"Reizo's engaged in battle with a soldier that uses 'Shaddolls'?!"
…
"That has to be him… the guy that killed Alito and Girag."
…
"I'm going."
…
"Why shouldn't I?! He killed two of us, are you saying I should just let him go?"
…
"…Hmph. Then you and Yuma-kun stay here for all I care."
…
Chapter 19: Puppet's Reign
"By using up three of its Spellstone Counters, I can use a monster my opponent controls as Fusion Material!"
Curse of the Shadow Prison: 0 Spellstone Counters
D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc: 2500 → 2800 ATK
D/D/D Wave King Caesar: 2100 → 2400 ATK
Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World: 2100 → 2400 ATK
"But that's—"
"—not good…" Reiji adjusted his glasses. "Which one would he…?"
"Using El Shaddoll Midrash and the WATER Attribute D/D/D Wave King Caesar as the Materials, I conduct a Fusion Summon!"
The three shadows that had previously clung to the ground behind Masaki shot forward, reaching up from the ground to grab hold of the blue-armored king. Though the man struggled, the shadows dragged him back into the spiral of light that had already absorbed the Chinese dragon and its rider.
"Twisted dragon rider of the otherworld, entrap the surging ruler of a different dimension, and bind the waters to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 9! Appear now, spirit of disaster! El Shaddoll Anomalilith!"
The spiral of light vanished, revealing the massive monster it had created. It was a pale-blue-skinned woman, her limbs and chest dark purple. An almost crystalline snake-like body trailed around hers, ending as a crown atop her head. Wings extended from her back in the shape of a light-amethyst crescent, the crystalline structure lining the edges of them. Around each of her wrists were the petals of an amaryllis, while the light purple strings that held up all of Masaki's other monsters sprouted from her palms and from her tail.
El Shaddoll Anomalilith: WATER Fiend-Type / Level 9 / 2700 ATK / 2000 DEF
"Now then, the chain of effects happens again! Curse of the Shadow Prison gains back one Spellstone Counter because of Midrash being sent back to the Graveyard by a card effect, while Midrash's effect will let me add El Shaddoll Fusion back to my hand once again!"
Curse of the Shadow Prison: 1 Spellstone Counter
D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc: 2800 - 100 → 2700 ATK
Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World: 2400 - 100 → 2300 ATK
Reizo tore his eyes away from the sight of the monster—he had to focus. He had no idea what the effects of this monster were, and while he could possibly destroy it with Oracle King d'Arc, thanks to that stupid Field Spell, he'd destroy his brother's only monster as well. It was too risky for the moment… "I'll… Set a card face-down, and end my turn."
D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc: 2700 → 2800 ATK
Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World: 2300 → 2400 ATK
"Hah… where'd all that confidence go? It's my turn, draw!" The second he saw what he'd drawn, Masaki's eyes lit up with glee. He then tapped a button on his Duel Disk—the elusive face-down he'd Set on his first turn was finally being used. "I activate the Continuous Trap Shaddoll Core! Upon activation, I Special Summon it as a monster!"
The card flipped up, whereupon it morphed into an empty grey helm with a hole on the front. Suddenly, seven different heads that appeared like brown smoke extended from the top of the helm, thrashing about, baring their teeth at all of them.
Shaddoll Core: DARK Spellcaster-Type / Level 9 / 1450 ATK / 1950 DEF
"Now then, Shaddoll Core has the lovely effect to be treated as any Attribute I wish when it's used as Fusion Material. I think I'll use that effect to make it LIGHT once I activate El Shaddoll Fusion! I fuse the now-LIGHT Shaddoll Core with the Shaddoll Dragon in my hand!"
The hole in the front of the seven-headed helm shined a bright yellow as it was pulled into a spiral of light. It was soon joined by a dark-blue dragon made out of nothing but puppet parts, held together by violet string.
