"…I see, so my brother really is trapped there."
…
"Of course not. I am not just going to sit by and let him be trapped away from his family."
…
"If he was able to get there, then there has to be a way back. I will find that way, no matter how long it takes."
…
"Right… Father also intends on invading our world at some point. Without proper preparation, that would very well be a disaster. I'll need to account for that as well."
…
"Oh, no. I already told that man I wanted nothing to do with the Power of the Kings. Knowing what the conditions are does nothing to change my mind."
…
"…It works like that? Interesting, I thought it only came in that one form. Perhaps…"
…
"…Perhaps I could accept this contract."
…
Chapter 5: A Clash of Darkness: Yuto the Phantom vs. Reizo the Demon!
Yuto's Life Points: 4000. Reizo's Life Points: 4000.
"I'll take the first turn," Yuto declared, observing the five cards he'd drawn as his starting hand. Two copies of The Phantom Knights of Shadow Veil, one The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm, one The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine, and one Phantom-Wing. That was definitely a good opening hand for him; he could probably bring out Dark Rebellion next turn, provided Reizo didn't rely heavily on negating Spell or Trap Cards. "I Summon The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm in Attack Mode!"
An ancient helm appeared in front of Yuto and, true to its name, cracked-off pieces hovered around it or were caught in the red scarf around what would be the monster's neck if it had one. A pair of gauntlets also floated around, and both the gauntlets and the broken helm were suspended in the air by blue wisps.
The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm: DARK Warrior-Type / Level 4 / 1500 ATK / 500 DEF
"I'll Set four cards, and end my turn," Yuto finished confidently.
He used up his entire hand? Hm, interesting, Reizo thought. I've never heard of that monster of his, though. I wonder if I should play it safe.
"My turn, draw!"
Dark World Lightning, Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World, Dark Deal, Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World, and Oppal, Archer of Dark World, with Mystical Space Typhoon being the card he drew. With a backrow of four cards, though, it could be hard to choose a target for Mystical Space Typhoon. Although, drawing Grapha on his first turn? What luck.
"I activate the Spell Dark World Lightning! I target one Set card you control, destroy it, then discard a card from my hand," Reizo explained. He pointed at the far right card Yuto had Set. "That's the one I'm targeting."
A dark cloud appeared over Reizo, sparking with lightning. One bolt struck the Set card, which flipped up to reveal The Phantom Knights of Shadow Veil, before it shattered. Yuto shielded his face from the debris, and said, "Once per turn, when a 'Phantom Knights' card is sent to the Graveyard, Cracked Helm gains 500 ATK!"
The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm: 1500 + 500 → 2000 ATK
"As the cost of my Spell, I'll discard Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World," Reizo continued, discarding the monster. "At this moment, his effect activates! Since he was discarded by a card effect, I can Special Summon him to the field."
A demon-like man wearing a skeleton of… something as armor appeared. His skin looked like grey-ish muscle instead of skin. He held a lance in his hand, the shaft made of bone as well, but the blade appearing quite sharp.
Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1600 ATK / 1300 DEF
"Then for my Normal Summon, Oppal, Archer of Dark World!"
This monster was smaller than the other one he'd brought out, but had similar armor. He had a quiver that held three arrows on his back, and a fourth already notched and ready to shoot. The bow itself was made of some dark wood.
Oppal, Archer of Dark World: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 1000 ATK / 300 DEF
"Alright! I Tu—" Reizo cut himself off and mentally cursed; he'd almost forgotten that this was the Xyz Dimension and he couldn't just Synchro Summon here. He certainly didn't want to draw undue attention to himself for using a type of monster none of them have ever seen. Instead… "I Overlay my Level 4 Oppal, Archer of Dark World and Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World! He who leads the forces of darkness, strike down the foes of Dark World! Xyz Summon! Rank 4! Storm forth, Balak, Marshal of Dark World!"
The two monsters turned into separate spheres of light, circling each other before plunging into a galaxy of red light. The galaxy burst, and a large figure in black armor appeared before Reizo. Set into the torso of the armor were three red orbs, mostly for decorative purposes. His helm had horns that curved backwards. The monster held a massive broadsword in both hands, and his cape fluttered in the wind.
