Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cole: 4000 LP
Tian: 4000 LP
"Oh I will bring it on, just wait," Tian exclaimed as he started his first turn, "I begin by Normal Summoning Netherfly – Luci the Guide." The monster that emerged from Tians card was a small firefly, its tail giving off a faint, blue light.
Netherfly – Luci the Guide: FIRE / Insect / Level 4 / 1650 ATK / 0 DEF
"I proceed to Set two card face-down, then I end my turn."
"Starting with such a turn, are you mocking me?" Cole asked, "I'll teach you how to play the game. I Normal Summon Deva Choir!" A female-looking monster with pale skin and a white gown appeared on his side of the field, giving off a smug look and showing off its razor sharp teeth.
Deva Choir: WIND / Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 0 ATK / 0 DEF
"If Deva Choir is Normal Summoned, I can discard two cards to add two more voices to it," he continued, sending Harmonic Tune and Extensive Surplus from his hand to the graveyard to have two more copies of that monster join him on the field.
Deva Choir: WIND / Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 0 ATK / 0 DEF (2x)
"Quite a way to fill up the field. I guess you are going to Xyz Summon next?" Tian mused, "why must you people always be so predictable.
Cole just scoffed at the remark, before doing exactly as his opponent had said.
"I overlay my two Level 4 Deva Choir!" he said as the monsters turned into green energy and spiraled into a galaxy-shaped portal that opened beneath him, "The morning star among the devious world of music! Xyz Summon! Rank 4, Downward Diva!" After the portal combusted, the monster that emerged was only vaguely humanoid. It had a white, human face, but the rest of its body was black and demonic in appearance, with huge bat-like wings attached to a quadrupedal body.
Downward Diva: DARK / Fairy-Type / Xyz / Rank 4 / 2000 ATK / 2000 DEF / 2 Xyz Materials
"Upon being Xyz Summoned, Downward Diva sends one random card from your hand to the Graveyard and thereafter, I can choose one card from your deck to add to your hand to replace it."
"Of course you're doing this with no ill intend," Tian mused, as a black appendage grew from the monsters body and pulled one of Tians remaining two cards into the Graveyard.
All the while Cole cycled through the options on his Duel Disk, scrolling through Tians deck. "I suppose I should give just another Effect Monster, not like you can use those for anything. Add Viceroy the Painting to your hand."
Tian did as commanded, before he spoke up: "Too bad your monster seems to have quite a stroke of bad luck. The card you just sent to my Graveyard was Underground Sun, which, upon being sent there by your card effect, will allow me to send two more FIRE monsters from my Deck to the grave. Begone, Dasher the Sonic and Cypho the Signal."
"Are you done?" Cole demanded to resume, "when a card is sent from your hand to the Graveyard, I can revive my Harmonic Tune from my Graveyard, even though it will be banished when it leaves the field." A small angel carrying a tuning fork appeared on his side of the field.
Harmonic Tune: LIGHT / Fairy-Type / Effect / Tuner / Level 3 / 800 ATK / 800 DEF
"Next up, I tune my Harmonic Tune with my remaining Deva Choir! Synchro Summon!" Cole yelled as his monsters turned into stars and flew off into the sky, "Let your sound cast fear into the hearts of the non-believers! Chime, Lady Prayer Bell!" Coles new monster was a large bell, with a female torso sitting on top of it, stylized to resemble a bride with bellowing dress and a veil shrouding its face. It sounded a both beautiful and unsettling chime.
Lady Prayer Bell: WIND / Fairy / Synchro / Effect / Level 7 / 2300 ATK / 2000 DEF
"I shall now move to my Battle Phase," Cole declared, barely wasting any time, "which in turn lets me activate the second effect of my Downward Diva."
One of the Xyz Materials cycling the beast was absorbed into its face, and it let out a horrible shriek.
Downward Diva: 2 Materials → 1 Material
"At the start of the Battle Phase, I can try my hand at guessing the name of a card in your hand. And if I guess right, I can destroy any monster you control. And I assume it is not too far-fetched to guess you have Netherfly – Viceroy the Painting in your hand."
With a shrug, Tian revealed the card, causing Luci to shatter into a thousand pieces.
