and all that did was make him stronger. Likewise, Calion himself had removed an arm, but that wouldn't be enough to slow it down, it would only release more Rakurai. Thus, in order to actually kill this thing, he'd have to allow it to reach its maximum power, and only then could he completely finish it off.

"This entire concept is so puzzling to me," he sighed. "I've learned to master all of my techniques up to this point, and while they certainly vary, none of them work in such a way, this reverse release. I don't really understand it much, to be honest."

It had been quite a while back, but Calion himself had done battle with the girl once. Small in size and not physically capable at all, she fought not with her hands or a weapon, but by using her abilities to control other objects and force them to do the fighting for her. Evidently she had evolved, being able to use the technique on actual living things. No surprise there. As one of the five members of CLEAR, if she had not reached her fullest potential, she would have been ousted.

Not to mention, Calion himself had the power and capability to hold her exact position within the organization, if not for the fact that he had declined the offer and chosen to separate himself. He had more than likely surpassed her in power, though he knew she would not fight him. In fact, it would probably take most of his power to defeat her, but that was something he was sure he was capable of. That didn't matter, though. The girl knew her limits and for that reason would attempt to settle things with a duel, the one area in which she had him beat.

That, that was the reason that Kenji and Sora could not handle this task alone. The dueling aspect they could take care of, or at least he hoped. He hadn't expected to have to save them this early on, forgetting that his own power greatly exceeded theirs. Still, there was something about Sora, something he just couldn't shake...it reminded him of the boy...

His mind drifted and he pulled himself back into reality, nearly snapping the leather around the sword's base. "Come on then, I suppose you've had enough time to recover. Let's have at it!" Kicking off the pavement, he propelled himself in the creature's direction, aiming for the left arm, which was still very much intact. The monster blocked it as he expected, swinging with its massive strength.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"This cannot be, this is no fun at all!" She shouted.

"Sorry to rain on your parade," he said. "Oh wait, no, I'm not sorry at all." With that, Calion slashed the beast clean in half, driving the blade through the remaining energy and then the monster's abdomen, and Alice's cries of frustration could no longer be hold as her link with the human was no longer present.

"That should do it then." He sheathed the sword and headed for the building ahead.

---

"Shippuuishu: Hurricane Dagger!" The words flew from Kenji's mouth like a barricade of bullets, and as he drove his blade into the wall, the plaster began to crack down the center, breaking outwards until the entire wall collapsed. They must've gained the girl's attention, too, having followed the presence of her Rakurai to this location, and choosing not to use the door, instead preferring an alternative entry.

She was extremely small in size, about four feet, if even, just as they had noticed her the first time back in Neo Domino Square, but the look on her face was an indication that she had not expected their arrival, completely frozen in place. Kenji stepped into the room first, kicking aside the pieces of rubble as Sora followed suit. "So, it looks like we've found the place."

[i]This...this can't be! Could Calion's final attack really have thrown off my perception that much? Incredible...I couldn't sense them at all![/i]

"Alice, right?" Kenji asked, grinning. "You're even shorter in person, huh? Nice we finally meet, face-to-face. Normally I don't advocate fighting with a woman, but I think I'll make an exception in your case." As he spoke, feeling an unfamiliar confidence rise over him, in that their sneak attack had worked to perfection, Kenji glanced over at Sora, who appeared somewhat shaken up. Something was wrong.

"I am not sure how you were able to throw a wrench into my plans, but the two of you have continued to surprise me since I arrived here," she grinned. "I love games, see, and we're about to play one that will be more fun than either of you could possibly imagine."

Something about her changed in that moment. Actually, the entire atmosphere became much more eerie; Kenji and Sora both felt a change in the pressure of the room, as the familiar greenish aura surrounded the girl, who continued to laugh maniacally, twisted, yet innocent at the same time. A duel disk materialized on her arm, comprised entirely of stone, with slots for the monster cards that looked as though they had been perfectly chissled.

"You good?" Kenji asked, not looking in Sora's direction.

"I..." Sora couldn't find the words. "I'll be fine. Did you want me to do the honors?"

"Don't fear, neither of you have to waste time with decision making here, because I'll make it for you!" Alice chimed in. "The more the merrier, so let's all play together! I'll take on the both of you at once!"

[i]What?![/i] Sora looked at Kenji, and both of them nodded, activating their duel disks.

---

The truth was, Sora couldn't bring himself to shake the failure he'd experienced. Since this battle had begun, he had always taken the initiative to protect those both close to him, and those he didn't know. He did not value his own life very highly at all, but rather the lives of each and every person who did not have the power necessary to protect themselves. As he stood in silence, the image of Kenji being nearly killed by the Shopkeeper-monster continuously flashed through his mind, like a memory he couldn't escape from.

Knowing full well that if Calion hadn't arrived when he did, his friend surely would have died, and it would have been because he did not do enough to step in and intervene. Truthfully, he was helpless at the time, and could have done nothing but watch it happen were it not for the timely save. He had to protect the innocent; he had to stay alive long enough to see this mission through to the end. What happened after that, he didn't really care, but too many people were relying on him to fail now.

They had been thrown into a battle with abilities they weren't trained to use and enemies far stronger than they were, both in terms of Duel Monsters! and hand-to-hand combat, and through sheer belief and determination had been able to make it this far. Already lives had been lost, lives that did not [i]need[/i] to be lost by any stretch of the word, because of CLEAR; the organization did not care about humanity or what was right, simply achieving their goals. Morals, of which Sora had abandonded many of his own for the cause of the fight, were not a part of their existence at all, existing simply to destroy and control.

If this girl was one of the five members of CLEAR, defeating her would mean they were one-fifth of the way there. Learning as he went along, he had already been able to unlock his second stage, and was becoming more and more understanding of the technique and its capabilities with each passing second. As he stared into her eyes, seemingly devoid of anything at all, he saw her for what she was; a puppet. Just as they all were, with no real purpose other than to destroy and inflict pain.

No matter how shaky he felt, his resolve grew stronger. Alice was not a human. Taking it easy on her or holding back would not spare her life, and allowing her to live would only result in more deaths. Innocent people like the Shopkeeper who was killed (or so he presumed) without the chance to defend himself, people like that, people who didn't deserve to die. For that reason, he would kill her. No holding back.

"It looks like your friend might be having second thoughts," she said, laughing once more.

"Who, me?" Sora's change in tone surprised even himself, but he was all there. There was a burning passion in his eyes and Kenji could sense it without even looking at him. "I think you have me mistaken. See, I was sorting out a little personal conflict. However, I only needed a minute and I'm more than ready to go now. I was just preparing myself for the fact that I would have to kill you, and trying to clear my mind of any hesitation to do so. You've hurt way too many innocent people and the fact that you have no regret for your actions is more than enough to justify making you pay. For people like the Shopkeeper, and Blaze, and the citizens of Neo Domino City...as well as all of those hurt by CLEAR up to this point, it is well worth it to fight with everything I've got! And if we have to do it with a duel, then so be it, because that's just twice the firepower to take you down! Kenji," he looked at his friend. "If you're ready, then let's do this. Alice, I will see too it that you're defeated, even if it means my life!"

