Yumi continues a grueling duel against Izar's ever-growing power.
If Izar's bluster turned out to be true, this situation might be about to go south. Still kicking herself for squandering what looked like a certain win, Yumi prepared for the worst as her opponent started his turn.
"I activate Pot of MACRO," Izar declared, another card flipping around. Its image displayed a container with a similar aesthetic to his monsters, some kind of thick smoke pouring from the opening at its top.
"I pick three of my Macrocosmus monsters out of my Graveyard or Extra Deck and return them to my Main Deck, then draw two new cards." So it was one of those. That was already annoying, but the fact that he was sending back all three PAIN cards was even worse. Now he was set up to swarm them out again like at the start of the duel.
One of the cards he'd just drawn flipped around. "Now, I activate Dark Burst!" he said. "This lets me add Macrocosmus – SORROW back to my hand, which I'll then use to reset the Pendulum Scale!" Looks like he was already recovered from the last turn.
A portal opened between his two floating monsters, darkness pouring out of it. "I Pendulum Summon Macrocosmus – SORROW and Macrocosmus – JUDGMENT!" Almost as soon as his monsters took form, their orbs cracked open to fly into another portal up above. "Let the darkness roll in and take the light! Cleanse this sinful existence from reality! Xyz Summon, Rank 4! At the end of everything, there will still be...Macrocosmus – The WORLD!"
There it was, the monster she'd been dreading this whole time. Even taking its explosive power out of this, it carried enough bad memories to last a lifetime. When it appeared, people got hurt. Looks like that wasn't going to change now.
"That card's from…" Kazuhiko scratched his head. "I thought she had that," he muttered, though the more he thought about it and the circumstances around that day in the warehouse, the more things began to make sense.
"You should already know this by now," Izar said, "but The WORLD gains the ATK and DEF its materials had." That meant an even 2000 each. "But that's just the beginning, because I'm detaching an Overlay Unit to use its effect!"
As a Unit was absorbed into the monster's crest, cards began to rise up from Izar's Graveyard. Broken Wand, Instant Fusion, and Common Fusion joined them from Yumi's, all of them eventually transforming into wisps of energy that smacked into The WORLD. In total, there were ten Magic Cards between both of them, raising the monster's ATK to 5000.
Even as Yumi recoiled at such a large number, Izar still had more to do. "I'm using SORROW's Pendulum effect," he said, both his cards in the Pendulum Zones beginning to glow. "Even when it's not a monster, I can still use it to tune PENANCE."
"Synchro Summon?" Yumi stammered. So far, this deck just seemed to set up for continuous Xyz. Now he was about to throw a Synchro Monster at her.
It wasn't all bad, though. At least by doing this, he'd removed both of his Pendulum Cards from the equation. If she could overcome his field by next turn, he'd be left without much of anything to fight back with. High risk, high reward plays seemed like Izar's main strategy, but she was determined to make him pay for that overconfidence.
"Let the darkness roll in and take the light!" he chanted, an all-black version of the standard Synchro Summoning event playing out above him. He was nothing if not dedicated to his aesthetic. "Accelerate into oblivion! Synchro Summon, Level 8! Even when everything else burns out, there will still be...Macrocosmus – The OPPRESS!"
Another dark, metallic creature appeared in a flash of light. It looked like someone had grafted the upper half of a gorilla onto the legs of a jungle cat, the mismatched creature missing a head entirely. The yellow crest etched itself into its chest as it lowered itself into something like a sprinting stance.
"For every material used to Summon it," Izar explained, "The OPPRESS gains 1500 ATK and DEF." Since it used two monsters, that meant a total of 3000. At this rate, it would be even worse than the Xyz Monsters.
With a smile, Izar sent out another wave of energy, Yumi stumbling a bit as it passed over her. "Try to resist this as long as you can," he said. "Macrocosmus – The OPPRESS, attack! Destroy Majesty Magician!"
The monster reared back on its hind legs, the sound of screeching metal splitting the air. Then, it slammed both its fists into the ground, two jagged cracks traveling towards Yumi. "The OPPRESS uses its effect once I declare battle," he said. "You'll take 100 damage for each of my banished cards!"
"Trap activate, Majesty Eclipse!" Yumi's set card flipped up, a yellow translucent barrier surrounding her field. "Until the end of the turn, I won't take your effect damage," she said, both of the cracks stopping as soon as they came in contact with the barrier. As they did, plumes of fire exploded out from their entire length.
"That's just too bad," Izar sighed. "But that doesn't stop my attack from going through. Destroy!" His monster raised its hands from the ground, charging a pair of attacks in each one. It threw both of them one after the other, the crackling spheres of energy twisting and twirling around each other before crashing into Majesty Magician.
"Majesty Magician won't be destroyed once per turn, and the damage is halved," Yumi said, her Life Points lowered to 1700.
This only seemed to make him more excited. "Perfect! Then suffer another attack from The OPPRESS!"
"But it just attacked!" she tried to argue.
"The OPPRESS gets to attack once for every material used to Summon it, which means I get two chances to destroy Majesty Magician. Let's see if we can get it the second time around!" His monster charged another set of blasts, these blowing away the umbrella from before and striking their target directly.
