Quietly moving around, Yuushi, Ayumi and Hikaru turned a corner and moved quickly with caution as Ayumi looked at Ryoko's D-Pad which contained hacked information about the layout of the area.
"Ayumi, are you sure we're going the right way? It's taking forever," Hikaru asked with some doubt after seeing nothing for a while.
Ayumi double-checked and nodded, "There should be some stairs soon leading to the floor below. After that we need to find another descending set of stairs to reach the lowest floor where that massive amount of energy is. It takes some time though since this building is a lot larger than it looks."
Yuushi commented, "Whatever that energy is used for, it'll probably be for something huge."
The group continued where Ayumi indicated as the hallway took a turn.
"Do you really think the security is deactivated?," Yuushi commented.
Hikaru took the lead, "Seems like Ryoko did a good enough job to me. Even if not, we don't have time to worry about that."
Ayumi went forward too, "The most important thing now is to search for either a way out or a way down to shut down that energy source."
After some observation Yuushi noted, "It's large and all but there has to be a way down."
The group went down the hall and saw a large metal door. The door opened and the trio went inside and noticed there was only one path to go which was a square-spiral that was descending into a dark area below.
"It certainly goes down and it's close to the staircase indicated on this blueprint. Even the energy readings have increased slightly. I guess this is it," Ayumi replied.
Yuushi adjusted his glasses trying to gauge the depth of this area, "No good. All I see is black and more black. Only way we're going to see if it goes anywhere is to go down ourselves."
The blue-black haired boy started going down, "Then what are we waiting for?"
Eventually, the trio made their way to the bottom of the stairs where there was another metal door and a red switch beside it. Normally, the switch would be guarded by a thick glass cover but with no security, the button was open for anyone to hit.
Nobody really said anything as Hikaru walked up and pressed the switch as it turned green and the door opened. Everything seemed pretty much the same with the same empty passageways, darkness and general sense of confusion.
"At least we're a bit deeper in," Yuushi said trying to maintain a somewhat positive mood for everyone.
"Yeah...," Ayumi answered back trying not to sound sarcastic.
Looking at Ryoko's D-Pad again, Ayumi zoomed in on their location and noticed that they were coming up to a larger room as she conveyed her info, "There's a large room ahead. If we take the southern passage for a while then go west in a straight line, it should take us to the stairs or passage to the bottom floor.
In a few minutes, the group reached another set of large doors which normally would be shut due to security but since there was no active security, the door automatically opened for the three high schoolers as they entered inside.
Inside was much different than the bland outer areas. For one thing, there were lights almost everywhere from different sources ranging from the ceiling, walls and various active devices around.
"Wonder what this is doing here?," Hikaru wondered.
After a closer look, Yuushi realized that although a few monitors and screens were on, the vast majority of them were actually in fact offline which made Yuushi question in his mind where they were.
Ayumi checked something, "I can tell you now that this room was probably used for something seeing as how there are so many computers. Now though, maybe the data or research or whatever they were doing has either moved or been shut down."
Something caught Ayumi's eye as she wandered to a right monitor with the boys following her.
Yuushi noticed a strange graph and analyzed it, "Whatever they were doing here, it seems to be complete based off how the readings on this chart are already at a target level. In any case, let's just keep going."
The three turned their eyes towards the southern door where they noticed someone else at another door. There was clearly a lone figure as the individual spoke up in a female voice, "I had heard that you were awake Hikaru and to be honest, I thought those reports were just full of it yet here you and your friend Yuushi stand."
The red-haired female stepped forward and nobody recognized her except Hikaru.
"Who are you anyways?!," demanded Yuushi.
"Shiho. She's an Underground Duelist and a part of Nightfall. If you wanted to know who put me in that coma, there you go. So what are you doing here?", Hikaru shouted while giving a quick profile.
Ayumi was shocked, "Did you just say Underground Duelist? I thought those types of duels were suppose to be banned for their brutal and violent nature."
Shiho shook her head, "Just as braindead as ever and that girl there seems just as stupid. As for why I'm here, it should be obvious right? I'm here to stop you."