"Darkened fire of the otherworld, entrap the core of illusions, and bind the light to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 8! Descend, puppetmaster who weaves tales of despair! El Shaddoll Nephilim!"
When the spiral of light dimmed, it revealed a monster with an uncanny resemblance to the albino's other monster. There were clear differences between the two, however; Nephilim lacked the crystal serpent and amaryllis petals that Anomalilith had, while her strings sprouted from her back rather than her hands. In exchange for lacking a tail, Nephilim had a construct around her waist that appeared to be two halves of a skirt.
El Shaddoll Nephilim: LIGHT Fiend-Type / Level 8 / 2800 ATK / 2500 DEF
"Now then, three different cards of mine chain to each other! First, Curse of the Shadow Prison gains two Spellstone Counters! Next, the effect of Shaddoll Core lets me return El Shaddoll Fusion to my hand once again! Finally, Shaddoll Dragon lets me destroy one of your Spell or Trap Cards once it's sent to the Graveyard by a card effect! I'll be destroying… your left face-down, Reiji."
Curse of the Shadow Prison: 3 Spellstone Counters
Reizo caught a glimpse of Contract Laundering before the card was strangled by violet strings.
"Now, I could have used one of Nephilim's effects just then, but that would make things too easy. El Shaddoll Nephilim, attack D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc!" Masaki declared.
It made no sense, the two monsters had the same ATK. Unless… an effect, Nephilim's or Anomalilith's? He couldn't risk it. "I activate a Counter Trap, Negate Attack! Your Battle Phase is now over and done!"
The puppetmaster's strings bounced harmlessly off of a barrier that appeared to separate the two sides of the field. Masaki 'tch'ed in annoyance, then shrugged. "So your last turn wasn't a waste. Oh well, you're really only prolonging the inevitable. I end my turn."
D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc: 2800 - (3 × 100) → 2500 ATK
Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World: 2400 - (3 × 100) → 2100 ATK
Reiji did not move. In fact, his eyes were shut and hidden behind the reflection of his glasses while he held a hand to them. He appeared to be deep in thought… but he hadn't even drawn his card yet.
"Nii-sama, it's your turn," Reizo said, poking his arm.
The elder Akaba seemed to jump as though he'd dozed off, but that couldn't be right. "Ah… yes, it is. I draw, then!" He pondered the card for a second before adding it to his hand.
Dark Contract with the Swamp King's effect activated, once again turned into an increase thanks to Oracle King d'Arc's ability.
Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 5000 + 1000 → 6000
"…The effect of D/D Lamia activates from my Graveyard! By sending a face-up 'Dark Contract' from my field to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon Lamia, though she will be banished the next time she leaves the field!"
The serpentine woman covered in rose petals appeared on the field for real this time, though she would not stay for long.
D/D Lamia: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 1 / 100 ATK / 1900 DEF
"Huh… lucky you, since that was a monster effect, Anomalilith couldn't stop your Special Summon," Masaki said. "But, what are you going to do with such a weak monster?"
Reiji went quiet again, his hand curled about his chin while he debated what to do. Reizo knew that one of two monsters was about to be Summoned, but he wasn't sure what his brother had in mind. It was a dangerous risk for his brother to Summon either of his Synchro Monsters; Hexblood King Siegfried would take Oracle King d'Arc out of the game, which would hinder them if Reiji needed to use a different "Dark Contract", while Gust King Alexander was WIND-Attributed, which Masaki would probably use as Fusion Material thanks to his Field Spell…
"I… will Tune my Level 1 D/D Lamia with my brother's Level 6 Lucent, Netherlord of Dark World!" Reiji declared.
So he's going for Gust King Alexander…
The serpentine woman turned into a single green ring, which circled about the gold-covered fiend. The fiend turned transparent, revealing six stars inside of his body.
"Howls that tear through the night. With the swiftness of a gale, give birth to a new king! Synchro Summon! Be born! Level 7! D/D/D Gust King Alexander!"
