A/N: Hey everyone, Azure Guardian here! Sorry for the delay on the chapter, had some personal stuff bugging me for a while and I kept running into distractions (Until Dawn, among others). Sadly this is a bit of a filler chapter, but it needed to be done to properly introduce Kururugi Michiru to the group so he can get involved with them without being like "wait, since when did he become friends with these guys?". This chapter is also a bit on the short side, likely because it was only one duel, but I'd probably blame the episode that this chapter is from. Starting next chapter though, there are going to be quite a few changes from what took place in the anime and we'll be drawing even closer to next arc! So without further ado, let's get this chapter started! Oh, and I hope you all like my cover image for this story!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise! I DO, however, own my OCs Kagemochi Kaito, Hayami Akira, Ikeda Kenji, and Kururugi Michiru along with the Digital HERO, Agarest Soul and Sengoku archetypes while Zastin Crawford belongs to Storylover213!
-Turn 10-
It was finally winter break and a majority of the students had gone back home, leaving the island all but deserted. Currently though, at the Osiris dorm, Judai, Sho, Hayato, and Kaito were among the small number of students that stayed behind during the break along with Professor Daitokuji. One oddity that stood out though was a certain first-year Obelisk Blue student with short reddish-brown hair; Kururugi Michiru. Prior to winter break, Kaito had managed to find the Obelisk student and thanked him for what he had done during the Punishment Duel by allowing him to speak with his deceased sister one last time. Since then, the two had become friends and Kaito had offered Michiru to stay with them at the Osiris dorm over the break since the latter was another of the few students that didn't go home.
"Th-Thank you again for inviting me over, Kaito-san," Michiru said in embarrassment while Daitokuji and Hayato were roasting some marshmallows on a small grill and eating them with chopsticks like tofu.
"Don't mention it," Kaito waved off. "You've done more than enough for me."
"I summon Clayman in Attack mode!" Judai called out as he played his card, causing the stone Elemental HERO to appear on his field during a duel with Sho. (4/800/2000)
On Sho's side of the field, the shorter Osiris had Cycroid and Gyroid. (3/800/1000) (3/1000/1000) Pharaoh sat near the mini grill as the marshmallows roasted, watching as one of them grew bigger and bigger until it exploded, spooking the fat cat.
"So Michiru-kun, you're a spiritualist, yes?" Daitokuji asked the Obelisk boy to start up a conversation.
"Y-Yes, that's right," Michiru replied with a nod. "An onmyouji, to be in fact."
"Is that so? I've heard the Kururugi clan of onmyouji is one of the most renowned in Japan-nya," Daitokuji continued the conversation.
"That's true, but…" Michiru trailed off for a second but then shook his head. "Nevermind."
Elsewhere on the island, a male Obelisk Blue student was running through the forest in a panic..
"Help me!" the Obelisk shouted at the top of his lungs, hoping someone would hear him.
Back at the Osiris dorm, Daitokuji, Hayato, Kaito, and Michiru were helping themselves to some marshmallows while Judai and Sho were still in the middle of a duel.
"Mm?" Michiru suddenly lifted his head.
"Something wrong, Michiru?" Kaito asked his new friend.
Suddenly, everyone drew their attention to the front door as they heard breaking glass and saw an Obelisk Blue student, the same one that was running through the forest, collapsed on the floor with the broken door underneath him.
"W-What the-" Sho cut himself off as he saw the collapsed Obelisk.
"What the heck? What happened?" Judai wondered as he walked up to check on the student.
The student slowly raised his head to look at the Osiris students, "P-Psycho Shocker's…"
"Psycho Shocker?" Kaito repeated, having walked up to his Osiris friends. "What about him?"
"I-It's after me!" the Obelisk answered, causing Michiru's eyes to widen slightly.
"Huh? What gibberish is he talking about?" Judai wondered as Daitokuji, Hayato and Pharaoh walked up to the others, leaving Michiru to sit by himself.
"You're Takadera-kun from Obelisk Blue, aren't you-nya?" Daitokuji asked the student.
"Professor Daitokuji!" the student, Takadera, recognized the Osiris dorm leader as he pushed himself up to sit on his knees. "A professor that… that researches Duel Spirits like you, Professor Daitokuji, would understand, wouldn't you?"
"Duel Spirits?" Judai repeated, directing his question to his dorm leader.
"Please, calm down-nya, Takadera-kun," Daitokuji told the Obelisk student as he knelt down and placed his hands on the younger man's shoulders as Michiru finally got up from his seat and slowly made his way towards the others. "Tell us everything from the beginning-nya."
