Vile: IT RETURNS! Yes, after far too long, Yu-Gi-Oh! GSTART finally continues. I tried to write all the chapters in this arc at once before posting anything, but I think it felt too imposing to me, and my motivation just… vanished. But now, after a redo of my plan, I'm back. I will be posting a group of chapters in this arc, but not all of them. By breaking up my workload, I could get it all done. You might want to re-read some earlier chapters to get back up to speed. But I've been talking too much. Thank you all for sticking with me up to this point, and enjoy the return of GSTART!
Yu-Gi-Oh! GSTART
Level 011: Betrayal and Hate Prevail! Sigma Civil War Declared!
Hiroki's orange eyes stared widely at a pair of purple eyes that unflinchingly stared back, nearly emotionlessly. The eyes belonged to a man, about in his late 20s, with wild and spiky hair in an almost four-layer fashion, with the layers being red, blue, white, and brown as they went from front to back, the back layers being larger. His outfit was simple: A business suit, colored a dull gray, with a gold pin on the jacket shaped like a capital Sigma letter.
'And I thought MY hair was weird.' Thought Kohaku, staring at the mystery man.
"W-What are you doing here?!" Hiroki stuttered, stepping back once.
"I heard about what your former friends were up to, Kazoen. I can tell by the look on your face that it wasn't pretty." The man said. He then looked at Principal Wight and the other staff member, who were getting to their feet. "I apologize for having to use force. That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't accosted me."
"Tensions were high, and we just reacted." Principal Wight explained, finally on his feet. "I apologize as well." The man nodded. "But I would like to know just who you are."
"Ah, of course. I forgot the introduction." The man said. "My name is Shinon Zokurasei, head of Inter-District Relations of SigmaCorp."
"SigmaCorp?" Wight wondered, shocked that someone from Sigma City's namesake mega-corp would be at a pacification rally. "What brings you here?"
"It can't be anything good." Hiroki said. "I know who he really is. Shinon Zokurasei is one of them: A Sykonetyk!"
"Denying it is not in my interests. He is correct." Shinon said with closed eyes, shocking the crowd. "I assure you, I am not amused by what Hydro, Aero, Geo, and Pyro, all of whom are under my purview, have done. However…" His eyes opened again. "I cannot say I didn't anticipate it."
"What?!" Hiroki cried.
"Times have changed since you left, Kazoen. Camaraderie, bonds, and the like… They've faltered, as you have no doubt witnessed through Geo." Shinon said. "I may not have ordered any of their acts, but that doesn't mean I can't use them to my advantage. I come here offering a wager."
"A wager? What sort?" Wight asked.
"With the School Duel beginning tomorrow, I propose… a change in rules." Shinon stated, confusing most of the watchers, but clearly irritating Hiroki. "Rather than the tournament set-up, the School Duel shall utilize Duelist VS Duelist Mode, and whichever District is the only one with students remaining shall receive a grand prize on behalf of the Sigma Corporation."
"You want us to turn on each other?! No way!" Hiroki yelled.
"I'm not asking you to turn on each other. I consider it a test to see if the Districts have the mental fortitude to keep their bonds in line." Shinon told him. "I've already given the offer to the other three Districts, yet I haven't gotten a conclusive answer from any of them."
"Well, here's a conclusive answer for you." Hiroki said. "You can take your wager and shove it right up your-!"
His sentence wasn't finished before Shinon glanced behind himself. "Watch out!" He quickly dodged right as a chain of some sort shot right under his left arm. Hiroki couldn't react, and the chain latched onto his left wrist.
"Nani?!" He cried. Looking at the chain, he noticed it was actually made of ice.
"I'd recognize that chain anywhere." Shinon said, glancing back. "So, Gamma District accepted my offer, did it?"
Footsteps were heard as a figure came up onto the stage. "Gomen, Hiroki-kun… but we need that prize!" The figure said, looking up.
Hiroki's eyes widened. "H-Hyoriki?! How could you give into this?!"
"My school isn't doing so well." Hyoriki said, showing the icy chain attached to what looked like a miniature fishing rod. "No matter what, we need Zokurasei-san's prize!"
"You wish. That prize is ours!" A female voice said.
"No…" Hiroki said. "Kamitsure, too?!"
"Mm-hmm." Kamitsure said as she walked into view. "What can I say? Zokurasei-san makes an excellent POINT!" Pulling out her odd taser device, she pressed a button that fired a bolt of purple lightning at him, also latching onto his wrist (without electrocuting him, for some reason) and becoming solid.
"What the?!" Hiroki wondered.
"You as well?" Shinon wondered.
"Wait… These are Duel Anchors! How are you doing thi-?" Hiroki stopped. Realization hit him. "No… You're-?!"
"You knew me as Hyoriki Suihara… but that name is only one of mine." Hyoriki turned his fishing rod-esque gadget upside-down and touched it to the ground. Out of nowhere, Hyoriki was encased in a shell of solid ice, shocking Hiroki and the crowd. Then, the ice cracked violently, shattering to reveal Hyoriki in a different attire: A Sykonetyk jumpsuit, this one being gray and patterned with a light blue iceberg. He wore the same metal gloves with chains of cybernetics up the arms, as well as the same metal boots (these ones having white lights). The cybernetics stopped at two shoulder pads that each had a large white spike on them. However, his ice chain was now coming out of a slot on the back of one of his gloves, which also sported clawed fingers. Also, his hair had spiked upwards to resemble an iceberg. "In truth, I am the Hunter of Ice." Hyoriki held his arms out, crossed them with his fingers to their opposite temples, causing a white ring to form underneath him, then pointed his left arm downward with his right arm gripping it, somehow causing the ring to become ice spires. "My other identity: Sykonetyk – Cryo."
"Likewise, I'm not just Kamitsure Rainou." Kamitsure said, pointing her taser upward and firing another lightning bolt upward. However, it stopped mid-flight, became a ball of lightning, then shot back down even bigger, covering the girl completely with it. When the flash died down, Kamitsure was also clad in a Sykonetyk jumpsuit (this one was a light purple with dark purple lightning bolts), metal gloves, and metal boots (hers had purple lights and, as opposed to what would be expected, were not high-heeled). Much like the rest, the jumpsuit was form-fitting, but it showed more on her due to being female, highlighting her breasts and hips. The armor scheme, however, didn't do the same: The cybernetics stopped at two metal bands on her biceps with purple lights on them, and similar to Aero, she wore a metal belt. Also, the fingers of her gloves were outfitted with odd electrodes similar to those on her taser. "I'm also the Commander of Electricity!" Waving her arms around a bit, she spun around a few times before ending in a pose with her right arm pointed forward, her left arm pointed upward, and her right leg going in front of her left leg, with a flash of lightning coming from nowhere behind her. "AKA, Sykonetyk – Electro!"
"G-Guys…" Hiroki whimpered.
"Well… this is an interesting development." Shinon mused. "Your own friends chose my prize over your bond."
Hiroki glared at him. "What do you do to make them do this, you snake?!"
"You should be aware that I can't fully control those under my purview. You were one of them, after all." Shinon retorted.
"Can we get this Duel underway, already?" Electro spoke up. "I'm getting antsy here!"
Hiroki was about to retort, but Cryo stopped him. "It isn't like you have a choice. These Anchors aren't going anywhere unless the Duel ends. Speaking of which…" Pointing his right arm at Electro, he fired another ice chain that latched onto her wrist. "Since it's every Duelist for themselves, this will be a Triangle Duel!"
"Fine by me!" Electro said, returning the favor with a lightning bolt Duel Anchor that latched onto Cryo's wrist. Both Sykonetyks then pulled, making both Anchors vanish.
