"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.'
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Tag Force
Learning to Shine
Chapter 36
"Now Dogma," Aster growled, "attack!"
The dark warrior roared as his wings spread outward, bolstering his ability to fly as he raised his two bladed arms in a cross X-fashion. The sound of his voice sent tremors throughout the arena, and then, after the briefest of pauses in noise and movement, Dogma charged. He was swift, cutting through the air in an instant as he headed toward Yariza, intending to wipe out the rest of Bastion's Life Points by destroying the blue spearman.
Unfortunately for the winged hero, Bastion was prepared for such an event.
"Don't think I'll let you take me down so easily," he shouted, reaching into his hand revealing one of his four cards. "I activate the effect of Sphere Kuriboh! This perfectly designed Fiend will halt your Destiny Hero - Dogma in his tracks by forcing him into Defense Position!"
Just seconds before Dogma's attack would have cut Yariza to bits, a flash of light appeared between them, prying the pair apart to give way to the round, mechanical fiend. Dogma grunted and glared at the newcomer, but a fierce look from Sphere Kuriboh struck fear into the hero's heart, and he knelt down to assume a defensive stance hurriedly.
"Tch...!" Aster grimaced.
"Whoa, way to go Bastion!" Jaden cheered from the sidelines as the Sphere Kuriboh vanished into the Graveyard, "I had no idea that you had one of those fuzzy little guys too!"
"Yes, well...you could say that my deck is full of all kinds of little surprises that I prepared just for this occassion," Bastion explained.
"Not that they'll do you any good," Aster interrupted. "That sphereball may have saved you from my Dogma getting at your Life Points, but that doesn't mean that your monster is safe."
"What'd you say?" Bastion asked.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Aster said, reaching for a card in his hand, "...I'm activating a Spell Card!"
Smiling, Aster revealed the drawn card in his hand. A familiar-looking lightning bolt stared back at Bastion.
"What! But that card is-!"
"Lightning Vortex," Aster said. "In other words, by discarding one card from my hand, I can get rid of all the face-up monsters you have on your side of the field. Think of it as wiping the board clean, only in this case, the board is symbolic of your chances of winning."
Without waiting for a response, Aster slid the card into the back of his Duel Disk, giving birth to a dark cloud that rolled across the ceiling of the stadium. Bolts of stray lightning crackled and flared around the room, until finally, a single precise bolt fell upon the field, and landed directly onto Bastion's Monster Zones.
Yariza and the Elder both cried out as their bodies were fried to a crisp, shattering Bastion's defenses and putting him right back to square one.
"Whoa-ho!" Mindy roared from her podium, "Now THAT'S the kind of card we'd expect from a Pro Duelist! Even though his attack didn't get through, Aster still managed to come back and wipe this loser's field clean! It looks like it's only a matter of time until those slackers of the red dorm will be down a member, and we'll be one step closer to ruling this world! Wahahahahahahahaha!"
"Geh, she says that, but if it were me up there that loser would already be beat! " Chazz barked from the other side of the arena, "Oi, Aster! How long do you plan on taking to finish this guy off, huh? You're starting to make us look bad, slumming around in the mud with a Ra of all things!"
"You needn't worry," Sartorius intruded, assuring Chazz with his soft but firm words. "Things are still proceeding just as planned. After all, no matter what young Bastion does, it won't matter once Dogma's ability activates, yes?"
The Society Duelists seemed to share a chuckle at that, which only served to draw Bastion's interest.
"His special ability?" he inquired. "Just what are you talking about over there?"
"Oh, don't you worry." Aster answered in reply, "You'll be finding out soon enough. I'll lay one card face-down, and end my turn."
"H-Huh? That's it?! W-Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since the Battle Phase already ended," Mindy murmured, "but it seems like that loser still managed to get past Aster's amazing turn alive! Everyone give him a great big boo for me, OK~?"
Bastion sighed as the audience happily obeyed Mindy's request, but ignored the noise in favor of staring down Aster's latest summon.
'It cost him three tributes, so it must have quite the ability.' He thought, 'And on top of that, there's that overwhelming 3400 Attack Points... Rgh, how annoying! I thought I was set with Sphere Kuriboh protecting both Yariza and my Life Points, but I wasn't expecting Aster to have a card like Lightning Vortex lying in wait. Now I've not only lost my chance at a swift victory, but my means to possibly destroy that overgrown monster of his as well!'
He glared at the kneeling Dogma, taking note of its high, but manageable number of Defense Points.
'A mere 2400...The Great Shogun Shien would've been able to handle him, but without two monsters on the field...!' Quickly, Bastion glanced at the cards in his hand, then turned his gaze down toward his deck. 'Perhaps there is still a way!' he thought, reaching out for the cards. 'I'll overcome that monster and win this Duel!'
"My Turn. Draw!"
