Wow. Most reviews for a chapter so far. So responses first.
Shiun'in Ventus; Glad you think so. And I did consider that, but decided to do something a little different. You'll see in a moment.
HunterHQ; No parasite. It is currently a few days before the parasites are finished in this story. As for Rin, it would be too difficult for him to save both of them on his own, especially once he's lost the element of surprise. As for Leo, you'll see in a little bit.
ColorlessScythe; Glad you like my OC! You'll know everyone's reactions soon enough. And I will update as often as I can, but life will get in the way occasionally. Still, thanks for the support!
RoyalTwinFangs; Thanks. Let me know if you have any ideas I may not have thought of yet.
Guest (Martyn); There will be more mentions of Takumi's past, and I may attempt a Flashback scene at some point in the future.
Guest; Leo's reaction incoming.
FantasyMan92; Haha, thanks. I always enjoy it when other authors end with a similar cliffhanger, and wanted to give it a shot. Glad to see it worked out well!
Alright then. Finally got this chapter done. Took me longer than previously because A) I wasn't sure how I wanted to do it, and B) This chapter wound up MUCH longer than I expected it to turn out, seeing as it is now my longest update yet. Still, I like the way it went. Let me know how it goes!
"You okay there?" As he trudged through the trees, Takumi made sure to check back on Ruri every once in a while.
Said girl looked a little bit tired as she responded. "I'm good. I just couldn't really get out much. My stamina might be a little off."
"Alright. Let me know if you need a break at any time."
After Takumi had spent about half an hour answering each other's questions and getting to know each other, Ruri felt a little more at ease with Takumi. Before they left the cave to explore, Takumi gave Ruri the hat he swiped so she could hide her hair while they looked around, in case anyone recognized her. They were now looking around the area they found themselves in to see if they could find some supplies for the day at least, while making sure to mark the way back to the boat.
"So, that teacher of yours. The one that taught you to steer a boat. Did they also take you hiking?"
"Haha. No, I just enjoyed playing in the forest near town."
"How often was that?"
"Quite often. Sometimes alone, sometimes with others. Whenever us kids played hide and seek in there, I always wound up climbing the trees. After a while people started figuring out that I always did that, but that didn't automatically mean they were able to find me easily."
Ruri gave a small smile at that. "You were a pretty active child then, weren't you?"
He turned his head back to her with a smile of his own. "You say that like I'm any different now."
"Haha, fair enough. Your parents must have thought you were a handful."
Takumi slowed briefly, not going unnoticed by Ruri. "… Maybe. Then again I wouldn't really know, seeing as though I don't remember them."
That stopped Ruri completely. "Eh?"
Takumi stopped and turned to her completely. "I'm an orphan. Never knew my parents, and no one knows who they are."
Ruri widened her eyes in shock, then looked down guiltily. "I'm sor-"
"Please, it's okay!" She looked up in surprise to see him with a small smile. "It doesn't bother me as much as it used to. I may not have had parents, but I have someone who is practically my mother, and tons of friends where I grew up. My childhood may have been different from most, but I wouldn't change a thing if I could."
Ruri looked at him, contemplating his words. "… You really are quite positive about things, aren't you?"
He shrugged at her. "Would you have preferred that I tell you that I am still desperately doing whatever I can to find out who my parents were and why they gave me up?"
She chuckled at that. "Hehe, I think this is alright."
"Haha, glad you think so." With that, they turned back to the way they were going and continued to talk as they walked.
After about 10 more minutes, they reached what looked like a trail. "Hmm. Guess people come here after all. Well, best figure out where we are exactly. Which way should we go? Uphill, or downhill?"
Ruri looked in each direction nervously. "Umm… How about uphill?"
"Uphill it is."
After about 20 minutes, at the end of the path, they were surprised to find what looked like a monastery. All the structures looked to have been painted a light blue, and at the front entrance to the grounds was a sign that said "Shinobashi Monastery." Walking inside, they could see that the monastery was quite large, with figures dressed as priests and priestesses attending to the grounds or speaking with various individuals dressed normally, some of which were holding Dual Monsters cards.
As they looked around curiously, they didn't notice the approach of an elderly gentleman until he was within speaking distance. "Welcome to the Shinobashi Monastery. Have you come to learn?"
Takumi was the first to respond. "Oh, uh, actually we were a little lost and wound up here. What is this place mister…?"
"Shinobashi. Kusube Shinobashi. One of my ancestors founded this temple, and now I am the Head Priest here, where we teach the fundamentals of the lesser known art of Ritual Summoning."
"You teach Ritual Summoning?!"
"Oh? So you do know of this technique. Are you experienced in using it?"
"Oh, no, not really. But I do know of the method. Though to be honest, I thought everyone focused on Fusion?" 'At least in this dimension…'
"Hahaha. I understand the reasoning, but Ritual is a technique older than Fusion, and typically takes more time to call forth. Many prefer to unite the powers of many into one powerful form, as opposed to biding your time before you can call upon the power of one incredible being. However, if one is patient enough to learn, then they can wield the power of Ritual to bring even the mightiest of foes to their knees with the strength they carry within them."
"I see… Anyway, I don't suppose you can offer us some supplies or something? Though we don't have much to offer…"
Kusube waved it off. "Pay no matter to such things. We are quite well off here, and are even willing to lend the 2 of you a room for the night if necessary."
"Woah, really?! Thanks."
Kusube then gave the 2 of them a personal tour of the area, showing them all the facilities at their disposal. A mess hall, a recreational area, an entire field devoted to dueling practice, they were even told that they were allowed to sit in on any lessons that were going on while they were there.
"This place is incredible!"
"Hahaha. I'm glad you think so. Now I wish to ask something, if you don't mind of course."
Takumi and Ruri looked at him curiously as the three of them continued their walk. "Uh, sure, what is it?"
Kusube turned his head to them. "Are you by any chance avoiding Academia?"
The question got the both of them to freeze up in fear. Ruri was completely speechless and scared, while Takumi worked to compose himself. "W-what makes you think that?"
"Well, anyone of age is automatically called to Academia in order to learn and aid in the creation of Utopia. Not to mention one of you is wearing an Academia styled disk." He then pointed to the stolen disk on Ruri's arm. "Now before you get defensive or try to run, let me tell you something important." The 2 of them looked at the Head Priest in worry, as he had a serious expression.
Which then became a relaxed smile. "I don't care about that."
Their eyes widened in surprise as they both gave the same response. "Eh?"
"Hahaha. Let me show you something."
As they walked through another hall, they came across a wide collection of pictures, some old, some new, each depicting different smiling individuals. "This is where we distinguish some of our best students, those who were able to take to using Ritual at an incredible rate."
Takumi and Ruri looked about the wall in amazement, before one of the images caught his eye. Takumi couldn't believe what he was seeing, because in one of the pictures, he saw the smiling face of a young Ryuuji!
Kusube looked at the image that caught his eye, as well as noted the expression that was on his face, before understanding came over him. "Ah, I see. I take it you've met Ryuuji before?"
