We pick up the pages of our story just shortly after the very crushing defeat of Jamal Jukino and Caswell Todoroki by the cruel hands of their former duelist hero, Quattro, whom alongside his younger brother, is revealed to be a Number Hunter collecting the powerful cards for their family in the sole sake of vengeance against Doctor Faker for a wrong yet to be unveiled.
In retaliation for the extreme attacks dished out by the rouge/blond's puppet monsters against her friends, Athena was prepared to break into a full-out fisticuffs brawl with the former, if not for the sudden arrival of Shark, he finally tracking his manipulative rival down to brandish his own swift justice for what happened in that National Duel Tournament roughly a year prior to these main events...
Now, the young male with the blue-violet hair and cerulean irises had moved away from his duel runner to face Quattro with a hard glare.
"This is payback day, Quattro."
Rubbing his shoulder slightly from a certain girl's suckerpunch dealt a moment earlier, the late teen smirk-smiles at the other.
"Hello, Shark. How are things? You still upset about our duel at the Nationals, when you got kicked out?"
Shifting her stance so she standing beside Shark with just a few feet of space between them, Athena barks back,
"More like you sent him on a one-way train crash, you sadist! You left that deck of yours behind on purpose, didn't you?"
"Hmph, you got me there...So he's confined about what happened to you, did he? Heh, is that the other reason you punched me then, to get a little taste of vengeance for your friend? Cute."
The girl with the long plait of copper-rouge tipped black hair growls menacingly, holding up her right fist to crack her knuckles as she hisses,
"Call me cute again; I dare you."
"...You really punched him before I got here?"
She glances over at Shark, who was looking at her with a trace of surprise in his currently hardened facial features, and nods firmly in confirmation.
"I did...but I was holding back from doin' a whole lot worse, mostly for what this bastard just did to Jamal and Cas."
Making the air between her finger joints pop again in another tight clench, Athena adds in a venomous mutter,
"No one, hurts my friends and gets away with it. No one...!"
The boy with the shark tooth necklace eyes her in a wary manner, sensing the very high amount of negative emotion she was obviously having a hard time containing.
...I dunno what exactly Quattro just did...but if looks could kill, Addy might put him in the ground before I can.
"By the way, how is that precious sister of yours doing?"
Shark whips his eyes back on his enemy upon hearing the one question that to his ears, should not have been so casually toned. Recalling that visit before he went to participate in that tournament finals, he spits,
"Grr...What happened to her, was your fault! I'll never forgive you! You made me lose sight of who I am, as a person, and as a duelist! I know I'll never get the chance to change what I did back then...but today, I get my revenge!"
Looking back and forth between Shark and Athena's burning irises of blue and red, Astral comments seriously to himself,
Both of them...Their spirits are quite similar to one another.
Anger, hate, and a desire for retribution and reforming their waning identities...
Yet what contrasts them, is that Athena has been trying to move forward, away from her mistakes, and is forging a better control over her rage, even with this slip...Meanwhile, Shark is still struggling greatly...
Chuckling a little at how sure the violet blue-haired male sounded, Quattro jeers back,
"Well then let's duel! Just make sure you don't peek at my deck."
...But just before their long-awaited battle could start, Trey suddenly shoots out a Duel Anchor from his Duel Disk to ensnare Shark by his right wrist!
"Guh! What is this?!"
Swallowing back her shock, Athena shoots a glare over towards the pinkette, asking with a dark tone directed at the equipment he was using,
"...So you use a Duel Anchor?" He cheerily replies,
"Yep! Now Shark and I can't separate until we have our duel!"
His older brother wasn't pleased with the interference:
"Trey! This is between Shark and me! You stay outta this!"
He just replies with a calm smile,
"I'm sorry...but Shark has no Numbers, brother, so there isn't really a need for you to duel against him, now is there?"
Trey then forms a more serious frown as he reminds the rouge-blond,
"Vetrix always says our mission come first."
A groan-like growl vibrates between his teeth, but Quattro reluctantly heeds his younger brother's advice, choosing to leave the situation to him, though not without calling to Shark,
"I'll have to crush you later!"