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

[Canopy Star - Eon Sphere]

Ooh, nice. Is this yet another climax in the story?

Alice hasn't had much backstory, but I'm sure you'll expand on that sooner or later.

Oh, and Calion is so cool. I liked him in his first duel, no matter how cliched he was, but now he's back and more smart-assed than ever. I want to see him duel more, but Sora and Kenji in a tag duel has caught my attention. Will keep reading.

[Randomflyingobjects]

Ah, cool! We actually get to have Sora and Kenji take on Alice! And a Tag Duel, for that matter! ...Though I did think that it'd take a bit more time to get to her... but then, there are obviously more CLEAR members.

Still wondering when we see our good friends from season 2, and Rai, who was briefly mentioned in S. 1. And his name happens to be one of the tags, though you didn't put Sora there. Hoh well.

[Synchronized]

[quote name='Randomflyingobjects' timestamp='1350073491' post='6043119'] Ah, cool! We actually get to have Sora and Kenji take on Alice! And a Tag Duel, for that matter! ...Though I did think that it'd take a bit more time to get to her... but then, there are obviously more CLEAR members. Still wondering when we see our good friends from season 2, and Rai, who was briefly mentioned in S. 1. And his name happens to be one of the tags, though you didn't put Sora there. Hoh well. [/quote]

Yeah, the Tag Duel should be fun to write. I can't exactly give them that much time to get to her because we still have four more boss arcs before the final arc so it doesn't make much sense not to have them evenly paced, in my opinion. We'll see Season 2's cast soon enough, don't worry. Rai, I can't say so much. All I can say is if this does go as I plan, I have plans for a D-Accel II that will focus on Rai much more, because at this point readers are really invested in Sora and Kenji so I don't want to risk making Rai the focal point after all the time that's been spent on them.

[quote name='The Seal of Eon' timestamp='1350065153' post='6043040']
Ooh, nice. Is this yet another climax in the story?
Alice hasn't had much backstory, but I'm sure you'll expand on that sooner or later.
Oh, and Calion is so cool. I liked him in his first duel, no matter how cliched he was, but now he's back and more smart-assed than ever. I want to see him duel more, but Sora and Kenji in a tag duel has caught my attention. Will keep reading.
[/quote]

Alice's backstory will be more explained throughout the duel; I like to write like that because it makes the duel much more spaced out and not so rushed. Calion is one of my favorite characters to write for, and I'm excited to continue with his story plot as well.

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

New episode Tuesday.

[Synchronized]

[size=3][font=verdana, geneva, sans-serif][spoiler=Episode 34: Written in Stone, Part Two]

Episode 34: Written in Stone, Part Two

There's something eerie about being in a situation with your life on the line, knowing the enemy who controls the ability to do away with you is miles more powerful than you are. To stare in the face of an evil with no sense of right or wrong, that actually enjoys the aspects of inflicting pain and cruelty onto those people who do not deserve it. It slowly creeps up inside of you, first bringing about chills, but then a rush of fear; the fear of knowing that in order to achieve victory, your enemy will go to lengths that no matter the situation, you will not.

Having formerly acted as a police officer, in which even if one feels fear, they are not supposed to show it, a hero to the people, Kenji had always trained himself to hide it exceptionally well. Even here, he could do so to an extent, but when he stared into the girl's pale green eyes, the freakish glow that had surrounded her, it broke him down from the inside, to the point where though he tried to conceal his fear, it was written all over his face. He was almost certain that Sora felt the same way, but tried to avoid locking eyes with him, and doing his best to portray an image of confidence.

The room itself was adjorned with all sorts of weird engravings on the walls, though they were hardly visible due to the only source of lighting in the room coming from a few wall torches. In the back of the room, against the stone wall, sat a throne, carved entirely of brick and stone with the same weird markings from the walls. Markings of strange creatures, animals, you name it, it was there.

While Alice portrayed a young girl, probably no older than twelve, if even, being that she was not human, it was simply an illusion, or a form of existence that allowed her to be represented to those who could see her in this world. Her 'playful' imagination and desire to destroy was a perfect representation of someone younger, someone who couldn't really grasp the ways of the world and had no understanding or care for anything but having fun and acting on instinct. In essence, she had chosen an ideal image for herself.

But what made it more frightening was that although it was just that, an illusion, they were up against a young girl. Sure, she wasn't from this world, but while on Earth it was still very real, and the fact that they would have to do battle with her left him with a great discomfort. Of course, they had decided beforehand that no matter what, they would fight this battle, and that they wouldn't hold back despite this.

Her abilities would only work on those not infused with the Rakurai, meaning the elements of brainwashing and such that she had demonstrated on the Shopkeeper would not be something of concern here. It all came down to this: a duel. And they would win.

---

"Now then, are we ready?" Alice shrugged her shoulders, giggling. "Oh, how excited I've been for this duel. It's time to see if everything I've learned about the two of you, including the Decks you play, is truly as easy to counter as I've come to believe."

[i]This isn't going to be easy, not at all. If she's well aware of both Kenji and I's strategies and Decks, that just means she's going to answers to all of our plays. Playing the same style as we normally would just won't work here.[/i] Sora tried to reassure himself, but the pressure was definitely on.

"I suppose the smartest thing to do would be to begin with this, a magic card known as Chronomaly Pyramid Eye Tablet," she smiled, and in the background arose a monstrous pyramid, carved from the same stone as the walls around her. As it grew, the room itself appeared to expand, to make room for the ancient artifact. "This is one of my favorite toys, mostly because when I combine it with the other toys I love to play with, it becomes so much stronger! But we'll get to that later; I want to make this last." She laughed again, placing a card face-down to signal the end of her turn.

"I'll go first," Sora interjected, prompting Kenji's attention. "Think about it, you've got the assault based Deck; it only makes sense if I try and set something up for us, because per the rules no one can declare an attack until everyone has had at least one turn."

"Fair enough," Kenji nodded.

"Alright then, here goes, Forbidden Priestess (Lv3/1000 DEF) in defense mode!" A beautiful young woman, clad in white robes and holding a golden emblem in her right hand, appeared on the field. She knelt down and folded her arms over her chest. "Once my Priestess is called to battle, her special effect activates, allowing me to take a Spell Card from my Deck and add it to my hand, so long as it includes "Forbidden" in its name, so I'll grab Forbidden Chalice!"

"Ooh, this is looking to be fun already," Alice giggled.

Sora felt uneasy almost immediately. He tried to shrug it off. "Nothing's going to be fun about this once we get going. I'll place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"Yay, that means it's my turn again!" The girl exclaimed as she drew a card. "And now I can bring out another one of my favorite toys! With Chronomaly Crystal Bones (1300)!" From the ruins of the pyramid which had appeared behind her came a skeletal creature, with bones formed from the hardest of crystals. Although it was ancient in nature, there were no signs of wear on the creature's body. "But just like me, Crystal Bones doesn't like to play alone, see! So when he's put into play, he brings another 'Chronomaly' monster out with him! Come on out, Chronomaly Golden Jet (1300)!"

