"It's not a dangerous animal, Karen is my friend!"
The airport staff looked around in anxiety as the former Duel Academia student was protesting rather loudly at the security gate. The crocodile let out a weary sigh as the argument began to escalate beyond the staff's control.
"I'll duel you right here and now to show you Karen's not a threat!" Jim 'Crocodile' Cook shouted at the security guard, raising his duel disk with a determined expression on his face.
"Sir, there's no way we're resolving it that way!" Suddenly, a hand rested itself on Jim's shoulder as his colleague stepped out in front of him to clean up the mess.
"Excuse my colleague for his rude behaviour. You see, the situation is that we have been contracted by a very large organisation to excavate ruins in Egypt, and the only way my friend here said he would go, was if he could take his beloved crocodile along. You do know Industrial Illusions, don't you?"
The woman with thick black hair that almost touched the floor smiled with a sincere, yet strangely menacing grin. Jim hated the way she always took it upon herself to resolve his problems for him. It didn't take long for the staff to bow out of the argument from the veiled threat presented before them.
"Hmph. You didn't have to scare them like that. You're lucky we're working for I2 – absolutely everyone knows their influence in the world." The woman simply gave him the exact same, sincere yet menacing grin that she had produced earlier. Jim couldn't help but grimace.
"I have my ways, and you have your ways, Crocodile-kun." With that, she walked off ahead of Jim and Karen, leaving them to recover from her immense aura.
"Wow- she's scary…" Karen sighed again.
"Stop complaining to Karen! Gate 22, Crocodile-kun!"
"A-Ah!" Jim ran forward, following the ever distancing sound of red high heels, eager not to annoy his colleague any further. She was sitting next to him on the plane, after all.
Turn 3
Connected Feelings - Explosive Heartbeat!
Fate Clings to No One
Taking the in-flight magazine from the table next to her, Victoria squealed as she began to read it. "Jim, isn't this place the best?! I've never been on the business class side of a plane before!" Kicking off her red heels, she waved her legs about in the air while she reclined on the adjustable chair that was almost big enough to be a bed by itself.
"Y-You're making a scene Victoria…" Jim pointed out cautiously, fearing the response his colleague would give.
"It's not me, it's that crocodile you insist on bringing everywhere you go!" She replied harshly, wasting not a second to point out the disapproving glances and scared faces that the other customers on the plane looked at Jim with.
"Sorry, everyone." Usually he would've put up a fight, but Victoria was too easy to get on the wrong side of, and nobody ever wished to be on that side. Karen growled in delight as she wiggled her body in one of the business class seats.
"Hmph, to think they were willing to buy an extra seat for Karen just because you asked them to…they're definitely not stingy, Industrial Illusions." Victoria continued glancing through the magazine with her feet dangling above her. "I hope she's comfy and relaxed, it takes 18 hours to get to Egypt…"
"1-18 HOURS?!" Jim shouted, absolutely stunned.
"Geez, for one of the top archaeologists in the business, you're certainly not smart sometimes are you?" She held up the magazine in front of Jim.
"That's not including the stop they need to make in Dubai halfway so we can refuel either…so it's about 21 hours all together. Why do you think the seats are like beds here? We're going to have to sleep on them, you know!"
Jim grumbled as he folded his arms in defeat. Returning to reclining on the chair, Victoria picked up the remote that was also laid on the table. "I hope they've got a good selection of movies! Oh look, they've got a lot of horror movies with mummies in them. Isn't that kind of embarrassing, Jim... Jim?"
She looked to the side to see her colleague looking rather distressed and panicky. "What's wrong, Jim?" Taking another look at his complexion, she couldn't hold back the giggles. "Don't tell me… you've never flown before?!"
"It's not funny! When I moved from Australia to Japan, I took a cruise liner and that was bad enough! I'm alright on boats now, but planes… I'm just not made to fly…" He sank into his seat further and further as Victoria couldn't stop laughing at him.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we'll soon be preparing to take off, so please divert your attention to our cabin crew who are displaying safety-"
Now into the early hours of the morning, the flight was soon to come to a stop in Dubai, before carrying onto Cairo, Egypt. Jim had his hand resting on his cheek, pressing his face up against the glass of the window to catch a glimpse of the moon, brighter than he'd ever seen it before.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" He turned round to see Victoria, rubbing her eyes slightly as she sat up from her seat. She had changed out of her red silk dress that she had worn the previous day, into more comfortable night-time clothes. A small cartoon picture of a Corgi dog was a feature of her pyjama top.
"Can't sleep, can you?" Jim shook his head. Victoria sighed, getting up out of her seat to look out of the window with Jim.
"You're not supposed to look directly into the sun, but the moon is alright. And above the clouds it's just something…special, don't you think?" She stared at Jim, looking deep into his eyes as she crouched on the floor. Jim blushed violently.
"Crocodile-kun, Jim…your eye…" Jim coughed, getting up out of his seat and stretching his body. Victoria pulled her hand closer to her chest, realising she had touched upon something uncomfortable for her work partner.
"It's tiring just sitting in these seats doing nothing isn't it? Let's duel, Victoria!" Jim readied his Duel Disk. He looked around to see if Karen was up for it too, but she was sound asleep snoring loudly.
Victoria simply smiled to herself, standing up to meet Jim.
"Stupid! Don't you know Duel Disk shockwaves wreak havoc in small, compressed spaces like this?" Jim stumbled, realising his mistake. Taking his deck out of the disk, he placed it on the table instead.
"Well, there's always this way!"
Suddenly, there was a shrill scream from further inside the plane, behind Jim and Victoria. They turned round to face it as the overhead speaker system crackled into life, jolting most of the other passengers and waking them up from their sleep.
"There is no need to be alarmed. Please relax, everything will soon be over." The mysterious voice announced, causing panic and hysteria within the plane.
"A plane jacking?!" Victoria exclaimed, before Jim began running towards the cockpit. Naturally, she followed.
When they got there, they were greeted with an eerie sight, as many of the cabin crew lay on the floor with no hint of moving, and the door to the cockpit ajar. Inside, the captain was slumped over the flight desk.
"What's going on?" Jim asked, but instead of an answer he was greeted by a chuckle. From behind the heavy cockpit door, the co-pilot stepped forward.
"There is no need to be alarmed." He repeated, "Everything will soon be over…"
Jim growled in rage, stepping forward suddenly and delivering an uppercut to the man's face. He began to giggle once more. Without moving so much as an inch, the co-pilot grabbed Jim's hand and lowered it down, Jim wincing in pain at his unnatural strength.
"J-Jim! He-he didn't even flinch when you punched him, but he's bleeding…just who is this guy?" Victoria asked, glaring at the man as he released Jim's hand, throwing him backwards until he stumbled and regained his balance.
"Please relax, everything will soon be over…" The co-pilot merely wiped the blood from his face, before picking up a duel disk that was lying beside him. Putting it on his wrist, he activated it and drew 5 cards.
