Transcendent Wings

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II: Dark Factory of Mass Production

"An interesting pattern of attacks," Batman analysed. "Reports of people unconscious and in comas are flooding in all over the continent."

"Yes," In the screen of the Bat-computer, J'onn peered down. "I have investigated them at the League's behest. They are... not there."

"Not, there," Batman echoed. "As in, unconscious or... not present?"

"Not present," the alien answered. "It is as if their minds have been stolen from their heads."

"Or their souls," china clinked decisively against china behind the Bat.

"Consult our magic specialists," Batman muttered.

"I will do that," J'onn nodded. "Batman... what do you think caused this?"

"I don't know," the Dark Knight growled. "But I'm going to find out."

"Missy, the Batman called." Nakamura reported as the car and the D-Wheel raced along the Duel track that ran the perimeter of Neo Domino City. "Do you-?"

"Bit occupied, tell him to call back later," Setsuka retorted, the car shaking as it took another attack. "Dimension Wall!"

"Gah!" their ambushers yelled as they were hit by their own attack.

"Drive on," Setsuka ordered. "My turn. Draw. Grunard, direct attack."

Screams echoed about as the car peeled out of the special Duel lane.

"Hello, Neo Domino Police Department," Setsuka spoke rapidly into the cell-phone. "I'd like to report a Duel-related assault along the Duel lane on the Daedalus Bridge... by the Tops district... excellent. Goodbye."

"How efficient," Nakamura commented as the car parked along the road before the Arcadia Movement building. "Missy?"

"I thought there was something strange about them," Setsuka murmured as she stared behind at the slightly dented D-Wheel behind them. "Indeed..."

"As expected as one of the world's strongest Psychic Duellists, Shimotsuki Setsuka," the man of the pair commented as he dismounted the one D-Wheel. "Even in a Riding Duel, at such a young age, what wonderful technique."

Setsuka squinted at the pair. "You are..."

"Ah, forgive me," the man smiled, his eyes hidden under light-coloured bangs. "My name is Ryuu Takumi, and my partner is Selene Artemisia. We are... your recruiters."

"My recruiters," Setsuka repeated sceptically. "Sorry, but I don't fall for that line. Why did you follow us, and sabotage my car, and ambush us?"

"Ryuu, I told you," the woman snarled at the man, her face hidden under a full-face motorcycle helmet. "That Psychic Duellist was too desperate for it to be real."

"Ah, you're right, lizard," Ryuu shrugged as he put on a DuelDisk. "Shall we settle this the usual way instead, missy? Standing Duel."

"And why?" Setsuka answered. "What aims would you have with us?"

"Well, the Arcadia Movement is expanding," Ryuu snickered.

"So, it'd be a perfect front for your activities," Setsuka nodded. "Sorry, but the Arcadia Movement is not a private army for your needs."

"You misunderstand," Ryuu shook his head. "We don't need them, per se... only their souls."

"In that case, I cannot allow you to further risk those under my charge as part of the Arcadia Movement," Setsuka put on her own smaller DuelDisk. "Ryuu Takumi, if that is your real name, let us take it indoors. If you would step inside."

"How nostalgic," the woman remarked as she followed both mistress and manservant indoors with Ryuu. "Ryuu, remember..."

"Yes, yes," the other shrugged. "Our aim..."

"Their souls are gone." That was the conclusion Dr Fate arrived at.

J'onn stared at the blue-and-gold suited hero. "I... do not quite understand."

"The soul is the living spirit in all living beings," Dr Fate wearily explained. "Perhaps you could think of it as a person's life force, their... energy. Whatever happened to them, it took their souls, and the result lies before you."

"I see," J'onn glanced at the nine other beds that contained the other victims. "Dr Fate, this..."

"It is most certainly magic," Dr Fate agreed. "Most ancient magic. I must consult my books for specifics, however, I most certainly know... this magic is one of the darkest arts to have been invoked. This magic... of desperation and destruction... it will not bode well for the world."

