Foreword: Finally, a new chapter! New decks to make, new aces for characters! Masterrrr Spaaaaaark! And of course exams...
Touhou Duel Masters Café
Chapter 20 – Hollow Rivalry (Part2)
After a day's search to no avail, Reimu's company and the Constellations returned to the headquarters.
"Hah… Just where the hell are they?" Marisa plopped herself right onto the sofa.
"We've searched the entire city…" Reimu slapped her cheeks. "Even Sakuya couldn't find a trace of them."
"Which means they probably aren't even in this city." Alice reasoned. "If they were taken by Chitose and Haruna, who doesn't even exist here… They might very well not be in this world too."
"How come?" Sanae asked. "If the Constellations remember them, they should exist in this world…"
"This world's them is probably not them in our world." Alice answered. "This world's Michael and Jonathan might have been erased already, and our world's Michael and Jonathan are simply not in this world."
"…" Sanae pondered. "That sounds reasonable…but…"
"That means we're just wasting our time here, if they're not in this world." Sakuya finished the sentence for her.
"We're still not entirely sure if they're not here…" Remilia said. "We may just need a little more time to understand what's going on. These multiple worlds we're going through… There must something we can do to escape this."
"But what?"
"…" The girls fell into silence.
"I don't know." Remilia admitted. "But I'm sure we'll find a way somehow."
"Hopefully fast." Reimu added. "I want to go back already…"
"Well, let's call it for a day." The black-white suggested. "Let's get some rest and try to figure out stuff tomorrow."
Her friends nodded their agreement, and they went into their temporary quarters to relax.
"That bitch…" Subaru mumbled in his room as he examined the cards scattered over his table. "I'll get her for sure…and take back my family's pride…my pride!"
He grit his teeth as he gathered them up and tried to make another deck.
For the next hour the only sound in his room was the shuffling and playing of cards.
The moon was up in the sky, her presence calming down Remilia as she sat in the hall, enjoying a cup of red tea by herself.
"…Ah…" Setting her cup on the plate, the vampire looked up at the night sky, and stared at the white, clean moon. "How I wish it was red…"
Some footsteps caught her attention. Shifting her gaze towards the noise, she found Subaru sitting down on the sofa, looking quite unpleased.
"Ho…what's the matter boy?" She looked at him with her crimson eyes. "You don't seem happy at all."
"Hmph…" Subaru snorted. "What do you know? Plus, shouldn't you be resting? To find Michael and Jonathan tomorrow and whatever."
"Vampires are nocturnal, don't you know?" Remilia grinned, showing her small fangs. "I have far more strength than a human like you… I can go without resting for days."
"…Che…" Opening a can of coke, Subaru sipped on it and ignored Remilia.
"Oh my, how rude of you to ignore a lady." The vampire picked up her cup. "Care to tell me why you're looking so furious?"
"What do you know anyway…" Subaru mumbled, as he emptied his coke.
"Heh… Family pride, is it not?"
"…" Smashing down his empty can into the trash-can nearby, Subaru stayed silent.
"Fufu… I'll take that as a yes."
"…Chi… You know how it feels when your pride gets crushed? When your opponent stomps your family's name under her feet?" Subaru growled, his voice getting louder and echoing around the hall. "When everything you worked for just gets thrown in the gutter, twice?"
"…" Remilia was silent as she listened to the boy.
"I will never forget the shame that was forced upon me…" Subaru continued. "I will beat Shirayama Tsugumi…and take back my pride…!"
"You intend to fight with that hatred of yours?"
"My sole reason to fight is for my family and for my pride!" Subaru growled. "I will never relent to the likes of Shirayama!"
"…Hmph." Remilia stopped at that and continued to enjoy her drink, and the hall became silent once again.
"…What, so you want your ass whipped again?" Subaru twirled to the voice, to see Tsugumi with a arms crossed and a smirk on her face. He felt his temper reaching its peak in an instant.
"The fuck did you say!?" He hollered, his voice resonating around the grand hall again as Remilia winced slightly from the sudden sound.
