So, this is apparently chapter 150 in all of Teknisk Wereld. Good gosh. Hope it's enjoyed.
Chapter Twenty-One: Veteran
There were no difficulties in entering the forest, prompting them to go further inside. They cautiously walked amongst the trees, looking out for Seiryu every step of the way. The unnatural silence only made things worse. Normally there would be sounds of wild monsters, but none sounded now. All that could be heard were their footsteps.
Despite their precautions, none of the group expected what happened next. From the cover of trees, a monster leapt out, brandishing a white sword. Its chest was covered with armor that looked like a skull, its shield was another skull, and on its head was a helmet with a long, red horn coming out of each side. Its face was what betrayed it to not be human; rather than flesh, it too was a white skull, one that had small black dots in its sockets for eyes.
Miles had been at the head of the group, so he was the one the monster swung at. Fortunately for Miles, his instincts took over, causing him to duck and roll underneath the sword, getting out of the way. Before the monster could attack again, Darche lunged at him. Their swords clashed as they were locked in a parry.
"Constricted area. Waiting for clear line of fire. Beginning countermeasures," Angela said as the rest of the group tried to react to what was happening. They had little time to get their bearings though due to what happened next.
Hope, Max, and Kisara had been near the back during this time, but out of the three of them and their Soul Monsters, only Kisara saw a nearby tree's branches move, and a dark shape emerge from its leaves. She tried to react when she saw it, tried to warn them of what was about to happen, but her shock delayed her one second too long.
The figure landed behind Max, causing him and everyone else at the back of the group to start to turn. It was too late to prevent the attack from happening though. They managed to hear the person say, "Please do not think ill of me," and the sound of steel meeting with flesh. Max staggered back, a hand conscientiously going over the deep wound to his stomach region he had just received, and fell backwards.
The person did not stop there, for the weapon darted towards Hope at once. Gaston was able to react this time, blocking the strike with his sword. That was all the person had time to try, for Angela said, "Countermeasures complete," and her hair went into the ground. A second later, it emerged all around the group, enclosing them in a dome-shaped barrier that locked the two attackers out. Two rough slices could be heard from outside, yet the barrier showed no sign of getting weaker.
"Max!" Hope cried, kneeling beside him and applying pressure to his wound at once. "Hang on, Max!"
"How bad is it?" Will asked.
Mana took a close look and winced. "Pretty bad, especially without support cards. I'd say he needs a tourniquet, at least."
"Do we have anything we could use as one?" Brandi said frantically.
"I'm… fine…" Max managed to say. His shaky voice did not convince anyone of that though.
"I do not think we have anything that could qualify as that," Rue said, glaring at where the person had been. "Damn it! If only we'd been more careful."
"No sense in dwelling on the past," Draken stated. "Let's think of what we can do to remedy this."
"Keep applying pressure," Mana instructed to Hope. "It's the best we can do at this point."
Angela had been standing at the center of the group, unmoving due to the barrier she was producing. When she heard what Mana said though, part of her hair split away to go to Max. Seeing what she was doing, Hope removed her bloody hands, watching in disbelief as Angela wrapped the wound tightly with her hair and severed it, leaving an effective substitute for a tourniquet.
"Angela… you…" Hope said in shock.
"The chances for his survival have risen by 87.48 percent," Angela stated. "To further ensure he survives, it is advised that he is given medical attention when possible."
"You didn't even wait for an order, or ask to if you could do that, or anything!" Larka said, amazed. "You heard what Mana said and acted off it!"
"My protocol dictates that I am to protect innocents in Teknisk Wereld," Angela stated. "That includes saving lives when possible."
"Still, I'm glad to see you acting humanely," Larka said.
Max could not move very well at the moment, but he looked towards Angela and said, "Thanks."
"I am happy to be of service," Angela recited.
"Geez, she killed me yesterday, and now she's saving Max," Rue muttered. "Whose side is she on anyway?"
"Ours, you not included," Draken joked.
"Thanks, buddy," Rue growled.
From outside the barrier, a voice was heard. "It appears we have reached a stalemate. Might I ask that you lower this barrier so we can converse more easily? I give my word that I will not attack until we negotiate."
"What do you guys think?" Miles said.
"I don't trust him," Brandi said shortly.
