Cipher 029: Instruments of Destruction
"Doctor, can you check up on this reading?" A nurse at the south city hospital handed the doctor of the coma ward a notepad. "What is it?" He was looking at a chart printout. "The EEG patterns of patient Serin. He had a spike not too long ago." She pointed at the room the readings had come from, Dakars room. "Ah. Even though he is in a deep coma, his brain was stimulated. If only briefly." The doctor said as he inspected the graph again. "So it seems. But I do not know what could have caused it." There were few stimuli in that room as far as the nurse knows. "There are a lot of things we do not understand here." The doctor lamented.
Ariels LP: 7500 Azars LP: 1450
Agent N's LP: 8000 Agent Ions LP: 8000
It was Ariels turn, she summoned a Spined Gillman(3/1700/0), adding 400 attackpoints to all her sea monsters. "I have a question." She did not declare an attack yet. "Why do you hunt the numbers?" She handed this question to Dusk and also the agents. "You say you are continuing my brothers work, and you are just doing your job. But do any of you really have an answer, a goal beyond that?" Though she was dueling against the agents, she could not trust her partner either. "To keep them out of the wrong hands, of course." Ion responded first. "How can you tell which are the wrong hands?" Azar fired back. "How can you? Good intentions don't compare to the agency's resources." Which Agent I just rebuffed. ".." Meanwhile Agent N did not even listen to any of this. "So it is like that." It did not tell Ariel much, just enough to see who she liked the least. "Gillman, attack the female Agent!" The merman released a spray of bubbles. Sadly one of N's many traps was enough to block the attack, as N activated a Draining Shield card to absorb the water and use the attackpoints to replenish her lifepoints.
Agent N''s LP: 9700
"Okay. If that is how you play it. I set a card and.." She activated two spell cards: Gold Sarcophagus and Swords of Freezing Light. The former allowed her to banish any card in her deck. "I banish Airorca." Two turns later she could add it to her hand. "And the Freezing Swords will keep us al at bay for a while." To hold them off in the mean time, she placed icy swords on the courtyard. No monsters could attack while this card was active. "I don't think that will work all too well." Ion alluded to the fact that his monster, Constellar Omega(4/2400/500), could make itself and other Constellars immune to spell cards.
Swords of Freezing Light, Continuous Spell
Monsters your opponent controls cannot declare an attack against other monsters or change battle positions. If you control no spell or trap cards, destroy this card.
Agent N's turn went by quickly. She activated her set trap, Jar of Greed, to draw one card. She moved Imperial Customs to her monster zone using the Senets Curse trap. And she placed the three cards from her hand down in her three open trap zones. "She is still not going to attack?" Azar could die from any hit right now, though at least the frozen swords would defend him where Ariels monsters could not.
"I activate the effect of Veil of Darkness. I can keep drawing this draw phase until I draw a card that is not a a dark monster. The picked up monsters will be discarded." Azar drew Steelswarm Longhorn, Damage Eater and a trap card, the former two were discarded through the veil. "And now I summon Evilswarm Ketos." He called out the corrupted Gishki merman(4/1750/1050). "I could attack N. But if I trigger her traps, Ketos could be destroyed." Azar did not want to risk losing a monster before its effect could be used. Especially not Ketos. "I tribute Ketos, to destroy a trap on the field!" He had to get rid of Vanity's Emptyness. "I destroy Imperial Customs!" And so he destroyed Imperial Customs. Not only did the Imperial trap no longer protect other continuous traps, but the Emptyness trap would destroy itself if a card had been sent to its controllers graveyard. Two traps were down. On the other hand, Ketos' sacrifice let Fatal Abacus do 500 points of damage to Azar. "I set two cards and end my turn." That was a small price to pay to unlock the ability to special summon.