Ruri looked at him in question as Takumi sought a way to answer. "Oh, uh, yeah. But I never did see him using Ritual."
"Ah yes. While he is very good at Ritual Summoning, you likely haven't seen it due to his disagreement with another fellow graduate." He then pointed out another image that was next to Takumi's holding a blonde-haired girl of similar age. "Asuka here was a rival of his, as well as a dear friend. They were both recognized as skilled duelists, and were brought to Academia with the promise that they would both help Academia unite the 4 worlds into one. But, at one point Asuka began to question the goals and methods of Academia, and then she simply left."
Takumi and Ruri looked at him in surprise. 'There are people in Fusion, who disapprove of Academia!?'
Kusube chuckled at their faces. "Why do you seem so surprised? After all, you two are on the run from Academia as well, aren't you? No need to worry though. I've heard from Asuka about the methods they've been using and neither me nor my fellow disciples approve. We will not speak about you to anyone not a part of the temple. I give you my word."
Both Takumi and Ruri calmed significantly at that, though Ruri seemed more nervous than Takumi did at the moment. "Thank you very much sir. Now, what about the part about Ryuuji?"
"Ah, yes. After she got away, she sent a message to him telling him to do the same, but apparently he wasn't willing to see the same things that she could, happy that Academia was making him even stronger than he was before. As a result of their argument, he apparently decided that he wouldn't use Ritual until he had gotten her to return to Academia. Last I heard from him, he was selected for a reconnaissance mission in one of the other worlds."
"Yeah…" Takumi wasn't sure what to think, now seeing Ryuuji in a new light. 'Maybe with everything I said before… Maybe now he'll believe what's really been going on?'
"Now if I were to harbor a guess, I'd say you were from one of the other worlds, correct?" Takumi looked at Kusube in shock. "Ryuuji has been on his mission for quite a while now. The only time you would have been able to meet him would have to be in another world. How is my guess?"
Takumi and Kusube looked each other in the eyes as Ruri watched nervously. After a few moments, Takumi smirked. "Standard. That's what everyone's calling the dimension I'm from."
"I see. I don't suppose you'll do me the honor of telling me what sort of world it is?"
"I don't see why not."
"UNACCEPTABLE!" Leo was absolutely furious at his personnel. Not only had they allowed an intruder to gain access to Academia, but they had then gone on to break in to the location of the Xyz incarnation of the bracelet girls and escape the island! "All of you have failed! Get out of my sight!"
As the guilty individuals left the room, Leo rubbed his temples with his hands, then activated the communications system to speak with the analysts. "Find out where that boat went and where they likely wound up. I want those 2 found YESTERDAY!"
After hearing the frightened confirmation of his orders, he shut down the comms and went back to his thoughts. 'Of course this has to happen when I'm this close. First Serena goes rogue, and now the Xyz girl slips through my fingers. I should get the Doctor to hurry up on his project.' He then stood up from his seat and looked at the Arc V Machine that sat behind his seat. 'Ray… I promise that I will do whatever I must to bring you back.'
Shun watched Yuya's outburst towards Reiji with a neutral expression, his own thoughts doing loops in his mind.
After the Royale had ended, Shun had wound up gathered with everyone who survived the assault. Then Reiji showed up as he revealed to them all the purpose of the Royale. Then Yuya had noticed the absence of Yuzu and began to blame Reiji for everything.
Especially so when he confirmed that Takumi was no longer in this dimension either.
Everyone who knew the guy was shocked at hearing that. Yuya's fury intensified. Gongenzaka's expression hardened from anger. Sawatari was flabbergasted that such a strong duelist had been eliminated, even if he only dueled him on occasion and saw him around LDS.
Shun however, was reliving some dark thoughts. 'First Ruri… Then Yuto… And now when I've just found someone I felt I could trust, Academia shows up again?!' He then slammed his fist down on the barrier on the side of the road, angry at himself for wanting to separate earlier, and at least taking comfort when Reiji confirmed that he wasn't carded, as well as that the transportation was something that was not intended by Academia.
'At the very least he should have the element of surprise on his side, but still! … I hope he's okay…'
*snooooore*
Ruri looked at Takumi in only minor surprise at how relaxed Takumi had become in only a few hours. After sharing a few stories with Head-Priest Kusube about the differences between the worlds, Takumi had realized exactly how long it's been since he'd actually slept.
He had apparently gone through the first half of a 24-hour tournament where he had dueled normal duelists as well as half a dozen Obelisk Force members, before getting himself transported to another dimension. He then spent a couple of hours running around Academia to find and get to Ruri. And then they spent the early hours of the morning speed boating across the ocean. Then all that time answering all the questions that Ruri had as well as asking a few of his own. They then spent an hour and a half walking through a forest, and then wound up at the Monastery they now find themselves in.
'Honestly… How much energy did he have if he only noticed a couple of hours ago?'
Takumi was now taking a nap in a room that Kusube had lent him so he could recover his energy. It was a simple room with a futon and the signature sliding paper door. The moment they had showed him the bed, he promptly collapsed and was snoring away.
Kusube had given her the next room over so that they wouldn't be too far apart, but no matter what she tried she didn't feel like resting yet. She'd had so many restless nights at Academia, that she was a little afraid to go to sleep now.
She then shook the thoughts about Academia out of her head. 'Ugh, this isn't helping! I can't keep thinking about that! Haaa…' She then turned her head back to her snoring rescuer. 'I kind of wish I had some of that carefree attitude you were exhibiting earlier.'
She then sat down next to him, feeling more calm than before. 'Strange… I've only just met you, and yet you are already making me feel safe just by being near you…'
*SNOOOOOORE*
Ruri blinked and suppressed a giggle. 'Hehe, even if you are currently dead to the world.' She then felt her eyes begin to grow a little heavy, as she soon found herself lying down on the floor. 'hmmm… Maybe I could stand… a few minutes of sleep…'
When Takumi opened his eyes, he was slightly surprised to see an unfamiliar ceiling above him, before his mind caught up with him and he realized where he was. He then blinked at the ceiling as he comprehended what he went through in the last 24-hours. "Wow. Did all that really happen?"
Hearing the sound of light breathing to his side, he turned his head to see what it was. He was then much more surprised to see Ruri sleeping next to him.
'Uh… Okay then.' At that moment, he felt a slight tug by his arm and saw that one of Ruri's hands was holding onto his arm. He then blinked as his head went through what this looked like, causing a blush to cross his face once he realized it. He then noticed the small smile on her face as she slept, erasing any inclination for him to wake her up.
Calming his blush and being very careful of his movements, he sat up and noticed something that had him slightly worried. 'Ah maaan… when did my shirt get a hole in it!?' Thinking back, Takumi realized that he had tripped briefly a few times in the forest. 'Guess it had to happen then. Wow, I really must have been tired if I hadn't noticed until now, especially if I wasn't able to keep my balance. Hmmm… Maybe Kusube can help me get it fixed?'
"Excuse me, Takumi? Are you up?" The soft-spoken words grabbed Takumi's attention, and he looked over to see the door open and reveal Kusube.
