28. Clustering Wishes
"I am here as long as you are willing to believe, my child. A tomb holds much more than death and decay, and not all memories here are dark and vengeful." The ghostly Yusei pulled back a little and extended a hand, "Will you stand up, Yuma?"
"Yes," Replied the boy, and took his father's hand.
Once he stood up straight, Yuma asked, "Though I still don't see what I can do with One for One and Acorno. I don't have any target for One for One except for Kurivolt, which won't do anything for me now, not even protecting my life points, since my opponent has Junk Gardna."
"You have a target for One for One," The ghostly form of Yusei traced out a card in the air, "Look here."
Yuma's eyes widened, "But this... this is in my deck?"
"Believe, Yuma," Yusei murmured as his glowing form faded, "And be brave, my child."
When Yuma raised his head there was only his opponent once more. Behind the Shooting Star Dragon that betrayed its own purpose, and in the midst of all those mutilated buildings of a deathly Neo Domino, Yusei stood shrouded in shadows, watching him with a faint frown. Yuma smiled back instead.
"You still want to go on, boy?" Yusei asked.
"Yes, I am not giving up, not now, not ever," Yuma said with another grin, "Someone told me, not all memories here are dark and vengeful. Activate spell One for One, discard Acorno from hand to special summon from my deck—Mystic Piper!"
"Mystic Piper?!" Yusei's eyes widened.
"Activate Mystic Piper's effect, I will tribute it to draw a card. First draw, Pinecono; since it's a level 1 monster, I can draw one more card."
Yuma let his hand hover above his deck and took a deep breath. This was possibly his last draw, and the entire world rides on this one draw. Despite everything he was still nervous, and just a tad fearful.
"No need to be scared, we are all here for you," A bell-like voice chimed beside Yuma.
The translucent form of a green-haired girl appeared. She was perhaps just a year or two younger than Yuma himself, wearing two pigtails and cute as a button. She smiled at him sweetly and said, "Hi, my name is Ruka."
"Ruka," Yuma repeated the name, staring in wonder.
"You have to believe, Yuma," Ruka said, "We have been through many tough situations before too, my brother and I, our friends, including Yusei and big sister Aki, but we pulled through. It's because we believe; we believe in our potential, in each other, and in the bond we all share. You will have to believe too, Yuma."
"Thank you, and I do believe."
"Great!" Ruka laughed, leaning in to brush a feather-light kiss on Yuma's cheek, "Then take your draw, Yuma; it will help you, I promise. It is a gift from me."
So Yuma pulled up the glowing top card of his deck, and found himself staring at Swords of Revealing Light. He breathed a sigh of relief, and placed the card on his D-pad. "Activate spell, Swords of Revealing Light! You cannot attack for three turns," Yuma announced, "I end my turn."
Yusei's frown deepened and he said with a snarl, drawing a card, "How cheap a stalling trick. But I will not be cruel and prolong your suffering too much; turn end."
So it was Yuma's turn to draw once more. Even as he put his hand to his deck, the figure of a boy appeared beside him. The boy looked almost like a carbon copy of Ruka, save that he was wearing his green hair in a ponytail. "Don't get any ideas about my sister, alright?" The boy grumbled at Yuma.
"Eh?" Yuma blinked.
"The name is Rua," The boy introduced himself, "I am Ruka's big brother."
"Oh, okay," Yuma replied, "Um, hi."
"And I suppose it is my turn to help," The boy continued, face finally breaking into a grin, "Your next draw is one of my favourite cards, though I suppose it's many people's favourite as well. Okay, it's not that unique in my world. But it is from me, alright? And you have to play it just right. Go on, draw your next card."
So Yuma drew up that card and played it. "Activate spell, Pot of Avarice," He announced, "I return five monsters from my graveyard to the deck to draw two cards. I will return Black Rose Dragon, No. 39: Utopia, Debris Dragon, Glow-up Bulb, and Spore back to the deck, and draw two more."
"Interesting choice, but a smart one nonetheless," A voice commented, "I don't suppose you have any tuner, so returning Aki's tuners means you can possibly synchro summon later, good idea. And Debris Dragon could possibly even set you up with Utopia once more."
