The time had come.
Within the pristine white halls of the recently repainted Main Building of Duel Academy, a most epic and final battle was about to occur! For it was there, inside that building's glorious arena, that the armies of light and dark would fate for the sake of the world...!
Outside, Konami stared at his teammates. Each and every one of them stood firm against the oppression of the Society. Each and every one of them were prepared to give their all to grasp victory.
"Let's go," he said, and together, they marched toward the fight.
Finally, the curtain on the fierce battle was about to rise...
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Tag Force
Learning to Shine
Chapter 35
The stadium was jam-packed. Rows upon rows of students and guests lined the seats, and not one of them was dressed in anything other than some variation of the Society's clean white uniform. It was sickening, if not a bit unnerving.
"Wow," Jaden whistled, hands resting behind his head casually as he peered toward the stage. "Talk about a crowd, huh?"
"They must be all the people who Sartorius got to join in on his after-school activities," Bastion explained. "In other words, each and every one of them will be cheering for the Society of Light...our opponents."
As if on cue, the stage lights flipped on, illuminating the stadium with brilliant rainbow colors. From the middle of the duel arena, a single figure suddenly appeared, garbed in what appeared to be the flashiest form of the Society uniform yet.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the figure exclaimed loudly as her podium rose higher and higher into the sky, "Are You Ready?! It's time for you all to cast your gaze towards your lovely MC for this Spectacular Spectacle of Spectacles - me, the Heartthrob Hottie of the Society of Light, Mindy-chan!"
The black-haired former Obelisk winked and kissed at the audience as the stage lights moved to illuminate her form, proudly displaying her and her frilly white costume in front of thousands. As the audience roared and cheered in approval at her presence, the girl twirled about before raising the mic back to her mouth while pointing a finger high into the sky.
"Alright everyone," she spoke energetically, "let's pray for the victory of our beloved Chancellor, and announce the arrival of the Society's Elite with a round of applause, O-KAY?~"
The crowd continued to cheer and shout, their eyes spiraling out of control as the doors to the right side of the arena began to rise.
"And now," Mindy cheered, "here they come! Our most powerful Duelists, accompanied by the great overseer of this arrangement! Everyone, give a huge shout out to Aster, Hassleberry, Alexis, Chazz, and of course, our Lord and Savior - Master Sartorius!"
"YEAH! CHAZZ IT UP! # $% YEAH, CHAZZ! LET'S GO ALEXIS! THE SOCIETY RULES! GO GET THOSE $%#&ers! YEAH!"
"Well, there's no doubt about it." Wisteria muttered, "We're definitely in the middle of enemy territory here."
"Getting scared?" Konami asked.
"O-Of course not!" Wisteria barked, "I was just pointing out the obvious!"
"Bro," Syrus whispered, "are you guys gonna be alright dueling with all this noise...?"
Jaden grinned. "I thought I'd be a little worried but...it looks like we're really gonna be in for it, huh guys? I'm gettin' fired up just thinking about it!"
"Try not to burn yourself out just yet," Bastion said with a smile, "Don't forget that I'm the one going first."
"Aww man, I totally forgot about that part!"
The noise continued on for another few minutes, and when it had finally died down, Mindy turned her gaze toward the left side of the arena, where Konami and the rest were set to appear. A snide and cruel expression crossed her face, one that hardly befitted her once bubbly and often dim-witted demeanor.
"Now," Mindy continued, clenching the microphone so hard that it looked like it might break, "let's say hello to those ignorant, waste-of-space rebels who would dare defy Master Sartorius' glorious organization!"
The doors to their side slowly began to grind open, and Mindy's voice rang throughout the halls loudly.
"Come on scumbags!" she shouted. "Get in here and feel the wrath of Mindy's honey cushions-I mean, the GLORIOUS SOCIETY OF LIGHT!"
"I suppose that's our cue," Bastion sighed. "Alright, let's get this over with. Forward! March!"
One by one, the five members of the resistance strolled into the arena amongst a sudden hurricane of trash and tomatoes.
"BOO! $#%$ YOU REBELS! CHAZZ IT UP, YOU BASTARDS! GET OUT OF HERE! NO ONE LOVES YOU! GLORY TO THE LIGHT!"
"Not very sportsmanlike, are they?" Jaden asked sheepishly.
