A/N: Much like chapter four, the current chapter is split into an A-Side and B-Side. B-Side will detail the resolution of Kastleneid's chapter, and it'll be up as soon as possible. The A-Side follows Achan's resolution and continues onward.
I'd like to take some time to give a shout-out to Lux-Nero, the author of "Shadowchasers: Risen Nemesis" among other stories. He's currently banging out a fanfic called Burning Blood Academy Days, which does in fact feature Kaito (of my old Burning Red) and Faust in their days at Duel Academy. Two characters in the fanfic were contributed by me, and Lux is doing an amazing job both with them and the overall story. It's good, clean dueling fun so get over there and check it out if you haven't already.
The following chapter may be upsetting to some people. You have been warned.
Encounter 6: A Side
"Roar"
Achan spent most of the morning after Devi's death sleeping. When she woke up, Rex had curled around her. She cried into his pelt for a few minutes, and then snuggled against him until her body stopped shaking. It was only after that when she got up to change her clothes. She reluctantly peeled away the skirt and parka- maybe the only things she'd have to remember Kastle by- and folded them.
It wasn't until then when she noticed what had changed about her body.
She traced the curves in her chest with a finger- small but very much there. She felt the rest of her body, trying to confirm what had happened.
Evan's runes hadn't been new seals. They had been new spells.
Her body was finished.
Achan stumbled out of her tent and retched for several minutes, even though nothing came up.
By the next day things were somewhat better. The change of clothes Naricka had provided fit Achan quite well, and both the black turtleneck and blue jeans effectively concealed the marks running along her body. Achan made no effort to find new bandages to cover her runes with.
At about ten-thirty in the morning, a letter dropped into her lap from a hole that magically opened in the air in front of her. She opened it. There was neat handwriting she had to stare at for a minute to decipher. Kastleneid was safe, apparently. Rayearth had been kind enough to think of delivering it. There was an invitation to the house that evening to come see her.
Achan wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Kastleneid was safe. But that meant Devi had died for absolutely no reason.
Rex whined at her to play with him. That was simple and uncomplicated enough that she did.
At eleven fifty-nine A.M., Achan was too broken to be of help to anyone.
At noon, something changed.
"...Achan?"
Achan had her face buried in Rex's fur and was hugging her chimera as hard as she could. She gave a soft yelp of disapproval as Rex bounded to all six of his feet and began charging around the campsite, sniffing for the intruder. "Rex, it's alright-"
"Achan, you are- well. I had not expected- that is-"
Achan looked down, finally locating the source of the voice.
Rex was curiously sniffing at the chestnut hair of a china doll clad in a bright green dress, currently defended by a black and white teddy bear who seemed quite insistent that he back off. The doll, for her part, seemed more concerned with Achan. "-I suppose that during our duel I never did ask your gender but somehow I simply assumed- well-"
"Down, boy." Achan scratched Rex's neck, and the chimera whined but obeyed, taking several steps back from Achan's visitor. "...Is that you, Rosa?"
Rosa bowed, sweeping some dust off of her skirt as she did. "In the flesh, as it were." She straightened up. "I know you promised we would meet during my next performance, but I'm afraid that's no longer an option, and I wanted to come here before I left." She shook her head, bewildered. "Please, forgive me. I, ah. I hadn't expected-"
Achan's mind was still too raw from previous events to quite process Rosa's words. "Expected?"
"The- you- well-" Rosa wrung her hands furiously and then, in a sudden rush, spat it out. "You're a girl and I didn't expect that and I feel embarrassed because I kept calling you 'boy' all that night and you didn't react so I thought you must be but you aren't and it must have been so insulting and I hadn't realized and please forgive me but I didn't mean to I really didn't and you did so much to help me that night and all I did to repay you was call you the wrong sex and that's just rude and awkward and I'm terribly sorry and-"
Achan couldn't help it. Even after everything she couldn't help it. The corners of her mouth began to turn up of their own accord. "Pfft."
Rosa's babbling broke off and she raised hands to her cheeks. "Y- if I could blush right now believe me I would be doing it. Please stop laughing."
Almost as quickly as the smile had come, Achan felt it slip away. "M'sorry," she mumbled. "I'm really sorry."
Rosa tilted her head to the side. "Achan? Are you not well?"
Achan bit her lip, grateful for the fact that during the last night all the tears she felt like she could possibly cry had already run out. "...I lost someone important to me." she said at last.
Rosa walked forward and wrapped her hands around Achan's legs. Achan couldn't help but choke out a small "huh?"
"I cannot reach any higher, so this will have to do for now." Rosa released Achan and took a step back, brushing her skirt off again. "I- am sorry to hear that. If I could I would stay with you, but if you can't come with me I'll have to go ahead. The challenge won't wait." The doll curtsied and turned, preparing to walk away.
Achan almost let her. Then, on impulse, she opened her mouth. "Challenge?"
Rosa stopped in her tracks. "I managed to secure an invitation to participate in the games at an underground arena tonight. If I win, I'll have enough money to accomplish my dream."
"Dream?"
Rosa nodded. "Yes. I located someone capable of forging me a reasonable facsimile of a human body- but I couldn't possibly afford to pay for it, and he will be leaving town soon. This may be my last chance."
Achan's face clouded over. "Rosa, underground arenas are really dangerous. I dueled in one once, and they nearly killed me. If it hadn't been for-" she choked on the word 'Devi' and changed it at the last minute. "-if my partner hadn't helped me, I would have been crushed as soon as the duel was over. You can't trust people there, they want blood."
"Is that so?" Rosa turned and looked into Achan's eyes, and then grinned. "Then we will have to see whether their bloodlust is stronger than my desires. Achan, you told me to do what I wanted to do, yes? What I want is to acquire this body. I will take any risk necessary to do that."
Achan felt her hands shaking. "Rosa, I-"
"Goodbye, Achan. Thank you for everything. I'll come back and visit as soon as I can." Rosa turned again, ready to go.
Achan watched the small figure recede into the forest for a minute, biting her lip. Then she ran forward too. "You're not going alone."
Rosa stopped in her tracks and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank god. I didn't actually want to go in there alone. When I applied for the right to challenge, they laughed at me. It was embarrassing."
Achan looked down at Rosa and managed a small smile. "I- I can't promise I'll be much help but at least if I'm there, I can buy you time to run."
Rosa frowned. "You've changed, Achan. I'm still grateful for your help."
"What do y- Rosa?" Achan found herself nearly left behind. "Wait up!"
The campsite was left empty save for Rex, who curled up in the center to guard it.
"Alison's Restaurant?"
Rosa adjusted the red bow in her hair and looked up at Achan. "Is there something wrong?"
The two stood outside a small, run-down bar on a street corner. It was out of the way of most of Backwater and seemed forgotten by both time and customers- the windows were cracked and pasted over with duct tape, the door was aged and covered in chipped and splintered paint, and the entire structure seemed like a gentle breeze might knock it over at any moment. Achan paced around it, glaring at the sign. "It's just- you're sure this is an underground arena?"
"I've been inside it already," Rosa reminded her. "I know it is."
Achan shook her head. "It's just- the last time I was in an arena, somebody there said it was bad luck to name your front business 'Alison'. Something about a hellfire queen or something?"
Rosa shrugged, displaying the full range of motion of her joints. "I wouldn't know. What I do know is that this duel won't wait for me any longer." She motioned to her teddy-bear attendants, who climbed on top of each other in order to reach the door handle.
Achan stepped forward, blocking their path. "Rosa, you shouldn't go in there."
Rosa folded her arms across her chest. "I already know it's dangerous, Achan. That's why I wanted your support. If you won't give it to me, I'll simply have to force my way." The bear attendants had already squared up, adopting boxer's stances.
Achan shook her head, placing her hand on the door's handle. "I- Rosa it's-" her voice faltered. "You said you didn't want to carry out your father's dream anymore, so why do you need to do this? You don't need a body to-"
"You told me to do what I want. I am doing it. I have my own dreams, Achan." Rosa glared at Achan, her glass eyes glittering. "My own dreams. My own desires. And my own path. I will follow it at any cost. And if you had not-" she paused. "No. That would be cruel to say."
Achan opened her mouth but closed it as Rosa stamped her foot. "But I am saying it anyway because I resolved to speak my mind as soon as you defeated me and so I am going to say that if your friend had not died you would not be acting this way! You aren't scared for me, you're scared because you can't handle losing someone again and even if that's true this is still my risk to take!"