Hiroki groaned, clearly not willing to go through with this. "Maybe if you take the fight to them, you can snap them out of it, Kazoen." Shinon said. "I have no personal stake in this, but you… you've got a friendship on the line."
Clenching his fist, Hiroki groaned again, then glared. "Fine! I'll knock you both on your butts while knocking some sense back into your heads!" He grabbed his orange D-Controller from his pocket and threw it into the air. "D-Controller, switch on!" The device clacked onto his wrist, ready for battle. "D-Gazer, set!" He placed an orange D-Gazer with a red lens over his left eye.
"D-Controller, switch on!" Cryo pointed his right hand at his left, and the slot on the back fired what looked like a light blue laser beam of sorts, covering his arm with solid ice. He then punched the ice, breaking it to reveal an active ice blue D-Controller. Meanwhile, the electrodes on Electro's left gloves sparked to life, emitting purple electricity across her arm that morphed into an active purple D-Controller. "D-Gazer, set!" Cryo pointed the device at his left eye, firing the beam again and covering his left eye with ice, which shattered to reveal an ice blue D-Gazer with a white lens. Likewise, Electro fired lightning at her left eye from her right hand, morphing into a yellow D-Gazer with a purple lens.
"AR VISION, LINK ESTABLISHED." All three players' D-Gazers flashed, as well as those of the spectators (Shinon's being white with a clear lens). "ESTABLISHING LINK BETWEEN A AND B." The area warped into the Augmented Reality.
"I'll end this fight for real!" Hiroki declared.
"DUEL!"
*Opening Song: Start The Game* *Melody: Over The Top from Mega Man Battle and Chase, Game Intro Version* (A/N: It's been forever since I updated, so I figured I'd refresh you guys on parts of the intro. It's a bit different from before, though.)
*8 second intro* (Kohaku's red Gamepad spins into the air, being grabbed. Kohaku is then shown placing his visor on his head, looking at the camera with a smirk, then holding the Gamepad in front of him like a video game controller, the screen turning on as it zooms in.)
Don't give up the fight! Play on! (Kohaku leaps toward a flagpole, grabs hold of the rope, and swings down, raising the Delta High flag as his Pixel HEROes fly past him)
(Background singer: Yeah! Play on) (Dizzy spins on one foot before punching with his right fist, Crimson Cycloner appearing behind him as wind blows)
Fight to reach your goal! It's on! (Doc appears with his headband on his head, tossing vitamin pills forward with Vitamin D-ragon behind him. The screen switches to Plata waving a blow torch around, Melter Mouth, Mallet Crusher, and Junk Spitter behind her. The screen switches again, and Yoru rises up, apparently having just woken up, Slumber Dragonling, Slumber Puppy, and Slumber Elf rising alongside him as if they had just woken up. This part is a little faster than in the previous 10 episodes, as there is now an extra scene with Cleo holding a hand to the sun, Hieratic Sun Dragon Overlord of Heliopolis descending from it.)
*rest* (The five of them are standing beside Kohaku, who leaps forward)
With every step you take you grow (A map of the Districts of Sigma City appears on-screen, before transitioning into a shot of Hydro, Aero, Geo, Cryo, Electro, as well as the shadowed Pyro with glowing red eyes, a seventh shadowed Syko with glowing cyan eyes, and an eighth shadowed figure above all of them with glowing white eyes)
Everything you do, big or small paves the road (Three shadowed figures appear one-by-one in a three-way split screen, alongside XYZ-Dragon Cannon, a group of teenage human monsters with makeshift weapons, and Slot Machine)
Life's just a game that everyone has to play (The main six are surrounded by multiple shadowed figures, the shot panning around while zooming out)
Use what you learn, and you'll seize the day (The main six's D-Vatars run through cyberspace before jumping through the screen and becoming the real deals.)
Level yourself up, and you can make it through (Kinoko and Sokudo jump in and high-five each other before jumping up with Zippi, Yosuke, and Keiichi appearing behind them, then cutting to Nazoko throwing up Reject Barrier, Kohaku punching it and being blown back)
(Background singer: Yeah! Play on) (Kohaku slides along the ground from the blowback)
There's a great big world, waiting for us! (Kohaku snaps his head up before holding a card to the sky, the card shining red, and Red Blazer appears behind him conjuring fire)
All that is left is for us to Start the Gaaaaaame! (Kohaku smirks and does a fist pump/thumbs-up with his right arm to the camera as the camera moves to focus on Red Blazer, who shoots a fireball at the screen)
It is ON! (Kohaku, Dizzy, Doc, Plata, Yoru, and Cleo take a group pose with the title in front of them)
Hiroki LP:4000
Cryo LP:4000
Electro LP:4000
"Ore no turn! Draw!" Hiroki drew his card. "Monsuta settei!" A face-down monster emerged.
"Playing defensive? That's unlike you, Kazoen." Shinon mused.
"Shut it! Kaado ichi mai settei! Turn end!" Hiroki's facedown emerged.
"Boku no turn. Draw!" Cryo drew his card. "Arctacat, Shoukan!" His monster emerged as what looked like a saber-toothed cat with gray fur, but it had patches of ice on its body, and its trademark teeth were also made of ice. It locked its yellow eyes on Hiroki, letting out a hiss with its breath being visible (as if it was cold).
Arctacat: Lv.4 WATER Beast ATK:2000/DEF:100
'That's a tough start.' Kohaku thought.
"Arctacat, attack his monst-" He was suddenly stopped by something hitting him in the back of the head. He looked back. "Nani?"
Shinon was holding what looked like a small pellet gun. "Don't try it, Cryo. If you're going to turn on your friends, at least have some shred of decency left. You should know that no attacks are allowed in a Triangle Duel until everyone has taken a turn."
"It's everyone for themselves! Where do you get off telling us how to Duel?" Electro chided.
"I'm the one giving the prize." Shinon told them. "If you break the rules, I will revoke my offer and give the prize to Delta District by default. Is that what you want?"
Electro growled at him, but Cryo let out a breath. "…Very well, Zokurasei-san."
"Doesn't feel good being held back, does it, Cryo?" A familiar voice asked. Cryo looked to the side and saw his brother looking at him.
"No, it doesn't, Nii-san." Cryo said. "But we need that prize for our school!"
"I get ya. Just make sure you crush 'em finely!" Hydro said, gaining a smirk. He glanced at Hiroki, who was glaring. "What? I can't support my little brother?"
"Traitor…" He growled.
"Focus on me. I am your opponent." Cryo told him, getting his attention. "I will Duel by Zokurasei-san's wager. Turn end."
Electro scoffed. "Completely bribed out of any complaints. Atai no turn! Draw!" She drew her card. "Sparkritter Peruneapig no kouka hatsudo! By discarding a Level 2 or below Thunder-Type monster from my hand, I can Special Summon it from my hand as Level 1!" An orb of purple electricity appeared on her field, but it morphed into what appeared to be some sort of yellow-colored guinea pig, but its back had practically an afro of thick black fur on it. Purple lightning streaked across the mass of black fur.
Sparkritter Peruneapig: Lv.1 (initially 2) WIND Thunder/Base ATK:500/DEF:500
"Sparkritter Raijit, Shoukan!" Another orb of purple electrcity emerged on the field, and from it, another odd rodent emerged: A rat with cream-colored fur, but it had odd red patches on its cheek, and its ears were also colored red. It had two rat rails that were kinked like lightning bolts, but halfway down their lengths, they crossed over each other in an X fashion.