Shifting his dark rouge irises so that they locked momentarily with Athena's bright fiery red, he adds,
"And you. Don't think you're getting away with assaulting me, girl. When I get the opportunity, you're next."
Smirking darkly, she would retort in kind,
"Then you're gonna be on a long waiting list, boy. And I'd hardly call that punch an assault compared to what I've done to creeps like you in the past. What you felt today, (glare) was only the tip of that metaphorical blade."
"Gh!...Just, who are you?"
"Athena Fujina. Remember the name for your next nightmare."
The rest of the bodies in the area involuntarily shiver from the imposing tone used in the young teen's voice, while Quattro scoffs and pivots the other way to start out of the area, much to Shark's dismay.
"You can't leave! I challenged you!"
The late teen jesters up a completed ante for the WDC, the mysterious crest on the back of that hand glowing as its power stirs up a dust cloud to provide invisibility for his escape.
"Well if you want me, make it to the finals. I've already got my five Heart Pieces! Good luck, Shark, hehnhnhahaha!"
He would be gone just seconds later...
"Grrrrh, Quattroooo!"
Trey chides to the pissed teenage boy,
"Calm down. You'll still get to duel, Shark. You'll just get to duel me instead."
Shark growls annoyingly at the pinkette as a response...
Astral then makes note of the brooding situation:
I have seen a Duel Anchor before. Kite had used one just like it against Athena...And she has been subjected to the device many more times previously, by some rather brutish individuals you could hardly call duelists.
Once it was attached, there was no escaping...
It would seem that Quattro and his brother, Trey, are indeed Number Hunters, but what purpose do they need the Numbers for?
By this point, the boy with the blue bowl-cut hair had passed out, and Tiffany and Jamal decide that they needed to get their friend to some much needed medical aid, lifting his arms over their shoulders.
"Mph! I can feel a bad sprain in his right arm. We need to get him to the hospital."
"Right."
Hearing their plans, Athena asks them,
"Should I tail with you guys?" Shaking his head, Jamal replies,
"No...You're needed here with Shark. We'll get Cas to the help he needs."
Astral voices his own opinion:
"Athena. I agree that you should remain here."
"...Okay. Good luck, you two, and call me as soon as he's awake, alright?"
Her friends nod firmly, and start to hurry the unconscious boy out of the area, as Shark subsides with battling Trey.
"Guess I'll have to deal with your brother after I beat you!"
Taking that tone as a sign to back up and give her friend some space, Athena moves backwards to the far left just when he grabs his ocean blue Duel Disk to throw out at ready.
"It's crunch time!" His opponent would quickly meet his level of adrenaline.
"I'm prepped and primed! Ha!"
"Then let's settle this! Ready when you are."
We'd then see that much like Quattro's, Trey's Duel Disk was made in a gauntlet style, his being the traditional silver grey for the base, while the display piece for his cards would encompass a shape with the likeness to a white bird wing. Also, unlike the more recognizable Duel Gazer, the pinkette sported a soft orange Gazer Tattoo across his left eye.
Clicking on her own black-washed red Duel Gazer, Athena thinks to herself,
Guess I'll be putting my retaliation against Quattro on hold...for now, at least.
Augmented Reality Vision Link Established.
"(Both Duelists) Let's Duel!"
Trey would take the first turn of the match:
"I'll go first! Okay, Shark? Ready or not, I Draw! To start, I'll activate the Field Spell, Sunken Kingdom!"
Once the card activates, an entire floodgate of H2O is released from that space, completely engulfing the field and submersing the players and witnesses in an underwater city! A school of silver minnows swim past a massive, corroding temple sitting off to the middle side, housing elements of the Ancient Mediterranean...
"Now, any water attribute monsters that get played gain 300 Attack Points."
While both of our duelists felt calm enough in this new atmosphere, Athena found herself a little nervous of the new virtual weight from the water pushing against her body on all sides.
Mph. I know we're not, really underwater...but this doesn't feel less suffocating. Alright, inhale...haaah, and exhale...
