World 093: The Theseus Family Paradox
Team Shintaro's LP: 11300 Team Nakana's LP: 11600
"You would stand with her to defy us? Your duty is to serve us before anyone else. Have you forgotten that?" The Shintaros were forced to face an element beyond their control. "No. I remember what I am supposed to do, I remember everything. The sight of this place was what I needed.." He stared at the people pods with a look of disgust. "..to slowly jolt myself free from their mental conditioning." They were used to their daughter rebelling against them, but now her former bodyguard Zanbatou joined her in her efforts. "That should not be possible." Mrs. Shintaro glared at the Continuum hive behind her, the machines that should have molded Zanbatou's mind into the perfect obedient servant. Whatever control they held over him no longer existed: a feat that would have been unthinkable before now. "But it is. Because this is not about duty anymore. This is about protecting the ones I cherish, even from those who call themselves my master. But.. I do not believe you are my master. Not anymore."
"We were always your master, Zanbatou." Mr. Shintaro grunted. Despite Continuum's influence, it appeared that the Shintaros could still experience displeasure on some level. "If you wish to suffer at her side, so be it." He took two of his beast warriors as link materials, Fire Fist Peacock(1000/LINK 2) and Fire Fist Swan(8/2600/2200), to link summon Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Eagle: a blue-hair and blue-bearded flame sorcerer(1700/LINK 2) {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 1]. "Eagle can add one Fire Formation from my graveyard to my hand." Its first act added the Fire Formation Domei back to its master's hand and the master placed it face down since that spell could only be activated once a turn. Meanwhile Shintaro's Fire Fist ritual monster Eland(6/2400/2000) could discard one card from his hand, Fire Fist - Panda, to set a Fire Formation card from the deck face-down on the field. "While I control Eagle, I do not have to remove a Fire Formation card from the field to activate the effect of my Fire Fist monsters. Now then. Show us what your defiance can muster."
-TURN 04-
As the next turn came, Jack-O-Bolan(7/1500/2200) [Zone 2] returned to the field, already taking up one zone on their shared field. "I can see that this will be different from our usual duels, miss Nakana." He and the lady were no stranger to tagbattles. But because of the odd nature of this current engagement, both they and the Shintaros were forced to play on one field of five columns. "Do not hold back on my behalf, Zanbatou." Fortunately her field was currently empty.
"Then I wont.. I activate the continuous spells of Shiens Dojo and Gateway of the Six." He could still arrange the battlefield with the formal training shrine of his samurai monsters. However he would not be able to add the round gate to the field. "!?" Because Mr Shintaro revealed a counter trap: the Ultimate Fire Formation Sinto."Zanbatou, we have your dueling records on file. Your entire strategy revolves around that one spell. Did you think we would allow it?" Because he controlled his Fire Fist monster and a Fire Formation card, he could negate his effect with the ultimate counter flame of Sinto.
"You know much about me, that I cannot deny. And yet there is much you did not want to know, like the depths of my devotion towards your daughter! One obstacle alone cannot hinder does not discourage me from that emotion!" He normal summoned his first Secret Six Samurai monster: Fuma(1/200/1800) [Zone 1] the purple-clad ninja of the winds. It landed inside the dojo, adding one Bushido Counter to the continuous spell because a Six Samurai had been summoned. "When Genba is destroyed, I can special summon one Secret Six Samurai from my deck! So I shall use the skill card granted to me by the one who freed my mind! I activate Spirit Warriors!" In the blink of an eye, Fuma disappeared. He got cut down and destroyed by a blade of light which turned from green to red. "So it was the power of the first entity that counteracted ours. That explain everything." Mrs Shintaro winced when the skill released its light, but she recovered... when Continuum itself intensified its own aura of energy.
Spirit Warriors, Skill Card
Destroy 1 face-up Warrior monster you control; add 1 Warrior monster with a different Attribute and Level from your deck to your hand.
