Chapter 12: The Falcon Strikes
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"What?" Masumi said, wondering if she had heard him right. She stared into his eyes, the color of honey. His skin was a pale white, almost sickly. The sun played tricks on her eyes, making his blue hair appear more lustrous than natural. His lanky body drew closer to her, trapping her against the LDS entrance.
"Duel me right now," he said again, the words unmistakable. They were a command, not a request.
Masumi put one hand on her hip. "And just why should I do that?"
She sized him up, running her eyes up and down his body like a scanner. She hadn't seen him around the school – or at all, for that matter – and he didn't have an LDS badge on his person. What was he doing here at LDS then? He was still holding out his sunglasses, aiming the frames at her like a gun. He wore a bandana to cover his mouth, though she knew from his demeanor and the pitch of his voice that he wasn't smiling.
Shun said nothing in response. Masumi was fine with the silence. She had learned from an early age to read people not through their words or actions but through their eyes, a lesson her father had taught her well. Everything about a person – their past, present, future, their accomplishments, their hopes and aspirations and fears – was reflected in their eyes, two little personalized lie detector tests.
That was how she knew, from the moment he had removed his sunglasses, that something was different. His eyes were unlike any she had seen before, clouded with a mist of hurt and determination and anger. They were unlike Hokuto's or Yaiba's, or even Yuzu's eyes from the day before. She could see nothing concrete in them, no revelations about this man's character, just vague apparitions of his former struggles, phantoms of his history. This man was an anomaly, a mystery. That intrigued her. She wanted to know more.
This, she believed, was what caused her to relent.
"Well, fine," she said. "I accept your challenge."
If Shun was surprised by Masumi's hasty change of heart, his eyes didn't divulge it. Turning his back to LDS, he said, "Follow me," then started down the sidewalk.
Masumi ignored the growing trepidation in her stomach, forcing it down like a bad taste, and with a final glance over her shoulder, shadowed him down the sidewalk. The sun mingled with her nerves, sending tiny beads of sweat down her cheeks. She wondered if she was making the right choice. They walked in silence, the two of them, Masumi always five tentative steps behind Shun's hurried stride.
The LDS doors popped open and Yaiba and Hokuto spilled out of the edifice, racing to the sidewalk. They had been hiding in the main lobby spying on Masumi, and though Leo Duel School's soundproof glass doors prevented them from hearing the brief conversation, they clearly saw Masumi take off with a stranger. Now they looked down the sidewalk where, at the last moment, they saw the two, tiny as ants, round a corner and disappear.
"Who was that guy?" Hokuto asked.
Yaiba scratched his head with the end of his wooden katana. "Hell if I know. Did you get a good look at him?"
"As good a look as I'm ever going to get," Hokuto said, squinting in the sunlight. He was still looking down the street as if expecting Masumi to retrace her steps. "I didn't like the way he looked at her, though. Do you think we should follow them?"
"Jeez, Hokuto, you worry too much, you know that?" Yaiba said. He threw his hands behind his head and stared at the sky. He smiled, revealing a sharp canine tooth, and said, "Masumi's a tough one. She can definitely take care of herself."
Hokuto offered a noncommittal grunt and kicked at a crack in the sidewalk. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. Then, almost as if he couldn't stop himself, he said, "Do you think that guy was Masumi's boyfriend?"
Yaiba looked taken aback, dropping his katana. He caught it just before it hit the ground, scooping it in both hands clumsily. "What the hell are you asking me for?" he said, stammering. "What kind of question is that? I've never seen that guy in my life!"
"Me either," Hokuto said, looking away from Yaiba. Storm clouds drifted to the next town over. Hokuto's cheeks felt red hot; he wished he hadn't asked the question now. "I've never seen him either," he said again. He turned back to Yaiba, his face suddenly grave. "That's what worries me."
Yaiba frowned, glancing once more down the street where Masumi was last seen.
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She hadn't just wanted to know about Shun's past. There was another reason why Masumi had accepted this duel.
For days now she'd been scouring the city, searching up and down back alleys, going through less-than-reputable districts, staying out so late some nights that she missed dinner. But it was worth it, she told herself. It was worth it to find out where Professor Marco had gone. If she could find him, she knew, everything would be all right again.
It had started last Monday when Professor Marco hadn't shown up to class, the first absence in his ten years of notorious perfect attendance. Masumi hadn't thought anything of it at first, and even when he was gone Tuesday and Wednesday, she thought he might have just been sick, though the last time she'd seen him, his eyes were anything but those belonging to a man about to suffer from an incoming illness.
After a whole week of rotating substitute teachers, she began to panic. She'd even requested to see Akaba Reiji himself, demanding answers to Professor Marco's nonattendance, fearing that he had been fired.
That's why she had declined Hokuto's challenge earlier. When she'd left LDS, she was going to search for Professor Marco again. She knew it was an unhealthy mission that she'd assigned herself, just as she knew she was too stubborn to give up her search. She wouldn't stop looking for Professor Marco until she found him, no matter the cost to her own health. All she could do was distract herself until the urge to search for him struck. As far as she was concerned, that was all this duel was – a distraction.
She had been walking idly, following Shun without paying much heed to her surroundings, so when he stopped moving, she was jarred back into reality. She glanced around, trying to glean where he'd hauled her. Thankfully she recognized the Maiami City warehouse district. They were at the harbor, where the water splashed against the pavement of the port and the boats rocked gently. In the sunset, it struck Masumi as oddly scenic, a more appropriate place for an cruise than a duel.
Nonetheless, a duel is what they'd come for, as evinced by Shun grabbing the Duel Disk from his waist and strapping it onto his arm. With his free hand, he unwrapped the bandana from his face, revealing the hard line of his mouth. No smile, as she expected.
Masumi hooked her own Duel Disk to her arm, watching as the orange tray popped out like a boomerang.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Kurosaki Shun," he said. "Remember it well."
"I'm Kotsu Masumi of the LDS Fusion Course," she said. She thought she saw his scowl deepen after saying it. Then she remembered. "What were you doing at LDS earlier?"
"I was looking for you." Shun said it as though the information were boring, something he'd been forced to memorize.
She wasn't sure she had heard him right. "You were looking for me?"
"There's something I need to see for myself. I needed you for that."
Masumi shook her head, lost in the cryptic nature of Shun's words. "What do you mean?"
Shun drew his cards, refusing to say any more.
"What do you mean?" Masumi said again, and again she received no answer.
She looked at her Duel Disk. Something about Shun was disconcerting. She had half a mind to call Hokuto and Yaiba, but decided against it. If he didn't attend LDS, he must've attended one of the other, lower duel schools. Well, she figured, a win was a win, whether it was from a strong opponent or not. Maybe she'd at least have fun, like she had against Yuzu. Not that she would admit it.
She drew her five cards, looking from then to Shun. She gave a slight nod.
