Chapter Twenty-Four
It has been four days since Hatsuko told Yuito the truth about his assassination and he still couldn't believe she would do something like that. She seemed like such a nice girl, why would she consider having him killed?
Certainly, she justified with the fact that she was 'suspicious' of Yuito, and, while everything that happened to him the last weeks was weird enough on its own, it was far from a reason for murder.
He spent those last few days trying to adjust to the new situation. Jeanies safehouse was a nice environment to stay around. It was roomy, the fridge was loaded with nice stuff and the bed was comfy enough, although it felt strange for Yuito to not sleep next to Keiji.
He had visited his best friend every day since, with Jeanies driver taking him there whenever he wanted. He made a slow recovery, but he recovered. On the first day he was asleep for most of the time, probably due to the painkillers the doctors had given him against the burns, but started to be more active and talkative in the following days.
He told him the doctors would put him in skin surgery, replacing the burnt part of his skin. It was still likely he would have remaining scars, but they would be as dominant as those he had at the moment.
Daichi was also there, on the lookout for Keiji as per Jeanies orders. Yuito didn't quite know why that was necessary, at least he kept Keijis company and brightened his day, as Daichi would put it. He cheered up a little, although he still didn't know how his injuries had happened. All he remembered was the color orange and flames.
Yuito hasn't told Keiji about Hatsuko yet. He didn't know a lot about doctoring and stuff, but stress was usually bad for people in hospitals. And he really didn't want to bother him with anything concerning Crosspoints at the moment, as he wouldn't be released from the hospital before the convergence either.
And with the convergence over, this entire affair would just be done with. Hell, it was possibly not even taking place without him and considering how widespread the points were at this point, it was unlikely someone could collect them all in such a short time period.
So starting from Sunday, he could returned to his career as a Combat Duelist. He could try to reconcile with Hatsuko, if he decided to forgive her. He was tempted to – the Crosspoints were making everybody go crazy. But he wasn't entirely sure yet. After all, she had tried to have him killed.
Yuito spent the days in Jeanies safehouse mostly pondering life and watching TV, sometimes concurrently. The television was going crazy about the title duel that was gonna take place tomorrow and for him that was a pleasant distraction from all the crazy shit going down around him. On the light side, after the title duel was over, there would only be a few hours left before the convergence, which would then simply pass by.
Of course, those would be some rough hours if Jeanie really planned to overthrow the King, although she seemed confident enough when she told him about her plan. Maybe she was just as crazy as her brother, just the other way around.
"What a nice hideout you got here."
Yuito's head turned rapidly as he heard a voice speak behind him, but he already knew who it belonged to before he saw the man standing in the room behind him.
"Tian," Yuito noted, "I'd ask you how you got here, but I guess I know the answer."
"Of course you do, I told you," the man replied calmly, "I see you settled here for a bit?"
"Yes," he answered, "I need some closure. From the Crosspoints and well, everything else. It's just too much at the moment for me to handle."
"Do you need someone to talk about it?" Tian asked, taking a seat next to Yuito.
"Not really much to talk about, unless you can get Keiji out of the hospital," Yuito said, quickly adding, "Healthy and well, I mean. Don't just zap over there and throw him out of the window."
"I see you're learning how to word your wishes properly. Also, Keiji is your friend if I recall correctly? Why is he in a hospital to be exact?"
"He got attacked by someone. Or, at least, that's what we believe. And he was set on fire by that someone."
"That sounds awful. Who would do such a thing?"
"I actually have a suspect. Do you know a woman called Ava? Black hair, dressed all in black, raspy voice?"
Tian took a moment of consideration, before he answered: "There's something at the back of my head, but I cannot quite put a finger on it. Maybe I've seen her before. You think she is the culprit?"
"Yes, but she is a shapeshifter," Yuito answered, "so you might as well have seen her without actually seeing her."
"None of the Crosspoints provide that power," Tian replied, "I don't know what kind of sorcery she possesses."
"What powers do the other Crosspoints supply anyway? And don't come at me with the cryptic 'they make you stealthy'. You know perfectly well what they do in practice, and I'd like to know what I'll be dealing with."
"I already told you about the blue one, and you experienced the luck that the purple one offers," Tian started explaining, "the orange one can make your thoughts become reality. Its limits only lie in the unimaginable. The red one hides you from sight, able to become unseen in any environment. The green one increases your physical strength to a point where you can truly call yourself inhuman. The yellow one is the hardest to explain. Your mind expands to a point where you can find logic even in chaos, on planes higher than even the greatest genius in history."
