Wow, you guys are really being supportive towards Elize's actions, even enjoying them a bit! Don't worry though, she's not gonna rant all the time, just in the appropriate times. Yeah, I plan to put in some common sense into the anime and try to explain my own theories into this. Lots of things are gonna change in this anime and I had a lot of time thinking about the changes. There's more to come in the future!
Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh series, only the OCs!
"My turn!" shouted Elize, drawing her card as she faced off against a Society of Light member. "I summon Raging Eria in Attack Mode!"
Raging Eria - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (WATER/Spellcaster) - (800/1500)
"Ha! Like that Monster can do anything against my Legendary Flame Lord!" exclaimed the Society of Light duelist proudly.
Legendary Flame Lord - (FIRE/Spellcaster/Ritual) - LV7 - (2400/2000)
"Now, I activate the effect of Jigabyte from my hand!" said Elize, revealing Jigabyte. "When there's a Spellcaster-Type Monster on my field, I get to Special Summon him!"
Jigabyte - (WATER/Reptile) - LV4 - (1500/200)
"I then activate the special ability of Raging Eria! Once per turn, by Tributing a WATER Attribute Monster besides her, I get to Special Summon a WATER Attribute Monster from my hand! I Special Summon Blizzard Princess!"
Blizzard Princess - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV8 - (2800/2100)
The Society of Light duelist gulped. "C-Can't we talk about thi-"
"Blizzard Princess, destroy his Ritual Monster, please!" ordered Elize.
True to her name, Blizzard Princess unleashed a strong blizzard upon Legendary Flame Lord, freezing him in place before shattering his ice form with a swing of her flail.
Society of Light member - 800 LP
Elize - 300 LP
"Now, please finish him off with a direct attack, Eria!"
Aiming the tip of her staff towards the opponent's direction, Eria released a typhoon-like water attack that sent the Society of Light member flying until he landed on his back, groaning in pain afterwards.
Society of Light member - 0 LP
Elize - 300 LP
Winner: Elize
"Whew!" sighed Elize. 'Ever since the announcement that members weren't allowed back to the Society of Light, the current members have gotten more rougher with their dueling just to stay on. I know I expected this, but still, it's been hard!'
It was just the second day of the Genex Tournament, and the competition had already grown more tougher than before. Many competitors lost, while others won, and rarely did draws end up as the result. Elize already had a few Genex Medallions, including the ones she now won from the Society of Light member.
The Society of Light member fell to his knees, the brainwashing no longer having anymore influence on him. "Ugh...What happened to me...?"
Offering her hand, Elize asked, "Are you alright? Do you need to go to the infirmary or something?"
The former member shook his head, accepting her hand and standing up. "Nah, I'm good. I'm going back to my dorm. Think a nap's gonna help me or something..."
This happened just like all the times whenever Elize defeated a Society of Light member, but this time, she was certain that this person would not convert to the Society of Light forcibly again. After all, Sartorius had to uphold his end of the deal that he made with Sheppard about not allowing any former members back to his cultist organization.
As Elize started leaving the area, she recalled something about a phone call she received from Chumley. She obtained his phone number way before the whole Society of Light issue occurred, so she had spent some of her free time chatting with him. They hadn't spent too much time together in Elize's first year, but they had grown closer in terms of friendship with their phone calls whenever they had the time, so all was well.
The phone call this morning was from Chumley, and he had revealed to her that he planned on a surprise visit to Duel Academy sometime today. If he had told her, then it was more than likely he told Jaden and the others.
Elize was happy to see Chumley again, but she wasn't looking forward to having to see him with Jaden and the others around. After all, she was still ticked off towards them, but she knew eventually she would have to cooperate with them to finish off the Society of Light from further brainwashing anyone else. She wanted everything to go back to normal so they could all be friends, but at this point, she wasn't sure whether or not to call Jaden, Syrus, and Hassleberry her friends.
Suddenly, Wynn, one of her Charmer Duel Monster Spirits, popped out and cried, "Elize! Watch out!"
"Wynn? What are you talking abo-"
Suddenly, the air grew hot and a geyser of fire exploded not far from where Elize was standing. The geyser of fire twisted itself and upwards towards the now stormy skies before the unexpected appearance of the Winged Dragon of Ra had forged around the God-like Duel Monster. The Winged Dragon of Ra had only appeared for a brief moment, before vanishing, indicating that in whatever duel the Egyptian God was in, was over.
"...Was that...? How...?"
Wynn turned to Elize. "We sensed something ominous and powerful the moment its owner arrived, but we thought it would be too difficult for you to handle. Elize, you can't face an Egyptian God!"
"That was seriously an Egyptian God?!" exclaimed Elize. "Why?! Why is it here?! The only owner to the three Egyptian Gods is Yugi Muto, right? Does that mean he's here?"
"The aura of the duelist that had summoned the great Egyptian God, the Winged Dragon of Ra, is not the King of Games. The current owner in possession is something with wicked intentions. You mustn't face him, Elize!"
"...I won't," agreed Elize before walked towards the area where the Winged Dragon of Ra was last seen.
"E-Elize? Didn't you say-"
"Yes, but...if someone really bad summoned the Winged Dragon of Ra, I want to see what he looks like so I can report him to the Chancellor. That, and if Ra was summoned, maybe the loser is injured real badly. Whatever the case is, we need to hurry! Wynn, please guide me!"
Wynn nodded and flew ahead. "Alright, I'll check for any dangers!"
Elize followed after her carefully, just in case she needed to make a run for it depending on what and if there was any sort of danger ahead. When she arrived at the scene where the latest duel took place, there laid complete and utter destruction.
The area had a large, smoking crater, the trees were all burnt down and had turned to ashes, or at least the remainder of them were still in hot flames, smoke was everywhere, and in the middle of it all, there laid a student, presumably the loser of the duel.
Rushing up to him, Elize shook his body gently, trying to wake him up. "Are you okay? Please say something!"
"Ohh...Ah..." groaned the student, whose clothes were torn and burnt. Not only that, but he seemed to be suffering burns and injuries throughout his body.
At times like these, Elize quickly took out her PDA and informed the Duel Academy's own police force, the Disciplinary Action Squad, who arrived within minutes with a sort of ambulance to assist the injured student to the infirmary. Afterwards, one of them, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Action Squad, requested that she escort Elize, who was somewhat a witness to the injured student, to the Chancellor's Office, which Elize agreed.
After being granted permission to enter the Chancellor's Office, both the Chairman and Elize entered. Elize hadn't expected to run into Jaden or Chumley, but more surprisingly, Maximillion Pegasus, inside the office.
"Elize! I didn't expect you to be here!" said Chumley, walking over to her and hugging her, thus lifting her off the ground.
"Ugh! Y-Yeah!" said Elize, noting his hug was a bit tight. "C-Chumley? You're hugging me a little bit too tightly there!"
"Oh! Sorry!"
After Chumley released her, Pegasus walked up to her and offered his hand. "Ooh, you must be one of Chumley's friends! Your name was Elize, yes? It's so nice to meet you! I'm Maximillion Pegasus, but you may call me Pegasus!"
"I-It's nice to meet you, Mr. Pegasus," spoke Elize, shaking his hand.
"Hmm...I see. Thank you for reporting this to me, Mrs. Chairman," spoke Sheppard. "Please have the rest of your Disciplinary Action Squad search around the entire island for any suspicious characters. I will give you new instructions shortly once I've come to a new decision."
"Yes, sir," said the Chairman before swiftly leaving the Chancellor's Office.
"Elize, please come here. I have a few questions I want to ask you," Sheppard ordered, prompting Elize to step forward. "Now, I heard that you reported to the Disciplinary Action Squad after being a witness to an injured student dueling, is that correct?"
"Technically, I didn't see that student dueling, but I did see a fire-like Duel Monster, so I wanted to see what happened. When I got there, the area was completely destroyed and the winner of that duel was gone. I just assumed the injured student was the loser because he was just laying there, injured with lots of burn marks. I just called the Disciplinary Action Squad to help me out and they came and took the student away."