Achan couldn't react beyond stepping to the side. "Rosa, I-"
"I'm so sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry that was completely rude and I apologize and you do care about me and you came out all this way-" Rosa had begun wringing her hands and shaking her head from side to side. "That was insensitive and you must hate me now-"
"That was exactly what I needed to hear, I think." Achan ignored the tears streaming down her cheeks and forced a smile. "Thank you."
"Thank you... thank you? Th-" Rosa blinked. "I mean, you're very welcome."
The door chose that moment to swing open, and a swarthy man wearing a leather jacket glared down at Achan and Rosa. "You two going to keep up the fucking soap opera, or are you going to get your asses in here and duel? Five more minutes and your invite's void."
Rosa clicked her heels together. "Rude. I intend to enter with all due haste. Hmph!"
"Fine. You can leave your little chaperone outside then." The man glared at Achan. "She ain't invited, she ain't comin' in."
Achan took a deep breath. "Sir, please, I'm just here to support my friend-"
Rosa stamped her foot. "Achan, stop. You aren't yourself, and losing your friends has hurt you. This is more proof." She shook her head in frustration. "You can't support me like this. You can't even support yourself."
Achan couldn't respond. She could only watch numbly as Rosa was shepherded through the door. Before she passed through, Rosa turned to face Achan one more time. "...Thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have made it this far."
The door closed and a lock clicked. Achan stood outside, trying to ignore the ache in her chest.
"Move."
Achan had only been standing for a moment before she was roughly jostled to the side by a man wearing a pressed white suit and red silk tie. He knocked at the door of the restaurant, which opened. The swarthy doorkeeper peered out. "Grayson. Didn't think you'd show today."
"There's new blood. Always a good opportunity to make an appearance." The man smiled, smoothing back his oiled, blonde hair. "You say she's Shadowkind?"
"Livin' doll. High quality. You should see what her net worth checked out with when she put herself up for stakes."
Grayson held up a hand. "Ah, ah, ah. Don't tell me. I want it to be a surprise." He strolled through the door, whistling.
Achan's entire body began shaking as soon as she processed the implication of the words "put herself up for stakes". She stood still on the sidewalk for a long while, turning things over and over in her head. In the end she didn't really decide on a course of action. Her body moved on its own.
Desperately she charged at the door, slamming her fist against it again and again. The doorkeeper opened up. "You again? Fuck off-"
"LOCK!"
The doorkeeper fell to the ground, his limbs bound by red halos of light. Achan bent over him and glared into his eyes, pulling back her hair to let the faint blue glow of her right eye through. "I just want to watch her match. Don't make a fuss and I won't hurt you." Her limbs burned with the exertion of trying to maintain even the simple seal without Devi's guidance, and she prayed her captive wouldn't call her bluff.
To her relief, the doorkeeper began to nod furiously. "Jesus, kid, if you're a bodyguard you could have just said so. Thought you were some friend of hers or something. But uh... just remember. Your boss down there, she's doin' this of her own free will. If she loses out, she loses whatever she put up for stakes. Capische?"
Achan's response was to nod and release the Lock. "Which way?"
The doorkeeper pointed across the restaurant, toward a door behind the counter of a derelict bar. "There's a set of stairs behind that. That's the real joint, rest of this place is just a magicked-up cover. Go down, take a seat on the right side with the other bodyguards. Next duel should be starting soon. Tell your boss good luck, 'cause she'll fuckin' need it. Grayson decided to come tonight. He likes puttin' on shows with new blood."
Achan nodded mutely and dashed behind the bar, throwing open the door and tearing down the stairs.
The secret inner chambers of Alice's hit Achan all at once as she came down the stairs. First came the thick, heavy cloud of cigarette smoke which caught in her throat and left her gasping for breath. Then came the sharp smell of cheap alcohol from the bar in the corner, where several 'patrons' sat and shouted encouragement to the duelists. The largest thing in the room was the cage. It was large enough to comfortably contain two people plus holograms, lined with electrical wire the sparked and fizzed as bottles thrown by drunken watchers broke against it, and lined around the bottom with magical runes that Achan recognized as seals. Once someone walked into the cage, they would have a hard time escaping until the door was opened.
Rosa stood in the center, nervously adjusting her dress. Beside her stood a tall, thin man in an emerald green suit and top hat. His voice was light and rich as he barked out his announcement. "Ladies, gentlemen, and those of us who are neither and/or both, welcome-welcome-welcome to today's Alison's Restaurant-"
He paused, leaning forward and cupping a hand around his ear expectantly. The underground duelists raised their fists and finished his sentence as one. "MASSACRE!"
"Thankyou-thankyou-thankyou everyone! As you all know the rules for this event are simple, easy-peasy! Just step right up and into the cage and the first challenger who wants to walks on in and duels you, yes, an ordinary game of duel monsters- no special rules, no tricks, no gimmicks, just straight on-the-money duels! Our fine assistants out there- oh uh, Mimi, Irene, take a bow-"
As the announcer continued delivering his cant, Achan made her way over to the right of the room, where the doorkeeper had mentioned the body guards were seated. She flinched uncomfortably when she realized she was the only one there- apparently most of the duelists weren't important or wealthy enough to require one.
"Yes, our lovely assistants will take the money or stakes you put down on the match! And when everyone's made their wager, the duel is under way- our winning duelist gets the loser's stakes, you lucky viewers who picked the right one get a nice little bit of compensation, and all stakes bet on a losing duelist... well, they become property of the house." There was a twinkle in the barker's eye. "Now without further ado- tonight's first duelist! She may be small but she's feisty, and if you treat her like a little kid she'll make your shins live to regret it... Rosa Marie!"
Rosa clicked her heels together as the crowd began making catcalls, closing her eyes in disgust. "Hmph! If you spent as long looking for my opponent as you did on starting your ceremonies, I would have already won by now!"
Achan cast her eyes about the room, examining its vantage points and angles. There was no easy way out even if she did break the seals on the cage. Whatever she did, she would have to do before the door closed. Rosa's words didn't calm her down any more- as calm as the doll had tried to sound, Achan could hear the trembling of her voice.
"Oooh, a tough little rookie. I like that." As Achan had expected, it was Grayson who spoke. The man stood, walking forward and stepping into the cage beside Rosa.
The doll sniffed. "And can you match my stakes?"
"And double them, sweetheart. Are you too nervous to duel me because someone around here's been telling you what I like to do to fresh blood? Don't pay too much attention to them, I'll make sure I go easy on you since you're such a cutie." Grayson bent down and patted Rosa's head. The doll squirmed, uncomfortable, and both of her teddy bear attendants grabbed Grayson's hand in a futile attempt to drag it away. "Awww, touchy-"
Achan had broken from the crowd before she knew what she was doing. Vaulting past the arms of two people who had reached out to grab her, she tumbled into the cage just as the door slammed shut. The MC threw back his head and laughed. "And it appears we've got an extra-special guest today! Not sure who this little lady is, but she's blown in from the streets to take in an underground duel, and it looks like she's going to get one!"
"Achan?" Rosa blinked in surprise, her teddy bears retreating back. "You came- I mean, finally!" The relief in her voice was tangible.
Achan had the presence of mind to stumble away from the door as electrical current began running along the outskirts of the cage. Grayson glared at her. "Who're you, her owner?"
"Achan is a friend." Rosa clicked her heels impertinently. "I've asked her in here to provide support- don't worry, I won't cheat. I simply needed someone who could provide me with a duel disk. You would not believe how hard it is to get one in my size."
The MC and patrons nodded in approval, satisfied with Rosa's explanation. Achan turned to her. "Rosa, you didn't say anything about putting yourself up as stakes. You can't take a risk like this just for your father's-"
"My father has nothing to do with this. I'm doing this for my dreams. Shut up about my father already, it's becoming annoying!" Rosa snapped, motioning to Achan. "Now are you going to help me out or watch me lose by default?"
Grayson yawned. "Any day now, ladies."
Achan begrudgingly summoned her duel disk, allowing it to activate. Following Rosa's directions she knelt and picked the doll up, carrying her in her free arm. Rosa inserted her deck into Achan's disk and settled into her new perch primly. "Hmph. You have no idea how prepared I am for this match."