"Y-Yes," Takadera agreed. "It happened a while before winter vacation started. We Takadera Occult Brothers -"
"Takadera Occult Brothers?" Judai repeated.
"It's a group that I, Mukouda and Isaka, all of us being Obelisk Blues, made to research aspects of occult dueling," Takadera explained. "In particular, we researched what you'd call the origins of dueling: spirits. And, on that day, we decided to put what we'd researched to the test and contacted a spirit using a Ouija Board." Takadera then went on to explain what happened when they used the Ouija Board, his body shaking as he recounted the events. ""Offer me three sacrifices. If you do, I will be reborn," his message read."
"How awful…" Daitokuji said. "You shouldn't have gone into researching both Duel Spirit and phenomena-nya…"
"So how did you and the other respond, Takadera-san?" Kaito asked.
"We understand," Takadera answered, turning his attention to the Data-HERO duelist, causing Sho to freak out. "We thought it meant sacrificing cards! And yet…"
"Huh? You don't mean…" Sho trailed off.
"The next day, one of our members, Mukouda, vanished without a trace," Takadera said. "And the day after, Isaka… Both of them were offered as sacrifices!"
Sho landed on his backside as Judai and Hayato looked at each other before the E-HERO duelist directed a question to Takadera, "You sure they didn't just go home for winter vacation?"
"I called both their houses, but I was told they hadn't returned…" Takadera answered. "I was afraid, so I planned to leave on today's ferry. When I did…" Takadera then explained how, when he got in line to board the ferry, he spotted a figured onboard wearing a hat and heavy jacket and that the figure tipped their hat up slightly and pulled down a cloth covering their mouth which caused Takadera to freak out and run away. "That had to be… Psycho Shocker!"
Suddenly the lights went out, surprising the students as Sho yelped and Michiru fell on his backside while knocking over a couple chairs.
"Sho, Hayato, let go of me, or I'll get crushed!" Judai complained as his roommates instinctively grabbed onto the E-HERO duelist.
"What the heck is going on?" Kaito wondered.
"Michiru-kun, are you all right -nya?" Daitokuji asked the Obelisk onmyouji.
"H-H-H-He's here!" Michiru stuttered a yell, fear evident in his voice.
Daitokuji and the Osiris students turned towards the door and saw a tall figure wearing a heavy coat and a hat that hid his identity, causing the Osiris students to nearly jump out of there skin.
"He's got Takadera!" Kaito pointed out, noticing the figure was carrying the unconscious Obelisk.
"Y-You're-"
"P-Psycho Shocker!" Sho cut Judai off, the students catching a glimpse of the figure's face under the hat.
Without a word, and still carrying Takadera, Psycho Shocker ran out of the doorway and away from the Osiris dorm.
"Hold it!" Judai called after the spirit.
"W-Wait, Big Bro!" Sho called out to the E-HERO duelist as he and Hayato ran after Judai.
"You okay, Michiru?" Kaito asked his new Obelisk friend as he helped the onmyouji up.
"Y-Yeah," Michiru answered with a nod.
"Michiru-kun, you should come with us," Daitokuji suggested. "As an onmyouji, you might be the best one to handle this-nya."
Michiru nodded reluctantly and the three soon gave chase after the other Osiris students and Psycho Shocker. Eventually the trio of Daitokuji, Kaito and Michiru caught up the Judai, Sho and Hayato, the latter group having lost track of the spirit.
"Where did he go?" Kaito asked the E-HERO duelist.
"Don't know, we lost sight of him," Judai replied.
"He's that way!" Michiru spoke up and pointed to a clearing beyond a group of trees.
"How do you know that?" Hayato wondered.
"As an onmyouji, I can sense the location of nearby spirits," the Obelisk answered. "I can't exactly control my power though, so my spiritual energy covers a majority of the island. If a spirit appears anywhere on the school grounds, I'll be able to tell exactly where it is."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Judai questioned before taking off towards the clearing with the others following right behind him.
Once in the clearing, the students found themselves standing just outside of a small, fenced-off area containing metal towers and generators.
"Where are we?" Sho wondered as the students looked around the area.
"Be careful-nya," Daitokuji warned. "This is the power supply for the entire island's electricity-nya. There's a high-voltage current!"
"But why would Psycho Shocker's spirit come here?" Kaito asked as Judai ran in.