"Well, to be fair, we are kind of what they see as everything wrong with the world." Syrus pointed out. "I'm almost glad that I'm not the one who's gonna be dueling up there. It'll be tough to concentrate..."
Ignoring them, Konami strolled to the centerpiece and stared at Sartorius.
"Well, here we are." He said, "One way or another, things will be ending here today."
"Indeed," Sartorius chuckled. "I look forward to watching your team flail about as my chosen Duelists strike them down piece by piece. And once you have all fallen to the light, I will take immense satisfaction at watching you pass those keys to me...of your very own accord."
Konami chuckled lightly, "It's nice to have dreams...but you should be careful not to mix them up with reality. Something bad might happen."
Sartorius smiled, "I suppose we'll have to leave it up to the cards then. Good luck today. Against my forces, you'll certainly need it."
The two parted then; Konami returning to his teammates while Sartorius took to the podium beside Mindy. It was almost time to begin.
"Okie Dokie!" Mindy chirped after speaking with Sartorius for a moment, "Now that the stage is set and the competitors have arrived, it's time to get this show on the road! Without further ado, let us discuss amongst the teams how many Life Points will be used in this ultimate survival match! There are four Duelists on each team, so the maximum limit is 32000!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Chazz grunted. "I don't plan on being here all day."
"Neither do I," Bastion agreed. "Let's keep it short and simple. 8000 work for you?"
Chazz's grin grew sinister. "Well, won't that be interesting? Alright scum, we'll play it your way. 8000 it is!"
"A-Amazing!" Mindy cheered, "Answering that disgusting slacker's demands, the great Chazz has agreed to a mere 8000 Life Point Duel! That means each of the four Duelists will only have 2000 Life Points to use! Looks like the Society's absolute victory is closer than ever folks!"
"Closer than ever they say," Wisteria scoffed. "It seems they've forgotten that I'm here."
"Oh please," Alexis replied from across from them, "someone like you won't even be able to put a scratch on our Life Points."
"Don't waste your words on those losers, babe!" Chazz barked. "Save the trash talk for the Duel, yeah?"
"Right, my mistake." Alexis agreed.
"Now that the Point Totals have been decided," Mindy continued, ignorant to the conversations occurring beneath her, "it's time for the two teams to decide which Duelists will compete first!"
"Hah! Isn't that obvious?" Chazz asked, gesturing over his shoulder to the silver-haired Pro. "We'll be sending out Aster, naturally."
"Then likewise, I shall be the one...to kick things off!" Bastion declared dramatically.
Mindy guffawed. So did the crowd.
"BWAHAHAHAHA! You hear that, everyone? This loser thinks he has what it takes to go up against a Pro. Well, if it's what he wants, who are we to disagree? Guess this puts the Society one step closer to absolute victory!"
"Aster," Sartorius told his student. "Don't hold back."
"Yes," the Pro said as he raised his head to stare at the man. His eyes were empty. "Master Sartorius!"
Having watched their exchange, Bastion stepped forward into the arena. "Feel free to strike as hard as you'd like," he told the approaching Aster. "I won't be holding back either! It's time to see which of us would have won our prior engagement, had Jaden not shown up to save the day!"
"Don't care," Aster said dully while raising his Duel Disk, "I'll defeat you...for the Light!"
Bastion's eyes narrowed.
"DUEL!"
BASTION VS ASTER
BASTION - 2000 LP
ASTER - 2000 LP
"As the guest in this fine establishment, I feel it's only fair that I go first!" Bastion exclaimed, "That means...it's my draw! Hah!"
Quickly pulling a hand and a sixth card from his shuffled deck, Bastion began his turn.
TURN ONE - BASTION - 2000 LP - SIX CARDS
"Whoa, did everyone see that? That lowsy loser just stole the first turn from our precious Asterkins! Way uncool!"
Bastion shrugged, "You can say whatever you want, but we'll see how you all really feel once I win this Duel! Now, where was I? Oh, yes. I was about to activate my Spell Card - Shien's Smoke Signal! This card allows me to add one Level Three or lower "Six Samurai" monster from my deck to my hand. The monster I'm choosing to add is the Elder of the Six Samurai!" Unclipping his deck, Bastion quickly grabbed and revealed the chosen card before adding it to his hand. Once done, he returned the deck to his Duel Disk, and watched as the machine automatically reshuffled his cards.
