Yu-Gi-Oh! Accel - Origins [Chapter 6: Into the Void] Posted!

[Synchronized]

(This story is the sequel story to Yu-Gi-Oh! D-Accel, which can be found in its entirety HERE.  Comments, feedback, anything of the sort would be greatly appreciated.)

 

 

[spoiler=Chapter 1]
Our story begins in the desolate village of Menderite.  A small, shackled grouping of homes on the border of the Cerulean Desert.  Two months have passed since Calion’s exchange of goodbyes with his allies following their defeat of Lucien Grasciou.  In his attempt to search for the answers he so desires, Calion’s travels have lead him here, stranded and fatigued in the desert only to be rescued by an older couple traveling to retrieve the day’s water rations.  His power is weak, such things one would come to expect being stranded in such an environment for multiple days.  They have watched over him and graciously provided rations of their own, but the village is poor, and the family struggles to support themselves as it is.
 
The couple had propped a blanket on the floor of their spare room, using a couple of makeshift pillows to create a sort of bed.  It was nothing special, but after what his body had endured from collapsing in the desert, it felt like a multi-thousand dollar mattress.  Two days had passed since they’d found him unconscious and retrieved him, and since then he’d done nothing but sleep, waking only when they woke him with water and food.  It didn’t take a genius to know that these people weren’t very well-off, in fact even his own rations of food were small, though he was extremely grateful.
 
He felt a strong sense of guilt having to rely on these people to survive, especially taking from those who were fighting for their own survival.  He made a promise to himself that he would only stay here as long as absolutely necessary; he refused to be a burden on them.
 
The elderly woman, in her early seventies, gently knocked on the door, using the metal tray she was carrying to nudge it open as she made her way into the room.  With a kind, gentle smile, she placed the tray down aside his bed and brushed the crumbs off her knit purple nightgown.  Her name was Talaya.
 
“Thank you,” Calion replied, nodding his head through a somewhat raspy voice as he tried his best to share a smile.  She nodded her head, smiling back at him as she placed a glass of water – about half full – on the floor next to the tray.
“Save your voice, you’ve only just begun to get it back,” she ordered him calmly.  “Eat, drink.  It’s nightfall and it gets quite cold around here.  Ironic being on the outskirts of the desert, such brutal heat during the day, and unbearable cold in the night.  This is the remainder of the water supply for the evening; I’ll be going to gather some tomorrow.  I might suggest you make it last.”
Calion nodded his head, pulling himself into a seated position and propping himself up against the pillows behind him.  She was so genuine in nature, and yet while he appreciated her efforts the idea of consuming the last of their water and even their food in such conditions brought him shame.  “Thank you, but I think I’m fine,” he lied, urging her to take the beverage for herself.  “Seriously, you take it.  Just a bit more sleep and I should be out of your way in no time.”
“And do what?” She asked, rhetorically.  “Go back into the desert? You were near death when we found you, there’s no way your body will hold up in such conditions.” She grabbed the cup and handed it to him, forcefully pressing it into his palm.  Regrettably, he took a sip, pressing it to his lips as the cool water trickled down the sides of his hoarse throat.
He shook his head, or at least attempted.  Apparently he was more fatigued than he thought, as even that motion was exhausting.  “I can’t stay here much longer.  I appreciate your hospitality and I am indebted to you, but I can see you’ve barely got enough food and water for yourself.”
“Don’t worry about us,” she said, shaking her head scornfully.  “We would not have saved your life and brought you here if we were not up to the task.  Now please, eat and sleep.  You may stay as long as you need.”
He wanted to protest, but she didn’t give him the opportunity.  She stood up and flickered off the light in the corner of the room, closing the door behind her.  He had but the gentle flame of the lantern hanging above his head as he managed to swallow down the food she’d placed in front of him, not even stopping to figure out what it was.  He’d gone along with her words, but he wouldn’t stay here much longer, regardless.  At the rate they were going, they would not be able to support him much longer.
He blew out the lantern and pulled the blanket up to his chin.  His mind was racing with thoughts, but he fell asleep almost instantly.
 
---
 
Morning had come before he knew it, the bright rays of sunlight prying their way through the wooden beams holding the house together and forcing him to wake.  There were sounds, loud voices, coming from outside the house.  He couldn’t see as there were no windows in his room, but he could hear what sounded like the voices of angered citizens, yelling and chanting along with one another.  Throwing the blanket aside, he stood; the initial pain of being on his feet for the first time in a few days took a second to get through, but he shook it off and made his way towards what he could only assume was the kitchen.
When he got there, he looked outside upon a crowd of people, yelling and hurling things at the house’s exterior walls.  The old man, Marco, was standing on the front steps outside as they threw insults in his direction.
“Oh so you have extra rations do you?!”
“How can you have enough food for an outsider while the villagers go hungry?!”
His initial response was shock—they were clearly referencing him, somehow the rest of the village who he could only assume was as rundown as the home he was staying in, had discovered that the couple had brought him in.  Some of the crowd members were holding children, and some of the children were even throwing things themselves. 
 
Marco stood and took the insults as some of the stones they were throwing struck him, but he showed no signs of pain and continued to stare into the crowd. 
“My children haven’t eaten in two days!”
“You’re not leaving enough for the rest of us!”, were some of the other ones thrown out. 
Marco couldn’t see Calion, but Calion could see him.  He felt like he should react somehow, but his body was still somewhat weak and he didn’t know what use he’d be other than inspiring the rioters further.  While he stood in front of his open door, Talaya grabbed some rations from the kitchen and tossed them outside to the rioting crowd, not saying a word as she hurled the food in their direction and people scrambled towards it like a pack of rabid dogs.  Marco took a deep breath and closed the door behind him, hanging his head dejectedly as he returned to the house.
 
The two locked eyes for a moment, he and Calion, before he simply turned away and went to join his wife in the bedroom.  Calion stood for a moment, still not sure how to react to what he’d witnessed, such a barbaric display by the townspeople, even the children fighting one another for food, and he wondered exactly what kind of place he’d stumbled into.  There was no way he could stay here any longer; if the people were to riot to this extent, there was no telling what they would do next.
 
---
 
The sun hung high over Menderite, the freezing cold from the night before now seeming like something unbelievable.  As he had no belongings with the exception of his deck and his blade, Calion made for the door.
 
The tension of the moment had already caused his Rakurai to begin to react, and he could feel his body beginning the self-healing process.  While his own abilities would restore him to full health, he couldn’t say the same for the elder couple.  He was a risk to them, and he couldn’t exactly use his powers against humans like those that had formed the mob.  After all, they were simply on the verge of starvation and doing whatever they could to protect themselves and their children.
He had sensed Marco’s presence before he reached the door, and wondered perhaps if the man would offer words.  After a few seconds of silence, Calion took the initiative.  “I am extremely grateful for your actions, and the fact that you and your wife put yourselves at risk to save my life.  But I could not live with myself if I stayed here any further and put your lives at risk.  I hope you can understand this,” Calion said.
“These people will always be the same,” Marco grumbled, crossing his arms.  A brief glance back showed a sad look on his face, somewhat surprising for a man of his stature who tried to show no emotion one way or another.  “This was once a rich and peaceful village, but years of greed and selfishness have ravaged it, turning the townspeople into greedy savages who cry for more and yet are never satisfied with what they receive.”
“But they’re right this time,” Calion replied, staring out the open into the desolate desert that awaited him.  “I’m an outsider, for me to come here and deprive them of food and water that is rightfully theirs, that is not the kind of person I am.  I’ve got the strength to make it on my own now.”
“I’m afraid you don’t understand, your naivety is such,” Marco said.  “The food and water that my wife and I shared with you was simply a part of our daily rations, we took nothing further.  We sacrificed some of our own to give you the necessities to regain your strength.  And yet the people see another person here, they see us sharing instead of fighting for more and they assume that we’ve taken more than we’re entitled to.”
Calion’s eyes almost buckled in shock.  They had sacrificed their own rations?  “But why, knowing what you would be getting yourselves into, why would you put yourself in this situation? Why not just leave me to die and worry about your own lives, such a sacrifice is stupid!”
“I’ve lived my life, and I’m simply trying to enjoy what’s left of it now,” he said.  “There was a reason we saved your life, and that’s because I believe you have the power to return this village to its prosperity, the power to save these people.  I see something in you, and I would be remiss if I just left you there to die when there was a chance to save our village.”
He wants to save these people even at the cost of his own life; he doesn’t care about their selfishness and greed, their words and their actions…
“I am nothing special; there is nothing I can do, man.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have no idea how to save your village,” Calion said sorrowfully, lowering his head.
“The village is not the goal, boy,” he said.  “You can save one village or you can save them all.  When I say I see your ability to restore our prosperity I do not mean just ours, but rather to make the change that will better all of society.  I’ve long since heard rumblings of a chosen one, one who would have the powers necessary to destroy the evil that looms over this world and fills it with greed.  I’ve never been one to believe in magic and those kinds of things but there is something about you that feels different.  I believe you were meant to accomplish something and I am but a stepping stone along the way.  My wife feels the same, and so we saved your life so that in turn, you could save the lives of others.”
A chosen one? Calion shook his head in confusion.  They had stopped Lucien but there were even bigger enemies out there, ones that posed a far greater threat.  There was his home, Erebos, just like here a land ravaged and in need of saving.  But how could he as one person make such changes? And how could a random villager be the one to see that kind of capability in him?  This man must have been delusional.  He turned and tried to force a smile.  “Thank you for saving my life.  I do not believe that I am the chosen one you speak of, but I will always appreciate your gratitude.  I am forever in your debt.”
 
He closed the door behind him, and Marco watched as the boy made an attempt to navigate towards the desert, avoiding the scattered villagers’ eyes.  “Our faith will not deter.”
 
---
 
His body was still quite sore, but his mind was much worse.  He kept thinking about Marco’s words and the generosity they had showed, but the reasoning was laughable.  To think that he could be the one to save the world was a naïve thought.  He couldn’t even find the reason for his own existence, something he had set out to do.  He had been nothing but Hayate’s puppet for the longest time, existing as a spirit within the body of the same person he had set out to find.  Rai Valiant, the son of Allen Valiant, the very man whose life he was responsible for taking, had been his Spirit Half, and yet as a result of Hayate’s twisted experiments, it had been Rai who was killed and Calion who remained.  This had been wiped from his memory alongside many other things that he still needed to recover.  What other terrible things had he been responsible for?
 
He made a promise to himself that he would make Hayate pay for everything he had done, not just to him but to all of those he’d held prisoner and tortured or killed.  Even if it meant his own life in the process, he was determined to make good on it.  This was the reason he had separated himself from Calle and the others; if he was going to take down Hayate, it would be on his own.  He wouldn’t risk allowing anyone else’s lives to be lost for something that was his responsibility.  But defeating Hayate would more than likely require the sacrifice of his own life; his journey might end there. 
 
As far as “saving the world”, that was about as far as he expected to be able to go.
 
---
 
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the underground remains of Houshou Island's Delta Cavern, a gathering has been arranged.
 
With four men at his command, Asuma Hitoki took his place at the center of the cavern’s opening.  Concealed in the deepest parts of the island, he could speak freely here without fear of bystanders or even intentional “flies on the wall”.  From left to right, the four men stood in a line, each of them adjourned in a different color, used primarily as a means of identification.
 
The first, Reishi, was a tall African-American man with a very loud personality.  A muscle-bound man with (probably) more confidence in himself than others had in him to begin with, he carried himself like he was king of the world.  Still, Asuma found it best to leave him be because when it came time to act, he could get the job done and then some.  He’d go as far as to say Reishi was probably the most fearsome duelist at their disposal.  Clad in a dark brown vest and white pants made from rare leather, he stood out from the rest on sheer presence alone.
 
To Reishi’s right was a beautiful young woman known simply as Charlotte.  Her hair was an ocean blue, flowing with great, dazzling appeal.  She always had an innocent look in her eyes, but she was no less devastating than any of the others.  Unless the situation called for it, she kept relatively quiet, although when dueling she could become rather obnoxious, to the point where Asuma often preferred to remove himself from the premises during such a time.  His tolerance for such things was rather low.  Over a long-sleeved white blouse, she wore a blue vest modeled in the same style as Reishi’s, and a pair of black shorts modeled with a water-esque wave design.
 
Carlos stood next to her, a vibrant man of Spanish descent with a fiery personality that modeled his dueling rather well.  Though his passion for dueling was great, he often let his passion get the best of him, on rare occasions even going so far as to fail a mission because of his inability to accept retreat as a choice.  Once he got going, he’d bring the fight out of his opponent and then some.  Continuing the trend, his vest was a bright orange color, joined by a pair of black leather pants that were not all that out of the ordinary, but complemented him well.  Asuma saw him as a bit of a risk in terms of his willingness to let his pride get the best of him, but at the same time he often performed above and beyond expectations.
 
The final duelist at his disposal was perhaps the one he could count on above all else, Ytori.   To be honest, he wasn’t familiar with the man’s origins, but he had no need to care one way or another.  While Reishi was an intimidating figure, Ytori not only had confidence, he was a merciless warrior.  His dueling skills were not his strongest quality, but his ability to crush his enemies physically made him a very viable asset.  Wearing a silver vest that matched the others’, that was his only conformity, as the rest of him was covered in heavy clothing, something he preferred.  The less people knew about him, the better.  And as long as he continued to do what was asked, Asuma had no reason to argue it.
 
What made these four such viable assets were the combination of their dueling skills was their mastery of Rakurai.  Out of all the prisoners, Master Hayate had chosen the four of them specifically to be led by Asuma in carrying out such a task.  As they had all been recipients of Hayate’s experiments in the past, their power far overshadowed that of their enemies, with very few exceptions.  Of course at the same time, it was artificial power, and it would only last for so long.  Given they would not become the perfect combination of duelist and soldier that Hayate so desperately wished to create, they would make more than ideal candidates to carry out the next phase of his plan.
 
“As you’re all aware, you’ve been granted release because the Master has decided to take the next step of action,” Asuma explained, grasping their attention in the palm of his hand.  Despite their strengths, Asuma far out powered them all, and none of them would dare interrupt him or show such disrespect as to not pay complete attention to his words.  “With the world somewhat calm now after the dust has finally settled from the events of two months ago, Duel Monsters is the last thing on anyone’s minds right now.  What that means is while everyone’s focused on rebuilding and repairing, the four of you are to go out and use duel monsters – your strongest asset – to retrieve some...specific items.”
They looked him with questioning eyes, but dare not say a word.
“There are four seals, one of them placed in each corner of the globe,” he said.  “Each seal is guarded by a spirit whose sole purpose is to keep it just that – sealed.  Defeating these spirits in a duel will be the only way to break their seal; keep in mind they are no longer physical beings, so trying to harm them will accomplish nothing.  Each of you have been assigned a seal that corresponds to your element, and I expect it should be no problem at all for you to carry out this simple order of business.”
The four nodded in unison.
“Once the spirit has been beaten and the seal is unlocked, you are to retrieve the book that corresponds with it,” he said.  “As you would expect, there are four books, one for each seal.  Master Hayate has demanded that these four books are brought to him at once.  In no way should you attempt to open, read, or even fixate your attention on them.  Once you retrieve them, simply put them in a safe place and return here.  Is that understood?”
Again they nodded.
“Good,” he said.  “Assuming you are able to complete this task before the Master's plan is to be brought to fruition, you will be given a very generous reward.  You see, the Master has already retrieved one of the books himself, meaning the job is already well on its way.  To reward your efforts, should you return the book you are to retrieve here as ordered,” he paused for effect, “you will be rewarded with your permanent freedom.”
 
---
 

We rejoin Calion now, as the Spirit has gathered what little he had awoken with and prepared to exit Menderite.  Only now, in a still very fatigued condition, the brutality of the desert awaits him.  A challenge that his body culd not endure the first time around, but he could not bring himself to bring harm to the villagers who had saved his life.
 
His body was shaky, his energy levels still very low.  Over time, the Rakurai woul recollect itself and restore his health, but preparing to brave the desert storms once again, there was no guarantee he'd even be able to survive out there.  In fact, he couldn't remember how he'd gotten there in the first place.  Much of the past couple of days was fuzzy.  That in and of itself was troubling, but right now he wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.  Thinking about Hayate had re-focused his mind, and gotten him back on the track that he'd unknowingly stumbled off of.  
 
The only problem was...he had no idea where in the world he was.
 
"Well well, would you look at that."  He heard a voice that sounded like it was coming from within his own head, almost as if he had headphones in his ears and was listening to music; it wasn't within his own mind, it was someone else's voice, but only he could hear it.  Was he going crazy exhaustion?  "To think I'd have to spell it out for you so simply, it's somewhat surprising.  I suppose what you possess in heart and strength, you lack in common sense. So odd for a Kisai."
 
Just as he prepared to drop to his knees, convinced he'd gone totally mad, a bright, almost blinding light emanated from the deckbox hanging from his belt.  Rocketing into the air before taking on the form of a four legged creature, he slowly began to remember now--but this was perhaps the last person--er, thing he expected to see.  Donning royal garb of a rich purple, that covered all the way up to its flowing four-way mane, the mysterious creature who had first appeared to him just two months ago re-appeared in the flesh.  Or maybe not in the flesh.  Maybe a hologram? Or maybe he was crazy.  Alright, enough.
"It's you..." Calion mumbled, still in disbelief and questioning whether or not this was actually going on.
"Not exactly the way I'd great an old friend, but I suppose everyone has their methods," the beast replied playfully.
"Old friend?! I'm pretty sure the last time we met you told me you were only coming to my aid because you didn't trust in my ability to fight for myself!" Calion snapped, in an almost comedic fit of anger.  "So don't go giving me a speech about proper introduction.  Besides," he calmed down, trying to understand the reason behind this.   "What the hell are you doing here? And how did you know where to find me?"
"Ah, well at least you remember as much.  I assure you the reason is no different this time around, boy.  I was hoping I wouldn't have to utilize the energy to create this connection for such a simple task, but I forgot how unreliable you can be sometimes," it said with a wise man's laugh.  "I knew where to find you because I am the one who sent you here.  Unfortunately, I didn't take into account the fact that you would be unable to withstand the desert's storms.  While I did intend for you to stumble upon Menderite, I intended for you to do so with your own two feet.  Should have known better," the beast added sarcastically, rolling its eyes.
"You did what?" Calion asked rhetorically, although his anger had turned to shock before he'd had a chance to process it.  Genom-Heritage, better known as Number 08, had first appeared to him in his duel with Allier, the former King of Erebos and the most powerful Kisai to ever exist.  08 introduced himself as a member of the Royal Guard, an elite council that took precedence over Erebos, the world from which all Kisai (including Calion himself) were originally from.  Long story short, 08 would not get involved with something so insignificant like this.  What that meant was that this village and Calion's subsequent stumbling on it were far from insignificant.  And that was far from good.  "Tell me..." he said, shifting gears almost suddenly.  "Why have you come here?"
 
---
 
"It would appear I have to spell everything out for you," the beast muttered.  "You know, while you're remarkable when motivated, you're rather clueless otherwise.  A bit frustrating if I do say so myself."

"Yeah, you've made that perfectly clear.  How about we skip the pleasantries because I'm already over you as well," Calion snapped.  "What is it about this place that's so important? How were you able to influence my arrival?"
"You're right, forgive me.  I suppose I got caught up in things."  Shifting its eyes in the opposite direction as though it realized making light of the situation at hand was not wise, the four legged beast took a deep breath. "Hayate Asaki, the one you've been searching for.  While he is human, he has ties to Erebos, and as the head of the Royal Guard I have been watching him for some time, keeping up with his movements in case immediate action was necessary.  While he is a mere human, he is also very dangerous, and there are many at his command who could pose a threat to the creatures of Erebos, just as here."
His quest for self redemption had come to an end right then and there.  Things had gotten real again.  The mere mention of Hayate's name made him cringe.  But wait, if what the beast was saying was true, then by him appearing here, that meant...had the Royal Guard begun their attack?! "Tell me something, if you're here then that must mean you've decided to attack him, that you're familiar with his whereabouts..." Calion trailed off for a moment, then recouped.  "I have to find him...I swore I'd make him pay."
The beast shook its head, speaking somberly.  "I know of your past and the suffering you have endured at his hands, but you'd be a fool to think you were in any condition to fight someone of his caliber.  No plan has been put into action yet, you see.  For late yesterday morning, we lost his location."
Lost his location?! But how is that possible? Erebos relied far more strongly on Rakurai and its magical prowess for functioning.  In other words, the Royal Guard would be able to track Hayate through magic alone without him even knowing what was going on.  So how could he have escaped them?  And more importantly, how did that relate to Number 08's appearance here?
"You keep dodging the question, what is it about Menderite that's so important you sent me here instead of focusing on finding that bastard and putting a stop to his plans?!" 
 

