Big thanks to Playerhood18, Ulrich362, Elbarto4000, NeoFGD, dvdryms, tsukikami02, Gentyman, VioletStarVN, matrixnis, Yuka Kuroshiro, Big duels, GamingGuy84, Jason for reviewing the previous chapter!
I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter.
APOPHIS' DOMAIN – LINK VRAINS – CANTIDEL EMPIRE – ARTIFICIAL DIMENSION
Ray was standing at the top of a fence with her eyes staring at the mountainous landscape and dark purple sky filled with black clouds. She has finally found and entered Apophis' new domain together with Shun, and their one comrade while the rest were guarding the rift. Even though they have entered the domain, Ray's Link Sense has yet to pick up any sign of Apophis or his offspring's whereabouts. Aside from that, she was worried for Yukiya and the others in the real world. They were fighting at the temple right now while she couldn't do anything but to look for the ones responsible yet her ability was almost useless.
She then saw a shadow hovering her. Looking up, Rise Falcon was flying above with Hayabusa on its back before he jumped down.
"Have you found Apophis' location yet, Ray?" Hayabusa asked. To his disappointment, Ray shook her head.
"Not yet. I can sense that he is nearby, but I can't find his exact location. How about you guys? Any clue?" Ray asked back. However, Hayabusa responded the same as she did.
"Unfortunately, no. We don't see any of the lieutenants around." Hayabusa said, referring to himself and their comrade who was leaning on the fence while looking at the sky with the sulking Starve Venom, whimpering softly.
"Don't worry, Starve Venom. We'll save Yuri together." Their comrade said while patting the dragon's head to ease the dragon's worry. Starve Venom responded by nuzzling into the crook of the Duelist's neck.
"Shouldn't you have sent Starve Venom instead of Odd-Eyes? Starve Venom is the one who is the most worried for Yuri." Hayabusa asked. Before they entered the domain, Ray has decided to send at least one person to assist the Lancers to retrieve Yuri and Celica at the temple. Shun had thought she would choose Starve Venom since the Fusion Dragon was the one who was the most eager amongst them in this rescue operation, but instead Ray sent Odd-Eyes to help. He didn't get to ask why before.
"No. If Apophis is going to do what I think he will, then it'll be the best for Starve Venom to remain here." Ray answered but didn't explain more than that. Her face paled thinking of the worst-case scenario she has in mind. She hoped she was wrong about this.
"I have told everything to Yukiya about us." Ray revealed, changing the subject. Hayabusa stiffened, hardening his eyes to the girl. Seeing she still has more to say, he kept his mouth shut and let her continue.
"After this is over, I think it's the time to tell everyone. We'll just skip the part about closing the rift using the combined powers of the dragons and their masters. We will look for other way to close it. That way, there's no need for us to work separately." Ray explained. There were limits for them to work alone and not to mention lack of resources. By working together with organizations like Lancers who has more resources and information network, they may find their solution faster.
"But are you sure that Yuno and the others will be okay if they find out about them?" Hayabusa asked again, this time referring to their comrades in blue robes.
"It'll be hard, but I'm sure everything will work out somehow." Ray replied, though she wasn't really sure herself. She returned to her position, trying to concentrate again to find any sign of their enemies. If Apophis was planning the worst-case scenario, they must find and stop him at all cost.
She blinked when she noticed something round and small at far in front of her. She squinted her eyes, trying to see and figure out what the small thing was. Hayabusa, curious what she was seeing, also looked at the same direction and saw the small thing. However, that small thing then became bigger and bigger. That's because it was moving towards them with considerable speed. The closer it was, the clearer it became. And then that small thing felt familiar. Those brown fur, yellow eyes with black pupils, and tiny wings...
"Kurikuri!"
Winged Kuriboh latched itself on Ray's face, almost causing the girl to fall flat on her back had she didn't balance herself. Winged Kuriboh kept holding Ray's face until the girl forcefully removed it from her face. Winged Kuriboh's cry also startled Starve Venom and their blue robed comrade who approached them.
"That's Yuri's Winged Kuriboh!" Hayabusa exclaimed in shock. Winged Kuriboh was supposed to be captured along with Yuri since the monster was included in his Deck. How come it was able to get here? Hayabusa then remembered that Winged Kuriboh was not like other monsters, it can freely materialize itself either in corporeal body or spirit. Since it was small, it won't be weird if no one notice it. But that still didn't explain how it was able to logged into LINK VRAINS.
"What are you doing here?! No, how did you get here?! I thought you're with Yuri!" Ray asked after removing the monster from her face. She wiped the tears streaming down from its eyes, waiting for the monster to calm itself.
"Kuri!" Winged Kuriboh brought out the letter written by both Yuri and Celica, ushering them to read it quickly.
Ray quickly opened the letter. Hayabusa and the rest leaned down so they could read the letter too. The first part was written by Yuri and the second one written by Celica. Slowly reading the letter from top to bottom, the three of them gradually felt calmer and their expression filled with newfound hope.
"Let's do this quick…!"
FIRST FLOOR – TEMPLE OF CALAMITY – CANTIDEL EMPIRE – ARTIFICIAL DIMENSION
The moment Yuya and the others stepped foot inside the temple, they were greeted by a labyrinth of thick stone walls and winding passages sprung up between them and the stairs leading to floors above. According to the map given by Ray, the temple consisted of three floors. They were now still on the first floor, trying to get out from the labyrinth. To make it trickier, the labyrinth changed its passage for every few minutes, making it harder for them to reach the stairs. Serena tried to forcefully break through the labyrinth with her monster, but it quickly reconstructed back in a matter of seconds.
