I don't own ARC-V, but I DO own this story! Enjoy!
"Aren, I want you and Shark to go out together today." said Shay.
"When you say go out, you don't mean-" started Aren.
"He means out on scout detail, bird brain." huffed Shark in annoyance. "He doesn't mean go out like on a date."
"I knew that." responded Aren plainly. "I'm just trying to defuse the tension in here. Seriously, what's with all the doom and gloom in here? Normally it's only Yuto but not all of you!"
"What's that supposed to mean Aren?" questioned Yuto angrily.
"He means that you don't really show your positive side much Yuto." said Rio, yawning.
"Can we get back on topic, please?!" yelled Shay. The eldest Obsidian sighed in exasperation before clasping his hands together. "Shark and Aren, you take the pier area on the opposite side of the city. Yuto, I want you on building tops looking for any LID goons that we could jump. Rio and I will find some more food and water for us, we're starting to run low."
"We've been here for only a few days and we've already nearly exhausted the food and water we had?" remarked Aren, the War Eagle cocking his head to the side.
"Alright Rio fess up." said Shark, turning to his younger twin sister. "Have you been pigging out while the four men have been working?"
BAM!
"That's for calling me a pig, big brother." said Rio hotly, cracking the knuckles on her right fist, which she had just used to slug her older brother in the jaw. The Kastle brother picked himself off of the ground, groaning while doing so.
"Point taken…" murmured Shark. "But if turns out that I'm right, you'll get the same punch to the face."
"If you hit a girl, namely me, I will drop you!" retaliated Rio, putting her fist beneath her brother's chin.
"Okay, okay." grumbled Shark. "I'll meet you outside Aren, okay?"
"Sure, be out soon." replied the War Eagle, watching the Kastle male climb out of their bunker hideout.
"Hey Aren." whispered Rio, motioning the Obsidian middle child to come over to her. After Aren positioned his ear next to Rio's face, she continued on. "I watched Yuya Sakaki duel yesterday and I saw his Odd Eyes. Both it and Dark Rebellion are DARK-attribute Dragon-type Monsters with 2500 attack points and 2000 defense points. While I did not learn about Odd Eyes' ability, if it does share a connection with Dark Rebellion, it probably has something that activates while there is a level 5 or higher Monster on his opponent's field. uI learned something else about that you should probably know."
"What did you find out?" asked Aren curiously.
"During his duel, Yuya activated what he called a 'Pendulum ability.' It looks like Pendulum Monsters have abilities that can only be activated while they are set in Yuya's Pendulum Zones. So Yuya's Odd Eyes may have even more hidden power to it." explained Rio quietly, recalling the details of her surveillance operation yesterday.
"Okay...so they have the same attack and defense, the same attribute, the same type, and possibly the same activation conditions for their abilities to activate." surmised Aren. "Okay, thanks for looking into it Rio. Keep this a secret from the others, okay?"
"Okay then, but now you DO owe me, okay?" mouthed Rio sternly.
"Yes, and this time I won't argue with you about it." whispered Aren teasingly, exiting the base.
[Later that Day]
"I said it before and I'll say it again, everything is just surreal." said Shark. Aren turned to the Kastle brother with curiosity expressed on his face. "We've been fighting for so long that I've forgotten what the sun looks like, what it's like to not have the sky covered with haze and smoke, what it's like to not worry about surviving until the next day, and most of all what it's like to see a true smile."
"Yeah...I agree completely." said Aren.
"Shark's wiser than we all give him credit for." said Soarnight Sniper, appearing next to Aren. The ace of the War Eagle was currently filling his sniper rifle with new bullets. "The fighting has affected everyone in ways that are not very good, but Shark seems to mostly the same as he was before the invasion."
'That's because Shark has always been wise.' thought back Aren, studying the Kastle male with an inquisitive expression. 'Even if he's always had an attitude problem and is stuck up as a swine, he's loyal like no one else in the Resistance, and unlike Shay and I, he's able to protect his sister from harm…'
"Hey…" said Shark, narrowing his eyes at something in the distance. Aren followed the Kastle's line of sight, before widening his eyes in shock. None other than the pink-haired Lulu-lookalike was standing with a small light-blue haired boy in blue outside of a warehouse. "Is...is that Lulu?!"
'Crap!' shouted Aren internally.
'Someone's in trouble now.' warned Soarnight Sniper.
"Aren are you seeing this?!" said Shark in shock. Aren grabbed Shark and pulled him into an alleyway, putting his hand over the Kastle brother's mouth. Shark wrenched himself out of Aren's grip and stared at the War Eagle with a look of confusion mixed with anger. "What are you doing Aren?! That's Lulu over there!"