The six stars inside of the ring turned into a column of light. When the light dimmed, there was a slender, silver-armored man in its place. Pale-green circles were set about the front, shimmering under the green glow that surrounded the entire monster.
D/D/D Gust King Alexander: WIND Fiend-Type / Level 7 / 2500 - (3 × 100) → 2200 ATK
Masaki laughed. "A WIND monster? Are you trying to lose now?"
"I Set a card face-down and end my turn," Reiji said.
D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc: 2500 → 2800 ATK
D/D/D Gust King Alexander: 2200 → 2500 ATK
"Hm… my turn, draw!" Upon seeing his card, Masaki smiled. "I don't know what you think you can do, but I'm not your puppet. Your monsters are going down! El Shaddoll Nephilim, attack Oracle King d'Arc!"
The puppetmaster spread her arms out, the strings from her back strangling Oracle King d'Arc until the demon swordswoman shattered. Yet nothing happened to Nephilim…
"Oh yeah, guess I forgot to mention, El Shaddoll Nephilim automatically destroys any Special Summoned monster she battles with," Masaki said with a laugh. "Now then, El Shaddoll Anomalilith attacks Gust King Alexander!"
Anomalilith extended both hands, her strings shooting directly at the king. But Reiji just smiled faintly, before moving to activate one of his Set cards. "You really fell for my bluff. I activate my Continuous Trap Dark Contract with the Witch! While this card is on the field, all Fiend-Type monsters I control gain 1000 ATK during your turn only!"
"E-Eh?!"
D/D/D Gust King Alexander: 2500 + 1000 → 3500 ATK
The king that glowed green struck back, slicing apart the strings that attempted to bind him. The gust from his blade blew Anomalilith away, slamming her into a building in order to make her shatter apart. Masaki flew back a few feet as well thanks to the wind, and he snarled at that.
Masaki's Life Points: 3700 - 800 → 2900
"Dammit…! You'll pay for that! El Shaddoll Anomalilith's effect lets me return Shaddoll Core to my hand… and I'll end my turn with a face-down," he snarled.
D/D/D Gust King Alexander: 3500 → 2500 - (3 × 100) → 2200 ATK
Now he's the one getting flustered, serves him right, Reizo thought. I still can't let my guard down though. "It's my turn, draw!" The card was Scarr, Scout of Dark World.
"…With Oracle King d'Arc no longer on the field, we will take the damage from my Dark Contract," Reiji said, almost reluctantly.
The lightning from his card actually hit the two boys this time, rather than being transformed by Oracle King d'Arc. Reizo clenched his teeth; it hurt, even though this wasn't an Action Duel.
Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 6000 - 1000 → 5000
With that done, he focused on the one card in his hand. He couldn't do anything with it now, and he couldn't attack with his brother's card either. However, Scarr's effect would certainly let him turn things around by his next turn. "I Summon Scarr, Scout of Dark World to the field in Defense Mode and end my turn."
A fiend in the shape of a red-backed monkey appeared, bowed down defensively.
Scarr, Scout of Dark World: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 2 / 500 + 1000 → 1500 ATK / 500 DEF
D/D/D Gust King Alexander: 2200 → 2500 + 1000 → 3500 ATK
"It's my turn! DRAW!" Masaki almost screamed. He was really pissed about Reiji tricking him, wasn't he?
But the anger written all over the albino's face immediately vanished upon seeing the card he drew. He even started laughing. "Why did I ever doubt my cards? I activate Shaddoll Core, Special Summoning it just like I did before!" And once it reappeared on the field… "Then, treating it as an EARTH monster, I activate El Shaddoll Fusion in order to fuse it with the Shaddoll Squamata in my hand!"
The empty space in the helm lit up an orangish-brown this time, sucked into the spiral of light alongside a snakelike creature covered in gold rings.
"Eclipsed star of the otherworld, entrap the core of illusions, and bind the earth to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 10! Arise, fallen angel that spreads destruction! El Shaddoll Shekhinaga!"
