Infernity Mirage
I was going to use Iris Rose Yuuki, as suggested by The Silver Magician of Chaos, but I wanted a more normal Japanese name. So I ended up renaming her Ayame.
Enjoy!
IX: Fate of the Living
The rest of the week, I waited for the inevitable sword to fall from Coppermine-sensei, but then the Chancellor announced that Coppermine-sensei had taken a week off for 'personal reasons' and for now Tenjouin-sensei was acting Vice-Chancellor. I mentally wished him luck; Kiryu-sensei was pretty fickle, I realised.
Bar Tenjouin-sensei actually teaching in an eye-searing Hawaiian shirt, a relative of Kajiki-sensei's own clothing, Duel Time rolled around fairly peaceably as we made our way from hordes of whispering boys towards the campus of Duel Academia Queens. Everything was fairly quiet as I discussed with Rex the probability of Jack-san vs Crow-san in the coming Atlantis tournament (Bets were on both; it was difficult to decide, after all) until we found Kujaku Satsuki starting a Duel. Her opponent was a short, brown-haired girl, who would otherwise be plain-looking and another faceless mook if not for what was clearly an Elemental HERO Grand Neos on her field.
"Shit," Rex succinctly echoed my exact thoughts as Kujaku got her ass kicked.
"And what are you shitty guys doing here, huh?" Kujaku growled at us. If Kujaku Mai saw her grand-daughter now, I think she'd be disappointed.
"Satsuki, be nice," the brown-haired girl sighed tiredly. "Good afternoon. I am Yuuki Ayame. Do you three know Satsuki?"
"Afternoon, Yuuki San," Ryuusei nodded to her. "We were wondering if any students of Queens would Duel with us."
"I'll go first," Rex stepped up. "Yuuki Ayame... that deck... that is the Neo-Spacian deck! As one aiming to be king, I must challenge it!"
"Ah," Ayame nodded as she pressed the auto-shuffle. "Well, as Papa would say, I never turn down a Duel!"
"Duel!"
Rex: LP 4000
Ayame: LP 4000
"Ladies first," Rex bowed.
"Draw," Ayame studied her hand. "I summon Elemental HERO Knospe [600/1800] in attack mode." A bud bloomed upon her field as it blinked at Rex. "Now, I play the Spell, HERO's Bond, to special summon from my hand two level four or lower Elemental Heroes. I summon a second Knospe and Elemental HERO Lady Heat [1300/1000]." As a second bud and a flame-armoured woman appeared, she played another card. "Chain, quick-play Spell, Inferno Reckless Summon. I can choose one special summoned monster with fifteen hundred or less attack power, and special summon all other copies of it from my deck, hand or grave. I choose Lady Heat! Rage to the field!"
Two more determined ladies appeared, their eyes flickered with flames [1300/1000 x 2].
"A full field with one turn," Ryuusei blinked. "Wow..."
"Wait!" Rex bellowed. "I special summon Extra Veiler [600/200] from my hand."
"Set a card, turn end," Ayame announced. "At my end phase, Lady Heat inflicts two hundred points of damage for each Elemental HERO I control."
"What?" Rex jumped as all three ladies threw fireballs at him. "Extra Veiler redirects all damage done to me to you during the turn he's special summoned!"
"What?" Ayame blinked as she was pelted with fireballs instead.
Ayame: LP 4000 → LP 1000
Rex: LP 4000
"Draw!" Rex roared. "I play the Spell, Resonator Call, to get Dark Resonator to my hand! Now, I discard Flare Resonator to special summon Power Giant [2200/0]! Power Giant's level goes down for the level of the monster discarded to special summon it, and so its level is three! Now I summon Dark Resonator [1300/300]!" Another of the imps appeared beside the glistening giant. "Tuning, level two Veiler to level three Giant to level three Dark Resonator! The ruler's heartbeats will now file through here. Take witness to its creation-shaking power! Synchro summon! The king's soul, Red Demon's Dragon!"
With a roar, the legendary dragon of the World King himself entered the field [3000/2000]. Its red and black scales glistened in the light, an awe-inspiring sight that never failed to terrify.
"Going to attack," Ayame muttered.
"Sorry, but I activate the Spell, Scarlet Security." Rex announced. "All your Spells and Traps are destroyed."
"What?" Ayame blinked as her sole backup faded.
"Red Demon's Dragon, attack Lady Heat!" Rex bellowed. "Absolute Power Force!"
With an answering roar, the dragon punched down.
Ayame: LP 1000 → LP 0
Rex: LP 4000
"G- Good Duel," Ayame stuttered. "You won."
