Chapter 33: Deus ex Machina
The area in the center of Heartland City illuminated once again with hundreds of bright lights coming from the buildings and attractions from the fairgrounds. The area was simply known as Heartland, and in the very center of Heartland was a giant tower with a heart on top higher than any of the buildings in Heartland City. The tower was believed to be the home of Mr. Heartland, though only the ground floor can be accessed by the public, and that was only during special occasions.
Heartland itself was known as a paradise due to the unlimited entertainment and happiness it holds. However, access to Heartland was mostly restricted due to a giant wall surrounding it, and a limited pass must be bought for those who live outside in Heartland City. The only exception was the poor people, as it was said that Heartland was founded so that they wouldn't have to suffer and instead live in happiness.
Gamemaker Canis Minor Psi chuckled sinisterly within Heartland Tower. Somewhere near the middle of the tower was a floor entirely taken up by the Gamemakers as requested by them. Security guards and robots still patrol the floor, though there was one room that was restricted to almost everyone. Almost no one knows what was on the other side of the door, but Psi was inside the room.
The room was dark and spacious with the only source of light sitting in front of the Gamemaker: a strange human-sized glass tube filled with liquid that was emitting an eerie green light. Something can be seen inside the device like a human imprisoned in some sort of alien base for study or experimentation.
"Heh…looks like the Ghoul's ready pretty soon," he muttered to himself, grinning.
At that moment, however, he heard the door opened. Psi's grin melted away as he sharply turned around. For a brief moment, his appearance suddenly changed. He no longer looked human, but instead looked like a pitch-black werewolf, its fangs bared-
"I see you're working on another "project"," the deep, gravelly voice of the hulking form that was Gamemaker Canis Major Chi spoke as he stepped into the room. In a blink of an eye, Psi turned back to normal as he scoffed.
"You're still up?" Psi asked. "Tomorrow's your "big day", you know."
"I know that," Chi muttered as he glanced at the large glass tube. "Are you trying to create another Ghoul despite not having the exact technology?"
"This'll do," Psi chuckled as he glanced at the thing inside the tube. "The fatass put up quite a fight, but I, of course, beat him in the end."
"But you still have Hound and Deep with you," Chi replied. "I am sure they are more capable of dealing with-"
"Ha! The Ghoul's not for hunting him down," Psi responded. "I think I'll be using him for a little fun…and to hunt a few Numbers."
"Don't go overboard. If they find out who we are, the mission will fail. Collecting Numbers is our least concern right now."
"They won't complain as long as we collect 'em. And speaking of which, that fatass I beaten has a Number!"
Psi walked towards a table with a deck box sitting on its surface. He opened it, searched through the cards until he pulled one out and tossed it at Chi, who caught it. Looking at the art, the Number was a rather large spaceship that was Rank 7. The Number was called…
'Number 42: Starship Galaxy Tomahawk. But…why does this seem familiar?'
"…Still, that guy was pretty nuts, going on and on about being the "1st Fleet Commander"." Psi yawned. "Well, I guess I'll take a break."
As Psi walked past him, Chi glanced at the Number Card one more time before throwing it back towards the table. He then looked at the thing in the glass tube before leaving as well.
'Tomorrow will be a busy day,' he thought as he pulled a card out from his pocket.
Arc Riddle was pummeling Daku
…Or at least almost pummeled him.
Daku heard the iron pipe coming down from behind before he had seen it. The boy in the black hood turned around and grabbed the pipe before it could hit him, but he was sure that the ground underneath his feet shook. He wouldn't be surprised that there were cracks forming as he stood there. After all, Riddle himself wasn't exactly a normal person.
Suddenly, Riddle loosened his grip on the pipe and Daku seized it as his own. He swung the pipe, but Riddle wasn't there anymore.
He felt the pipe shook a little and looked up.
Riddle was standing on the pipe with perfect balance.
"C'mon, you can do better than that," he laughed.
Daku swung the pipe again, but Riddle jumped off before he lost his footing. The hooded boy swung at the silver-haired boy again and again, but none of them made contact as Riddle kept dodging them all with increasingly daring maneuvers until…
Thump.
Riddle felt his back touch the wall. He was cornered.
He heard Daku yell and saw him running, but he grinned.
There was a crack, but it wasn't the sound of Riddle's ribs being pierced by the pipe.
It was the wall being pierced. Riddle was inches away from Daku's face as made a hand stand on the pipe. Daku tried to move, but suddenly felt his body shaking. Now that he thought about it, his arms were getting weak, and he noticed that the sky was gray and Riddle's feet were planted there…
…Gray as in concrete. The exact moment Daku realized it, gravity kicked in and the boy collapsed onto the ground.
Above him, the hooded boy heard Riddle laugh.
"Ha! Looks like I won."
"…Still, it's a shame that Rita wasn't there to see me trounce you. She would've gotten a kick out of that!"
Riddle laughed and Daku sighed before taking another bite of food. The two were at a restaurant and were one of the few that were left. They sat at a small table, with an empty seat next to Riddle. As the boy in the black hood bite into his piece of chicken, he noticed a pair of girls whispering and giggling to each other leaving. He had a bad feeling that they were talking about the two boys…
"Why am I even here?" Daku asked. "This isn't likely that you would invite me to have dinner with you and Rita. You would've have left me with Tamboly back at the hotel. Speaking of which, where is she?"