Nevertheless, Zanbatou's skill resolved: adding the Legendary Samurai Shinai to his hand and triggering Fuma's effect. Now a blackhaired warrior lady(3/1600/1000) [Zone 1] of the flame-red armor, Legendary Six Samurai Mizuho, stalked the dojo battlefield. And she never showed up alone. "When Mizuho is on the field, I can special summon the Legendary Samurai Shinai from my hand!" Her Water-typed husband(3/1500/1500) [Zone 3] in purple armor, Legendary Six Samurai Shinai, landed on the platform with his two great war clubs. "Mizuho can sacrifice another monster to destroy one card on the field! And Shinai can add one Six Samurai back to my hand, when he is tributed!" Mizuho would use her own spouse as the tribute, turning Shinai into a blast of pure destructive steam and flame. "The elements will not phase us, Zanbatou." Yet Mr Shintaro remained calm. He could simply negate Mizuho's effect with Fire Fist - Eland's effect. And at the same time, his partner's continuous trap of the Chivalrous Path special summoned another Ancient Warriors token(1/500/500) [Zone 4] to the field in defense mode.
"They elements should phase you. They are as natural to existence as the sea and the sky. Resistance will only invite more resistance." Shinai's effect still went off and returned the Six Samurai Fuma to his hand. And because of his opponent using a monster's effect, he could also use his own Triple Tactics Talent spell now. "I activate the first effect of Triple Tactics! I draw two cards!" It helped him gain a new monster and a new spell.
"When I activate Asceticism of the Six Samurai! I can special summon a Six Samurai from the deck with the same attackpoints as one on the field!" Once more the elements shifted: from red to blue this time. The Ascetic spell called out Secret Six Samurai Hatsume: the pink-robed and redhaired ninja girl(3/1600/1500) [Zone 4]. "When I control Six Samurai monsters, Grandmaster of the Six Samurai can be special summoned from my hand as well!" The element of the Earth joined the fray as well, wielded by the eye-patchwearing Grandmaster Samurai(5/2100/800) [Zone 3]. "And now I send Shiens Dojo to the graveyard, to summon a Six Samurai with a level equal to or lower than the number of Bushido Counters on that spell!" The time came to dismantle their training shrine (7 Counters), in order to special summon the 4th level brown-haired and robed warrior: Secret Six Samurai Kizaru(4/1900/1000) [Zone 5]. "When Kizaru is special summoned, I can add one Secret Six Samurai with an attribute I do not yet control!" EARTH, FIRE and WATER were already present: so he claimed Legendary Secret of the Six Samurai of the Darkness.
"Hey look out man. You're field is almost full." Bionis cried out, still often distracted from his own duel. "Not for long, Bionis Khan. I link summon Battle Shogun of the Six Samurai!" But Zanbatou could take two Six Samurai as link materials: Mizuho and the Grandmaster. He transformed both into a seasoned commander of war: the dark longhaired Shogun(1000/LINK 2) {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 2] in his glowing deep blue armor. "Battle Shogun sends one card to the grave, to add a Bushido Counter generating card to my hand!" Zanbatou exchanged the Samurai Fuma for continuous spell: United Six Samurai. Once he activated that card, he would gain 1 Bushido Counter each time a Six Samurai appeared on the field. "Hatsume banishes two Samurai, Mizuho and Shinai, to special summon a Secret Six Samurai from the graveyard! And when a Secret Six Samurai is special summoned, I can special summon the Legendary Secret of the Six Samurai!" In quick succession, a reborn Fuma [Zone 1] and the Legendary possessed samurai armor(4/500/500) [Zone 3] stepped into the clearing of the woods. This filled United Six Samurai (2 counters) right up. He sent the spell to the graveyard, which let him draw two new cards.