"Next I summon my Chronomaly Mayan Machine!"
The monster Trey summons to the field is a Level Three with 1500 Attack Points, and held the appearance of a strange, white stone catapult-like mechanism.
"And now I'll end things with a face-down, and turn it over to you, Shark!"
Athena hms as she looks the Chronomaly Monster up and down.
"Chronomaly, huh? Kind-a looks like something to add to my parent's artifact collection..."
She side-glances over at Astral and asks,
"Does, anything like this tweak your interest, 'cause my knowledge is a bit limited."
Nodding slightly, the being with mismatched gold and silvery-white irises obliges.
"Chronomalies are artifacts that are too advanced to have been built by your primitive ancestors. Who made them and where they came from is still a mystery."
"Ah."
We'd focus back on the battle just as Shark takes hold of the first card to add to his hand.
"Now...I Draw! First, I'm summoning Hammer Shark! Thanks for playing this Sunken Kingdom Field Spell. Since my Hammer Shark is a water monster, it gets 300 Attack Points stronger!"
At that, the Level Four razor-toothed, armour-headed fish's power rises to 2000...However, Trey was prepared to counter such a threat with the following effect.
"Unfortunately for you, monsters that are Level Four or below can't attack Chronomaly Monsters in the Sunken Kingdom. Hammer Shark is useless here!"
"You think this field can shield your monster...but, (grabs a card) I have a Falling Current Spell Card! This Spell lets me pick a Level for my monster between one and three, so I'm gonna lower my Hammer Shark by one Level!"
Trey didn't seem worried; if anything, he felt the call to compliment his opponent's skill...well, to an extent.
"I see your deck is full of surprises, Shark...but lowering your monster's Level won't help you very much."
Grinning slightly, the boy with cerulean irises retorts as he activates his next card,
"Tell that to Big Jaws! Since I activated a Spell Card this turn, I can let loose Big Jaws to help me take a bite out of your strategy! But before I do that, Big Jaws powers up by 300 Points!"
Athena smirks slightly, knowing where her friend was going with his tactics.
Here comes the XYZ...
"And now I'll overlay my Level Three Hammer Shark and Big Jaws, in order to build the Overlay Network!...Now, I XYZ Summon, Black Ray Lancer!"
And bursting out of the stone city floor, was that Rank Three monster with 2100 Attack Points and harboring the appearance of a black-finned warrior wielding a dark magenta/purple spear...
"Since XYZ Monsters don't have Levels, Sunken Kingdom can't stop it from attacking your Mayan Machine."
Athena cheers,
"Sick 'em, Shark!"
"Black Ray Lancer, go! Attack with Shimmering Spear Slash!"
Charging forward with a twirl of their weapon, Shark's monster successfully takes out Trey's in but one strike, leaving the latter to shield himself with his arm as his Life Points fell to 3400.
"Rrrgh...I activate, Stone Hedge Methods!"
A replica of the infamous Stone Hedge rises from the depths of the battlefield to act as a summoning circle...
"When my Chronomaly Monster is destroyed, I can summon any rock-type Chronomaly Monster that's Level Four or below in Defense Mode. So I'm summoning Chronomoly Colossal Head!"
The next monster he would bring to the field was a Level Four with 1600 Defense Points, in the guise of a grey-blue stone humanoid head with designs that suggest possible Mayan origins...
"Hmph. Guess I've done enough damage for one turn."
Shark places a single card face-down, signifying the end of his first round in the game.
"You're up!"
"If you insist. I Draw!"
Green irises glance up at the drawn card, before deciding to play it.
"And I Summon Chronomaly Golden Jet!"
Dropping from the waters above was a Level Four monster with 1300 Attack Points, their appearance being the named mode of transport with a mixed old and modern design.
"And now I'm gonna activate the Spell, Orichalcum Chain! This chain gives me a missing link when I need it, so when I want to XYZ Summon, I can do it using one fewer monster."
"...Really?"
"(Nod) But, using this can also be quite risky. If the chain breaks, then you get control of the monster I XYZ Summoned with it. But there's no way I'm gonna let that happen, so do yourself a favour and don't even bother trying."
