OP2: Volbeat - Cape of Our Hero
Kimiko Vs. Yamato
"I'm going to kill you all."
They were in a wide room with a red carpet, and a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows showing a city vista with the central plaza in the foreground. There were sofas bunched against the opposite wall, leather and plush, with a couple of coffee tables in front. One held a glass case and a package of boxes. It smelled fresh and clean, but the air was like mud.
"Try it if you think you can," said Yamato.
Matsuda was standing next to the window, his expression tight and fists clenched. How was he supposed to act normal in the face of his mother's killers? Even if they hadn't pulled the trigger, they were just as guilty. Whatever their reasons. Their crusade had inspired Miranda's zealotry, and opened a jagged crevice within him.
He would make sure they paid.
He felt a brush on his left shoulder, and turned to see Kimiko giving him a pinched stare. He brushed her hand with his, and looked to Miyamoto beside them all, stammering and playing with his tie.
"Now, excuse me…" He looked between the two pairs, sweat beading on his brow.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Miyamoto," said Matsuda, "obviously I meant that figuratively."
Miyamoto wrung his hands. "Be that as it may, could we refrain from such inflammatory statements, please?"
Naturally, he had investigated Miyamoto. The circumstances were suspicious, and he'd had three days to pass without ripping himself apart, so he'd set to work. And found nothing. If he wanted any more evidence that it was just bad timing, the man's demeanor made a home run.
Across from Matsuda, Yamato chuckled, folding his arms. "I agree, it's very uncivilised."
Matsuda clenched his jaw, feeling Kimiko tense up beside him. She said, "can we get on with this?"
"Agreed," rumbled Enzo, flexing his shoulders. "I am eager to begin the battle."
More perspiration formed on the crease of Miyamoto's brow as he gestured them to the tables. "This way, please." He took the top from the glass case, removing a drawstring bag before waving his hand over the display. "These are the ten specially-selected prize cards we've assembled, plus a booster box for each of you. Once you've selected, we can move on to the drawing."
Yamato lurched forward, cooing as he reached in the case. "Well, this will do nicely."
Enzo had quickly joined him, barely looking before swiping a card. "This shall suffice."
The two of them backed away as Kimiko approached, brow furrowed as she perused. After a second, Matsuda stepped up beside her, raising an eyebrow. "You can't choose?"
She shook her head. "None of them feel right."
Matsuda scanned the cards, noting that none would fit Kimiko's strategy. There was a Cosmic HERO there, but it required a spell card to summon, and he couldn't see it.
"I'll take this one." Kimiko held up a card, passing it to Matsuda with a quirk of her lips. "Shouldn't waste the prize, right?"
Something stirred deep in the hole in his stomach. He accepted the card, reading the name and effect: it was the partner to the monster in the case. He picked up that monster, slotting his cards in an acrylic sleeve before turning back to the group. "Thank you, Kimiko."
Yamato smirked, placing a hand on his chest. "Ah, young love."
Enzo rubbed his forehead. "You are just as young, Yamato. Now, may we proceed?"
"Of course!" said Miyamoto, giving a shaky chuckle as he noticed the formation his participants had reverted to. Two pairs facing each other, with him in the middle. He felt like someone was holding a plastic bag over his head. Like they had drawn battle lines. He cleared his throat, holding the bag out to Yamato. "Everyone take a number, then once you all have one, reveal them."
"Understood." Yamato withdrew a white ball from the bag, which was then offered to Enzo, who did the same. Then it was Kimiko, then Matsuda, and then Yamato turned around his ball. "I'm one."
Kimiko sneered at him, fingernails tracing across her free palm. "Same here."
Enzo locked his stare to Matsuda, teeth glinting in the afternoon light. "Then you will be my opponent."
The hairs on his arm stood on end. "I'm stronger than Kaneko, you know. Don't think this'll be easy."
"I'm counting on that," said Enzo. "What you saw that day was far from my full power."
Miyamoto coughed, gesturing to the door. "Though young Yukaro and Mr. Enzo may wait here, we don't have cameras, so to watch you'll need to either wait on the balcony or find a seat in the crowd. Now then." He strode through the door, leading them onto a polished balcony with a waist-high railing.
It overlooked a laminate duel field, ten metres by seven, surrounded by rows of raised bleachers. The balconies above surrounded the stands in a ring. There were staircases leading down in each corner, with an opening at each end of the field, presumably for competitor entrances. The smell of sweat from the bustling stands fused with the polished odor.
Miyamoto pointed to the staircase to their right. "Your duel starts in five minutes. Follow these stairs all the way down, or the ones at the other end, and you'll find yourself in the entrance tunnels. Please wait there until your name is called."
Kimiko nodded, shooting off without a word, Yamato strolling after her with a chuckle. Matsuda turned to his left, letting his wordless support reach out for her. They had already shared encouragement; all that remained was the follow-through.
He hurried forwards, ignoring the presence looming over the back of him. Enzo was happy where he was. A few feet in front of Matsuda, leaning on the railing, was a dark and severe woman. Who was paying no attention to him.
A quick dart at her legs, and she'd be facing a twenty metre drop. No-one survived that. But if he failed, and they scuffled, he would lose. Instead, he stopped behind her, grinding his teeth. "Watch your back."
He walked away to Miranda's piercing laughter.
Matsuda slid into a hard plastic seat, picking up the tote occupying it and opening it in his lap.
"What the hell are you doing with my bag?" asked Daitaro.
Matsuda held up his new booster box in response, throwing it in the bag. "I didn't bring one. I'll share it with you; we can all upgrade our arsenals."
"Hopefully, we won't need the upgrade," said Kaneko. She still wore bandages on her forearms, and an expression that twisted when she turned too quickly. "Depending on what we learn after we capture one of them, we might be able to stop them without fighting."
Matsuda's nose twitched, his face twisting into a deep frown. "No. This won't end until we beat them all."
Kaneko sighed. "Matsuda…"
"So," said Matsuda, "how was school today?"
"Against my human rights," said Daitaro. "You know how many countries don't have school on Saturdays?"
Kaneko sighed again. "The teachers are either angry, or worried, or both. You can at least tell them something."
Matsuda chuckled dryly. "Like what? My mom got shot? So then the police get involved, and what do I tell them? 'Some teleporting psycho from another world did it'? Don't screw around; they'd pin it on me in a heartbeat."
