"The only thing you have become is a self-centered, egotistical, loner, who apparently doesn't have a strong enough will to realize even her own shortcomings!" His head suddenly jerked to the side. He felt a stinging pain on his right cheek, heard a ringing in his ears, felt his stomach plummet, and felt something stab his heart, all at once. His eyes widened, not believing what she had done. He felt water gather into his eyes. Not only had he lost one of his best friends, but he also seemed to be the cause of all of Asuka's problems. He raised his head, to confirm that she indeed had slapped him. What he saw surprised him even more than the slap. It forced a flicker of hope to rise within him.
Asuka was looking at him sadly. She even had tears building in her eyes. She was exasperated and shocked at what she had just done. The Obelisk Queen slowly raised her hand, and looked at the red mark that had been left on her hand. She grabbed her hand, cradled it within herself, and began to convulse. She turned away from Judai and motioned to one of her subordinates.
He then felt a stiff, cold thud against the back of his head that almost made his eyes bulge. Judai's world started spinning and darkening. He collapsed towards the ground. But instead of a feeling of emptiness, he smiled to himself. As his consciousness faded, he opened his mouth and called out loud, though he didn't know if anyone heard him or not, "I'll save you…Asuka…"
XXXXXXXXX
"That disk seems to be quite cumbersome," Edo remarked as Misawa had trouble securing it to his arm.
Misawa smirked at Edo. "Only a Duel Disk of this caliber can completely harness the full power of my justice." The duel disk clicked into place on his left arm, as he ignited the Disk's Solid Vision projector. "Now, let me show it to you…the true Justice that can completely control the Chaos of the Unknown and Darkness."
Edo extracted his deck from his pocket and stared at it. "There is no complete Justice," the Pro murmured, remembering the death of his father. "Not as you think it." He inserted his deck into the Disk and turned it on, as the Solid Vision projector hummed into power.
"DUEL!"
XXXXXXXXX
Chapter 7: A World Without Suffering - Justice World
Alone, in the darkness of her room, a girl sobbed on her bed, unable to determine exactly what was going on with her. "What happened to me…?" she gasped to herself. "It was supposed to be easy…"
After she hit the brown-haired Osiris Red student, Asuka felt a terrible clenching in her chest and stomach. It was a feeling so sick, that she had to use all of her power to keep from crying right then and there. What was odd, though, was that she didn't understand why she had this sick feeling in her body. She didn't understand why she'd even think about crying. This was Yuki Judai; the eternal enemy of the Light of Truth; the one Saiou-sama had declared that they must defeat; the one who used her to get ahead at Duel Academia.
"Is that what you truly think, Asuka…?" Judai's voice rang in the darkness. "Or is that what your 'Saiou-sama' told you?
'No, that can't be it!' she told herself. 'When has Saiou-sama ever led me…led any of us…into ruin? And yet…why did I feel so sick after slapping him?'
Asuka fell onto her bed. She was so confused and emotionally spent from the ordeals of the day. She replayed the image in her head. Judai had just insulted her deeply, when she slapped him so hard, it almost sounded like a gunshot. But why did his words sting so much? She was able to just brush them off, before, because she knew that Saiou was the way of truth.
"The only thing you have become is a self-centered, egotistical, loner, who apparently doesn't have a strong enough will to realize even her own shortcomings!" Judai's voice echoed again.
She didn't know what happened at that. She felt a sudden, impossible to control urge to punish Judai, and she let her hand fly. At first, she felt glad when her palm struck hard enough to jerk the boy's head to the side, but then she noticed Judai's face.
His cheek bore a large red handprint. His pupils had shrunk to a third of their size. His face fell. His eyes began watering up with tears. Then, it was as if a giant wave had hit her. She felt her heart drop deep into her lower body. It seemed like she had dropped down into a pit.
