Boss Rush


XLVII: All-Out Attacks

Glass shattered, but the fire alarms never went off. A violation, Drake guessed, but as he hefted the fire extinguisher he did not really care much beyond the immediate danger.

"This world, this very air itself is so inconvenient," the woman murmured, golden fire dancing about her hands. "Seventy-eight percent nitrogen, one percent of miscellaneous gases, only twenty percent oxygen, hardly enough for my burning flames to rage. The forests of Summer would be so much better for us... Burn!"

"What? Why?" Drake yelled as the next flames came for him. "That-"

"Firewall!"

"Is this a manga!" Drake yelled as a wall of scarlet flames enveloped the original gold fireball to burn up in mid-air, leaving a steaming puff of hot air behind.

"It seems like the first flux has set in," a feminine voice observed. "Still, even for Firewall to be so taxed, it looks like we're dealing with a high-level monster."

"Hiita, can you take her?"

"No way, Wynn. We may be the students of Mistress Doriado, but no ordinary magician can take on such power alone. See? Even reality is warping around her to make the Firewall visible."

Two figures stood there behind his when he turned around. One resembled the flame-haired bright-eyed hunter of a certain story, and held a staff that resembled a Tiki torch. The other was similarly dressed, though her green – green!– hair was piled up on her head and she wielded an all-metal staff topped with a dragon's head. The most amazing thing was, as Drake figured, was that he could see through them. "What the hell?"

"Oh, this mortal can see us," the flame-haired woman commented. "What should we do, Wynn?"

"Didn't that King of yours leave orders for you, Hiita?" the green-haired one, Wynn, sighed. "Well, we have to contain the damage. Since you are useless against someone who uses fire, I'll try to contain her. You run and fix the damage."

"D- Don't order me around, idiot!" Hiita hotly protested.

Wynn looked back at her. "Then, why don't you come up with a better plan that won't result in the levelling of this entire place?"

Surprisingly, Hiita remained silent.

"I thought so."

"W- Well, you can't really think of one either!" Hiita shot back.

"Oh, we had to think?" was the passing reply as Wynn turned around. "You, mortal."

Drake stared back at her. "Y- Yes?"


In the relative privacy of his booth, Takeshi clutched at his left eye. "Yukio... that was a Duel Spirit."

"Huh? Yamada has a spirit partner as well?" Kiyomi perked up. "How?"

"No, not a spirit partner," Takeshi shook his head. "The opposite. He was being manipulated, erm... possessed. And it's been going on for a while."

"So... an unwilling partner?" Alexianna supplied.

"It's... I guess it's like that," Takeshi frowned. "Who knows... be careful. Especially you, Natashi. Who knows if Team Berserker is another group of assassins. Kasai and Yukio sure looked pretty trigger happy there."

"Not in public," Alexianna pointed out. "Come on, even Setsuka has things she won't do in public, on televised viewing."

"Unfortunately," Takeshi merely replied. "Shimotsuki Setsuka is not the only one with an agenda here. Then again, it's not like we can leave so easily when we have our own team to face. Natashi... be careful there."

"Team Berserker..." Kiyomi got on the readied D-Wheel. "Well, I'm technically doing this under duress, but I'll try."

"Think about it this way..." Alexianna smirked as Kiyomi sped out. "You'll be literally Dueling for your Dueling life."

"Now we will begin the first round of Block B's Duels!" the MC roared. "Beginning are the first wheelers, Team Revolution's Natashi Kiyomi versus Team Berserker's Anna Shiloh!"

"Anna... Shiloh?" Kiyomi gulped. "Oh shit..." he made the mistake of looking back. Sure enough, a fierce girl wearing a helmet that was barely enough to conceal the malice emanating from her form was there...

"Natashi Kiyomi..." Anna bared her teeth.

Kiyomi paled, and set off right at the starting signal with Anna hot on his heels. "Wait! Let me beat you up first!"

"Who the hell would pause for that signal!" Kiyomi shot back.

"Riding Duel, Acceleration!"