Generating wind in a hollow room, the propeller-based plane lowered itself onto the field without a pilot, hovering next to the glistening pile of bones. Once they were both at the front line, the pyramid began to glow, and the outline of an eye was etched in its center.

“Hold up, what's the deal with that pyramid?” Kenji asked. “Why's it getting all glowy all of the sudden?”

“I'm so glad you asked, hehe! You see, my Pyramid Eye Tablet isn't just for show – when the monsters it can support are also out on the field, its true power is awakened, giving all 'Chronomaly' monsters I control an eight-hundred point boost!”

[b]Chronomaly Crystal Bones = 1300 + 800 = 2100[/b]
[b]Chronomaly Golden Jet = 1300 + 800 = 2100[/b]

Alice frowned momentarily, a weird emotion for her. It even [i]looked[/i] creepy. “Sadly, we can't play just yet, because Kenji hasn't made his move, but after that, we'll be free to really get this game started!”

“You'll have to forgive me, then.” Kenji mockingly smiled as he drew his sixth card. “After all, you said you had an answer to every play we could make, didn't you? If that was to be the case, I needed a few extra seconds to come up with a change of strategy.”

Sora glanced over at Kenji, confused by the change in his demeanor. [i]What's he got up his sleeve?[/i]

“Sora, I wanted to tell you this earlier, but I had a feeling we were being followed, and I didn't want to risk something that could cost us when we got to this point, see,” Kenji said, keeping his eyes locked on Alice while speaking to his partner. “Do you remember when we first found Blaze's hideout? That mysterious light that led us to it, what we considered to be our only lead?”

It took him a moment, but Sora nodded. “Yeah, I do. What's that got to do with this duel? I'm guessing it was just...” He stopped himself.

“We both saw it, and I'm sure we both tried to rationalize that it was nothing more than a streak of luck,” he said. “But while you dueled with Blaze, I scowered the house looking for any hints or information that would give us a better idea of what we were up against. I stumbled upon a room full of cards, stacks upon stacks – there had to be thousands if not more.”

Kenji paused for a moment, and the pure silence of the room was overwhelming. Even Alice said nothing, as she listened to the man explain his findings, arguably intrigued.

“Originally I paid it no attention; he had all the money in the world, he could've bought anything and everything to make himself the best duelist and probably disregarded the majority of his cards in the first place,” Sora listened intently. “But as I was about to leave, I saw it again. That light. Coming from the room itself, like it was calling out to me. I followed it, behind a giant stack of cards and that's where I found it.”

“Found what?” Sora asked. The pressure of the moment was starting to catch up with him, growing anxious.

“There was a pile of cards, small, hidden in the corner, like even Blaze himself hadn't been aware of their existence.” He glanced at his hand; he could hear the cards trying to communicate with him. “The light I had been following was swallowed into the cards and disappeared entirely and I sensed an incredibly strong spiritual presence. These cards and I were meant to work together. I don't know how or why I found them when I did but they're the reason we were able to find Blaze in the first place. And now,” his expression changed, eyes widened. The time for talking was over. “I'm going to use them to defeat her.”

[i]What could this mean? [/i]Even with her all-knowing abilities, Alice hadn't gathered even a sense of this. [i]How could this have gotten past me?[/i] [i]That's not possible, not with the amount of Rakurai I used to watch over them. The smallest sense of spiritual energy should've been picked up.[/i] She felt her hands shaking, and for the first time, felt the intimidating presence of another.

“It is time I put them to use,” he said, placing a monster card on the field. “Alice, if you wanted to play a game, you'll get your wish. But this 'game' will be played on an even playing field. I call forth Geargiarsenal (1500)!”

An immense amount of spiritual pressure swept through the area as a burst of light exploded from the monster card. A construction vehicle, equipped with a variety of tools from a drill to multiple cannons, being driven by a small yellow machine, two gears held together by a metal frame with a cartoonish pair of eyes, appeared on the field.

[i]It's so...weird. I can feel its power even standing a few feet away, but it looks so different than the 'Karakuri' things. [/i]Sora couldn't help but smile. Leave it to Kenji to have a little trick in the bag. [i]I've never seen him so focused. That explains why he wanted to take on this challenge by himself, so I wouldn't get hurt, knowing he had these in his arsenal.[/i]

“You're not the only one who can drop multiple monsters in one turn, but I'm confident I've got a better follow-up. Geargiaccelerator (1400)!” Another blast of power swept the field as a formula one racecar decorated with all sorts of gear-themed decals and bring driven by a silver gear sped onto the field.

“Bringing out two monsters in one turn?” Alice asked, innocently. “I'm sorry, but that's clearly against the rules. You don't want to make this game no fun, otherwise I'll be forced to take measures you won't appreciate.”

“Sorry, but this is perfectly within the rules,” Kenji said, ignoring her threat. “See, since Geargiarsenal is already in play, I can Special Summon Geargiaccelerator to the field absolutely free of charge! But here's where the fun part comes in, since I control two Level 4 monsters, I can build the Overlay Network! And then, I'll Xyz Summon Rank 4, Gear Gigant X (2300)!”

The two gear-operated vehicles began to dissassemble, their parts flying wildly through the air, turning into large circular disks, assembling themselves together to create a robotic figure. The remaining pieces materialized themselves along the creature's front, blue in color and taking the form of protective armor, before finally forming a huge blue gear on its back, as both Alice and Sora stared at the mech with awe.

“Time to see what these things can really do! Gigant, you ready?!” The robot turned to face Kenji, nodding its head as the two gears operating it commanded it to do so. “This oughta rattle your bones! Take down that Crystal Bones with Geargantic Fist!” Taking aim with its right arm, the gears pushed a button inside the armor, detaching the fist completely, as it flew across the field like a rocket, shattering the skeleton into millions of small fragments.

[b]Alice's Life Points: [/b]3800

“Hehe yay, I was hoping you'd do something like that!” The girl's excited smile was oddly-timed. She must have had something planned. “Because now I can activate the Trap Card Stonehenge Methods! Since you destroyed one of my favorite toys, this Trap Card lets me grab a new one from my Deck and bring it out to the field! So I'll Summon Chronomaly Mayan Machine (1500)!” A silver jet relatively similar to the first one appeared on the field, not without the boost from the Pyramid.

[b]Chronomaly Mayan Machine: 1500 + 800 = 2300[/b]

[i]That thing can go toe-to-toe with Gigant. How was she able to make a play so calmly? I don't really understand this girl at all.[/i] He set a card from his hand. “One face-down card should do it for now.”

“Face-down cards won't help you now, because this is where it really gets fun!” She exclaimed, prompting both Kenji and Sora to notice the propellor on the Golden Jet begin to spin. “Because now, I can activate my Golden Jet's special ability, to boost the Level of all my 'Chronomaly' monsters by one!”

“That means she's got two Level 5 monsters now!” Sora exclaimed. Kenji noticed it too. “She's got to be planning an Xyz Summon!”