"Some spirits can't maintain their presence on the physical plane, so they'll often seek sources of energy to absorb in order to stay in the living world," Michiru explained. "Electricity is usually a more convenient power source for them to draw from. In the case of Psycho Shocker, I'd say he doesn't have much time left so he chose to come here and use the electricity from the generators in order to sustain himself until he can gain a physical form."
"Is that really how it works?" Hayato asked with awe in his voice.
"W-Well, I'm just going by what I've been told," Michiru said, looking away in embarrassment. "I've never actually seen it for myself."
"Takadera!" Judai called out, spotting the Obelisk student lying on the ground.
The E-HERO duelist ran towards the unconscious Obelisk, but immediately stopped to cover his eyes as the generator towers started shooting off electricity. As the electricity converged to a single point, the spirit of Psycho Shocker appeared before the group, surprising everyone, even Daitokuji as Pharaoh jumped into the teacher's arms.
"Professor, don't you teach about spirits being real?" Sho asked, wondering why Daitokuji was so surprised at seeing Psycho Shocker's spirit.
"Well, uh… t-this is the first time I've seen one-nya!" Daitokuji admitted with a hint of fear in his voice, his body shaking.
"Hey, Psycho Shocker! Let Takadera and the others go!" Judai demanded, but the spirit did not respond. "If you want to be reborn so badly, take me as a sacrifice!"
"Judai!" Hayato said worriedly.
"I see…" Psycho Shocker finally spoke, surprising the group. "The power and waves being emitted from you would indeed be more than enough to ensure my resurrection…" Psycho Shocker then turned his attention towards Michiru and pointed at the onmyouji. "However, I would much prefer this one… With your sacrifice, not only will my resurrection be assured, but my own power would be greatly amplified…"
"It talked!" Sho gasped in surprise.
"And it looks like he wants you, Michiru," Kaito pointed out.
"I had a feeling bringing a spiritualist would be a good idea," Daitokuji said.
"N-No way! I can't even control my power all that well!" Michiru waved his arms defensively. "T-There's no way I could stand up to a spirit like that!"
"If you want him, you'll to get through me!" Judai challenged the spirit.
"Very well… You might be worthy enough of being my third sacrifice…" Psycho Shocker said.
Michiru sighed in relief, "Thank goodness, now I don't have to do anything."
"But there's a condition! You'll duel me!" Judai said. "If you win, I'll become your sacrifice! But if I win, you'll let Takadera and the other two go!
"Fine. Sounds interesting," Psycho Shocker agreed. "I'll use you as a sacrifice for my summoning!"
"Even better, because I don't even have my deck with me," Michiru said to himself with a relieved smile.
Electricity then shot out from the generator towers once again, this time surrounding the fenced area.
"There's no longer any escape for you, my sacrifice!" Psycho Shocker stated.
"I'm not a sacrifice! I'm Judai from Osiris Red!" Judai called out as he activated his Duel Disk.
A flash of light then erupted from the center of the field.
"Duel!" Judai and Psycho Shocker called out.
Psycho Shocker: 4000
Judai: 4000
"I will take the first move. Draw!" Psycho Shocker said as five large, transparent cards appeared in front of the spirit followed by a sixth. "I summon Killer Doll of Malice in Attack mode!"
As Psycho Shocker "played" his card, the Monster that appeared was a wooden puppet wearing overalls and carrying a large axe. (4/1600/1700)
"From my hand, I activate the Permanent Magic, Ectoplasmer!" Psycho Shocker announced as his next card activated. "During the End Phase of their turns, both players can sacrifice a Monster on their field to deal half of its ATK as damage to the opponent."
After Psycho Shocker's explanation, Killer Doll of Malice suddenly slumped over as its soul was pulled out of its body before flying across the field at Judai and swirling around the Osiris student.
Psycho Shocker: 4000
Judai: 3200
"B-Big Bro already took damage!" Sho said in worry as Killer Doll of Malice faded from the field.
"That Permanent Magic gives an advantage to whoever has more Monsters on the field," Kaito noted. "If Judai can get out enough Monsters, he should be fine. But since Psycho Shocker is running that card…"
"Then he must have a way to summon multiple Monsters in a turn!" Hayato figured.
"That would seem to be the case-nya," Daitokuji said.
"Tān endo," Psycho Shocker concluded.
Psycho Shocker's hand: 4
"Ore no tān! Draw!" Judai called out as he drew his sixth card and then looked at his hand. "I'll summon Featherman in Attack mode!"