Anna: LP 8000, SPC: 0

Kiyomi: LP 8000, SPC: 0

"I'll start, draw!" Anna called. "I summon Armageddon Knight [1400/1200] to the field in attack mode!"

With a shout, the monster appeared.

"With this, I can send one Dark Attribute monster from deck to graveyard," Anna called. "Now, I set two cards and end my turn."

"Draw!" Kiyomi called. "I summon Skreech [1500/400] to the field! Now, Skreech, attack Armageddon Knight!"

"Trap card, Dark Mist!" Anna called. "With this card, when my opponent's monster declares an attack I can send a Dark Attribute monster with the same level as the attacking monster from my deck to my graveyard to negate the attack."

"If that's so, then I will set two cards and end," Kiyomi's eyes narrowed as she slotted a card.

"I activate Call of the Haunted!" Anna called. "Come, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon [2800/2400]!"

A corner of Kiyomi's mouth lifted as the dragon reappeared. "I knew it..."

"Eat my wrath..." Anna's eyes flashed with hatred. "By the effect of Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, once per turn I can special summon from my hand or graveyard a Dragon-Type monster, so come, Darkflare Dragon [2400/1200]!"

With a burst of rage, the monster appeared, fires tinted black by its presence.

"And then, I tribute Armageddon Knight to summon Prime Material Dragon [2400/2000]," Anna shortly declared. "I then activate Ancient Rules to special summon Wattaildragon [2500/1000] to the field in attack mode."

Kiyomi glanced at the four dragons assembled, and then at his lone Skreech. He sighed.

"Battle!" Anna called. "Wattaildragon, attack Skreech! Prime Material Dragon, Darkflare Dragon, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, direct attack!"

"Wattaildragon, one thousand," Alexianna calculated. "Prime Material twenty-four hundred, Darkflare the same, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon twenty-eight hundred-"

"He's lost," Takeshi closed his eyes. "But, this is weird. Why did he throw the Duel?"

Alexianna stepped forward as Kiyomi sped there, slowing down momentarily. "Looks like we were lucky."

Kiyomi shrugged, taking off the armband. "I made my piece. Make sure you blow through them."

"I will," Alexianna nodded, taking the armband and proceeding to mount her own D-Wheel and speed out.

"Team Revolution has switched to their second wheeler, Alexianna LeRouge!" the MC yelled. "It looks like Anna Shiloh was too strong for Natashi to handle!"

"He had enough, huh?" Anna yelled, cackling. "How did he win against us before, I really have no idea."

Alexianna gave a benevolent smile. "Perhaps."

"Riding Duel, Acceleration!"

Alexianna: LP 8000, SPC: 3

Anna: LP 8000, SPC: 3

"I draw!" She glanced at her cards. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"That's it?" Anna yelled. "Draw! Due to the effect of Red-Eyes, I special summon from my hand Chthonian Emperor Dragon [2400/1500]!"

"Trap card, Flash of Dark Lightning!" Alexianna called. "The special summon of that dragon is negated and the card destroyed!"

Anne bit her lip. "Prime Material Dragon, direct attack!"

"Trap card, Floral Shield." Alexianna called. "I negate that attack and then draw a card."

"Che..." Anna scoffed. "But you won't be so lucky. Red-Eyes, Darkflare, Wattaildragon, direct attack!"

"Trap card, Dark Mist!" Alexianna called. "I discard from my deck the level eight Darklord Superbia, the level five Darklord Edeh Arae, and the level six Chaos Sorcerer, to negate all direct attacks this turn."

Anna scoffed. "Turn end."

"Draw." Alexianna glanced at her hand. "I activate Heaven's Lost Property, allowing us both to draw three cards and discard two."

"Heh, so I get a free draw from your Graceful Charity effect," Anna muttered. "And then?"

"Then..." Alexianna considered. "I activate Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. Since I control no cards, meet Darklord Asmodeus [3000/2500]!"

Anna's expression morphed into shock as the dark angel spread its wings. "What the hell?"