"My influence is only so great, and the amount of energy it costs me to simply exist here on Earth is no small feat," he explained.  "I have made the decision to guide you, but I cannot spell out all of the answers for you.  That's not how this works, you see?  Even when I first appeared to you, it was because you had figured out for yourself what had to be done and you were willing to do it at all costs.  That is what being a true warrior is all about."
"So what are you trying to tell me? What does Menderite have to do with Hayate? I'm sorry to ask all of these questions but your cryptic speech does nothing when my head is already rattled."
"I know, and given the circumstances this one time only I will spell it out for you.  Menderite is a shattered, destroyed town ravaged by poverty, but it was not always that way.  In fact, up until very recently, it was a very prosperous village."
That one caught him off guard.  "Did everything just change over night? How is that possible?"
"Stop being so close-minded and put things into context," Heriter sighed.  "These people here do not possess Rakurai; they are normal humans simply trying to survive.  But while they do not possess it, there are certainly some aware of its existence.  And it is those people who flock to the idea of such power to save a ruined homeland."
"Are you saying that the chaos is going on because the villagers are power-hungry? That's crazy! Why would they randomly destroy themselves like that with the hopes of being able to gain such power? At that point, what even is the point of having it?"
"Humans have a very confusing way of thinking," he responded.  "But in this case, I am afraid this is not some kind of random mentality.  Rather, it is being influenced by someone hiding among the villagers themselves."
 
Calion was finally starting to connect the dots and put the pieces together.  He felt ashamed not being able to figure it out sooner, but now he understood what Heriter was trying to tell him.  "I think I'm on board, but there's a piece missing.  What would Hayate want to do with a place like this? If all these people are powerless, what does he have to gain from them?"
"That..." he trailed off for a moment, disappointed in his lack of knowledge as a High Elder.  "That is the one thing we have been unable to discover.  What I do know is that one of Hayate's minions is posing as a villager and has been using his own dark magic to manipulate the others into destroying themselves. The majority of them have fallen under his spell and given in to the darkness, but there are a select few who manage to obstain from it."
"Like Marco and Talaya..." His mind flashed back to the elderly couple, their lives being threatened for bringing in someone from the outside and wasting their resources.  "So tell me...who is this guy?"
"His name is Vincent Flaire," Heriter replied.  "He is but a lowly pawn in Hayate's grand scheme, far from a significant piece of his army.  But for a powerless place like this, he makes a perfect fit.  He is skilled in the art of iron magic--it is infused within his body and he fights utilizing such means.  Of course, you've got to be more strategic than just finding him and challenging him to a fight.  There's no way you'd be able to get the people to turn against him in your condition."
 
"You know, I'm getting really tired of hearing you say that," Calion remarked, wrapping his palm around the handle of his blade.  "I've done battle in conditions much worse than this.  You should know by now that strategic planning is not really my thing."
"And I presume that's what remains of your human side talking," Heriter scoffed in disgust.  "You will get nothing done effectively if you do not follow the procedures and take time.  We have to find Hayate and stop him, but we must take the utmost care in doing so.  If he discovers that we are this in-depth on his proceedings, I'm afraid he might change his plans."
"You want me to get rid of this clown and restore Menderite to its prosperity?" Calion asked, ignoring the majority of the beast's commentary.  
"I want-"
Calion cut him off.  "Is that, or is that not why you sent me here?"
Heriter nodded uncomfortably.
"You said Erebos is in danger, well so is this world.  And the Valley of Souls, for that matter.  Whatever Hayate's grand scheme is, I will sacrifice my life if I must to ensure it does not happen.  The longer I wait, the more people suffer."
"So tell me," Heriter demanded.  "Tell me, what are you going to do? Are you just going to recklessly rush in there and hope that things will work themselves out?"
"I'm gonna beat the crap out of this guy and protect Marco and Talaya," Calion said with unwaivering resolve.  "They saved my life and I thought the best way to reward them was walking away and letting things unfold.  But now that I understand exactly what's going on, I see that's not going to do anything but leave them in greater trouble.  And then once I beat this guy," he paused for a moment, "I'm going to find Hayate, and I'm going to kill him."
 
"If that is your choice, then so be it," Heriter acknowledged, nodding his head strernly.  "But I will not be responsible for your foolishness.  I will not come to your rescue.  I think you are making a very unwise decision."
"You should retun to Erebos," Calion ordered.  "Nothing you say is going to change my mind and you're just wasting your life-force here.  Thank you for cluing me in, but now I've got my focus back.  It's time to finish what I started and bring an end to this hell."
 
---

 
Only about a mile out, if that, Calion has turned around and made his return to the village of Menderite.  Upon his return, he is flocked by a group of villagers who begin instantly harassing him...
 
"Well that didn't take too long," he remarked aloud as the group of about seven or eight people surrounded him, shouting insults and demanding that he leave at once.  They had identified him as an outsider on appearance alone, not even making the connection that he was the same one Marco and Talaya had brought in.  Their minds had become so warped by the dark magic that all they could focus on was their own greed with no sense of morality.
He couldn't fight them off, of course.  They weren't really acting on their own accord and without Rakurai, it was an incredibly unfair fight.  But perhaps he could use them to bait out the one he had returned to find; Vincent Flaire.  After all he couldn't fail, because that would be proving Heriter right and that wasn't something he wanted to do.
"You ain't gettin' another warning, get the hell out of here!" One of the boys shouted, throwing a stone at him, while the others began to follow suit, picking up fragments of stone off the ground and hurling them in his direction.  He took each one with stride, feeling little to no pain in the process, which seemed to only frustrate them further.  "One outsider is more than enough for one day, find somewhere else, you're not welcome! We've barely got enough to survive on our own, now go!"
 
He was growing annoyed rather quickly, but had to keep himself under control.  They're only human, remember that.  He re-assured himself.  Perhaps if he made a bit of a scene, he might be able to draw out further attention.  Was it the exact opposite of a sensible strategy? You bet.  But at this point, it was the only reasonable one.  He'd already drawn a crowd, why not draw the whole village at once and hope Vincent would reveal himself.
The gathering continued to try and usher him out by force, their frustration only growing as their efforts increased in futility.  He reached for the sword at his waist, grasping the handle with his right hand and focusing the flow of his energy towards his right arm.  In a swift motion, he unsheathed his blade and hoisted it into the air.  He'd give them a light show, alright.
"Crimson Thunderblade," he whispered the words as his blade began to take on a reddish black form, pulling forward an electrostatic charge from the sky above.  Its crimson color flashed throughout the sky, releasing an abnormally high concentration of energy into the surrounding area. 
Almost on cue, the gathering went aghast with fear, dropping their stones and looking to one another for answers, fearing for their life.  They began to mutter words between themselves, but none of them seemed to have any idea what was going on.  One by one, villagers fled from their houses outside into the chaos to see what was going on, and whether or not they had been imagining things.  As Calion lowered his blade to eye level, their questions were quickly answered.  Men, women, and children alike added to the gathering, all of them overcome with shock now at the presence of such a powerful being.
Not 100 percent sure that was the reaction I was expecting, but it works, I guess... he reasoned with himself.  Hey, he'd at least been able to command their attention.
 
---
 
Though the people were gathering by the dozen, they were too stunned by the spectacle to form coherent responses, chattering amongst themselves with frightened words; many of them refused to believe in the existence of magic, but there was no doubt that they were witnessing something in front of them that was not of this world.  Was he going to attack them, and their families? Had they provoked it, those who had cornered and begun to attack him with words and stones?
Almost all of them had emptied their homes and the desolate village was now a gathering of people.  As he continued to hold his sword at eye level, Calion's attention was caught momentarily by the appearance of the only two people he hadn't considered he'd see--Marco and Talaya had emptied their home and moved onto the steps, staring onward without offering any distinctive emotion.  Somewhere in his mind, he presumed, he hadn't taken into consideration the fact that drawing all of this attention would bring them to the forefront as well, but they would find out sooner or later, regardless.  Well, this was the plan, and at this point I've got to stick to it.
His eyes locked with Marco's and the elder man shot him a look as if to say "well, what's next?"  He had commanded the attention of the people, but now he had to utilize that.
"He slashed his sword to his side, holding it down towards the ground with his right hand as he cleared his throat.  "I know you are afraid, and I don't blame you for that, but I can assure you as an outsider I have no desire to bring harm to this village.  In fact, the reason I have returned here is to eliminate the one responsible for plunging your entire village into a dark, downward spiral."  The people hung on his every word, but they could not understand what he was referring to.  Under the control of the dark magic, it was likely that Vincent had done well to cover his tracks and control that aspect of their memories.  Even Marco and Talaya appeared to have trouble following his words.  "The man they call Vincent.  He is an outsider just as I, and I know he takes residence here in this village.  Reveal to me his whereabouts and I will bring no harm to any of you!" He thrust his blade into the air once more, hoping to motivate the people with fear although he had no intent of harming anyone either way.  Figured playing into the role might help, at least a little.
 
The entire area fell silent as Calion sensed a strange presence in the air.  He heard the sound of soft, discernible footsteps padding against the sand one by one, as if the one responsible for them was in no immediate rush.  The closer the footsteps got, the greater the tension and magic energy grew within the air.  There was no doubt about it; this was the man he was searching for, and apparently had made the decision to show himself without a fight.  Unfortunately, it was unlikely that he was doing so in an act of surrender.  After all, if what Heriter had warned him of was correct, he had these people under his spell.  And working for Hayate meant his willingness to use them as pawns in a fight was probably at an all-time high.
 
---
 
Calion had come to find Vincent’s presence a very frightening one.  It wasn’t as though he physically looked the part, but rather his overly calm demeanor in conjunction with the way the townspeople were mesmerized by his appearance, idolizing him like they would a deity of some kind.  Heriter himself had made it clear that the Royal Guard was unable to determine what exactly Hayate hoped to gain from this village, but that didn’t mean that currently over a hundred people were in jeopardy of losing their lives thanks to this freak’s dark magic.
 
As Vincent got closer to the gathering near the town’s center, the people stepped to the side to allow him a clear passage through.  He had donned a black hooded robe, something straight out of Ancient Egypt.  It was adjourned with splotches of gray, and it appeared he was wearing work-boots of some kind.  His eyes were stone cold, like an abandoned cave in the middle of a winter solstice.  Marco and Talaya continued to watch from their porch, apparently the only ones not caught underneath his spell. 
Finally, he stopped walking as he reached a distance of about five feet from Calion, and lowered his robe to reveal a head of silky brown hair.  He flashed a sinister smile, showing some teeth, and mockingly extended his hand to introduce himself.  Calion had no intention of returning the favor.
One of the villagers in particular was shocked by his appearance.  A rather young man (probably in his late teens) stepped out of the formation they had formed to make his presence known. “My Lord, why have you shown yourself now? It is unsafe, we have an intruder!”
“Your concern is appreciated, but there is no reason to fear,” Vincent assured him with a half-hearted smile.  “You there, you dare to intrude upon our village and challenge one such as myself?  Well then, here I am, state your intentions with the entire village as your forum.”
What scum, using and manipulating these people, acting as though he was actually a functioning member of their community?  He had brainwashed them into believing that he would lead them to solitude, yet it was he who had been responsible for the village’s destruction in the first place.  But it was obvious there would be no reasoning with these people; they latched onto his every word with a worshipful gratitude.
He’s got these people so blindly fooled that even trying to call him out on his legitimacy would probably do nothing but rile them up more, Calion thought to himself.  While he hadn’t quite figured out whether or not Vincent was expecting his arrival, it was obvious that he wasn’t as oblivious as he was fronting.
 
“’Lord’ Vincent, is that what they call you?” Calion shook his head with a smile.  “That doesn’t even sound like it fits.”  He took a moment to examine the surrounding area, as well as Vincent’s structure.  From what he could see (and sense to a degree) his Rakurai levels were somewhat high, but no higher than his own.  At the same time, Calion had still only begun to recover and that could pose a problem.  It didn’t appear that the man was wielding a weapon of any kind, so his use of Rakurai must have been solely through his body networks.  That might have been an advantage, but he hadn’t decided yet.
“Surely you did not intrude my village and frighten my people simply to throw childish insults at a most prestigious leader?” Vincent mocked, as discontent began to grow against the people once more.  With their leader now proudly at the helm, they had no reason to fear this intruder anymore.  “If that’s all you have to offer, then I see no reason to even waste my time.  Leave at once, and I will spare your life.”
Damnit.  At this point, the only problem Calion faced was that if he tried to go toe-to-toe with this guy in front of the townspeople, they’d see him as the bad guy, perhaps going to such reckless lengths to protect the one they believe to have their best interests in mind.  As long as they were under the darkness of Vincent’s spell, there was no way he could restore this village, even if he could beat him.  Maybe this is what Heriter meant...when he said rushing in wouldn’t solve anything.  Had he made an absolutely fatal mistake?
 
No way, there had to be something he could do.  He could beat this guy.  If he ran away from someone like this just because things got a little tough, there was no way he could stand up to Hayate.  And besides, he'd just be proving everyone right who said he was in over his head. 
"So then, my people, forgive us for this little scuffle.  You may return to your business now," Vincent said, giving his approval with a nod before turning back to the direction from which he came.
The people began to dissipate at his command, staring down Calion as they awaited to see if he would follow the orders he was given of their Lord's kindness.  
He wouldn't.
 
---
 
"So I wonder, where are your fatal flaws?"
Vincent stopped in his tracks as Calion's words rang through his head like a bell.  "What did you say...?"
"You're one of Hayate's lowliest pawns.  This is what he does.  Those who are subjected to his experiments and produce less than desirable results are locked up until he finds a use for them, a way to "collect" on his investment before they simply die off, just another waste of time," Calion said with terrible images flashing through his mind of his time there, although he had very little recollection.
"That name...how dare you speak it?" Vincent turned to face him with a frigid stare.  Some of the townspeople had returned to their homes, but many remained, and found themselves very much intrigued by these developments.  It was obvious the outsider had struck a nerve with their leader, something many of them had never seen before.  He was always so calm and collected, but in such a brief amount of time it was like he was about to snap.
"Looks like I struck a nerve," Calion answered, achieving his goal.  The honesty of his words had shattered through Vincent's persona, despite being in front of the people he was "to lead".  "The fact of the matter is you're nothing but a puppet and trying to use these people to escape that reality is not going to change a thing.  So you can take your "kindness" and shove it somewhere suggestive, because I'm not going anywhere until you release the magic you have on this place."
"I don't know who you are, but I'll be damned if you think you're going to come into my village and attempt to disrupt what I have achieved here.  A system of order, of prosperity, slowly but surely we're changing things for the better, you wouldn't understand a damn thing," he replied, trying to keep his patience in check, although it was obvious that Calion's words had hit him hard.
"Please, spare the act for someone else.  I haven't quite decided yet if you've totally lost it or if this is all some kind of front you're putting on, but I'm beginning to think it's a combination of both.  Either way, it doesn't really matter.  If you're as tough a leader as you say you are, then answer my challenge and fight me like a man."
 
People formed a line, the civilians forming a shield in front of Vincent as they stood riled up and ready to defend their leader.
"You're gonna have to go through me!"
"Yeah, you don't think we'd seriously stand by while our leader was defenseless?!"
 
The Spirit lowered his sword and hung his head.  "Fair enough, decline it then.  It's only fitting that you'd use these people as pawns, when after all you're in the same position they are.  Blindly holding loyalty to someone who could care less whether you live or die.  I won't fight innocent people, but I've won this fight based on your cowardice.  I'll take my leave as you requested while Hayate just leaves you here to die like the useless experiment you are.  Add another to the pile."
He turned and stared to walk away, but not before noticing a trembling Vincent standing with a bewildered look in his eyes.  His whole body was shaking. 
"Damn you...this place is supposed to be my escape!!" He screamed, holding his hands to his head as he dropped to one knee, leaving the people in a state of panic as they rushed to check on his well-being.  Calion, too found himself perplexed; he hadn't expected this twist.  "All of the torture, the screams, the hell we all had to endure, coming here was supposed to be my escape from it all!  But it won't go away! It's all still here - all the memories!"  He'd collapsed to both knees, placing his palms against his eyes as though he could pull the memories out of his head and throw them away forever.  
 
Calion watched sorrowfully as Vincent fell to the ground, noticing that the tension in the air had seemingly ceased.  The spell...he'd released it.  Maybe not by his own will, but as he passed out most of the Rakurai had left his body, evaporating into the air.  The townspeople began to look at one another in confusion, wondering what they were doing outside so late at night.  A few of them shared words, but no longer under the dark guise of Vincent's magic, they simply returned to their homes, their memory of all of this very fuzzy.
They paid Calion no attention, either, but he was beginning to think that might have been by design.  As he looked around for the two people he had actually expected to see, he came to realize that they were no longer there.  In an instant they had vanished, leaving the door to their home wide open.  A cool desert breeze began to fall overhead, with the moon acting as a backdrop and their only significant source of light as the two men remained in the center of town.
Tell me, Heriter, what was the real reason you sent me here?
 
---
 
About twenty minutes have passed and using the now inexplicably-empty home of the elder couple who had so gracefully taken him in, Calion has propped Vincent up in a bed and given him the remains of the pitcher of water.  Contemplating whether or not he should stay or take further action, his moral judgment had already been made.  It was unlikely that Vincent would try anything further when he awoke, or remember much of anything at all.  Sadly, it may have been too late to save him, but at least leaving him on his own to recover would give him the chance to take his fate into his own hands.
 
What was truly scary now was not knowing what awaited them as the darkness began to descend not just upon Menderite, but everywhere else as well.  He could feel it slowly inching its way.
The great evil, whatever his purpose was, he would stop it.
There was no other way to end the suffering.
 
END[/spoiler]
 

Table of Contents

 

Chapter 1: Darkness Descends

Chapter 2: Taking Solace
Chapter 3: Desperate Times, Dire Measures!

Chapter 4: Benevolent Voltage Crash

Chapter 5: Planetary Outing

Chapter 6: Into the Void

[Vector Nightmare]

Hmm.

 

I gotta say, this did a much better job at hooking me than the intro to Accel II v1 did. With Calion and his quest for redemption / soul-searching, it felt like there was more stuff there, without being saturated with new things that weren't looking too relevant or interesting.

 

My one beef is that things felt too rushed - Calion landing at the village, recovering, leaving, meeting 08, returning and dealing with Hayate's agents should not have all happened in one chapter. Chapter felt too long anyway and could've easily cut off with Calion leaving the village, perhaps with some other scenes there.

 

The plot seems more solid overall, feels much more like a sequel than a whole new thing that's only loosely tied to previous events, as Accel II felt at times with its almost entirely new cast and pushing back old faces to less prominent roles.

 

If the plot is heading towards the direction it seems to be heading, I wonder if you will eventually introduce the cast of Accel II, essentially having the two stories converge at a later point (with some modifications), and Accel II then acting as an in-between / "meanwhile" to this. The scene with Hayate's agents at least makes that a possibility. Or if it will be a completely new thing, with Calle in a new role and such.

 

Either way, pretty good job so far. I'll be following this.

[Synchronized]

Hmm.

 

I gotta say, this did a much better job at hooking me than the intro to Accel II v1 did. With Calion and his quest for redemption / soul-searching, it felt like there was more stuff there, without being saturated with new things that weren't looking too relevant or interesting.

 

That was actually one of the most important things to me, and something that was barely touched upon in the first attempt at a sequel.  I felt that by introducing as many plot elements as we did and making a bunch of new characters the focal point right off the bat when there's still so much story to tell with Calion (and some major, major plot points that need resolution), made it seem like those other parts were insignificant, which is anything but the case.  I was trying to make it like a sequel that could have believeably just been a continuation of the initial series.

 

My one beef is that things felt too rushed - Calion landing at the village, recovering, leaving, meeting 08, returning and dealing with Hayate's agents should not have all happened in one chapter. Chapter felt too long anyway and could've easily cut off with Calion leaving the village, perhaps with some other scenes there.

 

I actually considered doing it that way at first.  I wanted to break that up into two Chapters but then I thought that since it was the first Chapter of the story, maybe making it somewhat longer and just getting these elements introduced was the best way to go.  It's not something that I didn't consider, though.  I think it came out well regardless, but I do think your point is valid that I could have done it in two parts and it might have flowed a little better.  Wasn't attempting to rush it, but rather get the story and the backdrop set.

 

The plot seems more solid overall, feels much more like a sequel than a whole new thing that's only loosely tied to previous events, as Accel II felt at times with its almost entirely new cast and pushing back old faces to less prominent roles.

 

That I agree with, and I'm glad that you felt the same way.  Hopefully the other readers (I know you're there, guys; it's not getting a lot of views for no reason) feel the same way.  I think the original story had so much more to tell and that's why I didn't want to go right into something new.  I think the old faces earned the right to have their stories told before the new faces are introduced and they're pushed to the side.