Shaking her head in near-exasperation and annoyance, Athena thinks to herself,
He, does realize he's only prompting Shark to try and snap that metal, right?
The pendulum-tipped chain shoots out of the face-up card as Trey moves on with his strategy.
"It's time to put my Spell Card into action! First I'll overlay Level Four Colossal Head and Golden Jet. Then, with the help of my Orichalcum Chain, I can build the Overlay Network! I XYZ Summon, Number 32: Shark Drake!"
The Number to come rising to the Duel Monster Field through a torrential whirlpool, was Rank Four with 2800 Attack Points, and harbored the appearance of a humanoid beast with very subtle elements of the predatory fish, spiny clawed feet, sharp-edged fin arms that were similar to the wings protruding from their hunched back, the entire body's colour scheme being black-purple and dark blue with a little bit of salmon pink on the lower legs.
"Very impressive..."
"It gets better! Remember, Sunken Kingdom will add 300 Attack Points to Shark Drake's total."
So now the Number Monster held a strong 3100...
"Okay, Shark Drake! Strike down Black Ray Lancer! Go, Deep Sea Destruction!"
It shoots out a glowing projection of itself to charge straight for Shark's monster, clamping its jaws around the other's torso before they depixelate, leaving Shark to grit his teeth as he shields himself from the after push, his Life Points dropping to sit at 3000. At the same time the violet blue-haired boy's ally on the sidelines mutters his name in concern, Trey piles onto the new problem.
"I activate Shark Drake's special ability! After it destroys a monster in battle, I can use an Overlay Unit so I can bring back the monster I just destroyed back onto your field, only now it's 1000 points weaker! Then Shark Drake can battle that monster all over again."
In accordance to the explanation, a cyclone of water goes diving into the Graveyard to force Black Ray Lancer to return, but with 1100 Attack points instead of 2100!
"That's double the attacks for me, and double the pain for you!"
Athena's POV
I couldn't help but glare bitterly towards this Trey guy for pulling a move like that after being forced to watch his brother invoke the same if more brutal version against my two guy friends.
"That is so out of bounds, and a definite sign that he and Quattro are related if they're using similar strategies."
Astral comments back,
"Indeed. The ability is quite rare...It is also quite effective."
"Shark Drake is the most relentless attacker you've ever seen!"
Nooo arguments there, pal.
"It's gonna destroy your monster all over again! Go, Deep Sea Destruction!"
Unfortunately, Shark doesn't have anything on his field or immediate hand to defend himself, so he was forced to be the deer caught in the headlights as Lancer is destroyed again! He lets out a yell as he's thrown back alot harder by the impact, his Life Points falling to 1000...
"Shark!"
Dammit, wasn't it bad enough that I had to see Cas and Jamal get thrashed around like rag dolls?!
...I can't stand it!
While my logic to the virtual surroundings and my common sense agitated by the real-like graphics battle it out, I swallowed them back to make room for my protective nature and sped to the edge of the roof section I was standing on, before jumping over to the top of the outdoor hall Shark and Trey were fighting on, the 'water' making me feel like I was doing a moon jump.
Huh...this is kind-a cool.
My landing wasn't as smooth as I wanted it to be, but at least I didn't trip and fall on my face.
Once I was sure my stance was steady, I hurried over to kneel down by my friend's side.
"Shark...You alright?"
Groaning slightly, he pushes away my outreached hand a touch harshly but not too unkindly before moving back onto his feet again.
"I'm gonna be fine...You didn't have to come over here."
Hmphing, I too stand up so I was now only a foot or two away from his right side again, grumbling,
"Excuse me for caring..."
My attention was then directed towards Astral as he says to me with a scolding expression,
"I realize this reality is virtual, but that was nevertheless a reckless move to jump all the way over here."
"Tch, like you wouldn't have done the same? Spare me."
Shark was glancing over our direction with a raised brow, and I just wave a dismissive hand.
"Astral."
"Ah."
"...Shark?"
"Yeah?"