"Was that all? It seems to us like you are stalling your battle phase. You know you cannot strike us." Mr. Shintaro scoffed. "It is not that, sir. I only strike when the time is right!" Zanbatou did not consider his main phase finished quite yet. "I Synchro summon the Legendary Six Samurai Shi En!" He first had to synchronize the tuner Fuma with the Legendary Secret Samurai, gathering five stars for Shi En the winged samurai warlord(5/2500/1400) [Zone 3] in his crimson and gold armor. The remaining zone cleared out by this extra deck summon was given to another Legendary Six Samurai: Kizan the ravenhaired black samurai knight(4/2100/800) [Zone 1] who could be special summoned from the hand as long as Zanbatou controlled Six Samurai monsters. "And I activate the spell card, Solidarity! As my graveyard is pure and filled with warriors, all warriors on my field gain eight hundred attackpoints!" His samurai would stand together in this coming battle: from Hatsume(2400/1500) to Kizaru(2700/1000) to Kizan(2900/800), Shi En(3300/1400) and the Battle Shogun(1800 atk). "This..is that time! My Samurai attack!"
Thought it went against everything he had known before this day, he took the last step towards complete defiance. His monsters battled the Fire Fist warriors, causing his former master to start losing lifepoints... to start taking damage. Kizan tore through Fire Fist Eland with his sword, Kizaru punched Fire Fist Eagle into fragments, and even Jack-O-Bolan could contribute by crushing the Ancient Warriors token. The direct attacks on the other hand would not go down so smoothly. "To be able to do this... we must have under-estimated the power of the first entity. But we shall correct that oversight in due time..."
Team Shintaro's LP: 9800
Mrs Shintaro activated a new trap from her graveyard as soon as Hatsume declared her direct attack. "Defense of Changban summons one defending Ancient Warrior from the deck if a direct attack is declared." She searched her deck and took out the strongest of all Ancient Warriors: Ambitious Cao De. "You first need to correct this oversight, lady Shintaro! I chain Shi En's effect!" Zanbatou felt she got a little too ahead of herself with that pull, as his synchro monster could negate one trap or spell each turn. "We correct every oversight, Zanbatou." But Mr. Shintaro justified his partner's liberties with his own special skill: Discord World. It negated Shi En's power and prevented him from properly reacting to the Defense of Changban.
Discord World, Continuous Skill
The activation and effects of Continuous Spell and Trap cards cannot be negated by your opponent's card effects.
"Curse it.." Mrs Shintaro got to special summon her Ambitious Warrior after all: the gold-armored and lion-haired Cao De(8/3000/2500) [Zone 3]. Hatsume could not overcome its defense and had to halt her attack and leave Shi En himself to dispense with the Ancient Warrior. Afterwards the Battle Shogun delivered a direct strike to the matriarch with his own curved sword.
Team Shintaro's LP: 8000
"You should have done more. It clearly didn't hurt them enough." Olympia roared as she entered the forest path with a trail of burning dolls behind her. "You have disposed of your opponents I see." Zanbatou figured that there had to be a limit to how many Karakuri drones Continuum could create at a time. Tycho handled his while Bionis struggled but made headway against Vitruvic. "Unfortunately this is all I can do for now, miss Olympia. But I am confident that I can end this duel with lady Nakana." The samurai duelist placed one trap card down and dematerialized both Kizaru and Kizan. The two level 4 Samurai were attached to the XYZ-summoned Shadow of the Six Samurai: a redhaired masked samurai(R4/3300/2000) [Zone 5] in a purple coat and black armor. "Well it is not enough. They have to be mad that you've escaped their control. They have feel anger! Whatever Continuum is, it cannot suppress all of their emotions!" Olympia wanted to see them seethe, to see them suffer. "Everything they say is already proof that they are frustrated! So why hide it!?"
-TURN 05-
"This is not frustration, this is fact. If you are not one of us, you are the enemy." Mrs Shintaro activated the spell Magic Planter, which tributed her Ancient Warriors Chivalrous Path continuous trap to draw two new cards. "And when our enemies controls more monsters than us, I can special summon Loyal Guan Yun from my hand." Her newest war general(7/2500/1800) [Zone 1] wore green armor, wielded a dragon crest blade and displayed a prominent thin yet long beard. "Since my enemies still control more monsters than me, Loyal Guan Yun can destroy one monster on the field." The Loyal general gestured at the Shadow of the Six Samurai to prepare his dismissal. "Enemies are all we are? Does family mean nothing anymore? Will there even be a family in this new world? Will there be new life? Children?" Zanbatou shouted as he detached both materials from his shadowy warrior to activate its effect. The Shadow would perform one last act for his soldiers: raising Battle Shogun(2800 atk)'s original attackpoints to 2000.