Sparkritter Raijit: Lv.1 WIND Thunder ATK:500/DEF:400
"Sparkritter Raijit no kouka hatsudo! Upon its Summon, I can Special Summon Sparkritter Tenjit from my Graveyard!" Raijit's twin tails sparked with purple electricity as a purple portal formed on Electro's field. The red-eared rat then fired a purple bolt into the portal and pulled its tails back, dragging out another orb of purple electricity. The orb then morphed into a monster that was almost a complete copy of Raijit, but it had only one tail, which was blue instead of red (as were its ears and cheek patches), and while it was also kinked like a lightning bolt, the tail split horizontally into two halfway down its length.
Sparkritter Tenjit: Lv.1 WIND Thunder ATK:400/DEF:500
"Now it's my turn!" Electro rose her right arm, the electrodes on her fingers creating electricity behind her. "Atai wa, Reberu Ichi no Sparkritter Raijit, Tenjit to, Peruneapig de, Obarei!" Raijit and Tenjit linked their tails together with purple lightning, Peruneapig in front of them, before all three rodents turned fully green and shot into the air, zigzagging rather than spiraling. A red spiral portal opened up, and all of her monsters sailed inside. "Ekushiizu Shoukan!" Purple lightning flashed from the portal, and a large, unstable orb of purple electricity rose up from it. Out of nowhere, two arms shot out from the sides, bringing parts of the electrcity with it. "Arawareyo… Sparkritter Apocatequirrel!" Then, the electricity scattered, revealing a large form underneath. It was a large flying squirrel, colored black with a white front, but rather a lot of cartoony art styles in the card game, this one looked highly realistic, with the exception that it was HUGE. Its signature "cape" was colored purple like the electricity that it came from, but its tail suffered the same deficiency as Raijit and Tenjit: It was kinked like a lightning bolt, that it only kinked once. Three green Overlay Units orbited it.
Sparkritter Apocatequirrel: Rank 1 WIND Thunder/Xyz ATK:1500/DEF:1200 3 Overlay Units
"You're lucky I can't attack, otherwise you'd get one hell of a system shock." Electro said, moving part of her hair out of her face.
"We can do without your awful jokes, Electro." Cryo said.
"Lay off, dude…" A breathy voice said. Electro looked back and saw Aero watching. The half-asleep greenette gave her a thumbs-up and a tired smile.
Electro smiled. "Arigatou, Aero-kun." She looked back to Hiroki with a smile. "Next turn, you're mine. Kaado ichi mai settei! Turn end!" A facedown emerged.
Hiroki hesitated to draw his card. Shinon noticed this. "You've got a stronger will than I expected, Kazoen. You truly don't want your bonds to be broken. Admirable."
"Tch. Bonds? He's just afraid of losing!" A third voice said. Shinon then found himself shoved out of the way by the final member of the ragtag gang, Geo. He shot an ugly grin toward Hiroki. "Am I wrong, Kazoen? Scared of being beaten by a girl and a runt?!"
He was then blasted with water from Hydro's arm jet. "Lay off my bro, Rockhead!" He snapped.
Geo wiped off his face and glared at Hydro. "You lookin' for a fight right here, buddy?!"
"There's already a dance goin'! I don't mind making it a dance party!" Hydro shot back, a lightning glare between them. Aero, apparently aware of the tension, intelligently backed up.
"Save your wrath for the competition." Shinon said. "You two aren't the stars of this show."
Geo snorted. "Fine. I've got better things to do, like watch Kazoen get steamrolled!"
Hiroki glared at Geo. "Bite me, Ganseki-baka! I'm not Dueling to win! I'm Dueling to knock some sense into my friends! But your attitude has a point: I should stop hiding and go on the offensive! Ore no turn! Draw!" He drew his card and pointed at his monster. "Nostriker Boostfire, Ribaasu Shoukan!" His facedown flipped face-up, and the monster shot out and did a lap around the field, revealing itself as a warped-looking gray race car, with flames pouring out of the hood, around the wheels, and from its six large exhaust pipes. It had a large spoiler on the back of it, and its headlights glowed a harsh orange as it screeched to a stop on Hiroki's field, a fire trail from its lap still visible on the field.
Nostriker Boostfire: Lv.4 FIRE Machine ATK:2000/DEF:300
"Time for a wake-up call, Kamitsure! Boostfire, attack Sparkritter Apocatequirrel!" The odd race car revved up its wheels, spinning flames all the while, then a blast of fire from its exhaust pipes caused it to rocket down the field at an insane speed toward the airborne squirrel. Out of nowhere, a ramp emerged from the ground, which Boostfire caught in order to hit the air and reach its target.
However, Electro's eye flashed. "Sparkritter Apocatequirrel no kouka hatsudo! By using an Overlay Unit during any turn, I can increase its Attack or Defense Points by 1000 until the end of the Battle Phase!" The large squirrel swatted and absorbed one of the green orbs with its tail, then a massive surge of its electricity coated its body.
Sparkritter Apocatequirrel ATK:2500
Hiroki had to backpedal quickly. "Trap Card, Overheated Engine, hatsudo!" Within the car's frame, its churning engine began to glow a bright and ominous red. "This card negates the Battle Damage from a battle with a Nostriker monster, then destroys both monsters in the process!" Boostfire slammed its front end into the squirrel just as its engine reached critical levels, then BOOM! A massive explosion from within reduced the race car to pieces, taking Apocatequirrel with it into a fiery grave. Hiroki was panting a bit from the execution of that combo.
"I read that combo coming a mile away, Kazoen." Electro told him. "You're more attached to me and Cryo than I thought. But I'll tell you this up front: You can't wake up someone who's already awake. Based on Ganseki-baka being here, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Districts seek to fight." Geo growled at that last crack. "Give it up, Kazoen. Forget our friendship and just fight us."
Hiroki stared at her. "…Those words did not leave your lips, Kami. Nostriker Scorchrack no kouka hatsudo! As Boostfire was destroyed by a card effect, I can Special Summon any copies of Scorchrack from my hand!" Two cards in Hiroki's hand burst into flame before shooting onto the field, taking the form of warped blue race cars, also spewing flames from their wheels, hoods, and exhausts, but also having a large rack-like spoiler mounted to its back.
Nostriker Scorchrack x2: Lv.3 FIRE Machine ATK:1100/DEF:300
However, fire erupted from underneath Hiroki, making him groan. "Wait, he hurt himself?" Hydro wondered.
"Nostriker Scorchrack inflicts 600 damage to its owner when it Special Summons itself through its effect." Cryo told his brother.
Hiroki LP:2800
"Sacrifices need to be made to make a point." Hiroki said. "I use those sacrifices to my advantage. For each batch of damage from a Nostriker monster I took, I can send a Nostriker White-Hot Rod from my Deck to the Graveyard!" Two cards slid out from his Deck, which he sent to the Graveyard.
Aero blinked twice. "He's still sellin' it… Heh heh, it's kinda funny."
"No one asked you, Kazehana!" Hiroki yelled. "Kaado ichi mai settei! Turn end!" A facedown emerged.
Cryo had an eerie stare. "Honestly, Hiroki-kun… Your insistence on salvaging what remains of our bond annoys me. Perhaps you must see the cold heart within me! Boku no turn! Draw!" He drew his card. "Magic Card, Ancient Rule, hatsudo! With this card, a Level 5+ Normal Monster can be Special Summoned from my hand! Come forth from the Ice Age, my monster. Arctaderm, Tokushu Shoukan!" Icy mist swirled on the field, and from it, a monster emerged: A massive brown-furred wooly mammoth, its body covered with ice patches, its massive tusks made of ice. It let out a thunderous trumpet while giving a stomp of its front legs.
Arctaderm: Lv.7 WATER Beast ATK:2750/DEF:1100
"Arctadillo, Shoukan!" Another ancient monster emerged, this one looking like a huge, yellow-colored, prehistoric armadillo, no actual ice patches on its body, but its entire protective shell was made of ice.