"Duel!" they shouted.
(Masumi Kotsu: 4000/Shun Kurosaki: 4000 LP)
"The first move is mine," Shun said, studying the cards in his hand.
Masumi watched him closely, scrutinizing his every movement. Why had he been so insistent on dueling her? What was his motivation? In spite of the questions plaguing her mind, she had no doubts about this duel's outcome, about her victory. There was never any question about it.
"I summon Raid Raptors – Vanishing Lanius."
A mechanized bird appeared before Shun. Its wings were streaked green and covered in pipe-shaped fuel burners. Gold bulbs popped from its body. In the center of its silver chest plate was a red insignia, fashioned to resemble a proud bird in flight – the Raid Raptors crest. (1300 ATK)
"Then I set one card facedown. Turn end," he said, and a card briefly popped behind the bird.
Something wasn't right. The sun shone above her head, radiant, inviting. Despite the rain earlier, the city was balmy. They weren't playing on Action Field, so why could she feel the wind coming toward her? What was this sudden chill? Masumi looked askance at the monster.
She knew better than to ask. She was amazed enough that this Kurosaki character had announced his moves at all. For him to say anything more than what was necessary was likely out of the question.
"It's my turn," said Masumi, hand on her deck. "Draw!"
She regarded her draw, Gem-Knight Fusion, with a smirk. That was it; the duel was over already.
"From my hand, I activate the Spell Card, Gem-Knight Fusion!"
Shun bristled, poised as if prepared for a scuffle. His scowl deepened. His grip on his cards tightened, leaving tiny crease marks. He uttered the word as if it pained him to do so: "Fusion..."
Masumi revealed two more cards in her hand. "With this Spell, I can perform a Fusion Summon using the monsters in my hand. I fuse Gem-Knight Tourmaline and Gem-Knight Obsidian!"
The two Gem-Knight warriors, one gold, one black, appeared behind Masumi, mixing together.
"Gem tinged with lightning. Sharp jet-black darkness. In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a dazzling radiance!"
A portal tore through the sky, jettisoning the lustrous form of Masumi's Fusion Monster, Gem-Knight Topaz. It held its tonfas close to its chest, ready to strike. (1800 ATK)
Shun felt vindicated now, seeing the monster. There it was. There was no mistaking it now – LDS was in fact the enemy. There was no mistaking it – this was the same monster and the same girl who had defeated Ruri after all. Good – no, perfect. He would make this girl feel the same way Ruri must have felt, alone and hopeless and afraid. Only then he would get his answers. This he swore.
Masumi reached for her discard slot. "Gem-Knight Obsidian, when sent to the Graveyard from my hand, lets me Special Summon a low-Level Normal Monster from my Graveyard. Come, Gem-Knight Tourmaline!"
The warrior in the thunder armor stood beside Gem-Knight Topaz. Standing side by side, they looked like brothers, one a shrunken version of the other. (1600 ATK)
"The duel ends here," Masumi said in that cavalier tone of voice that had taken her years to perfect. "Gem-Knight Topaz's effect allows it to attack twice during the Battle Phase. Moreover, when it destroys an opponent's monster, that player is dealt damage equal to their monster's original ATK. You can't win anymore."
Shun said nothing. He stared at her, taunting her, torturing her with his resolute silence.
Glaring, Masumi declared her Battle Phase. "I use Gem-Knight Topaz to attack Raid Raptors – Vanishing Lanius!"
Gem-Knight Topaz thrust one tonfa forward, directing a bolt of lightning at the bird.
"Trap, activate," said Shun, tapping his Duel Disk. "Raid Raptors – Readiness!"
A thin blue bubble wrapped around his monster and absorbed the shock.
"This card prevents my Raid Raptors monsters from being destroyed by battle this turn."
"However, you still take damage."
The backlash brushed back, sending a cloud of dust and smoke at Shun. He didn't flinch once as his Life Points fell.
(Masumi: 4000 LP/Shun: 3500 LP)
"Additionally," Masumi said, "Gem-Knight Topaz can attack again. Go, Gem-Knight Topaz!"
The second tonfa shot a second lightning bolt, which was absorbed for a second time.
(Masumi: 4000 LP/Shun: 3000 LP)
"Gem-Knight Tourmaline will attack Vanishing Lanius too."
Gem-Knight Tourmaline brought its hands together. A ball of electricity formed between its hands, which it pitched at Vanishing Lanius. The bubble surrounding the monster cracked and broke under the weight of the attack, but the bird inside remained unscathed.
(Masumi: 4000 LP/Shun: 2700 LP)
"So you managed to save yourself?" Masumi said, unimpressed. A facedown card formed behind her Fusion Monster. "I set this card and end my turn here."
"Draw," Shun said without missing a beat. He looked at his draw for only a moment before placing it on his Duel Disk. "I summon another Raid Raptors – Vanishing Lanius."
A facsimile of his first monster appeared, a perfect replica down to the red crest. (1300 ATK)
"Continuing, I activate the Continuous Spell, Raid Raptors – Nest."
A Spell Card appeared behind the two monsters, bearing the image of a nest containing an egg.
"With this, once per turn, if I control two or more Raid Raptors monsters, I can add another Raid Raptors from my Deck or Graveyard to my hand."
A card slid from his deck. He grabbed it and slid it toward his Monster Card Zone.
"You've already Normal Summoned once this turn." Masumi said this like it was the most obvious thing in the world. What was he doing? Didn't this guy know how to duel?
"On the turn Vanishing Lanius is summoned," said Shun, "I can Special Summon another Level 4 or lower Raid Raptors monster from my hand. Appear, Raid Raptors – Mimicry Lanius!"
A third monster swooped down. It had gold wings that were equipped with green disks shaped like drums. A cybernetic strip of blue snaked up its, stopping where a headset wrapped around the monster's skull. (1100 ATK)
The three birds beat their wings together, sending a powerful gale toward Masumi. She was taken aback by the force, stumbling and losing her balance and falling on her rear. She was slightly embarrassed, picking herself back up, but lurking beneath the embarrassment was a deeper layer of confusion. She was certain now that the monsters were operating independent of Real-Solid Vision – that gust was proof enough. But how was that possible?
"Just who are you?" she said, pushing against the ground. She knelt on one knee and stared at him.
Shun looked in Masumi's direction, but he seemed to be gazing past her. As if he hadn't noticed her at all, he said, "I have three Level 4 monsters on my field. Using Raid Raptors – Mimicry Lanius and my two Raid Raptors – Vanishing Lanius, I construct the overlay network!"
So it's Xyz, is it? Masumi thought, back on her feet. This wasn't a problem; she had defeated Hokuto four times yesterday, just as Yaiba had said earlier. This much she could handle.
The three birds devolved into dark blips of light, twisting together in the air. They met at the portal forming on the ground.
