Dan LP: 1800 [WINNER]
Sateis LP: 0
Almost as soon as the claxons echoed round the room to signal the end of the duel, Dan reached out to point at Sateis, and quickly sent a stream of glowing tendrils from his band into the Sage's body. He located the Number with ease, and was surprised at how little effort it took to extract it from its soul of residence. It was almost as though the Number was purposely putting up no fight at all, which struck him as odd, considering how most Numbers clung to their owners for dear life while being extracted.
Still, he wasn't complaining – this made the extraction so easy that the Number was out of Sateis' body and in his hand before the augmented reality had even faded away. He glanced briefly at his prize, then pocketed it and returned to his team – and an immediate hug from Leah – leaving the Sage to be tended to by Montsu and the two remaining Sages.
"My deepest apologies, Montsu," Sateis said as he was deposited next to Gelb. "I have failed the Dragon Sages."
"Failed us? You've done more than that – you've royally screwed us over!" Ara snapped, before rounding on their leader. "Didn't I tell you this would happen, Montsu? Sure, Sateis did better than we thought – and sure, he has more power than I realised hidden beneath that wimpy demeanour – but he lost! He had the perfect field and perfect setup, but that brat still beat him!"
"Be silent, Ara," Montsu replied sternly. "And be thankful. Were it not for my intervention, you would have found yourself faced with a WATER- user – worse, a WATER Dragon-Type user – which I hardly need to remind you is an extremely bad matchup for your fire dragon." Ara grumbled angrily, but Montsu ignored him and kneeled down beside Sateis. "Do you know why you lost, Sateis?"
The Water Sage shook his head wearily. "No... I was sure everything was going well. I kept mastery over my temper at all times, and maintained my patience and conservation where it mattered, and Shui Long responded well to it. And yet, at the end, it was defeated so easily. It didn't even try to resist being taken from me."
Montsu sighed. "And thus, you have fallen into the same trap as Gelb."
"What do you mean?"
"Patience isn't the sole property of water, Sateis," the leader explained. "No more than stubbornness is the sole property of earth. Water encompasses much more than you realise – intelligence, calmness, and above all else, flexibility, or the ability to change one's strategy to deal with changing circumstances. In the boy's final move, this is something he has demonstrated in enormous quantities. Just as Tu Long did before, Shui Long recognised the traits of water in the boy, and allowed itself to transfer ownership in order to be with the one who is more worthy of wielding its power."
Sateis nodded and bowed his head in shame. "And I'm no longer worthy, am I?"
"No, you aren't." The lead Sage turned to look at the boy, who was being congratulated on his success by his teammates. "He is far more worthy than you."
Oblivious to the discussion taking place across the room, the Deltas were celebrating this latest victory.
"Nice work out there," Matt said.
"I'll say," Katie agreed, smiling at her teammate. "That finishing move was totally crazy and totally awesome at the same time. You should be proud of a victory like that." Dan grinned sheepishly and thanked them, before finally extricating himself from Leah's grip and turned to James, who shrugged as if he couldn't care less.
"Meh, it was alright I guess," he said, letting out a reluctant grin. "Though I reckon I could've done better."
"I'm sure you could," Dan laughed. James laughed with him and clapped his teammate on the shoulder.
The exact second they made contact, two things happened.
Firstly, James felt something stir deep inside him, as if something was reacting viciously to the contact. And secondly, Dan yelped in pain and staggered back, clutching his arm as if he'd just been electrocuted.
"What's wrong?" Leah gasped. "What happened?"
"I- I don't know," Dan breathed, staring first at his arm, then at James. "Did you feel that?"
"I felt something," James replied worriedly, "but it didn't hurt, if that's what you mean."
Frowning in confusion, Leah glanced between the two of them. "James, put your hand on my arm," she said, rolling up her sleeve and holding out her left arm to him. "Let's see if the same thing happens to me." With a shaky nod, James reached out and tentatively placed his fingers on her outstretched arm. Unlike Dan, she didn't express pain from the contact, or give any indication that she felt anything out of the ordinary.
"Feel anything?" James asked finally.
Leah shook her head and took her arm away. Now totally confused, James turned and did the same thing twice more, first to Katie, then to Matt, with the same result both times.
"Something's odd here," Leah said. "Try doing that to Dan again."
"I wouldn't, if I were you!" The Deltas were startled by Montsu's shout, as well as the level of urgency in his voice. "It would be best if those two were to stay away from each other for a while."
"Why?" Leah replied, stepping forward. "Is this your doing?"
"Not ours, the Numbers," Montsu said. "The Dragon Cards' cycle has been broken, and the dragons are now exercising their newfound freedom. I already told you about the controlling cycle of the dragons' elements, did I not?"
"Yeah..."