"And that's how the Chairman led you here," said Sheppard. "Can you describe to me this Duel Monster you saw?"
"Well...I...I don't want to make it seem like I'm lying, but..."
"Any sort of information, even if it's small, is alright."
"Well...The Duel Monster actually resembled the Winged Dragon of Ra."
"What?!" shouted Jaden as Pegasus and Chumley gasped. "Hey, you know what? Earlier, I saw a Duel Monster that looked just like Ra, too! I thought I was just imagining things, but..."
"Then there can be no doubt," said Sheppard. "Jaden? Elize? As just witnesses, you have no involvement as to why Chumley and Mr. Pegasus is here, however, should you two choose to help us, we will provide you with information of what's been happening. However, you mustn't tell anyone or what's to be disclosed here. Well? What do you say?"
Jaden and Elize glanced at each other, although Elize was the first to look away from him. Both were still awkward towards each other, but they did have an unspoken, mutual agreement with one another. "...Alright," said Elize.
"Elize! This is the equivalent of facing Ra! You can't!" cried out Wynn, exasperated.
"N-Not now!" whispered Elize, quickly shooing Wynn away.
"Yeah, I'm joining in, too!" said Jaden. "I wanna know what's going on!"
"Very well," decided Sheppard. "The reason why Mr. Pegasus and Chumley are truly here isn't for some simple visit to see Duel Academy, but rather to retrieve a stolen card that they believe may have found its way here. The Winged Dragon of Ra!"
"What?! Someone stole the Winged Dragon of Ra card?!" exclaimed Jaden. "No way! That's the most famous card in Duel Monsters!"
"Yes, and the most dangerous," agreed Pegasus. "The original contained the spirit of Ra."
"But I thought that card was destroyed!"
"It was. But we developed a copy for research purposes, with nearly identical powers!"
"Er...If you made a copy of the Winged Dragon of Ra, doesn't that mean you made a copy for Slifer and Obelisk as well?" asked Elize. If there actually was a copy and the thief had them, that would make a thief a triple threat three times over!
Pegasus shook his head. "Luckily, no. We wanted to make our Egyptian God project a secret, so we constructed the copy as carefully as we could. I thought about possibly making copies for Obelisk and Slifer, but with the recent incidents that's been occurring, I find that ideal impossible now."
"So, what happened to the copy?" wondered Jaden.
Pegasus answered, "Like I said, my company's chief designer had stolen the card from our vaults!"
"That's not all!" protested Chumley. "He stole my grilled cheese, too!"
"I...fail to see how that's relevant at all," said Elize, sweatdropping. Guess some things never changed with Chumley. He may have matured and gotten a bit serious since he left, but he still retained his love for grilled cheese sandwiches.
Sheppard cleared his throat, gaining everyone's attention before continuing the conversation. "We have reason to believe this Winged Dragon of Ra replica is here. In fact, several duelists have reported Ra-related injuries."
"What should we do? The culprit could be anywhere!" said Jaden.
"Hmm...Mr. Pegasus? What's the name of that chief designer you mentioned?" asked Elize.
"Oh, my apologies. I forgot to mention his name! His name is Franz."
"Alright, do you have a picture of him? Or, at the very least, can you tell us what he looks like?"
"He normally wears a trench coat with a tie, and has glasses on."
"Okay, so we're looking for a guy named Franz with a trench coat and glasses," said Jaden. "That narrows it down. Hey, his description is kinda like Banner!"
"Uh...Banner didn't wear a trench coat," reminded Elize.
"Yeah, but the glasses part reminded me of him!"
'I spoke with the Chancellor before, and we can't cancel the Genex Tournament because of the whole Society of Light issue. And we can't tell anyone of the Winged Dragon of Ra problem, so what should we do...?,' thought Elize. "Chancellor Sheppard? Is it alright if we...suspend the tournament? Temporarily?"
"Hmm...Yes, that way, no other students can be harmed," said Sheppard. "But if I make that announcement through the speakers, then even the culprit will know, and he might escape."
"The solution to that is simple," replied Pegasus. "Just simply close off the docks and helicopter passages temporarily before making the announcement. That way, Franz would have no way of escaping."
"I wonder what Franz will do if he has no more opponents to duel for the time being?" wondered Elize.
"It's not just students he's dueling, remember?" reminded Jaden. "There are other Pro Duelists somewhere in this island, so he'll probably want to duel them next."
"Right," agreed Elize. "Then, let's make use of the Disciplinary Action Squad."
"What do you mean?"
"They're basically the police of Duel Academy. I say, we have them patrol all around the island after giving them a description of this Franz person. Then, they can just arrest him and take the Winged Dragon of Ra card back from him."
"No, that won't work," said Pegasus. "Franz won't go down without a fight, I'm certain! As long as he has the Winged Dragon of Ra, a simple-leveled duelist can never beat him!"
"Who said anything about dueling?" questioned Elize. "The Disciplinary Action Squad has police stuff, like handcuffs, or tasers, right? Just surround him and knock him out or something."
"...That sounds...surprisingly violent of you, Elize," admitted Chumley, astonished.
"Yeah, what I said sounded violent, but I'm sure this Franz person has done worse. We should take out Franz as quickly as possible."
"I agree. The less time, the better," agreed Pegasus. "The more time we waste, the more victims there'll be thanks to Franz."
"I have another suggestion!" said Jaden, raising his hand. "We should split up into teams! Mr. Pegasus and Chumley will be on one team, and me and Elize will-"
"Actually, I was hoping that you and Chumley could work together. Mr. Pegasus, would it be alright if you were paired up with me?" requested Elize quickly.
"I don't see why not," said Pegasus.
"Hold on! Why are we changing partners? We'd be a more stronger team if we work together, Elize!" protested Jaden. "Wait, is this because you're still mad-"
"Jaden, that issue doesn't matter right now!" interrupted Elize hastily. "What's more important is dealing with the Winged Dragon of Ra issue! You and I are some of the most strongest duelists in this island! Well, you're stronger than me, anyways. But the main reason is, we don't know what Mr. Franz looks like even with the description, so it's better to have people that know him as our partners rather than charge in blindly!"
"...Fine."
Noticing the slight hostility between the two, Sheppard cleared his throat. "Right, then it's decided. Jaden will be paired up with Chumley, and Elize will go with Mr. Pegasus. If possible, I'd like it if you didn't engage in a duel with Franz, but if it can't be helped, then just be careful."
"Yes, Chancellor!" spoke both Jaden and Elize in unison.
"Oh, before you guys go, here! Take this!" Chumley walked up to both of them and handed them a card each for their decks. "They might come in handy just in case!"
"Thanks, Chum!" thanked Jaden.
"Yeah, thanks!" said Elize.
Later...
Giving the secret order, Sheppard had all helicopter ports and the docks closed down for the time being, meaning nobody could gain access in and out of Duel Academy. Of course, the only ones who knew of this order are Sheppard, Pegasus, Chumley, Jaden, Elize, the Disciplinary Action Squad, and the ones in charge of the docks and helicopters. Afterwards, Sheppard used the intercom to broadcast a message around the entire island.
"Attention all GX participants! The tournament is temporarily suspended! Please return to your lodgings! If you're in the middle of a duel, end it in a draw!"
"Ha! Yeah right, like I'm gonna do that!" laughed one of the students dueling one of his fellow dueling classmates.
"Dude, what are you doing?! You heard the Chancellor! We-"
"Who cares? I'm literally seconds away from beating you! Now, Vampire Lord! Attack-"
"Additionally, if anyone else chooses to disobey and continues to duel while the tournament is suspended, they will be expelled! No exceptions!"
"...Shit!"
Having split up, Chumley and Jaden decided to head back to the Slifer Red dorms first while Elize decided to stick by Pegasus' side. The two of them started wandering around the forest, where the last duel involving the Winged Dragon of Ra was seen.
'...What should I say? This awkward silence between me and the President of Industrial Illusions is...really uncomfortable,' thought Elize, looking around in search of the culprit, Franz.
"Elize! You can't be serious about facing Ra!" shouted Hiita, appearing so suddenly out of nowhere.