"He wants to duel in this place?! Unbelievable…" Jim dismayed, wondering just what on earth was going on.
The man took a sixth card from the top of his deck, not caring that Jim hadn't engaged with his duel. "If you don't relax, the Moirai will have to end it for you." Victoria gasped as the man began to summon a monster, Possessing Blood Soul. Shockwaves burst forth in a gale, threatening to blow Jim and Victoria back as the plane rocked from side to side as if going through a bad patch of turbulence.
"What?! He's serious about this…Jim?" Victoria looked at her partner as he activated his own duel disk, already beginning his own turn.
"My move! I'll summon Shell Knight in defence!" The shockwaves from Jim's own monster were much more diminished, due to its lower ATK score. "Shell Knight's special ability, Shell Burst! You'll be taking 500 damage straight away!" Shell Knight raised its arms as it sent forward a hail of rocks straight towards the co-pilot.
?: 3500
Jim: 4000
"I'll set one reverse card, turn end!" Just as before, the man didn't even flinch as he began taking another of his moves.
"Magic card, Hand Obliteration." Revealing his hand, the other duelist began sending his cards to the Cemetery. Among them, Jim noticed Hell Poet – Helpoemer, Inferno Hammer and Brain Jacker.
He had one higher level monster and some utility monsters…why isn't he using them to destroy Shell Knight and advance his plays? Jim had little time to muse over his opponent's choice of play however, as the co-pilot held up a card that was enveloped in a black flame. "It couldn't be…!"
"I remove from play my Possessing Blood Soul on the field, Inferno Hammer in my Cemetery, Chaos Necromancer in my Hand and Greed Quasar from my Deck in order to summon my Card of Darkness, Hell Matador!" Exactly as he had announced, the soul of the 4 cards were sacrificed in the black flame that began spreading out in front of the dark duelist, threatening to harm the people surrounding them.
"Victoria!" However, holding up his hand proved ineffective as his colleague launched herself in front of the flames, using her own body as a shield to protect the injured staff. She screamed in pain, but held strong. Jim growled once again, amplified by his best friend coming up behind him. "Karen..!"
"Hell Matador attacks Shell Knight. Gluttony Fang!" Launching itself forward, Jim looked down to Karen and nodded, stretching his hand forward.
"Reverse card, open! Tectonic Shift!" Gravity waves began to pulse forth, destroying both Hell Matador and Shell Knight at once. "When my opponent declares an attack against a Rock-type monster, I can destroy it and the attacking monster and receive no further damage this turn! Now go, Karen!"
The crocodile growled again, moving into the smoke that was flooding the plane from the destruction of the two monsters. A few moments later, it began to emerge dragging the unconscious bodies – first of the cabin crew, then the captain and finally Victoria. Placing one set card on his field, Jim drew a card as the smoke began to fade.
"Are you okay?" He asked, looking down at Karen and Victoria. Karen growled in appreciation, whilst Victoria began to push herself up off the floor, clutching her injuries.
"I-I'm fine." She managed, in between coughs.
Jim turned his attention back to the duel, looking down at his hand of mostly Magic cards. It would be easy to take him out now, but I can't risk summoning two monsters in this cramped space and blowing it open, especially if they have high ATK scores…I'll have to limit myself!
"Magic card, activate! Kasegi Yuugou – Fossil Fusion!" Stone statues of Shell Knight and Brain Jacker emerged from the ground, merging together into one form. "This card allows me to fuse fallen monsters from both our Graveyards! Fusing the Rock-type Shell Knight, and the Level 2 Demon-type Brain Jacker will give rise to my Cenozoic Fossil Devil – Insane King!"
Placing the card on his duel disks, more shockwaves shook the plane and created a dent in the heavy metal door protecting them from the pressurised climate outside. A skeletal devil took to the field, with its rib cage exposed but blackened fur covering the rest of its frame. Taking a sword in hand, it rushed forward and struck the dark duelist directly.
?: 1400
Jim: 4000
Finally the co-pilot showed some sign of humanity, as he fell to the floor gasping for air, before throwing up a large amount of blood onto the floor. Jim realised the stakes of the duel were now much more serious, after he had summoned forth a card of darkness.
To save Karen…Victoria…will I have to kill him?
Standing up almost straight away, the dark duelist looked dazed, but not because of the major injury he had just suffered. Jim had fought in enough bizarre situations previously to recognise the signs of some outside, evil force at work making the co-pilot a puppet.
"During the Standby Phase…" Shocked, the expert archaeologist saw familiar black flames emerge from the ground around the man. "By paying half my life and destroying all cards on my field, I can resurrect Hell Matador from the Cemetery."
?: 2700
Jim: 4000
"Your life shot up to 2700 instead?!" The man nodded, holding up the Trap card that he had set on the field.
"When Boundary Between Heaven and Hell is destroyed while face down, I gain 2000 Life. Go, Hell Matador. Gluttony Fang!"
Jim raised his arms in front of him to shield himself, taking a look at the opposing duelist's hand. Damn it, if he didn't have 3 cards in his hand Insane King would be protected from battle…
Falling to the floor, Hell Matador loomed over Jim, its hand outstretched. "When Hell Matador destroys a monster in battle, it deals damage equal to half that monster's ATK. Nightmare Friction!"
?: 2700
Jim: 2050
Forced backwards by dark energy, Jim screamed in pain. Victoria rushed to his side, holding onto his arm. Karen surrounded both of them, protecting them from harm. Opening his eyes, Jim couldn't help but smile.
"Jim…your eye?" Victoria questioned as Jim looked up at her face, which was becoming enveloped in a red light. Her attention was distracted when black winds began to kick up again. Hell Matador roared, raising its power further and further. "Jim, if this carries on…look!" She pointed to the hold door, which was rattling and shaking under the extreme pressure of the card of darkness.
"I understand…" he explained, calmly, as he gently pushed himself away from Victoria. With a quizzical look on herself, she looked down at her feet to see Karen staring back up at her, smiling in her own crocodile fashion. "…in order to protect my friends, I'll do whatever it takes!" Bandages fell from his eye, and Victoria just gasped as what it had revealed.
"The Eye of Orichalcum, it's a power bestowed upon me so that I might save my friends!" A red light enveloped the field, and when Victoria opened her eyes, they were standing in the sky, or what some might call the heavens, with that beautiful bright moon that they had viewed together glistening gracefully.
"It's beautiful…" She expressed, looking around her. The pressure of Darkness, the injuries she had sustained, the threat of death and destruction, all of it was fading away under the moonlight.
"Reverse card, set. Turn end."
Taking a deep breath, Jim placed his hand on the top of his deck before looking over to Karen and Victoria, a smile upon his face.
"Jim…Crocodile-kun..."
"In this field, I won't be limited any longer! It's my turn! Draw!" A massive shockwave erupted from the card Jim had just drawn, pushing back the clouds that lay beneath their feet and revealing the moon's reflection on the ocean's surface below them.