"I say you're never going to catch up with me, Geki Subaru!" The Light duelist replied. "Not now, not ever!"
"You bitch…!" The Darkness duelist pulled out his deck. "I'm definitely going to crush you this time!"
"I'd recommend you leave your personal issues until tomorrow, boy." Remilia frowned. "It's the middle of the night."
"The fuck do I care!" Subaru ignored the vampire. "I will have my revenge…here and now!"
"Heh, Duema…"
"Start!"
BGM: White Hot Fighting Spirit (YGO Arc-V Sound Duel 2)
"I summon Maxvall!" Subaru summoned the Grand Devil, and he stood by his master's side. "Turn End."
"I cast Trois Charger." Tsugumi cast the Light spell as she tapped 3 mana. "I put Tignus from my hand into the battle zone. Trois Charger goes to my mana. Turn End."
"Chi…!" Charging Jenny into his mana zone, Subaru tapped 4 mana. "I cast Lifeplan Charger! I look at the top 5 cards of my deck, and put Aqua Surfer into my hand! Lifeplan goes my mana. Turn End."
"Heh…" Tsugumi drew her next card. "No mana charge. I cast Glory Snow! You have 1 more mana than me, so I put the top 2 cards of my deck into my mana!"
"Kuh…"
"Turn End."
"My turn! I summon Honenbe!" The Darkness Guardian appeared beside Subaru. "I send the top 3 cards of my deck into my graveyard, and return Thunder Blade to my hand. Then I cast Energy Light and draw 2 cards. Turn End."
"Draw." Tsugumi started her turn. "…I cast Heaven's Gate!"
"…"
"With Heaven's Gate's effect, I put Premium Madonna and Seal Do Leiy into my battle zone, and with Seal Do Leiy's Mana Arms 7, I send Honenbe and Maxvall to your shields."
"….Kuh…!" Subaru slammed the duel table in front of him. "Why do I have to taste this shame again…!?"
"I don't want to lose…. I have to take revenge to bring back my family's pride and crush the Shirayamas…!" He grit his teeth. "Why…!?"
"…It's because you're not enjoying this duel."
"…!?" He turned to the voice's owner.
"You're dueling with hate and anger…" Remilia folded her arms. "With emotions like that, your deck will not answer to your calls, and you anger will push your cards further away."
"…What do you mean…!?"
"I mean that in order to win this duel, you must throw away that pride and hatred of yours." Remilia answered.
"…You mean that I should abandon what is driving me forward!?" Subaru retorted. "This is what motivates me to become stronger! My family's pride and to crush the Shirayamas!"
"Duel Masters is a game for people to have fun." The Scarlet Moon told him. "A game which to understand one another. It is not a tool to settle family disputes and cause spite and bloodshed. Only by abandoning some things, that you gain some things."
"…"
"If you can let go of all that hate, and focus on your deck, and truly enjoy Duel Masters, then your deck will answer your call." Remilia continued. "That is all I have to say."
"…" Subaru clenched his fists, and relaxed them as he closed his eyes.
Focus on my deck… Calm down… His breathing steadied.
Please…my cards, answer my call… If I can once again enjoy dueling again… Please…!
BGM: Evil Spite (YGO GX Sound Duel 2)
"My turn… Draw!"
"…! …I summon Thunder Blade, and destroy Seal Do Leiy!" The tiger Demon Command, wielding his two blades, slashed the Angel Command Dragon in two.
"That's it? My turn!" Tsugumi drew and card and summoned her next creature. "I summon Valhalla Knight! I freeze Thunder Blade and destroy him with Premium Madonna!"
"…" Subaru watched as Thunder Blade was blasted into light and sent to his graveyard.
"Heh. Turn End."
"…My turn, draw." Subaru charged a card into his mana. "I summon Jasmine."
"Heh…what do you think you can do with boost at this point?" Tsugumi smirked.
"I summon Deathraios." The boy calmly said. "Then I cast Mother's Sanctuary!"
"Nani…!?"
"I send Jasmine to my mana…and put a cost 10 or less evolution creature into my battle zone!" Subaru declared. "Come, the master of death, lord of demons! Turn everything into darkness!" Deathraios was enveloped in the light of evolution.