"Well, it just so happens that the earth dragon, Tu Long, is strong against its water kin, Shui Long," Montsu explained. "With nothing to hold Tu Long in check anymore, it will lash out against the water dragon, as well as whoever holds it, whenever it is given a chance. This means that, merely by making contact with each other, Tu Long will be able to attack its water brethren through you without fear of retaliation from its superior, the wood dragon."
"So these Numbers can use their powers even while we're wearing our bands," Matt muttered to himself. "Just how strong are these things...?"
"Alright," Leah said. "So Dan and James can't touch each other while they have these Numbers. How do we fix that?"
"Simple. You either defeat the remaining three dragons and claim them as your own, or you lose to them and allow us to reclaim the dragons you took from us. Doing either will rebuild the cycle, and reconstructing the cycle is the only way to restore equilibrium and keep the dragons permanently in check."
Leah nodded in understanding. "Alright, then I guess we'd better keep these duels going," she said. "I'm dueling next."
"Come on, Montsu," Ara begged. "You've got to let me take this one! Without Sateis' dragon to hold mine in check, I could pummel that loudmouth brat into the dirt!"
"No," Montsu said firmly. "This is definitely not a duelist best suited for you."
"Well who then?" Ara replied angrily. Then: "Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."
Ignoring him, Montsu turned to the Sage on his other side. "How about it, Hapim? Feeling up to a duel?"
"I sure am," the Sage named Hapim replied. "And Montsu, might I say thank you for this opportunity." With that, he strode confidently forward, dropping his hood and rolling up his sleeve to free up his dueling equipment. Across the field, Leah was sorting out her own, and the remaining Deltas were retreating to a safe distance.
"This is a joke!" Ara said angrily. "Hapim's no duelist! He's a flower child! He's way too carefree and peaceful to win a duel – hell, that idiot couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag unless the bag was covered in daisies!"
"You had similar misconceptions about Sateis' dueling skills, yet he was able to hold his own for much longer than Gelb," Montsu pointed out, watching the augmented reality rise up around them once again. "Just give Hapim a chance. You might be surprised."
"AR Vision – link established."
"DUEL!" Leah shouted.
"Jiao Long Fu!" Hapim declared.
Leah LP: 4000
Hapim LP: 4000
"Please, take the first move, my child," Hapim said with a smile.
Leah was about to protest – her Deck generally worked better when it went second – then shrugged and accepted it. If this guy was anything like the others, there would be no point arguing with him. "Alright, my turn, draw. I'll just set one monster in Defence Position, plus one other card face-down. Turn end."
"Ah, face-down cards," Hapim nodded, watching Leah lay her cards down. "The seedlings of the game."
"Seedlings?" Leah questioned.
"Thank about it," Hapim said. "Face-down cards are very much like seeds. At face value, many seeds look the same or at least similar, so it's hard to know exactly what they'll grow into. But grow they will. Each and every one of them will soon sprout into a grand monster, or a power effect. Only bad weather – an unexpected Heavy Storm, if you like – or a particularly nasty set of unfavourable conditions – activation conditions, if you like – will prevent a seed from growing. Don't you agree?"
Leah raised an eyebrow. "Are y- are you feeling ok?"
"You'll understand momentarily," Hapim grinned. "My turn, draw! First, I set one monster from my hand in face-down Defence Position." His set card appeared directly opposite Leah's. "Next, I Special Summon Miracle Growth Dragon from my hand!" A great wingless brown dragon appeared. It stood on its hind legs, and appeared to be made entirely from wood. That wood, however, seemed to be giving off an unnatural sheen.
Miracle Growth Dragon: Dragon-Type/WIND/Level 5/ATK 1600/DEF 2100
"If there is at least one face-down Defence Position monster on the field, this card can be Special Summoned straight from my hand," Hapim explained. "Then, when it's Special Summoned this way, its effect activates!"
"And that effect does what?" Leah asked.
"Well, first I target one face-down Defence Position monster on the field and flip it face-up. Then, I check the flipped monster's Type and Attribute, and if it is anything other than a WIND Dragon-Type monster, then Miracle Growth Dragon is destroyed." With that said, Hapim pointed at his own face-down monster. "I target this monster – which, as it turns out, is a WIND Dragon-Type monster! So appear, Sprout Dragon!" The face-down card flipped over, revealing a dragon that vaguely resembled a large pale green bulb, with its short neck and head poking out the rounded end and a long thin tail exuding from the pointed end.
Sprout Dragon: Dragon-Type/WIND/Level 3/ATK 700/DEF 1500
"Sprout Dragon's Flip Effect activates!" Hapim continued. "When flipped, this card allows me to Special Summon any Level five Dragon-Type monster from my hand. So let's add Coppiced Dragon to the mix!" The brown dragon that appeared this time more closely resembled a beheaded brachiosaurus than anything else. Where its neck abruptly ended, Leah could see a series of pale brown rings like those of a felled tree. A circle of miniature dragon necks and heads protruded from the edges of the severed neck, waving about like snakes.