"No it's not!" shouted Aren, taking Shark by surprise. The Kastle male pondered the War Eagle with a strange expression on his face: one of mixed anger and bewilderment.
"What are you not telling me, Aren?" asked Shark slowly, his voice rising.
"You can't tell Shay about what you saw, okay? This has to stay between the two of us and Yuto." said Aren hurriedly.
"Oh, so you're keeping secrets now are you?!" said Shark hotly. "We're on the same side Aren! We are in a war, and the last thing you should be doing is keeping secrets from everyone else!"
"Shark calm down!" said Aren quietly, trying to hush his friend.
"No, I will not calm down!" stated Shark angrily, pulling out his Duel Disk, and subsequently activating its purple blade. "You and I are dueling right now and after I beat you, you're going to tell me everything that you've been hiding from the rest of us! Got that?!"
"He's not going to take no for an answer, you know that more than anyone else." said Soarnight, appearing next to his duelist. Aren groaned in annoyance at his partner, before activating his mechanical arm's silver wing-shaped blade.
"Fine, I accept your challenge Shark." said Aren. "But only because I know that you won't take no for an answer!"
"LET'S DUEL!" shouted both Xyz Dimension residents.
SHARK LP: 4000
AREN LP: 4000
"The first move is mine Aren!" said Shark, looking at the five cards in his hand. "Since there are no monsters out on my field, I can Special Summon Saber Shark from my hand!" A shark-like monster with a giant sword-like appendage on its forehead appeared in front of the Kastle brother. (LV. 4; ATK: 1600, DEF: 1200; WATER) "And with a WATER-monster now on my field, I can call out Silent Angler!" A puffer-fish like monster with a glowing antenna appeared next to Saber Shark. (LV. 4; ATK: 800, DEF: 1400; WATER)
"Shark's signature starting move at full effect.." muttered Aren, taking notice of his friend's familiar first-turn strategy.
"Next I activate the Spell Card Tidal Phoenn!" said Shark, activating a third card from his hand. "This lets me draw a card if I summon a WATER-attribute Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck, so prepare yourself, 'cause I'm raring to go right from the start!"
"Two Level 4 Monsters...here it comes…" muttered Aren, bracing himself.
"I overlay my Level 4 Saber Shark and Silent Angler in order to build the Overlay Network!" shouted Shark, raising his hand. His three monsters transformed into three streams of blue light, which dove into the Overlay Network portal, which released its own stream of blue light into the air. "Howl through the earth, beast of the seas! Rise from the trenches and bring terror to our foes! I Xyz Summon Bahamut Shark!" Shark's ace monster: a blue and white bipedal dragon-like shark with four wing-fins appeared on the field, growling at Aren. (RANK 4; ATK: 2600, DEF: 2100; ORU: 2; WATER)
"You've arrived, Bahamut Shark…" said Aren, eyeing the Xyz Monster with a glare of his own.
"Tidal Phoenn now allows me to draw another card since I brought out Bahamut Shark!" said Shark, drawing a card from his deck and adding it to the two in his hand. "Now I activate Bahamut Shark's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I can summon a Rank 3 or lower WATER-attribute Xyz Monster from my Extra Deck out onto my field, so long as I prevent Bahamut Shark from attacking this turn!"
"But since you can't attack if you go first, you're not giving up anything…" said Aren.
"That's right! Now go Bahamut Shark!" said Shark, pointing at his ace. One of Bahamut Shark's blue Overlay Units shot into Shark's Extra Deck, which glowed with a blue light. (Bahamut Shark ORU: 2 - 1) "From my Extra Deck I call forth Endless Nightmare Shark!" Appearing next to Bahamut Shark was a shark/bat hybrid-like monstrosity with no eyes, whose arms were long scythes, and had two long wings that stretched for 10 feet on either side of its body. (RANK 3; ATK: 2000, DEF: 2000; ORU: 0; WATER)
"That's the monster you found when you went deep-sea diving." commented Aren, eyeing the creepy monster on the Kastle brother's field.
"Tidal Phoenn now lets me draw another card!" said Shark, drawing yet another card. "Now I activate the effect of Deep Sweeper in my hand! Since Endless Nightmare Shark has no Overlay Units, I can attach this card as an Overlay Unit to it straight from my hand, even if Deep Sweeper's level number and Endless Nightmare Shark's rank number aren't the same!" Deep Sweeper's (LV. 4; ATK: 1200, DEF: 1400; WATER) card transformed into a blue orb, which began cycling around Endless Nightmare Shark. "And on the turn Endless Nightmare Shark is summoned, I can attach a Level 3 WATER-attribute Monster from my hand to it as an Overlay Unit! So Big Jaws, go help your friend!" Big Jaws (LV. 3; ATK: 1800, DEF: 300; WATER), like Deep Sweeper, turned into a blue orb that began circling around Endless Nightmare Shark. (Endless Nightmare Shark ORU: 0 - 2)
"Good move alright. Since it was Special Summoned rather than Xyz Summoned, Endless Nightmare Shark had no Overlay Units." said Aren, piecing together Shark's moves. "But by using Deep Sweeper and Big Jaws, Endless Nightmare Shark now has two Overlay Units."
