Chapter 5 - Roses have thorns
The duel between Jack and Akiza against the Zarc follower, and duel maniac, Yusei Fudo. Yusei's field contains two face down cards, a face up trap card called Damned Punishment, one of his ace monsters Junk Ruin Warrior, and a field card called Synchro's Domain. Akiza has only two facedowns as well as trapped Bloom Black Rose Dragon on her field. It's Jack's turn, and after powering up his Red Dragon to double its attack points, he prepares to deal with Yusei.
"I activate my Dragon's effect. I will destroy every monster on the field with less attack than itself." Scarlet dragon's fist absorbs the flames in its body before slamming it into the ground to destroy all monsters in play. Yusei remains silent until the flames reach his warrior, "I activate my trap, Call of Ruination! When a card effect is activated that would destroy a card I control with Ruin in its name, I can negate it." The flames are put out faster than they were created. "What!" "There's more. I can now special summon from my extra deck a Ruin or Ruination monster and it's treated as a synchro summon." The sky starts to darken more, yet the clouds disperse. The ground starts to rumble and quake as stars fall from the sky and into the ground below. "Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Level 8! Stardust Ruination Dragon!"
Bursting from the ground, Yusei summons his own ace monster, a dragon made from stardust, with a pair of large, tattered wings, its body riddled with scars and injuries.
[Stardust Ruination Dragon Level 8 Wind Dragon Synchro ATK 2500]
"You've got a dragon of your own?" Jack asks, gazing in awe at the tall, once majestic looking dragon. "I activate the effects of my field spell, Synchro's Domain!" Stardust lets itself get engulfed by the smoke, and absorbs it before striking both duellists with an ear piercing screech. Glass windows in knocked down buildings shatter as they bricks explode at its power. "I'll burn you for 800 points of damage, and then power up my dragon for the same amount."
[Jack LP 2800 - 2000]
[Akiza LP 3000 - 2200]
[Ruination ATK 2500 - 3300]
"You forget. Scarlight Dragon still has 6000 attack points, more than enough to destroy your dragon. And that's what I'm going to do." Jack turns his duel runner around to face Yusei as he calls his attack. Scarlight dragon lets out a hot red fight from its mouth to attack Stardust. "I activate my trap, Synchro Pride Full! First I switch Junk Ruin Dragon to defence mode." Yusei's warrior changes its battle position to defend position.
[Junk Ruin Warrior ATK 2800 - DEF 1300]
"When two synchro monsters battle, all others on the field are changed to defence. Then the synchro monster on my field gains attack based on the attack of the synchro monsters in defence." An aura comes off Junk Ruin Warrior and gets absorbed by Stardust. "2800 extra attack won't be enough to stop Scarlight." Yusei tsks at Jack. "I said all. Including your partners." Yusei points out that the same aura is coming off Bloom Black Rose Dragon. "My Dragon gains the attack of her dragon too."
[Stardust ATK 3300 - 9200]
Jack's eyes widen in shock at the sudden change in attack power. The monster's attack grew strong enough to both destroy Jack's monster, and wipe out the rest of his life points. "Don't you dare think you're going to win!" Both Yusei and Jack look back to see Akiza smiling with a face up trap card. "I activate the trap, Black Rose Roar. If I control a face up Black Rose Dragon, then I can destroy 1 monster on your field with the highest attack. Bloom Black Rose is treated as the regular Black Rose Dragon while on the field, so I can use it." Yusei grits his teeth, "The trap she added to her hand, I forgot about it." He thinks to himself. "At least I have this to deal with them." Stardust starts to roar as it gets wrapped around with thorns. "I activate Stardust Ruination Dragon's effect. When you activate an effect that destroys a monster I control, then I can tribute it to negate and destroy all monsters you control." The pair could barely react as the dragon explodes into shards of glass made from corrupted stardust. It slashes and cuts both dragons, destroying them. "By the way, for each one, you take 500 damage." The shards come down on them as well, slashing at them.