"Obscured falcon, raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz Summon!"
The monster's dark blue wings spread out like an X. Ten burners apiece were attached to the upper wings while the lower wings had three. All twenty-six sparked to life, igniting with a formidable blue flame. The monster's claws became unleashed, revealing razor-sharp talons. Lightning crackled around the monster's body. Its eyes, all six of them, glowed red. The creature spun around once, revealing the blood red crest on its back. Three orbs circled it. (100 ATK)
"Appear! Rank 4, Raid Raptors – Rise Falcon!"
Another fierce gust of wind whipped around them, blowing back Masumi's hair. She covered her face and waited for the wind to die down. When it finally did, she noticed. "100 ATK?"
"This monster can attack every opposing Special Summoned once," Shun said.
"You plan to attack with that monster?" Masumi asked. Once more, she had the urge to question Shun's dueling proficiency. He had seemed confident enough when he challenged her, intrepid and sure of himself, but here he was making misplays again.
Shun looked to Gem-Knight Tourmaline, then Gem-Knight Topaz, and finally Masumi herself. "I activate Rise Falcon's monster effect."
Rise Falcon craned its head up, chomping one of the three rotating orbs.
"Once per turn, by detaching one Overlay Unit, Rise Falcon permanently gains the ATK of one Special Summoned monster on my opponent's field. I choose Gem-Knight Topaz."
Rise Falcon spread its wings, and suddenly they were aflame. The bird soared in the orange sky, blazing like a phoenix. (100 – 1900 ATK)
"Battle Phase! Go, Raid Raptors – Rise Falcon! Rend and tear all our enemies! Brave Claw Revolution!"
Rise Falcon flew up even higher, eclipsing the sun with its brilliant glow. She squinted in the sunlight, watching the bird stall in the air, perched at a lofty height. Then it descended, quick as a torpedo. Its wingspan doubled, sending embers to the ground below. Masumi blinked and missed it. When next she opened her eyes, Tourmaline and Topaz exploded, leaving only molten gemstones in their place. She screamed as the impact threw her body back like a ragdoll.
(Masumi: 3600 LP/Shun: 2700 LP)
Shun's gaze ran up and down the fallen girl's body with the clinical appraisal of a psychiatrist. He felt an elusive sense of righteousness flow through him. This, Masumi's suffering and hurt, was the pain that Ruri had endured yesterday – he was merely repaying the favor.
He said, "At this moment, I activate the effect of the detached Mimicry Lanius."
The Monster Card slid from his Graveyard and he stashed it in his pants pocket.
"By banishing this card on the turn it's sent to the Graveyard, I can add one Raid Raptors card from my deck to my hand." He flashed the card to Masumi, a Trap Card she didn't recognize.
"I place three cards facedown," Shun said, setting all three cards in his hand. "Turn end."
Though her arms and legs stung, Masumi picked herself up quickly. If there was one thing she wouldn't allow her opponents to see, it was weakness.
"My turn," she said, drawing her card. She winced when she pulled her arm back. "Draw!"
Like Shun, she wasted no time playing her draw. "I summon Crystal Rose!"
The gem-encrusted rose came into focus. (500 ATK)
"I activate its effect, sending the Gem-Knight Lazuli to the Graveyard, and transferring its name to Crystal Rose this turn."
Masumi found the card in her deck, and as she tossed it, she said, "Next, Gem-Knight Lazuli, when sent to the Graveyard by a card effect, lets me add a Normal Monster from my Graveyard to my hand. I select Gem-Knight Tourmaline."
Gem-Knight Tourmaline popped out of her Duel Disk. A moment later, so did Gem-Knight Obsidian and Gem-Knight Fusion.
"By banishing a Gem-Knight monster, I can add Gem-Knight Fusion back to my hand. And I'll activate it once more to fuse Gem-Knight Tourmaline and the Crystal Rose acting as Gem-Knight Lazuli!"
The monsters ascended.
She chanted: "Gem tinged with lightning. Green stones that hide mysterious power. In a whirlpool of light, combine to bring forth a dazzling radiance! Fusion Summon, Gem-Knight Prismaura!"
Gem-Knight Prismaura stepped forward, its silvery armor catching the sunlight. It raised its lance and aimed it at Shun's monster. (2450 ATK)
"As expected."
The sound of Shun's voice was so abrupt, so unexpected, Masumi was briefly thrown for a loop. She flinched, though she didn't quite know why. "What was that?"
"This is the same strategy as before. God, you're utterly predictable. I don't sense any strength or resolve in you."
Masumi narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"Your dueling is exactly like the rest of the LDS, flimsy and pathetic. Not one of you has the kind of duel that can slake my thirst."
"You…" Why was she standing here listening to this man belittle her school – and worse, her? She reached for Prismaura's card.
"You fight with the same uninspired style as the rest of them. You're all the same. That was your biggest mistake just now, playing the same way against me as you did against Ruri yesterday."
Masumi paused mid-motion, raised an eyebrow. Had she heard him right? "Ruri?"
"Don't screw with me!" Shun shouted, an outburst he must have been holding in for some time. "You know exactly who I'm talking about. It was only yesterday that you dueled against her. Now, tell me where she is!"
That was all Masumi needed to hear to determine that the duel was pointless. This guy was obviously confused, looking for someone else. This was all a big misunderstanding, a mistake. It made no sense to continue the duel. She wasn't afraid of losing; she just hated wasting her time.
And yet, despite knowing this, there was a vague, ineffable feeling welling inside her – pride, arrogance, curiosity? – that prevented her from stopping the duel. She wouldn't surrender; that was beneath her. If nothing else, though, the duel presented a change of pace, a chance to defeat someone that wasn't Hokuto or Yaiba or one of her other, weaker LDS schoolmates. This guy, this Kurosaki, was already more of a challenge.
"Tell me!" Shun was still shouting.
"I don't know who you're talking about," Masumi said. "I've never met anyone named Ruri, let alone dueled against them."
"Playing dumb until the end. Give me a break." Shun bared his gritted teeth, sharp as fangs. "In that case, let me ask you after I've won!"
"Hmph, that's big talk coming from someone who's still behind."
Two cards slid from Masumi's Graveyard again – Gem-Knight Fusion and Gem-Knight Lazuli.
"I banish Lazuli to return Gem-Knight Fusion to my hand."
No sooner had she placed Gem-Knight Fusion with the other cards in her hand than she discarded it.
"And I activate Gem-Knight Prismaura's monster effect, discarding Gem-Knight Fusion to destroy Raid Raptors – Rise Falcon!"
A stream of pink lightning shot from Prismaura's lance, heading for Rise Falcon's heart.
"That's why I said you're predictable," Shun said, steps ahead of Masumi. "Counter Trap, activate! Raid Raptors – Desperate!"
His leftmost facedown card rose, the card he had searched for with Mimicry Lanius's effect.