"Argh! We don't have time for this! Show yourself and fight us, bastard!" Serena shouted out loud enough for her voice to echo.
Dennis scratched his head when hearing the girl's yell. No one could blame her. She was the most worried, especially for Yuri. While the labyrinth was confusing and frustrating, it didn't seem to be dangerous at the very least. They were able to walk through without any incident.
CLICK
Or so Dennis thought until he felt one of the tiles suddenly sinks beneath his feet with an ominous click.
"Everyone, watch out–" Dennis yelled, but it was too late.
The labyrinth sprung down into the floor as pillars sprung up beneath them instead. When they realized what happened, the pillar formed into a cage, trapping Yuya, Yukiya, Reiji, and Serena. Yuya then noticed his Duel Disk was making a sound and flickering image before it shut down. Yuya tried to activate it again, but it didn't work. He turned to the others who were checking too, but the result was the same. This cage has a program that disrupt the function of the Duel Disk.
"What is this?!" Yuya exclaimed while holding the cage.
"So you activated the trap I've set." Achille descended from the stairs, eyeing the Lancers who got trapped with passive gaze.
"Achille!" Yukiya exclaimed, recognizing the Gimmick Puppet user.
"I knew that you'll come, so I have set my own trap to stop you. Having you coming at me all at once would be a pain and won't buy much time, but trapping you like this and then challenge you one by one will give Tsukasa enough time until everything is finished." Achille raised his Duel Disk while his finger moving to pick who will be his first opponent.
"Hold on! I am still here!"
From amongst the debris, Dennis emerged, swiping the dusts from his clothes and face. Since he was the one who stepped onto the trap, he was the quickest to realize them. Good thing he managed to dodge the pillar at the last second by jumping to the side. Making sure not to get trapped amongst the debris, however, was the harder one. For a moment he thought he was going to be buried alive.
"I will be your opponent!" Dennis said, jabbing his finger to his chest.
"Dennis!" Yuya sighed in relief. At least Dennis was save. They have a chance to be free from the cage and proceed with their mission.
"One rat survive. Then I'll start with you first." Achille jumped down from the stairs, landing at top of the debris across Dennis, activating his Duel Disk.
"Rat? That's rude. I am a first-class, entertainer, Dennis Macfield! I shall make you remember my name! Don't worry, guys! I'll get you out of that cage soon! For the time being, enjoy my show, okay?" Dennis said to his friends as he activated his Duel Disk, activating the Action Field.
{FIELD SPELL: MAGE'S TENT}
The first-floor temple changed into a circus tent. You could find various things used in circus attractions around. Yuya's eyes opened in awe. It was almost similar with Entertainment Coliseum. Action Cards were present, scattered throughout the Field.
[ACTION DUEL!]
"I'm going first. From my hand, I summon Gimmick Puppet Humpty Dumpty (ATK: 0 / DEF: 100 / LV: 4)." As it was Normal Summoned, Achille activated its effect, letting him Special Summon a Level 4 or lower Gimmick Puppet monster from his hand. He Special Summoned Gimmick Puppet Gear Changer (ATK: 100 / DEF: 0 / LV: 4) in Attack Position in the Main Zone.
"I activate Magic Card: Level Doubler. I send a card in my hand to the Graveyard to double the Level of a monster I control." Achille discarded Gimmick Puppet Shadow Feeler to double the Level of Humpty Dumpty to 8.
"I activate the effect of Gear Changer to change its Level to that of another Gimmick Puppet monster I control." Achille targeted Humpty Dumpty, so Gear Charger became Level 8.
"I overlay my two Level 8 monsters! Xyz Summon! No. 15: Gimmick Puppet - Giant Killer (ATK: 1500 / DEF: 2500 / RNK: 8 / ORU: 2)!" Achille summoned Giant Killer in Attack Position in the Main Zone.
"I activate Equip Spell: Gimmick Shield. This card can only be equipped to a Gimmick Puppet Xyz Monster I control." Achille switched Giant Killer's ATK and DEF, blocking Giant Killer with a transparent black and green shield.
"I activate Gimmick Shield's effect. I can inflict 300 damage to my opponent for each Overlay Unit the equipped monster has." Achille revealed. The shield shot two lightning that strikes the Entermage user, inflicting 600 damage in total.
DENNIS LP: 4000 = 3400
"I end my Turn." Achille finished.
"My Turn! I activate Continuous Magic: Burn Gift! It Special Summons a Level 4 or below FIRE monster from my hand to my opponent's field!" Dennis Special Summoned Entermage Higurumi (ATK: 1000 / DEF: 1000 / LV: 4) to Achille's Main Zone Field.
"And when my opponent is the only one controlling any monsters, I can Special Summon Entermage Wind Sucker (ATK: 2100 / DEF: 0 / LV: 5) from my hand!" Dennis summoned Entermage Wind Sucker in Attack Position in the Main Zone.
"All right! It is time for me, the Hero, to bring down the hammer of justice upon you! I activate the Magic Card: Entermage Hurricane! When there is an Entermage on the field, it returns all Magic and Trap cards to their owners' hands!" Dennis returned his Burn Gift and Achille's Gimmick Shield back to their respective hands.
