Disclaimer: The following piece is in no way a claim to ownership of the depicted characters. Yu-Gi-Oh, Yu-Gi-Oh R, Yu-Gi-Oh GX and Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's are owned by TV Tokyo, Konami Corporation and Kazuki Takahashi. This story as presented is strictly for entertainment purposes, both for its owner and readers.
Chapter 35 – Infinity's Last Trump Card! Machine Emperor Grannel, Aki vs. Jose
Stepping into the white illuminated throne room, Alessandro moved quietly and with extreme care, passing through the doorway without making any noise but not without alerting Jose to his presence. Noting that the older man was staring upon Lucciano's charging form, Alessandro said nothing but instead stood awaiting some sort of address.
"Where is Placido?" was the question that eventually came from Jose's metal-covered mouth, the large man standing up and turning to face Alessandro. The single golden eye of the giant had a rather impassive look on its face; but Alessandro knew full-well that Jose was likely still angry about his earlier comments.
"He's taken it upon himself to try and complete the Circuit my midnight," Alessandro explained calmly, causing the single visible eye of the larger man to narrow into a more angry-looking expression. "I advised him against it; but he said that it was within completion and that it was worth trying."
"I don't believe that you did try to dissuade him," Jose scorned, his voice sounding sterner than what he had previously said. "Based upon your actions as of late, not only do I know you lie, but that you're more headstrong than Placido is."
"So what if I am?" Alessandro asked defensively, giving Jose a rather angry-looking glare. The response of the older man was to grab Alessandro by the collar with his left hand, raising him up a foot and a half off the ground so their eyes were level. Alessandro had nothing he could say at this time; instead, he just gasped in anger.
"I can see why Placido is so irritated by you," Jose grumbled before tossing Alessandro back into Placido's empty throne effortlessly. "You think simply because we are your allies, you can say and do anything you want and that we'll turn a blind eye. It's a human habit you must overcome if you wish to remain an Emperor of Yliaster; and more so, if you wish to remain alive."
After taking a moment to process these words, Alessandro's face shifted from total frustration to something that more resembled forced compliance; and then, turning to Lucciano, whose body was pulsating in a blue circuit pattern, he asked, "Exactly how long before she's operational?"
"That is a good question," Jose responded, turning back to face the female automaton. "She could take an hour or a year to fully recover. The issue is not simply about time, but energy; the energy used to recover her is the same as that for the Circuit."
"Then perhaps we could use a Signer to collect enough energy for her," Alessandro said impetuously, getting Jose to glare at him again. "If Placido can complete the Circuit on his own, he doesn't need us. We might as well do something productive with our time, and get energy from one or both of the Signers not with the group."
Standing with the angered look still on his face, Jose growled under his breath for a few seconds before finally saying, "That's actually a rather useful idea. If we can use those Signers to our advantage, then there is no reason to simply wait upon the completion of the Circuit and Lucciano's resurrection."
"See? Humans are of some use," Alessandro said sarcastically, getting up from his seat and chuckling before crossing his right arm over his chest. In a split second he had vanished, and Jose proceeded to make the same move while mumbling to himself,
"Now if only they weren't so apt to talk back that way."
In Poppo Time, at the building which the group had been calling a home base, Aki and Johan stood on guard while the two twins were in the rear of the building, asleep. With the clock reaching 10pm, there was very little left for them to do; but the two older members knew that something had to be done.
"This is taking a lot longer than I would have expected," Johan stated to Aki, his arms crossed as they stared out the top floor window. "It's gone from a 3-person reconnaissance mission to a full-on battalion, and we're the only 4 people left at home base now. If they ever decide to get back here, they'll be a lot to discuss."
"I just hope everyone is alright," Aki responded in a more worried tone, turning off to the side and looking rather concerned. "After Judai, Jack and Kyojo didn't come back, everything happening like this is just too strange for me to understand."
"Yusei will be just fine," Johan assure her, putting his hand on her shoulder and giving her a comforting smile. "He's great at holding his own, given where he comes from; and Judai's there as well. He'd sooner die than allow something to happen to his friends."
"Then that Judai punk is long dead, because his friends and being picked off left, right and centre," a male voice issued from behind the two of them. Turning around, they saw the forms of Alessandro and Jose standing there looking at them. Crossing his arms, Alessandro added, "I guess he's not as powerful as you thought."
"Who are you?" Johan questioned, not recognizing Jose from the battle night and having never seen Alessandro before. "And what are you doing here?"
"Ah, we've forgotten to introduce ourselves. How rude of us," Jose stated, Alessandro stepping off to the side. "My name is Jose, and this is my apprentice Alessandro."
"Jose…?" Aki realized, gasping at the man's name. "You're one of the people in league with Placido, aren't you?"
"You didn't gather that from the Infinity motif sweetheart?" Alessandro chastised, sneering at the girl. "If I had known Yusei liked his women ditzy, I could have mocked him for that too."
"Stop being so rude, Alessandro," Jose criticized, making Alessandro return to a serious pose. "The girl is a Signer after all, Miss Izayoi Aki; and as members of Yliaster, we must be respectful of those individuals."
"Ah yes, pardon my lack of manners," Alessandro corrected himself, bowing for the woman before regaining his superior attitude. "As for the original question, 'why are we here?', it's quite simple; we're here for a quick, civil duel. No hostages, no penalties, no strings of any kind; just two duellists."