TURN SEVEN - BASTION - 1600 LP - FOUR CARDS
Bastion glanced at his draw, and his eyes widened victoriously. "I've got it!"
"And I've got you!" Aster shouted, intruding upon on what Bastion thought was his moment. "I activate Dogma's special effect!"
"What?!" Bastion shouted, completely caught off guard.
"Much like the flow of time cannot be stopped, so too shall your defeat come to pass. This inevitably is demonstrated through the power of the strongest Destiny HERO, Dogma! Prepare yourself...for his Life Absolute!"
The moment the words were said, Bastion knew it was too late. Dogma had long vanished, disappearing entirely from view despite Bastion's best efforts to locate him. Then, just as Bastion thought to ask Aster what nonsense he was getting up to - it happened.
"Bastion, look out!" Syrus shouted.
The warning came too late. Before Bastion could even turn to look, one of Dogma's bladed arms speared him right through the chest, and painfully lifted him off the ground.
"Gwuaaaaaghk?!" Bastion coughed. "Hrgk?"
It was Solid Vision, of course. But while it was true that the objects created could not kill the studious Duelist, they were more than capable of producing great pain. With a nonchalant wave, Dogma lifted poor Bastion high above his head, then swung the boy down back toward the floor. Bastion's body crashed against the arena steel, and he let out another cough before grasping at his chest in pain.
BASTION - 800 LP
ASTER - 1000 LP
"What - What just happened?!" Bastion exclaimed. "My Life Points, they've been-!"
"Halved, yes." Aster explained. "Such is the ability of my Dogma. You see, when he's still face-up on the field during your first Standby Phase after I've summoned him, he gets to cut your remaining LIfe Points in half. It's a one-and-done ability, sure, but you can't deny that it has its perks."
"Ngh...it would see so," Bastion grunted, struggling to crawl back to his feet. "But that doesn't mean I'm just going to roll over and give up! I still have 800 Life Points left, and that's all I'll need to defeat you...and that Dogma of yours!"
"Is that so?" Aster asked. "Forgive me if I'm a little skeptic."
Bastion chuckled weakly, "I think I may have preferred you more when you were still talking like a drone. No matter, my expert plan begins here, and it all starts with this - my second copy of Shien's Smoke Signal!"
"That card again?" Aster asked.
"Same card," Bastion said while searching through his deck, "different result. You see, this time I won't be adding just any old 'Six Samurai' to my hand. I'll be adding a Legendary Six Samurai - the level three Kageki! Of course, he won't be there for long, because I'm bringing him on out to say hello!"
A golden sphere of light erupted as Bastion placed the card on his Duel Disk. Slowly, the sphere parted to reveal a dual-sword-wielding warrior, armed to the teeth for combat.
LSS Kageki - LV3 - WIND - Warrior - (200/2000)
"He might have some Defense Points," Aster pointed out, "but it's nowhere near enough to protect him against my Dogma!"
Bastion smiled, "You're right, it isn't. But then, it wasn't his defensive capabilities that I was after. It was his effect!"
"His...effect?"
"You see, when the Legendary Kageki is Normal Summoned, I'm allowed to Special Summon a Level Four or lower Six Samurai monster from my hand. And unfortunately for you, I have just the one in mind! Appear now, Kagemusha!"
In seconds, a green-clothed warrior appeared. Much like the other Six Samurai monsters Bastion had summoned, a firm spear was clad inside the warrior's hands, granting him both reach and techniques unavailable to those who chose to live by the path of the sword. Glowing green lines trailed down his hard brown armor, and long red hair stretched out from beneath his helmet, flowing all the way down to his back.
Kagemusha of the Six Samurai - LV2 - EARTH - Warrior - (400/1800)
"Uh, Bastion, are you feeling alright?" Syrus asked from the sidelines. "In case you haven't noticed, that monster only has 400 Attack Points!"
"I'm well aware," Bastion replied, turning for a moment to regard Syrus and his teammates, "but much like Kageki, I'm not after his Attack or Defense Points. What I intend to use is his unique ability; an ability that only one other person in this room can claim to have used on a regular basis."
"What are you talkin' about?" Aster asked.
Bastion smiled softly. "You see, you wouldn't realize it just by looking at him, but Kagemusha here...is a Tuner Monster!"
"What?!" Konami shouted from the sidelines, surprised. "But then that means-!"
"-You're going to Synchro Summon?" Alexis asked from the other team's side. "Impossible! How did a loser like you get his hands on the ability to do that?!"
"Let's just that a little birdie sought to help this 'loser' out once they realized how far the Society would go to reach its goals." Bastion replied. He turned back to Konami, "You aren't the only one with this technique anymore. I'll show you what a Misawa is capable of, by tuning my Level Three Kageki with my Level Two Kagemusha!"