I give him a smirk mixed into a firm expression and tell him,
"Quit actin' like you're not good at this game and take the twerp down."
He looks at me incredulously...before smirking back.
"Teh, count on it. One or two attacks aren't enough to beat me."
"Yeah I know. Just ask Scorch and Chills."
We almost laugh at the memory of that crazy tag duel, but would divert our focus ahead towards Trey when he suddenly jeers,
"Heheh, is that right? Well I'll just give you a break and end my turn. But, if you don't find a way to stop Shark Drake, this duel is over."
Since I was closer to the battle now and valentine boy's sights, I decided to shift to telepathic communication to talk to my friend from beyond this galaxy to avoid any weird stares.
Hey, Astral...is there a way for Shark to make a comeback from this point?
"Yes...There is one way."
What is it?
"...He will have to take control of Number 32."
I almost gasp, knowing what that will mean for Shark:
But...the last time he had a Number, Leviathan Dragon, he wasn't able to control himself...
What if the same thing happens again with Shark Drake?
"Yes, I too am a little concerned about that possibility...but we will just have to trust that your influence, has made his free will stronger than back then."
...My influence?
I was a little taken aback by that characterization, mostly by the...positivity laced in it.
Astral must have sensed my confusion and, self-doubt, for his lips curved into a small, meaningful smile.
"Yes, Athena. You may not believe it, but I have observed that you have been a good influence to many different people."
...Me, a good influence...Psh, yeah, sure.
Maybe I know how to warn people about Life's ugly side, (sad frown) but I'm just as good at getting them into trouble too.
My friend looks at me with pity for my self-berating:
"Athena..."
We'd snap back to the battle just as Shark brings out his next monster.
"I summon, Skull Kraken!"
That skeletal octopus thing comes crawling out of the stone...
"And now I'm activating Skull Kraken's special ability! Once I summon this monster, I can destroy a face-up Spell or Trap Card that's on your field, so I'm destroying your Orichalcum Chain!"
The black smog destroys that Spell, and a soft gold ring forms around Shark Drake's neck for a moment, before it too shatters like glass, giving the Number the green light to fly over to this side of the field...!
"I did it! Shark Drake is under my control now!"
But how long can you say that for, Shark?
To emphasize my point, that familiar dark magenta/purple aura began forming around the monster and the duelist who was now controlling it.
"Naarah-aaaaaaagh!"
"Shark!"
He just kept letting out struggled cries of pain that was both physical and mental, as the numeral symbol for 32 burns onto the back of his enclosed right fist.
...That was when that weird phenomenon happened again.
"Shaaaaark. You will let me enter your mind and soul."
Gh!...It's the Number...!
"...Athena?"
Whipping my head to Astral's direction, I saw that his body had stiffened up and his eyes were wide like mine probably were...I quickly figured out why:
Uh...You can hear the voice now too, can't you?
"Y-Yes, I can...It would seem that our telepathic communication is much more, extensive than we previously believed."
Haaah, nice...
Turning back to my friend currently battling, my focus back on his body would allow me to listen as the deep, demonic voice of Number 32 tries to manipulate him into giving into their power.
"With me as your ally, you will no longer need the help of those so-called, friends."
No! No, don't listen to the Number, Shark! Fight back!
Shark's POV
As soon as I stole Shark Drake away from my opponent, my mind was pulled into this, dark abyssal space with the monster...
What, is, this...?
"Shaaaaark. You will let me enter your mind and soul."
Uh!...Is that, the Number?
I'd get my answer soon enough, as the thing reaches one of its claw-tipped arms towards me.
"With me as your ally, you will no longer need the help of those so-called, friends."
W-What are you doin'? No, don't-
It was too late for me to back away, and I would feel the sharp point pierce my chest, causing a throbbing pain to go shooting through my veins. I let out a scream...but then...
(Flash)
"...You're a good duelist...I'll see you around."
"Right, see you...and hey, let's get together again and duel for the real joy of it, without the dumb antes! If you wanna be remembered in a good light, you gotta build some pages that'll balance the rough end of your history."
"You may have a point...Til then, Addy."