 

If the plot is heading towards the direction it seems to be heading, I wonder if you will eventually introduce the cast of Accel II, essentially having the two stories converge at a later point (with some modifications), and Accel II then acting as an in-between / "meanwhile" to this. The scene with Hayate's agents at least makes that a possibility. Or if it will be a completely new thing, with Calle in a new role and such.

 

Definitely something I'm considering doing.  The scene with Hayate's agents and their introduction was taken directly from the original Accel II, although I fixed some things to make it fit in with the current story.  Obviously there's no grand tournament going on or anything like that, so I had to re-structure it.  But with the exception of that, I'm quite content with how well-rounded it was, at least it felt much more consistent to me than the first Chapter of the other series.  I can guarantee that Calle will appear (although this should be obvious) and there will be some other elements from Accel II that will be used as well.  Especially considering that where I'm at now is where I planned to get with Accel II at some point, so there were some seeds being planted for those elements to be introduced down the line.

 

Either way, pretty good job so far. I'll be following this.

 

Thanks man, means a lot coming from you! I'll have my first updated consensus on Dead Zone tomorrow as well, and I look forward to having you on board as a reader!

[Umbra]

I'm gonna have to agree with Saber on this one; it felt like it dragged out a bit much. The length itself isn't necessarily the problem, it's just the amount of events that take place in a single chapter. We are introduced to two distinct plotlines, with one picking up more directly after Season 1, and one that seems only tangentially related so far. We're introduced to a minor villain in Vincent Flaire, and then he's more or less immediately taken out of the picture. That's a lot of ground to cover in one chapter, and definitely could have been split into parts.

 

As for the plot itself, though; I like it. I like it a lot. Calion trying to find himself ties more closely in with the end of the previous season. It's a lot more continuous compared to what we did for the earlier version, and places the focus back on the "hero" of the story. In the meantime, there's still that element of mystery with the second plotline, which does keep you guessing.

 

As for new characters, there's not really a whole lot that can be said. We haven't really had a chance to meet many of them yet, and it's a bit too early to see who will stick around and who's just here for the scene. We have our five seal-breakers, the old couple, and that's pretty much it. 

 

Overall, definitely exceptional, and a worthy successor to the original. Well done!

[Synchronized]

I'm gonna have to agree with Saber on this one; it felt like it dragged out a bit much. The length itself isn't necessarily the problem, it's just the amount of events that take place in a single chapter. We are introduced to two distinct plotlines, with one picking up more directly after Season 1, and one that seems only tangentially related so far. We're introduced to a minor villain in Vincent Flaire, and then he's more or less immediately taken out of the picture. That's a lot of ground to cover in one chapter, and definitely could have been split into parts.

 

As for the plot itself, though; I like it. I like it a lot. Calion trying to find himself ties more closely in with the end of the previous season. It's a lot more continuous compared to what we did for the earlier version, and places the focus back on the "hero" of the story. In the meantime, there's still that element of mystery with the second plotline, which does keep you guessing.

 

As for new characters, there's not really a whole lot that can be said. We haven't really had a chance to meet many of them yet, and it's a bit too early to see who will stick around and who's just here for the scene. We have our five seal-breakers, the old couple, and that's pretty much it. 

 

Overall, definitely exceptional, and a worthy successor to the original. Well done!

 

We talked about this a bit more on Facebook, but it's definitely nice to have the free bump and the commentary to read through.  Much appreciated.  I think there's a lot more to do with what I had already established as a story as opposed to starting something new.  The majority of the characters we met will slowly be filtered in (at least, the villains) and a few might pop up down the line.

 

Glad you liked it, and I tried to take your advice into account as far as length went with the second Chapter.

 

Speaking of which:

 

[spoiler=Chapter 2: Taking Solace]

After a grueling trip through the desert in an attempt to try and discover the secrets of his past, Calion found himself awakened in a small village down by the name of Menderite.  Coming to discover that he had been taken in by an older couple who found him stranded and unconscious, he took his leave quickly so as not to cause any further burden on them.  Unfortunately on his way out, he was visited once more by the mysterious Erebos creature 08, Heraldic Genome-Heriter, who informed him that they had lost Hayate’s trail and his true intentions remained undiscovered.  Against Heriter’s advice, he returned to Menderite to clash with Vincent Flaire, one of Hayate’s minions who had plunged the down into darkness and poverty, and despite being overwhelmed by the brainwashed masses, was able to get through to the people and force Vincent to break his spell after reliving brutal memories.  With Menderite’s population now safe, the reality has become clear; his soul-searching journey would have to be halted; the time had come for Hayate to make his move, and that meant nothing but danger for everyone...

 

Chapter 2: Taking Solace

 

The air was dark, dense even.  Calion felt an avalanche of pebbles stumble across his left foot as he took a step forward, his only source of light the few torches hanging on the stone walls of the cave surrounding him.  There were two torches, one on either side, and while their flames burned bright, they only covered so much space.  He could barely make out what lay ahead of him, although it appeared to be more and more cave, going in an endless loop.  In truth, he didn’t recall how he got here, and something didn’t feel right.  In addition to the cold, almost bone-chilling temperature, a quick examination of his outfit revealed that his jacket had been torn in a few places—his jeans, too were torn and covered with dirt and splotches of blood.

 

He racked his mind to try and recollect what had lead up to him getting here, but he had no memory of it at all.  The last thing he remembered was heading out of Menderite; the desert had been cold but the sandstorms had calmed greatly as night fell, and he was able to cover a lot of ground.  His body had grown tired and he’d propped up against a rock to rest, drifting off for a little while.  But that didn’t explain how he’d gotten here.  He was underground, obviously.  The way the cave was structured and the fact that he’d ended up here without actually walking into anything would suggest that perhaps the rock he’d slept on had hung above it?  But the chances of that actually happening – especially given his weight and the size of the rock – were more than unlikely; it just wasn’t plausible at all.

 

Though he was cut and bruised, he wasn’t in much pain.  The numbing temperatures had done just that, and completely numbed his entire body. He could move, but he was like a walking icicle. Even the blood had dried completely, suggesting that however he’d gotten here, he must have been unconscious for a few hours.  None of this made sense.  The placement of the torches was odd, and it appeared they had merged into the walls.  It was clear he wasn’t going to get anywhere without some form of light.  Using his Thunderblade would take far too much energy and concentrating that much energy in one place would be risky underground, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use his sword to pry one of the torches off the wall.

 

He sighed for a moment, shifting his right arm to the holster in which his sword sat, finding it somewhat painful to do so.  Man, either he was really drained or that fall down here had done a serious number on his body.  More than likely it was a combination of both, but standing here dwelling on it wasn’t going to get him the hell out of there any faster.  Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes to try and fight through the pain that came simply from moving his arm, he whipped the sword out of the holster and swung it to the side.  Realistically, there was only one shot to knock it off the wall.  He found himself losing energy quickly, even while he wasn’t using it.  So one swing was about all he’d got.  All in one, he swung with the remaining strength he had in his arm, slashing at the stone wedge between the torch and the cave wall.  The movement stung his body, but he braced himself and fought through it, trying to pry it from the wall.  No luck. 

CLANK!

He heard nothing but the echo of metal scraping steel as he lowered his arm to his side, almost limp and tried to regain his composure, as well as catch his breath.  This is unreal, he thought.  Even when exhausting Rakurai, the body would continue to heal itself naturally, but it was almost as if his power wasn’t restoring itself at the normal rate, if at all.

 

He couldn’t see a damn thing behind him.  Or in front of him, or wherever the hell he was standing.  Who knew which way was which? If he turned around and went that way, was he going back to where he came? Or had he turned around? Why couldn’t he remember a damn thing—his mind was drawing complete and total blanks.

Wait, there was an easy fix.  He’d call 08, Heriter; he could probably fill him in.

But how the hell was he supposed to do that? Every time Heriter had appeared before him, it was by Heriter’s own doing, through no action of his own.  He assumed Heriter was always watching over him from Erebos or whatever place the Royal Guard was stationed in, but he couldn’t be sure.  After all, if he was in serious danger, wouldn’t Heriter have appeared to him already like he did in Menderite?

 

---

 

Hang on, what was it Heriter had said about only being able to appear on Earth in limited intervals of time? Something about using too much Rakurai to make the transition and that a recharge period was necessary before he could appear a second time.  Even in the short span that they had met in the village, Heriter was using massive amounts of energy to remain there.  If that was the case, it was likely not enough time had passed before he could return.  Granted, it wasn’t even in his real, physical form, but the differences between Erebos and Earth were that great, he figured.

So he was stuck here, alright.  He wasn’t going to get some kind of magic escape rope and Heriter wasn’t going to appear and spawn him out.  At this point, he’d have to find the way out on his own.  He wasn’t weak; he was a damn strong warrior and it was about time he started relying on himself.  There was no way he’d take Hayate down if he needed the help of others just to get out of some stupid cave.

Come on, get it together.  There has to be a way out.

The sword was still in his hand.  He supposed he could, in theory, activate his 3^rd Stage.  His power was far from full, but if he could use Crimson Thunderblade to completely cut this place down, he might be able to break his way out from below.  It was risky, sure, but there was no telling how much longer he’d be down here if he didn’t think of something.

 

He swore under his breath.  This was absolutely suicidal.  But he had to take the chance.

I’m almost one-hundred percent sure I’ll regret this. He tried to reassure himself. “Let’s shatter this ceiling—3^rd Stage: Crimson Thunder Blade!”

Thrusting the blade into the air like a javelin piercing the skies above, he felt its red, luminous glow radiate throughout the cave, illuminating everything for a brief moment.  But right after, it collapsed, the energy retreating within the blade as the cave went dark again.  He dropped to one knee, feeling the air leaving his body like a whirlwind. 

What the--!

“Is my body already out of Rakurai?!” He screamed aloud, hearing his own voice echo throughout the cave walls.  “You can’t be serious!”

He punched the wall foolishly, hurting his fist in the process.  In the fray, the torch he’d struck with his sword came loose, falling down and almost striking him in the head as he shuffled back and forth to catch it, nearly catching himself on fire. 

“Well, would you look at that? About time something goes right.”

So he had the light, but what was far more concerning was the fact that his prediction was right – his body was no longer recharging his Rakurai.  Was that just because of the cave or had he been too badly wounded? More importantly, without his powers how the hell was he going to get out of here?

 

---

 

The soft patter of footsteps crept up behind him.  Or in front of him, or somewhere.  He still hadn’t figured out the directions.  There was no mistaking the sound, but the idea that he may not have been here alone was...either comforting or un-nerving.  Which one that was would really be determined momentarily. 

“You know, you’re doing nothing but wasting your time, and making a lot of noise for that matter,” the voice said.  As the footsteps neared their destination, he turned around to face the voice’s origin.  Standing before him was perhaps the last person he had expected to see; Nikolai Marchev.

His initial response was disbelief, quickly shifting to a calming concern.  On the one side, at least he wasn’t about to be mauled to death by some kind of cave animal with no powers to defend himself, but on the other hand, he was standing face-to-face with the same boy who had helped him escape from the Valley of Souls.  That same boy who was no longer living on Earth and took up refuge in the same place.  And yet here he was, in the flesh, standing face-to-face with him.

“You weren’t expecting to see me, were you?” The boy asked, his Russian accent flowing strong through his tone.  “Alas, I can’t say the same.  I was fully expecting to see you here; although I must admit, I had hoped you’d navigate your way through these caves somewhat easier.  Having to come find you made for a bit more work than I was intending.”

“Hang on a minute, just what’s going on here?” Calion asked, a bit out of the ordinary for him, but he was powerless, exhausted, and confused.  He could take a break now and then.  “You...the last time we met was just before our battle with Lucien,” Calion said, prompting a nod from the boy.  “I was forced to use the remainder of the Spirital to escape from the Valley of Souls; how is it possible that you were able to leave there? Something like that defies everything I know about the way that world works.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Nikolai replied.  “There’s no way for a being, human, spirit, or otherwise, to leave the Valley of Souls without using the Spirital as a means of transportation.  The idea that any type of being could simply leave on their own accord would spell destruction for any and all worlds.  Many who have been sent there are heinous, vile beings and there is no way to control something like that.  However,” he paused for a moment, taking the torch from Calion’s hand and placing it into his own, holding it in the air so that the walls around them were visible. 

 

The walls were breathtaking.  On both sides, the smoothed stones were lined with ancient carvings of creatures and what appeared to be humans – although he couldn’t be sure – interacting through various means.  From what he could see, it continued down both sides of the hallway endlessly, telling some kind of story.  Just what kind of cave had he stumbled into?

Nikolai took a breath, before resuming, “We are not on Earth, currently.  Nor are we in the Valley of Souls.”

Calion wasn’t sure what to believe, but one thing was for sure—something bizarre was going on. “Tell me then...where the hell are we?  And how did I get here?”

“It’s...hard to explain,” Nikolai hung his head, disappointed.  “I’m afraid even I don’t understand the entire idea behind this place.  It’s called the Solace.”  He motioned to Calion to follow him, beginning to walk back in the direction from which he’d first appeared.  So he had been going in the wrong direction, apparently.  “Follow me, I’m gonna attempt to show you why we’re here.”

“I’m confused—look I’m not expecting most of this to make sense, but if we’re not on Earth and we’re not in the Valley of Souls, how are you here? Cut the cryptic crap, start explaining yourself.  I can’t stand around and waste my time here, man.  I have...to stop him.” He demanded as his eyes trailed off into the distance for a moment.

“Do you want to know the real reason you’re here?” Nikolai asked, not waiting for Calion to answer the rhetoric.  “Since I’m dead and all, I’ve got a lot of spare time.  And I’ve spent most of it looking into something that we’ve now discovered plays a very pivotal role in the very battle we’re fighting.”

Could it be something to do with Hayate?

“I don’t have all the answers and a lot of this is new to me, too, but I’ve stumbled upon something that I never could have imagined,” he said.  He stopped walking as they reached an opening in the wall.  Calion followed him in, and found it was lit much more effectively than the rest of the cave err—Solace, rather.  There were torches all around the wall lighting the room and the same stone carvings lined these walls.

“The Solace, that’s what this whole place is called, is literally a giant library where history itself – the entire Universe’s history – is documented.  There’s countless hallways, rooms, walls, and the like just like the ones we walked through that have so many pictures it’s not even funny.”

“You’re telling me a place like that actually exists?” Calion asked.

“Indeed,” Nikolai replied.  “And we’re standing in it right now.”

“No way you’re serious,” Calion mocked.  Maybe he was dreaming.  Maybe that’s how he’d ended up here.  Yeah, he’d passed out on the rock and this was just some kind of crazy dream he was going to wake up from any minute now.

 

“You don’t believe a word I’m saying—Scarlet told me that would happen,” Nikolai said.  “You’re not dreaming, and you can’t let yourself think that you are.  We don’t have much time here.  It’s through Scarlet’s magic that I’m able to exist here in the first place, and that’s on a limited time frame.  Travel between worlds on this level is highly dangerous.  But there is a reason why our confrontation must take place here.”

Reality sunk in real quick.  Just to recap, he told himself—he was standing in the center of a giant room in the middle of a giant cave that existed in its own part of the universe and acted as a historical database for everything that had happened in every world, ever.  No, really.

The idea that a place like this actually existed...

“I told you I didn’t understand some things about this,” Nikolai said.  “What I meant by that was the magic that Scarlet used to arrange this confrontation doesn’t make all that much sense to me, but I can’t dwell on it right now.  Our research has lead us to discover that the “Number” cards, you know, the one you used in your duel against Allier, the one that took control of me during our initial duel?”

Calion nodded, wondering anxiously what he was getting at.

“Did you ever wonder how they existed, how you were able to communicate with Heriter as though he were more than just a creature in a card?” Nikolai prompted.

Obviously Calion had wondered it tons of times, but so many things had happened and with his memory as faded as it was, he had no idea what to think or what to make of anything anymore, so he just started going along with it.

“Look around you, just over there,” Nikolai said, pointing to a particular section of the wall in the room they were standing in.  Instantly, Calion froze.  He couldn’t believe his eyes.

Right there in front of him, carved on the wall—was 08.

 

---

 

The four-legged creature was standing alongside a menacing dragon, but parts of that carving had begun to fade, or at least been blurred.  That was strange.  One would think a historical database would be kept more efficiently protected.

“It’s...Heriter.” His hands shook.  “Alright...what the hell did you bring me here for?!”

“We’ve discovered that the ‘Number’ cards are not actually associated with Duel Monsters at all.  Somehow, they have incorporated themselves into that world and into the game itself, but each and every creature that takes on the form of a “Number” card exists as a real, live being.  Each with its own thoughts, individuality, and so forth. And these creatures take residence...in the same world from which you came, Erebos.”

“They have no connection to Duel Monsters?” Calion asked.  “How is that possible? They can just take on the form of cards? If they were real why wouldn’t they just come here themselves, I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Remember what Heriter told you?” Nikolai asked.  “There’s differences between worlds.  Beings can’t just travel freely from world to world if they’re not human, you see?  In your case, you’re part human, you can exist on Earth AND in Erebos because both exist within you, but just as I would be unable to exist on Erebos, Erebos creatures are unable to remain on Earth for more than a brief period of time.  It’s far too much physical strain.”

“Wait a sec...” He thought back to trying to knock the torch off the wall, and his powers failing to activate.  Maybe that same thing applied here.  “Are you saying the reason I can’t use Rakurai here is because Solace has no traces of it?”

“Sort of, yes.  In this case, being that Solace is such a secretive place that very few know of the existence of, its creators cast a special spell on it to prevent outside energy of any kind from being used here.  It’s literally the existence of history; something sacred that needs to be protected at all costs.  And this is why I told you that although our encounter must take place here, we have a very brief window of time in which to do it.”

“To do what?” Calion asked, still wondering how his body had been so badly damaged and how they had arrived here in the first place? The boy had said something about Scarlet’s magic but still...

“That part’s the one I can skip right to the point on,” Nikolai said.  “Why do you think it was so essential that I was the one who came here?  You and I need to have our rematch.”

A duel?! Here? Was he crazy? His body was weakening by the minute.

“Look you know I’m not one to turn down a challenge but dueling here would be way too risky.  You said yourself we don’t have all sorts of time, and if our bodies are constantly being depleted of energy it’s only a matter of time until this world weakens us to the point of no escape.”

“I’m aware of the consequences, but these are the only conditions under which we can battle,” Nikolai said.  “You’ve lost track of yourself and you’ve let self-doubt destroy you as a person.  You’re at your lowest physically and mentally, and if you’re going to go out there and save the world, if you’re the one who has what it takes, then you need to duel me here and now.”

“But I...” he hesitated; the risks were great, he hadn’t dueled in some time, and even then what did it mean for Nikolai if the two of them were to battle?

“This is not an option, Calion.  You and I will duel and if you’re truly the warrior everyone believes you are, then you will defeat me a second time and restore yourself.  And if not,” he said.  “Then welcome to your resting place.”

 

To be continued...[/spoiler]

[Synchronized]

Some commentary/feedback/acknowledgement/likes/comments would be very much appreciated! 

[Vector Nightmare]

Well I'm not gonna lie - this review will mostly revolve around a single complaint:

 

Pacing

 

In layman's terms? There's definitely such a thing as things happen too fast, and that's the case here. In the first chapter we have Calion rescued from a life-threatening situation, recover from a weakened condition, fall into another life-threatening situation, rescued again, travel back to the original point, start a fight, win it and leave again. Then in the second chapter we have Calion in a third life-threatening situation, which he is pulled out from, and about to start a fight again - and given how much shorter the second chapter is than the first, this is arguably even more squeezed in.

 

I'm gonna bring an example from popular fiction to illustrate my point: Lord of the Rings. Frodo's journey consists of travelling from his home in the Shire, to the village of whateveritsnamewas, to Elrod's place, then to the mountains of whatever, then to Moria, to Lothlorien, and after that to wherever it was that they separated and Boromir died, then to Mount Doom through an extremely convoluted route (yeah so I don't really remember the details, it's been like 6 years since I last read the books). Now Tolkien spent not only a sizable amount of storytelling in each of those places, but he also spent several segments describing the journey itself, which often served as cooldown periods for both the group and the reader, who could take his time and become immersed in the world, rather than have to constantly keep up with the action.

 

What you're doing here is taking your metaphorical Frodo and putting him in the cockpit of an X-Wing (so yeah I'm moving on to Star Wars references now), then having him blaze through the whole map of Middle Earth with only token stops here and there for plot reasons. If this were the Lord of the Rings, Frodo and Sam would be close to Elrod's house by the end of the second chapter.

 

Alright, maybe that last part was an overstatement, but the point still stands. Especially since this is the beginning of the story (and it doesn't matter if it's a sequel or not) you oughta take your time with things, give both the characters and the readers enough time to absorb what is happening and immerse themselves in the world. You have many plotlines here - why focus entirely on Calion, when you could have segments of other things going on? If I were you I'd have devoted the entirety of the second chapter to worldbuilding, partly from other perspectives and partly from Calion's as he travels, then shoved him into the cave in the third chapter (and I'd also have spread the events of the first chapter into at least three, but that's a different story).