The same puppet-woman that was both Anomalilith and Nephilim was a part of the new monster as well, with some extreme differences. Her skin was white now, while her left half was the same color and her right half was black. A small bat-like wing protruded from her right arm while an angelic one came from the other. Golden rings bound her legs together and wrapped all around her torso, while the violet strings common to the archetype bound her by the wrists and ankles to four towers even larger than her.
El Shaddoll Shekhinaga: EARTH Machine-Type / Level 10 / 2600 ATK / 3000 DEF
"Two more Spellstone Counters are placed onto my Field Spell, while Shaddoll Squamata's effect allows me to send a different 'Shaddoll' monster from my Deck to the Graveyard! I'll send Shaddoll Falco… whose effect then Special Summons itself in face-down Defense Position!" Masaki continued.
Curse of the Shadow Prison: 5 Spellstone Counters
He didn't return El Shaddoll Fusion to his hand… what's he planning…?
"You," Masaki snapped, glowering at Reiji, "made a fool out of me once, but I am not falling for your tricks again. I activate the Normal Spell Shaddoll Fusion from my hand!"
Reizo's eyes widened a little—that was the card Masaki'd had in his hand for the entirety of the Duel. Even if he hadn't been able to return El Shaddoll Fusion to his hand so frequently, he had a back-up the whole time…!
"By using up three Spellstone Counters, I fuse your Gust King Alexander with my Shaddoll Falco!"
Once again, three of the shadow creatures dragged one of Reiji's monsters back into the spiral of light. It was soon joined by the puppet falcon.
"Obscured falcon of the otherworld, entrap the stormy ruler of a different dimension, and bind the winds to your will! Fusion Summon! Level 6! Appear, beast of demise! El Shaddoll Wendigo!"
The light dimmed to reveal the puppet form of a purple dolphin, blue-green pieces of metal lined with gold adorning its head and fin. In front of the dolphin, also hung up by strings, was a young girl—even younger than Midrash—who wore a small, purple dress, similar-colored ribbons crisscrossing about her legs. Her curly, two-toned lavender and yellow hair was held back by a headband, with an aqua-green hairpiece next to it. In her hands, she bore a staff that ended with a blue disk, four small knives lining its edges.
El Shaddoll Wendigo: WIND Psychic-Type / Level 6 / 200 ATK / 2800 DEF
It took every fiber of Reizo's being to not start panicking in response to this. Wendigo wasn't going to be attacking them, but Shekhinaga and Nephilim were both in Attack Mode. Their only defenses were Scarr and whatever face-down card his brother had… but even if they held out this turn, what would they be able to do to turn this around?
Masaki's grin grew wider as he shot out his arm, pointing at the one monster the two Akabas controlled. "El Shaddoll Shekhinaga, attack Scarr, Scout of Dark World!"
In the blink of an eye, violet strings shot up from the ground beneath Scarr, instantly strangling the red-backed fiend.
Reizo gritted his teeth together. "When destroyed in battle, Scarr's effect lets me add a Level 4 or lower 'Dark World' monster to my hand, like Oppal, Archer of Dark World."
"Go ahead and do that, it won't save you from El Shaddoll Nephilim's direct attack!" Masaki cackled.
At the declaration, Reiji moved to activate his face-down. "Perhaps my brother's effect cannot stop the attack, but you're forgetting about me. I activate the Normal Trap D/D/D Contract Change! By banishing D/D/D Oracle King d'Arc from my Graveyard, we take no damage from your attack… and I can also add D/D Orthos from my Deck to my hand!"
The strings that Nephilim directed towards them passed through them harmlessly, and eventually retracted to hover around her as normal.
"Tsk… but you're only stalling at this point, and you can't stall forever. I'll end my turn with that," Masaki said confidently.
