Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or Zero no Tsukaima. Yu-Gi-Oh! Belongs to Konami Entertainment and Zero no Tsukaima belongs to Noboru Yamaguchi. Please support them both.
"The real...Duel?" Fouquet spoke numbly. That was the best way to describe how she felt.
She had won. Any chance of victory or resistance that could be used against her was locked away. The strategy she laid out, the one taught to her, went off splendidly, leaving Ryoga completely powerless and giving her a field full of monsters ready to act on her command. This Duel, her victory, and with it her vengeance, was finally in her grasp.
Only for it to be stripped away.
Everything was gone. Her field, her strategy, her cards. In a flash all of it was taken from her. What was once a fortress of unbreakable might crumbled into sand before her very eyes because of the Black Hole card. A card Ryoga shouldn't even possess, yet did. The only thing she was left with was her Field Magic, but even that no longer held any power since it lacked any counters.
Struggling to comprehend it all, Fouquet stared at her adversary in a daze with her jaw loosely hung open. Above everything, his last words repeatedly echoed in her head. "Real Duel" he had said. Almost as if to say everything that happened before was nothing but an act. The prologue to a play or story before the actual event started. That all the work and effort she put out before meant nothing.
That she was nothing.
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
Fouquet didn't seem to hear the piercing noise even as she lifted her head towards the sky.
"Hehe...hehehehe…"
Sounds emitted from the green-haired mage that steadily grew in volume. The action caused Ryoga's eyes to narrow, while below the Sphere Field his friends seemed perplexed by the noise.
"Is she...laughing?" Guiche said questioningly, unsure if he was hearing correctly.
"It sounds like it," Katie replied, hearing the same sound. "But why? Sir Shark just destroyed all her golems, didn't he? Why would she be laughing?"
"Maybe she realizes she can't win?" Guiche suggested, trying to sound hopeful. "Ryoga did beat her last time too. And after that-" He briefly paused to find the proper description for the spell used a minute ago. "-display of power just now, perhaps she knows she's beaten and is going to surrender?"
Katie frowned. She had serious doubts about such wishful thinking, much as she would have liked to agree with it. It wasn't helped by the unpleasant feeling swelling in her gut from the laughter, added with the minor self-loathing that came from having to stand on the sidelines, unable to assist.
Tabitha gave no commentary of her own, instead continuing to keep her attention locked on the Duel. Sylphid did the same beside her while giving a quiet growl.
"Hahahaha, real Duel!" Fouquet's laughter persisted, her back bending so much it seemed like she'd fall over. "Haha...real...Duel!" The laughter came to a dead stop. Everybody tensed as the atmosphere grew cold. "...Don't..." Fouquet's hands clenched and she lurched forward, eyes flowing with rage. "DON'T SCREW WITH ME!"
A large force of pressure exploded out from the woman as the vile green aura appeared around her and shined her left eye with the same color. The pressure fell on the Sphere Field and the surrounding area, causing it to rumble. Ryoga tensed under the power but remained standing, while down below his friends buckled under it and the quaking below their feet.
"W-What's going on!?" Guiche shouted.
"I don't know!" Katie said uncertain.
"You think this is funny!? That you can make fun of me because of what you did!?" Absolute fury etched on Fouquet's face as she screamed. "Don't kid yourself! I don't care how you obtained that Black Hole card again, it doesn't change a thing! You just used the last card you had! Now you have nothing left to stop me! And in case you forgot, your Life Points are still at 500! All I need to do is summon a monster to attack you and you'll lose!"
That's right. Even with the loss of her cards she was still the one winning. Really, nothing had changed at all.
"'Real Duel', hah! What a joke!" Fouquet sneered. "There's no Duel left you idiot! It's over, and I'm the one who's going to win it here and now and claim what is mine!"
"Then do it."
Fouquet's grin faltered. "Wha- what?"
"Do it," Ryoga repeated. His words came out perfectly even and yet with a trace of power behind them. "If you think you can win then quit wasting time. Draw your next card and end this Duel." His ocean-blue eyes hardened. "But I'll tell you this. If you don't manage to defeat me this turn, you won't get a second chance."
A flash of red crossed the left eye of the Duelist. The sight of it, along with his intense gaze, unnerved Fouquet and made her stagger back, the aura and pressure that emitted around her losing strength because of it.
"Why?" The question passed through the thief's mind. "Why isn't he afraid of losing? Doesn't he remember what's at stake here? What I'll do to him and his friends? I...I don't understand it."
Where did the fear he carried earlier when she cornered him disappear to? Where was the desperate haste to get out of her trap? Where was the uncertainty, the hesitation, the panic?
She couldn't find any trace of such emotions. Instead the only sense from him was that of confidence. The same sort of confidence he exhibited when he used Book of Moon. Except he had nothing laid out this time. There shouldn't be even a margin of confidence showing, and yet there was. Almost like he believed he would somehow make it past this turn.
That he was going to survive.
Ridiculous! Impossible! Stupid!
Where was all this coming from!? No ordinary person would feel such a way in this situation! They would be wallowing in despair and praying for their lives! Was it just because he destroyed her field!? Even if that was the reason there should still be something else! Some kind of hesitation in him, but there was nothing!
"I don't understand! I don't understand at all!"
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
Fouquet's internal struggle abruptly ceased. She went rigid for a second before relaxing as she became calm and focused. It was fine. She didn't have to understand what her prey was thinking. If he wanted to play the brave hero till the end, let him. He was going to lose either way.
The former secretary let out a small chortle before giving a broad smile and speaking, this time in her normal voice. "No second chance? Then I guess I'll have to end it on my first! My turn!" Her hand wildly swung to draw from her deck, only for her movements to freeze when her fingers touched the top card. "Huh?" Confused, she looked down to see what was going on and was surprised to find her hand jerking back and forth in rapid motion. Not just her hand, but her entire arm too. "I'm trembling? Why the hell am I trembling? It's not like I'm-" Her eyes shifted a little and caught Ryoga's own, making her breath hitch. "I'm… I-I-"
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
Fouquet's trembling stopped. "My turn, draw!" She swiftly pulled the top card of her deck. A tense staredown moved between her and Ryoga, both awaiting the result. Slowly she turned the card over, ready to see the key to her victory.
Only for her expression to turn sour.
"Is this a fucking joke!?" She thought furious. The card she drew was not a monster at all, but a Trap Card. "I can't defeat him with a card like this! Why did I draw something so useless!?"
"What's wrong?" Ryoga called out. Seeing the tonal shift in Fouquet's face gave him a good guess as to what kind of card she drew, which he was more than okay with. "Are you going to finish me off or what?"
Fouquet growled but refrained from any hysterics, knowing it would probably only incite the bastard. She reassured herself that everything was fine. Her victory may have escaped her for now, but she was still in the lead and had plenty of time. Besides, even if the card she drew was useless for what she wanted, that didn't mean she wasn't able to do anything. "I activate the effect of Stalagnation - Pebble Pawn from my Graveyard! If I control no monsters, and all the monsters in my Graveyard are Rock-Type, I can Special Summon it back in Defense Position, but it is excluded from the game once it leaves the field. Return to me, Pebble Pawn!"
A dark portal opened from which the tiny golem emerged out. It crouched down and brought its arms in front of itself protectively.
Stalagnation - Pebble Pawn
Rock/EARTH/Level 1/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 100
Position: Defense
"Another golem!?" Guiche exclaimed. Despite the lowered viewpoint, he and the girls could still make out what was happening in the Sphere Field, even if they could no longer hear the conversation between Ryoga and Fouquet.
"That monster..." Derflinger muttered from its sheath in remembrance. "Not good, partner. If she uses that thing's power again she'll-"
"I'll set one card face-down." A new set card appeared next to Fouquet. "Turn end."
"Wha-?"
Turn 16
Kamishiro Ryoga
LP: 500
Hand Count: N/A
Monster Zone: N/A
Magic/Trap Zone: N/A
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 3200
Hand Count: N/A
Monster Zone: Stalagnation - Pebble Pawn (Defense).
Magic/Trap Zone: Stalagnation Continent (Field Magic: Stalagnation Counters: 0). 1 Set Magic/Trap
"Guess things didn't work out," Ryoga said with a smirk.
Fouquet glared at him. "This doesn't mean a thing! You just got lucky enough to live one more turn, that's all!"
"Maybe so," Ryoga's smirk departed and his expression became stern. "But I warned you that you wouldn't get a second chance. I'll keep good on that promise."
Fouquet's nails dug into her palms, threatening to break the skin.
"I don't get it," Derflinger voiced. "Why didn't she use that little golem to call a bigger one? That's what she did last time she had it out, right?"
"It's because she can't," Ryoga told the sword. "Pebble Pawn requires it to Release itself and then summon a monster whose Level is equal to the highest Level or Rank on the field. However, Pebble Pawn is the only monster on the field. Even if she could activate the effect, once her monster removed itself from the field there would be nothing else for her to target for the summoning. She needs another monster to gain that effect."
Derflinger gave a hum. "I see. Guess we got lucky then."
"Luck only played a small part in it. Though I won't deny it was a bit tense there."
"Just a bit?"
Ryoga rolled his eyes. His challenge for Fouquet to try and finish him was mostly for intimidation. Even so, he still erred on the side of caution. A Duel would never be something a person could fully predict. Luckily Fouquet failed in getting anything to worry over, though even if she had summoned something to attack with he still had a trick she wasn't aware of.
"Not that it would have mattered regardless of what she drew. I won't lose this Duel. Not to her!"
BA-BUMP!
The former Barian's deck pulsated to his wishes, signifying its readiness to fight by his side. A small smile formed on his face before his brow furrowed with he began his move. "My turn, draw!" His hand pulled away with the top card. Flipping it over, his smile grew a little. "I summon Two-Headed Shark!"
In a burst of water a strange blue shark emerged. Not only did it appear mechanical in nature, but a closer inspection showed it was actually two sharks merged together from belly to belly, with one taking the top half and the other the bottom. They each had a dorsal fin, a set of eyes, and an upper jaw of their own, while their pectoral and caudal fins were perfectly mirrored. No lower jaw connected between the heads, instead being replaced with a yellow metallic device that had edged extensions resembling teeth for both halves.
Two-Headed Shark
Fish/WATER/Level 4/Effect
ATK: 1200
DEF: 1600
Position: Attack
"You're joking?" Fouquet said with disbelief. "He managed to pull out a monster at this time when I couldn't?"
Katie blinked. Then blinked again for good measure. "Eh?" She uttered, taken completely aback by the sudden appearance of the unknown creature. "That's not Big Jaws. What is that?"
"I-I'm not sure," Guiche said, seeing the same as the brunette and being just as stunned. "It looks similar to Big Jaws, but I've never seen a creature like that before. I don't know what it is."
Thanks to his fight with Ryoga, the blonde noble developed quite the phobia of the giant shark. Its image was forever carved into his subconscious, making it recognizable to him even from a far distance. One glance over this new creature told him that while it shared similarities with Big Jaws, it was anything but the aquatic predator he knew.
So what did that make it then?
"Similar to Big Jaws..." Katie mumbled softly. She then gasped at a thought she had. "Could it be…another familiar?"
"What!?" Guiche looked at her baffled. "D-Don't be ridiculous! Nobles can't have more than one familiar!"
No noble, no matter how strong, could have multiple familiars. The ritual used to summon familiars was designed to work only for mages who had none upon casting it. Any who did would be unable to open the gate. Even the royal family was no exception to this rule. The only way the spell could be cast again was when a familiar died or if the contract was broken.
Then again, Ryoga was known for defying common sense. He was able to summon and send away Big Jaws at will, something never seen or heard being done by other mages with their familiars. That wasn't to say the concept didn't exist, but nobody had actually managed to achieve the feat. Though, with the recent discovery of Ryoga being from an unknown land, it would explain some of the things he could do. Most likely he was taught magics different from the ones learned in Halkeginia.
Even still, having two familiars!? Cat Shark was one thing since it was a pet, but this!?
This was an impossibility Guiche refused to accept!
"There was another though," Katie then spoke, catching Guiche's ear.
"Another?"
"Earlier when we arrived, there was another monster next to Sir Shark," Katie made clearer. "I remember because Fouquet had her giant golem destroy it before attacking him. I thought it was Big Jaws at first, but thinking back on it, it also looked different. I'm sure of it."
The certitude in the first-year's voice left Guiche thinking back to when they first arrived. He couldn't say for certain if he saw the same things Katie did, having been too distracted by Fouquet's appearance to pay any attentiveness to minor details. But after a moment he did faintly recall there being something by Ryoga's side. He wasn't sure what, only that it was some sort of creature that he also likely mistook for Big Jaws.
Of course, this sudden revelation did nothing to ease the already troubled noble. If Katie, and by extension himself, were correct about what they both saw, then Ryoga summoned not one, but two monsters that weren't Big Jaws. Meaning he had a total of three monsters that he could call at will!
A migraine rushed into the blonde as he grasped his head and wailed. "Aggggh, just what is going on here!? Giant floating spheres, a portal in the sky, and now multiple familiars!? Even I can only take so much without any context!"
"Duel Monsters," Tabitha said, as if to provide the answers needed.
"That doesn't explain anything!"
Tabitha ignored the ranting and continued to watch the Duel. Katie's eyes skimmed over her, wondering what this "Duel Monsters" she kept mentioning was supposed to be. How did it tie back to Sir Shark, and how come she seemed to know so much about it?
"Could it be? Does this have to do with Sir Shark's past?" The first-year pondered, riddled with more questions than ever before.
"Battle!" Ryoga pointed towards Fouquet's field. "Two-Headed Shark, attack Stalagnation - Pebble Pawn!"
The two-in-one shark gave a bubbly roar and charged forward, its upper head opening its jaws to bite down on the pawn.
"Permanent Trap, Stalagnation Defensive Line!" Fouquet activated her set card. The art displayed three Stalagnation - Stone Knights standing next to each other with their shields pushed forward to deflect an energy attack. "Each turn, the first time a Rock-Type monster I control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, that destruction is negated!"
Two-Headed Shark bit down at Pebble Pawn with its upper jaws, taking a huge chunk out of the golem's side. Despite the attack Pebble Pawn remained on the field, albeit with a now damaged body.
"Too bad. You'll have to try a little harder than that," Fouquet said mockingly. She was now slightly thankful for the card she drew. With things at their current state she couldn't afford to lose her only line of defense.
"Two-Headed Shark, attack again!"
Fouquet's eyes widened. "What!?"
The shark, which had been flying in the air after its attack, made a sharp turn and lunged at Pebble Pawn from behind, this time with its lower mouth opening up. The mouth closed on the golem and sealed shut, slicing the smaller monster into chunks and pieces.
"Sir Shark destroyed the golem!" Katie cheered.
"But how!?" Fouquet hollered.
"Two-Headed Shark is able to attack twice per turn," Ryoga calmly told her. "Even if Pebble Pawn was protected against the first attack by your Trap's effect, it couldn't stand up to a second."