 

Now yes, you're not writing the next Lord of the Rings, and you obviously won't spend half the fanfic on lore and backstory - that wouldn't make any sense. But it doesn't have to be one of two extremes. You can easily find a balance here. I distinctly remember making this point on the original Accel II, too. Characters and readers need breaks - right now you have segments of action divided by segments of exposition which is never a good idea - exposition should be melded smoothly into the aforementioned downtime, rather than be used as downtime between plot/action segments. For example, having Calion meet 08 while he's in the middle of a death march through the desert in order to then prompt him to turn back, and then having him meet Nikolai in another critical situation, would be like Elrod appearing to Frodo and Sam in the middle of the road while they were chased by the Nazgul, explaining the plot to them, dumping the rest of the fellowship on them, and sending them on their way.

 

Overall I'm not really satisfied with this chapter like I was with the first - even though the first had arguably worse pacing problems. Partly it's because it's put directly after the first. At this rate the things that happened in the first chapter are quickly pushed to the back of my mind because I have a whole new load of action and mystery to keep track of, then when the exposition and stuff happens it just feels disconnected. Not to mention that the situation Calion is put in feels awfully contrived - yes, I'm sure you have some reason why you put him in the mysterious inescapable cave (which btw turns out to be an OMFGSOSPESHUL plot device, and those shouldn't be appearing in the second chapter...) and had him meet Nikolai there, as opposed to doing something less awkward in order to get the plot explained to him, but until I find out that reason, it still seems like a really convoluted way to do things, put there just to fill chapter space and produce drama and excitement that eventually leads nowhere. And that's not how you want readers to feel.

 

Lastly I... won't say much about the we-have-to-duel part. I've already said this in the original Accel II's reviews - I'm not sure why duels are in this at all. You have a great talent for writing battle scenes, and you've worked to create a more-or-less original, cool power system that works, and personally I wish I could do those things on the same level that you can. I'm not saying your duel writing is bad, but it just feels unnecessary. You're shackling yourself to third-party elements which 1) feel awkward, because the story isn't centered around them, which makes them feel shoehorned and 2) prevents the story from standing on its own two feet, which it can easily do, by attaching the label 'YGO fanfic' to it. So... yeah. You can argue about variety, but I never actually got bored of reading battles in the original Accel II - or indeed, not even in Accel. In fact, I was more often bored of reading duels. Anyway, I guess this is more of a preference thing overall, so I'll just leave it as a personal note.

 

Overall, this chapter felt: 'too much, too fast, too early'. I will again stress the importance of pacing. You told Umbra, quoting, "I tried to take your advice into account as far as length went". But what Umbra actually said was "The length itself isn't necessarily the problem, it's just the amount of events that take place in a single chapter". Sure, you have a shorter chapter (...a tad too short, I'd say) - but the respective plot progression and density of action is not lessened by an appropriate margin, and the fact that all of it happens back-to-back with the first chapter makes it worse.

 

So yeah... pacing. That was the major problem in the first sequel, that is the major problem here. Get that right, and you have little else to worry about.

[Synchronized]

Wow.

 

So there's a lot here, and I actually did read the whole response so I'm just trying to think of the best way to break it down.

 

Pacing is something I'm struggling with.  I'll openly admit that.  Umbra and I have spent hours literally hours talking about this from just a pacing perspective.  When you're world-building as much as I am, and by that I mean with the backdrop this story has (Erebos (the other World), battles, skills, etc) there is so much that I'd say there's an almost limitless amount of stories that can come out of it.

 

However, there is a Duel Monsters connection to the story, and it's conclusion will be reached with the conclusion of Hayate's arc.  The entire exchange with Allier and the other things that happened towards the end of Accel were not related to that, but Hayate's story is.  Hayate himself is inspired by dueling because he was a young duelist who felt there wasn't enough there for him and wanted more, and more, and more.  He became power hungry and planned to use Rakurai as an outlet for which he could take dueling to the next level.

 

That is how D-Accel came to exist (the chip, back from Episode 1/2 that implemented Rakurai into the Duel System as a whole) and why these duels are real.  Now, because this is Hayate's goal, there has to be some sort of connection to duel monsters throughout this arc.  In a lot of the planning I've been doing, the later we get into the sequel, the more sporadic dueling becomes.  But with the seal-breakers introduced and their ties to Duel Monsters, dueling is a necessity because it still has its ties with the story. 

 

It would only make sense that Hayate would incorporate dueling into his plans because for him it was all about becoming a better than perfect duelist.  I'm not sure if that part makes sense, but that's the reason the duels are taking place here.  I will definitely make more of an effort to explain that and even lay out the plot lines more effectively, but this is the Yu-Gi-Oh! element that I feel needs to be resolved.  There has to be some duels and there has to be an explanation for the existence of the Number Cards.  The reason that the Numbers (again, which exist as real creatures in Erebos) are connected to Duel Monsters is really the main plot point for this part of the story and the reason dueling is so heavily incorporated.

 

These guys have to duel because they have to discover the ties to the Numbers and defeat Hayate that way.  That's what his grand scheme is setting up - that's the end point (for the Arc).  

 

I can promise you that there are big things involved that have to do with Erebos creatures, actual fighting, and things along those lines, but I thought it was best to resolve this part of the story first.  My guess is that once you can understand why dueling is so important to this part of the story and how it ties into everything as far as Hayate goes, you will see why I've chosen to do this.  Because of Rakurai, dueling is obviously very real, but in the case of the seal-breakers and Hayate's goals, dueling is the only way to actually stop him-i.e. harnessing the power of the Number monsters as the only way they can exist on Earth and other places is through their Duel Monsters connection.  They don't have the physical energy to stay there long enough in physical forms.

 

Now, onto your other point.

 

Admittedly I wanted to get a few of these plot points out of the way because I was intending to create a series of four events in the first couple of chapters.  What I was going for was establishing (and this is a minor spoiler, but nothing that will affect the story majorly) the four locations of the seals that our villains will be attempting to break.  The goal was to make it seem rushed so that it looked like Calion was going from place to place and then has to put together why he ended up in said place.

 

I really do think it can work but I'm going to pace it a little better.  I wanted to establish these different settings quickly although maybe when it comes to Nikolai and Calion's duel I rushed it a bit.  Either way, it's happening now and I'm going to do my best to explain more of these things along the way.

 

I can't tell you how many times I read Dead Zone over and over again just for inspiration and ideas and a better way to format and pace things--it's that good.  I have so much I want to do with this story and I'm hoping this cleared some of it up.

 

Thanks fo taking the time. :)

[Synchronized]

So let's see if this one works better.   Decided to do the duel as two parts, just to take some time to really get Calion back to himself again.

 

After taking his leave from Menderite and trekking out into the desert to find his way back to actual civilization, Calion, fatigued and still recovering from the effects of the desert, took a brief recoup falling asleep on a large rock nearby.  When he 'awoke', he found himself in a mysterious cave with all sorts of markings depicting battles between creatures and humans that bared strange resemblance to many Duel Monsters cards.  Finding out that his powers were useless in the cave, he tried to break his way out but failed, only for his old rival Nikolai Marchev, the Russian duelist he'd faced back in Lucien's Grand Championship tournament! Though Nikolai now lives on in the Valley of Souls, he was able to arrange a meeting with Calion there in that cave, better known as Solace, a historical database of everything that's ever happened in history.  Now, after finding out that the mysterious "Number" monsters have no direct relation to Duel Monsters and are actual creatures from Calion's home of Erebos, he's challenged to a duel by Nikolai, who tells him that he has to put it all on the line if he wants to return to the way he was and stop Hayate! It's the rematch of the century, only this time with everything on the line!

 

[spoiler=Episode 3: Desperate Times, Dire Measures!]

 

Nikolai had taken to the opposite side of the room, and both of them were standing within the stone circle that comprised the majority of the floor.  Drawings and what must have been hieroglyphics of some kind covered that too, but not quite as prominently as the walls surrounding them.  The entire place was surreal – the very idea of something like this existing was surreal in and of itself.  And Calion could only wonder, if this place was so sacred that even beings like Heriter would only have a limited lifespan there, who was it that was responsible for its care?

 

Two stone pillars had risen from the circle, shaking the ground as they rose, one on Calion’s side and one on Nikolai’s.  Neither of them had duel disks, and based on the layout on the top of the stones, they would serve as their means for dueling.  Talk about a throwback to ancient times, he tried to joke with himself to ease his nerves.  Although to very little avail.  The rules were self explanatory, but there was one thing he was trying to make sense of above everything else.

"If it has to be this way, then so be it.  But first answer one question," Calion demanded, reaching the deckbox clipped onto his waist, surprised to find that it hadn't endured any real damage despite the rest of him being pretty roughed up.  He opened it and took it out, shuffling it a few times before placing it down on the stone tablet in front of him.  He hadn't dueled in a while; admittedly it would take a little bit to get his confidence back.  "If Solace is meant to be a sacred place, wouldn't dueling here cause it possible destruction? Especially in a room like this that isn't really all that big.  This place could be torn apart."

Nikolai shook his head, following suit of Calion's actions and placing his Deck down on the tablet that sat in front of him, gently shuffling it before doing so.  "There is a reason we had to arrange this meeting here, Calion.  I can't go into full detail now as we don't have the time for it, but this particular room is called the Equinox Chamber.  Whereas Rakurai and other means of energy that aren't home to Solace are useless, the effects in this room are under a different spell.  What I mean by that is, if one were to charge up enough energy and the amount of power the room collected was to reach a certain level, one could use that to fully revitalize themselves."

"So what you're saying is," Calion asked, putting it together rather easily.  "By dueling here we're generating energy, and whichever one of us wins will be able to use that energy to fully restore ourselves?  If that's the case, then what happens to the loser?"

"Unfortunately," Nikolai hung his head, "The adverse effect.  The loser will have the remainder of their energy depleted and find themselves far too weak to leave here.  That is why this test is so important, you see.  If you are to stop Hayate then you have to find yourself again, and winning this duel under the most difficult conditions you've ever endured is the only way to do so."

"And if I win...what happens to you?" He wasn't afraid to duel, but the idea of another life being lost at his hands was not something he wanted to face.  Even though Nikolai was no longer alive on Earth, he was able to live on in the Valley of Souls as a spirit.  But based on what he was saying, one way or another, one of them would meet a permanent end here.

"Nothing is perfect in this world and as such it will never work out that way.  I have accepted whichever fate comes my way and I am willing to live with it," he said, his eyes glowing with a strong resolve.  "Too many people have suffered because of the evils that inhabit our worlds and someone has to be stop it.  I believe you to be that person, Calion.  There are thousands of others that feel the same way.  But until you believe it yourself, there is nothing further anyone we can do.  And so if it means I have to give up my life for one last duel to bring the real Calion out, so be it!"

"I'm not prepared to take the life of..."

"It doesn't matter what you're prepared for! This is real life, man!  Stop being a coward and stand up to fight for what you know is right! Enough talking, it's time we settle this once and for all! I've been waiting for this duel for a long time."

 

DUEL

LP4000/LP4000

 

"Now let's do this!" Nikolai exclaimed, drawing five cards from his Deck.  He had to maintain every sense of his confidence no matter how hard this was; too many people were counting on him and even though he was unsure, he made a promise to Scarlet and the others that he would get through to Calion no matter what.  And who better to do that than the one who had come so close to defeating him? "Game on! I hope you've stepped up your game since the last time we met, because I certainly have! I activate the Field Spell Card Hunter's Ocean!"

 

As the virtual hologram, fueled by Solace's magic, took effect, a body of water began to overtake the room, raising their pillars and the stone circle on which they stood slightly above the ground to give the water a place to settle.  "With this card in play, you've got to be a bit more careful when it comes to sending monsters into battle.  But thankfully, I have no reason to worry.  Because I'm calling Deep Sea Fang (ATK1000) to the field!"

 

A small whirlpool began to form in the center of the body of water as the small, pointed fin of a light blue shark poked its way into the playing field.  With a red jewel crested in the center of its fin, the shark gave off a radiant glow, as Nikolai smirked.  "When Deep Sea Fang is Normal Summoned, I can call any Shark monster from my Deck straight to the field, although I have to put that monster in defense mode.  But since I can't attack this turn anyway, that's a small price to pay."

 

Man, he's already loading the field with monsters, Calion thought.  He could tell that Nikolai's actions weren't malicious and that somewhere inside he was struggling to stay as strong as he was, but at the same time Calion wondered if he had it in himself to do the same.  If there were really that many people counting on him, he couldn't let them down.  Nikolai was putting his life on the line to emphasize that and yet he couldn't bring himself to justify ending it.

 

A deep ocean blue colored shark arose next to the fin of the first one, swimming around in circles as though it were striking its prey.  There were three fins on each side of its face, intimidating in appearance but nothing in comparison to the layers of razor sharp fangs within its mouth.  "I call on, Eagle Shark (DEF1800)!  Two monsters and my spell should be more than enough.  You're safe this turn, but next turn I can tear into you, so you'd better do something and not just stand there looking scared!"

 

[spoiler=Hunter's Ocean]

Field Spell Card

If you control a "Shark" monster and your opponent controls exactly 1 monster: All monsters your opponent controls are changed to face-up Attack Position and their ATK becomes 0.  You can only one declare attack per turn during the turn this effect is activated.  If your opponent controls more than 1 monster: Destroy this card.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Deep Sea Fang]

LV4/WATER

Fish / Effect

When this card is Normal Summoned: You can Special Summon 1 "Shark" monster from your Deck in face-up Defense Position.  You can only use the effect of "Deep Sea Fang" once per turn.

1000/200[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Eagle Shark]

LV5/WATER

Fish / Effect

If your opponent controls 2 or more monsters, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributing.  If you control a "Panther Shark", you can Special Summon this card from your hand.  You can only control 1 "Eagle Shark".

1000/1800[/spoiler]

 

An impressive opening play from a field presence standpoint, but Calion couldn't keep from noticing that Nikolai hadn't placed any backrow down to keep his monsters safe.  The presence was good, but both monsters had one thousand points; he definitely had something up his sleeve.

 

He was conflicted.  His mind was still trying to reason with how fast everything had happened and he had barely paid attention to Nikolai's moves, never mind his own hand.  Therefore when he drew his sixth card and examined them for the first time, he was genuinely surprised at what he saw.  Not too bad of a set-up at all.  But to waste everything on his first turn would be foolish, so he'd just start things off by taking down one of those sharks.  There had to be a way to solve this problem without one of them being trapped here as a result.  It was all so confusing.

 

"I'm gonna need a little time to figure this out, but we don't have much, so I'll think and act at the same time!  I summon Heraldic Beast Aberconway (ATK1800)!"  With a screech, the gray-bellied dragon soared onto the field, its crimson wings spanning a distance bigger than the dragon itself.  It was careful to hover above the water, which seemed anxious to pull it in, like it had a mind of its own.  "Aberconway, take out Deep Sea Fang with Crimson Flare!"

 

Aberconway soared into the air and swooped around to go in for the kill, but as it neared Nikolai's mostly submerged creature, waves shot up, drowning it entirely and cutting off its attack.  Like the water was acting on its own accord, it wrapped around Aberconway's body, squeezing the very life out of it.  Calion, still somewhat zoned out, nearly dropped his cards as it happened.  "What the hell is this?"

 

"Sorry, but you fell for my trap just as I thought you would," Nikolai explained, flashing a smile as the water continued to drain the dragon's life.  "I can tell you're already not playing like yourself; this is so much to take in and I understand that, but if you don't take this duel seriously you're going to die and that's not an exaggeration."

 

Calion no-sold his remarks, scoffing at the thought.  He wasn't buying into the idea that there was no other way out of this.  This duel didn't need to happen.  He didn't need others to take the fall for him.  This was his battle to fight.  "And Calion, if you think for a second that I'm going to take it easy on you, you can think again.  We may be mutual allies, but if you're not willing to do what you have to do in order to save both your world and mine, then I won't hesitate to do it."

 

He could tell from the look in Nikolai's eyes and even the way he was speaking that nothing he was saying was a joke.  He truly was taking this duel seriously and there was every reason to believe he would make good on his word.  This had all happened to suddenly, the revelation of the Numbers, Nikolai's resurgence, and even this place.  His head was just too clustered--he couldn't think straight!

 

Taking just a second to put what Nikolai said into perspective, the way he'd described this chamber, what he suggested was that a duel of this caliber taking place here would generate substansial amounts of energy in the chamber itself.  Because Rakurai could not exist in Solace outside of this very room, it would continue to pressurize until the duel ended.  From there, instead of draining energy, it would begin to replenish that energy instead.  In essence, what Nikolai suggested was that if Calion could defeat him here and now, he would be recovered to completely full strength and then some, which would allow him to use the leftover power to escape from this place. 

 

Because some of that energy would be generated from Nikolai's side of things, his body would be to weak to exit, given that he was here on a limited basis anyway, and he would be unable to leave this place.  It wouldn't even be a quick death - rather a slow, prodding, painful death that would slowly drain them of their very life until there was absolutely nothing left.  How could he willingly go forward with a duel like this knowing that someone would await those consequences at his hand?  Even if it meant he could get his power back, it wasn't worth taking the life of another person.

 

But on the other hand, wasn't Nikolai already dead?  The thought entered his mind quickly, but he shoved it aside; that was no way to think.  The point was irrelvant.

 

"The time you're spending thinking about this is time wasted, Calion.  What happened to the one I dueled back then? The one who wouldn't even think about whether or not he stood a chance at winning - he just knew.  You have to find him, or else you might as well just give up now," Nikolai taunted him further, trying to keep a confident look on his face, although this wasn't the easiest thing for him to do either.  "We don't have time for this, so let me clue you in.  Heraldic Beast Aberconway has been stripped of all its attack points thanks to my Hunter's Ocean field spell.  If I control a shark monster and you have only one monster on the field, my creatures of the deep completely drain its power and leave it defenseless."

 

So that's why he summoned those monsters and then just left them there. Calion grimaced, disappointed with himself although what other play could he have made? Before he even had the chance to attack, Aberconway had been bogged down and restricted.  If he had left his field open, he would've taken a bunch of damage, although now with Aberconway stuck in attack mode with no power, it was more or less the same thing.  "Damnit..." He muttered, throwing a card from his hand down onto the tablet.  "I'll set one card and end."

 

[spoiler=Heraldic Beast Aberconway]

LV4/WIND

Dragon / Effect

You can banish 1 "Heraldic Beast Aberconway" from your Graveyard, except this card, to add 1 "Heraldic Beast" monster from your Graveyard to your hand.

1800/900[/spoiler]

 

"I can't even commend you for that one, that whole play was absolutely pathetic," Nikolai observed, drawing a card and bringing the total in his hand to four.  The goal was to get Calion to put up a fight and get back to the way he used to be, but he just wasn't taking the bait.  He wasn't putting anything into this; to just end his turn leaving his monster susceptible to what was basically a direct attack was anything but the play the Calion he remembered would make.  

 

"Your cowardice will be your downfall, but I assure you I won't show the same weakness!  Eagle Shark, swallow his Aberconway with Deep Sea Crunch!"  Circling the helpless dragon, Eagle Shark readied its fangs and sprung into the air out of the water, devouring the entire thing with one bite as it let out one final cry.  Calion felt the after effects almost immediately as there was a noticeable shift in the room's generated energy.

 

Calion's LP: 3000

 

Even with the impact from the first attack, the room remained completely unscathed.  Calion felt the pain through Aberconway, but the stone of the Solace's chamber felt no effects.  The energy in the room began to surge, with the first of the Life Points being pulled into the room's atmosphere.  His body wasn't physically sore - it wasn't like those duels where the monsters made actual contact with the players themselves.  Whatever contraption they were dueling in was literally absorbing their Life Points and turning it into energy.  It brought him instant fatigue, literally sucking the Rakurai out of him, and there wasn't much in there to begin with.

 

"You're not looking so good, but maybe now that'll knock some sense into you.  This isn't just a game anymore, Calion.  For as serious as the Grand Tournament was, this duel is on an entirely different level," Nikolai explained, noting the legitimacy of his words.  "You've lost almost all of your Rakurai and at this point, the only way for you to fully restore your power is to win.  To duel like the Calion we all knew!"  Grunting angrily as he tried to get a reaction out of the Spirit to no avail, Nikolai placed two cards down on the tablet, and they materialized behind his monsters. 

 

"Thankfully for you, because of Hunter's Ocean, any turn that it takes effect I'm only allowed one attack. But if you continue to play the same way you played last turn, it's only going to take four turns for my deep sea creatures to tear you to shreds!"