“Hehe, you two catch on quick! No fun! Oh well, I'll build the Overlay Network now!” The ground beneath them began to shake. Neither one of them were prepared for what was coming next. “And I can use it to Xyz Summon Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech (2400)!” She pointed upwards – and they both noticed it at the same time. Hovering above the girl's head was a castle, or something of the sort. Whatever it was was floating atop a sharpened rock and a metal ring – presumably for protection – emblazoned with the same symbols that were written on the wall were written along it.

[b]Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech = 2400 + 800 = 3200[/b]

“Thirty-two hundred attack points! How are we going to get over that?!” Sora felt panic rush over him, but Kenji kept his cool. They could hold on. His face-down would make sure of that.

“Hang tight man, she's not gonna get the win that easily,” Kenji said.

Alice shook her head. “Such fools. Quick to underestimate things, but I'll make sure that's not the case for long! Machu Mech, attack his Gear Gigant X with Stone Shattering!” The castle floated forward until it was directly above the Gigant, and released a shower of rocks from above down on top of it.

“One second, activate Trap Card Mechanical Reconstruction!” He couldn't save Gigant, but he would avenge it. With Rakurai hard at work, the rocks struck him as well as his monster, and it took every inch of strength inside him to stay standing after the onslaught.

[b]Kenji's Life Points[/b]: 3200

“Kenji!” Sora watched as the rocks struck his partner, with no slowed pace.

“I'm...good,” he reassured him. “Don't worry, just keep your head in the game. We're gonna need to stay as...focused as possible.” He cringed as he felt a stinging pain in his shoulder. “Man, that was painful. But I'm still in this! Mechanical Reconstruction takes effect now, and since you destroyed my Gear Gigant X, I'm allowed to Special Summon a new monster from my Deck, so give a warm welcome to Karakuri Komachi mdl 224 “Ninishi” (0)!” The kimono-wearing wooden robot materialized on the field, safe from attack, at least for this turn. [i]Thanks to the Geargias, I was able to get a good headstart on this duel. I'll rely on the Karakuri for now to really put a dent in that castle's armor.[/i]

He wasn't too worried, and with each duel the Rakurai attacks became much less strenous on the body, especially the smaller ones. Losing a duel was another story, but he had become tough enough to fight through the pain, especially considering the scale of this duel. To say he wasn't worried about Sora, though, would be untrue. The boy seemed shaky, confident one minute, and worried the next. Deep down, despite his words at the beginning of the duel, Sora was still uncomfortable with this whole thing. It was taking a significant emotional toll on him. Besides, Sora was still a kid. Kenji felt in some ways that he was responsible for keeping him safe, though the fact that they were fighting as equals had been established. Either way, he was going to make an effort to end this as soon as possible, and keep Sora from having to endure this much longer.

“Now is where things really get fun!” Alice chuckled. “I'm excited too, because next turn I'll be able to show you my Machu Mech's real power, and by the end of the turn, one of you will be out of the duel!” She broke into laughter once again.

“That's enough!” Kenji interrupted. “I don't know how someone, human or not, can take pleasure in inflicting pain, but I'm not going to give you that satisfaction! This duel ends here! Because my Trap Card has a second ability, and this is what it does! Even though it's about to be Sora's turn, because you destroyed Gear Gigant this turn, I can use monsters from my hand to perform a Synchro Summon! And just because you're familiar with the Karakuri Deck, doesn't mean you'll be able to stop it! With Ninishi in play, I can Summon Karakuri Ninja mdl 919 “Kuick” (1700) and Karakuri Muso mdl 221 “Haipa” (2100)!” The two warriors appeared on the field alongside the kimono-wearing one. “Let's skip the unnecessary cinematics, eh? Because of Burei's effect, I'm able to perform two Synchro Summons, so watch as I use the power of my monsters to bring out Karakuri Shogun mdl 000 “Burei” (2600) and Naturia Landoise (2350)!”

[i]All of this on my turn?! [/i]Alice felt her entire body begin to tremble with fear.

“Sora, it's up to you now, man! We can do this, you've got plenty of field set-up, and besides, she doesn't exactly look too confident right now! Think about the people that have been hurt on her accord, think about the innocent people you've sworn to protect, and finish this duel for them!”

[i]Kenji...I've never seen him duel with this much passion. I can't afford to coward out now. I've been struggling with this conflict but he's right, and if he's willing to put it all on the line then so am I.[/i] He drew his card. “Alice, everything you've done comes to a stop right now!”

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

[Randomflyingobjects]

To be honest, I thought Alice was going to be a bit more... powerful. She's already shaking in her boots, and they're just getting warmed up. Seriously, they've lost a few Life Points, and now Alice is scared like heck. Sure, maybe on the final move or two, but in the first couple turns? She's barely done anything intimidating, and our friends have the field owned. Maybe you should cut off the last couple paragraphs, and let Kenji make that move on the next episode?

[Synchronized]

I would, but that was done intentionally. Its actually building towards something, believe it or not. I might be able to better clarify after the next episode.

[Synchronized]

[spoiler=Episode 35: Written in Stone, Part 3 (Arc Finale)!]

Episode 35: Written in Stone, Part Three

“Let's skip the unnecessary cinematics, eh? Because of Burei's effect, I'm able to perform two Synchro Summons, so watch as I use the power of my monsters to bring out Karakuri Shogun mdl 000 “Burei” (2600) and Naturia Landoise (2350)!”

All of this on my turn?! Alice felt her entire body begin to tremble with fear.

“Sora, it's up to you now, man! We can do this, you've got plenty of field set-up, and besides, she doesn't exactly look too confident right now! Think about the people that have been hurt on her accord, think about the innocent people you've sworn to protect, and finish this duel for them!”

Kenji...I've never seen him duel with this much passion. I can't afford to coward out now. I've been struggling with this conflict but he's right, and if he's willing to put it all on the line then so am I. He drew his card. “Alice, everything you've done comes to a stop right now! It's time to end this! Thanks to Kenji's perfect set-up, I should be able to almost end this in one blow! I activate the Spell Card Gift of the Martyr! With this, by sending Naturia Landoise to the Graveyard, I'm able to lend its power to Burei until the End Phase of this turn!"

[b]Karakuri Shogun mdl 000 "Burei": 2600 + 2350 = 4950[/b]

Burei raised its key into the air, absorbing the power that the other Synchro had offered to it, as that key quickly morphed into a giant sword, by which Burei intended to slice the castle to bits. With one attack from Burei, I can get her Life Points low enough to use my face-down card, which will then bring an end to this duel. She's only got thirty-two hundred points left, and I've got the necessary firepower to do just a little bit more than that. "Go, Burei, let's do some renovating! Slice down that castle with Nature Slash Buster!" Alice grimaced as Burei swung the sword over its head, rearing to attack. He let the sword go, tossing it straight into the foundation of the floating castle. One crack in the structure turned to hundreds, creating a pile of rocks that plummeted straight down onto the young girl - there was nowhere for her to move.

[b]Alice's Life Points: 1450[/b]

[i]Is she... [/i]Kenji wondered. [i] Still alive?[/i]

Alice hadn't said a word when the pile crashed down, but he had to assume something like that would've almost killed her, no doubt about it. She pushed a few rocks aside and stood up; something about her had suddenly changed. Her face was covered with scars and she was bleeding from a few different points on her body, but most noticeably, one of her eyes had become much larger than the other, to the point where her face looked disproportionate. The once clean, innocent look had begun to vanish, and with a sinister laugh, she let them know she was clearly still in it.