"Too bad. You'll have to try a little harder than that," Derflinger threw Fouquet's words back at her.
"Tch, damn brat," cursed the thief, unable to believe the luck Ryoga had with the monster he pulled out. Her attitude wasn't improved when a second later the very Trap Card she activated shattered apart like glass.
"So, that card had the same cost as the others," the former king noted. That just further supported his assumption in the deck's weakness. A weakness he could now exploit. "Turn end!"
Turn 17
Kamishiro Ryoga
LP: 500
Hand Count: N/A
Monster Zone: Two-Headed Shark (Attack).
Magic/Trap Zone: N/A
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 3200
Hand Count: N/A
Monster Zone: N/A
Magic/Trap Zone: Stalagnation Continent (Field Magic: Stalagnation Counters: 0).
"My turn, draw!" Fouquet pulled her next card with a scowl. How did things reverse to the point where she was the one struggling to fight back? Ryoga's monster wasn't strong, but attacking twice meant she couldn't rely on a weak monster for protection without having a backup, and having no monsters meant taking 2400 points of damage. Hopefully the card she drew could help with that problem. "Magic Card, Eruption Draw!" The card emerged and showed a Duel Monsters card being flung forward by a large explosion. "I destroy another face-up card I control, then draw one card! I'll destroy my Stalagnation Continent!"
The action bewildered Ryoga. "You're destroying your Field Magic?"
The Field rumbled as large cracks and fractures rapidly stretched along its surface. The giant stone spires and stairways began breaking apart and falling to the ground below, right around the area where Ryoga's friends were.
"Ahh!" Guiche jumped back and shrieked as a large piece of stone crashed right in front of him. "What's happening now!?"
"The rock formations, they're collapsing!" Katie alerted the group.
"Move," Tabitha instructed as she quickly retreated from the danger. The others didn't argue and followed suite, doing their best to avoid any falling debris.
The destruction continued until eventually the Field Magic was no more. When the dust settled, what could be seen was little more than large mounds of rubble and sand scattered about on the road.
"Is everyone okay?" Katie asked once the group was at a safe distance.
"Kyui!" Sylphid gave a positive noise. Tabitha signaled that she was fine while Guiche rubbed the back of his head, having been smacked by a small rock while running.
"Is it over?" He asked with a whine.
"I think so," Katie said, checking back to the destroyed remains to make sure. Her eyes grew large at what she saw. "The rubble!"
"What about it?"
"It's disappearing! Look!"
Curious as to what the big deal was, Guiche decide to take a peak despite the throbbing in his skull. The pain was quickly forgotten however when, much to his astonishment, everything that made up the monumental landscape a minute ago started dissolving into particles of light, allowing the original cliffside road to return to what it was before.
The playboy rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. Being well versed in the art of earth magic, he knew that when a construct created using the element lost its magic, the gathered materials would react in one of several ways. They could either turn to dust, return to the ground where they came from, or like in the case of his valkyries, simply break apart.
Turning into light and floating off into the air was definitely not considered normal.
"Do you think this means Sir Shark won?" Katie hoped.
"No," Tabitha shot down the idea and pointed to the Sphere Field. "Duel is still going."
Katie bit her lower lip, feeling less than pleased to hear that.
"I can't believe she destroyed that Field thing of hers," Derflinger remarked. "It was giving us such trouble before."
"She had no other targets for the card's effect," Ryoga clarified.
Derflinger gave a grunt. "I guess. Still didn't see it coming though. Don't suppose this will make things easier for us?"
"Doubt it."
"Was afraid you'd say that."
"Due to my card's effect, I now draw a card," Fouquet said before drawing. When she flipped the new card over she grew wide-eyed. "This is…" Excitement rushed through her that she had to restrain from openly showing. A plan started coming together as she proceeded with her turn. "Now I activate the final effect of Stalagnation Continent! If this card is destroyed by a card effect, I can add a Stalagnation card from my deck to my hand except a copy of itself!" Another card popped out of her deck, which she grabbed and let Ryoga see. "I'll add Stalagnation - Chalk Recorder to my hand, and then I'll summon that monster to the field!"
A white cloud of dust swirled around before a new monster formed from it. Its body, which was fully colored and made of the white substance, was rather thin-looking. Its arms, legs, and fingers were rather long and skeletal. In its right hand was a large tome with the Stalagnation symbol on the cover, while in its left hand was a curved dagger, both objects made of the same material as the creature itself. A large robe draped down the body, with a hood covering the face. The Stalagnation symbol was embedded on top of the hood, while a pair of red eyes shone below.
Stalagnation - Chalk Recorder
Rock/EARTH/Level 3/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1600
Position: Attack
"Even more golems?" Katie said concerned.
"It's probably just like me and my valkyries," Guiche likened to his own constructs. "So long as she has enough magic she could summon however many golems as she wants."
"Not magic," Tabitha corrected.
"Chalk Recorder's effect!" Fouquet announced. "When this card is Normal or Special Summoned I can add a Stalagnation monster from my Graveyard to my hand whose Level is equal to the Level or Rank of a monster on the field!" She pointed at Two-Headed Shark. "I'll choose your monster for the effect, so I get to add a Level 4 Stalagnation back to my hand!" She pulled a card out from the Graveyard slot of her Duel Disk. "I'll add Stalagnation - Sand Wyvern back to my hand!"
The choice was unexpected for Ryoga. He figured she would add Stone Knight back given how much she relied on it. "She must be planning something."
"Battle!" Fouquet aimed a finger at Ryoga's monster. "Chalk Recorder, attack Two-Headed Shark! Chalk Engraving!"
The golem gave an eerie moan as it held out the tome and stabbed it with the knife. It began carving away as symbols of ancient texts and hieroglyphs emerged from the tome and floated around. The golem the swung its knife forward as the symbols launched at the opposing monster.
"Sir Shark!" Katie cried out.
Ryoga was undeterred by the threat. "I activate the effect of Killer Rabca from the Graveyard!" He declared. "By excluding him from the game, I can negate the attack and reduce your monster's attack by 500!"
A blue portal formed in front of Two-Headed Shark, with Killer Rabca seen inside. It glowed and a blue light struck out from it against the chalk symbols, shattering them apart, before striking Chalk Recorder.
Stalagnation - Chalk Recorder
ATK: 1400 → 900
A sigh left Katie's lips as the golem backed off, her heart settling down.
"An effect from the Graveyard?" Fouquet said startled. That couldn't be! She never saw him use that card during the Duel! "When did you-" she began only to stop mid-sentence. "Wait… Could it have been then?"
Ascension Level Sword, the card she used before. It sent many of Ryoga's cards from his deck to the Graveyard without her knowing what was sent. Killer Rabca must have been one of those cards and just sat there because of Stone Knight's effect preventing him from activating it.
"Meaning he might have other cards in there he can now use," Fouquet glowered, not liking how she unintentionally helped her enemy out. She removed her head of the frustration and let her lips peel back into a disturbing display of teeth. "Well, whatever. Not like it's a big deal for me." She glanced down at the card she held. "Because with this, my victory is guaranteed!" Her left eye shimmered with green as she slid the card into the Duel Disk. "I set one card face-down! Turn end!"
The set card formed on the field before the turn switched.
Turn 18
Kamishiro Ryoga
LP: 500
Hand Count: N/A
Monster Zone: Two-Headed Shark (Attack).
Magic/Trap Zone: N/A
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 3200
Hand Count: 1
Monster Zone: Stalagnation - Chalk Recorder (Attack).
Magic/Trap Zone: 1 Set Magic/Trap.
"Thank goodness Sir Shark stopped that attack," Katie said.
"Indeed, that could have ended rather badly," Guiche agreed, the onslaught Ryoga suffered under Fouquet's golems still fresh in his mind. As he reflected on that scene it got him thinking about something. "You know, I still don't understand why they're fighting in such a manner."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it. Aside from that vicious assault Fouquet performed, the way they're just waiting and allowing each other a chance to attack feels more honorable than a fight like this should be, especially with one of them being a renowned thief. The struggle we had against those mercenaries was way more dangerous than this. We could have died back there. Here, it's like we're watching a performance or something."
"How can you say that!?" Katie snapped, unable to believe what she just heard. "Sir Shark is fighting just as hard as we were! And he's fighting for Miss Kirche's life as well!"
Guiche gulped and backed up from the angry female. "I-I know that! All I'm saying is that this all seems rather strange. It honestly feels more like a duel between nobles than a fight with stakes on the line."
"It is," Tabitha spoke up.
"Huh?" Her schoolmates turned to her and echoed in unison.
"It is a Duel."
Guiche and Katie's heads tilted, neither seeming to grasp what she meant. Then something clicked together for Guiche, causing him to stiffen up.
"H-Hold on a second. You don't mean to imply that what Ryoga and Fouquet are doing is like what Ryoga and I did? That when you were talking about a duel before, you actually meant..."
Tabitha gave him a blank look. "Duel Monsters."
The blunt response and emphasis on "Duel" was like a stab to the chest.
"I-I thought that was just a name for his magic or something!" Guiche's voice spiked. "Y-You're telling me that this, all of this-" He waved his arms to the Sphere Field. "-is actually a duel, duel!?"
"Both," Tabitha said.
"Both?"
"Name of magic and Duel. Both."
Guiche felt another stab, this one hitting much deeper. "You're kidding?"
As if to add a third stab, a certain memory popped up from his first encounter with the water user.
"But a Duel?" Ryoga's eyes seemed to gleam with excitement. "Out of all the damn craziness that's happened to me, out of all the stupidity and nonsense I've seen, THAT is the first damn thing I can get behind!"
Guiche fell on his butt. He deemed it a boast back then. That Ryoga was portraying an act of bravery to avoid being seen as weak in front of so many mages.
But it was no act.
Everything started to piece together. The clues were always there, obvious to anyone who paid close attention, and he had been blind to it all. Ryoga knew exactly what he was doing, what it would involve, and from the way he spoke, saw the act of dueling as a normal everyday occurrence. Where as for Guiche, that duel was his first duel ever.
"A duel… This whole thing is just a duel…" He muttered quietly in shock.
Katie glanced at her fellow noble pitifully. His reaction was a bit overly dramatic, but since it was Guiche she wasn't surprised. Still, she could sympathize with his befuddled state. She was awed and dumbfounded by the discovery that this battle against Fouquet was really a duel between nobles. It was a hard idea to grasp, but Miss Tabitha had no reason to lie about such a thing, and since she was the one who had any knowledge about this "Duel Monsters" magic, that meant it had to be true.
"To think this is all a duel. It's nothing like the one Sir Shark had with Guiche," Katie mused. Comparing them was like night and day, since one was tense under the idea of a commoner challenging a noble, and the other had lives at stake and involved Fouquet. "But why would Sir Shark even have a duel with Fouquet? And why would she agree to such a thing?" She found it strange since everything known regarding the former secretary pointed to the woman rejecting any idea of honor. But here she was dueling, even if her actions left much to be desired. "She was the one who sent those mercenaries after us. Was that just so she could duel Sir Shark? What does it all mean?"
"Ryoga's safe."
"Eh?" Katie's train of thought was interrupted by Tabitha speaking.
"Fouquet attacked the monster. Can't attack Ryoga."
It took a second before Katie grasped what the bluenette was trying to tell her. "Do you mean with what just happened? That Sir Shark wouldn't have been hurt by it?"
Tabitha nodded. "Must attack monster first."
Katie moved her sight to Sir Shark's side of the field and to the familiar next to him. If what Miss Tabitha said was correct, then the familiar was acting in its role of protecting its master. That would explain what happened with the other familiar and why Fouquet had that giant golem she summoned before destroy it first.
"So as long as he has a familiar he'll be safe," the brunette breathed, taking some solace in that information.
"No," Tabitha said.
"Huh?"
"Stalemate."
"Stalemate?" Unease marred its way onto Katie's face. "Is Sir Shark having trouble? Was it like this last time?"
Tabitha's head moved left and right. "Different."
"How?" Guiche inquired, having left his stupor long enough to listen in. "Can't you tell us anything more?"
"Too long to explain."
Guiche hung his head and groaned. Katie was half tempted to do the same but resisted the urge. She was still unsure about a lot, but at least now there was clarity on some things
"My turn, draw!" Ryoga drew his next card and took one glimpse at it before immediately putting it to use. "Magic Card, Aqua Jet! Until the end of the turn, Two-Headed Shark gains 1000 Attack Points!"
A pair of white jet wings with large orange turbines formed on the monster, giving it an even more intimidating appearance.
Two-Headed Shark
ATK: 1200 → 2200
"Battle! Two-Headed Shark, attack Stalagnation - Chalk Recorder!"
The turbines on Two-Headed Shark spun to life and fired off high-pressured waves of water from behind, catapulting the beast at Chalk Recorder. The lower jaw of the shark opened and ripped through the robes and body like wet paper, shattering the monster to pieces and knocking a shockwave at Fouquet.
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 3200 → 1900
"She's open! We got her on the ropes!" Derflinger yelled.
"Then let's finish her off! Two-Headed Shark, direct attack!" Ryoga ordered his monster.
Both heads of the shark opened their jaws as it went charging at Fouquet.
"Like hell I'll allow that!" The green-haired thief took the last card she had and played it. "I activate the effect of Stalagnation - Sand Wyvern from my hand! When you declare a direct attack, I can Special Summon this card!"
A twister of sand formed and gathered together into a large Pterosaur-like creature. Multiple horns crowned its head and a long spiked tail waved from the back of its spine. The Stalagnation crest glowed on the chest of the creature as it stretched out its massive wings and folded them together protectively.
Stalagnation - Sand Wyvern
Rock/EARTH/Level 4/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 2100
Position: Defense
"So the monster you added back was a defensive one," Ryoga remarked. "But it's useless! Your monster's defense is just short of Two-Headed Shark's attack! Two-Headed Shark, destroy Stalagnation - Sand Wyvern!"
The shark roared and changed targets, fully intent on ripping the enemy monster to pieces.
"Hehehehe, hahahahahaha!" Suddenly out of nowhere a maniacal laugh ripped its way out of Fouquet's mouth. It was so unexpected and full of maliciousness that it sent a shiver down everyone's spine, which only became worse for Ryoga when she sent him a maddening grin. "I don't need its defense you idiot! Not when I have something far better in store! Reverse Card open! Code of the Thief: Unequivalent Exchange!"
The set on Fouquet's field lifted up and shined with a bright light. The card was a Trap Card depicting art of two men in conflict. One man was dressed in clothing like that of a detective you'd find in mystery novels, while the other was a cloaked figure. The cloaked figure was jabbing a dagger into the detective with one hand while stealing a bag from the detective's waist with the other. In parallel to this, the detective was firing a gun at the assailant with one hand and grabbing at the cloak with the other.
"If two or more monsters on the field have the same Level or Rank, I can declare a number from one to twelve, then all monsters on the field whose Level or Rank are the same as that number are destroyed! The number I pick will be four! So all Level 4 monsters on the field are wiped out!"