Daitaro exhaled, scratching his cheek. "He has a point, you know. It's not like we told Dad anything, it was just 'have a good business trip, see you next month'. And you had the 'fell down some stairs' excuse. Gunshot wounds are pretty self-evident."
"Still," she said. "You need to deal with this."
Matsuda cradled his face. "What do you think I've been doing for the last three days? It's not like there's a formula for processing grief, is there?"
Kaneko opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came of it. There was little comfort she could offer without her bandages reminding Matsuda that she too had been victimized by this war.
She noticed her brother staring into the distance. "What are you looking at?"
Daitaro squinted. "Look over there. Isn't that the white dude from before?"
Matsuda turned to look where his friends were staring: standing by the railing was a blonde boy, probably as tall as he was, with a duffel bag slung across his back. The duel disk on his wrist looked like a patchwork of parts and scrap, and he had a face Matsuda recognised.
"Mike?" Matsuda bolted towards the American, his friends in tow.
As they approached, the boy's gaze shifted from the duel field to them. "Oh hey," he said in English as they stopped before him, "I should've guessed I'd run into you guys."
"You made it out of the forest," Kaneko said, a smile playing across her features.
He put on a half-smile. "Yeah, barely." His eyes drifted to Kaneko's bandaged arms and he pointed. "What happened to you?"
Matsuda, seeing this, felt his heart trying to escape from his ribcage. "Kaneko, tell him that it's not safe and that he needs to go. Now."
Kaneko eyed Matsuda for a moment, but relayed his words to the Western boy, whose brow crinkled as he looked at Matsuda. "Why, what's going on?"
Kaneko looked back to Matsuda. "He wants to know what's going on."
Matsuda's eyes met Mike's. He couldn't explain it, but something told him that he could trust this stranger with what was about to happen. What had already happened. But even as his conscience demanded he let it all out, his body refused to cooperate, intensifying the tight grasp on his lungs that he'd been struggling to escape for the last three days.
His eyes flickered back to Kaneko, his face dour as he nodded, which she returned before looking back to Mike, exhaling as she prepared her words. "Well, to make a really, really long story short… there's been this group of bad people we've been fighting against. Two of them are in this tournament. They did this to me, and… and…"
"Killed my mom."
Kaneko suppressed a shudder as she heard Matsuda's cracking voice finish her statement in Japanese. It didn't get any easier to hear that her best friend's mother had been murdered. She shakily relayed Matsuda's words to Mike, whose features softened as he looked back to him.
"I'm sorry," he said, before sighing through his nose. "I never would've guessed it, but it seems we walk similar paths."
Kaneko translated, and Matsuda's eyebrows rose while Mike glanced behind himself. "Listen, I can't stick around anyway, I have to go catch my flight. But I want to leave you with a little advice." He looked to Kaneko. "If you don't mind translating."
"Of course," she said with a nod.
Mike smiled before returning his gaze to Matsuda's. "Listen, I've been exactly where you are right now. I know you're angry, and grieving, and probably feeling like you're in a thousand different types of pain."
Kaneko translated, and Matsuda nodded vigorously.
"But no matter how much you feel like all that is becoming a part of you, don't let it."
Matsuda's eyes widened as Mike said, "I know it feels like holding onto it will drive you and give you purpose, but in the end, it'll cost you your soul. And you and everything else in your life will only suffer.
"Besides," he said, passing glances to Kaneko and Daitaro, "the things worth holding onto, you already have. And they'll stay with you no matter what."
As Kaneko translated, Matsuda grit his teeth. Even with his turbulent emotions clouding his judgment, he knew that Mike's words were sound. And in his heart, he knew everything he'd described was everything his mother wouldn't want for him.
Mike raised his free hand up as a fist to Matsuda, mimicking his gesture from when they'd first met. In response, Matsuda managed a shaky smile and met Mike's fist with his own.
"Thank you, Mike," he said in Japanese.
Mike nodded, able to understand at least that small phrase, before their hands fell again and he gave a courteous nod. "See you around," he said, before shrugging his bag up his shoulder and turning to exit the stadium.
The three each waved after him, with Kaneko saying, "safe travels!" in English as they watched him pass through the doors, before escaping their view entirely.
"You know," Daitaro said with a thoughtful nod, "for a white dude, that guy's not so bad."
"Daitaro!" Kaneko snapped.
Matsuda gave a stiff laugh, before the lights in the arena all dimmed, and the voice of Miyamoto rang out across the speakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Docomo Duel Arena, where it's finally time!"
"It's starting!" Daitaro said, and the three rushed back to their seats as the rest of the crowd erupted in roaring applause.
Miyamoto stood in the centre of the duel field, brandishing a microphone the same colour as his suit. "Of the hundreds who originally entered Nishihama's Summer Duel Festival, only four remain, and I give you the first now: Mr. Yamato Mochizuki!"
Yamato emerged from the tunnel, his face set stoic as he approached the end marking of the duel field, disk already active.
"He had a name like that?" said Daitaro as he sat down.
"It's definitely not real," said Matsuda.
Miyamoto turned, gesturing to the other tunnel. "And his opponent, Miss Kimiko Kimura!"
Kimiko stepped out, her arms tingling as she strode forward. There was a polite applause, and she took a position across from him, watching as Miyamoto backed off to the edge of the field. "Real name, Yamato? That's not like you."
Yamato smiled. "I thought it was pretty smart, myself. Any sins I commit will be blamed on this world's Yamato, although he's called Hideo."
Kimiko growled, and Miyamoto said, "excuse me, but the time for trash talk is over. Let your cards do the talking!"
They both nodded. Miyamoto turned to the crowd, gesticulating. "First will be Yamato. On my mark…" He turned back around, dropping his arm in front of him. "Duel!"
Yamato: 4000
Kimiko: 4000
She had been hoping for this match. Because she didn't just have to beat Yamato, she had to incapacitate him. Then, with Matsuda occupying Enzo, they could grab him, and force him to spill all their secrets.
And most importantly, finally, she could avenge Shiroku and set right what she had put wrong. End the snake's existence.
But she wasn't Lady Light. The idea of killing someone, even Yamato, drove acid up her throat. Still. She wasn't above beating him to within an inch of his life.
"And this duel finally gets started, with yours truly as the announcer!" Miyamoto had set up a folding table, seating himself behind it with an empty chair behind him. "Incidentally, I was going to be joined by a Master Duelist, but it turned out we can't afford him!"