"Kenji," Sora said. "It's like her illusion is starting to break. When your first attack hit, we didn't notice much of a difference because there was such an insignificant amount of force behind it, but with a move like that, it's like the more Life Points she loses, the more she loses her grip on this human illusion she's utilizing."

Kenji noticed it too; if there was ever a time to win before things got too out of hand, it was now. "Right. She's losing it, slowly but surely. I presume you've got the tools to finish this off."

Sora nodded. What is she? Just her presence gives me such an uncomfortable feeling. We have to defeat her, now. "Since I took your castle down, I can activate the Trap Card Maximum Leveler!" The face-down card revealed itself, standing upright. "During this turn, if a monster I control destroyed one of your weaker monsters by battle, I can send that monster to the Graveyard, and if I do, another monster I control gains attack points equal to the damage you took from the previous battle, until the end phase! Stand, Forbidden Priestess! Attack with Maximum Shock!"

[b]Forbidden Priestess: 800 + 1750 = 2550[/b]

As the woman readied for battle, her robe was modified by the energy flowing into her, becoming more of a cape, infused with the influence of Burei's color scheme. She grasped her hands together, forming a blast and firing it directly at Alice. This has to do it.

"Unfortunately, I can't let that happen." The girl smiled, but her excited tone had changed. It was as though she wasn't 'playing around' anymore, scaling her insanity back a few hundred notches. "Reveal Trap Card, Rock Bombardment. By sending a Rock-Type monster from my Deck to the Graveyard, I'm able to hit you for five-hundred points of damage, and I think I'll choose Kenji as my target!"

[b]Kenji's Life Points: 2700[/b]

Kenji came away relatively unscathed as a wooden catapult released a rather large stone in his direction. It struck him on the shoulder - he hadn't been able to dodge it entirely - but for now he'd be able to hold up. He still had over half his Life Points left, if he let himself become too weak now, Sora would be all alone in this, and the boy was still struggling with his state of mind.

"Kenji!" Sora didn't see the point in such a move, other than to inflict meaningless damage, a frustrating tactic. "You'll pay for that!"

"As much as I enjoy watching you squirm, there was more to my Trap Card than just attacking," she said. "Because I sent my Revival Golem to the Graveyard, meaning it will take your Priestess' attack, instead of me!" Narrowly intercepting the blast, a glob of stone appeared on the field, crumbling as it was struck. "And now I believe it's my turn once again."

[i]We can't rule out the possibility that she's just been toying with us up to this point.[/i] Kenji played the important points in the duel over in his head, recollecting. [i]Sure, we did a good amount of damage with that last combo, but I can't shake the feeling that she wanted that Machu Mech to be destroyed. I think she's building to something, and I don't like it. Not at all.[/i]

"I told you, I love games." Kenji felt chills overtake him as Alice licked her lips, satisfied with her draw. "But I've grown rather bored of playing with you all. Still, this ought to be fun!" The way she was speaking, like she was somehow conflicted between two personalities, wasn't making much sense. It was well-obvious that she was mentally unstable, which made her more dangerous than before. "So watch now, as I activate the Spell Card Monster Reincarnation from my hand! By discarding Chronomaly Colossal Head to the Graveyard, I can take my Crystal Bones back to my hand!"

"Not that thing again," Kenji muttered.

"Oh, but why not? He's such a lovely toy! Come on, Crystal Bones (1300)!" The crystallized skeleton re-emerged on the field, looking refreshed and troublesome as ever. "Crystal Bones' special ability activates once more, bringing Chronomaly Golden Jet (1300) back from my Graveyard" She took a moment to revel in the beauty that was her field. All of this, being surrounded by such ancient and devastating power, it made her feel at peace. "To think, for a moment I actually allowed myself to believe that the two of you might have posed a real threat to me, when in reality I was simply struggling by this useless shell. Even being able to regain a small portion of my true form in this world gives me all the assurance I need!"

[i]So I was right![/i] Sora pressed his foot into the ground. [i]The more we hurt her, the stronger we're allowing her to become! It's the same as that monster we fought outside. If we hurt it, it just came back stronger.[/i] "Kenji, I've finally figured it out."

"You think so?" Kenji asked.

"I do," his partner replied. "It's her magic, her Rakurai abilities. As opposed to getting weakened with the damage she takes like we have, it actually makes her stronger. So while we're at more of a disadvantage every time our Life Points take a hit, she becomes more powerful; it's the perfect strategy. She's been playing us this entire time, wanting us to think she was weak so she can materialize her true form in this world!"

"This boy is quite intelligent," Alice said amidst a much more controlled laughter. "Do you think someone of my level would allow such weak-minded fools to manipulate me so easily? Of course, controlling a human form in this world has its flaws, and occasionally I lose control briefly, but it is something far from simple to master. I admit that you were able to outsmart me with your unexpected arrival, but you allowed yourselves to get so confident that I could simply sit back and wait until the right moment to strike, and now you've backed yourselves into a corner."

Kenji and Sora exchanged glances.

Alice continued. "Take a look at your field; a field once lined with powerful monsters is now barely lined with anything at all. Believing you had me beat, you wasted nearly all of your resources for one big attack, when in actuality I was well-aware such a thing would happen, and had prepared for it from the beginning. That's why," she smiled. "That's why, the first card I played at the beginning of this duel was Rock Bombardment, not Stonehenge Methods. I was waiting on this from the first turn."

---

She knew upon being sent here that she would not be able to fail. It was not that CLEAR would disapprove, or that there would be severe repercussions, just that it was truly an impossibility for someone of her stature to lose under these circumstances. Her entire construction was based on that of always getting stronger, never getting weaker. Allowing the enemy to believe they had her beaten from the get-go, when in reality her fight didn't really begin until the enemy's fight had almost concluded. This ability was the reason CLEAR had chosen her in the first place.

The fact of the matter was, Alice had never been chosen as a member of CLEAR until the circumstances made such necessary. Most of her early life had been spent wandering, searching about the Mid-World for a purpose. She enjoyed the thrill of fighting more than anything else, but never had an enemy actually posed even the slightest threat to her. Rogue fighters and Spirits in her world had tried and failed to defeat her, to the point where she had earned the name Urouro Koden, or "Aimless Wandering Legend".

People began to believe that she was nothing more than a figment of imagination, a being made up for the sake of telling stories and earning recognition. She hid herself from the world and continued to search, whether it be for acceptance, denial, anything. She was alone, and she had long-since accepted that fate. Until Calion came into the picture. Those in the Mid-World were aware of CLEAR's presence, and while some of them held resentment towards humans, many of them did not. They were created accidentally but had created their own world and as such, had no reason to garner hatred towards humans.

But Alice herself felt indifferent. She did not despise, nor appreciate their existence. Her purpose was none, so why should she care? Calion had always stood out as different from the rest. He was also without a purpose, but something continued to drive him to fight, instead of falling into what had become normal. When CLEAR began to enlist him, he showed signs of doubt. Although he could achieve ultimate levels of power by allying with them, something kept him from doing so fully. He could never fully commit himself to their cause.