"I doubt any of us do," Zack pointed out. "But we will get nowhere like this."
"Angela, can you lower the barrier, but be ready to bring it up again immediately if necessary?" Larka requested.
"If that is what you wish." The dome parted and sank back into the ground. Angela's hair remained submerged with the ground though, showing that she was prepared to use it at a moment's notice.
The man who had assaulted them stood next to what they now knew had to be his Soul Monster. He had a theme of black, wearing a shirt, pants, shin-high boots, a trenchcoat, and a wide-brim hat of that color. His hair was gray with sideburns, and his mustache was trimmed neatly. Green eyes analyzed them, and his right hand grasped a brown cane with gold at the top. The bottom of the can had a blade, explaining how he had slashed Max.
"Greetings," the man said, bowing slightly to them. "I am Duke, and this is Herzog, a Skull Bishop. There is no need to introduce yourselves to me; Seiryu has already informed me of whom each of you are."
"We heard Seiryu was supposed to be around here," Hope said. "Is he?"
"I assume you picked up that information from Toyah," Duke stated. "Do not blame her, for she did not know that Seiryu would be watching your group. Just because you cannot use support cards does not mean we cannot, after all."
"So now we have to deal with you," Rue said, rolling his eyes. "Great."
"I am quite willing to settle this in a duel," Duke said. "The loser will have to die, of course, but I expect you already know that by now. Any volunteers?"
To their surprise, Kisara stepped forward. "I will."
"Kisara? Why do you want to duel him?" Draken said.
Kisara looked at Max guiltily. "I saw Duke coming but was not able to warn Max in time. I want to make up for that."
"That doesn't mean you have to duel him," Max protested weakly.
"I would not feel right if I did not." Kisara turned to Duke. "I am ready."
"Then let us get started." Duke nodded to Herzog, who held out his sword towards where Duke stood. An instant later, a platform appeared that Duke stood on, one with a hanging noose. Herzog pointed his sword at Kisara, and an identical platform sprang up from underneath her.
"What's that for? Are you trying to kill both of you before the duel even starts?" Neo said in disbelief.
"Not at all." Duke took the noose and tightened it around his neck. "This merely insures that the loser will die. When one of us loses Life Points, the trapdoor below that person will begin to slide down. Once a person's Life Points hit zero, it falls away completely, and the loser strangles."
"That's ridiculous!" Draken looked up at Kisara. "Kisara, you've already dueled someone with absurd Life Point conditions! Let someone else duel him; heck, I will!"
Kisara shook her head. "I have to do this." Then she put the noose around her neck, pale yet determined.
"Watch out for him," Kazel said, taking her place beside Kisara's platform. "I have a bad feeling about this man."
Kisara: 8000
Duke: 8000
"I am one for allowing ladies to go first," Duke said.
"Okay… I summon Spear Dragon. (1900/0) That is all," Kisara said nervously.
"A powerful monster for a first turn, but one that can be handled," Duke stated. "I summon Doublecoston (1700/1650) and play a permanent magic card, Treasure of the Outerworld. When I sacrifice summon a monster that requires two sacrifices, I draw two cards. I lay one card down and end my turn."
When Kisara drew, Duke said, "I activate my trap card, Menacing Roar. You cannot declare an attack this turn."
"Oh… I place a monster in defense mode," Kisara said.
"Now it is time to show my deck's true colors," Duke declared. "I sacrifice my Doublecoston for Dark Knight Gaia of the Gale!" (2300/2100)
Hope blinked at the lance-bearing knight riding on his purple mare. "I've used that card before. His effect allows him to be special summoned when there are no other cards in your hand."
"Unfortunately, that was not an option in this case, so I had to make due with Doublecoston's effect," Duke said. "It serves as two sacrifices rather than one for a Dark Main-Type. My Treasure of the Outerworld activates now, so I draw two cards. Then Gaia attacks Spear Dragon."
The horse charged directly at the Spear Dragon, and Gaia drove his lance through it, avoiding getting pierced by the beast's pointed nose in the process.
Kisara: 7600
Duke: 8000
The trapdoor beneath Kisara slightly lowered with a creak. She glanced at it anxiously, but it had hardly moved, which reassured her.
"You are free to take your turn," Duke said.