"All bets have been taken!" The MC stepped back to give Grayson and Rosa space. "Duelists, on your marks!"
Grayson licked his lips. "I'm going to enjoy this game, dollface. Don't worry, I've got a nice china cabinet I can display you in."
Achan glared at him. "Don't you dare touch Rosa-"
"Oh, and you, sweetheart? Shut up. Or I'll make you."
Achan wasn't sure what hit her first- the wave of darkness or the stench of decay that wafted from Grayson's right hand. She almost dropped Rosa as she began coughing. Rosa bristled in her arms, glaring. "What did you do?"
"Oh, that? Just a little parlor trick." Grayson had already activated his own duel disk. "Ready when you are-"
Achan raised her head. "Rosa-"
"It's okay." The doll had already drawn her hand. "I know what I'm getting into. I knew before I stepped into this arena."
"You don't understand," Achan coughed. "He's-"
"Duel!"
Grayson drew and placed his first monster on his duel disk in a smooth, practiced motion, so fluid that it was hard to tell whether he had looked at the card at all. "I'll lead off with this guy." The air in front of him twisted and became solid, taking on a defined shape. Achan flinched backward as she recognized the identity of the green-armored bird-man staring her down, his curved beak glimmering. (1500/800)
Rosa simply sniffed. "Gladiator Beast Bestiari in attack position, and on your first move? You must be confident."
"More than confident, dollface." Grayson pursed his lips as he nonchalantly placed a face-down card into his duel disk, its image appearing behind Bestiari. "In fact, lemme tell you a secret- I've got a reputation around here as a bit of a fortune-teller. If it's my opponent's first time at a Massacre, I can tell exactly how many turns they'll last before I make 'em bleed." He glanced at his watch. "And I'll give you... oh, how about two more of my turns after this one?"
Achan turned to Rosa, her mind running desperately. She had to warn her before-
"You impudent-" Rosa straightened her back in Achan's arms. "When I'm through with you, you won't under- I-" She turned to Achan, her expression full of righteous indignation. "Achan, tell him off for me! I'm bad at insults!"
Achan wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
Frustrated, Rosa reached out, drawing a card from her own deck. "...Never mind. I'll teach him some manners on my own. Blazing Inpachi, stand forward!" At her command a bonfire erupted onto the field, reshaping itself into a tall, wooden creature carved from a tree, '18' emblazoned across its chest. The flames licked around it, covering its body as it struck a pose. ( 1850/0)
Rosa pointed across the field imperiously. "Since you were overconfident enough to leave a key card like that Bestiari in attack position, you'll have to forgive me for burning it to ash! Blazing Inpachi, destroy it with brushfire buster!"
Achan finally found her voice. "Rosa, don'-"
She felt a sudden pressure on the back of her neck, and turned her head very slightly. The MC held a knife to her throat. "We take kibitzing quite seriously around here," he said cheerfully. "Let your friend duel on her own." He snapped his fingers, and the attack proceeded, Blazing Inpachi leaping into the air and hurtling down toward Bestiari with a fist drawn back to deliver a piledriver blow.
"Heh. Should've listened to your owner, dollface." Grayson waved his hand, and his set card sprang face-up. "Waboku reduces all battle damage this round to zero and protects my monster." Inpachi's attack connected, only for the impact to be dulled by a pale aura surrounding Bestiari's body. The wooden man staggered backward.
Rosa frowned. "In that case, I-"
"At the end of your battle phase, I activate my monster's effect." Grayson picked up Bestiari's card and shuffled it into his deck as his monster turned to the side, staring into space expectantly. "When my Bestiari attacks or is attacked during the battle phase, when it's over I can put it back into my deck and special summon myself a replacement. And the card I'm summoning is-"
Achan braced herself. Under the circumstances, the card would most likely be Gladiator Beast Murmillo, a weaker monster who automatically destroyed another face-up monster card when special summoned by the effect of a Gladiator Beast. However, instead of the blue fins of the fish-type Gladiator, she was shocked when the first things to appear were two massive, eagle-like wings and a white-feathered bird of prey's head. An overwhelming aura of darkness flooded the arena. Her face paled. "The dark card?"
The knife at her throat pressed a little harder. "Keep it shut, little lady. I wouldn't want to have to hurt you with this."
As Bestiari dissolved, it tapped its arm against that of a new monster who took its place after materializing completely. The massive winged beast may have shared Bestiari's body type, but it was far more imposing. It flexed its talons and a spray of gold light washed across the battlefield- a cold light that made Achan shudder. "Meet Gladiator Beast Octavius." Grayson indicated his new card. (2500/1800)
"That is... unexpected." Rosa flinched back slightly in Achan's arms. "I've never seen this card before. What kind of an effect does it have?"
Grayson shrugged as he examined his hand. "Normally he'll automatically destroy a set card on the field when I summon him, but neither of us have one- so it's not going to trigger."
Rosa shook her head. "Then why summon that card?" She pursed her lips before placing two cards into the duel disk, both of their backs appearing behind Blazing Inpachi. "That should do for my turn."
Grayson looked at his card as he drew it. "Heh. Showtime." He held up a card which depicted a lion-man in winged armor- Gladiator Beast Alexander- meditating in mid-air. "Gladiator Beast's Respite lets me send two Gladiator Beast cards from my hand back into my deck. So I'll shuffle back Darius and Murmillo here, and then draw three cards."
Rosa nodded with satisfaction as Grayson carried out his card's effect. "I suppose that explains why you neglected to summon Murmillo."
"Nah. I wanted this guy on the field to begin with. After all, I think your friend's noticed it by now. I summon Gladiator Beast Lanista!" Grayson sneered as he placed a card on his duel disk, and a humanoid eagle wearing green armor and wielding a lance materialized beside Octavius, its eyes glimmering. (1800/1200) "Now if you want to know why this monster... here, have your first taste of how a duel down here in the underground works, dollface! Octavius, break her monster to pieces with Caesar Wing!"
Achan felt the attack before it actually came- the waves of darkness and the stench of decay that emanated from Octavius as it swooped down upon Blazing Inpachi with its wings outstretched, ready to bring them down and crush its opponent with one strike. There was no doubt in her mind now- this card was filled to the point of overflowing with dark power, and Rosa didn't seem to realize it. She tried to open her mouth, only to feel the knife pressing down.
"Trap activate, Card Defense!"
Just as Octavius's attack came within inches of connecting, a wall of duel monsters cards shot from the walls of the cage and created an impromptu barrier, forcing it back. Rosa slipped a card into her discard slot, which Achan managed to identify. "I discard one card from my hand, and your attack is negated. And furthermore, I draw one card afterward." She primly removed one from her deck. "I believe that your Dark Card has had its wings clipped, as has your assault for the rest of the turn. Lanista can't overcome Inpachi's power." The blazing wooden man struck a pose, as if responding to Rosa's words.
Achan turned her head to Rosa, ignoring the pressure of the knife. "You knew?"
"Of course I knew." Rosa stared down Octavius and Grayson. "I've known since I came here. It's what drew me to this duel in the first place. I know it's too dangerous, but my dream- it was worth it."
"Rosa, that's-"
The knife pressed harder, as the MC continued with the same cheerful voice. "One more and it goes in all the way, little lady. I can fix the wound before you bleed out, but I wouldn't want to leave a scar on your pretty little body."
Achan felt her mind jolt on instinct. The MC screamed in pain as a Lock bit down on his wrist painfully hard and the knife clattered to the ground. She released it a moment later. "I'm not talking strategy. This is Rosa's duel," she heard herself saying. "And as a duelist, I have no right to interfere. You can put that away."
"Just so long as you understand that." The MC hissed as he moved back into the corner, nursing his wounds.
Grayson chuckled. "Such a passionate little drama. But you overlooked something, Dollface. Tell me, did you ever wonder why I put two Gladiator Beasts back into the deck so quickly when one's as good as another for attacking you directly?"
Achan shook her head at the same time as Rosa.
"Well then, let me demonstrate. Brace yourselves, this is going to sting." A childlike look of glee surrounded Grayson's face as he played his next card. "Let me introduce you to my favorite spell. Swallow's Nest lets me tribute a winged-beast I control in order to summon one of an equal level from my deck."
"And since it's quickplay, it can be activated during the battle phase," Achan realized. "Letting you summon another Octavius and keep up a chain of attacks."