"Dorballom…Lord of Demons!"
The goat Demon Command broke out from the evolution sphere as the hall was filled with the energy of Darkness.
"Dorballom…dato!?" Tsugumi fists clenched together.
"With Dorballom's effect, I destroy all non Darkness creatures and mana!" The evolution Demon Command spread out a pulse of dark energy, eliminating all of Tsugumi's mana, Valhalla Knight and Tignus, while half of his mana went into his graveyard, leaving 5 cards in his mana zone.
"Chi…!" Tsugumi growled. "Premium Madonna's effect! As long as she has over 0 power, she will not leave the battle zone during my opponent's turn!"
"…" Attacking would be futile… "Turn End."
"Chi…you bastard…" Tsugumi cursed. "Mana charge…end…"
"My turn, draw! I cast Hyperdimensional Energy Hole, and draw a card. Then I bring out Victorious Ryuusei Kaiser from my Hyperdimensional Zone!" Ryuusei Kaiser emerged from a portal, howling at the Light Duelist.
"Ryuusei Kaiser…"
"Now all your cards are put into your mana zone tapped." Subaru explained. "Turn End."
"…Mana charge…end…" Tsugumi sighed as she surveyed this despairing situation. With virtually nothing she could do, she ended her turn.
Thank you…my cards… Subaru felt relieved as he drew his turn draw. "I cast Energy Light to draw 2 cards. Turn End."
"…I summon Tignus…turn end."
"I cast Energy Hole and draw 1 card. Then I put Victorious Prin into my battle zone!" This time, the Alien princess leapt from a portal into Subaru's battle zone. "Turn End."
"…!" Tsugumi's palm now sweated. "I am to be defeated here…!? Impossible…! To the likes of Geki…!"
"Draw, mana charge… Turn End…"
"This will be the end!" Subaru announced as he drew a card. "I cast Revive Hole and return Jasmine to my hand! Then I bring out Victorious Gaial Kaiser!"
"Psychic Link!" Gaial, Ryuusei and Prin formed together, creating a blinding light, and when the light faded, the Rainbow Command Dragon stood on Subaru's battle zone, growling menacingly at Tsugumi. "Gaial Ore Dragon!"
"Gaial…Ore Dragon…" Tsugumi stumbled, and sat on the floor as she stared at the Psychic Super Creature.
"Gaial Ore Dragon! Ike, World Break!" Subaru commanded, and Gaial Ore Dragon condensed a large energy ball in front of his mouth, shooting it at Tsugumi after a few seconds.
"Tignus, block!" Tsugumi desperately commanded. The Justice Wing jumped in front of the attack, protecting Tsugumu's shields and vanishing into light in the process.
"Gaial Ore Dragon's ability! He untaps after he wins a battle, and I return two shields from your shield zone to your hand!" Subaru said, and two shields bounced into Tsugumi's hand.
"Kuh…"
"Gaial Ore Dragon! Break her shields again!" Subaru commanded.
"Premium Madonna, block…!" Premium Madonna blocked the large beam, unscathed due to her immortality power.
"I return those two shields!"
"…!" Catching the two shields, Tsugumi activated one of those. "Shield Trigger! Super Eternal Spark! I send one of Gaial Ore Dragon's Psychic Cells to your shields…and he falls apart since Psychic Cells can't exist on their own!" A large beam of light shot through the dragon, and reverting to Ryuusei, Prin, and Gaial, they were immediately sent back to the Hyperdimensional zone.
"…Dorballom! Break that last shield!" Obeying his master's orders, Dorballom blasted away Tsugumi's final shield.
"…No triggers…" Tsugumi hung her head as she caught her last shield.
"Turn End." Subaru exhaled, and declared the end of his turn.
"…I summon Oriotis, turn end…" If I can at least get another Heaven's Gate…!
"There's no next turn for you, Shirayama Tsugumi!" Tsubaru told her. "I cast Hyperdimensional Blue Black Hole and put Victorious Prin into the battle zone. Since she is a water creature… Blue Black Hole makes all my creatures unblockable!"