There were a few shouts of, "don't screw with us!" and someone threw a paper cup at him, but the discord quieted as Yamato made his move.
"I'll begin with the spell card, Sacred Sword of Seven Stars! By banishing a level seven monster from my hand, I'm allowed to draw two cards!" He sent a card to his banished zone, and drew. "And now, the effect of Tempest, Dragon Ruler of Storms!"
Miyamoto's eyes widened, and he almost dropped the microphone. "Impossible… a legend, a rumour, it can't be… the Dragon Ruler archetype is real! Some crazy fool at Imanok actually made it!"
The audience erupted. Some cheered, and some jeered, but all did it from the base of their stomachs.
"Wonder if they know who they're cheering for," said Matsuda. The loudest offenders were a bunch of teenage girls a few rows above them, screeching about how hot he was.
"They'll know soon enough," said Kaneko. "I'm wondering more how the media will spin this, if the government doesn't get there first."
A miniature tornado blew into Yamato's deck, producing a card. "When Tempest is banished, I can add Lightning, Dragon Ruler of Drafts to my hand!" He grinned. "And now comes the real deal: I discard Lightning and Redox, Dragon Ruler of Boulders from my hand for the effect of Lightning, and special summon a second Tempest from my deck!"
The winds whipped up, the audience's noise ceasing as an impossible breeze washed over them, forming into a dragon (Lv. 7, ATK: 2400). "But I'm nowhere near done! I activate the effect of the Redox in my graveyard, banishing Lightning with the Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos in my hand to special summon him!"
A pile of rocks formed in front of him, shifting and shaping itself into a dragon (Lv. 7, DEF: 3000).
"Just like that, Mr. Mochizuki has two level seven monsters out! Could we be looking at an Xyz summon so soon?"
Yamato smirked. "Not quite yet. Like Tempest, Blaster lets me add a dragon-type monster of the same attribute from my deck to my hand, like my Burner, Dragon Ruler of Sparks!" A blazing thread pierced his deck, and he withdrew the card. "Now, by discarding Burner along with Tidal, Dragon Ruler of Waterfalls, I can summon another Blaster from my deck!"
The baby fire dragon took to the field, its flames growing and morphing as it grew to colossal proportions (Lv. 7, ATK: 2800).
"Mr. Mochizuki has added a third Dragon Ruler! Miss Kimura hasn't even had a turn, and already it looks almost impossible for her to come back!"
Yamato curled his lip. "Hear that, Kimiko? You've already lost."
She clenched her jaw, opening and closing her fist. "We'll see about that."
"That's right," he said, "we will. I overlay my three level seven Dragon Rulers!"
Matsuda felt his eyeballs popping forward. "Straight off the line with that thing, huh?"
"She can handle it," said Kaneko, shifting in her seat.
"Let's hope so," said Daitaro.
Yamato's three dragons each transformed into an orb of light, ascending towards the galaxy which materialised on the ceiling. Electricity ran through the crowd, the cheering loud enough to silence Miyamoto. "To the end of the Earth, from the end of the Earth, hidden always from the light." A flash blinded the room for a second. "Now is the time to surge down the path of darkness, to open the door leading to destruction! Xyz summon! Cast a shadow over the world, rank seven!" A void of nothing, shaped vaguely like a dragon, descended from the galaxy. "Shadow, Dragon Ruler of Darkness (Rk. 7, ATK: 3500)!"
"Right out of the gates, Mr. Mochizuki summons what looks like his ace monster! Already, the excitement is threatening to burst from the building! Just what will Miss Kimura do?"
"Despair," said Yamato. "I activate the effect of Shadow: by using one overlay unit, I can special summon a banished Dragon Ruler! Return, Blaster!" Shadow absorbed one of the stars in its orbit, spitting out a wad of darkness which receded to reveal a roaring fire dragon. "I set a card and end my turn."
"As expected of you, Yamato," said Kimiko. "You've always been a great duelist, ever since we were kids. But you're missing something now that you had back then."
"What are you talking about?"
She smiled, grim and mirthless. "I'll show it to you. I'll finally have you tell me why, even if I have to rip it out of you! Draw!" She scanned her hand for a second. "I summon Constellar Leonis!" The monster appeared, growling at the two dragons (Lv. 3, ATK: 1000).
"In comparison, Miss Kimura has summoned a small-fry! But with that deck, all she needs is one more small-fry to blow Mr. Mochizuki's field wide open!"
"And it'll come." Kimiko slapped a card onto her disk, gesturing at the field. "When Leonis is summoned, I can normal summon another Constellar that turn, and I'll bring out Sheratan!" The beast flipped into position (Lv. 3, ATK: 700). "And when Sheratan is summoned, I can add another Constellar to my hand, like Algiedi!" She showed Yamato the card.
"Yeah, yeah," said Yamato. "I can see your moves coming from a mile away."
"Is that so? I overlay my level three Constellars Leonis and Sheratan!" The two monsters morphed into stars, ascending to the portal that formed on the ceiling. "May the twin blades of justice be guided by the light of stars! Xyz summon!" The galaxy flashed and receded, revealing an armoured man with golden horns and two swords (Rk. 3, ATK: 1900). "Shine, rank three: Constellar Hyades!"
"And in response to a display of sheer power, Miss Kimura is aiming for finesse with this monster!"
Yamato smirked. "What are you planning? Because I know that deck, and I don't see how you get past this."
She smirked back. "I start with the effect of Hyades, using one overlay unit to switch all your monsters to defence mode!" The beast-warrior raised a sword, pulling it back through one of the lights before slashing towards Yamato's monsters. A wave of radiance washed over them, forcing them to bow (Blaster DEF: 1800) (Shadow DEF: 2500).
"In that case," said Yamato, "I activate my trap, Dragon's Rebirth!" A flame erupted from the ground, engulfing the Ruler of Infernos. "By banishing a dragon I control, I can special summon one from my graveyard, so I'll swap Blaster out for Tidal!" The flame became steam before being overtaken by a waterfall of a dragon (Lv. 7, ATK: 2600).
"And by banishing Blaster, Mr. Mochizuki has removed the vulnerability of its low defence power! What's more, banishing Blaster will trigger its effect again!"
"That's right!" Yamato pulled a card from his deck, grinning. "I add my final Blaster to my hand!"
Kimiko snorted. "Is that it? You haven't grown at all, Yamato. I think you've even regressed."