The card glowed as crimson bolts of lightning fired from the top of the Sphere Field and struck the two monsters. They both bellowed before shattering apart.
"The familiar!" Katie yelled.
"What? What happened?" Guiche's head lifted from the yell.
"That's not all!" Fouquet continued. "Since all monsters on the field were destroyed by this effect, including at least one monster we both controlled, we get to draw cards equal to the number I declared and then reveal them! Since the number was four, we draw four cards!"
Ryoga became suspicious of that. "She's making us draw cards?"
Letting the opponent gain an extra card was always a risky play. It was that kind of play that sealed the fate of his and Yuma's final Duel. Even if this was because of the card's effect, why would Fouquet give him such an advantage and allow him to replenish his hand, even if she received the same benefits?
Nevertheless he drew the four cards and showed them to Fouquet, who mirrored the action back. Ryoga's hand held three Trap Cards and one Magic Card. Almost fittingly, Fouquet held three Magics and one monster.
"Quite the hand you've got there. Too bad about getting no monsters though," Fouquet commented as she inspected Ryoga's hand. She gained a sly look when she spotted the Magic Card. "Oh? Is that Cyclone? That lets you destroy one Magic or Trap on the field. And it's an Instant Magic, so you can use it during my turn. That could certainly be a problem for my deck." Her slyness grew into something far more sinister. "Why don't I do something about that? I activate the last effect of Unequivalent Exchange! If we both reveal cards of the same card type, I can discard that type of card from my hand to take one card from your hand of that same type!"
"What did you say!?" Ryoga shouted.
"That's ridiculous!" Derflinger protested. "You can't just take partner's cards like that!"
"I'm a thief stupid! I don't give a damn what anyone thinks, I just take what interest me!" Fouquet grabbed one of her cards and discarded it. "And what interests me is that Cyclone, so I'll discard a second copy of Stalagnation Booster and take it off your hands!"
A low grumble emanated from Ryoga's throat. Much as he wanted to refuse, he didn't have a choice, so with great reluctance he tossed the card at Fouquet, who caught it out of the air without difficulty.
"Hehehe, why thank you. I'll be sure to put this to good use." She waved the card before placing it beside her others. Ryoga threw a black look at her, which she responded to with a giggle. "Oh don't get so upset. It's just part of the game after all. Besides, it's not like you don't get anything out of it. Since I activated the effect of Unequivalent Exchange to take your card, you get to draw a new one. It's unfortunately a small price to pay to get what I want."
Ryoga looked at his deck. Since they saw each other's hands they both knew what the other was currently holding, which would allow them to predict the plays for the next turn. That was more an advantage for Fouquet since he didn't know a single card she drew, which made sense due to how unique her deck was. On the flipside, she probably knew the effects of every card he showed.
"The next card will be something unknown. And since I know all the cards in my deck, I know that card is still in there. If I can draw it..."
"Don't be afraid," Fouquet eagerly encouraged. "Go ahead and draw. Let's find out if that card will save you, or seal your fate!"
Brimming with determination, Ryoga swiftly pulled the top card of his deck and examined it. No indication was given as to what he felt about it, and after a moment he placed his entire hand into the Duel Disk. "I'll set four cards face-down. Turn end."
Turn 19
Kamishiro Ryoga
LP: 500
Hand Count: N/A
Monster Zone: N/A
Magic/Trap Zone: 4 Set Magic/Traps
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 1900
Hand Count: 4
Monster Zone: N/A
Magic/Trap Zone: N/A
Fouquet guffawed at the move. "Seriously!? I give you so many cards to draw and you don't get a single monster!? Looks like your deck's finally reached its limit!"
"Partner…" Derflinger mumbled.
"Well then, I guess it's time to end this for real. My turn, draw!" Fouquet drew her next card and became near ecstatic when she saw what it was. "Here it is! The card that will end you completely and win me this Duel! But before I do that, let's do something about one of those annoying face-downs you've got!" She grabbed the card she took last turn and put it into her Duel Disk. "I activate Cyclone! This destroys one Magic or Trap Card on the field!"
The card appeared on the field, its art showing a simple picture of a large vortex of wind with a lighting bolt striking the middle of it.
"Now what to destroy?" Fouquet pondered while smiling. She surveyed the four sets and tapped her cheek a few times before pointing at each of them. "Eeny, meenie, miny… The card on the far left!"
Cyclone glowed and unleashed a large vortex of wind very much like in its art. The vortex struck Ryoga's set furthest to the left. The card flipped up to show one of the Duelist's Trap Cards, this one having a background of a large underwater fissure that had a purple mist with crimson eyes seeping out of it. The card then shattered apart from Cyclone's effect.
"Hah! I hit Deep Current!" Fouquet said excitedly. "That would have let you negate a direct attack and end the Battle Phase. Too bad. Seems your luck really has run out."
"Dammit," Ryoga cursed.
"But I won't let things end so simply. Oh no, I have a much better idea. I'm going to give you exactly what you want, Ryoga."
That earned a curious look from the former Barian. "What I want?"
"Why yes. You've spent this whole time Dueling me without even one Xyz Monster, and as much as I would love to make sure it stays that way, I can't help but feel a little bad now that we've reached this point. So as a final mercy, I'm going to do you a favor and let you summon one!" With those words Fouquet took the card she drew and activated it. "Magic Card, Necromancy Xyz!"
Ryoga's brow dipped in perplexity. "Necromancy Xyz?"
The Magic Card formed, the picture it had being of a creepy cemetery covered in mist under the night sky. Two souls were bursting out of their tombs and flying into a large portal in the air.
"This card lets me summon two monsters from my opponent's Graveyard to their side of the field, and then once I do, my opponent must Xyz Summon an Xyz Monster using those summoned monsters as material!" Fouquet explained.
Ryoga gaped at the thief as if she'd gone insane. "You're making me Xyz Summon!?"
"She's doing what now?" Derflinger questioned.
"The monsters I choose will be Big Jaws and Shark Sucker!" Fouquet notified. "Return to your master's field!"
Necromancy Xyz glowed and two portals emerged on the water user's side of the field. From them came swirls of water that summoned the two monsters, who swam around before positioning themselves in front of their master.
Big Jaws
Fish/WATER/Level 3/Effect
ATK: 1800
DEF: 300
Position: Attack
Shark Sucker
Fish/WATER/Level 3/Effect
ATK: 200
DEF: 1000
Position: Attack
Guiche paled at seeing the monster that scared him. "Ah! Big Jaws!"
"And another familiar too!" Katie pointed out.
Tabitha squinted behind her glasses, recognizing the conditions for what was about to happen.
"She really brought our monsters back?" Derflinger said with suspicion. "I don't like it, partner. I'm all for getting them back, but this reeks of bad news."
"I know that," Ryoga retorted, not needing to be told what was obvious. Fouquet spent every second of this Duel preventing him from Xyz Summoning, and now all of a sudden she was taking back that decision? One didn't have to be a genius to know this was some kind of trap. "But still…"
An opportunity to Xyz Summon was open to him. He couldn't afford to back away from it, not when there might not be a second chance for him to do so later. And the only way he could deal with the trap was to spring it. Not that he had the option to do otherwise.
"What's wrong?" Fouquet goaded. "You have your monsters, so go on and Xyz Summon. Make it as spectacular as you did last time."
Ryoga's blue eyes solidified with his resolve. "You want me to Xyz Summon that badly? Fine then!" He raised a hand to the air. "Level 3 Big Jaws, Shark Sucker, Overlay!"
The two monsters gave gurgling sounds as their bodies transformed into blue light. They flew to the upper parts of the Sphere Field as a giant red vortex emerged. The lights then flung down and into the vortex.
"With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" Ryoga's Extra Deck shined brightly. He grabbed a card from it and slammed it onto the Duel Disk. "Come, Underwater Mothership - Aero Shark!"
The vortex erupted as the monster broke through and flew into the air. Its two large bodies swam around the Sphere Field, held together by their large apparatus front, before the creature hovered above its master and gave a loud roar at the enemy. Two golden orbs, which represented its Overlay Units, circled around it.
Underwater Mothership - Aero Shark
Fish/WATER/Rank 3/Xyz
ATK: 1900
DEF: 1000
Position: Attack
Overlay Units: 2
"Wha- what the heck!?" Guiche yelped.
"Another familiar," Katie said amazed. "But this one..."
"Xyz Summon," Tabitha stated.
"Xyz...Summon?"
"Multiple monsters. Same Level. Overlay together. Summon Xyz Monster."
Katie's brow tightened as she tried to piece together the statements. "Multiple monsters… Overlay together…" She eventually reached a verdict that even she couldn't believe at first, but had to ask to be sure. "Are you saying Sir Shark's familiars were used to summon this new one?"
Tabitha pointed with her staff. "Orbs floating. Original monsters."
Katie gave a closer examination to the creature. The distance of the Sphere Field made it tricky, but she did spot the orbs that floated around the new summon. "You mean those are the familiars?" She asked for confirmation. Tabitha gave a nod.
"That's ridiculous!" Guiche objected. "Using multiple familiars to summon another is- n-no, even ignoring that, didn't I already say a noble can't have more than one familiar!? What you're saying cannot happen!"
"Then how else do you explain everything?" The first-year challenged him to answer.
"W-Well, that's… It's just…!"
It seemed Guiche's brain was reaching full capacity with understanding anything anymore, as he couldn't even bring himself to conduct a proper argument. It felt like any attempt he could make would be dismissed or proven wrong in some way, especially after the many things he'd seen already.
Katie went back to watching the new familiar and its purple-colored master. When Big Jaws and the other familiar departed and this new one took their place, she noticed something. This familiar had a presence that stood out from the others before it. It was the same feeling she got whenever Sir Shark became serious, which only made sense since it was his familiar. Yet for some strange reason it also reminded her of her brother. He was usually a very relaxed person and easy to get along with, but whenever he needed to be serious, he changed so drastically that he felt different from the rest of the world. Like he was more than just a mage.
"Is this all part of Duel Monsters?" She said out loud.
This time Tabitha faced her directly when she spoke. "Yes."
Fouquet's hand masked her face as she quivered with mirth. "There it is. Your precious Xyz Monster. I still recall that day, when I witnessed its destructive power as it fought my golems. I could never have imagined a little boy like you hiding such a secret, fooling everybody into thinking you weren't special." Her lips twisted into an evil smirk. "But now that very power will be the key to your downfall, Ryoga!"
The water Duelist braced himself. "Here it comes."
Fouquet grabbed a card and held it high above her. "Behold! When my opponent summons a monster from the Extra Deck, I can Special Summon this card from my hand!"
Fouquet became surrounded once more by the green aura that haunted the Duel. At the same time a twister just like the one that summoned Anthracite Emperor formed on the field.
"That storm!" Katie called out in recognition.
"It's just like before! Does that mean something else is appearing!?" Guiche hollered.
As the twister grew fiercer Fouquet began chanting. "Oh ruler of stone and dust, awaken from your slumber and bring judgment upon the corrupt and wicked! Let all bow as you seal away those who dare to resist!"
From the twister a new shadow formed. It was massive, equal in size to Anthracite Emperor. Like Fouquet's other monsters it was made entirely from stone, but had a more carved and shiny build. It had a hulking torso with two extremely massive arms and an equally large pair of legs. Golden armor adorned its body in the form of spiked gauntlets, bladed boots, a tasset with a long flowing cloth, and large shoulder pads that rounded down towards the elbows and shaped near the top like mountains. Rings adorned the creature's fingers, while several necklaces dangled around the neck, each with a different gemstone attached. Several large rings of earth floated behind the monster, each carrying what resembled buildings and environments along their inner surface. Finally, the monster wore a golden helm that curved down with a sharp edge. Two twisted horns pointed upwards on the sides, with a pair of wings underneath each. The Stalagnation symbol was carved onto the front of the helm for all to see, and at the sides of the symbol were twin slots where white light shined through, depicting four eyes.
"AWAKEN, STALAGNATION OVERLORD - BEAUMONT, THE ETERNAL GOLEM!"
The colossus unleashed a mighty roar that blew apart the twister and quaked the very earth.
Stalagnation Overlord - Beaumont, the Eternal Golem
Rock/EARTH/Level 10/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 4000
Position: Attack
Everyone gawked at Fouquet's new monster. The strength it emitted was on par with, if not even more powerful than the one that Anthracite Emperor produced. Unlike that monster however, which brimmed with terror and malice and forced its power down upon others like a heavy weight, this one exuded untouchable might and magnitude that could be felt by everyone.
"Impossible," Katie whispered.
"W-W-W-Wha..." Guiche's mouth opened and closed repeatedly. Words tried to come, but the sight of this golem- no! At this...thing being summoned rendered his throat parched of any speech.
"Kyuui..." Sylphid lowered her head and whined while shivering. Tabitha held together better than her familiar, though the grip on her staff tightened considerably.
"So, this is what she was after," Ryoga muttered. The gaze of the titan fell upon him. His body instinctively tensed from the danger he sensed, but he refused to let it control him and glared back in defiance.
"Partner, be careful," Derflinger cautioned.
Fouquet shook with hysterics as she outstretched her arms, as if to display her monster to the masses. "Isn't it wonderful!? This is what I saw that day! This is the power I desired most to fulfill my dream! And now I have it! The bastard nobility will never take anything away from me again! They'll cower and flee like rats, and suffer for everything they've done!"
"Take away?" Ryoga wondered what she meant before coming to understand. "I see. So that's it."
"But first things first," Fouquet continued, locking her sights on him. "Stalagnation Overlord - Beaumont, the Eternal Golem's effects! While I control a monster with the highest Level or Rank on the field, all of my Stalagnation cards cannot be destroyed by card effects! Meaning cards like your Black Hole won't be able to touch me again! Furthermore, Beaumont itself cannot be destroyed by battle!"
"She's saying that thing can't be beat!?" Derflinger yelled with incredulity.
"That's how it sounds," Ryoga confirmed, much to the sword's dismay. "More importantly…" He analyzed the data his D-Gazer's provided about the monster, specifically its attack. The defense was ridiculously high, but for some reason Fouquet played it in Attack Position. If there was one experience he kept high on his list for Duel Monsters, it was that monsters with low attack tended to be far more dangerous than they let on. That went double for monsters with 0 attack.
He should know. He used such a monster against Yuma.
"Now watch closely! I activate another effect of Beaumont!" Fouquet announced. "Once per turn, if I control a Stalagnation monster with the highest Level or Rank on the field, I can declare a number from one to twelve, then all monsters you control with a Level or Rank of that number have their effects negated and are then excluded from the game! The number I declare will be three, so your Aero Shark is finished! Go, Overlord!"
The stone titan swung its right hand outward, sending a cloud of dust and sand spewing across the Sphere Field at Aero Shark. The mechanized predator screeched as it began petrifying.
"Dream on! Trap Card, Super Water Pressure!" Ryoga activated one of his face-downs. The card showed a strong current of water crashing down on a Duel Monsters card. "By destroying one monster I control, I can draw one card!"