"We're not braindead!," countered Hikaru.
"You can't stop all of us," Yuushi said with confidence.
Shiho readied her Duel Disk, "You're right, I can't stop all of you myself. However, you really have two choices here. You can either spend your already short time here with me or you can split off to stop our ultimate plan. I promise you that I'm not bluffing."
Hikaru thought it was a bluff but something on Ayumi's D-Pad started to beep as she looked on her screen.
"That collected energy at the bottom...it's started to get destabilized...someone's planning to use it soon! With that much energy, that would...no! That can't be right...," the girl started to tell the others in disbelief.
Yuushi interrupted, "What can't be right?"
Ayumi did a further reading, "With this amount of energy, they could easily level a city...no, even more than that!"
"You got to be kidding me!," Hikaru yelled with surprise and anger.
"A city is thinking too small for this amount of power. Our target isn't Heartland City or any other city for that matter. As a matter of fact, not a single human will be harmed," Shiho said slotting in her Duel Disk preparing for a duel.
"Not a single person. That's good but I doubt they gathered that energy just to show off...it's going to be used for something," Yuushi contemplated to himself before speaking, "Maybe we can see what their target is or how to stop it. If they're rendering duelists in that comatose-like state I doubt this'll be anything good."
Again, Hikaru stepped forward except this time he had his own deck slotted into his Duel Disk already as he looked to his two friends.
"We can't all just sit here. I'll handle things here! If she wants a duel, then I'll give her one!," commanded the Laval duelist as he had an intense look on his face.
"Fine with me. Besides, I don't like leaving a job half unfinished. Once I'm finished here, even if you do get up, you won't want to duel again," Shiho threatened.
Ayumi spoke up softly, "Hikaru..."
Yuushi looked at the situation, "We can't waste our time here like Hikaru said and he knows her deck and dueling style better than any of us. I don't think he'll back down from a challenge he's accepted."
The boy looked over to Ayumi and motioned to the southern door, "Just be careful alright?"
Now the girl looked worried but the two spectators took off as Hikaru and Shiho didn't even glance at their escape as the door opened leaving the two people in that room.
"I'm honestly surprised you and your friends came down here but I guess Koji really wasn't kidding," commented Shiho as she looked at the boy.
"They knew we were coming...Ryoko, you'd better be alright. That's mean that Yuushi and Ayumi might be in trouble too. I'd better finish this up and head down," Hikaru thought to himself with some worry.
Shiho looked to Hikaru, "You have some good friends if they willingly came down here. Doesn't change the fact that they make me sick. You know that saying right? Those who stay together, fall together."
The boy then looked back a bit offended at the insult, "Are we just talking or are we dueling here?!"
"You sure are impatient but so am I!", the red-haired girl shouted back.
With a swift single motion, both duelists drew their five cards as they stood far apart on different sides of the room. Hikaru activated his green eyepiece D-Gazer while Shiho's contact lens D-Gazer activated as well but unlike before, Shiho did not send that special card to the graveyard which normally would activate the Iron Curtain.
"Guess we're not dueling in that weird curtain thing. Good!", noted Hikaru with relief.
"Duel!"
Hikaru- 4000 LP
Shiho- 4000 LP
"It's my draw!," Shiho shouted as she started the first turn, "I'll set this two cards down and after, I'm summoning Nemesis Knight in ATK mode!"
Two face-down cards materialized in her Spell/Trap Zone followed by a third vertical Monster Card in front. Emerging out was a completely armored black knight that drew out its sword and took a step forward preparing to battle. The step triggered some dust to pick up as the only visible thing on the knight that wasn't covered or black was its glowing red eyes (ATK: 1200, Level 3).
Hikaru remarked, "Not a very tough monster."
"I don't really need this card on the field so I'll use its effect. By Tributing this card, you'll take 400 points of damage and I can draw a card right afterwards," the Nemesis duelist stated.
An ominous red aura coated the knight who charged forward as a red beam of light collided into Hikaru sending him flying back as he cried in pain. Both the light and the monster vanished after impact.