"…Guh…!"
"Dorballom, todomeda!" With a blast of Darkness energy, Tsugumi was thrown back, unconscious, her cards scattered around her.
"Hu…" Subaru felt strangely calm as he packed up his deck and the duel tables disappeared.
The hate, anger… all gone. The grudge that had held him for all these years suddenly disappeared.
"…Thank you." Turning to Remilia, who had been watching all along, Subaru expressed his gratitude. "Thanks to you, Miss Remilia, I no longer feel bound by this grudge. I finally feel that I can enjoy Duel Masters again."
"Hmph… That is good." Remilia picked up her cup and started back towards Michael's room.
"Heh, you said some pretty good stuff there Remilia." Reimu said as Remilia stepped into the room. "I never expected something like that out of your mouth."
"M, mind your own business." Remilia, face slightly red, set her cup on the table.
"Was hard to keep that charisma up huh?" Reimu teased, while Alice giggled lightly.
"Mou…" Remilia buried her head in her arms to hide her embarrassment. "A, anyways…shouldn't you guys be asleep?"
"Heh…That duel was too noisy, plus you were giving a speech, how could we miss that?" Reimu smiled. "But that was enjoyable, to say the least."
"U…"
Their girl's talk continued for another hour before the lights were finally out.
"…" Reimu threw off her blanket, only to find there was no blanket at all. "…!?"
The other 5 girls were lying around her, and everything around was pure grey. A space where there was nothing but a dark grey.
"This is…!?"
"This is a break before a new world is reconstructed." A voice told her.
"…! Subaru?" Reimu turned to see the dark haired boy standing a few feet away from them. "…What do you mean? A new world?"
"I'll explain." Subaru said as the other girls began to open their eyes. "This space you're in…is not exactly a real world."
"…Not a real world? What exactly are you trying to say?" Marisa questioned.
"This dimension is a fictional world created by the soul fragments of the Constellations and Pleiades, residing in the cards that you picked up." Subaru answered. "A dimension where we try to recreate a world which reaches a good end, but doomed to fail every time."
"…"
"We repeated this process, over and over again, each time with different settings and events, but none of them succeeded." He continued. "Until you, and those two stumbled into this dimension."
"Their presence acts as keys to breaking this never ending cycle. The first world you went into collapsed, since Chitose and Haruna became free, and the world lost some of its support and broke down."
"And such, the world reconstructs itself without those two's presence, and thus they did not exist in that last world." He took a breath. "And now…thanks to you, Miss Remilia, I broke free from that cycle." He bowed slightly.
"Hm, hmph, of course, I am Remilia Scarlet after all!" The vampire coughed to hide her pride, earning some teasing grins from the other girls.
"Of course, the presence of Michael's and Jonathan's cards helped." Subaru went on. "Acid and Fernando…they will be crucial for the freeing of the other souls lingering in these cards. Please keep them with you at all times."
"…Well, why don't you tell us this earlier?" Sanae raised her hand.
"The souls in the worlds they created do not realize they are in a fictional world." Subaru answered. "You can say…it's a subconscious thing. Only those who have been freed can realize this."
"In order for this dimension to collapse, you must free all these souls from this cycle. Unfortunately, I cannot help you, so I can only give you the information I know before a new world is born."
"So do you know where Jonathan and Michael are?" Marisa asked, twirling her blonde hair.
Subaru shook his head. "I'm afraid I do not. They may be trapped somewhere in this dimension, or that they have escaped from it somehow."
"I see…"
"Well, it seems that my time is up." Subaru looked up as the grey dimension was beginning to be filled with color. "Good luck. I'll entrust those two guys to you."
"Heh, don't worry!" Marisa smiled.
"We'll be sure to take care of them." Reimu told him.
"…That's good then. Good bye." Subaru smiled. A sad, but relieved, smile. "Thank you once again."
As his figure faded, the colors twirled around, swimming around in the girls' eyes, until everything became encased in white, and fading to black the next instant.