Urizens LP: 950
"I gotta thank you removing that trap, Dusk." Ion sacrificed Constellar Sheratan to tribute summon the angelic Constellar Virgo(5/2300/1500). "I feel more liberated as well." Virgo could now use her ability to special summon a Constellar Zubeneschamali(5/2100/1400) from Ions hand. And the summoned Libra representative's effect let Ion claim a Constellar, Kaus in this case, from his deck. "Too bad about the other trap though." Fatal Abacus also punished him for Sheratans sacrifice. "Now there are things on my mind too, Miss Ariel. You said something about your brothers work. What does that mean?" He inquired while he detached an xyz material from Constellar Omega's. "It means that he was protecting the city from Numbers, long before you showed up!" Ariel countered him with words and with a counter trap. "I activate Oh F!sh! I return a banished sea monster to my deck, to negate and destroy your monster!" AirOrca's essence appeared, flying through the XYZ monster to stop Omega before it could make itself and other Constellars immune to her spell. "So he was not just a Number wielder, but a selfmade hunter eh." The destruction of Omega cost Ion another 500 lifepoints. "But I do not know how he got his Number." Ariel admitted.
Agent Ions LP: 7000
"Not important. The Numbers are.." Agent N gave her partner a stare that told him to do more dueling and less talking.
"Don't remind me. I XYZ-summon Pleiades." With a sigh, Ion overlayed Virgo and Zubeneschamali, and he brought out the sacred star warrior Pleiades(5/2500/1500). "When a XYZ monster is summoned, I can chain with XYZ-Effect." Ion flipped his trap. "To destroy one card." It shattered the Sword of Freezing Light. He then drew a card, as enabled by his spell; Constellar Star Chart. And as enabled by N's Appropriate trap card, she drew two cards. "Pleiades, return Spined Gillman to Ariels hand!" Once per turn the rank 5 Constellar could bounce a card on the field. "I've got this one." But before Pleaides could do so, Azar had it chained down. "Trap card: Fiendish Chain!" Azars trap prevented a monster from declaring attacks or activating its effects. "I must side with Ariel, as the current successor to Dakars task. I am the best choice for hunting the Numbers." Azar told the agents. "So you keep saying. But if that is the case. There will always be someone to take that torch he carried." Ion said with heavy emphasis and ended his turn.
"No." It was Ariels turn once again. "I do not know why he started doing it. But I know him better than anyone here. I can see him choosing Azar. but he would never choose any of you. We don't know you, do not know what you will do with the Numbers, do you?" She asked both agents. "We will keep them locked up, of course." Ions answer was the same he always gave. "Do you believe that? People can still get at them. It will not fix anything. And what about the victims, do you deal with those too?" And to this questions Ion also had just one answer. "I.." Silence. "That's what I thought... I revive Fishborg Launcher!" The robot carrying a fish in a bowl (1/600/100), the monster killed two turns ago, could special summon itself out of the grave, because only water monsters had been played by her. "When a sea monster is summoned, I can special summon Shark Stickers from my hand!" A suction-cup skinned shark(3/600/1000) surfaced alongide Fishborg Launcher. "And I activate the trap card: Fish Depth Charge! I sacrifice a fish, to destroy a card on the field!" Shark Stickers was blasted away by a jet of high pressure water, and it tore through Constellar Pleiades like a rocket. "Ugh."
Ariels LP: 7000 Agent Ions LP: 6500
Fish Depth Charge also permitted Ariel to draw from her deck. "I Tribute summon Sea Lancer!." Fishborg Launcher was sacrificed for the merman spearwielder(5/1700/1000). And because the Gillman was on the field, it too had gained a powerboost. "A Fishborg Launcher is banished when it leaves the field after being revived once already." She explained. Because of that Fatal Abacus did not burn her like it had done when Shark Stickers was destroyed. "And Sea Lancer can equip a banished sea monster to itself!" The Lancer took out the Fishborg, merging its essence with his trident to boost his(2700/1000) power. "You may mean well, Ion. But when you work with people like her." Sea Lancer closed in on Agent N. "The conclusion is that I just can't believe a thing you say!" The Lancers weapon stopped right in front of the girls face. "Feh." And it came no further, it fractured the sky in front of N. "What?" Azar saw the cracks run through the floor and the air, reaching Ariel. "Ah!" And Ariel took the damage that she had wanted to give to N.