Hikaru- 3600 LP
Shiho- 4000 LP
It took a few moments for Hikaru to register what had just happened to him. It wasn't that he lost Life Points as 400 was not really all that much, especially out of 4000 but rather the shock of feeling physical pain. He was already battered as a slight pain built up in his chest.
Though Hikaru did not really say nothing, his face spoke volumes as Shiho picked up on his worry after drawing her card and said, "Guess it's a bit late for me to warn you. Like in our previous duel, whenever you lose Life Points you'll take real damage just like in an Underground Duel."
"But we're not in that weird place like last time!", Hikaru snapped back.
Shiho shook her head, "That's obvious. However, this building itself is much closer to the border of the Spirit World from the world that you're so used to which makes it ideal for our plan. Well, you should be more worried since we're closer to the Spirit World which means that the rules of Duel Monsters change a bit which has been true since the ancient past."
Hikaru panted, "So that's where the damage is coming from..."
Elsewhere, Yuushi and Ayumi were suddenly caught off guard by a strange noise followed by a minor quake.
Ayumi gasped, "Does that mean the duel started?"
Yuushi seemed concerned, "But why would the ground shake?"
The boy looked over the girl's shoulder onto the map and noticed that the next set of descending stairs were just around a few corners.
"We have to keep moving," Yuushi said quietly as the two kept sprinting.
Back to the duel, the Nightfall duelist grinned, "Your turn. I have an open field so let's see what you got."
Though this invitation to attack with two face-downs on the opponent's field would cause some duelists to analyze things, all Hikaru saw was a chance to inflict some major damage and get a lead which is all he needed to make an offensive charge.
"My turn then! Hah!," shouted the blue-black haired duelist as he drew his sixth card, "I'm going to heat things up with my Molten Transmission Spell Card."
Hikaru's graveyard blew out a blast of hot wind followed by a fiery orange glow. The gust of wind was not very strong but it was still noticeable as the boy grabbed his deck and tossed two cards into the heated gust from his Duel Disk.
"I'll send Laval Lady of the Burning Lake and Laval Cannon to the graveyard. Now I'll summon something that you don't have on the field right now, a monster. Come on out, Laval Guuner!"
The card digitized onto the field which happened before a thin orange rock golem with metal armor, boots and wristbands sprung out. On its face were goggles with red lenses and out of the wristbands, small cannons of magma extended out. Despite the tremendous heat, the armor did not even lose shape as the monster prepared for a fight (ATK: 1200, Level 4).
"Now for my monster's effect. I have a 'Laval' monster in the graveyard not named Laval Gunner so I can draw five cards and send those cards to the graveyard and for each 'Laval' sent to the grave, this card gains 200 ATK."
The card began to glow as Hikaru drew his five cards and revealed them to his opponent. In order, they were Laval Miller, Searing Fire Wall, Dark Coffin, Laval Lancelord and Laval Forest Sprite.
Now Hikaru could feel the momentum shift towards him, "That's what I'm talking about! With three 'Lavals' I get a pretty good ATK boost."
Even the monster knew what would happen soon as the cannon extensions on its wristbands began to charge as the end of the cannon began to glow with a molten orange hue. Not only that but even Laval Gunner itself powered up which was visually indicated by a similar molten orange aura (Gunner ATK: 1200+200+200+200= 1800 ATK).
"Now I'll activate Laval Lady of the Burning Lake's effect from my graveyard and I have enough different 'Lavals' there as well! Your left face-down is about to be lit up in flames since I can banish the lady as well as Laval Lancelord to destroy a face-down you have!", the boy yelled while pointing to Shiho's left card in her Spell/Trap Zone.
From thin air, flames surrounded the girl's face-down before it spontaneously exploded into flames. Hikaru was about to order an attack when suddenly, two black spheres formed on opposite sides of the battlefield as lines of darkness formed in between before a black line connected the two and expanded out which formed a see-through wall of shadows. Laval Gunner tried to shoot through but this sudden mysterious wall held and nothing went through.