"She says that she has to do something before coming here," Riddle said, waving his fork around. He hadn't touched a single piece of food, instead waiting for Rita to show up before eating. "And that's where you come in."
"Eh?"
"I want to impress her, you know?" Riddle explained. "You've been all around Japan, right? If so, then you must know some good places for our wedding, and – "
"Riddle," Daku interrupted. "You know for the fact that I've been chased around Japan. Why would I take the time to enjoy the places I visit if I'm not staying there permanently?"
"Well, there's gotta be some places you know!"
"Well…fine, I suppose the Neonlight Forest is a good place. Then there's the Bell Spring near New Tokyo. But anyways, why Japan? Why not back at America, where she was born at? You know, err…"
"New York City," Riddle answered. "Maybe, but Rita says that she prefers staying in Japan."
"Hmph." Daku stared at his plate before stabbing into a large piece of meat.
"Speaking of Rita, what'd you think of her? You two never really talked to each other up until now."
"She's crazy, that's all I know."
"Really?" Riddle grinned. "I noticed that you're not even remotely attracted to her or any girls at all. You into guys?"
"If this wasn't a public area, I would flip this table at you right here, right now," Daku responded. "Besides, why do you care? Aren't you her boyfriend?"
"Just asking."
Daku sighed. "Simply don't see her anything special at all. I find her like any other girl. Then again, I'm not into what you call "romance"."
"Heh. Given the fact at where you lived in for most of your life, guess I can't blame you."
"…"
Daku stabbed another large piece of meat on his plate again, this time harder. When he lifted it, Riddle noticed a small crack forming.
"…We'll get them."
"…?"
Daku looked at Riddle. He still spoke in the same voice, but the tone changed into something much kinder rather than more sarcastic and cocky.
"Once we have a deal for a good cause, we won't turn our backs," he said. "We'll help you get those that caused your pain, no matter what."
Daku smirked. "Thanks," he said as he began reaching for his glass of water. "And I wish you and Rita a future happy wedding."
"Ha, I always knew you were a nice guy."
"Shut up."
Daku drank.
" - !?"
He felt something inside his mouth.
He spat out whatever it was – along with the water – out of his mouth and onto his plate.
The thing was a small bright blue jellyfish. Daku immediately glanced at the other tables and was glad to see that no one was around to see this.
"Huh, one of Rita's Jellypoppers," Riddle murmured. "What are you doing here, little guy?"
The jellyfish creature began floating in the air as it emitted several buzzing noises.
"I…see. Very well then," the silver-haired boy nodded. "It's probably best if you return back to her."
The jellyfish let out another buzz before diving into the water on Daku's plate.
"What a nasty surprise…" the boy in the black hood muttered. "What was it saying?"
"Eh, something about playing against a supposed unbeatable Shogi player and winning against him, but is in a heap of trouble," Riddle responded. "I swear, everyone's so serious about games nowadays. Remember that time I played poker with that yakuza and it ended with the Self Defense Force surrounding the entire building?"
"That was the most stupid thing I have ever seen," Daku said. "So, back to the point. Shouldn't we go after her?"
"Well, if the guy that's causing trouble for her, I'm sure she can handle him all by herself," Riddle responded as he stood up.
"Then why are you standing up?" Daku asked.
"We're going after her anyways," he said. "The fair noble knight will save his princess from the evil king."
"You're anything but fair and noble, but yeah. What about dinner, though?"
"Afraid we'll have to can this little date. It's a shame, too, since this restaurant will close down in an hour and a half. Doubt this issue will last before it closes."
"Well. This stinks."
Rita leaned against the metal wall of the warehouse and sighed. Despite the fact that she was kidnapped, the only thing that was on her mind was…
She was missing out on her date.
Despite how anyone else would react to a kidnapping, her reaction was much different. She was annoyed and disappointed. Normally, she would be able to get out of this situation easily, but…
Light escaped from the cracks of her bag, followed by a small rustle.
Rita expected it and opened the bag. The jellyfish-like creature that Riddle called Jellypopper flew out and faced the redheaded girl and began to buzz. To anyone else, they would just hear that. But for Riddle and Rita…
"Momma, momma," the jellyfish spoke in a child's voice. "Papa and Uncle Daku are coming."
Rita smiled as she patted it. "Alrighty then, sweetie," she said. "Momma's going to take care of things from here. You just go to bed, okay?"
And like a deflating balloon, the jellyfish shrunk in size as it flew back into the bag. Rita giggled and rummaged through it, pulling out a deck box a few seconds later. She opened it, and looked through all of them. Each monster was part of an Archetype: the Symphony Avatar.
The deck was a gift given to her by Riddle, but these cards were very special. Each "monster" in the deck contained a spirit that called her "Momma" and Riddle "Papa". While she knew the obvious, she considered them her "children", and when alone, treated them lovingly.
Rita closed her eyes as he held the deck close to her. She remembered her past.