The card released waves that made Aero Shark's body start to creek and cave in on itself. Eventually it was too much and the monster shattered into light. With the requirement fulfilled, Ryoga drew a new card.
"The big familiar is gone now too!" Guiche bawled.
"Oh no!" Katie cried.
Fouquet snickered, seemingly amused. "Hmph, so you decided to use your face-down card instead of letting it go to waste. I expected as such. That was one of the cards you had in your hand along with Deep Current. Even if you did draw a monster earlier you probably would have done the same thing just to fulfill Deep Current's condition." She produced a wicked grin. "But at this point it's too little too late. You're Life Points will be crushed by my golem with or without a monster on your field!"
"And how do you plan to do that?" Ryoga questioned. "Your monster has 0 Attack Points. Even if you attack me with it I'll take no damage."
"Let's see you say that after I activate this!" Fouquet played another card, it appearing on the field as a Permanent Magic Card. The artwork had Stalagnation - Gravel Wolf howling on the edge of a pointed rock, radiating with the red aura it usually gave off. "Permanent Magic, Stalagnation Empowerment! While I control a monster with the highest Level or Rank on the field, all Stalagnation monsters I control gain attack equal to their Level or Rank times 300!"
A crimson light shined from the card and poured over Beaumont, who remained statue still even as its power rose.
Stalagnation Overlord - Beaumont, the Eternal Golem
ATK: 0 → 3000
"3000 attack!?" Ryoga yelled.
"That's bad news!" Derflinger screamed.
"For you maybe! For me it's wonderful!" Fouquet exclaimed while reveling in her actions. "And since Beaumont cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects, whatever card you drew last turn won't be able to get rid of it! Such a shame, especially since I know the other card on your field won't help you! It requires an Xyz Monster to activate! Not that it even matters since that card doesn't do anything to prevent battles!"
Ryoga's hands clenched at his sides.
"Your face-downs can't stop me, and you have no monsters on your field! Your only chance was with Deep Current, and that's gone now! It's over! You lose, and my vengeance against you is finally complete!" The green aura amplified around Fouquet, making her left eye flood with the same color and giving her a psychotic appearance. "Battle! Stalagnation Overlord, attack Ryoga directly, and finish this Duel once and for all!"
The overlord crossed its arms as the rings floating behind it moved into view. They started to spin and a ball of fire gathered between each one. The fire then collected together before the golem, forming a miniature sun that illuminated the night.
Guiche squinted his eyes against the light. "What's it doing!?"
"Attacking," Tabitha answered.
Katie froze hearing that. "Attacking? But Sir Shark has no familiars!" She loudly voiced, recalling what Tabitha told her. So long as there was a familiar out, Sir Shark would be safe, but if there wasn't one, then Fouquet could hurt him. "Her golem has to be as strong as the one before. If it attacks Sir Shark…" Flashes of the previous assault echoed in her head. Without a second thought she started running towards the Sphere Field, only to be stopped from her wrist being grabbed.
"You can't," Tabitha said, being the culprit.
"Let me go!" Katie tugged against Tabitha's hold, but was held firmly.
"Can't interfere."
"Please! I can't let him get hurt again!"
The rings of the Stalagnation giant gathered into a straight line aimed right at Ryoga. The ball of condensed fire hovered at the opposite end of them, which Beaumont held its hand out to.
"Partner, tell me you have something!?" Derflinger asked with increasing panic.
"This is the end!" Fouquet howled in mad glee. "Farewell, Kamishiro Ryoga! INCINERATION OF EARTH!"
Beaumont grasped the ball of fire and crushed it, creating a massive explosion. However, the explosion did not spread out, and instead the flames and smoke created were funneled through the spinning rings before ejecting out at Ryoga like a cannon, threatening to burn away all traces of his existence.
"SIR SHARK!" Katie's cry rang through the air.
Ryoga's eyes sharpened. "Permanent Trap, activate!" The set card to the right of the former Barian flipped upright. The picture it had was of a sea creature sitting in an underwater cavern and firing dozens of bubbles to create a sort of barrier.
The Trap Card shined and a beam of energy fired against the inferno from Beaumont. The Sphere Field vibrated as the attacks clashed together, both struggling for dominance over the other. After a few seconds they broke apart and dispersed, their strengths being equal and canceling each other out.
"What!?" Fouquet screeched.
"The attack was stopped!" Guiche said astounded.
"Kyui!" Sylphid gave her own sound of joy.
Tabitha released Katie, who ceased her struggling. The young brunette's heart alleviated at seeing her friend unharmed. "He stopped it. Thank Brimir."
Fouquet stood there dumbfounded, unwilling to believe what just transpired. She then snapped towards Ryoga, her face brimming with anger. "You…!"
The water user met her anger with a half-lidded stare. "Sorry to disappoint you, but your attack failed."
"Damn you!" The green-haired woman shrieked. He did it again. Against all odds Ryoga somehow overcame her plan and avoided what should have spelled certain defeat. "How!? How did you manage to survive that!? It isn't possible!"
"Hmph, are you really asking that when the answer's right in front of you?" Ryoga huffed and motioned to his Trap.
Fouquet directed her ire to the card, only to become confused at seeing what it was. "Bubble Bringer? That wasn't one of the cards in your hand before. But, that must mean-"
"It's exactly what you think," the Duelist affirmed. "Bubble Bringer was the card I drew from Unequivalent Exchange. The same card you let me draw to steal my Cyclone. And its effect allows me to negate an opponent's direct attack upon activation."
Fouquet felt like she'd been sucker punched. "An effect like Deep Current?"
"That's right. You thought by using Cyclone you could remove Deep Current from the board and have nothing to worry about. Instead, all you did was provide me another method to achieve the same outcome. My card might not be able to get rid of your monster like you said, but it doesn't have to. Between it and Deep Current, I would have withstood your Beaumont's attack regardless of whether you took one of my cards or not."
The fire that was lit inside the thief died out. He...he was right. If she never used Unequivalent Exchange and left their decks alone, the order their cards would have been drawn would have resulted in things ending up the exact same. Her plan was doomed before it could even start.
"Y-You're...you're saying it didn't matter?" She sputtered, her head moving back and forth in denial. "No, no! That can't be the case! It just can't! There's no way you could have planned that out!"
"I didn't." Ryoga held out his Duel Disk. "I just put my trust in my cards, and they answered me."
Fouquet wavered at the statement. That was all he did? Put trust in the cards?
That was...ludicrous!
She knew about the existence of Duel Monsters spirits and how they could connect with the souls of those who controlled them, but the spirits only existed in the form of the Monster Cards! What he said just now was him claiming to have that connection to every card in his deck, including the Magics and Traps! That it wasn't luck or him developing a counterplan of his own that was the reason he survived, but just calling for help! As if the deck were alive!
What kind of excuse was that!?
"There has to be more to it than that!" Fouquet internally screamed. "Where does he gain such power from!? What drives him!? Is it really just because he wants to protect these stupid children!? Why he says such rubbish!? I don't understand!"
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
The aura that continued flowing around Fouquet began to grow dense and creep all across her side of the Sphere Field.
"No," she whispered. "No, no, no, no, no…"
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
"I won't accept it." Fouquet's breathing increased rapidly. "I won't...I won't…!"
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
Both her eyes drowned in neon green.
"I'LL NEVER ACCEPT THAT!"
A tidal wave of force dropped on the area. Ryoga winced and nearly buckled over from the sudden weight and pressure on his shoulders. His friends weren't so fortunate, with Katie and Guiche hitting the ground and being rendered immobile. Tabitha and Sylphid were barely able to stop themselves from following suite; the noble using her staff to hold herself up and the familiar digging her claws deep into the dirt.
"I-I can't move!" Guiche panicked.
"M-My body...t-too heavy," Katie grunted as she struggled to move.
"I can't lose this Duel! I won't lose!" Fouquet's voice cracked through the air, coming out demonic-sounding. "I have to win! I have to make those bastard nobles pay for what they did! They will pay! Just like you'll pay! Do you hear me!? I'll MAKE YOU PAY, RYOGA!"
The pressure seemed to double, reducing the sounds of the pinned nobles to pained whimpers. What resistance Tabitha and Sylphid had was swiftly removed by the added weight as they lost their balance and joined their companions in the dirt.
"This is crazy!" Derflinger hollered.
Ryoga's teeth clenched as sweat dripped down the sides of his face. This pressure was on par with when Derflinger provoked Fouquet and called her a coward, and was rapidly rising by the second. "Shit, if this keeps up-"
"Guh!"
The former king's ears perked at a noise from behind. Cold dread ran down his back as he swirled around. "Kirche!"
The redhead, still unconscious and laying in the spot he left her, let out choked cries while her body shuddered. In her current state she was unable to put up any resistance against Fouquet's power, and was suffering from the weight pushing down on her.
Time momentarily stopped for Ryoga. A haunting memory began overlapping his vision, replacing Kirche with his sister, Rio, shortly after she was attacked by IV. He could make out the bandages that dressed her from head to toe as she lay in a hospital bed, convulsing from the burns that afflicted her while she produced such agonizing sounds from her throat.
All while he was powerless to do anything.
Ryoga's jaw tightened. The pressure became disregarded as a hot sensation coursed through his veins and his left eye burned crimson red.
"That's...ENOUGH!"
BA-BUMP!
The Barian pendant loudly chimed as the power of Chaos ruptured from it with a large pulse. The power flooded the Sphere Field with red light and quickly overwhelmed Fouquet's aura, unlike the first time they clashed, before racing its way towards the former secretary. Completely caught off guard she had no time to react before the force slammed into her and hurled her into the wall of the Sphere Field with a yelp.
The power of Chaos then moved past the Sphere Field and onto the mage trio and dragon below. Their bodies glowed before the weighted pressure on them broke, freeing them.
"Ah!" Sweat beaded down Guiche's face as he was finally able to push himself up. "I-I can move again."
Tabitha gave a soft moan as she got to her feet, using her staff to help lift herself. She adjusted her glasses before checking over on Sylphid, who after a brief bobbing of the head and stretching of the wings, rose up next to her and seemed to be okay.
Katie continued to lay on the ground, her eyelids fluttering as if she were dreaming. Eventually they opened, letting her brain catch up with reality. Her first action was a groan from how her body ached after being pinned, before getting up on her knees. Once she was upright she brought a hand to her chest, feeling an odd pulse coursing through it.
"Just now...that feeling was…"
"Are you alright?"
Katie jumped a little. Looking to the voice she saw Tabitha next to her, having approached at some point, who was extending a hand to help. "Oh. Y-Yes, thank you," she said while taking the hand and pulling herself up.
Once everyone was properly back on their feet, they looked up at the Sphere Field, seeing the red light which freed them begin to recede.
"A red light?" Guiche remarked.
"It's probably what freed us," Katie said.
"But where did it come from?"
"Ryoga," was Tabitha's response.
"Why did I expect any less?" Guiche said exasperated. Really, at this point who else would be responsible for something like a red light that could- "Wait, red light?" The blonde noble cut his own internal rambling when he suddenly felt a foreign sense of familiarity and dejavu. Like he had seen this light somewhere before. "But that can't be. Where would I have… Oh!" The answer hit him. "That's right! That light came from Ryoga once before! It's his magic!"
He remembered all too well. This was the same exact light that appeared right before Ryoga's first summon of Big Jaws, when the entire student body discovered the purple-clad boy was a noble rather than a commoner.
"Duel Monsters," Tabitha corrected.
"Same thing!"
Katie rolled her eyes a little. Unlike Guiche she hadn't thought twice to know where the light came from, and felt the admiration for her friend fighting above continue to grow.
"Dammit," Fouquet swore under her breath as she peeled herself off the Sphere Field. Despite the ache in her back from being tossed into the barrier, she didn't consider it anything worth fretting over. Instead all she cared for was being pissed at Ryoga. "Little punk. You think a light show is enough to put me down? You'll have to do better than that."
Ryoga didn't pay her any notice and instead moved to check on Kirche, his red eye shifting back to blue. He grew relieved when he found her condition returned to what it was in previously, which while still not great, was better than a few seconds ago, and let the phantom image of his sister dissolve away.
"DON'T IGNORE ME YOU BASTARD!"
The pressure returned, this time more directly aimed at the former king. He caught himself from falling on top of Kirche and rounded back to Fouquet, who was quite furious at being brushed aside.
"This Duel isn't over, Ryoga! Don't you dare turn your back on me! I'm not through with you yet!"
Ryoga's eyes hardened. "No, but I'm through with this."
"Excuse me?" Fouquet snarled dangerously.
"I said I'm sick of dealing with this crap, Fouquet. This Duel, your damn temper tantrums, and wasting time with it all." Ryoga brought up his Duel Disk and placed himself protectively in front of Kirche. "I'm not letting this go on any longer. It's time to bring this stupidity to an end."
"You…!" The slight made Fouquet's madness grow further. He was looking down at her again! Acting like she was beneath him! How fucking dare he! "That's it!" The color of the aura became almost toxic in appearance as it spiked towards the top of the Sphere Field. "I've had it with that fucking attitude of yours! You want this to end!? I'll put it to a end! But by the time I'm done with you, you'll wish I had any mercy left and just killed you instead! Your body will be hung up and displayed for everyone to see! You'll be made the example of the fates every noble will suffer! Nobody will even think to look down at me or turn their magic against me again! NOBODY!"
She grabbed her final card and inserted it into her Duel Disk. The card depicted a golden scale of judgment. Each scale held three different monsters on them, and a number could be seen on each arm of the scale; the left holding a nine and the right holding a thirteen. Because of that, the right arm was lowered and the left arm was raised.
"Permanent Magic, Hierarchy Equilibrium! During the End Phase of our turns, the total Level and Rank of all monsters on our fields are compared, and an effect happens based on whose turn it is! Since it is my turn, the player who controls the highest total Level and Rank gains Life Points equal to the difference between the totals times 100, and then that player's monsters gain attack equal to that amount until the end of the next turn!"
"But partner doesn't have any monsters out," Derflinger pointed out. "So that means your card can't do anything."
Fouquet scoffed at the sword. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? But my card will bring judgement regardless of how many monsters we have! And since the only monster on the field is my Beaumont who is Level 10, that means once I end my turn I'll gain 1000 Life Points and my monster will gain 1000 extra attack!"
"So it'll have 4000 attack," Ryoga noted.
"That's not all! During the End Phase of your turn, my card's effect will have the player who controls the lowest total Level and Rank of all monsters take damage equal to the difference between the totals times 200!"
"Wait a sec!" Derflinger nearly drew out of its sheath while shouting. "That means if we don't get a monster next turn-!"
"You'll take 2000 points of damage!" Fouquet declared. "That's exactly what it means! You would need a total of eight Levels or Ranks to make up the difference! But that won't happen since you only have one card left to draw!" The thief gave a conceited smirk. "Oh, and before you get any funny ideas, let me crush them now! Beaumont's final effect! Until the end of the next turn after I activate its effect that excludes your monsters, you cannot use monsters with the same Level or Rank as the number I declared to summon monsters from the Extra Deck!"