"Now I activate the Spell, Chain Summon!" said Shark, activating one of the two remaining cards in his hand. "Since I have now successfully summoned successive Xyz Monsters, I can Special Summon an Xyz Monster whose Rank is 1 lower than the Endless Nightmare Shark's! So from my Extra Deck come forth in Defense Mode, Tiny Cat Shark!" In between Shark's two massive Xyz Monsters appeared a tiny aquamarine kitten with a shark tail. The kitten meowed cutely, rubbing its head with a paw before giving Aren watery eyes. (RANK 2; ATK: 500, DEF: 500; ORU: 0; WATER)
"OH MY GOSH THAT IS THE CUTEST LITTLE THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!" gushed Aren, running over to the little cat. He began rubbing its head with his non-mechanical arm, watching it purr with delight as it stretched out its body.
"Aren!" shouted Shark in utter disbelief. "What are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?!" retorted Aren. "I'm fulfilling every Internet cat meme there is by offering it a cheeseburger!"
"What are you even saying?!" said Shark, sweat-dropping in exasperation. "Ugh...I end my turn with a facedown. It's your move now. If you would kindly stop petting my cat and begin dueling!"
"Huh?" said Aren, staring at Shark. "Oh right! We're dueling! My turn, I draw!" Aren drew a card, looking at it and then the five in his hand, a plan formulating in his head.
"Before you start, I activate the Continuous Trap Overlay Award!" said Shark, his facedown card flipping up. "Now every turn, I can give an Overlay Unit to any Xyz Monster on either field! So I'll give this first one to Tiny Cat Shark!' Overlay Award spat out a blue orb, which began circling around Shark's utterly adorable kitten.
"I summon out to the field Enigma Eagle - Silent Jayhawk!" A tiny bipedal eagle with a jayhawk's wings appeared in front of Aren, brandishing a boot knife. (LV. 2; ATK: 600, DEF: 200; WIND) "When this little guy is successfully summoned, I can Special Summon one Level 4 or below Winged-Beast Monster from my Deck, except for Silent Jayhawk. So from my Deck I'm calling out Enigma Eagle - Bullet Blader!" Aren's sword-gun wielding eagle appeared next to SIlent Jayhawk. (LV. 4; ATK: 1600, DEF: 1200; WIND)
"Just like you to summon birds every turn Aren." taunted Shark.
"I'm not done! I activate the Spell Card Upshift!" said Aren. "Thanks to this card which Kite gave me as a birthday present so many years ago, the levels of all monsters on my field become the same as the one with the highest level on my field! So Silent Jayhawk joins Bullet Blader in the Level 4 club!" (Silent Jayhawk LV. 2 - 4)
'He now has two Level 4 Monsters as well.' thought Shark.
"I Overlay Level 4 Silent Jayhawk and Bullet Blader in order to build the Overlay Network!" Aren's two monsters transformed into green lights, which went into the Overlay Network portal, which released a blast of blue light into the sky. "Grand and noble guardian spirit of the sky! Descend upon this battlefield and strike down those who oppress us! I Xyz Summon!" Aren's slammed a black-bordered card on his silver disk blade. "Arise! Enigma Eagle - Sky Kunai!" An eagle wearing a wolf-shaped war helmet and transparent metallic armor, wielding a kunai sword flew out of the blue pillar of light and onto the field in front of Aren. (RANK 4; ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000; ORU: 2; WIND)
"Now we're getting serious!" said Shark, bracing himself.
"I activate the effect of the Xyz Material Bullet Blader! Now Sky Kunai can deal piercing damage against a defense position monster! Sky Kunai's ability now activates!" said Aren. "By removing one Overlay Unit, he can attack every Special Summoned Monster on your field twice each! Even if this ability prevents them from being destroyed by battle, I can manage by dealing you damage!"
"But Sky Kunai has fewer attack points than Bahamut Shark! You won't be dealing any damage to me, but definitely some to yourself when you attack him!" retorted Shark.
"I activate the Continuous Spell, Windblight Extreme!" said Aren, playing one of the three cards remaining in his hand. "Now each time Sky Kunai declares an attack on one of your Monsters, it gains 200 attack points! Since it can attack all three of you Monsters twice each, that's six times it will gain 200 attack points!"