Appearing on Judai's side of the field was his winged, green-feathered HERO. (3/1000/1000)
"I set four cards face-down…" Judai continued as he pushed his cards into his Duel Disk, causing four reversed cards to appear on the field. "And next, from my hand, I'm activating a Permanent Magic of my own! I activate Mirage of Nightmare! During my opponent's Standby Phase, this lets me draw until my hand's at four. And on my next Standby Phase, I have to randomly discard as many cards as I drew from my hand."
"So that's why he emptied his hand," Michiru realized, his eyes widened a bit. "That way he'll draw the maximum number of cards. But then, wouldn't he just end up losing them all on his next turn?"
"I don't think Big Bro would play a card so recklessly," Sho said. "He's gotta have some kind of plan."
"Next up's my attack!" Judai announced. "I use Featherman to attack the player directly! Feather Break!"
At Judai's commanded, the winged HERO flew across the field and threw his right fist through Psycho Shocker's body.
Psycho Shocker: 3000
Judai: 3200
"And then, Psycho Shocker, I'll also use the effect of the Ectoplasmer you activated!" Judai continued. "I'll use Featherman as the cost, and use half of its ATK to deal damage to the player!"
In response, Featherman's soul appeared above his body and threw another punch into Psycho Shocker's body before the Elemental HERO disappeared from the field.
Psycho Shocker: 2500
Judai: 3200
"Great work, Big Bro!" Sho cheered. "You hit him with 1500 damage right off the bat!"
"Now the only way Psycho Shocker can really catch up would be to summon a fairly powerful Monster," Kaito figured with a smirk on his face. "But with no Monsters on his field, I'd say Judai's won."
"Aw, yeah! Things are goin' great!" Judai said, pumping himself up.
"No, this is a soul-risking battle with a Duel Spirit…" Daitokuji said warily to himself. "…a Game of Darkness, so to speak. Judai-kun, don't let your guard down."
Judai's hand: 0
"Watashi no tān! Draw!" Psycho Shocker said as another card appeared in front of him. "The Killer Doll of Malice that is in my Cemetery because of my Permanent Magic's effect is reborn during my Standby Phase!"
On cue, the axe-wielding puppet reappeared back onto Psycho Shocker's side of the field. (4/1600/1700)
"I'll also activate Mirage of Nightmare's effect! I draw four cards!" Judai quickly followed up as he drew four cards from his deck then looked at his hand, smirking at what he had gained. "And from my field, I activate Emergency Provisions! I'll send Mirage of Nightmare to the Cemetery to regain 1000 of my Life!"
As one of Judai's set cards rose, his active Mirage of Nightmare faded from the field.
Psycho Shocker: 2500
Judai: 4200
"Whoa, that was a good move!" Hayato spoke up. "He restored his Life and won't have to discard any cards!"
"Is that how it works?" Michiru asked.
Kaito nodded towards the onmyouji, "Mirage of Nightmare's discard effect only activates if it's still on your field until your next Standby Phase. But since Judai got rid of it during his opponent's turn, that effect will never apply."
"Wow, that's an impressive combo," Michiru said with awe. "So that was why he played so many cards during his turn."
"I summon Emissary of the Underworld in Attack mode!" Psycho Shocker continued his turn.
Appearing next on the spirit's field was a robed, skeletal figure carrying a scythe, giving it the appearance of a grim reaper. (4/1600/600)
"That's not good at all!" Hayato said in shock as Sho gasped. "Judai has no Monsters on his field!"
"Those face-down cards better not have been just to empty his hand then!" Kaito said worriedly.
"Emissary of the Underworld, attack that player directly!" Psycho Shocker commanded as he pointed at Judai. "Soul Hunt!"
In response, the scythe-wielding specter flew across the field with its weapon pulled back, ready to swing.
"Reversed card, open!" Judai quickly countered as one of his face-down cards rose. "Hero Meeting!" Judai then held up the four cards in his hand. "Now, pick a card. If it's a Monster card, I can Special Summon it!"
"That's a good move," Michiru pointed out. "If Psycho Shocker ends up picking a strong enough Monster, Judai-san can stop his attacks for the turn."
Psycho Shocker growled in annoyance before pointing at Judai's hand, harmless sparks of electricity gathering around Judai's left-most card.
"Awright! It's a Monster card!" Judai immediately cheered as he grabbed the card and played it. "I Special Summon Sparkman in Attack mode!"