The former Barian gritted his teeth. "Tch, so that's your plan is it?"
"Partner, how bad is that?" Derflinger asked.
"She picked three when she activated Beaumont's effect. That means I can't use Level 3 monsters to Xyz Summon," Ryoga explained. "She's trying to seal me up again!"
"You're joking!"
"Hahaha, it's no joke!" Fouquet threw her hands out and cackled. "I won't give you the chance to use another Xyz Monster against me! This time is really the end, Ryoga! You put up a good fight, even if it was stupidly frustrating to deal with. But this was always going to be the result! It's time to surrender what hope you have left and submit to your fate!" Her head cocked back as her laughter grew rambunctious. "Hehehe, hahahahaha!"
"I refuse."
"Haha...ha…" Fouquet's laughter ceased. "Huh?"
"I refuse to surrender," Ryoga repeated.
Fouquet was taken aback, becoming momentarily speechless. Then she became very irritated. "You're still saying that? You only have one draw left and nothing else to use!"
"So what?"
The even tone along with the unwavering determination made the irritation grow worse. Fouquet's teeth clenched so hard it felt any second she'd break them. "Why…? Why won't you just give up already!?" She yelled, fed up with everything about the boy from another world. "You refuse to stop, refuse to stay down even when you should! Why won't you just lose hope already!?"
The former Barian's expression shifted. The outburst brought an unusual moment of nostalgia for him, as he recalled a very similar scene long ago between him and Yuma in their first Duel, when he questioned how Yuma could refuse to surrender even when it seemed hopeless to win, wanting to know what drove the boy with no skill as a Duelist.
Such reminiscing made what he said next come out the way it did.
"Let me ask you something. Why do you want revenge so badly?"
Fouquet seethed at the question. "Don't you dare act like you don't know why! What you did to me was-!"
"That was something you brought on yourself through your own actions. Whether it was me or someone else, you would have eventually been caught in the same way," Ryoga sternly stated, furthering his opponent's anger. "But that's not what I'm talking about. Your hatred for me is clear as day. What I want to know about is your hatred for nobles."
The mage thief paused. "What?" She said, not expecting such a topic.
Derflinger was also curious to what its partner was up to, but remained silent and waited to see.
"Just a bit ago, you mentioned the nobility won't take anything from you again," Ryoga brought up. "That you have to make them pay like me. And way before that, you went off on a rant about how they could get away with something and wouldn't listen. I can only guess whatever you mean has to do with why you're a fallen noble."
"And what of it?" Fouquet asked with thin patience.
"Did they take away your hope?"
Fouquet's madness and anger morphed into shock.
"Your hatred for nobles means that whatever they did, it broke you. Made you despise them to the point you want to see them burn in hell for it," the water user continued. "And if they took something from you, that means whatever they took must have been the most important thing in the world to you."
The aura around Fouquet slowly started to dissipate.
"You're a thief that steals from the nobility. You chose this path as a form of karma to use against them and make them experience the same pain you do. To make them despair at the unfairness of the world. But it probably doesn't come anywhere near close, does it?"
Fouquet's eyes slowly returned to their natural color.
"So tell me...what was it they stole from you? What made you give up on the world and lose hope?"
Silence overcame the Sphere Field as Fouquet went through a mixture of emotions, ranging from sadness, remorse, and...heartbreak. She wasn't even paying attention to Ryoga anymore, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
"...I…" She whispered.
SCREEEEEEEEEEE!
"Agh!" Fouquet gripped her head as the aura returned with greater intensity.
Ryoga became alarmed. "What the...?"
"Ah...gkh…!" Fouquet made multiple sounds, her voice cracking as though she were in pain and about to break down. Then she became still and silent. Her arms slowly lowered as she glared at Ryoga, her expression having reverted back to the previous state. "Is that all you have to say?" She muttered low and dangerously, her eyes completely coated with green.
Ryoga's brow furrowed tightly. He seemed crossed about something before giving a huff. "I guess so."
"Then no more talking." Fouquet straightened her posture. "Turn end. During the End Phase, Hierarchy Equilibrium activates its effect. My Life Points and Overlord's attack increase by 1000."
The card glowed and released a sprinkle of orange lights on Fouquet and her monster. The light provided a basket of warmth to enjoy, yet she made no notion of enjoying it and kept locked on her opponent.
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 1900 → 2900
Stalagnation Overlord - Beaumont, the Eternal Golem
ATK: 3000 → 4000
"Make your final move, Kamishiro Ryoga," Fouquet said coldly. "Let me watch the last pitiful embers of your hope wither into despair."
Turn 20
Kamishiro Ryoga
LP: 500
Hand Count: 1
Monster Zone: N/A
Magic/Trap Zone: Bubble Bringer (Permanent Trap). 1 Set Magic/Trap.
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 2900
Hand Count: N/A
Monster Zone: Stalagnation Overlord - Beaumont, the Eternal Golem (Attack).
Magic/Trap Zone: Hierarchy Equilibrium (Permanent Magic). Stalagnation Empowerment (Permanent Magic)
As the turn count passed Ryoga's friends grew more anxious. Though they couldn't hear what was spoken they could feel the air change several times with emotions while Ryoga and Fouquet conversed, and knew something was happening.
"What do you think is going on up there?" Guiche asked the girls.
"End," was Tabitha's reply.
"End?" Guiche parroted confused.
"I think she means the end of the duel," Katie guessed. Tabitha's bobbing head confirmed it for her.
"So a winner will be decided soon." Guiche should have been happy to hear that. Instead he felt disquieted. "But as things stand, can Ryoga win? He's held out incredibly well, but Fouquet's way stronger than we could have imagined, and she has that big golem with her. If he makes a wrong move and loses then-"
"He won't lose," Katie interrupted. Guiche moved to ask how she could believe that, only to become surprised by the bright look she had.
"Katie?"
"Didn't you feel it when the light freed us?" She asked him, her hand once again over her chest. "It was brief, but for a moment, it was like I could see into Sir Shark's heart. I knew everything he was feeling. As if we were...connected..." Her cheeks flustered red at the notion.
"Connected?" Tabitha questioned.
Katie nodded. "I can't think of a better way to describe it. But it's because of that connection that I saw Sir Shark hasn't given up yet. Even with all he's endured, he hasn't lost a single strand of hope. He's still fighting as hard as he can up there. Not for his own sake, but for us, for Miss Kirche, and Miss Louise too. He's willing to sacrifice himself just to protect all of us, and his feelings for us are what's driving him to keep going despite the odds."
Guiche and Tabitha were both silent, the former not knowing what to say and the later keenly listening.
"That's why he won't lose!" Katie proclaimed, her smile adding to the brightness she put out. "As long as he continues holding onto that hope, there's no way he'll lose! He beat Fouquet once, and he can do it again! We just have to believe in him and make sure to keep supporting him any way we can!" She raised her hands to her mouth and yelled as loud as she could. "Do you hear that, Sir Shark!? You can do it, I know you can! So please, make sure you win!"
Ryoga gave no indication on whether he heard the brunette or not, but if one examined closely they would have spotted a small upward curl on his mouth.
"Hey, partner, why did you ask that question?" Derflinger asked. "I mean she is trying to kill us and all. Was it really that important to know?"
"It's not that," Ryoga replied. "You're right that I shouldn't waste time and should just focus on winning. Even talking to you right now goes against that. But a good friend of mine helped me learn that sometimes in order to win, you have to understand the people you're fighting against. Especially if you're trying to save them."
If Derflinger had a face it would have been open with astonishment before turning calm. "...I see... So that's why."
Ryoga nodded and watched Fouquet. Specifically, he watched her aura. It wasn't hard to notice her attitude went in tangent with it. The angrier she felt, the stronger it became. But when he brought up the topic of losing something precious, the aura lost control over her. For the briefest of seconds he could no longer sense any vile corruption or tainted air, just the real Fouquet beneath it all, at least until the aura spiked up and she became lost again.
"I suspected it from the start, but now there's no doubt about it. She's being controlled."
The idea made his fingers tighten into a fist. Fouquet's anger towards him and the nobility was legit, that much was clear, but this evil power amplified her feelings and morphed her into a madman, twisting her very nature into something far more dark. She was no different than the possessed bandit that attacked him before.
This didn't excuse Fouquet. She was still far from innocent and committed many crimes, including trying to kill himself and Louise. But that was only done out of survival, and her stealing was so she could make others undergo what she probably felt daily.
"Just like I used to do."
The comparison wrenched at the former king's soul. One of his lesser sins, but a sin nevertheless, was taking items that people considered important to them and either destroying them or tossing them away like garbage. It was a lesson he forcibly taught others to make them grow up and learn how cold the real world was. To see that holding such important things would only hold you back and hurt you.
It was also a lie. A way of masking the pain of losing his own important items. His family, his home, his sister. And now here was someone doing the same and being taken advantage of for it, most likely by the very individual that taught her everything and gave her the power.
Of course, Ryoga knew he could be wrong about the whole thing. Fouquet could know fully what the power was doing to her and just not care, only wanting revenge against him and the nobles. But if that were the case she wouldn't have broken free of its control, even for such a short time. Even if she originally did agree to it, it had come to the point where she was no longer herself. The power was slowly taking control the more she used it, and if she wasn't freed soon she may become permanently changed by it, forever becoming something she wasn't.
A monster.
That...was unacceptable.
"I know what it's like to become a monster," Ryoga thought as he gently touched his Barian pendant. "I know what it does to your soul, to your future. You're many things, Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt. Intelligent, selfish, cunning, and especially dangerous. But you're not a monster. You don't deserve to be a monster. The only one who fits that title is me. That's why, even if this is something you wanted, even if you don't wish for me to do it…"
BA-BUMP!
"I'm still...going to save you! My turn, draw!" Ryoga swung his arm to the Duel Disk and pulled back, the card on top of his deck sliding between his fingers. Unlike the turns before, he didn't check to see what the card was, as if there was no need. "I activate the second effect of Bubble Bringer! By sending this card to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Level 3 or lower WATER attribute monster from my Graveyard! I choose to Special Summon Tripod Fish!"
The Trap Card sunk into a dark portal, leaving the field, and from the portal the thin and creepy fish emerged with a hiss.
Tripod Fish
Fish/WATER/Level 3/Effect
ATK: 600
DEF: 1300
Position: Attack
"Furthermore, the monster summoned by this effect can be treated as two Xyz Materials for an Xyz Summon," Ryoga informed.
"What does it matter?" Fouquet jeered at him. "Beaumont's effect stops you from using Level 3 monsters as materials to summon from the Extra Deck. Even if your monster counts as two materials, you can't do anything with it. Or are you just planning to save me the trouble and kill yourself this turn?"
Ryoga produced his shark-toothed grin. "Whoever said I wanted a Level 3?"
Fouquet froze. "What?"
"Tripod Fish's effect! When this monster is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, its Level increases by one!"
Tripod Fish
Level: 3 → 4
"Level 4?" Fouquet's voice hitched in shock. "Wait...you can't mean to…?"
"Whoever taught you about my deck would have told you that I use Rank 3 Xyz Monsters, and that my deck consist mostly of Level 3 monsters to summon them," Ryoga deduced. "That's why you put such emphasis on picking Level 3 for your card effects. But what they and you failed to realize was that I don't have just Rank 3 Xyz Monsters. A true Duelist doesn't rely on just one strategy! If you haven't learned that by now, then you fail as a Duelist!"
The mage thief looked visibly struck. "No, you can't!"
"I can!" Ryoga raised his arm up. "Level 4 Tripod Fish that is treated as two materials, Overlay!"
A red portal appeared in front of the purple teen. Tripod Fish hissed as it glowed and a second Tripod Fish appeared next to it. Both monsters then transformed into blue lights and flew upwards, spiraling around each other before flinging themselves into the portal.
"With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!"
The portal exploded as a giant tornado of water emerged from it. Wind kicked up around the Sphere Field as the water spun rapidly and a large monster began to form.
"Howl, unknown roar! Rise from the darkness of the abyss!"
The main body had a humanoid figure with a pair of enlarged arms and legs, each equipped with elongated razor claws. A long fin tail stretched out from the base of the creature's spine while four large fin-like wings extended out from its shoulders. Its head, instead of being like a regular shark, resembled more of a dragon, having a plated face with two spiked extensions curving back and a large spike sticking up in the middle like a shark fin. Spikes ran down the back of the neck while two tusk pushed forward at the sides of the mouth, which was packed with sharp teeth. The creature's color scheme consisted of various blues, whites, purples, and a pair of silver eyes that glared forward as it gave a deep rumbling growl.
"RANK 4! BAHAMUT SHARK!"
The monster unleashed a piercing roar with such force that it scattered the tornado in all directions and shook the Sphere Field. Like with Aero Shark, an Overlay Unit circled it.
Bahamut Shark
Sea Serpent/WATER/Rank 4/Xyz
ATK: 2600
DEF: 2100
Position: Attack
Overlay Units: 1
There was a collective dropping of jaws, and in the case of Derflinger, almost falling from its sheath, from everybody who witnessed the summon. Even Tabitha was not immune.
"Impossible," Fouquet murmured, her face turning sheet white. "A Rank 4...Xyz Monster?"
"W-What kind of familiar is that!?" Guiche stuttered. "I-Is that a dragon!? He has a dragon as well!?"
Tabitha let her emotional control actually slip and give away her own shocked expression. This wasn't one of the monsters she saw from Ryoga's lessons. Where had he kept this card?
"Kyui..." Sylphid cooed as her head raised higher to try and get a better look at the monster, feeling an odd mixture of respect and kinship with it.
"Amazing," Katie breathed.
Bahamut Shark roared again, which Ryoga watched with a swell of pride, only to then feel a wave of guilt. Like Cat Shark, this Xyz Monster was one he hadn't used in Heartland. Not even Yuma knew about it, though not because he purposefully hid it or anything. It was just a combination of bad timing and circumstance that prevented him from ever using it before.
After his Tag Duel with Yuma against Rikuo and Kaio, he knew the danger of the Numbers wouldn't pass overnight. They would return, whether against him directly or as a local threat to watch out for. And when they did, he would need a stronger deck to stand against them, which meant getting stronger cards. Black Ray Lancer did a fine job on its own with removing the Numbers' immunity to battle destruction, but he needed something more. Something to give him additional teeth to bite with.
Bahamut Shark was meant to be those teeth. It was the reason he started running Level 4 monsters.
But then Shark Drake came around and things changed. With a new Numbers in his possession, one he thought he could control rather than be controlled by, he put Bahamut Shark on the backburner in case it was ever needed. But a Duel never came where he felt Bahamut could help, even against Yuma. It shamed him to know he never gave the Xyz the chance to show its strength.
"I just hope it will forgive me for that," he thought apologetically.