"Ji-endo da na! Magic card, Specimen Inspection! By sending one card in my hand to the Cemetery, you'll have to send one card from your Deck to the Cemetery of the type and Level I declare! I choose a Level 6 Demon-type!" Picking up his deck to look through it, the dark duelist placed Legend Devil into the Cemetery, allowing Jim to carry on with his next move.
"Then, another Magic card! Time Rebirth! Be reborn, Insane King!" The monster previously destroyed last turn was summoned back in a swirl of clouds. "This card allows me to Special Summon a Fossil Fusion monster that was destroyed in battle, and then fuse it with another card in your Cemetery! I choose your Legend Devil!"
Insane King began to glow with a deep purple aura, as the Legend Devil that had appeared on the opposing side of the field was unwillingly attracted to it by some unseen force. When the two collided, a new Fossil monster stood in their place, this time a much more deformed version of the demon king that had been seen previously in the duel. Atop its head was a slanted crown, made out of the skull of Legend Devil.
"In the beginnings of archaeology, it was recorded that the very first dinosaur bones were mistakenly thought to be dragon bones. However, there are further records of what appear to be human bones attached to mysterious organisms that nobody could identify. The romantics of this field rumoured that they could indeed be devil bones… Allow me to show you the truth to those legends! Fusion Summon, Mesozoic Fossil Devil – r e x. Raging!"
Shooting forward at a brilliant pace, r e x. Raging had already appeared in front of Hell Matador just as Jim had finished announcing its name. "r e x. Raging gains ATK equal to half the DEF of the monster it attacks, meaning it'll rise from 2400 to 3900! Pride Roar!" In an instant, r e x. Raging had cut the card of darkness completely into two, the dark energy released from it causing a massive explosion.
?: 1800
Jim: 2050
"Defying the Moirai is not a good idea, Jim 'Crocodile' Cook." Jim was surprised to hear the duelist who had remained relatively quiet and unresponsive speak up in such a defiant tone. "It is useless to persevere in the face of absolute despair. Just as Hell Matador will eventually return to the field, so will our dark duelists always rise up from the ashes of another. You cannot stop us from reaching our path to the World of Darkness."
Jim stared silently on, as the puppeteered man continued on. "Please relax, everything will be over soon… it is what everyone wishes for…"
"That's enough!" Jim shouted, raising one last Magic card from his hand. The same shockwaves that had been summoned at the start of his turn returned, blasting away the remaining pieces of dark energy that were clinging onto the field.
"What…?"
"In the world of the ancients, only the strong will survive! Instant Magic! Next Generation FOSSIL – Cross Dimension Fusion!" The clouds beneath them began swirling as a portal was summoned, dragging r e x. Raging and the spirit of Hell Matador into it. "When a Fossil Fusion monster destroys an opposing monster by battle, I can use it and the destroyed monster as Fusion Material for another Fusion monster!"
"Crossing the boundaries of reality, I'll call upon your righteous darkness! Fusion Summon! My Last Fossil – Palezoic Fossil Devil – Frenzy AKUMA!" A black mist poured out from the mouth of the final devil on Jim's field, its thick purple eyes staring at its prey. This incarnation of the Fossil Devils wasn't skeletal at all, in fact it almost looked dragon-like in its form, with cruel black wings that spread forth from its back and a spiked tail.
"My Battle Phase hasn't ended yet, so I'll attack you directly!" Frenzy AKUMA roared loudly, flapping its massive wings once before it launched off at god speed towards the dark duelist.
"Reverse card, open. HATE/REVENGE, activate." A card revealed itself on the opposing duelist's field, depicting Demon King of the Underworld, Ha Death stabbing Dark King of the Abyss through the heart, just as Dark King is doing it to Ha Death. "During the turn my Level 8 or higher Demon-type monster is destroyed and my opponent attacks, I can destroy the attacking monster and deal damage equal to its ATK directly to you."
"Heh." Jim smiled, holding up his hands. "So your strategy was to corner me no matter what with HATE/REVENGE's effect… if I destroyed Hell Matador you would activate it to destroy my monster and make me lose, and if you destroyed it with Hell Matador's ability, you could add a Demon card to your hand to make me lose…however," The Eye of Orichalcum glowed red once again.
"I refuse! In order to protect my friends, I'll do whatever it takes! Frenzy AKUMA's special ability activates! When it's targeted for a card effect, I can remove Insane King and r e x. Raging from the game to negate that activation! Rebellion Uproar!" With one powerful shout, Frenzy AKUMA instantly shattered the card that threatened to end Jim's life, before shooting out the dark mist in its mouth at the opposing player.
"Frenzy AKUMA attacks the player directly! Endless Sadness!"
?: 0
Jim: 2050
"Even when you limited yourself by intentionally summoning the weaker Fusions of the chain, you built up a strategy that allowed you an undeniable win. Interesting, Jim Cook…" Holding out a hand, Jim shouted out after the force that was controlling the co-pilot.
"Wait! Since I won this duel of darkness, you'll let that man you're controlling go!"
"He was being controlled the whole time…?" Victoria asked, looking over to see the collapsed duelist still smoking from when the attack had hit him.
"I'm afraid that is not allowed." A black aura separated itself from the co-pilot, just as a portal opened up behind him causing a massive gust of wind to blow against Jim, Victoria and Karen. "the Moirai have no need for duelists to suffer in vain. We will save this man, and grant his wish for a better life."
Jim stood his ground, doing all he could to stand upright. He certainly couldn't do anything to stop the man from being sucked into the portal. "Stop! The World of Darkness isn't a place for any human to live!"
The black spirit surrounding the co-pilot suddenly bore a wide smile as the disembodied voice began laughing. "Soon, every human will be a part of that world. It is the work of the Moirai…"
There was nothing Jim or Victoria could do, as the co-pilot was swallowed up into the portal and the black spirit disappeared without a trace. Jim's Eye of Orichalcum flashed red once more, and the pair found themselves back in front of the cockpit, Karen beside them.
"Tch…the plane's on auto-pilot, but there's no way we can land it without the pilot's help!" Jim said, looking down at the ground as he realised this was also a part of the terrorist's back-up plan. However, Victoria gave him a smile, stepping into the cockpit and sitting in the vacant co-pilot's seat.
"Since you gave your everything in order to save me, it's only fair I return the favour, right, Crocodile-kun? I might not look like it, but I'm a trained pilot! I'll land this plane safely for everyone, so just hold on!" As Victoria announced her plan, there was sudden rapturous applause from behind them, as seemingly the whole plane had turned up to cheer on her efforts.
Realising she had accidentally lent onto the tannoy system and just spoken over the speakers that everyone could hear, Jim started laughing, safe in the knowledge that they were in good hands.
4:37 am
Dubai International Airport
Runway #5
Stepping out safely onto the ground, Jim held out his hand to Victoria, helping her safely disembark from the plane. Police cars, fire engines and ambulance services had swarmed the scene, projecting onto the battered white plane a myriad of different colours from their sirens.