"The effect of Asmodeus: once per turn I can send a Fairy-Type monster from the deck to the graveyard, and I choose Darklord Zerato," Alexianna continued. "Now to reveal the other surprise that Kiyomi left besides Floral Shield."

"Wait, why would a Water Duelist use Dark support cards?" Anna exclaimed.

"I use Dark Attribute monsters," Alexianna informed her. "Now, I activate the Trap, Call of the Haunted! Be revived, Darklord Superbia [2900/2400]!"

Silently, dark wings fanned out to behold one oddly-shaped figure, almost like a cauldron.

"Then, Superbia can revive Darklord Zerato [2800/2300] in the graveyard!" Alexianna continued as the figure appeared, brandishing a dark sabre that gleamed faintly. "The effect of Zerato; by sending a Dark Attribute monster from my hand to the graveyard, I can destroy all of your monsters!"

"What?" Anna yelled.

"Go, Zerato! Rise of the Fallen!" Alexianna's fallen monster made short work. "And I haven't even used my normal summon yet. I summon Victoria [1800/1500]! This Fairy has a very unique effect; once per turn I can revive a fallen Dragon Type monster from your graveyard to my field! So come, Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon!"

"What? That's totally cheating!" Anna yelled as the mightiest dragon there appeared by Alexianna's side, roaring at its former mistress.

"All's fair in love and war!" Alexianna performed a turn-back as she sped forward. "Red-Eyes, Asmodeus, Superbia, Zerato, Victoria, guide the people to liberty!"

Victoria raised her staff, gleaming brightly, and following her was the dark dragon and three fallen angels, the shade of their wings forever marking them as different.

"DIRECT ATTAQUER!"


"I'm bored~" Hinamori Seiran complained.

"Hold on, you..." Michiru sighed. "Are you actually taking this seriously?"

"Of course I am," Seiran nodded as she opened the door. "Just that-"

A blast of wind and screaming rushed past the door, closely followed by a blast of fire and laughing. Abruptly, the door creaked shut as both girls stilled.

"W- What was that?" Seiran yelled, not in panic as many would expect, but with excitement. "I'm going ahead!"

"Oi!" Michiru yelped as Seiran charged out. "Setsuka-san..."

Setsuka waved dismissively, still running her hands through Jimmy's hair. Both of them were on the couch, Jimmy's head in her lap. "There's no problem in letting her have some fun. Go ahead as well, she might need to be held back."

"Oh?" Michiru's eyes were gleaming, no doubt at the thought of incredibly high-risk gambles with life and limb at stake.

Outside the room with comfy couches and a large screen broadcasting the Duels live, Drake was clinging onto the green-haired girl and concluding that for whatever reason, the girl was certifiable even if she was helping him escape a fiery death. "What the hell?"

"Heh-heh, the fun is just beginning," the woman giggled as she conjured another sphere of fire. "Or should I just burn the whole place down, I wonder..."

"Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi!" The girl shouted, pulling her staff up. The resulting miniature tornado manages to veer the next fireball off course before she reached into a large pocket and extracted... a pen.

Drake stared as she hefted the quill pen. "Are you insane?"

"Hmm... no. Quill Pen of Gulldos!" Said quill pen burst into a large tornado that flew at the woman, who screamed before a whirlwind of burgeoning flames answered.

"Oh, crap," was a sigh from Wynn as the winds dissipated, and the enemy held up a ball of flame ready to roast them both-

"Sword of Sparkles!"a stream of stardust light cut through the flames, and for a moment the two halves hung there before they exploded in the woman's face. Drake turned towards his new saviour, blonde curls poking out of a tight French bun barely held together by a stick that he quickly identified as a number two pencil, and in a Riding suit of midnight black. The newcomer held up a gleaming two-edged sword, still gleaming stardust like its namesake, and an orange pendant jangled around her neck by a chain of gold.