[Jack LP 2000 - 1000]
[Akiza LP 2200 - 1200]
"I end my turn with a face down." Remarks Jack as his continuous spell is destroyed. "At least you reclared an attack this turn, so you don't take another 500 damage." Yusei draws for his hand. "During the standby phase, if Stardust Ruination Dragon is in my graveyard while I control a Ruin monster, then I can special summon it again." Yusei calls back his destroyer dragon. "Synchro's Domain activates again, and inflicts 800 damage to you both once more." Another fierce shriek hits the pair, reducing their life points more. "I'll then switch Junk Ruin to attack position to finish this duel."
[Jack LP 1000 - 200]
[Akiza LP 1200 - 400]
[Ruination ATK 2500 - 3300]
[Junk Ruin DEF 1300 - ATK 2800]
"I'll finish you off first, King. Stardust Ruination Dragon, attack Jack Atlas!" The Stardust dragon attacks with a stream of fire made from the very stars. Before the attack could reach Jack, Akiza gets in the way with her runner. "I activate my trap, Surprise encounter. I can negate your monster's attack, and then summon another from my hand. I special summon Blue Rose Dragon from my hand in defence." Like with her previous dragons, this one was covered in blue rose petals.
[Blue Rose Level 4 Dark Dragon DEF 1200]
"On top of that, you can't attack any other monsters besides the one I summoned to the field." Yusei narrows his eyes before grabbing his helmet, and rips it off his head, letting his hair flow in the window. "So be it. I attack Blue Rose Dragon with Junk Ruin Warrior." The blue warrior enlarges its fist, before crushing Blue Rose into the ground. Akiza smiles as the ghost of the dragon remains. "Thank you. Because when you destroyed my monster, I can revive Bloom Black Rose Dragon from the graveyard." The dragon returns to the field with a full gust of petals.
[Bloom Black Rose Dragon Level 7 Fire Dragon Synchro Tuner ATK 2400]
"Your field spell only works once per turn, so no one gets burnt this turn." "Well played Witch. Why don't you show me how you play this time? Remember, if you can't attack me with a synchro, you get burned with 500 damage because of my trap. I end my turn."
(Before Zarc's return)
Akiza sits in her duel runner. Panting, breathing heavily as sweat drips down her neck. Her duel runner smokes and shakes from being used. Jack sits in his runner, barely a scratch on him compared to her dirty attire and banged up runner. "Is this your limit?" Jack asks, watching her reaction. "No...I can keep going..." she replies, wiping her mouth as she looks up at him. "I can..surpass you...I will show you my strength..." Jack shakes his head, "No. I don't need you to surpass me in such a thing." She grows wide eyed as she looks at the man she is to succeed.
"Do you know why I chose you?" He asks, looking up to the sky above. "To be King, you need to be able to unite people through your duelling. Not just through your cards, but your will to keep fighting, and prevail." He laments, "I met someone who could do such a thing, however, he is no longer with us. Don't take that to mean I'm settling with you. I chose you because I saw how those girls looked to you as a Queen. I need someone like you to succeed me in a manner." Jack clenches his fist and extends it to her in a call to action. "Are you the one to succeed I, the King?"
(Present Day)
"Yes. I will." Akiza smiles to herself at the thought of her succeeding Jack. "This is my test. I will pass it." Akiza thinks to herself. "This will be the last turn. I draw!" Akiza draws a spell card. "I activate Frozen Petals. For every Rose Dragon I control, one of your special summoned monsters loses its effect. I choose Junk Ruin Warrior." Bloom Dragon sheds some of its petals that wrap around Yusei's warrior like a chain. "Clever girl. Now she can activate her monster effects." Yusei thinks to himself. "I normal summon Rose Fairy in attack mode." Akiza summons a small little pixie-like monster to her field.