"That's a little overpowered, isn't it?" questioned Shark.
"Screw overpowered, I'm half metal!" said Aren, pointing a finger at his comrade. "Time to dance Shark! Sky Kunai, attack that adorable Tiny Cat Shark! At attack declaration, Windblight Extreme gives my monster 200 more attack points! Now strike that little guy...but gently please!" (Sky Kunai ATK: 2500 - 2700) Sky Kunai's saber glowed white, as he charged over to the smallest of Shark's three Xyz Monsters.
"Not so fast! I activate Tiny Cat Shark's special ability! By using an Overlay Unit, all Rank 4 or lower WATER-attribute Xyz Monsters on my field have their attack and defense points doubled until the end of the turn!" said Shark, one of his cat-shark's Overlay Unit's disappearing. (Tiny Cat Shark ORU: 1 - 0) All three of Shark's monsters gained a blueish-white aura, giving them each more strength.
(Tiny Cat Shark ATK: 500 - 1000, DEF: 500 - 1000)
(Endless Nightmare Shark ATK: 2000 - 4000, DEF: 2000 - 4000)
(Bahamut Shark ATK: 2600 - 5200, DEF: 2100 - 4200)
"Are you kidding me?!" exclaimed the middle Obsidian in shock. "They're all supercharged now! But I've got a countermeasure! I activate the Quick-Play Spell, Beak Truncation!" A Spell depicting a parrot pecking a field of monster's activated in front of Aren. "When the attack points of my opponent's monsters are altered by a card effect while I have an Xyz Monster on my field, I can decrease each of their attack points by 500 for each monster on your field! However, any battle damage you take this turn will be halved!" Three lights shot from the War Eagle's Spell, weakening each of the Kastle male's monsters.
(Tiny Cat Shark ATK: 1000 - 0)
(Endless Nightmare Shark ATK: 4000 - 2500)
(Bahamut Shark ATK: 5200 - 3700)
"That doesn't matter much! Even if you lowered its attack power, Tiny Cat Shark is in defense mode, so your piercing damage doesn't increase at all, plus Bahamut Shark will still be stronger than Sky Kunai when it attacks him!" taunted Shark.
"Continue your attack on Tiny Cat Shark, Sky Kunai! Aerial Ascension Cut!" said Aren. Sky Kunai slashed Tiny Cat Shark, causing it to hiss in pain.
SHARK LP: 4000 - 3150
"Once more Sky Kunai, attack Tiny Cat Shark! Aerial Ascension Cut!" continued Aren, watching his monster slash Shark's monster for a second time, but not being destroyed. "Don't forget, since Sky Kunai gains 200 attack points each time it attacks, you'll take more damage this time!" (Sky Kunai ATK: 2700 - 2900)
SHARK LP: 3150 - 2200
"Now set your sword upon Endless Nightmare Shark! And Sky Kunai gains 200 more attack points!" Aren said, pointing at Shark's second Xyz Monster. (Sky Kunai ATK: 2900 - 3100) "Attack with Vilhelm Saber!" Sky Kunai threw his sword at Endless Nightmare Shark, the blade piercing Shark's Xyz Monster's side.
SHARK LP: 2200 - 1600
"Consecutive strikes start now!" said Aren. "Attack again Sky Kunai!" (Sky Kunai ATK: 3100 - 3300) Sky Kunai's sword twisted itself in Endless Nightmare Shark's body, causing the WATER-attribute monster to roar in pain.
SHARK LP: 1600 - 800
Shark groaned, his body shaking from the 3200 points he had lost from his Life Points. "Impressive, you must really want this win. But if you attack Bahamut Shark who has 3700 attack points, not only will you lose your only monster, but you'll take damage!"
"That's why I'm choosing not to attack Bahamut Shark!" said Aren. "At the end of the Battle Phase, Windblight Extreme's effect ends, and Sky Kunai's attack points return to normal." (Sky Kunai ATK: 3300 - 2500) "Beak Truncation's effect ends as well, meaning your three monster's attack points return to their previous amount.
"Hmph...coward." muttered Shark. "Tiny Cat Shark's effect ends in the End Phase, meaning he and my other two monsters lose their power up."
(Tiny Cat Shark ATK: 0 - 500, DEF: 1000 - 500)
(Endless Nightmare Shark ATK: 2500 - 2000, DEF: 4000 - 2000)
(Bahamut Shark ATK: 3700 - 2600, DEF: 4100 - 2100)
"I end my turn with one card facedown." said Aren, choosing to play the one remaining card in his hand.
