"Different Dimension Damsel! Attack!"
The blue-eyed duelist cried out in anguish as the holographic woman plunged a wickedly curved dagger towards her midsection, the illusory blade cutting deep before the warrior lady leapt back towards its master. (LP: 1100 → 200)
"Now I banish you from this plane of existence!" commanded Riko as a black portal appeared in the skies. Her signature monster jumped high, vaulting herself into the abyss without hesitation, just as she'd done twice prior in this duel. "And with that, I end my turn."
You panted heavily, the sheer realism of this new holographic dueling system overwhelming her nerves with sensation. Taking not just one but three direct attacks to her lifepoints within so few turns elicited more exhaustion than she ever thought possible from this game.
"What's the matter?" taunted Riko as she looked down on the brunette disdainfully. "Can't handle facing off against a real duelist?"
You heaved a single ragged breath before placing her hand on her deck. "I may be winded, but I'm far from out! I draw!" she declared as she took a card. She swallowed nervously. "I place one card facedown," she said, "And I set a monster."
Riko laughed haughtily as she drew. "Your stall walls are painfully ineffective," she sneered, "More for you than me, of course." She looked to her new card. "Excellent. First I play Elegant Harpy!" (1400, 1500)
The colorful form of a winged yet humanoid creature materialized in front of the redhead, screeching a battlecry as it poised its talons for war. "And you know what comes next. I activate another Order to Charge!" The spell card resolved without interference, propelling Riko's Elegant Harpy towards You's facedown monster, the two shattering with explosive force as they came into contact. As the smoke cleared, neither monster remained on the field.
"Maybe my monster is gone," called You, "But you're out of tokens to tribute! You can't bring your Different Dimension Damsel back now!"
Riko sneered. "You're right. I'm out of sacrificial tokens. But don't worry; I always have a little something up my sleeve. So now, I play this special little spell card, something I like to call... Plot Armor!"
"What?!"
The turquoise colored card appeared on the field, flashing a blinding white light over all before fading momentarily. Floating on the field, just before the card, was a shadowy and ornate chainmail bikini.
Deep within herself, You could feel something diminishing, as if her inner light was shrinking due to the sinister powers of this one card.
"This card makes me virtually unbeatable," bragged Riko, "As if the very fates themselves create contrivances and conveniences for me to exploit! You might have your protagonist powers, but they pale in comparison to the might of Plot Armor!"
The brunette's eyes widened as realization washed over her, her stomach plummeting as dread sank in. "Oh no! Instead of being a difficult yet rewarding victory, this duel has turned into a significant defeat that's supposed to humble me and teach me to be a better person-slash-duelist!"
"That's right, and by the time I'm through with you, no longer will you be the star of the show!" cried Riko as her evil plan came to fruition. "Soon, it shall be the dawn of... Yu-Ri-Ko!"
The crowd of spectators around them gasped at this radical shift in the balance of power. Worried mutterings soon ran rampant amidst Riko's sinister giggling, but from within the audience a single voice rose among them. "No way!" called Chika as she stepped forwards. "You-Gi-Oh! sounds so much better!"
"You say that as if it matters," snapped Riko. "But there's nothing you can do about it! And that goes for you too, You."
"She... she's right!" despaired the brunette, "My protagonist powers are useless against something of that magnitude! I... I can't win!"
"Now do you see?" scoffed the redhead. "Self-reliance is the only way to duel!"
"NO IT'S NOT!" hollered Chika. You and Riko startled and looked to the crowd, just in time for Chika to shout, "You-chan, catch!" The brunette raised her hands to grab hold of a golden sphere of light roughly the size of a baseball, tinged with the faintest hint of sunburst orange. "Use this!"
You gasped in shock and alarm. "Chika-chan! This is...!"
Chika nodded. "That's right; those are MY protagonist powers. You might not be able to overcome her Plot Armor alone, but together... Together we can do it!"
"But Chika-chan, without your protagonist powers, you'll... you'll...!"
Chika suddenly cried out in pain as she fell to a knee, the crowd of spectators backing away in concern.
"You'll become a background character!" cried You.
The ginger coughed heavily, before raising her head high to gaze deeply into You's horrified blue eyes. "It's okay, You-chan..." She swallowed down bile. "Show her. Show her that friendship is worth fighting for!"
"CHIKA-CHAAAAAAAAN!"
Her final words spoken, Chika slowly began falling to the cold ground, her eyelids drooping as exhaustion took hold. A tight smile crossed her face, and as her last act of defiance she thrust a thumbs up to her best friend before plunging to the abyss, Terminator 2 style. As soon as she hit the dirt, her animation quality dropped considerably.
No longer was she Takami Chika; now, she was just another bystander with orange-brunette hair and a complete lack of defining features.
Tears of anguish poured from You's eyes, glistening in the golden light emanating from Chika's protagonist powers as they were absorbed into You's being. "Chika-chan...! Your sacrifice shall not be in vain!"
"I'm sure that's all very heartfelt," patronized Riko, "But you're still not winning this duel."