Yamato laughed, his breath shaking as his brow quivered. "You think you're in a position to say that?"
Her glare sent frost pulsing through his veins. "Now comes the real deal, Yamato. I would have thought you'd seen this coming a mile away."
Kenta watched as Matsuda stared at the plaza-side entranceway. It was modern, just a set of glass double doors surrounded by potted ferns and bonsai. The building itself was massive, all chrome and lights and screens, with high windows at each end. The air smelled sweet, of summer and sunshine, and birdsong echoed through the streets. Everyone was inside, watching the duels. Everyone except Matsuda.
But it wasn't Matsuda.
Even if he hadn't been certain Matsuda was inside, he would have been able to tell. The boy was a perfect doppelganger, but the personality couldn't be more different. Where Matsuda walked tall, this boy hunched his shoulders, wringing his hands together. His hair was droopier, almost as if it had less life. And the dress sense was off. Matsuda preferred jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies, and this boy was wearing an honest-to-goodness dinner jacket. Like he was ready to sample the nightlife.
Kenta was perching on the edge of a fountain, craning his neck as a cool breeze rolled off the spray behind him. He had been checking the perimeter for threats, and returned to find the lookalike watching the door. It was eerie, the way he stared: almost robotic. Kenta shook his head, sliding off the concrete and striding over to the boy.
"Excuse me," he said, causing the familiar head to snap round to face him. "Though I've heard a lot about them, this is my first time meeting a ghost, Shiroku Yuki."
"I activate the continuous spell, Fire Formation - Tenki! All beast-warrior monsters I control gain a hundred attack points (Hyades ATK: 1900 - 2000), and I can add one to my hand!" A tendril of flame reached into her deck, producing the card Kimiko showed to Yamato. "Constellar Kaus!"
"And what good will that do you," said Yamato, "if you can't summon it?"
Kimiko exhaled through her teeth, eyes wide and frenzied. "I can't believe I used to find you endearing. I activate the spell card, Double Summon!"
Daitaro scratched his head. "I don't get it. Why not lead with that?"
Matsuda kept his sharp gaze on the duel, arms folded. "She's messing with his head."
"It's probably the best way to fight him," said Kaneko. "His deck has few weaknesses, and he's well-versed in those games himself. With how intimately Kimura seems to know him, she might be able to fluster him."
"They should have invited you to do commentary," joked Daitaro.
Yamato brought his hands together in glacial applause. "Well played, but it'll take more than that to rattle me."
"I told you, didn't I? The real deal comes now."
"Remember the monster Miss Kimura added to her hand with the effect of Constellar Sheratan? It's about to lead to consecutive Xyz summons!"
"Spoilers," said Kimiko. "I summon Constellar Algiedi (Lv. 4, ATK: 1600), and use his effect to special summon Constellar Kaus (Lv. 4, ATK: 1800 - 1900)! Then, using my two monsters, I overlay!" A spiral of stars pervaded a dark backdrop, drawing in Kimiko's monsters. "Surging light, rush forth to slay the darkness with your shining fist! Xyz summon! Shine, rank four: Constellar Praesepe!" From the overlay network came a robotic warrior with golden gauntlets (Rk. 4, ATK: 2400).
Yamato looked down, giggling. "Not Pleiades? This won't be enough..."
"A strange move indeed! Anyone familiar with the Constellar archetype would know that Pleiades was the best option there!"
Kimiko clicked her tongue, remembering what Kaneko had told her the day before. "I know all about that Xyz monster of yours. It's tricky, but Pleiades isn't the only ace I have up my sleeve!"
Yamato's head snapped up, his eyes widening. "It can't be… you've mastered it?"
"It can and it is, Yamato. Using Constellar Hyades, I rebuild the overlay network!" The portal once again appeared on the ceiling, sucking the Xyz monster into its depths. "Unwavering light, stand firm and push back against encroaching darkness! Xyz Change!" The glowing warrior descended, leveling its halberd on the pair of dragons across the field. "Shine, rank five: Constellar Tucanae (Rk. 5, ATK: 2600)!"
Yamato stared through the monster with a slack jaw, his mind elsewhere. Miyamoto's chin was on the floor. "This is… an as-yet unseen monster! A quick check of my database, and there's no record! Yet the system recognises it! What's going on here?" There were murmurs of unrest, and a few jeers about cheating.
"Are you really that surprised?" said Kimiko.
Yamato shook himself from his stupor, smiling. "No, I was just… reminiscing. You remember when we were kids, and the three of us went to see that Harry Markham duel?"
"What's this? Do our competitors have some kind of history? What will-"
Yamato turned to the announcer. "You can shut up." Miyamoto's jaw couldn't decide whether to be open or closed, and he stammered a bit before looking away.
Kimiko looked down, her cheeks and brow tightening. "How could I forget? You wouldn't shut up about how awesome Constellars were."
"And then you and Shiro went out and found me every damn card. I couldn't have asked for better friends."
She screwed her eyes shut, lips quivering. "What is this, Yamato? If that was the case, then why?"
The crowd were becoming restless, boos and jeers beginning to permeate the surroundings. Yamato shook his head. "Life has a funny way of changing things."
She clenched her teeth, blood trickling down her palm as her nails dug in. "You know, I always wondered why you'd give it back, and then steal it, and betray us. But I guess I've known that answer for a long time. I activate the effect of Constellar Tucanae!"
Yamato smirked. "By banishing a light-attribute monster, you return one of my cards to my hand?"
"That's right," said Kimiko. The spirit of Constellar Leonis merged with the warrior's halberd, iridescence threatening to engulf the field. "My target is Shadow, Dragon Ruler of Darkness!"
Yamato's face split into a grin. "Obviously your homework wasn't enough, dear Kimi. When my opponent's card effect targets Shadow, I can choose to destroy it instead!" Tucanae slashed, a wave of light barrelling for the formless dragon. Before it could reach, Shadow imploded, a shockwave sending shards of darkness clattering across the field. "And when Shadow leaves the field, I can special summon banished Dragon Rulers equal to its materials!" The familiar forms of Blaster and Tempest manifested from the shards.
"And Mr. Mochizuki dodges superbly, creating a wall of Dragon Rulers that give Miss Kimura a lot to think about!"
"I was counting on that," said Kimiko. To begin with, she had only used Hyades' effect to bait out his trap. Now all of his monsters were in attack mode, and none were strong enough to stand against her monsters. But one would remain. Since he already had a Blaster in his hand, it was an easy choice.