Balak, Marshal of Dark World: DARK Fiend-Type / Rank 4 / 2200 ATK / 1600 DEF
"Battle! Balak attacks your Cracked Helm!" Reizo declared, pointing at the phantom monster.
The marshal raised his sword and charged, slamming the flat of the blade atop the cracked helmet before slashing it in two.
It was while his monster was shattering that Yuto shouted, "I activate the Trap Phantom-Wing! This saves my monster from destruction and gives it an extra 500 ATK!"
The pieces of the helm reform, and the marshal retreats, his attack done.
The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm: 2000 + 500 → 2500 ATK
"Tch." Looks like he wouldn't get the first damage this turn after all. Though Balak's effect should be able to provide a line of defense for next turn. "I guess I'll Set one card and end my turn."
"Dark Worlds", huh? I haven't seen anyone run those cards in a while… I didn't even know they had an Xyz Monster.
"My turn then, I draw!"
Defense Draw, now that could be helpful. Yuto added the card to his hand. Then he tapped on one of the cards on his screen; it was almost time for his ace to appear. "I activate the Trap The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine! This card allows me to Special Summon it in Defense Mode!"
The monster's head was nothing but armor, a hole on the top making it appear like it was a breastplate, but the glowing blue spheres—its eyes—inside implied that it was a helmet. This monster, like the other one Yuto had used, was possessed by blue flames.
The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine: DARK Warrior-Type / Level 4 / 0 ATK / 300 DEF
Reizo narrowed his eyes at the Trap-turned-Monster. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Mystical Space Typhoon—"
"Shade Brigandine no longer counts as a Trap Card," Yuto interrupted, certain that his opponent was going to try targeting it for destruction. Most people did because most other Trap Monsters were still treated as Traps upon their Summon. Upon the shocked look Reizo gave him, he made the correct assumption, and instead his remaining Shadow Veil was destroyed. "Now then… you're not the only one who can Xyz Summon!"
"Here it comes…!" Ruri exclaimed; she knows that Dark Rebellion is coming.
"I Overlay my Level 4 The Phantom Knights of Cracked Helm and The Phantom Knights of Shade Brigandine!" Yuto declared. "Fangs of pitch-black darkness, rise up against the foolish oppression! Descend now! Xyz Summon! Come forth, Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!"
Both pieces of phantom armor turn into light, spiraling until entering into another red galaxy. The galaxy burst just like before, only this time it held a dragon inside. Its head, neck, and tail were dark purple, arms and legs black, and its wings looked more like black bones with blue-green or purple blades extending from them. At the intersection of the main part of the wing and one such extension, there was a purple sphere. Finally, the dragon's chest glowed red from curved lines on it.
Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: DARK Dragon-Type / Rank 4 / 2500 ATK / 2000 DEF
His Xyz Monster definitely isn't Level 5 or higher, so I can't use my dragon's effect, but it does outmatch Balak in terms of strength already. Yuto smiled. "Alright, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Attack Balak, Marshal of Dark World! Rebellious Lightning Disobey!"
The spheres on Dark Rebellion's wings glowed before surrounding itself in purple electricity, flying towards the armored marshal. The two monsters collided, the lightning-bathed dragon against the marshal's sword, and smoke fills the air. When it clears… there are two monsters on Reizo's field; the two that had been used as Xyz Material.
Reizo's Life Points: 4000 - 300 → 3700
The purple-eyed boy stood back up, dusting off his pants in the process. "Balak's effect activated upon his destruction; any Xyz Material attached to him are Special Summoned, but they are destroyed during the End Phase of my next turn," Reizo explained.
"Hm. Perfect for stalling attacks," Yuto noted. "Well, I Set a card face-down. Your move."
"Right. Draw!"
The Gates of Dark World. Now, this would have been useful to have out last turn, so that Balak could have matched Dark Rebellion. While having the other monsters out was useful, they would be destroyed at the end of this turn and he had no other monster to Summon aside from Grapha. So he wouldn't be able to use Grapha's effect if he wanted to last until his next turn. The alternative was Synchro Summoning, but… Reizo sighed. If only I had my other Rank 4 monsters, then I wouldn't be in this situation. I suppose I have no other choice. "I Tribute Beiige and Oppal in order to Summon Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World!"