"Another Octavius? Oh sweetheart, you're thinking too small." Grayson gestured to his monster as a tower rose beneath it, stretching above the duelists and into a holographically-generated patch of sky until his monster was only visible as a speck. "You called Octavius a Dark Card? I don't know what these things are, but he isn't the only one I've found that makes me feel so alive- I had to rebuild my deck from the ground up to accommodate this guy, but he's more than worth it. Now, descend on my enemies, bringer of forbidden knowledge!"
The card's identity clicked for Achan and Rosa at the same time, but only Achan managed to find the words. "Oh... shit."
"Dark Simorgh!" Grayson roared as his monster swooped downward, its talons crashing into Blazing Inpachi and reducing the golem to kindling. The regal bird spread its dark wings and uttered a keening cry, the dark crown on its head glistening in the light of the arena. (2700/1000) (8000 – 650 = 7450)
The electrical wires across the arena sizzled, and a jolt blasted forward- and struck Achan directly. She screamed, unprepared for the pain, but miraculously managed to hold onto Rosa. The doll stared in surprise. "Achan! Are you alright?"
"Oh, didn't we tell you ladies? That's the special rule here in this arena. You take damage, and this cage automatically gives you a bit of payback. Keeps things lively." Grayson grinned.
The MC dusted himself off as she stood up. "Of course, that wouldn't hurt you since you're a doll," he said. His voice was just as chipper as before, despite the pain Achan had inflicted. "But since you have a human partner, she'll make a perfect incentive to avoid getting hurt, wouldn't you say?"
"Incidentally, I'm not done with my turn yet." Grayson gestured to Lanista. "Sic 'em, boy."
Achan felt the impact of Lanista's direct assault just as it hit, staggering backward. The electricity that surged through her this time was three times more painful, and it was all she could do to keep her body upright. (7450 – 1800 = 5650)
Grayson mulled over the contents of his hand for a moment, then tapped his duel disk. "After Gladiator Beast Lanista battles, I can tag it out into my deck and summon a new Gladiator Beast monster." The eagle burned with golden light, and with a screech Octavius reappeared on Grayson's field. "And oh, would you look at that? You have a set card ripe for the picking this time- so destroy it, Octavius! Caesar Burst!"
The pieces of the strategy clicked in Achan's head. At least three of the Gladiator Beast archetype other than Octavius, she knew, were winged-beasts. By frontloading his deck with those three monsters and Octavius itself, Swallow's Nest was a constantly-live card allowing for chained attacks. And when it wasn't being used for that, it had a powerful synergy with Octavius- once summoned the eagle would destroy set cards. Then it could be tributed for Dark Simorgh, which locked away the opponent's ability to set cards.
Even as the strategy clicked, however, something else drew Achan's attention- Rosa was smiling.
"You should have picked Bestiari as your summon target. More vulnerable, perhaps, but it lacks a certain weakness that Octavius possesses." She waved her hand. "Trap card, Revolutionary Rebirth!"
Just as Octavius released a burst of razor-sharp feathers from its wings, Rosa's trap flipped face up and repulsed them. An ornate toybox appeared in front of her, several dolls and stuffed toys peeking from the open lid. (0/0) "When an opponent special summons a monster, this trap allows me to special summon a monster from my graveyard. During the end phase, that card is destroyed. My target is the Box of Friends I discarded with Card Defense." Rosa smiled primly, folding her hands. "My, my. Two dark cards and this is the best you have? Achan here battled me using a deck she transparently built from sealed packs and hand-me-downs, and her skills far surpassed this! Compared to that duel, you're nothing but a bump in the road!"
Achan felt a jolt as Rosa made her declaration. "Rosa?"
Grayson rolled his eyes. "A speech like that when you're lagging in field presence, monster power, and cards in hand? Please, dollface, don't make things harder on yourself. It's going to hurt no matter what you do." A set card appeared behind his monsters and he ended his turn with a smirk and shrug of his shoulders.
Rosa drew and her glass eyes sparkled in the arena's dim light. "I suggest you brace yourself. This next turn will hurt you far more than it hurts me." Her Box of Friends began to spark and rattle. "During your end phase, Box of Friends is destroyed by the effect of Revolutionary Rebirth."
"And all your card managed was negating an attack," Grayson sneered. "Not much point bringing a monster back if you just blow it up, is there?"
"That's the idea, you- you lunkhead!" Rosa drew herself up with pride at having managed what she obviously considered a half-decent insult. "I take it you've never encountered a deck like this before!"
As Box of Friends shattered, two plush dolls fell from it- two knights, one in red armor and one in blue. "After Box of Friends has been destroyed and sent to the graveyard, I special summon two level four normal monsters from my deck in face-up defense position. Of course, their attack or defense points must be exactly zero." Rosa placed her monsters on the field deftly, and they appeared in a flash of flame and a fountain of water. "Fortunately, Gem-Knights Garnet and Sapphire fit both conditions." (1900/0) (0/2100)
Grayson was nonplussed. "So you can Xyz summon. So what?"
Rosa drew the first card of her turn, and smiled. The overlay nexus opened, Sapphire and Garnet disappearing into it just as they hit the field. Rosa closed her eyes and held up her hand, the card she intended to summon seeming to shimmer into it instead of emerging from the extra deck. "With two level four monsters, I can build the overlay network. Rise up, my avatar, and show your true power!"
With a swish, and a curtsy, Rosa's ace monster appeared- and promptly, in a display of character Achan hadn't thought possible for the demure monster, flipped both of Grayson's dark cards a double-bird. "Princess Cologne!" (500/2200)
"Pfeh. Pretty face, rude mouth. She's you alright." Grayson waved his hand dismissively as Princess Cologne turned her back to him, rummaging on the ground. When she had turned around, she was holding the Box of Friends in them. (0/0)
"Princess Cologne, when Xyz summoned, special summons a Box of Friends from the graveyard." Rosa continued moving through her hand. "And like any good princess she and I are both generous with our possessions. So catch!"
Grayson showed his first real look of surprise as Cologne tossed her favorite toy into the air. It hurtled end over end before dropping down to his field, its lid rattling and falling aside. "What the hell did you just do?"
The glowing spell on Rosa's field answered his question. Achan felt a surge of relief. "You used Creature Swap!"
Rosa rolled her eyes. "I can't imagine why you're so surprised, Achan. Either way, I'll be using that card's effect now: Creature Swap exchanges the position of a monster on my field and yours. Each of us get to select which of our cards was affected, and obviously I choose Box of Friends. Your choice will be?"
Grayson's eyes flicked back and forth between each of his monsters, and he growled in distaste. "Take it, then." He motioned to Octavius, who vanished, reappearing in Rosa's possession.
Rosa sighed in relief as Octavius appeared. "Apparently only your first copy of it was tainted- good, that's a relief. I'd hate to have to breathe in miasma from a card like that more than once." She stared Grayson down before motioning to Octavius. "Fly!"
In the next instant, Rosa's stolen Gladiator Beast had smashed the Box of Friends on Grayson's field. Bolts of electricity poured down from the cage toward him as the Box's effect activated simultaneously, a second copy of Garnet and Sapphire materializing on Rosa's field. (1900/0) (0/2100)
Achan had kept her concentration on Grayson. The bolts that had struck him were far more intense than either of the charges she had already experienced, and yet he was still standing. In fact, aside from a slightly singed smell in the air, he appeared completely unharmed. (8000 – 2500 = 5500 LP)
She reached up, brushing her hair away from her right eye. It began to glow a light blue, faintly, as she examined Grayson and pinpointed the cause. Rosa had been more right than she realized- a miasma of dark energy surrounded Grayson, shielding him from harm. "You aren't just possessed by that card," Achan muttered. "You've taken control of its power. That's why you can use two at once so easily!"
Grayson clapped his hands slowly. "Well, well. Congratulations, sweetheart, you figured it out." He grinned as the cage's charge shut off. "I said so myself, didn't I? These cards make me feel alive- and as long as I'm holding onto them, nothing you do is going to hurt me. How about you though? You look like you've seen better days."
Achan's body trembled. It was true. Without Devi, even the two simple seals she'd performed earlier had taken a toll on her, and the electrical punishment she'd received from taking damage had already rocked her to the core. All that was keeping her upright was the combination of adrenaline and fear running through her system. She looked around the arena.