Takumi quickly held a finger to his lips. "Shhh…" He then pointed down to Ruri, who barely stirred from the interaction.
Kusube smiled softly and kept his voice low. "Ah, I see you had a visitor while sleeping." Kusube chuckled softly at Takumi's blush. "Anyhow, I noticed the state of your clothing earlier, and had my people look for items in your size while you slept. Many people come here to leave behind clothing they no longer had a need for, thinking that others may come by and find it a nice fit for them. When you manage to, disconnect, I can have someone show you where to find them and you can pick for yourself what you'd like."
Takumi flashed him a grateful smile as he kept his voice down. "Thanks. I honestly hadn't even noticed until now. Hehe, guess I really was exhausted huh?"
"Hehe, indeed. Now, would you prefer that my people simply bring in what they found and you can pick something out while keeping your friend… content?"
Fighting his blush, Takumi tested shifting his arm, causing Ruri's grip to tighten slightly, before going back to normal. He then looked back at Kusube. "I don't think I'm getting out of this anytime soon. Could you bring them in here?"
"Very well. I'll instruct them to keep quiet as they bring everything in."
About 10 minutes later, Takumi was shifting through some shirts with one arm while the other was trapped by a sleeping Ruri. He had found some that he liked, and found himself going back to the same long-sleeved black shirt again and again. 'Completely opposite to the white shirt I've been wearing, but I like it somehow. Also…' He then looked at the other items of clothing they brought in and smirked. 'Shun did mention a wardrobe change might be necessary.'
Sometime later, Takumi was going through the items he had picked out and was making sure there wasn't anything better hidden away. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he saw Ruri beginning to wake up. As she sat up, she rubbed her free hand to her eyes, then blinked a few times so she could see.
And the first thing she saw was a small smile from Takumi. "Morning Sleeping Beauty. Or, rather it's probably afternoon by now, but still."
She blinked once. Twice. Then she noticed that her other hand was holding onto something, and looked to see that it was clinging to Takumi's arm. She then blinked 3 more times. Then her mind figured out what she was just doing, causing a bright blush to cover her face as she jumped back from Takumi and refused to look him in the face. "I-I'm sorry! I, I just had a little difficulty sleeping, s-so I came to check a-and see how you were doing! A-and then I started feeling tired again so I intended to only close my eyes for a couple of minutes a-and-"
She then stopped at the sound of laughter, and turned to see Takumi laughing lightly. After a moment, he stopped and scratched his cheek idly, a small bit of red in his face. "It's alright, you don't need to explain yourself to me. I'm just glad you were able to get some rest after the whole… you know."
She then decided to keep her blushing face from view again and looked for anything else to look at. "Uh, yeah. Right." It was then that she noticed the piles of clothing in the room. "Wait, why is all this clothing in here?"
"Oh yeah. My shirt apparently got a pretty good hole in it while we were walking. Kusube noticed and decided to have some of his followers go through the donated clothing for anything in my size. I picked out a shirt, then decided it was time for a full wardrobe change. Was just going over my final selection when you woke up."
"Oh. Well then, I'll step out while you put together your new look."
"Much appreciated."
As Ruri stepped out and closed the door, she used the time to calm her blush. 'Ahhh, that was so embarrassing! Why was I clinging to him in my sleep?!' She then took several deep breaths. 'Relax, relax. He is the one who rescued me, I just feel safe around him. That's it. Yeah…' Having taken control of her blush and her thoughts, she went to waiting for Takumi to reveal his new outfit.
And was completely awestruck at what he came out wearing.
He now wore a long-sleeved black shirt under a long, deep blue sleeveless coat that was left open, with a raised collar and attached dark blue shoulder pads. His pants were a dark blue and he had white shoes on his feet. On his hands were dark blue finger-less gloves with black bird-like designs on the back. Hanging from his neck was the same pendant he always wore (which she hadn't seen until now). Finally, the red scarf of the Resistance that Shun gave him was wrapped around his neck like before.
Takumi then spread his arms out with a nervous smile. "So? How do I look?"
'He looks so cool…' Ruri then fought off a blush as she struggled to say something other than what she just thought. "It uh, it looks very good on you."
He then grinned at her (causing her to fight a little harder to prevent the blush). "Thanks! Kinda miss the old outfit, but I do like this."
"I see you've assembled a new wardrobe." They both turned down the hall to see Kusube with some of the disciples. "Very well put together as well. I hope you don't mind, but my grandchild was wanting to request a duel from you. After hearing from me about the world you come from, they felt like they needed to see how the art of Ritual stands up to the techniques of the other worlds."
Takumi grinned at him. "Sure! It would give me a good chance to break in my new outfit as well."
"Excellent. Follow me to where we practice our dueling abilities."
A few minutes later, Takumi looked over the clearing set aside for practice. The area was covered in dirt ad surrounded by different buildings. It seemed large enough for about 4 separate duels to occur at once here. Takumi could see a duel happening over with a number of spectators between a couple of people who seemed old enough to be in High School, with the boy at 3600 life points using Demise, King of Armageddon, while a girl was at 1900 life points and using Herald of Perfection equipped with Ritual Weapon.
It was apparently the boy's turn. "I activate the effect of Demise! By paying 2000 life points, I can destroy every other car on the field!" Demise then lifted his battle axe as blue and black energy surged out from the boy and into the ax.
Boy: 3600 – 1600
"Go! Devastation Cleave!" Demise then swung its ax, sending a wave of dark energy at the Herald.
But the girl just smirked. "I activate Herald's effect! I discard my Agent of Force – Mars from my hand to negate the effect of and destroy Demise!" Herald then absorbed the spirit of Mars and shined its wings brightly, causing the energy to from Demise to fade to nothing. It then gathered energy into the crossbow on its arm at fired at Demise, destroying him.
"No, Demise! Urgh. I place a card face-down to end my turn."
"My draw. I attack directly with Herald!" Herald then flew up into the air and shined its wings.
"I activate my face-down, Dimensional Prison! This banishes your Herald!" The trap then shot a beam of multi-colored energy at Herald.
"I don't think so, because since I used Djinn Disserere of Rituals to Ritual Summon him, Herald is completely immune to your trap effects!" Just before the beam hit, a spectral shield appeared and intercepted the effect of the trap card, allowing Herald to continue it attack. Herald then aimed and fired its weapon at the boy, sending him off of his feet. "Argh!"
1600 – 0
Winner!
As the monsters faded from sight, the spectators (Takumi and Ruri included) applauded to both duelists for the display and the girl offered a hand to the boy with a smile. "That was a nice plan. If it weren't for the Fairy-type monster I had been keeping in my hand, I might have lost that."
The boy smiled back at her and accepted the hand as she helped him up. "Yeah, I knew that that last card in your hand was likely a fairy-type, but I figured I should at least take the chance."
"That was awesome!" The two then looked to the highly ecstatic Takumi and the slightly nervous Ruri who was next to him and not wanting the attention. The girl then noticed the smiling face of Kusube. "Oh, Gramps. This him?"
Takumi then blinked, and looked between Kusube and the girl in confusion. "Wait, what?"