Yuma turned and saw a young man with a mop of striking orange hair grinning at him. "Crow Hogan the bullet, at your service," the young man waved at him, eyes sparkling, "Here, I have two cards for you too, one of which is my favourite trickster and he won me so many duels! Cheers, and good luck, my boy."
So Yuma drew his two cards: Blackwing Gale the Whirlwind, and Urgent Tuning. Yuma read through the cards quickly and murmured a most heartfelt "thank you". He placed the card on his D-pad and called, "Normal summon the tuner monster, Blackwing Gale the Whirlwind!"
In a shower of black feathers the little bird with large dark blue wings appeared. It chirped merrily and pecked Yuma on the head. "Ow, and thanks," Yuma said with a laugh, "Activating Gale's effect, halve the ATK and DEF of Junk Gardna! I set one more card face down and end my turn."
"I don't know how you drew into Gale, but nothing you do can get past Shooting Star Dragon." Yusei's face was dark like the stormy sky, and the light in his dark eyes was pure ice, "Turn end, and this is the second turn of Swords of Revealing Light."
"Indeed, Swords' effect will eventually end, so you need more power than just Gale the Whirlwind."
This time it was a tall and stately blond who spoke. He wore a gravity-defying white trench coat over riding leathers, golden hair bright like the sun of high noon. He was not looking at Yuma, violet eyes were focused on the shadowy Yusei across from them instead. "That creature is not the King of Duels I have always wanted to defeat," The blond murmured, before turning back to face Yuma.
"Here, boy," He said with a hand over his heart, "Take the burning soul of Jack Atlas. Unleash your spirit, let it burn; nothing will defeat you then."
"I won't disappoint you, Mr. Atlas," Yuma muttered, "My turn, draw!" And Power Giant came into his hand.
"I discard Pinecono from hand to special summon Power Giant!" Yuma declared. He watched transfixed as the white and purple robot rise before him, before continuing, "Since I discarded a level 1 monster to summon it, Power Giant is now level 5. Now then, activating Gale the Whirlwind's effect once more, halve the ATK and DEF of Junk Gardna. Its DEF is a measly 650 now, and you better believe I will take it down. Battle phase! Utopia Ray, attack Junk Gardna!"
"Shooting Star, negate that attack," Yusei replied.
"Power Giant, attack Junk Gardna!"
"Junk Gardna's effect activate, put Power Giant in defense position."
"Well, I have one more go," Yuma grinned, "Gale the Whirlwind, destroy Junk Gardna."
"You will pay for this, unruly child," Yusei looked positively murderous as his Junk Gardna disappeared with a noisy clang. He drew a card, paused for a second, and said, "Switch No. 99 to defense position, turn end. You Swords of Revealing Light is no more, and next turn, you will die."
Yuma's hand hovered above his deck as he eyed the Shooting Star Dragon before him. No longer restrained by the swords of light, the dragon snapped its jaws at him viciously. Even with Gale and Power Giant, it still seemed impossible to get around that dragon. What was he to do? Yuma was thinking furiously, when a gentle voice remarked, "Shooting Star Dragon still has weaknesses."
Yuma turned and saw another young man. He was nearly as tall as Jack Atlas, strong and handsome like one of those classic statues, but he looked gentle as a lamb with soft blue hair and a warm smile. "Your mother left you the arsenal you need to defeat Shooting Star Dragon," The man said, "And here, try this card. It is one of my favourite tricks, and also your father's favourite trick too, actually. Use it well and win, my boy."
When his form started fading Yuma shouted after him, "Thank you! And before you go, please tell me your name!"
"The name is Bruno," The blue-haired man gave him another smile, "And you are truly your father's son, Yuma."
So Yuma drew for his turn and pulled up a trap card: Synchro Material. He read through the card carefully, then scanned his D-pad for his set cards, and he grinned. He saw it, his path to victory. "Activate Gale's effect, halve the ATK and DEF of No. 99. Set one more in the spell and trap zone. I end my turn."