Arctadillo: Lv.3 WATER Beast ATK:200/DEF:1700
"I'll freeze what remains of our bond… then smash it to pieces! Arctacat, attack Nostriker Scorchrack!" With a chilling hiss, Arctacat opened its mouth, icy wind swirling around its teeth and making them grow larger. However, the inside of its mouth began to glow light blue. Then, it fired a blast of light blue energy that, upon reaching one of the Scorchracks, morphed into a pair of saber-toothed jaws that chomped down on the car, destroying it in an icy explosion. Hiroki threw up his arms to block the shock of the attack.
Hiroki ATK:1900
"That is the sting of my icy Deck. Now…" Cryo pointed at Electro. "You'll feel it, Electro! Arctaderm, direct attack!" Arctaderm let out a trumpet, icy mist swirling around its tusks to make them grow. Then, both tusks fired light blue energy blasts from the tips, which merged and formed an image of Arctaderm's head rushing forward.
Electro looked to see the attack incoming. "Nanda-AAGH!" The impact of the attack sent her flying, landing on the ground.
Electro LP:1250
Electro slowly picked herself up, coughing once. "Damn… right on my chest." She groaned. She stood up and shot an ugly look at Cryo. "Dick move, Cryo!"
"What did you expect out of me? We're not a team anymore." Cryo said with a smile, sticking his tongue out at her briefly. "Kaado ichi mai settei. Turn end!" A facedown emerged.
Shaking her head, Electro blinked a few times to right herself. "Atai no turn! Draw!" She drew her card. "Time for some payback! Sparkritter Peruneapig no kouka hatsudo! If it's in the Graveyard while I have no monsters on my field, I can Special Summon it!" A purple portal opened up with an orb of purple lightning rising from it. The orb then morphed into the afro-furred guinea pig.
Sparkritter Peruneapig: Lv.2 WIND Thunder/Base ATK:500/DEF:500
"Time for a real shock!" Electro declared, throwing her right hand up with a spark of the electrodes in its glove's fingers. Peruneapig's afro fur sparked into spikes, and three purple portals opened up, revealing Raijit, Tenjit, and Apocatequirrel (the latter of which had its size scaled down). "Atai wa Sparkritter Raijit, Tenjit, Apocatequirrel to, Reberu Ni no Peruneapig de, Shinajaizu!" The four rodents charged their purple lightning and fired it upwards, the morphing turning green partway through and converging into a sphere of purely green energy. Then they all transformed into Soul Towers and fired green lightning at the sphere. "Kono yon tai no ikazuchizoku (Thunder-Type) tamashī o ketsugō shite, yori kyōryokuna atarashī no tamashī ga umareru! " The green sphere pulsated erratically before exploding into a surge of purple electricity. "Kōzu Shoukan!" The electricity morphed into a chubby bipedal form, above 4 or 5 feet tall, two dark purple arms with three digits on each hand forming on the sides. The form's dark purple body, with a lighter purple stomach, was supported by two small legs with three digits on the feet. A short rectangular tail came into position on the backside, but at that moment, spires of electricity shot out of its back, forming what looked like holes in its back. "Arawareyo…" Its face revealed itself to be that of a porcupine, the top of its head sported wild black hair-like fur that seemed to spasm with the lightning. "Sparkritter… Susanupine!" Blue eyes shot open on its face, and with a loud… sound (possibly a roar, who knows since it's a porcupine), a mass of black metallic spikes revealed themselves from the holes in its back and crackled with the purple electricity, somehow not eclipsing the green electricity from the four Soul Towers.
Sparkritter Susanupine: Quality 2 WIND Thunder/Composition ATK:1700/DEF:1600 4 Active Soul Towers
Hydro snickered. "What kind of Composition Monster is that? It couldn't even charge a battery!" A piece of paper blown by wind smacked him in the face, Aero's hand pointed toward him with a lazy smile.
Shinon noticed this act. "The discord in this area only grows with each move…" He mused, shaking his head.
"Magic Card, Static Charge, hatsudo! This increases Susanupine's Attack Points by 500 for each Quality it has!" Susanupine let out a growl as the electricity on its body surged. "Sparkritter Susanupine no kouka hatsudo!" All four Soul Towers immediately shut off, their lightning turning purple and energizing Susanupine's spikes to higher levels. "For each Soul Tower I deactivate, Susanupine can attack an extra time this turn!"
Sparkritter Susanupine ATK:2700 0 Active Soul Towers
"Wait, what's that mean again?" Geo wondered.
"Wicked, heh heh… That thing can attack five times…" Aero breathed. He weakly held up a "rock-on" sign. "This show's gonna rule…"
Electro grinned. "Sparkritter Susanupine, attack all monsters with less Attack Points than you!" With a growl, Susanupine's spikes began to rapidly retract and extend. "Spark Needle Storm!" The massive porcupine roared before the spikes on its back shot out and darted around in the air as electrified missiles. The spikes then changed direction to target Arctadillo, Arctacat, and Nostriker Scorchrack. Scorchrack didn't react (it is a car, after all) as the spikes pierced its body, but Arctadillo and Arctacat let out horrific cries of pain. Then, with surges of electricity, all three of them exploded violently, taking their targets with him.
"Gggghhhh… Damn…!" Cryo groaned as he threw up his arms.
Hiroki, however, wasn't so lucky. "GYAAAAAAAHHH!" He yelled as the force of the attack threw him back a distance, landing with his head hanging over the edge of the stage.
Cryo LP:3300
Hiroki LP:300
"Ooh… Nasty hit." Hydro mused. "I'll admit, you hooked a ripe catch, Aero." Aero laughed weakly in response.
Hiroki, still on the ground, weakly moved his arm to take a card that had slid out from his Deck and placed it on his Duel Disk. Once he did, flames shot up from the ground and revealing another warped race car, this one being red, bulkier, and even sporting yellow flame decals in spite of actual flames spitting from it. "Dragshot, huh?"
Nostriker Dragshot: Lv.4 FIRE Machine ATK:1500/DEF:300 (Defense Mode)
Kohaku quickly looked up the card with his Gamepad. "Dragshot Special Summoned itself because 2 of his monsters were destroyed by battle before his next Standby Phase and can't be destroyed by battle because of it, but it gets destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase."
"I don't know about you, Koha-kun, but this Duel is getting more intense by the minute." Dizzy said, having his video camera out and recording the Duel.
"I guess a desperate situation calls for emergency defenses." Electro mused before smirking at Cryo. "Good thing I have a Plan B! Susanupine, attack Arctaderm!" More electric spikes were fired from its back, flying toward the mammoth.
"Your monster is weaker." Cryo said bluntly.
"You think I don't know that? Trap Card, Spark Bolt, hatsudo! With this card, I might still take the Battle Damage, but your monster is the one destroyed by battle!" A yellow lightning bolt shot out from the card, striking back and forth between the spikes and merging them into one huge yellow-electricity-covered spike that shot straight through Arctaderm, making it trumpet in pain before exploding. However, backlash from the explosion brushed against Electro, but she acted like she didn't even feel it.
Electro LP:1200
"Didn't even ruffle my hair. Kaado ichi mai settei. Turn end!" Electro's facedown emerged. At that time, a backfire sound was heard from Dragshot as its exhaust pipes swelled, then it exploded in flames.
Though it was Hiroki's turn, the redhead didn't move. His eyes were closed, making him unreadable. Shinon raised an eyebrow. "Kazoen? Can you function?"
No answer for a moment. "I think he snapped." Hydro mused.
"The combination of the chill of betrayal and the shock of assault can break even the strongest minds, it seems." Cryo mused.