"My turn, draw!" The second Reiji saw what he'd drawn, he slid it into his Duel Disk. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Emergency Provisions! I send Dark Contract with the Witch to my Graveyard in order to gain 1000 Life Points!"
Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 5000 + 1000 → 6000
The albino clapped a few times. "Hoh…? So you got out of your contract just in time to escape damage. But if that's all you drew, I know I have nothing to fear on my next turn!"
He's right. Nii-sama's only card now is the D/D Orthos he got last turn… that's not anywhere close to being enough to turn things around. Reizo covered his left eye with one hand, feeling his power surge beneath it. I'm going to have to use my Geass to get out of this, won't I? But what if Masaki reacts in time to stop me—or worse, what if he reacts in time to do something to Yuto or his family? What… what should I do…?
Reiji tilted his head down, and subsequently adjusted his glasses to keep them from sliding off his nose. The unflinching reflection hiding his eyes was… different than normal. Reiji would always hide his eyes when he had something planned, Reizo knew that. But combined with the thin frown on his face… it looked like Reiji didn't have a plan. That wasn't right, Reiji always had a plan.
Always.
"…I Summon D/D Orthos in Defense Mode, and that ends my turn," Reiji finished.
A beast with two wolf heads appeared on Reiji's field, a green snake wrapped around its torso.
D/D Orthos: DARK Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 600 ATK / 1800 DEF
Masaki snickered. "And it all comes crumbling down. MY TURN, DRAW!" He laughed upon seeing his card. "Hah…! With this card, I win on my next turn! I activate the Normal Spell Monster Reborn! Return to me, El Shaddoll Anomalilith!"
The monster nearly identical to Shekhinaga and Nephilim returned to the field.
"Now, Shekhinaga attacks your monster!"
Again, strings burst forth from the ground, strangling the two-headed beast until it shattered.
"Anomalilith, direct attack!"
Reizo shot a worried look at his brother. Couldn't they do something? If they took both direct attacks…!
"Reizo… get behind me," Reiji ordered. "I, don't have any way to stop this, but I can at least—"
"How sweet, you'd protect your little brother at the cost of yourself… too bad you still can't do anything! You're both in this Duel, after all~!" Masaki said.
Wrists surrounded by red petals extended forward, the ends of violet strings clenched in the monster's hands. She snapped her hands up, and suddenly both brothers found themselves airborne, tossed around like ragdolls by the strings that bound their limbs… until the strings shifted, and slammed them into the ground.
Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 6000 - 2700 → 3300
Reizo saw nothing but red for a good minute, completely dazed as he tasted dirt mixed with metal. He shifted to push himself off the ground, and immediately screamed as his left shoulder flared in intense pain, along with his face. His ears were ringing—he was pretty sure he could hear Yuto calling out to him, though. The only thing he managed to do was tilt his head up, to see his brother's shattered glasses on the pavement right next to him.
"Nephilim, direct attack!" Masaki roared.
Reizo almost screamed as strings pulled him into the air a second time, but he couldn't. He couldn't even breathe, since the strings from this attack were wrapped around his throat. The pain of his eyes and shoulder were nothing compared to the feeling of that wire, cutting into his skin and choking his airway, when he couldn't even move an arm to fight against the strings. His vision was spinning, red blotting out over half of it, while his lungs burned. Air. He needed air.
What felt like an eternity passed before he could breathe again, dropped onto his knees. Immediately he collapsed forward, holding himself up with his right arm, his left limp at his side, while he coughed and spluttered out the blood and bile in his throat in order to breathe. He wasn't sure how long it was before he was able to properly breathe, and it was even longer before he could stand up… only to promptly fall back down when his knee gave out.
He shut his eyes for a second, then snapped them back open as someone pulled him up, wrapping an arm under his shoulders to keep him steady. His brother—Reiji was considerably less injured than he was, a thin cut likely from Nephilim's attack around the base of his neck, and a few cuts on his face along with an already-forming bruise, but otherwise looked fine.