She felt sick, extremely sick. All her emotions flowed back into her, and her eyes began to tear up. Had she really hit someone? Not just anyone, but Yuki Judai? She quickly lowered her head, so no one saw her in her embarrassing state. She told someone to knock him out, but when she heard the thud against his head, she felt like she had been hit along with him. Then, she heard him say it. She heard him say something that gave her a warm feeling, which made her wonder why she felt that way, and also why he would bother to do so.
'I'll save you…Asuka…'
Those words reverberated in her mind and, strangely enough, her heart. She couldn't believe he had said that. Save her from what? This was where she wanted to be, wasn't it? To be in charge of the Girl's Dorm; to be the model student everyone wanted to follow in example; to be considered one of the best duelists in the school. All of them were goals she wished to accomplished.
'No they weren't,' part of her mind told her. Asuka looked up from her hands. She realized she was always a model for the school, but not because she left others out to be sacrificed or hurt others on the way up there. She had always used her own strength. That didn't mean she wasn't helped by others; those she cared about.
The Obelisk Queen learned the love and thrill of dueling from her older brother, Fubuki. When word came that Fubuki went missing, she nearly dropped out of school and gave up dueling altogether. Then, about three months after wallowing in self-pity, she received a letter from Ryo. The letter comforted her deeply and the two became Pen Pals. That helped the girl get back her desire to duel, and created a new fire to find Fubuki. Then, she met her friends Momoe and Junko, both of whom cared for her enough to look past her slightly aloof and isolating exterior. They stayed with her from middle school all the way until in the Academia presently.
Then, when she came to the Academia, she met even more people that she could call friends. All of them helped each other grow, even from only a year-and-a-half ago. Sho, who had grown into quite a fine duelist by overcoming his low self-esteem with the help of all of his friends, all of them. Hayato, who had grown into a determined person in his own right and went from nearly dropping out of the Academia into a respectable person and a Card Designer for Industrial Illusions. Manjoume, who had received a reality check from those in the school due to his losses against Judai and Misawa which allowed him to acquire a new strength to rise above his brothers. Misawa, who was able to find new strategies and came to understand that dueling can't all be focused on calculations. Kenzan, who, even in his short time at the Academia, had become more mature under the tutelage of Sho and Misawa.
Finally, there was Judai. Throughout every memory of her friends, every time she thought of how much they had grown, Judai always seemed to be the catalyst to that end. It was Judai who filled the void, if only partially, that her brother left when he went missing. It was Judai who taught her that duels aren't finished until someone's Life Points reached 0. It was Judai who taught her to appreciate everyone, even those who might be less fortunate than herself. All of her growth came from Judai. She tried to imagine a time when Judai wasn't the reason her friends matured, but she couldn't. He was even the reason most of them even knew each other to begin with. What would happen if he had never appeared?
She sat in silence alone in her room, laying facedown in a pillow. She kept replaying the slap in her mind, each time feeling more miserable. "Why do I keep dwelling on him? What is wrong with me!" she shouted to no one in particular. Even though she had all her fellow Society members to talk to, waiting on her every whim, she had never felt so alone in her life. The darkness of the room seemed perfect for her mood.
'It's because…he's your friend,' a warm voice in her mind stated. 'You care for him.'
She lifted her head off the pillow. Was it really that simple? Why couldn't she see it before? Judai cared for her simply because he was that kind of person. But, was she really willing to risk her position in the Society for him?
"I…" she started. She remembered all the times with the Society. How she had shunned her friends. She remembered when she attacked the Obelisk Blue Girls' Dorm. She remembered being taught how to be a 'true' queen, and how to duel 'properly'. She remembered how, although she had her fellow members, she never really had anyone to talk to. She even remembered her deep desire to make Judai pay for trying to warm her attitude towards others and weakening her, but was that really so bad?
"I…" She remembered her times with Kenzan, Judai, and Sho. She remembered how lonely she was last year without Fubuki, and Judai's happy-go-lucky yet passionate attitude had filled that void. She remembered Judai's duels with Cronos, Manjoume, Misawa, Kaiser, the Seven Stars, and Kagemaru. She remembered the first time she met the boy face to face, and how many times he rescued her.