"So I take it the purple one is really the weakest?"
"Depends on who you're asking, its either the weakest or one of the strongest," he continued, before smiling, "everybody usually puts blue in front, though."
"Teleportation versus crazy strength? Sounds like a battle for the ages."
"Speaking of which," Tian said, "when was the last time you dueled?"
"I don't know, probably when I fought Ever White."
"That's almost a week ago," Tian said, before standing up and pulling a Duel Disk out, "come on and play with me. I wouldn't want you to get out of practice."
"Is this why you came here in the first place? To take the purple Crosspoint from me, now that I won't comply with the convergence?"
"You decided not to?" Tian seemed surprised, "that's unfortunate, but it is your eventual choice and I employ you to think about it again. But to answer your question, no, I just want to know how good you're become since out last duel, in the back alleys."
"I don't know if I can take your word for that," Yuito reluctantly said.
"If this was a Contest of Champions, the forcefield keeping us in place would already appear," Tian explained, "trust me."
"Okay, then I don't see why we shouldn't," Yuito said as he readied his Duel Disk.
Tian: 4000 LP
Yuito: 4000 LP
"I think I will take the lead," Tian said, before taking a card from his hand, "I Normal Summon Netherfly – Luci the Guide!" The monster that appeared was a small firefly, its tail giving off a faint, blue light.
Netherfly – Luci the Guide / FIRE / Insect / Level 4 / 1650 ATK / 0 DEF
"Then I Set one more card face-down and end my turn."
"It's my turn, then," Yuito said before he drew his card, "I Normal Summon Stone Crypt Librarian." The monster that appeared in front of him was an old man in a tattered robe, clutching to a stone slab and wearing a blindfold over his eyes.
Stone Crypt Librarian: EARTH / Spellcaster / Level 4 / 1600 ATK / 1800 DEF
"When my Librarian is Normal Summoned, I can search my deck for any Scribestone card and add it to my hand. I choose my Unknown Scribestone, which I'll immediately activate," the Spell Card appeared on Yuitos side of the field as he continued, "it allows me to discard a Ritual Monster to take any monster you control and place it in my Spell/Trap Card Zone as a card that can be used as the entire Tribute for a Ritual Summon. So I discard my Runecross Guru and steal your Luci the Guide."
A large stone slap, cracked so its letters were unreadable, appeared behind Yuito, drawing the small Insect from Tians field into it, before the cracks reformed into an image of Luci.
"Next, I activate my Ephaphys Scribestone, using Luci on my field as the entire tribute to Ritual Summon my Runecross Guru from my Graveyard!" Another stele rose up behind him, which absorbed the first one, before a graveyard portal appeared in front of it.
"Ritual Summon! Traveller whose eyes have seen mysteries beyond human understanding, bring the calm that will win me this battle! Level 6, Runecross Guru!" A humanoid hooded figure floated out of the portal and settled above it in a meditative position. Ten round orbs floated around it, each engraved with a different glyph.
Runecross Guru: EARTH / Spellcaster / Ritual / Level 6 / 2100 ATK / 2500 DEF
"Also, upon resolving Ephaphys Scribestone, I can add a Ritual Monster with a lower Level than Guru from my deck to my hand. And I choose my Runecross Enchantress."
"May I interrupt you right there?" Tian said, as his face-down flipped up, "I activate Secluded Guidance. It allows me to tribute one monster you control in order to Ritual Summon a Netherfly monster with the same Level from my hand." A ring of blue flames appeared around Stone Crypt Librarian, before incinerating it.
"Ritual Summon!" Tian yelled as the flames conglomerated and reformed on his side of the field, "Gaze into the flames and guide us on the way of true light! Level 4, Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes!"
The flames morphed into the shape of a butterfly in all various shades of blue. It's eyes glowed in blue light, with the pattern on its wings resembling two more pairs of eyes staring relentlessly at Yuito.
Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes: FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 4 / 2150 ATK / 0 DEF
"You take my monsters, I take yours," Tian calmly said, "and my monster is stronger than yours."
"We'll see about that," Yuito replied, "I Set one card face-down and end my turn."