"While I control a Raid Raptors monster, this card negates a destruction effect, and I'm able to draw one card."
Prismaura's strike disappeared halfway to Rise Falcon.
Shun made a draw.
Masumi frowned. Digging into her Graveyard, she retrieved two more cards. "I activate the other effect of Crystal Rose. By banishing my Fusion Monster, Gem-Knight Topaz, it can revive!"
She pocketed Gem-Knight Topaz before placing Crystal Rose on her Duel Disk. (500 DEF)
"If I can't destroy it by through a card effect, I'll do it by battle. Gem-Knight Prismaura, attack Rise Falcon!"
This time her monster opted for a physical attack. It dashed ahead, lance raised high above its head. It brought the weapon down, but something intercepted it: A blue bird with cogs for claws.
"From my hand," Shun said, revealing the card he drew from his Counter Trap, "I activate the effect of Raid Raptors – Booster Strix!"
Shun's new monster, Booster Strix, ballooned, its blue body expanding larger and larger, threatening self-destruction.
"By banishing Booster Strix from my hand when a Raid Raptors monster is attacked, I can destroy the attacking monster. Disappear, Gem-Knight Prismaura!"
Masumi grinned, glad to have the upper hand again. "I won't let you. Trap, activate! Pyroxene Fusion!"
With a vacuum-like suction, Pyroxene Fusion sucked Prismaura and Crystal Rose into its card.
"With this Trap Card, I can fuse using monsters on my field. Prismaura, Crystal Rose, fuse!"
As Masumi selected her Fusion Monster, Booster Strix burst, taking its own life.
Shun wasn't surprised to see Masumi's choice, Gem-Knight Zirconia, its bulky fists eagerly raised, yet another monster that Masumi had used the previous day. This girl really was one-note, capable of only one linear way of dueling. Fighting her was tedious, a complete waste of his time. Zirconia stalked forward, threatening Shun with its size. (2900 ATK)
Masumi threw a hand forward. "Because it's still my Battle Phase, I can attack your Rise Falcon again. Do it, Gem-Knight Zirconia!"
Gem-Knight Zirconia, even from Masumi's field, was able to reach Shun's monster. Its massive arms sailed ahead at full speed, smashing into the bird's beak.
"Continuous Trap, activate!" came Shun's response. The rightmost facedown card lifted. "Overlay Breast Armor! If an Xyz Monster would be destroyed by battle, I can detach an Overlay Unit to prevent the destruction."
Rise Falcon's second Overlay Unit burst into granules of light that showered it. It screeched in agony but withstood the attack.
"But you still take damage," Masumi reminded him, sullenly.
Once more, Shun remained inert as his Life Points dropped.
(Masumi: 3600 LP/Shun: 1700 LP)
Masumi hated to admit it, but Shun was better than she had initially given him credit for. He'd read her strategy perfectly and countered every move she made. He really had made everything seem predicted, bland. She took a deep, reassuring breath, plucking a card from her hand.
"I set this card facedown and end my turn."
Shun was quiet for a moment. He stared up at the sky, at the sun, which was now beginning to sink into the horizon. There was something he found inexplicably serene about this place, Maiami City, something almost beautiful. Though after Heartland, he supposed almost anyplace would be beautiful. Anything would be better than the darkness he left behind in Heartland City.
He closed his eyes and imagined his sister's face, eyes kind and smile wide. When he opened his eyes and stared at Masumi, there was a darkness in his gaze that unnerved her. It was almost palpable, the hatred and malice imbued in his look.
"My turn," he said. "Draw!"
He looked at the card. Then he motioned to Rise Falcon. "I detach the remaining Overlay Unit from Rise Falcon to activate its effect, targeting Gem-Knight Zirconia and adding its ATK to Rise Falcon's!"
Rise Falcon devoured the last Overlay Unit and prepared to siphon Zirconia's power. It soared high, grazing the skyline.
Masumi clicked a button on her Duel Disk. "Trap, activate. Gem-Enhancement!"
A sparkling gateway materialized underneath Gem-Knight Zirconia, dragging it under. A few seconds later, the monster resurfaced, like a magic trick. (2900 ATK)
"Gem-Enhancement lets me sacrifice a Gem-Knight on my field to Special Summon one from my Graveyard," she said, flipping another strand of hair behind her ear. "Of course, because the sacrifice precedes the summon, I can choose to Special Summon the very monster I offered. Furthermore, since I Tributed Gem-Knight Zirconia at the moment Rise Falcon's effect triggered, the original target was lost. In other words, Rise Falcon's ATK won't increase."
She stared at Shun, watching his silhouette expand on the ground under the dying sunlight. "You understand now, don't you?" she said. "You've wasted your final Overlay Unit. Now you can't protect your monster with your Continuous Trap."
She had him right where she wanted him. His Trap Card was nullified, and he couldn't use the effect of Raid Raptors – Nest without first Normal Summoning another monster, which would undoubtedly be weaker than Gem-Knight Zirconia. In the end, everything had worked in her favor. He was trapped.
And it was then, just as this thought crossed her mind, that he did something she could never have anticipated.
"Raid Raptors – Rise Falcon, attack Gem-Knight Zirconia! Brave Claw Revolution!"
Masumi's eyes widened. "What? Your monster has 1000 less ATK."
This did not deter Rise Falcon. It took the sky, once more spreading its glorious wings. An inferno, so hot that Masumi could feel it from where she stood, coated the monster, dyeing it in the darkest red she had ever seen. It dropped down, a proud, feathered meteorite.
Zirconia opened its palm, catching the wriggling bird. It squeezed, shredding Rise Falcon's wings. They fell to the ground in a smoldering blaze. The bird cawed wildly, each cry getting shriller as Zirconia's vice grip tightened. The bird, defeated, exploded under the pressure.
(Masumi: 3600 LP/Shun: 700 LP)
"Why?" Masumi said, because it was all she could think to say. Had he given up? She couldn't imagine so. Shun's moves made no sense to her, and yet they all seemed to be precisely calculated. She felt something creep into her stomach that made her knees weak, a faint sense of something unpleasant: panic. A realization came to her, its clarity shiny as a new toy: She feared his unpredictability, feared that she might not be able to tame it.
Shun's voice hacked through her racing thoughts like a machete:
"Quick-Play Magic, activate! Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force!"
A dark purple portal, emblazoned in the center with the Raid Raptors crest, appeared on the ground, turning in a slow semicircle. A pillar of light tore through the marking, and in the afterglow Masumi could see Rise Falcon hovering above the portal. (100 ATK)
"Rank-Up-Magic?" she echoed, testing the sound of the words on her tongue. She hated them.
"Rank-Up-Magic Raptor's Force," Shun said. "It can only be used on the turn a Raid Raptors Xyz Monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard. With it, I Special Summon the destroyed Rise Falcon, then Special Summon, from my Extra Deck, a Raid Raptors Xyz Monster that is one Rank higher!"
