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Yu-Gi-Oh! Armageddon (PG13) - Finished


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Yu-Gi-Oh! Armageddon

 

 

After weeks of writing, head shaking, deleting, re-writing, begging for help, writing for the third time, shameless advertising, and proof reading a hundred times, it is finally here. My fanfic, for your reading pleasure. Hopefully it will meet the expectation that I've managed to build up now.

 

This is my story, written to the best of ability. Set long after the events of Yu-Gi-Oh 5D’s, this story is of a group of strangers fighting for their survival as outlaws, in a world where duel monsters are forbidden by the tyrannical emperor. A lot of what I write draws aspects from and may be seen as similar to some of my favourite stories, such as Eragon, Northern Lights, and the Final Fantasies, but I will try to keep the plot unpredictable and exciting. I am enjoying writing it immensely, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

 

Feel free to post anything you think about this; good, bad, or indifferent. If you have any advice you can impart about writing or storytelling, I am happy to hear it.

 

[spoiler=Thank You to these wonderful people and their help]

Naturia Melon - For his aid in translations and research.

 

Chilliccano, Lewk and Snowy - For help with deck building.

 

Tom, Lex and 5D’s - For help with character design, duel spirits, and other stuff.

 

Epic Hero Saber - For much constructive advice on storytelling and writing.

 

Fusion and Roxas - For their encouragement and wisdom.

 

To the readers - Who are a reason to keep writing

 

To the critics - Who give me another reason.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Table of Contents]

ARC ONE - OPPRESSED PEOPLE

Chapter 1 - War in the Streets (This post here)

Chapter 2 - Midnight Run (Post #8 )

Chapter 3 - The Spirit of the Forest (Post #14)

Chapter 4 - Rebel without a Cause (Post #21)

Chapter 5 - Knights in Shining Armour (Post #24)

Chapter 6 - The Great City, Sen'nenki (Post #27)

Chapter 7 - Resistance (Post #29)

Chapter 8 - Minds of the Tyrants (Post #33)

Chapter 9 - Tag Team Chaos (Post #35)

Chapter 10 - Will to Live (Post #36)

Chapter 11 - Scars of the Past (Post #39)

Chapter 12 - Rise of the Reluctant Hero (Post #44)

Chapter 13 - Assault on the Palace (Post #49)

Chapter 14 - The Armageddon King (Post #51)

Chapter 15 - Exodus (Post #51)

 

Arc One Character Bios (Post #53)

 

ARC TWO - PEOPLE RUNNING ABOUT

Chapter 16 - Around a Campfire (Post #61)

Chapter 17 - Dragonslayer (Post #64)

Chapter 18 - Soul of Corruption (Post #69)

Chapter 19 - Fall from Graceful Light (Post #73)

Chapter 20 - The Mountain City (Post #74)

Chapter 21 - Fire and Ice (Post #81)

Chapter 22 - Welcome to the Family (Post #85)

Chapter 23 - Gears of War (Post #87)

Chapter 24 - Dragon Rider (Post #89)

Chapter 25 - Chase for Hamon (Post #95)

Chapter 26 - Partners in Crime (Post #105)

Chapter 27 - Doom Legion (Post #114)

Chapter 28 - The Keeper of Spirit Gate (Post #118)

Chapter 29 - Facing your Demons (Post #122)

Chapter 30 - The Allure of Armageddon (Post #122)

 

Arc Two Character Bios (Post #128)

 

ARC THREE - UNITED RESISTANCE

Chapter 31 - Brothers of Arms (Post #146)

Chapter 32 - Judgement Day (Post #154)

Chapter 33 - A Torment Eternal (Post #162)

Chapter 34 - Flight of the Simorgh (Post #177)

Chapter 35 - Raesirs Edge (Post #185)

Chapter 36 - Return of the Holy Dragons (Post #193)

Chapter 37 - From the Ashes (Post #203)

Chapter 38 - Trial of the Warriors (Post #206)

Chapter 39 - Duelist's Power (Post #220)

Chapter 40 - Erin's Utopia (Post #227)

Chapter 41 - Unwavering Faith (Post #230)

Chapter 42 - Before the Storm (Post #231)

Chapter 43 - Royal Onslaught (Post #238)

Chapter 44 - An Emperor for All Eternity (Post #243)

Chapter 45 - Heroes Reunited (Post #243)

 

Arc Three Character Bios (Post #250)

 

ARC FOUR - HUGE REVOLUTION

Chapter 46 - 62 Hours to Save the World (Post #271)

Chapter 47 - Deathtrap (Post #281)

Chapter 48 - Twisted Metal (Post #288)

Chapter 49 - The Sorcerer Revealed (Post #294)

Chapter 50 - Along Came a Spider (Post #300)

Chapter 51 - Head On Collision (Post #309)

Chapter 52 - Exceed/Accel (Post #314)

Chapter 53 - Last Chance to Be (Post #317)

Chapter 54 - Heart of Chaos (Post #321)

Chapter 55 - Spirits Rising (Post #327)

Chapter 56 - Final Dawn (Post #335)

Chapter 57 - Cursed Castle (Post #364)

Chapter 58 - I Love You and Goodbye (Post #371)

Chapter 59 - The Truth (Post #379)

Chapter 60 - End of Torment (Post #391)

 

Arc Four Character Bio's (Post #397)

 

Chapter 61 - Into the Unknown (Post #403)

Chapter 62 - Battle Royale (Post #414)

Chapter 63 - Last Man Standing (Post #417)

Chapter 64 - One Final Nightmare (Post #431)

Chapter 65 - Beacon of Hope (Post #436)

Chapter 66 - The Wicked End (Post #442)

 

 

 

Now at long last... we can begin.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 1]

Chapter 1 - War in the Streets

 

“Loyal subjects of the empire, I come before with a proclamation to rid our state of those who use Duel Monsters to bring chaos and ruin to our land. The creatures know as ‘Duel Spirits’ have manipulated the citizens for long enough, and have bought nothing but war and despair, as duelists seek more and more power. Therefore, it is by the power invested in me - the emperor of Sen’nenki no Toride - that I hereby declare the game of Duel Monsters forbidden. Anyone who is found guilty of being in possession of Duel Monsters cards, actively duelling with their cards, or consorting with duel spirits or other known criminal duelists, will be arrested for treason, and hanged.”

 

 

Nero VIII, Emperor of Sen’nenki

 

Dated 15th May 3165

 

 

Five years later...

 

Hikari climbed on top of an upturned cart for a better look of the riot taking course outside the palace gates and frowned. A sea of raging fire twisted and contorted in the darkness before her eyes, as the common folk, armed with their pitchforks and torches, clashed against the royal guard. The people may have been poorly equipped to take on knights in armour, but the sheer number of protesters was doing enough to cause the guards difficulty in trying to regain order. A heavy smoke filled her lungs and the heat of flames burned against her face. Between the screams, cries of “Down with Nero, down with the Empire” echoed around the narrow streets.

 

Hikari shook her head, having to hold her long brown hair out of her face. The guard had the gates too well defended for them to gain access to the palace, and many bodies were starting to fall, their last moments spent drowning in smoke and blood. A few peasants attempted to scale the wall, but were shot down by the deadly arrows of the guards stationed in the towers at each end of the wall, and fell to their end. Some used their last breathes for prayer to their God, others were not given such grace. Hikari hated the fighting, but she could not stand by as everyone she knew was suffering. She could only hope that they were going to a better place, where they could be at peace, and free.

 

A small white cat-like creature, with long thunderbolts producing from its ears, rubbed against her legs and meowed. It had a small jewelled crown upon its head, an ornate gold neckpiece, and a ring around its tail, and its body gave off a gentle glow. Hikari diverted her gaze from the battle onto the cat, and smiled. Even in these difficult circumstances, she could not help but feel glad when her duel spirit chose to do this. The bond they had developed since they met had grown strong, enabling them not only to protect each other, but to feel each other’s emotions. The spirit jumped up onto her shoulder and meowed again; it shared her sentiments, it was probably best to end this soon.

 

From the darkness behind them, a huge Battle Ox leapt up from behind the cart, covered in its blood red armour and eyes blazing with rage. Raising its axe high above it head, it emitted a thunderous roar and brought the blade crashing down. With one movement, Hikari spun to the left, parried the axe away with the silver Duel Shield on her left arm, and thrust her short sword into the side of the beast, causing the beast to howl and writhe in pain, before it disappeared back in to nothingness. Hikari cursed. It could only mean one thing. She sheathed her sword and signalled frantically to her allies for the riot to end, before the elite guard arrived.

 

 

Intense pain filled every part of his body, his mind felt like it was about to explode. He couldn’t scream out or defend himself. The pain faded for a moment, then came back with twice the force. He lay paralyzed on the stone floor of the dark room. The man in the black cloak stood over him, emotionlessly watching him suffer. Standing beside him was a demon to horrifying for words, clutching its terrible axe. The pain was all-consuming; it was too much to bear. His senses failed. Everything went black.

 

...

 

The young boy awoke with a start, dizzy and sweating. He had suffered another nightmare, but like all nightmares, he was struggling to remember what it was that had caused him such terror. He could recall a man in a long black cloak, and there was also a large demon with an axe, but try as he may, nothing more would reveal itself. Frustrated, the boy ran his hands through his hair and looked at the clock on his bedside table. Three in the morning. His bleary eyes turned to the bedside mirror. A skinny teenager, with pale skin and long spiky hair stared back, shivering slightly. As he become more awake, he noticed the noise coming from outside, the clash of steel and screams of panic. Scowling, he put his clothes on - a uniform comprised of a white shirt, black crewneck jacket, dark blue trousers and hard black boots. He knew he would never get back to sleep, especially with a riot going on, so he might as well get his chores out of the way early before work. The boy washed his face, sculpted his spiky mane into his preferred style, and went downstairs to begin cleaning the kitchen.

 

All the houses in the slums had been built to the same simple plan of a large single space containing the main sitting, dining and kitchen areas all as one room, with a small utility room at the back. Upstairs were two bedrooms and a small bathroom. They were living conditions of the most basic standard; more of a hovel than a home. But no-one could afford anything better than this. The boy started on the small pile of dishes he had to wash; there was no running hot water on tap in the slums, so he had to wait for a kettle to boil. Thankfully he only had to clean up for himself and his mother, but there were many much larger families that struggled to support themselves in these dire times. He looked out the window as he began cleaning. A few people ran past, one of them holding his right arm which glistened bright red in the moonlight.