"Generally," the man continued, "this would allow me to use the effect of my Netherfly, to Summon any other Netherfly from my Deck as a replacement. But instead, I'll activate my Trap Card Corrupted Guidance." One of Tians Trap Cards flared to live, calling upon ghostly blue flames to engulf his field, "upon activation, it overrides the effect of my destroyed Netherfly, instead allowing me to banish it into order to Ritual Summon a Netherfly Ritual Monster from my Deck instead. Arise my Sun, Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes!" The flames reformed and took the form of a butterfly with large blue wings, four large eyes on its wings that stared at Cole with unsettling stillness.
Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes: FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 4 / 2150 ATK / 0 DEF
Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes: 2150 ATK → 2450 ATK
"Just barely swooping by the loss," Cole mused, "but 150 ATK more is 150 ATK more. So I just Set one more card in my Main Phase 2 and end my turn right there."
"I'll draw my card now," Tian said, shortly before Cole interrupted him, "And I'll use the ample opportunity you're giving me to take out your monster. I activate my Trap Card High Note Calibrate! Upon activation, I choose one of your monsters and banish it until the End Phase, upon when it will be placed on top of your Deck."
"So you're getting rid of my monster and give me a dead draw next turn?" Tian summarized with a slight hint of praise, "not too bad, really not too bad."
With a high-pitched C, Saturn first started to vibrate and then shatter like glass, leaving Tians field empty save for second face-down card.
"You clearly never met me," Tian chuckled, "otherwise you would know that such moves are pointless. You may stall my victory, but never prevent it."
"Quit being so full of yourself," his opponent retorted, "you talk a good game, but so far you failed to deliver."
"Then I shall deliver," Tian continued, "from my hand, I activate my Continuous Spell Card Ritual of Guidance. Once per turn, this will allow me to perform a Ritual Summon using either one of two methods. For this one, I'll choose the second one, Summoning a Ritual Monster from my Grave by using a monster from my hand as the tribute."
"Too bad I have a say in this as well," Cole retorted, "I can use the effect of my Lady Prayer Bell to guess one of the cards in your hand and have you return it to your Deck in case I guess right. And I guess you still have Viceroy the Painting in your hand."
"As a matter of fact I have," Tian confirmed, before returning the card to his deck and drawing a new card, "but luckily, the card that I drew previously in my Draw Phase was Libelle the Dragon – another Level 4 monster I can use as tribute."
"Doesn't matter. Just make your move."
"Ritual Summon!" Tian yelled, "Become the guiding light that will lead this condemned soul! Level 4, Netherfly – Cypho the Signal!" A large blue firefly appeared on Tians field from a graveyard portal, its blue light blinking relentlessly, as if trying to send a message in morse code.
Netherfly – Cypho the Signal: FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 4 / 2050 ATK / 0 DEF
"Weak," Cole shrugged his opponent's new monster off, "what else to you got?"
"How about another Trap Card?" Tian offered, "I activate The Gentle Sun."
"The Gentle Sun? What are you gonna do, kill me with kindness?"
"Even while gentle, the Sun still carries tremendous power among itself. Once per turn, banishing a FIRE monster from my Graveyard will give it the ability grant one of my monsters a second attack and a 800 ATK boost in power. Which I shall put to use immediately, banishing Dasher the Sonic as the cost."
Tians Ritual Monster was enveloped by a radiant glow, almost like a corona as its ATK rose.
Netherfly – Cypho the Signal: 2050 ATK → 2850 ATK
"Incidentally, this act also triggers Cyphos very own effect as an Insect monster was just banished from my Graveyard. It allows me to destroy any one card on the field, and I have my sight on that beautiful bell of yours."
The fireflies light flared with intensity, burning away Lady Prayer Bell to a crisp.
"Now I will move to battle," he declared, "Cypho, attack Downward Diva and then directly immediately!"
The light further grew in intensity, to a point where Cole needed to shield his eyes, as his Life Points burned away mercilessly.
Cole: 4000 LP → 3150 LP → 300 LP
"This should do it for the moment," Tian talked to himself, while Coles eyes were still getting used to the absence of light after Cyphos attack subsided, "it's your turn."