"Now I'm up, and I draw!" said Shark, adding a card from his deck to his hand. "Due to the effect of the Continuous Trap Overlay Award, I give another Overlay Unit to Tiny Cat Shark!" (Tiny Cat Shark ORU: 0 - 1) "I activate Endless Nightmare Shark's special ability! By using an Overlay Unit, at the price of it and Tiny Cat Shark not being able to attack, Bahamut Shark can attack you directly this turn!"
'Oh boy, that's not good, especially now that Tiny Cat Shark has another Overlay Unit.' warned Soarnight Sniper.
'I'll get slammed with 5200 points of direct damage unless I can get the timing right of my facedown.' thought back Aren. 'Ready for some action buddy?'
'Always.' replied Soarnight eagerly.
"By using Tiny Cat Shark's Overlay Unit, all WATER-attribute monsters have their attack and defense points doubled again!" said Shark. (Tiny Cat Shark ORU: 1 - 0)
(Tiny Cat Shark ATK: 500 - 1000, DEF: 500 - 1000)
(Endless Nightmare Shark ATK: 2000 - 4000, DEF: 2000 - 4000)
(Bahamut Shark ATK: 2600 - 5200, DEF: 2100 - 4200)
"Bahamut Shark, attack Aren directly! End this with 5200 points of damage!" said Shark, punching the air in front of him. "Go Crush Hurricane!" Bahamut Shark's torso became surrounded by a cyclone of water, and it charged at the War Eagle at breakneck speed.
"I activate the Continuous Trap, Predator Cycle!" said Aren, his facedown flipping up. "Since your monster is attacking me directly while its attack points are greater than my Life Points, I can banish Sky Kunai, and summon from my Extra Deck, Enigma Eagle - Soarnight Sniper, with his abilities and summoning conditions negated!"
"What?!" said Shark in shock.
"Sky Kunai, you've served me well!" said Aren. Sky Kunai gave Aren a nod, before dissolving in a circular portal. "Soarnight Sniper, make your mark!" From Aren's Extra Deck emerged his ace monster and number one partner. (RANK 1; ATK: 500, DEF: 500; ORU: 0; WIND)
"And now due to Predator Cycle's effect, Bahamut Shark's attack target switches to Soarnight Sniper!" said Aren.
"That won't help you at all!" countered Shark. "You'll still take 4700 points of damage and lose this duel!"
"Predator Cycle has one final effect! By banishing it from my field, I can save Soarnight Sniper from destruction by halving my Life Points!" said Aren. Bahamut Shark slammed into Soarnight Sniper, who managed to throw the WATER monster off of it. As that happened, Aren yelled as Predator Cycle unleashed a burst of electricity, making him droop in exhaustion.
AREN LP: 4000 - 2000
"Impressive. You countered me completely." praised Shark. "But you never saw this coming! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Rank-Up-Magic Cascade Blast!"
"What? He's Ranking Up now?!" said Aren to himself.
"Cascade Blast's effect lets me target a WATER-attribute monster I control, and rank it up into an even stronger Xyz Monster with it and this card as materials! Bahamut Shark, time to power up!" said Shark, his ace diving back into the Overlay Network portal, which exploded in a blast of light.
"He's Ranking-Up Bahamut Shark?!" exclaimed in Aren, blinded by the light. "I've never seen him do that!"
"Unknown roar of the ocean! Rise from the trenches of the deep with the force of a cascading waterfall! Go Rank-Up Xyz Evolution! Appear, Bahamut Sabre Shark!" A white and blue dragon-like shark nearly identical to Bahamut Shark appeared in front of Shark, but only it now had six wing-fins instead of three, and each of them were serrated like a sawblade. (RANK 5; ATK: 3000, DEF: 2500; OU: 3)
"What is that thing?" said Aren in shock. "I've never seen you use that monster before Shark! Is...this your evolved strength?!"
"You better believe it is! Cascade Blast's effect now transforms Tiny Cat Shark and Endless Nightmare Shark into Bahamut Sabre Shark's Overlay Units!" Shark's other two Xyz Monsters became two orbs of light that began circling around his new Monster. (Bahamut Sabre Shark ORU: 3 - 5)
"Five Overlay Units on a Rank 5 Monster…" muttered Aren.
"I activate Bahamut Sabre Shark's special ability! By using one Overlay Unit, your Enigma Eagle - Soarnight Sniper is transformed into one of Sabre Shark's Overlay Units! Go Trench Divine Soul!" The six wing-fins on Shark's Xyz Monster suddenly turned into tendrils of blue light, which wrapped themselves around Soarnight, squeezing him tightly. (Bahamut Sabre Shark ORU: 5 - 4)
"Soarnight, no!" shouted Arne, watching his partner become an Overlay Unit for Bahamut Sabre Shark. (Bahamut Sabre Shark ORU: 4 - 5)
"There's more!" said Shark. "Now Bahamut Sabre Shark gains attack points equal to that of your Soarnight!" (Bahamut Sabre Shark ATK: 3000 - 3500)
"3500 attack points…" said Aren in shock.