Appearing next on Judai's side of the field was the armored HERO of electricity. (4/1600/1400)
"That was a good pick for Judai, now Psycho Shocker won't be able to attack without destroying his own Monster!" Kaito pointed out.
"I continue with my attack!" Psycho Shocker declared, shocking the spectators as his reaper Monster continued to charge forward only to crash into Sparkman, destroying them both. "By sending Emissary of the Underworld to the Cemetery, its effect activates! We both now add one Level-3 or lower Normal Monster from our decks to our hands."
"So he destroyed his own Monster to get an extra card?" Sho questioned.
"It's possible he's trying to thin his deck and deck something specific," Kaito figured. "But on the plus side, Judai will also get a card."
"I choose Thousand-Eyes Heresy God!" Psycho Shocker announced as the card appeared in front of him.
"Then, I'll go with Burst Lady!" Judai said as he added the card to his hand, revealing the female HERO of fire to his opponent.
"My Battle Phase hasn't ended yet," Psycho Shocker continued. "I use Killer Doll of Malice to attack the player directly! Grudge Axe!"
I response, the wooden puppet chucked his axe at Judai, cutting right through the Osiris student.
Psycho Shocker: 2500
Judai: 2600
"That's not all!" Psycho Shocker continued as the soul of his Killer Doll of Malice emerged from the Monster and once again flew at Judai.
Psycho Shocker: 2500
Judai: 1800
"Tān endo," Psycho Shocker finally concluded as Killer Doll of Malice faded from the field.
Psycho Shocker's hand: 5
"That Ectoplasmer card is going to be a problem," Kaito pointed out. "Since Killer Doll of Malice can revive itself every time it's sent to the Cemetery by a Permanent Magic card, Psycho Shocker can keep using it to inflict damage."
"B-Big Bro!" Sho called out. "Your body!"
The spectators focused their attention to Judai as the E-HERO duelist looked down at his legs.
"What is this?!" Judai questioned in shock at seeing his legs and feet were fading away.
Psycho Shocker merely laughed, "Your Life is at 1800, so half of your body essentially become a sacrifice for my resurrection!"
"Psycho Shocker is draining his lifeforce!" Michiru figured out. "If Judai-san loses this duel, he'll die!"
"Quit messing around! That's no sacrifice!" Judai shouted at his opponent before drawing his next card from his deck. "Ore no tān! Draw! I summon Clayman in Attack mode!"
As Judai played his card, the HERO of stone materialized onto the field. (4/800/2000)
"And I equip Clayman with the Equip Magic, Clay Wrap, that's on my field!" Judai continued as one of his set cards rose, covering Clayman in an additional layer of clay. "Next, from my field, I activate Fusion!" Judai's final set card rose as the E-HERO duelist grabbed an additional card from his hand. "I fuse Clayman with Burst Lady to summon Rampart Gunner in Attack mode!"
Appearing next on Judai's field to take Clayman's place was a large female HERO with a body made of metal, carrying a red shield in her left hand and her right arm was fashioned into some kind of missile launcher. (6/2000/2500)
"And Clayman was sent to the Cemetery as Fusion Material," Judai continued. "But, when the Clay Wrap equipped to Clayman was sent to the Cemetery, I activated its effect! It destroys one Magic or Trap card on my opponent's field!" Judai then pointed at Ectoplasmer, causing the Permanent Magic to shatter.
"With this, Ectoplasmer's direct damage-inflicting effect is gone!" Hayato pointed out.
"And that means Psycho Shocker can't abuse Killer Doll of Malice's effect anymore!" Kaito added with a grin.
"Here goes! I use Rampart Gunner to attack the player directly!" Judai commanded. "Rampart Shot!"
In response, the metallic HERO aimed her right arm at Psycho Shocker and proceeded to fire a barrage of missiles at the spirit.
Psycho Shocker: 500
Judai: 1800
"Alright, Big Bro!" Sho cheered.
"Way to go, Judai!" Hayato also cheered.
"Do you really think I'll let myself be sacrificed?" Judai asked rhetorically before taking a card from his hand and pushing it into his Duel Disk. "I set one card face-down, finishing my turn!"
Judai's hand: 2
"Watashi no tān! Draw!" Psycho Shocker said as another card appeared in front of him, then started laughing after seeing what he had drawn. "It seems the time has come! Soon, the ritual for my resurrection will now begin!"
"What?!" Judai questioned.
"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Michiru said as the onmyouji boy felt chills running along his spine. "Don't let your guard down, Judai-san!"