"When Burn Gift leaves the field, I can destroy the monster Special Summoned by its effect and inflict 400 damage to my opponent! Take that, you Fire Demon!" Dennis destroyed Higurumi that he has summoned on Achille's Field, inflicting the damage to him. Higurumi's body burst in flames and hit Achille, causing him to stumble to the floor. His sleeves were burned from the strike.
ACHILLE LP: 4000 = 3600
"Next, Continuous Magic: Magician's Fortress! When there is a Magician monster on my field, my opponent cannot attack!" Dennis activated his Spell, forming a castle-like fortress. Dennis jumped went into the cannon and let it shot him up so he could pick an Action Card at a trapeze before landing above the fortress, staring Achille before him.
Yuya smiled softly. It brought back memory. It reminded him when he used the same cannon to get an Action Card during his Duel against Reiji last year.
"I set a card and end my Turn. Now, demon, can you break through this defense?" Dennis concluded proudly.
"As long as Magician's Fortress is active while Dennis controls his Magician-Type Monster, Achille can't attack." Yuya stated. Most monsters in Dennis' Deck consisted of Magician-Type Monster, so Dennis could summon plenty of them if necessary to reinforce his defense further.
"But be careful! He has monster that can inflict effect damage!" Yukiya warned Dennis. He and the others have already heard about Achille from Yuri and Ryo who dueled him during the virus extermination mission. Since Ryo turned out to be working for them, it was possible that Achille didn't use the best of his skill yet.
"My Turn. I activate Rank-Up Magic: Argent Chaos Force. I can target a Rank 5 or higher Xyz Monster I control to summon Chaos Number Monster that is 1 Rank higher than the monster I control. Rank-Up! Xyz Change! Appear! Rank 9! Chaos No. 15: Gimmick Puppet – Serial Killer (ATK: 2500 / DEF: 1500 / RNK: 9 / ORU: 2)" Achille ranked up Giant Killer, summoning Serial Killer in Attack Position in the Main Zone.
"I activate Serial Killer's effect. By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can destroy a monster my opponent controls and inflict damage to the opponent equal to its ATK." Achille targeted Dennis' Wind Sucker with a crush of its hand, destroying it and inflicted 2100 damage.
DENNIS LP: 3400 = 1300
"Trap Card: Entermage Reincarnation Magic! When an Entermage Monster I control is destroyed, I can special summon up to 2 face-up Pendulum Entermage Monsters from my Extra Deck!" Dennis revived Wind Sucker and Higurumi in Attack Position, retaining his fortress.
"I end my Turn." Achille concluded.
"My Turn! It's show time! Appear! The circuit that hype up the performance!" Dennis opened the Link Summoning Circuit.
"Arrowhead confirmed! The summoning condition is two Entermage monsters! I set Entermage Wind Sucker and Entermage Higurumi on the Link Markers! Circuit combined!" Dennis set Wind Sucker on the Bottom-Arrow and Higurumi on the Bottom-Right Arrow.
"Link Summon! Appear! Link 2! Entermage Rhythmic Magician (ATK: 2000 / LINK: 2 / LM: Bottom, Bottom-Right)!" Dennis summoned a monster resembling Force Witch but it resembled more as a gymnast with its red cloth with black fiery design and carrying ribbon in both hands. As it was a Link Monster, it was summoned in Attack Position in the Link Zone.
"Wow! So that's Dennis' Link Monster!" Yuya stared at the first Entermage Link Monster with amazement and astonishment.
"You really made Link Monsters for everyone in Lancers?" Serena asked Reiji whose cage was beside her.
"Yes. I have received enough materials and data from Kuramoto to do a research and make one. It took us a few days to finally complete it and we could finally come to this dimension." Reiji explained. It was similar as in when he created Pendulum cards based on the ones belonged to Yuya. The difference was, since Kino also helped in the research and creation, they were able to complete it earlier, less than a month. He figured it would be important to have a Link Monster if they were to go to this dimension, so he made plenty of them.
"That explained why you came late. But you made the right decision to create Link Monsters. In normal Master Duel and Speed Duel, having Link Monster is necessary." Yukiya said, praising Reiji's sharp mind.
"If there are 2 monsters on the Field, I can special summon Entermage Hat Tricker (ATK: 1100 / DEF: 1100 / LV: 4)!" Dennis summoned Hat Tricker in Attack Position in the Main Zone.
"And then I summon Entermage Flame Eater (ATK: 1200 / DEF: 1600 / LV: 4)!" Dennis normal summoned Flame Eater in Attack Position beside Hat Tricker.
"There are two Monsters with the same Levels on the Field. You know what that means, right?" Dennis questioned Achille like he was giving a quiz while raising two fingers in victory sign. As he expected, Achille didn't answer, but he knew that he understood.
"I overlay Entermage Flame Eater and Entermage Hat Tricker! Show must go on! Artisan of the air, swing across the stage with grace! Xyz Summon! Come forth! Rank 4! Entermage Trapeze Magician (ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2000 / RNK: 4 / ORU: 2)!" Dennis summoned his ace monster in Attack Position in the Main Zone.
"I activate Trapeze Magician's effect! I detach its Overlay Units to allow Trapeze Magician to attack twice this Turn!" Dennis detached the first Overlay Unit, allowing his ace monster to attack twice in this battle. Achille didn't have any Reverse Card set, so it might be fine to attack now. Even if he was hiding, at the very least, he will decrease as many LP as he could from him.