 

Why do they have to keep fighting like this? he thought. The Emperor won’t yield to their demands; he just makes things worse for all of us if anything. They are getting themselves killed and for what? Nothing is going to bring things back to the way they were five years ago, or bring back my father… He stopped as he realized a tear was rolling down his cheek. Wiping it away furiously, he shook and continued scrubbing at a stained frying pan, although a lot harder now as painful memories ran through his mind. Eventually, the noise outside dimmed down, as the commotion seemed to have been dealt with.

 

Thud.

 

The boy froze as the noise caught his attention. It was the sound of a back window being opened, forced open. Paralyzed with fear, each second seemed like an eternity as he listened for further noises. There was a slight scuffling, followed by a creaking - probably the window being slowly closed again - and a hushed whisper. Someone was definitely sneaking through the back room. Thoughts of burglars, rapists and kidnappers flew through the boys mind - the levels of crime had recently soared to record highs in the city as people struggled to make ends meet, or simply because the lack of protection given by the emperor against the scum that infests the slums of every city. Then the thought of his mother, his only remaining family, still asleep upstairs, came into focus. The boy strengthened his resolve. Whoever this was, he could not… would not allow harm to befall her.

 

Collecting his senses, the boy crouched down and crept across the kitchen in the direction of the room the noise was coming from, washed frying pan in hand, alert for any further sounds. Coming up to the backroom door, he strained his senses, desperate that he had been mistaken all along. He wasn’t. There was another thud, and someone swore quietly, right on the opposite side of the wall. The boy’s heart skipped several beats. He and the intruder were separated by only a few inches of brick and mortar. Shuddering and gripping his rudimentary weapon tightly, the boy took a deep breath, kicked the door open and burst in, grabbing the trespasser and striking him across the back. With a grunt, the body fell to the floor, allowing the boy time to flick the switch for the lights, casting a dim glow across the room.

 

Before him, the intruder appeared far different from what he expected. It wasn’t a him at all, but a tall girl, probably no older than he was, with long brown hair splattered across her red face, and garbed in battered and bloody leather armour. She was panting as if she had just run a marathon, and grimacing in pain. The boy realised he had just hit her with a frying pan, but just because she was a girl, she was still an intruder in his house. Fear gone, he went to confront her again. As soon he stepped toward her, there was a hissing noise which made him pause and look up in shock. A cat-like creature jumped out of nowhere, snarling furiously, and went for him. Unable to react in time, the creature jumped up and clung to his face, hissing and scratching wildly. The boy clutched at the animal, frantically waving his arms and staggering backwards, unable to see the girl get back to her feet.

 

“Ow! What the hell did you hit me for? And for heaven’s sake turn the lights off, they’ll find us!’”

 

The girl rubbed her back as she got up, wincing slightly from the blow.

 

“You’re an intruder, what did you expect? Now help get this thing off me” spluttered the boy, still fighting the cat as it began biting his right ear. “And who’s they?”

 

“The guards, obviously. Okay lay off him Rinyan.”

 

The creature let go, and stood beside the girl in leather armour, snarling with defiance. The boy rubbed his face… scratch marks… great. He spun to face the intruders, and immediately could not help but notice how pretty this girl was. It was hard to explain, but her face was just incredibly beautiful. There was strength in her green eyes, but also a kind gentleness. He noticed on her left arm she was carrying a small shield, silver in colour with a knight and, what looked like some kind of sorceress, engraved into its design, and a clear jewel in the centre, and a duel disk extended along her lower arm. Shock and alarm flooded his brain. She’s a duelist, an actual real duelist! Then that creature, could it be some sort of duel monster? This is trouble. Especially if the guards really are after her. He regained his senses as she addressed him again.

 

“So what’s your name?”

 

“Juruo.”

 

The intruder nodded. “I’m Hikari, nice to meet you.” Hikari offered a gloved hand out to him. Juruo stepped back, apprehensive of what was happening. This strange girl, covered in blood, on the run from the guard, had broken into his house, and all of a sudden was offering him a handshake? What was going on? The spirit growled at him, and deciding that he did fancy another round with it, Juruo accepted the girl’s hand, although he still withdrew quickly. She didn’t seem offended. If anything her face lit up with a shy smile. Juruo couldn’t help but smile too.

 

There was a hammering knock on the door, causing both of them to start.

 

“This is the royal guard. We know you’re in there. Open this door.”

 

 

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Thank you very much.

 

Oh yeah concerning updates, some of you who know me will know about my random working hours which can go from 0-40 each week, I recently had 11 days off where I got a lot of writing done, but I am unlikely to get such a spell of free time like it again. Still, I am several chapters ahead of the game, so I will be (boldly?) attempting to post a new chapter each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

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Interesting, very interesting. I can tell that you spent a good amount of time on this. It is well written and so far a good story. I didn't notice any errors in reading, so that's good. The introduction is fairly compelling, so it draws the reader in. Can't ask for any more than that. I'm interested to see how the story continues.

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I also give a +Rep.

 

Good Side:This was a great story I really enjoyed how you described the characters and the surrounding area let me get an image of what the scenes looked like. Great way to end the chapter leaving us hanging waiting to see what happens with the guard

 

Bad Side: A couple of grammar errors in there, but thats all I saw.

 

Overall on a scale of 1 to 10 I give your story an 8.5 because it has most thing i like to see good descriptions of characters their location. Nice way to end the chapter, and it kept me interested the entire time.

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Decided to post Chapter 2 before work. Just easier.

 

Short and punchy chapter is definately short... hopefully punchy... chapters get a bit longer after this one.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 2]

Chapter 2 - Midnight Run

 

The pair stared at each other. The happy and determined emotions in Hikari had been overcome by sudden fear. Even ‘Rinyan’ was frightened, curling itself between its friend’s legs and trembling, mewing as if it was crying.

 

“Please! Please don’t give me away. You know what will happen if you do.” The words stuck in her throat, each one seemed an effort to get out. Her eyes were wide with terror. Juruo was stunned. He watched as this girl, a rioter and accompanied by a duel spirit, begged him for help.

 

“And I assume you know what will happen to me for helping you?” he said in an undertone, as the knocking continued, slightly louder. Hikari nodded. Having duel monster cards or duelling mechanisms was illegal, as the emperor feared those who were skilled enough would try to oppose him. Many top duelists had been arrested five years ago… well, hunted down and exterminated may be closer to the truth. Amongst those killed was Juruo’s father. Contact with duel spirits was also a serious offence in the eyes of the tyrant.

 

“I know, but please.”

 

The knocking at the door stopped, and the man could be heard giving the order to “Break it down”. There was a moment’s silence, then the pair jumped as a loud thump, as the door shuddered under the weight of a battering ram, the thick wooden beam across it held fast, but it groaned slightly. Juruo looked around wildly as a second, louder thud signalled the door had been rammed again. Hikari scooped up her companion; clearly this boy was not going to help, and ran into the next room desperately searching for a way to escape. A third thud and the door groaned violently.

 

The sound snapped something inside Juruo’s mind; whatever this girl had done, she needed his help, and he would not be able to live with himself if he turned her in to the guard. He hurtled into the kitchen after Hikari, who had stopped at the front door to the house, gasping. Juruo could guess why; the house must have been surrounded. Without thinking, running on adrenaline, Juruo grabbed Hikari’s hand and motioned to go upstairs. She nodded, mouthing the words “Thank you”. The pair made it up to the second floor, past the main bedrooms to the end of the landing. Here there was the skylight that allowed you onto the roof. Juruo used this access to clear the gutters and chimney as part of his chores, but now it was essential to their escape. He jumped up and opened the latch, as Hikari pulled the ladder out and set it. They clambered up onto the roof, and were dismayed by the sight of thirty armed guards in bright silver chain mail, all around the perimeter of the detached house. One guard, who appeared to be in charge, was wearing gold plate, shouting at the men with the battering ram. In the little moonlight, a large broadsword glimmered in his hand. He brandished it in an impressive manner, and the soldiers charged the door again.

 

Juruo clambered across the roof, pulling the ladder over his shoulder. He was going to attempt to bridge it over the gap to the next house, hoping the guards would be too pre-occupied with breaking in to notice what was going on above them. It was a crazy and desperate plan, but there were no other options, and for some reason he knew he could not allow this girl to be arrested, he couldn’t explain why. He dropped the ladder over the street onto the roof of the neighbours, the sound masked by a crash and a shout from the men, the door had given at last! Juruo scrambled across to make sure it was safe, checked that none of the guards remaining outside had noticed, and signalled for Hikari to follow. The cat went first, bounding across the ladder, before Hikari followed, her face set. Safely across, they abandoned the ladder, climbing across the slanted roof and down the gutter pipe on the other side of the building, and ran for it. As fast as they could they tore through a couple of narrow alleyways in a random criss-cross pattern, hoping to confuse and escape any followers. The guards must have discovered their strategy by now, but would be slow to chase in their armour. If they could quickly find somewhere to hide and luck remained on their side…

 

...

 

Creeping out of another alley, Juruo looked around. There was no noise, no lights, and everything seemed normal. He crossed, followed closely by his two fugitives. They had been on this run for nearly an hour, and were getting closer to the place where Juruo had decided would make a perfect hideaway. The city of Sen’nenki no Toride was built entirely within its perfect eight sided walls and lay out symmetrically. The royal palace was at the very heart of the citadel, from the top of the towers, you could see the entire town. The rich lived in the upper class boroughs located in the inner ring of the city, which also was home to the main industrial and business areas. The outer ring was made up of the three sections of slums; Haman, Uria and Raviel. The poorer you were, the further you lived away from the palace. Juruo lived in Uria Slums in the north-east, and was hoping they could reach the Sen’nenki Forest in the south-east. A large wood in the city that was used as a convenient natural resource for the mills and farms in the area, there would be many places to hide in the forest, as many would not dare to plunge into its dark depths. He had gone in there a few times, initially for dares, but then it became a refuge if he wanted to get away from things for a while. What others found as dark and eerie, he found serene and peaceful. They could stay there for a few hours, until the guards gave up, as surely they wouldn’t spend too much time searching for one rioter.

 

They continued to pick their way across the city without speaking, staying in the shadows to avoid anyone who was up early. Every noise made them jump, every shadow made them stop, hearts in their mouths and praying it wasn’t a guard. One time a group of people on their way to the refineries for an early start came towards them, Hikari had to pull her accomplice to cover for fear they might pass any following soldiers, and tell them they had seen the pair passing this way. Eventually they reached the edge of the forest, where the last obstacle would be a small stone bridge over the forest stream. They glanced around cautiously, no-one in sight. Convinced they had actually made it, they ran across the street and started to cross. Hikari smiled at Juruo again, but he tried to ignore it. He had helped her escape, that would be it, before she got him into potentially more trouble.