Kusube then walked over to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Allow me to introduce my granddaughter, Mio Shinobashi, both a student and a member of this monastery. Mio, this is Takumi and his friend Ruri."
Takumi took in the appearance of the girl. She was currently dressed like a civilian as opposed to a worker at a monastery. She had dark brown hair set in a ponytail, a light brown jacket over a blue t-shirt, purple pants, and white shoes. Her eyes were that of a bright yellow as she held out a hand to them. "Nice to meet you guys."
Takumi smiled back as he shook her hand. "Nice to meet you. And I gotta say, that was an incredible duel you just did."
"Thanks. I figured if you and I were to wind up dueling, I should at least get some practice in while I was waiting."
"That's fair. So, you ready?"
Mio smiled as she turned to the people who were watching before. "Alright, make some room!" She then turned to Kusube. "And gramps, can I use THAT deck?"
Kusube smiled at her. "Hmmm. I don't see why not." He then reached into his robe and pulled out a blue deck box, handing it to a smiling Mio.
As she and Takumi took their positions, Ruri moved to one of the benches for spectators with Kusube. He turned to Ruri as Takumi and Mio got themselves ready. "So, how good would you say Takumi was?"
Ruri watched them carefully as she thought about how to answer. "Honestly, I have no idea. I only met him this morning."
"I see…" They said no more as Takumi and Mio began their duel.
DUEL!
Takumi: 4000
Mio: 4000
"Since you wanted to see what dueling was like for me back home, allow me to start. First, I'll set my scale 7 Vanguard of the Trinity and scale 1 Protector of the Trinity in my Pendulum Zones!" Takumi's cards then rose in pillars of light, fascinating everyone who was watching.
Mio looked on curiously. "Pendulum Zones?"
Takumi smiled at her. "Yup. See those numbers floating beneath them? Those are the individual monsters' Pendulum Scales. And once per turn, I'm allowed to Pendulum Summon monsters from my hand simultaneously so long as their levels are between the scales. So now I can Pendulum summon monsters of level 2 through 6! Wings that carry me to the unknown future! Awaken the infinite potential within, and guide me down the path to success! Pendulum Summon! Flock to me, my avian allies!
"First up, Scout of the Trinity! Next, the leader of the tribal avians that serve divinity, Grand Chieftain of the Trinity!" As Takumi's 2 monsters appeared on the field, everyone looked on in surprise. "And I'm not done yet! When Scout is summoned, I get to look at cards from the top of my deck for every Winged Beast-type monster I control, then add 1 Winged Beast among them to my hand, or special summon it if it is another "Trinity" monster." Takumi then checked the top 2 cards of his deck and smirked. "Oh, lucky! 1 of the cards is Hatchling of the Trinity! So come on out!" Scout then pulled a dagger out from behind him and tossed it at the ground next to him. When it hit, it glowed and transformed into Hatchling, who began to act hyper-actively.
Ruri look at Hatchling in awe. "It's so cute!"
Takumi sent a smirk back at Ruri. "Glad you think so, but that's not all he is! And also, try not to be too freaked out by what I'm about to do." He then turned back to Mio. "I activate Hatchling's effect! Once per turn I can use this card and monsters on my field in a Fusion Summon! I fuse my Hatchling with Scout and Chieftain!" The gen on Hatchling's head then glowed red as energy then poured out and enveloped Takumi's monsters, before pulling them into a Fusion vortex.
"Leader and spy of the tribal avians, lend your wisdom to the heir of divinity! Let the flames of passion burn within your hearts, and give rise to the eternal inferno of life! Fusion Summon! Emerge from the flames, as the symbol of my hope! Heart of the Trinity, Aka-Ho!"
As Aka emerged onto the field, everyone watching looked on in awe of the ruby clad firebird, and Ruri in shock. Takumi had told her back on the boat that he could use Fusion, but that didn't mean she was used to the idea of Fusion being used with the expression on Takumi's face. She only ever saw anyone using Fusion with looks of superiority and cruelty, but Takumi simply looked like he was having fun for the sake of it. Even his monster seemed more friendly than the ones she's seen before.
Mio looked at Aka curiously. "Not bad, but I already know all about the workings of Fusion. You'll have to do better than that to impress me."
Takumi smirked at her. "Well then, it's a good thing I have this. If the only monster I control is a Fusion monster, I can activate this card, Fusion Essence! I can now special summon any number of Aka's Fusion materials from wherever they went, then draw 1 card for each. However, none of my monsters can attack on the turn I play this. Good thing this is the first turn, so I can't attack regardless. So come on back everyone!" As Takumi's monsters returned to the field, he drew 3 cards.
"And now Scout's effect triggers again. This time, I can check the top three cards of my deck." Takumi checked his cards again. "Alright! I Special summon Ambusher of the Trinity!" Appearing was a monster dressed similarly to Scout, except he was equipped with a longbow with a quiver full of arrows on his back.
Ambusher of the Trinity: Winged Beast-Type/WIND/Pendulum/lvl3/Sc1
ATK:1700 DEF:1100
Mio looked on with surprise as Takumi had a full field on his first turn. "Not bad. I'm glad you can't attack, or I'd be in trouble."
"If you think that's interesting, wait until you see this! I activate Hatchling's next effect! I can treat this card as a Tuner monster, then use him and monsters on my field in a Synchro Summon, so I'll tune my level 6 Chieftain with the level 2 Hatchling" Hatchling's gem then glowed yellow as it was enveloped in the same-colored energy.
"So this is Synchro Summoning…" Mio heard from her father about the other methods that Takumi described, but only bits of it. Now she and the rest watched as Hatchling flew up and turned into a pair of rings that Chieftain flew through, becoming 6 stars, as a beam of light then shot through.
"Wielding the speed of lightning, and the power of thunder! Gather the storm clouds, and strike down all who oppose you! Synchro Summon! Descend from the skies, as the symbol of my courage! Level 8! Strength of the Trinity, Ki-Rai!"
As Ki arrived with the peal of thunder, he let out a powerful cry, getting a few of the spectators to cover their ears at the volume. Mio watched with fascination as Ruri watched in awe.
And Takumi continued to smirk. "When Ki is Synchro Summoned, I can hit you for 400 points of damage for every one of his Synchro materials. There were 2, so you take 800 points of damage! And when my opponent takes damage from an effect, Ki gains ATK equal to the damage until my next turn." Ki then shot out some lightning at Mio, hitting her and pushing her back a few feet.
Mio: 4000 – 3200
2800 - 3600
Mio looked back at Takumi with a smirk. "Not bad Takumi."
"Thanks. But wait, there's more! I now activate the effect of Ambusher, and trade him out to bring back Chieftain one more time!" Ambusher then lept up and took flight, gaining altitude, before taking aim with his bow straight at where he was standing a moment ago. Letting the arrow shoot, Ambusher faded away and a burst of light came into being when the arrow hit the ground. When it faded, Chieftain was standing there. "I now activate Chieftain's effect! Once per turn, I can target a monster and increase its ATK by 300x the total attributes on the field until my next turn. Ki and Scout are WIND, Aka is FIRE, and Chief is Earth. So I'll give Ki 900 more ATK." Chief then sent multi-colored energy at Ki, giving him even more power than before.