"I don't believe that for a second!" Johan yelled. "There's no reason to have trespassed this way just for a duel; especially given who you are. So tell me your real motivation for being here." After Johan's little tirade, Alessandro fired a burst from his artificial plasma eye, sending Johan into the wall and then making him collapse onto the floor.
"Stop this!" Aki yelled, raising her hand and creating a shockwave with her powers that sent Alessandro flying into the opposite wall. There, he struck it with such force that he was knocked forwards, making the man sneer hatefully.
"Oh, well aren't you just a violent little bitch?" he asked, stepping forward to where Jose was standing. "But alright; you seem feisty enough for my type. Let's have our duel then, shall we; and then I'll give you something else to be rough about."
"Give it a rest, Alessandro," Jose warned angrily, making Alessandro hiss and actually step back away. "Miss Izayoi, your opponent will be myself; and I can promise you that I will be more respectful than my associate here. So, do we have an agreement?"
"What exactly are the stakes?" Aki questioned, grabbing her Duel Disc and strapping it onto her arm. "Alright, I'll suggest some; if I win, you leave here and never bother us again."
"We don't need stakes for a duel, Miss Izayoi," Jose responded calmly. "We will leave no matter the outcome; and this will be our last visit here."
"No Aki!" Johan yelled, getting to his feet only to be shoved back against the wall. Looking, Aki could see that Alessandro had twisted the pointed figure eight from his back into a chain somehow, one he had used to pin Johan to the wall.
"Stop getting involved in things that don't concern you," the raven warned. "The only duellists we are interested in duelling are real fighters; not washed-up has-beens like yourself. Now stop interrupting or I'll be forced to really hurt you. Do I make myself clear, or do I need to spell it out for you?"
Yanking on the chain, Alessandro pulled Johan all the way across the room, using his free hand to punch Johan in the face and knock him to the ground. The second he did, however, Jose grabbed Alessandro by the scruff and threw him back onto the floor. A second later, Johan got back to his feet and the chain on his converted into blue energy, returning to its place on Alessandro's back.
"I again apologize for my associate's lack of any social grace," Jose told them. "He seems to have deep-rooted anger too strong to quell; a pity really, given how difficult our mission is without in-fighting. Now, without further delay, let us ascend to our duelling platform."
From underneath Jose's bushy right eyebrow then appeared a brilliant orange glow, on which consumed him, Johan, Aki and Alessandro. It quickly took away any surrounding features; and when it faded, they stood on the roof of the building, an orange Infinity loop encircling Jose and Aki as it lit up the area.
A second later, Jose's hood and the cape-like cloak on his body turned to orange energy and eventually dissolved, creating a clearer look at the man under the hood. The top of Jose's head was bald, but he had hair to the sides and a long ponytail at the back down to his waist. The covering on his eye was revealed not as an eyebrow, but as a set of bangs isolated on his forehead; he did not seem to have any real eyebrows. Finally, a single red gem was in the centre of his forehead, glowing like Placido's gem and Alessandro's eye.
As Aki took in the shock of his rather strange appearance, she looked down to the man's chest to see that the part covered by a cloak was a metal plate shaped like an Infinity symbol. Underneath it, the orange irregular pentagonal plate suddenly folded down, two metal arms folding out and to the sides. These then collected all the floating energy photons, collecting them into an energy tray for a Duel Disc.
"It's like Professor Cobra's Duel Disc," Johan realized, watching as a section of Jose's left cuff extended upwards, producing a Deck out of orange energy. As a small wind started to kick up, Jose's beard and everyone's hair began to sway, and finally the man said,
"Come now my dear; let us have a duel worth remembering." "One that will generate enough energy to restore Lucciano; and if any is left over, then we can boost the Circuit." Watching intently, Jose pulled 5 cards from his Deck (which looked miniscule in his basketball-sized hands) as Aki's Deck was shuffled.
"I'll show you the power of a Signer," Aki declared to the older man, giving him a sneer that hinted she had said exactly what he wanted to hear. With that she too pulled 5 cards, and so both players yelled at once,
"DUEL!"
Aki: LP 4000
Jose: LP 4000
"I'll set the lady decide whether or not have the first turn," Jose insisted, suggesting he came from a time when chivalry was actually in effect. In fact, this was true; but he also wanted to see Aki's playing style, allowing him to adapt it accordingly.
He was genuinely surprised when Aki responded, "I don't need you to give me the first turn; you can take it." Slightly taken aback by the hostility of this, Jose was quick to shrug it off.
"Very well, I draw," Jose declared, pulling his sixth card and placing it onto the orange tray on his chest. "I Summon Core Releaser (DEF: 1000, LV: 3)!" Once the card was on the tray, a card appeared horizontally which the metal orb from Placido's duel appeared, its three glowing orbs still there.
"I shall also set 4 cards, and declare the end of my turn." Simply standing there, Jose looked at Aki with a passive glance; but in his mind he was thinking, "Now, my dear Signer; show me the power you possess."
"I draw!" Aki shouted, pulling her card and spinning it around instantly. "I Summon Black Rose Witch (ATK: 1700, LV: 4)!" A moment later the form of a doll-like girl with purple hair and purple roses on a black dress appeared, a staff in her hand.