"Is that so?" said Yamato. "Then come at me with all you've got."
She turned to Miyamoto, her gaze running his blood cold. "Please, run away."
He stared at her. "Um… why?"
She turned her gaze over the crowd. "If you don't want to die, please run away now."
For a second, nothing. And then a great roar, full of fire and affront, as the entire bleachers began jeering her. Someone shouted, "what, are you gonna make the monsters real?" and others threw paper cups and trash at the field.
One of them hit Constellar Tucanae.
It bounced off.
The plug was torn from the socket, and silence. Cold fingers gripped the hearts of all present.
"They're already real," said Kimiko. "You just don't want to admit it. Constellar Tucanae attacks Tempest!" The monster stabbed forward, a beam of light from the halberd's tip piercing the centre of the storm dragon. It died screaming (Yamato: 4000 - 3800).
As the dragon shattered, tendrils of wind caressed the crowd, the breeze disturbing hair and worrying jackets.
Thump, thump.
The only thing audible to anyone was the sound of their own heartbeat.
Thump, thump.
Kimiko eyed Blaster. "The next one is a lot more dangerous."
Thump, thump.
Somebody screamed.
Arms and legs flew as the stampede passed over them. People were clambering over seats, and trying in a frenzy to leap across rows, only to face-plant as the crashing cacophony of feet swallowed them whole. Screeches and cries were the accompaniment, the thick smell of fear surrounding them.
Matsuda had curled up, his head between his knees and his arms atop it. There was the possibility of a jumper landing on his spine and shattering it, but he didn't have any better alternatives.
"Ladies and gentlemen," came the voice from the loudspeaker, "normally I would urge you not to panic, but now is precisely the time to panic! Call the government! The police, the fire service, all of the ambulances! Hell, the coastguard! Call the JSDF! Try not to fall over, and for now, run like hell!" There was a clunk over the speakers, and the sound of receding footsteps.
The ruckus began to quiet, and Matsuda looked up. Kaneko had taken the same position as he had, and Daitaro had thrown himself across her.
"Brother," said Kaneko. "You can remove yourself from me now."
Daitaro lurched back to his seat, a light quiver in his arms as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, it's just, you're hurt, so y'know…"
Kaneko straightened, looking into her brother's eyes with a scowl. "And if someone had fallen on you, I then have the weight of two people compressing me." Her expression softened. "It's okay if you're scared and want me to hold your hand."
Daitaro sputtered, his cheeks burning. "Don't be ridiculous, we're not kids anymore!"
Matsuda gave a hollow chuckle, looking around. Most of the crowd had made it out, a few stragglers and people carrying the injured belting for the exits. At least humanity wasn't completely dead. Even in the face of panic, people wanted to help each other.
"Don't let it."
"Don't lose hope."
"Don't feel guilty."
How many times did they have to tell him before he listened? He allowed himself a smile, and decided to focus on the duel in front of him. Even if he couldn't yet escape from the chains constricting his chest, that didn't mean he had to submit to them.
Shiroku looked around at the empty plaza, one eyebrow approaching his hairline. He scanned Kenta, his eyes crawling up and down him, and clapped his hands together. "I see! You're the Keeper's pawn, right?" His voice was the same as Matsuda's. A little gentler, perhaps.
Kenta's eye twitched. "I am no pawn. But my employer told me one thing: that the impossible man is searching for something. I didn't understand it at first, but I realised when I met Yamato. On Kimura, it's faint enough that it might as well be nothing, I suppose because she has learned to see past the identical appearance. But when he saw Matsuda, even if it was a fraction of a second, I saw it. The pain."
Shiroku put a hand to his forehead, hunching over in bellowing laughter. After catching his breath, he wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I guess the Keeper wouldn't have use for you if you weren't this good, right? It's as you say, for some reason, only one of us can exist in this Cluster. The multiverse had to choose between me and Matsuda Yukaro, and I drew the short straw." His face dropped, eyes setting in stone as he activated his duel disk, his voice growing rougher. "But Matsuri gave me the chance to fight that fate. We can throw those absurd rules out, and write the new ones ourselves!" His glare cut through Kenta's skull. "Since you've seen me, I can't let you leave here alive."
Kenta shook his head, activating his own disk. "In broad daylight? Still, I can't say I disagree that a duel is the best way to resolve things here." He cupped his right hand, waving it in front of him as a queer purple shadow formed in the palm. "Just don't think that your hard light gives you any advantage." He opened his hand, and a sea of dark purple surrounded them.
It was simultaneously infinite and tiny, littered with specks of light that could have been stars. The space beneath their feet was empty.
Shiroku stepped backwards, testing his footing with his mouth agape. "What… is this?"
"Somewhere that machines have no meaning," said Kenta. "Chaos Field."
"How…?"
Kenta crossed his arms with a smirk. "This is a field that has been used since ancient times for battles too great to inflict upon reality, with a much greater connection to the true Duel Monsters. They used to say it was the playground of the Gods, before the dawn of the universe."
Shiroku chuckled. "That does sound reminiscent of the Gods. Abandoning their old playground to ruin the shiny new one."
"Enough," said Kenta. "I'll have you tell me everything you know, including the location of the Chaos Altar."
Shiroku's eyes widened for a beat, but it was enough. "I guess you're too sharp to fool. But even with your fancy light show, you won't find me so easily broken!"
"Duel!"
Shiroku: 4000
Kenta: 4000
"I'll start." Shiroku slapped a card onto his disk. "I summon Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands!" The grotesque monster materialised, reaching out its arms for Shiroku's deck (Lv. 4, ATK: 1400). "And when Manju is summoned, I can add a ritual spell or monster from my deck to my hand!" One of the arms pulled a card from his deck, tossing it to Shiroku, who showed it to Kenta. "I'll activate it straight away: the ritual spell, Nekroz Mirror!"
A great mirror inlaid with silver appeared on the field, an old man with a beard and a wizard's hat forming within it. The old man became a circle of four flames, which spun as a light spilled out. "Great magician of the mythical ritualists, don your legendary armour!" The flash from the Mirror receded, revealing the old man had become young again. He had braided hair, and horned armour and greaves, with a spiky tail. He carried a trident with a gem set in its head. "Appear now, Nekroz of Unicore (Lv. 4, ATK: 2300)!