Hiroki then made the movement since his Summon of Dragshot: His hand slowly clenched into a fist. Slowly, the redhead manged to pick himself up off the ground, standing awkwardly and stepping back to his original position. "Hmph! I guess Kazoen-baka still has a little fight left in him!"
All of a sudden, Hiroki began to pant, his eyes hidden due his head being hung. "So… that's how it is, huh…? *pant pant* All our years of friendship… set ablaze because of some stupid bribe…" His clenched fists began to shake. "Then…" His head shot up, showing Hiroki… pissed off beyond all recognition. "FIIIIIIIIINE!" An anime fire aura flared up around him as he roared to the sky.
"Oh, jeez!" Hydro backed up.
"Whoa…" Aero's eyes were actually wide.
"Now he's mad!" Geo said.
Electro backstepped. "I didn't think this guy could actually get angry!"
"Agreed! Hiroki-kun hasn't been angry since we met him!" Cryo said, his voice indicating he was actually somewhat scared.
Hiroki shot them a glare, still panting angrily. "You pissed off the wrong man… ALL of you did! I despise traitors… and it's YOUR fault!" He pointed directly at Shinon. "Because of you, I lost my two longest friends!"
"Don't direct your anger at me, Kazoen! I did not force them to take my offer." Shinon retorted. "If there is anyone you should be furious with, it is those you called friends. THEY took my offer. THEY willingly threw away those years. THEY are the traitors, not me!"
"Throw us under a bus, why don't you?!" Electro shot to him.
"I don't have a problem with his words. Zokurasei-san is being honest." Cryo mused. "If your anger is true, Hiroki-kun, then you won't hesitate to strike us down!"
"…You asked for it!" Hiroki growled. "Ore no turn! Draw!" He drew his card. "Nostriker Unisear, Shoukan!" A new burning vehicular monster emerged, but it was almost nothing like the others: It was a motorized unicycle with a mauve cover, three exhaust pipes spewing flames alongside its tire. A black rectangle was on the front of it, and a red light lit up, acting as an eye.
Nostriker Unisear: Lv.1 FIRE Machine/Base ATK:100/DEF:300
"I've felt the chill of betrayal and the shock of assault, as you said." Hiroki said lowly. "But now… you will both feel the burning of revenge!" Unisear's eye glowed harshly, and six purple portals opened up, revealing Boostfire, both Scorchracks, Dragshot, and two copies of a warped brown race car with an exposed engine in the hood, flames pouring out of it. "Ore wa, Nostriker Boostfire, Scorchrack ni tai de, White-Hot Rod ni tai de, Dragshot to, Reberu Ichi no Nostriker Unisear de, SHINAJAIZU!" The flames pouring from the vehicles' exhaust pipes converged above them, morphing into a pure red sphere of energy. "KOZU SHOUKAN!" All seven vehicles morphed into Soul Towers and fired red lightning at the sphere, which pulsated wildly before bursting into flames. Then, the flames shot in another direction and streaked across the ground, leaving a burn mark. "The flames of vengeance that sear the path they run…" The flames then began to change, the front and back of them receding to reveal a burning wheel on each end. "Their burning instinct is the only fate for the guilty!" The receding of the flames revealed the full form of the monster: A large motorized septicycle (seven wheels), the wheels arranged like an infinity symbol. The center of the cycle was warped and black with red stripes, designed to appear as if it didn't need a driver, which it didn't have. "Nostriker… ROADROASTER!" The septicycle turned itself around and sped onto the field, screeching as its wheels scraped the ground to stop, the vehicle stopping amongst its seven Soul Towers.
Nostriker Roadroaster: Quality 1 FIRE Machine/Composition ATK:0/DEF:1000 7 Active Soul Towers
"What sort of monster is THAT?!" Electro cried.
"One that will make you regret ever choosing to betray me!" Hiroki growled. "Nostriker Roadroaster no kouka hatsudo!" All seven of Roadroaster's Soul Towers shut off. "By using all seven of Roadroaster's Soul Towers… until the End Phase, Roadroaster's Attack Points become 7000!" Roadroaster's wheels all burst into flame.
Nostriker Roadroaster ATK:7000 0 Active Soul Towers
"SEVEN THOUSAND?!" Geo cried. "Kazoen-baka's been holding out on me!"
"Believe me, Ganseki-baka, you'll feel it eventually!" Hiroki growled. "Once the fire of anger is set, there's no extinguishing it! Roadroaster, attack CRYO directly!" He spit the name with malice as Roadroaster's engine roared to life. With a small bout of wheel-spinning, the septicycle tore down the field, its golden headlights bearing down on Cryo like a pair of menacing eyes.
Cryo, scared as he was, steeled himself. "Even with a monster we've never seen, your strategy hasn't changed, and thus you will fall to my ice! Trap Card, Thin Ice Break, hatsudo!" The ground below Roadroaster suddenly changed into ice. "By banishing 2 of my Arcta- monsters from my Graveyard, your monster will fall, and half its own Attack Points will be reversed to you!" The icy ground suddenly cracked violently before shattering, causing Roadroaster to fall into a pond of freezing water, its body beginning to explode.
"I won't lose to the likes of you! Trap Card, Fuel Trail, hatsudo!" As Roadroaster began to sink, globs of oil shot out of its body, making a trail on the ground that led right to Electro. "By discarding a FIRE monster from my hand, I can take the damage you're about to hit me with and redirect it again!" He then pointed at Electro. "You won't be so lucky, ELECTRO!" Roadroaster's body finally exploded, but the flames that ensued lit the trail of oil, causing fire to shoot toward Electro.
The girl panicked, but glared. "I may not win… but neither will you two! Trap Card, Megavolt Blast, hatsudo!" Susanupine's body began to rattle with intense purple electricity. "In the face of damage, I can destroy a Thunder-Type monster I control and inflict its Attack Points as damage at the same time! And since it's a Triangle Duel, both of you take the damage!" Susanupine let out a rodent roar as its body exploded, sending out electrified spikes everywhere. However, it didn't stop the incoming flame from following the oil trail and eventually exploding right by her feet, sending her flying. "WAAAAAAH!"
At the same time, the spikes pelted the ground with miniature electrified explosions, sending both Hiroki and Cryo flying from the force. "I got ya, Cryo!" Hydro said, quickly moving in his path and keeping his little brother from hitting the ground. Aero tried to do the same with Electro, but in his state, he was in no shape to catch her, causing Electro to slam into him and send them both to the ground. Hiroki managed to land back on his feet, looking back at his former friends with a heavy glare.
Hiroki, Cryo, Electro LP:0
THREE-WAY DRAW
The buzzer blared and the Augmented Reality vanished, the whole crowd being eerily silent. Aero and Electro slowly got off the ground (Electro holding Aero up) while Hydro put Cryo back on his feet. Shinon, however, kept his eyes on Hiroki. "…You are incredibly difficult to peg, Kazoen." He said. "The entire Duel, I believed you would not break under the pressure… yet you prove me completely wrong."
"When someone's pushed to their limits… there's no telling what they'll do." Hiroki replied.
"True. Very true." Shinon said. "As inappropriate as it may be to bring this back up, you did not complete your answer: Do you or do you not accept my offer for a change in rules?"
Hiroki didn't answer for a moment, then he looked back to the crowd. "I won't act unless I know your thoughts. Tell me, everyone: what should I do?"
"Take it! Let us at 'em!" Someone shouted. Various shouts began ringing out from the crowd.
"Down with all traitors!" Someone else yelled.
"Who needs you backstabbing losers?!" Another yell sounded. Kohaku and his friends looked back and forth, nervous as the way the crowd as reacting.