"Since I Normal Summoned this monster with no cards, I draw one card; however, if that card is not a Monster Card, Black Rose Witch and that card are sent to the Cemetery." Pulling the card, she was quick to spin it around before adding, "The card is indeed a Monster, namely Dandelion."
"An impressive combo," Jose complemented. "Thus, you get to keep your monster."
"I also activate Angel's Gift," Aki added, pulling 3 cards in a single motion and taking 2 monsters from her hand to throw into the Cemetery. "Because Dandelion was sent to the Cemetery, I Special Summon 2 Fluff Tokens (DEF: 0, LV: 1) (DEF: 0, LV: 1)!" In a moment two monsters that resembled dandelion seeds appeared on Aki's field, giving her a total of 3 monsters.
"There's more; I activate Dual Summon, and I Normal Summon a second monster. Come on, Debris Dragon (ATK: 1000, LV: 4)!" Aki's latest monster was revealed as the small white and green Dragon both Kyojo and Yusei used; and as it came into view, a card slid from Aki's Cemetery.
"Due to this monster's effect, I Special Summon 1 Monster of 500 ATK or less; come back, Dandelion (ATK: 300, LV: 3)!" As she spoke, her orange, yellow and green cat-plant hybrid appeared. "Now, I Tune my Level 4 Debris Dragon to my Level 3 Dandelion and Level 1 Fluff Token!"
Shooting up into the air, the dragon changed into 4 white orbs that became green rings. The other two monsters then turned into a total of 4 white orbs, which became a column of light. "Fell the serpent among the flowers as it strikes. The pitch-dark flames shall now sear the souls of wickedness. Synchro Summon! Arise, Wild Rose Dragon (ATK: 3000, LV: 8)!"
When the light faded away, the serpentine flower-like dragon was encircling Aki's field, like a serpent eying its prey. Staring up upon the creature's jaws, Jose gave a light chuckle and said to Aki, "Such a powerful monster in a single turn… but using a Synchro Monster against a Machine Emperor Deck is a foolish move."
"We'll see," Aki responded smoothly. "Especially since I gain 2 more Tokens because of my Dandelion going back to the Cemetery." Just as she had stated, two more of the small objects appeared before her; and then she added; "Now I tune my Level 4 Witch to my 3 Level 1 Fluff Tokens."
Leaping up into the air, the doll-like girl swung her want a couple of times before changing into 4 green rings. When the three smaller creatures rose up into these, their heads became white orbs and the rings disappeared; then, the three orbs fused into another beam of light.
"Chilling flames engulf the entire world. Pitch-dark flower, set into bloom! Synchro Summon! Appear now, Black Rose Dragon (ATK: 2400, LV: 7)!" The serpentine dragon was then joined by the smaller, bloom-shaped dragon, its petal wings unfurled and the vines beneath its body blowing in the wind.
"Now I see why this girl was chosen as a Signer," Alessandro said to himself, standing behind and off to the side of Jose with his arms crossed. "Synchro Summoning 2 Monsters like that is impressive enough, but the fact that she used one to attain the other... how interesting..."
"I activate Black Rose Dragon's Monster Effect," Aki informed Jose, a card sliding from her Cemetery as she spoke. "You see, by excluding the Dandelion in my Cemetery, Core Releaser changed to Attack Position, and its ATK is 0!" Shooting several vines from its underside, the dragon strung up the orb and pulled it from its card, causing its colour to return.
"Battle! I attack Core Releaser with Black Rose Dragon! Black Rose Flare!" With a guttural snarl, the dragon released a burst of purple flames which resembled flower petals from its jaws; these struck and exploded the small machine, the shockwave striking Jose and causing him to grunt.
"Permanent Trap Open: Infinity Spirit Machine!" Jose declared, causing one of the set cards in front of him to reveal itself. The card then vanished as a mechanical purple head with red eyes and grey wires for hair emerged; then, the red aura from Jose's body flowed into its open mouth, where purple numbers that read '24' emerged. "Infinity Spirit Machine keeps 1 Counter for every 100 points of damage I take."
"Too bad that does nothing for you now. I direct attack with Wild Rose Dragon!" Rearing up, a burst of crimson flames came from the mouth of the beast straight towards Jose; however, this time, Jose had a different response.
"I activate Drain Shield," he revealed. "This card will negate your attack, and then add the ATK of your monster to my Life Points." Instantly a green barrier formed around Jose's field, absorbing the impact of the strike and simply causing Jose to glow green for a moment.
Aki: LP 4000
Jose: LP 4600
"Did you think I would allow myself to be done in with a single turn, and with 2 Synchro Monsters no less?" Jose questioned, the three glowing orbs from the exploded machine now floating around his head. "Your stronger monster's power has put me above you."
"Then I set 2 cards and end my turn," Aki said simply. "This guy put me in a bad spot. I was hoping to win before seeing his Machine Emperor; with 2 Synchro Monsters on my field, I'm wide open."
"In the End Phase," Jose revealed, "The effect of Core Releaser transfers one monster with 'Core' in its name from my Deck to my hand." Instantly the blue and green floating orbs vanished, leaving the orange one to float around and into his hand, changing into a card. "And now, it's my turn."
"Prepare to get thoroughly trounced, you little school girl," Alessandro thought, his face twisting into a sneer of confidence. Johan, taking note of this, grew more concerned, and turned to Aki in full anticipation of bad things to come.