"And my turn, draw! This is the final turn!" Yusei threw a card down on his duel disk, "My turn to activate Pot of Avarice, return Quickdraw Synchron, two Junk Synchron, Stardust Dragon, and Nitro Warrior to deck, and draw two more." After he drew his lips curled into a frown, as if unsatisfied with the draw.
"Didn't quite draw into what you wanted?" Yuma said with a grin, "Good."
"Silent, foolish child!" Yusei's cry was terrible, "I have more than enough to bury you. Battle phase, Shooting Star Dragon, attack Gale the Whirlwind!"
As Shooting Star Dragon flew towards him like a condor towards its prey, Yuma saw Aki appear beside him. Her smiling face was radiant, and her red hair and coat danced like a crowd of flowers. "You ready to do this, my child?" Aki asked him.
"I am ready, mother," Yuma said solemnly, then after a moment of hesitation he asked, "Will you stay with me though, mom? Will you do this with me? I can do this myself, but I want you here."
"Of course, Yuma."
The dragon was almost upon him. Yuma flipped a face down card and called out with all his strength, "Trap activate, Urgent Tuning! I can synchro summon a monster during battle phase. Chain to Urgent Tuning, activate face down Synchro Material, targeting your Level Eater. When I synchro summon this turn, I can use your Level Eater as one of the synchro materials. So then, tuning level 3 Blackwing Gale the Whirlwind, level 5 Power Giant, and level 1 Level Eater!"
Yuma could hear another voice, the voice of his mother, rising with his own, and suddenly he was filled with joy and elation. He shouted out, "Cold tides swallow these tainted shores, guardian of the ancient sea, emerge! Synchro summon, arise from your wintry abode, Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier!"
"When Trishula is synchro summoned, its effect triggers. I banish Shooting Star Dragon on your field, Formula Synchron from your grave, and one random card from your hand—hey, looks like I hit a Double Summon."
Shooting Star Dragon barely let out half a roar when it was suddenly encased in ice. The icy sculpture hung suspended for a few moments, before the goliath imploded, dissolving into a million crystalline shards, and then vanishing completely without a trace.
"Now that the field changed," Yuma said with a straight face, though his big eyes were twinkling, "Roll back and replay. Do you want to re-declare your attack?"
Yusei's form was almost entirely immersed in shadows now, two dark eyes glowing ghostly purple in a shroud of black fire. He was a terrifying sight to behold. Suddenly Yusei laughed again. "You think you have won?" He said vehemently, "It was a clever play, but still not enough. Watch and learn, young fool. Enter main phase two, normal summon Junk Synchron. And Junk Synchron's effect will bring Doppelwarrior back from the grave. Tuning level 3 Junk Synchron, level 2 Doppelwarrior, and level 2 Speed Warrior, synchro summon! Gathering furies become an entranced warrior born from violence, pave me the path from death to vengeance! Howl, Junk Berserker!"
"Activate Junk Berserker's effect, banish Junk Synchron from the grave to reduce Trishula's attack by Junk Synchron's ATK. Activating effect again, this time banish Junk Gardna to reduce Utopia Ray's attack. Set one more card face down in the spell and trap zone, turn end. Go on, foolish boy, let's see what you can do with those weakened creatures."
Yuma blinked, slowly. To be honest, he did think he had the game under control; he had Utopia Ray and Trishula, while his opponent had only a severely weakened No. 99 in defense mode. He did not foresee Yusei's comeback play would be so swift and merciless. Just like that, Yuesi put out yet another powerful monster, while weakening his. Yuma swallowed and put his hand on his deck.
He was cautious, still nervous, but he was no longer afraid. "I won't lose," The boy said out loud to no one in particular, "I am not alone here, and my deck will answer me."
"You will never be alone, Yuma."
It was an infinitely familiar and intimate voice that spoke. Yuma snapped his head around and saw standing there a tall and slender alien form, blue and glowing; a pair of shining eyes, one gold and one silver, looked back at him, full of tenderness. Yuma was speechless for a long time.
After what seemed like an eternity, the boy sighed and said, "I knew you would come, Astral, I knew eventually the real you would find me."
