Hello folks and not quite folks. This story is created because I respect the high quality writing of an author by the name of Seeker of the Soul. His GX fanfiction, Rising Star to the Heavens, truly is a great story and impressive setting, and as such I write my own story based in that world. Of course this first chapter has no evidence of this fact, but you'll see evidence soon enough.
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Yugioh GX, or other stuff. I don't own Seeker of the Soul's world of Rising Star to the Heaven's either. Or do I?
Dragon Destiny
Chapter 1: The Impassive Deer
"Pairings are up!" A voice roared out from the speakers, and like a tidal wave the duelists gathered for today's tournament flooded the wall where the papers listing who went against who were posted.
"Why did I even bother coming to this?" Tzvi (pronounced Zvi) asked aloud, arms crossed behind his back and laying in the most uncomfortable-looking position possible. Not that he showed it, even though the thin black body-shirt and grey shorts he was wearing couldn't have been thick enough to keep the cold of the metal chair from freezing him. His expression was always uncaring. "Couldn't you have come to this on your own, Voitto?"
"Just call me Victory!" Just a few feet away, a blond-haired young man dressed in the garishly green clothing, with a flowing aquamarine cape behind him, brought a pair of fingers up into the air to form a V. "I intend to win it all today! Run in fear, all those who would stand against me!" He lowered the volume of his voice with the next words. "And bringing Tzvi-sempai here means I've got a better chance of getting to the top eight."
"I heard that." Rubbing a bit of sleep from his lavender eyes, Tzvi rolled to his feet as he saw the gathered young men and women taking their positions in the expansive dueling arena. "I suppose since I'm here, it means you still lack the training necessary to control the Elemental Heroes properly."
Voitto stiffened momentarily, and then spun around to face his friend and dueling mentor with fire in his green eyes. "I am the mighty god of Victory! Don't get cocky, Deer-sama, or I'll show you right now just how powerful my grasp of Hero Tactics has become!"
His index finger flew in and poked Tzvi's nose. "Or maybe you're just scared because my amazing progress with the Elemental Heroes you gave me. Perhaps, maybe even very soon, I'll be the master and you the student, eh Deer!"
Brushing that finger aside, Tzvi's eyes seemed to glow in a dangerous light as he leaned in close to his shorter and younger protégé. "First off, don't directly translate my name like that again. Second, don't forget that I've already completely mastered the Elemental Heroes, and am a few steps away from mastering my current deck too. It will take a miracle for you to catch up to me."
Removing the sharp tone from his voice, he took a step back and walked off towards the rows of papers where his name was listed. "Finally, if you don't hurry to your match you're going to get disqualified." His short styled brown hair got blown in front of him wildly as his friend flew past, making a mad dash for the pairings list while screaming that "Victory will not be denied!"
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Tvzi's opponent was a familiar face, one of the regulars he saw at school in the chemistry lab that the students used as an all-purpose dueling hall. "Afternoon, Rei Kamiya-kun." He pretended to fiddle with his duel disk, trying to seem as casual as he could. Because of his seemingly permanently uncaring expression though, that was a difficult feat.
Rei stiffened at the sight of one of the upper classman of the high school facing off against him as a duel opponent. "Good…" He dropped his head down low, bowing in proper fashion that one would do towards one of the Five Dragons of Seirun High School. "…afternoon, Tzvi Cohen-sama!"
"Oi oi, knock that off." Even though he sounded annoyed, Tzvi didn't look it. That was the price of being one of the Five Dragons. The Five Dragons were the top five duelists of his high school, and each of them were considered good enough to be shoe-ins if they ever wanted to move ahead to the prestigious Duel Academy. "Don't get so tense."
"Of…of course!" Standing up stiffly, Rei activated his duel disk and drew his opening hand. "Let us duel, Tvzi-sama!"
Tzvi sweat-dropped at how horribly formal the lower classman still sounded, but he shrugged his surrender. This was the best he was going to get. "Duel!" He activated his own duel disk and drew his opening hand. "Who should begin?"
"Please, first turn honors should belong to one of your great standing, Tvzi-sama!" Rei looked like he was about to drop down and start worshipping the feet of the person that was supposed to be his opponent.
It didn't sit well with Tzvi. He dueled against strong opponents usually, but since the tournament didn't work that way he'd take on anyone that was put against him. It was good practice regardless of the strength of the opponent, so he decided he'd just try to make it quick.
The holographic projections above their heads activated, revealing the scoreboards over them which showed their life points.
Tzvi- 4000
Rei- 4000
"Duel!" They both shouted at the same time, drawing their opening hands.
"Draw!" Tzvi glanced at the card he had drawn and then placed it onto one of his monster zones. "I summon Destiny Hero Diamond Guy in attack mode!" A green-suited humanoid studded with huge diamonds across his shoulders appeared on the Dragon's field. (1400/1600)
Rei already looked astonished and nervous, even though the game had just started. "Diamond Guy!"
Right eyebrow twitching, Tzvi placed his hand on top of his deck. "I activate the effect of Diamond Guy. Once per turn I may look at the top card of my deck. If it's a normal magic card then I send it to the graveyard and during my next turn's main phase I can activate it from there. If it isn't I place it on the bottom of my deck!"