"Your lucky I can't attack any more this turn because of Cascade Blast's effect. But with this bad boy on my field and your field empty, that won't matter! I end my turn." said Shark. "Now do your very worst Aren, that is if you can even make something out of your turn!"
"I will! I draw!" said Aren, drawing a card. 'And what a draw…I can still do this!'
"I know that look. You top-decked something again, didn't you?" questioned Shark.
"Since I have no cards on my field, and your have a Monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck with at least 3000 attack points, I can Special Summon this monster from my hand! Appear, Enigma Eagle - Arrow Albatross!" A burly eagle with the traits of an albatross appeared in front of Aren, wielding a metal bow and wearing a quiver of arrows on his back. (LV. 8; ATK: 2800, DEF: 2000; WIND)
"Nice top-deck indeed." said Shark, replying to his previous statement.
"And it won't matter that he doesn't have enough attack points to take down your Bahamut, because if I end my turn without it inflicting any damage, Arrow Albatross can deal you 200 points of damage multiplied by the total levels and ranks of the Enigma Eagle Monsters on my field!" exclaimed the War Eagle.
"That's 1600 points of damage!" realized Shark.
"I'll end my turn, and end this duel! Go Arrow Albatross!" said Aren, pointing at Shark. Arrow Albatross released a single arrow from his bow, which glowed white as lightning, heading straight for the Kastle male.
"Not so fast, because by banishing Deep Sweeper from my graveyard, I can reduce your effect damage to 0!" said Shark, a shield of water appearing in front of him, blocking the arrow.
"Tch...great…" muttered Aren in annoyance.
"I draw now!" said Shark, drawing a card. He looked at it and then nodded. "I activate the Spell Flash Fang X! This will increase the attack points of all Shark Monsters on my field by 500!" Bahamut Sabre Shark roared as its strength grew. (Bahamut Sabre Shark ATK: 3500 - 4000)
"4000 attack points…" said Aren in awe.
"Now I'll have Bahamut Sabre Shark attack Arrow Albatross! Go Dragon Shark Slash!" Bahamut Sabre Shark's claws glowed marine blue, preparing to slash the War Eagle's Monster with all of its might.
"Not so fast! Arrow Albatross can't be destroyed by battle, so don't think you can take down my bird or prey that easily!" said the middle Obsidian as Bahamut Sabre Shark's claw's got stuck on Arrow Albatross's body.
"But you'll still take the damage! 1200 points worth!" said Shark. Aren gritted as a gust of wind nearly pushed him out of the alley.
AREN LP: 2000 - 800
"At the end of the Battle Phase, Flash Fang X's additional effect activates! Now since the Monster targeted by its effect dealt you damage, all Monsters on your field are destroyed, and you take 600 points of damage for each one! So say goodbye to Arrow Albatross!" said Shark. His Spell card shot out a blue beam which caused Aren's Enigma Eagle to dissolve into a shower of yellow sparkles.
AREN LP: 800 - 200
"I'll end my turn now. Flash Fang X's effects end and Bahamut Sabre Shark's attack points return to normal!" said Shark. "You ready to give up? Because you've got no chance at victory now!" (Bahamut Sabre Shark ATK: 4000 - 3500)
"Not a chance, because as long as there still cards to be drawn and moves to be made, I won't stop until one of our life points hit 0!" countered Aren. "I draw!" Looking at his card, a plan formulated in his head. "
"I activate Resuscitation Wing!" said Aren. "By negating his special abilities and reducing his attack points to 0, I can call back Soarnight Sniper from my Graveyard!" Soarnight returned from a black portal in the ground, glaring at Shark. (RANK 1; ATK: 0, DEF: 500; ORU: 0; WIND)
'Welcome back buddy.' said Aren mentally.
'Good to be back man.' replied Soarnight gleefully.
"What good will a 0 attack point Monster do you now? Even if he's your ace, there's no point!" questioned Shark.
"Now by the effect of Resuscitation Wing, I draw one more card!" said Aren, placing his hand on the top card of his deck.
'Make it count man, this could be our last move.' said Soarnight.