(Flash)
A-A...Athe-na...
(Flash)
"So that's it, then? You're gonna continue being a wussy little coward and refuse to face your problems?"
"Rrrrh, shut up! How dare you call me a coward!"
"I ain't daring anything: I'm stating a fact."
"Why are you so insistent on prying into my head anyway?!"
"Because I've been down your road before, Shark!"
(Flash)
"I am all that you need in this world. Let me take hoooold."
...No...No, they're wrong!
Swallowing down some of the pain, I choke back at the monster in a grit,
"I don't need you..."
It growls at me, but I wasn't about to let something like this intimidate me. Now now...not ever!
"I won't let you control meeeeeee!"
...Shark Drake fades away...
"I am in control and you will obey me!"
...
...
I was soon back in reality, winded, but with my head on straight.
I...I did it. I fought back the Number...!
I hear the girl of my flashbacks call my name softly and in concern, and I slowly pivot my head to her, nodding slightly to signal I was fine.
Athena...thank you.
"Hah, hah...okay. Let's gooo!"
Trey's POV
I was perplexed that Shark somehow fought against Number 32's influence.
He should have been possessed by the Number...!
...I wonder...
My eyes glance over at the girl that was with him...Athena, Fujina, like she had something to do with it...
Did she?
"Your plan backfired, Trey! Go get 'im, Shark Drake! Deep Sea Destruction!"
"Ha! Hope you're ready for a pounding, Trey!"
Glaring at both of them, I quickly met the attack with a counter:
"Not happening! I activate the Trap, Antikythira Gear!"
The ancient gears manifest onto the field...
"I can use this if you attack me directly when you have two or more monsters on the field. It lets me take control of your non-attacking monster and put it in Defense Mode!"
But just before the tendrils that shot from my Trap could ensnare Skull Kraken, Shark manages to counter my counter!
"Not so fast! I activate my own Trap Card! Extreme Pressure Power lets me destroy one of my own monsters, then draw a card from my deck!"
Uh!...He really is quite a skilled duelist...
"Looks like I just out-trapped your trap."
I groan through my teeth, knowing this meant that he could continue with his attack with no worries.
"Keep up with your attack! Come on, Shark Drake!"
I'm hit hard by the transparent bite, and let out a cry as I'm thrown backwards to the ground, my Life Points dropping all the way to 300!
"I'll put two cards face-down and end my turn."
Rising to my feet again, I mutter to myself in more conscientious thought,
"He's tougher than we thought..."
My mission was simple: to give Shark a Number.
Once I finished my mission, Vetrix said I should let Shark win the duel...but he never said I had to make it easy for 'im.
Deciding that playing seriously instead of flopping the rest of the match would mean a better outcome, I make my next move.
"Now, Shark, I Draw! And I play the Spell, Chronomaly Technology!...Now if I banish a Chronomaly Monster from my Graveyard, I get to draw two new cards from my deck. Then I send one to the Graveyard...I summon Chronomaly Crystal Bones to the field! I can summon this monster when you're the only one with monsters on the field."
My Level Three monster with 1300 Attack Points and the appearance of a glass-like skeleton with no head...not yet, at least.
"And Crystal Bones's special ability allows me to bring back Chronomaly Crystal Skull from the Graveyard! (Holds up card) Rise up, Crystal Skull!"
This monster was also a Level Three, but with only 900 Attack Points, and harboring a more polished version of the infamous so-proclaimed Pre-Columbian artifacts.
"Now I overlay both my Level Three Crystal Skull and Crystal Bones! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network, and XYZ Summon Chronomaly Crystal Chrononaut!"
This monster was a Rank Three with 2100 Attack Points, and looked like a blue stone humanoid moth with narrow wings, with a small round mirror in the middle of its chest.
"If I use an Overlay Unit, it can't be destroyed this turn, and not only that, you'll take the damage I would've taken."
That seemed to wipe away some of Shark's cocky confidence.
"Say what?!"