 

As they came across the bridge, Juruo noticed something in the trees ahead shine in the moonlight, causing him to stop. Hikari turned to him, perplexed. She tugged his arm, but he didn’t move, as he watched the bushes rustle again. He went to turn around and head back to the city, but the girl refused to let him go.

 

“What are you doing, we’re in plain sight here!? Get to the cover.”

 

“Look, there’s something moving in those trees.”

 

“I can’t see anything.”

 

“Not there. Look, left of that...”

 

Juruo’s voice tailed off as the golden knight emerged from the tree cover, followed by several armed soldiers. In panic, the pair turned to run back, but were blocked off by more guards who had appeared from under the bridge, sealing their escape. Juruo’s heart sank. The guards could only have got here first by a calculated gamble; he had selected such an obvious refuge, and fallen for such an obvious trap. They had come so close for nothing.

 

The man in the gold armour left his charges at the end of the bridge and marched up to them, coming into the moonlight. Juruo was surprised to realise he was quite a young man, with flowing gold hair that was tied back in a ponytail, and once dashing features that were spoiled by the scars of battle. He spoke with the charming voice of a fine and well-educated nobleman. “I am Osborn, head of the Emperors Elite Guard. Girl, I am arresting you for the instigating of several riots, disturbing the peace, possessing duel monsters cards, and for consorting with duel spirits against the empire, meaning treason against the crown.” The cat creature growled, clearly it most have understood that Osborn was referring to it. “I am also arresting you boy, for consorting with criminals and perverting the course of justice.”

 

Hikari sighed and looked at Juruo. It was a peculiar kind of look that he couldn’t understand. Why was she still smiling? He had delivered her to the guard through his stupidity, however unintentional. She should be angry or scared or something. With alarming speed, she grabbed Juruo round the neck and drew her sword up to his throat.

 

“This boy is my hostage, he means nothing to me. Now stay back, I’m warning you.” She pulled him close against her, and whispered in his ear, “I’m sorry”. Juruo now understood what she was doing, and opened his mouth to protest. Osborn seemed to have bought it, however.

 

“This true boy?”

 

Tightening her headlock, Juruo was forced to nod. A pair of burly guards grabbed Hikari from behind, and she let her ‘hostage’ go without a fight. The guards handcuffed her and took away her weapons and shield, while another made a grab for her spirit companion. She did not attempt to hide a smile as the cat clawed the man’s face as he picked it up. The pair were taken to a small prison cart and pulled away by the guards. Juruo watched after them as the cart disappeared back in the city, he could just see Hikari’s face in the gloom; she looked sad, but there was no sign of fear.

 

A strong hand clamped on his shoulder as Osborn pulled him up off the floor, for such a young man he was incredibly powerful. He looked the skinny commoner up and down for a minute, weighing up this boys fate which he held in his hands. Eventually, he decided he did not want to arrest more people than he had to.

 

“You probably hate me right now, but we all know the law of this city, and it’s my job to enforce it. You seem a good kid, and I don’t want to see more people executed than there needs to be. So just stay out of trouble. Got it?”

 

Juruo stood and stared as the golden knight marched into the darkness towards the palace. He couldn’t move, thoughts of what had happened - and what was about to become of this girl - engulfed his senses. Trembling and horrified, his body jerked into life, without thinking he turned and ran into the woods. His sight foggy, he crashed through the thick undergrowth, he had no idea where he was going and didn’t care. He stopped a few times, throwing up violently. He roamed in this trance for some time, until his body gave up from the energy and he collapsed, exhausted. His last thought before he passed out was of Hikari in the palace dungeon, and that it was all his fault.

 

 

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Amazing chapter i couldn't look away from my screen while reading this. Can't wait for chapter three to see what happens.

 

Thank you. Chapter 3 on Monday.

 

You have no idea how awesome it would be to summon some monsters right now.

 

It would be awesome. Chapter 4 on Wednesday :lol:

 

Sorry if that's a spoiler, but anyone who thought there'd be a duel next chapter when my only known duelist at present has just been imprisoned was... er... hopeful.

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Chapter the third is up. Bit longer this time, but something is nagging me and feels like it moves too fast. I dunno, I'll let you guys judge.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 3]

Chapter 3 - The Spirit of the Forest

 

Osborn waited outside the throne room doors, restlessly pacing back and forth, apprehension clutching at his chest. Despite bringing the Emperor good news, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable during these meetings. There was a coldness lingering around the room, and he always felt that there were unseen eyes boring into the back of his skull. Shivering at the thought, the knight walked over to a window to try to take his mind off it, and looked out onto the great city. He watched as many people milled around, going about their business in the narrow cobbled streets outside the palace walls. A mechanised cart made its way to the gates and was given entry, bringing through a supply of fine foods for the high dining table. Electricity was a commodity that was outdated nowadays and used mostly in the slums. These carts ran on compressed hydrogen that would last for ages, but the renting of the carts and their fuel supply was limited to only those who supplied the palace and the emperors other important buildings. Everyone else had to make do with horse drawn carts. It was odd for the knight to think how technology had advanced, but it was only for the privileged, and the everyday life of the common had gone backwards, as if the city and the empire were two worlds, or two periods of time, merged together in a warp. Despite this, it was peaceful in the streets today, as if the events of the night had not occurred at all.

 

Osborn thought of the vows he had taken when he first joined the army; that he would devote all his strength to protect and serve the emperor and his people. How long ago that all seemed now. Things had changed since then - the emperor acted without the merest thought of the effects on his subjects, who suffered and resented him for it. Protests were a continuous battle. Much of the knight’s time was spent locking up citizens for their ‘disloyal’ actions. The admiration and respect he had gained as a noble warrior had soon turned into fear and loathing. He did his best to be as lenient as he could, but the watchful eyes of the emperor allowed him little room for manoeuvre. Osborn sighed and wondered where it was all heading for the Empire.

 

The throne room doors swung open, prompting Osborn to begin his audience. He took a deep breath as he left his still dream world, and entered the throne room, the guards closing the doors behind him. Approaching the throne at the other end of this large room, he shivered again as the temperature plummeted. He could sense movement in the shadows, behind the pillars that supported the high ceiling. Without conscious thought he rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, nerves on edge. He reached the foot of the steps leading up to the throne, and knelt to bow.

 

The emperor Nero looked down at him curiously. Celebrating the 50th year of his reign, he was still an incredibly sharp man of both mind and tongue. Even his physique belied his age, far from a frail old man; he had remained strong and powerful. His hair and beard may have turned grey, but there was still a grand impressiveness about his appearance. But his eyes deceived him; for they were cold and filled with cruelty and hate. These eyes bore into Osborn, causing the hairs on his neck to prickle.

 

“My lord”’ Osborn stood to begin his report. “Last night my guards were forced to defend against a large number of rioters. Two of my men are currently being treated for wounds, and I am lead to believe that eleven rioters were killed, possibly more. Since then we have successfully apprehended the inciters.”

 

The emperor sat up a little straighter. “My advisor informs me that one of the leaders had a duel spirit with her. Is this true?” His voice had an undertone of menace about it.

 

Osborn blinked in surprise. How on earth would he, or any such advisor, have known this information? Come to think of it, he had not known the emperor to have any advisors at all. He paused; he had been going to try to avoid mentioning the full details of the night. There was an awful sound as the emperor cracked his knuckles. It couldn’t be helped now. “Indeed my lord, we tracked down a young girl accompanied by a spirit, as well as possessing a duel shield with a full deck of cards inserted in them. My guards have encountered her before, but she had previously managed to evade capture. She gave us quite a run for our money last night too, but we got her in the end. They are now both in separate custody.”

 

Nero stared at him in silence, as something moved behind the throne. Osborn felt a cold chill through his spine as a dark hooded figure slowly emerged from the shadows. It leaned towards the monarch to whisper something in his ear. He nodded and asked “And the boy she was with?”

 

The knight was really confused now, but knew he had to answer the question. “He was just a common child, held captive by the girl as part of her attempted escape. He is of no consequence.”

 

The emperor stared intently at the knight, as if to force him to own up to something. A bead of sweat trickled down the back of Osborn’s neck. He glanced at the hooded man again, although he could not make out any features, he was sure he was staring at him too. Finally, Nero relaxed back into his throne.

 

“This rebel girl has been a thorn in my side for long enough. I don’t think we need to spend much time on a trial for her. We also have those other two resistance scum... Maybe a reminder of the penalty for treason is in order, don’t you agree Osborn? Have the girl interrogated a last time, just in case she yields any further information of value, and then prepare for this afternoons public display. You are dismissed.”

Osborn turned and marched out of the throne room as fast as he dared, leaving Nero with the hooded stranger.

 

 

A lantern flickered gently in front of Juruo’s face as he regained consciousness. Bleary eyed and confused, he tried to stand, but sat down again as his strength failed. A few woodland birds could be heard chirping somewhere in the distance, and the grass felt soft under him. He seemed to have collapsed in a small circular clearing, with a singular oak tree in the middle, and a log rested against it like a bench. Slowly, Juruo hauled himself onto the log and looked up at the lantern hanging from the branch above him. The trees in this forest were so tall and close together they provided a screen that no natural light could penetrate, so lamps had been installed in various places. After a minute Juruo regained his senses, and remembered the events that had caused him to arrive here. Head in his hands, he trembled at the thought of what had happened, and how he had done nothing to prevent it.

 

“There there child, you can still save your friend”.

 

Startled at the noise behind him, Juruo jumped to his feet to see who had spoken, and was unable to believe what he was seeing. A golden portal had appeared out of the darkness, shining dazzlingly bright. From it slowly materialized a being in the shape of a human, but made out of bark and leaves. As it emerged further from the glowing vortex, it rose to a daunting full height, displaying the thick trunk of his torso and thinner logs that acted as limbs, the arms ending in leafy groupings. Its back was also covered in thick flora. Juruo looked up at its face; the only features it held were its glowing, pupil-less brown eyes. Frozen, the boy simply stared as the tree creature spoke.

 

“Greetings. I am Inpachi, the guardian of this forest. You must be Juruo. Don’t look at me like that, I’ve known about you for a long time. You are a hero chosen to free this world, how could I not have known?” The Inpachi took a seat on the log, seemingly oblivious to Juruo’s struggle to understand he was saying. “Now I’m sure you have questions to ask me, but please allow me to speak first, for my time is limited. I know I am not the first duel spirit you have encountered, for that is indeed what I am. Previously our kind passed into this world quite happily, aiding our duelists through their battles, and able to roam freely where we chose. But since five years ago, my friends have mostly been cut off from this world. I have remained to protect this place, but there are few like me, and my strength is diminished every day. Your friend was accompanied by the spirit Rinyan, yes? They are important too, but they cannot help you if they are killed.”