3600 – 4500
"What?!"
"Haha, sorry Mio. I know I can't attack, but I still have to at least fortify myself for your turn after all. Now then, I activate Chief's second effect, allowing me to change the level of 1 Winged Beast-type monster on the field to anything from 1 to 6. I think I'll turn Chieftain into a level 4 monster." Chief then shrouded himself in a similar kind of energy, as his level dropped by 2. "I'll now finish my demonstration and take my level 4 Chieftain and Scout to build the Overlay Network!" They then became brown and green orbs of light that shot into an Xyz portal.
"Majestic avian with the beauty of falling snow! Dance with your kin, and release the arctic winds that bring all to their knees before you! Xyz Summon! Soar through the skies, as the symbol of my will! Rank 4! Soul of the Trinity, Ao-Yuki!"
As Ao appeared next to her siblings, the three of them released a powerful cry, gems shining brightly. As everyone watching looked on in awe, Takumi had a small smile on his face. "So. Thoughts?"
Mio snapped her attention to Takumi and gave him a small smile of her own. "Not bad. You've assembled quite the force onto your field."
"Well then, allow me to reveal the effects of the cards in my Pendulum Zones. While Vanguard and Protector are in my Pendulum Zones, each of my Winged Beast-type monsters gain 300 ATK and DEF."
2400/2400 – 2700/2700
4500/2000 – 4800/2300
2000/2800 – 2300/3100
"And now, since Kusube gave us permission to make ourselves at home while we were here, I'll do the same for my Trinity and play the field spell Domain of the Trinity!" As Takumi played his field spell, a wave of light spread throughout the area, creating trees around the clearing as 3 mountains formed in the distance around them. 1 was an active volcano, another held a snow-cap with a blizzard, and the last had a continuous storm occurring at its summit. "While this is in play, if I control at least 1 other "Trinity" card, none of my spells or traps can be destroyed by card effects, and all my Winged Beasts gain another 200 ATK and DEF for each attribute on the field!"
2700/2700 – 3300/3300
4800/2300 – 5400/2900
2300/3100 – 2900/4000
"Finally, once per turn, the turn player is allowed to draw cards for each of the following types of monsters they control. Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, and Ritual. With this, I'll draw 3 more cards, putting me back at 5." As Takumi looked through the cards he got, "I'll place 3 face-downs and end my turn."
Mio smiled at him. "Impressive display. 2 monsters in defense mode, each with at least 3000 DEF, and a monster in ATK mode with more than 5000 ATK. Most would think that they wouldn't be able to do anything."
Takumi smirked at her. "But I'm guessing you have a few ideas on how to change that."
"It's like you read my mind. I draw. Oh, now this is interesting. I think I'll pay a field spell of my own. I activate Realm of the Spirits." The ground was then shrouded in fog, with batches of fog scattered about in the air around them.
As Takumi looked around the field curiously, he heard sounds of discomfort from the Trinity and saw that there was fog funneling into their crystals. "Aka! Ki! Ao! What's wrong?!"
Aka turned an eye to him. "This fog… It's taking away our powers!"
"What?!" He then turned to back to Mio. "What did you just do?!"
Mio just kept a small smile on her face. "So long as this card is in play, the effects of nearly all monsters that step on this field are negated."
"No way... Wait, nearly?"
"There exists a certain breed of monsters that this field works for, not against. Allow me to demonstrate. I summon the Spirit monster Shinobird Crane!" Appearing was a white feathered birdman wielding a bow and wearing robes.
Takumi watched in confusion. "Spirit monster?"
"Indeed. Spirit monsters are a unique breed of card. And you will see why soon enough. I now activate Pre-preparation of Rites, which allows me to add any Ritual Spell in my deck to my hand, then any Ritual monster that can be summoned with that card as well. Next, I play Ascending Soul. When monsters are tributed for a Ritual Summon, I can add any one of those tributes back to my hand. And now I activate the Ritual card I added to my hand, Shinobird's Calling!"
A small altar then appeared before her, with a scroll spread across it. "I must now offer up monsters whose combined levels equal 8 or more, then I can Ritual Summon one of this deck's ace cards. I tribute Nikitama and Susa Soldier from my hand!" The two monsters then appeared on either side of the altar and began to pour their energies into the scroll. As they then faded from sight, the scroll glowed brightly as a figure began to emerge from it.
"Lord who inspires your subjects, hear the call of the faithful, and stand before us in all your glory! Ritual Summon! Come forth, Shinobaron Peacock!"
As the light died down, a male figure wearing robes made from feathers that resembled those of a peacock was revealed. In his hand was a decorated sword, fashioned in blue and gold, which he was currently using as a cane.
"I now activate the effects of my cards! First, Nikitama was sent to my graveyard, so I get to draw a card. And since I summoned a Spirit monster while Crane is on the field, I get to draw another card. Next, with the effect of Ascending Soul, I'll take the Nikitama in my graveyard and return it to my hand. Lastly, I'll activate the effect of Baron! When Ritual Summoned, I can target up to 3 monsters you control. Those monsters are then sent back into your hand!" Baron then unsheathed his sword and slashed at the Trinity, sending a wave of golden energy at them. Once it hit, all three were then enshrouded by the energy and dispersed. "However, since those monsters were from the Extra deck, that's where they'll be going. Finally, Baron lets me summon another Spirit monster from my hand. I summon Shinobird Pigeon." Appearing next to Baron was another birdman dressed for travel, possessing a pair of circular glasses.
Takumi was utterly speechless at the ply she just pulled. 'She just utterly and COMPLETELY took down what was supposed to be one of my turns yet!'
"I hope you aren't going to take this lying down. Baron! Attack directly!" Baron once again unsheathed his sword and charged straight at Takumi.
"You bet I won't! I activate Swooping In! This card lets me special Summon a Winged Beast in my hand to negate damage of any kind! Come on out, Aurora Wing!" The blue serpentine avian appeared and intercepted the attack, protecting Takumi's life points. "The summoned monster cannot be destroyed in battle or affected by other card effects until the End Phase."
1200/1600 – 1500/1900 – 1900/2300
"Not bad. Well then, I'll take advantage of your field spell, and draw 1 card for controlling a Ritual monster. Next, I activate the continuous spell Archive of Rites, and then place a card face-down. Next, I use Pigeon's effect to return him to my hand. This activates the effect of my field spell. Whenever a Spirit monster is sent from my field to my hand, I gain life points equal to 100x its level."
Mio: 3200 – 3600
"With that, I end my turn, activating the effects of my other Shinobirds. During the End phase of a turn when a Spirit monster is normal summoned, or when my Peacock is Ritual Summoned, those monsters are returned to my hand. Also, when Peacock does so, he leaves behind 2 Shinobird Tokens." As Baron and Crane returned to Mio's hand, two tokens that looked like priest-birds appeared in their place in defense mode and Mio regained even more life points from her field spell.