She could already see it- the crowd was firmly on Grayson's side. People were roaring encouragement from the sidelines, and beer bottles broke against the cage's walls.
This wasn't a fair duel.
Grayson smirked. "That's what I thought. By the way, Dollface, you've got a choice to make." He pointed to Octavius, who had begun to dissolve into particles of golden light. "Octavius has to make a choice at the end of every battle phase where he attacked or was attacked. Either you have to ditch a card from your hand, or he goes straight back to his owner's deck." He licked his lips. "Well?"
Rosa ignored him, allowing Octavius to transform into particles of light and vanish. "He's already accomplished his purpose. Leaving him on the field any longer would be pointless." She snapped her fingers, pointing to the two monsters she had summoned with Box of Friends. "Once again, I build an overlay network. Rise up, my new monster!"
Achan blinked in surprised. She had been expecting Gem-Knight Pearl after her last battle with Rosa, but this monster was clearly a new addition to her deck, and couldn't have struck more of a contrast from her original cards. The creature had wide ears, gray-green skin, and clawed hands and toes. The white ruffs surrounding its wrists, ankles and face bristled and light reflected from the red jewel it wore. (2300/2000) "King of the Feral Imps," Rosa explained as she indicated her new card, "allows me to detach one of its materials once per turn in order to add a reptile-type monster from my deck to my hand. I choose Masked Chameleon." The King reached out, grabbing one of the two lights orbiting it like miniature satellites and gulping it down as Rosa's deck produced the card she wanted.
"Pfeh." Grayson rolled his eyes. "Are you done yet?"
"Not quite." Rosa turned around one of the remaining four cards in her hand. "Forbidden Chalice!" A clear fountain of water struck Dark Simorgh, and the miasma around it shattered for a moment. "This card will raise the attack points of the target monster by four hundred, but will also negate its effect until the end phase. Naturally, I apply this effect to your Dark Simorgh!"
The excitement Achan had started to feel evaporated when Grayson's only response was to burst out laughing. "Seriously? Dollface, this is getting real entertaining!"
Rosa selected a card from her hand, placing it in her duel disk. "With Simorgh's effect negated I can set this. Then, I end my turn."
Grayson drew, snorting. "Hey, dollface. Remember what I said? Two more turns." He grinned as he placed a card on his duel disk. "And here's one. Gladiator Beast Equeste!" The monster which materialized resembled a centaur, but the blue armor covering its body included a pair of sharp, iron wings. (1600/1200) "And now... get lost!"
Grayson's trap card flipped face up, and Achan's stomach churned. "That's-"
"Icarus Attack! I tribute a winged-beast monster, then target two cards that are on the field and destoy 'em. And I know just the targets." Grayson grinned, pointing toward Rosa's King of the Feral Imps and set card as Equeste's body caught flame and he charged into the air, preparing to attack. "I feel pretty bad for you dollface- you worked so hard to get those in play, too! Equeste, wipe 'em out!"
Achan could feel her body giving out on her.
This was just like before.
Every time Rosa had produced some form of new hope, it was being snatched away. Grayson was toying with her- no, with both of them.
Just like Evan had.
As the attack from Equeste bore down, Rosa's shout interrupted Achan's thoughts. "I chain-activate my card!"
Grayson's livid expression contrasted well with Achan's look of surprise as Rosa's card turned upright before it could be impacted. "Forbidden Lance will lower the attack points of any one monster on the field by eight hundred, but make it immune to the effects of other spell or trap cards- I choose to target your Dark Simorgh with its effect." The lance whistled through the air as Equeste's suicide attack struck, causing both it and King of the Feral Imps to disappear into a blaze. Simorgh screamed in pain as the lance buried itself in its feathers.
Rosa turned to face Achan, making eye contact. "Achan- put me down."
Achan blinked. "What?"
"Put me down. Even with that card activated, I can't prevent him from doing damage this turn. So put me down and take a step back. If you are not part of the duel, you won't have to take the damage for me." Rosa smiled. "I'm grateful for everything you've done so far. You don't have to push yourself."
The words didn't seem to make sense to Achan for a minute. "What are you talking about?"
"Bringing me here. Giving me a dream. Helping me see it through." Rosa looked across the cage at Grayson, who was pantomiming a yawn but not particularly in a mood to interrupt yet. "Before, I was sure I had to follow Father's dream, and become his daughter. But you told me to follow my own- to be who I wanted to be. And after the duel we had, I knew." Her eyes were shining. "I want to be a pro duelist! My dream is to become the next King of Games!"
Grayson threw back his head and began howling with laughter. "You serious dollface? They'd crush you before you got within a foot of the stadium if you tried to go pro! Even the Veil's got limits, and no mundane's gonna take a dueling doll seriously!"
Rosa grit her teeth. "...And that is why I want a body of my own. I'm tired of being too small. Tired of having my life determined by what Father made me! I want this body so I can become whole again! I want to escape!"
The last word rang out. Achan reached out and squeezed Rosa's hand, and was surprised to find it was quite warm. "Rosa?"
The doll looked back. "I- oh. I'm sorry, I got carried away," she said.
"I think I get it now." Achan looked forward across the field, her right eye's glow slowly changing to a more intense gold.
Grayson began to take notice of the phenomenon. "Hey, sweetheart. You'd better not be casting a spell with that. This game's fair and square, alright?"
Achan ignored him. "I've been acting like an idiot. If Devi saw me right now, he'd probably slap me." She strangled back a sob. "And Kastle- Kastle would too. Because I ran here without thinking, sure. But also because once you decide you're going to help someone, you fight beside them until it's over."
The golden glow in her eye had returned. Rosa began to beam. "That's more like it. That's exactly the way you felt the night we first met!"
"Hey, dollface. Still my turn."
Rosa looked up, just to see a tower rising above the arena, carrying Dark Simorgh with it. "Swallow's Nest. And I see, you chained it to my Lance in order to avoid its effect," she surmised.
"And with it, I'm obviously going to summon another Dark Simorgh," Grayson sneered as his new monster flew down from from the rising tower, a mirror image of the first one. "And this one isn't affected by your little spell card, so it's entering the field at full power." (2700/1000)
Achan stared straight ahead, trying to maintain her self control. She wanted to say to Rosa what she had already guessed- that if Dark Simorgh had been tributed, Grayson had to be very confident about the last card in his hand- and with no other monsters on the field, Cologne was vulnerable. Rosa and her monster continued to stand resolute though. In fact, it was Rosa who spoke to Achan first. "Brace yourself. He's going to destroy Cologne and attack directly," she murmured.
Grayson lifted two cards from his graveyard slot. "Alright, dollface. Ready for the beginning of the end? I'll banish that Dark Simorgh I just tributed, and Equeste as well. That's one Dark monster, and one Wind monster. And that meets the summoning conditions for the a certain monster."
Achan felt Rosa flinch back suddenly from the pressure that began to leak from Grayson's field as Simorgh cast a shadow which stretched out and lifted up. Two eyes took shape within it and blinked as it solidified into the form of a second Dark Simorgh, which raised its wings in unison with the first. (2700/1000)
"Heh. I can see it in your eyes," Grayson said as he looked at Achan and Rosa. "You two think you've got a fighting chance if you can just ride this turn out. I think you're forgetting something important."
Achan looked up at the cage, which was already beginning to spark, as Grayson continued. "The moment my second Simorgh's attack lands, you'll take plenty of damage. And that'll be enough to wipe you out completely. Well, dollface? Your friend's not looking too good- current's not supposed to be lethal, but there's always a chance of an accident."
Achan could already see the dark aura flowing from Grayson's body into the cage. There was no chance that whatever happened next would be an "accident". She clenched her fists in frustration as Rosa's hand began to waver. They had come so far, to lose like this-
"Rosa." Achan looked at the cage and took a deep breath. "Go ahead and let him. I'll ride it out somehow."
Rosa looked back at Achan only for a moment, then nodded. "You heard her, lunkhead. Do your worst!"
Grayson nearly burst out laughing. "Well then... far be it from me to stop you! Dark Simorghs, smash their defenses and bring the pain! Forbidden Secret!"