As he said, his Saturn the Pair of Eyes returned to the top of his deck. "Ah, right in the nick of time. I can assure you, as soon as my Saturn takes the field again, I will burn you to the ground for good."
"You think you're winning, don't you?"
"I think that that is an understatement," Tian said, "I never lose. That would defy my purpose."
"And what is your purpose?" Cole inquired, trying to paddle some time until he could properly see his cards again.
"To do anything for my love," his opponent replied, "it doesn't matter what it is she wants, I shall provide it to her. It's the lone purpose of my existence."
"Sounds dreadful."
"It's love in its truest form. Pure and unrivaled."
"And what is it she wants?"
"A peaceful world. That's what I need the Crosspoint for. So that we can make it come true during the convergence."
"No idea what that's supposed to be."
"Interesting. You have all this power, yet you don't know what it is, where it comes from, or even how to use it. What a pathetic waste for the green Crosspoint. Strength, near invincibility, immunity to almost all pain and worry… and it was given to someone who has no idea of its higher purpose. Of the world it can bring when combined with the other five. Everlasting peace and bliss."
"Sounds like a very bad drug trip."
"Or the ultimate fate of mankind."
"Why are you even telling me this? Don't you fear I'll ruin your ultimate fate?"
"Because it doesn't matter. You will be dead by the time I pry the Crosspoint from your body. And even if you'd happen to survive, you couldn't do much without it."
"You still believe you're gonna win."
"Of course I do. Didn't you listen? I have to win. For our great purpose. A plan a thousand years in the making cannot fail because I decide to lose a game for the first time ever."
"It's not gonna be your decision, fucker," Cole snapped at him, and, with his eyes finally recovered, picked a card from his hand to play, "I activate my Spell Card Final Curtain Call. This one only works when my Life Points are less than yours. It will allow me to revive any Synchro or Xyz Monster from my grave that I want, and double its ATK."
A velvet curtain appeared right in front of Cole and when it opened, it revealed a graveyard portal from which Lady Prayer Bell reemerged onto the field.
Lady Prayer Bell: WIND / Fairy / Synchro / Effect / Level 7 / 2300 ATK / 2000 DEF
Lady Prayer Bell: 2300 ATK → 4600 ATK
"How's this for a final attempt? Lady Prayer Bell, annihilate Cypho the Beacon with your Music of Demise!" The Bell waited for too long to finally chime so it seemed almost eager to let out a powerful sound wave that blasted the firefly into pieces.
Tian: 4000 LP → 2250 LP
"Not too bad," Tian admitted, "but not quite enough. You see, when my Cypho is destroyed, I can return two of my banished Insects to my Graveyard. I choose to return Luci and Dasher."
"So your solution to winning is weakening the effect of your strongest monster? Sounds about right."
"I told you, when my sun hits the field you shall burn. It seems like you failed to prevent that."
"Oh I'll prevent that alright," Cole said, "the card that you will draw is Saturn the Pair of Eyes and as soon as you'll think of using it I'll use Lady Prayer Bell to return it to your deck. And then we'll see if you are as lucky again as you were last turn. Now, come on. Draw it. I'll end my turn."
"Oh wonder," Tian feigned surprise on the sight of the Ritual Monster he just drew, before he showed it to his opponent, "I actually drew Saturn."
"Of course you did. It was the top card of your deck all along."
"I think," Tian went on, "I will immediately use my Ritual of Guidance to Ritual Summon it, shouldn't I?"
"In chain to your Ritual Spells activation," Cole gloated, "I use Lady Prayer Bell to call out that you have Netherfly – Saturn the Pair of Eyes in your hand, forcing it to return it to your Deck and draw a new card!"
"I'm sorry, I don't have it."
"You…" Cole stuttered, "what? Don't try to play time here! I've seen you add it to your hand."
"You may have," Tian replied, as he revealed his hand, "but it… changed."
And with one sight at those cards, Coles heart stopped. His opponent held a Ritual Spell Card he didn't recognize and a Ritual Monster, which resembled his Saturn but… it was not the same monster. Didn't have the same name.