"Next," Bastion continued, "I'll activate another search card, and this one you might be familiar with! I play Reinforcement of the Army, which allows me to add a Level Four or lower Warrior-Type monster to my hand. This time, however, I'll be claiming one of the Six Samurai themselves, Zanji!" Once again, he revealed the chosen card. This time, however, he did not bother adding it to the rest of the pile that made up his hand. And that was because...
"I'll be Normal Summoning him now," Bastion said. "Come forth, Zanji!"
A golden burst of light erupted from the field as Bastion placed his monster onto the center Monster Zone of his Duel Disk. As the light dimmed, an ancient warrior clad in golden armor stood tall, armed with a glowing naginata that threatened to cut down all of his foes.
The Six Samurai, Zanji - LV4 - LIGHT - Warrior - (1800/1300)
"And don't think I'm ending things there," Bastion continued, "because with one 'Six Samurai' on the field, I'm allowed to Special Summon this guy, the mighty Grandmaster...of the Six Samurai!"
He placed a second card onto the Monster Zone adjacent to Zanji's square, and smiled as a second burst of light leapt from the field. When it dimmed, an elderly figure was in its place, seated cross-legged as he stared holes into Aster's form.
Grandmaster of the Six Samurai - LV5 - EARTH - Warrior - (2100/800)
"I'll set one card face-down...and end my Turn."
"My move then," the dead-eyed Aster replied drowsily. "Draw."
TURN TWO - ASTER - 2000 LP - SIX CARDS
"I summon Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude in Attack Position," Aster said, placing his own monster face-up on his Duel Disk. Shining jewels burst from the field floor as he did so, erupting as a green-caped figure leapt out from within.
Diamond Dude - LV4 - DARK - Warrior - (1400/1600)
"Effect activation," Aster said.
"Ah!" Mindy shouted from the sidelines, "Amazing! Are we already going to see Diamond Dude's fabled ability?! Once per turn, he lets his owner reveal the top card of his deck, and if it's a Normal Spell Card, then on Aster's next turn, he can use that card's effect...even though it's in the Graveyard! Go, Go! What sort of amazing Spell Card will Aster draw?!"
The top card of Aster's deck flipped upward to reveal...!
The Trap Card, D - Time.
"W-What?! Impossible! It must be a fluke!" Mindy shrieked. "Grr...! You got lucky this time, Slacker Scum!"
"Effect failure," Aster drawled. He grabbed a second card from his hand and slid it into his Duel Disk. "I set one card. Turn end."
"Man, he's not even annoyed," Syrus noticed from the sidelines. "He must've been forced to drink tons of Sartorius' Propaganda Punch...or are we calling it Brainwashing Booze?"
"To be honest, kinda like the latter." Konami murmured.
Syrus frowned at him. "Propaganda Punch it is, then."
Konami sighed.
Back with the active Duelists, Bastion had just drawn a card to start his turn.
TURN THREE - BASTION - 2000 LP - FOUR CARDS
'No new monsters this time?' he thought, staring at a second copy of Shien's Smoke Signal. 'In that case...'
"I proceed to the Battle Phase, and attack your Diamond Dude with Zanji!"
The golden warrior grinned upon being commanded, and leapt across the field to deliver a lethal blow to his shimmering opponent-!
"Effect Activation," Aster interrupted at the last moment. "Destiny HERO - Blade Master! During your Battle Phase, I can discard him to increase the Attack of all 'Destiny HERO' monsters I control by 800 points until the End Phase."
"What did you just say?!" Bastion gasped.
Diamond Dude roared as he received a sudden influx of power, boosting his abilities beyond that of a mere Zanji.
Diamond Dude - LV4 - DARK - Warrior - (2200/1600)
With his stats changed, he was more than capable of deflecting Zanji's naginata thrust, before countering with a powerful right hook to the face!
"Gwuak-!" Bastion coughed, wincing as if he felt the blow himself.
BASTION - 1600 LP
ASTER - 2000 LP
"Ha! Take that, you damn slacker!" Mindy roared from the sidelines. "First blood goes to us, the GLORIOUS SOCIETY!"
"T-That may be, but my Zanji won't be leaving the field alone!" Bastion replied. "When he attacks while I control another monster with 'Six Samurai' in its name, regardless of whether or not he's bested in battle, the monster he battles is also destroyed!"