Remilia opened her eyes. They were in large room, a hall not unlike the headquarters of the Constellations in the first world.
"…" So this is another new world, created without Haruna, Chitose and Subaru…
"Hey! What are you doing here! This place is off limits to bypassers!" A voice she heard not long ago.
"…Shirayama Tsugumi…" She uttered the person's name.
"…? You know me?" The blonde frowned.
"…" Remilia stood up and patted her dress. "I know you…and we have some business here with you."
"…And what will that be?"
"We're here on the issue of Michael and Jonathan." Remilia replied curtly.
"!" Tsugumi's hard expression changed ever so slightly. "You know where they are?"
"I don't…" The vampire said. "But our objectives are the same."
"…"
"What are you doing Tsugumi?" Edo walked down the stairs. "These people don't seem to have been invited here."
"…They say that they're here to find our two missing members." Tsugumi explained as Edo joined her. "Apparently they have some business with them."
"…" Edo scratched his chin as the other girls got up too. "How can we trust you on this one?"
"Reimu, you have those two cards?" Remilia turned to the shrine maiden.
"Yeah." She pulled them out and showed Edo and Tsugumi.
"…It's definitely their energy signature…" Tsugumi affirmed as she peered at Acid and Fernando.
"…So you actually know them, huh." The water duelist folded his arms. "I see. I suppose those really are their cards. However… Let's see if you can really be trusted!" He pulled out his deck from a pocket.
"Heh, happy to oblige…" Marisa was about to whip out her deck, but Remilia's hand stopped her. "Remilia?"
"Ojousama…" Sakuya looked at her mistress, a little surprised.
"Don't worry. I can handle this." She assured her companions as she took out her deck as well. "I, Remilia Scarlet, shall not fail!"
"Very well!" Edo said. "I admire that pride of yours. Duema!"
"Start!"
BGM: Immense Power (YGO Arc-V Sound Duel 2)
"I cast Faerie Life." Remilia declared. The top card of her deck went into her mana zone. "Turn End."
"I summon Start Dash Mypad." The blue Cyber Lord-like Outrage materialized on Edo's battle zone. "Turn End."
"I cast Faerie Shower. I look at the top two cards of my deck, and put one of them into my hand and one into my mana zone. Turn End." Remilia continued to boost her mana.
"Big Mana huh… I won't let you do as you please! My turn!" Edo drew his turn draw. "With Mypad's effect, I evolve Aqua Guard into Java Jack!" The Liquid People who existed from the dawn of Duel Masters encased himself in white light, and the lot more humanoid evolution Liquid People Sen emerged from the sphere. "With his effect I draw 4 cards, and return 2 cards to the bottom of my deck. Battle! Java Jack! Double Break!"
Java Jack shot a strong stream of water at Remilia, smashing 2 of her shields.
"Shield Trigger, Faerie Shower." Catching her 2 broken shields, the vampire declared the activation of the spell, and added one card to her hand and another to her mana from the top 2 cards of her deck.
"Mypad, attack her shields!" Another shield was broken by the Water Outrage.
"Remilia-san…" Sanae looked at Remilia worriedly.
"Daijoubu." Sakuya reassured her. "Ojousama won't be taken down that easily."
"Turn End." Edo declared.
"My turn. I summon Bolbalzark Ex and untap all my mana." The Hunter Armored Dragon descended on Remilia's field. "Then I summon Bolshack Superhero! All 3000 or less creatures are destroyed." With a mighty swing of his arms, Bolshack Superhero crushed Mypad, destroying him.
"Battle! I attack Java Jack with Bolbalzark Ex!" The two creatures rushed at each other, Bolbalzark impaling Java Jack with his sword while the Liquid People Sen's fist smashed through the Earth Dragon, both being destroyed in the process. "Turn End."
"My turn. I summon Aqua Jesterloupe! I activate his Chain ability and reveal the top card of my deck." The clown-like Liquid People appeared on Edo's field. "My deck top is Java Kid, and he costs 2, so I put him into the battle zone. I draw one card with Jesterloupe's ability, and reveal my deck top with Java Kid's ability! If it's a Liquid People, I can add it to my hand." With a flick of his hand, Edo's deck top revealed itself. "….Mercury Gigablizzard…."