 

Juruo finally broke from his trance. “H… Hero? How can I be a hero to anyone? I couldn’t help Hikari last night, never mind the duel spirits. What could you possibly need me for?”

 

Inpachi looked upon this human child, with such little belief or hope, but even still he could sense the fire burning deep in his soul. “You can start by forgiving yourself for what happened to your friend. You need to accept it, and do something to make up for it. You are our only hope for freedom Juruo. I know how strange that must sound to you right now, but there are events in motion beyond all our means to prevent, all except you. I can sense dark powers at work in this world, and I don’t know how much time may be left...”

 

Juruo was barely aware of what the tree was saying. This was all too much. He was here in the middle of the forest, with a talking tree... thing who was telling him he was some kind of saviour of, not only the people of his world, but the inhabitants of an entire other world of spirit creatures. The idea was senseless, it was fantasy, it was simply not happening. Maybe he was still unconscious. The tree seemed to be carrying on regardless; maybe he should just go along with it and wait until he woke up...

 

“But no-one can expect you to do this alone. You need people like your friend to aid you, and there are other allies like her, and her spirit. In fact, I do believe one is coming now…”

 

A small cry echoed from behind the pair. Juruo blinked in surprise, then turned slowly to face the gloom. The cry came again, louder this time, and then the beating of tiny wings pushing against the air. A shape appeared in the dim light of the lantern. Heart pounding fast, breathing shallow, Juruo waited. Finally, out of the darkness flew a small dragon, electric blue in colour, with a pale under body. It circled the clearing, crying in happiness, and then it dived into Juruo’s open arms.

 

As soon as contact was made, emotions exploded in Juruo’s mind - joy, hope, sorrow, terror - a thrilling combination that made him feel more alive than he had ever felt before. It felt like he was being reborn. The intense feelings triggered something in him. Everything somehow made sense now, he wasn’t dreaming, this was real and it was happening to him. He was being given the chance he had wanted all his life, to change things for everyone. He could accept everything Inpachi had told him, for whatever reason he had been chosen by some higher force and given a task, and he could not reject it. Regaining himself, Juruo looked down at the dragon. The creature had three small horns producing from its head, short arms and legs that matched its tiny wings, and more little spikes all down its back and tail. It nestled itself in his chest and looked up with sparkling eyes, it cried again. Its body was warm against his chest.

 

Inpachi chuckled. “This is the duel spirit of the Decoy Dragon, and I think he likes you. Here, I have something for you as well.” Inpachi stood, and reached into the thick foliage on his back. After a minute he pulled his arm out again, producing a small silver shield, with images of a dragon and what looked like an angel etched into the design in incredible detail, and a great emerald in the centre. The tree spirit passed it to Juruo, who - with all hesitation and fear gone - placed it on his left arm, where an internal mechanism locked it into place. On the back was the duel hub, and in the centre compartment, a deck of duel cards. Juruo looked through it; it was filled with dragons covered in armour, as well as winged warriors, Spells, Traps and other cards. The final card showed the little blue dragon in his arms, ‘Decoy Dragon’. It was an incredible gift. These were the first cards Juruo had held in five years.

 

“Now Juruo, it is important that you remember this. A duel spirit that you summon with your cards, or that you meet along your way, may appear and react like a physical being, but we still only exist here in our spirit form. We are mostly intangible, and cannot truly have an effect or anything here physically. But we are beings that run highly on emotion; it is like our energy source. When you held that dragon, it formed a mental connection with you, so you are able to communicate your emotions with each other. It will convey the senses of touch when you hold it, although you are not actually holding it, not really. The same principle is applied when duel spirits are used to attack. If you run into a fire based spirit and it attacks you, it will create the sensation of burning in your brain, thus you will feel like you have been burnt, although there is no physical wound. The stronger the monster is, the stronger its mental assault will be. The human brain is easily tricked into believing what it thinks is happening, rather than what is real. A more severe example would be if your brain was to believe that your head had been bitten off by one of your dragons, the illogical assumption - combined with the shock - would cause it to shut down, despite your head being still firmly attached to the rest of your body. The duel shield has sensors that work with your nervous system and brain to suppress some of these brain signals, but it is not full proof, and works a lot better if you use it to absorb direct attacks.”

 

“I... I could be killed...!” Juruo spluttered. The new found resolve wavered as soon as it had arrived. The last time he had played the game with friends, he and his opponents had received small shocks, which he had assumed where administered by the duel shield to indicate they had been attacked. He had never heard of anything like this. Suddenly, the emperor’s decision to ban duel monsters had become a lot more reasonable.

 

“As long as you wear the duel shield, and keep a control of your senses, you will be safe. You are no more likely to be killed in an actual duel than by being struck by lightning. I am just indicating that it is possible, and that an emotional pain can sometimes be greater than a physical one. Most duel spirits have never desired to harm anyone, but we are all sometimes forced to do things we don’t want to do. There have always been those who have abused this power, and used duel spirits to perform atrocious acts in their name. The emperor has never had such power. Maybe he is envious as well as afraid?” The spirit paused for a moment in silent thought. Juruo waited without interruption, stroking the little dragon. Inpachi quickly regained awareness, and shook his mighty head.

 

“Arrrh, there are so many things I can feel but I cannot understand! How frustrating it is. Something is so wrong, but I just can’t sense what.” The giant trees heaved its shoulders up and down in annoyance.

 

Juruo had to ask. “Can you sense Hikari at all?” Inpachi paused again, then nodded.

 

“I can detect her spirit coming from the palace, although it is very faint. As for Rinyan, I cannot feel her.” The spirit seemed to sigh, it looked strangely tired. “I must go to revive my energy now, but I have managed to give to you all you need. I know you want change Juruo, and you are brave and skilled enough to accomplish what must be done, if you believe in yourself, your cards, and your friends. Now, my final word of advice is that I recommend you leave this forest by heading west. There may be something else for you to find here to help you. Good luck Juruo.” With that, Inpachi turned and positioned itself a short way from Juruo, before being surrounded by the light for a second time. Juruo raised an arm across his face to protect his eyes, and when the light faded enough to see again, Inpachi had gone.

 

Juruo sat to gather his thoughts on what had transpired. A hero to free the people and the duel spirits? Powerful enough to defeat forces than no one else could? It was scarcely believable, and yet, why would Inpachi make this up? Why bestow upon him a duel shield and deck if he wasn’t absolutely certain of what he had said? Whatever the case, it could all be worked out in time. The most immediate problem was saving Hikari, and he felt at least now he now had a chance to succeed.

 

The little dragon jumped out of Juruo’s arms and took flight. It circled the clearing again, sniffing the air. Then it roared and set off into the heart of the forest. Juruo ran after it.

 

 

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Great. It's great. Konami has to turn this fan-fic in new series of Yu-Gi-Oh!

 

Blush.

 

I might be over critical, but there are fanfics that are miles better than this.

 

Its not moving fast enough for me, but your the writer. You have put together another great chapter.

 

Yeah, I accept the fact I should have had a duel by now. I promise there will be one tomorrow in Chapter 4. I just wanted a more settled explaintory part after two hectic chapters (however cheesy/cliche).

 

Inpachi probably wasn't the best choice...there are some more appropriate monsters...blanking on that one vanilla at the moment. Not like it's very important.

 

inb4dragunity

 

Yeah I accept that. I admit my knowledge of yugioh cards post-GX isn't great. Hence me recently spending 30 quid on cards for the first time in five years, continually spamming the status bar, and spending half my life on Yugioh Wikia. :lol:

 

Blast the obviousness!

 

Side note of interest: Nero is based on the emperor depicted on cards such as 'Imperial Order', 'Spell Stopping Statute', and the other royal cards.

 

Side note on progress: Getting back into the writing groove today after a few days of doing very little, working on chapters 8 and 11, plus another duel in a further chapter.

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Precisely :lol:

 

Anyway to the next chapter. This one introduces a new character, and our first duel. So I should probably explain now that I am most acquainted with the GX series, having only watched one episode of 5D's (the one where Akiza has a load of flash backs about her past). Thus, as much as it may upset the purists, I'll be using the GX model of dueling. This means:

 

- Starting Life Points of 4000.

- Monsters summoned in face-up defence. This may alter the effects of some cards.

- Fusion and Ritual material monsters to be tributed from the field where possible.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 4]

Chapter 4 - Rebel without a Cause

 

I hope my new pal knows where he’s going, Juruo thought, as he followed the little dragon through the undergrowth for the next half an hour. It certainly seemed to forget that it was a lot easier for it to dart through the trees than it was for him. It would keep going far ahead, then come back and hover above his head, crying as if it was telling him to hurry up. It is natural for a young creature - as the Decoy Dragon certainly seemed to be - to be curious about the things around it, but it had clearly sensed something going on ahead, and was keen to get there. Eventually it lost patience with the human getting stuck in the undergrowth, and went ahead without him.

 

Annoyed, Juruo freed himself from the thicket and came across a defined path. Relieved it was continuing in the same direction, he ran down it, and soon caught up with the dragon perched in the branches of a large elm. It flew down to him and cried softly. A sense of warning flashed across Juruo’s conscious, he didn’t know why, but he could understand exactly what the dragon was trying to tell him, even though it couldn’t physically speak. Perhaps it was a connection that Inpachi had mentioned back in the clearing. Juruo stroked the dragons head to calm it down, and they continued down the path. The source of Decoy Dragons distress was soon apparent, as sounds of battle came from up ahead. Leaving the path, the pair proceeded onwards with caution, until they came to another large clearing. Creeping up behind a large clearing, Juruo peered through the gap, unable to believe his eyes.

 

To the left of the clearing was a member of the royal guard, down on one knee and panting heavily, helmet askew and his shield heavily dented. On the opposite side stood a boy, who looked the same age as Juruo. He was about the same height, had tanned skin, piercing green eyes, and slick silver hair that was pulled back in a swoop style. He wore a sleeveless black shirt and ripped jeans, with black boots. There was an air of arrogance and contempt about his entire being. But what was most interesting were the monsters stood before him. One was a warrior draped in a white cloak and carrying two wicked swords, the other a giant in some kind of mechanical suit. Apparently, Juruo was witnessing the end of a duel, and not only had the young man seemed to have beaten the guard, he had destroyed him.

 

“Now if you had just left me alone, this wouldn’t have happened, would it?” He addressed the beaten guard in a callous tone, without pity or remorse.

 

The beaten guard staggered to his feet with difficulty and groaned. “I cannot let such a threat to the empire run around causing havoc everywhere.” Juruo watched in terror as five other guards emerged from behind different hiding places, surrounding the mysterious duelist. Cursing at this trap, he glanced around for an escape, but none was available. Juruo drew out his own cards and frantically searched through them, knowing the boy had no chance of saving himself. He found the one he wanted, called Decoy Dragon to his shoulder, and inserted the Dark Piercing Light card into the active duel shield.