As if sensing his thoughts, Bahamut Shark rotated until it was staring right at Ryoga. The Duelist tensed, not knowing what to expect. However, despite the scary face the Xyz carried there was no form of negativity directed at him. Instead what he found was, much to his surprise, respect and approval.
"Bahamut Shark…you..."
The dragon-shark moved back around, letting out yet another roar.
"I guess that means it's ready to go," Derflinger commented.
Ryoga was still for a few seconds before giving a chuckle. Of course. Why did he think otherwise? It was the same situation with Cat Shark. Even if the monsters were never used, they were always connected to him. They saw every action, knew every choice he made, and felt every emotion he did. They knew him in ways he probably didn't know himself. If they disapproved in any way, they wouldn't have answered his calls.
Bahamut Shark being here said everything it needed.
"Thank you," Ryoga internally relayed to the Xyz, knowing it would hear. No longer hesitant and firmly resolute, he faced Fouquet. "Let's go! Bahamut Shark's effect! By removing one Overlay Unit from this card, I can summon an Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck whose Rank is lower than Bahamut's, and this summon is treated as an Xyz Summon!" He grabbed the Tripod Fish card placed underneath Bahamut Shark's card and put it into the Graveyard. "God Soul!"
Bahamut Shark snapped its mouth down on the floating orb. Its mouth then glowed and it fired a beam of light that opened a portal.
Bahamut Shark
Overlay Units: 1 → 0
"Xyz Summon! Come forth, Black Ray Lancer!"
From the portal a crimson spear thrust out, wielded and followed by the mighty Xyz warrior. It let out a battle cry and spun the spear several times before settling down beside Bahamut Shark.
Black Ray Lancer
Beast-Warrior/DARK/Rank 3/Xyz
ATK: 2100
DEF: 600
Position: Attack
Overlay Units: 0
"Black Ray Lancer," Tabitha uttered. Guiche continued gaping while Katie was awestruck.
"No way! You summoned another Xyz Monster!?" Fouquet screamed.
"I'm not done yet!" Ryoga grabbed the card he drew and slapped it onto the Duel Disk. "Instant Magic, Chain Summon!" The card formed, depicting an arm wrapped in chains that was pulling down from a light above. Black spheres with golden stars fell down around the arm, representing the Ranks of Xyz Monsters. "If I successfully summoned more than one Xyz Monster in a row this turn, I can summon one more Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck whose Rank is lower than those Xyz Monsters!"
Fouquet paled. "A third one!?"
Ryoga's Extra Deck opened one more time. The card he reached down and grabbed was one he didn't think he would ever use in a Duel, and given the current circumstances regarding the spirit, there was no telling what might happen. But that didn't stop him.
"Come forth…Cat Shark!"
"Mrrow?" Cat Shark's head perked up, ears twitching.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Cat Shark?" Louise asked, turning away from the port window. After taking off from La Rochelle, she, Lord Wardes, and Cat Shark were escorted by the ship captain to a guest cabin for their stay. With little to do and still feeling uncomfortable with abandoning everyone, she decided to stare out at the endless sea of clouds passing by, hoping it would ease her. Lord Wardes took the time to sit on the couch and read a book he found while Cat Shark napped on the floor beside her up till now.
"Mrrow…" Cat Shark made a low noise, feeling strange for some reason.
BA-BUMP!
The spirit stiffened and its eyes glossed over.
"Mrrooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwww!"
All of a sudden the room was swallowed in light as Cat Shark began to radiate like the sun.
"Ah!" Louise yelped, her eyelids snapping shut to keep herself from being blinded.
"Louise!" Wardes dropped the book and became alert. He made to move toward his fiancee, however the light grew even brighter, forcing him to stop and look away. "What's going on!? What is this light!?" He shouted while bringing his cloak up to shield his face.
"I don't know!" Louise shouted back, her hands brought up to try and block the light.
BA-BUMP!
Louise sharply inhaled as her heart echoed loudly inside of her. "Huh?"
Before she could grasp the sensation the light disappeared as quickly as it came. Louise and Wardes, both still a bit stunned, cautiously peeked out from their covers, hoping to discover what that was all about and what became of Cat Shark.
Only to find the spirit missing from the room.
A vortex of water swirled before Ryoga. Light shone inside the vortex and began taking shape. Once it was done, the water dispersed to reveal Cat Shark hovering in the air.
"Mrrow!"
Cat Shark
Beast/WATER/Rank 2/Xyz
ATK: 500
DEF: 500
Position: Attack
Overlay Units: 0
"Hey! Isn't that-!?" Guiche pointed out.
"Cat Shark!" Katie cheered happily. "Sir Shark must have called it back to help!"
"Kyui!" Sylphid yiped in delight.
Beads of sweat dripped down the sides of Fouquet's face as she stared at the trinity gathered on Ryoga's field. "Three Xyz Monsters…" She whispered stupefied. "You actually summoned three of them at once?"
She'd already been informed that Ryoga's little pet was another Duel Monster of his, but not that it was an Xyz Monster. One that was Rank 2 even. Added with the Ranks of the other two monsters, that made the total Rank count on Ryoga's field 9. Meaning Hierarchy Equilibrium would only inflict 200 points of damage at the end of his turn.
The sense of control she held earlier was shattering apart like glass.
"I told you. I don't rely on just Rank 3 Xyz Monsters. My fangs are already buried deep in your throat. You just haven't realized it yet," Ryoga said with a smirk.
Unnoticed by either Duelist, the glossiness in Cat Shark's eyes faded. It blinked and looked around, becoming quickly confused on why it wasn't in the fancy room anymore and why Louise wasn't next to it. That latter half was especially worrying since it was supposed to be protecting Louise.
Growing panicked, Cat Shark started searching for Louise or any clues on where it was and what might have happened, only to stop when it spotted Ryoga. "...Mrrow mrrow?"
"Here we go!" Ryoga raised his hand. "I activate-"
"Mrrow mrrow!"
Ryoga's move was cut off thanks to a gut punch to his stomach, courtesy of a happy Cat Shark plowing full speed into him with a tackle hug that nearly knocked him over.
"Ack! What the- hey!" Ryoga yelled at the overly affectionate animal he was being assaulted by. "Cat Shark, knock it off!"
"Mrrow mrrow! Mrrow mrrow!" Cat Shark ignored its master and nuzzled away happily.
"Dammit! Let go! This isn't the time for this!"
"Mrrow!"
Ryoga began fighting to pull the Duel Spirit off him while Cat Shark remained adamantly latched on. Neither Fouquet nor Ryoga's friends knew what to make of the spectacle. Only Katie had any reaction, giving a weak chuckle.
"I guess...that's to be expected from Cat Shark."
Ryoga mentally groaned. Thankful as he was that the summoning worked, he should have predicted how Cat Shark would react to seeing him, given their not-so-great parting. It did confirm one thing at least. The Cat Shark he summoned was the same one he brought into this world by accident.
It was nothing to get excited over since a Duel Monster could be called from anywhere so long as you had their card. But with Cat Shark being stuck outside its card form there was no telling what possible consequences would occur with trying to summon it again. He could have just as easily summoned an empty shell with no soul, or had the summon fail completely. The rules of this world and its effect on Duels were still unknown.
"Wait, if Cat Shark is here then..."
"Hey, furball. Not that it's not good to see you and all, but there's a time and place for these things. This ain't either," Derflinger chided, deciding to help out.
"Mrrow." Cat Shark looked at the sword. "Mrrow mrrow?"
"Of course I'm still here! Why wouldn't I be?"
"Mrrow."
"Oh, gee thanks. Glad to know what you think of me."
"Knock it off," Ryoga cut in before the two could start bickering. He managed to push Cat Shark away and gave it a serious look. "Cat Shark, just stop, alright? I'm glad to see you too, but we're in a Duel right now and I need you to focus and listen to me. Do you understand?"
Hearing the tone of its master, Cat Shark settled down and grew attentive. "Mrrow. Mrrow, mrrow?"
"Look around you dummy," Derflinger said.
Cat Shark did as told. Its green eyes narrowed upon seeing the Sphere Field, remembering the barrier that prevented it from reaching its master. Its observation eventually reached Beaumont, making the feline fish jump at the presence of the giant monster. When it saw who was behind it however, Cat Shark lost the surprise and hissed.
"Mrrow! Mrroooooowwwwww!"
"Exactly," Derflinger agreed.
"Settle down." Ryoga put his hand on Cat Shark's head, getting it to stop hissing and refocus at him. "Trust me, I know how you feel. But the only way to get back at her is to win this Duel. And to do that, I need your help. You up for that?"
"Mrrow!" The Xyz wasted no time giving a positive answer.
"That's what I like to hear." Ryoga gave a small smile, only to then have it dip. "But before that, I need to know something. You sent Katie and the others here, right?"
"Mrrow," Cat Shark responded positively.
"Thought so. Then what about Louise? Did you manage to find her? Is she safe right now?"
"Mrrow! Mrrow mrrow, mrrow mrrow mrrow."
As Cat Shark spoke, Ryoga's expression drastically shifted. His eyes opened to full capacity while his feet became rooted to where he was standing.
"...What did you say?"
Cat Shark tilted its head. "Mrrow mrrow, mrrow?"
The message hadn't gone misheard.
Louise...was awake.
She was safe, and she was awake.
The former king's mind raced. He didn't think it would be so soon. Heck, he didn't know how long it would take her to wake up since he left the hotel in a haste. He meant to find out when he got back, but hearing that she was up and about already generated many different emotions in his heart. One stood out at the top however.
Relief.
"She's awake…" Ryoga whispered softly. "She's okay…"
The weight of the Duel diminished considerably. With the guilt he carried from causing Louise's condition, it was comforting to know she woke without problems, at least as far as Cat Shark could tell. And Cat Shark mentioned Wardes was with her, so she was being protected even now.
There would be a lot of things to discuss when he saw her next. Apologies and making-ups to deliver. But for now, he could rest at ease knowing she was in good hands.
"Are you done wasting time?" Fouquet called out, having managed to regain her composure after Cat Shark's unexpected distraction. "I'm beginning to think you did all those summons just to stall your demise."
Ryoga and his monsters glared at her. "Don't bet on it. The only one losing today is you, Fouquet!" He shot back.
"Mrrow!" Cat Shark agreed.
Fouquet scoffed. "And how exactly do you plan for that to happen? You may have gotten through Beaumont's effect and summoned three Xyz Monsters, but my monster still has 4000 Attack Points and cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects! Against my golem your monsters are nothing but a false hope!"
Ryoga gave a shark-toothed grin. "I wonder about that?"
"What?"
"What you call a false hope is the exact opposite. My monsters being here tells me that I still have a chance. No matter what kind of power you may throw at us, as long as that thread of hope remains, I won't fall to the likes of you!" Ryoga glanced back at Kirche, watching her steady but weak breathing. "Because I have something worth fighting for! Something worth protecting! And that gives me all the motivation to ensure I never give up!" He rounded back with eyes sharpened like the creature he was nicknamed after. "Can you say the same, Fouquet!?"
BA-BUMP!
The thief's eyes widened. Through the cloud of hate, something deep cut into her heart at those words, forming an image in her head. It was blurry though, making it difficult to make out.
"What is...?"
"Trap Card, open! Xyz Drop!" Ryoga triggered the last set on his field. It flipped up to show a water drop that sparkled before rays of light. "After I activate this card, it becomes an Overlay Unit for one Xyz Monster I control! I use this card as an Overlay Unit for Black Ray Lancer!"
The Trap Card transformed into an orb of light that flew around Black Ray Lancer.
Black Ray Lancer
Overlay Units: 0 → 1
"Now I activate Black Ray Lancer's effect! Paralyze Lance! By removing one Overlay Unit from this card, I can negate the effects of a face-up monster you control until the End Phase! I remove the Overlay Unit to negate Beaumont's effects!"
"What!?" Fouquet shrieked.
The Overlay Unit flew into Black Ray Lancer's spear. Black Ray spun the spear and unfolded his wings, twin cyclones flying out from them. They struck Beaumont, causing no damage to the titan, but making its hue dim and its posture slouch.
Black Ray lancer
Overlay Units: 1 → 0
"Now your monster's effects are gone. Meaning it can be destroyed," Ryoga stated.
Fouquet flinched. "My Beaumont…"
"Furthermore, I activate my last card! Overlay Regenerate!" Ryoga slid the card from his hand into the Duel Disk, showing it to be a Magic Card. Its art contained Aero Shark having an Overlay Unit fly towards its apparatus. "This card becomes an Overlay Unit for an Xyz Monster I control!"
"You're kidding!? Two cards with the same effect!?"
"My deck will always provide me with what I need! I attach this card to Cat Shark!"
The card turned into a ball of light and floated around Cat Shark, who followed it curiously.
Cat Shark
Overlay Units: 0 → 1
The action confounded the green-haired woman. "You're giving it to that puny runt? But why?"
"To put an end to this," was the former king's answer. "I use the final Overlay Unit and activate Cat Shark's effect! For this turn, the attack of all Rank 4 and lower Xyz Monsters on my field are doubled!"
Fouquet's eyes widened in horror. "D-Doubled!?"
"Mrrow!" Cat Shark slapped the Overlay Unit with its tail, causing it to burst apart into a shower of light that sprinkled over the Xyz Monsters, each one giving a battle cry.
Cat Shark
Overlay Units: 1 → 0
ATK: 500 → 1000
Black Ray Lancer
ATK: 2100 → 4200
Bahamut Shark
ATK: 2600 → 5200
Fouquet stumbled back, visibly shaken and filled with fear. "I-Impossible! An attack of 4200!? And one of 5200!?"
"Take a good look, Fouquet!" Ryoga called out. "This is the bond I share with my deck! The bond of hope we carry!" He raised his hand and pointed at Beaumont. "Battle! Black Ray Lancer, attack Beaumont! Black Spear!"
Black Ray Lancer spun its crimson spear before pulling back and flinging it at Beaumont. The spear struck true into the golden chest armor, cracking it before breaking through and impaling the mighty monster. Beaumont bellowed in agony before light shone through the wound in its form and it violently exploded, the force blowing Fouquet back into the Sphere Field.
"Gah!" This time she couldn't ignore the pain and let loose a loud cry.
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 2900 → 2700
"I can't believe it!"Guiche expressed. "He destroyed the golem!"
Fouquet's body trembled as she floated off the energy walls, though it was nothing compared to what she felt from seeing her most powerful monster taken out in a single blow. "Beaumont… This can't be..."
BA-BUMP!
"Ack!" Fouquet gripped her head as the image from before returned. This time it was joined by other images, all of them blurry.
"Cat Shark, you ready?" Ryoga asked.
"Mrrow mrrow!" The Xyz eagerly nodded.
"Then battle! Cat Shark, attack Fouquet directly! Aquatic Tackle!"
"Mrrow!" Cat Shark flew forward at bolting speed, a swirl of water wrapping around the spirit for protection. Fouquet, not seeing the attack until the last second, couldn't brace herself and was drilled into by the attack, sending her right back against the Sphere Field and skidding along its walls.