"We'll probably have to tell the police what happened to us…do you think they'll believe us?" Victoria looked down dishearteningly, after all, who would believe that she had just witnessed a duel between good and evil in the heavens?
"I don't think that will be a problem." Jim answered, confidently. Victoria saw that his attention was directed at someone in particular, stepping out from a swish black car that had just pulled up in front of them.
Could it be an old friend of his?
The man that emerged began walking forward, his military style boots clacking loudly against the ground, while his Middle Eastern styled jewellery bounced up and down against his chest as he walked. Even though it was just coming up to sunrise, he sported a pair of cool black sunglasses, which he took off to reveal his piercing brown eyes.
"Director O'Brian, this is the situation!"
"Now, it's time for the opening match of the Pro-League that everyone has been waiting for! Broadcast right around Japan at this moment, we won't let you miss a single bit of the action from the stadium!"
In the stadium, a massive roar erupted as the announcer carried on with his opening speech of the match. "Ever since the Pro-League legend, DD who managed to retain the title of World Champion for ten years in a row retired from his career three years ago, the Pro-League has seen a massive upset with the World Championship title available for any of our proud duelists to grab!"
On the overhead screens, two silhouetted images of the nominated duelists for the opening match appeared. "Now is the start of a new season of the Pro-League, with each of our duelists aiming to win their way up the ladder, and attain the title of World Champion! Today, it's the turn of the young star from Duel Academia, who everybody is pinning their hopes on!"
A spotlight was cast over the left hand entrance to the duel arena, with a young boy stepping out from the darkness. He was dressed in a customised Obelisk Blue coat that draped his shoulders, as well as a white shirt and dark blue trousers. His glasses sparkled as he stepped into the spotlight.
"It's contestant Sho Marufuji!" The stadium erupted once again, a massive wall of noise as cheers and applause came from all corners of the arena. "Sho-kun is currently seeded #10 in the Pro-League table, after only 10 duels in his blossoming career! Sho took over the famous Edo Phoenix's spot after graduating, with Edo moving back to Duel Academia full-time in order to complete his studies. Since arriving at the Pro-League just 6 months ago, Sho has achieved a perfect 100% win record! Utilising his brother's old Cyber-style deck, combined with his own Vehicroid deck, there's nothing that won't stop Sho from achieving that World Championship title!"
"Unless…our next contestant can defeat him in this duel!" The spotlight shifted from Sho's position to the other entrance of the duel arena. "Contestant Reika 'Ashe' Hara! Nicknamed Ashe for how she can reduce her opponent's Life in a matter of seconds with her famous 'Deadly Burn' deck, she's sure to put up a…huh?"
The announcer's commentary suddenly stopped, as instead of the young woman that he had described stepping out on the field, there was instead a figure dressed in a black cloak, their face completely hidden from view. Whispers and murmurs began flying around the stadium, as people discussed whether it could be some type of gimmick.
"Marufuji Sho…" The figure stated, drawing closer and closer towards the rising star. Sho looked on nervously. "I shall be your opponent for this match."
Sho noticed the feminine tone that his opponent had spoken with, wondering if it was perhaps Reika Hara, putting on some sort of display. Nodding, he started up his duel disk, as his opponent did the same.
"Duel!"
"As your challenger, I shall take the first move…" The cloaked woman stated, raising a card from her hand. "I'll summon Newdoria in defence, and set a card. Turn End."
"Eh?! Could this be Reika Hara-san?! Not only does the figure not match up, but the deck isn't anywhere close to the famous burn deck she plays! Just who could this person be?" The announcer cried, with the audience acting hesitant, many of them questioning why they had paid so much to see a match that wasn't happening.
"Boku no taan!" Sho shouted, drawing the top card from his deck. Scanning his hand, he came across one of his signature monsters that would be a perfect counter for this situation. "I'll summon Drillroid, in attack!" The crowd started cheering wildly, their faith restored that at least one of the pro duelists was the real deal.
"Drillroid attacks Newdoria! However, Newdoria's special ability won't get a chance to activate as Drillroid destroys any defence position monster it attacks before Damage Calculation!" The roid monster whirred its drills, as it rammed the demon with its nose drill.
"Amazing! In a complete counter strategy to his opponent, contestant Sho managed to avoid Newdoria's negative effect by destroying it through Drillroid's special ability, instead of battle!"
"Next, I'll set one reverse card. Turn End."
"Hmph." Sho was shocked that his opponent was acting so calmly, with their field exposed and their defences open thanks to Drillroid. "Reverse card, open. Cry of the Living Dead." Newdoria appeared on the field once again from the Cemetery, before being wrapped up in black spirals.
"I'll sacrifice Newdoria to summon this card, Hell General Mephisto." The demon general appeared atop his jet black horse, his spear pointed at Drillroid. "When Mephisto deals damage to an opponent, they must discard one card." Drillroid couldn't do anything to stop Mephisto's speedy assault on the monster.
?: 4000
Sho: 3800
Reluctantly, Sho discarded Submarineroid to the Cemetery as his opponent pointed to it. He looked at the face down card set on his field, a strategy forming in his head ready to combat the new threat.
"My turn!" Nodding, Sho raised his hand forward to point at the reversed card on his field. "From my field, Emergency Cyber!"
"Ah! Contestant Sho had that card in reserve?! Did he predict his opponent would aim for his hand? Emergency Cyber allows Sho-kun to discard 1 Machine monster to the Cemetery, then add 1 "Cyber" monster from his Deck to his hand…could it be?!"
"I'll discard Steamroid to add Cyber Dragon to my hand!" Sho announced, full of confidence. On his field, the infamous mecha-dragon appeared as soon as he had finished shuffling his deck. "Next, I'll equip Cyber Roar!"
"What a turnaround!" More cheers for Sho echoed around the stadium, the audience riled up for his display of handling the now acclaimed Cyber Roid deck. "Cyber Dragon is a 5 Star monster that can be Special Summoned to the field when the opponent controls a monster and Sho's field is empty, but on top of that Cyber Roar is an Equip Magic that equips to Cyber Dragon or one of its fusions, not only powering up Cyber Dragon and making it a master of battle but also allowing Sho to draw a card! Sho's Perfect duelling is in full force today!"
"Ike! Cyber Dragon! Evolution Burst!" The mecha-dragon roared and pointed its head up to the ceiling, a laser forming in its mouth that a few moments later it let loose on Mephisto, causing a large explosion on the field.
?: 3400
Sho: 3800
The crowd went wild once again as the smoke from the explosion began to clear away. However, silence began to fall as the black cloak that Sho's opponent had been wearing had also been blown away by the attack, revealing the true form of his opponent. Sho stared on with determination.