Diamond Dude coughed as he suddenly downward to find that despite deflecting the initial blow, Zanji's naginata still managed to land a lethal hit. The two slumped to the floor lifelessly, before vanishing into golden shards that scattered across the field.
"And now, your wide open for a direct attack!" Bastion declared. "Grandmaster, take him out so I can move on to the second Duelist! Bladestorm!"
The seated elderly figure began to growl dangerously, and his eyes gleamed with the light of an endless fire as he suddenly unsheathed the blade seated beside him. Not even rising from his position, he swung thousands of lethal strikes into the air, creating powerful aftershocks that rippled across the arena toward Aster's defenseless body!
"I activate a Trap," Aster said. "D - Fortune. When you declare a direct attack, I can banish a Destiny HERO from my Graveyard and end the Battle Phase." He did so, sending his destroyed Diamond Dude to the different dimension just as the Grandmaster's attack was about to reach him. In an instant, the powerful aftershocks vanished, leaving no trace to show they were once there.
"Tch," Bastion frowned. "So you managed to escape."
"I wouldn't be much of a Pro," Aster drawled, "if something like that...would beat me."
"Whoooooa! Well said, Asterkins!" Mindy cheered. "Everyone, you see that?! That's the work of a true Pro in action! Not only did he damage that reckless neanderthal during that scum's own Battle Phase, but he managed to protect his own Life Points as well! Truly, he is a shining beacon to us all!"
"Hmph, you should save your cheers for when he actually beats me." Bastion muttered, "Of course, I have no intention of letting that happen. I'll end my Turn...and get back at you next time!"
"My move. Draw." Aster shouted.
TURN FOUR - ASTER - 2000 LP - FIVE CARDS
"I activate the Spell Card D - Mind," Aster said, revealing the card in his hand. "While I control no face-up Destiny HEROes, this allows me to Special Summon a Level Three or lower Destiny HERO from my deck." he skimmed through his cards, looking for the monster he wished to call forth. "I summon...Doom Lord, in Attack Position."
An thick aura of darkness swept across the field, dying everything black as a sinister-looking figure emerged from the shadows. Wrapped in a red cape, the black figure folded its arms across one another, and gazed upon Bastion's Grandmaster with its glowing red eyes.
Doom Lord - LV3 - DARK - Warrior - (600/800)
"Doom Lord's effect activates," Aster continued. "Once per turn, he can banish one monster you control at the cost of my Battle Phase. The target for his effect is your Grandmaster of the Six Samurai. He will return to your field during my second Standby Phase after this activation. Until then...Bye-Bye."
Bastion winced as his monster's image swirled and coiled unnaturally, until finally vanishing into what must have been some sort of miniature black hole.
"My Grandmaster...! But if he can't wage an attack this turn I still have the chance to make a comeback!"
"And yet, my turn is not yet finished." Aster replied. "I now utilize my Normal Summon. Come forth, Destiny HERO Defender...in Defense Position."
A large, rocky structure grew out from the ground as Aster placed the card onto his Duel Disk. It grew and grew until it looked as though the castle gates were present, and for a brief moment, Bastion almost forgot it was a monster he was looking at.
Destiny HERO Defender - LV4 - DARK - Warrior - (100/2700)
"Heh...so you're going to start playing defense now, are you?" Bastion asked. "No matter, but don't forget. Your Defender may have quick the defensive capabilities, but it comes at a cost! During each of my Standby Phases while he's face-up, I get to draw an extra card from my Deck."
"You can have it. It won't make a difference in the long run." Aster explained. "I end my turn."
"I suppose that means it's back to me then," Bastion mused. "Very well. I draw!"
TURN FIVE - BASTION - 1600 LP - FIVE CARDS
"And now, thanks to your Defender's effect, I get to draw again!" Bastion said, grabbing another card from the top of his deck.
TURN FIVE - BASTION - 1600 LP - SIX CARDS
"Now then, I'm sure you recall the monster I added to my hand on my first turn?" Bastion asked. "If not, you're about to get a reminder, because when you control a monster while I don't, I can use his special ability! Special Summon! Appear, Elder of the Six Samurai!"
An elderly man seated on the porch of what appeared to be a moving weapons shop appeared in a flash of light, coughing softly as he gazed out from beneath his red-eyed mask.
Elder of the Six Samurai - LV3 - EARTH - Warrior - (400/0)
"And now that I've got him on the field, I can use my Normal Summon to bring out my next solider," Bastion explained, "Come, Yariza! Show the world your might!"