 

A flash of blinding light filled the dark clearing, causing the guards to yell and cover their eyes. Protected as the spells caster, Juruo sprinted across and grabbed the silver haired boy by the upper arm. Dazed and confused, he swung blindly at him, and it took all of Juruo’s strength to drag him away from the guards and into cover on the other side of the glade. Once pulled out of the range of the Spells effect, the duelist regained his vision, although given the sight of this strange boy with a dragon on his shoulder, he may have been entitled to think his eyes were deceiving him.

 

“Hey what gives?” he demanded bluntly.

 

“I’m rescuing you. Now hurry up and run, the guards are recovering.”

 

He seemed like he wanted to argue, but given the shouts coming from the clearing, now was not the time. He just scowled, and ran off into the undergrowth. Juruo looked at Decoy Dragon, who nodded in agreement with him; they should follow this mysterious person, after all he was obviously very strong to defeat the guard that badly, and he might be able to help them.

 

They caught up with the duelist a ways down the path, having long lost the pursuing guards. He was sitting at the base of a tree off the track, breathing heavily. He glanced up at the pair, not pleased to see them.

 

“You’re following me now? What’s wrong with you kid?”

 

Juruo was furious; he had rescued this guy from certain arrest, and he was calling him a kid? “First of all, you are no older than me. Secondly, I just kept you out of the palace dungeons. Maybe you should be a bit more gracious…”

 

“Maybe you should keep out of other people’s business!” the duelist snapped. He stood and turned to leave, but Juruo grabbed his shoulder.

 

“Wait, what is your name?”

 

“Huh, you’re not my type” he scoffed, shrugging Juruo’s hand off. He had already displayed that he was unfriendly and ungrateful, but now he was just being plain obnoxious. Juruo was beginning to think he should have left him to his fate at the hands of the guards. Decoy Dragon growled at him. It was right, he shouldn’t think that. He tried again.

 

“Okay, you don’t have to tell me. I want to ask you something though. My friend was arrested last night because she is a duelist, if I hadn’t intervened you would have been joining her, and you know what happens to those who use duel monster cards in the empire. I want you to help me rescue her. You’re obviously very powerful. If we work togeth…”

 

“Are you insane?” The duelist turned and stared at Juruo full in the face, shocked by his ludicrous proposal. “Why on earth would I help some random kid in that sort of suicide mission? No-one has ever escaped from the palace dungeons before, and the only place they can go after that is the gallows.”

 

Juruo shivered as a chill ran down his spine at the thought of the gallows. They were an awful place, situated just southwest of the palace in the Raviel slums. The emperor made these executions public to set an example to any other would-be resistance, although he did not wish for them to be anywhere near his own rich areas. There was a small cemetery nearby, where the hanged would be buried. But the boy was right, the dungeons would be near impossible to infiltrate, and the only place they could…

 

“Alright, so we rescue her from the gallows, during the execution.”

 

The duelist shook his head. He had heard enough of this. He started walking away again; there was nothing that could be said that would win him over. In desperation, Juruo tried one last strategy.

 

“Duel me.”

 

“What?”

 

“I want you to duel against me. If I win, you help me. I saved you from the guards, you owe me at least that much.”

The boy paused; face contorted as though conscious was battling with anger. Juruo waited, hoping he had succeeded. The duelist turned and smirked, and activated his duel shield.

 

“My name is Sabin. You’re on. Duel.”

 

Decoy Dragon rubbed its head against Juruo, as if to wish him luck, and suddenly faded into nothingness. Juruo remembered he had the dragon’s card in his deck, and guessed that during the duel, it would wait there. Both players activated their duel shields, which automatically shuffled their cards for them. The onscreen display read the players starting Life Points (4000). Both players drew five cards, before Sabin added a sixth to begin. A cruel smile passed his lips.

 

“I’ll start by summoning Familiar Knight in Attack Mode.” The duel shield emitted a hologram of the card for a moment, before it began to glow as it activated. From the glow appeared a masked warrior, with a sword and shield (ATK: 1200). “Then I’ll set one card face-down and end my turn”. The image of the back of a card hovered parallel to the ground just a few inches from the grass, its effect hidden from view.

 

Juruo drew his sixth card, as he began his first duel with the deck Inpachi had given him. He looked at his opening hand. He had drawn a dragon covered in yellow armour, which added to a masked warrior with bird’s wings, an Equip Spell, two Trap cards, and the Dark Piercing Light he had used back in the clearing. “I summon Dragunity Javelin in Attack.” Juruo placed the card into one of the five monster card zones on the duel shield, and felt an immediate warm sensation as the armoured monster appeared before him. It was a little bigger than he was in size, and floated in the air effortlessly. He could feel a power emanating from it, but also gentleness, as if it was more than just an image (ATK: 1200). “Next I equip him with Dragon Treasure boosting his attack. Now attack Familiar Knight.” The dragon cried as its strength rose (ATK: 1500), it shoot skywards before plunging for the opposing knight, striking it with its spear-like helmet. The knight grunted, and disappeared from whence it came. Sabin smirked.

 

“Familiar Knights effect is activated. When he gets destroyed, we can both summon a Level 4 monster from our hand. I choose Maha Vailo.” The image of a woman dressed in a strange blue robe appeared from Sabin’s card (ATK: 1550).

 

“I bring out Dragunity Dux” said Juruo, placing his second monster card next to Javelin. The winged warrior emerged and stood tall, he was an impressive sight. “Now Dux gains 200 ATK for each Dragunity card I control, giving him enough to beat your monster”. With that, the warrior (ATK: 1900) advanced, ready to strike.

 

Sabin turned his face-down card. “I activate the Trap Card, Dimensional Prison. Say goodbye to your monster.” Juruo grimaced as a purple vortex engulfed Dux completely, causing him to vanish. His opponent’s smug grin widened as he drew another card. “Now I begin my turn, and I equip Maha Vailo with Mask of Brutality, increasing her attack by 1000. This in turn activates her ability, which gives her another 500 ATK for each Spell she’s equipped with. Now attack Javelin.” A horrible mask appeared and attached itself to the face of the spell caster. She clawed at it in frenzy, trying to remove it, but its power overcame (ATK: 3050). In her berserk state, she unleashed a barrage of spells at Javelin, destroying it. Juruo recoiled from the blast, as the Life Points gauge on his duel shield fell (LP: 2450). Hoping he had something good coming, he drew his next card, and nodded approval as another armoured dragon was added to his hand. His deck had immediately provided what he needed.

 

“I summon Dragunity Darkspear in Attack Mode” he cried. Another sizable dragon appeared, this one black in colour, with a vicious spike attached to its head (ATK: 1000). “Then I’ll set two face-downs and end my turn.”

 

Sabin - Front Row: Maha Vailo. Back Row: Mask of Brutality. Hand: 3. LP: 3700.

Juruo - Front Row: Darkspear. Back Row: 2 face-downs. Hand: 1. LP: 2450.

 

Sabin made a noise of contempt as he drew. “That’s weak. Now, at the start of each of my turns, I have to pay 1000 Life Points to keep Mask of Brutality in effect, which I will. Now Maha Vailo, attack.”

 

“I activate my Trap, Burst Breath. This card allows my Darkspear to destroy monsters whose defence is lower than his attack. Your mask may increase your monsters attack, but it cripples it defensively.” Darkspear flew at the Maha Vailo, as a burst of scorching flame burst from its jaws. The spell caster shrieked, and both monsters were destroyed. Sabin’s smile vanished.

 

“Lucky move. I’ll summon Mystic Swordsman Lv2 in Defence (DEF: 0) and end with a face down card.”

 

Excitement filled Juruo as he felt the duel swing his way. “I summon Dragunity Legionnaire.” Another winged fighter appeared, this one taller and more muscular than Dux, it cracked its knuckles as it adopted a boxer’s stance (ATK: 1200). “Now for the true power of the Dragunity. You see, my dragons and warriors true potential is realised when they fight together as one. When I summon Legionnaire, I get to bring back Dragunity Darkspear, and unite them. Then by sending Darkspear back to the Graveyard, I can destroy one card.” Juruo surprised himself, not knowing how he knew this. He had only briefly flicked through his new cards once; he hadn’t been able to study them in any depth yet. The black dragon materialised beside the Legionnaire, and at once it charged the small swordsman Sabin had played, destroying them both. Juruo felt a wretch at having done this to Darkspear for the second time, but continued. “Legionnaire, direct attack.” With a clear field, the warrior charged as Sabin, alarmed, raised his shield. The strongman pulled back his fist and struck the shield, the force of the blow threw Sabin backwards, smashing into a tree (LP: 1500). Shocked, Juruo motioned towards him.

 

Sabin - Front Row: - . Back Row: Face-down. Hand: 2. LP: 1500.

Juruo - Front Row: Legionnaire. Back Row: Face-down. Hand: 1. LP: 2450.

 

“Don’t you come any closer. I don’t need your help!” yelled Sabin angrily. He staggered to his feet, his slick hair awry and face red. “I’m far from done. I draw, and then I activate Reckless Greed, giving me two more cards.” Hand replenished, Sabin began to laugh quietly. “Next I summon Marauding Captain, and in turn activate his effect to summon Effect Veiler.” The images of an experienced swordsman and a girl with long blue hair appeared side by side. “Then I play Level Modulation to bring back my Mystic Swordsman.” The small warrior reappeared. Although Juruo got to draw two cards, he was concerned. None of the monsters could take down Legionnaire, and Sabin could not summon again this turn, why did he feel so ill at ease?

 

“Now I tune my three monsters, allowing me to perform a Synchro Summon!”

 

“You’ll do what?” Juruo had heard of Synchro Summoning before, but never seen it himself, as he stared at the three monsters being engulfed by columns of light. Sabin laughed louder at him.

 

“Amateur. You talk about the true power of your cards? You don’t have the slightest clue how to use your cards. Unfortunately for you, I know how to use mine. By having a Tuner monster on the field, like Effect Veiler, as well as monsters whose Levels combine to the right amount, I can summon a powerful monster to destroy you. Come out, Gaia Knight, Force of Earth.”

 

From the woods behind the duelist came the sound of galloping hooves and the clink of chainmail, as a knight and its steed burst into the arena. Both of their faces were obscured by their protective battle wear, and the knight carried a lance in each hand (ATK: 2600). Sabin’s delirium increased. “Next I play, Synchro Blast Wave, destroying Legionnaire.” Juruo gasped as the fighter crumbled and shattered before him, leaving him open. “Now Knight, end this loser” commanded Sabin as the knight charged.