"Battle! I attack Gimmick Puppet – Serial Killer with Entermage Trapeze Magician!" Dennis declared his first attack with his ace monster. Trapeze Magician threw its trapeze and then used it to flung towards Serial Killer, its feet ready to give the opposing Xyz Monster kicks.
"At this moment, Rhythmic Magician's effect activates! When Entermage Monster attacks, it gains 300 ATK!" Dennis increased Trapeze Magician's ATK to 2800. Rhythmic Magician whirled its ribbon around Trapeze Magician as it descended, showering the Xyz Monster with a power up. Trapeze Magician delivered the first kick, destroying Serial Killer.
ACHILLE LP: 3600 = 3300
"Alright! He has no monster left! Trapeze Magician can still attack one more time!" Yuya cheered.
"And Rhythmic Magician can attack too afterwards!" Serena added.
Trapeze Magician then turned to Achille, ready to deliver a kick at him. If the kick connects, Achille would only have 500 LP remains, and then Rhythmic Magician can do the honor to land the finishing blows. Just when everything felt the way they thought, Achille pressed the touch screen of his Duel Disk.
"I activate Gimmick Puppet Shadow Feeler's effect in the Graveyard. As my opponent declared a direct attack, I can special summon it in face-up Attack Position and changing the attack target to it and it will not be destroyed by battle." Achille summoned Shadow Feeler in Attack Position, blocking Trapeze Magician's kick from reaching its master. Due to its effect, it couldn't be destroyed.
ACHILLE LP: 3300 = 1500
"It's the Monster Card that he sent to the Graveyard on the first Turn!" Yukiya exclaimed.
"So you sent that monster in preparation for this to happen? Fine by me! Don't think that I can be stopped with that! Go, Rhythmic Magician!" Dennis continued the third attack with his new Link Monster. Rhythmic Magician tied Serial Killer with its ribbons, raising it up and then slamming it down as Rhythmic Magician poured pink colored dusks with flowers.
"Hehe. He came up with new tricks now that he has Link Monster." Yuya laughed softly as he admired Dennis' magic tricks combined with his monsters. It has been a while since he watched Entertainment Duel.
ACHILLE LP: 1500 = 500
"I end my Turn. How is it? What do you think of the second act of my show? Do you enjoy it?" Dennis concluded, questioning Achille.
"Your show ends now." Achille replied, surprising Dennis and the others.
"I activate Equip Spell: Overlay Satellite. Monster equipped with this card is treated as two monsters when it is used as an Overlay Unit. It will also be attached to the Summoned Xyz Monster as an Overlay Unit, but the Summoned monster will be unable to attack this turn." Achille called forth a satellite that lightened Shadow Feeler. Now, Shadow Feeler was treated as two monsters.
"I overlay my Shadow Feeler treated as 2 monsters! Xyz Summon! Appear! No. 40: Gimmick Puppet - Heaven's String (ATK: 3000 / DEF: 2000 / RNK: 8 / ORU: 3)!" Achille summoned Heaven's String in Attack Position in the Main Zone. The moment the monster was summoned, the temperature seemed to have dropped, cold and damp radiating from the aged stone which adds another layer of unwanted realism to Dennis and the others' predicament.
"I have a bad feeling about this..." Dennis muttered with a drop of cold sweat falling from his face.
"I activate Heaven's String effect. By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can place a String Counter on my opponent's Monsters." Achille placed a string-like counter on Trapeze Magician and Rhythmic Magician. Since Shadow Feeler was used as an Overlay Unit and was sent to the Graveyard, it was instead banished via its own effect.
"As a card in my possession was banished, I activate Quick-Play Spell: Banish Reactor, letting me add a Spell Card from my Graveyard to my hand." Achille added his Rank-Up Magic Card and immediately activate it.
"I activate Rank-Up Magic: Argent Chaos Force to Rank-Up Heaven's String! I target Heaven's Strings to summon one higher Rank Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck! Rank-Up Xyz Change! Appear! CN. 40: Gimmick Puppet - Devil's Strings (ATK: 3300 / DEF: 2000 / RNK: 9 / ORU: 2)!" Achille summoned Devil's String in Attack Position in the Main Zone. The monster's devilish appearance coupled with the cold temperature made the atmosphere even worse.
"Devil's String ATK is higher than both Trapeze Magician and Rhythmic Magician!" Serena stared worriedly at Dennis.
"But as long as Dennis still has Magician's Fortress, Achille cannot attack his monsters!" Yuya reminded, trying to assure his friends.
"Just because I cannot attack, it will guarantee that he is safe." Achille stated, responding to Yuya's words of assurance. His eyes narrowed at Dennis, causing the latter to flinch against his cold gaze.
"I activate Devil's String's effect. By detaching an Overlay Unit, I can destroy all monsters on the field with String Counters and inflict damage to the controller equal to the combined original ATK of each of their destroyed monsters!" Achille revealed as he removed the first Overlay Unit. Devil's String spread its sharp wings and raised its blade. The monster let out a howl that shook the entire dome.
"What?!" Dennis exclaimed in dismay. He took one of the Action Cards he had picked and about to activate it, however, he then spotted Achille jumped and took an Action Card himself and activated it.
"Also, Action Magic: Crush Action! All Action Cards added to both players' hands cannot be activated and destroyed!" Achille declared, destroying all the Action Cards Dennis have picked.