"It's my turn," Jose said flatly, drawing his card before taking the one from a moment earlier and placing it into the tray. "I Summon Grand Core (ATK: 0, LV: 1)." Instantly, a large orange egg-like object appeared on Jose's field; and then, he held up yet another card.
"This next card can be Special Summoned during the turn a "Grand Core" Monster is Normal Summoned; I Special Summon Grand Breaker (ATK: 400, LV: 3)." Placing the monster onto the tray, Jose created an orange metal snapping turtle, which let out a hissing before turning to the floating egg.
"When this card is Special Summoned, I destroy 2 cards on the field; and then their controller draws 1 card for each one. I'll destroy Grand Core and Grand Breaker, so I draw 2 cards." Pulling 2 cards from his Deck, Jose watched intently as both of his two monsters exploded; and when the smoke cleared, a floating orange orb was in front of Jose.
"When Grand Core is destroyed by a card effect, It destroys all monsters I control; and in return, from my hand, Deck or Cemetery, I Special Summon Machine Emperor Grannel Infinity (ATK: 0, LV: 1), Grannel Top (ATK: 400, LV: 1), Grannel Attack (ATK: 1400, LV: 1), Grannel Guard (DEF: 1600, LV: 1), and Grannel Carrier (ATK: 800, LV: 1)."
Shooting around behind Jose, the orb of light lodged into the ground and exploded upwards into an orange column of light. Then, up from the light appeared a large orange fish-shaped machine, the Infinity Symbol forming its eyes. Followed by that, a sunfish-like object whose face resembled a cannon barrel, a shark with a flat top to its body, a clam-like object with a massive body, and a seahorse-like object with a single eye.
A moment later, the front plates behind the Infinity symbol of the fish retracted, showing the atomic core inside, and the tail-like object turned around to the left side like a shoulder. The sunfish's tail then retracted and the shark's body unfolded, giving them the looks of arms.
Next, the clam-like object split in two halves and came back together, extending out tank treads on the bottoms of the halves to form mechanical structures; and then a lower torso formed, and the three pieces forming limbs attached in place. Finally, the seahorse folded up its body into a long, corona-shaped lead and neck, attaching atop the monster and lighting up the eye.
"Say hello to Machine Emperor Grannel (ATK: 4600, LV: 1)," Jose instructed, raising his arm to reveal the gigantic machine behind him. Though it was similar in structure to Wisel, it was much larger; in fact, it was easily twice the size of that monster. "And just like the rest of the Machine Emperors, this monster is a Synchro Killer."
"What's going on here?" Johan questioned strongly, referring to the Infinity Monster before him. That thing's attack strength is higher than the parts it's composed of. What gives?" When he received a sarcastic and amused laugh from Alessandro, the blue-haired man turned and violently asked, "What?"
"Such naïveté from such a professional," the dread-locked man told his aggressor. "Grannel doesn't function like your average Machine Emperor. See, its base ATK and DEF aren't determined by the power of its components, but by the controller's Life Points. Ever heard the phrase, 'The whole is greater than the sum of its parts'?"
"You're joking!" When the only response from Alessandro was a dark sneer though, Johan realized that the comment was no joke, but a stone-cold reality. "And that thing hasn't even absorbed anything yet…"
"Prepare to lose one of your two precious Dragons," Jose chided to Aki, watching as an array of 10 squid-like tentacles of orange energy appeared around the Infinity Symbol. Reaching forward, these wrapped around the limbs, torso, neck and jaws of the larger, serpentine dragon and pulled it towards the monster. Once it reached the Infinity Symbol, that object opened up like a beak and quite literally swallowed the monster, closing again afterwards and dissolving the tentacles.
"Due to the effect of my Grannel, it gains all the attack strength of Wild Rose Dragon; in other words, it inherits 3000 more ATK points (ATK: 7600). Now, battle! I attack Black Rose Dragon with Grannel!"
Pointing its left arm's cannon at the smaller dragon, Jose's gigantic machine opened fire with a burst of orange energy straight at said beast. Aki, not wanting to be completely taken for a fool, flipped up a card and declared, "I activate Synchro Back! I return this monster to my Extra Deck, and Synchro Summon it during my next Standby Phase!"
As soon as the blast was near the dragon, its entire form simply disappeared off the field; then, when the blast continued, it struck a barrier that formed around Aki, stopping all damage. "I also activated the Permanent Trap, Direct Border," she informed, "turning all direct attack battle damage to 0."
"Very well my dear," Jose responded calmly. "I choose to end my turn here."
"Draw," Aki stated calmly, pulling her card and watching a windstorm kick up. "I activate the effect of Synchro Back; Black Rose Dragon is Synchro Summoned to my field (ATK: 2400, LV: 7); and due to that effect, all cards on the field are instantly destroyed!"
Just as quickly as it had vanished, the red and black dragon reappeared on the field, several purple rose petals as sharp as blades flying around. One such blade flew and scratched the metal plating on Alessandro's shoulder pads, another Jose's mouth-plate; but before anything further occurred, he flipped a card.
"I activate my Trap Card, Grand G3," he explained, revealing a card from his hand. "By sending Grannel Carrier from my field to my Cemetery, I Special Summon Grannel Guard 3 from my hand (DEF: 1700, LV: 3)." Instantly the right arm of the monster disappeared; and a sea turtle-like object appeared, folding into a shield-bearing arm and fixing in place.