"I flip over my own Doublecoston," Kisara said, causing Duke to look surprised. "I sacrifice him for a Red Eyes Black Dragon. (2400/2000) He attacks Gaia."
The Red Eyes shrieked and spat out a fireball, blasting Gaia off the field.
Kisara: 7600
Duke: 7900
Duke did not even notice the small shift his trapdoor made. "Impressive. It appears we each use an older monster theme, which should be interesting. I lay a monster in defense mode and a card face-down."
"I summon Dol Dora (1500/1200) and activate Kazel's Deck Master ability," Kisara said.
"Excellent," Kazel said with a grin. She let her aura flow into the Red Eyes Black Dragon. It screeched and shot a powered fireball, instantly wiping out the monster.
"I take it that was not from battle?" Duke assumed.
"No. When I have a Red Eyes Black Dragon on the field, I can destroy a monster by having it not attack this turn," Kisara explained.
"Ah. That means my Quick Squirrel's effect does not activate," Duke stated. "Continue."
"Dol Dora attacks directly, and I am done," Kisara concluded as the two dragon heads bit Duke.
Kisara: 7600
Duke: 6400
Seeing that Duke still looked calm despite his trapdoor lowering again, Rue commented, "He's not like the other Judges that much, is he? I mean, most of them got pretty upset when losing, and only Toyah was even close to being polite."
"To be quite honest, your statement offends me," Duke said, glancing at Rue. "I have been a Judge for fifty years, and never have I seen it so pained by internal turmoil. Seiryu took a lot of criticism for not attacking Teknisk Wereld from the people who wanted it destroyed and the newer Judges who joined to have it deleted. The members that were longstanding pressured him to not get involved. In the long run, however, Seiryu gave in and went with the newer members. He was tired of the complaints he was getting and eventually could not take it anymore."
"He must not have cared that much about the older Judges if he did that," Miles remarked.
Duke gave him a frosty glare. "In the past twenty-five years, Seiryu has changed the Judges for the better. He is a far better leader than Byakko ever was." He caught himself, and said more calmly, "It is not worth wasting time to explain this. You will never understand due to your bias that was generated by the Judges you have faced. I do not even consider them to be actual Judges, after all. They are merely people who claim to be Judges because of their petty losses."
The group was silent at that, unsure of how to respond to these views. Duke took the opportunity to take his turn, securing his footing against the trapdoor in preparation for the play he was making that would cause it to lower. "I play Early Burial, by paying 800 Life Points, to special summon my Quick Squirrel. (1000/100) Then I activate my trap card, Compensation of Blood. By paying 500 Life Points, I can normal summon Command Knight. (1200/1900) Her effect raises all Warrior Sub-Types' attacks by 400. (1600/1900) Then I sacrifice both of my monsters for Dark Knight Gaia." (2300/2100)
Kisara: 7600
Duke: 5100
"That was pretty lengthy simply to get one normal monster out that is weaker than a Red Eyes Black Dragon," Brandi said.
"Not at all," Duke said. "It is time I explained Herzog's Deck Master ability. When I sacrifice a monster for a sacrifice summon, the summoned monster has its effect. For instance, when I brought out Dark Knight Gaia of the Gale, it had Doublecoston's effect. I simply did not mention it since it was unimportant at the time. This time, Dark Knight Gaia has Quick Squirrel's effect and Command Knight's. That means his attack goes up by 400. (2700/2100) Gaia attacks your Red Eyes Black Dragon."
Like a brave knight vanquishing an evil dragon, Gaia charged and pierced the Red Eyes. It roared painfully and vanished.
Kisara: 7300
Duke: 5100
Kisara waited for the trapdoor to halt before she said, "I switch Dol Dora to defense mode and play Stomping Crash. When I have a Dragon Sub-Type out, I choose a magic or trap card on the field and destroy it, dealing 500 Life Point damage to its controller. Your Compensation of Blood is my choice. I am done."
Kisara: 7300
Duke: 4600
Duke's trapdoor had lowered nearly half-way. "Not bad," he commented. "But it would have been better to save it for this. I play a permanent magic card, Spiral Shaver! When a Dark Knight Gaia, Dark Knight Gaia of the Gale, or Dragon Knight Gaia attacks with this card out, they deal damage to monsters in defense mode as well. Gaia attacks Dol Dora."