The dragon to appear this time was more of a demon than a dragon, its many curved spikes on its knees and elbows threatening, along with the horns on its head. The grey dragon spread its pitch-black wings and roared, eyes glowing red and claws ready to strike.
Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2700 ATK / 1800 DEF
"Then I'll activate the Field Spell The Gates of Dark World! This grants all Fiend-Type monsters an extra 300 ATK and DEF," Reizo said as their surroundings turned into a rocky area with a large door behind him.
Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World: 2700 + 300 → 3000 ATK / 1800 + 300 → 2100 DEF
"I can't use the other effect of my Field Spell right now, but that doesn't matter! Grapha can still attack Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!"
The attack connects, and the weaker dragon is destroyed. Yuto cried out, "I use Defense Draw to stop the damage and draw 1 card!"
Well, I still got rid of his dragon. "Alright then. I end my turn."
Yuto wasn't sure whether to frown or smile when he started his next turn. On one hand, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon was his ace card, and coming back from that would be tough. On the other, he couldn't remember the last time someone had managed to destroy his dragon. This Duel certainly wasn't going to be the easy sort of match he was used to.
The Phantom Knights of Rusty Armaments, and Rank-Up-Magic - Phantom Force, the card he'd drawn from Defense Draw. That could turn things around immediately. "Because I control no monsters, I can activate the effect of The Phantom Knights of Rusty Armaments in my hand! I can Special Summon Dark Rebellion from my Graveyard and attach Rusty Armaments to it as Xyz Material."
Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon returned to the field, a single light orbiting it.
"And right after I'd gotten it off the field…" Reizo muttered. "Still, Grapha is the stronger monster."
"Not for much longer," Yuto responded, smirking slightly. "See, Dark Rebellion's effect lets me use one Xyz Material to halve the ATK of one Level 5 or higher monster you control, then add that amount to its own until the End Phase. Treason Discharge!"
"What?!"
Once again, the purple dragon's wings were surrounded with electricity. This time, however, it struck and weakened its target, it did not destroy.
Grapha, Dragon Lord of Dark World: 3000/2 → 1500 ATK
Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: 2500 + 1500 → 4000 ATK
"Attack once more, Dark Rebellion!"
The explosion this time was much larger than before, and sent Reizo flying several feet with the damage.
Reizo's Life Points: 3700 - 2500 → 1200
He still has Life Points, so I can't count him out yet. Still… this Duel is probably as good as mine, Yuto thought. He eyed the card in his hand. "I Set a card and end my turn."
Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon: 4000 → 2500 ATK
Sh-Shoot… I only have 1200 Life Points left, no monsters, and Dark Deal won't do me any good in this situation. The outcome depends on this draw… Reizo stood back up from where he landed. "It's… my turn! Draw!"
The card that would turn this Duel around was… "Polymerization?!" Reizo blurted in disappointment. He couldn't use this card, for one he didn't have any monsters out and for another, he couldn't Fusion Summon. And he couldn't use Oppal's effect either. This wasn't his own world where all the Summon methods were available. He sighed, looked down, and hung his shoulders. "I… can't do anything… Turn—"
"Wait," Yuto said. "You looked like that card could do something just a second ago. A true Duelist should fight without holding anything back."
A true Duelist…? Reizo shook his head. "I… It's not that, it's just… I can't explain it, okay?"
"That's no excuse!" Ruri shouted. "C'mon, whatever you have up your sleeve has to be worth it if you think it can beat the strongest Duelist ever!"
"Ruri, I'm not—never mind." Yuto shrugged. "But she has a point. Winning when you should have would just feel wrong."
They just don't understand that I can't use it… Reizo thought. It'll only draw attention that I don't want to me… He paused for a moment, still staring at Polymerization. But… what he's saying makes sense, I guess. Winning like that is like an insult to both people involved. Then… should I…?
He made up his mind. "I activate the effect of Oppal, Archer of Dark World from my Graveyard! By discarding a card, I can banish it and one non-Tuner 'Dark World' monster from my Graveyard in order to perform a Synchro Summon!"