"Due to the effect of Grannel Guard 3," Jose explained, "the effect of a Synchro Monster can be negated once per turn." Red beams of energy from bolts on the shield then strafed the form of the opposing dragon, causing it to cease its action and the storm of petals to stop swirling. "You see, Grannel opposes Synchro Monsters more than any other Machine Emperor (ATK: 7600)."
"Then let's see it counter this!" Aki yelled, pointing to Jose's field. "I activate the effect of Black Rose Dragon; and by excluding Dark Verdure from my Cemetery, I turn Grannel Guard 3 to attack position and remove its power (ATK: 0). Battle!"
Before Jose even had time to react, the dragon fired a burst of energy straight at the arm of the monster; however, he simply looked back with an impassive stare while the port on the chest of his monster opened. To the amazement of both Aki and Johan, the energy-bound form of her serpent dragon emerged, hissing as it was brought into place before Jose's massive monster.
"Grannel Guard 3 has an additional effect left over from its base form," Jose responded to the stunned-looking Aki. "When my opponent declares an attack, I can switch the attack to a Synchro Monster equipped to Grannel. With 3000 attack strength, Black Rose Dragon is outmatched."
"That's what you think," Aki said slyly, reaching into her hand and shocking Jose with her move. Instant Magic: Rose Burst! When a Rose Dragon Synchro Monster battles an opponent's monster, it gains 200 ATK times that monster's level; and Wild Rose Dragon is Level 8, so that's 1600 more ATK (ATK: 4000)!"
"Then I activate Grannel Carrier's effect," Jose responded, noting the tank-like treads on which his monster rested. "Once per turn, I can negate the destruction by battle of a monster by battle. Thus, my servant Wild Rose Dragon survives!" In a burst of energy, the attack of the red dragon impacted its target and created an explosion, making the shackled dragon scream in pain.
Aki: LP 4000
Jose: LP 3600
"Thanks to Infinity Spirit Machine," Jose told Aki as the red aura formed around him, "my damage becomes Spirit Machine Counters (SMC: 34)." The red aura that formed around Jose then flowed into the mouth of the head, where the number changed accordingly; and then the dragon in shackles was pulled back into the Mechanical goliath's body, the plates closing again.
"With your Life Points lower, Grannel loses ATK accordingly (ATK: 6600)," Aki noted, reaching into her hand. "I set 3 cards and end my turn." With the cards from her hand now on the tray, Aki looked back up at the massive machine, the pupils of her cold eyes contracting into cat-like slits.
"What an interesting attack," Jose pondered, watching Aki's eyes. "I had not expected outright aggression like that; but I suppose that comes with Psychic Duellists. You really were Divine's protégé, and now you're just as wrathful as ever. But no matter how many attacks you make, I will replace the parts of this machine."
"I see that," Aki responded in frustration, "but I'm not done. I activate Magic Planter, and I send Direct Border to the Cemetery to draw 2 cards." Once the card had faded from the field, Aki drew her two cards, and instantly jammed them into slots on her Duel Disc. "I set these and end my turn."
"Taking a defensive approach I see," Jose then added. "That's very unlike an Arcadia Movement foot soldier like yourself; but I suppose that's no surprise. Without Divine to guide you, you've lost all your nerve."
"Don't pretend to know the first damn thing about me," Aki snapped at him, her eyes showing her anger. "I put my past behind me long ago; I won't be an Arcadia Movement member, because I'm a Signer. Don't ever think otherwise!"
"My dear, I've duelled more than my fair share of Arcadia Movement members," Alessandro piped up, "and not a single one of them could ever stick to that story. That brainwashing bastard Divine has people like you so wound around his fingers that they can't think for themselves. I'm surprised he never had you all commit suicide for him."
"Divine was a madman," Aki issued to him, her fist shaking at her side while the black-haired man simply sneered back. "I see that now; all he ever did was use me to his own twisted ends. There's no reason for me to still be loyal to him."
"That's not a denial my dear; it's just a statement of fact. You still feel for that maniac; how pathetic." Giving Alessandro an enraged hiss, Aki then turned back to look at Jose, who was reaching for his Deck.
"It's my turn," he issued. "And I activates Grand A3. By sending Grannel Attack to the Cemetery, I summon Grannel Attack 3 from my hand (ATK: 1800, LV: 3)." Placing the card vertically on the tray, he changed his angelfish-like left arm into a large piranha-like fish, whose body folded out into a new left arm with a large cannon protruding from its massive maw.
"I'm not finished with my Trap card either, my dear." Watching Aki and Johan both glare nervously, he motioned to his card and declared, "I activate Infinity Spirit Machine's effect; when my Life Points are below my opponent's, I destroy it and regain 100 Life Points for every Counter on it!"
"Every single counter?" Johan questioned incredulously, watching as the effect's animation unfolded. In a burst of green energy, the large purple head exploded and the energy flowed into Jose's body, increasing his Life Points drastically. "That's ever single lost Life Pointe he got back… Shit, Aki's in for some hell now…"
Aki: LP 4000
Jose: LP 7000
"And since El Jefe's Life Points increased," Alessandro noted, indicating the massive machine monster, "that means his monster likewise increases its power (ATK: 10000). Well, what will you do now, Arcadia whore? Because I highly recommend pissing your skirtss and praying your fucking heart out to your impotent God!"