"And when I use Great Sorcerer of the Nekroz as a tribute, I can add a spellcaster-type Ritual monster to my hand, like my Nekroz of Gungnir!" He showed the card to Kenta. "I end my turn."
"Then it's mine." Kenta drew his card, staring blades through his opponent.
Yamato sighed. "It's a shame. I was enjoying dueling in front of an audience."
Kimiko sneered. "The audience would have been obliterated soon enough. Even if you were a sarcastic little moron, you were still kind, once upon a time. What could make you so callous?"
He chuckled, looking away with his features strained. "I guess I gained a different perspective."
"What kind of perspective makes all those lives meaningless?"
He shook his head. "Everything returns to zero in the end, dear Kimi. You wouldn't understand."
"No, you're right. I can't understand the way you think, I don't even want to. Constellar Praesepe attacks Blaster!" The beast-warrior readied a glowing fist, charging towards the dragon.
"As I expected," said Yamato. "And next, you'll use an overlay unit to increase Praesepe's attack points, right?"
She said nothing as her monster punched through his, the light intensified by the absorption of an overlay unit (Praesepe ATK: 2400 - 3400). Blaster screamed and crumbled (Yamato: 3800 - 3200, Praesepe ATK: 3400 - 2400). "I set one card and end my turn."
Yamato held out his hand as his remaining dragon swirled into a stream, which flowed into his hand. "During my opponent's end phase, a special summoned Dragon Ruler returns to my hand." He drew his card, his teeth glinting. "First, I activate Super Rejuvenation! Now, you might think you managed to avoid Blaster's effect, but you'd be wrong! I discard the Blaster and Burner in my hand to destroy Constellar Praesepe!" An ethereal flame rose from the floor, consuming the beast-warrior and leaving nothing behind.
Kimiko clicked her tongue, screwing up her nose. "So what? With Constellar Tucanae's effect-"
"I know," said Yamato. "You can add a different Constellar monster to your hand."
"I choose Sombre." She showed it to him, nostrils flaring.
"Shame you won't get a chance to use it," he said. "By banishing Redox and Tempest from my graveyard, I special summon the Tidal in my hand!" Another stream took form as a dragon before him. "And with the effects of Redox and Tempest, I add Lightning and Reactan to my hand!" He took two cards from his deck.
Daitaro leaned back into his seat, stroking his chin. "I don't like this."
"It's fine," said Matsuda. "Whatever monster he brings out, Tucanae can return to his hand."
A rumble formed in Daitaro's throat. "I can barely hear what they're saying, but from what I understand, he knows how Miss Kimura's deck works. So wouldn't he know that?"
Kaneko stared at the duel. "But she knows that he knows. It's been that kind of game from the start. It's fascinating, in a way."
Daitaro huffed. "My head hurts just watching this."
Yamato grinned, watching the pile of rocks in front of him morph into a dragon. "Of course, when Reactan, Dragon Ruler of Pebbles summons him like this, papa Redox can't attack this turn. But that doesn't matter, since I'll be overlaying my two level seven Dragon Rulers!" He thrust his hand towards the ceiling, where a dark mass of stars and spirals had formed, drawing in the spirits of the dragons. "Say, dear Kimi, have you ever wondered?
"There are cards in our world that don't exist here, so this world must have cards that don't exist in ours, right?"
Kimiko scowled, running her tongue over her teeth. "What's your point, you venomous bastard?"
He inclined his head, his grin dropping to a twisted smile. "Magical crown of the lost dimension, strike your arsenal forth! Xyz summon!" A humanoid monster descended, chest barely covered by a vest and shoulder pads. Its cape flashed blue and silver in every fold of the fabric. The most curious detail, however, was the number imprinted on its visor. "Come forth, rank seven! Number 74: Master of Blades (Rk. 7, ATK: 2700)!"
"A Number?" exclaimed Kaneko.
"Explanations for the uninitiated, please," said Daitaro.
"A one-of-a-kind series from the dawn of Xyz. They were only ever distributed as prize cards, and on the dark web."
"Wonder who he killed to get his hands on that," said Matsuda.
Kimiko snorted. "Is that it? I banish Algiedi from my graveyard to activate the effect of Constellar Tucanae!" The monster's soul flew into the warrior's halberd, and it readied for a slash.
Yamato's laughter stabbed straight through her. "'Is that it?' I've been waiting for this: the effect of Master of Blades! When your card effect targets him, I can negate that effect, destroy that card, and another one besides it!" He wagged his finger. "And don't think I forget about Tucanae's protection, either; the effect of Master of Blades doesn't target!"
She gulped, watching as the psychic warrior danced away from Tucanae's slash, waving his hand and sending innumerable daggers whooshing from his cape. They skewered Tucanae, who groaned as he shattered, and tore her set card to shreds. She had been afraid of this; that he would get into her head. Bait her. Try as she might, she couldn't seem to help dancing to his tune.
"And now," said Yamato, "Master of Blades attacks you directly!"
A flurry of swords flew at her, and she had no chance to dodge. She didn't even have time to think before they ran her through, coughing and gasping as blood dripped from the holes which riddled her. The blades dissipated, and she collapsed in a heap (Kimiko: 4000 - 1300).
"Oh my," said Yamato. "Are you finished already?"
She scrabbled for a thought, heaving to fill her lungs with oxygen as her every nerve combusted. She thought of Shiroku. So sweet, gentle, and affectionate. She had loved him. She had loved them both. So no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't scrub the memory from her head.
The look of contentment as he died. And Yamato had pulled the trigger.
It had hurt. Why had he been so happy to leave her? Why had everyone decided to leave her? Why did she have to carry on alone?
But she wasn't alone anymore.
With a continuous growl, she hauled herself to a knee. "Yamato." Screaming, she dragged herself to her feet, blood pouring down her legs and pooling at her feet. "Have I ever been that weak?"
He cooed. "In that case, I end my turn, and draw four cards from the effect of Super Rejuvenation. It's your move, dear Kimi."
"I begin with the field spell, The Sanctuary in the Sky!" Clouds, blue skies, and the twittering of birds surrounded them. It smelled of ozone, like they'd really taken to the skies.
The space beneath their feet shimmered, forming into a smooth stone floor as pillars rose from the ground beside them. A palace had formed around them, vast and complex, and they were in its courtyard. Shiroku stomped down, sniffing deeply, his eyes closed and lips parted. "This isn't just hard light. The birds. The floor. The smell. This is real."