"Even better than I had planned! By destroying my face-down Nemesis Repel, not only did you just waste an effect but you triggered my own card's effect. This is an impenetrable force that can repel any force towards me like it was nothing! I can't take any effect or battle damage and you can't even go into the Battle Phase this turn!", Shiho explained with massive confidence.
Hikaru was somewhat annoyed and it showed in his face for a second but he grabbed a card in his hand and set it down, "One card face-down. That's all I have for now."
"If that's all you have, then I'm even more disappointed in you. A shame you had to be here. Did you really think your sister would approve of her brother just wandering into dangerous territory leaving her in the dark? Her brother being rendered in a comatose-like state once more isn't going to make her happy, you know!"
That comment hit a soft spot for Hikaru, "Natsumi...I won't let her down again! No matter what! Having her be sad like that isn't something that will happen again! You just watch me, Shiho!"
Surprisingly, Shiho was not agitated at all and even chuckled a bit before looking at Hikaru with a changed tone in her voice, "Hah. You sound a lot like myself once. Just believing that words and faith alone could do it. Well, I learned that there's one thing that matters and that's power. With words you can only preach but with power you can change the world! I hate to be the one to do it but...for the sake of avenging my own older sister, I have to do it!"
Now Hikaru was the one in shock, "You...you had a sister...? Where is she?"
"I did. Back when I used to be so naive and stupid. That all changed though when I lost my own sister which caused my world to come crashing down and I had to see reality for what it really was! The survival of the strongest! There I just saved you a lot of time with that!", she screamed out upwards to nobody in particular.
"Is that why she was so interested in Natsumi?", Hikaru thought to himself.
The boy wanted to say anything and for once in a long while, he was speechless as Shiho's hands began to shake and she took a deep breath to herself, "You see..."
Shiho began to narrate her story as it began in a very small apartment which was actually where a younger Shiho and an older sister with red-black hair was as well. There were not many rooms at all but they had the basic necessities such as a small bedroom, washroom, a tiny kitchen where the table and stove barely fit along with a fridge and microwave.
The younger Shiho opened a cupboard and noticed some instant noodles as she sighed, "This again..."
The older girl remarked, "Sorry about that sis but it's what we got. If mom and dad were still around, we might have something else but well...we have to work with what we got. I've got some help and speaking of which, I have to meet up with them now."
Hours passed as Shiho waited around when the phone suddenly rang. The girl thought it might be her sister as she went over and picked it up, "Hello, who is it?"
It took a moment but then a male voice she had never heard before answered. The visual screen was not on for some reason so the only thing she could hear was a voice, "Your sister, Karina, says that she needs your help now in a duel. She asked me to call as she is currently tied up in something. You're her younger sister Shiho, right?"
"Yep, that's me," she answered.
"Excellent. I'll provide you with an address. It's quite a bit from where you are but take your time. We and your sister shall be waiting," the individual explained before hanging up.
The call came from Karina's D-Pad as Shiho got her deck and Duel Disk and headed out to the address. It took a monorail ride across various stations and some walking but she eventually arrived at a large one-story building. It had a few lights and even a driveway and door for large vehicles as she saw a teenage girl at the first door. The two noticed each other as Shiho walked over.
"You must be Shiho. Come on in," the girl said opening the door with a key and inviting her in.
Shiho walked in as the girl entered with her. Looking around, it was fairly lit and very spacious. There was not a sign of Karina and as a matter of fact, there was not a sign of anyone else. Before anything else could happen though, Shiho felt something strike the back of her head as she was knocked unconscious by the girl who had accompanied her inside.
"Now this game gets more interesting," the teenager muttered to herself outloud.
It took an unknown amount of time but Shiho eventually regained consciousness after hearing a voice. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed a red-black haired older girl trying to wake her up.
"Shiho. Shiho," the voice rang in.
The younger girl smiled, "Karina!"