"There's no end to this monster's strength," Jose explained, clenching his fist in front of his head as he watched Aki glare nervously at his monster. "Machine Emperor Grannel will simply grow stronger and stronger, gaining strength unto Infinity. Watch now as I claim the second of your Synchro Monsters with Grannel."
Watching the Infinity sign of Jose's monster light up, Johan stared with a worried glance while he saw the ten tentacles shoot forwards. "If she can't stop this effect from working, his monster will be stronger than she could ever take down…"
"Trap Card Open!" Aki reacted, showing off one of her two set cards. "I activate Buster Mode, and I change Black Rose Dragon into Black Rose Dragon/Buster (DEF: 2300, LV: 9)!" Kicking up another storm of petals around itself, the dragon's wings, torso and legs gained armour which resembled black flowers; then, it let out a roar and the storm intensified, shredding the tentacles.
"When this monster is Special Summoned," Aki revealed, "it can destroy all cards on the field and in both player's hands. Even if I'll be down to square one, I'll drag you with me!" However, before this occurred, the legs of the machine let out a burst of energy that struck this new monster, causing its storm to completely fail. "What?"
"Sorry, but I've activated Grand C3," Jose told her, the storm dying down around them. "By discarding Grannel Carrier, I Special Summoned Grannel Carrier 3 (ATK: 1200, LV: 3)." Looking at the legs of the monster, she saw they were now a slightly larger, taller pair with folded-up crab legs along its edges. "And once per turn, this card can negate an effect which would destroy cards I control, as well as one destruction by battle."
"Then, I…" Aki stammered, looking down at her own cards while Jose simply glared back at her, a cunning look in the eyes of his otherwise stoic face. "I… I can't stop this attack."
"You may as well have no monsters on your field at all," Jose passively reflected. "A single attack now by my Machine Emperor will bring you to your knees and win me this duel; and that is exactly what I intend to do. Machine Emperor Grannel, destroy that miserable monster!" Raising its left arm, the monster fired an orange burst of energy from the cannon that struck the dragon, exploding its armour.
"The effect of Black Rose/Buster allows me to revive its base form when destroyed (ATK: 2400, LV: 7)!" Aki snapped, pointing to her monster. "And since your monster has used its effect, my Dragon is safe from your monster."
"That's not entirely true," Jose noted, watching his monster's chest plates open again and release the shackled dragon, snarling as it did so. "The effect of Grannel Attack 3 is far worse. Thanks to it, my absorbed Synchro Monsters can attack as Normal Monsters, meaning the 3000 attack strength of your dragon will bring you down!"
"Not so fast!" Aki shouted, activating her set card and making Jose looked back with a somewhat stunned look. "I activate Rose Blizzard. This card is activated wqhen my opponent declares an attack." Reaching for her Deck and snapping up a card, she added, "Next, I change the attacking monster to Defence Position and draw 1 card."
"Then I have no choice but to set 2 cards and end my turn," Jose grumbled, certainly disappointed at the inability to draw what he needed at such a critical time. "That Trap Card allow her a turns to draw exactly what she needs to win this game; and knowing her prowess as a Signer, that is very likely."
"I draw," Aki issued, snapping up her card before spinning it around onto her Duel Disc. "I activate Treasures of Heaven, and let us both draw 6 cards from our Decks." Once she had placed that card in the Cemetery, she and drew the cards from her Deck one by one; and when she looked at her hand, her Dragon Mark lit up and she smirked, showing Jose that his thoughts had been accurate.
"I Special Summon Rose Sprite (DEF: 1200, LV: 3) since I drew it by an effect!" Instantly, a naked pink hairy-like monster with a rose for hair appeared in a crouching position, while Aki also showed off a set card. "I also use Level Retuner, allowing me to reduce my monster's Level by 2 (LV: 1)."
"Alright," Johan smirked, raising his fist confidently. "Now her monster is exactly the level she needs it to be for her monster's Synchro Summon."
"Next, I Summon Salvation Dragon – Saviour Dragon (ATK: 0, LV: 1)!" In a flash of golden light, Aki shocked Alessandro and Jose by calling up the small red teardrop-shaped dragon with bladed wings; and as she did, she raised her cards to the air and added, "Now I Tune my Level 1 Saviour Dragon to my Level 7 Black Rose Dragon and my now Level 1 Rose Sprite!"
Rising into the air, the red dragon became massive and transparent, the smaller dragon and the fairy rising into its body. They then became 7 and 1 white orbs and entered a green ring, where they became a column of light and the dragon's body became red light. "Synchro Summon! Saviour Rose Dragon (ATK: 3700, LV: 9)!" In a massive show of force, the four-winged flower-like dragon Aki controlled descended from the light, larger than the orange monster and wrapping its wings around the field.
"I activate Saviour Rose Dragon's effect," Aki then added, "and with it I negate the effect of Grannel Guard 3!" As she expected, however, the shield then shot beams of power to her monster and stopped its effect cold, before it could even start. "And of course, the effect fails; but now you can't stop my other effect. Battle!"
"I activate Grannel Carrier 3's effect," Jose declared, "and negate the destruction by Battle!" Watching the attack strike the shield arm, he watched intently as the power of the burst simply deflected; however, he was shocked to see a new card appear on Aki's field, one which caused him to glare angrily.