Devil's String flew towards the two magicians who placed themselves in front of their master to protect him. However, Devil's String then flapped its wings, blowing a wind that was strong enough to give a distance between the two monsters and Dennis, leaving Dennis open. Devil's String swung its blade, slashing the two magicians and Dennis himself. The blade cut slashed his from his chest and abdomen, causing the Entermage user to bleed out.
DENNIS LP: 2400 = 0
"Dennis!" Yuya and Serena shouted out in panic, horrified by the sight of their blood friend.
Dennis plummeted to the ground, deactivating the Action Field. Dennis tried to close the slash wound, but blood continue to flow, starting to make a puddle of blood. It started to become difficult to breath and his vision was fading. This was a true war. The war last year felt nothing compared to this. He was seriously going to bleed to death at this rate.
"You're still alive. The attack didn't fully hit you. But no matter. You'll die soon from blood loss with that wound." Achille said indifferently while staring at Dennis before turning to Yuya and the others.
"Now, which one who will be my opponent next..." Achille contemplated while rubbing his chin.
"I will."
"You're still alive. The attack didn't fully hit you. But no matter. You'll die soon from blood loss with that wound." Achille said indifferently while staring at Dennis before turning to Yuya and the others.
"Now, which one who will be my opponent next..." Achille contemplated while rubbing his chin.
"I will."
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Achille quickly turned around to where Dennis was bleeding out. To his surprise, someone in covered in blue robe was standing there while carrying Dennis. How did he get here? Since when? He didn't notice his presence at all. Yuya, Serena, Yukiya, and Reiji were equally shocked as well by the sudden appearance of the blue robed figure. The person didn't care with their reaction and instead placed Dennis to the side. He opened a medical kit he brought with him, cleaning the blood and started to give first aid to close the wound for the time being. Once he made sure the bandage was done, the blue robed person returned to the Field again.
"That blue robe. You're one of those people who stole the dragons from us." Achille finally recognized him. The description was fitting from the information left behind by Neon before her death.
"Stole? We simply take back what is ours. The dragons never belonged to you." He retorted. He then took out a detonator in his hand and pressed it, exploding the below part of the pillar. The cage fell down and broke apart without harming Yuya and the others.
The blue robed guy gestured his head to Dennis when Yuya and the others faced him. Realizing Dennis still need to be watched, they all rushed to him. Serena was the fastest to check on his condition with Reiji carefully make sure that Dennis was in comfortable position. Yukiya checked the bandage again just in case, having learned a bit how to tend wounds through self-learning after knowing his opponent was Apophis when Sara fell comatose. Yuya, on the other hand, was still facing the guy.
"Did Ray send you to help us?" Yuya asked. He didn't know why, but somehow this person felt familiar.
"Yeah. I'll handle this." He replied, ushering Yuya to wait with the others. Facing Achille, he activated his Duel Disk.
"Whoever you are, His Excellency has ordered me to eliminate you." Achille said, activating his Duel Disk again, beginning his second Duel.
[MASTER DUEL!]
"I'll start first! With Scale 5 Wisdom-Eye Magician and Scale 10 Entermate Core, I set the Pendulum Scale! With this I can simultaneously summon Level 6 to 9 monsters! Pendulum Summon! Appear, my monster!" He summoned Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2000 / LV: 7 / PS: 5) in Attack Position in the Main Monster Zone.
"It's Odd-Eyes!" Yuya exclaimed both in surprise and relief. He was finally able to see his ace monster again after a whole month being separated. But then this relief soon turned into confusion the moment he saw Odd-Eyes standing next to the guy in blue robe. He blinked when the strange feeling came back again.
"Why do they feel alike? I never met him before, so why does he feels like Odd-Eyes?" Yuya wondered, clutching his pendulum. He never met the guy blue robe, so how come he felt he knew him like forever?
"Not only that, he also has Pendulum cards. Pendulum cards were not supposed to exist in this dimension until Yuya came. How did he get it?" Reiji eyed the guy in blue robe with suspicion. Remembering Shun was working with Ray, it was possible he told them about it, but he shouldn't have what needed to make them.
"I set 2 cards and end my Turn." He concluded.
"My Turn. I activate Magic Card: Foolish Burial. I send 1 Monster from my Deck to my Graveyard." Achille sent Gimmick Humpty Dumpty to his Graveyard.
"When I have exactly 1 Machine-Type Monster in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon Gimmick Puppet Clockwork (ATK: 100 / DEF: 100 / LV: 8) from my hand." Achille summoned Clockwork in Attack Position in the Main Monster Zone.
"I activate Gimmick Puppet Clockwork's effect. Once per Turn, I can target one face-up monster my opponent controls and change its ATK to 0." Achille obviously chose Odd-Eyes, reducing its ATK to nothing. The dragon was tied by invisible strings that weakened it.
"Also, when my opponent controls a monster and all monsters I control is a Gimmick Puppet Monster, I can Special Summon Gimmick Puppet Magne Doll (ATK: 1000 / DEF: 1000 / LV: 8)." Achille summoned Magne Doll in Attack Position beside Clockwork in the Main Monster Zone.
"I overlay Puppet Clockwork and Magne Doll! Xyz Summon! Appear! Rank 8! Gimmick Puppet – Heaven's Strings!" Achille summoned Heaven's String in Attack Position in the Extra Monster Zone.