"I am the chairperson of the DA Queens' Student Council, Hinamori Seiran, codename Libra," the girl answered seriously, not a single trace of playfulness on her face. "And I am a member of the Arcadia Movement. Under the Neo Domino Arcadia Rights Bill of 20XX, under direct threat to any surrounding area of a Psychic Duelist, the Psychic is obliged to assist in the capture and detention of the threatening party, so long as the threat is directed to himself or herself with the possibility of harm being caused to surrounding innocent parties. I can perform citizen's arrest in my capacity as a disciplinary member upon suspicious activity or imminent threat."

"This is no time to be reading people their rights!" Drake yelled. "I'm getting killed here!"

"Interesting..." the woman backed away. "But, this woman is not my body, so what makes you think I care?"

In answer, Seiran merely took the sword in both hands. "Do you really want to try me?"

Behind the woman holding fire in both hands, Drake glimpsed a light.

"Claíomh Solais!" the light cut at the woman, who immediately screamed, clutching her arm as a black blur approached. Midnight-black locks seemed to move in slow-motion against whitewashed walls right as the enemy was slammed into the nearest wall in one extremely uncomfortable elbow lock.

At the same time, vines sprouted from the walls to close around the enemy, who struggled futilely.

Seiran relaxed her stance. "White Rose."

"Yo, Libra," Tsugare was leaning against the wall. "Terrorist? Jealous stalker?"

"Satonaka Erika," Seiran immediately identified. "First wheeler of Team Illusion, containing Koyomi Yoshisawa, Rowena Cortez and her."

The now-identified Erika paused to stare at Tsugare. "I killed you!" she screamed, golden eyes ablaze. "I killed you!"

Tsugare slowly blinked. "What?"

Erika snapped her fingers, and the vines caught fire. Right as all the fire alarms went off with the sprinklers, Tsugare lost his concentration.

"She's getting away!" Seiran brought her Sword of Sparkles up, but Erika completely avoided Drake in favour of running.

"First wheeler?" behind Tsugare, Koichi spoke. "Satonaka Erika... Strange. What happened?"

"I'd like to know too..." Drake gritted his teeth. "Oi, answer me, will you?"

Wynn merely winked.

"Erm... dude?" Seiran pointed out. "There's no one there."

"Huh?" Koichi said. "What d'you mean, there's a girl-" he suddenly kept quiet as Tsugare's foot landed on his.

"Finally, we found you," all of them turned around to see Chase and Justin panting. "We've been searching all over for you... come with us."

Already long exhausted from running, the not-Erika panted as she leaned against the booth of Team Illusion minutes later, long exhausted by the strains of the mortal body. "This..."

"Are you alright, Erika?" Rowena looked concerned and flustered as she gave the other a bottle of water.

Erika's eyes flashed gold. "Oh, no... I'm fine, thank you so much."


Back in Team Revolution's booth, Takeshi had just landed a hard punch onto Kiyomi. "What d'you mean, Alexianna's doing this herself? Are you insane?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Kiyomi pleaded. "But she raised a very good point... that if you want to confront Shimotsuki about this you can't afford to hold back. You have to keep your cards a secret, and so do I. So... I can't reveal my new strategies yet, and neither can you! So..."

Back on the track, Anna's D-Wheel skidded to a halt.

Anna: LP 8000 → LP 0, SPC: 6

Alexianna: LP 8000, SPC: 6

"Speed..." Alexianna hissed as she sped onwards. "This..."

"Oh, Alexianna is trying to accumulate Speed Counters!" the MC called. "So on top of the overwhelming advantage she has on the field and hand, she also plans to dominate in counters! It looks like Team Berserker's second wheeler might have a tough time with this...!"

"As expected of the Witch of the West," Rose commented lightly as she drove along behind Alexianna.

"Quick-play Spell, Book of Moon," Alexianna tersely replied. "Darklord Zerato is set face-down on the field."

"Not going to talk?" Rose commented. "Draw! I'll set a card and a monster, and end my turn. Why would Psychic turn against Psychic, I am interested to know."

Alexianna's eyes flickered, from the road towards the upcoming booth, where Takeshi was still yelling at Kiyomi, concern written in every pore on his face...

"I..." Alexianna gritted her teeth. "Draw! I'll set a card and flip Zerato into face-up attack mode. Then, I play Advance Draw, to tribute Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and draw two cards. Victoria, attack that face-down card!"