"Continuum preserves what is.. it does not need what is yet to be." Mrs. Shintaro stated coldly as summoned the Three Trolling Trolls. "This card takes the level of one beastwarrior in my graveyard and then summon one beastwarrior from my hand with the same level." Three differently colored trolls(3/1000/1300) [Zone 2] in their small rowboat poked the graveyard with their paddles and found the level 4 Ancient Warrior Masterful Sun Mou. With their new level, they(4/1000/1300) could grow their boat and make room for the Virtuous Liu Xian(4/1400/1200) [Zone 3]. "Feh, she must really be dead inside if a card like that cannot even make her smile." Olympia cursed. The duelist of Continuum played more like an ADI than the Fire Princess ever did. "Liu Xian sends one card to the grave to special summons one Ancient Warrior." Shintaro flipped her partner's Fire Formation Domei face-up to make her re-summoned green wind Warrior special summon Deceptive Jia Wen: a rather shady looking advisor(4/1100/1800) [Zone 4] in golden armor and red cloth. Meanwhile the spell of Domei used its final effect to revive Brotherhood of the Fire Fist - Eland(6/2400/2000) [Zone 2] in attack mode.
"Jia Wen also can send my continuous spell to the graveyard to halve the attackpoints of two monsters on the field." Shintaro used the Continuum Force to activate a new continuous spell from her deck for that very occasion: Ancient Saga - South by East Winds. "In a turn in which East by South Winds is destroyed, nothing can stop the effects of my Ancient Warrior cards. And when an Ancient Warrior currently on the field attacks, the lingering winds will destroy one card on the opponents field. Now you see that tour earlier move was entirely pointless, Zanbatou. You should have known better." Her deceiver started scribbling notes on his scroll and burned up the Fire Formation Tenki spell to weaken both the Shi En(1650/2000) and Battle Shogun(1400/800). "Nothing is pointless, lady Shintaro. There will always be someone who sees value in their actions, whether they be harmful or kind."
"There can be no harm if there is no kindness. I link summon my Fire Fighting Daruma Doll." The Ancient Warrior and the Trolling Trolls had served their purpose on the field, now they were offered as beast-warrior link materials for a new daruma doll(1500/LINK 2) {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 1] with a fiery red mustache and eyebrows. "When the Daruma Doll destroys a monster, I can add one of my beast-warriors in my graveyard to my hand." The Fire Fighter(1800 atk) also gained 100 ATK for each Beastwarrior on the field. "Battle phase. Daruma Doll destroys the Battle Shogun." This gave it the edge it needed to attack and blow up the ninja girl of the water element with a fiery fist. The flame leaped of the Doll's hand and burned a hole into the cemetery. The flames awoke the slumbering warrior of the phoenix, bringing Ambitious Cao De[Zone 3] back to her hand.
Team Nakana's LP: 11200
"If there is no kindness, then there is only harm! Life is not worth living like that! Mother!" Nakana could not postpone Jack-Bolan's banishment any longer and removed the Jack-O-Lantern monster for one turn to special summon her Shiranui Skillsaga Supremacy(2300/LINK 3) {Left/Up/Down} [Zone 2] back from the graveyard. "Kindness is just another weakness people take advantage off, Continuum has already judged it to be meaningless." Her mother declared the attack of Guan Yun against the samurai Shi En. At that time the granted effects of the Ancient Warriors Saga spell activated. A sharp wind blew in from the east and traveled south, threatening to tear down Skillsaga Supremacy along the way. "Why does it get to decide that? What makes it the best judge?" Nakana could still activate Supreme Shiranui's effect to link one banished zombie monster to her. She special summoned Shiranui Swordsaga(5/1900/0) [Zone 1] and activating the spirit swordman's effect to switch one monster on the field to defense mode. "It's distance from emotion makes it the best judge. Yours make you irrational, ill-fit to decide the fate of billions." Shintaro however could banish Ancient Warriors Chivalrous Path from the graveyard to negate any effect that targeted an Ancient Warrior. The SwordSaga had to put his blade away and allow Loyal Guan Yun to cut down Shi En, while Skillsaga succombed to the deadly winds.