"I activate Saviour Fortune," she declared, reching for her Deck and picking up 3 cards. Turning one around, she then added it to the tray as such and placed the other two face-down. "I activate Saviour Force, and prevent Saviour Rose returning to the Extra Deck." Forming a red aura around her dragon, Aki also let her two set cards materialized before she sneered and uttered, "I end my turn."
"I draw," Jose started, looking at his draw and then sneering. "I activate the effect of Grannel, and absorb your Wild Rose Dragon." Once again, his monster opened its chest and released the orange tentacles; but the dragon before Aki then curled up and folded its wings around itself, dodging the tentacles.
"I've activated Rose Blind," Aki informed. "By changing my monster to Defence Position (DEF: 2800), I negate the effects of any cards that target it for this turn." Placing her now expended card into her Cemetery, she looked at her now-blue dragon and the opposing monster, seeing exactly what she had done.
Jose then turned his attention to his new hand before holding up yet another card. "This next monster is Summoned by releasing Grannel Attack 3. Come, Grannel Attack 5 (ATK: 2100, LV: 5)." Once the old arm had disappeared, Jose's machine was joined by a hammerhead-like object; this one changed into a larger, more powerful-looking cannon with the anchor-like head as a projectile, giving the cannon a rather strong-looking appearance; and so it attached to the monster for a larger left arm.
"Next, I send Grannel carrier and Guard 3 to the Cemetery to summon Grannel Guard 5 DEF: 2500, LV: 5) and Grannel Carrier 5 (ATK: 1900, LV: 5)!" The legs and right arm of the monster then disappeared; and a manta ray formed, creating a large shielded right arm, followed by a a whale-like object which became two pontoon-like legs.
"Battle I destroy Saviour Rose Dragon!" Pointing its cannon, the monster fired a single burst of energy into the dragon's chest, exploding it. But then, the tentacles from the earlier effect, still deployed, reached into the smoke and pulled out the dragon, pulling it into the chest and closing again.
"Oh, did we forget to mention?" Alessandro questioned, looking at both protagonists. "The Grannel Attack series can allow Machine Emperors to absorb Synchro Monsters that have been destroyed by battle (ATK: 13700)."
"Then… I activate Saviour Force's effect!"Aki declared, pulling a card from her Cemetery. "I revive Black Rose Dragon (DEF: 1800, LV: 7)!" With the red dragon now before her again, Aki was quickly becoming a mess; the stress of the duel was taking its toll, and hard.
"Now, your god-like servant will become my tool of destruction!" Jose yelled, watching as the orange tubules reappeared and released the four-winged dragon. As soon as it had appeared, however, it exploded from the tubules; and the serpent dragon then emerged from the body of the monster, also exploding and causing Jose damage/
Aki: LP 4000
Jose: LP 6000
"I've activated Armour Burn," Aki revealed. "Now, all equip cards on the field are destroyed, and their controllers take 500 damage for each one, weakening your monster (ATK: 6000)."
"Clever, yet hopeless," Jose revealed. "I activate Infinity Monocycle! Now, I get to re-equip all lost Synchro Monsters to Grannel; and in addition, I inflict 600 damage to my opponent for each monster I equipped this turn, and recover 600 Life Points!" In the tentacles the shattered forms of the dragons then returned (ATK: 13300), while red energy drained Aki and Jose recovered points.
Aki: LP 2200
Jose: LP 6600
"I set two cards and end my turn. Now, what will you do, Signer?"
"Draw!" Aki yelled, not at all pleased with her options. In a defeated tone, she stated, "I set 2 cards and end my turn."
"Bad hand?" Jose questioned, drawing his card. "It could not have come at a worse time; I activate Grannel Guard 5's effect, and in my Standby Phase I recover Life equal to the ATK of one equipped Synchro Monster. I choose Saviour Rose Dragon." Instantly, a shower of green sparkles appeared from the chest of the machine, flowing into Jose as he recovered.
Aki: LP 2200
Jose: LP 10300
"Next, I activate Grand T3, and change Grannel Top to Top 3 (ATK: 1100, LV: 3)." The head of the monster then vanished, changing into a blade-covered version of itself that then formed a new, spikier head. "And next, I change this monster out for Grannel Top 5 (ATK: 1700, LV: 5)." With that head disappearing, a swordfish-like monster appeared, forming a large cone-like head with its large eye fixed on Aki.
"I activate Synchro Break," Aki activated, her monster disappearing from before her. "Now, I inflict damage to my opponent equal to the total Levels of all monsters my opponent controls times 300. You have 21 stars on your field, so that's 6300 damage!"
"I activate Grannel Carrier 5's effect, and negate the damage," Jose revealed, a barrier extending up from his monster's legs and protecting him. "Next, I Release Grannel Attack 5 for Grannel Attack 7 (ATK: 2700, LV: 7)." Dissolving off the gigantic machine, the left arm was quickly replaced by a large crocodile-like machine, whose jaws formed a massive cannon on a still more powerful left arm for the monster.
"Once per turn, by skipping my Battle Phase, I inflict damage to my opponent equal to the power of a Monster I control equipped to a Machine Emperor." Opening up its chest, the monster released the form of the four-winged dragon, which then opened its jaws and began to send it to the crocodile arm.