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 2700 → 1700
"Another hit!" Guiche called out.
"He can do it!" Katie cheered. "Go, Sir Shark!"
"Kyui kyui!" Sylphid joined in with the brunette. Tabitha didn't join in and remained straight-faced, but one could spot the anticipation that shone behind her glasses.
Fouquet gave several haggard coughs and clutched at her stomach, the blow she received having expelled the air from her lungs.
BA-BUMP!
"Guh!" The lack of air was forgone as Fouquet's skull suddenly felt on fire. Her fingernails dug into her scalp as image after image attacked her brain, making her see things she couldn't make out, yet somehow felt intimately connected to. "These images! Why do I see them!? What do they mean!?"
"Matilda-neesan."
Fouquet gasped.
"We've got this, partner!" Derflinger said. "Just one more!"
"This is the end, Fouquet!" Ryoga aimed a fist at her and gave his final command. "Go, Bahamut Shark! Direct attack! GOD VOICE!"
Bahamut Shark reared back its head before snapping forward with a mighty roar, sending a giant soundwave in the form of a beam of energy at Fouquet. She watched wide-eyed as the attack approached, knowing there was no escape. The beam slammed into her and swallowed her in its light before smashing into the Sphere Field, causing the dome to quake from the power. After a few seconds the attack exploded, kicking up a large storm of dust and smoke.
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"
Fouquet's cry rang out as she was tossed into the air from the explosion. Her robe was completely destroyed, and her clothes didn't fare much better. What skin showed was now marred by cuts, burns, and bruises, with blood seeping out of her mouth and injuries.
BA-BUMP!
As her vision began to blacken, Fouquet looked up to the twin moons in the night sky, seeing the image appear once more. Only now it was visible, revealing a beautiful blonde-haired girl in a green dress, accompanied by a pair of green-haired twins, one a male with a ponytail and the other a female with long straight hair. All of them gave her a gentle smile, which tore at her heart.
"Tiffa…everyone...I..."
Fouquet consciousness left her before she stopped falling and floated in the Sphere Field. The green aura that haunted her seemed to shriek as it burned away from her body and was erased from existence, finally releasing her from its grasp.
Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
LP: 1700 → 0
LOSER: Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
WINNER: Kamishiro Ryoga
A loud buzzing sound played from Ryoga's Duel Disk, signifying the end of the Duel, but nobody seemed to hear it. They all looked to where Fouquet laid, seeing no motion from her. It was several long seconds before someone finally spoke.
"Did…did he...win?" Guiche asked dumbly.
"I...think so…" Katie replied.
Silence took over the cliffside. Then it finally sunk in for the two nobles and they turned to each other with massive smiles on their faces.
"HE WON!"
The unified shout broke the tense atmosphere and brought with it a lighter and happier atmosphere.
"I can't believe he actually did it!" Guiche said. "He beat Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt!"
"I told you he would!" Katie laughed. "You did it, Sir Shark! You won!
While the two celebrated, Ryoga let out a breath he'd been holding in. The tensity in his muscles began melting away as he finally allowed himself to relax. A sizzling sound drew his attention to his arm to see the phantom form of the Duel Anchor break apart, setting his Duel Disk free at last.
"Partner, you did it," Derflinger told him.
Ryoga shook his head in denial as he took off his D-Gazer. "No. I didn't do this. We did," he said, looking up at his three Xyz Monsters. "Because of you guys… Thank you. All of you."
Bahamut and Black Ray both bowed their heads in respect. Cat Shark gave a cheerful smile and moved to hug the water user, only to abruptly stop when it saw its fins dissipating into light.
"Mrrow?" Cat Shark watched curiously before noticing the rest of its body was following suite. It also saw the same thing happening to Bahamut and Black Ray. "Mrrow! Mrrow mrrow!"
"Cat Shark, it's okay," Ryoga assured the spirit. "You're just going back to where you were before I summoned you. That means you're heading back to where Louise is."
Hearing that eased the Duel Spirit. "Mrrow? Mrrow mrrow?"
"Don't worry, I'll be back at the hotel soon. Just make sure you stick by Louise's side until I get there. I'm counting on you, okay?"
Cat Shark smiled and nodded. "Mrrow!" It gave a salute, only to blink in confusion. "Mrrow? Mrrow, mrrow, mrro-" It didn't get to finish what it was trying to ask before it disappeared alongside its fellow Xyz Monsters.
A vibration was felt through the Sphere Field as it began to slowly descend to the cliffside road below, its color fading away and the top of it dissolving into a rain of stardust. Ryoga used the moment to grab Kirche, being careful to lift her up and hold her in a protective bridal fashion. She flinched from the touch but didn't give any struggle. Once the Sphere Field reached the road and Ryoga's feet touched solid ground again, the ball of energy completely vanished.
"Kyui!" A breeze blew over Ryoga as Sylphid landed before him, with Tabitha riding on the dragon's back. The bookworm gazed over her friend's body before motioning to Sylphid's hands.
"Place her there."
Without protest Ryoga laid Kirche down in Sylphid's palms, the familiar being careful not to let her claws add more harm to the Germanian. He was glad Tabitha remembered what he told her to do once the Duel ended.
"Go," the Duelist said. Tabitha nodded and tapped Sylphid's neck.
"La Rochelle. Find doctor. Hurry."
Sylphid didn't need to be told twice and extended her wings for flight. The wind dragon then took off into the city as fast as she could.
"Please make it in time," Ryoga prayed.
"Sir Shark!" Katie rushed over and stopped in front of him, Guiche following right behind her. "You did it! You defeated Fouquet!"
"I can hardly believe it myself!" Guiche said.
Derflinger chortled in. "Well, you better start believing blondie! Of course my partner would win! He's the one wielding me after all!"
Ryoga gave the sword a raised brow. "You didn't do anything in that fight," he deadpanned.
"I gave encouragement."
"You couldn't understand half of what was going on."
"Meh, details."
Before Ryoga could snark back he was taken by surprise from Katie pushing against him. The first-year buried her head in his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him tightly.
"I was so scared… But I knew you could do it. I didn't give up on you…" Katie whispered as she trembled against him. "I'm glad… I'm glad you're okay, Sir Shark."
The Duelist's cheeks tinted red. He looked at Guiche for help, but the playboy was just as surprised as him and shrugged, as if to say Ryoga was on his own. Ryoga made a mental note to hit him later.
Hesitantly, the former king patted Katie on the back to reassure her. "Sorry for worrying you," he said quietly, feeling a bit lame in giving such a response.
Katie pulled back and smiled, wiping some wetness from her eyes. "It's...it's okay. You were really cool up there, even if I couldn't tell what was going on."
"Yes, speaking of which..." Guiche chimed. "How did you do those things!? That's not any magic I've seen before! Are you really a mage!? Just what else can you do!?"
"Someone seems to be forgetting a certain promise they made," Ryoga said with a murderous look. Guiche quickly got the message and wisely zipped his mouth, feeling intimidated.
"So then, all of this really was connected to your past, Sir Shark?" Katie asked, wanting to know for sure and not intimidated in the least.
Ryoga sighed, already predicting the amount of headaches this incident would give him. "Look, what you saw up there isn't something I can just explain. Needless to say though, yes, what you saw is part of my past. But now isn't the time to talk about it, if I even decide I want to."
"But-"
"Katie!" The purple teen gave a look of "please drop the subject." Katie saw it and felt a little sad. She wasn't trying to be pushy, she just wanted to know more about her friend, especially after their...brief connection. But Sir Shark was right. Now wasn't the time for such questions, and she made him a promise that he cared a lot about. So with some reluctance she choose to keep that promise.
"You're right. I'm sorry," she said, indicating her backing off.
"It's fine," Ryoga told her. "Trust me, I get it. Just now's a bad time for it, that's all." He then moved his sight to Fouquet, who now laid flat on the rocky road. "Besides...someone else here needs to answer some bigger questions."
Katie and Guiche watched as Ryoga walked over to the former secretary, staying where they were but getting on guard just in case. As he got closer he saw Fouquet's chest moving ever so slightly up and down, signifying she was still breathing and was just knocked out.
"Good," he whispered, relieved to know he hadn't accidentally killed her. "Least it'll be easy to- agh!"
As he was halfway to reaching her, Ryoga's body suddenly spasmed. Pain blew up in his side and spread throughout his torso, causing him to trip over and hit the ground hard.
"Partner!" Derflinger shouted.
"Sir Shark!" Katie screamed alarmed.
"What the heck!? Is he okay!?" Guiche asked.
"I-I don't know! He was fine a second ago!" Katie said unsure. That's when she saw the blood on her friend's jacket and gasped, realizing the cause. "The injuries! The ones Sir Shark received before! He still has them!"
It was as she said. Ryoga, grasping at his side, could feel his wound from Gravel Wolf wide open and bleeding out. In fact, from how sticky the side of his pants and shirt felt, he'd been bleeding for a good while. "Shit, I forgot about that. The adrenaline from the Duel must have kept me going and helped to ignore it." The pain continued as he noticed his sides starting to feel numb and his vision was getting blurry. He bit back a curse. "Dammit, I can't pass out now. I need to know where she got those cards from and who taught her. Come on, get up!"
BA-BUMP!
The Barian pendant's echo was the only warning given before Ryoga went flying to the side from a foot in his face.
"Sir Shark!" Katie, who had rushed over to help, watched in horror as her friend bounced and skidded across the ground away from her.
Ryoga came to a rough stop and winced, his face stinging badly. It wasn't helped that he crashed on the side he was bleeding from, making his already agonizing experience skyrocket. His jaw locked in place to keep from screaming.
"Partner, get up! You have to get up!" Derflinger yelled.
The water user grunted. With all his will he forced himself to ignore the pain and sit up. He looked at where Fouquet was to try and find what the hell hit him, and froze when he did.
Standing above Fouquet, was a dark cloaked figure with a hood over their face. It made no movements, no sound, and didn't seem at all human.
And it was looking directly at Ryoga.
"Who is that!?" Guiche said loudly.
Katie pulled out her wand and pointed it at the figure. "Don't move! Identify yourself now!"
The figure ignored them both. It continued to stare at Ryoga, which he returned with an equal glare.
"It is you…"
The figure spoke, its voice causing a shiver to run down Ryoga's spine. It was twisted like Fouquet's was when she was controlled by the aura, but nowhere near as vicious or bloodthirsty. Quite the opposite. It was cold and collected, but with a sense of...hunger behind it.
BA-BUMP!
"Gack!" Ryoga felt something resonate in the back of his mind. Like a nail scratching on a board.
"I can't believe it… To think the rumors were true. I didn't believe it at first. I thought it was simply a mistake. But…" The figure's cloak moved as a gloved hand raised up to Ryoga, moving it as it to touch him. "You're here… The one thing I desired most to see again. The single hope I had left in this pitiful world… You're here…" The cloak vibrated as the figure started laughing. "Hehe...hehehehehe..."
"What the hell?" Ryoga thought disturbed, the scratching growing worse.
As the laughter started to reach a peak the figure abruptly stopped and drew back their hand.
"No...you're right, my Goddess," it seemingly spoke to itself. "Now is not the time… Not yet. There is still so much to do, and this is neither the place nor setting I wish for our reunion. Taking him now in such a state will not satisfy my desires. Not like this…" The figure turned from Ryoga and knelt down to Fouquet. It examined her condition and huffed. "Subordinates who fail usually get punished. But then, it's not like I expected you to win if it was really Ryoga you were Dueling." It picked up Fouquet and tossed her over its shoulder with ease. "Still, you played your part well in keeping him stalled long enough, so I'll keep you around for a bit longer."
"They're taking Fouquet!" Guiche shouted.
"Feather Shot!" Katie fired a gust of piercing wind from her wand at the figure. The magic hit dead on...but nothing happened. "W-What?"
"That attack did nothing?" Derflinger said startled.
"Kamishiro Ryoga!" The figure casually stood up with Fouquet and shouted. "Remember this! Hope and despair are two sides of the same coin! The greater your hope becomes, the deeper your despair will be! Someday, I will teach you that lesson personally!" The hood twisted to the fallen Duelist. "So stay alive until then! I won't accept anyone else killing you but me!"
The figure snapped its fingers and a bright flash of light appeared that blocked everyone's view. When the light died, the cloaked figure and Fouquet were gone.
"They disappeared!" Guiche exclaimed.
The scratching finally stopped for Ryoga, who panted heavily. "What...the fuck...was that about?" He muttered between breaths. "Gah!" He clutched at his side as the pain spiked up tremendously. It spread throughout his chest and back, making it difficult for him to breathe. Eventually his strength finally gave out and he slouched over, hitting the cold stone road with a thud.
"Sir Shark!"
"Partner, just hang in there! Partner!"
Ryoga could barely make out Katie and Derflinger's shouts. As his vision began to blacken, only one thing thought passed his mind.
"Louise…"
A hooded figure in a brown cloak lowered its head. "The Duel is over."
"I see," a boy with blonde hair said. His heterochromic eyes, the right blue and the left red, looked at the brown figure. "What was the result?"
"Well, seems our new friend is tougher than we thought. They managed to win."
The boy raised a brow at that. "Oh? They must be quite skilled if they were able to stand up against that kind of power."
"I'd say so," the cloaked figure agreed, sounding almost thrilled. "They were definitely strong, whoever they are. And their Duel Monsters are like nothing I've felt before. Hehe, it's actually got me pretty excited."
The boy chuckled. "As expected of you, Sensei."
"There's more," the figure continued. "The Duelist...they have a power like me."
The boy looked genuinely surprised. "Truly?"
"Yeah. I could feel their power clashing against their opponent's. I don't know exactly what it was, but it reminds me a lot of my own power. Almost scarily so."
"I see… How interesting..." The boy seemed to go into thought before speaking again. "Still, you said our enemies' power felt even stronger than usual, correct? Do you think things are getting worse in Halkeginia?"
The figure didn't reply. The lack of an answer was more of an answer than anything else. And that didn't spell out anything good.
"Troubling," the boy muttered and crossed his arms. "If Reconquista is gaining more strength, then his holiness will have to be informed, assuming he doesn't already know himself."
"I'm going," the cloaked figure said.
"Hmm?" The boy looked up.
"I'm heading back to Halkeginia."
"To inform his holiness? In that case let me grab our things and-"
"Wrong," the cloaked figure corrected. "I'm heading to Tristain."
The boy paused. "Sensei?"
"Reconquista has been making a lot more moves lately. They've put Albion in the middle of a civil war that may end up crossing to the other kingdoms. And this Duelist just had a fight in Tristain, meaning the enemy is aware of them and either wanting to eliminate them, or recruit them. No matter how it looks, something is about to happen, and I can't stand by when it does."
"His holiness won't approve."
"Has that stopped us before?" A new and third voice spoke up, this one sounding feminine but with a strange vibe to it.
The boy thought about it and sighed. "I suppose not. But that's expected of my sensei," he said with a bit of a laugh. His eyes then hardened. "Let me come with you."