Kenta stared at him. "Indeed. I shall now activate the continuous spell, The Fountain in the Sky!" A great stone fountain appeared, floating above him on a chunk of earth, with statues of worshippers at each corner. "Next, I summon The Agent of Mystery - Earth." A flap of the fairy's wings sent feathers floating through the air (Lv. 2, ATK: 1000). "And when she is summoned into the Sanctuary, I can add Master Hyperion to my hand!"
Shiroku smirked. "Already with the ace monster, don't you know how to enjoy yourself?"
Kenta frowned. "Rest assured, if I were to try and enjoy myself, it would not be with you. When the Sanctuary is active, I may special summon The Agent of Entropy - Uranus from my hand!" A blue-haired man carrying a sinister sceptre materialised (Lv. 5, ATK: 2200). "And now, the spell card Lightwave Imbalance: I target a light-attribute tuner on my field, and make it a non-tuner. My choice is Uranus!" A soft glow enveloped the monster.
Looking down, Shiroku giggled. "A Synchro summon, huh?"
"Indeed," said Kenta, his monsters morphing into two green rings and five stars. "Holy dragon of the light, extend your brilliance. Synchro summon." Rings sheathed stars, an explosion of light giving form to a serpentine dragon. "Ancient Sacred Wyvern (Lv. 7, ATK: 2100)!"
Shiroku's giggle devolved, and he panted before he spoke. "Not only is your monster too weak, but any effects it has are useless! The effect of Nekroz of Unicore negates the effects of any monsters special summoned from the extra deck!"
"My goal wasn't to Synchro summon," said Kenta. "It was this. I banish Uranus to special summon Master Hyperion from my hand!" Kenta's ace monster took to the field, cradling a sun in its palms (Lv. 8, ATK: 2700). "And with his effect, by banishing Earth from my graveyard, I may destroy one of your cards." He pointed to the Ritual monster. "Naturally, my choice is Nekroz of Unicore."
Hyperion thrust his hands forward, shooting a torrent of nuclear fire at the armoured Nekroz. Shiroku's smile didn't falter. "By discarding Nekroz of Gungnir from my hand, Unicore can't be destroyed this turn!" Another armoured spirit shrouded Unicore, parting the flames.
Kenta's mouth twitched. "But you will still take battle damage. First, Ancient Sacred Wyvern attacks Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands!" The Wyvern wrapped its slender body around the abomination, squeezing as it cried out, until nothing was left (Shiroku: 4000 - 3300). "And next, Master Hyperion attacks Nekroz of Unicore!" The flames were once again parted by Gungnir's spirit, but they splashed back onto Shiroku, who winced and gasped as his skin sizzled (Shiroku: 3300 - 2900). "Turn end."
Shiroku cradled the tender spot on his cheek. "That hurt, you bastard. I draw, and I discard Nekroz of Clausolas from my hand to activate his effect! I can add a Nekroz spell card from my deck to my hand! I choose Nekroz Cycle, and activate it!" A woman with long red hair and billowing sleeves appeared, juggling lights above a hole in the ground. "As long as I have the correct requirements, this card can even Ritual summon a monster from my graveyard!
"And what's more, the effect of Shurit, Strategist of the Nekroz!" He flipped the card over to Kenta. "He can be used as the full tribute for a Nekroz Ritual monster!" Shurit's ethereal form jumped into the hole, and the lights began to take form, dressing around the woman. There was a flash, and she was wearing an icy, draconic armour. "Dancing princess of the mythical ritualists, don your legendary armour! Come forth, Nekroz of Gungnir (Lv. 7, ATK: 2500)!"
Kenta stared on as Shiroku dropped a card in his graveyard. "The effect of Gungnir: by discarding a Nekroz card, like my Exa, I can destroy a card you control!" He pointed, and she thrust forth her sceptre, a stream of ice barrelling at Kenta's field. "My choice will be Master Hyperion!" Frost consumed the body of the monster, freezing it solid before it shattered. "And now, Unicore will attack Ancient Sacred Wyvern!" The aged-down sorcerer drove his trident through the dragon.
"The protection of the Sanctuary means that I take no damage from battles involving fairy-type monsters." Kenta regarded his opponent's field, nose twitching. "And thanks to my Fountain, I can banish my destroyed light-attribute monster to gain its attack points as life points." Rather than shatter, the Wyvern lost its form, flowing into the Fountain. A burst of water sprayed over Kenta, dripping from his forehead even after it had ceased (Kenta: 4000 - 6100).
Shiroku narrowed his eyes. "How aren't your cards ruined?"
"Haven't you ever heard of sleeves?"
"Whatever. Gungnir attacks you directly!" The armoured Princess twirled her sceptre, a blizzard washing over Kenta.
He had to fight not to fall to his knees. The cold bit into him, leeching all of his warmth, and frosting over the remains of his prior shower. His bones rattled as he shivered. The wind dissipated, and Shiroku broke down laughing (Kenta: 6100 - 3600).
"You look… like… an ice sculpture!"
Kenta frowned, clenching his teeth to stop them from chattering. "Laugh while you can, Shiroku Yuki. Because once I'm done with you, you'll find there's not much left for you to laugh about."
Daitaro drummed his finger on the seat back in front of him. "Is she gonna be okay?"
"Have faith," said Matsuda. "She's still standing, right?"
"I don't know, man. Doesn't seem like she'll stay that way."
Kaneko sighed. "It's frustrating, but he's right. The only thing we can do to help right now is believe in her."
"First things first." The venom in Kimiko's tone was palpable. "To take care of that monster. I activate the quick-play spell card, Book of Moon!" The Book flipped itself open before her.
"It's useless!" said Yamato. "Master of Blades' effect! I negate your spell, and destroy both it and your Tenki!" A cluster of blades pierced Kimiko's cards.
She smirked. "That's what I was waiting for. I summon Constellar Pollux!" The warrior descended to the field (Lv. 4, ATK: 1700). "And with his effect, I can normal summon another Constellar monster, like Sombre!" A fairy with wings of light and ram's horns appeared (Lv. 4, ATK: 1550). "And by banishing Praesepe from my graveyard-"
"You can add a Constellar monster from your graveyard to your hand, and then normal summon another one this turn. Probably Kaus, right?"
She suppressed a snarl, slamming the card onto her disk. "It is Kaus, and with Sombre's effect, I summon him (Lv. 4, ATK: 1800)!"