"Then I shall go again," his opponent said as he drew his card, "I activate my Spell Card Gold Sarcophagus. I can banish my Netherfly – Bluet the Damsel until my second Standby Phase after activation." A golden box appeared on Tians side of the field, in which he inserted a card from his deck.
"Of course," he continued, "this wasn't about getting the monster in two turns, but rather about this: Firstly, Saturn gains 300 ATK for each of banished Insects, secondly, whenever an Insect is banished, Saturn will decrease the ATK of all non-Insect monsters on the field by 500." The butterfly gave off small embers almost resembling spores, which burnt into Gurus skin and clothes.
Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes: 2150 ATK → 2450 ATK
Runecross Guru: 2100 ATK → 1600 ATK
"Now, Saturn, attack Runecross Guru with your Eyes of Fire!" The butterfly unleashed a wave of blue flames into the floating wizard, incinerating it.
Yuito: 4000 LP → 3575 LP
"So, you used your monsters effect to half the Battle Damage, interesting."
"It gets more interesting," Yuito said, "I activate my Capture Scribestone! Upon taking Battle Damage from a battle with your monster, I can place that monster in my Spell and Trap Zone. To quote you, you take my monsters, I take yours."
A stele rose up behind Yuito, sucking Saturn the Pair of Eyes into it before etching its image into the stone.
"From my hand I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card The Unconquered Sun! When one of my FIRE monsters is targeted by your card effect, I can Special Summon another FIRE monster from my hand ignoring its Summon conditions. I call upon you, Netherfly – Cypho the Signal!" A large firefly appeared on Tians field, its light blinking in bright blue light as if sending a message in Morse code.
Netherfly – Cypho the Signal / FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 4 / 2050 ATK / 0 DEF
"And mind you, it is still my Battle Phase. Cypho, attack Yuito directly!"
The monsters light flared up until it was so intense Yuito had to shield his eyes, while his Life Points fell dangerously low.
Yuito: 3575 LP → 1525 LP
"And with that, I will simply end my turn," Tian concluded.
"Then I'm at the helm again," Yuito yelled as he drew, "I immediately activate my Ritual Spell Card Rosetta Scribestone!"
A second stele rose up behind Yuito, next to the one with Saturn engraved to it. "I use Saturn the Pair of Eyes as the entire tribute! Ritual Summon! Cast your spells of old to unravel the veil of darkness that still envelops mystery! Runecross Enchantress!"
The stele cracked with arcane energy as a female figure stepped out of the stele, a hood over her head obscuring her face aside from her glowing eyes. Draped in flowing gown, as she snapped her thin fingers various letters started to appear dancing around her in circles.
Runecross Enchantress: EARTH / Spellcaster / Ritual / Effect / Level 5 / 1500 ATK / 2300 DEF
"Once per turn, my Enchantress allows me to equip one of your monsters to itself, and having it gain ATK equal to half that monsters ATK." The letters swirling around the monster started to form a portal, which drew Cypho the Signal into it, before they reformed into insect wings on the Enchantresses back.
Runecross Enchantress: 1500 ATK → 2525 ATK
"How'd you like that?"
"Interesting indeed," Tian answered, "Let's see what you're gonna do with those points."
"Attack, for starters," Yuito continued, "Enchantress, attack Tian directly!" The monster moved its arms, as the letters around it darted towards Tian.
Tian: 4000 LP → 1475 LP
"Impressive," the man with the lantern said, "it won't help you in the long run though."
"Speak for yourself," Yuito replied, "one more turn and I got you."
"You're not getting that turn," Tian calmly said as he drew, "I activate The Heretics Sun."
"The Heretics Sun?"
"Back in the olden days, when people were foolish and ignorant, people made their idols to resemble their actual gods. Beings of fire turned into the sun. The Heretics Sun allows me to revive a FIRE monster and then equip it with it. I call upon you, my false god: Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes!" The butterfly with the blue fire wings appeared on Tians field in a flurry of red flame.
Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes: FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 4 / 2150 ATK / 0 DEF
"Since there is one banished Insect monster, Saturns attack will rise by 300."
Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes: 2150 ATK → 2450 ATK
"That small boost doesn't put it above Enchantress yet," Yuito summarized, "you need a bit more ATK if you want that to work."
"Attack points are meaningless to Saturn at this point," Tian explained, "The Heretics Sun allows me to banish a FIRE monster from my Graveyard in order to add its Attack Points to Saturns. And that in turn will trigger both effects of Saturn, both increasing its own attack and decreasing those of all the other monsters on the field."