'I will!' said Aren. "I draw!" A gust of wind emerged from the force of his draw, a trail of emerald light appearing as he did so. "Perfect! I activate Rank-Up-Magic Commendable Valor!" A spell depicting a crest that had an eagle head and two feathers engraved into it appeared before Aren. "Now since your Bahamut Sabre Shark's attack points are at least 2500 greater than that of Soarnight Sniper, I can activate this card! With Soarnight as its target, Commendable Valor summons an Enigma Eagle Xyz Monster one rank higher!" Soarnight turned into a stream of green light, diving into the Overlay Network, which released a pillar of blue light. "Shadow bird of the midnight wind! Descend upon this battlefield and strike down those who oppress us! Rank Up Xyz Evolution! Rain down, Enigma Eagle - Brush Shooter!" An eagle wearing camouflage equipment and wielding a pair of hand blasters appeared before Aren, screeching a horrifying cry. (RANK 2; ATK: 1400, DEF: 700; ORU: 1; WIND)
"Only 1400 attack points?" questioned Shark, raising an eyebrow.
"By using an Overlay Unit, I can banish any card in either one of our graveyards!" said Aren as an Overlay Unit vanished from Brush Shooter. "I'll select Rank Up Magic Cascade Blast! Since it was a Spell Card that I banished, Brush Shooter's other special ability lets me add one Enigma Eagle card from my deck to my hand! I choose Rank-Up-Magic EE Final Ascendant! You'll remember this one from my duel against Shay! I pay half my life points to bring back Sky Kunai from my Graveyard!" (RANK 4; ATK: 2500, DEF: 2000; ORU: 0; WIND)
AREN LP: 200 - 100
"Now Sky Kunai ranks-up to become an Enigma Eagle double its rank!" Sky Kunai turned into a stream of green light, diving into the Overlay Network, which released a pillar of blue light. "Master of the crystal clear skies, descend upon this battlefield and strike down those who oppress us! Rank Up Xyz Evolution! Greatness arises as Enigma Eagle - Crystal Scimitar appears before us!" An eagle encased from head to talon in diamond armor, wielding a sword made of emeralds appeared before Aren, stretching out its pure white wings. (RANK 8; ATK: 3600, DEF: 2900; ORU: 0; WIND)
"Successive rank ups in one turn…" muttered Shark in shock.
"Crystal Scimitar, attack Bahamut Sabre Shark!" ordered Aren. "Crystal Scimitar's abilities change depending on how many Overlay Units he has! Since he has one, when he battles, he gets an extra 400 attack points!" (Crystal Scimitar ATK: 3600 - 4000)
"So what? Even if you can destroy my Monster, I'll still have 300 life points left!" said Shark.
"You think so? I activate Brush Shooter's other ability! By tributing him, I can force your Overlay Award Trap to activate and give Crystal Scimitar another Overlay Unit!"
"It can do what now?!" said Shark, watching his Trap glow in activation. A second Overlay Unit began cycling around Crystal Scimitar, who was still flying at Bahamut Sabre Shark.
"Now go Crystal Scimitar! Wipe out Bahamut Sabre Shark! Krystallos Driver!" Crystal Scimitar began spinning as he flew, turning into a sideways tornado of green light that tore right through Bahamut Sabre Shark, causing the WATER monster to explode.
"Rrgh…" growled Shark, shielding his face from the smoke.
SHARK LP: 800 - 300
"Now Crystal Scimitar's effect activates! Since he now has 2 Overlay Units, because he destroyed your Monster, you take 1000 points of damage!" said the War Eagle, whose Monster unleashed a blast of prismatic light, which engulfed Shark. As it faded, it showed Shark standing unharmed, but looking dazed as wisps of smoke trailed off of his purple jacket.
SHARK LP: 300 - 0
WINNER: AREN
"I win Shark." said Aren, his Duel Disk deactivating.
"I guess you do." said Shark plainly, his eyes off in space. "Strange...I'm not mad anymore. I still want answers from you, but I'm not angry…"
"Strange how that works, isn't it." said Aren casually, patting his friend's shoulder. "We might want to leave now. We seem to have attracted some attention."
"Huh?" said Shark in confusion. He then heard some voices getting closer and his eyes widened. "Yeah, it's time to go." The two of them ran deeper into the alley and out of sight. Just as they vanished from view, the pink-haired girl arrived at the alley's entrance, peering into the darkness with a look of confusion. All of a sudden, the bracelet on her wrist glowed, releasing streams of pink light, just as it had done before.
{Next Chapter: Sweet Defeat}
Spying on the pink-haired girl again, Aren and Yuto are surprised when her blue-haired friend notices them, leading to a faceoff between the War Eagle and the lollipop licker. As the duel progresses, Aren becomes suspicious of the kid's tactics, which remind him of a certain school's…
OC CARDS:
Brush Shooter (RANK 2, 1400/700, WIND)
Once per turn, you can detach one Xyz Material: target one card on the field, destroy it. Alternatively, target one card in either Graveyard, banish it. Apply the following effect depending on the type of card destroyed:
Spell: Add one EE card from your deck to your hand.