A blue surge erupted from Bastion's side of the field, and yet another ancient warrior emerged from its depths, donning armor colored similarly to the explosion that birthed him in the first place. Clasped within his hands was yet another spear-like weapon, although unlike Zanji's, Yariza's glowed a soft and pale blue.
Yariza - LV3 - EARTH - Warrior - (1000/500)
Aster's eyes narrowed, "That monster...it's quite weak."
"No weaker than that Doom Lord of yours," Bastion replied, "and just like your Doom Lord, Yariza here has a special ability! When he's on the field with another Six Samurai like the Elder here, he can bypass your monsters complete to wage a direct attack!"
"What...?"
"You heard me, go Yariza!" Bastion shouted with a wave of his hand. "Let's cut into his Life Points! Attack!"
The blue warrior nodded obediently before launching himself high into the sky, even flying past Mindy, who had been spectating things from her podium above. Grasping his weapon with both hands, Yariza then began to descend back to the earth...toward the very spot on which Aster stood.
The bladed collision prompted a Solid Vision Explosion, sending numerous amounts of hard light debris flying across the arena. Aster cried out in pain as his body was sent rocketing backward as a result, and his pristine white uniform was dirtied as he crashed upon the ground with a loud thud.
BASTION - 1600 LP
ASTER - 1000 LP
"How's that?" Bastion asked, lowering his Duel Disk as Yariza returned to his side. "Still think I'm not up to the challenge?"
"O-Omigod! Aster, are you okay? Tell me that rebel didn't hurt you! Aster? Aster! ASTERRRRRRRRRRRRR!"
"Urk," Aster grunted, scowling as he leaned upward and dusted off his sleeve. He glared at Bastion fiercely, then slowly crawled back to his feet before raising his Duel Disk anew.
"You'll pay...for that." Aster hissed, some emotion leaking into his voice for the first time. "You'll pay dearly."
"Big words...for a puppet," Bastion shot back.
Aster's eyes narrowed even further.
"I'm proud...of what I am; of what Master Sartorius has made me." Aster spat. "And I won't...allow you to spit on his accomplishments! Draw!" WIthout even waiting for Bastion to announce his End Phase, the silver-haired Pro drew his next card.
TURN SIX - ASTER - 1000 LP - FOUR CARDS
His eyes widened upon realizing what card he drew.
'Uh oh,' Konami thought from the sidelines, 'that can't be good.'
How right he was.
"I summon Captain Tenacious in Attack Mode!" Aster shouted, voice fluctuating in and out of dronespeak as he made his move. A wild, barbarian-looking warrior emerged upon card placement, and roared angrily as he moved to stand beside his two fellow Destiny HEROES.
Captain Tenacious - LV3 - DARK - Warrior - (800/800)
"Don't tell me that's your big move?" Bastion asked. "After all my studying, I know your Destiny HEROes like the back of my hand. Captain Tenacious is useless on the current field!"
"You're right," Aster agreed, "but then...Captain Tenacious isn't the goal. He is merely...the means!" Swiftly, Aster slammed his drawn card down upon his Duel Disk. In an instant, all three of his Destiny HEROes were washed away. Lightning and fire rained down upon the field. And then...black wings spread across the stadium.
It was as if darkness itself had been compressed into a single being. Gleaming white blades stretched down out of the warrior's armored forearms. Bone spikes and tendrils trailed down its body, trimming its pitch-black armor with all things wicked. A pair of chains sat coiled around its neck, as if reminders of a torturous past. And on its helmet...were a pair of demonic horns.
"I intended to save this for Jaden," Aster mused, "but you've angered me to bring it out. Behold, Yellow. The might of my ace monster, the deadliest Destiny HERO - DOGMA!"
Destiny HERO DOGMA - LV8 - DARK - Warrior - (3400/2400)
"Now Dogma," Aster growled, "attack!"
And as the resistance began to pale, no doubt realizing Bastion's defenselessness, Sartorius smiled.
'Finally,' he thought as the winged warrior began his descent, 'the true Duel has begun.'
CHAPTER 35
END
Will Bastion be able to escape Dogma's attack, or is the end of the line for the resistance's starting Duelist? There's only one way to find out! Tune in next time, on DRAGON BALL Z!
...wait, did I do that wrong?