"I activate Equip Spell: Stoic Challenge. Xyz Monster with Xyz Materials equipped with this card gains 600 ATK for each Xyz Material attached to a monster I control and any battle damage involving this monster is doubled, but it cannot activate its effect." As it has 2 Overlay Units, the total ATK the Xyz Monster gained was 1200 in total, meaning Achille increased Heaven's String's ATK to 4200.
"An ATK of 4200?! But Odd-Eyes' ATK has been reduced to 0!" Yukiya pointed out the far difference between the two monsters' current ATK. He was 100% positive now that Achille hadn't shown his true power yet when he dueled Yuri and Ryo. The strategy he was using was far aggressive now.
"If this continues it's going to be a One-Turn-Kill!" Reiji remarked. His face looked calm, but he was as much as uneasy like the rest. The strength of a lieutenant was far beyond his expectation.
"No. He won't let that happen." Yuya said with confidence that he didn't even understand, surprising his three friends. "I don't know why, but...I feel he can do this."
"Battle! I attack Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon with Gimmick Puppet – Heaven's String!" Achille declared attack. Heaven's String flew towards the dragon. Its hands were ready to swing its blade and slash the Pendulum dragon.
"Trap Card: Odd-Eyes Arc Force! When I control exactly 1 Odd-Eyes Monster on the Field and it is targeted for an attack with no cards in my hand, I can halve the damage and add 2 Odd-Eyes Monsters from my Deck to my hand!" He opened his first Reverse Card, allowing Odd-Eyes to unleash energy wave that partially blocked Heaven's Strings blade.
UNKNOWN LP: 4000 = 1900
"I set 1 card and end my Turn." Achille concluded. Following the end of Turn, Clockwork's effect finished, reverting Odd-Eyes' ATK to normal.
"He survived. But how is he going to overpower Heaven's String?" Serena wondered.
"My Turn. I activate Wisdom-Eye Magician's effect. When there's a Magician or Entermate Monster on the other Pendulum Zone, I can destroy this card and replace it with a Magician Pendulum Monster from my Deck." He destroyed Wisdom-Eye Magician and then added a new Magician in its place in the Pendulum Zone.
"With Scale 3 Grape Magician and Scale 10 Entermate Core, I Pendulum Summon! Appear!" He summoned Odd-Eyes Black Magician (ATK: 1300 / DEF: 1000 / LV: 4) and Entermate Odd-Eyes Clown (ATK: 1500 / DEF: 600 / LV: 4) both in Attack Position in the Main Monster Zone from his hand.
"A Magician and another Entermate. Yuya, looks like this guy used the same type of Deck as you do." Yukiya remarked, turning to Yuya whose eyes solely were staring at the said blue robed guy.
"Yeah..." Yuya responded simply. His grip on his pendulum tightened. The familiar feeling became stronger and stronger.
"I activate Odd-Eyes Black Magician's effect. Once per Turn, I can lower all of my opponent's monsters equal to its ATK!" He targeted Achille's Heaven's String. Odd-Eyes Black Magician twirled its staff before the green crystal of the magic staff unleashed green lightning strike towards the Xyz Monster.
"As a face-up Xyz Monster I control is targeted by the opponent's card effect, I activate Trap Card: Panic Shuffle! I change all Attack Position monsters to Defense Position and shuffling all Spell and Trap Cards in both players' Graveyards into their Decks. The battle positions of the affected monsters may not be changed until the End Phase!" Achille opened his Trap, changing their monsters' position into defensive and returned shuffled the Pendulum Monsters back into the blue robed guy's Deck.
"I end my Turn." He finished.
"My Turn. I activate Continuous Magic: Gimmick Puppet Stage. All Gimmick Puppet monsters I control can now inflict piercing damage." Achille activated the card he just drew and then changed his monster into Attack Position, ready for Battle Phase.
"Battle! I attack Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon with Gimmick Puppet – Heaven's String!" Achille declared his attack again, this time making sure his monster used more power and force. Heaven's String flew to the dragon again once more.
"I activate Entermate Odd-Eyes Clown's effect! Once per Turn, when there are two or more Odd-Eyes monsters on the Field, I can reduce the damage that I will take to 0!" He declared. Odd-Eyes Clown leaped forward in front of Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Odd-Eyes Black Magician. It blew out huge balloon that blocked the blade, popping out the balloon instead. The clown laughed at the seemingly bewildered look that the Xyz Monster was making when it once again failed to slash the dragon.
"Then I activate Quick-Play Spell: String Cage! When a Gimmick Puppet Monster I control fails to inflict damage, I can inflict 1000 damage to my opponent!" Achille used his backup. Heaven's String, seemingly angry at the clown Entermate Monster, retaliated by sending a wave of sword slash, narrowly hitting the clown's master.
UNKNOWN LP: 1900 = 900
The wave of the attack ripped off a part of his robe, mainly his hood. The hood fell down, revealing the guy's face. He was around Yuya's age with unusual red spiky hair. However, what made them speechless were his eyes. Those beautiful dichromatic eyes of red and green that was identical to Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's eyes. Upon seeing his face, Achille's indifferent face instantly turned into pure disbelieve as if he was seeing a ghost.
"Impossible! You're…!" Achille was nearly lost at words for the red-haired teen.