"I-It couldn't be?!" The announcer was stunned. Standing in the duel arena, was a tall young woman with turquoise hair, dressed completely head to toe in a black leotard. The most disturbing feature however, was the white mask that covered her face, engraved on it was the image of a woman suffering in pain, a pair of scissors cutting through her body. "That turquoise hair and slender figure, it could belong to no other than Reika Hara-chan... just what is going on here at the Pro-League?!"
"It's my turn. Draw." Reika continued as if nothing was amiss. Sho found it hard to distinguish if she was smiling at the card she had just drawn. "Marufuji Sho, let me show you and the world exactly what the Moirai wish to achieve."
Eyes widening, Sho gasped at the name of the terrorist group he had been reading about the past week that had been committing atrocious crimes, particularly in Japan. How had Reika Hara aligned herself with such a group?
"I summon Manju God! Using its effect, I'll add a Ritual Magic to my hand and activate it." Slotting the Magic card into her duel disk, it spun around to reveal itself as Magic that could call upon one of the strongest Ritual Monsters. "By sacrificing Manju God and Daemon Soldier, I'll complete the preparations for The End of the World!"
A whirlwind of dark energy gathered around the card, as Sho held up his arms to defend himself from the gales being produced. Descending from the heavens, blue flames began surrounding the field as a skeletal figure with a large axe drifted down. When it touched the ground, the blue flames exploded violently, destroying every card on Sho's field, but also causing the stadium to explode.
"King of the End – Demise heralds The End of the World! By paying 2000 Life, I'll destroy every card you control and send this entire stadium up in flames!" Behind the emotionless mask, Sho could hear Reika cackling loudly over the noise of people screaming.
?: 1400
Sho: 3800
Throwing his arms down in a rage, Sho looked around at the ruined stadium, flames raging on either side of the duel field. "How?! King of the End – Demise is just a regular card, it isn't a card of darkness, so how did you summon this power?!"
Reika revealed a card in her hand, which started trickling with black energy, as Demise raised its heavy axe and slammed it down onto Sho, sending him skidding against the floor. The black energy began to feed into the flames as they grew bigger and bigger, threatening to even swallow the duelists up in their battle.
?: 1400
Sho: 1400
"During the End Phase, I can activate my card of darkness, my Instant Magic – Hell's Dead Deal!" A Shinigami spirit appeared in front of Reika, using its Scythe to slash away at the cards in her hand until there was nothing left. "I discard all other cards in my hand to regain the same amount of Life I paid for Demise's ability!" The Shinigami giggled, before disappearing into Reika's Cemetery.
"Now my mission for the Moirai is complete! I'll finally be granted my wish! Marufuji Sho, even if you were to summon your Cyber End Dragon, you could not hope to defeat me before this stadium collapses and we both die inside it! Come, accept your fate and join me in the World of Darkness!"
Sho gasped again, as Reika's words brought back some painful memories of the final days in Duel Academia. Visions of his brother, the Kaiser, disappearing into dust haunted him as he clutched at his head, the intense heat of the flames threatening to make him collapse from the pressure.
The World of Darkness…it's a place where I accepted my uncomfortable fate. However! There was someone who taught me something special…something I'll always keep with me!
Standing back up, Sho placed his fingers on the top of his deck. "If you're giving me one turn to finish this duel, I'll do just that! Boku no taan! Draw!" Reika looked shocked even under her mask as Sho looked upon the card that he had drawn…the Magic card Power Bond.
Nii-san, Aniki…I'll carry you both within my heart!
"Just like back then, I won't give up! I won't stop here, I'll change my fate! I summon Expressroid!" Using its special effect, Sho added the Steamroid and Submarineroid he had sent to the Cemetery earlier in the duel to his hand. "And, I'll activate the card my brother left me, the bond between him and me! Power Bond, activate!"
"Fusing together Steamroid, Submarineroid and Expressroid, I'll Fusion Summon a new Vehicroid! Come out, Super Vehicroid – Submersible "X" Stream!"
Reika began to laugh, as she looked at the monster's low ATK score. "Bakana! Even with Power Bond doubling its ATK, it only reaches 3400! If you attack Demise, I'll have 2400 Life, and then you'll lose to Power Bond's risk! Give it up, Sho Marufuji!"
"I won't!" Sho said angrily, throwing his hand out to the side, silencing Reika in her tracks. "There's something you'll never comprehend as long as you continue to underestimate me…the feelings connecting you to another person, the memories you have with them…" As Sho continued talking, more pieces of the stadium began falling apart as it was being consumed in the hellfire.
"Respect, it's something I'll never throw away anymore! Power Bond is the ultimate symbol of my respect for my nii-san, and I won't stop until I achieve his and mine…our dream!" Submersible "X" Stream looked back to Sho, its face which was very similar to Submarineroid nodding at him. "Submersible "X" Stream's special ability! During the Battle Phase, it can attack the player directly!"
Aiming its cannon at Reika, she could barely put her hands up in time to shield herself "Cross Steam Burst!"
?: 0
Sho: 1400
The images of the monster's fading away as the duel disks powered down, the flames however did not. Raging on, they showed no signs of dying down. Sho gave one final look to the duelist who had called herself Reika before the wall of flames swallowed her whole. Wincing, he turned his back on her and made way for the exit, everyone else in the audience having done so when the flames first appeared.
The intense heat had not died down as Sho made his way through the corridors, hoping to reach the exit in time before the building collapsed completely. However, as he made his way further up the corridor…
"Brother!" The crying child was holding onto his brother's hand whose leg was trapped under a large pile of debris that had fallen from the ceiling. Sho stopped, hurriedly clearing away the rocks from the boy's leg. "Sho…san?"
"Hurry, there's no time!" Sho shouted, grabbing onto both of their hands as they began running to the exit which was in sight of them. A large rumbling sound pre-empted their escape however, the contents of the ceiling falling in front of them. "A-Ahhhhh!" Sho turned around to see the boys pointing to the flames that were spilling out into the corridor from the duel field.
"Fallen Angel, Desire. Blaze Fist!" A familiar voice sounded out from behind the rubble as it soon disappeared, being blasted apart by a clawed fist that retracted away, leaving an opening for Sho and the two boys to escape through.
"K-Kaiser?!" The two boys shouted in unison.
12:41am
Hotel NP Ichi
Japan
Turning off the tap controlling the water, Sho stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around himself. He walked over to the sink, taking a look at himself in the mirror. Even after washing, there were still signs of soot and ash on his skin. However, that was not what was bothering the prominent rising star duelist. His eyes were heavy with sadness.
Reika-san…why did you…? Why would anyone join a group like that? His mind flashed back to that image of his brother, Ryo, withered and crippled…fading into the wind like dust. That relief Sho felt once before…
"Respect…" his voice echoing around the room, "…does it have a place in a duel of darkness?"
A few minutes later, Sho and Kaiser were sitting silently in the room Sho had been booked during his stay for the Pro-League season. Shuffling awkwardly on the bed, his brother standing next to the large glass window, Sho let the silence stay in the room for a bit longer before speaking up.