This, clearly, was not what either Yuto or Ruri was expecting, as both looked taken aback by his statement.
"Therefore, I discard Dark Deal in order to Tune my Level 4 Oppal with my Level 4 Beiige, both from my Graveyard!"
Oppal appeared first, shooting all four of his arrows into the sky before disappearing again. Each arrow turned into a green ring that circled around Beiige in a column.
"Mad ruler, extend your kingdom across the earth! Claim everything in the name of Dark World! Synchro Summon! Level 8! Arise, Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World!"
The rings disappeared in a burst of light, revealling a demonic woman with purple skin, a dark crown resting on her head. She wore armor that was a dark grey with amethysts set into it as decoration, and held a staff made of bone in her hand. The top of the staff looked almost like a human's skull, rubies where the eyes should be…
Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2600 + 300 → 2900 ATK / 1800 + 300 → 2100 DEF
"A… Synchro… Monster?" Yuto said slowly. "Then, you're…!"
"What the heck kind of monster is that?!" Ruri interrupted. "I've never heard of 'Synchro' Summoning before!"
"You told me not to hold back," Reizo said. "And where I'm from, Xyz Monsters aren't the only sort of Extra Deck cards. Synchros are another type, just like this one! And speaking of, I think it's time to activate Amethyss' special ability! When Synchro Summoned, I can draw three cards from my Deck!"
Snoww, Unlight of Dark World, Sillva, Warlord of Dark World, and Gateway to Dark World. Perfect.
"Amethyss' second effect: she gains an additional 200 ATK for every card in my hand!" Reizo continued, smiling. "With four cards, that makes 800!"
Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World: 2900 + 800 → 3700 ATK
"And for the finishing touch, I activate the Spell Card Polymerization! This card allows me to fuse two monsters in my hand or on my field to Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck!" He revealed the two "Dark World" monsters in his hand. "Shadow of darkness and warlord of Hell! Combine your strength in the midst of unlight and bring forth the supreme ruler of Dark World! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World!"
Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World: 3700 → 3100 ATK
A demon stepped out of the portal of light behind Reizo, its entire body pitch-black. Shadows seemed to leech off of the monster, dripping onto the ground before vanishing. The monster's eyes glowed red, and its hands appeared as claws, wrapped around a sword almost as wide as the demon itself.
Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 3000 + 300 → 3300 ATK / 2100 + 300 → 2400 DEF
"Fusion too…?" Yuto took a step back.
"Battle! Colorless, attack Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Chaos Burst!"
The demon drew back its arm and—somehow—threw its massive sword into the air. Right before the blade was to impale the dragon, it stopped in mid air and exploded, the shards piercing Dark Rebellion countless times over. Then, the sword reformed in Colorless' hands.
Yuto's Life Points: 4000 - 800 → 3200
"This is it! Amethyss, attack—"
"Not quite," Yuto said, a half-smile on his face. "Because you destroyed Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon in battle… I can activate the Quick-Play Spell Rank-Up-Magic - Phantom Force!"
"Huh?"
"This card allows me to Special Summon Dark Rebellion back from the Graveyard, then immediately Special Summon a DARK Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck that's one Rank higher, using it as the Xyz Material!" Yuto explained. His dragon reappeared, then immediately spiraled into another red galaxy. "Pitch-black fangs of rebellion, cleanse the world of the treacherous opposition! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5! Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon!"
Now it was Reizo's turn to take a step back in awe. He'd never heard of this "Rank-Up" before, and the way Yuto chanted it made it sound like this wasn't quite the same as an Xyz Summon. He stared at the new dragon. It had gained a second set of wings, nearly identical to the first, though with extra appendages on the wings. The two purple orbs were also slightly larger and definitely glowing now. Its fangs and claws seemed to have been elongated. Also, where the previous dragon was black, this one was white.
Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon: DARK Dragon-Type / Rank 5 / 3000 ATK / 2500 DEF
…So I can't win this turn. Oh well, I don't intend to give him the option to use that dragon's effect if it's anything like Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon. "Amethyss attacks Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon, then!"
The monster held up her staff, a burst of purple light aiming towards the dragon.