"Ah! That was real close to my ear!" cried out Elize loudly, covering her ears.
"Hmm? What?" asked Pegasus, who was walking next to her.
"Ah! Sorry! It-It was nothing!" apologized Elize, looking away.
"I'm serious, you really don't stand a chance against Ra!"
"I know."
"You're gonna get creamed out there!"
"I know!"
"...So then, why?"
"The way I see it, there are two ways that this could end up," muttered Elize. "Either A) I lose and suffer heavy burns and allow Jaden to take over, or B) I win and retrieve the Ra card back to Mr. Pegasus."
"The probability of you winning is very low," spoke Aussa, being the next to appear. "You're quite destined to lose."
"Destiny...Jaden defied destiny by defeating Aster," Elize pointed out. "And Sarina said that me, Jaden, and Aster were part of some sort of destiny. Maybe it's time I can defy destiny, too."
"Elize! I'm worried about you!" cried out Wynn. "I don't want you to get hurt if you duel the duelist controlling Ra!"
"That's why I have you guys to help protect me," said Elize. "I trust you guys to provide me the power to shield myself."
"You do have protection powers thanks to your ability to see Duel Spirits," admitted Eria. "But you better not get a single burn on your cute clothes! And you should wear better, cuter clothes sometime! If this were a Top Ten List on cute clothes, this wouldn't even make it to the list!"
"We're not a Top Ten List!"
"Ahem!" coughed Pegasus, gaining Elize's attention. "If you'll excuse me, but...is it possible that you have the power to see Duel Monster Spirits?"
Blushing in embarrassment by how loud she must have been, Elize kept her head down. "Ah...Did you happen to hear me? Sorry...Wait, do you actually believe in the existence of Duel Spirits?"
"Well, I can't quite see them, but I know from experience that they do exist," assured Pegasus. "I do possess a certain degree of power, as I can sense...four different presences besides you. Is that correct?"
"Y-Yes!" said Elize, surprised. "Uh...This is Eria the Water Charmer, and this is Wynn the Wind Charmer! Oh! And this is Hiita the Fire Charmer, and this is Aussa the Earth Charmer! ...Although, you probably can't see them right now, huh?"
"No, I cannot. But I am surprised. It is quite rare to find someone with the powers to see Duel Spirits. However, you must be careful. There are some people out there with the power to see Duel Spirits just like you, but they use it for evil. Some of these people are called Duel Spirit hunters, and they're quite nasty!"
"I've never heard of such people," admitted Elize.
"Well, I'm telling you right now," warned Pegasus. "Be wary of such people, for they use their powers not for good, but for evil purposes. They can even do more things than just harm people, like using their Duel Spirits to spy on others."
"But...I thought people with special abilities like me are only good," said Elize. "At least, that's what my own Duel Spirits have told me."
"Unfortunately, they're quite mistaken. There are evil people out there who have the ability to see Duel Spirits. The one good thing about this is that such abilities are rare and very few have that ability throughout the world. You must be very careful out there, Elize-gal."
"...I guess I have to tell Jaden and Aster about this, then."
"Oh?" Such new information perked Pegasus' interest. "I didn't know your friend and Aster Phoenix obtained the ability to see Duel Spirits as well."
"Jaden has a close connection with his Winged Kuriboh," explained Elize. "As for Aster, I'm...not quite sure how long he's had this ability, but he seems to rely a lot on reality, so I'm sure he wouldn't believe me if I told him Duel Spirits existed."
"Hmm...Well, you know the old saying, 'Seeing is believing!'" encouraged Pegasus. "Aster will have to see for himself whether or not Duel Spirits truly exist. I do know of one method to increase the ability to see Duel Spirits, though it does take a long time and a massive amount of concentration."
"What is it?"
"Meditation. It's the basis for spiritual training, and although the process is slow, it's both relaxing and helps increase your chances to communicate with Duel Spirits," spoke Pegasus.
"You say that like you've tried it before," said Elize.
"Oh, believe me, I did. Didn't really obtain the ability to see Duel Spirits, but my body has grown both flexible and FABULOUS!" replied Pegasus, doing a dramatic hair flip.
"...A-Are you one of those flamboyant playboys I've heard so much about?" wondered Elize.
"Er...What?"
"Because if you are, then Hiita said I should pepper spray guys like you."
"W-What?! Well, Duel Spirits can be mistaken, you know!" said Pegasus. "Now, we've been walking around for so long, so why don't we sit down and take a break?"
"O-Okay...?"
Eria turned to Hiita. "You really said that?"
"Only the most necessary parts! What? You guys would have done the same!"
"Right...Pepper spraying the one man who created us. You know, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't have existed, right?"
"To be fair, he may be the President of the card company that created us, but we could have been designed by one of his other employees?"
"True, true."
While Elize and Pegasus were talking and resting, Pegasus decided to bring up the topic of their investigation; the Winged Dragon of Ra. "This isn't the first time someone's tried to use a counterfeit Ra card."
"You mean, some other card companies tried that?" wondered Elize.
"In a way, yes, but this tale goes much farther than that. Approximately 10 years, in fact. There was a group called the Rare Hunters who would do anything to hunt down rare and powerful cards, including the Winged Dragon of Ra. When they didn't get their way, they would even resort to counterfeit cards such as the Winged Dragon of Ra. But the Egyptian Gods considered the copies as an insult, and as such, they brought their wrath down towards the duelists who used the counterfeit cards."
"And by wrath, you mean...?"
"Several died or fell to the Shadow Realm, and others were lucky enough to end up with very serious injuries or even in comas. Eventually, seeing the dangers of using a counterfeit card, the Rare Hunters ceased using them and started hunting down the real thing."
"Which is how the whole Battle City Tournament started, right?" said Elize, knowing the history behind an event that took place around 10 years ago.
"Correct."
"But I don't understand. If the Egyptian Gods were angry enough to consider the counterfeit cards as an insult and would strike down anyone using them, why hasn't anything happened to the counterfeit card you used for research?"
"Oh, I had help from my dear old pal, Yugi-boy!" replied Pegasus. "It did take a lot of convincing, but we managed to work something else! Unfortunately, it seems all future plans on the other two Egyptian Gods will have to come to a close."
"Well, well, well! Hail to the chief!"
Both Elize and Pegasus looked up and saw Franz standing not too far away from them. Alerted, Elize started typing down a quick message for Jaden on her PDA, while Pegasus took the time to confront his former chief designer.
"Franz! Have you lost your mind?! Return the card at once! Don't do something you'll regret later!"
"Pegasus, if you really want this card back, then you have to earn it," replied Franz, shuffling his deck before placing it back in his duel disk. "For as you used to say, 'it's your move,' my friend."
"So it's a duel you want?" questioned Pegasus, readying his duel disk to take on Franz.
"Mr. Pegasus, sir?" spoke up Elize, getting in front of him. "Would it be alright with you if I took over? I'll duel him in your place."
"You? But why?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with the flamboyant playboy here. What are you doing, Elize?!" shouted Hiita.
"Elize, this man is dangerous!" shouted Aussa. "Did you not hear what we said before?! You'll lose! You can't win against an Egyptian God! Especially the most powerful of them all!"
"Would you guys relax?" muttered Elize. "I thought this over while walking with Mr. Pegasus and thought this might be best."
"How is this a better solution?! Pegasus is the creator of Duel Monsters! He knows about the Egyptian Gods way better than you!"
"But his opponent knows a lot more about Pegasus and his deck way better than me, because they used to work closely together. If Mr. Pegasus and Mr. Franz duel, I believe that Mr. Pegasus will have a disadvantage since Mr. Franz will know his moves. On the other hand, he doesn't know me, so he'll be wary of what I do."
"Well, you don't know him either, Elize!" pointed out Wynn. "You don't know what sort of deck he'll use!"
"I know he has the Winged Dragon of Ra card in his deck, and he'll surely have cards that'll make it easier for him to summon him faster. All I have to do is keep on high defense and constantly heal my Life Points."