 

---

 

"I draw!" Calion exclaimed, trying to rebuild some of his mojo, although he barely had any to begin with.  Heraldic Beast Leo, he could work with that.  Nikolai was right, if he didn't start to mount some kind of an offense he would be swimming with the fishes in no time.  "Alright...I can't let you beat me this easily, you may have caught me off guard once, but there's no way I'll fall for it two times in a row.  As fearsome as your sharks may be, you're not the only one with an expert hunter.  I summon Heraldic Beast Leo (ATK2000)!"

 

It's bright golden mane flourishing in the air behind it, the feline beast appeared on the field, its claws extended outwards and its feet in a position to leap into attack immediately.  But just as Aberconway moments before, the waters reached up and swallowed it in a devastating vicegrip, reducing its attack points down to zero.

 

"You made the same mistake twice, only this time I can't even feel sympathetic for you! Summoning Heraldic Beast Leo will have no different result than the first time around," Nikolai explained as the lion struggled to break free from the water's grasp to no avail, the sharks circling around it.  

 

"I wouldn't be so sure," Calion said, a slight bolster in his voice.  "Because this time around I'm using the Trap Card I set last turn in order to shake things up!  I activate Soul Booster!"  The trap card Soul Booster, when activated, would allow him to send a monster from his Deck to the Graveyard that had the same attribute as a monster on his field.  If he did so without interruption, that same monster on the field would become unaffected by any other card effects during the turn.  It would nullify damage, but all had to do was get Eagle Shark off the field and Hunter's Ocean would be useless.

 

"I had a feeling you might try something to get around the field, but you're gonna have to do better than that!  Activate trap, Line Cast!"  He flipped the card face-up as a virtual fishing pole appeared, hovering above the water.  It released a line into the water that soon became a stream of energy.  "Line Cast is just half of your problem, because this trap allows me to activate a Normal Spell Card during your turn, provided it's been set on my field!  So my second face-down, Tidal Safeguard, will now activate!"  The fishing pole's line reeled itself in, pulling Nikolai's second card upwards in the process.

 

Calion remembered it instantly.  Tidal Safeguard was the same spell that Nikolai had used against him in the first duel.  At the time, he used it to shift control of Number 30: Acid Golem of Destruction to Calion in order to lock him down, planning to beat him with the Golem's effect.  This time he was using it for a different reason, and not acting under the control of a Number, but the reality had set in and everything came rushing back.

 

---

 

“So you've got a final trick up your sleeve?” Calion was careful not to say too much; while he was completely sure of Lucien's involvement, this kid probably had no idea he was being used as a puppet. Best not to let out more information than necessary. “Interesting. Tell me, will it be easier to take this one down than the last barrage of monsters, or you gonna fail with this attempt too?”

 

“Just watch, because the power I wield is far greater than anything you could hope to comprehend now!” With Nikolai's words, he carried a sense of power, but much of it was false, not controlling his own movements. He placed a card into the duel disk. “Because I activate the Spell Card Tidal Safeguard!”

 

“Watch as your Lightning Chidori is washed away and you take the reigns of Acid Golem of Destruction!” The crowd watched in awe as a large wave washed over Calion's field, taking the Plover with it – the creature stood no chance from the overwhelming force. With a few bumbling footsteps, Acid Golem switched sides, carrying the red aura along with it.

 

I don't understand; I knew this guy was a clueless fool, but why give me a monster more powerful than that other Xyz there? Calion wondered to himself. He could've simply shifted Bahamut Shark to my side of the field and attacked it with the Golem, leaving me relatively defenseless. Instead, I've got a more powerful monster. Something wasn't making sense; why would Lucien let up his influence at this point? His one chance to turn the duel around, at least while he maintained control over Nikolai's dueling, would've been to make the exact opposite move. With no Overlay Units the Golem was just a giant beat stick, but three-thousand points was nothing to laugh at. What's going on...

 

The air was full of tension; even those in the crowd had been able to sense something different about Nikolai's artificially-created monster; it looked evil, and carried itself, the soulless creature that it was, in such a manner. With a figure so fearsome, towering over the stadium itself, many parents held their frightened children against them, to console them from the fear that had taken over. Even the MC had quieted, not feeling the energetic persona he had just moments ago.

 

---

 

That moment, everything as it had happened had become so vividly clear in his mind.  His words, their interaction, the passion with which he dueled.  But even then, the understanding of the Numbers was unclear.  If they existed, then why had Acid Golem chosen that time to take over Nikolai? And why would Heriter have helped him?   Just like on Earth, there were good and evil, he reasoned.  But while that may have been self explanatory, what wasn't was what the Numbers had to gain and why they had chosen to involve themselves.

 

More importantly than anything else, he realized, with the activation of that card and his recollection, was that Nikolai had chosen to walk this path.  He had suffered enough and this was his way to give back.  Indirectly, through his words and his action, he wanted Calion to defeat him to give him closure, to give him the idea that he'd actually been able to do something, to help to play a greater role.

 

This wasn't the same arrogant punk he'd dueled before.  This was a real rival.  And he had promised him a rematch.  If that's what he truly wanted, then he would deliver.  He would deliver, he would win, and then he would discover the real reason for the Numbers, which in turn, he believed, would put everything else into perspective.

 

[spoiler=Soul Booster]

Normal Trap Card

Send 1 monster from your Deck to the Graveyard with the same Attribute as a face-up monster you control.  All face-up monsters you control with the same Attribute as the sent monster are unaffected by the effects of Spell and Trap Cards this turn.  You must control a face-up monster to activate and to resolve this effect.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Line Cast]

Normal Trap Card

Target 1 Set Normal Spell Card on your field; activate that target.  You must control a face-up WATER monster to activate and to resolve this effect.  You cannot Special Summon a monster(s) during the turn this effect is activated.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Tidal Safeguard]

Normal Trap Card

Target 1 face-up WATER monster you control and 1 monster your opponent controls; shuffle the second target into the Deck and shift control of the first target to your opponent.[/spoiler]

 

"Tidal Safeguard," Calion said, staring downwards as Nikolai took a second to react to the change in the air.  "I remember it well.  The same card that almost beat me back then.  I can only imagine what would have happened if I'd lost that duel to you."

 

It would have been impossible not to notice the difference in the Spirit's tone, but Nikolai was shocked at the sudden change.  He'd never imagined playing that card would be the thing that pulled him back into reality.  In fact, up until Calion had mentioned it he didn't even remember using it.  But if it worked...maybe he'd gotten through to him.  "If you remember it, then you'll definitely remember what it does!  Before your Soul Booster takes effect, allow me to refresh your memory!  I can shift control of Deep Sea Fang to you, and then in doing so, Tidal Safeguard washes your Heraldic Beast Leo right back into your Deck!"

 

Through the lion's now pointless cries, the waves engulfed him completely, as Deep Sea Fang swam across the field, now being surpressed by the same waters that had just moments ago been its safe haven.  "It looks like you might have regained some of your concsciousness; I was getting worried, you were in another zone.  But it's too little, too late.  Your attempt at a comeback play was too simple, even for you, and now I'll be able to finish you off with ease.  Since you've become so weak, I'll be the one to put you out of your misery!  I always anticipated a rematch, but I never imagined it would be like this.  I'm disappointed, but the result will still be the same.  You can't beat me a second time!"

 

"Heh," Calion scoffed.  He scanned over his hand quickly.  He had that fish thing on his field, and though it was pathetically weak, all that mattered was its level. "Heh," Calion scoffed.  He scanned over his hand quickly.  He had that fish thing on his field, and though it was pathetically weak, all that mattered was its level.  "I remember you saying the first time we dueled that I stood no chance against the might of your monsters.  But so far all I've seen is this little field spell card and a couple of weak monsters.  So I have to ask, if this water gets drained, what's left but a fish on dry land?"

 

"What's that..." Nikolai asked rhetorically.

 

"Your Tidal Safeguard got rid of Heraldic Beast Leo, and that was a smart play, but now you've given me another Level 4 monster.  And theoretically, that's the same purpose Leo was going to serve."  He was feeling his swagger coming back.  And he couldn't help but smile.  It was time for the real duel to begin.  "I'll show you exactly what I'm talking about!  Been a while since I've used this guy, but he seems to be as good a choice as any.  So watch as I discard Heraldic Beast Eale to the Graveyard in order to special summon Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena (ATK1700) from my hand!"

 

[spoiler=Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena]

LV4/WIND

Dragon / Effect

You can discard 1 "Heraldic Beast" monster to Special Summon this card from your hand.  Once per turn, you can discard 1 "Heraldic Beast" monster to have this card gain 800 ATK until the End Phase.

1700/1100[/spoiler]

 

Emerging from a spherical stone, the winged dragon let out a cry as it soared onto the field, itching for a piece of the action.  "Now if I'm correct, and I usually am, since I now control a second monster, your ocean's about to get dried up!"  Nikolai gasped as his field spell's drawback took effect, the water vaporizing into the air, just as he placed the card into the Graveyard.  Eagle Shark, no longer cloaked by the water's protection, swam in circles frantically trying to find a place to hide.

 

"You'll have to forgive me, I lost myself for a bit there.  But being back in the middle of the action has made me realize that when it comes to dueling, I'm pretty damn good," Calion remarked with a grin.  "And let's be honest, the first time I beat you, you put up a much better fight.  So if this is the rematch you intended it to be, I'm just gonna have to blast you until you bring out the strongest monsters you've got!"

 

"You said you accepted whatever fate awaited you, well now I'm doing the same!  This is my vow, if winning this duel means I can achieve what I need to protect those around me, then I'm gonna give it everything I've got.  This is the last sappy speech you're gonna hear from me, but you better give it your all.  Cause if you're gonna go out, there's no better way for it to happen than by losing to someone who's just flat out better than you," Calion laughed.  He was only joking about that, of course.  Sort of.

 

"So now I'll build the overlay network with these two monsters here, in order to Xyz Summon the Rank 4...Diamond Dire Wolf (ATK2000)!"  Merging into two small spheres and overlapping with one another in a galatic burst of energy, the glistening silver beast descended onto the field, its body covered with glorious diamonds that acted as its means of strength.  It let out a screeching howl, a burning passion in its eyes - the same in the eyes of the one standing behind it.

 

Calion had been awakened.  Now it was time to take back everything he'd let himself lose.

 

To be continued...[/spoiler]

[asterr259]

Interesting story, only a chapter in so far, but I'm probably going to read Part I first. It's a pet peeve of mine to read/watch sequels without doing the original first. xD

[Synchronized]

Interesting story, only a chapter in so far, but I'm probably going to read Part I first. It's a pet peeve of mine to read/watch sequels without doing the original first. xD

 

Thanks for checking it out! Would love to have you on board as a full-time reader. :)

 

Anyway, here's the next Chapter.  Took a lot of work, but I'm really happy with how it turned out.  Not expecting much, but some feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 4: Benevolent Voltage Burst!]

After the creatures of the deep under Nikolai’s command tore into Calion’s monsters thanks to the Russian duelist’s perfect strategy of reducing their points to 0 and allowing the somewhat weaker sharks to appear as devastating sea beasts, the activation of a Spell Card known as Tidal Safeguard awakened Calion’s inner memories and brought him back to their first encounter, when he first saw a “Number” monster in action.  His recollection opened his eyes to the seriousness of the situation and how important it was to both sides that he won this duel.  Trying to regroup and feeling like himself again, he turned the tables on Nikolai by bringing out his ace monster, Diamond Dire Wolf!  There’s still plenty of duel to go, but now that the old Calion is back, it’s the rematch everyone’s been waiting for!

 

Chapter 4: Benevolent Voltage Burst!

 

With the ocean now dried, Dire Wolf stood in the center of the stone circle, towering over the lesser shark and establishing itself as the fearsome hunter it was.  It was salivating at the chance to tear into the opposing creature, seemingly sharing Calion’s desire to get back into things and mount a serious assault.  Nikolai swallowed, trying to take in how quickly things had changed, and now began to realize he was the one in danger.

 

“It’s been some time,” Calion nodded at the wolf, who responded in turn.  “But allow me to reacquaint you, this is the one we defeated before, if you remember?  I’m gonna give you a chance to let out your frustrations!  Go, Diamond Dire Wolf attack his shark with Diamondine Slash!” 

 

Dire Wolf didn’t need the instructions twice, shredding its knife-edge claws into the shark which looked puny in comparison.  It had no defense as it simply burst into a million pieces, leaving behind no remnants as Nikolai felt the damage.

 

Nikolai’s LP: 3000

 

It sapped his energy quickly, and he felt the same pain Calion did just a turn earlier.  It wasn’t even physical so much as it was so quick.  He had no time to react to it.  And now he was out of monsters.

 

Things were heating up now.  Calion had established his comeback and he wasn’t going to let himself go back to that pathetic display.  People were counting on him, but more importantly than anything else he had to be able to count on himself.  It wasn’t that he wanted to be heartless like he was before, but there was no way he would go out like this.  “Better hope you have something up your sleeve, because I’m not backing down.”  He taunted, setting one card.

 

That’s more like it.  But if he’s back to himself, then I have to focus on winning this duel.  Nikolai reminded himself.  This next draw would have to be a game-changer.

 

---

 

The clouds were overcast, and the desert was cold...

 

Charlotte made an effort to huff and puff with every step she took in this forsaken desert, as though someone was going to hear her complaining and do something about it.  Why was it she had been assigned to this disgusting place and not one of the easier ones?  She was high maintenance, and for the results she could provide when called upon, this was insulting.  Whose idea was it to put some kind of hidden spell book in the middle of the desert, anyway?

 

She had been walking for miles now and her feet were killing her.  She hadn’t thought to bring much as far as food and drink, because this was supposed to be a simple task.  That, and having to carry a bag any bigger than her wristlet was just completely un lady-like.  Spending so much time carrying out orders for Asuma and Hayate and this was the thanks she got?  Inexcusable.

 

But she had to digress.  If she could complete this mission and retrieve the stupid book, she would be out of the shackles of this whole organization for good, and she’d be free to do as she pleased like the real princess she was.  She ran her hands through her ocean blue hair, twirling it around her index finger with a sadistic smile as she imagined the possibilities that awaited her, once her freedom came to be.  She had waited for this moment for such a long time.

 

In a slight corner of her heart, she felt pity for the poor spirit she was going to encounter.  What a shame it must be to be such a legendary guardian, protecting an item so sacred for whatever reason, only to be absolutely crushed by someone far prettier than you.  Whatever the case, she was glad she didn’t have to actually dirty her hands fighting this guy—she didn’t want to ruin her flawless look.  A duel would be the perfect way to end this quickly.

 

It would all be over soon, she assured herself with an uncanny smile.

 

---

 

“It’s my draw, and would you look at that, it’s another blast from the past!” Nikolai exclaimed as he revealed it, the spell Predatorial Gathering.  One of his most powerful cards, and this was just the time to draw it.  Calion recognized it instantly, swearing under his breath.  This was going to make things difficult.  “The first time I used this card, you had the advantage of being safe from a first turn attack.  This turn, however, you’re not so lucky!  I activate the Spell Card Predatorial Gathering!”

 

Nikolai placed the card face-up on the tablet, as a strange blue aura began to emanate throughout the circle, a power that would let him call forth as many monsters from his Deck as he could, as long as none of them were the same.  “I won’t waste time reexplaining what it can do, but I will fill my field up with monsters!”

 

Five fearsome creatures appeared in succession, all of them sharks of some kind.  From left to right, Nikolai introduced them.  “I call upon Panther Shark (DEF2000), Cyber Shark (DEF2000), Hammer Shark (DEF1500), Spear Shark (DEF1400), and finally, Double Shark (DEF1600)!” All five creatures a different shade of blue, each with their own unique designs, took to the field in defense position, restricted from attacking by the effects of Predatorial Gathering.

 

[spoiler=Predatorial Gathering]

Normal Spell Card

Special Summon any number of “Shark” monsters from your Deck in face-up Defense Position, but no more than 1 of each.  You cannot Special Summon a monster during this turn, except a “Shark” monster.  Destroy any monsters Special Summoned by this effect during the End Phase.  You must control no cards to activate and to resolve this effect.[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Panther Shark]

LV5/WATER

Fish / Effect

If your opponent controls 2 or more monsters, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributing.  If you control an “Eagle Shark”, you can Special Summon this card from your hand.

1100/2000[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Cyber Shark]

LV5/WATER

Fish / Effect

If you control a WATER monster, you can Normal Summon this card without Tributing.

2100/2000[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Hammer Shark]

LV4/WATER

Fish / Effect

Once per turn, you can reduce this card’s Level by 1 to Special Summon 1 Level 3 WATER monster from your hand.

1700/1500[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Spear Shark]
LV4/WATER

Fish / Effect

When this card is Normal Summoned, you can increase the Levels of all Level 3 Fish-Type monsters you control by 1.  If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent.

1600/1400[/spoiler]

[spoiler=Double Shark]

LV4/WATER

Fish / Effect

When this card is Normal Summoned: You can reduce the Levels of all Level 4 Fish-Type monsters you control by 1.  This card can make an attack twice during each Battle Phase.

1200/1600[/spoiler]

 

"The fact that you're back to yourself is gonna make this all the more sweet," Nikolai said with a passionate grin.  He'd been waiting for a real duel - one where they were both in control and dueling at their fullest, and even in the dire situation that presented itself, he found himself pulled into the intensity of the game.  If this had to happen, why not make the most of it?  "Unfortunately for you, you're a small gruppy trapped in a shark tank, and now that I'm in control of my own actions this time around, you're gonna see what I can really do!"

 

"Well come on then," Calion taunted him.  "Let's see what all this talk is about.  Show me that you're not as pathetic as our last duel would suggest!"

 

"You should be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it!  Stand back because I'm about to make a real splash!" He said, pun intended.  "But before I do that, I'm gonna solidify my defenses!  By using Cyber Shark and Panther Shark as material, I build the overlay network to Xyz Summon the Rank 5 Shark Fortress (ATK2400)!"

 

The spherical metal air base, vaguely resembling a shark in its design, cast a shadow across the room, darkening it more than it was prior.  Nikolai's firm confidence had only been reinforced with the fortress backing him up. But that wasn't the end of it; Calion was well aware of what was coming next.

 

"Impressed yet?" Nikolai asked with a cheesy grin, drawing Calion's ire.  "If not, allow me to introduce you to an old friend! It's about time the two of you get reacquainted!  Now I overlay Hammer Shark and Double Shark, as these two ocean hunters join together to form the ultimate beast of the seas!  I Xyz Summon Bahamut Shark (2600)!"

 

There was no way Calion could forget this one.  The mighty behemoth of the deep, Bahamut Shark, materialized on the field, its dark blue exterior reflecting off the polished stone floor, casting a shadow that only added to its towering might.  Rows and rows of teeth lined its mouth, salivating at the thought of blood.  It was feeding time.

 

"Bahamut Shark has long since missed you, Calion, and he's been waiting for the chance to do what he was unable to do the first time around!  Just as I, have longed for the chance to avenge my embarassing defeat!" Nikolai roared, pointing in Calion's direction.  "And with the amount of time he's been waiting, I'm not sure that just one will quench his thirst for blood!  So I'll appease his desires!  Thanks to Shark Fortress' special ability, by detaching an overlay unit, a Shark monster I control is allowed to make a second attack this turn!  And what better choice than the deep terror himself!  Now, Bahamut Shark, crush his Diamond Dire Wolf!  Deep Sea Devastation!"

 

In one fell swoop, the carnivorous shark lunged across the field, and as the fearsome Dire Wolf tried to hold its own, it succumbed to the might, disappearing with one last apologetic glance to its master.

 

Calion LP: 2400

 

“It’s unfortunate, but it appears this is the end of the line,” Nikolai said sorrowfully.  “It’s a shame that it took you so long to come to your senses, because this duel could have played out quite differently.  But I’m afraid you’re too late.”

 

Calion stood strong, but the worst was yet to come.  He was wide open, and with only twenty-four hundred points left, Bahamut Shark was still eligible to make a direct attack.  If that hit, he was through.  He swore under his breath through gritted teeth.

 

“You weren’t the one we thought you were, but that doesn’t matter! You fought valiantly and now I’m going to end this!  I will carry out the mission you were chosen to with everything I’ve got!” Nikolai shouted, readying his monster for a second attack.  “Bahamut Shark, finish him off!”

 

Growling, the menacing beast lunged at Calion, but before it could make contact with him, a neon green crest materialized in front of  it, blocking its path and giving off a reflective forcefield.  “What’s this?” Nikolai asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Sorry, I know this duel is important to you, but I can’t let it end like this!  There’s too much riding on my victory,” Calion returned.  “That’s why I had to activate the Trap Card Heraldry Charge!”

 

"You almost had me," Calion acknowledged.  "But don't get too cocky.  Because my Trap Card Heraldry Charge is gonna keep me in the game.  When it's activated, your attack is immediately negated!  Then, thanks to the power of the crest, I can call any Heraldic Beast monster from my hand to the field!  So welcome, Heraldic Beast Eale (DEF1800)!"