He pulled the card free and held it up, showing a magic card with a picture of an army in melee with a blond-haired warrior breaking through the lines. "Reinforcement of the Army sets itself in my graveyard for use next turn!" He slid the card into his graveyard and then looked up at the worried face that Rei had. He's more than likely going to attack me next turn. Admittedly I don't remember his strategy though, so who knows.
A pair of set cards appeared on his field behind his monster. "I set two cards facedown on my field and end my turn."
Rei looked down at his deck and rubbed some sweat from his black hair. "Okay…draw." He added the card to his hand and grasped another one with surprising resolve, as if he'd already determined his strategy. "I special summon Hover Scouter in attack mode!" A white cylindrical robot with a jet of air coming out of its lower body appeared on his field, lowering down into play. (500/500) "When I have no cards on my field Hover Scouter can be special summoned!"
He intends to sacrifice it to summon a higher level monster, of course. This didn't change Tvzi's plan at all. Now his opponent would have one fewer card in his hand.
"Magic card activate, Heavy Storm!" The card that appeared on Rei's field next left Tzvi not quite so confident in his strategy. "All magic and trap cards in play are destroyed!" A powerful storm of wind engulfed the field and obliterated the two set cards on Tvzi's field. "Also, whenever a magic or trap card is destroyed by a card effect while Hover Scouter is in play, I gain 500 life points!" A green aura appeared around Rei's body as his life points increased.
Tzvi- 4000
Rei- 5000
The Hover Scouter shimmered off the field next, replaced by a green-armored humanoid that was surrounded by numerous miniature tornadoes. "I sacrifice Hover Scouter to summon Raiza the Storm Monarch!" (2400/1000)
Tvzi's expression didn't change, but the fingers of his free hand tightened into a fist rather quickly. "A Monarch…"
"That's right, my ultimate monster!" Rei's earlier nervousness was gone, replaced by confidence. Whether it was just because the duel had started or because his best monster was in play, Tzvi didn't know. "When Raiza is tribute summoned I can select a card on your field and make it the top card of your deck! Return Tornado!" One of the smaller swirls of air broke away from Raiza and expanded, striking Diamond Guy and hurling him out of range of the holographic projectors, where he disappeared.
Removing his monster from his monster zone, Tzvi placed it on top of his deck with a frown. "I must admit, for how you were acting earlier…"
"Raiza, direct attack!" Rei confident smile persisted while his monster released another tornado, this one swallowing up Tzvi and leaving him stumbling for a moment from its power. "End turn!"
Tzvi- 1600
Rei- 5000
Tzvi tried to brush his hair back into a semblance of its original flat style, but it resisted him every step of the way. "I'm going to have to treat you a little more seriously, I see." He drew and his graveyard slot started to glow. "By Diamond Guy's effect, Reinforcement of the Army lets me add a level four or lower Warrior type monster from my deck to my hand." With his free hand he fanned his deck out in front of him and made his choice. "I select Destiny Hero Dragon Guy!"
Shuffling his deck and returning it to its appropriate slot, Tzvi held up a magic card. "D-Spirits can be activated if I have no D-Heroes on my field. From my hand one level four or lower D-Hero is special summoned! I summon Dragon Guy!" A red-clothed humanoid with a pair of dragon wings on his back and a dragon mask over his head appeared on the field. (800/1600) "When Dragon Guy is special summoned you suffer 800 points of damage. Dragon Flame!" The hero's mask opened and a fan of flame erupted forth, engulfing his opponent.
Tzvi- 1600
Rei- 4200
"An impressive damage ploy, Tvzi-sama, but I won't lose to effects like that!" Even as the flame disappeared and with smoke coming off his body, Rei still looked to be driven to duel at his fullest.
He's spirited, I'll give him that much. Tzvi held up a new magic card. "I activate Destiny Draw! By this card's effect I discard a Destiny Hero and draw two cards. I discard Diamond Guy and draw two cards." Sliding the Destiny Draw and Diamond Guy into his graveyard, he pulled two new cards from his deck. "And then I activate the magic card Dragon Flame! This card can only be activated if Dragon Guy is in play! You suffer Dragon Guy's original defense in damage! Dragon Flame Boosted!" Another explosion of flame came from the hero's mask, engulfing Rei.
Tzvi- 1600
Rei- 2600
More holographic smoke rising from his clothing, Rei still looked determined to win.
That made Tzvi almost smile, but his expression still remained uncaring. "I sacrifice Dragon Guy and summon Destiny Hero Dash Guy!" One hero disappeared and was replaced by one which had black metal armor and rolled about on wheels which were attached to his feet and hands. (2100/1000)
Behind Dash Guy a magic card appeared on Tvzi's field, this one of a white-haired man in a lab coat getting his hair blown backwards as his experiment exploded in his face. "Doctor D activates. By removing a Destiny Hero from my graveyard," He held up Diamond Guy and put it into his back pocket. "I special summon a level four or lower Destiny Hero in my graveyard to the field! Dragon Guy returns!" His dragon-suited hero appeared in play once more, head angled to blast Rei again. "But the damage you suffer by his effect is increased this time. By the effect of the Dragon Flame in my graveyard, once per turn I can deal you 500 points of damage when you suffer life point damage by the effect of a Destiny Hero! Dragon Flame Boosted!"