"No… it won't. The Duel's over," Yuto said. "The effect of Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon activates! When it battles with a Level 5 or higher monster, I can detach one Xyz Material from it and increase its ATK by half of the ATK of all monsters you control! The downside is I'll take that same amount as damage during the End Phase, but still…!"
Reizo's eyes widened. He only had 1200 Life Points. That meant…
Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon: 3000 + 3100/2 + 3300/2 → 6200
"Strike back, Dark Rebellion!" Yuto declared.
Instead of the demon queen's attack destroying the dragon, it bounced back and hit herself. The resulting explosion sent Reizo flying for the third time this Duel.
Reizo's Life Points: 1200 - 3100 → 0
"I lost…" Reizo said.
A/N: …Yeah, I probably should have worked on homework instead of on this story, but I had like five hours to kill and my muses demanded this of me.
So, he lost but Reizo clearly has some explaining to do about his Synchro and Fusion Monsters, but what about Yuto? He seemed to already know something, didn't he?
My apologies if you don't like how the Duel turned out, but this is actually going to be an important point waaaaay into the future and I don't want to induce a plot hole because I wasn't careful with my earlier ideas.
Please, tell me what you think in a review!
(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)
Cards that debuted this chapter:
Oppal, Archer of Dark World
DARK Fiend/Tuner/Effect
Level 4
Effect: If you control no monsters and this card is in your Graveyard: You can discard 1 card from your hand; banish this card and 1 non-Tuner "Dark World" monster from your Graveyard, then Special Summon 1 Synchro Monster from your Extra Deck, whose Level equals the combined Levels of the banished monsters. (This Special Summon is treated as a Synchro Summon.)
ATK: 1600
DEF: 1300
Balak, Marshal of Dark World
DARK Fiend/Xyz/Effect
Rank 4
2 DARK monsters
Effect: Once per turn, if this card is targeted by a card effect: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; the effect of that card now becomes "Your opponent discards 1 random card." If this card is destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard: Special Summon any Xyz Material it had attached, if possible. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect are destroyed during the End Phase of your next turn.
ATK: 2200
DEF: 1600
The Phantom Knights of Rusty Armaments
DARK Warrior/Effect
Level 3
Effect: If you control no monsters: You can target 1 Xyz Monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it, then attach this card to it as Xyz Material. You cannot Normal Summon/Set the turn you activate this effect.
ATK: 400
DEF: 1100
Amethyss, Demon Queen of Dark World
DARK Fiend/Synchro/Effect
Level 8
1 Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Dark World" monsters
Effect: When this card is Synchro Summoned: Draw 3 cards. This card gains 200 ATK for each card in your hand. Once per turn, if a face-up "Dark World" card you control would be destroyed: You can negate its destruction, then discard 2 cards from your hand. During each of your End Phases: Place 1 card from your hand to the bottom of your Deck or destroy this card.
ATK: 2600
DEF: 1800
Colorless, Chaos King of Dark World
DARK Fiend/Fusion/Effect
Level 8
2 "Dark World" monsters
Effect: If you control another face-up "Dark World" monster, this card cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, you can target 1 banished "Dark World" monster; add it to your hand, then discard 1 card.
ATK: 3000
DEF: 2100
Rank-Up-Magic - Phantom Force
Type: Quick-Play Spell
Effect: Activate only when a DARK Xyz Monster you control is destroyed. Special Summon the destroyed Xyz Monster, then Xyz Summon, from your Extra Deck, one DARK Xyz Monster that is one Rank higher than that monster, using it as the Xyz Material. You cannot activate other Spell/Trap Cards the turn you activate this card.
Dark Rebellion CXyz Dragon
DARK Dragon/Xyz/Effect
Rank 5
3 Level 5 monsters
Effect: When this card battles a Level 5 or higher monster: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; increase this card's ATK by half the ATK of all monsters your opponent controls. During the End Phase of the turn this effect is activated: Take damage equal to the amount of ATK this card gained. If this card has "Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon" as an Xyz Material, it gains the following effect:
You take no damage from card effects.
The Duel is over, and now both Yuto and Reizo have some explaining to do. Meanwhile, a mysterious girl has taken an interest in Reizo, and intends to befriend him regardless of the consequences.
Next time: The Three Summons