Confused, the man looked into Tians eyes, who, with an amused look, directed his gaze to the lantern sitting right in front of himself.
The lantern that no longer held any light.
"I banish both Cypho the Signal and Libelle the Dragon from my Graveyard!" Tian continued unfazed, "Ritual Summon, Level 8! Descend from your zenith and bring forth the devastating fire that will once scorch the entire land! Rise, my Netherfly – Saturn the Sun of Hell!"
A whirlpool of blue fire emerged from Tian Ritual Spell, engulfing the entire area, before finally forming into a monster. The actual body of the butterfly was big, but not giant, nothing compared to the wings. So large, they barely fit into the hall they were standing in, bending at the edges, made entirely out different shades of blue flames. Each of the four wings had a giant red eye on them, not just markings, actual demonic eyes, all narrowed in on Cole. It shined so bright that one couldn' t look at it for longer than a few seconds, before they had to avert their gaze.
Netherfly – Saturn the Sun of Hell: FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 8 / 3050 ATK / 0 DEF
"How did you do that?!" Cole screamed at the being that hurt him just by looking at it.
"So much wasted potential. You hold the green Crosspoint, one of the strongest of them all, yet you understand little to nothing about them. Even that foolish girl knows them better than you."
"Stop mocking me!"
"Crosspoints can be channeled. I never had the need to do so, so I kept mine in my lantern. But you eventually forced my hand, because I couldn't risk our plans on a gamble of luck. So be grateful. This might be the only time I will unleash the true power of the sun onto this land."
"That's cheating!"
"How about you file a report right after our game?" Tian chuckled, before he went on, "I activate the effect of Saturn! By banishing one Insect from my grave, I can reduce the ATK of all monsters you control until their ATK match my banished monsters DEF, and thereafter, Saturn will absorb all the ATK that was lost."
As Tian picked a card from his graveyard, Cole sank down on his knees, tears flowing from his reddened eyes.
"Luci the Guide, do me the favor and grant my opponent guidance to his untimely demise!" The giant butterfly unleashed a wave of heat, which weathered Lady Prayer Bells outer shell down, causing it to crack under the force.
Lady Prayer Bell: 4600 ATK → 0 ATK
Netherfly – Saturn the Sun of Hell: 3050 ATK → 7650 ATK
"You should be glad to be destroyed by this beast," Tian said, "if you were to survive, you could boast about being so close to the sun it etched its mark into your skin for eternity. Maybe your name will be as known as the man who flew too close to it in ancient times."
Cole, who had his eyes still fixated on the monster, ignored him and just exclaimed breathlessly: "This is true magic."
"Saturn, turn Lady Prayer Bell to ashes!" Tian declared his final attack, "Icarus Gazer!"
The butterfly didn't hesitate. With one swing of its wings, it launched a whirling blue firestorm onto Cole and his Synchro Monster, lighting the entire west wing of the asylum on fire as an afterthought.
Cole: 300 LP → 0 LP
Tian didn't bother to wait until the fire died down, or to see what became of his opponent, he simply extracted the green Crosspoint and as soon as the forcefield had wrapped back, he blinked away.
He had other things to do, and time was limited.
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".
Netherfly – Dasher the Sonic / FIRE / Insect / Level 4 / 1350 ATK / 0 DEF
Once per turn: You can banish 1 Insect-Type monster from your Graveyard; this turn, face-up Insect-Type monsters you control can attack your opponent directly, but if they do, any battle damage your opponent takes from those battles becomes 1050. 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 - Dasher the Sonic".
Harmonic Tune / LIGHT / Fairy-Type / Effect / Tuner / Level 3 / 800 ATK / 800 DEF
If your opponent adds a card from their deck to their hand, except during their Draw Phase: You can Special Summon this card (from your hand). If this card is in your GY and a card is sent from your opponents hand to the GY by a card effect: You can Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field. You can only use 1 "Harmonic Tune" effect per turn and only once that turn.
Deva Choir / WIND / Fiend-Type / Level 4 / 0 ATK / 0 DEF
Cannot be used as a material for a Fusion, Synchro or Xyz Summon, except for the Summon of a Fairy monster. If this is Normal or Special Summoned: You can discard up to 2 cards; Special Summon the same number of "Deva Choir" from your Deck in face-up Attack Position. You can only use this effect of "Deva Choir" once per turn.