By now, almost the entire crowd was going crazy, urging Hiroki to accept the deal. Hiroki turned to Shinon. "The verdict's in… Delta District accepts!"
"Then the vote is unanimous. The School Duel shall operate under DVD Mode." Shinon stated.
"This is no mere School Duel anymore!" Hiroki snapped, getting Shinon's attention. The boy turned back to the crowd. "I've seen the truth now, and so should you. The other Districts have been bought into opposing us. Any friends you had across District lines won't hesitate to strike you down now. And if that's the case, let's bring the fight to them!" Various cheers came from the Delta District students. Hiroki spun back around, this time focused on the Sykonetyks. "And you… For backstabbing me and anyone else you knew, I'll never forgive you!" He pointed at them. "My District will join together as an army, and together, we'll demolish you!"
"You're speaking my language now!" Hydro said with a dark grin. "I've wanted to crush some Delta Decks ever since I was busted!"
"This is gonna be sweet…" Aero said, lazily smiling. "It's like a war in a book I read…"
"'War', you say?" Shinon mused. He smirked. "That sounds awfully fitting. Perhaps we shall call this the 'School War'."
"I like the sound of that!" Geo said with a sick grin, beating his fists together.
"Count me in!" Hydro said, hefting his water jets up.
"Eh heh heh…" Aero laughed, stepping forward once.
Hiroki narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Fine. You want a war? We'll give you a war!" The crowd began cheering riotously.
"Why are people just going along with this?" Plata asked. "This is insane!"
"It is insane, Plata-chan. TOO insane." Kohaku said, feeling oddly suspicious.
"We should go spread the word, Nii-san." Cryo said to Hydro.
"Smart thinking, Cryo." Hydro replied before looking at Hiroki. "Smell ya later, hothead!" Pointing his water jets toward the ground, Hydro fired water that surrounded both him and Cryo, which then froze into solid ice and shattered, revealing them to have vanished.
"They had the right idea, Aero-kun. Let's get outta here." Electro said.
Aero slowly raised an arm, making wind begin to swirl. "See ya…" Green wind converged around him and Electro before it (and they) both vanished in a flash of purple lightning.
Geo, however, stepped forward with a growl. "Why wait, Kazoen-baka? I'll take you out right here!" He went to punch him, but Hiroki noticed something behind him.
"Oh, JEEZ!" He gasped, quickly hitting the floor as a fireball slammed into the stage, nearly frying Geo.
"WAAH!" He jumped back before the fireball hit him, small flames remaining. Geo's Gamepad then went off, and he pulled it out to see a message. It wasn't good news, as Geo's face twisted into rage. "GRRRAAAAAAAAHHHH! I should've known it was him!" He looked in the direction that the fireball came from. "Don't think I'll forget that, Pyro!" Geo quickly leapt off the stage onto solid earth, rose his fist, then punched the ground hard, causing a dust cloud to erupt. When it vanished, a hole in the ground was left, Geo nowhere to be found.
Principal Wight had seen the whole thing in horror. "Who… Who ARE they?!"
"A bunch of thugs who got their hands on better tech than we knew existed." Hiroki said simply, glaring at the only one left: Shinon.
"The hate in your eyes burns hotter than your own Deck, Kazoen. Even Pyro would be jealous of you." Shinon said, switching his face to a gentle smile. "Perhaps you two will get along great if you ever meet him. He is on your side, after all."
Hiroki panted a bit. "…Get out of my sight, Zokurasei. We'll play by your rules, but until this is over, I don't want to see your face again."
Shinon was still for a moment, then he nodded. "As you wish. I will send all the rules for the School Duel- er, I mean School WAR's format to you via Gamepad." Hiroki nodded. Shinon turned around to leave, but didn't. "If I may be honest for a moment… I actually hope Delta District wins. You seem like the one most in need of a reward after what just happened." With that, Shinon walked off the stage and rounded a corner, disappearing from sight.
Kohaku didn't like the feeling he was getting from what just happened. The fact that he was feeling the Silver Game Card's ominous glow in his pocket only made things worse. 'What has Hiroki-kun just led us into…?'
*Later That Day* *Delta High Central*
The gang was seated in the center area of the school eating lunch, but the events that had taken place only hours ago were still burning holes in their minds. "I'm telling you, guys, Hiroki's freakout… scared the ever-loving crap out of me." Yoru admitted.
"H-How far do you think he'll take this idea of the Districts being at 'war'?" Doc asked, stuttering once. "I mean, I live in Alpha District and Dizzy lives in Beta District. You don't think he'll see us as enemies for that, do you?"
"I certainly hope not." Dizzy said, worried.
At that moment, the intercom went off. "Attention, students. Eighth period will be cancelled for today in order to have a special assembly. Everyone must report to the gym during that time."
Everyone gulped. "Well, at least they gave us an advance notice about it." Kohaku said.
*Eighth Period* *In the Gym*
The students filed into the gym, Kohaku's group managing to stay together as they found their seats. Kohaku noticed Nazoko sitting in the back of the room, wondering why she was even here, but he looked back to the main floor as Principal Wight entered. "Hello, everyone. I'm sure a lot of you are still a little… riled from the events that occurred earlier today." He stopped to cough a couple of times, the students not responding. "But despite the events, Shinon Zokurasei's chosen student to receive the rules, Hiroki Kazoen, has managed to calm down enough to explain everything." The principal moved out of the way to let Hiroki, who was nearby, take the mic.
"Thank you, Wight-san." Hiroki said before looking at the students. "Some of you probably don't think I should be this calm after what happened. I guess that incident burned me out. But that doesn't change the reality of it: The schools of Delta District are the enemies of the others in this competition. Therefore, as you recall, this is not a School Duel anymore; this is a School War. Everyone put on your D-Gazers or take out your Gamepad for this part." Hiroki already had his Gamepad out as the others either took out their Gamepads or D-Gazers. For those with their D-Gazers, an AR screen was visible next to Hiroki, his D-Vatar present on it. This screen was also on everyone's Gamepad via school feed.
"As per the rules that Zokurasei sent me, the School War is to be played completely in Duelist VS Duelist, or DVD Mode, powered by the city-wide Sigma Server. I'm not sure if you know how this mode works, so I'll explain it for those who don't." Hiroki's D-Vatar pulled up a few different screens. "For starters, everyone begins with 4000 Life Points. DVD Mode does not have turns; you can Summon anything you want whenever you want, but Normal Summons have a 2-minute time delay between them. Drawing cards from your Deck outside of card effects can also be done whenever you want, but again, you'll have a 2-minute time delay before you can draw again. If you have a Set Magic or Trap Card, or you have a Continuous Magic or Trap Card active, those cards will remain within your Disk until they are removed via card effect. Card effects will project an area-of-effect range that can affect anyone within them: Those that affect the card's controller will affect your allies, those that affect the opponent will affect your enemies."
The D-Vatar pulled out a bigger, more important screen. "This is a crucial point to the mode: With no turns, you CAN BE ATTACKED at any given moment by whatever an opponent has on their personal field. Instant win conditions are negated, and Decking Out does not cause a loss: You can only be eliminated from the War if your Life Points reach 0. As per the way the alliances are set, no one can attack anyone in their own District, as friendly fire is disabled." More screens came up. "If your Deck is running low on cards, look for Restore Stations that are posted around the city. You can go anywhere you want in the city to look for people to knock out, but be wary when in enemy turf. Safe Zones have also been set up: While in a Safe Zone, you cannot be attacked or damaged, but you cannot play any cards, either. The Safe Zone's protection effect will also wear off on you after 15 minutes."