The first Simorgh seemed to glide over to Cologne, who held her arms up defensively, shivering. Rosa closed her eyes as Simorgh's wings snapped shut, covering her monster, and its beak slashed downward. There was a shattering noise, and a balloon drifted toward the ceiling of the arena before dissipating into pixels. Achan felt Rosa's entire body begin to shake. "Are you okay?"
"I felt that," Rosa admitted. "It's nothing. But I felt it."
The second attack was hard on the heels of the first, and Achan steeled herself. Grayson hadn't realized she wasn't entirely human yet, and with any luck she'd survive the attack. Even so, it might render her unconscious, and then if the crowd turned violent Rosa would be alone-
Time seemed to slow, and a voice echoed in Achan's mind. [When you create a seal, the most important thing to remember is concentration. Even in the heat of battle, focus on the seal instead of on your opponent. If you form it properly, they shouldn't be able to harm you at all. If you need to think of something quick, focus on a simple shape with simple properties.]
"A circle for instance," Achan found herself mouthing as Simorgh's attack struck, causing both her and Rosa to reel backwards from the shock. Fortunately, this third copy didn't seem to be a dark card. (5650 – 2700 = 2950 LP)
The bolts from the ceiling were launched almost immediately. Achan breathed out and focused. Simple shape. Simple properties.
It came to her. Of course- the Locks had been complicated because she had over-thought what she needed. Why not something easy? No need to constrict so much. No need to arrest the moment. Just channel it. Move it. Make it a circle.
Just as the cage fired two red circles inscribed themselves around Achan, one inside the other, runes forming within them almost automatically. The electricity crackled and raged, then vanished into nothing. The circle broke, and Achan exhaled, trying to make sense of what she had just done.
Grayson's face turned red with rage. "What the hell are you made of?"
"Better stuff than you are," Rosa smirked, though Achan could hear the relief in her voice. "And far stronger as well. And since you just exhausted all your cards in one attack, I believe it's my turn." She drew, then examined the top card of her deck and immediately placed it on the duel disk. "I activate Upstart Goblin, giving you one thousand life points in order to draw one more card from my deck."
As Rosa drew, Grayson yawned, his life point counter ticking up. "What are you playing at?" (5500 + 1000 = 6500 LP)
Rosa smiled. "You predicted I'd only last two more of your turns, meaning you intend to finish me off as soon as your next one begins. I'm quite sure you over-exceeded your confidence there and planned to use that Swallow's Nest to set up a combination with a Gladiator Beast, which would have reduced my life points considerably more than the play you were forced to revert to did. That said, though I'm confident in my victory? I'd like to match your boast if I can. And I just got the cards to do it." She placed a monster on her duel disk. "And here is the first one. I summon Masked Chameleon!"
In a shimmer of light, a new monster appeared in front of Rosa- a green-skinned lizard with a curled tail. Its head was covered by an ornate mask, which molded to its skin and shimmered with green jade and inset gems. (1600/1000)
No sooner had the monster arrived than the ground beside it cracked, a jet of flame spurting up as Blazing Inpachi emerged from it and crouched in a defensive stance. (1850/0) "When Masked Chameleon is normal summoned, I can special summon a monster with zero defense points from my graveyard. However, for the rest of the turn I am not allowed to summon monsters, except from the extra deck." Rosa smirked. "Of course, that will hardly be a problem for what I have in mind."
Grayson eyed the reptile curiously. "Oh? And what makes you say that?"
"If you had any sense last turn, you would have been willing to sacrifice your Dark Simorgh to destroy King of the Feral Imps, even as a two-for-one trade." Achan nodded in agreement with Rosa's words as the doll continued. "The moment Masked Chameleon moved to my hand, your defeat was all but assured. You see, my Masked Chameleon is a level four tuner. And now I'll tune it with my level four Blazing Inpachi!"
Masked Chameleon's jade mask splintered, then broke apart, along with the rest of its body. Rather than dissipating, the fragments transformed into four green rings which aligned themselves with Inpachi's body, transforming it into four shining stars. Rosa closed her eyes and smiled. "Champion of the noble, let your crimson flames rise up and bloom! Synchro summon!"
The monster which emerged from the column of light in front of Rosa was a regal, imposing figure. The lion stood a full head taller than Grayson's Simorghs, and a palpable sense of heat rose from its bright orange fur. Its mane, which seemed as much metal as it did flesh, was a bright crimson interwoven with white strands. Flames licked up around its paws as it let out a triumphant roar. "Lead me to victory, Lion of Red Lotus!" (3000/1800)
Grayson took a step back. "What the hell is-"
"Lion of Red Lotus can only be summoned if all non-tuner monsters are not effect monsters. His effect activates." Gem Knight Garnet slipped from the graveyard slot of Achan's duel disk, and Rosa handed the card to her for safe keeping. "Once per turn, I can banish any number of normal monsters in my graveyard. For each one banished, Lion of Red Lotus can attack an additional number of monsters during that battle phase. In other words, I can attack both of your monsters this turn."
Grayson's expression twisted. "...Wait a second. You mean-"
"Yes. This turn, due to your carelessness, I'll wipe out all of your monsters and leave you with no way to defend yourself. But I do plan to cut even that short for you." Rosa revealed one of the last two cards in her hand. "Megamorph!"
As the Lion of Red Lotus doubled in size, Grayson ran the calculations in his head. "That- that's just not fair!"
"Oh? I've made every one of my moves by the rules of the game. It's your own fault you weren't able to handle them." Rosa smiled at Achan. "Achan, would you care to do the honors with me?"
Achan returned the smile. "I'd like that."
Raising their voices in unison, both threw their hands forward. "Lion of Red Lotus, attack both Dark Simorghs! Roar of Triumph!"
The lion roared, flexing and leaping into the air with claws outstretched. The first Simorgh was borne to the ground underneath it, and only struggled for a moment before a brutal paw strike smashed down on its skull, reducing it to a cloud of feathers and pixels. Grayson's dark mist barely reflected the electrical burst which struck in the wake of the attack, but he could only watch helplessly as the Lion raised up its head from the kill and released a triumphant roar, along with a flaming shockwave from below its paws. The final Simorgh screamed as the shockwave impacted it, setting it alight. It burned to nothing in an instant, and Grayson's life points with it. (6500 – 3300 = 3200 LP) (3200 – 3300 = 0 LP)
The final bolts of electricity struck. The dark power around Grayson swirled, as if uncertain whether to defend him or not. He screamed in pain as the bolts hit, his body twitching until he fell still.
Achan and Rosa sighed in relief in unison, then met each other's gaze. "Whew."
The MC had made it to his feet, and looked out across the gathered crowd, who were watching in stunned silence. "Well... uh... the winner is Rosa Marie! And with it, she gets to take Grayson's stakes-"
Rosa's smile evaporated as the MC held up four cards. "Three copies of Dark Simorgh, and one Gladiator Beast Octavius! Each of these was signed by an I2 artist, making them distinct from all other copies of the card- a rare find that you can't get anywhere else in the world!"
"Unacceptable!" Rosa blurted out. "Even if I could accept cards tainted by the darkness he used, I need cash money. This is not what I was promised!"
The MC leered. "Well too bad, because that's what you'll get. Grayson put these up for stakes, and I can't offer you what neither of us have. Since you don't want them though..." He tossed the four cards to the prone duelist and opened the door. "You can always go for a second match."
Rosa's jaw dropped open. "This- this is- I can't-"
Achan's fists clenched. She began to realize what had happened here.
"Grayson didn't just happen to find those dark cards, did he?" she asked, looking closely at the MC. "And you didn't just happen to find Rosa, either. You're a distributor, aren't you? You persuade people to wager these cards on games and spread them through the city that way. That's why you wanted her here, in the arena. She's already succumbed once, so you thought you'd do it again."
The MC's knife flicked out. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You do." Achan struggled to keep her voice even, but her frustration spilled through anyway. "I didn't sense dark aura around you, so I bet that you haven't kept a single one of these cards for yourself- you just know that money's coming in from somebody, and they're paying you to make sure they get those cards around. You don't care if the cards are cursed. Either someone comes in and they win one of them, or they get pitted through an endless series of duels until they lose everything."
The MC smiled. "You're talking bullshit, little lady. But since I'm a nice guy, I won't cut your throat for that."
Achan tensed, realizing how far the MC had been pushed by this point. She kept her eyes fixed on the knife, waiting for his next move.