"Hmph," Rex snorted as Red Demon's Dragon faded. "Your heart's not in your duelling."
"Huh?" I stared. "Rex, she filled her bloody field. If not for Extra Veiler, you'd be the smoking one here."
"You can tell in a Duel," Rex snorted. "What's the set card?"
"Ah!" Ayame jumped as she produced Meteor Flare. "Mask Change! But..."
"Yuuki Judai would have played it just because," Rex growled. "But, your heart's not in Duelling."
"Is there something wrong?" Ryuusei asked as Ayame began to look down.
"Well..."
"Eh?" Rex's voice echoed about the small café we had chosen to talk, somewhere ear the two campuses. "Yuuki Judai's missing?"
"He's been gone for three weeks already," Ayame nodded sadly. "The Neo-Spacian cards... they were originally his precious treasure, even when he stopped duelling professionally. But, three weeks ago, he gave them to me and then he left the house... his precious cards, his treasure, given to me just like that before he disappeared. He's disappeared for a long time before, but he's always reassured Mama that he'd definitely come back. Even so... this time, he didn't say anything. He just... disappeared into shadows."
"Disappeared into shadows...?" I asked.
"Well, there was a puff, and poof, Papa's gone," Ayame elaborated. "I want to follow him, but I don't know where he's gone..."
"Right," I sighed. "Let's go to Kaido with this."
So, all of us appeared in the tiny box-office to see Kaido and Youkai arguing.
"That's why, I'm telling you, there's no way that-!" Kaido stopped at seeing us. "Oh, you guys again. I'm still trying to figure out the curse."
"Not that," Ryuusei interrupted. "Kaido, this is Yuuki Ayame, daughter of Yuuki Judai. Ayame San, this is Ariyashi Kaido, a researcher with the Arcadia Movement. We think the case of your grandfather's disappearance has to do with the two cases we're studying."
"Eh?" Ayame blinked.
"This guy's family's been cursed since his uncle disappeared into the Duel Spirit world," Kaido drawled as he indicated Youkai. "Mutou Yuugi also disappeared after giving his precious Dark Magician and Chaos cards to his grandson."
"No way..." Ayame breathed. "Papa gave me his Neo-Spacian cards..."
"No matter how you look, there's an anomalous factor," Kaido sighed. "If we forget about the long-ago case of Misawa Daichi, then the only link between Yuuki Judai and Mutou Yuugi is that they were the focal points of their time. Mutou Yuugi revolutionised Duelling as the first King of Games. Yuuki Judai became a professional Duellist despite everything against him, on top of being one of those who could see and control Duel Spirits. Both of them were lauded the Duel Kings of their time. Yet, both of them gave away their ace cards to the next generation before disappearing. I might not know the purpose, but I think it's safe to say that another person would disappear."
"What?" Ryuusei blinked as we all turned to him.
"The son of the man who combined the two cities," Kaido whispered. "The man who broke the social barriers of Neo Domino City, who fought the Earthbound Immortals, and who saved Neo Domino City from itself. Another focal point of Duel Monsters history, another man crowned as Duel King. The next target may very well be Fudo Yusei."
Today was the day we were supposed to sleep over at the Fudo house, and we arrived to see the Professor lay out his cards lovingly.
"Ah, Ryuusei," he smiled at us. "Rex, Chase. Come over for a bit."
"Huh?" Rex muttered as we walked over.
"Here," Yusei laid down an elaborate monster card: Phantom Lord Hide Ride. "I think you can use this. I've been trying to rework my deck but I think this one can work in yours. You run a Dark World-Resonator deck, right?"
"Er, yeah," Rex breathed as he touched it. The professor was right, it is a good card.
"Chase, you can use this for your Avenger or Mirage," he gave me One for One. "And to prevent your defeat through field-nuking, take a Starlight Road."
I was still in shock as he now turned to Ryuusei. I was getting cards straight from the deck of Fudo Yusei... someone pinch me.
"Well, Ryuusei, you use a Plant deck, but you also use my Warriors and Synchrons," the professor considered as he pulled a worn card. "Quillbolt Hedgehog's served me well for a long time."
Gingerly, Ryuusei accepted the card. "There's... nothing wrong, right?"
"Oh, no," the Professor shook his head. "Nothing, really. Everything's been almost perfect. What do you think of me adding Mystic Tomato? I think I could work with Spore and still allow the use of Level Eater."
"I... I think that's great," Ryuusei faintly murmured as Rex and I took him on either arm and frog-marched him to his room.
"He's gone mental," Rex hissed, his eyes still on the card. "This would make it so much easier...!"