Although Elize was mumbling quietly to her Duel Spirits, Pegasus was closer to her and had a keen hearing, hearing everything she had just uttered. Although it was reckless to have a young girl like Elize duel in his place, he had to admit, she brought up some good points to her argument. With the assistance from her Duel Spirits, perhaps it would be best to entrust Elize in handling the duel herself?
Besides, if she lost, then it was up to Pegasus until the Disciplinary Action Squad arrives.
"Fool! You must be insane if you think you can stand up against Ra and walk out here alive!" mocked Franz.
"I think you must be referring to yourself, then," countered Elize. "Mr. Franz, I don't want to hurt anyone, so please just surrender the card and accept your punishment for harming innocent students!"
"Ha! Surrender? Just when I'm on the verge of mastery over Ra? Never! Now, step aside, girl! My target is Pegasus and Pegasus only!"
"If you wanted to target him, then you didn't have to go around hurting students!" shouted Elize.
"To be fair, they challenged me first. I only came to this island to challenge other Pro Duelists, not weak little babies like your classmates!" revealed Franz. "But I was more or less happy to test the almighty power of Ra on the weaklings! Ahahahaha!"
"Then, for the sake of those students, and to return the card back safely before it's used more dishonorably, I'll duel you!" challenged Elize, activating her duel disk just as her Duel Spirits returned to her deck to aid in her deck.
"DUEL!"
- DUEL -
Elize - 4000 LP
VS
Franz - 4000 LP
"I'll go first!" shouted Elize. 'I should build up my defense and focus on healing! If possible, I should try and take out his Life Points through Effect Damage!' "I play Polymerization and fuse Hiita the Fire Charmer and Storming Wynn from my hand in order to Fusion Summon Shandra the Sand Charmer, in Defense Mode!"
Shandra the Sand Charmer - (WIND/Fusion/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (2400/1000)
'Just in case, I'll build up some more defenses with this card!' Elize thought, placing a card facedown. "I set a card facedown and end my turn!"
"As if that weak little Monster can stand up to the wrath of Ra!" laughed Franz, drawing his card. "Now, I summon forth Ra's Disciple!"
Ra's Disciple - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1100/600)
"When this card is successfully summoned, I can take out two more Ra's Disciples from my deck and add them to my hand! Then, I will activate the Spell known as Trap Booster! So I discard one card in order to activate a Continuous Trap from my hand, Ultimate Offering! Now, at the cost of 500 Points per Monster, each of us are allowed to Normal Summon or Set more than once! And now, I summon the two Ra's Disciples I just added to my hand, giving up 1000 Life Points as a cost!"
Ra's Disciple - (LIGHT/Fairy) - LV4 - (1100/600) X3
Elize - 4000 LP
Franz - 3000 LP
It didn't take a genius to figure out what Franz's next move was. "Don't tell me-! You already have the Winged Dragon of Ra card in your hand?!"
"Precisely! Fear the upcoming of an Egyptian GOD!"
Thunder roared from the dark, stormy clouds that filled the entirety of the clear blue sky, bringing forth a clear, ominous sign of the danger that's to come. Sacrificing the three Ra's Disciples as sacrifices for Ra's upbringing, Franz also used a small amount of his Life Points to summon the most dangerous of the three Egyptian Gods.
Elize - 4000 LP
Franz - 2500 LP
"Elize, be very, VERY careful!" warned Pegasus, seeing as there was nothing the two of them could do to stop the summoning of the Winged Dragon of Ra.
"Great beast of the sky, please hear my cry!" chanted Franz, lifting his hands up towards the stormy thunderclouds. "Come here in this Shadow Game, when I call your name! Come forth, Winged Dragon of Ra!"
The stormy environment was befitting for the terror that is the Winged Dragon of Ra as the phoenix/dragon-like Egyptian God descended down from the dark clouds and faced against Elize, bound to stay by its summoner's side. Upon making its grand appearance, the Winged Dragon of Ra threw back its head and released a tremendous roar that shook not just the air, but the entirety of the island as though an earthquake had occurred.
The Winged Dragon of Ra - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (?/?)
"Due to the effect of the Winged Dragon of Ra, his Attack Points are the sum of all of the Attack Points of the Tributed Monsters, whereas his Defense Points are the sum of all of the Defense Points."
The Winged Dragon of Ra - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (3300/1800)
"I heard stories about this Egyptian God!" said Elize. "But...why isn't he in Sphere Form? I thought you had to say the ancient incantation to properly use him?"
"The remaking of an Egyptian God has so many benefits," laughed Franz. "Because this is a new, counterfeit card, we took out that ridiculous incantation, so there's no need for such a silly thing! Besides, I have my own method to controlling such a powerful beast!"
"You have to stop this, Franz!" urged Pegasus. "Only a duelist chosen by the Egyptian Gods themselves can control this creature!"
"Oh, I know, but like I said, I have my own method to controlling Ra!" assured Franz. "God of the sun! You will obey me! You see, I have obtained the secret to taming your wild spirit! I am your master now, Ra!"
Even though the current Winged Dragon of Ra was a counterfeit version, Elize and her Duel Spirits could still feel an immense amount of power surging within Ra, but also...deep hatred and sorrow within him for some reason, perhaps because he was under an unworthy owner.
"From my hand, I play the Field Spell, Mound of the Bound Creator!"
Chains burst out from the ground and wrapped themselves around Ra tightly, though not enough to tie down the Egyptian God from being airborne or restrict his powers. The Winged Dragon of Ra roared as it struggled against its chained bounds, enraged and in pain.
"I don't remember this card ever being played during the Battle City tournament!" cried out Elize.
Pegasus stated, "Because this card never existed before! Somehow, he has created a card that can control an Egyptian God!"
"Indeed I did, my president! The most powerful of all the Egyptian God cards is now mine!" said Franz. "Now, my servant! Strike down her Monster with Blaze Cannon!"
With a gigantic fireball forming atop of Ra, Elize braced for impact as the Defense Mode Shandra got into position and held up a barrier to protect her owner from the devastating wrathful fireball that was about to be shot down. When it did, the entire area exploded into a field of burnt ashes, smoke, and flames. When the smoke and flames faded away, Elize and her Monster were still standing.
"How?! Your Monster should have been destroyed!"
"It's because of Shandra's ability!" said Elize. "Once per turn, she can't be destroyed in battle!"
'I see! Despite her Fusion Monster's low Defense Points, she made Franz attack and took advantage of her Monster's special ability! A cunning strategy!' thought Pegasus.
"Lucky shot! I end my turn!" grunted Franz. "Well, it doesn't matter! You can't keep up your defenses for long anyways! So go on, play all the defenses you wish! None can defend against the might of Ra!"
As Franz laughed maniacally, Elize glanced up and felt Ra's emotions growing stronger in terms of negativity. The Winged Dragon of Ra, the most powerful out of the three Egyptian Gods, wasn't meant to be shown in a pitiful, humiliating state with the chains weighing him down, and yet...he had a sorrowful expression on his face.
"...Winged Dragon of Ra...?" wondered Elize, concerned as she felt his power both diminishing and increasing. "A-Are you alri-"
"Elize!" called out Jaden, who arrived with Chumley, Hassleberry, and Syrus. "I got your message! Are you alright?!"
"Oh, jeez! It is the Winged Dragon of Ra!" cried out Syrus, frightened of the huge Egyptian God. "That thing's gigantic! I can't believe we haven't noticed it before!"
"What do you mean? We did! That's the reason why we came here, remember?" reminded Hassleberry. "We saw the giant God and heard Elize's text message and got here as soon as we can!"
"I know! I was saying, way before, we didn't notice-"
"GUYS! Would you please quiet down a bit? I'm trying to concentrate!" yelled Elize. "I appreciate you guys coming to try and help me, but you're not helping by constantly arguing with each other!"
Both Hassleberry and Syrus both at least had the sense to appear ashamed and apologetic over their actions. "Sorry..." both of them murmured.
"Now then, I draw!" Elize began the start of her next turn, examining her cards. "I...I end my turn."