"I…I…I don't want to be like this anymore," she finally stated. She decided to go meet Saiou, and asked to be allowed to leave the Society of Light, believing that he would understand her. She got up off her bed, walked to the door, and left her bedroom.
XXXXXXXX
Edo stood across the field facing his opponent. He drew his five cards as his Life Point counter beeped and showed his 4000 LP. "Which one of us goes first?"
Misawa merely shrugged. "I'll let you make that choice."
"Then I'll go first," Edo declared. "Draw!" He glanced at his hand and the card he drew. He glared across the field at the smirking Ra Yellow.
'What kind of deck is he running?' Edo mused. 'I'm sure he knows most, if not all, of my stratagems courtesy of Saiou. But…'
He took a card from his hand. "I'll summon Destiny Hero - Dunker (1200/1700) in defense mode!" A red-eyed, wild-haired creature appeared on Edo's field in a beam of light. The hero crouched down on top of his face-up card, shielding its master from harm.
"Dunker's effect activates," Edo informed Misawa. "By sending a 'D-Hero' from my hand to the Graveyard, I can deal 500 points of damage to the opponent. Destiny Hero - Disk Commander to the Graveyard (300/300)." Dunker's eyes flared, as he stood up. "Giga-Dunk!" The hero leapt towards Misawa clasping its hands together and slammed them down on top of Misawa's head. (4000 - 500 = 3500)
Misawa chuckled as the hero jumped back into its defensive position on Edo's side of the field. "As Saiou said, the Darkness creates Chaos," Misawa stated.
"What?"
"Typically in the first turn of a duel, neither player can attack the other, protecting them both from damage," the Society member explained. "However, the effects of Spells, Traps, and Monsters can still be activated. Your Dark-themed Deck bends the rules to allow damage even in the first round." Misawa scoffed lightly. "Complete Justice cannot exist in a world such as that."
Edo smirked, though he felt a sweat drop slide down his cheek. "Really, now? And how would you propose to create 'Complete Justice'?"
"You make it so everyone follows the Natural Laws of the planet," Misawa exclaimed, clenching his fist. "Everyone follows what they know to be the truth, because they know it sets them free." Edo's brow furrowed at Misawa's monologue. "My turn," the student said, drawing a card.
"Let me show you those that have seen the Truth," the Ra duelist declared, "those who have created a world of Complete Justice. Summon Ehren, the Lightsworn Monk (1600/1000)!" A female with braided black hair in a skin-tight white silky dress appeared on the field with a golden staff attached to her back. She looked like a normal human being, except for one difference. Her eyes bore no pupils; they were completely white.
"Lightsworn…?" Edo bemusedly questioned. The lifeless eyes of the new creature gave him an uneasy feeling in his abdomen.
"Correct," Misawa confirmed. "These are the only true heroes in the world. They search for Complete Justice and deliver it to those who cannot find it, themselves. To that end, only those who believe such a world can exist are allowed to wield these cards created specifically by Saiou-sama's specifications."
"Someone such as you?" Misawa nodded. "And who has given you the right to force your Complete Justice onto others?"
"Who gives you the right to force your Justice onto others?"
"What…?"
"Ehren, attack Destiny Hero - Dunker!" Misawa declared.
Edo smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, but Ehren's 1600 ATK cannot hope to touch Dunker's 1700 defense."
Ehren leapt forward and withdrew a pole attached to her back. She twirled the staff in her hands before slamming the pole down across Dunkers body. Edo's monster caught the pole, but a light began to form from the end of the pole the Destiny Hero was holding. It enveloped the monster, causing it to vanish. "What the…!?" Edo declared.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Edo," Misawa quipped. "When Ehren attacks a defense position monster, the monster is automatically returned to the deck without damage calculation." Edo grimaced. "Judgment was cast upon your Hero, and he was, subsequently, not allowed to continue his brand of false Justice."