"(Knowing smile) To put it simply, your Shark Drake has alot more Attack Points than my Chronomaly Crystal Chrononaut. 1000 points more. And those extra points are gonna come flying at you! Crystal Chrononaut, attack Shark Drake! Go, Reflect Flash!"
A copy of my monster shoots out from the mirror in their chest to charge for the Number. I hear Athena shout,
"Heads up, man," and I jeer,
"Face it, Shark, you are sunk!"
"Then I'll get unsunk, with the Spell, Plate Salvage!...It's time for a change of scenery!"
Thanks to the effects of his Spell, the underwater world I created would become void of the salt water, looking more like an ancient island that you could walk around and explore...
"Now your Sunken Kingdom Field Spell can't work for two turns! That means Sunken Kingdom's effect is history, so now Shark Drake loses 300 Attack Points."
I see now: he's trying to lower the damage he's about to take...
Even so, he would feel some of the mirrored backlash after Shark Drake destroys my Chrononaut's copy, activating the reflective property, and causing him to be hit with 700 points of damage...Now the both of us had only 300 Life Points each...
I can't believe it! Shark is great at thinking on his feet, so I'm sure he'll try and use Shark Drake's special ability.
I should just let him win this duel, (light smirk) but where's the fun in that?
"I'm ending my turn! Throw your best at me, Shark!"
"Rrh, I Draw!...Okay, Shark Drake! Shatter that Crystal Chrononaut!"
"Not so fast! I'll use Colossal Head's ability to put the breaks on Shark Drake! When I banish this Chronomaly Monster from my Graveyard, I can switch the monster on my field from Attack to Defense Mode!"
So while the Number did succeed in taking out my Chronomaly Monster, I would be safe from any real battle damage...
"I activate Shark Drake's special ability! When Shark Drake destroys a monster in battle, it can bring it back onto your field, but don't forget, that monster has 1000 less Attack Points, and that's gonna make you, a prime target!"
I growl a bit, and Shark adds,
"If you were thinking I would forget about Shark Drake's special ability, you were wrong...So, attack Shark Drake!"
...Heh, I knew it.
Smiling, I counter,
"Actually, I was right. You see, I knew you'd master that Number's special ability, so now I'm ready with my Trap, Chronomaly Ley Line Power!"
"A Trap!?"
"Exactly. It's a Trap that can exchange the Attack Points of the two monsters that are battling, so now my Crystal Chrononaut is stronger than Shark Drake!"
I'd just love to see him try and get out of this one...
"Sorry, Shark, but it's over."
"(Grin) Yes it is."
"Huh?!"
"See, I expected you to pull a move like that, so I had the ultimate counter card up my sleeve to put an end to this duel."
Now I was definitely nervous:
No...Don't tell me he has...!
"It's the Trap Card, Sea King's Verdict! If your Trap Card activated during a battle, this one cancels it out."
"Cancels it out?!"
A Poseidon-like figure rises and sends its spear forward to destroy the energy transfer line between Chrononaut and Drake...
"Shark Drake, let's finish this duel, and finish this off!"
There was nothing I could do to stop this attack, and Crystal Chrononaut would be shattered to pieces, leaving me to go flying backwards with a yell as the loser of this match...Still, all according to plan.
And at least I fought a good fight...
No POV
While happy Athena was for Shark in winning the duel, as she pulls off her Duel Gazer, the teenager found herself in a mixed state of feeling.
"Hm...I'm glad that's over...even though he had the wrong opponent..."
Astral nodded in acknowledgement, commenting,
"This was a most impressive victory."
Meanwhile, as Trey moved back onto his feet again, he somewhat reluctantly commends the boy with cerulean irises for the win.
"Hah, hah...not bad, Shark. You get this win, but next time, it'll be different."
He then tosses the other a Heart Piece in accordance to the tournament rules...but would hold up an already completed ante!
"I made it to the finals, and I look forward to facing you there."
Athena was flabbergasted at seeing the full jewel heart.
"No, way...! Him too?!"
...He and Quattro must've really worked their asses off the other day and this morning if they've got their Heart Pieces completed that fast.
Trey's next sentence would only confuse her further:
"You can hold onto that Number Card if you want. Think of it as a souvenir of our duel."