Mio: 3600 – 4800
"Finally, due to the effect of my Archive, when a Ritual monster is added to my hand by a card effect, I can target 1 Ritual Spell in my Graveyard that can be used to summon them and add it to my hand." Mio smirked at Takumi as she regained her Shinobird's Calling. "So I can do this again and again."
Takumi's eyes widened at that. "You've gotta be kidding me?!"
"Afraid not Takumi. Now then, think you can overcome this?"
As many of the spectators cheered or applauded to Mio for her moves, Ruri looked on in worry, as what should have been a powerful start was reduced to nearly nothing almost instantly! Kusube watched with a small smile, waiting to see how Takumi might respond.
Takumi held an expression of worry and shock, but after a few seconds it morphed into one of joy. "You know, I'm not entirely sure I can. But I guess there's only one way to find out, right?"
Mio smiled at him. "That's the spirit! Now go on, it's your move!"
"With pleasure! Draw! I now activate my face-down, Pendulum Back! With this, if I have a complete Pendulum Scale, I can target 2 monsters in my graveyard whose levels sit between the scale. I target Chieftain and Scout of the Trinity, so that I can now return them to my hand." Takumi then looked through the cards he now had. 'Hmm. Maybe this could work…'
"Alright! With the currently set Pendulum Scale, I can now summon monsters level 2 through 6 simultaneously! Wings that carry me to the unknown future! Awaken the infinite potential within, and guide me down the path to success! Pendulum Summon! Flock to me, my avian allies! Return from my Extra deck, Ambusher! And from my hand, Chieftain, Scout, and now Battlestorm!" As Takumi's field filled up once again, they were all strengthened by Takumi's Field and Pendulums.
Aurora: 1900/2300 – 2300/2700
Ambusher: 1700/1100 – 2000/1400 – 2800/2200
Chieftain: 2100/2100 – 2400/2400 – 3200/3200
Scout: 1100/1700 – 1400/2000 – 2200/2800
Battlestorm: 1700/1000 – 2000/1300 – 2800/2100
"Now I activate the effect of the Spirit Wing in my hand and equip it to Battlestorm, protecting him from the effect of your field spell!" Spirit then appeared and energized Battlestorm's wings. "This means I can now use his effect, giving him an extra 100 ATK for each Winged Beast-type monster I control."
2800 – 3300
"But that's just a side benefit. I now activate his second effect! Once per turn, if I control at least 3 Winged Beast-type monsters, I can destroy 1 spell or trap you control. Battlestorm! Bring us home!" Battlestorm then shot up in the air and spun like a top, creating a powerful windstorm that blew away all of the fog and released the effects of the rest of Takumi's monsters.
Mio stood shocked. "Woah, that was fast. I figured he would pull something interesting, but this was a little unexpected."
"I strive to surprise. Battle! Scout, attack the first of her tokens!" Scout then pulled out his daggers and charged at the first token. Just as it was about to swipe at them, a flash of light shot out, and Takumi saw Susa soldier blocking the strike with his sword! "What?!"
Mio smirked at him. "The moment you attacked, I triggered the effect of my face-down, Shinobird Salvation. When one of your monsters declares an attack, I can use this to banish a Spirit monster in my graveyard and negate the attack and end the Battle Phase." The soul of Susa Soldier then pushed Scout back and plunged his sword into the ground, creating a barrier of light that kept Takumi's monsters back.
"Ah, man. Just when I thought I had something." 'And since she has those Ritual cards in her hand, plus the 2 level 4 tokens in play, she can just bring out the Baron again and get rid of my monsters over and over. Unless I can dispose of that trap card, this will be a difficult combo to undo.' "I activate the effect of Chieftain, and change his level from 6 to 1. Now I place 1 card face-down and end my turn."
"I draw." As she looked at the card she drew, Mio gained a grin. "Alright! Now to change things up a little. But first, I summon my Crane once again." Once more the archer bird appeared, ready for battle. "Next, I play the Ritual Spell Shinobird's calling. I'll offer up the Nikitama and Shinobird Pigeon in my hand."
As Mio began to replicate what happened on the last turn, Takumi watched nervously. "So now your Baron will come out to play again?" He was then surprised by the smirk on her face.
"Actually, I happened to draw a card that can also be summoned with Shinobird's Calling, and I will be calling her forth!" Nikitama and Pigeon then sent their energies into the scroll that appeared once more, as a figure emerged again.
"Lady that adores her subjects, hear the call of the faithful, and stand before us in all your glory! Ritual Summon! Come forth, Shinobaroness Peacock!"
"Baroness?!" A lady dressed in a yukata styled similarly to Baron then appeared from the light, wielding a blue-green and gold fan in one hand.
"The effects of Crane, Nikitama, and Ascending Soul activate! I draw 2 cards, and return Nikitama to my hand. Now Baroness's effect activates. I can target up to 3 spell or trap cards on the field and shuffle them back into the deck! And from what I've heard, your Pendulum cards are treated as spell cards, right? So say goodbye to your bonuses!" Baroness then gathered light into her fan, as Takumi's Protector, Vanguard, and Domain began to flicker.
"Tsk. Fine then. I activate Echo Oscillation! With this, I destroy one of the cards in my Pendulum Zones and draw a card once per turn. I choose to destroy Protector and send him to my Extra Deck!" As protector resonated with the trap, he then shattered just before Baroness unleashed the energy at Takumi's cards, forcing Vanguard and Domain back into his deck.
Aurora: 2300/2700 – 1200/1600
Ambusher: 2800/2200 – 1700/1100
Chieftain: 3200/3200 – 2100/2100
Scout: 2200/2800 – 1100/1700
Battlestorm: 3300/2100 – 2200/1000
"Very well then, but now I can also summon any level 4 or lower Spirit monster from my deck. Come forth, Asura Priest!" A six-armed man wielding multiple shortswords manifested from the light. "Next, I play the spell card Shinobird Power Spot. While in play, every Spirit monster I control gains 500 ATK and DEF."
Baroness: 2500/3000 – 3000/3500
Asura: 1700/1200 – 2200/1700
Crane: 1500/1500 – 2000/2000
"Now then, my Asura Priest has more ATK than any monster you control, save for your Battlestorm. But with every monster I destroy, Battlestorm gets weaker. Also, my Priest is able to attack every monster you control once each, making her perfect for clearing out your field of monsters!"
Takumi's eyes widened in shock. "No way…"
"Afraid so. Now go, Asura Priest! Attack his Scout first!" Asura then prepared to throw its blades at Takumi's scout.
Just in time for Takumi to smirk. "I activate my face-down! Urgent Tuning! With this, I can perform a Synchro Summon during your turn!"
Mio's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, a summon on my turn?!"
"Yup! I now tune my level 3 Ambusher and level 1 Chieftain to my level 4 Scout! Time to bring back a friend!" Scout then flew up and turned into 4 rings, while Chieftain and Ambusher flew through it and turned into 1 and 3 stars respectively.
"Wielding the speed of lightning and the power of thunder! Gather the storm clouds, and strike down all who oppose you! Synchro Summon! Descend from the skies, as the symbol of my courage! Level 8! Strength of the Trinity, Ki-Rai!"