A giant black pot-shaped monster giggled, blinking its one eye as it died.

"I don't think I need to elaborate on what Morphing Jar [700/600] does," Rose drawled as she drew a fresh hand of five cards.

"No, you didn't," Alexianna evenly answered. "But, it looks like your loss."

"Then I must trust that Rick would get through," Rose evenly answered. "But, you know Anna specialises in Dark cards as well as Dragons. My own deck lies in a different direction."

"I know. Zombies, right?" Alexianna snapped. "We did do our research, though there was a lot more information on Anna than you, Rose Gonzalez."

"I will take that as a compliment, Alexianna LeRouge," Rose inclined her helmeted head. "Just that if you think that Rick would fall so easily... then you severely underestimate us."

Alexianna's eyes narrowed. "What about you yourself?"

"This is team strategy," Rose just shrugged. "But, before you consider it... you were able to lead Anna astray because she never really thought too much about her strategy. That Victoria seems equipped specifically to handle Anna. I wonder if you really thought as far ahead as Rick, the Vice-Head of the America North Arcadia Movement."

Alexianna's teeth ground together. "Zerato, Asmodeus, Superbia, direct attack!"

Rose: LP 8000 → LP 0, SPC: 8

Alexianna: LP 8000, SPC: 8

"And the second wheeler of Team Berserker has fallen to the demonic angel tearing across the field, one Alexianna LeRouge!" the MC called to boos and cheers. "It's up to the last wheeler to turn the tables! Give it up for Rick Larson!"

"Dammit... I said I didn't want to touch the field!" a bright orange D-Wheel, complete with Rider outfitted in black, went haring across, tearing out of the booth to the tracks and almost causing Alexianna to fall off her D-Wheel.

"Bring it!" Alexianna called.

"Riding Duel, Acceleration!"

Rick: LP 8000, SPC: 8

Alexianna: LP 8000, SPC: 8

"Draw!" Rick glanced at the hand of cards. "I'll play Speed Spell – Angel Baton to draw two cards and send one monster from hand to graveyard. Then, I play Double Summon, allowing me to normal summon twice this turn. So come, Ally of Justice Thousand Arms [1700/0], and Ally of Justice Unlimiter [600/200]!"

In a burst of dark energy, a robot appeared. This one looked far more humanoid than most of the Allies of Justice, and it had exactly six arms, far less than the number its name suggested. Each arm held a weapon, be it a sword, an axe, a spear, it resembled very distantly the thousand-arm bodhisattva of Buddhism. Another robot, resembling a mosquito-like drone, appeared.

"The effect of Unlimiter occurs," Rick declared. "I will tribute Unlimiter to double the attack of Thousand Arms [1700/0 → 3400/0] until the end phase. Ally of Justice Thousand Arms can attack all face-up Light Attribute monsters my opponent controls once each."

"But I only have one!" Alexianna pointed out.

"Continuous Trap, DNA Transplant!" Rick then commanded. "I declare Light Attribute, and all monsters on the field will take that Attribute. Now, Thousand Arms, rain on their parade!"

Very quickly, Thousand Arms primed its weapons. It made four quick slashes, each precise as any scalpel, and given its horrendous attack power, it was done quickly.

Alexianna: LP 8000 → LP 4900, SPC: 9

Rick: LP 8000, SPC: 9

"And Rick manages to dent Alexianna's life points in his first turn!" the MC called as the crowd cheered. "What a move! And he sets a card and ends his turn. Already just one turn in, and Alexianna's field is emptied out, though..."

"When Asmodeus is destroyed and sent to the graveyard I can summon an Asmo Token [1800/1300] and a Deus Token [1200/1200]," Alexianna called as two forms of Asmodeus, one red and one blue, appeared on the field. "Asmo Token cannot be destroyed by card effects, and Deus Token cannot be destroyed by battle."

"I'll set a card and end my turn." Rick indicated.