"Don't screw with me…" Edo snarled. "You know nothing of the burden of Justice!"
"Is that so? Well, then, I'll gladly tear down your brand of Justice." Misawa took a card from his hand and slid it into his Spell and Trap Zone. "Set one card. Turn end. Lightsworn Ehren's effect activates. By ruling, I must send three cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard."
"Self-milling?" Edo inquired in surprise. "You lower your deck's resources without care!?"
"Some sacrifices must be made in order to make sure Complete Justice is kept going."
"My turn. Draw!" Edo glanced at his new card. "Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude in attack mode (1400/1600)!" The blond-haired, caped hero appeared on Edo's field, and deftly landed in front of its controller. It angrily glared at Misawa.
"Diamond Dude's effect activates. Once per turn, I can reveal the top card from my deck. If it is a Normal Spell card, it goes to my Graveyard so I can activate its effect next turn." He drew the top card from his deck, and glanced at it, before showing it to Misawa. "Spell Card, D-Spirit, to the Grave." He slid the card into the open slot on his Duel Disk, which slid inside the darkened discard pile.
"Next, Field Spell, Dark City, activates!" Edo declared, opening the Field Spell slot on his Duel Disk and placed the card inside it. Once the slot closed, the area around them began to warp and twist into a city containing many buildings in the middle of the night. The only light came from a moon hovering overhead.
"Hmph…just another city that fools itself into thinking it's truly protected," the Ra student.
Edo snarled. "Dark City's effect activates when a Destiny Hero attacks a monster with more attack points than itself. The attacking D-Hero gains 1000 attack points." Edo gestured at Ehren. "Diamond Dude, attack! Diamond Blow!" The hero dashed towards the unprepared monk, as its attack rose to 2400. It thrust its left hand, which was covered by a diamond shard, towards its target.
"Continuous Trap, Lightsworn Barrier!" Misawa declared, clicking the button to activate its card. A transparent crystalline barrier formed around the Monk, as Diamond Dude's fist closed in. The magical shield reflected the attack to the side, keeping it from touching the Lightsworn monster.
"What?"
"Lightsworn Barrier," the student reiterated. "When a 'Lightsworn' monster on my field is selected as an attack target, I can send two cards from my deck to my Graveyard in order to negate the attack."
'Another self-milling card…' Edo mused. 'What's his gain from that, exactly?' Misawa's devious grin widened at his opponent. The Pro recoiled, before sliding a card from his hand into his Duel Disk. "Set one card. Turn end."
"My turn," Misawa declared. "I summon Jain, the Lightsworn Paladin (1800/1200)!" A white-haired knight bearing a longsword and a shield about half the monsters' height appeared in full armor and red cloak. The armor, sword, and shield all bore various golden trimmings, and a golden headpiece was attached to the creature's forehead. This one, too, however, had lifeless eyes with no pupils.
"Jain's effect allows it to gain 300 attack points when it attacks an opponent's monster during Damage Step, only," the Ra Yellow explained.
"Jain, attack Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude!" Misawa commanded. "Justice Smite!" The warrior sped across the field, shield first. The shield bashed into Diamond Dude, stopping the hero's attempts at blocking the attack with his arms. At this point, Jain's attack rose to 2100. The Paladin then brought its sword across the hero's body, dividing it from its shoulder to its hip bone. The hologram of the creature shattered as Edo shielded himself from the backlash of the attack. (4000 + 1400 - 2100 = 3300)
"Your field is now open," the cold voice of the Society member stated. "Ehren, Direct Attack!" The Monk charged towards Edo, withdrawing its staff a second time.
"As if I'd let you…" Edo scowled. "Trap, Open! D-Fortune!" A transparent form of Diamond Dude appeared between Edo and the incoming attack with the stave. Diamond Dude grabbed the object before it could connect with Edo and threw Ehren away from his owner. "D-Fortune: By removing a 'Destiny Hero' from my Graveyard, I can negate one Direct Attack the opponent makes."