The force of her monster's destruction sent Yumi tumbling backwards across the ground, Life Points falling against to 1450. Her best line of defense now removed, she seemed entirely helpless to prevent the next attack.
"It looks like I still have one more chance to win this turn," Izar said, a few laughs escaping his mouth. "And it looks like you don't have anything left to save you," he continued, his body beginning to shake with glee as a fit of laughter overtook him. "You should have known this is how it would go. The WORLD, finish this! Destroy Castel and show Takano Yumi what it means to resist me!"
His monster charged its trinity of beams, firing them off and easily blasting through Yumi's monster. It did little to cushion the attack, the excess 3000 being more than enough to eradicate the rest of her Life Points.
But it didn't. As the attack dissipated, Yumi's Life Points remained unchanged. The ground around her had become a scorched pit, but where she stood was almost entirely unharmed.
"You survived?" Izar asked, sounding more disappointed than surprised or infuriated by this. Upon closer inspection, he found that his opponent had been replaced by that ratty umbrella from before.
The umbrella crumbled away, Yumi clutching her knees behind it. Realizing she'd made it out unscathed, she let herself breathe a sigh of relief before standing back up. "That actually worked," she said, her hands shaking as the realization of just how close she came to death was kept just on the margins of her mind.
"It's Leaky Umbrella's other effect," she finally explained. "If it gets sent to the Graveyard, it stops the next damage I take in the same turn. Destroying Majesty Magician means you just stopped yourself from hitting me with all of that power."
Her allies (mostly Kazuhiko, but he was loud enough to count for three people) cheered on her strategy, Izar merely shaking his head. "Well, I guess that's not too bad. After all, it just means we get to play together for even longer." He sneered, adding, "Let your hope build so I can crush it at its peak. Turn end."
At the very least, overcoming those monsters should be easier on her own turn. The WORLD's ATK returned to 2000 as its effect ran out, providing Yumi with an opening to do some damage. The problem, then, became getting enough monsters out for it to matter.
"Draw!" she said. Staring at the card in her hand, she had to consider all of the potential consequences of moving forward. "It's going to come down to luck," she told herself. "Okay, I'm going to Pendulum Summon Majesty Magician from my Extra Deck, plus Butter Fly from my hand in Defense Mode."
Brushing the goofy smile off her face when her monsters appeared (it was the first time she'd revived a Pendulum Monster from the Extra Deck, after all), she pointed towards one of the cards floating off to the side. "Rusty Swordsman's Pendulum Effect activates," she declared. "I can draw cards equal to the number of Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters I Pendulum Summoned, plus another card. Then, I return one of them to my deck."
Draw two, return one. She had to bet on this next play. There were a few cards that would help her turn this situation around, and getting to draw two meant that many chances at getting one.
Her first chance amounted to nothing, giving her a card she couldn't even use right now. That meant it was all down to this last draw. Either she got what she needed, or The OPPRESS would attack again the next turn and ruin her. At best, she could barely hold out through that turn, but there were just too many ways she could lose if it came to that. It had to be this card.
"Respond," she whispered, taking a card off the top of her deck. Placing it with the other, the gears began turning. With a smile, she nodded. "It's going to work," she said, placing the first card back on top of her deck to let it shuffle in.
"I play the Equip Magic, Burning Slugger! Butter Fly takes it and uses the effect it provides!" Her monster struggled to hold up the human-sized bat by somehow sticking the weapon to its buttery body, though it did manage to look halfway threatening as it pointed towards The OPPRESS in time with Yumi. "I target your monster, then send cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard equal to its Level."
That was another big hit to her cards, taking several valuable resources with it. It was worth it, though. "Home Run!" she shouted, a baseball materializing in front of Butter Fly. Her monster swung the bat as best it could, somehow causing it to catch fire and fly into The OPPRESS, shattering it to pieces.
"Your monster is destroyed, and you take damage equal to its Level!" This lowered Izar's Life Points to 2700. Not the biggest damage, but it was a good start at regaining some ground. "Battle!" Yumi called. "Butter Fly can't attack, but Majesty Magician can! Majesty Burst!"
The attack hit The WORLD dead on, the monster breaking apart with a screech. The remaining blast struck Izar, sending him skidding back on his heels a good few centimeters. Things were finally turning around.
He scoffed, brushing off the damage as his body healed itself. "It barely hurt." Hurt or not, he was now down to 2200, putting him within range of Yumi's own Life. "All you've done is let me use The WORLD's other effect to add Pot of MACRO back to my hand."
Yumi had never gotten to see that effect before, mainly because she'd never seen that card destroyed before. Twisted as it was, she almost considered this to be a positive. The duel wasn't over by any stretch, but she was getting closer to winning.
"I end my turn," Yumi said, determination growing. "Make another monster and I'll just beat it again!" As if to validate her confidence, the indicator on her duel disk now read 42%. She still didn't know what it meant, but she was almost at the halfway point. That had to be something good, right?
"Getting full of yourself," he said as a card materialized into his hand. "Let's fix that attitude. I activate Pot of MACRO, returning PENANCE and two SORROWs to my deck to draw two cards."