He raised his hand to the sky then, and his two monsters leapt into the air, transforming into three balls of light surrounded by two swirling sigils.
"I am a regular player and won't use ridiculous summon chants! Synchro Summon! Appear before us now, Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En!"
The sound of furious gunfire announced the warlord's arrival, accompanied by a swift and awesome explosion that erupted from the very space in which he would appear. Clouds of fire and smoke clouded the arena, but then, a single blade cut through the ashes-!
It was him, the warlord of legend, donned in all of his glorious red armor from head to toe. A pair of bat-like wings protruded from the back of the steel plating, and behind them, the great glowing sigil of the Shi En army gleamed dangerously.
Legendary Six Samurai Shi En - LV5 - DARK - Warrior/Synchro - (2500/1400)
"I don't believe it," Konami breathed. "Bastion...he really did it... He's Synchro Summoned!"
"Synchro Summon?" Aster shouted. "Impossible! I've never seen a summoning mechanic like that before, and I'm a Pro!"
"Well, there's a first time for everything," Bastion said. "And yours...will come at the expense of your Dogma! Go, Shi En! Use your power to destroy that overgrown bat! Strike him down with your Legendary Strike!"
Shi En's eyes gleamed at the command, and he quickly raised his glowing blade high above his head. In a flash, he vanished from view, reappearing directly in front of Destiny HERO Dogma so that he could land a vertical strike-!
"Not so fast," Aster roared. "Synchro Monster or not, I've got a Trap Card! D - Counter! When your monster declares an attack against a 'Destiny HERO' monster I control, I can activate this card to target the attacking monster, and destroy it!"
Dogma roared as the Aster's Trap flipped upward to reveal itself. In a hurry, he made to sidestep Shi En's falling sword, while raising his own bladed fist to counter!
However...!
"Don't think I'll let you destroy my ace so easily!" Bastion interrupted. "I activate Shi En's special effect - War Aura! Once per Turn, he can negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card, and destroy it! Sorry Aster, but it looks like your Dogma is D-D-D-Done!"
Shi En's blade shifted as Bastion spoke, shifting from a vertical strike to a horizontal swing. Unable to account for the sudden switch, the winged warrior of destiny could only cry out as Shi En's sword cleaved right through his gut, cutting him in half. The four Duelists of the Society could only watch in horror as the behemoth staggered backward, grumbling and gurgling in pain before finally falling apart, and vanishing into thin, golden dust particles.
"I-I don't believe it!" Mindy shouted in horror. "The enemy has actually managed to overcome that powerful monster, and in a single turn too! What does this mean? Don't tell me, that our Asterkins might actually LOSE this Duel?!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Aster shouted, fists clenching at the thought of being the first elimination. "There's no way I'd lose...not to someone like this!"
"Damn right!" Hassleberry howled. "Stop fooling around and end that twerp! You're representing all of the Society, and you dare let him get the better of you like that! Stop being so weak, $# %in' loser!"
"Still, to think someone like Bastion would be able to Synchro Summon..." Alexis murmured. "This could be bad."
Aster shut his eyes and grimaced. No matter how he looked at it, Alexis was right. He simply hadn't been prepared for such a monster to take to the field. All of their preparations had been around Bastion's Great Shogun, not some mysterious Synchro-counterpart!
"Aster," Sartorius' words broke through the Pro's thoughts, "don't let me down again."
"A-Ah, that's right," Aster breathed. "Sartorius is counting on me. Everyone is! I can't let myself fall here." He took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing the stress and tension he'd been feeling up until that moment. When he opened his eyes again, they were stoic and cold, just like they had been at the beginning of the Duel.
'Hm?' Bastion thought, 'He seems to have calmed down.'
"It's...my turn." Aster said, "Draw!"
TURN EIGHT - ASTER - 1000 LP - ONE CARD
"Hold it right there!" Bastion shouted. "Last time you may have gotten me, but this time, it's I who've got you!"
"What?" Aster asked, tensing.
"Hmhmhm," Bastion chuckled. "Do you think I've forgotten the effect of your Doom Guy? If I recall, you said that his effect would send my Grandmaster two turns into the future. And those two turns are finally up!" he turned his gaze to the sky, and bellowed out to his lost monster. "Return to me, Grandmaster of the Six Samurai! Your warlord awaits!"
For a moment, there was silence. Then, a blooming pillar of light descended upon the arena. Slowly, the aged warrior rose from the dust with sword in hand, ready to fight again.
Grandmaster of the Six Samurai - LV5 - EARTH - Warrior - (2100/800)
"Oh, so that's what you meant." Aster murmured. "And here I thought you were about to do something important."
"What was that?" Bastion asked. "I'll have you know that protecting my monsters and ensuring that effect resolve properly are very important! Once upon a time, you might have known that!"
"Whatever," Aster replied while glancing at his hand. "I...end my turn."