"I activate Killer Doll of Malice's effect!" Psycho Shocker said as the wooden puppet returned to the field once more. (4/1600/1700) "I sacrifice Killer Doll of Malice…" The puppet Monster then immediately disappeared. "…to summon Psycho Shocker in Attack mode!" The card Psycho Shocker had just drawn turned around to reveal himself and started to glow.
"Wait, he can do that?!" Kaito questioned in surprise as the generator towers shot out bolts of electricity
Psycho Shocker disappeared from where he was as the electric bolts converged at a single point above the field before an electric bolt shot downward on top of the Psycho Shocker card, causing everyone to cover their eyes with their arms and brace themselves. When the light faded and everyone returned their attention to the duel, they noticed that both Psycho Shocker and his card were gone. But then sparks of electricity appeared from where the card had been and a tall form of pink light stood in its place. When the pink light faded, none other than Psycho Shocker himself stood on the field, his body fully materialized as he laughed. (6/2400/1500)
"I-It's finally out, huh?" Judai said, as if anticipating this kind of play.
"At last…" Hayato trailed off.
"Psycho Shocker's spirit was…" Sho continued.
"…resurrected!" Hayato finished.
"No…" Professor Daitokuji quickly interjected. "Judai-kun hasn't been sacrificed yet, so his complete resurrection is still…"
"Daitokuji-sensei's right…" Michiru said, having broken out in a cold sweat. "But even so… Psycho Shocker's spiritual power is really strong…"
"Judai, once I defeat you, my resurrection will be complete!" Psycho Shocker stated.
"You think I'll let it?! Mark my words, I'll stop you!" Judai declared.
"A futile struggle!" Psycho Shocker quickly replied. "I use myself to attack Rampart Gunner! Cyber Energy Shock!" Psycho Shocker then generated a mass of energy in his right hand before throwing it at the female HERO and destroying her as Judai braced himself.
Psycho Shocker: 500
Judai: 1400
"Tān endo," Psycho Shocker concluded.
Psycho Shocker's hand: 5
"This is bad… With Psycho Shocker on the field, Judai will be inable to play any of his Trap cards!" Kaito pointed out.
"Ore no tān! Draw!" Judai called out as he drew his next card. "I summon Friendog in Defense mode!"
As Judai played his card, a mechanical dog appeared on his field. (3/800/1200)
"I finish my turn!" Judai concluded.
Judai's hand: 2
"When that card's destroyed, he can add an Elemental HERO card and Fusion from his Cemetery to his hand!" Hayato pointed out after recognizing the Monster.
"What HERO is Big Bro going to bring out?" Sho wondered.
"If he goes for Rampart Gunner, it would just go back to his Extra Deck," Kaito pointed out. "That wouldn't help him with both of its Fusion Material in the Cemetery, so his options are Featherman, Clayman or Burst Lady."
"Watashi no tān! Draw!" Psycho Shocker said as another card appeared in front of him. "I summon Spirit Caller in Attack mode!"
The next Monster to appear on Psycho Shocker's field was an elderly man wearing a dusty robe. (3/1000/1000)
'Bring it!' Judai dared his opponent in his mind.
"And I use myself to attack Friendog! Cyber Energy Shock!" Psycho Shocker continued as he threw another mass of energy at the robotic hound, destroying it on contact.
"And now, I'm adding Clayman and Fusion to my hand!" Judai quickly grabbed the two cards out of his Cemetery due to Friendog's effect.
"But all your Monsters on the field are gone," Psycho Shocker pointed out. "I use Spirit Caller to attack the player directly! Gloomy Fang!"
In response, the newer Monster's eyes turned red as the old man opened his mouth wide, revealing his teeth to be sharp fangs as he unleashed a reverberating soundwave across the field, causing Judai to cry out in pain as the attack struck.
Psycho Shocker: 500
Judai: 400
Due to losing most of his Life Point's, most of Judai's body below his shoulders had faded.
"He's got 400 Life Points!" Hayato pointed out in shock.
"Big Bro!" Sho called out in worry.
"He's gotta get Psycho Shocker off the field somehow!" Michiru pointed out.
"But getting a Monster with more than 2400 ATK in a single turn with an empty field…" Kaito trailed off as he focused his attention on Judai. "I don't think Judai has any combinations left to bring out a card that strong…"
"And, I equip myself with the Equip Magic, Cyber Amplifier, from my hand!" Psycho Shocker continued, causing a strange-looking helmet to materialize on the spirit's head. "With this, I won't be affected by Psycho Shocker's effect, and I can activate Trap cards. I set one card face-down, ending my turn." A reversed card appeared behind Psycho Shocker to signify the end of his turn.