Coppiced Dragon: Dragon-Type/WIND/Level 5/ATK 1200/DEF 2000
"Two Level fives and one Level three..." Leah muttered. "I bet he'll try and increase Sprout Dragon's Level to match the others..."
And sure enough: "I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Unprecedented Growth!" Hapim declared. "With this, I target one face-up WIND monster on the field that was flipped up during this turn. Then this card will double that monster's ATK and increase its Level by two, but it will skip my Battle Phase for doing so. I target Sprout Dragon!" The bulbous dragon lit up a pure white colour, then suddenly shot up, growing to twice its original size in a matter of seconds.
Sprout Dragon: Level 3 → 5/ATK 700 → 1400
"Now, Level five Sprout Dragon, Miracle Growth Dragon, and Coppiced Dragon, Overlay!" All three monsters lit up a bright green, then shot up to the ceiling, away from the galaxy-shaped portal than opened where they had stood moments before. "I use these three monsters to construct the Overlay Network! Xyz Summon!" The three green bolts of light spiralled down into the depths of the portal, which exploded outwards with light... a light which brought with it a slight fragrance of some sort. "Germinate, Number 57: Foresial Dragon Mu Long!"
A bright blue number fifty-seven etched itself onto Hapim's right hand as, from where the portal had erupted, a humungous tree seemed to sprout upwards, shattering the concrete it was pushing up through. The giant pillar of wood sported no leaves of foliage of any sort, yet it still sprouted several branches – dozens of them, even hundreds, growing in all directions and waving freely like the stingers of a jellyfish. As it reached the pinnacle of its height, the creature slowed its growth and glanced down at the field. Its head was little more than a rounded block of wood, with the vague likeness of a jawline carved onto the lower half of its 'face', and a pair of blank, soulless eyes staring out of the upper half. Below the dragon's wooden torso, it was nothing more than a huge cluster of roots spreading in every direction, turning the ground around Hapim into a cracked and broken mess. Three green Overlay Units traced circles around the dragon.
Number 57: Foresial Dragon Mu Long: Dragon-Type/Xyz/WIND/Rank 5/ATK 1200/DEF 2600 – 3 OLU
Author-made cards:
Miracle Growth Dragon
Dragon-Type/WIND/Level 5/ATK 1600/DEF 2100
If there is a face-down Defence Position monster(s) on the field, you can Special Summon this card (from your hand). When you do: Target 1 face-down Defence Position monster on the field; flip that target face-up, then if it is not a WIND Dragon-Type monster, destroy this card. You can only use this effect of "Miracle Growth Dragon" once per turn.
Sprout Dragon
Dragon-Type/WIND/Level 3/ATK 700/DEF 1500
FLIP: Special Summon 1 Level 5 Dragon-Type monster from your hand in face-up or face-down Defence Position.
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: Target 1 Level 5 Plant-Type monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in face-up or face-down Defence Position.
Coppiced Dragon
Dragon-Type/WIND/Level 3/ATK 1200/DEF 2000
While this card is face-up on the field, it is also treated as a Plant-Type monster. Once per turn: You can halve this card's ATK. During your next Standby Phase after this effect was activated: This card's ATK becomes double its original ATK.
Draconian Realm
Field Spell Card
Neither player can Xyz Summon non-Dragon-Type monsters.
Unprecedented Growth
Quick-Play Spell Card
Target 1 face-up WIND monster on the field that was flipped face-up during this turn; increase its Level by 2, also double its ATK. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase during the turn you activate this card.
Fun Fact #136: The name 'Hapim' was derived from the name 'Hapi', an Egyptian god who, similar to some others, was the embodiment of the Nile's flooding. Unlike the others, however, his deification is less to do with the flooding itself, and more to do with the silt and nutrients that the floods brought, which helped the land around it stay fertile so the Egyptians could grow their crops.
Fun Fact #137: Yes, the Attribute of Mu Long is in fact WIND rather than EARTH. That might sound odd, but when you consider the origins of the theory on which the Dragon Cards are based (in this case, the Chinese Wu Xing), our reasoning becomes clear. In the Wu Xing, the element of wood is actually associated with wind, not earth as many people associate it with now. Yes wood needs earth to grow, and yes it needs water to thrive, but neither of those elements are representitive of wood.
Fun Fact #138: Come on Eliphas! Pummel that cheating, pathetic excuse for a protagonist into the ground! You can do it! We're all cheering for you!
Fun Fact #139: As if we needed more evidence that Konami is stealing ideas from us. The effect of New Orders 12: Etheric Mahes is quite reminiscent of our Number 93: Soul of Draconis card from our First Steps into Turmoil story. We were doing the whole "Xyz Monster that can use its Overlay Units to attack" thing before it was cool!