Watching intently, Aki saw the blast of energy form in the jaws of the crocodile-like cannon; then, as the power came to fruition, the shot came straight at Aki in the form of a full-on blast. The second it neared her, however, Aki revealed her last card. "I activate Nature's Reflection! During this turn, all opposing effect damage returns to my opponent's Life Points; so prepare to receive your own monster's fury."
With this declaration done, an ivy-covered wall sprouted up in front of Aki's side of the field, obstructing her from Jose's view. When the burst struck this monolith, it reflected at an angle such that it went straight at Jose. Just like Aki, though, Jose was ready to counter with a face-down card.
"I activate my Trap Card, Infinity Wave! When an Infinity Monster is on my field, I negate the activation of a Trap Card and exclude it!" Shocking both Johan and Aki with this move, as well as amusing Alessandro, Jose added, "Since this card negates your Trap Card dead in its tracks, the damage will simply return to you as normal."
Watching with a smirk; the burst of energy arced upwards, bypassing Jose as it did so and curving around into a full circular shape. Before Aki could register the move, she saw the energy blast dodge the wall and come crashing down upon her, smashing her into the ground and simply rendering her unconscious.
Aki: LP 0
Jose: LP 10300
"This duel was decided before it even began," Alessandro reviewed, watching as the gigantic machine monster disappeared from view and Jose's form converted itself back to normal. "It would appear as though the Signer was simply not up to the task of facing a monster as powerful as Grannel; and with that, our mission is completed."
"The hell it is!" Johan yelled at the man, causing his smirk to fade into a look of annoyance as he turned to stare at his accuser. "I'm not letting you simply leave here after you harmed my friend that way!"
"Like you could stop us," Alessandro told him harshly, generating a shockwave from his plasma eye that shot Johan back a large distance. In less than a second Johan found himself over the two-story ledge of the building, hanging by a single arm for dear life.
"We have what we came for," Jose informed Alessandro, showing his arm to be glowing orange in a circuit board pattern. "There is nothing more to be gained here; now pick up that man and we'll get going."
"Very well," Alessandro responded, stepping over to the ledge where Johan was hanging on. Reaching down, Alessandro grabbed the man by the throat and hoisted him up above his own head, saying to him, "If you ever speak to me that way again, you'll be far worse off; so I suggest you watch your tongue to me."
Without so much as a huff to a look, Alessandro tossed Johan back over his own shoulder, as thoughtlessly as if he were disposing of some piece of trash. Johan landed with a thud right beside Aki, leaving both people on the roof at their own peril; and then Alessandro turned to Jose, stating, "I think that about takes care of everything."
In the blink of an eye, both members of Infinity simply dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind no proof of their presence other than the memories in the heads of their two witnesses. Johan, shaky but still conscious, waited until they were completely gone and then to his feet, checking Aki for any signs of life. When he found her to be out cold, but stable, he breathed a sigh of relief; but then, turning to the closing skies, he gave a stern look.
Stepping back into the room of Public Security's Headquarters, Jose and Alessandro strode over to where Lucciano's body laid; the wires that were connected to her glowed red. "There is no need for those anymore," Jose told Alessandro, who stepped out ahead of him. Knowing the job at hand, he gripped tightly all the various cables and removed them with one pull, leaving Lucciano separated from the power supply.
Stepping aside, Alessandro then allowed Jose to step up to the android, his left arm extended. Placing it upon her body, he watched as all the energy from the arm flowed fluidly into the body of the machine; and when it did so, it turned light blue and shone before settling back into the body.
Waiting for all of a few seconds, the two men were quite pleased to see that a few moments later, the eyes of the mechanical female opened up, glancing upwards to view the two standing before her. Though she was slumped against the floor in a sitting position, she made no note of her vantage point; instead, she simply looked to the men's' faces and smiled.
"I see you managed to put me back together," she then discovered, hoisting herself up onto her feet. At only 5'6" tall, she was an entire foot shorter than Alessandro and even less than Jose; so she continued to look up at them, that action mandated by close proximity. "How close is the Circuit to completion?"
"We've managed to collect a significant amount of energy through a series of rigorous duels," Alessandro informed her. "The Signers and company have given us a near-complete Circuit in days. Very soon, God himself will soon be upon this Earth."
"But before that can happen," Jose reminded them both, "Placido has to collect the last material he needs; and he can only do that by duelling Yuki Judai and Fudo Yusei."
"That's in a mere two hours," Alessandro retorted. "There's nothing more the three of us can do until then; so allow us to watch as Placido brings God into this world."
"Then I see having a human in our midst was indeed a wise choice," Lucciano inferred, her and the two men stepping over to the thrones and taking seats. Now that Lucciano had returned, Alessandro simply stepped around to Placido's seat; and once the three were in their circle, the screen below them turned on to reveal what was currently occurring.
Card of the Week – Jose
Grannel Attack 7
Type: EARTH
Level: 7
Family: [Machine/Effect]
Effect: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned other than by Releasing 1 "Grannel Attack 5" you control. Destroy this card if you do not control an "Infinity" Monster. When a Synchro Monster is destroyed by battle, you can equip it to an "Infinity" monster you control. Once per turn, you can declare an attack with a Synchro Monster equipped to an "Infinity" Monster you control, as though it were a monster. Once per turn, by skipping your Battle Phase, inflict damage to your opponent equal to the ATK of a Synchro Monster equipped to an "Infinity" Monster you control.
ATK/ 2700
DEF/ 0