But within the protagonist, two spheres of golden light began merging, sunburst orange and cornflower blue melding to form a powerful shade of color as the brunette's heart swelled with newfound power. No longer was the Plot Armor an oppressive, unbreakable barrier; now, it was little more than an inconvenience.
"I draw!" declared You, wiping away her angry tears. Ice blue eyes flashed to the card, and she felt vengeful fury flow through her. "And now it's time for the beginning of your downfall! I summon...! Breaker, The Magical Girl!" (1500, 1000)
A bright light flashed across the field before revealing the figure of a woman clad in ornate crimson and gold armor. One hand twirled a sword as the other hefted an intricate arcane shield, an armored skirt flaring as the monster settled into place.
Riko scoffed. "Do you really think a pathetically underpowered monster like that can finish me off with my Plot Armor still on the field?"
"You obviously don't know about her effects, or else you'd be quaking in your shoes. Allow me to educate you! Breaker's first effect lets me place one spell counter on her, powering her attack points up by 300!"
"Still too low," mocked Riko.
You continued without pause. "Breaker's second effect allows me to remove one spell counter from her to destroy one spell card on the field, and the card I choose is, you guessed it, your Plot Armor!"
Breaker's blade glowed brightly with rainbow energies, as she swung and let loose an arc of magic power towards Riko's Plot Armor card, shattering it into nothingness.
"But how?!" exclaimed the redhead.
"Now go!" ordered You, "Breaker the Magical Girl! Attack her lifepoints directly!"
Riko was forced back as the holographic monster bore down on her, crying out as it dealt a powerful blow across her midsection with its shimmering blade. Battered but not beaten, Riko regained her footing, shrugging off the attack. "So what?!" she spat, "Next turn I'll get my Damsel back and finish you off!" (LP: 3300 → 1800)
"It's still my turn!" shot back You, "And now I activate my face down card... Berserker Soul!"
"Berserker Soul?!" exclaimed the redhead in alarm.
"This card lets me send my entire hand to graveyard," explained You, putting her cards aside. "Now I must keep drawing cards, and for every monster card I draw, Breaker attacks!"
"Oh no...!" cried Riko.
"Draw!" declared You, holding her first card high. Her eyes flashed to the card before she cried, "I discard Lady of the Aquarium into the graveyard. Breaker! Attack!"
Riko braced herself as the Magical Girl advanced, crying out in pain as it battered her with its enchanted sword breaker. (LP: 1800 → 300)
"Draw!" shouted You, holding her second card. "I discard Kan Kan Mikan into the graveyard! Attack!"
The redhead's eyes went wide as the monster approached. "AHHH!" she cried as she was struck again. (LP: 300 → 0)
"Draw!" shouted You. "Discard and attack!"
"AHHH!"
"DORO! MONSTA CAADO!"
"DORO! MONSTA CAADO!"
"DORO! MONSTA CAADOOO!"
"...aaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Riko gave off a final weak cry as she fell to her knees, nerves burning in the agony inflicted by the merciless hologram of a magical girl and the vengeful master that controlled her. She collapsed to the ground, broken.
"DORO! MONSTA CAAD-"
"NO! Yamate! You-chan!" cried an orange-haired spectator as she ran up from behind the brunette, throwing her arms around her.
"HA-NA-SE!" shouted You. She turned to glare at the interloper and throw her off, but stopped as she realized that this generically drawn character was her best friend.
Tears streamed from Chika's eyes as she held You close. "The duel's over, You-chan. You won."
Now ashamed of herself, You lowered her hand. "You're right, Chika-chan... I got carried away in my anger when I should have just gotten it over with and checked on you." She sniffed. "I'm so glad you're okay!" she bawled, returning Chika's embrace.
The two hugged as they cried, each of them whispering words of apology and reassurance in a heartfelt moment between two childhood friends.
"How can you even tell that's her?" coughed Riko from the ground. "There isn't even an ahoge..."
"Because to me, Chika-chan is never a background character!" declared You. As they hugged, You could feel her protagonist power divide, one golden sphere of light resonating as it returned to its rightful owner. She pulled back and her smile doubled in happiness as her eyes fell upon Chika's beautiful face, now as detailed and perfectly rendered as it should be.
"She's always my most important person," added You quietly as they held hands.
From the ground, Riko just groaned.
~END~
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AN: I guess this is what happens when you play too much Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links? Anyways, you can probably guess when this was written if you remember when Order to Charge was great.
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Omake: Dia vs You
Dia: Draw your last pathetic card so I can end this, You.
You: My father's deck has no pathetic cards, Dia. But it does contain... the unstoppable members of Muse! (Holds up UR Honoka)
Dia: (Recoils in fear) Ahh! Impossible!
You: I've assembled all NINE special cards. All nine pieces of the puzzle. (somehow plays nine cards at once)
Dia: Muse! Ahh, it's not possible! No one's ever been able to summon them before!
You: And now it's time to finish this! (Thrusts hand out) MUSE! MUSIC! STATOOOOO!