Edo smirked at the duelist across from him, but lost his confident look when Misawa merely chuckled. "That was a close one, was it not?"
Edo glared at the student. "Is that your type of Justice? Mocking your prey, belittling them simply because you touched them?"
Misawa shook his head. "That's not Justice, but confidence. Confidence in yourself. Confidence in your abilities; in your beliefs; in your soul. Edo Phoenix…do you have that type of confidence in your Justice?"
"Confidence…in my Justice…?" Edo repeated. "What kind of fool do you think you're playing with!?"
"Hn. One who apparently won't listen to reason. When the time comes, you'll be informed. Set one card. Turn end." A reversed card appeared behind Misawa's two monsters. "Because it's my End Phase, I must send more cards to my Graveyard." He took five cards from the top of his Duel Disk. "Five, to be exact." He placed them in his discard slot, which then slid the cards into darkness.
"My turn, draw!" Edo angrily shouted, tearing a card from his deck. 'His deck seems to be based around powerful effects and monsters. But to balance that power, he must send cards from his deck to his Graveyard every turn.' He looked at his hand revealing Destiny Hero - Doom Lord, Destiny Hero - Double Dude, and Destiny Signal. 'I don't have any way to defeat his monsters while that Continuous Trap is on the field. In that case...'
"Because it was sent to the Graveyard last turn via Diamond Dude's effect, I'll activate D-Spirit!" Edo announced. "When I have no Destiny Hero monsters on my field, I can Special Summon one from my hand. I'll summon Doom Lord (600/800)." The demonic-looking hero appeared on Edo's side of the field in attack position.
"Doom Lord's effect activates. While he is in attack position on my field, I can remove one monster on my opponent's field from play for two turns. Destiny Portal!" The devil-like hero sped towards Misawa's side of the field and latched its claw around Ehren's neck. Ehren grasped Doom Lord's wrist, as its pupil-less eyes were met by the Destiny Hero's red ones. The space around Ehren warped for a second, as the monk vanished from view.
"Next, I'll tribute Doom Lord to summon Destiny Hero - Double Dude (1000/1000) in defense position." The devilish hero vanished, and in the glow of the light, a graceful, scarf-bearing man with a cane appeared. The creature had a black top hat and a black suit on. He bent down on one knee, and shielded himself from its enemy. "Set one card. Turn end."
Misawa laughed aloud. "Is that all for you shrewd tactics? Your Justice? That's just pitiful. True Justice cannot back down from any fight!" The Pro kept his gaze even at his opponent. "And now you have nothing to say. Well then…Continuous Trap, Glorious Illusion, activates!" A circle began to form on the ground next to Jain on the Ra Yellow's field.
"Glorious Illusion's effect: I select one Lightsworn monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to the field in Attack Position. And, I'll summon one sent to my Graveyard due to the effects of my Lightsworn monsters; Garoth, the Lightsworn Warrior (1850/1300)!" A blue-haired monster of a man clothed in white mythril rose up from the center of the circle. He reached out with both hands as a massive Great Axe appeared before him. He snatched the weapon out of the air, and whisked it back towards him, showing his great strength with the effortlessness he wielded the mighty axe.
"My turn, Draw!" The duelist slid his hand across his deck and smirked at his new card. "I'll tribute Jain in order to summon Gragonith, the Lightsworn Dragon (2000/1600)!" Jain's hologram began to disperse into light particles. However, instead of disappearing altogether, they began to form into an even greater energy form. The sphere began to form into an actual creature. The light vanished, first, from the limbs and claws, then from the massive elegant wings, armored with a white protection and golden trimmings. Finally, the beast appeared in all of its glory, with a white glowing horn on top of its head.
"Gragonith effect activates," Misawa explained. "This monster gains 300 attack points for every 'Lightsworn' monster with a different name in my Graveyard."
"Impossible…!" Edo cried.