When his betrayal was recognized, they requested that she join the team, knowing full-well what she was capable of and the fact that she had nothing but a desire to fight, and grow stronger where she would truly be challenged. What reason was there to deny the offer? Maybe it would lead to something better, she thought.

Her first task was to find and kill Calion; he had been labeled a traitor by the organization and there was great danger in allowing him to live. She showed no hesitancy; he was weak, inexperienced, and carrying out the task would be nothing but a mere waste of her time. Until they actually met. He was able to reflect all of her attacks with ease, deflecting every blow and striking back with one equally as powerful, all while using nothing but a sword. He had nearly killed her, but this is when her abilities began to kick in, and she recognized the true potential that an alliance with CLEAR would offer.

Still, even her most powerful attack was not enough to finish him off, and he drove his sword straight through her, causing severe damage to her upper shoulder area, but missing any vital organs that would have killed her. And his words that followed, ones she'd never forget, words that drove her to become stronger so that someday, she could kill him for his arrogance...

[i]"Your lack of a defined purpose has allowed you to take the easy way out. You believe that by falling into line and not bothering to search, not bothering to continue to try and understand what it is you're meant to do, you will find peace, but this is not so. I have searched for years, and I believe I will never stop. In such a manner, trying to escape your reality is nothing more than an illusion, and no illusion is strong enough to bring you true happiness. I could have killed you right now, but doing so would be pointless. Meaningless violence serves no purpose. Those who believe in nothing but fighting are devoid of any possible happiness from the get-go. I'm aware you will ignore my words, and you will continue to carry out CLEAR's demands because you do not believe there is any other choice, but part of me hopes that you will use this as motivation. You are not, nor will you ever be strong enough to defeat me physically, but mentally, you are a very strong person. You have endured so much hardship and emptiness that nothing can break you. Some day, I'm sure you will find what it is you must do. If you believe meaningless violence is the key to your happiness, then continue to do what it is CLEAR asks of you. But do not be blind to the words your heart tries to share with you."[/i]

Such arrogance, such confidence, he didn't know her. No one did. No one could understand and judge the hardships she'd had to endure. CLEAR had given her a home, had given her acceptance, and that was all she needed in life! She didn't have a heart, that was something the weak used as an excuse to continue fighting with all odds against them. And she would make them pay for their insolence!

---

"Enough! It is time I end this duel, I have much more important matters to attend to!" The entire thought, that whole recollection, only fueled her anger, and these two duelists were going to suffer the consequences. "Now, by sending Chronomaly Crystal Skull from my hand to the Graveyard, I can search my Deck for a different Chronomaly monster and add it to my hand! So rise forth, Chronomaly Moai (1800)!"

A giant rock formation, modeled in a similar way to the Statue of Easter Island, appeared on the field alongside the monsters already there.

"How can you Summon a Level five monster without Tributing?" Kenji asked, unsure of the monster's special effect.

"Let me fill you in," she said. "Since I control another 'Chronomaly' monster, Moai can come straight to the field without any Tributes being necessary! And now, I'll activate the effect of Golden Jet once more! Such will boost the Level of all my 'Chronomaly' monsters by one!" She examined her field briefly; there was one more card in her hand, and it would be the last card she needed to piece together her big play. "And finally, I'll play the Level Blaster Spell Card in my hand! With this, all monsters on both sides of the field gain one Level!"

Didn't take Kenji long to do the math. [i]That means she's not going for a Rank 5 this time, she's going for a Rank 6... [/i]

Similarly, Sora had figured it out, and had already begun to contemplate how he'd get around it. Not much was coming up. [i]This isn't gonna be good![/i]

"I can see the fear in your eyes, fear because you now realize you are far from my equals, you are nowhere near my level!" She exclaimed, laughing maniacally. "Allow me to demonstrate, as I build the Overlay Network with Chronomaly Moai and Chronomaly Golden Jet! Doing so will allow me to Xyz Summon Number 6: Chronomaly Atlandis (2600)!"

The ground at their feet began to rumble, and Sora particularly could feel the massive amounts of pressure building beneath them. Cracks began to form along the floor, which was just now revealed as stone, and a construction similar to the castle which they had destroyed exploded upwards. Only the center of the castle remained, and now this almost-disfigured rock-creature took its place, with two bulging arms carved out of stone, and a pair of legs that were much smaller than the rest of the body, but mostly there for show as it did not need to stand. "Behold, the most powerful force that has ever been!"

But the pressure hadn't stopped, and Machu Mech re-appeared, attaching itself to the bottom of the creature in timely fashion; the two became attached.

"This...this is her true power," Kenji said, staring up in awe at the rock formation. "It's...unbelievable." [i]How could we even hope to bring this down...I've used nearly all of my resources...[/i]

Sora felt his own confidence begin to shake. He shook his head, trying to get the negativity out of his mind and stay focused, but Atlandis' immense power made it nearly impossible. To think that they would somehow be able to take that thing down...

"You have not yet experienced real fear," Alice interrupted the silence. "Watch now, for I will detach an Overlay Unit from Atlandis, in order to send the Number 33: Chronomaly Machu Mech attached to it to the Graveyard." A smile crossed her face. "By doing this, Atlandis' ability activates, halving both of your Life Points respectively!"

[i]There's...[/i] Both of them realized at the same time the impact this attack would have, and there was nowhere to go. Atlandis released its grip on the castle, releasing an incredible wave of pressure down on both of them, from which Alice felt nothing. Sora felt the impact first, but only by a second, as the force tore his shirt in multiple places, leaving aero-induced cuts all over his body and forcing him to the ground. He yelled out, but couldn't be sure whether or not anything was heard at all.

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

[i]Sora![/i] In the brief second he had before he was struck, Kenji watched his friend fall to the ground and tried to brace himself for impact. The pressure struck him just as heard, forcing him to the ground and cutting his back open in multiple places.

[b]Kenji's Life Points: 1450[/b]

Suddenly, everything went black. Kenji couldn't hear a thing but the sound of his own breath, in and out, in and out, a constant pace, but an exhausted one. He felt cold, goosebumps covering both of his arms in a matter of seconds. Was this the end? Or was it the stone? The pressure he had felt was no longer there, pushing down on him, forcing him to watch helplessly as he was both physically and mentally torn to shreds.

---

Alice stood, almost lost in the moment as she watched the two duelists lay helpless on the concrete floor, the center of which no longer existed. Atlandis hovered over her, awaiting another command. She thought maybe, they had died from the attack. The pure force she had released into it might have been enough to finish the job without having to go any further.

"Why am I getting this somewhat uneasy feeling now?" She wondered aloud. "I am carrying out the task at hand, but a part of me hopes now that this battle is over. This ruthlessness, watching the two of them so helplessly, what is this emotion? Is it guilt? Or mercy? I cannot resonate with it. I have not felt something like this before. I do not understand what it means. Perhaps it is best if the two of you simply stay down, this duel can end as it is. There is no point in fighting any further." She had not expected that power to be as overwhelming as it was, but with the attack she had begun to revert further into her own form. The shell of a once young-girl was almost no longer there.