She had met Riddle when she was a little girl, after she got lost in a subway. While she never met him before, her parents greeted him like an old friend and allowed him to stay in their grand home. Over the next several years, she always questioned herself to why Riddle's appearance remained the same as he was to this present day. But as a child, she was too shy to ask.
That changed after the sudden death of her parents.
Their deaths occurred several days before her birthday. Sick with grief and sadness, she locked herself in her room, crying every day. Both Riddle and her caretaker couldn't get her to leave.
Until the night of her twelfth birthday.
Despite the obvious dangers, Riddle climbed through the window of Rita's room and handed her a gift: her deck.
"C'mon," he whispered softly to the little girl. "Your mom and dad won't want to see their little princess being lonely and sad. You aren't alone in this world, because we're all connected together. So…smile, please…?"
The words that Riddle spoke were cryptic to her at that time. However, instead of sadness, she cried in joy.
And she hugged him.
But as Riddle was still hanging onto the window, the sudden weight knocked them both off of the window and into the night…
…That was when Rita found out who Riddle was.
But that memory of happiness disappeared with the sound of a loud BANG.
The two metal doors burst open and closed as quickly. Stomping inside was a man with wild black hair, but his face was covered in an oni mask. This was her kidnapper. In his hand was a suitcase.
"Alright, you little brat," the oni-masked man snarled as he slowly stomped toward her.
"Aw, c'mon, pal," Rita cheerfully spoke. "Kidnapping an innocent girl just because I beaten you in Shogi?"
"Shut up!" he barked as he threw the suitcase at the redhead. It missed her completely. "Now…I just want to ask you a few questions…how did you do it?"
"Did what?"
"Don't play dumb with me. Everyone knows that I'm the best Shogi player around here, and I've never lost a single match. But you…how?"
"I dunno. Why so serious? It's just a game."
"Just a game!? Ever since people heard of the "unbeatable Shogi player", they flocked like sheep to bet on my matches with others, just to see if the rumors are true. If word gets out that I've lost to a brat like you…"
"Don't know about you, but I think you should take a chill pill," Rita interrupted. "Speaking of which, it's your fault for agreeing to our match. After all, didn't the sign in front of your house say that you were accepting anymore matches for tonight?"
"Tch…"
The oni-masked man growled. "I made an exception for you. Who knew that this pretty young lady is a cheater and a brat? You don't get the seriousness of what's going to happen to you, don't you? Well…allow me to get your head straight!"
And without warning, he rushed at her, hands stretched out reaching -
Everything exploded…or at least half of the warehouse.
The oni-masked man gave a shout of panic as the two giant doors were demolished, followed by the walls that were swallowed up by the inferno.
Just when he thought the flames would engulf him, they quickly disappeared, though not before reducing half of the warehouse to ash and melted slag.
Standing in front of where what used to be the two doors were two boys, one whose face was hidden in a black hood, and the other a spiky silver-haired boy wearing a dark brown trench coat. Strapped to his arm was a Duel Disk, but it was nothing like the man had ever seen before. Instead of being box-shaped like other of the Heartland made Duel Disks, the object that contained the deck and graveyard was more dome-shaped, with various gaps running across it, and inside each one contained a series of small spinning gears, and deeper in, the man could see some sort of glowing orb inside. The platform that held the cards were five, crystal-shaped ones that seemingly float around the device on his arm; each one had a layer of colorless glass surrounding it.
The oni-masked man just stared at the two newcomers. The silver-haired boy just smirked back at him. Then…
"…The doors weren't even locked," Daku pointed out.
That simple comment was what drove the man back to reality.
"W-who the hell are you guys!?" he chocked.
"A-Arky!" the redheaded girl squealed in delight as her face turned back to red.
"A little jellyfish told me that you've been causing trouble for my girlfriend," the silver-haired boy said. "Name's Arc Riddle, but I guess that doesn't matter, since you'll never see us after tonight. Now…"
Riddle's eyes flashed as he sneered.
"…What were you planning to do to her?"
At that moment, the oni-masked man dove right into his pocket, intending to pull out his knife. Those two boys – he doesn't know who they were, but if they had caught him doing this…
He felt the handle of the knife and pulled it out, pointing at the direction of the redheaded girl.
"Don't move!" he barked as he felt sheer bravado rising up. "Or else – "
"Or else what?" Riddle asked, waving a knife in his hand. "Punch the air with your fist?"
The oni-masked man looked at the knife in Riddle's hand and realized something.
It was his knife. He looked at his hand, and sure enough, the knife had somehow got to the boy's hand. He turned toward the redheaded girl, only to find that she wasn't there as well. He turned toward the two – now three – as he saw the redheaded girl behind Riddle.
"Wha – how - ?"
"Now let's make things simple," Riddle said. "If you choose, we could beat you half to death, call the cops, and charge you for kidnapping, attempted rape, and so forth, and end things off here. However, since you ruined our date, I think we're going for a different approach."
Before the man knew it, a Duel Disk and Duel Gazer were thrown at him, and he managed to catch them.
"I want you to entertain us," Riddle said as he placed a hand over his eye. "Let's have a duel, here and now."
The oni-masked man scowled. "Damn kid…a duel? Seriously?"