"What was that?!" exclaimed Jaden. "You could have summoned a Monster or-"
"Jaden, I'm sorry if I'm being rude, but please be quiet!" shouted back Elize. "I don't have any cards available to help me right now, but you criticizing me isn't really helping!"
Chumley placed a hand on Jaden's shoulder. "Yeah, chillax, Jaden. Let's trust in Elize and cheer her on. The best we can do right now is believe in her."
"Yeah...you're right," sighed Jaden.
"Such a pathetic move!" said Franz, drawing his card. "I shall summon Gravekeeper's Cannonholder in Attack Mode!"
Gravekeeper's Cannonholder - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1400/1200)
'That Monster reminds me of the time I dueled the Chief back around a year ago!' thought Elize. 'Except...I don't remember this card. Or maybe I never encountered it to begin with. Either way, I have to be careful!'
"I will attack your Monster now starting with Gravekeeper's Cannonholder! Go!"
Getting on one knee, Gravekeeper's Cannonholder aimed his huge cannon launcher and fired. Seeing a far-ranged attack approaching, Shandra held up a sand-like shield to protect herself.
"Because of Shandra's ability, she can't be destroyed in battle once per turn!" reminded Elize.
"And that is why I will destroy your pathetic Monster with Ra! Go now, and use Blaze Cannon!" commanded Franz.
"Not yet! I activate my facedown card, the Quick-Play Spell, Charmer Hymn! During either of our Battle Phases, I can target one Charmer Monster on my field, and then I get to Special Summon a different Monster from my hand whose Levels are equal or lower than the Charmer Monster's Level. Also, that Monster has to be Special Summoned in Defense Mode. I Special Summon Giga Gagagigo in Defense Mode!"
Giga Gagagigo - (WATER/Reptile) - LV5 - (2450/1500)
"AT LONG LAST! A CHALLENGE! AND AN EGYPTIAN GOD AT THAT!" roared Giga Gagagigo.
'Oh, dear,' thought Elize. Her Charmer Monsters' familiars, including the evolved forms, weren't always let out into battle much, so they were always thrilled to be out into the field. However, Gigobyte's evolved forms tended to be...bloodthirsty and battle-hungry at times, including right now.
"WHAT'S THIS?! I'M IN DEFENSE MODE?! SWITCH MY POSITION NOW!"
'Yeah, just as I thought. He is definitely not gonna be happy,' thought Elize.
The fireball that Ra had been charging up finally reached its maximum output before it was fired onto Shandra. Knowing the full impact of the fireball would leave devastating results, the Fusion Charmer Monster, knowing full well she would be destroyed regardless, placed everything she had into creating a magical shield around Elize to protect her before she was destroyed by the fireball.
"You should know something about Mound of the Bound Creator!" called out Franz. "Whenever a Level 10 or higher Monster, such as Ra, destroys a Monster in battle, the controller of the destroyed Monster loses 400 Life Points!"
Elize - 3600 LP
Franz - 2500 LP
'So, no matter how many defenses I put up, I'll still lose Life Points because of Ra?' thought Elize. 'I have to find a way to decrease Mr. Franz's Life Points without trying to destroy Ra fast!'
"With that, I shall end my turn!"
"Okay, my turn!" said Elize, who drew her card swiftly.
"Mistress, you better allow me to attack this turn! I WILL TASTE THE BLOOD OF MY ENEMIES!" bellowed Giga Gagagigo.
"Uh...you know if I do that, the Winged Dragon of Ra will scorch you alive and I'll lose Life Points, right?"
"SCREW LIFE POINTS, I DESIRE BLOOD! IT WOULD BE AN HONOR TO DIE BY AN EGYPTIAN GOD'S HANDS!"
"You know it's a counterfeit card, right?"
"LIES! PROPOGANDA AND LIES!"
'I honestly have no idea what he's talking about, but for now, I'll just focus on some defense,' thought Elize. "I summon Avalanching Aussa in Defense Mode!"
Avalanching Aussa - (EARTH/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (800/1500)
"Next, because I have a Spellcaster-Type Monster on my field, I can Special Summon Storm Dragon from my hand! I summon him in Defense Mode!"
Storm Dragon - (WIND/Dragon) - LV4 - (1500/200)
"Now, I set two cards facedown and end my turn!"
"Try summoning all the defenses you want! It won't make a difference!" shouted Franz, drawing his card. "And now, thanks to Ra's effect, I pay 1000 Life Points to destroy all the Monsters you have! It's over!"
"I activate the Continuous Trap, Scrum Force!" countered Elize. "While I control 2 or more face-up Defense Mode Monsters, you can't target any Defense Mode Monsters I control with card effects, and they can't be destroyed by card effects, either!"
"What?!" shouted Franz. "Fine! Then, I will summon Gravekeeper's Curse in Attack Mode!"
Gravekeeper's Curse - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (800/800)
"And when he's summoned, you lose 500 Points!"
Elize - 3100 LP
Franz - 2500 LP
"Now, I shall activate the effect of Gravekeeper's Cannonholder!" continued Franz. "By sacrificing one other Gravekeeper Monster, you lose 700 Life Points! I shall sacrifice Gravekeeper's Curse!"
Gravekeeper's Curse turned into an orb of darkness that slipped into the cannon launcher of Gravekeeper's Cannonholder, powering it up as the Cannonholder took aim and fired at Elize. Elize cried out in pain as she was thrown back and crashed to her back from being dealt Effect Damage.
Elize - 2400 LP
Franz - 2500 LP
"Ha! And now, I have no more use for Cannonholder!" said Franz. "I sacrifice him in order to increase Ra's strength by the amount of Attack Points he had!"
The Winged Dragon of Ra - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (4700/3000)
"Now, attack her reptile Monster, Ra! Blaze Cannon!"
"YES! EMBRACE ME WITH YOUR GODLY FLAMES! ALLOW ME TO DIE HONORABLY IN BATTLE!" roared Giga Gagagigo.
Just as the fireball was about to make contact on Giga Gagagigo, Elize intervened. "I activate my other facedown card, the Trap, Attribute Shielder! If a Monster I control is being targeted for an attack, I get to negate that attack by sending a Monster from my deck to the Graveyard whose Attribute is the same as the Monster being attacked. Because Giga Gagagigo is a WATER Attribute, that means to protect him, I have to send a WATER-Attribute Monster from my deck to the Graveyard, and I choose Eria the Water Charmer!"
A water-like shield surrounded Giga Gagagigo and protected him from Ra's Blaze Cannon attack, and as soon as the fireball died down, so did the water-like shield as both shield and attack collided with each other to create steam.
"NO! I WANTED TO BE DESTROYED HONORABLY BY AN EGYPTIAN GOD'S HAND! NOOOO!"
'It's gonna be a long day calming down Giga Gagagigo. I'll do that later,' Elize mentally sighed.
"Grrr! You're growing annoyingly persistent!" growled Franz.
"Well, what did you expect? I can't actually face an Egyptian God! The best I can do is try and maneuver some defense!" argued back Elize.
"I didn't realize that your defenses could grow annoying very swiftly! Very well, I end my turn with one facedown!"
"Then, I draw!" said Elize. "I play Pot of Greed, letting me draw two more cards! Now I activate the Spell, Incantation Mirage! This Spell allows me to Special Summon a Charmer Monster that was used as Fusion-Material, and a non Fusion-Material Charmer Monster. However, they cannot attack, and both their Attack and Defense Points are turned to 0! I choose Eria the Water Charmer, and Hiita the Fire Charmer in Defense Mode!"
Eria the Water Charmer - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (0/0)
Hiita the Fire Charmer - (FIRE/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (0/0)
"So, you have an entire battalion of defensive Monsters. So, what?! Although it'll be annoying, I'll just have Ra attack them one by one, and you can't avoid the fate of Mound of the Bound Creator's Effect Damage!"
"He's right!" said Syrus. "Elize can't summon anymore Monsters because her entire Monster Zone is filled up, and she doesn't have any Monsters to fight againt Ra! How can she win?!"
"I now activate the Spell, Polymerization!" shouted Elize. "I fuse both Eria and Hiita in order to Fusion Summon Syesha the Steam Charmer in Defense Mode!"