Psycho Shocker's hand: 4
"T-This is bad!" Hayato said, getting scared. "Judai's the only one who can't use Trap cards!"
"Ore no tān! Draw!" Judai said as he drew his next card, revealing it immediately. "I activate Pot of Greed! I'll draw two cards!" After Judai pushed the Magic card into his Cemetery, he proceeded to draw two cards from his deck. "I summon Bubbleman in Attack mode!"
Appearing next on Judai's side of the field was a man wearing blue armor with a white cape and some kind of wrist-mounted gun on his right arm. (4/800/1200)
"And I activate the Equip Magic, Bubble Shot, from my hand! I'll equip it to Bubbleman!" Judai continued as he played his next card, causing a rocket launcher-like weapon to appear in the water HERO's arms as he propped the weapon onto his shoulder. (4/800-1600/1200) "This ups Bubbleman's ATK by 800! Here goes! I use Bubbleman to attack Spirit Caller! Bubble Shoot!"
Bubbleman then took aim with his new weapon and fired a missile of water at the robed old man, destroying him instantly.
"At this moment, I activate the Permanent Trap, Spirit Barrier!" Psycho Shocker countered as his set card rose, causing a random soul to emerge from the card and wrap itself around Psycho Shocker. "As long as I have a Monster on the field, any Battle Damage to me becomes zero!"
"I activate the Magic card, Spirit of the Spring, from my hand!" Judai continued as he played his next card, causing a winged spirit to briefly appear on the field as it held up a black sword in its right hand and a gold sword in its left hand. "This adds one Equip Magic card from my Cemetery to my hand! I choose Clay Wrap!" Judai then took the chosen card out of his Cemetery slot.
"That's from before!" Sho recognized.
"It's a card with an effect that takes a Magic or Trap card with it to the Cemetery!" Hayato pointed out.
"And he added Clayman back to his hand last turn along with Fusion!" Michiru recalled. "Judai-san must have some kind of plan!"
"I set one card face-down, finishing my turn!" Judai concluded as he pushed a card into his Duel Disk.
Judai's hand: 3
"Watashi no tān! Draw!" Psycho Shocker said as another card appeared in front of him. "I use myself to attack Bubbleman! Cyber Energy Shock!"
Once more Psycho Shocker fired a mass of energy at Judai's Monster, but this time Bubbleman held up his weapon to guard against the attack.
"Heh, by destroying the equipped Bubble Shot, Bubbleman's safe from Battle Damage and destruction!" Judai stated with a victorious smirk.
"I place one card face-down, ending my turn," Psycho Shocker concluded as the card he had drawn appeared behind him face-down.
Psycho Shocker's hand: 4
"Ore no tān! Draw!" Judai called out as he drew his next card, looking at it to see he had drawn none other than Winged Kuriboh.
"Kuri kuri!" the spirit of Winged Kuriboh greeted happily.
'Winged Kuriboh!" Judai greeted his partner with his thoughts. 'I get it! You're cheering me on! Thanks, Partner.'
"What the, is that…?" Michiru trailed off under his breath as he saw Judai's partner.
'A Winged Kuriboh?' Kaito questioned to himself in his mind, his eyes widened a little in surprise at seeing who exactly Judai's partner was as he recalled what Tsukasa had told him the night of the first day. 'Didn't expect that. I thought it would've been one of his Elemental HERO Monsters.'
"A spirit?" Psycho Shocker questioned at seeing Winged Kuriboh.
"That's right! This is my Partner!" Judai answered. "It doesn't need any sacrifices like you do! As long as our hearts are linked, we can meet anytime!" Judai then grabbed a card from his hand. "I summon Clayman in Attack mode!"
Appearing once more onto Judai's field was the HERO of stone. (4/800/2000)
"And, from my hand, I activate the Equip Magic, Clay Wrap!" Judai continued as he played his next card, Clayman once again being covered in an extra layer of clay. "From my hand, I activate Fusion! Fuse Bubbleman and Clayman!" At Judai's call, the two Monsters were pulled into the Fusion vortex. "I summon Mudballman in Attack mode!"
Taking the place of the two HERO Monsters was a larger HERO with rounded body parts and a face that resembled Bubbleman's. (6/1900/3000)
"I activate the effect of the Clay Wrap that was sent to the Cemetery!" Judai continue as he then pointed at Psycho Shocker's Equip Magic. "Destroy that Cyber Amplifier Magic card!"