Rise Falcon was balled into an orb of light. It shot into the air, vanishing behind a passing cloud.
"Ferocious falcon, break through this fierce battle and spread your wings! Destroy our gathering foes!"
The sky became dark red, the color of blood and war. The monster gradually came into vision – wings first, mechanized and strapped with sleek burners; claws second, distended and jagged as nails; and finally its body, diamond shaped, covered in dormant missiles, and bearing the same crest as its predecessors. A single Overlay Unit looped horizontally around its body. (1000 ATK)
"Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 5, Raid Raptors – Blaze Falcon!"
"Rank-Up Xyz Change?" Masumi blinked in disbelief, her mouth slack. It was true that she had seen some variation of Rank-Up Xyz Monsters before – had even fought against them when dueling Hokuto – but none that were ever summoned using a specialized Spell Card.
Moreover, they didn't even teach Rank-Up summoning in the Xyz Course. Masumi knew for a fact that Hokuto had had to learn the method on his own. So how could this guy possibly know a rare technique like that? "Where are you from?" she asked. "What school do you go to? Who are you?"
Shun said, glancing at his monster, "The revived Rise Falcon is attached to Blaze Falcon as an Overlay Unit."
Masumi clicked the roof of her mouth with her tongue. She still had questions that needed answering. She sighed, knowing she would have to play his game. "Fine, then," she said. "I'll throw your earlier words back at you: Let me ask you my questions after I've won."
Shun paused. His felt his blood boiling, his anger waiting to be unleashed. Ruri, wait for me.
"It's still my Battle Phase," he said.
"That doesn't make much of a difference, Rank-Up or not. Gem-Knight Zirconia still has a higher attacking power than your monster."
"Blaze Falcon, while it has an Overlay Unit attached, can attack the enemy directly. Go! Raptor's Break of Thunderclap!"
Three of the missiles shot from the bird's body, each one firing a green laser beam at Masumi. She skirted around the first two, jumping out of harm's way at the last possible second, but the third blast speared the ground in front of her, causing it to shatter and scatter. Loose pavement shot up, clipping her leg and stomach, and she dropped on her back with a yelp.
(Masumi: 2600 LP/Shun: 700 LP)
Shun continued without a care in the world. "Blaze Falcon's effect: When it inflicts damage to the enemy, I can destroy one monster they control. Be gone, Gem-Knight Zirconia!"
Blaze Falcon unleashed its arsenal, spreading its wings and sending a barrage of missiles at the Fusion Monster. With each hit, different fragments of the monster fell to the ground in chunks – shoulders, hands, legs, feet, chest, head, until it was a steaming pile of rubble.
"I end my turn like this."
Masumi forced herself to fight through the pain, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out. She stood up again, slower this time, and took a moment to assess the situation. Shun was the only one with a monster, but even so, it only had 1000 ATK.
She noted the only card in her hand, a Trap Card that she wished she'd set earlier. As it was, she was now stuck relying on a good draw. Whether or not she could win depended on this one card. She grabbed her top card, wanting desperately to close her eyes, to avoid looking, to skip the dread of a bad draw, but she forced herself to turn the card around the moment she picked it up.
"It's my turn," she said. "I Draw!"
She looked. She smiled. This card would be enough alone – more than enough, really – but for what Shun had put her through, it wouldn't be enough to satisfy her. Simply winning the duel wasn't fulfilling if she didn't give him a good taste of his own medicine. For now, she would go all-out. She would stoop to his level.
"Continuous Spell, Brilliant Fusion, activate!"
She slid the card into her Duel Disk, turning to face Shun.
"When activated, this card lets me Fusion Summon a Gem-Knight monster."
Shun, who was beyond tired of hearing the word "Fusion" bandied about so casually, scowled. He heard the rancor lacing his tone but made no attempt to quell it: "Your hand is at zero. There's nothing more you can do."
"Wrong," said Masumi. "With Brilliant Fusion, the Fusion Material monsters I use come from my deck. As such, I fuse Gem-Knights Alexandrite, Garnet, and Emerald!"
The cards themselves appeared on the field, a Normal Monster sandwiched between two Effect Monsters, shining warriors in gem-ensconced suits of armor.
Masumi looked straight ahead, directly into Shun's yellow eyes. "You said you saw me duel yesterday, didn't you?"
To her surprise, Shun replied, "Yes. I'm certain it was you that I saw dueling at LDS."
"That's why you said my dueling was predictable, right? Because you saw my usual strategy."
The Extra Deck receptacle on her Duel Disk slid open.
"However, I never summoned my true ace monster yesterday. I'll let you have a taste of it now!"
The Gem-Knights came together as Masumi chanted: "Gem with facets of noon and night. Crimson truth. Brilliant emerald of good fortune. Combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance in a whirlpool of light!"
The monster was nearly four times Shun's height, sparkling from head to toe. She wore armor stuffed with diamonds in the kneecaps and breastplate. A similar tiara of diamonds sat on her head. A billowing red cape fell to the middle of her back. She delivered a war cry, slashing the air with her broadsword, mere practice swings. She struck a pose on Masumi's field. (3400 – 0 ATK)
"Fusion Summon! Dazzling maiden! Level 10, Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond!"
As expected, Shun's scowl was impenetrable, perennial. He didn't so much as blink. She wondered what she had to do to get a reaction out of him.
"The monster summoned by Brilliant Fusion has its ATK and DEF reduced to 0." Masumi nodded to her monster. "But, by sending one Spell Card to my Graveyard, I can return its ATK to normal until my next turn."
As two cards popped out of her Duel Disk, she said, "Thus, I banish Gem-Knight Emerald from my Graveyard to return Gem-Knight Fusion to my hand, and discard it for Brilliant Fusion!"
Masumi did just that, and Lady Brilliant Diamond lifted her sword. (0 – 3400 ATK)
This wasn't enough, either. She desired even more – needed it. She felt the overwhelming necessity to protect her title as LDS' ace Fusion user, especially against this man, who was so quick to disparage her school and her dueling.
"I activate the effect of the Crystal Rose in my Graveyard, banishing Gem-Knight Zirconia to revive it."
Crystal Rose appeared for the third time. (500 ATK)
"And I use Crystal Rose's effect to send Gem-Knight Crystal from my deck to my Graveyard, to gain its name."
The phantasmal form of Gem-Knight Crystal stood behind Crystal Rose.
Masumi's arm shot above her head like an eager student prepared to answer a question. "Now, I activate Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond's effect!"
Lady Brilliant Diamond held her hands in front of her chest, one on either side of her jeweled breastplate. The jewels glowed before popping out, one by one, floating in a crooked triangle.