"I've got you," Reiji said quietly to him. "I've got you, Reizo."
"Nii-sama… we're not gonna win this, are we?"
Reiji's eyes darkened and stared at the ground. "…No. We've… we've been fighting for nothing this whole time. I thought I could change things, but… this is a Duel we're destined to lose," he said, so quiet Reizo could barely hear him.
Reizo stared up at him questionably. "What do you mean…?"
But Masaki interrupted them. "—oi! Reizo! It's your turn you know!"
The boy's shoulders sagged defeatedly. It was his turn… but what difference did it make? The only card he had was Oppal, and there was nothing he could draw that would be able to save them. Stall another turn, perhaps, but then what would Reiji be able to do?
"…I… draw…"
His vision had been blurry since he'd been slammed face-first into the ground, both from possibly having a concussion from that and because of the blood that dripped from his forehead. He couldn't even see the name of the card, and his brother wouldn't be able to read either it thanks to his busted glasses. The image was blurry too—some sort of twisted tower—but that didn't matter. The only hope Reizo'd had would be if he'd drawn Hallowed Life Barrier, of which he had two. Hallowed Life Barrier's picture definitely wasn't some sort of twisting tower…
The tears just started falling. They were going to lose. He and his brother were going to lose, and losers spent eternity sealed in cards. They were going to die, and the very thought terrified him. It wasn't anything like the Zero Requiem—(though he had nightmares of that, the feeling of that sword through his lungs and the pain the pain the pain)—he was going to die as just another victim of Fusion's invasion. And so would his brother… all because Reiji had tried to come rescue him.
"Nii-sama… I-I'm sorry… I… we…"
"It's alright, Reizo. It isn't your fault…" Reiji's eyes softened. "And even if you think it is, I do not blame you. I do not regret coming here to find you and…" He paused for a second. "…and even though our reunion was brief, it was worth it. I would not have been able to live with myself if you had been killed before I could find you."
Reizo clung to his brother's sweater, hoping the rain would mask his tears. He didn't want to die, he didn't want his brother to die, it wasn't fair. They were still just children, what gave Academia's soldiers the right to end their lives?
"You two done saying your goodbyes? Good," Masaki said as he drew his card. He paused for dramatic effect, one last soul-shattering grin plastered on his face. "El Shaddoll Nephilim… DIRECT ATTACK!"
As soon as the puppetmaster's strings came towards them, Reizo clung tighter than he'd ever done before to his brother, and Reiji had already pulled him into a protective embrace. As though it would do anything. The strings were all-powerful, weaving their way through gaps between the boys that were so small they couldn't exist and pulled so hard they just couldn't stay together.
Reizo screamed and flailed around desperately, as though that would save him. Reiji kept himself much more composed, his lips moving in a silent prayer or something.
And then the two were slammed back down to the tune of Masaki's laughter as he walked towards them, his hand wavering over his Duel Disk.
Reiji/Reizo's Life Points: 500 - 2800 → 0
Reizo coughed, and more red entered his vision. He was just numb now; he'd most likely gone into shock. It wasn't fair… it wasn't fair…
…I'm supposed to have power… but I can't protect myself or my brother…
Masaki flipped through screens on his Duel Disk until the one he reached planted a sadistic grin on his face.
I… I don't want to die…!
"Goodbye, you pitiful sons of Akaba Leo."
This can't be the end!
Masaki pressed a button on his Duel Disk.
NO!
Purple light.
White-hot heat.
(This is not the end, I will not allow it!)
Laughter.
…
"What… what the hell?!"
A/N: *Insane high-pitched evil laughter*
(I don't own Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, or Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL.)
Reizo wakes up in a hospital after a two-week coma. Meanwhile, the residents of Heartland must cope with the tragedy in the wake of Masaki's Duel…
Next time: In the Hands of Despair
PS: Go check out "Code-V: Recollections" if you haven't already.