 

The crest began to fade, and a grizzly goat-like beast appeared on the field, coated in a steel blue armor.  Two horns extended from atop its head as it knelt down on all fours, its armor taking on the form of a shield to defend it.

 

"I'm missing something here," Niokolai observed, as Bahamut Shark's constant efforts to break through the barrier that had been formed by the crest were futile.  "Your crest is still there, what gives?"

 

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, in addition to stopping your attack and bringing a new monster out to the field, Heraldry Charge completely ends your battle phase," Calion grinned.  He was still hanging on.  "Looks like feeding time is over," he said mockingly as the shark growled in response.

 

"For now," Nikolai shot back, placing a set card onto the stone tablet.  "You're down to two cards and there are two huge monsters staring you down.  And now, with this card I just set, I've more or less secured my victory, because I'm able to stop any play you might try to make!"

 

---

 

He's right...this next draw has to be something big, or else I'm not gonna make it out of here alive.  Calion swallowed fearfully, more annoyed at the way things were going than scared.  "Well, let's see about that!"

 

It was all riding on this draw.  He pulled the card up swiftly, rotating it so that it was within view, and his jaw dropped.  The card was there, right there in his hand, but he had never seen it before.  Depicting an image of a pale gray dragon, with a wingspan of nearly three feet and emblazoned with the familiar Heraldic crest, it was almost like the card was calling out to him.  It was a Heraldic Beast monster alright, but not one he'd ever seen or heard of.  He had no idea what the meaning of this was, but there was a reason he'd drawn this card.

 

"Disappointing draw?" Nikolai asked, breaking him out of his trance, growing noticeably impatient.  "We're running out of time, Calion.  If you have no play to make then end your turn.  I know this isn't easy, but we have to wrap this up."

 

Calion nodded.  He knew what he had to do.  This duel had come down to the wire.  Admittedly, there was still some elements of this that didn't make sense, but that was his next goal - to find the answers.  Act first, think later.  That's how he'd always done it.  No point in changing now.  This card, however it had gotten here, was likely a key to finding that out.  To think with the power of Rakurai in them, it would be Duel Monsters that was playing such an important role here...he had to figure out why.

 

"Well my friend, here it goes!  By discarding Heraldic Beast Aberconway (ATK1800) from my hand, I can Special Summon..." he stopped for a moment to read the card's name to himself before shouting it aloud.  "Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena (ATK1800)!"

 

The beast reared its head with pride, flexing its wings to both side in marvelous fashion.  Calion again got the sense it was calling to him, but he could not understand its cries.

 

He could try saying something out loud, he presumed, but he'd look crazy.  Then again, maybe he was crazy.  After all, he'd had fully rational conversations with Heriter before, and that was a Duel Monsters card too.  But if what Nikolai had told him at the start of this duel were true, that the Number monsters existed as real beings in Erebos, where Calion himself came from, then perhaps there was more to this story.

 

Perhaps that was the case for all Duel Monsters.  Perhaps they existed as their own entity and were somehow connected to this world through the game.  Maybe that was the reason Hayate cared about it so much.  That damn bastard, even thinking about him filled his body with rage.  And reminded him why he had to win.

 

When you're ready to talk I'm ready to listen, but right now I need you to lend me the power to win this duel! "Now, I banish Heraldic Beast Aberconway" from my Graveyard in order to grab the first Aberconway I sent there and add it back to my hand!" Calion placed the monster on the field and it materialized, a flare-red dragon with rugged wings and sharp talons.

 

[spoiler=Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena]

LV4/WIND

Dragon / Effect

You can discard 1 "Heraldic Beast" monster to Special Summon this card from your hand.  Once per turn, you can discard 1 "Heraldic Beast" monster to have this card gain 800 ATK until the End Phase.

1700/1100[/spoiler]

 

"Swarm the field all you want, there's no point in it now!" Nikolai retorted.

 

"You're right.  Alone these monsters can't do a thing to stop you," Calion acknowledged.  "But I can change that by condensing them all into one!  Because of Heraldic Beast Eale being summoned thanks to Heraldry Charge last turn, I've got three Level 4 monsters on the field all at the same time!  Which means now when I activate the Spell Card Crest of Benevolence, everything changes!"

 

"By equipping Amphisbaena with Crest of Benevolence, all monsters on the field that are currently Level 4 have their levels increase by 1!"

 

"All of them?! But why?!" Nikolai exclaimed questioningly.  "What good is making them Level 5 going to do?!"

 

[spoiler=Crest of Benevolence]

Equip Spell Card

Equip only to a Level 4 or lower monster you control.  During the turn this card is activated, the Level of all monsters you control with the same Level as the equipped monster (including the equipped monster) are increased by 1.  If the equipped monster is used as Xyz Material for an Xyz Summon, the Xyz Monster gains the following effect:

* When this card is Xyz Summoned: It gains 200 ATK for each Xyz Material attached to it.[/spoiler]

 

"Because I have no choice but to win this duel.  I owe you that much!" Calion said, his eyes a reflection of the conflicting emotion building up inside of him.  There was no going back now.  "With three Level 5 monsters on the field, I can build the Overlay Network in order to Xyz Summon Excalton Thunder Knight (2500)!"

 

In a static flash of blinding light, an armed knight clad in silver and wielding a longsword modeled after a lightning bolt stepped proudly onto the field.  Half of its face was covered by a golden plate, and a scar lined the right side of its cheek.

 

---

 

Whereas the chamber had been slowly collecting energy before, Excalton's presence began to cause a major surge, nearly pushing it to its limits.  It had become obvious that Calion's own energy was beginning to rebuild, too.  Through his monster, he could feel the strength flowing back into his body.

 

Excalton was one of his strongest Xyz Monsters, but due to its near impossible summoning conditions in this Deck, bringing it out was extremely rare.  Not only that, but the energy required to bring forth such a powerful monster took a serious toll on the body.  With all the pain he'd endured, doing so here in the Solace was no worse than anything else.  Had Amphisbaena not appeared to him when it did, he would not have been able to summon it, and surely would have lost as there was nothing left in his Extra Deck that could take out both of Nikolai's Xyz at the same time.  'Lightning Chidori' was arguably his next most powerful, and even that would have paled in comparison.

 

But that didn't matter now.

 

[spoiler=Excalton Thunder Knight]

RK5/LIGHT

Thunder / Xyz / Effect

3 Level 5 monsters

This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each.  When this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Level/Rank of the destroyed monster x400.  You can detach 3 Xyz Material from this card: Negate the effect(s) of all Spell and Trap Cards this turn.  You can activate this effect during either player's turn.

2500/2700[/spoiler]

 

"I've never seen that thing before," Nikolai remarked, bewildered.  He was at a loss for words, and truthfully had no idea how to proceed against the visible might of such a monster.  Scarlet had assured him the Solace would hold up despite even the strongest of monsters, but if anything could really test the limits, it appeared Excalton would be the one.

 

"Don't worry, I'm going to familiarize you with it!  Excalton Thunder Knight, attack his Shark Fortress with Voltage Burst!" Calion ordered, showing no fear of Nikolai's set card.  In the blink of an eye, the knight's blade sliced straight through the metal airship, plummeting it to the ground with a simple slash.

 

Nikolai looked up, noticing that the knight had not changed its course.  Raising his blade above his head, the knight fired a stream of lightning directly at him.

 

Nikolai's LP: 2000

 

"What the..." Nikolai coughed as he struggled to maintain his balance with the energy being sapped from his body.  He grabbed the sides of the stone tablet, using them to keep himself afoot.  "I can...barely move...but how...?"

 

"Hang in there," Calion assured him, trying to come to terms with this reality.  "It'll all be over soon.  It's Excalton's special ability.  In addition to being able to attack all monsters on your field, when he destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to that monster's Rank times four-hundred points!"

 

"Damn he's strong..." Nikolai mustered.  "But still not strong enough to take down my Bahamut Shark!"  The fearsome beast roared, standing guard in front of its master, prepared to defend him.

 

"Normally yes, but because of the effect of Crest of Benevolence, that's no longer the case!  You see, when a monster equipped with the crest is used for an Xyz Summon, the Xyz Monster it brings out gains two-hundred attack points for each material used in the summon!"

 

Excalton Thunder Knight: 2500 + (200 x 3) = 3100

 

"I told you...before I ended my turn that I was prepared to stop any play you might try to make!  This is no exception!"  Nikolai forced himself to stand, revealing his Set card.  "I was waiting for the right moment, but now it's all or nothing!  Reveal Trap Card, Abyss Break!  With this, I will shut your Excalton Knight down!"

 

[spoiler=Abyss Break]

Normal Trap Card

Target 1 face-up monster on the field. Change it to face-up Defense Position.  It's DEF becomes 0 and its effect(s) is negated.  You must control a WATER monster to activate and to resolve this effect.[/spoiler]

 

As Excalton reeled in for its final strike against Bahamut Shark, a sphere of water energized with a blueish aura surrounded it, tightening and encasing it on all sides, forcing it down to the ground.  Try as it might to break free of the sphere's sealing, it was powerless.

 

"Talk about an all out effort to finally settle this rivalry!"  Calion declared, getting caught up in the excitement himself.  These two duelists were giving it their all no matter what.  "Here's my final rebuttal!  By detaching all three of the Xyz Material attached to Excalton Thunder Knight, I'm able to negate and nullify any and all Spell and Trap Cards this turn, whether they're on the field or elsewhere!"  As the three orbs hovering around Excalton merged with its sword, the warrior hoist his weapon high into the air, piercing through the Abyss Break's forcefield with a blaze of light.

 

If only for a brief moment, Nikolai smiled.

 

"This game is over!  But before we conclude our battle, there's one thing I have to say..."  Nikolai hadn't noticed it until just now, but Calion hung his head, staring at the ground.  It appeared his body was shaking, despite the surging energy flowing through his body now.  When he returned his gaze, it was as though the two of them were somewhere else, back in their first encounter.  The static electricity and flowing energy bursting through the air was behind them.  "Thank you."

 

He froze in place as the two words escaped the Spirit's mouth.

 

"I hate to say those words," Calion groaned, trying to keep himself together.  "More importantly I hate the people to whom I owe those words; as a warrior I have spent my entire life fighting for myself and refusing the help of others.  When the time comes that I need help, I reject and deny it because it is not the way I have carried myself.  But now I see that there will be points in this life where there is no choice but to accept the help of others.  Perhaps that is part of being human.  Though it may seem that way, you are never truly alone.  I don't deserve the care I receive from anyone, yet every time I turn around there is another innocent person risking themselves to protect me."

 

"I'll never understand it, and I'll sure as hell never be okay with it, but I've learned to accept it," he said, shaking as thoughts of Marco and Talaya flashed through his mind.  Had they ever really existed at all?  "But to this I promise you.  I will repay my debt to each and every one of you, I will find Hayate and I will stop him and I will bring an end to the evil that threatens this world...if it's the last thing I ever do!"

 

"You better..." Nikolai said with a cheesy grin, trying to hide his own emotion.  They both had come to terms with what was about to happen, but that didn't make it any easier.   "But enough with that sappy crap.  If you're the one who's supposed to protect all our worlds, you can't be wasting your time with weak sentiment, you know..." He laughed aloud, catching himself.  "Now then Bahamut Shark," Nikolai called to his most loyal creature as the shark turned to face him with the same understanding in its eyes.  "Thank you for your loyalty my friend.  I will always be grateful for it.  Brace yourself...let's do this!  It's time for this battle to end!"  The shark nodded, turning to face its master and mustering up every ounce of energy it had left.

 

"Excalton, let's do this!" The knight nodded in response, raising its blade.  As the mark of the benevolent crest offered its support to the legendary knight, its sword took on a somewhat new form, twisting and developing a shade of green.  "Benevolent Voltage Crash!" It leapt to the air, swinging and slashing through the shark in one swift blow, ending the duel with a twisting explosion of light that rocked the entire foundation on which they stood.

 

Nikolai's LP: 0

 

DUEL END

 

---

 

Calion felt the energy splash through his body like a freezing shower in the early morning, slapping him right in the face and then some.  Almost beyond his own control, he felt his body skyrocket through the very fabric of the Solace and into the skies, leaving behind a close friend and an honorable sacrifice.  At the pace he was moving, he could no longer make out the building he'd once been in, but felt the overwhelming energy continue to vault him forward. 

 

Little did he realize, he had one last stop to make.[/spoiler]

[Vector Nightmare]

I didn't comment on chapter 3... well mostly because it was actually pretty good so I didn't have much to complain about. I liked Nikolai's character in 3 and especially in 4, and I liked the flashbacks and allusions, it all seemed to tie in neatly. I also liked how you handled Calion's personality shifts, without making it seem too ridiculous or unreasonable.

 

What I didn't like in chapter 4 was the duel mostly, which started out pretty ok in 3, but god what was it with Predatorial Gathering being so ridiculous. The ending was kinda ok although I felt that Excalton just countering Nikolai's trap was a little flat, would have liked a bit more interaction. Was there a reason why Bahamut Shark's effect wasn't used (lack of Shark targets)?

 

Even so, what I REALLY didn't like was the title (and Excalton's attack name). Benevolent Voltage Crash was just... god why...

 

At least I hope you've taken my pacing advice and whatever Calion's next stop is, it doesn't involve 3 different life-or-death situations.

 

All-in-all though this 2-chapter set was quite well done.

[Synchronized]

I didn't comment on chapter 3... well mostly because it was actually pretty good so I didn't have much to complain about. I liked Nikolai's character in 3 and especially in 4, and I liked the flashbacks and allusions, it all seemed to tie in neatly. I also liked how you handled Calion's personality shifts, without making it seem too ridiculous or unreasonable.

 

Well, I think that's a good thing, right? Haha.  I think Chapter 3 came along well and I think Nikolai's character was one of the few things I was able to execute fairly well.  Now that he's more or less out of the story, I feel like this was the most effective way to use him and really kick the series off with a strong duel and a strong win for Calion.  Their first duel was important because of the first apperance of a Number that Calion was there to witness (ignoring the fact that Alice used them in the end of the second Arc, but there will be a story explanation for that later).  Nikolai's not really his friend, per se, but they're mutual allies and rivals, so it only made sense that once the consequences were accepted, they would fight as hard as they could.

 

For a lot of the second half of the story, Calion's character had undergone significant changes that saw him become a lot different than the arrogant, dueling/fighting pro he was at the beginning.  This was done because it had to be, obviously, since it was revealed that he's also part-human and so emotion does exist within him.  That being said, in order for the story to take a significant turn upwards and for Calion to be rebuilt as a legitimate threat to Hayate and the other villains, he had to regain his composure and get back to himself.  The rebuilding process worked out much better than I expected it to, which is good.  So now the story can advance.  Sort of.  There's one last stop.

 

What I didn't like in chapter 4 was the duel mostly, which started out pretty ok in 3, but god what was it with Predatorial Gathering being so ridiculous. The ending was kinda ok although I felt that Excalton just countering Nikolai's trap was a little flat, would have liked a bit more interaction. Was there a reason why Bahamut Shark's effect wasn't used (lack of Shark targets)?

 

Predatorial Gathering was first used in the original Accel which is why I brought it back here.  When he used it the first time, it was far more broken and had no restrictions, which people commented on, so I made some necessary changes here.  It's still broken to some extent, but there aren't that many "Sharks" it can be used with and the fact that your plays are limited makes it balanced from an Anime-card standpoint, I'd say.  Bahamut Shark can't attack if he does use the effect, so he didn't use it.  He could have used it afterwards, I suppose, but he can't special summon non-Shark monsters during the turn and there aren't many other targets that aren't Numbers, and obviously given the importance of Numbers in the story it wouldn't have made sense for him to randomly have one.

 

At the same time, even if he had brought out another monster, Excalton Knight would have been able to attack it and destroy it, and it would not have affected the outcome of the duel.  I do like to use Custom Cards when they're plausible, but creating another "Shark" just so that there was more field presence didn't seem necessary.

 

Even so, what I REALLY didn't like was the title (and Excalton's attack name). Benevolent Voltage Crash was just... god why...

 

Was it that bad? Lmao.  Voltage Crash seemed reasonable, and I just added the Benevolent part to the final strike because the Equip Spell Card (Crest of Benevolence) was giving him a power boost.  Just appeared to fit.

 

At least I hope you've taken my pacing advice and whatever Calion's next stop is, it doesn't involve 3 different life-or-death situations.

 

All-in-all though this 2-chapter set was quite well done.

 

Much appreciated, and yes, you and Umbra both have offered a lot in terms of how the pacing should go.  This next one has nothing to do with life or death situations and is pretty much the last step of Calion's rebuilding process after his whole period of "weakness".  It's one more Chapter and I think it'll just tie things up nicely while adding some exposition going forward. 

[Synchronized]

Hope everyone had a nice Valentine's Day, although I can't stand the holiday personally.

 

Anyway, as my Valentine's gift to all of you, here's Chapter 5.  It's the first of a two-part.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 5: Planetary Outing]

It had first appeared to them as a pearlescent purple sphere, simply hovering and taking no shape elsewise.  Something of that size, even in a form of such simplicity, was not going to go unnoticed.  He had spotted it the second it appeared, sparing a mention to avoid riling up the tribes.  Of course now, hiding it served no purpose.  For the sphere had chosen to make itself known.

 

Chapter 5: Planetary Outing

 

The crescent moon, a sky blue reflecting across the otherwise dark atmosphere of the night skies hung overhead, casting its cool shadow over the mountainous plains.   Brief snowfall had put a dusting on the ground, but as it grew later into the night, the temperatures dropped, becoming increasingly cold to the point that the snow began to fade.  A chilling breeze whisked over the exposed skin of Calion’s right arm, jolting him into a seated position.

 

Before he could come to terms with his whereabouts, the numbingly cold temperatures sent a shock through his body, and he’d only begun to remember the conclusion of his duel with Nikolai, feeling the Rakurai flowing strongly through him; it appeared his energy had actually been restored.  His clothing, on the other hand, had not, and with the tattered and torn holes allowing the cold easy access, the exterior of his body was freezing.  Now that he had regained consciousness, the constant flow of energy would warm him up and allow his body to withstand these temperatures, but only barely. 

 

He was alive and most of his memory had returned, so that posed a question; where was he? A quick glance to the skies revealed the disproportionate blue moon cast above him, and it became inherently clear that he had not returned to Earth.  Had he been transported to another area of Solace? It didn’t seem likely.  Based on what Nikolai had told him, Solace existed as its own realm but simply as a historical database.  He was surrounded by mountains and the sky had an almost neon look to it – nothing here was even remotely close to the “ancient” feel that Solace carried.

 

Most of his wounds had healed, ones that again he didn’t remember obtaining, but dwelling on the past wasn’t going to change anything and he had to find his way back to Earth.  Back to Hayate.  Defeating Nikolai and ending his life, that was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.  Understanding the fact that there was some shred of humanity inside him that explained his emotional confliction hadn’t been easy to come to grips with, but there was no changing it now.  Life as the Kisai he had once been, the ruthless spirit who would take any lives at whatever cost in order to complete a mission, that was over. 

 

He knew, though, that just because he had discovered his humanity didn’t mean he had to all of the sudden become weak.  His powers had returned, he had dueled with everything he had to restore his Rakurai and now he had a promise to fulfill.  The conclusion of that duel and the all-too-convenient appearance of a new ‘Heraldic Beast’ all but confirmed the importance of Duel Monsters in this scheme.  In fact, it seemed that this was the one piece to the puzzle that needed to be filled in.  In order to bring an end to this war before it could begin, he had to understand why it was happening in the first place.  Hayate was twisted, but it was undoubtable that he was trying to achieve something.  Why were these answers so hard to find?  Damnit.

 

Exhaling slowly as his breath materialized in front of him like a cloud of smoke, Calion brought himself to his feet and surprisingly did so with little problems.  His energy restoring had finally healed his wounds, at least for the most part, which would make this easier.  On all sides mountains surrounded him, the pinkish aura of the sky making for a beautiful contrast of colors.  Unfortunately, he couldn’t sit there and admire it now.  Where was everyone? The place was a ghost town.

“Is anyone out there?!” He yelled, hearing nothing but the echoes of his own voice in response.  That was strange.  “Hello!  Anyone?!” But again the mountains simply reflected his words.  “Guess not…” he mumbled under his breath.

 

Well, he’d just have to find his way out.

 

---

 

 

About an hour had passed since he'd started traveling, and yet nothing, no signs of life at all had appeared.  Even the shrubbery and things of the sort were scarce, and what little there was had very little life of its own due to the cold.  To make matters worse, he felt like he was walking in a giant circle.  The scenery rarely changed, so either he really was walking in circles or this place was just miles and miles of mountain.  Neither possibility was a reassuring one.

 

Walking around in circles wasn’t going to get him anywhere.  He was starting to grow frustrated, but what made that even worse is that there really wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it.  Suddenly, he froze in his tracks.  Something was coming, he could sense it.  There didn’t appear to be any spiritual pressure, but no mistake about it, he wasn’t alone. 