"By sending the Crystal Rose treated as a Gem-Knight to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, ignoring the summoning conditions. Come forth, the supreme radiance that illuminates all that exists! Gem-Knight Master Diamond!"
Lady Brilliant Diamond's three crystals orbited Crystal Rose, causing its red petals to glow a shimmering white. The petals fell one by one, arranging themselves in a neat circle in the air. The burst of rainbow light filled the middle of the circle, and Gem-Knight Master Diamond stepped through, its bejeweled sword tinging with color. (2900 – 3400 ATK)
"Master Diamond gains 100 ATK for each Gem monster in my Graveyard," she said, though she suspected he already knew that. "And, once per turn, I can banish a Gem-Knight Fusion Monster in my Graveyard to have Master Diamond gain that monster's effects until the End Phase. I banish Gem-Knight Prismaura."
The final Fusion Monster in her Graveyard ejected from her Duel Disk. One of the stones on Master Diamond's sword darkened. (3400 – 3300 ATK)
"Next, I banish Gem-Knight Garnet to return Gem-Knight Fusion to my hand," she said, and another sword-stone dimmed. (3300 – 3200 ATK)
"Using the borrowed effect of Gem-Knight Prismaura, Master Diamond can destroy one face-up card by discarding Gem-Knight Fusion. Even if you kept your monster's Overlay Unit safe, Overlay Breast Armor won't protect Blaze Falcon card effects. Go, Master Diamond!"
She discarded Gem-Knight Fusion. The three stones shining on Master Diamond's sword swathed the blade in incandescent light. Master Diamond thrust the sword forward, sending a tri-colored beam at Blaze Falcon, cleaving the bird's wings and destroying it.
"You have no monsters left to protect you. Lady Brilliant Diamond, attack the player directly! Taste the power of the LDS Fusion Course you dared to mock!"
Lady Brilliant Diamond charged ahead, carrying the weight of sword and shadow under the evening sun.
Shun watched, face blank. In no hurry, he tapped a button, revealing his final facedown card.
"Counter Trap, Necro Raptors, activate. When an opponent's monster attacks directly, this card negates all battle damage from that attack."
A blizzard of birds flew from the Trap Card. Lady Brilliant Diamond sliced through hundreds of them but the flock proved ruthless, ready to sacrifice the whole lot to save their master.
Masumi shook her head. "That's not enough. I still have Gem-Knight Master Diamond."
Shun shot her a look, annoyed at having been interrupted. "Necro Raptors' additional effect: Because the attack damage was successfully negated, I can revive a Raid Raptors monster in my Graveyard. I call back Raid Raptors – Rise Falcon!"
As Lady Brilliant Diamond retreated, Rise Falcon reemerged. (2000 DEF)
"Tch." At Masumi's behest, Master Diamond, with a slick swing of its sword, sliced Rise Falcon in twain, once more rendering Shun without monsters.
She looked at the final card in her hand and said, "I set this card facedown and end my turn."
Masumi's facedown card formed at her feet, as the aura around Master Diamond died down.
"At this moment, Gem-Knight Master Diamond's effect ends and it loses Prismaura's effect."
A stillness entered the battlefield. The waves of the harbor splashed against the concrete behind Shun. Somewhere in the distance came the horn of a tugboat. Overhead, a crow cawed and soared past Masumi, headed for the city. From where he stood with his back to the sun, Shun's face was half masked in shadow.
"As I thought," he said. "You're just like the rest of those bastards."
The crow cawed again, nearly drowning out Masumi's question: "What?"
"You and the rest of LDS." He didn't take his eyes off her. "And Academia…"
"Academia?"
"You use Fusion just as your comrades all did in Heartland, without a regard for anyone. It's all a game to you, isn't it, watching us getting beaten and battered and knocked down, knowing that we're unable to defend ourselves?"
Masumi said nothing.
Shun looked at the ground. "We were just specks of dirt to you, no better than cockroaches. We were something that had to be exterminated. For that reason, you came in a time of peace and turned Heartland into a battlefield.
"You didn't think we would – no, could – rise up and protect ourselves."
When he brought his head up, his eyes were hollow, lifeless.
"But that's exactly what we've done, we who would no longer stand to be treated like pests, like we weren't even human, we who were tired of suffering, tired of hurting, we of the Resistance. We've banded together and turned the tables, my comrades and I!"
Shun reached into his trench coat, revealing a stack of cards. From where she stood twenty feet away, Masumi knew what they were: Fusion Monsters. She knew because she recognized the last card in the row.
"The Last Warrior from Another Planet?" she said, her voice but a whisper. "That's…that's Professor Marco's card."
Her heartbeat raced, threatening to shoot from her chest. Her feet felt cemented to the ground, leaden and ungainly. Her mouth ran dry, and she had to lick her lips just to get the agonizing words out. She imagined her favorite professor in her mind, his perfect smile, the way his wavy brown hair fell past his eyes. The sun made her skin dry and prickly.
"Why do you have Professor Marco's card? Answer me!"
"These cards are the proof of the Resistance's strength, our tenacity – proof that we won't be your victims anymore!"
"What did you do to Professor Marco?" She felt nauseous now, forced to face a reality worse than any nightmare she could have conjured. Her head spun. Her vision blurred at the edges. She asked again.
"What you've been doing to us."
With a deft flick of his wrist, Shun pitched the cards forward, releasing his grip. They sailed through the air and landed in odd places, at odd angles. Like a personal affront to Masumi, one card, Professor Marco's, landed in front of her. She didn't dare bend down to pick it up.
Shun said, "Well, that doesn't matter anymore. You'll be joining Marco soon enough." He said, like a portent, "You and the rest of Academia."
Masumi took two steps back. She hadn't known her heart could beat any faster, until now. What had she gotten herself into?
Shun's voice filled her ears, his hostility sickening her. "My turn! Draw!"
Even so, she willed herself to look at things rationally. She had her two strongest Fusion Monsters on the field, almost quadruple his Life Points, and aside from Shun's two Continuous Cards, he had only his draw. She had the incontestable advantage.
So why couldn't she stop the fear from lodging in her heart?
Shun looked at the card. Jamming it in his Duel Disk, he said, "Spell Card, activate! Rank-Up-Magic Soul Shave Force!"
"Another Rank-Up?" Masumi was surprised she had managed to speak with the tightness clenching her throat.
"To activate this card, I must pay half my Life Points," he said, and a golden glow cloaked him.
(Masumi: 2600 LP/Shun: 350 LP)
"Then, I Special Summon a Raid Raptors monster from my Graveyard and use it for the Xyz Summon of a monster that is two Ranks higher! Return once more, Raid Raptors – Rise Falcon!"
Rise Falcon came in a burst of light. (100 ATK)
"And overlay!"
Rise Falcon sank into the swirling opening on the pavement.
"Prideful falcon, spread those wings coated with the surging blood of heroes and charge upon the road of revolution! Rank-Up Xyz Change!"