Yuya walked closer to the red-haired Duelist. He finally understood now. Why he felt so familiar about him. Why he felt he and Odd-Eyes were alike. Why he felt he wanted to cry with his chest filled with feelings of nostalgia and longing. They were different, but at the same time, they were also one and the same.
"Odd-Eyes..." Yuya uttered.
"His eyes do resemble Odd-Eyes…" Yukiya remarked, breaking out from his stupor after hearing Yuya.
"No. That's not it! He is also Odd-Eyes!" Yuya corrected, confusing his friends.
"What do you mean?" Reiji asked.
"This is impossible! You're supposed to be dead! That dragon is the proof of it!" Achille suddenly stated, pointing at Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. "1,500 years ago, you were killed and reborn as Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"
"Wait, what?!" Serena yelled in question. Yukiya and Reiji also shared the same incredulous look.
"Are you saying that he and Odd-Eyes are one and the same?" Reiji questioned, referring to the dragon and the red-haired Duelist.
"The Four Heavenly Dragons were originally the offspring of Apophis who betrayed him and were killed and reborn. I-I can't explain it since I don't understand it well, but there's no mistaking it! He is one of the offspring! He is Odd-Eyes!" Yuya answered. He was sure, of it. He didn't mistake him.
"Whoa, wait! Wait, Yuya! If that's the case, then how come he summoned Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon?" Yukiya was at loss, looking at Yuya like he has grown a second head. Zarc and Ray's reincarnations were one thing, but from Yuno's story, the four offspring's souls were not split whatsoever and completely reborn as the four dragons. How come now they were separated like this?
"I told you, I don't know myself! But I can tell that he is also Odd-Eyes!" Yuya insisted. There was no doubt both in his heart and mind that the both of them were Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragons.
The said red-haired who was the very person causing the whole ruckus decided to slam his foot strongly, stopping everyone from whatever they were talking or thinking. The red hair let out a sigh and then tilted his head to the side at Achille.
"If you can beat me, I care to share my stories. Only if you can beat me that is." The red hair told the Gimmick Puppet user. His mouth curved into a challenging smile. "You're done with your attack, right? End your Turn."
For a second Achille felt unnerved but recomposed himself again. Although it was hard to believe, it was as Yuya said, the red hair was a real deal. He was the very offspring who had betrayed His Excellency that gotten himself killed and reborn as Odd-Eyes Dragon 1,500 years ago. As a fellow offspring, he could sense it from his presence and aura. He must capture him and bring him and the dragon to His Excellency.
"I end my Turn." Achille concluded.
"My Turn. Draw!" The red hair looked at the card he drew before revealing it.
"I tribute Odd-Eyes Black Magician and Entermate Odd-Eyes Clown to Advance Summon Odd-Eyes Flare Dragon (ATK: 2500 / DEF: 2000 / LV: 7)!" The red hair summoned Odd-Eyes Flare Dragon. It bore resemblance with Odd-Eyes Dragon but has more orange color and a horn on its forehead.
"Odd-Eyes Flare Dragon! It is him. He is the only one who has that monster!" Achille confirmed the moment he saw the dragon.
"I activate Magic Card: Pot of Greed. I can draw 2 cards!" He drew 2 more cards and immediately activated the first one.
"I activate Magic Card: Amazing Pendulum! I can add face-up Pendulum Cards in my Extra Deck to my hand!" He added Grape Magician and Entermate Core to his hand.
"Next, I activate Magic Card: Spell Encore! I can add a Magic Card from my Graveyard and activate it!" He once again activated Amazing Pendulum, adding Odd-Eyes Black Magician and Entermate Odd-Eyes Clown back to his hand.
"With the set Pendulum Scale, I Pendulum Summon! Appear, my monsters!" He summoned back Odd-Eyes Black Magician and Entermate Odd-Eyes Clown in Attack Position in the Main Monster Zone.
"I activate Odd-Eyes Black Magician's effect! I lower my opponent's monster equal to its ATK!" He targeted Heaven's String, lowering its ATK by 1300, making the Xyz Gimmick Puppet monster's current ATK 2900.
"I activate Grape Magician's Pendulum Effect! When a Magician or Entermate Monster activates an effect that will change an ATK or DEF, it will be doubled! In exchange, their Battle Positions will be changed!" He added another 1300 point to lower the Gimmick Puppet's ATK, making its current ATK 1600. And then, all of his monsters' Battle Position was back to Attack Position.
"Good! He lowered Heaven's String ATK!" Yuya exclaimed in relief. The tide has turned.
"Now the dragons can destroy it!" Serena also cheered.
"I activate Entermate Odd-Eyes Clown's second effect! By tributing it, I can increase the ATK of a monster I control equal to its ATK!" He released Odd-Eyes Clown, adding its 1500 ATK to Odd-Eyes Flare Dragon, making the dragon's current ATK at 4500.
"I activate Entermate Core's Pendulum Effect! Once per Turn, I can give its Level to any Monster on the Field!" He granted Achille's Heaven's String a Level of 5, making it a Level 5 Monster until the end of Turn.
"Battle! I attack Gimmick Puppet – Heaven's String with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Spiral Strike Burst!" He declared attack. Odd-Eyes shot its burning red flame, slowly scorching the Xyz Monster.
"At this moment, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's Monster Effect activates! When it battles Level 5 or higher Monster, the damage is doubled, Reaction Force!" He added as thicker red and light flames spiraling around the red flames, burning the Xyz Gimmick Puppet Monster.