"Draw!" Alexianna called. "By the effect of Level Eater [600/0], I reduce the level of the Asmo Token by one to special summon it from the graveyard." Creeping up from the hole in the ground, the bug looked tiny compared to other monsters. "Now, I banish Level Eater to special summon the tuner monster, D.D. Sprite [0/100] to the field. Tuning, level four Asmo Token and level three Deus Token to level one D.D. Sprite!"

"Tuning?" Kiyomi gaped. "I didn't know that she had a Synchro monster!"

"Yeah..." Takeshi moaned. "Neither did I..."

"Between the light and darkness, only one true being rules the twilight!" Alexianna chanted. "May those who defy her be oppressed! Synchro Summon! Dictate thy enemy, Chaos Goddess!"

Big butterfly wings, one side white, one side black, were the first thing sighted. The next was the woman dressed in a black-and-white themed gown, hemmed in red lace. Her curls hung white on both shoulders from under a black crown topped with a skull of tarnished silver, and a matching staff was held in one hand. The winged woman did a small waltz, descending in a curtsy before taking flight next to Alexianna's D-Wheel [2500/1800].

"The effect of Chaos Goddess activates!" Alexianna called. "I'll discard one Mystical Shine Ball to use her effect to revive one level five or higher Dark Attribute monster from my graveyard! So be revived, Darklord Superbia, with the weight of your burden!"

The cauldron-shaped beast appeared once more, this time carrying a different malevolence with it.

"I discarded with Heaven's Lost Property one monster other than Level Eater," Alexianna called as the helmeted goddess arose, spear and shield at the ready as her helmet gleamed. "Meet Athena [2600/800]!"

"Three high-level monsters already, that's insane," Rick muttered.

"Athena, attack Thousand Arms!" Alexianna called as the goddess hefted her javelin to throw it.

"Trap card, Waboku!" Rick growled as the trio of priestesses stood before his monsters and himself.

"Fine," Alexianna groused. "Main phase two, I send Superbia to the graveyard by the effect of Athena to revive... Superbia! And by its effect, I can revive Darklord Zerato! With that, the effect of Athena activates to inflict six hundred damage to you per Fairy-Type monster summoned!"

Beams of light shot from Athena to strike at Rick.

Rick: LP 8000 → LP 6800, SPC: 10

Alexianna: LP 4900, SPC: 10

"Turn end with two set cards." Alexianna snapped her fingers.

"Draw!" Rick announced. "I summon Junk Synchron [1300/500]! And by his effect, Ally of Justice Unlimiter is revived!"

"L- Level five?" Alexianna's face blanched as the orange-clothed tuner and the mosquito drone appeared on the field.

"Tuning, level two Unlimiter to level three Junk Synchron!" Rick called. "Even if I can't save anyone, the least I can damn well do is to avenge them! Fear the kindly ones, the furies of the darkness, because they are avengers! Rampage, Ally of Justice Catastor!"

Flying down was a Machine that was both intimidating and beautiful. It had platinum and gold plating where there was no matte black on its body, and it was shaped like some equine with six spindly legs. A faceless head shaped like an inverted tear-drop with a diamond in the centre completed the ensemble [2200/1200].

"If Catastor battles a Monster that isn't Dark, it automatically wins, and damage calculation is skipped." Alexianna breathed when confronted with one of Duel Monsters' worst nightmares. "Well, f-"

"Language," Rick advised. "There are children in the audience. And, I still have DNA Transplant. Catastor, get that Athena!"

A beam of multicoloured light was fired from the diamond-shaped face. Athena screamed, right as the light cut through and she shattered.

"I move Thousand Arms to defence mode and end my turn with a reversed card," Rick announced.

Alexianna took a deep breath. "Fine... draw! During my standby phase Level Eater is special summoned back to the field. Then, I tribute Level Eater to summon Tethys, Goddess of Light [2400/1800] in attack mode." Another winged figure, this one with wings of white, appeared, a curtain of luminescence around her like a veil. "I play the Spell, Angel Baton, to draw twice and discard once. Since I drew a Fairy-Type monster, Herald of Orange Light, I can reveal it to draw once more, so I draw!"