Trap: Deal 800 points off damage to your opponent.
Monster: Deal 100 damage multiplied the destroyed/banished Monster's level/rank.
You can tribute this card: target one Spell/Trap card on your opponent's field, then activate its effect, targeting an EE Monster you control.
Sky Kunai (RANK 4, 2500/2000, WIND)
Can't be destroyed by card effects. Once per turn, you can detach one Xyz Material, this card can attack all special summoned Monsters your opponent controls twice each, but they can not be destroyed by battle. If this card attacks 3 or more Monsters via this effect, draw 2 cards.
Crystal Scimitar (RANK 8, 3600/2900, WIND)
This card gains the following effects for each Xyz Material it has:
(1) Gains 400 attack when it battles;
(2) When it destroys a Monster in battle, inflict 1000 points of damage to your opponent;
(3) Unaffected by your opponent's card effects;
(4) Add one EE card from your deck to your hand each turn;
(5+) Negate the effects of all cards your opponent controls.
You can detach one Xyz Material from this card, prevent its destruction by battle and halve the damage you take.
Deep Sweeper (LV. 4, 1200/1400, WATER)
If you control a WATER attribute Monster, you can attach this card to it as Xyz Material from your hand. You can banish this card from your graveyard: reduce any effect damage you would take to 0.
Tidal Phoenn (Normal Spell)
Draw one card each time you summon a WATER-attribute Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck this turn.
Endless Nightmare Shark (RANK 3, 2000/2000, WATER)
You can detach one Xyz Material: target one Monster on your field except this one: it can attack directly this turn. This card and other Monsters, except the one targeted by its effect, cannot attack the turn you activate this effect.
Tiny Cat Shark (RANK 2, 500/500, WATER)
You can detach one Xyz Material: all Rank 4 or lower WATER-attribute Xyz Monsters on your field have their attack and defense points doubled until the end of the turn.
Windblight Extreme (Continuous Spell)
Each time an Enigma Eagle attacks an opponent's Monster, it gains 200 attack points.
Rank-Up-Magic Cascade Blast (Quick-Play Spell)
Target a WATER-attribute Xyz Monster you control: with this card and the target as Material, Special Summon, from the Extra Deck, a WATER-attribute Xyz Monster 1 Rank higher. After this effect resolves, attach all WATER-monsters on your field to that Monster as Xyz Material. If you activate this card during the Battle Phase, Monsters you control cannot declare an attack.
Beak Truncation (Quick-Play Spell)
When the attack points of your opponent's Monsters are altered by a card effect while you have an Xyz Monster on your field, decrease each of their attack points by 500 for each monster on your field. Any battle damage your opponent takes this turn will be halved.
Predator Cycle (Continuous Trap)
If a Monster your opponent controls attacks directly while its attack points are greater than your Life Points, banish one Monster on your field: Special Summon from your Extra Deck, one Rank 2 or lower Xyz Monster with its effects and summoning conditions negated, then your opponent's attack switches to that Monster You can banish this card from your field and halve your LP: negate the destruction of that Monster by battle.
Enigma Eagle - Arrow Albatross (LV. 8, 2800/2000, WIND)
If you have no cards on your field, and your opponent has a Monster Special Summoned from the Extra Deck with at least 3000 attack points, you can Special Summon this monster from your hand. Unaffected by your opponent's Trap cards. Cannot be destroyed by battle. This card can attack twice per turn. If this Monster does not inflict damage to your opponent, you can inflict 200 points of damage multiplied by the total Levels/Ranks of the EE Monsters on your field.
Flash Fang X (Normal Spell)
All "Shark" Monsters you currently control gain 500 ATK, until the End Phase. At the end of this turn's Battle Phase, if a Monster(s) affected by this effect has inflicted battle damage to your opponent: You can destroy all monsters your opponent controls, then inflict 600 damage for each Monster destroyed by this effect.
Rank-Up-Magic Commendable Valor (Quick-Play)
When the difference between the total attack points of the Monster(s) your opponent controls is at least 2500 higher than an EE XYZ Monster on your field, target that Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 EE Xyz Monster that is 1 Rank higher than that Monster you control, by using it as the Xyz Material. (This Special Summon is treated as an Xyz Summon. Xyz Materials attached to it also become Xyz Materials on the Summoned Monster.)
Resuscitation Wing (Normal Spell)
Target one EE Monster in your Graveyard: Special Summon it to your field, but its effects are negated, and its attack points are reduced to 0. Then draw 1 card.