"Quite so. I heard a lot about you when I got here today. Word on the streets around here says that you're an unbeatable Shogi player. Pretty good at that game…but are you good at Duel Monsters? Of course, we'll let you off the hook here no matter what. Of course, if you refuse this duel, what about your reputation as an unbeatable player?"
"If you want to get to Rita, then you'll have to get through me first," Riddle smirked. "If you want to run away, now's a good time."
The man was taken aback by the boy's statement, but began thinking about his next plan. It was true that he had started winning shogi matches ever since he had gotten that.
The man grinned. Shogi wasn't the only thing he kept winning at. Various other card games, and at the end of each of those games, who became the winner. It was thanks to that Duel Monster card that he had found, and he was confident that it will help him win.
"Fine!" he shouted as he pulled out his deck. "I'll teach you who's superior!"
"Oh, really?" Riddle asked as he uncovered his eye. For a brief moment, and unknown to the man, the pupil of his eye changed into a glowing gear and back again. The glass around the card platforms shone as the two duelists drew their five cards.
'What a poor fool,' Daku thought as he watched the oni-masked man.
Arc Riddle: 4000
Oni Mask: 4000
"C'mon, Arky! You can win this!" the Rita cheered. Daku, however, remained silent as the two duelists drew five cards.
"Get cocky all you want kid, but you'll never beat me," the oni-masked man warned. "So, I'll take the first draw!"
The man drew and added a card into his hand before taking another.
"First up, I'm playing the Field Spell Line World!"
When a Field Spell in AR Vision would be activated, the world around the duelists would change dramatically. But for this one, a giant checkered board fell from the sky and landed with the ground shaking violently.
"Next up, I'm summoning Line Monster Spear Wheel (500/500)!"
One of the tiles of the board glowed. Rising out of it was a wheel with several spears sticking out of it. In the center of the wheel was a wooden board with a symbol written on it.
"Now, since I have a Line Monster out on the field, Line World gives my Spear Wheel a power boost."
Line Monster Spear Wheel: (1000/500)
"Next, I'm setting a card down and end my turn."
Riddle smirked as he placed a hand on the top of his deck. "My turn," he said. "Draw!"
"From my hand, I play the Continuous Spell Fog of Lies," he began as fog began covering the field. "With this card, I can banish up to three cards from the top of my deck to draw an equal amount. In this case, I banish three!"
The top cards of Riddle's deck faded away as he drew three cards.
"I summon Ally of Justice Garadholg (1600/400)."
Rising out from one of the tiles was an orange robot wielding two energy swords.
"Go, attack Spear Wheel!"
Twirling the energy swords around, it rushed at the wheel monster.
"I'm activating my Trap, Sudden Promotion!" the man shouted as his set card flipped over. "If my monster has only about a thousand or lower attack points and is attacked, I can send it to the graveyard to special summon a monster that's a level higher from my deck. I send Spear Wheel to bring out Line Monster D Bishop (1600/1000)!"
Vanishing into a ball of light, a robed man with dragon wings on his back and his face covered by a similar wooden board appeared.
"Because of Line World's effect, it gains a power boost, and unfortunately for you, you must battle with it!"
Line Monster D Bishop: (2100/1000)
The robed man duck to avoid Garadholg's swing and placed a hand on the machine's face. Moments later, the robot's head blew up and the whole body exploded.
Riddle: 3500
Oni Mask: 4000
Riddle covered his face as smoke blew at him.
"Next, when a card's destroyed by another player, Line World forces the owner of that destroyed card to send it to the other's grave. So now, your Garadholg belongs to me!"
"Just a lucky shot," he said as he took four cards. "But now, I'm setting four cards down and end my turn."
'A lucky shot? Ha! This kid'll never beat me,' the man thought as he drew.
"I summon Line Monster K Horse (800/800)!"
A centaur with the human part wearing armor and wielding a large curved blade appeared. Just like the others, its face was covered by a wooden board with a symbol on it.
Line Monster K Horse: (1300/800)
"Now, I think I'm going to activate its effect," he announced. Suddenly, the centaur rushed forward and sliced apart one of the set cards that Riddle had. As it was torn to shreds, the man smirked as he saw that it was a Trap Card.
"When K Horse is summoned, it can destroy a card in your Spells and Traps Zone that's adjacent to it," the man explained. "And if it's a Trap, I can special summon a level three or lower monster from my hand, such as my Line Monster Soldier Pawn (500/500)!"
A swordsman with yet another wooden board on his face appeared.
Line World Soldier Pawn: (1000/500)
"Furthermore, I activate the Spell Quick Star Level Three," he added. "If I have two monsters with the same level, I can increase their levels by three. Both my K Horse and Soldier Pawn are level three, so their levels become six!"
The man snickered, and the three teens saw that a dark aura was starting to envelope his body. He picked up the two Line Monsters and declared it.
"I overlay my level six Line Monsters K Horse and Soldier Pawn!"
The two warriors transformed into energy as a galaxy-like portal formed in front of the oni-masked man instead of a red portal. They both flew into the center and the entire thing exploded into bursts of bright lights. Through the multi-colored sparks and stars, Riddle could see a strange object rising out…
"Appear before me, Number 72!" he roared.