His lances now glowing, Gaia speared each of the dragon heads, one per lance.
Kisara: 5800
Duke: 4600
Kisara was finding it somewhat difficult to keep her footing now. She straightened after a moment and said, "Since Dol Dora was destroyed on the field and sent to the Cemetery, he is special summoned at the end of the turn in defense mode with stats of 1000. (1000/1000) I summon Dark Dragon Hatchling. (800/500) By sacrificing it from my field, I can special summon a Red Eyes Black Dragon from my hand, and I do so."
"I hope you have a plan with that," Duke said.
"I do," Kisara assured. "I sacrifice my Red Eyes Black Dragon to special summon Red Eyes Darkness Dragon." (2400/2000)
Everyone looked at the giant black dragon, which twisted through the air and let out a mighty roar. Only Duke was unimpressed; he said, "That is no stronger than your Red Eyes Black Dragon."
"His effect changes that," Kisara said. "For each Dragon Sub-Type in my Cemetery, his attack raises by 300. I have three, so his attack increases by 900. (3300/2000) He attacks Gaia."
Although the Red Eyes Darkness Dragon clearly destroyed the Gaia, Duke's platform raised a bit rather than lowering. In addition, two face-down monsters appeared on his field.
"Remember how Gaia had my Quick Squirrel's effect? When destroyed in battle, I gain 1000 Life Points, and special summon two more monsters of the same name in face-down defense mode," Duke explained.
Kisara: 5800
Duke: 5000
"Now, I assume it is my turn?" When Kisara did not respond, he continued. "I flip over my two Dark Knight Gaias, and then play Sealing Swords of Darkness to flip your monsters to face-down defense mode. None of your monsters can be brought face-up while it is on my field, and it is destroyed on my second standby phase. I also equip one of my Gaias with Battering Giant Spear. When attacking a face-down defense monster, his attack will increase by 1500. See where this is going? I attack your face-down Red Eyes Darkness Dragon with the Spear-wielding Gaia, and your Dol Dora with my other Gaia!"
While the previous Gaias had been impressive, there was something about seeing the one with the giant spear slaying the mighty dragon that sent a shiver up the spectators' spines.
Kisara: 2700
Duke: 5000
This time, the trapdoor below her dropped so swiftly and deeply that Kisara lost her footing. She would have fallen if not for the rope around her neck, which caught her and caused her to choke. Had it not been for Kazel, she might have died there, but her Soul Monster reacted at once by using her tail to latch around Kisara's waist and reposition her on the trapdoor in a secure position. Kisara shakily loosened the noose enough to be able to breathe, whispering, "Thanks."
"Whew, that was close…" Hope said.
A crash was heard behind her. She looked to see Darche had caught Draken, who looked on the verge of fainting. Catching her glance, Darche said, "Give him a moment. He was just about to panic, that's all."
"Yeah… right… that and nearly have a heart attack…" Draken managed to say.
"Are you all right now?" Kazel said worriedly.
"Yes. I can continue." Kisara positioned herself more firmly and said, "I play Early Burial to bring back my Red Eyes Black Dragon."
Kisara: 1900
Duke: 5000
Once she was assured that the trapdoor would not lower anymore, she said, "I lay a card down and attack the Gaia that is equipped with the Spear. That is all."
As if it was taking vengeance for the loss of its comrades, the Red Eyes incinerated the Gaia with relish.
Kisara: 1900
Duke: 4900
"I suppose I will have to weaken your Red Eyes before I can destroy it," Duke said. "I equip it with Flint. The monster equipped with this card loses 300 attack points and cannot attack. (2100/2000) When the monster is destroyed, it is equipped to another one, but that is a risk I am willing to take. Gaia attacks your Red Eyes!"
"I activate Emissary of Harmony to take no damage this turn," Kisara responded.
"All right. You may take your turn," Duke concluded.
Kisara looked at her hand and nodded. "I play a magic card, Immense Dragon Wing Burst. By sending a level five or higher Dragon Sub-Type to my hand, all magic and trap cards on the field are destroyed. I return my Red Eyes to do this."
"That is a devastating loss for me," Duke said. "My Treasure of the Outerworld, Spiral Shaver, and Sealing Swords of Darkness are gone, as is Flint. But that leaves you monsterless."