The two hugged momentarily and Shiho realized that there was some blood on her head from the earlier blow but it was relatively minor. Her excitement was short-lived when she realized the situation that they were in. She and her sister were actually inside a steel cage with their D-Pads and Duel Disks locked in with them. There were some strange metal attachments and wires to the Duel Disks and there were several people outside the cage. Most of these figures were wearing sunglasses and black coats though some others like the girl who knocked out Shiho were in the back. Footsteps were heard as a black suited figure with a black hat took a step forward on the outside of the cage and grinned. It was extremely difficult to identify any of their features.
"Karina over there borrowed some of our money to pay for certain things. In our line of business, money is everything. You need it to control things and gain power. When someone takes our money, we need an investment back and Karina is in a situation where she can't pay us back," the man explained.
Shiho was confused, "So what? If she can't pay, let us go! We have enough problems you know!"
Karina was scared, "I said I'd pay you back eventually!"
The man sighed, "Believe me I would love nothing more than to let you two go and never see you again, little girl. There's a problem though. We have extended your sister's payment and interest several times already and if we do it anymore, well, our 'business' starts to seem soft and people might take advantage of that. I've already made peace with the fact that our money isn't coming back but I have to set an example for any future transactions."
"What's that suppose to mean? I told you that I'd handle this!", Karina shouted.
"You had your chance but now I'm going to handle this my way. Since you can't pay me back in cash, you'll pay me back in reputation. I have no problem with that. All you two need to do is to put on those Duel Disks and duel each other. However, there's a twist. The winner will be free to leave and do whatever and will never hear from us again since your payment will be completed in full. The loser though won't be quite as well off as the loser's Duel Disk will have a special electric surge sent through their body that will fry their brain. I'm not one for a mess but I promise you that this shock will be lethal. In the case of a draw, another duel will take place to determine a winner and if you try and take off the shock attachment in the wrong way, it will trigger anyways making that person the automatic loser. In other words, this will be the last duel for someone regardless of what happens."
The two sisters were silent as the man turned his back, "I am not a man without mercy. I will give you both some time to talk this over."
Shiho and Karina met up as Shiho did not know what to do and Karina wanted to cry but stopped herself before Shiho got anymore scared, "This...this is my fault. So I'll be the one to make the payment."
Hearing this was out of the question for Shiho, "What...what do you mean? No, I can!"
Karina sighed, "No. It's the justice of this world. It's my fault that I have failed you as a sister and someone to look up to. I caused this mess so I'll clean it up. It's only right. You were the best sister that I could possibly hope for. Our parents and I are proud of you but this is the last thing I can do for you. I'm sorry."
The younger sister could not move as she was breaking down crying as Karina slowly went over and grabbed her Duel Disk.
Shiho started to run over, "Karina...! I won't let you!"
Suddenly, Karina twisted her body and hit Shiho in roughly the same spot on the back of her head. Thanks to the last attack, this one was easier to knock Shiho out but she did not cause any bleeding.
"No...sis...you...," Shiho weakly stated before collapsing onto the ground.
"You are still an innocent girl with so much potential. Take this chance and change your life. Just remember that your family loves you and has always wanted what's best for you," Karina quietly said.
That was the last statement Shiho heard before she was rendered unconscious again. Karina tried to force off the shock attachment off her Duel Disk with raw force but already knew the result which triggered the mechanism and released a deadly pulse. When Shiho woke up once more, there was nobody there anymore and she was left alone with her Duel Disk with the attachment off and an open but empty steel cage. The lone girl could not do anything except weep as a deep and cruel hole was engraved into her heart.
"That feeling of despair...the only way that I could calm it and survive was to be an Underground Duelist. It was a pretty good source of income and I could exact my rage on anyone I wanted. If I lost a dangerous duel, well at that point I really had nothing to lose so I didn't find it much of a negative thing though I was still missing purpose in my life. My dueling talents quickly allowed me to survive on my own. Eventually, Koji and Nightfall found me one day and made use of me. Since that day, I have been an empty vessel but if I can be a vessel of some use, then so be it. This vengeance, this bitterness, no one else needs to feel it but this world is full of despair and so we will change the world and eliminate the despair!", Shiho cried out as she drew a card.
Hikaru was shocked, "Shiho...are you fighting for your sister and family as well in your own way..."