It was a massive machine-like creature, with the lower half of its body nothing more but four spider-like legs connected to a thin torso. The upper part of its body, however, consisted of a bulky chest with its number mark on it. Instead of arms and hands, two large wheels with spikes around them were in place. Its head was pyramid-shaped, with a single eye gazing at Riddle.
"Line Monster…Chariot Rook (2500/2500)!"
The man sneered at Riddle, expecting to see the boy to look scared. He was angry when he saw that he wasn't even impressed by the sight of it.
Number 72: Line Monster Chariot Rook: (3000/2500)
"How the hell are you still not afraid!?" he shouted angrily. "You should be afraid! You should be giving up hope just like everyone else I faced!"
"Why should I give up hope?" Riddle asked. "I don't hope to beat you because I know that I will beat you, and that's a fact that you can't deny."
The oni-masked man screamed in rage.
"Ooh, looks like someone's angry!" Rita giggled.
"Chariot Rook! Destroy him now!" he roared.
The wheels of the Number monster's body flew off and raced for Riddle. The boy smirked, though, as he pointed at one of his set cards. The man's eyes widen, immediately realizing that he had forgotten about his monster's effect, which only works on all cards that are in front of it, and the card that Riddle was pointing at was in front of it.
"I activate the Trap, Resolution of Justice!" he declared. "When I'm about to be attacked directly, I can special summon an Ally of Justice monster from either of our graveyards and double its attack points!"
One of the tiles in Riddle's field burst apart as Garadholg flew out. Its energy swords grew in size and deflected both wheels back at the Number monster.
Ally of Justice Garadholg: (3200/400)
Riddle: 3500
Oni Mask: 3800
"No matter which side you stand, justice will prevail in the end. Lucky for you, the attack boost only lasts until the end of this turn," Riddle said. "Now, what're you going to do?"
"Punk…" the man growled. "Fine! I'm setting two cards and end my turn."
Ally of Justice Garadholg: (1600/400)
Once Riddle drew, he placed the card onto his Duel Disk.
"I summon Ally of Justice Tractor (0/0)."
A small green robot with a crane attached to its chest appeared.
"I now activate my Continuous Trap, DNA Transplant. I declare Light, so now all monsters are now Light Attributes. Next, by tributing Tractor when you have a Light monster, I can add two Ally of Justice monsters from my deck. Which means…"
The boy smiled as he picked up three cards from his hand.
"…I special summon three Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateways (2400/1200)!"
Three machines resembling a portal device appeared.
"W-what!?"
"If you have at least two monsters and one of them is Light, I can special summon them from my hand," Riddle explained. "Next, I activate Fog of Lies' effect, which I'm banishing three to draw three more."
Three more faded away from his deck as he drew.
"Now…let's spice things up with a little Quick-Play Spell I like to call Limiter Removal!"
"Aw, not that one!" the man yelped.
"With this card, it doubles the power of all my Machine monsters, but at the cost, they're destroyed at the end of the turn."
Ally of Justice Cosmic Gateway: (4800/1200) x3
Ally of Justice Garadholg: (3200/400)
"Go, one of my Cosmic Gateways will attack your D Bishop!"
"Hmph…Riddle's famous "Machine Rush", huh?" Daku murmured as one of the Gateways fired a laser beam at the robed man.
"I'm activating a Trap called Illegal Intercept!" the man declared. "By banishing a Line Monster from my graveyard, I can redirect all attacks to another on my field, such as Chariot Rook!"
The giant Number monster disappeared from its tile and appeared on Bishop's tile and took the blast.
"Next, I activate my second Trap, Casualty Decrease. When a monster I control isn't destroyed, but I take battle damage, I can target another monster and decrease that damage equal to half of the original attack points of it for the rest of the battle!"
D Bishop's body glowed and the aura flew to defend the man.
Riddle: 3500
Oni Mask: 2800
"But can you take two more blasts?" Riddle asked as the other two fired their laser beams at Chariot Rook.
Riddle: 3500
Oni Mask: 800
"Unfortunately, if I try to attack with Garadholg, I'm afraid you won't be able to take any battle damage. Now, I'll set a card and end my turn. Now because of it, all my Machines are destroyed."
Cracks began to appear around each of the machines' bodies and light began to escape from them. They blew up, creating flames that covered Riddle's field.
"That's a huge mistake you've made!" the man shouted as he drew. "Just because you've steered clear from my Chariot Rook's path doesn't mean that you're safe. I still have two strong monsters on the field of the field, and now, I summon Line Monster Gold General (1300/1300)!"
A man with armor completely made of gold appeared. His entire head was covered by a helmet and another wooden board.
Line Monster Gold General: (1700/1300)
"When this guy's summoned, all monsters adjacent in the same column as it gains 500 attack points, but my General can't be destroyed by battle. Chariot Rook is right next to it, so it only gains that power boost – just enough to take you out!"
Number 72: Line Monster Chariot Rook: (3500/2500)
"Go, attack that kid directly and end this!"
The wheels came right off of the Number monster and straight for Riddle once again. This time, though, they struck, sending smoke that was already being created from the flames everywhere.