This time his resolve and will to fight didn't help so much and Rei screamed as he was hit by another fan of flame from Dragon Guy.
Tzvi- 1600
Rei- 1300
"Unfortunately it gets worse for you." Tzvi pointed at Dash Guy, who started to glow while the newly revived Dragon Guy disappeared. "By sacrifice a monster on my field I can increase the attack power of Dash Guy by 1000 during this turn!" (3100/1000) "Dash Guy, attack Raiza now! Lightning Strike!" The hero built up speed and jumped, kicking Raiza in the skull with a foot and skidding back to Tvzi's field in a crouching position. The Monarch teetered, and then exploded.
Tzvi- 1600
Rei- 600
Crossing his arms tightly, Tzvi motioned to Dash Guy with his head. "When Dash Guy attacks, during the end of that battle phase he goes to defense mode. End turn."
Rei shook his head out and took comfort in the fact that the upperclassman had no cards left in his hand. All he had left was a measly 1000 defense. "Draw!" He held up the card to reveal another Hover Scouter, which appeared on his field. (500/500) "I sacrifice Hover Scouter to summon Spell Canceller!" (1800/1600) The new monster was a robot with a pair of piercing tentacles. "While this monster is on the field magic cards won't work! Spell Canceller, attack Dash Guy now!" His new monster burst forward and ran the kneeling hero through, causing him to explode. "End turn!"
"Draw!" Tzvi pulled the top card from his deck without hesitation. Glancing at it, he nodded and put it onto his disk. "I summon Destiny Hero Destruction Guy!" The monster appearing on his field was a humanoid dressed in black with fuses sticking out of his shoulders and a pair of cannons for arms. (800/900) "Once per turn I can select one attack mode monster on your field and activate this monster's effect. By discarding cards from my deck equal to the selected monster's level, I can destroy it!" Five cards left his deck and slid into his graveyard slot. "Destruction Drive!" Five of the hero's shoulder fuses lit and his cannons sounded off five times, each blow leaving the Spell Canceller more and more damaged until the fifth blew it apart.
Rei paled, seeing his defeat on its way…
"During the turn I use Destruction Drive, I can't attack. End turn." Tzvi knew he was taking a risk, but Destruction Guy could only use its effect while in attack mode. If he lost, he knew at least he'd done his best.
"Draw!" Rei opened the field magic card on his disk and placed a card into it. "I activate the field magic card Air-Powered City!" Giant pillars rose into the air in the small space their playing field was afforded, each one a series of windmills. "While this card is in play I can, once per turn, special summon an air attribute machine type monster from my hand to the field! Come out now, Clockwork Canary!" The card he put down was summoned out in the form of a metallic little bird that landed in play and chirped innocently. (300/300)
"And then I sacrifice Clockwork Canary to summon Clockwork Glider!" The little bird disappeared and was replaced by a screeching machine that resembled some kind of flying dinosaur, except completely steel. (1600/1600) "Battle, attack Destruction Guy now!" The Clockwork Glider launched itself forward and slammed a claw through the hero, the explosion jarring Tvzi's body forcefully.
Tzvi- 800
Rei- 600
"When Clockwork Glider deals you damage, its effect activates and you discard the top three cards of your deck!" Rei smiled, his confidence restored. He might actually do it; he might actually beat one of the Five Dragons of Seirune High.
Tzvi did so and drew. "You are impressive, Kamiya-kun." He held up another monster. "I special summon Destiny Hero Dissolve Guy!"
"Special summon? How!?" Rei could see from where he was standing that the level of Dissolve Guy was five. "You need to sacrifice to summon it!"
From behind Tzvi a phantom version of Dash Guy appeared. "During my draw phase, once per game, if the drawn card is a monster, I can use the effect of my graveyard Dash Guy and special summon it! Come forth, Dissolve Guy!" The monster that appeared on his field was dressed completely in white; even its face was just a simple white mask. (1200/200) "When this monster is summoned I may destroy up to two machine, rock, or aqua type monsters in play. Because for all the power your machines may have, they are still prone to the effects of time! Dissolve Ray!" A thin beam of white light came from the monster's white cane, washing over the Clockwork Glider and causing it to fade away. "And now, direct attack! Whiteout!"
Rei managed a surprised gasp before Dissolve Guy punched him in the face. The blow, while not painful, left him a little stunned.
Tzvi- 800
Rei- 0
The field disappeared, and Tzvi shuffled his deck back together. "Kamiya-kun, you have promise. Come see me again when you feel ready." He turned and walked away, his expression still neutral. In his mind though, he decided that perhaps it was time to perfect his deck even more. Even though he wouldn't admit it to them, the lower classman were starting to get scarily skilled at dueling.
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Somewhere within the depths of the Darkness Realm, a snarling form surged forwards as it sensed something. However that sense faded too quickly for it to lock onto the trail, leaving it with only traces of a energy scent. That was enough for it, though. "And so the hunt begins."
To be continued…