"We will have to take action then," J'onn murmured. "Ah, yes. I have been meaning to ask you, Dr Fate. For the last three years, Batman has been coming to me concerning a... spirit within his mind. The fact of the matter is that these spirits have been gathering about him over a long time, yet he has not done more than consult me or Zatanna about this matter. Zatanna is not as able a sorcerer as yourself, and I am admittedly untrained in these matters of mental magic."

"Batman is being possessed?" the doctor murmured,. "How unusual. I shall see him... that is, if the infamous Batman would even consent to it."

"I will ask him," J'onn answered. "Though, I am sure that he will."

"We never know about things like these," the occultist answered. "It is possible that he will begin to fight us, or that damage has already been done to him. Either way, do let me see him."

Within the private Duel area within the Arcadia Movement, two Duellists faced off. "Duel!"

Ryuu: LP 4000

Setsuka: LP 4000

"As the challenged, I'll take the first turn," Setsuka drew. "I summon from my hand Geomancer of the Ice Barrier [800/1200] in defence mode." A feng-shui mistress carrying a Eight-Trigram mirror appeared. "I then set two cards and end my turn."

"Draw," Ryuu smirked. "I play the Field Spell, A Legendary Ocean. I summon Deep Sea Diva [200/400 → 400/600] in attack mode, and she gains an attack and defence boost, plus her level decreases by one. Using her effect, I special summon Flyfang [1600/300 → 1800/500] in attack mode, with the same ."

"Chain to the special summon of Flyfang, I discard a card to special summon Dragon Ice [1800/2200] from my hand in attack mode," Setsuka announced as the icy dragon appeared beside her. "Dragon Ice and Geomancer are also Water Attribute monsters, hence they also gains benefit from the field [1800/2200 → 2000/2400] [800/1200 → 1000/1400]."

"I then set a card and end my turn," Ryuu concluded.

"Fish monsters... Water Attribute...?" Setsuka shook her head at the man commanding the shark and the singing pink mermaid. "Draw! Due to A Legendary Ocean, all Water Attribute monsters on the field and in both hands have one level decreased. I summon Royal Knight of the Ice Barrier [2000/2000 → 2200/2200] to the field. Then, I activate the trap card, Synchro Material!"

"What?" Ryuu squawked. "Wait... right, you can't conduct your battle phase the turn you activate that card..."

"Tuning, level four Royal Knight, to level one Deep Sea Diva," Setsuka commanded. "Under the icy exterior, the all-knowing darkness spreads, awaiting the time when it sweeps over the ice-covered world. Synchro Summon! Appear, Tech Genus Hyper Librarian [2400/1800]!"

"Oh, the librarian," Ryuu growled as the bespectacled white-robed librarian appeared on the field. "Quick-play Spell open, Demise of the Land! When my opponent special summons a monster, I can activate a Field Spell card from my deck! Appear now! The Seal of Orichalcos!"

"What?" Setsuka was taken aback as lines of green began to etch themselves into the ground beneath their feet.

"Missy!" Nakamura charged, the mysterious woman Selene choosing to remain behind as Nakamura collided with the barrier where the lines drew a circle, etched with runes and containing a six-pointed star. "Missy!"

"That idiot..." Selene murmured. "Don't blow our cover like that..."

"This is a rather special Field Spell, you see," Ryuu cackled as the very same circular mark appeared on his forehead and on his remaining monster's head. "For one thing, it grants my monsters a five hundred attack boost, [1800/500 → 1600/300 → 2100/300] it allows me to summon monsters in my back row which can still attack, it cannot be removed from the field by any means, and, here's the kicker. Whoever loses while the Seal is in play, will lose their soul."

"Soul?" Setsuka repeated. "So, this game becomes a gamble for our lives, is that so?"

"That's exactly right, Missy!" Ryuu chuckled. "Isn't it frightening? If you help us, I'll release you from this cage, then. Otherwise, if you fall... this organisation is ours."