The oni-masked man laughed maniacally at his handiwork before turning to Daku and Rita.
"You see!?" he howled. "Your friend here thought that he could beat me, but he lost! No one can beat me! I'M UNSTOP – "
"Oh, really?" Rita smirked, interrupting his mad declaration. She pointed to Riddle's field and he followed her finger…to see him still standing.
"Wha-wha…?"
"I activate a little Continuous Trap called Call of the Haunted," he explained. "I used it to revive one of my Cosmic Gateways, so now…"
Riddle: 2900
Oni Mask: 800
The man growled. "You just won't give up, do you?" he asked. "Bishop, attack him directly!"
The robed man fired an energy ball at Riddle, though he wasn't pushed back at all.
Riddle: 800
Oni Mask: 800
"Looks like we're at a tie, huh?" Riddle asked. "Too bad it doesn't make a different for you…"
"Shut up and make your draw," the man snarled. "Don't forget; I got myself three strong monsters and you don't have any on – "
"I activate my Trap, Return From The Different Dimension!" Riddle shouted. "By paying half of my Life Points, I can special summon all monsters that I have banished back onto my field. So all the monsters that disappeared due to the Fog of Lies' effect are back."
Riddle: 400
Oni Mask: 800
Four monsters appeared: a dark purple bomb, a mechanical bat with various tubes connecting from the back of its wings, a purple jar-shaped object protected by a silver machine with a single needle at the bottom, and a large machine with hands holding various weapons.
"Now, it's time for me to draw!" Riddle declared as he started his turn. "I'm now tuning my level four Ally of Justice Quick Supplier (1000/500) and my level two Ally Salvo (400/300)!"
The bat let out a mechanical screech as its body transformed into four green rings. They aligned themselves up as the small purple bomb flew into the center. As a pillar of light shot down, Riddle pulled out a white card from his pocket.
"Come to me, Ally of Justice Catastor (2200/1200)!"
Flying out of the light was a spider-like machine. Its body was plated with silver and black armor and its legs are golden. At the center of its face was a single shining green eye as it gazed at Chariot Rook.
"How will that thing help?" the oni-masked man asked. "Even if you attack my General, I'll still have some Life Points left!"
"My Catastor can destroy any monster that isn't a Dark monster without dealing battle damage," Riddle smiled. "Next, I tribute my Ally of Justice Unlimiter (600/200) to double my Omni-Weapon's (2200/800) attack power."
The small device flew towards the machine with multiple weapons and injected it with its needle.
Ally of Justice Omni-Weapon: (4400/800)
"Aw shit…"
"I don't care what you and your ego tells you," Riddle grinned. "It's impossible for you to beat me. I could attack you with Omni-Weapon and end this duel, but where's the fun at that? Someone like you is more fun to play around with once their pride's been destroyed. Embarrassing, having your pride ruined by me, right?"
Riddle couldn't see it, but he knew that the oni-masked man was starting to lose it. He chuckled as he continued on.
"I want you to lose everything. You'll make a perfect sacrifice for Rita's happiness. For me and Rita's world. And now…Catastor, wipe out Number 72: Chariot Rook!"
Catastor's green eye changed red. It fired a beam that pierced right through its body and cracks began appearing all around it. The spider machine moved its head around, slicing apart the Number monster until it was just rubble.
"Omni-Weapon, destroy General and end this!"
Dropping one of its weapons, the machine grabbed the man and tore him apart with its other weapons. One of the arms planted something on what was left of its body and hurled it at its master, which exploded seconds later. The oni-masked man, however, didn't let out a cry as he sailed into the air and collapsed several feet away.
Riddle: *WINNER*
Oni Mask: 0
The glow of the glass around the card platforms faded away as Rita rushed and hugged him.
"You won!" she giggled. "I always knew that you would win."
"Ha…who'd you expect," Riddle chuckled, the tone of his voice suddenly changed into that of a mature, flirty young man.
"Still…I'm sorry that I got you and Daky into this mess," she admitted.
"It's nothing. After all, you know the perfect way of paying me back…"
Rita let out a happy sigh while Daku let out a groan. However, he was the one who noticed the oni-masked man slowly getting back up.
"I'd settle the rest of this talk back at your bedroom," he said. "I think we have trouble."
"Heh…hehe…" the oni-masked man let out a dark chuckle as he grabbed for a suitcase that was lying nearby. Despite his face was covered, the three could feel hate pouring out from everywhere.
"Let me ask you something," the man spoke slowly. "That girl…is she that special to you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Riddle asked. "She's my world, and I'm her world. My happiness is her happiness and her happiness is mine. Plus, I gave her a promise."
"I'll show her a new World."
"Ha…HAHAHA!"
The oni-masked man began laughing, though none of the three were unnerved by him.
"I can never get kids these days!" the man cackled. "So full of themselves…waltzing into dangers like they could get away safe and sound! For you…I'm invincible. I'm supposed to be invincible, thanks to the powers that you brats will never understand. And unfortunately for you all, you're not going to get out of here ALIVE!"