"I am sorry, Yuma," Astral murmured, "For everything you had to go through. But I am here now. Let us do this as we have always done before. Are you ready, Yuma?" The spirit extended a glowing, translucent hand.
Yuma gripped that immaterial hand tightly; it felt as if he was holding a bundle of sunlight that warmed him up from within. The boy's hair turned to pure gold, his eyes, two pools of liquid fire. "I am ready, Astral," Yuma said, voice clear and ringing in the darkness, and drew the top card of his deck in a shower of golden light.
"Shining draw!"
"Activate ZW Weapon Dragon Lance from hand! I equip it to No. C39 Utopia Ray to give Utopia Ray 2200 extra ATK so he is at 3300 ATK, and Utopia Ray now inflicts piercing damage to defense position monsters."
"Valiant attempt, but such is not enough to take me down," Yusei sneered from behind his Junk Bersreker, "Nor is it enough to stall your defeat any longer next turn."
Yuma only smiled and continued, "Dragon Lance's effect, once per turn I can tribute a dragon-type synchro monster to target a dragon-type synchro monster in either player's graveyard or banished zone; equip the target to Utopia Ray and Utopia Ray gains the equipped dragon's effect."
"What?!"
"So I will tribute Trishula, Dragon of the Ice Barrier to target the banished Shooting Star Dragon. Equip Shooting Star Dragon to Utopia Ray."
With a piercing cry Shooting Star Dragon leapt into the sky, a globe of burning white shredding away the darkness. Somehow Shooting Star looked different now, pure white body free of shadows, and a pair of glowing yellow eyes held no more malice, only the light of the sun. Shooting Star Dragon circled in the black sky once, before landing behind Utopia Ray. In a sheet of blinding light, the form of the warrior and the dragon melded together; when the light faded they saw Utopia Ray taking a step forward and slashing at the air with the lance in his hand. The warrior looked even more majestic than before, with a pair of enormous black-and-white armored wings. A shining dragon-helm covered his head, and the image of dragon also adorned his silver lance.
"Activate Utopia Ray's new effect; I reveal the top five cards of my deck, and Utopia Ray can attack number of times equal to the total number of tuners revealed."
Yusei sneered, "Foolish boy, you will need to reveal almost all tuners for this to amount to anything, and how many tuners do you have?"
"We will see, won't we? Now is the moment of final truth," Yuma said, drawing the top card and turning it over, "First reveal, Spore! Utopia Ray, attack Junk Berserker."
"Activate, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! Negate the attack, and set Scarecrow again."
"It's far from over! Second reveal, Glow-up Bulb. Attack Junk Berserker with everything you've got, my faithful champion—go, Dragon Mirage!"
This time there was no escape. Junk Berserker disintegrated into a million shards of light, and Yusei's life points rolled down to 5500. This was the first damage he had taken since the direct attack from a Koa'ki Meiru Gravirose at the beginning of the duel.
"Third reveal, Debris Dragon! Utopia Ray, destroy No. 99 with Second Dragon Mirage! No. 99 only has 1000 DEF, so you take 2300 piercing damage."
Utopia Ray lifted the silver lance in his hand and with a mighty battle roar thrust the lance at the tallest building in the twisted skyline. The streak of silver pierced the building like a bullet. There was a deafening crash, as if a million panes of glass all shattering at once, and then No. 99: Dead World Vengeance began to dissolve. In the middle of his crumbling kingdom, dark Yusei screamed, a sound of such fury and pain that any lesser person would have quailed.
Yuma looked on ahead determinedly and flipped over one more card. "Fourth reveal, Monster Reborn."
At this Yusei laughed. "You ran out of tuners, didn't you?" He said in a hoarse voice, "You put Aki's three tuners back into your deck with Pot of Avarice, but three won't quite do it."
"No, three won't do," Yuma said, undaunted and unwavering, "But you forgot something. Final reveal, Witch of the Black Rose!"
"Utopia Ray, attack his life points directly—Final Dragon Mirage!"
An explosion rocked the very core of this dead universe; white flames licked outward like cleansing tides. In a heartbeat, the darkness blinked out of existence.