"Not when I summon Dark Dragon Hatchling," Kisara said. "I sacrifice it to special summon my Red Eyes Black Dragon once more. He attacks Gaia."
As before, this Gaia also met its fiery end swiftly, leaving Duke frowning slightly.
Kisara: 1900
Duke: 4800
"I lay one card down and end my turn," Duke said, bracing himself.
"I do the same, and my Red Eyes attacks directly," Kisara said.
This time, the launched fireball finally struck Duke himself. He barely managed to keep his footing.
Kisara: 1900
Duke: 2400
"As much as I would have preferred to avoid taking that damage, it could not be helped," Duke stated. "I needed to save my trap card for this turn. Now I activate it, Mythological Age. It allows me to special summon one normal monster in defense mode. Then I play a card from my hand, Fusion! By fusing Curse of Dragon with Dark Knight Gaia, I have brought out Dragon Knight Gaia!" (2600/2100)
"That's not good," Max said. "Gaia's not much of a monster to fuse with, but in this case, it's deadly."
"She has monsters that are stronger than that," Gaston said. "I am sure it will be fine."
"Dragon Knight Gaia attacks your Red Eyes Black Dragon!" Duke declared.
This time, two shrieks rang in the air as the attack made contact. One was from the Red Eyes and agonized, while the other was triumphant and from the Curse of Dragon.
Kisara: 1700
Duke: 2400
Kisara gave her hand an anxious look and drew a card, which caused her to sigh in relief. "I activate Cry of the Living Dead for my Red Eyes Black Dragon. Then I summon Fusion Sealed Life Form-Darkness. (1000/1600) When it is on the field with a Darkness Main-Type monster that has a fusion, it can act as a substitute for a component and work like the Fusion card. I fuse them to bring forth Black Demon's Dragon." (3200/2600)
"Whoa, old school battle," Rue said, gazing at the combination of Demon Summon and Red Eyes Black Dragon in awe.
"Kazel will come out as well," Kisara said. Kazel instantly went to the field, baring her teeth. "Black Demon Dragon attacks Dragon Knight Gaia, and Kazel attacks directly!"
One blast was all it took to fling the Dragon Knight Gaia from the sky. Kazel swiftly followed up, scorching Duke with a more painful fire blast than any he had ever received.
Kisara: 1700
Duke: 0
"So… this is the end. Seiryu… I am sorry for failing your trust…" With those words, the trapdoor dropped open completely, and Duke fell with it. The suffocation did not take long, and his body was left limply hanging afterwards.
Draken had gotten his senses back by this point and leapt onto Kisara's platform to help her out of the noose without falling. "Are you all right?"
Kisara lightly put a hand to her throat, which was bruised, and nodded. "Yes, thanks."
"I guess he wasn't such a bad guy after all," Rue said.
Darche went to Duke's platform and cut through the noose to lower his body and bring it to them. Once there, Draken took the opportunity to pull out Herzog's Soul Card and tear it. Doing nothing to resist, Herzog vanished.
"Can you bury him like you did with Toyah, Angela?" Larka asked.
"Yes." Angela did the same procedure as she had before, laying the old Judge to rest.
"What now? Seiryu wasn't here and Duke didn't give any hints on his location," Rue said.
"To the city then?" Miles suggested. "That's where we were going originally."
"I think that's our best bet," Brandi agreed.
Max had been sitting down for the duel. Now he tried to rise. Hope quickly helped support him, saying, "Do you feel up to moving around?"
"I've had worse," Max said. "Angela sealed the wound well enough, so I'm okay with it."
"Then we had best hurry," Will said. "Let's head there at once."
…
It was fortunate for the group that they were nowhere near the city, or they would have learned just how unhappy Seiryu was from this outcome. His roar of rage could be clearly heard through the open window for several blocks.
"Duke, gone!" Seiryu spat, slamming his fists against the windowsill. "This is beyond acceptable!"
"Hey, if you want something done, do it yourself," a voice said from the doorway.
Seiryu glared at the speaker. "I don't need you to tell me that, Kai! That's what I'm going to do now. Watch as I tear them apart! I will avenge Duke's death!" He strode angrily out of the room, leaving Kai as its sole occupant.
Kai smirked at this, saying to himself, "Everything is going according to plan."
To be continued…