The red flurry of flames returned, mashing with Saturns blue to create a nice contrast in color that illuminated the entire room.
"I choose to banish Luci the Guide, which has 1650 ATK."
Saturn the Pair of Eyes: 2450 ATK → 3100 ATK → 3400 ATK
Runecross Enchantress: 2525 ATK → 2025 ATK
"This is still not quite enough for a kill shot. Either Summon another monster or give me another turn," Yuito said, but Tian quickly shut him up.
"I'll just do neither," he said, "because The Heretics Sun has yet another effect. At any point during my turn, it can destroy all monsters with less attack then my demigod."
The flurry of red and blue flames turned into a whirlpool of fire, that consumed Yuitos Ritual Monster and left him completely defenseless.
"And this is where you are losing," Tian continued, "Saturn, attack Yuito directly! Sunlight Gazer!" The eyes on Saturns wings flared with intensity, before the fire surrounding it swirled up into a storm that engulfed Yuito.
Yuito: 1525 LP → 0 LP
"Wow," Yuito said, "that was something alright."
"You certainly improved since our last meeting," Tian praised his opponent, "I really had to go all out on you for once. Losing is not your fault. You cannot defeat the power of the sun."
"Is your Crosspoint channeled in it?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Heretics Sun. Or, Saturn for that matter. Did you channel your Crosspoint into it?" Yuito asked curiously. He knew how much power the Crosspoint had given to his wizard, so it seemed only consequential that Tian would use that power to make his monsters stronger, given how much he had known about it.
"My Crosspoint isn't channeled in anything," he replied before picking up his lantern, "its in here."
"But why?" Yuito asked, "why not channel it into a card and make your deck stronger?"
"You lost to me twice now," Tian explained, "you think I need to make it even stronger? Besides, it's always in my reach, should the need to channel it into a card arise."
"Can you do that?"
"You have no idea what you can do with a proper connection to the points."
"Like what, for instance?"
"Bringing inanimate object to live by channeling them, for example. Creating forcefields by your own will. There's plenty of ways. If we had more time with the Crosspoints than two more days, then I'd be happy to teach you."
"I'm not sure if I'd want that," Yuito said, "but thanks for the offer anyways."
"Well, I wish you good luck in your future endeavors, should you decide not to partake in the convergence, given that we might not see each other again," Tian said slightly reluctantly.
"I will not. I take this is a goodbye then?"
"Indeed it is," Tian replied, "is there anything else that you'd like to ask me? About the Crosspoints, the convergence, your father?"
"Back when we first met," Yuito mused, "you told me Tian was not your real name."
"That is indeed true."
"Well, what is your real name?" Yuito asked.
"My real name? That's an odd question to ask," Tian chuckled, "my real name is Oru."
"Oru? Never heard a name like that before."
"It is old. Ancient even. Hence why I don't tell it to everybody."
"I like it though," Yuito replied, "I think it suits you."
Tian smiled at the remark, and Yuito continued: "I also wish you good luck wherever life might take you Oru. Even if you cannot teleport there anymore."
"Better make use of it while I still can, shouldn't I?" With those words, Tians lantern flared in blue light once more and just like that, he disappeared from the room.
Oddly enough, Tians appearance and his duel actually calmed Yuito, if only slightly. Maybe he wouldn't have to be involved in the Crosspoints. Maybe they would just disappear Sunday morning and the world would be normal again.
Maybe Yuito could finally focus on the event of the year that would be taking place tomorrow. Eivins and Jeanies title duel.
Author-made cards:
Netherfly – Luci the Guide / FIRE / Insect / Level 4 / 1650 ATK / 0 DEF
Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can banish 1 Insect-Type monster from your Graveyard; all face-up Insect-Type Monsters gain 500 ATK until your opponent's next End Phase. If this card is destroyed by your opponent's card (either by battle or by a card effect): Special Summon 1 "Netherfly" monster from your Deck, except "Netherfly - Luci the Guide".
Stone Crypt Librarian / EARTH / Spellcaster / Level 4 / 1600 ATK / 1800 DEF
If this card is Normal or Special Summoned: You can add 1 "Scribestone" Spell/Trap from your Deck to your hand. [...]