"Time to have your nightmare settle this score once and for all! My ace that will bring about a new era! When I have no monsters on the field, I can Special Summon Nemesis Fury and add another one from my deck by paying 1000 Life Points!"
This seemed awfully familiar as a large dark green creature with a twisted face and spiked shoulder guards came out. It smashed its tail on the ground and stood up on its long legs and its body bent forward while roaring viciously (ATK: 1500, Level 5). A green glow surrounded Shiho after she got her card form her deck as she closed one eye in pain and briefly lost her balance.
Hikaru- 3600 LP
Shiho- 3000 LP
Now she grabbed a different card, "I have another monster I can Special Summon since I successfully Tributed a monster last turn! Show yourself, Nemesis Half-Blaze!"
A green pillar of fire shot out before quickly dispersing and revealing Shiho's next monster. The red-eyed monster had two literally two different sides to it. On the left side, the monster seemed like a deformed griffon as it had green feathers and white-red claws. In contrast, the right side was mostly shadows of blue-orange flame with an extension of flames that formed into a large javelin (ATK: 1100, Level 5).
"I'll use Half-Blaze's effect! I'll send my other Nemesis Fury from my hand to the graveyard and regain Life Points equal to half its original ATK. Even worse for you, this card gains ATK equal to half the original ATK of the card I sent as well!"
The flames of fury around her monster got more intense as the monster clenched its fists and roared out. A red aura surrounded Shiho as well indicating a change in the area (Half-Blaze ATK: 1100+750= 1850 ATK).
Hikaru- 3600 LP
Shiho- 3750 LP
Though she now had the most powerful monster on the field, Hikaru wondered if she could really get her ace onto the field this turn while she reached for another card, "One last monster until I've set you up to lose everything! I summon out Nemesis Thorn!"
After the card appeared onto the field, a black thicket of thorny vines sprung forth forming a square-like shape. Though the monster did not seem alive, something was strange with it as the vines reached to their surroundings with rapid shaking and screeching sounds (ATK: 300, Level 2).
"Since you were stupid enough to challenge me again, I should at least give you an advantage with my Trap Card, Give and Take! Since I'll be taking all your energy and spirit after this duel, I'll make things up to you by giving you one of my monsters in perfect condition. Hope you like my Nemesis Knight because its yours for now."
A purple mist formed around an area on Hikaru's side of the field as the mist began to take shape. The dark knight showed itself and brought its sword a bit lower and tilted it while holding its ground. This would act as a guard which shocked Hikaru as the monster seemed perfectly intact just as promised (DEF: 200, Level 3).
Now Shiho put her arm forward and clenched her fist, "Like everything, there's always a price to pay for generosity. Now a monster on my field gains Levels equal to the Knight's Level. I hope you're keeping up here."
Nemesis Thorn absorbed the purple mist that was leaking out of Nemesis Knight as the plant thrashed around and screeched which made a noise that caused Hikaru to shudder to himself (Thorn Level: 2+3= 5).
"I didn't even need your help! But something tells me that you weren't planning to help me anyways!," the brother yelled.
Nevertheless, Shiho ignored the obvious statement as she called out, "I Overlay Nemesis Fury, Half-Blaze and Plant!"
Nemesis Fury and Half-Blaze transformed into red rays of light that shot into the sky followed by Nemesis Plant which was now a similar dark purple ray of light. A red portal opened up in the sky as the rays of light went inside which triggered a red explosive sphere.
"With my three monsters, I build the Overlay Network! Dragon of darkness who governs the fallen soul! Ruination descends and cries for your salvation! Xyz Summon! Reveal yourself, Nemesis Devastator! "
On her command, the massive red-black dragon descended from the explosion. It had shining scales of red and black with an ominous red glow located deeper into the dragon's body. Though it had been some time since Hikaru last saw this monster, it left an impression from his previous encounter that he had not and likely would not forget in a long while. Now Hikaru gritted his teeth in preparation for the monster's inevitable assault as three dark purple Overlay Units surrounded the creature (ATK: 2000, Rank 5, OU: 3).