The oni-masked man bashed the wall behind him with the suitcase as it burst open. Then it was like time slowed down, but the insanity and anger that the man felt only increased as he seized the gun that had fell out. His wild movements had caused most of the cards on his Duel Disk to fall off, but one of them that had remained was the one card that he treasured the most. The one that helped him win at all of his games.
Number 72: Line Monster Chariot Rook.
But ironically, this card would help him lose everything in the end.
The man pointed the gun at the three teens, and uncaring of what would happen, he fired.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Ga-chi.
Three bullets fired. Just the exact number he needed.
But none of the three collapsed.
Instead, he heard the sound of something metallic hit the ground as his mask fell apart, leaving him stunned.
"…?"
Another metallic sound as his Duel Disk was torn apart by something.
"Wha - ?"
A third metallic sound and the gun went flying from his hand. The object that had knocked the weapon from his hand rolled to his feet, and he looked down to see what it was.
A bullet. The bullets that he had shot at the teens.
"What a shame," the man heard Riddle sighed sarcastically. "Looks like you can't learn a lesson. This is truly regrettable for you. Oh, I should probably give you back your knife."
And then the man felt the strangest sensation in his hand, which soon turned into the greatest agony he had ever felt.
"Ah…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH HH!"
The man looked down at his hand to see the blade of his knife spinning at the center of his palm. It was cutting through everything…his flesh, his fingers…it kept on spinning until his hand was reduced to an unrecognizable shape that the knife fell off and clattered onto the floor.
Anger turned to fear as the man fell to his knees and helplessly stared at his destroyed hand as the wounds freely bleed. A shadow casted over him, and he looked up to see Riddle standing over him. One of his pupils was the spinning gear again, though this time, it was glowing much brighter than before.
"Before you forget everything, you should know this," he spoke softly. "There are powers beyond this World. Powers that humans and not even grander beings can comprehend. Powers that only those beyond Gods and Devils can comprehend."
"W-who…?"
"Me? Well…I guess We're beyond the Gods and Devils.."
And the man collapsed. Riddle chuckled as he pulled a card from his Duel Disk and lowered it to the man's head. The Fog of Lies card shone, and within seconds, the man's injuries were gone. The bits of flesh, fingers, and blood flew back to the destroyed hand, reforming it as though it was never injured to begin with.
"And that's the end of it," Riddle said as both the glow from his card and eye faded away. He turned around and smiled. "Now…where were we?"
Daku groaned again as he watched Rita run up to him.
"Those two…" he murmured as he watched them kiss.
"What? Are you jealous of their relationship?"
A voice suddenly spoke behind the hooded boy. Alarmed, he sharply turned around to see another silver-haired boy with the same appearance as Riddle, with the only exception that he was wearing different clothes.
"Love could change people," Arc Yukonami said. "Did you notice Riddle's interactions with the oni-masked man during their duel? While he's often full of himself, he acted even more prideful and arrogant than before. But I suppose that's his way of showing off to Rita."
"What are you doing here, Yukonami?" Daku wondered.
"I was checking up on you and the others when I only found Tamboly sleeping inside," Yukonami explained. "So…how do you like this city, Daku?"
The hooded boy scoffed.
"After everything I've been through, this is too unreal for me."
"Heh…after all, Heartland City is considered a utopia in Japan."
"A utopia?" Daku's eyes narrowed. "What a joke. There's no such thing as a utopia."
Yukonami smiled. "Do you even know where the term utopia comes from?"
"I don't, but I hear that word so many times that I know what it means. How can you call this place a utopia if people like this wander the streets?"
He gestured toward the unconscious man.
"How can you create a utopia if people commit violence and crimes freely of their own will?" he continued. "No matter how much you try, you can't keep a utopia forever, such as how the Heartland government tries to keep the secrets of the AR Vision systems within the city."
"Ah yes, that. Do you recall the worldwide hacker group that altered the programming of the Solid Visions inside the Duel Disks made out of Heartland City? Many Duel Disks that were altered are capable of inflicting real damage to people, and they don't have to be in duels, either. Thankfully, the damage couldn't do actual damage to the environment, and any injuries that people may suffer aren't fatal. Of course…"
Yukonami chuckled.
"…If they are able to take the programming of the AR Vision used in duels, then perhaps this situation would become more serious…"
But Yukonami knew what would happen anyway. He had seen this happen multiple times before, outside of this World. A year where crimes would rise along with the number of Duel Gangs all around Japan, and how one group of teenage vigilantes would try and fight against these crimes.
But that was another story to be told at another time.
"But enough about me," Daku said. "What about you, Yukonami? Based on what Ebenezer and Rita told me, tomorrow is the day…"
Yukonami's face hardened. "I know that," he said. "Even if it is hard for her, Akane must face it. Akane must awaken the one sleeping within her…"
He sighed as he covered one of his eyes as he felt his "power" coming from it.
He and his companions, companions with the same appearance, voice, and name. Despite the same appearances, they each own a different surname and a "power". A power that could force both Gods and Devils to their knees; a power that could either be the time of Armageddon or the light of a miracle.
But with the power in their hands, none of these strange beings knew of their origins. Were they really created by Gods, just like humans? Were they the lost souls of humans that become powered? Or were they abominations, toying and living with humans for their amusement as the infinite time passes?