Misawa simply continued his explanation. "There are five 'Lightsworn' monsters in my Graveyard with different names. Therefore, Gragonith gains 1500 Attack Points!" The white aura surrounding the dragon-esque creature grew larger and released powerful sparks around it, while the Solid Vision's attack meter on the creature rose.
"Attack Points of 3500...!?" Edo exclaimed.
"Gragonith, attack Double Dude! JUDGMENT STORM~!" The dragon opened its mouth, releasing a massive bolt of lightning which flew towards the Destiny Hero. The electricity fried the hologram, obliterating it from existence.
"Now then, Gragonith's effect activates! It deals piercing damage to the opponent!" Misawa announced with glee. He jabbed a finger in Edo's direction. "Now, receive it, Edo Phoenix! 2500 points of piercing damage!" The electricity did not fade, and, instead, flashed where it had been stabilizing towards Edo, himself. The Pro suddenly found himself howling out as the electricity diminished nearly all of his Life Points. (3300 + 1000 - 3500 = 800)
"Garoth, attack the player directly!" The warrior raced at Edo, while the Hero-user recovered from the previous attack.
"I'm not finished yet…Trap, activate! Destiny Signal!" Edo announced, as a spotlight with the Destiny Hero's emblem appeared in the Dark City's night skyline. "When a monster on my field is destroyed, I can Special Summon from my deck or hand a Level Four or lower Destiny Hero. Come on, Destiny Hero - Fear Monger (1000/1000)!" A metallic hero appeared on Edo's side of the field, it's red eyes flashing in response to its call. The hero placed its massive forearms in front of itself to receive the attack from Misawa's creature. Garoth's axe divided the hero in two with ease, destroying the creature.
Edo breathed heavily from the close call of his. "It really is a shame, Edo," the Ra Yellow opponent sighed, grabbing the attention of his opponent. "You and I are so much alike, it's almost amusing."
"I'm nothing like you!" Edo roared.
"Is that what you think? A futile attempt to disprove my declarations. Let me explain." Misawa lifted his index finger. " One: we both desire to have Justice in this world. You for your Father; myself for the good of mankind." He raised another finger. "Two: we both take extreme risks with our decks to this end. Your monsters have low attack points; mine dwindles my deck with extended usage." Misawa raised a third finger. "Finally, three: we both believe that fate will guide us to the end we so wish to find.
"However, your Justice has one falsehood that Complete Justice does not." Misawa smirked at his opponent, while Edo just narrowed his eyes at his opponent. "No clue? I'll tell you. Your D-Heroes rely on fate to win their fight for them. But, they do not know what will happen and gamble that fate will turn in their favor. However…" Misawa began to cackle in delight. "…my Lightsworn can see what fate has in store! That is the Complete Justice that will conquer the Darkness of Chaos! That is the reason the members of the Society joined! Because Saiou-sama's Light of Truth shows us all the path we must take in our lives. And it shows us what we will be able to accomplish when dawn breaks!"
'This guy…' Edo commented to himself.
"Let me show you, Edo Phoenix, the results of my Complete Justice!" Misawa declared. "Field Spell, Justice World, activates!" A sun suddenly began to rise over the darkened skyline. This sun, however, released a light that was both foreboding and cold. It slowly began to whitewash over the rest of Dark City, turning the buildings, the sky, even the ground, into pure, glistening, white.
Finally, the buildings sunk into ash from the sunlight, and in their place arose a massive palace on top of a plateau bathed in pure white, with two massive towers billowing over it. Beneath the palace, surrounding the mountain, was a city bustling with people.
"What…is all this…!?" Edo gasped.
"This is the result of what will happen when the Light of Truth's Complete Justice finally is understood by all. Come." Misawa motioned, and the scenery changed to reveal themselves within the confines of the city. The people, instead of looking like ants, were now normal sized and were all walking to and fro as they followed through to their destination without pause.