"In that case, I must defeat you in this turn," Setsuka flippantly answered. "Don't joke with me. I move Geomancer to attack mode, and end with a set card."

"Then, it's my turn," Ryuu smirked.

"Quick-play Spell, Mischief of the Time Goddess," Setsuka rebutted as the green card featuring the mischievous goddess of time revealed itself. "I skip your turn and move to my battle phase."

"What?" Ryuu exclaimed.

"Battle!" Setsuka declared. "Tech Genus Hyper Librarian, attack Flyfang! Book of knowledge!"

The librarian threw the book, which hit the monster dead-on and shattered, the book continuing to hit the man on the head "Ow!"

Ryuu: LP 4000 → LP 3700

"Dragon Ice, direct attack!" Setsuka commanded as the now-normal dragon roared and charged at the man, attacking with a breath of ice.

"Argh!" Ryuu winced as he impacted with the wall of the Seal. "So... this is the power..."

Ryuu: LP 3700 → LP 1900

"Geomancer, direct attack!" Setsuka followed up as the magician cast a beam of light from her Eight-Trigram Mirror.

"Yaah!" Ryuu winced as he was hit into the barrier again.

Ryuu: LP 1900 → LP 1100

"Trap card, Urgent Tuning, activate!" Setsuka snapped as the card revealed itself. "I can Synchro Summon during the Battle Phase! Tuning, level five Dragon Ice, to level three Geomancer! Darkness of the mind and heart, materialise yourself and fight for your survival! Synchro Summon! The demons of the mind, Mental Sphere Demon!"

"A Psychic type monster?" Ryuu exclaimed as he reared back at the sight of the demonic green monster.

"This monster marks one as the leader of the Arcadia Movement," Setsuka sternly growled. "Mental Sphere Demon [2700/2300], direct attack! Dark Flame!"

"Gaaah!" Ryuu flinched as the dark demonic flames washed over him and the Seal on the ground began to grow smaller around him.

Ryuu: LP 1100 → LP 0

"You idiot," Selene appeared, pressing a pendant from her necklace to the Seal, which dissolved immediately.

"Help..." the man wheezed. "It hurts... mama..."

Her foot slammed into his gut. "Don't call me that," she warned him severely. "How can you even call yourself the champion of an Earthbound God? Ryuu, you're a disappointment..."

"Earthbound God?" Setsuka demanded as dark mists whipped about the pair. "Answer me!"

"Everything will be answered in due time, Setsuka," the woman shook her head as the mists swallowed them, dissolving a heartbeat later to reveal empty space. "Good day."

"Wait!" Setsuka froze as she saw that there was no one. "This..."

"Missy!" Nakamura ran over. "Are you...?"

"Nakamura San," Setsuka ordered, her face set. "Begin investigations into these Earthbound Gods. Also, call our web. Something will happen."

Far away, dark mists struck in a single spot as the two entered the dark temple, the time-worn stone clacking under their footsteps and from the high altitude.

"Aw, mama, please...?" Ryuu chuckled.

"Don't call me that," she slapped him again. "How are you even a Dark Signer?"

"You forgot, we're not exactly Dark Signers per se," Ryuu chuckled, getting back to his feet. "So, where are the Twin Wonders?"

"Ixchel," she curtly greeted the other woman who was walking towards them, dressed in elaborate robes of black lined with orange. "Is that one...?"

"He is resting in the bath," Ixchel shook his head. "It will be a while to shake off the shackles of the mind. Only Ccarayhua can do anything for him."

"I will go then," she answered. "Discipline Ryuu, please. He challenged the Arcadia Movement ahead of schedule. I have to return to Neo Domino tonight for our aims."

"I will make sure to," the dark-haired woman nodded. "You can take off the helmet, you know."