She barely saw the small object drop from his sleeve into his left hand, but Achan heard Rosa shout "STOP HIM!" as the MC lifted what looked like a small detonator switch. Rosa's two attendant bears leaped from some concealed location and grabbed at his wrist, only to be shaken off. His finger depressed the button and the cage began to spark.
Achan closed her eyes. The magic circle could channel electricity away and seal it into the ground, but there was no way the MC didn't know that. He'd do something while she was concentrating on diverting it.
This was going to be it. At least, she thought to herself with a sense of relief, Rosa would probably make it out in one piece.
The voice rang out in her memories again. [Dealing with more than one threat gets difficult if you wait for them all to come to you. The best way to counter is to be proactive. Even if you can't eliminate one threat altogether, sometimes just keeping them off balance long enough to deal with whatever is pressing down on you faster is enough. Remember that simple seals are the key, and the key to simple seals is visualization. Start by imagining how you want to constrain a target, and then the parameters should emerge. Don't waste time if you can't make it perfect on the first shot- if it's meant to be a delay-]
"Not every seal needs to be Endless 9" Achan mumbled. As she activated the magic circle around her, she reached out with her mind and constructed a second seal. The MC seized up in surprised as a magical circle inscribed itself in the air around his body, pinning his arms to the side and binding him in place. With a harsh cry and a wrench of his shoulders, he shattered the impromptu binding like glass and lunged driving his knife-
-well past where Achan and Rosa had been a moment before. He whirled to see Achan setting Rosa down gently before straightening up to face him. She reached out her palm, slowly. "Why are you trying to kill me? Everyone here is a witness."
"Everyone here can tell you're the one who's full of shit. I don't want to kill you, just make an example of you. Show everyone here what happens when lying little shits spread tales about my arena." The MC advanced slowly, this time unarmed.
Achan didn't want to think about the possibilities of what that meant. "Rosa, what are the odds he's a magic user?"
"I'm not sticking around to find out!" Rosa motioned to her two bear attendants, who leaped up and jammed what looked like a small seed into the cage's lock. It burst into bloom a moment later, transforming into thick vines and ropes of ivy which twisted the door off its hinges. The two burst out, trying to force their way through the crowd only to be blocked off. The bouncer stood to the back of the group, herding the crowd forward and forcing the two back.
The MC grinned. "I'm not in the habit of hurting little girls, but you broke the rules. And you missed out on one thing." He spread his hands and roared. "Every bastard in here already has a card from me!"
Achan's eyes narrowed. It was true. She hadn't sensed it before- maybe they'd been concealing it- but dark energy leaked from every duelist in the room. She raised her duel disk. "...I don't know if I can turn this into a shadow game without my partner," she admitted, "but I'll try my best."
"Don't worry." Rosa raised Princess Cologne's card as one of her stuffed bears unzipped the back of the other, producing a set of the same pages covered in German scrawl she had used the night she had attacked the theater. "You won't be alone. And... thank you for coming here. We might stand a chance together."
[Together, we can save anyone.]
Achan's eyes filled with tears. "Devi..."
[In any fight, the first person to seal is the one you know has magic. And don't just seal their movement, either. The ideal thing to do is to place them in a circle that feeds magic back to the center. This is a more difficult seal, so what you should do is make sure you're concentrating all your attention on them at one time. You're talented enough with that Lock seal of yours, so make that a first priority. Then from there, construct the boundaries of the second seal.]
"Thanks." Achan threw up her hands. "Rosa, hold them back for a minute?"
"With pleasure!" Cologne's card gleamed as power flowed from her and Rosa into the pages, causing a wall of branches to spring up between herself, Achan, and the crowd.
They began to wither almost immediately, but Achan could see they had just enough time. She raised her hands and whirled on the MC. "Lock!"
The lock ring this time was extremely constrictive, to the point of stressing joints- Achan had made sure of that. It was no time for playing nice. She closed her eyes, trying frantically to remember how to construct a magic-feedback seal. First one outer circle, then a circle within that. Carve characters within the boundary of the two- which ones? How many? Her mind raced.
[Don't be afraid to improvise. Seals can be reinforced by characters, but shapes are equally important. For instance, the branching shape of the forks of a Triskelion is what directs all energy to the center and freezes the target bound by it. If you need an impromptu loop-]
"Execute Program!" Achan shouted as she clenched her fist. "Feedback Spiral!"
The MC screamed as two circles, one within another, scorched themselves in red light onto the ground beneath his feet. A single line burned itself in ever-receding loops from the inner circle towards its center point, creating a perfect spiral. Achan turned her attention away from him to focus on the crowd. "And now for them."
Rosa's barrier began to fall away, and her attendants readied a new page. "Here they come!"
Achan exhaled, and felt sweat running down her forehead, as well as a stabbing pain in the back of her skull. This was exhausting, even taking Devi's lessons into account. To her surprise, however, her reserves hadn't run as low as she thought. It was a toss-up as to whether she could concentrate hard enough to paralyze the group, but beyond the calculations growing more difficult, she could do this even without Devi.
[Together, we can save everyone.]
"And even if you aren't here," she found herself saying as she constructed a magical circle around herself and Rosa, forming an impromptu barrier, "if you hadn't told me how, I never could have done this. Devi, this one's for-"
There was a sudden burst of light, and the occupants of the arena fell to the ground, cursing. Achan and Rosa were forced to shield their eyes.
A second noise rang out- a loud banging and crashing. Dust swept over the arena. Achan felt her barrier seal slowly retract, stressed to the breaking point. She fell to her knees, gasping for air. "What the hell?"
"You overdid it," a familiar voice chided. A thick dust had risen up from whatever attack had rocked the arena, obscuring the speaker. "That could have harmed the two we came here to visit."
"You came here to visit, you mean," a second voice corrected- this one much younger and female, the high pitch and lilt making it seem child-like. "Anyway, I'm out of here. Remember, you said you owed me a favor!"
"And I'll do my best to repay it. Now run along."
The smoke cleared. Every single member of the arena was on the ground- and more surprising, cards were scattered around them, slashed neatly in half. Achan recognized the remains of Grayson's dark cards among them, leaving little doubt as to their identities. There was no trace of the second speaker, but Achan could clearly see the first. "You?"
Rosa blinked. "You? Why are you here? We promised not to meet for another hour."
Achan turned to Rosa, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You- you know him?"
"He's the one who offered to build me a body."
Evan shook dust from his white coat and sneezed. "Quite. I met Miss Marie and was impressed with her determination, so I offered to secure a human body for her if she was able to prove she was willing to risk everything for it. She proved herself capable." He shook his head from side to side. "It's a pity you weren't able to obtain the money."
Rosa bristled. "You told me I could win the sum you asked for here! If you hadn't directed me-"
"As I said, I needed to be sure you had the resolve. Even if you had lost, I would have rescued you," Evan interrupted. "Now that you have demonstrated it, I'm willing to construct a body for you. You can repay me by using it to carve out a name for yourself."
Achan could hardly believe what she was hearing. She wanted to speak up, but the words caught in her throat. It was almost unbelievable that Evan would have stepped in had Rosa lost.
But when she had lost to him two nights ago, he hadn't taken her life. Just Devi's.
He could build Rosa a body too, Achan was sure of it. That man had built hers, and clearly knew the spells to modify it. It left only one doubt. "How do we know if you won't install some kind of control mechanism in her or something?"
"I would have installed one in your body if I had any interest in such things." Evan stared Achan down. "You may not have forgiven me, daughter, but I've only ever done what's best for you."
Rosa turned to Achan. "He's your father?"
"He made my body." Achan refused to say the rest. "So he's not lying about being able. I can't forgive him for what he did to Devi, though."
"I saved you. If you don't believe me about your partner's betrayal, I understand. But he would have devoured you bit by bit to save himself. You can already tell- your reserves should have been drained dry by him leaving. Instead, your magical prowess is growing. You would have been incapable of that display of power before. I watched." Evan's tone was gentler when speaking to Achan, more paternal.
She hated it.
"Achan, did he-" Rosa grimaced, turning on Evan. "You hurt my friend! You took someone from her, didn't you? Leave! Leave now! I'll never take a body from you, I don't care-"
"You would sacrifice your dreams for the sake of a friend?" Evan interrupted.
"I won't. But I won't use your help to achieve them either." Rosa wrapped her arms around Achan's leg. "Achan saved my life. I won't take help from someone who hurt her."