"In this world, Justice rules all decisions," the Ra Yellow student echoed. "Every man, woman, child…even the beasts and foliage understand that following Justice leads to peace. It's a place where all are saved and protected by the law." Edo was stunned at the vision; a vision that seemed all-too-real to be instantly disregarded as fake. Misawa glanced at Edo, noting the look on his face. "This is the kind of Complete Justice our world needs, Edo," Misawa firmly explained. "The Justice to protect everyone from all pain. The Justice to keep those who are evil from those who do not have the power to protect themselves. The Justice to make it so all children can grow up with the love of both their parents."
"A world of…Complete Justice…" Edo murmured. He felt his body going numb, and his mind growing hazy. Unlike the black abyss that is typically brought on by unconsciousness, the Pro duelist noted, he was fading into a bright, white light.
Just as Edo's eyelids closed all the way, a large commotion erupted nearby, breaking him from his reverie. The two duelists turned towards a crowd of people, where mutterings of 'Dreadful…' and 'Pitiful…' were loud enough to be heard.
The Hero-user hurried over to see what was going on, pushing through the crowd. He saw a squad of seven soldiers bearing white armor glistening with gold trimmings similar to those of Misawa's monsters hovering over a small, black-haired boy in tattered clothing. The officers were beating the child senseless. A few crumbs of bread were lying on the ground next to half of a loaf of bread.
"Do you know the penalty for theft, child!?" a soldier with a cloak, apparently the leader, questioned, stepping forward.
"Please…my family…we're poor, and…" the small child begged.
"Silence!" the captain howled, withdrawing his sword from his sheath. "The crime: Thievery. The punishment: Death!"
"STOP IT~!!" Edo hollered to no avail. As the sword slashed down towards the child, the vision flashed into complete whiteness. Edo dropped to his hands and knees, trembling in shock from the execution. Slowly he clenched his hands into closed fists.
"What's wrong, Edo Phoenix?" Misawa exclaimed. "Was it not wonderful? It's a world where even people like your Father could--"
"SHUT UP!" Edo cried. The Society member raised his eyebrow in confusion as he heard the dripping of water. Upon further inspection, the Ra Yellow noticed that Edo's fists were wet from tears dropping from Edo's face.
"How…how can you…can Saiou…can anyone…!" Edo wondered. "DAMN IT!" He thrust his fist into the ground in anger and anguish. "Damn it…"
"I don't understand the problem," Misawa insisted.
Edo slowly rose to his feet and whirled around to face his opponent. "You…" he snarled. "You preach a world where Complete Justice exists…But that's not it! That's not Justice, at all! It's only a world of Oppression! People ordered to follow by those with greater strength, because if they don't they'll be annihilated! You call that 'for the good of mankind'? YOU CALL THAT JUSTICE!?" Misawa recoiled from the sudden outburst. Edo raised his Duel Disk in defiance. "That form of so-called 'Justice' is the exact reason I use my D-Heroes!"
Misawa's frown turned into a devilish smirk. "So be it. Let's end this battle and prove which Justice is truly triumphant! In front of the ultimate judges of True Justice!" The white background faded, again, this time revealing a massive throne room. Edo looked around at the people who were watching. At the throne at the far wall sat a man bathed in elegant white garments. He had long blue-and-white hair with a slightly-feminine look about him. Surrounding him were various people of different shapes and sizes. However, all were recognizable to the Pro. All of them, however, bore pure-white eyes containing no pupils.
Edo couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Impossible…that's…Saiou…! And…to his right…Judai and his friends…and…" Edo looked at the left of the throne room, releasing his breath in exasperation. "That's…me…!?"
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Edo: Misawa…I can't believe any one of you in the Society could support a Justice that oppresses the weak and secures the status of the strong. It is for this reason that people need heroes. It is for this reason that heroes, themselves, were created! I won't let you, or anyone else, tread on the hopes and dreams of others! In order to protect the world from such a tragic downfall, I…!
Next Time:
A Paper-Thin Margin:
What Lies at the End of Judgment
I won't lose…I can't lose!