Rick tensed visibly, considering his options.

"I drew Hecatrice, so I can draw once more," Alexianna called. "Draw! Dark Valkyria, so I draw once more!" She glanced at her options. "I send Dark Valkyria to the graveyard by the effect of Darklord Zerato!"

"Counter Trap, The Huge Revolution Is Over!" Rick called. "Not only does it negates destruction effects that targets two or more cards, the card is banished permanently, so goodbye, Darklord Zerato!"

Alexianna scowled. "I set a card, turn end."

"Draw!" Rick called. "I tribute Thousand Arms to summon Ally of Justice Omni-Weapon [2200/800]!"

A large robot materialized in front of his bike, looking like a cylindrical drone with a small sphere for a head, and several spindly limbs. Much like some demented clockwork spider. Each limb ended in a nasty weapon: there was a mallet, a grabber, a circular saw, and most remarkably, a large drill [2200/800].

"Then, I'll play the card, Speed Spell – Accelerator Draw, to draw two cards. Look, I got myself a Monster Reborn, so I revive Thousand Arms [1700/0]." The drone-like monster reappeared, its weapons clinking. "Then, I play Aurora Draw, allowing me to draw two cards. Thousand Arms, attack Chaos Goddess!"

"Huh?" Alexianna looked taken aback. "Wait..."

"Limiter Removal!" Rick yelled as all the monsters glowed.

"Non, non!" Alexianna sighed. "Negate Attack!"

Rick considered his hand. "I'll set two cards and end my turn, and then I'll end." At his declaration, the rest of the Allies of Justice imploded.

"Draw!" Alexianna bit her lip.

"Trap card, Call of the Haunted!" Rick called as the slender form of Catastor reappeared.

"But, I drew Darklord Edeh Arae, and so I can draw once more," Alexianna drew smoothly. "I was with the Louisiana Movement at first, so I never went to the New York Movement. It's an honour to meet someone trained by the Madame personally."

"She didn't teach me sh- stuff about cards," Rick bluntly replied. "Only about my power. And she was annoying. And a lot of things... but she taught me the value of loyalty. If you're betraying the Movement... if you're doing this because of some desire for power... I can tell you, LeRouge, you're going to have a very hard time explaining to the Allies of Justice."

Alexianna closed her eyes slightly, still driving at high speeds... to keep her mirth unseen. "I know. But... some things need to be fought for. Including the truth. Draw!"

As she flipped the card, a smirk formed on her lips. "I play Advance Draw to tribute Superbia and draw two cards. Now activating the effect of Chaos Goddess, I can send Hecatrice from my hand to the graveyard to revive Superbia, so let's all welcome back our friend and his leading lady, Athena!"

The goddess of heroes and the fallen angel of pride reappeared, each of them fiercely glaring.

"Trap card, Escape from the Dark Dimension!" Alexianna crowed, and Darklord Zerato's signature crimson cape unfolded in shades of midnight as the monster reappeared.

Rick snarled as he was hit by Athena's damage.

Rick: LP 6800 → LP 6200, SPC: 12

Alexianna: LP 4900, SPC: 12

"Still, none of your monsters can hold a candle to Catastor..." Rick trailed off as Alexianna held up a card and turned it around. "Aww, crap."

"By sending Dark Armed Dragon to the graveyard, wipe them out, Zerato!" Alexianna screamed as Zerato's sabre made short work of the last remaining Ally of Justice. "With that catastrophe averted, charge!"

With a victorious shout, Athena charged, lights from DNA Transplant playing about her hair. With her charge, the angels gathered, light and darkness playing in subtle shades as they flew at Rick.

As the two D-Wheels came up to Team Revolution's booth, Takeshi could see her, her jaw set in stubborn determination, her teeth bared behind the helmet's tinted visor, her indigo eyes, through the distortion, blazing like fire in defiance, and lights gathered around her head in a glowing golden halo. "Holy..."

Kiyomi swallowed nervously. "Erm... please don't crack any worship jokes within hearing distance of Kaname-san?"


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