What? He's willing to give up the Number?
...Something's weird here...
She wouldn't have much time to ponder about it, when the young man with green irises suddenly brandishes his own glowing crest on the back of his left hand, white-green and in the shape of a flower, which would shine brightly to obscure everyone's vision for a moment...before dimming away quicker than it formed, taking Trey with it!
Uh!...He's gone...
(Briiing, briiing)
"Hm?"
Athena's Duel Gazer then starts ringing, so she pulls it back out to answer.
(Ping)
"(Digital) Addy!"
"Tiff! Hey...How's Cas doin'; is he alright?"
"(Digital) Uh-huh, he's gonna be alright. Aside from a bad sprain in his arm, the doctor said he just needs to rest up."
The girl with red irises lets out a huge sigh of relief:
"Thank god...I needed to hear something good right now."
"(Digital) Why? Is Shark okay?"
...Looking up from Tiffany's image to meet her red irises with the subject of conversation's blue, Athena replies in a bit of vagueness,
"Uh...yeah...He won against Trey...Listen, I'll catch up with you guys in a bit."
Sensing a bit of tension in her friend's voice, the girl with cornflower blue irises decides to ask about it later.
"(Digital) Uum, okay. See you, Addy."
(Ping)
Athena tucks her Duel Gazer away, not once turning her eyes away from the friend in front of her, each one occupying a neutral expression that didn't speak the volume of emotions their hearts and minds did.
"...What haven't you told me, Shark?"
"What?"
"What else did Quattro do to you, and how does it involve your sister?...Did he, hurt her in some way?"
Shark stiffens considerably with an expression of surprise from Athena's intuition...but then frowns with his eyes closed and turns his head away.
"It...It's not something you need to know."
"Why?"
"Dammit, Addy-"
"No! Don't just brush me off with a dammit! Explain yourself! Why do you refuse to say anything when you obviously need help?!"
"Because I already have one person I care about in intensive care; I don't need that number to climb!"
...
A blanket of silence folds between the two teens for a moment, the girl shocked from the boy's outburst that held not just anger...but a touch of anxiety.
"...What...?"
Sucking in a strong breath with a sigh, Shark walks forward until he was standing directly in front of Athena, taking one of her arms into his hand in a firm grip like he needed something to steady himself.
"Look...as, much as there's a part of me that appreciates your, support...you of all people should understand why I also want you to keep your distance."
"...I do...but you and I both know that's not gonna happen, right?"
Smiling bitterly, Athena adds,
"Our paths are gonna cross again eventually, even if yours is heading in the direction of vengeance while mine is primarily to just, avoid disaster for as long as I can...Plus, I still owe Quattro a beating for hurting Jamal and Caswell earlier in that cruel duel, and I truly do mean a beating."
"Athena..."
"I'll leave the real work to you in that regard, of course...Just, promise me that you won't lose yourself along the way, and contradict everything you've been working towards since we first met."
Shark could only stare at the girl in front of him in awe for a moment...before sighing through his nose and nodding a bit.
"I'll...I'll try."
"Thank you...That's all I ask of you."
A stranger, slightly more comfortable silence falls between the two teens, and Astral watches them while thinking to himself,
Now that Shark has another Number, we will certainly have to duel him again someday.
...
By this time, Trey had returned to his family's home in that sky-high suite, reporting the details of his mission to Vetrix.
"That was excellent work, Trey. Shark won't suspect a thing because of the way you let him win."
"To be honest, I think Shark would've won no matter how hard I tried..."
"You're just being modest as usual."
"But sir, Shark wasn't possessed by the Number, so I failed."
Grinning, Vetrix argues,
"Not at all; your mission was a success. There is now a seed of darkness in Shark's soul that will grow within him over time, before consuming him completely, hehahahahaha!"
...
And cutting back to the teen of subject, as he somewhat reluctantly shares a hug with Athena as they ready to part ways again at the entrance to the alleyway...we see that the part of his chest where Number 32 had 'stabbed' him, was glowing a dim but ominous dark red/purple...