Another important screen came up. "No one is stuck against a particular opponent, but you can do so if you call a 'True Duel' and your target accepts. If the target accepts, both players' Decks are restored, their Life Points return to 4000, and they become protected from all outside attacks. A True Duel cannot end until one player loses via Life Point reduction, or if exigent circumstances warrant the True Duel's cancellation. If the target refuses your call, you remain in DVD Mode, but a 15-second Armistice Delay will be in place on both players, preventing them from taking or dealing damage." He noticed a hand up in the crowd. "Yes?"
"W-What about those of us th-that open-enroll here from another District? Where do we stand?" A girl asked. Some of the students began to wonder about that, Doc and Dizzy glancing at each other.
"I understand why you're worried, but you don't need to be." Hiroki said. "The War's alliances are determined by school, not District alone. Even if you come from another District, you're part of this school, and thus, you're on our side, okay?" Some positive responses came from the crowd. "Good, good. As Zokurasei said earlier, the War ends when only one District has students left. We have the upper hand here, thankfully." Hiroki's D-Vatar pulled up a map of Sigma City's five Districts. "According to records, there are a total of 40 schools participating in the War: 16 from Delta District, 7 from Alpha District, 10 from Beta District, 6 from Gamma District, and only 1 from Zeta Island. The odds are in our favor, so we need to make sure we stay in the game. There's a few more rules to go over. Until the School War is concluded, all classes will be cancelled, but the school will be open and act as a Safe Zone. When a player is in their own house, they are considered Safe and project a Safe Zone for any other ally players in their house that will last for any time range from 30 minutes to 1 hour. As the time gets close to 6:00 PM, the DVD systems will send out a broadcast that indicates how much longer the War will go for that day. At 6:00 PM sharp, the systems will shut off and the War will be postponed until 8:00 AM the next morning. The War will be given a time limit of 2 weeks. If there is no winning District in 2 weeks, all remaining players will report to Sigma Park for a final showdown. Any other questions?" No one spoke up, but many were shaking their heads. Hiroki smiled and nodded. "Good. I hope you are all prepared. At 3:00 today, meaning in 30 minutes… we take the fight to them!" He thrust his arm into the air, with it being followed by a lot of the students doing the same.
Kohaku and his friends, however, didn't. Kohaku was actually looking at Hiroki weirdly. 'Why is he so enthusiastic about this?'
*2:58 PM*
The students of Delta High South stood ready outside the doors of the school building. "All right, everyone!" Hiroki said. "Activate DVD Mode!" Everyone pulled out their D-Controllers and activated them, placing their D-Gazers on their eyes as well. They activated their Gamepads, which linked them up to the Sigma Server.
"DUELIST VS DUELIST MODE ACTIVATED." The AR system said. "60 SECONDS TO SCATTER."
Kohaku and his friends turned to each other. "Well, guys, I guess we don't have much of a choice here." Kohaku said.
"Agreed. This is far too suspicious." Doc mused. "But we've got nothing to prove it."
"Well, I say we should just play along for now and see what we can dig up." Dizzy told them.
"But what exactly are we looking for?" Plata asked.
"I don't know. Sometimes the proof just shows up in your face!" Dizzy argued.
"30 SECONDS TO SCATTER." The AR system said.
"Okay, okay, look." Kohaku said, getting their attention. "I can only think of one thing that fits: The Sykonetyks were the ones were changed the rules since Shinon is one of them, at least according to Hiroki-kun. If we can find them while Dueling, maybe we get some answers out of them."
"Koha-kun's got a point. It's all we can do for now." Cleo said.
"All right, all clear on the plan?" Kohaku asked, getting a unanimous positive response. "All right, hands in." Everyone put their hands in. "On 3. 1, 2, 3!"
"It is ON!" They all said with their hands going up.
"10 SECONDS TO SCATTER." The AR system said. The group stood ready to move. Kohaku felt the Silver Game Card flash in his pocket, giving him a feeling that this conflict as going to be big. "5… 4… 3… 2… 1…"
SCATTER NOW!
All Duelists LP:4000
The AR voice boomed as a massive buzzer blared across Sigma City, and with it, a massive wave of Augmented Reality spread all over the city, covering every District. The students of Delta High South all took off in various directions. Across the city, the schools' students poured out into the streets of the city in pursuit of opponents. "We'll meet up later!" Dizzy called out as he took off, Doc, Plata, and Cleo also scattering.
"It is ON!" Kohaku shouted as he meant to rush off, but after only a few steps, he ended up tripping on his shoelaces. "Gyul-hah!"
BAM!
Face-first slam on the ground. "Ow…" He groaned, picking himself up. He looked at his shoes and frowned. "Damn laces." Grumbling, he quickly tied his shoes, making sure the laces were tied tight. "There we go."
"Looks like we got a sleeper, boys." A voice said. Kohaku raised an eyebrow at "sleeper" and turned around, noticing a group of teenagers surrounding Yoru, who had fallen asleep at such a wrong time.
'Oh boy.' Kohaku mused.
One of them, the leader, was an 18-year-old inky-green-eyed boy with eggplant-colored hair marked with an almost W-shaped silver fringe (which was actually a capital Sigma on its long edge). He was dressed in what looked like a white formal shirt with gold metal bands that stretched across his whole forearms, a black jacket with rolled-up sleeves and two coattails, silver formal pants, and brown boots. His D-Gazer was gold with a cyan lens and a Sigma motif, and he wielded a gold D-Pad. He leaned down and pinched Yoru's nose, causing him to snort violently and thrash a bit for shooting awake, panting a bit. He shook his head rapidly and looked right at the boy. "Dude, what's with you?!" Yoru griped. Realization set in as he took in the fact that he was surrounded. He audibly gulped.
"First blood's ours, everyone." The lead boy said, cracking his knuckles. "Ready to get wiped out already, pal?"
"You'd gang-attack a guy that was just sleeping? Wow, cheap move." Kohaku mused, getting the gang's attention, including the leader.
The leader looked away for a moment, then he smirked. "Good point. You look strong. Think you can take on the son of Sigma Corp CEO, Yuichi Nakadara?"
Kohaku widened his eyes. "The son of Sigma's CEO?! What strings did you pull to get in here, because there's no way you go to any of our schools!"
"You think I'm gonna miss the chance to wipe out some wimps?" Yuichi said with a smirk. "Come on, let me show you the power of SigmaCorp!" He pushed a button on his Gamepad screen, which sent a message to Kohaku's Gamepad.
"A True Duel challenge?" Kohaku wondered. He looked at Yoru on the ground, then went serious. "First, call your goons off my friend!" Yuichi nodded and gave a two-fingered gesture to them, and his gang moved out of the way, letting Yoru rush over to Kohaku's side. "All right, Yuichi. I accept!" He pressed the button that said "Accept" on the screen, causing the screen to change.
"TRUE DUEL ACCEPTED." The AR system said. "AR VISION, LINK ESTABLISHED." An odd red field formed around them and their spectators, flashing once before fading. "ARMISTICE FIELD IN EFFECT. ESTABLISHING LINK BETWEEN A AND B." Kohaku and Yuichi's D-Gazers flashed, as did those of the spectators.
"TRUE DUEL!"
*Ending Song: Continue* *Melody: Ghost Rider's theme from Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3, ends at 1:24*
*7 second music* (Kohaku's D-Controller unravels and hooks onto his wrist. The Card Zones extend, and Kohaku inserts his Deck. Then he places his Gamepad on the D-Controller, shows it off, then runs into the foreground with a determined look.)
I will not lie down, roll over (Kohaku in a duel, Composition Summoning Pixel HERO - Red Blazer.)
*3 second music* (Camera pans to show a shadowed figure with a large dragon monster.)
I will not just let it by (Kohaku orders an attack on the monster, and Red Blazer runs towards it.)