Black hair, long and smooth, fell like a curtain as she swept the piece off, cerulean eyes flashing from dark whites and the green marks on her cheeks standing out against sharp cheekbones. "I know," she shook her head. "I will attend to him. How did Aldric take the news?"

"Alaric is with him, I doubt that he has heard." Ixchel frowned as she took over Ryuu. "You, on the other hand, are going to the Duel field."

"Please! Mercy!"

She remained silent as her footsteps did not echo in the gloom, until she reached the room that was brightly lit with candles and the dark figure huddled in the middle.

Red pupil-less eyes bored at her. "Who are you?"

"I am a champion of Ccarayhua, here to relieve you of your remaining shackles to Venominaga," she recited. "My name is of no concern to you, Lord Darkseid, but they call me Selene."

"You lie," he answered, his voice hardly shaking. "Though I cannot hear a heartbeat, I can tell when someone lies. The truth, or you shall face my Omega Effect."

"I cannot tell a lie, Lord Darkseid, since they do call me Selene," she answered, staring straight back. "It is, after all, impossible for the dead to tell tales."

In the relative darkness between dusk and dawn, somewhere in Northern Europe a man with white hair was glancing at a window. "I know you're there."

It was a while before the Dark Knight came through. "How?"

"You mean, aside from that I have a background in the military?" the man answered, slightly amused as his left eye glistened with a runic symbol. "Was there something so urgent that it merits a visit from Gotham's Dark Knight himself? I haven't even stepped into Gotham for over a year."

"People fainting, no minds, all the usual things," Batman growled. "You reported one of the victims."

"Ah, yes, that mugger," the man shrugged. "He used a very unusual card, that one. I was rendered physically unable to leave until I defeated him, which was when that... Seal took him."

"What Seal?" Batman growled.

"He called it the Seal of Orichalcos," the man, Harald, answered lightly as he produced a drawing of the circled six-pointed star. "A Field Spell, most unusually resilient to destruction or removal. I had to summon Odin against him in a direct attack."

Batman twitched, recalling the approximate danger levels of monsters when summoned by Psychic Duellists. Twenty-five percent for up to one thousand, fifty percent for up to two thousand, seventy-five percent for three thousand, and an absolute certainty for any monster four thousand and above... of certain death after attack, that is. However, if the person does not will it, the victim will not die.

It was a well-known fact that Polar Star Sacred Emperor Odin had four thousand attack points.

"He didn't die," Harald sighed. "But... I almost feel sorry for him."

"The Seal of Orichalcos," Batman accepted the offered sketch. "We'll look into it."

"As you wish-" Harald paused the conversation to reach for his ringing cell-phone, which was belting out the first stanza of O Fortuna. "Yes?"

A moment of silence. "I'm talking to Necroshade right now. Indeed? Well, then." He passed over the phone. "It's Vetr."

Batman gingerly took it. "Hello?"

"Dark Knight," Setsuka's voice came through, colder than anything. "Do you know of something called the Seal of Orichalcos? I had had two people attempt to attack the Arcadia Movement with it."

"Not until Wednesday here confirmed it," Batman growled. "We've also had unconscious people in America. I think it's due to the Seal's work, and Fate had said that this is magic. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, they weren't much," came the answer. Which usually meant that she froze them into icicles. "I will be keeping an eye out on this front. Do you require assistance?"

"No, I'm fine," the Bat answered.

"I see," the logistics overseer that was the teenage girl sighed. "Pass the phone back to Wednesday, I need to arrange something."

"Yes?" Harald listened. After a few moments of silence, he nodded. "You think so? I will. Goodbye."

Orichalcos, Eatos whispered. I remember... Orichalcos.

"Goodbye," Harald repeated as the Dark Knight disappeared through the window. "May Odin guide you."

"Sir?" His own butler questioned as the manservant walked in.

"Nothing, Sebastian." Harald dismissed. "We just had a rodent drop in."

Please review! Stay tuned for the next duel: The Seal of Orichalcos! Duel, Acceleration!