It was Sora who arose first, placing his blood-soaked fist on the concrete, using it as a means to force his body to stand. Just on what she could see alone, the attack must have cut him in at least twenty-eight different places from the top of his body to the bottom. His clothes were torn and tattered, but he could function. "There is a physical impossibility that he could actually be able to stand right now. That many open wounds in such a short period of time, had it not killed him, would have caused enough bloodloss to render him unconscious. No human being could survive such an attack."

The boy's bluish hair was covering his eyes, tattered to match his clothing. His head was still facing the ground as he stood, with Kenji not moving at all. Alice remained in place, watching the spectacle unfold - she had to admit she was impressed by his resilency. All at once, he brought his head upwards, meeting her gaze. Something about the look in his eyes; it frightened her. Real fear, unlike the ploy she had put on earlier to make them believe they had won. She could see past the outside, to the unrelenting desire hidden in the boy's spirit. It was like she could feel the support and energy of all of those who had suffered, those he was fighting to protect, all of it was coming out at once and she had no idea how to react to the feeling. Her entire body began to shake, and what was remaining of her human illusory form was no longer, the form of her spirit, a body outlined with a greenish glow, purple in color, with long, flowing white hair descending down from her head halfway down her back.

She had lost any trace of Kenji's spiritual energy - if he was still alive, he was certainly not conscious. The likelihood that he had been killed by the attack was actually quite great, but she couldn't tell whether or not the boy had become aware of the situation. "This one is smaller in physique, and weaker looking, too. Nothing about the way his body is structured suggests that he would survive such an attack, never mind have a better chance of survival than the other one. Still, here he stands. Tell me, why do you insist on continuing the fight?"

"My body and my spirit often come to blows, due to my mind's desire to never stop fighting no matter the pain my body has endured," he said, not showing a change in expression. A drop of blood splattered onto the floor, dripping from his forehead. "This is no longer about winning or losing. When I was young, I was taught a crucial lesson. Fighting for no reason leads to nothing but destruction. For years, I resisted violence of any kind, unless otherwise provoked, and even then, I was extremely hesitant to do so. The Rakurai has been both a blessing and a curse, but it has given me unfathomable strength that has made survival that much easier. But when you're created with such strength, you're leagues above everyone else, and no fight is worth your time, nor is it fair. When you're well aware of the outcome of a fight due to the weaknesses of your opponent, there is no point in fighting at all."

Alice grimaced. What was he trying to say? Why did his words sound so familiar to Calion's?

"But I don't fight because I want to," Sora said. Another drop of blood hit the floor. "Nor do I fight because I am searching for something. I fight because the power I have been entrusted with is the only way to save the lives of those who have no way to defend themselves. I was taught to put the lives of others before yourself and then, I would find peace. My mentor lost his life fighting for that cause, and if necessary, I will too. The truth is I don't need the Rakurai, it only enhances my strength. When your Atlandis attacked, while I could have used a technique to shatter the damage, I took it full-force."

"That can't be!" Alice exclaimed, jaw-dropped. A third drop of blood hit the floor. "Why would you do such a thing?! That's practically suicide!"

"I saved every ounce of my strength for this moment now." Sora explained. As he spoke, the normal bluish glow that came commonplace with his Rinkai Totsugeki, began to materialize in the form of flames, embracing his entire body. The amounts of pressure released caused cracks and nicks in the stone wall behind him.

"It is not possible," she said. "That you could have this much energy stored within you after taking such an attack. Not for a human; not even Spirits can achieve this kind of power. How can this be?!"

"I do not fight alone." Kenji. And his mentor. The Shopkeeper. And Calion. Blaze. Aruda. Even Kimora, crossed his mind, fueling his intensity and causing the flames to grow. "I am Sora Tenjioshi, and I fight with the power of two, both spirit and human, combined as one! And I will not die until you are no longer standing!"

[i]Human and Spirit? Is that...[/i] She couldn't imagine. [i]Is he the one? It couldn't be, if CLEAR had known of this, surely they would have moved in faster? He couldn't be the one...[/i]

---

[i]Kenji, I need you to hang in there, please. Sora urged his partner, though not speaking aloud. I refuse to let you die on my accord. We WILL win this battle, no matter what it takes I promise we will win![/i] "
"Kioshi, lend me your power! Per your monster's ability, you cannot attack during the turn you use its effects! Kenji is unable to continue, due to his condition. Therefore the turn will pass to me, and it will be the final turn!" He drew a card, the energy surrounding his body ever increasing.

[i]His face-down card, it is the one that has been there since the start of the duel, the Forbidden Chalice Spell Card.[/i] Alice had paid attention since the beginning of the game to that card in particular. She sort of wondered why Sora hadn't chosen to use the card to stop Atlandis' ability. Doing so would've saved the both of them, and since he seemed to be more worried about Kenji than himself, that would've been the logical thing to do. [i]All I have to do is make it through this turn, and since his monster only has 800 attack points, that should be a piece of cake. Besides, I don't have to bring his Life Points to 0; there's no way he survives another attack. I can simply eliminate him the same way I eliminated the other one.[/i]

"It's over. Because I drew the Spell Card Valiance Saving Grace!" Sora revealed the card in his hand, the same one he'd used to defeat Blaze. "With this, I can Special Summon Valiance Knight (1800) from my hand! But then, I have to target a monster on your field, and the Level of all my monsters becomes equal to that monster's Level or Rank! Since all you have is Chronomaly Atlandis, I've got no choice but to target that, meaning both Forbidden Priestess and Valiance Knight's Level becomes six!"

[i]Hm...and that means he can build the Overlay Network himself...this should be interesting.[/i] Alice recognized the play from Sora's duel with Blaze, but she had not expected him to be able to pull off a move of this caliber in his condition. Her mind had not fully accepted his capabilities to fight after all he had endured.

"So next, I'll build the Overlay Network to Xyz Summon, Sword Breaker (2700)!" The multi-weapon wielding warrior, as it stormed onto the field, demonstrated a similar determination to Sora himself. "By using one of Sword Breaker's Overlay Units, I can choose a monster type, and when Sword Breaker battles a monster of that type, it's automatically destroyed. So I think I'll choose Rock!" With an Overlay Unit used up, the warrior reached back and pulled a sword out from the case on its back, brandishing it. "Here comes the pain! Sword Breaker, go, Hybrid Cutter!" Before Alice could even tell what had happened, Sword Breaker had returned to Sora's field, returning its sword as the rock formation split in half, down the middle, crumbling below, and Alice was barely able to dodge the blow.

[b]Alice's Life Points: 1350[/b]

"Eventually, there had to be a way to break down your defenses," Sora replied. "I can tell by the way you've been eyeing it that you're convinced my face-down card is Forbidden Chalice, the card I searched when this duel first started, am I wrong?" Alice didn't respond, but she didn't need to. The look in her eyes when Sora revealed the card in his hand was more than enough. "I had no idea what would happen, therefore, I decided to set something that would allow me to take a bit of a precaution. The Trap Card Double Block! Double Block allows me to switch Sword Breaker's ATK and DEF points, in exchange for Swordbreaker being able to attack again!"