Ironic, he’d been searching for some sign of life and now that there was one, he had a really bad feeling about it.  Not something he could outright explain, but intuition told him it was likely he wasn’t about to make an acquaintance.

He surveyed the area; still, nothing came into his line of sight.  The mountains on both sides wouldn’t offer much protection, but there were a few somewhat taller boulders on the ground that might make for a temporary hiding place.  Quietly and quickly, he migrated to the left, using one of the taller boulders as an obstruction.

Whatever was coming, it was possible that it hadn’t spotted him.  It was also highly likely it wasn’t human.  He hadn’t fully regained his senses to their highest level yet, but he had a pretty solid grasp on it.  Because of the Rakurai, his senses were amplied about five times their normal level.  Such was the case for anyone, human or spirit alike; because of how active the body was becoming with the energy charging through it, everything was heightened.  It was one of the most viable assets he had at his disposal.  In addition to being able to locate things by sense, if a person had Rakurai within their own body, he could sense and measure that, too.

Part of what had him so off-set here was the fact that while he had a really bad feeling about this thing, he wasn’t sensing any Rakurai at all.  Despite the overwhelming fact that whatever or whoever it was, was getting closer by the second.  This was not normal.  Even normal humans without Rakurai had some kind of recognizable energy.  Adrenaline, etc. 

 

So to recap, he was lost in the middle of a world of which he had no knowledge, freezing cold, and at risk of being hunted by something that clearly wasn’t human.

 

That was about as much as he remembered before he passed out.

 

---

 

When he opened his eyes again, surprised to see he was still alive, he was sure he was dreaming.

 

“You’re finally awake, are you?” The voice, sure enough, was speaking to him.  It carried with it some absolutely repulsive breath, and as his eyes adjusted to the restoration of his consciousness, he was sitting face-to-face with a giant goat.  There were two lengthy horns extending from its forehead, but it had taken consideration to point them outwards so as not to stab him in the face.  A midnight blue armor covered half of its upper body, though it stood on all fours.  Instantly, he recognized it.  Then jumped back about three feet.  It was Heraldic Beast Eale.  In the flesh.  “What the hell!”

 

“What the hell?!” Replied the goat, jumping back along with him.  Just the sight of that was so bizzare; Calion couldn’t help but laugh.  “What in the world are you doing jumping around like that?! Trying to ruffle my feathers, are you?!”

“You don’t even have feathers,” Calion sighed, rolling his eyes and trying to come to terms with the fact that he was having a conversation with a goat.  “And besides, you were the one freaked out? What does that make me, then?!”

“Calm down and stop yelling, it’s painful to my ears,” Eale replied, standing up after his little scuffle and regaining his composure.  “It’s not often we have humans around here.  I can see this might take some getting used to.  I need some time to adjust,” he scoffed.

“You need time to adjust?!” Calion shouted, catching himself and trying to quiet down to appease the goat.  “Listen, I’m not looking to yell but if I’ve already died and this is some kind of hallucination just let me down easy, alright?”

“How nonsensical of you, you’re far from dead.  In fact, based on what I’m told you’re stronger now then you’ve ever been,” Eale replied reassuringly.  He lowered his head and gnawed on a plant in front of him, going about his meal as though Calion weren’t even there.  “Sorry about that.  All this yelling unnerved me a little.  Can’t do this on an empty stomach, could I?” He laughed.

“Alright...” Calion said with a skeptic tone.  “Assuming this is actually happening and I’m having a full-fledged conversation with one of my Duel Monsters cards, how did I get here?  The last thing I remember was waking up in a strange place and sensing a really weird presence.”  He remembered well enough, that presence was far different from Eale’s.

“So many questions, I haven’t even finished my meal yet,” Eale rolled his eyes.  “Look, I’m not the one who can answer these questions.  My task was simply to watch over you until you came to.”

 

Wait, so there were more of them?

 

“Right, forgive me,” he said.  It was starting to feel like this was real, as bizarre as it was.  And being obnoxious wasn’t going to get him any closer to getting the answers he was looking for.  “So then, can you tell me who would be able to?”

“That’s more like it, I don’t know what it is with you humans feeling like you need to yell all the time,” the goat replied somberly, eating another plant.  They smelled absolutely rancid, which would explain the bad breath.  “Anywho, he should be here any moment.  I don’t keep track of these people, but he told me,” Eale paused for a moment to chew and swallow, showing such poor etiquette.  “Just to keep an eye on you till you woke up.  So you’re up now, just sit here and wait.”

Sit here and wait? Was this guy...er—goat, nuts?  He couldn’t afford to sit and wait, he had to get out of here.  If this guy knew he was coming anyway, why not just stick around until he woke up? Argh, he didn’t have time for this.  “Fine, I’ll wait,” he sighed, browsing the area around him.  “In the meantime, do you have any food? I haven’t eaten since...well I don’t really remember.” He said, although in likelihood the last time had probably been the small rations he’d been given in Menderite.

“Sure, sure,” Eale replied, still gnawing on plants and appearing slightly irritated by the question.  “There are plenty of Lilyplants scattered all over the place.  Go ahead and snag a few.  But not these,” he said shifting his head towards the ones he was working on eating.  “These ones are mine.  Just came up.”

“Err…” Calion brushed the dirt off his pants, trying to hide the uneasy look on his face.  He wasn’t much of a plant guy, and besides, those things smelled absolutely disgusting, so they couldn’t possibly have tasted much better.  “Thanks, but uh...I think I’ll take a look around and see what else I can find.”

“You do that,” the goat nodded, completely uninterested.  “But I should warn you, it’s not wise to wander around a place like this and just start chewing on things.”

 

“Huh?” Calion asked, looking at him like a deer in the headlights.  That was a bit drastic.  Eale was walking around eating random plants, yet telling him to stay away from things? Not exactly the best role model.  “Whatever, I noticed some berries on that bush over there.  Not big on fruit but it sure beats that grass you’re eating.”

“Ah, yes, the Valley Berries,” he nodded, moving on to another plant, thoroughly enjoying each meal.  “They’re quite unique, those berries.  They all look the same and yet some are a decadent, mouthwatering fruit, and the others...well not so much.”
“What, some bitter?”

 

Eale sighed heavily as Calion looked at him questioningly.  This boy was already getting on his nerves with all the questions.  He thought for sure the leader would have come by now to absolve him of this responsibility.  At the same time, he remembered why they had brought him here in the first place and the sacrifices he had endured to get to this point.  So as frustrated as he was, to completely ignore him was uncalled for.

 

He did remember something about the boy’s memory.  Perhaps that’s why he wasn’t remembering this place.  As bitter as he’d grown in his older days, he could still remember the peace of this world and longed for it to return.  If this boy was the one who could restore that, then nothing else mattered.

“You don’t remember it here,” Eale said, actually looking at him this time.  “So it’s only sensible that you would not be familiar with the ways of this world.  For an outsider, this place’s existence alone may be too much to comprehend.  But I am afraid it is not I who knows of your story and therefore there is not much I can tell you, but I can say this.  You’re currently standing on the High Mountain, the tallest point in Erebos’ Outer Region, and the home of many creatures like myself.”

 

 

---

 

Erebos...

 

But that was impossible. The world from which he came, he and all the other Kisai, Erebos.  A completely separate world from that of Earth, the Valley of Souls, and apparently Solace, too.  It had been a long time since he’d returned home, but this was not it – he was certain of that.  Much of his memory was fuzzy but he knew his homeland, he remembered being there as a child, and wherever he was, with this pearlescent pink sky and the weirdly shaped moon, this was not Erebos.

 

Believing that Eale and presumably the rest of the Heraldic Beasts existed outside of Duel Monsters was not that irrational a thought.  Especially considering he had seen Heriter in the flesh and Heriter had proven to have come from Erebos as a member of the Royal Guard.  That part of it, considering weird and mysterious creatures were commonplace in his world, was not out of the realm of possibility.  But to think that any of the others existed in Erebos as well? He had spent the first years of his life there, at least from what he remembered, and had never seen anything like this.

 

“The Valley Berries are one of the most devastating plants in all of Erebos, and have become somewhat of a legend due to their rarity and the fact that many people do not believe them to exist at all,” Eale interjected, sensing that the boy’s mind had begun to drift.  “Each plant is broken down into two stems.  On one side is the sweet, delicate fruit.  On the other, is a deadly poison that destroys the body from the inside out.  No two branches are the same, meaning that whenever you go for it, you have a fifty percent chance of instant death.”

Calion was listening to the words but his mind had completely zoned – he was trying to come to terms with the reality that he was in Erebos, and finding himself unable to believe it to be true. 

“You see, here in Erebos, those odds are not worth it.  Doing everything the safest way possible is the way of our tribes and the way to ensure our survival,” Eale said.  “That is why, even though the berries are far more enjoyable than these putrid plants, I continue to eat them.  Because that is the way we’ve established.”

 

His mind was still racing, which would explain why when the pale gray dragon landed on the ground behind him, he had not been able to sense it.

 

---

 

"Eale, I thank you for your services.  You're dismissed now, go enjoy the day."

 

The goat nodded its head sternly, and Calion, still half in his trance, finally came to his senses.  Eale locked eyes with him, nodding his head in a respectful fashion before showing himself off. Only now had he been able to sense the new presence, this a familiar one.  He turned around slowly, coming face-to-face with the stone eyed dragon, which towered over him by a good three feet.

 

This was another Heraldic Beast -- in fact, it was the very beast which had appeared to him in the previous duel; Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena.  Though seeing it in the flesh was much different, and he realized then how impressive of a beast Amphisbaena truly was. 

“You’re...”Calion said, trying to keep himself contained.  Things were slowly beginning to piece themselves together now.

“I understand much of this may be a shock to you, Calion,” the dragon’s voice was deep and somewhat cold.  He was the leader of the Heraldic tribe and as such the idea of happiness was one which he could no longer remember.  “Yes, my name is Amphisbaena, I am the leader of our tribe.”

“Tr—tribe?” Calion replied questioningly.  “You mean the Heraldic Beasts?  How many of you are there?”

“Our numbers, though once great, are not what they used to be,” he replied sorrowfully, hanging his head as he mourned the loss of his comrades.  “This world is not as it used to be, as chaos slowly works its way throughout the very fabric of our existence.  While they exist as separate worlds, they are all connected and though the process may be slow, chaos will find its way to all of them.”

Calion batted his eyes, a little confused.  “I’m sorry, but I’m lost.  Eale said something about this being Erebos, but I imagine he’s just confused in his old age.  There’s no way this is the world in which I was born.

 

Amphisbaena shook his head.  “There is much to this world you don’t understand, Calion.  Remember that.  Because part of you is human, there are many parts of Erebos that are hidden from you, and others like you.”

His mouth hung open in shock.  “That makes no sense, why would...”

“For the safety of the creatures here, and in all the other parts of Erebos like it.  Most of this world is not populated by humans – in fact, there are very few.  But those who do take up residence here have no idea about the existence of World-Links like this one.”

 

Admittedly he didn’t remember much about Erebos at all, other than the capital city where he spent time working under CLEAR.  When that organization fell apart and he joined Sora and the others, it seemed whatever remained of his connections to this world had been severed, but he didn’t think it was in correlation to his humanity; though it made sense.  Humans had proven in the past and still to this day that things out of their realm of understanding generally became targets for their rage.   The belief that humans were the superior beings would often lead them to try and control anything and everything, and so if they were to know about this world it posed a great risk to the creatures that inhabited it.

"So if this place is restricted to humans, why am I here? The last thing I remember was the end of the duel in Solace, and then a random burst of energy and I-"

"It was done because we have no other choice," Amphisbaena interrupted him, sensing the boy was still trying to put everything together, make sense of it all.  "As unfortunate as it may be to some in our world to have to rely on humans, you are the only one capable of truly bringing an end to the chaos that is slowly working its way here.  You are the one who can save this world.  And the others."

"You are the one who can save this world..."

The words echoed in his head; they were the same words Marco had said to him when they'd first met in Menderite.  It wasn't just on Earth that everyone saw him as the hero, he presumed.  He had never asked to be put in this sort of position, nor could he understand what made him so significant.  His goal was to defeat Hayate and simply restore peace to those who have had to suffer as a result.  The rest of this, whatever they were referring to, he had no idea.

"I've been hearing that a lot lately, but I'm gonna be honest with you, I don't think I'm your guy," he said, shaking his fist.  "My goal is to put an end to Hayate's reign of terror and make him pay for all of the people he's hurt and the innocent lives he's taken!  It's realistically possible that I could die in the process...and if that is what it costs to stop him, then it is a fate I am willing to accept."

"Hm...you seem pretty set on this," the dragon replied.  "Well then, if you're not going to change your mind and this is the way things are, then we must at least prepare you for your battle."

"Prepare...me?" Calion asked, confused.  "What do you mean by that?"

 

"Calion, you haven't been in any kind of real battle in quite some time.  Your body has been drained of Rakurai for a while now and only recently has it been restored," he explained.  "If you were to thrust yourself into a fight, you'd be rusty.  Your body has to adjust to using its powers and skillsets again."

He'd never thought of it that way, but Amphisbaena was right.  He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been able to use a Stage Technique or anything like that; his body had been so drained.  But at the same time, he didn't have time to waste with training.  Whatever it was they had in mind, he'd have to make it quick.  "So tell me, what exactly do you have in mind? I'm on a limited time frame."

Amphisbaena went to answer the question, but suddenly stop and looked to the right.  Calion, wondering why he'd suddenly fell silent, looked as well.  

 

The dragon hesitated, then lowered his head as Calion noticed what all the fuss was about.

 

It had first appeared as a pearlescent purple sphere, simply hovering and taking no shape elsewise.  Something of that size, even in a form of such simplicity, was not going to go unnoticed.  Amphisbaena had spotted it the second it appeared, sparing a mention to avoid riling up the tribes.  Of course now, hiding it served no purpose.  For the sphere had chosen to make itself known, giving off a strong, unusual presence.

 

There was no mistaking how it had managed to enter this realm.  But if this boy was the one who was supposed to save their world, then defeating it would be as good a test as any.  The problem was...

 

Planetary beasts were nearly impossible to kill.

 

To be continued...[/spoiler]

[Vector Nightmare]

This was a very good chapter. Even though I was kinda skeptical because Calion was once again thrust into an entirely new situation (the fifth in five chapters!), it was actually handled quite well, a good way to give some needed exposition to the storyline as well as background information on Erebos. So I'm not going to complain here for once. Your characterization of Eale was pretty good, you did a good job at conveying the difference between Erebos and our reality (not gonna lie, I don't remember jack shit about it from the first story, so this all struck me as pretty new). I find the necessity of Calion facing another enemy so soon questionable, though - if it was about training, fighting against the Heraldic Beasts or just some solo training seemed a more reasonable option here.

 

Also, I'm not sure why you put up that paragraph in the beginning of the chapter. At first I thought it served as some kind of intro, but when we actually got to that point it just felt kinda flat.

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

Right, so I finally read Chapter 1 of this (I said I'd get round to it eventually).

 

That took a while. Chapter was long, longer even than my stuff (I checked it on Word, and I think it stretches longer than any of my first five chapters, and your formattings different and doesn't leave the same gap between paragraphs like I do, so it might be longer than all my chapters). Not that I'm saying length is bad, I'm terrible for length, but I did have to take a few breaks. Then again that does suggest I was never really immersed.

 

Um... I unfortunately came away from chapter one mostly negative. The story line was fine, I had no problem picking up and reading despite not reading Accel and knowing Calion's story, so it's well written in that sense I could just go and read.

 

However, my main issues I had with it:

• To much narrator talking directly to the reader, especially at the start of each scene change as well as passively throughout, but really obviously; I didn't like this.
• During the scene with Hayate's five guys; the inclusion of which was fine for me, why did you feel the need to describe each person's personalities to the reader there and then. I'm afraid I'm going to have to use the accursed show not tell critisism here (I hate using that). But this is one instance I really didn't like it. Just, why describe their personalities like that? All the mystery just... went. I gather they are new guys from the comments of others, so, yeah, that bummed me out. Hell, given none of them actually say or do anything in this scene, I don't even want names here, other than the Asuma boss guy. He was alright.
• While I'm not going to complain about chapter length, I will echo other comments and say that it didn't need to have been as long as it was, as quite a lot of seperate incidents happened here. I personally would have left it after Callion's meeting with Heriter and resolving to return and help the village out, and made it a two parter.

But given how Vincent Bad Guy sort of just... collapsed... maybe that would have been anticlimactic after a chapter break.

 

Good things include Callion's character in general, the mysterious old couple, the world in general. But I can't say I was ever really looked in. Sorry :(

[Synchronized]

This was a very good chapter. Even though I was kinda skeptical because Calion was once again thrust into an entirely new situation (the fifth in five chapters!), it was actually handled quite well, a good way to give some needed exposition to the storyline as well as background information on Erebos. So I'm not going to complain here for once.

 

There is a reason for the multiple settings being established within the first couple of chapters.  It plays into the main plot.  Perhaps I'm going about it the wrong way, but I've been trying to stick to my guns and really go with the idea I came up with.  The plus side is, this chapter marks the final 'new situation' for a while, because it was the last backdrop I needed to establish.  On top of that, Erebos hasn't been profiled too much in the original story so I wanted to make sure there was some establishment of that early on.

 

Although where Calion is now isn't part of the Main Capital or anything like that, it's still able to give the readers an idea of the differences between the two worlds.

 

Your characterization of Eale was pretty good, you did a good job at conveying the difference between Erebos and our reality (not gonna lie, I don't remember jack s*** about it from the first story, so this all struck me as pretty new). I find the necessity of Calion facing another enemy so soon questionable, though - if it was about training, fighting against the Heraldic Beasts or just some solo training seemed a more reasonable option here.

 

You're not the only one.  Erebos wasn't referenced all that much in the original story other than being where the Kisai (spirits) came from and CLEAR's residence, as they were the main villains of that series.  The plan was always to make it more important in the second series because there was a lot of story to get through in the 'real world' on Earth first. 

 

Regarding your second comment, it's not him facing a 'second enemy'.  The Planetary Beasts as I will explain are nothing more than Erebos' version of a 'wild animal', more or less.  It's not a person with any ties to Hayate or Calion, moreso just a savage animal that will give him the opportunity to test his skills. I'll go into that a little further.

 

Also, I'm not sure why you put up that paragraph in the beginning of the chapter. At first I thought it served as some kind of intro, but when we actually got to that point it just felt kinda flat.

 

Just something different I wanted to try.  I thought maybe it would serve as an effective hook but hey, sometimes things like that don't work.

 

Thanks again for the comments, man.  Really appreciate it and I'm seriously trying to take everything you've said into consideration moving forward!

 

Right, so I finally read Chapter 1 of this (I said I'd get round to it eventually).

 

That took a while. Chapter was long, longer even than my stuff (I checked it on Word, and I think it stretches longer than any of my first five chapters, and your formattings different and doesn't leave the same gap between paragraphs like I do, so it might be longer than all my chapters). Not that I'm saying length is bad, I'm terrible for length, but I did have to take a few breaks. Then again that does suggest I was never really immersed.

 

Um... I unfortunately came away from chapter one mostly negative. The story line was fine, I had no problem picking up and reading despite not reading Accel and knowing Calion's story, so it's well written in that sense I could just go and read.

 

However, my main issues I had with it:

• To much narrator talking directly to the reader, especially at the start of each scene change as well as passively throughout, but really obviously; I didn't like this.
• During the scene with Hayate's five guys; the inclusion of which was fine for me, why did you feel the need to describe each person's personalities to the reader there and then. I'm afraid I'm going to have to use the accursed show not tell critisism here (I hate using that). But this is one instance I really didn't like it. Just, why describe their personalities like that? All the mystery just... went. I gather they are new guys from the comments of others, so, yeah, that bummed me out. Hell, given none of them actually say or do anything in this scene, I don't even want names here, other than the Asuma boss guy. He was alright.
• While I'm not going to complain about chapter length, I will echo other comments and say that it didn't need to have been as long as it was, as quite a lot of seperate incidents happened here. I personally would have left it after Callion's meeting with Heriter and resolving to return and help the village out, and made it a two parter.

But given how Vincent Bad Guy sort of just... collapsed... maybe that would have been anticlimactic after a chapter break.

 

Good things include Callion's character in general, the mysterious old couple, the world in general. But I can't say I was ever really looked in. Sorry :(

 

Hey man :D

 

Anyway, so yeah, appreciate the feedback.

 

It's definitely been established and drilled into my head that the way I went about the first chapter was too much too fast, and I've taken that criticism and used it to produce a better product going forward.  Even in the reviews that others have given of previous chapters, they've noted that it's a significant improvement in that area, which is a plus.