"And now Kaus' effect, right?"
"Shut up! I increase Kaus and Pollux to level five, and create the overlay network! Knight of stars, complete the circuit of righteousness and descend now to defend all that is just! Xyz summon!" A warrior in white-and-gold armour presented arms, swinging its ornate weapon towards Yamato (Rk. 5, ATK: 2500). "Shine, rank five: Constellar Pleiades!"
Yamato shook his head, smirking. "I see. So that was your plan?"
Kimiko's mouth twisted. "That's right. Constellar Pleiades, return Master of Blades to his extra deck!" The monster slashed, an arc of light following the air pressure and bouncing the Number from the field.
"Oh my," said Yamato. "I'm wide open."
"This is the end, Yamato! If you want to repent, the time is now: first, Constellar Sombre attacks directly!" The fairy swooped, swinging its arms at Yamato. Finally, after all this time, she could have some catharsis. She would know that he understood the suffering he'd put her through. She could make him tell her everything.
"Too bad for you." Yamato threw a card into his graveyard, and a scarecrow with a metal cross for a body sprung up in front of him. Sombre bounced off and returned to her position. "By discarding Swift Scarecrow, I can negate your attack and end the battle phase!"
She ground her teeth, eyes wide and muscles primed to snap. She couldn't battle. She had no cards left in her hand. All she could do was hope she had enough to make it through Yamato's attack. "I end my turn."
He giggled as he drew, eying Kimiko like a cat would a laser dot. "And you won't get another one. I banish Reactan and Tidal from my graveyard to special summon Tempest from my hand!" A whirlwind sent their hair askew, forming once again into the dragon. "And with Tidal's effect, I can add Stream to my hand! Next, I summon Debris Dragon (Lv. 4, ATK: 1000)!"
Kimiko froze, her face lengthening as her eyebrows shot up her forehead. "No way…"
Yamato raised his arm, incisors flashing from his grin. "I tune the level seven Tempest with the level four Debris Dragon!" The tuner flashed, morphing into the familiar rings before surrounding Tempest, which became seven stars. "Rise from the core of the sun to devour all light! Synchro summon, level eleven!"
Kimiko could only stare, her mind taking her somewhere else. It had been a normal day in Nishihama, bright and sunny with the smell of flowers wafting through the air. They had been in the park, their usual haunt, grassy and bustling with kids and teenagers, the chittering song of swifts and robins meandering across the courtyard.
There was a painted duel field, upon which they were standing. Yamato was across from her, a bright grin colouring his face as he pumped his fist. "Just ninety-three more and we're even, dear Kimi."
She smirked. "I'll make it wider. That was the first time you beat me since you got used to Tucanae, after all. I've worked out that Synchro already."
Yamato held his new monster aloft. "It's true, this guy makes for a great ace."
"I see you're enjoying your present." They turned to see Shiroku approaching, wearing his usual casual shirt and slacks, his smile warm and subtle. He stopped at the edge of the field, frowning at Kimiko. "But I see you didn't use yours."
She sputtered. "It can't be helped if I don't draw the right cards, can it?"
Shiroku opened his mouth, but Yamato's laughter cut him off. They both looked at him, their eyebrows knit together, and smiled.
"What's so funny?" said Kimiko.
"You two. It's just so wholesome." He wiped his eye with his finger, before nodding to himself. "Alright, I've decided." He brandished the card again. "This guy will become the bond between the three of us. As long as I have this card, I'll know that even if you guys aren't there, you'll still be with me."
Warmth had blossomed in her chest, spreading through her limbs as her muscles had melted.
But now, shards of ice had replaced it. The only warmth was that spreading from the fire expanding in the depths of her gut. A radiant pillar overtook the monsters, tuning them into a gargantuan red dragon, coiled painfully around itself and still threatening to burst the walls. It roared at her (Lv. 11, ATK: 3200).
Daitaro stared at the monster, his chin on the floor. "Oi, oi, what the hell is that?"
"I don't know," said Kaneko.
Matsuda looked on, gripping his leg hard enough to hurt. She wouldn't let it end like this. She couldn't.
Yamato held his arms out wide, his grin primal and frenzied. "Descend now, Star Eater!"
She tried suppressing her scream, but part of it slipped through her teeth, her eyes bloodshot and hard. "Yamato!" Blood had begun to crust around her wounds, and the exertion cracked one open. She winced.
"That's right," he said, "one of the rarest and most powerful dragons in the world. I don't need to tell you what it does, do I? The important thing is this: you only have thirteen-hundred life-points, and the difference between Star Eater and Sombre's attack points is sixteen-hundred and fifty! In other words, this is the final blow: Star Eater attacks Constellar Sombre!" Yamato pointed at her, unable to contain his fidgeting.
"Before your battle phase," she said, "The effect of Constellar Pleiades!"
"It's useless! The quick-play spell, Dragon's Dogma! I negate your effect!"
She watched as the dragon inhaled, flexing its star-constricting body as a sun formed within its mouth, the flickering embers singing Constellar Sombre, and evaporating her sweat. Was this as far as she came?
After all this time, was she still not good enough for the answers?
ED2: Coldrain - The War is On
AN: And for the first time in its history, RC has a cliffhanger duel. Now, if you've been reading the 'verse in release order, you'll already know from The Golden League that Numbers are a thing. If not, surprise! Numbers are a thing. Also, in case you didn't notice, there's a crossover in this chapter. If you wanna rush to the first half for context, it's chapter 16 of Mark of Death. Credit ThatLoneAvenger for Mike, Yu-Gi-Oh! Mark of Death, Betaing both this and GL, and for even taking on this stupidly-scaled project with me. Next instalment will be soon, folks. Stay awesome.
Trivia Corner: Remember in chapter 8, when Matsuda tells Kenta how to spell his name? Anime Japanese, folks: that was complete bullshit. The proper spelling of Matsuda is with the kanji for 'pine tree (matsu)' and 'rice paddy (ta)'.
Light Imbalance
Normal Spell
Target 1 monster you control; apply 1 of the following effects to the target, depending on whether it is a tuner or non-tuner:
- Tuner: it becomes a non-tuner monster, until the end phase.
- Non-tuner: it becomes a tuner monster, until the end phase.
Dragon's Dogma
Quick-play Spell
When your opponent activates a card or effect that targets exactly 1 Dragon-type monster you control: negate that effect.