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 – Libelle the Dragon / FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 4 / 2550 ATK / 0 DEF
You can Ritual Summon this card with any "Guidance" Ritual Spell Card. Face-up Insect-Type monsters you control cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects. 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.
Netherfly – Saturn the Sun of Hell / FIRE / Insect / Ritual / Level 8 / 3050 ATK / 0 DEF
Must be Ritual Summoned with any "Guidance" Ritual Spell Card, and cannot be Special Summoned by other ways. Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can banish 1 Insect monster from your GY; The ATK of all face-up monsters your opponent controls becomes equal to the banished monsters DEF, then, this card gains ATK equal to the total ATK lost by this effect until the End Phase. If an Insect monster is banished from your GY: You can activate this effect; This card is unaffected by your opponents card effects until the End Phase.
Lady Prayer Bell / WIND / Fairy-Type / Synchro / Effect / Level 7 / 2300 ATK / 2000 DEF
1 Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner WIND monsters
Once per turn, if your opponent adds a card to their hand, except during their Draw Phase: You can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower monster from your hand. Once per turn, during your opponents Main Phase (Quick Effect): You can declare a card name; If that card is in your opponents hand, shuffle all copies of it into the deck, then they draw 1 card.
Downward Diva / DARK / Fairy-Type / Xyz / Rank 4 / 2000 ATK / 2000 DEF
2 Level 4 Fiend monsters
If this card is Xyz Summoned: Your opponent discards 1 random card, and if they do, look at your opponents deck and choose 1 card with the same card type (Monster, Spell, Trap) to add to your opponents hand. At the start of your Battle Phase: You can declare 1 card name; Look at your opponents hand, and if they have the declared card, destroy 1 card your opponent controls. Otherwise, destroy this card. You can only use each effect of "Downward Diva" once per turn.
Underground Sun / Normal Spell Card
Discard 1 card; Send 1 FIRE monster from your deck to the GY. If this card is sent to the GY by your opponents card effect: Send 2 FIRE monsters from your deck to the GY.
Extensive Surplus / Normal Spell Card
Discard 1 random card from your opponents hand, then, your opponent adds any number of cards from their deck to their hand with the same card type (Monster, Spell, Trap) as the discarded card, but if they add more than 1 they must have the same name. You can only use 1 "Extensive Surplus" per turn.
Ritual of Guidance / Continuous Spell Card
(This card is also always treated as a Ritual Spell Card.)
This card can be used to Ritual Summon any "Netherfly" Ritual Monster. You can only use 1 of the following effects per turn and only once that turn.
● Tribute monsters from your hand or field, or banish monsters from your Graveyard, then Ritual Summon 1 "Netherfly" Ritual Monster from your hand whose Level exactly equals the total Levels
● Tribute monsters from your hand or field, then Ritual Summon 1 "Netherfly" Ritual Monster from your Graveyard whose Level exactly equals the total Levels of those monsters.
Final Curtain Call / Equip Spell Card
Target 1 Synchro or Xyz monster in your GY; Special Summon it and equip it with this card. Double the equipped monsters ATK. If your LP are higher than your opponent, destroy this card. If this card is removed from the field, banish the equipped monster.
Corrupted Guidance / Normal Trap Card
If the effect of your "Netherfly" monster is activated that would Special Summon a monster from the Deck: Negate that effect, then, Special Summon 1 Level 4 "Netherfly" Ritual Monster from your Deck (This Special Summon is treated as a Ritual Summon.)
The Gentle Sun / Continuous Trap Card
Once per turn: You can banish 1 FIRE monster from your GY and target 1 face-up FIRE monster you control; It gains 800 ATK, also, it can make a second attack during all Battle Phases this turn.
High Note Calibrate / Normal Trap Card
Target 1 monster your opponent controls; Banish it. During the End Phase, if it is still banished: Place it on the top of your opponents deck. If you control both a face-up Synchro and Xyz Monster, cards and effects cannot be activated in response to this cards effect.