Psycho Shocker gasped as his Magic card shattered, causing the spirit to cry out in pain as his helmet began to malfunction until it also shattered, taking Psycho Shocker's physical body off of the field in the process.
"That's right! When Cyber Amplifier is sent to the Cemetery, the equipped Monster is destroyed!" Hayato explained.
"All right, Big Bro!" Sho cheered.
"And with no Monsters left to defend himself, Psycho Shocker won't be protected by Spirit Barrier!" Kaito pointed out. "Judai's got this!"
Psycho Shocker continued to cry out until even his incorporeal form disappeared.
"Aw, yeah!" Judai cheered.
"We're not done!" Psycho Shocker's voice called out. "I will be resurrected, and I won't let you interfere!"
"He's still here, Judai-san!" Michiru called out to the Osiris, still feeling the presence of Psycho Shocker's spirit. "You have to finish the duel!"
Takadera's body then slowly pushed itself up from the ground until the Obelisk boy was standing up.
"Takadera!" Judai called out.
Takadera turned around to face Judai, his eyes having turned red as a sign of being possessed by Psycho Shocker, "Reversed card, open! Call of the Living Dead! From my Cemetery, I resurrect Psycho Shocker, and-"
"I won't let you! From my field, I activate God's Pronouncement!" Judai quickly countered, cutting the possessed Takadera off as his set card rose. "By paying half of my Life Points, your Trap's activation is negated, and the card's destroyed! Now, go!"
Psycho Shocker: 500
Judai: 200
The card Psycho Shocker had set on his previous turn rose up only to be immediately destroyed by the effect of Judai's own Trap.
"What?!" the possessed Takadera gasped.
"I use Mudballman to attack the player directly!" Judai declared. "Now, die, Psycho Shocker! Mud Stomp!"
On cue, Mudballman levitated into the air as energy started to gather around the Monster's hands. The HERO of mud then clasped his hands together, firing a pulse of energy at Takadera and hitting the possessed Obelisk dead on, causing him to scream.
Psycho Shocker: 0
Judai: 200 (WIN)
Takadera's body was then surrounded by the energy, surprising everyone watching.
"What's this?!" Daitokuji gasped.
"Everyone, get back!" Michiru shouted as the Obelisk onmyouji ran up to Judai and clasped his hands together as if in prayer. "Forces of nature, heed my call…" At the chant, a red light appeared from under Michiru's feet. "Protective Light!" Michiru then pulled his hands apart and thrust them forward, causing a spiritual barrier to appear between himself and the expanding energy that was surrounding Takadera.
"What the heck's going on?!" Kaito questioned.
"It's Michiru-kun!" Daitokuji realized. "He's using his powers as an onmyouji to protect us from that blast!"
As soon as the expanding energy struck Michiru's barrier, the onmyouji flinched from feeling just how much force was behind it.
"No… It's too strong…" Michiru strained. "I can't hold it!"
Suddenly, Michiru's arms shot back and his barrier shattered, allowing the energy to rush past as everyone screamed.
The following morning, Judai was awoken by a beeping from his Duel Disk, indicating it was shutting down. With a groan, the E-HERO duelist pushed himself up from the ground and looked around, watching as Hayato, Sho, Daitokuji, and Kaito were also waking up.
"Big Bro!" Sho said.
"Huh? It's already morning?" Hayato wondered.
Judai then looked next to him to see Michiru was the only one of the group that hadn't woken up, and so the Osiris gently shook the sleeping Obelisk, "Hey Michiru, you okay?"
With a groggy groan, Michiru slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself up, "Eh? Is everyone okay?"
Before Judai could answer, his attention was drawn to some nearby snoring. The Osiris then looked ahead of him to see Takadera and his two friends were fast asleep.
"Looks like it," Judai then got up to his feet with the other four students and Daitkuji following suit as the group of six walked over to the sleeping Obelisks.
"It would seem they're all right-nya," Daitokuji said with relief.
"So that wasn't a dream, huh?" Sho wondered.
"Definitely not," Michiru answered as he winced a little. "I still feel sore all over from that blast."
"Just take things easy and rest up," Kaito suggested to his new friend.
"Thanks, Kaito-san," Michiru said with a nod and a smile.
"I don't really get why, but I had fun!" Judai said with a grin on his face, then started laughing when the others gave the boy weird looks.