Shiho knew she had an overwhelming advantage now, "Let me remind you of Nemesis Devastator's frightening effect! Since I used a 'Nemesis' monster as an Overlay Unit, my monster gains ATK equal to half the current ATK of the monster on your field with the highest Original ATK. Since both your monsters have 1200 Original ATK, I'll choose your Laval Gunner since it has more ATK points right now thanks to its own effect."
A black aura started to surround Laval Gunner as the black dragon began to get stronger (Devastator ATK: 2000+900= 2900 ATK).
"Now for its other effect! By detaching an Overlay Unit, this card gains even more ATK and DEF and the best part is the piercing damage it can now deal out until the end of my turn! I remove Nemesis Fury so this card gains an extra 750 ATK and DEF points."
The inner red glow began to intensify as Nemesis Devastator consumed one of its dark purple Overlay Units (OU: 2) and then a black aura stacked on top. With a viscous gaze and deafening stomp, the monster look down on Hikaru's monsters as everyone knew what would happen next with such a powerful monster (Devastator ATK: 2900+750= 3650 ATK).
"Now with all these ATK points, I'll attack your Nemesis Knight! Total Devastation!"
Shiho's monster opened its mouth as a large black and red meteor formed in front of its mouth and shot out. The air started to turn wavy from the sheer temperature of the blast as the meteor collided with the defending swordsman and easily went straight through the monster towards Hikaru. The boy closed his eyes and put his arms forward and the attack exploded the ground around him sending him flying back along with some rubble from the ground. Not only were Hikaru's arms red but some of the skin even started to peel as he laid on the ground.
Hikaru- 150 LP
Shiho- 3750 LP
After a struggle, Hikaru stood up shakily as he had bruises and burns everywhere.
"You...", Hikaru started to say.
"What? You want to give up?" Shiho asked.
It took a moment for Hikaru to answer, "You...you destroyed your own monster!"
"I thought you were going to say something important. My monster was there to do what I wanted and like in a duel, in reality or in our plan, there are things that much be lost so something much more can be gained. I lost a monster but I've almost won the duel in just a single strike," she said explaining her logic.
Hikaru did not agree with her previous statements in the least but her last statement was undeniable. With one attack, he lost a large majority of his Life Points and he was put in a tight spot. He just scowled and held his arm in pain as Shiho grabbed another card.
"I'll set a card and it's your turn if you can still make one," Shiho taunted, "My Devastator does lose some ATK points since it's the end of my turn but I think the damage has been done but you know first-hand."
The two auras around Nemesis Devastator faded as the outer red glow disappeared though it was still present deep within the monster (Devastator ATK: 3650-750= 2900 ATK). The thought of giving up had not crossed the boy's mind at all but he knew that there was no more room for error. His opponent barely lost any Life Points while he had almost lost all his Life Points. Still, he believed that everything he went through recently had made him a more passionate and stronger duelist than ever.
"Just with any real duelist. I might be almost burnt out but that's no reason to give up. As long as I can still duel, I'll fight for everyone that believes in me with everything I have!", Hikaru thought to himself as he was motivated to start his next turn.
Original Cards
Nemesis Half-Blaze
Level 5
Fire Attribute
Fiend/Effect
ATK: 1100, DEF: 700
If you successfully Tributed a monster last turn, you can Special Summon this card from your hand. Once per turn, you can send 1 Monster Card from your hand to the graveyard to gain Life Points equal to half that monster's Original ATK and this card gains ATK equal to half that monster's Original ATK
Nemesis Repel
Trap Card
If this Set card is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, you take no battle or effect damage from your opponent until the End Phase and your opponent cannot enter their Battle Phase this turn.
Chapter 28 Preview
Yuushi: This place is really empty. I wonder how long it will be before dad figures out where we are.
Ayumi: That's going to be hard seeing as we don't really know where we are.
Yuushi: I guess we have to keep moving forward then, like Hikaru is right now. Come on!
Hikaru: Chapter 28: Enduring Flame. If there was ever a moment for me to step up for the people who care about me, that time is now!