Evan turned his attention to Achan. "Well, my daughter? What do you think?"
Achan felt a rising wave of anger move over her body. Magic began to gather around her hands as she remembered what had happened that night. Every ounce of pain, every piece of humiliation came flooding back. The cold hands. The cuts along her body. Her whimpers, her screams. Every minute of the ordeal. She relived them all in an instant. She opened her mouth to speak.
"Rosa, take the body."
Rosa released her leg. "What?"
"I said take it." Achan felt tears dripping down her face, but she didn't care. "If he'd wanted to kill me or take my mind prisoner he would have already. And he didn't know we were friends until now. And- and I know people who could probably make sure you don't have control spells or something on you. You're probably never going to get a chance like this again, so take it." The tears were flowing freely from her left eye. "Devi's gone, and he's never coming back. But- but if you don't get what we came here for, then all of this was just meaningless."
Rosa twisted. "Achan, he-"
"I know what he did!" Achan found herself screaming. "I know what he did and I don't care! And- and if you're my father or something," she shouted, directing all her anger at Evan. "If you're my fucking father then you can pay me back for what you did to Devi with this! Give her the best damn body you've ever fucking made and just get the fuck out of my life, I never want to see you again!"
"...I cannot promise I'll leave you forever. But I will do as you wish." Evan looked into Rosa's eyes. "Provided, of course, Miss Marie will relent."
Rosa's tiny hands clenched into fists. "You sicken me," she said after a minute. "You sicken me and I can't believe I'm saying this. But," she took a deep breath. "I trust Achan. And I know that once you complete this body for me if you come near her again, the first thing I'll do is wring your neck!"
Evan cracked a smile, which disappeared as quickly as it came. "Very well. I've prepared the body already. It's a simple affair- all I needed was enough raw material to transmute into a shell of a female human. I've taken the liberty of giving it a similar apparent age to my daughter's, and I've patterned the appearance as well as I could after yours. Of course, it won't serve as a magical conduit and it will be as vulnerable as a normal human's, so please take care with it. Your soul should be able to freely move between it and your original body, but I can't promise I will be around to provide you a new shell should this one break."
"I'll change my mind if you keep chattering about it," Rosa growled. "I- Achan, I can't do this! I can't take something from him!"
"You have to, okay?" Achan couldn't stop sobbing. "You just have to. I couldn't save Kastle, I lost Devi, I lost- I lost too much. I'm not letting you lose something you dreamed of because of that, okay? So just take it."
Rosa raised her hand to her eyes, and sniffed. "I- I want to cry right now, but dolls can't." She turned to Evan. "So... so give it to me already. I need it now."
"Understood." Evan raised his arm, and in a shimmer of light a book Achan recognized as the Lesser Key appeared in his hands. "I'll use this to transport it here. My facilities are some distance away."
He flipped the book open and began murmuring inaudible spells. A bright green magic circle opened beneath his feet, and he stepped back. It pulsed once, twice, and then a shape appeared in the center.
In spite of her anger, Rosa's jaw dropped. "It's-"
"Considering your partner's identity, I thought it would be quite fitting," Evan said as he gestured to the object he had summoned.
A human Rosa lay in the center of an ornate, glass coffin. Her hands were folded over her chest, which rose and fell to indicate that even without an animating spirit the body inside was physically quite alive. The facial features had been expertly sculpted to match Rosa's as closely as possible, though Evan had clearly taken liberties- freckles dotted her cheeks, nose, and shoulders in places. Evan had also taken the liberty of clothing it in a simple, navy blue one-piece swimsuit. Rosa reached up, running her hand along the coffin's edge. "It's- it's too frilly," she growled. "The coffin I mean. I suppose the body's satisfactory. Just tell me how to transfer my soul to it!"
Evan gently lifted the coffin's lid, and extended his hand to Rosa, offering her a boost. The doll gave a loud "Hmph" before turning to Achan instead. Drying her eyes, Achan gently lifted Rosa up to stand level with the body's face.
"The transfer is relatively easy," Evan explained as he lifted the Lesser Key again. "I'll provide you with a bit of magic to ease the transition, but all you should need is to concentrate on the initial connection. Simply touch the body and focus."
Achan took a deep breath and held it. She began to focus. Without Devi as the source of her power, she might be able to use her seal magic against Evan properly. If he hurt Rosa, she would do everything she could to finish him.
Rosa knelt, touching her new body's hands. "...Farewell, Father. Thank you for giving birth to me," she said as she closed her eyes.
"Touching. I wish my own daughter thought as highly of me." Evan closed his own eyes and began to murmur.
There was no flash, and no pyrotechnics. A dull blue light flowed through Rosa and into the new body, then vanished. Evan slammed the Lesser Key shut as Rosa's doll body slumped to the side, inert. Her bear attendants leaped to catch it, preventing it from shattering on the ground.
Achan held her breath as she watched Rosa's new body. It was clearly breathing, but she didn't stir. As if reading her thoughts, Evan spoke up. "Give it a minute. Her soul is simply adjusting. She should wake up any- aha."
Rosa's eyes opened. She flexed her hands, slowly looking across her body. "I'm- awake. I'm... I..."
Her eyes filled with tears. She rolled from the coffin, rushed to Achan and swept her into a hug. Achan barely noticed that Rosa had almost four inches on her as she met her embrace.
Evan sighed. "...Until we meet again, my daughter."
"Fuck you," Achan managed through her tears. It was hollow, but it as all she could do.
She didn't know how long she spent crying together with Rosa there, in the ruins of the arena. But she knew that in that moment, for once, everything had almost been worth it.
Almost.
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Homebrew Cards:
Revolutionary Rebirth
Counter Trap
When an opponent special summons a monster: you can activate this card. Special summon a monster from your graveyard in face-up attack or defense position. During the end phase, destroy the monster summoned by this effect and gain life points equal to its attack points.
Lion of Red Lotus
Monster/FIRE/Beast/Synchro/Effect/8*
Atk 3000/Def 1800
"1 Tuner monster + 1 or more non-tuner Monsters except effect monsters"
Cannot be special summoned except by synchro summon. During your battle phase, you can banish any number of Normal monsters in your graveyard, this card can attack a number of monsters your opponent controls equal to the number banished once each. When this card is destroyed: shuffle all your banished normal monsters back into your deck and draw one card.
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Deck Profiling!
Rosa's Deck: "Pursuing a Dream"
Rosa's central deck core is basically unchanged in this second iteration of her deck. She still focuses on using the powerful effect of Box of Friends to special summon monsters from her main deck and perform Rank 4 Xyz summons for cards such as Princess Cologne. The addition of two new cards has opened up an entirely new avenue of strategy, however. The first is Masked Chameleon, which can special summon her Gem-Knight Garnet or Blazing Inpachi from the graveyard when it is normal summoned at the cost of preventing her from special summoning other monsters from outside of the extra deck that turn. This single card opens up the possibility of her deck accessing not only its usual Rank 4 Xyz, but also a Level Eight synchro monster. In order to take advantage of this, Rosa has also given her extra deck overhauls. The first and most obvious one is the addition of synchro monsters themselves, but the second is her addition of King of the Feral Imps. By detaching a material, King of the Feral Imps can be used to search her deck for the reptile-type Masked Chameleon. Rosa can even summon a Masked Chameleon, revive a normal monster, overlay them to summon King, and search out a new Masked Chameleon by detaching the normal monster in order to set up successive Xyz or Synchro summons across two turns.
An unusual feature of Rosa's deck is her preference for the "Forbidden" spell cycle of cards, increasing or decreasing a monster's attack points in order to interfere with card effects. Forbidden Chalice and Forbidden Lance are both cards with many flexible uses, Lance in particular giving Rosa either the ability to protect her own card from opposing trap or spell effects or to interfere with an opponent's plans by cutting the attack points of a monster they control.
Ace Card: As before, Rosa's ace card remains Princess Cologne. The ability to special summon a Box of Friends from the graveyard allows her to set up combination plays for new Xyz monsters, including King of the Feral Imps. Box of Friends itself might be thought of as the 'ace' of Rosa's entire strategy. Box of Friends can be used for monsters other than level four monsters, unlike Rescue Rabbit. However Rank 4 builds have extra stability due to the high amount of synergy between King of the Feral Imps and Masked Chameleon.