Team Nakana's LP: 10350
"When a monster is destroyed, I can special summon Ambitious Cao De from my hand by sending one other card to the graveyard." The warriors were not done yet, far from it. The attack of the one Ancient Warrior allowed Liu Xian to draw a card for his master as well. That card (Crossout Designator) got discarded so that the phoenix warlord(3000/2500) [Zone 5] could enter the war in attack mode. Virtuous Liu Xian settled on his own target: Nakana herself. It did declare an attack against Swordsaga first, only to have the East-by-South blow back in and and kill the defending swordsman as well. Zanbatou and Nakana were out of warriors to hide behind. "Direct attack." Liu Xian stabbed Nakana in her arm with his crooked dagger. Fire Fist Eland shot her other arm with a golden arrow. "Hyah!" And Cao De leveled his sword slash Zanbatou horizontally in his gut. "Grgh!"
Team Nakana's LP: 3550
"To do this to your own daughter.. it is no wonder you treated us all like we were nothing." Olympia hissed as she saw both Nakana and Zanbatou struggle to get back up. "You are nothing. We studied you and found you to be less than worthy, to be an ADI comprised of unstable emotions. No matter how much the first entity adjusts you.. you cannot be salvaged." Shintaro stated coldly and moved on before the Fire Princess could respond. She turned Fire Fighting Daruma Doll and Liu Xian into the link materials for another Ancient Warriors Oath - Double Dragon Lords(1100/LINK 2) {Downleft/Downright} [Extra Zone 1]. The dragon lords added 500 ATK and DEF to themselves(1600 atk), Guan Yun(3000/2300) and Cao De(3500/3000). They could also add another Ancient Warriors from the deck to Shintaro's hand. "I add the Ancient Warriors Rebellious Lu Feng. When I control the monster with the highest attackpower, I can special summon him to my field." Her final warrior would be the most treacherous one yet: Lu Feng(8/3300/2700) [Zone 2] with his spiked wolf-like hair, fierce red steed and gold/black armor.
"Unstable emotions? Is that your problem?" Nakana sent another glare at her parents, wishing that she could talk to the entity instead. "You're just upset that not everyone can be controlled by you. Not just ADIs.. but humans too. Humans like me!" She realized, by reading its card text, that Lu Feng could destroy the strongest monster on the field each main phase. So she waited until the endphase to activate one of her traps.. from the graveyard. "I can banish Haunted Shrine when my field is empty! And I special summon one zombie monster to my field with its effects negated!" The Haunting resurrected the spirit of Doomking Balerdroch(8/2800/2000) [Zone 5]. Then, during that same endphase, Jack-o-Bolan [Zone 1] returned from the banished realm as well. "You have no control of your own, Nakana. Continuum can give you that. It can give you the world."
-TURN 06-
"I do not want the whole world! I just want my mother and father back!" Her parents were not talking anymore, she could not even hear a difference between the way her mother or father spoke. "I add Obsessive Uvualoop to my hand by banishing one synchro monster from my graveyard!" She was done talking to them too. She banished the Shiranui Swordsaga to obtain her new tuner monster: the red-robed camel demon Uvualoop(4/1200/1800) [Zone 2]. Banishing the Swordsaga also allowed Nakana to special summon a new spirit Shiranui token(1/0/0) [Zone 3].
"It's time! Shiranui Spectralsword banishes itself and another non-tuner zombie monster from my graveyard! To synchro summon a new monster!" The spectral tuner synchronized with the Doomking Balerdroch in her graveyard, combining 8 levels with 2. "To summon Shiranui Sunsaga!" And this the sun set on this long duel, the ultimate flame led to the ultimate Shiranui warlord. "Sunsaga destroys one card for each synchro I can return to my extra deck! Banished or otherwise!" Sunsaga(10/3500/0) [Extra Zone 2] rode in on his white horse with a fiery-red mane. The Shiranui himself wore red armor, a white coat and had his silver hair tied up in a ponytail. At once he claimed the souls of his fallen comrades: Shiranui Swordsaga, Shiranui Squiresaga and Yoko the Graceful Mayakashi. "Die!" The three spirits surged through the Ancient Warriors frontline.