Syesha the Steam Charmer - (WATER/Spellcaster/Fusion) - LV6 - (1900/1300)
"When this card is Fusion Summoned, I gain 500 Life Points for every FIRE and or WATER Attribute Monster on the field! Syesha and Giga Gagagigo are both WATER Attribute Monsters, so I gain 1000 Life Points!"
Elize - 3400 LP
Franz - 2500 LP
"I'm not done, yet!" shouted Elize. "You know, the Winged Dragon of Ra isn't the only Monster who can gain Attack Points by sacrificing other Monsters!"
"What are you talking about? Of course he is!" argued Franz.
"Really? Then, I activate Fog King's effect from my hand! I sacrifice both Syesha and Giga Gagagigo on my field to Tribute Summon Fog King!"
Fog King - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (0/0)
"And his Attack Points becomes the combined original Attack Points of the Tributed Monsters!"
Fog King - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (4350/0)
"Ugh! She's so close! Her Fog King's Attack Points are so close to Ra's!" grunted Jaden.
"Oh? It seems you have proven me wrong," chuckled Franz. "But your Fog King is still no match for the almighty Ra!"
Elize knew he was right, but she grew weary of Franz's unknown, facedown card before glancing at one of the cards in her own hand. 'If my guess is right, then I bet that that card is something to stop me in case I did have a way to stop Ra. So-!' "I set one card facedown and equip Fog King with Mage Power! His Attack and Defense Points now increase by 500 Points for ever Spell and Trap card on my side of the field!"
Fog King - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (4850/500)
"What?!" exclaimed Franz.
"Awesome! Now her Monster's the most strongest on the field!" said Hassleberry.
"Yeah! She can now take down an Egyptian God!" cheered Chumley. "Go, Elize!"
"Alright, Fog King! Now's your chance! Please, finish off Ra!" ordered Elize.
Brandishing his sword with his newfound strength Fog King nodded. "As you wish, Mistress! Defeating an Egyptian God with all the support you have given me will surely be an honor!"
"Ugh...Please don't act like Giga Gagagigo. I still have to deal with him later," sighed Elize.
"My apologies! I didn't mean to act like that reptilian ruffian! I shall end this swiftly and painlessly!"
With that said, Fog King flew up towards the air and lifted up his sword, ready to swing down an advanced sword technique to use on the Winged Dragon of Ra.
"No other choice, then-! I activate my Trap, Negate Attack!" shouted Franz. "Now the Battle Phase is cancelled for the rest of the turn!"
"Ooh! And she was so close, too!" complained Syrus.
"Apologies, Mistress! I have failed you!" cried out Fog King, landing back to the ground and kneeling in front of Elize.
"No, I kinda expected this to happen," admitted Elize. "I guess I'll end my turn."
"My move!" said Franz before looking up at Ra. "Alright, my little toy! Let's show everyone our true power! Activate your secret ability!"
"Secret ability?"
"That's right! I keep one Life Point for myself, and the rest go to Ra!"
Elize - 3400 LP
Franz - 1 LP
In a violet-colored flash, Franz's Life Points depleted all the way to 1 before he reappeared on top of Franz, having fused his entire body with the Winged Dragon of Ra.
The Winged Dragon of Ra - (DIVINE/Divine-Beast) - LV10 - (7199/5499)
"...Oh! You mean, Point-to-Point Transfer!" said Elize.
"What's that?" asked Syrus, curious.
"That's the name of the secret ability Mr. Franz just used, but it's a highly risky move."
"That's right!" called Franz from above. "And now, I don't have an Egyptian God! I AM ONE! And now I attack with Blaze Cannon! It's over!"
"Yeah, for you!" said Elize. "I activate my facedown card, Fairy Wind! Now, I get to destroy as many face-up Spells and Traps on the field as possible, and then each player takes damage equal to the total number of cards destroyed x 300! There's 3 in total, so that means we both receive 900 Points of Damage!"
"Awesome! That means Franz will lose for sure since he has only 1 Life Point left!" said Chumley.
An explosion filled the entire field, affecting only Franz and Elize as smoke made it difficult to see who was left standing. Once the smoke cleared, Elize was gripping her arm, clearly damaged from the double-edged Trap card, whereas all that remained of Franz...was just him completely defused from a now weakened and unchained Ra.
Elize - 2500 LP
Franz - 6300 LP
"How?! You had no facedown cards on the field, no other Monsters, and you only had 1 Life Point left!"cried out Elize. "I made sure of it!"
"It's all thanks to a little Quick-Play Spell I had on me called De-Fusion," answered Franz. "Right before the explosion took place, I activated that Spell from my hand and defused myself from Ra, thus making him weaker and allowing me to regain all of my Life Points from his Attack Points!"
"So, he just used Ra like leverage?! That's so uncool!" said Jaden.
Glancing over at Ra, Elize could sense a large amount of pain and sorrow emitting from within Ra. The great, almighty Egyptian God must have been horribly humiliated and weakened to the point where he couldn't move even a single finger.
Clenching her fists, Elize glared at Franz; her forest green eyes now changed to red. "Why...? Why go through all of this?! What could possibly possess you to steal and control the Winged Dragon of Ra like he's your puppet?"
"Silly girl! All Duel Monsters that we summon are our pup-"
"Don't get smart with me, asshole! Answer the question!"
Unfazed by her foul language, Franz replied, "Very well. I was just a regular card designer, but then that loser Chumley over there, just arrived out of the blue and suddenly, he's the new popular guy in the department?! What's wrong with any of my cards?! They embody so much power, that any duelist should want them! Not those pathetic card designs that Chumley worked up on!"
"That's what this is about?" asked Pegasus, surprised.
"Yeah! It may seem insignificant to you, Pegasus, but it's my life! And I knew the only way to win you over is to give you a demonstration! Admit it! You'd wish you've chosen my design, don't you?!"
Pegasus shook his head nonchalantly. "Not quite."
"Are you out of your mind?! Don't you recognize a genius when you see one?!"
"Genius? You? After what you've done, you don't even deserve to be called a genius!" shouted Elize. "You steal a card, hurt innocent people with it, and then you disrespect Ra in every single way possible, all because you couldn't stand the fact that your spotlight was taken away by Chumley?! Face it; you're just acting like a child who didn't get what he wanted because the other person gained attention first!"
"Grrr! How dare you say that, you worm?!" yelled Franz. "I summon Gravekeeper's Curse in Defense Mode!"
Gravekeeper's Curse - (DARK/Spellcaster) - LV3 - (800/800)
"Because of his ability, you lose 500 Life Points!"
Elize - 2000 LP
Franz - 6300 LP
The shockwave of the cursed ability snapped Elize back to reality, as her red eyes changed back to green and she clutched her head. "Oh...What happened...?"
"It's your move!" shouted Franz. "I end my turn!"
"Huh...? Oh, right!" Elize drew her card, quickly recognizing it as the card that Chumley gave her. "I switch all of my Monsters into Attack Mode!"
"You can try all you want, but even if you manage to destroy my Gravekeeper's Curse, you still have to get through my large amount of Life Points!"
"That's what I'm planning on doing! But first, I activate the Continuous Spell, Possessed Awakening!" declared Elize. "With this, all Monsters I control gain Attack Points equal to the number of different Attributes I control x 300! I have...WIND, WATER, and EARTH! That makes it a total of 900 Attack Points each!"
Fog King - (WATER/Spellcaster) - LV7 - (5750/500)
Avalanching Aussa - (EARTH/Spellcaster) - LV4 - (1700/1500)
Storm Dragon - (WIND/Dragon) - LV4 - (2400/200)
"Aussa, destroy Gravekeeper's Curse, please!"
Slamming the end of her staff against the ground, Aussa used her earth magic to pierce through the Monster, thus defeating him with ease.
"Now, to set the Winged Dragon of Ra free! Fog King, please finish him off!"