 

“I activate Hallowed Life Barrier” cried Juruo, activating his remaining face-down in the nick of time. Three ladies in blue robes appeared, two in a stance of prayer, as the other cast the protective shield. Gaia Knight thrust a lance at it, but to no avail, as Juruo’s Life Points remained intact. Irritated, Sabin placed his last card face-down, and with nothing more he could do, ended his turn.

 

Synchro Summon? How did he do that? I’ve heard of it long ago, but me and my friends never used Synchros when we duelled before. As far as his own experience went (prior to the amnesty), Juruo was only used to bringing out monsters that strong by Tributing monsters on the field, or occasionally, you could bring out special monsters with certain Spell cards - to perform a Fusion Summon by merging together the correct monsters with Polymerization, or a Ritual Summon by tributing enough of them. He looked at the three cards he had acquired over the last turn. One of them had strength equal to Gaia’s, but would need an old fashioned Tribute Summon to bring out. He just needed something to tribute.

 

“First I use Pot of Duality to add one of the top three cards of my deck to my hand.” Juruo picked up the three cards, adding the card he had hoped for to his hand and returning the other two to the deck. “Now I summon the card I gained, Dragunity Phalanx.” A dragon in thick bronze armour appeared on the field. “Then I activate Tribute Doll. By tributing this monster, I get to bring out a more powerful one from my hand, the Dragunity Arms Laevatein!”

 

The bronze dragon disappeared, and there was a screech from the sky above, one that would be heard for miles around. Through the tree cover descended a great orange dragon, three times the size of any Juruo had yet summoned. It had small versions of dragon’s traditional wings, but they were outmatched by the huge angel wings that produced gusts with each beat. Great spikes pronounced all the way down its back to a barbed tail, and in its right hand it carried a sword (ATK: 2600). The Laevatein emitted its high pitched cry again, and the entire forest vibrated with the sound. Juruo smiled, he felt at one with this mighty creature, Inpachi could not have given him a better Deck.

 

Sabin - Front Row: Gaia Knight. Back Row: Face-down. Hand: 0. LP: 1500.

Juruo - Front Row: Laevatein. Back Row: -. Hand: 0. LP: 2450.

 

Something was wrong though, why did Sabin still have that smirk on his face? He was unable to draw, due to the effect of Reckless Greed. He just stood there, motionless. Then...

 

“Gaia, attack.”

 

The knight raised its lance and charged. Laevatein screeched and swung its mighty blade. Their strength matched exactly, they connected at the same time in a draw, and were both destroyed. Juruo couldn’t understand. It was a foolish move; Sabin had left himself wide open.

 

“I activate Wicked Rebirth.” Sabin grunted slightly as his Life Points went down again, as a swirling black portal opened up on the ground. Dismayed, Juruo watched helplessly as the knight and horse rose slowly from the hellish gateway, as though they had never left the field. Sabin pushed his hands through his hair, back into its stylish place, the match was over. All that left was for Juruo to draw his last useless card, and then he could attack.

 

Juruo placed his hand on his Deck, eyes closed and breathing heavily. A direct attack from that monster would lose him the duel, but what was more worrying was the damage he had done to Sabin earlier when Legionnaire attacked. Gaia had over twice the strength. From what Inpachi had said the spirit could not physically injure him, but believing it while being lined up by this beast was a different matter. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked at his last card. It was Decoy Dragon, the card of the spirit he had met earlier. He shrugged: he wasn’t going to concede to anyone, especially not to this jerk.

 

Decoy Dragon, Defence Mode.” The little blue dragon appeared and began to fly around chasing its tail; clearly it was delighted to be back (DEF: 200).

 

Sabin - Front Row: Gaia Knight. Back Row: Wicked Rebirth. Hand: 0. LP: 1500.

Juruo - Front Row: Decoy Dragon. Back Row: -. Hand: 0. LP: 2450.

 

Sabin laughed. Even the knight, given from the movement from of its head and shoulders, was amused. “Gaia, crush that pipsqueak.”

The horseman charged at the tiny dragon. It stopped flying in circles and looked up, and gave a bizarre cry. Suddenly, something answered from behind Juruo, which caused both rivals to jump and look. From out of nowhere, the great orange form of Laevatein came crashing out of the forest, sword brandished. The horse reared in surprise, and began to charge the larger dragon.

 

“How the...? Gaia... No... STOP!”

 

Too late, the monsters clashed for the second time, to exactly the same outcome. However, there would be no comeback for the armoured horseman this time. Empty handed and field clear, Sabin stood in shock, open mouthed, as Juruo drew for the match, any monster would do now.

 

Dragunity Militum, end this duel.” Juruo pushed his final card into its slot, summoning another winged warrior, this one a graceful female with long hair and feathered wings, brandishing two short swords. It leapt at Sabin and struck home, reducing his Life Points to zero. The duellist collapsed, gasping for air, clutching his chest where Militum had struck him as he struggled to react in time. The duel over, Juruo watched as Militum and Decoy Dragon faded back to the spirit world, before he walked over and examined his opponent. There were no physical wounds from the battle, but the force of each duel spirits attack was enough to shock and cause a mental sensation of pain to someone for a few moments, especially when the force of a blow made the duellist have an impact with something in the physical world, such as the tree. Juruo checked Sabin’s ribs; there was some bruising, but nothing major. Perhaps unsurprising, Sabin was not gracious in defeat, and fought him off.

 

“You punk. That was a fluke, and you still don’t know how to duel properly,” he scowled.

 

“And you still lost, so are you going to help me?” Juruo watched as Sabin got up, clutching at his side. He was fuming; losing must have been embarrassing him more than anything. Sighing and giving up, Juruo turned and walked away.

 

An hour later, he reached the edge of the forest on a small hill, and had to cover his eyes from the bright light he was suddenly bathed in. When they had adjusted, he could see the palace, and from it a pair of tall black banners could be seen. A cart of prisoners was being taken for sentencing, and Hikari was certainly among them. There was a small rustling noise from behind Juruo. He turned to see Sabin walk out from the leafy terra, slightly unsteady as he stepped up alongside him, and look at the procession. A grimace of distain passed his lips, and his eyes flashed.

 

Juruo smiled. “Thank you.”

 

Sabin shrugged. “Whatever.”

 

 

Please notify me if the hyperlinks helped or not, it took ages to put them all in.

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Guest ~ Epic Hero - Saber ~

So I got around to reading this. As I had received no notification on it being posted, I just noticed it. I've read chapters one and two, and skimmed through three to get a grasp on what would happen.

 

It is... good, generally. But, it's not as good as it could be. There's a huge problem right off the bat. Inconsistency. In the latter part of chapter 1, a big force that directs Juruo's actions is the safety of his mother. In chapter 2 she is basically just ignored, I mean she's right there in the house with the guards barging in and all Juruo can think is getting Hikari to safety. Hmm, love-at-first-sight, witchcraft, or author's negligence? Sorry but in this case, I'm inclined to go for option C... Also, it was kind of fun that the guard 'fell' for Hikari's lie, and yet still seems to know the truth when he tells Juruo not to hate him. I mean, what kind of moron would normally hate the person who saved him from his kidnapper? However, in this case I liked it as it seemed to imply that Osborn actually realized what was going on, and chose to spare Juruo. Not all enemies need to be plain-out jackasses.

 

Apart from this part that struck me as really bad, the rest was ok. Description flows, and the narration tends to do its job. Characters are mostly portrayed realistically, though Hikari seems to be constantly switching between a scared little girl and a brave warrior woman all the time. From what I read of chapter 3, you seem to be doing well, keeping up a decent pace. I liked Nero's portrayal, and the tie-in with the Royal cards was a smart little tidbit. But... Inpachi? And Decoy Dragon? Mhm... anyway, I'll give 3 and 4 a more thorough read when I have the time, and express my opinions on them. So far, you are good, but you still have room for improvement.

 

So long.

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So I got around to reading this. As I had received no notification on it being posted, I just noticed it. I've read chapters one and two, and skimmed through three to get a grasp on what would happen.

 

Oops, sorry dude, forgot who asked for notes and who didn't.

 

It is... good, generally. But, it's not as good as it could be. There's a huge problem right off the bat. Inconsistency. In the latter part of chapter 1, a big force that directs Juruo's actions is the safety of his mother. In chapter 2 she is basically just ignored, I mean she's right there in the house with the guards barging in and all Juruo can think is getting Hikari to safety. Hmm, love-at-first-sight, witchcraft, or author's negligence? Sorry but in this case, I'm inclined to go for option C... Also, it was kind of fun that the guard 'fell' for Hikari's lie, and yet still seems to know the truth when he tells Juruo not to hate him. I mean, what kind of moron would normally hate the person who saved him from his kidnapper? However, in this case I liked it as it seemed to imply that Osborn actually realized what was going on, and chose to spare Juruo. Not all enemies need to be plain-out jackasses.

 

Yes, I did realise that stuff about Juruo's mother, and couldn't work out how to address it. It is kind of covered in a later chapter (yet to be posted) that in his rush to rescue Hikari, his brain knida went dead and all rational thought out of the window.

 

Correct assumption about Osborn though. Osborn generally isn't a bad guy, just has his hands tied by the emperor.

 

Apart from this part that struck me as really bad, the rest was ok. Description flows, and the narration tends to do its job. Characters are mostly portrayed realistically, though Hikari seems to be constantly switching between a scared little girl and a brave warrior woman all the time. From what I read of chapter 3, you seem to be doing well, keeping up a decent pace. I liked Nero's portrayal, and the tie-in with the Royal cards was a smart little tidbit. But... Inpachi? And Decoy Dragon? Mhm... anyway, I'll give 3 and 4 a more thorough read when I have the time, and express my opinions on them. So far, you are good, but you still have room for improvement.

 

Hmm... I see. The bit were she was scared at Chapter 2 was initially supposed to portray the guard as a force to be feared by all, especially in that hunted down scenario.

 

As for Decoy Dragon, come on, its cute and has a protective effect. Inpachi was perhaps not the best choice however.

 

So long.

 

Thanks for the constructive feedback.

 

I know my writing isn't perfect but I'll keep working on it.

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Chapter 5 is up.

 

Will Hikari be rescued?

 

Will Juruo and Sabin survive themselves?

 

Will I get any feedback on my duel writing?

 

Two of these questions are answered in the spoiler below...