"Hey…Nii-san…" The Kaiser turned around, his arms followed across his chest. He was wearing a very different set of clothes since Sho had seen him last, 2 years ago. His Hell Kaiser gear was nowhere to be seen, instead Ryo was wearing a white jacket cut off at the elbow, and with gold lace detail tracing up and down it that looked like machine circuitry and simple black trousers. Instead of shoes, he wore a dusty pair of black boots.
"…thank you for saving me. I can always rely on you, Nii-san." Sho smiled heartily with Ryo replying in kind, turning around to look out upon the city's scenery. He took his deck out of the chest pocket of his jacket, and spread it out in front of him, looking down upon the Fallen Angels – Desire, Asmodeus and Superbia.
"It should be me who is thanking you, Sho." His little brother looked a little surprised, before smiling once more. "You're keeping my dream alive, as I travel to find myself again. What you said about our bond…" Kaiser let out a small laugh, full of pride. "…it made me proud to call myself your older brother."
Nii-san! You were watching…
They were interrupted by the ringing of the on-screen video call coming through the large HD TV on the wall. "Ah, they've finally made contact." The Kaiser said, before pressing a button on the remote to patch it through. Two very familiar faces appeared on the screen.
"Jim?! O'Brian?! What are you guys doing calling us?!" Sho asked, understandably surprised as they had kept minimal contact since graduating from their respective Duel Academias. Jim laughed as he rubbed the back of his head, Karen making noises in the background.
"Are you okay, Golden Boy? Long-time no see!" Jim carried on laughing, as O'Brian looked very unimpressed sitting next to him.
"Sho, I'm glad to see you're alright. I knew you could handle the Moirai with no problems." O'Brian said, folding his arms in front of his chest.
Sho looked first to Jim, then O'Brian and finally Ryo, before replying. "You guys…you knew they were going to attack the stadium on the opening night of the pro-league?" O'Brian tapped away at a keyboard, bringing up images on the screen, despite Jim's protest that they were blocking him.
"As you can see, I've been gathering the necessary information for a few months…it was easy to deduct they would pull off a high-scale operation such as infiltrating the pro league." More information continued streaming across the screen, as Jim huffed in disappointment. "Since appearing at the start of this year, the Moirai were at first a small-scale group of duelists looking to re-enact the 'Death Duels' of the famous Battle City tournament almost a decade ago. That strain of the group was merely a fanatical base for what was to come however…"
Amazing, no wonder O'Brian became the head of International Affairs at InterPol so easily…he's at a level few can reach.
O'Brian gave Jim a withering glare that silenced his attempts to interrupt the flow of his de-brief. In the background, Victoria could be heard giggling. "Although we had been tracking the group since they formed, they were a very small branch of terrorists mainly based in Tokyo. However, as of six months ago, they began to expand exponentially and act with unpredictability. It only took them a few months to form a base within every major country in the world."
"In every country in the world?! Just how is that possible?!" Jim shouted on the other side of the line.
"He was just about to tell you, if you listened for once Crocodile-kun!"
"This is only a theory based on eye-witness accounts and reports of surviving individuals I have managed to gather over the months…" O'Brian's deep brown eyes were suddenly filled with sadness, as he looked down at the ground. "…I think it may be due to the influence of The One Who Speaks The Truth…Trueman."
"N-No way!" Sho stood up, his duel disk which had been resting on his lap clattering to the ground. The Kaiser looked at his brother, a heavy heart beating in his chest. "Trueman, Fujiwara, Darkness…I thought we were all done with that! Anik- Judai was the one who defeated it, he almost sacrificed everything he had in order to save humanity! Are you saying…it was all for nothing…?"
"This is why…" O'Brian regained his composure, a subtle yet hopeful tone in his voice, "…I have begun gathering duelists in order to stop it at its source." A symbol of two hands holding out to each other appeared on the screen, with the English words "We Are Hope" emblazoned brightly in the middle.
"I know how you feel, Sho." Ryo startled Sho, after having remained quiet for so long. He walked from the window towards the TV Screen, facing Sho as if he stood in solidarity with Jim and O'Brian. "I know we all suffered in that World of Darkness as Judai fought for our salvation. That's why we won't let anyone live like that ever again. We Are Hope stands in opposition to the Moirai. I was travelling through the Indian Subcontinent, making my way towards Pakistan, when O'Brian contacted me about the attack they had planned on your debut in the new pro-league season. I knew I couldn't let anything happen to my little brother…"
"Nii-san…" Sho's could feel his eyes starting to well up with tears.
"Sho, we could really use a perfect duelist like you." The Kaiser said, smiling like he hadn't since they were children. Sho could feel his brother's complete acceptance. Perhaps he had truly inherited the Cyber-style dueling his brother once used.
"Y-You're right." He said, wiping away the tears from his eyes before readjusting his glasses. There was a passion, a fire in his eyes that his brother had ignited inside him. "If there are people suffering because of that group's actions…I definitely want to do whatever I can!"
Jim and O'Brian smiled, Victoria could be seen clapping with delight behind them. "Way to go, Golden Boy! Let's work together just like the old days!"
"We're glad to have you on board, Sho. With you, that makes our ranks 5." Sho looked at O'Brian with a dumbfounded confusion upon his face.
"Only 5?!"
"Yes, you, me, Jim, Kaiser and Asuka. InterPol has only just granted me permission to make a taskforce to tackle the problem a few days ago. When Asuka called from San Fransico asking Jim to get in contact with me about a problem concerning Judai, I decided to take action after months of research."
"A problem concerning Judai…was Asuka attacked too?" Sho inquired, putting together two and two in his head.
"Yes…as you can probably figure out yourself, each member of We Are Hope has been attacked by the Moirai in their respective countries around the world."
So we all survived a Duel of Darkness with the enemy…is that O'Brian's selection process?
"Right, right! I thought it was bad enough being attacked on a plane, but you're something else Golden Boy! Who'd have thought you would have the strength to fight in the middle of a blazing inferno?! Amazing!" Sho laughed nervously at Jim's comment, unsure if he meant it to come across as a backhanded compliment.
"And now that they've been so bold as to publicise their actions on national television around Japan, we'll begin our first mission to pre-empt other attempts across the world." O'Brian pushed Jim off his chair, just as the archaeologist had finished shouting 'Exciting!'
"Hmph! What are your orders, Director O'Brian?" Jim said, with a hint of smugness.
"We'll begin by gathering our friends, the graduated Duel Academia students, in Japan before taking our recruitment to a world-wide stage. Our sub-objective during this time…" Austin O'Brian closed his eyes, before opening them once again, his resolve almost palpable in the air, "…is to find the duelist who saved the world, Yuki Judai!"
Just Before Sunset,
Venice,
Italy.
The wall next to Judai blasted open, revealing three Hell Matadors charging another ball of dark energy that they were ready to let fly at the ex-Osiris Red student. Running as fast as he could to keep himself a moving target, Judai reached the end of the walkway he had been chased upon. There wasn't any escape for him, unless he took the plunge of a couple of storeys down.