"Bad luck you got there." Remilia commented. "My turn. I cast Lost Soul!"
"…" Edo's hand was impacted by a pulse of energy, sending all of his cards to his graveyard.
"Turn End."
Drawing and charging Gigablizzard, Edo commenced his attack once again. "Jesterloupe, Java Kid! Break her last shields!"
The last of Remilia's shields splintered, but her expression did not change the slightest.
"No triggers."
"Turn End."
"I summon Eternal Ryuusei Kaiser, and since he gives all my creatures Speed Attacker. I attack and destroy your creatures!" The Red Command Dragon appeared on Remilai's field and slashed Jesterloupe into light while Superhero pulverized Java Kid with his fists. "Turn End."
"Uh…" Edo winced as his last two creatures were sent to his graveyard.
"My turn, draw… Turn End."
"My turn. I cast Energy Hole and draw a card. Then I put Victorious Ryuusei Kaiser into my battle zone!" Remilia cast the Hyperdimensional spell as Victorious Ryuusei Kaiser leapt out of a portal.
"Double Ryuusei…" Edo could already tell the end of this duel.
"Turn End." Remilia declared.
"My turn, I cast Streaming Shaper and reveal the top 4 cards of my deck." Edo started his turn. "All water cards, so I add them into my hand. …Turn End."
BGM: Septette for the Dead Princess (Rin ~House set of "The Embodiment of Scarlet Devil")
"That was some good beatdown at the start…" Remilia said. "But you will not overcome this fate!"
"The King of Terror that governs over all, offer me you power, and we shall overcome all that dares to stand in our path!" Tapping all 10 mana she had, Remilia recited her ace's summoning chant. "Zenith of Terror, Beethoven!"
The King Command Dragon arose from a summoning circle beneath the battle zone, and towered over the duelists, exerting his unparalleled pressure over them.
"Beethoven…!"
"Ojousama…I'm honored you call upon me again." Beethoven knelt before his master.
"Of course, you are my ace, after all." Remilia grinned at the creature, wings fluttering happily behind her back as she rejoiced the fact that her ace could finally talk. "Let's go!"
"With Beethoven's effect, I salvage Bolbalzark Ex from my grave, and Galamuta from my mana zone. Then I tap him." Remilia caught the two dragons as they bounced back to her hand. "Turn End."
"…" Edo sighed as he drew his card. Ryuusei's tap in, and Beethoven's attack redirect… There's nothing he could do anymore. "Turn End…"
"My turn. Sorry boy, but this ends here!" The small vampire declared as her eyes shone a deep crimson. "I summon Bolbalzark Ex and untap all my mana! Then I summon Galamuta!"
2 more dragons appeared on Remilia's field, howling at the water duelist, who shook his head in defeat in the face of 6 dragons.
"Galamuta gains Speed Attacker with Ryuusei's effect!" Remilia explained. "When he attacks, all Shield Triggers will be sealed for the rest of the turn!"
"Ikinasai! Galamuta! Break his shields!" The Earth Dragon/Dark Lord sliced through the first shield with his sword. "Eternal Ryuusei! Victorious Ryuusei! Break all of his shields!" The two Red Command Dragon Hunters rushed through all 4 of Edo's remaining shields with their wing swords.
"…" Edo stared at Ragnarok, The Clock in his hand.
"Ojousama!"
Remilia nodded. "Beethoven, direct attack! Fate's Soprano!"
Charging his lance, Beethoven shot a giant beam at the defenseless Edo, earning Remilia the win.
As the duel tables and creatures faded, Edo sat up from his lying position and pushed his glasses into place. "Very well, your dueling skills are something to be admired… I believe you can be trusted."
"You made the right choice." Remilia smiled, as did the girls behind her.
Decks:
Subaru: Anacolor Dorballom
Tsugumi: Mono White Heaven's Gate
Remilia: Black Beethoven
Edo: Mono Blue Liquid People