 

There were plenty of things about the first chapter that I could have done better, although I don't believe introducing Element the way I did was the worst way to do it.  I'll admit I shouldn't have done as much 'show, not tell' as I did there, but I thought establishing these characters early on from the perspective of Asuma and how he saw them would be a nice backdrop.  Again, I'm trying to tone that down and improve a bit.

 

Vincent's character is a personal favorite and I believe the way that chapter ended was worth it even if it meant the ending was slightly anti-climatic.  There's a method to my madness (most of the time), and I'm hoping the end result will make that slight lull worth it.

 

Thanks again for the comments man! :)

[Bahamut - Envoy of the End]

 

Hey man :D

 

Anyway, so yeah, appreciate the feedback.

 

It's definitely been established and drilled into my head that the way I went about the first chapter was too much too fast, and I've taken that criticism and used it to produce a better product going forward.  Even in the reviews that others have given of previous chapters, they've noted that it's a significant improvement in that area, which is a plus.

 

There were plenty of things about the first chapter that I could have done better, although I don't believe introducing Element the way I did was the worst way to do it.  I'll admit I shouldn't have done as much 'show, not tell' as I did there, but I thought establishing these characters early on from the perspective of Asuma and how he saw them would be a nice backdrop.  Again, I'm trying to tone that down and improve a bit.

 

Vincent's character is a personal favorite and I believe the way that chapter ended was worth it even if it meant the ending was slightly anti-climatic.  There's a method to my madness (most of the time), and I'm hoping the end result will make that slight lull worth it.

 

Thanks again for the comments man! :)

 

 

I'm not saying what happened to Vincent was bad at all. I just theorise that if you had split the first chapter in two as suggested by me and others, then it might have been bad. Like: Reads Chapter 1 'Ooh what is this big bad Vincent going to be like...' Reads Chapter 2 'Um... a pushover. Buzzkill.' :huh: So in that respect getting it over and done with worked where it might not over two chapters, but who knows.

 

Sorry if I'm repeating people, just calling it as I see it which is the only way to do it. :)

[Synchronized]

I'm not saying what happened to Vincent was bad at all. I just theorise that if you had split the first chapter in two as suggested by me and others, then it might have been bad. Like: Reads Chapter 1 'Ooh what is this big bad Vincent going to be like...' Reads Chapter 2 'Um... a pushover. Buzzkill.' :huh: So in that respect getting it over and done with worked where it might not over two chapters, but who knows.

 

Sorry if I'm repeating people, just calling it as I see it which is the only way to do it. :)

 

Repeating it isn't necessarily bad, especially if it's a valid point.  I'm a big fan of criticism (almost moreso than just praise) because it really lets me get an understanding of what I can do to improve.

 

With the story I have in mind for Vincent going forward, doing what I did here was necessary.  Having that much build-up only for Chapter 2 to not deliver didn't feel like it was worth it, in my opinion.  At least putting them both in one Chapter gets that bad aftertaste out of the way.

 

Working on Chapter 6! 

[Synchronized]

With the amount of school work and lack of free time I've had lately, it's looking like we'll be on a one episode per week basis, but that's just speculation.  Anyway, here's Chapter 6.  I think it came out really well.  I like to think there's a good amount of story here without feeling like it's too much at once.

 

[spoiler=Chapter 6: Into the Void]

Episode 6: Into the Void

 

The vast world of Erebos, home to mystic creatures of all shapes and sizes...

 

“You seem to have taken more of an interest in the humans recently.  Something piqued your attention?”

“We have reason to believe that Hayate Asaki has finally begun to put his plan into motion.  The Guard has lost track of him and we believe that should his plan succeed, our world faces significant danger.  And Earth, as well.”

“Strange, I haven’t sensed a thing.  Then again, I haven’t bothered to pay attention to it anyhow,” the voice responded condescendingly.  “I wonder sometimes why you all spend so much time fretting over those creatures; just let them fend for themselves, I’m not certain they’re worthy of our help.”

“Just like you to be so close-minded, isn’t it, Dragulon?  Do last year’s events not resonate with you? Perhaps you forget it was the humans who helped to seal away the one Lucien Grasciou, or is your memory just coincidentally fuzzy?”

“Please, don’t use that.  It was a case of being in the right place at the right time,” the one called Dragulon replied.  “Rest assured, if it was not against our ways to simply travel there, I could have done the job myself.  Don’t waste your time with such meaningless nonsense when there are things to be done here.”

“There is a reason you are not among the Royal Guard, Dragulon.” The words seemed to sting briefly, their intended purpose.  Keeping himself under control, Dragulon turned his head to face the horizon.  “Whether or not you believe the humans are worth our time is irrelevant.  Or perhaps you have forgotten that it was a human who saved your very life all those years ago.”

“Enough!” He roared, shooting the High Council a look.  “My business is done here; I have no desire to discuss this issue any further.”

The High Council sighed, hanging his head.  “Very well, Dragulon.  Be gone then, but take with you the knowledge that you cannot run from this forever.  The time is coming closer for us to take action.  The ‘meaningless humans’, as you call them, may be our only real chance of survival.  Remember your past, Dragulon.  For it might be the only way you survive your future.”

 

The beast offered no words in response, and with a flap of its wings and a strong storm wind, it took off.  The High Council sighed once more.

He feared the fabric’s shifting was not a coincidence, but the first of many things to come.  There were others like Dragulon who shared resentment, but he would need all of them if they were to save their world.  That alone was a task he was hardly prepared to solve.  Yet he had no other options.

 

The real battle was only just beginning.

 

---

 

Calion hadn’t noticed anything that was significantly out of the ordinary, at least not for a place like this.  He had fixated his eyes in the same direction as Amphisbaena’s, but he could not see a thing.  Weird.  “Something I should be seeing?”

“It is nothing,” Amphisbaena sighed.  They had training to do, and if the Planetary Beast remained asleep for the time being, at least he would be able to better prepare Calion for its awakening.  Unfortunately, it was only possible for them to enter or exit this world through a series of portals that connected it to all the others.  What that meant was, the beast must have followed Calion here when they teleported him.  This was rare, though not impossible. 

 

Planetary Beasts, as they were called for simplicity’s sake, were a series of creatures native to Erebos that were designed, literally, but the world’s former king as a means of protection from outside invaders.  Because humans were not allowed to enter this world, the Planetary Beasts were artificially created and placed between the portals connecting Earth to Erebos so that in the off chance a human did make it through, they would be devoured by the carnivorous beasts.  What the king had failed to consider was that creating a monster of such nature, of complete darkness and lacking any sense of understanding of the world around it, would pose a threat to more than just the humans. 

 

Planetary Beasts were created using a dark magic that had all but been exhausted, and as such phased out.  It’s powers were relatively unknown and only the king had significant access to it.  There were rumors dating back thousands of years that others may have had access to such power and that perhaps they could even control it, but Erebos’ former king was not one of those others.  He became mad with power and it played a part in his downfall.

 

Even with his disappearance, these beasts remained, hundreds of them roaming the “outer-world” between the portals that existed as nothing but miles and miles of dark space.  As a result of the magic used to create them, Planetary Beasts were completely resistant to any and all physical attacks; there was no way to actually harm them from the outside.  This one, though it was hidden in its sphere form, was one of the Class-A beasts, the lowest on the totem pole but no less devastating.  A giant, thorny beast with four legs and a dark purple exterior, parts of the outside of its body literally appeared transparent, when in reality they were voids created from the dark magic that would absorb any physical attacks.    They were not created to be beaten – they were created to kill at all costs.

 

No doubt about it, if he came right out and told Calion what had appeared, the boy would naturally wish to defeat it, believing that he could handle it with no problem.  And were it a typical Erebos creature, a Kisai of Calion’s level could probably dispatch of it with little to no effort.  But Planetary Beasts were far from typical.  They were killing machines that were prohibited from entering any of the realms which they guarded for the safety of those inhabitants.  So why, then, had this one followed Calion here?

 

“Allllright then,” Calion said, moving things along.  “Look, you were kind enough to save my life so if it means that much to you, I’ll partake in your training.  But let’s make this quick, I have to get back to Earth.”

“Patience is a virtue, always remember that,” Amphisbaena nodded.  “Never the less, I’m aware you’re in a hurry but consider that the time difference between Erebos and Earth is a little over a day.  What that means is, while a day has passed here, only half a day has passed on Earth.  As far as I’m concerned, that leaves us with another full day to get you prepared.”

“That’s right, it’s been so long I’d completely forgotten,” Calion acknowledged.  “Well, let’s get it going.  How does this work? Are you and I going to duke it out?”

“Me? I wouldn’t dare fight you,” he said, laughing aloud.  “Your powers of lightning are far too much for me to withstand as a flyer.  No, I’ve got something far more difficult in mind.  Follow me.”

 

---

 

Unnervingly, Calion followed the dragon through the mountains, walking for what felt like miles as they finally reached what appeared to be their stop.  With each slope they climbed, he could spot the occasional sign of life, but only rarely.  A few small creatures here and there were the only things that separated this place from complete abandonment.  He wondered where the rest of the Heraldic Beasts had gone, but felt it best not to ask such a question right now.

 

After seeing such few signs of life, and no signs of actual shelter, he was thoroughly surprised as he followed the dragon behind a towering boulder, revealing a small wooden hut behind it.  The top was decorated with hay in scattered places, like they had used what little resources they had to try and establish some kind of covering from the rain and snow.  Though from what he could see, it barely worked.  There was one window on the side panel, and in it was a dimly lit candle that had almost burned down to the wick.  As strange as this world was, this was more out of place than anything else.  Why would a dragon live in a house like this? 

 

Amphisbaena flapped its rugged wings a few times; normally he flew, but to avoid being noticed or drawing any additional attention to the Planetary Beast, he decided walking would be the best option, despite it taking longer.  Calion looked at him for answers, and he nodded, prompting the Kisai to open the door to the hut. 

 

He was slow to turn the handle; what he was going to see on the other side had not been clear, and after the developments so far, he felt a bit off-put.  However no amount of mental preparation would have readied him for that which awaited.  For inside the simple hut sat a man, probably in his late 40’s, in tattered robes and scraggly facial hair.  He looked as though he hadn’t seen sunlight and years – and that’s probably because he hadn’t.

 

The initial response was one words could not describe effectively, but out of respect he tried to keep himself under wraps.   Amphisbaena himself had made it clear that this world was specifically isolated from humans for the sake of its protection.  So naturally, the last thing he had expected to see…was a human.  Though that did explain the hut.  The man sensed his presence, but did not acknowledge him right away, as the two stood in a tense stalemate.  Finally, he looked up, his bright green eyes meeting Calion’s, sending a strange chill down his spine.

 

“Sit,” he prompted.  A second chair identical to the one the man was sitting on was on the opposite side of the table, it was a wooden chair that appeared to be missing quite a few pieces.  But he sat nonetheless.  “We haven’t much time.  You cannot conceal your presence.  That means I can only speak with you briefly, and then you must leave.”

Calion looked back to Amphisbaena, only to discover the dragon was no longer there.  He had taken off moments earlier, leaving the two of them alone.  Uneasy was an understatement; this guy had a very noticeable power about him and his mere presence was intimidating.  It wasn’t even the shock of seeing another human here.  This guy would be scary regardless of where he showed up.

 

"Excuse me if I don't know how to react, but I wasn't exactly expecting to see another human here," Calion said, half-apologetically.

 

"No apologies needed," the man replied, the tone of his voice not really changing.  "My existence here is hidden intentionally," he explained.  "My concern would have been if you had been able to sense my presence before arriving here."

 

"Uh...okay then," a baffled Calion replied.  "May I ask why?"

 

The man hung his head sorrowfully, unable to give a direct answer.  "I am afraid I cannot answer that, at least not now.  Let me tell you why you are here," he said, changing the subject hurriedly.  "This wing of Erebos is known as the Mountain Wing.  The name explains itself, but being that it is sealed off to humans, that is simply an identification term.  It is home to thousands of creatures of all shapes and sizes."

 

"Hang on a sec," Calion interjected.  "Outside of Eale and Amphisbaena, I've seen almost no signs of life here.  So what happened?"

 

"Your arrival to this world scared them away," the man replied, perplexing Calion.  "You see, they fear humans.  And because part of you is human, they can sense it.  Even the fiercest creatures here that could tear your head off in a second, fear you because of what has happened to the many inhabitants in the other parts of this world.  This is not your fault, we needed to bring you here, but unfortunately until you either leave or they realize you are not a threat, they will remain hidden."

 

"But that makes no sense, you're a human too," Calion pointed out.  Unless this guy was a spirit, but that wasn't a vibe he was getting.  "Yet from what I can tell you're working with the Heraldic Beasts, after all they brought me to you, didn't they?"

 

He nodded his head, again appearing saddened.  "My story is a long and winding one, just like the path I have traveled to end up here.  As I said, I am afraid at this time I can't go into detail.  There is just too much at stake."

 

"Listen, I don't mean to be harsh, but if you can't tell me what the hell is going on, then I see no point in me being here," the spirit snapped.  Why was this guy wasting his time? He had to get back to Earth.  This was all so quizzical.  "So if that's the case, then send me home."

 

"I know it sounds strange, but I'm asking you to trust me, Calion," the man replied.  "I know who you are, I know what it is you wish to achieve.  You see I have spent much of my time researching here.  Because of this I have been able to learn much about this world.  Beyond that, I have also gained a great knowledge on the one know you as...Hayate Asaki."

 

Funny how with just one word, he'd gained Calion's full attention.

 

"I am familiar with your story and I know how difficult it must be to have had to go through so much so quickly.  You've been to three completely different worlds in the past three days and no one is giving you the answers you seek," he said, echoing Calion's exact thoughts.  "I know you have questions and I will do my best to answer them in time, but right now our primary concern must be to put a stop to the danger that is threatening this world--and all the others."

 

---

 

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied.  "Isn't that one in the same?"

 

"Yes and no," the man said, pressing a small ceramic mug of water to his lips, taking a sip while reveling in thought.  "Hayate's grand plan is not as simple as we'd like it to be.  It will be carried out in steps, and I have received confirmation that the first step - and perhaps the most essential - has officially been put into action."

 

Well that was something.  The first bit of information he'd actually gotten since this whole fiasco had started.  "Then tell me, what exactly are they planning to do?"

 

"We don't know the full logistics of it yet, but I can tell you this much.  Hayate has dispelled a group of four elite warriors, known collectively as ELEMENT," the man explained as he placed the mug back down on the table.  He motioned to Calion, offering him a sip, but the spirit shook his head.  "There are four of them, as I said, and they operate under Hayate's right hand man, Asuma Kishiro."  The mere mention of the man's name, a man who was once his trusted partner, made the man's stomach churn.  "You see...perhaps this part will be more easy to explain if I give you this."

 

Calion raised an eyebrow.  The man reached into his pocket and pulled out a single Duel Monsters card.  Perhaps the last thing Calion was expecting to see now.  The man handed it to him face-down, and he took it.  The second his hand made contact, his mind flashed.  As though it were going somewhere completely different from his body.

 

Vigorously, his mind went from place to place, before deciding on a series of visuals.  Menderite, Solace, here in Erebos - the oddly colored moon and the mountains -.  And finally, Neo Domino City.  The place where his journey had first begun.  After each image came in sequence, he was pulled back into the real world.  The strange man was still sitting across from him, staring down at his reflection in the glass of water on the table.  Before saying a word, Calion flipped the card over to reveal its image.  However, it was blank.

 

"What the hell...just happened?" He asked, holding his head.  "The card just..."

 

"Those locations, the visuals you saw, there are four of them in total.  Coincidentally the same number of members that ELEMENT is comprised of," the man explained.  "Each location is a vital part of Hayate's first step.  You see, there is a spellbook in each location.  These books have been hidden away for as long as documented history can remember, and each one acts as a destructive power source that Hayate fully intends to have access to.  However, their true power is only unlocked when they are all brought together."

 

"I don't understand," Calion shook his head.  That couldn't be accurate, he had just been to all of these places.  "I've been there, all four of them, and I've never seen anything.  Sure, they're hidden, but if they're as powerful as you say they are, I would have been able to sense them."

 

"Not only would you have no idea where to look, these spellbooks are far beyond your basic comprehension," the man said, this time shaking his head.  The disappointment in his eyes was evident; he was afraid.  "Each of these books are protected by a guardian spirit.  A legendary being that is no longer alive in the sense, at least in a physical form.  As a result, they are unable to protect these books with force.  This, perhaps one of the answers to your questions..."

 

"This is why Duel Monsters has such a strong connection to this war.  That is their means of protection."

 

"Let me put this into perspective," the spirit replied, trying to make sense of it all.  "You're saying that in order to get these books, we have to duel?  But why, couldn't I theoretically just find it and retrieve it with force?"

 

"Correct, at least your first thought," the man said.  Calion's mind wandered off for a brief moment as he noticed something hanging on the wall.  It looked like a weapon of some sorts, very futuristic and definitely out of place, but he shook his head and turned back to the man.  This was no time to lose focus.  "These books are hidden.  These guardians are entrusted to protecting them, for their protection means more than just trouble - it could spell the destruction of the universe as we know it.  This is why, when their power was first discovered, they were scattered among multiple worlds, multiple dimensions, instead of being located centrally in one place.  It has taken Hayate years and years to discover their whereabouts, and while we don't know what he intends to do with them, we do know that he needs them all.  Remember, Hayate was originally a duelist."

 

The man placed his palm on the table.  "The creators of these books, however long ago it was, decided that the power could not be trusted in the hands of anyone, human, spirit, or other.  This is why they made it so the true power could only be unlocked by Duel Monsters, something that dates back to millenias ago.  People often forget the importance that the game carries with it, but what is viewed as a game now was viewed as something completely different before."

 

"Right..." Calion responded.  He hadn't thought of it that way, but it still left a lot of questions open-ended.  "So hang on a second, if this world is sealed off to humans, how would ELEMENT get here in the first place?  I don't understand."

 

"Normally it is, but just as we were able to use a special kind of magic to bring you here, Hayate is capable of doing the same," the man explained.  "But you see, even for someone like him, opening a portal to this world and escaping the Planetary Beasts is not a task to take lightly, nor can it be replicated.  In other words, he can only send one person here.  The amount of magic it would take to do it more than once is beyond anyone's comprehension.  That is the way the world intended it.  This is supposed to be a sacred place."

 

This was getting more and more complicated, and he wondered just what kind of otherworldly forces he was up against here.  It wasn't fear, just a lack of understanding.  But he would get his answers.  He flashed a smile; it didn't go un-noticed.

 

"What is it?"

 

“So hang on a minute,” Calion inquired, grinning from cheek to cheek.  “What you’re saying is, if I can beat this Guardian guy in a duel, when the unlucky bastard that comes to Erebos to retrieve the book gets here, theoretically I don’t have to duel that guy—we can settle things another way.” He said, wrapping his hand around the holster of his sword.  The itch to fight again was coming back strong.

 

“That decision relies solely on you,” came the man’s reply.  “Though I would advise you to heed my words; even though they were dispelled with the intent to duel, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be a walk in the park of any kind.  These are absolutely elite warriors, Calion.  I know I’ve been quiet and there isn’t much I can tell you now but you must understand, you have never faced an enemy of this fortitude.”

 

“Well old man, since it’s apparent there’s nothing else you can tell me,” he said with a half-hearted smile; there was an obvious sense of sadness in the man’s eyes that was impossible to ignore.  “I guess I’ll be going then.  But hey,” he said, turning around to face him before leaving and feeling a lot better knowing he had a sense of direction now.  “Don’t be so down on yourself.  I’m sure whatever happened isn’t all on you.  After all, only you can determine your worth.    That’s something I learned the hard way.”

 

The man didn’t respond immediately, as he hung his head, trying to repress painful memories.  “Take your leave then.  The card I’ve given you will act as a map that will guide you towards your destination.  Remember that it’s not just Erebos counting on you – even if the others are able to get into place and stop the other members of Element, it is up to you to win; you must make sure Hayate is not able to retrieve all four of the books.  Otherwise, I am afraid we are all in danger.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re worried about,” Calion said.  “Don’t forget, that bastard wanted to use me as his main subject, but I got away.  Far as I’m concerned, anyone else at his disposal is just a lesser pawn he had to use in my place.”  Calion laughed aloud, and the old man smiled at his words.  He had a destination now.  And according to this weird map, it wasn’t that far from here.

 

The man had mentioned ‘others’, and he could only wonder who else they had tried to recruit, and who this guy was in the first place.  But creating more questions now wasn’t the answer—Hayate had finally taken his first steps of action, and now was the beginning of making him pay.

 

Whoever this Element guy coming to him was, he felt badly for the poor bastard.

 

To be continued…[/spoiler]

[Synchronized]

Just bumping this cuz', you know...would be cool to get some comments and shiet.

[Synchronized]

Still no feedback. :(

 

New Chapter should be posted within a few days.

[Aix]

Locked on request.