"Tch, to think they'd attack me in broad daylight…" He muttered, looking down at his bare field. Yubel appeared behind him, flapping its wings as the end of the sun's rays passed through its astral body.
"You know there's only one way out of this." Judai looked behind him, at the end of the walkway that overlooked the sea that surrounded the Italian city. He held his breath, getting ready to make his move. He would have to time it exactly right to get out of this situation.
The three Hell Matadors released their attacks, marking the cue for Judai to jump backwards onto the stone railings that prevented him going any further, before taking another leap into the air. The dark energy narrowly missed him, instead sending a series of shockwaves and gusts that sent him further and further up into the air, until he was nearly at the sun's level.
"Miracle Fusion, activate!" Quickly descending from the sky, he only had a few seconds before he would hit the ground. "Removing Neos, Black Panther, Glow Moss, Flare Scarab and Air Hummingbird from the game…help me out, God Neos!" There was a bright flash as Neos took on his ultimate form, being infused with the power of the Neo-Spacians. He appeared just under Judai's position, catching him on his shoulders. Thrusting his hand hand forward, Judai held up Wildjaggyman's card that he had gathered from the Cemetery.
"By removing Wildjaggyman from the Cemetery, I'll give his power to Neos! Next, Field Magic, Neo Space, activate!" As God Neos flew higher up into the sky, the clouds and the sun began to morph into the rainbow-coloured pseudo space.
"This is it! God Neos attacks all three Hell Matadors! Infinity Legend Slicer!" God Neos raised his hand, wrapping the power of Neo Space around it before cutting into the air in front of him, sending a razor wind that impacted with the cards of darkness, destroying them. Screams could be heard in the distance, as the Life of the dark duelists who had summoned them hit 0.
"Judai, time to get out of here!" Yubel shouted, the building that Judai had previously been standing on beginning to collapse in on itself after God Neos' strike. However, God Neos didn't move. Yubel looked to see its partner staring solemnly at the ground.
"Sorry…Yubel." Was all Judai could mutter, as he jumped off Neos' shoulder, landing on the roof of an adjacent building. "It's me you want, so come and get me!" Yubel looked down at the street where Judai was directing his voice to see a group of tourists that had been caught up in the attack on the Spirit Duelist. It appeared they were being held hostage by some of the Moirai dark duelists.
Judai…
Preview!
Jim: Wahoo! It's our very first mission!
Victoria: Idiot! Stop treating this like it's some sort of game! There's people suffering and dying all over the world…
Jim: I understand, Victoria. But perhaps the dark duelists of the Moirai, are the ones who are suffering the most…
Yubel: Judai, you're pushing yourself too much! If you go any further…!
Judai: I won't stand-by…I can't! Even if it means…if it means I lose what's important to me…
Yubel: This feeling of hatred, of anguish…Judai, you can't do this all alone.
Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: N.I.X.!
"Call Me Thunder!"
A No Way Out Duel?
Sho: Judai…did you ever find that answer you were looking for? Of how to find fun in a Duel of Darkness…
O'Brian: If we're looking to build up a strong base of duelists who could cope in high stake battles…the next logical step would of course be him…
?: Use –san da!
Sho: Today's Strongest Card of the Day- wahhh!
Super Vehicroid - Submersible "X" Stream
WATER/Machine/Fusion/Effect - 8/1700/2500
"Expressroid" + "Steamroid" + "Submarineroid"
This card can attack your opponent directly. When this card deals battle damage to your opponent, add 1 "roid" card from your Cemetery to your hand. If this card is attacked, change it to Defense Position.
Note: It's name is pronounced, Super Vehicroid - Submersible Ex Stream
Paleozoic Fossil Devil - Frenzy AKUMA
DARK/Rock/Fusion/Effect - 8/3100/0
"1 Rock-Type monster in your Graveyard + 1 Level 8 or higher Demon-Type monster in your opponent's Graveyard"
This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. When this card is Fusion Summoned, destroy all other cards you control. While this card is face-up, you cannot Summon, Activate or Set cards from your Hand or Graveyard. During the Battle Phase, this card can attack every monster your opponent controls once each. When this card attacks a monster, it gains ATK equal to half the ATK of that monster, until the End Phase. If this card is targeted by a card effect, you can remove from play 1 "Insane King" and 1 "r e x. Raging" from your Cemetery to negate that card.
Jim: It's a bumper packed one today! 2 cards for the price of 1! It's like when your excavation tools uncover 2 fossils at once, don't you think Golden Boy? Lucky~! Huh? What do you mean I can only choose one and the other will sink in the quicksand?!
Sho: Don't just shove in! ...Eh?! My fried shrimp is gone!
Jim: I just had to have something to take this 'quicksand heartbreak' away...
Cards used this chapter
(Why didn't I think of links sooner?)
wiki/Card_Destruction
wiki/Inferno_Hammer
wiki/Helpoemer
wiki/Brain_Jacker
wiki/Legendary_Fiend
wiki/Demise%2C_K...Armageddon
wiki/End_of_the_World
wiki/Newdoria
wiki/Mefist_the_...al_General
wiki/Archfiend_Soldier
wiki/Call_of_the_Haunted
wiki/Manju_of_th...sand_Hands
wiki/Expressroid
wiki/Steamroid
wiki/Drillroid
wiki/Submarineroid
wiki/Power_Bond
wiki/Cyber_Dragon
wiki/Darklord_Desire
wiki/Darklord_Asmodeus
wiki/Darklord_Superbia
wiki/Elemental_HERO_Divine_Neos
wiki/Neo_Space
wiki/Elemental_HERO_Neos
wiki/Miracle_Fusion
wiki/Neo-Spacian_Dark_Panther
wiki/Neo-Spacian_Flare_Scarab
wiki/Neo-Spacian_Glow_Moss
wiki/Neo-Spacian...ummingbird
Specimen Inspection (Anime Card first used in Episode 110)
Normal Magic
Send 1 monster from your hand to the Cemetery to declare 1 Type and Level. Your opponent must send 1 monster with the declared Type and Level from their hand or Deck to the Cemetery.
Shell Knight (Anime Card first used in Episode 139)
EARTH/Rock/Effect - 4/0/2000
When this card is Summoned, deal 500 damage to your opponent.
Chapter Originals
Cenozoic Fossil Devil - Insane King
DARK/Rock/Fusion/Effect - 4/2100/0
"1 Rock-Type monster in your Graveyard + 1 Level 4 or lower Demon-Type monster in your opponent's Graveyard"
This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. If your opponent has less than 3 cards in their hand, this face-up Attack Position card cannot be destroyed by battle. Once per turn, you can target one monster on the field and deal damage to your opponent equal to half its original ATK. You cannot enter your Battle Phase this turn.