Thousands of theories were made, but none of them became the official one. In the end, they just accepted that they were "special".
"Is the Seal still up?" Daku asked.
Yukonami uncovered his eye, which changed into a similar spinning gear. However, it was flickering from blue to red, and red to blue before it stopped changing.
"It's wearing off," he said. "Perhaps by March, this Seal will cease to exist, and I'm afraid that I'll become what I used to be before Ebenezer gave me it."
"Before it could, would you help me? Would you help me rid of these so-called "Gamemakers"?"
Yukonami gave a sad smile. "Only if it endangers Akane," he said before turning to Riddle and Rita. "I hope she will become happy as them."
The boy's eyes lingered at Rita. Compared to his sad smile, Rita's smile showed genuine happiness and affection. That smile which he hated at first, but realized that he had liked it all along when he met her. After that "incident", he regretted to hate her smile.
When he saw her again, he was both shocked and happy, but he knew one thing.
The Rita he had first met was long dead along with her lover, one of Yukonami's companions, leaving behind a group of children that would later create the Wooden Dojo of this World.
This Rita, the cheerful girl with Riddle was not from this World, but from another World very similar to this.
But despite the two Ritas having the same personality, Yukonami couldn't shake off the guilt for what he had done to this World's Rita and her lover. And so, he resolved into awakening Akane her "power", before he could turn back into who he was before.
After the few years of loneliness after Akane's parents died, he wished he could at least see her smile cheerfully. A smile very similar to the one that the living Rita had when she and her group of friends graduated from Central Duel Academy in 2015.
But that was another story to be told later.
Before leaving, Yukonami looked at the couple in the destroyed warehouse one more time.
The boy wearing the trench coat. His name was Arc Riddle.
The girl with the red hair. Her name was Rita Kuroyuki.
Ally of Justice Tractor
DARK/Machine/1/0/0
While your opponent controls a face-up LIGHT monster, you can Tribute this card to add 2 "Ally of Justice" monsters from your Deck to your hand.
(This card was used by the Diablo in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds in Episode 106. Credit goes to the writers.)
Line Monster K Horse
EARTH/Beast Warrior/3/800/800
When this card is Summoned: Destroy 1 card in your opponent's Spell & Trap Card Zone that is adjacent to this card's column. When a Trap Card is destroyed by this card's effect: You can Special Summon 1 Level 3 monster from your hand, except "Line Monster K Horse".
Line Monster Spear Wheel (Normal Monster)
EARTH/Rock/3/500/500
Number 72: Line Monster Chariot Rook
EARTH/Machine/Xyz/Rank 6/2500/2500
2 Level 6 monsters
Cannot be destroyed by battle except with "Number" monsters. You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; destroy all cards your opponent controls in the same column as this card, OR if this card is affected by "Line Promotion", you can destroy two cards in your opponent's Monster Card Zones that are adjacent to this card's column.
Line World
Field Spell
All "Line Monster" monsters gain 500 ATK. All destroyed cards are sent to the Graveyard of the player who destroyed them.
Quick Star Level 3
Spell
If you control 2 or more face-up monsters with the same Level: Increase the Level of each of those monsters by 3.
(The above 5 cards are used by Hishakaku in Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL Manga Rank 25. Credit goes to the creators.)
Ally of Justice Quick Supplier
DARK/Machine/Tuner/4/1000/500
When this card is in your Graveyard and 1 "Ally of Justice" monster you control battles a LIGHT monster; You can banish this card to have it double its ATK until the End Phase.
Line Monster D Bishop
EARTH/Spellcaster/4/1600/1000
If this card battles a monster that is either in front or adjacent to this card's column: You can discard 1 card to have this card gain 1000 ATK until the End Phase.
Line Monster Gold General
EARTH/Warrior/4/1300/1300
This card is cannot be destroyed by battle. When this card is summoned: All monsters adjacent to this card's column gains 500 ATK.
Line Monster Soldier Pawn
EARTH/Warrior/3/500/500
If this card battles a monster that is in the same column as it: Destroy that monster.
Casualty Decrease
Trap
When 1 monster you control is not destroyed by battle, but you take Battle Damage: Target 1 monster you control and decrease all damage you take this turn equal to half the original ATK of that monster.
Illegal Intercept
Trap
When your opponent declares an attack: Banish 1 Line Monster in your Graveyard and target 1 Line Monster you control; your opponent can only select that monster as an attack target for this turn.
Resolution of Justice
Trap
When your opponent declares a direct attack: You can Special Summon 1 "Ally of Justice" monster from either player's Graveyards and double its ATK until the End Phase.
(The above 7 cards are created by me.)
TRIVIA: The oni-masked man is based off of Hishakaku, a character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL Manga. The difference is, well…are their personalities…probably.
Chapter 34: Waltz of the Puppets
The second day of the World Duel Carnival. Getting ready to leave, Akane runs into Yuma and Tori, who invites her to watch a duel between their friends and the National Duel Champion of Asia, IV. While it started off as innocent, the duel goes out of control as IV forcibly turns it into his own puppet show, with his opponents' monsters as the unfortunate marionettes…
Until then, please Read and Review.