Nodding, Fog Spring rushed forward and slashed through the Winged Dragon of Ra in one go, as swiftly and painlessly as he could. Instead of normally exploding, the Winged Dragon of Ra faded away in a shower of sparkles, giving off a grateful and peaceful expression.
Elize - 2000 LP
Franz - 550 LP
"No-! I'm ruined!" cried out Franz.
"Now, Storm Dragon! Finish him off, please!" ordered Elize.
Sucking in a large amount of wind and air, Storm Dragon released it all in an breath of air, acting as though it was fire breathing as the strong winds pushed Franz back and crashed into a tree.
Elize - 2000 LP
Franz - 0 LP
Winner: Elize
Elize fell to her knees, panting from the overly exhausted duel. She never realized that dueling an Egyptian God would be so overwhelming. Actually, she never expected to actually duel one of the Egyptian Gods ever in her life! The most powerful one at that, even if it was a counterfeit!
Nobody could celebrate just yet, because suddenly, the Winged Dragon of Ra appeared out of the blue and was seemingly glaring down at Franz with a look of deep, seething hatred.
"M-Mr. Franz? Why did you suddenly summon the Winged Dragon of Ra...?" asked Elize, hoping that it was just a hologram and not the actual thing coming down to bring down his wrath.
Franz started shaking, his eyes wide as he met Ra's glare. "I-It's not my doing! No! Why is the Winged Dragon of Ra out?! I haven't summoned him!"
"Oh, dear! It's possible that the true spirit of Ra has appeared using the counterfeit card as his body!" theorized Pegasus. "I think he's come to take his revenge on you!"
"What?! No! That can't be possible! No!" Franz's expression grew more fearful as he scrambled to get away, only to realize he was surrounded by flames brought up by Ra.
"Human scum...You have used me too many times for your own malicious intentions...And now, the consequences of your actions shall be your downfall!" roared Ra. Only those with the ability to talk to Duel Spirits could hear the Winged Dragon of Ra, while others were both clueless and frightened by the large Egyptian God.
Seeing Ra gathering firepower for a Blaze Cannon attack, Elize rushed forward and spread her arms wide in front of Franz, shielding him. "Stop! Ra!"
Surprised to see Elize protecting Franz, the Winged Dragon of Ra ceased his attack and glared down at her. "Human...why do you protect this...this worthless being? He is nothing more than a nuisance to this world and must be punished! Because you have defeated this man and spared me any further humiliation, I do owe you a debt, but I will not let you intervene in my vengeance!"
"I know Mr. Franz did horrible things with you, Ra! Even so, I still can't let you harm him! He won't try to summon you or even humiliate you again! I'm sure of it!"
"Elize! What are you doing?!" shouted Hiita before kneeling down and bowing to Ra.
"Oh, almighty, powerful Egyptian God! Please, forgive our mistress!" pleaded Wynn, also bowing. It wasn't just her and Hiita who were bowing, but also Eria and Aussa as well.
"I shall forgive her once she has cleared out of the way and allowed me to strike down the worthless human behind her!" demanded Ra.
"Elize! Just do what he says!" hissed Aussa.
"...No."
"What?! Elize, are you crazy?! He's an Egyptian God! He's not messing around!" shouted Eria.
"I know he's not! But I still can't let him hurt Mr. Franz!" said Elize.
"HUMAN! Do you not fear me?! Stand down at once! I will not ask you again!" roared the Winged Dragon of Ra, growing increasingly angrier as time passed.
Elize was scared. That was a very obvious fact as, despite her continuously shielding Franz, her small and frail body was shaking just like Franz. Even so, she stood her ground, and with a frightened by determined look on her face, glanced straight up at Ra, continuing to defy him.
"I-I won't! I'm not letting you hurt him! He's made mistakes! But he can redeem himself! Please! He'll be punished by some other method or something! But things won't be easier if you burn him alive! Just leave him alone!"
Elize turned around and told Franz, 'Mr. Franz! Do you still have the Winged Dragon card? Please, give it to me!"
Earlier, Franz would have refused to even think of handing over the card, but seeing the Egyptian God up close and ready to strike him down, he more than was obliged to hand over the counterfeit card over to Elize.
"Elize! What are you planning to do with that card?" called out Hassleberry.
"...I'm going to rip it."
"WHAT?!" everyone exclaimed, horrified and shocked.
"I'm gonna rip it right now if Ra doesn't go away!"
Elize's declaration transferred Ra's anger towards Franz to her. "HOW DARE YOU-?! Release that card at once!"
"I'll return the card only if you don't intend to harm Mr. Franz anymore!" threatened Elize.
"A human dares to bargain with me?! You would think wise to reconsider your words! If you don't wish to feel my wrath, then you'll do the right thing and hand that-"
Growing steadily annoyed and impatient with Ra and his megalomania, Elize ripped the Winged Dragon of Ra card a teeny little bit. Such an action suddenly brought pain throughout Ra's body as the Egyptian God roared in pain and anger.
"Elize, what did you DO?!" shouted Aussa, shocked.
"Elize, I can't believe you dared to harm the greatest of-"
"Elize, no!"
"Winged Dragon of Ra! Please forgive her! She didn't mean it!"
"Elize! What are you doing?!"
"Oh, no! Now she's in for it, now!"
"Elize, get outta there, now!"
"Aaaah! Oh, no! She's a goner! A GONER!"
Elize glanced around in various directions, from her Duel Spirits to her friends. Feeling a massive headache and a great amount of stress soaring up inside her, Elize's forest green eyes turned red for the second time that day before she lost her temper.
"EVERYONE, SHUT UP!" yelled Elize, silencing everyone. "Just stop talking! Please, just stop talking!" She turned to face the Winged Dragon of Ra and said, "Look, you can try and use your powers to bring me down, but that won't change the fact that right now, you're acting just like Mr. Franz was."
The Winged Dragon of Ra growled lowly. "Explain yourself, human! My patience grows thin."
"Mr. Franz wanted power, and he did all that because he was acting like a child throwing a tantrum, wanting attention. You're doing the exact same thing. Instead of coming to terms and deciding to forget what happened, you decided to waste your time on vengeance. You have to stop."
"And why would I listen to you?"
"Is killing Mr. Franz really going to solve anything? No. Will your attack punish him? Yes. But, that's not going to do anything but satisfy only yourself! Besides, it's already too late. After today, people are going to fear and respect you even more. There have been too many victims by Mr. Franz's hand that have seen, and possibly recorded the duels he's had ever since arriving in the island. They'll think twice before messing with you again, and it's obvious that Mr. Franz will never be able to summon you again. Actually, it's thanks to Mr. Franz that your reputation as the strongest Egyptian God will probably skyrocket. So, what if what you're about to do is pointless?"
"...And what's stopping me from incinerating a helpless girl like yourself, along with that human behind you?"
"Like you said, you owe me. So, I'm calling in that debt right now," said Elize. "If you really want to repay me, then you'll give up your vengeance for Mr. Franz, which means sparing him. You'll go back to whatever afterlife Spirit World you came from, I'll return the counterfeit card back to Mr. Pegasus where he'll probably seal you away or whatever it is he plans to do, and we all go home happy."
"...Most humans would beg to want my card, but I sense no such intentions within you. Very well. You debt will be repaid once I have accomplished this."
Having said that, the Winged Dragon of Ra started fading away until it completely vanished. Even then, everyone in the area was too stunned to move or utter a single word.
In the aftermath, Pegasus decided to grant Franz a second chance, explaining that he understood what it was like, being obsessed with power and such. He assured Elize not to worry about the slightly ripped Winged Dragon of Ra card, as he understood the circumstances behind it before leaving Duel Academy with his two Industrial Illusions employees and the recovered Winged Dragon of Ra.
Skit: Apologies...?
"I can't believe I just did that! I stood up to an EGYPTIAN GOD! Ugh!" murmured Elize, pacing back and forth. Being someone who can talk to Duel Spirits and has a very high spiritual power, Elize was able to easily understand Ra and despite her odds, was able to confront him and actually get away with it!
"I know, right?" said Jaden as he, Hassleberry, and Syrus walked up to her. "Not only that, but you actually managed to duel against Ra and beat him! Awesome!"