Fire sprouted from the portal, flames in every direction. Hidden behind the blazing wall was the silhouette of a monster. Slowly, it crept forward. Its wings were black as deep space, spread like a crucifix. Round gold orbs stippled the monster's body. Maroon lines stretched in the slant of sideways W's beneath the beak. One Overlay Unit – Rise Falcon – whirled around its wings like an omen. (2000 ATK)
"Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 6, Raid Raptors – Revolution Falcon!"
Masumi looked from Revolution Falcon to the Fusion Monster on the ground. Professor Marco's Fusion Monster. Like a forgotten combination, something suddenly clicked for her. She remembered the news segment she'd seen a few days before, one in which a warehouse had been maliciously attacked. Reporters had displayed a Fusion Monster left at the scene of the attack.
She turned to her right. Sure enough, the nearest warehouse garage door was dented, scratched in by marks that matched Rise Falcon's claws. How hadn't she noticed that before? How could she have been so oblivious? Shun had lured her back to the scene of the crime.
"You attacked those people," she said, finally understanding. She didn't care about the duel anymore; she just wanted the confirmation, the knowledge of what happened to her teacher. She felt something inside her break when she forced her to say, "You attacked Professor Marco."
He blinked once, his only acknowledgement of her words. "When it has a Raid Raptors monster attached as an Overlay Unit, Revolution Falcon can, once per turn, destroy an opposing monster and deal damage to the enemy equal to half that monster's ATK. I destroy Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond! Burn and scatter in the flames of revolution!"
Revolution Falcon was skyward in seconds. Its chest plates opened, revealing a depository of bombs. The monster flew forward, situating itself above Masumi's field. The bombs dropped together, twenty at once, perfect in their synchronicity. Lady Brilliant Diamond screamed as the bombs took away everything – the ground, her sword, her body, her life. Everything was razed under the power of Shun's monster.
Masumi was still thinking about Professor Marco when the last bomb cracked the ground in front of her and exploded. She landed on her face, hard, scattering pebbles where she fell.
(Masumi: 900 LP/Shun: 350 LP)
When she looked up, she realized with a start that she could no longer see Marco's card. Her head spun frantically from side to side. It wasn't until half a minute after the impact of the attack that she grasped why she hadn't found it before.
There, smoldering near the vandalized warehouse door, lay the smoldering half of Marco's Fusion Monster. The other half, the upper half, was nowhere to be found, expunged from existence by the strength of Revolution Falcon's bomb.
The fear morphed in her body, converted to fury. Professor Marco had been gone for a week, and she and her classmates had been told he was on vacation. But now she knew. Deep down, she felt she had known the whole time that something bad had happened to him, but she wished for it not to be true, wished for him to be safe somewhere and ready to teach on the following day.
Now she knew better.
Shun had taken her teacher from her.
Even worse, if Marco was truly gone, Shun had just destroyed the only remaining proof of him.
She tasted the bile building in the back of her throat. With an unappeasable anger, she turned to Shun, the hatred in her gaze matching his.
She said, cold as ice, "I activate Brilliant Spark, targeting Gem-Knight Lady Brilliant Diamond."
Her Trap Card turned over. Its image depicted a pure crystal being broken by three bolts of lightning.
"When a Gem-Knight monster is destroyed by an opponent, Brilliant Spark inflicts damage equal to the targeted monster's ATK."
She put her hand to her heart, clutching at her shirt fabric. She would avenge Marco. This much, at least, she could do. Maybe, she thought hopefully, if she beat him, she might even get Marco back.
She caught herself saying, "It's over! Take Lady Brilliant Diamond's 3400 ATK as damage! Feel the strike of the sacred dueling that Professor Marco taught me!"
Shun's eyes widened.
Masumi's Trap Card sparked to life, glowing until the pink borders became pure white.
"Go, Brilliant Spark!" she shouted, and the blast was unleashed, untamed, unstoppable.
The blast struck the target, setting free a haze of smoke and ash. Masumi breathed deeply, holding her chest. She allowed herself a small smile, her reward for victory.
"Were you watching me, Professor Marco?" she said under her breath. She looked up, searching for a sign of acknowledgement in the clouds. "Did I exceed your expectations?"
On Shun's field the smoke began to clear. In the dying haze, she saw Shun standing tall, his Life Points untouched.
(Masumi: 900 LP/Shun: 350 LP)
"How?" She couldn't keep her voice from cracking. "How did you survive that?"
Then she noticed the card he was holding, the very first one sent to his Graveyard.
"By banishing Raid Raptors – Readiness from my Graveyard, I negate all damage I take this turn." He placed the card with Booster Strix in his pocket. "Your Brilliant Spark is meaningless to me."
"No way…" She made a quick scan of the field, reassuring herself. She still had Master Diamond on her field, and Shun had made the mistake of summoning a weaker monster in Attack Position.
Shun's eyes hardened with grit, the look of a combat veteran. "Go, Revolution Falcon! Attack Gem-Knight Master Diamond!"
"What?" Masumi took another step back. "Master Diamond's ATK is higher."
"Naïve. When battling a Special Summoned monster, Revolution Falcon makes that monster's ATK 0!"
Jet streams of fire tumbled from the Xyz Monster's wings, turning the harbor into a conflagration of ruin and despair. Master Diamond's body crumpled, its armor liquefying under the heat. (3300 – 0 ATK)
"Carry on the will of the broken and eradicate all of our enemies. Revolutionary Air Raid!"
This time the monster's back plates, where it kept its reserve of bombs, opened, and another set of twenty dropped. The bombs all dropped together in a ring. Master Diamond had no choice but to look up and face its own demise. The space in between ring became more and more compact as the bombs came closer, constricting until they created one unified atomic bomb.
Masumi shielded her face just as the mass detonated and let loose a shockwave bigger than any she had ever experienced with Real-Solid Vision. Cuts and scrapes ran down her legs. It felt as though someone had thrown a brick at her stomach. She couldn't even scream; the air had been knocked from her lungs. She'd lost complete control of her body, could feel nothing, though she knew that she was airborne now. That much she could see. Shun's body appeared smaller the farther back she flew. Finally the movement stopped altogether, and her back cracked when colliding with solid concrete. Her Duel Disk smacked the ground, sending all her cards flying in every direction, a cardboard typhoon.
(Masumi: 0 LP/Shun: 350 LP)
Shun stepped past the fluster, his eyes glued to his feet. He wobbled through the maze of Masumi's cards, careful not to step on any. He harbored little respect for Fusion Monsters, even less for their users, but he knew better than to tamper with the evidence. That's exactly what the cards were to him: evidence, proof that he had been here, that he had claimed yet another victim. Evidence was exactly what it had been before with his other targets, too. He knew well the bargaining power of proof, its undeniable clout in upper levels.