ACHILLE LP: 4000 = 2200
"Lastly, I attack directly with Odd-Eyes Flare Dragon! Scarlet Comet Blast!" He delivered the finishing blow with the other dragon.
Odd-Eyes Flare shot a crimson-colored comet-like flame that went straight towards Achille. The Gimmick Puppet user seemed ready to do something to negate the attack, but the red-haired Duelist interrupted him before he could do so.
"When Odd-Eyes Flare attacks, any activation of card effect is negated!" He revealed, shocking Achille.
Achille could only stand there as he received the full brunt of the blast. The moment the attack made contact with his body, it exploded like a bomb, enough to shake the entire temple. The entire floor was filled with smoke, causing Yuya and the others to cough and held their breath until the smoke and dust dissipated. They then saw them. The red-haired Duelist stood tall while Achille was lying on the ground, his body was almost completely burn out.
ACHILLE LP: 2200 = 0
Achille's body then broke apart like a rock before gradually turning into ashes.
The red-haired Duelist turned away from the ashes, approaching Yuya and the others. The four of them were stunned. They didn't know what to say. Yuya was the first to regain himself and opened his mouth to speak, but 'Odd-Eyes' raised his hand up, stopping him.
"We will explain everything after this is over. If we waste our times with the long story, Yuri and Celica will become Apophis' Duel Monster servants." He told them. This caught Serena's attention the most that she ran to the red-haired Duelist, grasping his robe.
"So they really are planning to turn Yuri and Celica-san into Duel Monsters?! But why them?!" Serena asked while shaking the red-haired Duelist. She stopped when Reiji put a hand on her shoulder.
"As he said, we'll figure out everything later." Reiji told the rest before turning to the unconscious Dennis. "We can't bring Dennis. He is too injured. But we can't leave him alone here either. Someone has to stay to watch over him."
"I'll stay. I can take care of his injuries until we're out of here." Yukiya offered. He was the one who has the most experience in medical attention, often treating himself after getting injured while looking information about Apophis before.
"We leave him to you then. Make sure you keep him alive until we get back." Serena told the Supreme King user. She frowned as she looked at Dennis. She prayed that he could hold on.
Serena turned to Yuya, Reiji, and 'Odd-Eyes'. Yuya nodded. He has many questions for 'Odd-Eyes', but he'll save that for later. Their main priority is to save Yuri and Celica.
"Let's go."
APEP – CANTIDEL EMPIRE – ARTIFICIAL DIMENSION
Ryo was staring at the horizon from the balcony of the guest room where Yuri used to stay. His mind wandering somewhere else that he didn't notice someone entering the guest room. Only until that person patted his back did he realize his presence. He turned around and saw Shiki standing behind him with amused grin.
"Thinking about your pupil?" Shiki asked.
"Not really. I'm just wondering why Prince Kurt ordered me to make Yuri stronger. He told me to make him as strong as possible once he knew I was appointed as his mentor." Ryo answered. Despite being surprised by Shiki's presence, he was quick to calm himself without showing much. It wasn't a lie. He was truly thinking Kurt insisted on developing Yuri's skill. What was the point? They were lucky Yuri hasn't grown enough to surpass them. If he did, never mind capturing him, they couldn't defeat him.
"Wait, he didn't tell you anything about that? Not a single thing?" Shiki blinked, visibly surprised by the news.
"If he had, I wouldn't be here wondering about it, wouldn't I?" Ryo replied, rolling his eyes at Shiki's slowness, which made the man chuckled.
"My bad. Can't believe the prince didn't tell you a squat. Making that Fusion boy strong is very important." Shiki informed, revealing he knew the reason behind Kurt's order.
"And that's why I'm wondering, why it's so important?" Ryo asked again, getting quite annoyed by the fact no one gave him the straight answer immediately.
Shiki noticed Ryo's impatience and leaned to the side of his face, whispering into his ear. Listening carefully, Ryo's eyes widened. His hands were almost shaking. His body went stiff from the shock. After that, he couldn't hear anything what Shiki said. His head was too busy swirling like a twister, mixing various torrents of emotions that Ryo has difficulty to comprehend himself.
"It's for the sake of restoring His Excellency's power." Shiki said without any awareness of Ryo's inner turmoil before leaving him alone in the balcony.
Ryo leaned his back to the wall and covered half of his face with his hand. Was what Shiki said true? That was Apophis plan? Did Kurt suggest it to the Dragon of Calamity? He must find out the truth. He must know the full story. They were already far away from the temple, so asking to turn back was out of question. The temple has become a battlefield by now anyway. But Apophis was in LINK VRAINS. LINK VRAINS can be accessed anywhere as long as they have the connection. Fortunately, this airship has and still within the range. He could meet the Dragon of Calamity while waiting until they're arriving at the West Temple. He must ask him before it was too late.
Sitting on the sofa, Ryo wore his Duel Disk and activated it.
"Into the VRAINS!"
NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW:
The Shadow's Radiance – Celica manage to be freed from her bind with Winged Kuriboh's help and intends to rescue Yuri, but her path is blocked by Geist.
Surprised? As to how Odd-Eyes got separated into its human and dragon incarnations that will be explained in later chapter. I know you're curious, but be patient because logically, they don't have time to tell a long story in this dire situation where every second equals Yuri's life. And Celica will also finally make her official full debut Duel against Geist.
Please don't forget to review this chapter!