Ariels LP: 4300
"A trap monster." N had activated The Stalking Gateway(4/1000/1300). "You. You keep hiding behind traps! What kind of way to duel is that!" Ariel did not realize what really was going on and ordered Gillman to attack as well. "Wait, Ariel!" Azar failed to warn her in time. Gillman stabbed the monster that lurked in the dimensional cracks to its death. But she still took the damage instead of N. "Gah? What was that?" She placed a trap and ended her turn. "A trap that is also a monster, Ariel." Azar noticed that she had no experience with such cards yet.
Ariels LP: 3600
She would get more experience sooner than she would have liked. N now flipped a second trap monster: The Hungering Pit Trap(6/0/0). "Damn." And Azar was disgusted to see this thing feed on a monster in his grave. The Steelswarm Longhorn he had discarded through the Veil of Darkness, was banished by this machine. And it(6/3000/0) gained the attackpoints of its meal. "!?" Then the trapmonster burrowed its way towards him. "Trap card: Infestation Ripples!" In the nick of time Azars second set card special summoned a monster to defend him. 500 lifepoints were paid to revive Steelswarm Caller(4/1700/0). "..." So Agent N went for after Spined Gillman instead. "I will not let you!" Ariel activated Poseidon Wave. "It negates your attack and does damage for each monster I control!" Waves washed over the courtyard, pushing the Pit Trap back. "Not so." But the water was then parted by chunks of rock, rocks controlled by another one of N's trap monsters which she summoned this battle phase. The Sleepless Tower(7/0/2700) negated her trap and the Hungering Pit Trap could devour Gillman without hindrance.
Ariels LP: 1800 Azars LP: 450
The Sleepless Tower, Continuous Trap
After activation, special summon this card; it is treated as an effect monster card (7/0/2700 Dark/Rock). (This card is also still treated as a Trap card.)
During the turn this card is summoned; when your opponent activates a spell or trap card, negate the activation of that card and destroy it.
You can not chain to this cards effects. You can not summon monster cards from your hand, deck or graveyard during the turn this card is summoned.
Between the battle damage and effect damage from the Abacus, Ariel was now just as close to defeat as Azar had been. "This has gone far enough." But once N had placed a trap down on her field, he could make his move. He could summon his Numbers. "You games end here, N!" He normal summoned a Steelswarm Gatekeeper(4/1500/1900) and through a lizards special effect, he special summoned a Kagetokage(4/1100/1500) after the first normal summon. "I XYZ-summon Number 16: Shock Master!" These two monsters, along with the Steelswarm Caller, were attached to each other and then to the ruler of all colors, Ions former masked angel(4/2300/1600). "I detach a material!" If he could seal all traps, the grey girl would be defenseless. The XYZ Territory field spell was still active, Shock Ruler would gain 800 attackpoints when it did battle with the Hungering Pit Trap, as it had 4 ranks.
"I can't let you do that!" But Ion discarded a monster from his hand. "Effect Veiler!" The spellcaster cast a veil over Number 16, denying it the use of its powers this turn. "No!" However as veil fell over his monster, bright images were reflected within. It was happening again.
...Ion and Azar were 'transported' to another world, their eyes enveloped be visions of light. The pair stood on the same spot, under the alternate night sky. "What is this?" This time they could hear each other. "Don't ask me. I thought this was your doing last time." Ion was not doing anything, neither was Azar. "If it's not us, what is? Are the Numbers themselves causing this?" As if on cue, the ten Number cards Azar held flew up into the sky. "Hey!" As did four more number cards in the distance. "Oh my stars." And on the horizon 86 more streaks of light shot upwards. "Are those all the Numbers? One hundred of them?" They all headed for the second moon, the one that existed only in this world. "They are coming together!" The 100 cards started to glow and fused into one. "Not just that!" And Ion saw the glow expand. "It is..magnificent!" Azar was astounded, he saw more colors than he knew existed. "No. This is not.." The light kept on coming, growing and growing until the earth itself was enveloped. "This is wrong!" And them as well...