[Rose Fairy Level 3 Wind Plant ATK 600]
"What's that going to do against my Ruination Dragon?" Yusei asks, glaring back at the small monster. "On her own, she's not much. But if you believe in the potential of your deck and all of its monsters, then you can pull through a victory." Jack smiles, slowing down his runner, giving Akiza the lead over him. "Bloom is a tuner monster. I tune my level 7 Bloom Black Rose Dragon to my level 3 Fairy!" The synchro dragon tunes the small pixie, creating a new, stronger dragon. "Crimson Dragon of beautify thorns evolved! Level 10! Ruddy Rose Dragon!" The large, blood petal dragon is brought out onto the field.
[Ruddy Rose Level 10 Fire Dragon Synchro ATK 3200]
"You're right, this is over. Because you summoned that dragon, my field spell now burns both myself and Jack with 1000 damage. You just defeated your partner!" The smoke starts to engulf the dragon. "Are you sure about that?" The smoke dissolves around the dragon. "What?" "I banish Frozen Petals to activate the effect on your field spell, negating it." The sky clears out, and turns into a pale blue, like ice. "Now onto the real power of my dragon. Ruddy Rose Dragon banishes all cards in our graveyard. And then because I used Bloom Rose, I can destroy all other cards on the field."
"Are you trying my patients?" Stardust Ruination starts to shine. "I tribute Stardust Ruination to negate and destroy your field. You both will take 500 damage, meaning you both lose!" As the dragon starts shrieking, Ruddy wraps their thorns around the dragon. "That's funny. Because my dragon can do the same thing. I tribute Ruddy to negate and destroy Ruination!" As this happens, Jack turns over his face down card, but doesn't say anything. Ruination is destroyed by the tight thorns by the tributed dragon. "The second part of the effect allows me to summon the Original Black Rose Dragon from my extra, so come forth!" The field gets engulfed by a heavy storm of thorns and petals. Nothing on the field the dust cloud, Akiza cuts through with her dragon, followed by Jack joined by Scarlight Dragon. Yusei is left in the dust, last place.
[Black Rose Level 7 Fire Dragon Synchro ATK 2400]
[Scarlight Red Dragon Level 8 Dark Dragon Synchro ATK 3000]
"What...what is happening!" Yusei screams. Jack answers him. "My trap, call of the Red Dragon. To activate it, I banished my Red Dragon from the grave before Ruddy touched it. It protects dragons we control by card effects, so that's why Black Rose survived. As for Scarlight, my trap was also destroyed, which meant its other effect activated. I banished it to revive one banished dragon." Both dragons join together as they stare down Yusei. As he looks up at these dragons, he feels something from them. A sense of familiarity, and comfort. "I attack with our dragons! Go, Twin Scarlight Thorn Fire!" As Yusei gets engulfed in hot red and crimson fire, he smiles, shedding a tear.
[Yusei LP 3300 - 0]
Yusei's runner catches on fire before crashing into a building. Both duellists stop and watch to see the results. As the dust cloud disappears, they witness Yusei start to turn into a black ash. Yusei lets out as he gasps for air, his body failing him. Both Jack and Akiza can't help but give pity to the dying soul before them. "Was it worth it? Because a pawn of a demon?" Jack asks. Yusei just looks at his deck, "It would've been….I was promised a reward..." Jack narrows his eyes, "What could he possibly have offered." Yusei tries to laugh, but can only cough out a black fluid. "My partner….Kiryu...he promised his life..."
"The night of the riot, security cornered us. My partner, Kiryu, gave me…...an opening to escape, but I stayed behind to save him." Yusei coughs blood as the ash takes more of his body. "The building came down, and took him. I survived...only for a while. And then he gave me a chance…..promised me his life….was that so wrong?" Tears stream from his eyes as Yusei turns to dust on the floor. In the distance, the tall tower at the edge of the world collapses onto the ground, destroyed.
To be continued...