"What?!" Chazz barked. "You mean you can't do anything?! Bah! I knew it was a mistake to send you out first. If it was me, I would've beaten that slacker by now!"
Alexis, too, seemed rather disappointed. "It can't be helped. Hassleberry, you should prepare yourself. It looks like you'll be up in a few moments."
"I...I'm not quite sure I understand," Mindy said, "but it seems as though Aster has decided to skip his turn! Why, Asterkins? Why would you throw away your chance like that! Don't you...Don't you believe in the Light?!"
"Of couse I do," Aster barked, frightening the bubbly girl with his sharp tone, "however, no amount of believing can help if what you draw isn't what you need. It would seem...my destiny lies elsewhere. A true follower of Sartorius would understand that!"
"W-Well, if you say so." Mindy chirped, "Far be it for me to suggest I know better than one of the Society's Elites...even if it does seem like you'll be losing next turn. A-Anyway!" she continued, quickly regaining her demeanor while pointing at Bastion nastily, "Don't think this means you've won! Even if Aster falls here, there's still three other elites you'll have to get past! And with only 800 Life Points left, I doubt you'll last much longer!"
"You may be right," Bastion said, reaching for his deck. "But at the very least, I won't be the first to fall! It's my turn. I draw!"
TURN NINE - BASTION - 800 LP - THREE CARDS
"Great!" Syrus shouted, pumping his fist energetically. "Now all Bastion has to do is attack Aster directly and we've won!"
"Hmph, it would seem I was mistaken. Bastion does have what it takes to beat a Pro..." Wisteria said reluctantly, "...even if he had to take a page out of your book to do it."
'Bastion,' Konami thought. 'Since when did you know how to Synchro Summon...? Did one of 'them' teach you? Or was it...?' his thoughts trailed off, and he shook his head. 'No, now's not the time to think on this! Right now, I should be focusing on the Duel! It definitely looks like Bastion's got this one in the bag, but what's this uneasy feeling? It's like...something bad's about to happen.'
"Despite your HEROes and their ties to destiny," Bastion mused as he added the card to his hand, "it seems that you couldn't change your own. Don't worry, it's all over now. With this, the first victory of the resistance goes to me! Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En! Attack Aster directly, and free him of Sartorius' control! Go, Legendary Strike!"
Slowly, Shi En walked across the field. Each step was met with a trembling force, and as he grew closer to his target, so too did his dark and dangerous aura increase. It wasn't long until it had engulfed nearly the entire field, shrouding it in a pitch-black sphere that threatened to turn out the lights.
"Ew! Just look at that disgusting monster's sickliness!" Mindy screeched. "I think I might get sick just looking at it!"
Despite her words, however, the aura continued to grow. And as Shi En finally swung his blade, cutting right down into Aster's shoulder...
...the Pro smiled.
Jaden's eyes widened. "Bastion, look out!" he shouted, "He's got a hand trap!"
"What?!" Bastion exclaimed.
"Too late," Aster grinned, even as he fell backward from Shi En's attack. "I activate an effect! Come forth, Dynatag!"
Obeying its master's words, a towering wretch of a man materialized beneath Aster's falling form. It was a bulbous figure, pulsing and twisting as it glowed with all the force of an endless explosion. It caught Aster as he fell, grinning sinisterly even as he gazed down upon the Pro's battered figure.
"What?" Bastion asked. "What is that monster, and why haven't you taken any damage my attack?!"
"Heh..." Aster smiled weakly. "It's because...of his effect. When I'd take damage from a battle, I can discard this big guy from my hand to negate it. But...that's not the best part of all this."
Dynatag's grin grew wider as Aster continued to explain.
"You see," Aster muttered. "When I use this effect. Dynatag's second ability kicks in. That is to say...both you and I...take 1000 points of damage."
"What? But then that means-!"
"See you on the other side," Aster said. He gazed up into Dynatag's face, and grinned. "Do it."
Dynatag didn't need to be told twice. Smiling even in the face of death, the glowing warrior expanded to his heart's content, until finally - he exploded.
"It...It can't be...!" Bastion breathed. He glanced to his hand to see if there was anything he could do, but all that stared back at him were useless cards and effects. Hopeless, he closed his eyes, and let the blast take him.
'Everyone,' he thought. 'I'm sorry.'
He vanished, swallowed by fire and ash, and Aster?
Aster smiled.
BASTION - -200 LP
ASTER - 0 LP
Chapter 36
END
Next time, on Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force:
Though Aster's suicide attack laid waste to the field, the Duels are far from done! As Wisteria and Hassleberry stare each other down, the effects of the previous Duel leave our heroes with an overwhelming field advantage! But despite this, Hassleberry remains confident in his ability to win. And what's that about Life Points?! The battle continues, next time, on Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force - Learning to Shine!