When Ki reappeared, he gave out a cry even louder than before, stopping Asura in its tracks and causing all of Mio's monsters to look on in worry. "Guess who's BAAAA-AAACK! And this time, I WILL fight someone!"
Takumi smiled at Ki's antics, before turning back to Mio. "Battlestorm loses ATK since I now control less monsters, but as a bonus I can now deal damage to you equal to the number of Synchro materials x400! Static Discharge!" Ki then let loose the lightning as it shot down on Mio, denting her life points significantly. "Aaagh!"
Battlestorm: 2200 - 2000
Mio: 4800 – 3600
Ki-Rai: 2800 – 4000
Mio recovered with a grin on her face. "Not bad, but I can still simply get rid of your other monsters."
"Actually, so long as Ki is on the field, you cannot select another Winged Beast-type monster for an attack. And since he significantly over powers each of your monsters…"
"… Then I can't destroy your other monsters in battle. Clever. In that case, I'll end my turn. But I'm not out of tricks yet. During my End Phase, Crane and Baroness return to my hand, with Peacock leaving behind 2 more tokens. This also triggers the effect of Archive of Rites, as well as my Power Spot and Salvation. First, Archive will return my Shinobird's Calling to my hand. Next, since a WIND monster returned to my hand, I can now take any Spirit monster from my deck and add it to my hand. I choose my Dark Dust Spirit. Finally, once per turn when a Spirit monster is returned to my hand while Salvation is in play, I can destroy 1 card you control. I think I'll get rid of your Ki-Rai now while I have the chance!"
The soul of Baroness then appeared before Mio and began to gather light in her fan again. She then sent the energy straight at Ki, who began to cry out in pain. "AAAAGH! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING MEEEEE!" Ki then dispersed into light.
Mio grinned at Takumi. "Well, that's the last of my effects this turn. Your move." 'And this will be your last. With Dark Dust in my hand, All I have to do is summon him and I can clear the field of all monsters. Then I just have to use the Shinobirds in my hand to once again summon either Baron or Baroness, removing any other chance you have at holding me back. Once I clear your field on my next turn, you will not be able to stop my attacks at your life points. And since there is a Spirit monster in my Graveyard, I don't even need to worry about attacks due to my Salvation. So you better make this count.'
Takumi looked about his field in concentration. He only had 2 monsters on the field, Aurora Wing and Battlestorm, who was now down to 1900 ATK points. The last card in his hand was currently useless, and 1 draw left. 'Hmm. This will be tough. I need to draw the right card here and now if I want to get through this.'
Takumi then took a deep breath, then let it out. When he opened his eyes again, He had a determined look on his face. "My turn. Draw!" He looked at it and was surprised. 'Scattered Feathers? But I only have 2 monsters in my grave, Hatchling and Ki! Hatchling would only give me 1 card, but I will need at least 2 in order to get through this. But to banish Ki…'
"Takumi!" He turned at the voice and saw the spirit of Ki looking at him in determination. "It's alright. I will be able to help you more right now through that spell, than simply sitting in the graveyard. Don't be afraid to do this. Have the courage to make the hard choices."
Takumi turned back to the spell card and thought. After a few moments, he smiled a small smile. 'Heh. Of course you'd be able to convince me about this. Alright then, if you insist.' "I activate the spell card Scattered Feathers! I now Banish Ki-Rai from my graveyard to draw 1 card for every 2 levels he possessed. This gives me 4 cards."
As Takumi drew his new cards, he looked through what they could do and smirked. 'Alright! With this…' He then looked back at Mio. "Hope you're ready Mio, because I'm about to ruin your combo! I activate the spell, Whirlwind Vortex! This card makes me discard 1 card, then destroys every face-up spell and trap on your field!"
"What was that?!" Mio could only watch as she braced herself against the powerful winds that blew about her field, destroying Ascending Soul, Archive of Rites, Shinobird Power Spot, and Shinobird Salvation.
Asura: 2200/1700 – 1700/1200
Takumi grinned. "Now I just have to get past your monsters! But first, using the Scale 7 Storm-dancer of the Trinity, and the Scale 1 Shaman of the Trinity, set the Pendulum Scale!" As Takumi's monsters rose in pillars of light, Storm on the left and Shaman on his right. "With this, I can simultaneously summon monsters of level 2 through 6! Wings that carry me to the unknown future! Awaken the infinite potential within, and guide me down the path to success! Pendulum Summon! Flock to me, my avian allies! Reviving from my Extra Deck, Chieftain and Amusher! And from my hand, let me introduce everyone to Abyss Wing!" As Chieftain and Scout appeared on the field, a third monster that looked similar to Aurora Wing appeared, except all of the blue parts were a neon purple.
Abyss Wing; Winged Beast-type/DARK/level4
ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500
Battlestorm: 1900 – 2200
"I now activate Abyss Wing's effect! Dimensional Fissure!" Abyss wing gave off a shriek as it glowed brightly. "Once per turn, Abyss Wing can banish 1 card on the field. And the card I'll be banishing is… Abyss Wing itself!"
"What was that?!" Mio was shocked to hear that he would give up a monster with an effect like that using its own effect! She wasn't the only one, as none of the spectators were able to comprehend why someone would do such a thing. Kusube however watched with a neutral expression as Abyss Wing disappeared in a flash of neon purple.
Ruri watched in confusion. 'There had to be a reason for that, right?' At that moment, the ground began to crack all over the place, with a purple glow shining out from underneath.
As everyone else began to wonder what was happening, Takumi could only keep grinning. "Abyss Wing has another effect. When banished, I can then Special Summon any other Banished card. So it's time to bring back a friend! Go, Dimensional Breach!" A pillar of neon purple light then shot out from the ground and high into the air. As it continued to rise, the energy began to die off. By the time it faded away, it had already gone above the clouds. Just then, a swift form shot down and struck like lightning behind Takumi, as Ki-Rai revealed himself and gave a loud call.
"When Ki-Rai is summoned outside of Synchro, he deals damage equal to 200x the number of Winged Beasts I control, so get ready for 1000 points of damage!" Ki blasted out his lightning at Mio, who recoiled from the blast. "Urgh!"
Mio: 3600 – 2600
Ki-Rai: 2800 – 3800
Mio looked at him impressed. "Not bad Takumi. However, it still isn't enough to get through my monsters."
"Wanna bet?" Mio didn't feel comfortable with the look on Takumi's face. "Because Ki is a lot like your Asura Priest, if you know what I mean."
Mio's eyes widened in shock. "You don't mean…"
"What to show her what we mean pal?!" Ki then gave a loud call in confirmation as he flew up and charged his electricity. "Good to know. Now clear her field away! Devastating Storm Strike!"
"About time! They are finished!" Shrouded in electricity, Ki shot down and vaporized all of Mio's tokens as well as her Asura Priest.
Mio: 2600 - 500
"Now then, think you know what comes next?"
Mio stared down the 4 monsters still in ATK mode and raring to go, any one of them having enough to finish her. She then gave a small smile and bowed to Takumi. "It would seem it's your victory. Well done."