"This will not stand." Mrs. Shintaro turned to her last resort, the effect of the Double Dragon Lords. Once a turn her link monster could return one card on the field back to the hand. "It will! I activate Showdown of the Secret Sense Scroll Techniques, to negate the effect of a card that already exists in the graveyard!" That was when Zanbatou came in with his own final card: a counter trap to negate the Ancient Warriors link monster's effect and destroy it. "That is not.." The Dragon Lord perished even sooner than planned, while Shiranui Sunsaga's spiritual flames finished off Loyal Guan Yun and Rebellious Lu Feng. "Ambitious Cae De cannot be destroyed while other Ancient Warriors were alive." The phoenix warrior(3000/2500) became the last man standing. But alone it could not survive for long.
"Zanbatou. Thank you." Nakana now owed him the outcome of this duel, she could not disappoint him.. "I have one card left, Continuum." She would not. "I activate the Book of Life!" Her book of the undead special summoned one zombie monster back to the land of the living: Shiranui Spectralsword Shade(3/800/0) [Zone 2]. The shadow tuner could then use its own effect to split up into two banished zombies: Shiranui Skillsaga Supremacy(2300/LINK 3) [Zone 2] and Doomking Balerdroch(8/2800/2200) [Zone 3] Immediately afterwards Nakana synchronized Obsessive Uvualoop with Jack-O-Bolan to create the giant skeleton Mayakashi Gashadokuro(11/3300/2900) [Zone 1] and link it with the Supreme sage. "That one card was enough.." All the necessary players were on the battlefield. "Sunsaga attacks Ambitious Cao De!" Her warrior of the sun plunged his long sword into the chest of the Ancient Warrior, putting an end to their saga at long last. "And my other monsters... will attack directly!" Gashadokuro, Skillsaga and Balerdroch resolved the rest of the duel, with a barrage of dark and red hellfire.
Team Shintaro's LP: 0
In the few moments after they were dealt the decisive blow that erase the remainder of their lifepoints, Mr. and Mrs Shintaro stood there.. motionless like a pair of statues. "Mother? Father? What.. are you feeling?" Nakana could not tell what this meant, if these were good or bad signs. "They are not responding?" They did not seem to hear Zanbatou or her anymore. They just looked at each other with inscrutable expressions on their faces. "Did we do it, did we drive Continuum out of them?" The daughter wondered. "I fear not. It took the interference of miss Echo to break my own connection with it. But if I likely became more receptive to her power, because I too had been defeated before hand."
"Then this is where I come in." Echo showed up as soon as they mentioned her name. She'd been waiting inside the subconscious realm for the coast to be clear. "I do not have a lot of memories of them..." She took the orb of project flute in her hands. "But I think if we work together, Nakana.. than we can do this."
(To Be Continued in World 094: Too Young to Live)
New Cards used by Zanbatou
SPIRIT WARRIORS
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Legendary Six Samurai - Mizuho
Legendary Six Samurai - Shinai
Legendary Six Samurai - Kizan
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Battle Shogun of the Six Samurai
Legendary Six Samurai - Shi En
Shadow of the Six Samurai
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Shien's Dojo
Triple Tactics Talent
Solidarity
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Showdown of the Secret Sense Scroll Techniques
New Cards used by Yoro-Himiko/Nakana Shintaro
Obsessive Uvualoop
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Shiranui Sunsaga
New Cards used by Mrs. Shintaro
Ancient Warriors - Ambitious Cao De
Ancient Warriors - Loyal Guan Yun
Three Trolling Trolls
Ancient Warriors - Deceptive Jia Wen
Ancient Warriors - Rebellious Long Feng
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Fire Fighting Daruma Doll
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Magic Planter
Ancient Warriors Saga - East-by-South Winds
Cards used by Mr. Shintaro
DISCORLD WORLD
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Ultimate Fire Formation - Shinto