"I don't have that many level ones, but it would help me dump a monster." I considered. Spells and Traps would help me so much more than monsters. And Starlight Road... Starlight Road...
"He's never let go of his weak monsters, not even Quillbolt," Ryuusei whispered. "Guys, I think Kaido might have a point."
"Let's just... keep an eye on him," I suggested weakly. The idea that the Professor might be a target was now a reality and a possibility instead of a fairy-tale. "Tomorrow's free for us, so maybe we can drop in on his work. Ryuusei, you do that all the time, right? So long as we don't go near the restricted areas, we might be able to keep an eye on him for a while. As long as he doesn't give that card away-"
"Ryuusei-nii!" Ryuusei's adopted sister was hammering on the door. "Look! Jii-chan gave it to me!"
"What is it, Seika?" Ryuusei opened the door to acknowledge the smiling little girl, holding up a white Synchro monster card.
My blood ran cold as Stardust Dragon sparkled in her hand.
With this, the Trinity is complete. If you wish for a different outcome, come to the Momentum building at 1000.
I blinked at the impromptu text on my phone, wondering about it. Huh...
"Chase?" Ryuusei appeared fresh from the shower, dressed down as he was in practical trousers and a shirt, Doubtless Rex was already in the shower... "I got a message."
"A trinity?" I muttered to his confirmation.
"This confirms it," he muttered. "They're after Dad."
"So, what are we gonna do?" I asked.
"Tell him."
The Professor took it better than we thought, merely sitting down and staring at the text message. "Well, Judai San's also disappeared... I didn't know that." he frowned. "Are they going after all top Duellists, or is it just the Kings?"
"If it were just top Duellists, then Kujaku Mai and Jounochi Katsuya would have disappeared as well, not to mention my uncle," I answered. "For now, it looks like they're going after you as well."
The Professor sighed. "I appreciate the thought, but I have to work. I'll ferry you all to the Momentum building and let you in the office, but please try not to break anything valuable."
"I love you too, Dad," Ryuusei honestly answered. "Thanks."
"You're welcome."
It is at times like this that I want to punch them.
"Oi, Ryuusei, Chase," Rex called, walking out in only a towel. "You guys got a message?"
Thus, the morning found myself face to face with Youkai again.
"You got one too?" He fished out a slim cell-phone to show us just as Ayame ran over. She was dressed in a red jacket, her legs clothed in jeans ending with red sneakers, and her hair in a bob.
"I... got... a message," she panted. "The... trinity..."
"You're not the only one," the Professor spoke kindly. "You're Judai San's daughter, right?"
"Yes, Professor!" she bowed. "I'm Yuuki Ayame, nice to meet you!"
"Same here," he smiled tiredly. "Well, at least I'm the only one here being targeted..."
"Ah, Professor? I'm Ariyashi Kaido," Kaido walked in, waving at us. "I got a message. Something about a trinity. I'm curious, since the Arcadia Movement line is supposed to be private."
"How strange," the Professor frowned.
"Oh, Chase-kun!" Ryuuki of all people walked into the building as the alarms about the building began beeping.
Ryuusei looked up. "What the...?"
"Someone's tampering with it!" the Professor took off at a dead run with the rest of us following him to the Reactor Research Division. Professor Akutsu was already there, gesticulating wildly about as Momentum acted up. "Professor Fudo! MO-mentum is going nuts again! Key in the Fortune programme quickly to slow down the MO-mentum!"
"Yes! Akutsu San, get the main switch!" the Professor slotted open a keyboard as the other ran out, keying a series of strokes as Momentum gave a dying cough and spun and everything was bathed in bright white until-
"It's back to normal," the Professor blinked as Momentum began to slow down, exactly as ten hundred hours.
The phone began to ring wildly as the clock struck. The Professor picked it up. "Hello?"
"Greetings, Fudo Yusei, third generation Duel King," a tinny voice spoke through the intercom instead in the receiver. "You have been chosen as a judge of the rise of the Dark Games."
A bright light shone suddenly, all of us shielding our eyes as two figures appeared within the light, dropping to face all of us standing. One of the figures had brown hair, wearing a worn jacket and jeans with shoes, an old DuelDisk on his arm, and his eyes glowing old and gold in a young face. The other was short, as in way short, with hair in purple and black with blond bangs, wearing a leather vest, leather pants and more belts than I cared to count. Amethyst eyes shone with more age in a cherubic young face as the second one sighed.
It was the Professor who reacted first. "Judai San? Yuugi San?"
Ryuuki and Ayame then blinked and I realised why both the figures were so familiar.
"Jii-chan/Papa?" both of them spoke simultaneously.
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