Yes, it was only a matter of time now before his true prey came to him. And when Akaba Reiji did, he would be waiting.
Shun stood beside her now, his toes pointed at her stomach. He looked down on her fallen body. She resembled a wounded dog, her body curled up and crumpled at once, her legs faintly twitching. A veil of disheveled black hair fell past her face, concealing her eyes. Her lips moved slowly, miming soft syllables, uttering pleas he couldn't hear and didn't care to listen to.
There were things he would never admit, not even to himself: that Ruri had been taken from him, perhaps forever; that the Resistance's crusade against Academia, whose reserve of duelists seemed endless, was perhaps a hopeless endeavor; that he had been a terrible friend by dragging Yuto into his personal business.
He would never admit it, but Masumi had been a challenge, more so than the other duelists he had faced in this dimension at least. He'd lied earlier; he had felt a flicker of resolve in her, a passion to fight for her beliefs. If nothing else, it was admirable.
But that didn't matter to him.
He tapped a few buttons on his Duel Disk, going through the motions. He knew the keys by heart now, which buttons to tap, how long to wait, a process he never thought he would master when he first carded someone back in Heartland. It had been so different then, the thought of sealing another person's life inside a card. Back then, he couldn't fathom being responsible for someone not coming home, for taking someone away from their family. Even after he'd seen Academia do it countless times, picking off his friends like hunters shooting surrounded animals, eradicating the city's population one by one – even then, it had taken everything in Shun to press those buttons.
This he would admit: He enjoyed it. Not immediately, not the first few times, not the first twenty. But somewhere along the line, at a juncture invisible even to him, he found something satisfying about the act, something thrilling. He couldn't wait to click the keys on his Duel Disk, tapping the screen the moment his opponent's Life Points were wiped out. He would watch the purple glow light up his Duel Disk, smiling perversely as his enemies begged for clemency. He felt a burning power, potent as an elixir, course through him. Once, he even caught himself laugh as a card slipped from his Duel Disk like an old Polaroid picture.
He clicked the final button now and his Duel Disk hummed. A purple glow, bright as a flashlight, tinted Masumi's clothes. The humming grew louder. He watched impassively, like a bystander observing from the outside.
Just as it was impossible to locate when his enjoyment began, Shun likewise couldn't pinpoint when the fun stopped. Along the way, his victories became hollow and predictable, the duels rote and joyless. Defeating Academia's soldiers became a chore, the tedium of the act mind-numbing in its repetition. Somewhere along the way, he lost his smile.
He watched the purple light grow brighter. It looked sickly in the sunset light.
His finger hovered over the key that read "Complete Action" in bold lettering. His gaze slinked to her face. By nature he wasn't a believer in second chances, but he decided to make an exception.
"I'm only going to ask you one more time," he said, his voice bubbling with an undercurrent of malice. His free hand, the one at his side, was clenched into a fist. His eyebrows were drawn close to his cold gold eyes. "What did you do with Ruri, the girl you defeated yesterday? Where did you take her?"
Masumi's lips parted, but if there was any sound coming out, it was inaudible.
"Kurosaki Ruri?" Shun asked again, his voice louder, more desperate and demanding. He felt a passing, violent urge to kick the girl, but he restrained himself. He wasn't completely like Academia's soldiers – he hadn't completely lost his humanity. He knew better than to literally kick someone when they were down. "Where is she? Answer me!"
His shouting paused the world around them. The waves stopped crashing against the harbor. He couldn't hear the cars speeding by on the next street over. Maiami City fell silent, waiting for Masumi to answer. It was in this sudden silence that he finally heard what she had been whispering.
"Professor Marco, how? How could I, the top Fusion user at LDS, lose? How?" Her words grew softer as consciousness drained from her body.
Shun glowered at her. Her last moments of life and this is what she chose to spend them on? Stuck in her own arrogance, in the memory of her long-gone teacher? How vain, he thought, how pathetic. He imagined his patience as a tightrope snapping in two. His tolerance had reached its apex.
His finger hovered over the key. The sun sank behind a wall of clouds as Shun made his decision.
0-0-0-0-0
Right then, on the opposite side of the city, in the construction zone district, a large rift opened in the air and a man walked through. He had spiked hair and wore an unzipped jacket. His torso and arms, the latter of which were covered from the wrist up in bandages, were muscular, hardened from rigorous daily exercise. A burn scar ran over his left eye in the shape of a flame. The eye itself was covered by a black eyepatch. On his left wrist was a Duel Disk, on which he tapped a button.
He bent his head down and said into the Duel Disk, "Dimensional transfer complete," his baritone voice reverberating against the sleek steel pipes around him. The sky was turning purple, the color of bruises. It was getting cold out, but the man didn't feel a thing. He had lived all his life in the cold. "I have successfully made it to the Standard Dimension."
"Good" said the voice on the other end. "Then you understand your mission, Barrett."
"Yes," Barrett said. "I will bring Lady Serena back to Academia. And Hiragi Yuzu, too."
"Good," the voice said again. Barrett heard the sound of the Professor's fingers tapping against his throne. "And…" the voice said, prodding.
Barrett took a step forward, gauging his surroundings. From where he stood, he could see the diamond-shaped top of LDS, poking at the skyline. The wind howled in his ears, playing a blustery melody. "And I will bring Sakaki Yuya back to you," he said, and the transmission ended.
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OCG/Anime/Custom Cards Shown In This Chapter –
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Overlay Breast Armor (Trap)
Continuous Trap
Image: Red protective coat of red armor surrounded by a ring of Overlay Units.
Effect: If a "Raid Raptors" Xyz Monster you control would be destroyed by battle, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from it instead.
Note: This card was first used by Shun Kurosaki in Episode 105 of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V." Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Raid Raptors – Desperate (Trap)
Counter Trap
Image: A salvo of missiles coming toward Raid Raptors – Singing Lanius.
Effect: If a card is activated that would destroy a card(s) while you control a "Raid Raptors" monster: Negate that effect, and if you do, draw 1 card.
Note: This card was first used by Shun Kurosaki in Episode 82 of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V." Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
0-0-0-0-0
Necro Raptors (Trap)
Counter Trap
Image: A flock of birds flying around a giant black hole.
Effect: If you would take battle damage from an opponent's monster's direct attack: Target 1 "Raid Raptors" monster in your Graveyard; make the battle damage you take from this battle 0, and if you do, Special Summon that target.
Note: This card first used by Shun Kurosaki in Episode 58 of "Yu-Gi-oh! Arc-V." Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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Author's Note: After talk of Masumi's disappearance spreads around Maiami City, Yuzu decides to investigate the harbor where Masumi was last seen. However, once there, she encounters a surprise – the mysterious masked man that dueled against Sora. And later, when an enemy appears before Yuzu, the unlikely person who steps in to help her is…Find out next time!