"No," the figure said. "Like you said, Vittorio needs to be informed about this. If Reconquista is making a move on the newcomer, we'll need to figure out what their intent is. Plus, we still have to report about what we found with the elves."
"You're not wrong about that," the boy agreed. "Still, are you sure this isn't just an excuse to not speak with his holiness?"
The cloaked figure laughed sheepishly. "Well, you have an easier time chatting with him than I do."
"I'm simply better mannered," the boy boasted.
The figure smiled and turned away. "You take care of yourself till I return, okay? And make sure to feed Pharaoh for me."
The boy rolled his eyes but smiled. "We'll be fine. You just be careful yourself, Sensei. We can't have Romalia's 'Elemental Knight' dying on us."
The brown cloak nodded. From beneath the hood, a pair turquoise and orange lights shined. The cloak then fluttered as a pair of large dragon-like wings extended from underneath. With a mighty flap the wings soared the figure high into the air and flew them across a vast ocean of sand and heat.
"You alright?" A man with a ponytail and dressed in blue asked.
"Yeah, it's stopped," replied a woman dressed in pink and with long hair. They both looked at their right arms, where moments ago a burning sensation coursed through.
"That's been happening a lot more lately," the man remarked. "Any idea what it means?"
The woman shook her head. "I don't know, but…"
"But?"
"It felt different this time. Like there was an actual conflict somewhere between two incredible powers rather than just a warning."
"Yeah, I noticed that too. Think it might be that bastard again?"
"No. It didn't feel like him. It was...something else."
The man noted the woman's expression. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I'm worried," the woman muttered. "Things have been getting more dangerous around here. You remember that army we saw?"
The man gave a scowl. He remembered alright. The first time seeing the army had thrown him for a loop. Just the size alone was discomforting enough, but the atmosphere that emitted from the encampments and soldiers made him sick to his stomach, filled with nothing but maliciousness and greed.
"Sunny Pixie came back from scouting over there," the woman continued. "She said they're planning to attack Newcastle, where the rebels are bunkered in. They plan to wipe them out once and for all. If that happens, there won't be any resistance left. What will happen then?"
"I don't know," the man said, not having an answer for such a question.
The woman's hands clenched tightly. "I know we said we can't help them if it comes to that. Taking on an army is way too much compared to the scouts and small parties. But still…"
The man looked away and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, I don't like it either, but we're already doing what we can as it is."
"Is it enough though? The rebels are still struggling and Reconquista is still too strong to challenge directly. If they gain complete control of Albion then hiding will be a lot more difficult for us."
"Yeah, and Matilda-neesan still hasn't come back yet," the man said with a concerned tone.
"I'm scared," the woman admitted, wrapping her arms around herself. "How much longer will we be hunted? How long till this war ends? If Reconquista does win, what's to stop them from sending a larger force after us? What if they send one near Westwood? If we get discovered then-"
"Isn't that obvious?" The man interrupted, making the woman look at him confused. He just smirked and jabbed a thumb at himself. "If that happens, then I'll protect you! Just like always!"
The woman gaped, becoming momentarily dumbstruck. Her lips then moved into a gentle smile and she gave a tiny giggle.
"Of course. That's exactly the kind of answer I expect from you, Onii-chan."
The man smiled and pulled the woman into a hug, which she returned. The two stayed like that for a while, the rest of the world pushed aside in favor of comforting each other.
"I know things are scary right now," the man said softly, rubbing the woman's back. "There's no way of knowing what's gonna happen in the future. But haven't we learned that the future isn't set in stone? No matter what comes our way, we'll get through it together. Like we always have."
"I know…" The woman nuzzled into his shoulder. "Just promise me you won't leave me. Okay?"
"Heh, who do you think you're talking too? No way in hell I'm leaving you behind. I'm your hero after all."
The woman pulled back from the hug, a bit red-faced. "Geeze, you!" She slapped his shoulder, though there was no actual intent for harm behind it. The man just laughed and her smile grew even brighter.
"Feel better?" He asked.
"A little. Thanks."
"No prob. Now come on. Tiffa-chan is probably finished up with dinner by now. We should get back before she starts getting worried."
The woman rolled her eyes. "Always with your stomach," she muttered jokingly.
The duo walked over to the edge of a nearby forest and entered. Moving through the trees they reached an area with very thick bushes and shrubbery clustered together. The two reached into the pile and grabbed at something inside, and with a tug forward they pulled it out to reveal what appeared to be a pair of strange-looking two-wheeled machines. The one the man had matched his color of blue with some silver splashed in, while the woman's reflected her own pink mixed with white.
"If the army is near Newcastle then it'll be easier to cross the backroads," the man said as he sat on the machine and put on a round helmet with a vizor front.
The woman nodded and grabbed her own helmet. "Probably. Just make sure to-"
VROOM! VROOM!
A loud sound roared out from the man's machine as it suddenly moved through the forest with incredible speed.
"H-Hey!" The woman shouted surprised.
"Last one there has to do the dishes!" The man called back, already breaking through the forest edge and quickly gaining distance.
The woman huffed. "What was that about not leaving me behind?" She put on her helmet before mounting her machine. She then leaned down and grabbed at a set of handlebars.
VROOM! VROOM!
With a twist of the handlebars her machine made an equal roar and before racing off after the man with the same speed and momentum.
*You find yourself in a dark cave. You see no way out, no source of light save for the illumination of some stones. Before you, is a golden lamp that you find yourself drawn to. When you reach out and grab it, you find markings on the side that are blurry. You rub it to see what they say, but the lamp suddenly shakes and begins sparking rapidly. A blue smoke pours out from the tip which gathers into a large form...revealing…*
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH… OY! *I crack neck with a wince.* Ah...hah… TEN-THOUSAND YEAAAAAAAAARS…is a long time to write a chapter!
"Mrrow mrrow!" *Cat Shark appears and shakes head. "Mrrow mrrow!"
...It's been almost six months?
"Mrrow!"
...Ah...feels a lot longer when you're trapped in a Genie lamp...
Hi guys. Hope you're all doing well and having good lives. I'll keep this author's note short since it was a long chapter (again). I've been doing pretty well myself, aside from a bit of a tiny factor that pops up here and there. Which speaking of...
HAPPY FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MY STORY!
Four Years, wow it's been that long. I can hardly believe it myself. And to add to the celebration is this chapter!
THE FIRST DUEL IS DONE! FOUR YEARS AFTER MY STORY WAS WRITTEN!
(That should tell you something)
Let me say first of all, I didn't want this chapter to take as long as the last one to complete, but this chapter was giving me a lot of trouble. Not from the actual Duel since I knew how it would go, but just about everything else. It didn't help that my habit of fine tuning details and wanting things to be perfect got in the way, mixed in with a lot of delays happening from stuff in real. Honestly, I wanted to get this out during April or May in time for my Birthday, but no luck sadly.
Still, I am glad the Duel was written. It was very pressuring, but I had fun figuring out the moves and stuff, though I'll definitely need a better plan for the future on making them. I hope you all enjoyed how the Duel went. I know as I get more used to writing Duels and the stuff around them that I'll be easier and they'll be more exciting, so stay tuned for that.
Now then...MUSEUM TIME!
AUTHOR'S CARD MUSEUM (In the order they appear)
Stalganation Defensive Line
Permanent Trap Card
Each turn, the first time a Rock-Type monster you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, it is not destroyed. If you do not control a "Stalagnation" monster, destroy this card.
Eruption Draw
Normal Magic Card
Destroy 1 other face-up card you control, and if you do, draw 1 card. You can only activate 1 "Eruption Draw" per turn.
Stalagnation - Chalk Recorder
Rock/EARTH/Level 3/Effect
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1600
If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can target 1 face-up monster on the field; add 1 "Stalagnation" monster from your GY to your hand whose Level is equal to the Level or Rank of that target. If you control a monster with the highest Level/Rank on the field: You can discard 1 card; add 1 "Stalagnation" monster from your Deck to your hand. You can only use each effect of "Stalagnation - Chalk Recorder" once per turn.
Stalagnation - Sand Wyvern
Rock/EARTH/Level 4/Effect
ATK: 100
DEF: 2100
When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon this card from your hand, then if this card's Level is higher than the attacking monster's current Level/Rank, banish that attacking monster. If you control a monster with the highest Level/Rank on the field, this card is unaffected by Magic/Trap effects.
Code of the Thief: Unequivalent Exchange
Permanent Trap Card
If 2 or more monsters are on the field with the same Level/Rank, you can activate this card. Declare a number from 1 - 12; destroy all face-up monsters with the same Level/Rank as the declared number. If all monsters on the field are destroyed by this effect, including at least 1 on both player's field, each player draws cards equal to the declared number, then reveal the card(s) they drew. If both players show cards of the same type (Monster, Magic, or Trap): You can discard the same type of card; add 1 revealed card of the same type from your opponent's hand to your hand, then your opponent draws 1 card.
Necromancy Xyz
Normal Magic Card
Target 2 monsters in your opponent's GY; Special Summon those targets to their side of the field. Immediately after this effect resolves, your opponent must Xyz Summon 1 Xyz Monster using only those monsters.
Stalagnation Overlord - Beaumont, the Eternal Golem
Rock/EARTH/Level 10/Effect
ATK: 0
DEF: 4000
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. Must be Special Summoned by a card effect. When your opponent Special Summons a monster(s) from the Extra Deck (except during the Damage Step): You can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can only Special Summon "Stalagnation Overlord – Beaumont, the Eternal Golem" once per turn this way. Cannot be destroyed by battle. If you control a monster with the highest Level/Rank on the field, "Stalagnation" cards you control cannot be destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, if you control a "Stalagnation" monster with the highest Level/Rank on the field: You can choose a number from 1 to 12; negate the effects of all face-up monsters your opponent controls whose Level/Rank are of the declared number, and if you do, banish those monsters, also your opponent cannot use monsters whose Level/Rank are of the declared number as material for the Summon of an Extra Deck monster until the end of the next turn.
Stalagnation Empowerment
Permanent Magic Card
If you control a monster with the highest Level or Rank on the field, all "Stalagnation" monsters you control gain ATK equal to their Level/Rank x 300. If you do not control a "Stalagnation" monster, destroy this card.
Hierarchy Equilibrium
Permanent Magic Card
During the End Phase: Compare the total Level/Ranks of all monsters each player controls, then apply this effect based on whose turn it is.
Your turn: The player who controls the highest total Level/Ranks gains LP equal to the difference in total Level/Ranks x 100, and all monsters they control gain ATK equal to that amount of LP gained until the end of the next turn.
Opponent's turn: The player who controls the lowest total Level/Ranks takes damage equal to the difference in the total Level/Rank x 200.
You can only control 1 "Hierarchy Equilibrium."
You know, I can kind of understand now why those that work on the series make such over the top and crazy cards. They allow a lot more interesting duel ideas, when done correctly, and allow for ridiculousness. And I plan for more in the future so don't worry about that and how they'll happen. You'll see.
NOW FOR REVIEW TIME! (NOW WITH ITALICS AND UNDERLINE NAMES) *Smacks self again for not doing this SOONER!*
REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER!
duskrider: Haha, thank you. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
MAJORMATT1234: Like the name, firstly. Secondly, haha, yeah, it was a miracle to get it in on time. Sucks I wasn't able to for this one since I wanted it a month ago, but hey, it's here. Least next one won't have a Duel pressuring me, so should be faster to get out. Thank you for the support.
Frank Horrigan: And people wonder why I stay away from multiplayer games like that. Also, Fouquet has been brought down by Ryoga, so don't worry. On the other hand however, who was that figure who kidnapped her, hmmm?
Kamencolin: I KNEW YOU WERE A RIDER! And one from the future, huh? Say hi to Oma Zi-O for me! Also yeah, he had to earn it. First Duels in series aren't that easy, and he had it really bad since Fouquet's deck was designed to shut him down. If he had his Xyz from the start, this Duel would have turned completely different. Still, he showed why he's leader of the Barian World for a reason. As for the other types of summons...if you look carefully in this chapter, the hints are there. All I'll say on the matter.
Omega Porunga: Thank you for liking my cards so much. And yeah, I put a lot of time into this Duel so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Hope you enjoy this conclusion. Sorry for the wait.
Sai Hakusho: Firstly, according to my count, I have 202 reviews...so if my math is correct *puts on a game show host outfit and pulls you on stage* WE HAVE A WINNER FOR THE 200TH REVIEW! CONGRATULATIONS!
Now for what you said… *smiles* ...Thank you. I still struggled (hence how long it took) but what your review said to me made me really happy. I know some stories out there I love that NEVER update for over a year, or several, and are given up more than half the time. I swore I would never do that. The max I will ever go is 6 months, that's it! I will never quit on this story and continue to keep updating and adding new chapters. THAT I promise. Thank you for continuing to read and enjoy my story. It makes me glad to know someone from the start still supports me. I only hope to continue that work to keep the work flowing for you guys. Also read the story. Was really interesting and fun, especially since I like Spiderman.
Also….respect to the man. *bows head*
Guest: WISH GRANTED! Hahaha, thank you for the support!
Heroi Oscura: Thank you for saying that! It's always good to know when someone new loves my work. Also glad you love the Stalagnations. My friend also said that they're design and idea was really good and unique and he liked them. It's nice to know that's shared. And yeah, not many good rock archetypes. Some good supports, but they definitely need a boost. Though the new Xyz they got helps a lot. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well and stay tuned for more.
REVIEWS FROM OTHER CHAPTERS
Thestorm4: I never said anything. It could be anybody with a three headed dragon. But does that mean Kaiba is out of the running? Hmmmm...who can say? But keep your mind open to possibilities in the future. Also it's great granddaughter. You added an extra great in there, haha! 80 years, remember that.
And there we go. The chapter is done, time to roll onto the next one. Though with summer around the corner for work, who knows how long it'll take. But rest assured, I WILL NOT FAIL YOU!
Take care guys, and have a fantastic summer!
And again, HAPPY FOUR YEAR ANNIVERSARY!
TrueHeartKnight
*Preview shows Louise staring out at the sky on the deck of the ship*
Louise: "I had another dream last night. But it's strange. I feel like there was something about it I should remember. But I can't."
*Cat Shark meows as it flies around happily*
Louise: "I hope the others made it out okay. And Ryoga…"
*The ship lookout points ahead and screams something. A large mass of land through a thick white fog. Louise and Wardes look on in awe*
Louise: "No! Get it together Louise! We're almost at Albion. I should be focusing on completing the princess's mission."
*Cannons are then seen firing at something. A second ship approaches as a bunch of rowdy men board*
Louise: "Eh! What is this!? Pirates! What's going on!?"
*Louise is seen in a cell of some sort with Wardes and Cat Shark, the Xyz nibbling at the door bars fiercely*
NEXT TIME ON BARIAN OF THE VOID!
THE WHITE COUNTRY!
Louise: "Y-You are…!"
*A man with a dark black curly beard, an eyepatch on the left eye, and a thick beard is seen wearing a pirates outfit as he turns.*