[b]Sword Breaker: 2700 > 1000[/b]

"I'm sure I don't need to explain it further, but since we're here, I might as well." He said, placing the Forbidden Chalice Spell into his duel disk. Sword Breaker's first attack was enough to cut you down to 1350, so now by activating Forbidden Chalice, Sword Breaker has enough attack points to bring an end to this duel. With no cards in your hand and no cards on your field other than the Pyramid Eye Tablet, you have no defenses! You're not unbeatable after all! Go, Sword Breaer, one more attack, Hybrid Cutter! Give it everything you've got!" And Sora did the same, closing his eyes tight and focusing all his energy as the warrior leapt across the field, slashing the remainder of Alice's Life Points away.

She screamed in pain, dropping to the ground, and beginning to break-down.

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

---

Sora could barely stand, either, but he would not let himself fall to both knees, to fall to her level. The girl stared at him for what felt like minutes, not moving, until her body began to disintegrate.

"So you have beaten me, then." Alice said, disappointment abound. "Could this be what Calion meant when he said I would find my true purpose? I refuse to believe that losing to someone, especially a human, is reality. There is still a chance for me to win. I may not have won the duel, but if I were to kill the two of you right now, and erase you from this world, I will have still won the war despite taking defeat in battle. In my last moments, I will do just that! I will kill you!"

[i]What is she talking about? [/i] Sora hesitated to think about it. She had to have been bluffing.

"{5th Stage: Shintei; Ultimate Truth}" She placed her palms together, closing her eyes as she released the entirety of her energy in one blast.

"A 5th Stage technique?!" Sora leapt into action. "It can't be! Using a 5th Stage technique means near instant death, why would she -"

True to her nature, Alice's final attack would come at her defeat. It was a shame she would not be able to witness it happen. She had stayed true to herself, finally realizing that Calion's words were nothing but words. She was the strongest, there was no doubt about it. And she had won.

"{1st Stage: Feuer-zerbrechen; Light Shatter}!" Using what minimal Rakurai he had left, Sora met the blast head on, forcing his right hand into its center and trying to break it apart from within, but it was too much. The overwhelming power behind Alice's final attack outclassed his own by miles. Still he tried to hold on, thinking about Kenji. He had to get him out of here; it wouldn't be long before the building collapsed completely. The stone was already beginning to cave in, and what had once been a throne was now a pile of shattered bricks. "Come on, I can't fail now! Not after we've made it this far! I don't care how strong this move is, I absolutely cannot fail!"

Through his determination, he felt his strength growing stronger; he was beginning to break through the move. "Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" He exclaimed, driving forward with every ounce of strength in his body, forcing every muscle to move for one power-packed punch.

"{1st Stage: Jikokusori; Time Warp}," came the words from behind him. "Need a hand?" It was Calion, again with the timely save. Through Calion's command, the blast suddenly condensed into a space of blackness. Sora could see nothing but himself and what was left of Alice's 5th Stage attack. "In this dimension, time has stopped, at least temporarily. The outside world is irrelevant here; just focus your strength and dissipate the blast. I'll make sure Kenji stays out of the blast zone."

Unlike the first time Calion had used the move, Sora felt complete control over himself. Had he grown that much stronger? He pushed on, with one final yell, breaking through the attack completely as Calion released the technique.

---

"Believe it or not, I think my words may have finally gotten through to her," Calion said, as he stood alongside Sora outside the building, which was hardly standing any longer, as Kenji was stationed in a nearby medical facility. The two had stepped outside to get some air, and let him try to recover.

"What do you mean? She tried to kill us all even after losing," Sora replied.

"You could look at it that way, but I think her intentions were otherwise," he said. "Think about it - she was defeated. Returning back to the Mid-World in such a weak condition would have made her a prime target for those she'd fought with in the past, including CLEAR, for her failure. She was well aware of my presence and knew that I would step in eventually. I don't believe for a second she actually expected anything significant to come off that 5th Stage attack. But maybe now, she has come to realize what it means to fight for something. Sora, as much as I don't understand the way humans operate, something about has always struck me as different. You have a special talent; it's not the uncanning strength or abilities; it's the fact that once you set your mind to something, there is nothing that can stop you. Never lose that trait. The battle is not over yet; the enemies will be much greater, but you've come much farther than I believed possible."

"Who knows?" Sora said. "Maybe some day, you and I can finish that duel we never got around to finishing." He laughed, jokingly. It felt good to do so, even for just a moment.

"Perhaps so." Calion turned to face the road. "We will meet again, Sora. Make sure Kenji recovers, too. I didn't spend all this time keeping you two alive just so he can go and die on me when the battle's not even over yet."

"Heh," he smirked. "You got it."

To be continued...[/spoiler]

And there we go; Arc 3 is done. This Chapter was a blast to write and I think it wrapped up the Arc quite nicely. We've reached the half-way point in the story, pretty much, so there's that. Gonna take a day to re-coup but you can expect the first Chapter of the new Arc on Friday!

[Synchronized]

Just bumping...no responses? \:

[Aerion Brightflame]

Sorry for not commenting sooner dude.

I had no internet for part of the week, and an essay to do last night.

So to make up I offer you virtual cake, and this review:

Huh... evil little girl... Yay? I like it more than Blaze, who seems like the random duelists that Jaden and the like would get stuck fighting.

Classic Rekindling play, leaving Sora so very very very low on life points and nearing death...

And its like Zangetsu only possibly cooler for the next bit. And the spirit half thing is quite cool tbh. Its an intresting idea.

Just a Question though... Swordbreaker destroys before damage calculation for his effect. So how was the damage dealt? becuase effects that let you attack multiple monsters don't let you attack directly afterwards? I'm just curious about that.

How was Blaze's chest not destroyed when Sora slammed his foot down on it? If it was strong enough to dent steel, it would shatter his bones and probably do a lot of obvious damage? Again, just wondering.

Fairly good dude, my questions are just things I picked up on that didn't make full sense to me.

I am also wondering if its not to much effort having spoilers for customs used whenever they are used, just so people can understand whats happening better.
It may just be me, but I think its a suggestions. feel free not to follow it, I was just wondering.

[Randomflyingobjects]

So now I see why it was vital to put Alice down there... but the problem I have is why she was scared, to an extent. Can't tell why, she just... was. If she planned it like that, I don't see why she was so nervous, though I do like how Kenji got kicked out of the duel, so Sora took his turn by default. It shows how he isn't totally invincible... but I did like the last play, using one of his first cards. Refreshing. But honestly, that was Arc 3? A bit short, if you ask me, but probably the same size as the so-called 'Short' arc. Though I am curious to see how all this ties in with the little... adventure... at Duel Academy.

One last though. Alice's last more was Ultimate Truth. Apparently, it killed her (why would she do that?), but as far as I can tell, Sora escaped in good condition. And, by the name, I sort of thought that it would be revealing something... I guess not. But for such a high-octane power, it got stopped by a pair of 1st Stage moves and some inner strength?