 

[spoiler=Chapter 5]

Chapter 5 - Knights in Shining Armour

 

Juruo picked his way through the crowd, slowly approaching the stand. He clung to the collar of the cloak he had stolen from a clothesline in the slums tightly with his right hand, so that he could keep the duel shield attached to his left arm hidden from view. He moved slowly, careful not to draw attention to himself as he got closer and closer to his desired position. The crowd was causing trouble anyway with their protesting, which would be an aid in his planned escape. Occasionally he would have to turn to avoid a guard who might ask him to remove his hood, and recognize him for the previous night. Even the most dim-witted thug would be able to put two and two together if they saw him, or at the very least would jump to the correct conclusion. Eventually he broke through to the front of the gathering number of people in the square, and looked up at the gallows. The structure looked every part the mechanism of death and despair it had been built for; made of dark black beams that seemed to absorb all the light in the square. It was lopsided and the platform creaked as the masked executioner paced around. Straight in front of him, three ropes hung for the main beam.

 

Juruo froze in confusion. Three ropes? He had assumed that Hikari was the only person who would be being executed; he had not even considered the possibility there would be more. This affected everything they had planned for. Who else was being bough to the gallows? Should he save them too, or leave them? After all, they could be allies of Hikari, or other duelists, or he could be aiding notorious criminals of any sort. Plus more prisoners would surely mean more guards to get past. He didn’t know what to do. Trying not to panic, Juruo’s train of thought was bought to a temporary halt as a roar of boos and threats distracted him. A prison cart was being pulled into the square. Many were attempting to charge it, but were pushed back by the twelve heavily armed soldiers escorting the cart from all sides. Cursing, Juruo looked back across the platform, searching for Sabin in the sea of bodies. He found him slightly to his left on the opposite side of the gallows, wearing a similar cloak to his own (they had stolen a pair from the same house) and keeping himself in front of the burly pair of smiths. He nodded; he must have been there for a while.

 

The cart forced its way through to the centre and pulled up. The driver climbed down from his seat, and swung open the side door, barking at the prisoners to get out. Juruo watched as first came a tall woman, with long light blue hair and ghostly white skin, as was the sweeping cloak she wore above her blue trousers and knee high boots. She stared straight into the eyes of the driver, a look of cold fury in her face. The driver, who was much shorter than she was, visibly quivered before her, until a guard pulled her away by the ropes around her wrists. Another prisoner came out, and Juruo choked. A young boy, who couldn’t be more than ten, with spiky blue hair similar to the woman’s, was being dragged towards the platform. The emotion and hatred in the square boiled over at the sight. Juruo struggled not to break his cover, his teeth gritted and fists turned white from the force he was clenching them with. Finally Hikari came out. She did not show the fear or sadness or anger like her predecessors, she just had her eyes closed, and looked peaceful. She had resigned herself to death.

Juruo continued to watch as the three were marched up onto the platform and positioned under each rope. He twirled his pre-selected card nervously between his fingers; it was no good to him, not now. One of the guards stood up on the platform with a scroll, and began to read from it.

 

“The three prisoners on trial today, Erin and Melanc Kazoku and Hikari Shinobu, have been found guilty of treason, for their attempts to overthrow our great ruler, Emperor Nero VIII. Their sentence for these crimes is to be hanged at this place, until death.” The guard shielded himself for the barrage of rotten fruit hurled at him for the crowd and joined the rest of the group surrounding the platform. The executioner stepped forward and forced each prisoner’s neck through the loop, and moved towards the lever that would release the trapdoors, and seal their fate.

 

Impulse took over. Juruo ducked back in to the crowd and ran around, pushing through anyone who didn’t get out of the way fast enough. The guards immediately moved, suspicious of everything, but it didn’t matter, he had to get round to the side of the platform. Sensing the opportunity caused by this unplanned distraction, Sabin broke his position from the other side and sprinted to the platform. Juruo reached his new position just as the executioner reached his. He curled his long crooked fingers around the lever, and pulled. Desperate, Juruo pushed his card into its slot.

 

Something whistled past his ear. An arrow shot past him, and straight through the ropes, piercing through all three as the trap doors swung open, imbedding itself in the thick upright. The prisoners dropped, straight through the platform to the ground, unharmed. Juruo was amazed, but didn’t stop to look for the bowman, he was too focused on his own rescue and how he was being forced to improvise. He proceeded to summon his chosen card, Dragunity Militum. From a whirl of feathers appeared the form of a graceful female warrior; her wings spread and twin swords bared. The guards attacked her, but her speed and strength outmatched them as she danced through them in a blur of feathers and steel. Guards fell in shock, their simple minds shutting down as they believed they had been slain. Juruo followed his ally to the platform, where Sabin was cutting free the captives. He was barely aware of the tall woman and young boy staring at him, as he went to Hikari and grimaced. She had badly beaten and scarred.

 

There was a shriek behind him, a horrible scream louder than any individual in the crowd could make. Juruo felt a blow to his heart. He knew what had happened before he turned, but how? He looked around to see Militum defeated and dissolving, back into the world of the duel spirits. As she disappeared, Juruo gasped. In her place stood a huge ox, covered in blood red armour and carrying a stained axe, and behind him, wielding a golden duel shield, face filled with fury, was the royal knight, Osborn.

 

“Why am I not surprised to see you? I suspected something would happen here, so I thought I’d come prepared to deal with any rescue attempt.” There was something in Osborn’s voice that didn’t quite ring right with Juruo, he was almost regretful. But there was something even more confusing.

 

“H… How do you have duel monsters? If they are outlawed by the empire, you should be the last person to have them.”

 

“It’s called fighting fire with fire boy. Only the most trusted warriors have been given duel monster cards to protect the emperor from other duellists, it may be hypocrisy, but it was a necessary measure. I gave you the chance to avoid this boy, but now you leave me with none.” Osborn tone changed as he set himself, inserting his cards into the duel shields deck slot. Juruo looked around as the guards who hadn’t fallen to Militum fanned out and formed a circle around the area, keeping the people at bay. This was all too surreal; Osborn could just have them all arrested immediately, why did he want to duel? The crowd roared, and it dawned on him. These common people were looking at him, at Sabin, and the others, and the dark mood had been lifted. The very presence of a set of duellists fighting the Empire was inspiring them, and this thought must be terrifying the knight. Osborn wanted to beat him in a duel in front of all these people to set an example, to strengthen the empires grip on the throat of the commoners. Juruo looked out at the faces of the people - the oppressed and the enslaved - and he felt himself grow stronger. He stepped out into the clearing, and set his duel shield.

 

“Duel!”

 

“I’ll go first” declared Osborn as he drew six cards to Juruo’s five. “And I Summon Battle Ox in Attack”. The mighty armoured beast returned to the field, snarling viciously (ATK: 1700). “Next I’ll play the Spell Card Heart of the Underdog. Every time I draw a normal monster from my deck, this card allows me to draw another card. With that I’ll end my turn.”

 

The hologram of the Spell card appeared behind Battle Ox, causing Juruo to frown. Extra drawing power was gold dust in duels, especially if it could fuel a regular supply of powerful monsters. Juruo drew his sixth card, and looked at his hand. ‘Dragunity Arms Laevatein’, the monster he had used to defeat Sabin, was in his opening hand. That was good, but the other monsters weren’t as strong, and wouldn’t last with Battle Ox. However…

 

“I summon ‘Dragunity Phalanx’ in Defence Mode, and then I play Swords of Revealing Light.” His card appeared and shone before him, unleashing a dragon cased in bronze armour. It set into a crouching defence position, crossing its thick arms (DEF: 1100). It wouldn’t stand up to Osborn’s monster directly, but ‘Swords’ was a powerful spell, that would prevent all his monsters from attacking for three turns. Three swords made of pure light trapped the ox, causing it to bellow in frustration. The crowd cheered.

 

Osborn - Front Row: Battle Ox. Back Row: Heart of Underdog. Hand: 4. LP: 4000.

Juruo - Front Row: Phalanx. Back Row: Swords. Hand: 4. LP: 4000.

 

This irked Osborn further, his once handsome face contorted with rage, made even uglier by his scars. “I draw, and as I got Guardian of the Labyrinth, I can draw again.” The knights face-up spell glowed as its effect was activated. Osborn drew his second card, and for the first time, smiled. “Excellent. With military precision, I play the card I just drew, Polymerization. This card allows me to unite my Battle Ox with the Mystic Horseman in my hand, and bring forth the barbaric Rabid Horseman.”

 

The image of a half man, half horse creature appeared briefly, before it disappeared with the Battle Ox into a swirling vortex. There was a pause, then screams greeted the monster that came out. A mutated amalgamation of the two creatures it was created from, the beast stood tall on its four legs, its upper body was encased in thick battle armour. In its right hand it held a massive cleaver (ATK: 2300). Not satisfied, Osborn continued. “Next I summon Chiron the Mage from my hand.” Another half man half horse creature appeared, this one held a staff instead (ATK: 1800). “Then I activate his ability. By discarding the Spell card Two Man Cell Battle from my hand, I can destroy your Swords of Revealing Light, leaving my beasts free to attack. CHARGE!!!”

 

Juruo gasped as the swords shattered, leaving him defenceless. The horsemen roared as Osborn gave the order, Chiron driving its stave into Phalanx, causing the dragon to vanish, while Rapid Horseman drove into Juruo for a direct attack, swinging its almighty blade. He raised his shield to protect himself, but was still knocked back by the force of the blow (LP: 1700). He staggered to his feet, grimacing. “My turn. Draw.” Juruo glanced at his new card, it offered him some protection, but with Chiron able to destroy the cards in his back row, it wasn’t guaranteed. “I place two cards face-down, then I summon Masked Dragon in Defence.” A large grey dragon with a red underbelly and an oddly flat face appeared from the cards shining hologram, crouching in its defensive stance (DEF: 1100). “End turn.”

 

Osborn - Front Row: Rabid Horseman, Chiron. Back Row: Heart of Underdog. Hand: 2. LP: 4000.

Juruo - Front Row: Masked Dragon. Back Row: 2 face-downs. Hand: 4. LP: 1700.

 

“Your last turn” growled Osborn as he began his next turn. “I draw Protector of the Throne, and thus Heart of the Underdog activates, giving me another card.” The knight looked at his next card and paused for a moment. He could use it to activate Chiron’s effect again, but there was no clue as to which of Juruos face-down cards he should be take out. He decided to continue the straightforward assault. “I activate another ‘Polymerization’, fusing the two monsters in my hand to bring out Giltia the D. Knight in Attack.” A knight in purple and green robes and headwear materialized alongside the two beasts, brandishing a long staff (ATK: 1850). “Now Giltia, attack the dragon.”