Mesozoic Fossil Devil - r e x. Raging
DARK/Rock/Fusion/Effect - 6/2400/0
"1 Rock-Type monster in your Graveyard + 1 Level 5 or 6 Demon-Type monster in your opponent's Graveyard"
This card cannot be Special Summoned except by Fusion Summon. If your opponent has less than 3 cards in their hand, this face-up Attack Position card cannot be destroyed by battle. When this card attacks a monster, it gains ATK equal to half the DEF of that monster, until the End Phase.
Hell Matador
DARK/Demon/Effect - 8/0/0
This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card can only be Special Summoned by banishing 1 Demon-Type monster from your side of the field, Deck, hand, and Cemetery.
(1) If this card is the only monster you control, its original ATK and DEF become 3000 (this effect is also applied when it is sent to the Cemetery).
(2) During your opponent's Battle Phase, all monsters your opponent controls are switched to Attack Position (flip-effects are not activated at this time) and must attack.
(3) When this card destroys a monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the ATK of the destroyed monster.
(4) If this card is destroyed, during your next Standby Phase halve your Life Points and destroy every card you control (min 1.), then Special Summon this card from the Cemetery.
Tectonic Shift
Normal Trap
Activate when your opponent declares an attack on your Rock-Type monster. Destroy that monster and the attacking monster, then you take no battle damage for the rest of the turn.
Boundary Between Heaven and Hell
Normal Trap
If this card is destroyed while face down, you gain 2000 Life. If it was destroyed by your opponent's card effect, you also draw 1 card.
Next Generation FOSSIL - Cross Dimension Fusion
Instant Magic
When a "Fossil" Monster you control destroys an opponent's monster by battle, conduct a Fusion Summon for a "Fossil" Fusion Monster using the opponent's destroyed monster, and your monster that destroyed it. You may only activate one "Next Generation FOSSIL - Cross Dimension Fusion" once per turn.
Time Rebirth (pun as Rebirth/Reverse have the same pronunciation in Japanese)
Normal Magic
Special Summon 1 "Fossil" Fusion Monster in your Cemetery that was destroyed by battle, ignoring the Summoning Conditions. Conduct a Fusion Summon for a "Fossil" Fusion Monster that has a higher level, using the targeted monster and a monster in your opponent's Cemetery.
HATE/REVENGE
Normal Trap
During the turn your Level 8 or higher Demon Type monster was destroyed, you can activate this card. Destroy an opponent's attacking monster, then deal damage equal to its ATK to your opponent. If this facedown card is destroyed, add 1 Magic or Trap card that requires a Demon-Type monster to be activated from your Deck to your hand.
Hell's Dead Deal
Instant Magic
This card can only be activated at the End Phase if you have at least 1 card in your hand. Discard your hand. If you paid Life Points as a cost for a card, you gain Life Points equal to the amount paid. During the Battle Phase of your next turn, remove this card in the Cemetery from the game to draw the same number of cards as you discarded.
Emergency Cyber (based on Kaiser Ryo's card in the manga of the same name)
Normal Magic
Send 1 Machine-type monster in your hand or on your field to the Cemetery. Add 1 "Cyber" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can add this card to your hand from the Cemetery instead of conducting your normal Draw.
Cyber Roar (based on Kaiser Ryo's card in the manga of the same name)
Equip Magic
Equip only to a Machine-type monster you control. It gains 300 ATK and negates the effect(s) of a monster it battles during the Battle Phase. If the equipped monster is "Cyber Dragon" or lists "Cyber Dragon" as one of its Fusion Materials, draw 1 card.
Trivia Corner!
- Coincidentally, while writing the concluding moves to both Jim and Sho's duels (on separate occasions) Judai's Theme came up on my playlist! And then ironically, Arc V's A Duel You Cannot Lose! came up on Judai's duel instead.
- I discovered KENN does the voice for Ronald Knox just as I finished watching Black Butler again 2 months ago when I started writing this chapter. I like to imagine Judai as a shinigami later in life in my spare time: watch?v=9anXHFer3do
"zangyou? nani sore~/Overtime? What the hell is that~?"
My favourite rhyme that I keep singing (and only works in Japanese) is:
"maji de buchake hacchake age age/Seriously, get high without any worries!
pa nee nanchatte yancha shiho- DIE/No kidding! Be as naughty as you please until you DIE!
yabee dare wo tomerarenai ze!/Goodness! I can't stop anyone!
kyou mo kanjin no enjin zekkouchou/Today, too, my vital engine is in perfect shape.
kyou no mochibeeshon hai tenshon/Today, too, I have a lot of motivation and high tension.
joshi mo danshi mo chanto ore ni tsuitekoi!/Both the ladies and the gentlemen, follow me closely!"
- Jim calls Sho "Golden Boy" because in Tag Force 3, I decided to call my roid deck 'Heart of Gold'. I think it came from watching the anime and thinking Sho usually had pure intentions whenever he dueled.
- Speaking of Tag Force 3, I've been playing it all this month on an emulator (my first time playing the Japanese version)! It's been amazing to try out a really old format and compare it with modern YGO that made me quit: it really made me miss playing casually in that era, because it was just so awesome. There were hardly any meta decks back then, and it was really easy to avoid them (and actually some of them had really intricate plays - I remembered trying my hand at a Zombie deck back in the day). I've also been playing Tag Force 6, Tag Force Special (I love it and hate it at the same time) and WC2008 on my 3DS. I get mildly confused jumping between them all on what cards and available and what cards are banned.
- Kaiser and the announcer refer to Sho's dueling as "perfect" because it's what many people referred to when watching Kaiser play in the original anime. Episode 51 and 52, the finale of Season 1 highlight this when Judai tries to be perfect just like Kaiser and messes it up for himself. One of the lines that Kaiser says stuck with me for a while:
"But, at the same time, that's also my limit.
In a way, being perfect means you won't chase after your limits."
- Since graduating with a 2:1 degree in Drama, my main accomplishment in life has been killing Gore Malaga on Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. Which is why Jim's final Fossil Devil is called Frenzy AKUMA, after the Frenzy Virus.
- Corgis are one of my favourite dog breeds, so that's why Victoria wears a t-shirt with one on.
- Shockwaves disrupting small areas comes from Episode 123 - The Rei Rescue Operation because it's one of my favourite duels ever. It's not really realistic since I'm pretty sure the plane would probably crack open even if you summoned a 0 ATK monster, but I just thought it'd be nice to be quite intense. The space inside the plane is so cramped, the duelists literally only summon one monster at a time each turn! Did you notice?
- In the preview Jim makes a reference to Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire were you can only pick 1 Fossil per version because the other sinks into quicksand. Also people taking Sho's Fried Shrimp is a running gag they use in Tag Force and the anime, because it's his favourite and it's only served once a month in the Osiris Red Dorm.
- Did you notice We Are Hope is always in bold, and the Moirai is always in italics?
- There was probably more trivia but it's 6:38am and I had to stay up all night writing this because otherwise I would be lazy and not finish it ever.