Elize ceased being in a panic mood, only growing silent and slightly awkward. "Oh...Hey, guys."
"So, good job on defeating that glasses guy," congratulated Hassleberry, who was just as awkward as her.
"Yeah..."
"You've been getting a lot stronger lately," stated Syrus.
"I'm sure the rest of you have, too."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Finally, Elize sighed. "Look, if this is about what happened about Bastion and me yelling at you guys...you have to know that I'm not apologizing for what happened."
"It's not about that," said Jaden. "I...Well, we kinda came here to...to apologize and stuff. Ah, I'm not good with all this emotional turmoil, but we really are sorry."
"Yeah, we're really sorry," said Syrus.
"So...you forgive us?" asked Hassleberry, only to receive a rough nudge from Syrus. "What? I'm just asking!"
"...I...Have you talked to Bastion? Like, apologized to him or something?" asked Elize.
"Yeah, we looked, but we couldn't find him anywhere. He's probably inside the white dorms, but, you know we can't get in there without facing off a bunch of Society of Light guys," said Jaden.
"Yeah, that makes sense, I guess."
"So...I heard you teamed up with Aster," said Syrus. "Can we ask why?"
"Why? He's just as involved in this as we are," answered Elize. "Plus, he's actually a lot more focused into taking down the Society of Light!"
"...What's that supposed to mean?" asked Hassleberry, in a small, hostile tone.
"You know what I mean."
"We're not...Look, okay, I admit it. We weren't as focused as we were back then, and it took you yelling at us to see that," admitted Jaden.
"Jaden, don't help defend Aster!" scolded Syrus.
"Yeah! Rich boy's already won Elize over!" agreed Hassleberry.
"Hey, hey, HEY!" shouted Elize. "Aster isn't the enemy here! It's Sartorius and the Society of Light!"
"We know!" said Syrus.
"Then why are you guys acting like Aster is the enemy?! Look, he made a pretty bad impression the second time he came to Duel Academy, I know! I was there, too! He was mean, and he hurt Jaden! But none of that matters anymore! I don't know why you guys-Actually, why DO you guys dislike Aster so much?"
"For a Pro Duelist, he has a pretty bad behavior," replied Hassleberry.
"He hurt Jaden and mocked us!" answered Syrus. "He's like the second-year Chazz!"
"And Chazz has changed for the good!" argued Elize. "But our friend, Chazz, is currently being brainwashed by the TRUE enemy! The Society of Light! That's who we should be focusing on! Not Aster!"
"We're aware of that, and we've been trying to talk to Aster, but he's always gone!" said Jaden. "We wanna know if he's learned more about the Society of Light's plans ever since the tournament began!"
"Yeah, I don't think that he's going to be willing to talk to you," replied Elize. "But since I'm working with him, you could have talked to me."
"We didn't want to anger you more," said Syrus.
"I'm still upset over the whole Bastion incident, but it's perfectly fine talking to me about exchanging information with the Society of Light." Having said that, Elize explained everything she and Aster knew to the others.
"...Well, that's good," said Jaden. "At least now, we won't have to worry about Chazz or Bastion or Alexis returning if we beat them."
"Don't get your hopes up so quickly," advised Elize. "We won't have to worry about the ones we beat, but we still have to worry about new members being recruited. Especially if several of the members are Pro Duelists. So, this is both good and bad for us."
"I still don't see why we have to team up with a jerk like Aster," muttered Syrus.
"Uh, because it's best to have more allies? Because he's a Pro Duelist, thus being very strong?" replied Elize. "Look, you don't have to like him, but we need his help. Frankly, he doesn't like any of you, and I'm starting to do the same, too!"
"Elize…" Jaden's face fell. "You...you don't mean that."
"I do! I actually really do! Tell me something, how many Society of Light people have any of you three fought ever since the Bastion incident?"
"...None," all three boys admitted, much to their shame.
"I thought so. You guys still don't get it. You're still holding onto your petty opinions and not taking this whole thing seriously! I thought that you guys would learn something by now, but no! How are you guys not understanding this?!"
"We're sorry," said Hassleberry. "But, look, I know all about your adventures from last year, and as much as I was excited over another new adventure this year, I just...well, I didn't realize it would cause this much drama. You...You must really hate us now, huh?"
"Hassleberry, guys...I don't hate you guys."
"Really?" asked Syrus, surprised. "But you've been avoiding us like the plague and ignoring our calls and texts."
"It was really awkward between all of us. Plus, I was kinda still mad at you guys. Originally, I was going to stop, but I changed my mind after hearing you all."
"What?" asked Jaden.
"You guys really showed your true colors back before and now," started Elize. "I thought that if I left you guys alone for a while, you'd have learned something, but you guys have been...what's the word? Oh, yeah! Half-assing it! You guys haven't even begun to try to take down the Society of Light!"
Once again, the boys were at a loss for words, unsure what to say before they saw Elize turning to leave.
"Wait, Elize! Are we...are we still friends?"
"...I don't even know anymore at this point."
Skit: Relaxation
"Meditation?" wondered Aster.
"Yeah. You know? Kinda like yoga, but you should probably do it for calming purposes."
"Yeah, I know what meditation is. It's like, a pre-martial arts thing I used to do when I was a kid."
"Oh. I didn't know you did martial arts," said Elize.
"Seriously? I'm kinda like one of the youngest Pro Duelists. I thought you would have known more about me or something."
"I don't think you being a martial artist is relevant to finding out more information about the Society."
"Yeah, I guess. Why suggest this to me, though?"
Elize knew if she explained the real reason, which was to improve his ability to see Duel Spirits, he might not believe her. Besides, she had another reason, which she planned on telling him now. "You seemed a bit stressed lately. I'm just saying this because I don't want you to fall over and collapse because of exhaustion."
"You don't know-"
"No, I do actually know. My sister used to do this a lot a few years back. She tended to overwork herself so much that she ended up sick a lot. Me and my Grandma managed to convince her to lay low, and now she's gotten a whole lot better."
"...Look, I'll think about it," said Aster, rubbing his eyes. "But, you are right. I have gotten a bit tired lately. Maybe just a little relaxation could be helpful. Might even help sharpen my mind a bit."
Skit: Saints or sinners?
"I can't believe you opposed a GOD, Elize!"yelled Hiita as she and the rest of the Duel Spirits gathered around Elize to talk to her in her room.
"Yeah, you were really lucky that you didn't get burnt to ashes, Elize!" agreed Fire Sorcerer.
"Okay, I wasn't thinking straight at the time, but I really wanted to save Mr. Franz! Sure, he did bad things, but-"
"But nothing! He was a bad guy who hurt people! He-"
"Now, now! Everyone just settle down!" pleaded Doriado. "We're clearly all still startled from Elize's actions, so we just need to calm down and think this over."
"There is nothing to think about!" shouted Aussa. "It's clear that Elize must never do something like this again!"
"I did what was right!" argued Elize. "You guys have told me to follow my heart, and that's what I've been doing! I chose to help Mr. Franz, and everything turned out okay! I know he did bad things, but you guys are acting like you would prefer him to be burned alive!"
"Well, MAYBE HE DESERVES IT! AT LEAST YOU WOULD BE SAFE THEN!" snapped Hiita.
"Hiita!" gasped Wynn, shocked.
"...You probably should have abandoned him and left him to die," Dharc quietly said.
Elize stood up from her bed. "I...I can't believe what I'm hearing! I...I'm sorry, I just...need some time alone." She walked off away from her room, leaving her Duel Spirits inside.
"How can you guys even say such horrible things?!" shouted Wynn. "You all know that Elize wouldn't do something like that! Especially since you know her powers are increasing!"
"Speaking of which, there's no other way to stop them from increasing, right?"
"...Yeah. The bad part of her powers is increasing with each more negativity she draws in. If we don't do something, then-"
"Don't say it! That won't happen! We won't let it happen!"
"For now, we'll just have to watch over her. And you guys are going to apologize for what you said!"
"Fine!"
"Alright, alright!"
Done for now! Read and review!