 

The warrior struck hard with his staff, obliterated the dragon, as Juruo had planned. “Masked Dragons effect is activated. When he’s destroyed, I can summon a Dragon-type monster from my Deck.” Osborn grunted as Juruo started to rifle through his cards. Question was which one to bring out? Nothing he could summon was strong enough. He stopped at the sight of a small dragon, brown in colour, with a round body and long neck. To most it would look feeble, but as Juruo looked at it, something told him this was the card to play. “I summon Totem Dragon”. The card’s image appeared and glowed, and from it sprung the little dragon, flapping frantically with its tiny wings to stay airborne (DEF: 200).

 

There were groans from the spectators, as Osborn scoffed at the comical sight. “That’s all you got? Talk about forlorn hope. Chiron, wipe it out.” Juruo looked away as his little dragon was swept into nothingness by the centaur like creature. “Now Rabid Horseman, finish this.”

 

“Activate Hallowed Life Barrier” cried Juruo, revealing his face-down with a flourish. “By discarding a card, I’m protected for this turn.” As they had in his last duel, three ladies appeared before him, casting a shield that repelled the horseman’s oncoming attack. Juruo sighed with relief. He had survived, just. He glanced back at the group he was protecting. The woman continued to stare at him without expression. The young boy was cheering, frantically hopping up and down. Sabin was glowering, furious at him for dragging him into this mess. Hikari just looked at him, and smiled. His strength returned to him as he drew his next card.

 

“Here we go. Now I activate Totem Dragons effect, bringing him back from my Graveyard.” Juruo took the card from the Graveyard slot and activated it, bringing back his tiny dragon. “Now for the good part. When I use Totem Dragon for the Tribute Summon of a Dragon-type monster, he counts for two tributes. Allowing me to bring out my strongest monster, Dragunity Arms Laevatein!” Storm clouds gathered overhead, and from them came forth the commanding sight of the Arms Laevatein, its massive wings beating down heavily on the people in the square (ATK: 2600). “Now go. Attack Chiron.” The dragon unleashed its high pitched scream, raising its huge broadsword and bringing it down on the beast-warrior, smashing it to pieces (LP: 3200). Juruo carried on as Osborn grimaced at his Life Points being depleted. “By the way, when I summon Laevatein, I get to equip him with a Dragunity monster from my Graveyard. I choose Dragunity Aklys, which I discarded when I activated Hallowed Life Barrier”. A red dragon, completely encased in silver body armour, appeared on Laevateins back.

 

Osborn - Front Row: Rabid Horseman, Giltia. Back Row: Heart of Underdog. Hand: 1. LP: 3200.

Juruo - Front Row: Laevatein. Back Row: Aklys, face-down. Hand: 1. LP: 1700.

 

Osborn scowled. “I draw Queen's Knight, and activate Heart of the Underdog to draw again. Then I summon my knight in Defence, and switch my other cards to Defence as well.” A female warrior appeared next to Rabid Horseman and Giltia the Knight as they moved to protect themselves. (DEF: Rabid Horseman: 1700. Giltia: 1500. Queens Knight: 1600.)

 

Juruos confidence increased as he pressed home the advantage. “Laevatein, attack Rabid Horseman.” The beast howled as the dragons sword pierced its armour and destroyed it. “End turn.”

 

Osborn - Front Row: Giltia, Queens Knight Back Row: Heart of Underdog. Hand: 1. LP: 3200.

Juruo - Front Row: Laevatein. Back Row: Aklys, face-down. Hand: 2. LP: 1700.

 

The crowd was going ballistic, hollering and stamping their feet. The guards motioned towards Juruo, but Osborn waved them off. “You may have skill after all, but this ends now. I activate the Pot of Avarice I just drew, by returning five monsters from my Graveyard to my Deck; I can draw two more cards.” Juruo watched intently as Osborn shuffled and drew his cards, he knew the knight wasn’t finished yet, and by the look on his face, he may have just got exactly what he wanted. “I activate Fusion Recovery, bringing back Guardian of the Labyrinth and Polymerization to my hand. Next I summon King's Knight.” An impressive looking swordsman appeared on the field. Juruo glanced back again, he didn’t know why, but from the grave faces behind him, he guessed this was bad. “When Kings Knight and Queens Knight are together, I get to summon Jack's Knight” the knight declared with relish, as another warrior appeared. “Now I activate Polymerization, fusing together my three knights to form…” The swirling vortex appeared for the third time in the duel, drawing in the three warriors. Juruo waited anxiously for something to emerge, sparks were flying from the portal, the seconds dragged. A gloved hand surfaced, followed by a helmet. Juruo watched in horror as a knight in shining armour pulled itself free of the vortex, wielding an enormous flamberge, and with it the highest attack stat he had ever seen (ATK: 3800). Osborn shouted over the noise of the crowd. “Behold. Arcane Knight Joker”.

 

Juruo couldn’t believe what he was facing. 3800 attack points! That surpassed almost everything he had ever heard of, except for a few legendary monsters. How on earth was he supposed to survive against something possessing that kind of ATK? In any case, he couldn’t let Osborn or the watching crowd suspect the angst this was causing him. After all, he still had his face down. “Arcane Knight Joker, slay that dragon” Osborn cried. The knight heaved its massive sword onto its shoulder and ran at Juruo’s Laevatein.

 

“I activate the Trap, Burst Breath. This allows me to destroy all monsters you control whose DEF is lower than the ATK of Laevatein!” Juruo flipped his face-down card on his duel shield, revealing his trap. A great flame started to build inside Laevatein’s mouth.

 

“Not good enough” announced Osborn. “I activate Jokers effect, by discarding 1 card from my hand; I can negate the effect of a card of the same type. So by discarding my Backup Soldier card, your Trap is cancelled.”

 

Juruo watched in horror as the flame disappeared from his dragon just as the Joker swung its blade, there was a huge roar as the Laevatein was destroyed. The force of the impact knocked Juruo down onto one knee, but he still had a card left. “You forgot about the monster my dragon was equipped with. When Aklys is sent to the Graveyard I can destroy one of your cards, and I choose Arc…” Juruo paused, and cursed. Giltia was still on the field, poised to strike him directly. If he used Aklys to destroy Joker, he would have no protection and lose the duel. Resigned, “I choose Giltia the D. Knight.” The red dragon flew at the robed knight and speared it with the spike on its back, causing them both to disappear. Osborn did not move, signalling he had ended his turn. The knight simply returned to his stoic expression. He did not take enjoyment from this, as he had explained before, he was just doing his job.

 

Juruo pulled himself back to his feet and looked at the monster he was facing. It could negate his card effects as well? Then the only way he could defeat it would be to outmuscle it for ATK, but that was almost certainly impossible. He paused as he put his hand to his deck, praying for a miracle. He drew, and sighed. Of course, he hadn’t got it. Dragunity Dux was a powerful monster, but between it and the other two cards in his hand, he couldn’t win. He looked out at the people he had let down, the crowd had gone deadly silent in the last minute. He thought of those he had failed to rescue, and of Sabin, who he had dragged into this. Maybe he had been right all along. He didn’t know how to use his cards.

 

Then it dawned on him. Sabin really was right. He hadn’t been using his cards properly, and although he didn’t have a card in his hand that was powerful now, with the right combination he might get one. The minutes dragged on as he planned his move, staring at his cards, trying to remember what Sabin had done in their duel earlier. His head rose, and he looked intently at Osborn, knowing he would beat him.

 

“I summon ‘Dragunity Dux’ from my hand, and activate his ability to equip himself with one Dragon-type monster from my Graveyard. So come on back, Dragunity Phalanx.” Osborn raised an eyebrow as the masked warrior exploded from the sky, sitting atop the reborn bronze dragon (ATK: 1500). “Now I activate Phalanx’s effect to separate my two monsters. This gives me the monsters I need to perform a Synchro Summon. I tune together Phalanx and Dux to summon, Dragunity Knight - Gae Bulg!”

 

The two monsters vanished in two columns of emerald light that shot into the stormy sky. A crack of lightning came down from the black clouds overhead, and the wind picked up viciously, causing the gallows to wobble violently. The ground began to shake, and shouts came from the crowd. Juruo looked up and smiled, as an enormous serpent-like dragon slowly pulled free from the cloud cover. Its entire body length was covered in fine silver armour, as were its arms and wings, and it had three terrible horns on its helmet piece. On its back rode a magnificent silver knight, carrying a lance. (ATK: 2000). Osborn looked at his opponent in horror, the boy seemed to have transformed from the cowering peasant he had met last night, to something on a higher plane. Juruo’s duelling instincts took over. He knew what to do. “Next

I play Dragon Mastery which allows me to equip my knight with another Dragunity monster in my hand, Dragunity Brandistock. This gives my monster a minor boost (ATK: 2500). Next I activate Gae Bulg’s effect. By removing Dragunity Dux from my Graveyard, he gains that monsters ATK. Now go.”

 

Osborn recoiled as the dragon emitted a battle cry as its strength increased to beyond his own monsters (ATK: 4000). Swooping down, the dragon’s rider thrust its lance into the Arcane Knight Joker, destroying it. The crowd hollered and stamped as Juruo held up his hand. “Now Brandistock activates his effect, allowing my monster to attack a second time. Now Gae Bulg, finish this” Juruo brought his hand down with authority, pointing at the golden knight. Osborn just stood there, frozen with terror, as the dragon knight struck him directly, reducing his Life Points to 0. The square exploded into cheers as the dragon faded back into its own world. The knight gasped and buckled, collapsing into a heap.

 

There was a surge as the inspired crowd pushed forward. The guards, at the fall of their leader, looked to each other helplessly, desperate for someone to take control, were overcome in their disarray by the weight of the numbers. The people stormed the gallows, determined to break them down. Juruo meanwhile remained motionless, staring at the still knight, until someone hit round the back of the head. It was Sabin, who just muttered, “We’re equal now, so if you don’t mind I’m out of here. I suggest you all make a break for it in this confusion”. With that, he disappeared into the chaos. The tall woman and young boy came up to him. They both just looked at him, the boy was glassy eyed and joyful. The woman’s look was still cold and very hard to read into, but she thanked him curtly on their behalf, before they also made their way to escape the square in the opposite direction.

 

There was another cheer, as Juruo glanced up to see the prison cart pulling away. The guards had been unable to regain control and were retreated on this lost cause. Juruo remembered Hikari, and began to push his way through the crowd in panic, praying she hadn’t been recaptured. He climbed up onto the platform and cast around. Minutes passed and he couldn’t see her. Finally he spotted her, standing in an alley on the other side of the crowd, she was looking straight at him. She waved, then ran into the alley and out of sight. Juruo stared after her, before he pulled his hood over his head again, deciding he should leave for cover before reinforcements came. He left the square to the sound of an almighty crash, as the Raviel gallows collapsed.

 

 

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