"What happened?" Ariels voice snapped them back to reality. "I...do not know." Azar answered her. "Only ..we saw it? Why only us?" Ion was baffled, it appeared Ariel and Agent N had not witnessed the vision. "The Numbers want to tell us something, Ion. What I just saw is close to what Number 96 told me." Azar pushed on, and started his battle phase. "What they showed is is what they want; to return to their world!" Even if its effects were negated, Shock Master could still attack the Pit Trap. "But they do so, when they are all together. And now we have seen the consequences this togetherness. You know now I can not let you take them!" Multi-colored beams of energy headed Agent N's way, who waited until the last second. "Not relevant." Before she activated one of her traps: Magic Cylinder. "!" One Cylinder absorbed Color Masters attack and another would return it as effect damage. "Go ahead." Azar was not too concerned, as he had Damage Eater in his graveyard to negate the effect damage.
Except Damage Eater only negated damage done to him... "Wait..." N had opened her eyes, and she was not looking at him. "No, Ariel!" The second Cylinder angled itself towards the female student. "Wh..why?" And she was hit by Azars own energy. "Aaaah!" The blast sent her crashing across the grass. She was no longer conscious.
Ariels LP: 0
"Did you need to go that far?" Ion winced. Duels with Numbers had always been violent, but at least usually he felt the opponents had it coming. ".." N did not seem to care and walked over to the silenced girl. "Stay away from her!" Azar shouted. "Gah!" After which he nearly fell over himself. "What now?" His heart was beating erratically; a familiar pain had returned. "No, not this. Not here!" His Number, Shock Master, dissolved right before everyone's eyes. "What in the world?" Ion could not even detect it with his visor, the card on Azars disk had turned into a blank slate. "He lost control. A boring outcome." N clarified as she took the Number 25 from Ariels extra deck. "The Numbers are still there. Finish him off."
"..." And since Azar had no cards to use, the duel moved to the next turn, Ions Turn. "Quartermaster." But before he drew his card, Ion tapped his earpiece. "Agent I? Why are you calling me in mid-session?"
"Well, a question popped up in my head. What does happen if all Numbers are put together?" To his displeasure, the quartermaster did not give him an immediate response. That was always a bad sign. "Agent I. Have you been affected by another one of those visions?" As was getting an answer in the form of a counter-question. "I asked you first!" He growled. "It is not known." This time she answered directly, and vaguely at the same time. "You don't know. I have a hard time buying that." He entered his turn, special summoning a Cyber Dragon(5/2100/1600) from his hand, as he controlled no monsters while the other duelists did. "Of course..why did I even go along with this to begin with?" He also normal summoned Constellar Kaus(4/1800/700), who used its effect to raise its(5/1800/700) own level by 1 star. "Agent I, what are you suggesting?" The woman asked, as Ion used both monsters to xyz-summon his oldest xyz monster: Tiras the Keeper of Genesis(5/2600/1700). "That until you tell me what I want to know..." He entered his battle phase. "!?" Azar was defenseless, Tiras could kill him in one shot. "... I will not follow your orders!" However the angel Tiras(3600/1700) flew towards Agent N's Hungering Pit Trap instead, cutting it in half with his sword.
Agent N's LP: 9100
"This is..betrayal." Agent N watched her monster die. And she smiled. "Why?"
(To be Continued in Cipher 30: )
New Cards used by Azar Helder
Number 16: Shock Master
New Cards used by Ariel Serin
Shark Stickers
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Gold Sarcophagus
Swords of Freezing Light
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Oh F!sh
Poseidon Wave
New Cards used by Agent N
Draining Shield
The Sleepless Tower
Magic Cylinder
New Cards used by Agent I
Effect Veiler
Cyber Dragon
Tiras, Keeper of Genesis