*3 second music* (The monster attacks Red Blazer, but misses, and Blazer unleashes his attack.)
I will fight for what is right, yes I will not just let it go-oh (Kohaku running to the foreground as multiple imposing silhouettes appear around him, including Hydro, Aero, Geo, Cryo and Electro.)
You may think you got this won but I still got till the clock's zero (Kohaku stops running while face-to-face with a large floating monster, a fearful look on his face. A large eye opens on the monster, and an attack is fired.)
I will not let this end here there's too much riding on this now (Kohaku lays spread-eagle on the ground as the camera spirals and zooms in on him, images fading in and out like memories, then his eyes snap open.)
With my friends here by my side I will not let you tear me down (Kohaku sits up and looks behind him, seeing the Pixel HEROes appear and show their support for him, making him smile)
Give me one more quarter now 'cuz now's not when I take my bow (Kohaku stands up to see the othr silhouettes, standing in front of him, now accompanied by monster silhouettes. However, a green aura begins to surround Kohaku.)
There's still time, I still got breath, so here's where I continue now (Kohaku, determined, draws a card with a yell, causing a bright flash of light)
10… (Kohaku is walking forward in a dark area, a light in the horizon behind him, casting a shadow.)
9… (An image of Doc placing his headband on his head with a determined look is seen, and Doc joins Kohaku.)
8… (An image of Plata readying a blow torch appears, then she joins Kohaku.)
7… (An image of Yoru waking up with a determined look appears, then he joins Kohaku.)
6… (An image of Dizzy cracking his knuckles with a confident smirk appears, then he joins Kohaku's group.)
5… (An image of Cleo brushing one of her ponytails is shown, but she looks stern, then she joins Kohaku's group.)
4… (An image of Kinoko and Sokudo performing a hand-lock of camaraderie is shown, both kids looking serious as they nod to each other, then they both join Kohaku's group.)
3…
2…
1… (From 3 through 1, silhouetted images appear, and no one else joins Kohaku's group.)
0… (Kohaku and the group stop, and the light fades out, making the screen fade to black.)
*Preview*
Kohaku: What kind of whacked cards are these? They seem broken, but they're lousy!
Yuichi: Hey! The company paid big for these!
Kohaku: That only makes them seem worse to me!
?: I'm surrounded... I could use some backup here!
Plata: Backup's on the way, Kowa!
Dizzy: Whoa, what did Doc and I find here?
Kohaku: Next time on Yu-Gi-Oh! GSTART: "Battle Lines are Drawn! The Sigma War Begins!" It is ON!
Author-Made Cards (Arctas are by RK777, Sparkritters are by Y-Tak)
Arctacat
Level 4 WATER Beast
ATK:2000/DEF:100
Normal Monster
Sparkritter Peruneapig
Level 2 WIND Thunder/Base
ATK:500/DEF:500
During your Main Phase, you can discard 1 Level 2 or below Thunder-Type monster from your hand: Special Summon this card (from your hand) as a Level 1 monster. If this card is in your Graveyard during your Main Phase while you control no monsters: You can Special Summon this card (from your Graveyard) in face-up Defense Position. You can only use this effect of "Sparkritter Peruneapig" once per turn.
Sparkritter Raijit
Level 1 WIND Thunder
ATK:500/DEF:400
When this monster is Summoned, except by the effect of a "Sparkritter Tenjit": You can target 1 "Sparkritter Tenjit" in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.
Sparkritter Tenjit
Level 1 WIND Thunder
ATK:400/DEF:500
When this monster is Summoned, except by the effect of a "Sparkritter Raijit": You can target 1 "Sparkritter Raijit" in your Graveyard; Special Summon it.
Nostriker Boostfire
Level 4 FIRE Machine
ATK:2000/DEF:300
When this card attacks: Destroy this card at the end of the Damage Step.
Nostriker Scorchrack
Level 3 FIRE Machine
ATK:1100/DEF:300
If a "Nostriker" monster you control is destroyed by a card effect: You can Special Summon this card and any other copies of this card from your hand. If you do: You take 600 damage for each copy of this card that was Special Summoned.
Nostriker White-Hot Rod
Level 3 FIRE Machine
ATK:1300/DEF:300
If you take damage from the effect of 1 "Nostriker" monster: You can send this card from your Deck to your Graveyard.
Arctaderm
Level 7 WATER Beast
ATK:2750/DEF:1100
Normal Monster
Arctadillo
Level 3 WATER Beast
ATK:200/DEF:1700
While this card is in face-up Defense Position: Your opponent cannot attack WATER Normal Monsters you control.
Nostriker Dragshot
Level 4 FIRE Machine
ATK:1500/DEF:300
If 2 "Nostriker" monsters you control were destroyed by battle this turn: You can Special Summon this card from your Deck in Defense Position. If this card is Special Summoned this way: It cannot be destroyed by battle, but is destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase.
Nostriker Unisear
Level 1 FIRE Machine/Base
ATK:100/DEF:300
If you control no monsters during your opponent's End Phase: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand).
Sparkritter Apocatequirrel
Rank 1 WIND Thunder/Xyz
ATK:1500/DEF:1200
3 Level 1 Thunder-Type monsters
OCG/TCG: Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to target 1 Special Summoned monster you control; increase the ATK OR DEF of the target by 1000. When this monster is sent to the Graveyard: You can target up to 3 Level 4 or lower Thunder-Type monsters in your Graveyard; shuffle at least 1 target into your Deck, then, if there are any remaining targets, Special Summon them.
Sparkritter Susanupine
Quality 2 WIND Thunder/Composition
ATK:1700/DEF:1600
1 Level 2 Thunder-Type Base + 3 Thunder-Type monsters in your Graveyard
Once per turn, during your Main Phase, you can deactivate a number of this card's Composition Materials up to the number of monsters your opponent controls: This card can attack once for each deactivated Composition Material in addition to its normal attack this turn.
Nostriker Roadroaster
Quality 1 FIRE Machine/Composition
ATK:0/DEF:1000
1 Level 1 "Nostriker" Base + 6 FIRE monsters in your Graveyard
Once, while this card is face-up on the field: You can deactivate 7 of this card's Composition Materials: This card's original ATK becomes 7000 until the End Phase.
Static Charge
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 Level/Rank/Quality 2 or below Thunder-Type monster you control: It gains ATK equal to its Level/Rank/Quality x 500.
Overheated Engine
Normal Trap Card
When a "Nostriker" monster you control battles an opponent's monster: Negate the Battle Damage from that battle, then destroy both monsters.
Spark Bolt
Normal Trap Card
When a "Sparkritter" monster you control attacks an opponent's monster and would be destroyed by battle: The opponent's monster is destroyed instead (you still take the Battle Damage).
Thin Ice Break
Normal Trap Card
When your opponent declares an attack with a monster with 3000 or more ATK: Banish 2 "Arcta" monsters from your Graveyard; destroy the attacking monster and inflict damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed monster's ATK.
Fuel Trail
Counter Trap Card
Activate only if you would take damage from a card effect during a turn where a FIRE monster you controlled was destroyed. Discard 1 FIRE monster from your hand: Inflict the damage to your opponent instead.
Megavolt Blast
Counter Trap Card
When you would take damage while you control a Thunder-Type monster: Destroy 1 Thunder-Type monster you control, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent(s) equal to that monster's ATK at the same time you take that damage.
Vile: Bonds have been broken, and war is declared! But something doesn't seem right here. What exactly is going on here? If you guys liked this chapter, leave a review for me! For the first group of chapters in this arc, I'll be updating every three days, ending with an update on Christmas day. Consider it both my gift to you all and my apology for my lackluster update schedule. Ja ne for now!
Computer Voice: Vile, logging out.