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New Cards in This Chapter
Edo Phoenix
Destiny Hero - Dunker
****/DARK/Warrior-Effect
1200/1700
You can send 1 "D-Hero" card from your hand to the Graveyard to inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
Destiny Hero - Disk Commander
*/DARK/Warrior-Effect
300/300
When this card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, draw 2 cards.
Destiny Hero - Diamond Dude
****/DARK/Warrior-Effect
1400/1600
Once per turn, you can reveal the top card of your Deck. If it is a Normal Spell Card, send it to the Graveyard and you can activate its effect during the Main Phase of your next turn. If the card is not a Normal Spell Card, place it on the bottom of your Deck.
Dark City
Field Spell
When a "D-Hero" monster attacks, if its ATK is lower than the ATK of the attack target, the attacking monster gains 1000 ATK during damage calculation only.
D-Spirit
Normal Spell
If you do not control any face-up "D-Hero" monsters, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "D-Hero" monster from your hand.
Destiny Hero - Doom Lord
***/DARK/Warrior-Effect
600/800
Once per turn, if this card is in face-up Attack Position, you can remove from play 1 monster your opponent controls. If you use this effect, you cannot declare an attack this turn, and the removed monster will be returned to the opponent's side of the field in the same battle position during your second Standby Phase after activation.
Destiny Hero - Double Dude
******/DARK/Warrior-Effect
1000/1000
This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can attack twice during the same Battle Phase. If this card is destroyed, you can Special Summon 2 "Double Dude Tokens" (Warrior-Type/DARK/Level 4/ATK 1000/DEF 1000) during your next Standby Phase.
Destiny Signal
Normal Trap
Activate only when a monster you control is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard. Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "D-Hero" monster from your hand or Deck.
Destiny Hero - Fear Monger
****/DARK/Warrior-Effect
1000/1000
If this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon 1 "D-Hero" monster from your Graveyard (except a "Destiny Hero - Fear Monger") during your next Standby Phase.
Misawa Daichi
Ehren, Lightsworn Monk
****/LIGHT/Warrior-Effect
1600/1000
If this card attacks a Defense Position monster, return that monster to its owner's Deck before damage calculation. During each of your End Phases, send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.
Lightsworn Barrier
Continuous Trap
Select 1 "Lightsworn" monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon it in Attack Position. During each of your End Phases, send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is removed from the field, destroy this card.
Jain, Lightsworn Paladin
****/LIGHT/Warrior-Effect
1800/1200
If this card attacks an opponent's monster, it gains 300 ATK during the Damage Step only. During each of your End Phases, send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.
Glorious Illusion
Continuous Trap
Select 1 "Lightsworn" monster from your Graveyard and Special Summon it in Attack Position. During each of your End Phases, send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. When this card is removed from the field, destroy that monster. When that monster is removed from the field, destroy this card.
Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior
****/LIGHT/Warrior-type
1850/1300
Each time a card(s) is sent from your Deck to the Graveyard by the effect of a "Lightsworn" monster you control, except "Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior", send the top 2 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard. Then, draw 1 card for each "Lightsworn" monster sent to the Graveyard by this effect.
Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon
******/LIGHT/Dragon-type
2000/1600
This card gains 300 ATK and DEF for each "Lightsworn" monster with a different name in your Graveyard. During battle between this attacking card and a Defense Position monster whose DEF is lower than the ATK of this card, inflict the difference as Battle Damage to your opponent. During each of your End Phases, send the top 3 cards of your Deck to the Graveyard.
Justice World
Field Spell
Each time a card(s) is sent from your Deck to the Graveyard, place 1 Shine Counter on this card. All "Lightsworn" monsters gain 100 ATK for each Shine Counter. If this card would be destroyed by a card effect, remove 2 Shine Counters instead.
(NOTE: TCG name of this card is "Realm of Light". Because the OCG name of the card coincides better with the storyline, I'll be using it, instead.)