Netherfly – Cypho the Signal / FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 4 / 2050 ATK / 0 DEF
You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Guidance" Ritual Spell Card. Once per turn, during either player's turn, if an Insect-Type monster in your Graveyard is banished: You can target 1 card your opponent controls; destroy it. If this card is destroyed by your opponent's card (either by battle or by a card effect): You can target 2 of your banished Insect-Type monsters; return them to your Graveyard.
Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes / FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 4 / 2150 ATK / 0 DEF
You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Guidance" Ritual Spell Card. This card gains 300 ATK for each of your banished Insect-Type monsters. If an Insect-Type monster is banished: All face-up non-Insect-Type monsters on the field lose 500 ATK. If this card is destroyed by your opponent's card (either by battle or by a card effect): You can target 2 of your banished Insect-Type monsters; return them to your Graveyard.
Runecross Guru / EARTH / Spellcaster-Type / Ritual / Level 6 / 2100 ATK / 2500 DEF
You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Scribestone" Ritual Spell Card. If a monster your opponent controls is destroyed: Inflict 500 Damage to your opponent. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can target 1 face-up monster; Apply one of the following effects depending on its controller. ● You: Halve all Battle Damage you take from battles involving it. ● Your opponent: Double all Battle Damage your opponent takes from battles involving it.
Runecross Enchantress / EARTH / Spellcaster / Ritual / Effect / Level 5 / 1500 ATK / 2300 DEF
You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Scribestone" Ritual Spell Card. Cannot be targeted by card effects. Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; Equip it to this card. This card gains ATK equal to half the combined ATK of the monsters equipped to this card. If this card is in your GY after it was sent there from the field: You can discard 1 card; Equip this card to 1 face-up monster your opponent controls. The equipped monsters ATK becomes 0 and its effects are negated.
Broken Scribestone / Normal Spell Card
Discard 1 Ritual Monster and target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; Place it face-up in your Spell/Trap Zone as a Continuous Spell Card with the following effect: ● If you would Ritual Summon (exactly) 1 Ritual Monster with a card effect that requires use of monsters, you can tribute this card as the entire requirement.
Rosetta Scribestone / Ritual Spell Card
You can use this card to Ritual Summon any "Runecross" Ritual Monsters. You must also tribute monsters from your hand or side of the field whose combined Level(s) equal or exceed the Level of the monster you are attempting to Ritual Summon. If this card is in your GY: You can banish 2 EARTH Monsters from your GY; Special Summon 1 EARTH Ritual Monster from your hand, but it cannot attack during this turn. (This Special Summon is treated as a Ritual Summon.) You can only use this effect of "Rosetta Scribestone" once per duel.
Ephaphys Scribestone / Ritual Spell Card
You can use this card to Ritual Summon any "Runecross" Ritual Monsters from your hand or GY. You must also tribute monsters from your hand or side of the field whose combined Level(s) equal or exceed the Level of the monster you are attempting to Ritual Summon, then, you can add 1 Ritual Monster from your deck to your hand with a Level less than the Summoned monster.
The Unconquered Sun / Quick-Play Spell Card
If a FIRE monster you control is targeted by your opponent's card effect: You can Special Summon 1 FIRE monster with the same level as the target from your hand, ignoring its Summoning Conditions. It is unaffected by your opponents card effects until the End Phase. You can only activate 1 "The Unconquered Sun" per turn.
The Heretics Sun / Equip Spell Card
Target 1 FIRE monster in your GY; Special Summon it and if you do, equip it with this card. You can target 1 FIRE monster in your GY; Banish it and if you do, the equipped monster gains ATK equal to the banished monsters ATK. During your turn: You can destroy all face-up non-FIRE monsters with ATK less than the equipped monsters ATK. You can only use each effect of "The Heretics Sun" once per turn.
Secluded Guidance / Normal Trap Card
During your opponents Main Phase: You can target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls; Ritual Summon, from your hand, 1 "Netherfly" Ritual Monster with a Level equal to the targets Level by tributing the target. During the End Phase of that turn, if you do not control a Ritual Monster: Take 2000 damage.
Capture Scribestone / Normal Trap Card
If you take Battle Damage from a battle involving an opponents attacking monster: You can target that monster; Place it face-up in your Spell/Trap Card Zone as a Continuous Spell card with the following effect and if you do, neither player takes any Battle Damage until the End Phase: ● If you would Ritual Summon (exactly) 1 Ritual Monster with a card effect that requires use of monsters, you can tribute this card as the entire requirement.