Takumi grinned at her. "Thanks. Now to make it official! Chieftain! Direct attack with Universal Force!" Mio didn't move an inch as the energy washed over her and removed the last of her life points.
Mio: 500 – 0
Winner: Takumi
As the monsters faded from view, Takumi and Mio received cheers and applause for their duel from everyone who watched. Ruri smiled brightly as she ran up to Takumi. "That was incredible! I figured you were good, but that was something else!"
Takumi rubbed the back of his head from embarrassment. "Haha, thanks. Though I honestly thought I might have lost that if I hadn't drawn the right cards."
"It was still a good game." Takumi and Ruri turned to Mio, who now had Kusube next to her. "When my grandfather told me about the different techniques you told him about, I was curious about whether or not Ritual had the ability to keep up. Seems this answers my question."
"Only if the answer you found was yes, because your cards really had me on the ropes a few times."
"Haha, I suppose so. Still, it's a shame that you aren't from here. I would love to have you as a fellow student of this monastery."
Takumi grinned at them. "Believe me when I say that if I had the time, I would. But things are a little… crazy, right now."
"Indeed." Kusube put a serious expression on his face. "That said, until you know what your next step is, we would be happy to house you both here for the time being. Feel free to use our facilities however you wish, so long of course you don't mess anything up." By the end of his sentence, his face was once again pleasant and warm.
Takumi grinned and Ruri bowed to him. "Thanks!" "Thank you."
Mio then stepped behind them and pulled them close. "Alright! Now that all that's over with, how would you guys like to have some fun? The nearby town has quite a few fun things to do!" Ruri looked at her with worry, while Takumi watched in confusion.
Kusube chuckled. "Haha, do try to go easy on these ones Mio. Not many can handle your definition of "fun"."
Mio smiled innocently. "I'm not THAT bad…"
Takumi and Ruri eyed her warily. "Maybe we should be the judge of that."
Mio then grinned brightly. "That sounds like a yes to me! Come on!" Next thing either of them knew, Mio was pulling them at high speeds while Kusube watched amused, content to wait until later to get the deck back from Mio.
[that evening]
A few individuals stood at attention in the main hall in front of Leo Akaba as he addressed them. "Some time this morning, an unknown individual infiltrated this facility and took away a person of interest in my plans. We have tracked them to this area." A holo-map then appeared behind him, quickly zooming in on an area. "You are to go to investigate the area and determine where they have gone and to retrieve this person." A hologram of Ruri then appeared next to the Professor. "You are granted permission to use whatever means necessary to accomplish this. As such, these people are at your disposal."
At those words, the individuals turned at the sound of many footsteps, and saw a couple dozen members of the Obelisk force behind them at attention. "Do what you will, but be as discreet as possible."
"Sir!"
As they went over their directions, they never noticed a figure watching from the slightly cracked door. 'That area… so that's where you wound up.' They then turned down the hallway and pulled out a card from his deck. This card was special to him, symbolizing the bond he had with a dear friend. 'This time… This time I will not fail. See you soon… Takumi.'
A/N: I noticed they never gave an explanation for why there were Ritual users like Asuka in the Fusion dimension and there are already duel schools in Standard, so why not a monastery for Ritual in Fusion? After all, Gx had a monastery that taught about how to use the Cyber cards. Plus, I wanted an excuse to use the Shinobird monsters. The first Winged Beast-type Ritual monsters AND they're Spirit cards?! It also gives me a way to give a bit more backstory on Ryuuji.
Also, what do you guys think of Takumi's new outfit? The coat is a variation of Kaiba's from the Battle City arc of the first series. I ran it by a friend of mine and he said he liked it, so now you get to tell me how it sounds. And to anyone who reads this and fancies themselves good at drawing, I would love to see someone show me how they picture Takumi's appearance. If I like it, I may just use it for the cover image of this story.
Now then, as for the next chapter, the town they are going to is a different one than the one Yuzu winds up in later, so they won't be running into Youshou or Asuka yet. But I will accept ideas for what kind of "fun" Mio subjects Takumi and Ruri to.
Anyway. As usual, thanks for reading, let me know what you think, and feel free to let me know about any questions/ideas/requests you have.
OC cards
Fusion Essence; Spell/normal
You can only play this card if the only monster you control is a Fusion monster. You cannot declare an attack the turn you play this card. Special Summon the Fusion Material monsters used to summon that monster that are banished or in the graveyard, deck, Extra deck, or hand.
Ambusher of the Trinity: Winged Beast-Type/WIND/Pendulum/lvl3/Sc1
ATK:1700 DEF:1100
If this card battles an opponent's monster, neither player takes battle damage. If this card attacks, it cannot be destroyed in battle. At the end of the Damage Step, when this card battles a monster and it isn't destroyed in battle, reduce its ATK and DEF by 100x its level or 200x its Rank. You can send this face-up card on the field to your Extra Deck face-up to Special Summon 1 face-up Winged Beast-type Pendulum monster from your Extra Deck except for "Ambusher of the Trinity".
P.E.- This card is unaffected by monster effects. You can only Pendulum Summon Winged Beast-type monsters, and this effect cannot be negated. Once per turn, when a Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz monster your opponent controls attacks, you may decrease the attack of the opposing monster by their level/rank x100.
Domain of the Trinity: Spell/Field
Spell and traps you control cannot be destroyed by monster effects if there is at least 1 other "Trinity" card on the field. Once per turn, the turn player may draw 1 card for each kind of monster they control (Fusion, Synchro, Xyz, or Ritual). Every Winged Beast-Type monster you control gains 200 ATK and DEF for every monster attribute on the field.
Realm of the Spirits; spell/field
Negate the effects of non-Spirit monsters. Once per turn when you normal summon a Spirit monster, you can reduce the number of required tributes needed to summon it by sending monsters from your hand or deck to the graveyard by 1 for each monster sent. When a Spirit monster(s) is sent to your hand from the field, gain life points equal to 100x the combined levels of the Spirit monsters x100.
Archive of Rites; Spell/continuous
You may activate one of the following effects of "Archive of Rites" once per turn;
-When a Ritual Monster is added to your hand by a card effect except by drawing it: target 1 Ritual Spell card in your graveyard that can be used to Ritual Summon it and add it to your hand.
-When a Ritual Spell card is added to your hand by a card effect except by drawing it: Target 1 Ritual Monster in your graveyard that can be Ritual Summoned with that Ritual Spell and add it to your hand.
Whirlwind Vortex; Spell/normal
Discard 1 card; destroy every face-up spell and trap your opponent controls.
Abyss Wing; Winged Beast-type/DARK/level4
ATK: 1500 DEF: 1500
This card cannot be Special Summoned while banished except by its own effect. During either player's turn while this card is face-up on the field and your opponent controls at least as many monsters as you do, you can Banish one card on the field. When this card is banished, you can select one other banished monster and Special Summon it, ignoring its summoning conditions. You may only activate this effect of "Abyss Wing" once per turn. When a monster Summoned by this card's effect would leave the field, return it to the deck and special summon this Banished card.