After refreshing his hand again, Izar immediately played a monster. "I Summon Macrocosmus – PAIN and use its effect by discarding Upstart Goblin." Out came two more copies of the monster, his Life Points falling to 200. If earlier was any indication, though, it wouldn't be hard for him to come back from the brink.
"Now, it's time for another Xyz Summon!" he said, a third portal forming. "Let the darkness roll in and take the light! Be dragged down and let your torment begin! Xyz Summon, Rank 4! You're already falling...Macrocosmus – The DEVIL!"
The newest monster fell to the ground with a thud, then slowly floated into the air. Much like The WORLD, its body and legs were fairly small, dwarfed entirely by the enormous but featureless wings attached to its back. Its head featured a pair of horns, the yellow crest etched between them.
Like the others, its stats changed depending on its materials, the values set to 3000 each. It then began to glow. "The DEVIL activates its effect," Izar said. "When it's Xyz Summoned, I can draw equal to its materials."
"Three cards isn't fair!" Kazuhiko said, fed up with how strong their effects were.
Izar ignored his complaints, though, focused exclusively on dismantling Yumi. "I set the Pendulum Scales with two Macrocosmus – JUDGMENT!" he declared, though it didn't make too much sense. Both of them had a Scale of 1, meaning he wouldn't be able to do anything like that.
"I activate MACRO Tax and destroy one JUDGMENT, making you send another three cards from the top of your deck to the Graveyard." Apparently, it had just been fodder, though that still presented an issue. The condition on all of his cards up to now was that he couldn't Summon anything if he only had one of them in the Pendulum Zone. Why not just play a single copy?
Apparently, it was for this. "I reset the Pendulum Scales with Macrocosmus – PENANCE!" Now it was no longer an issue, a Pendulum Summon coming right after. "Appear, two Macrocosmus – JUDGMENT!"
Predictably, he was already planning another Xyz Summon, both his monsters flying into another vortex. "Xyz Summon, Rank 4! At the end of everything, there will still be...Macrocosmus – The WORLD!"
Yumi grit her teeth. "Another copy?" This was definitely a bad sign. While Izar still only had a few Magic Cards in his Graveyard after last time, Yumi had just loaded up a bunch of them with Burning Slugger's effect, not to mention the two that went with Majesty Magician.
"I detach an Overlay Unit from The WORLD to activate its effect!" Izar said. "Let's see how many we can get this time!" In addition to Izar's Pot and Upstart Goblin, Yumi had Heavy Storm, Leaky Umbrella, Rusty Sword, Golden Fiddle, and Premature Burial taken, plus a second copy of Common Fusion, two Unexpected Guy, and Resurrection of the Dead. That came out to eleven cards in total.
The WORLD's ATK grew to 5300, surpassing its total from before. "Now, let's battle!" Izar said, intending to show it off. "The WORLD, destroy Majesty Magician once again!" Firing off another attack, Majesty Magician had no protection this time around. The blasts easily overtook the monster, then made their way to Yumi.
"I banish Majesty Guard from my Graveyard to halve the damage!" Yumi shouted desperately, a small barrier forming around her. It could only do so much, though, breaking apart under the force of Izar's attack after only a few seconds.
"Suffer!" Izar laughed. "Feel every single ounce of power I put into this attack and suffer!"
The attack left Yumi hurtling through the air once again, crashing painfully into the edge of their arena. Apparently, it didn't contain the damage their monsters created, but it would keep anyone from running away.
Smacking into it felt like being flung out of a car and into a brick wall, Yumi crumpling to the ground with the air knocked out of her. Body aching, she coughed and flopped around, trying to get her bearings. Head spinning, she barely managed to get to her knees before falling back over, the urge to start crying getting more and more powerful.
At only 50 Life Points, she seemed as good as dead. Her Trap might have saved her, but any further damage would all but certainly finish the job. What could she hope to do with a field like this? Her body couldn't take much more, either.
"Are you ready to beg for forgiveness?" Izar said, mocking smile spread wide across his face. "The ones like you always do. Acting so strong up until I have you cornered, then you're on your knees trying to get me to spare you." He cackled, adding, "And I never do, of course."
"You can't give up!" Kazuhiko shouted. He'd run up to the edge of the ring, but any attempts at getting inside were rebuffed by the barrier.
"Human, you shouldn't get that close," Alramech said. "The only reason you're alive now is because of me, but I can't be bothered to extend that protection that far out."
He ignored him, still trying to rouse his friend back into fighting shape. "You've got to win. You can't let a dude like this stop you. He's just some shirtless-ass poser who thinks he's a god."
Yumi tried to respond, his words managing to stir something like a second wind in her. She was still far too disoriented to form words, though, whatever she was trying to say coming out as complete babble.
"You've just got to get up," he continued. "I know you can do it. You've beaten tougher guys than this before. Hell, you beat me!" Subtle grandstanding aside, Kazuhiko's words seemed to be working, Yumi resuming her attempt at standing up.
"Come on, get up!" he shouted. "If you can't do it for me or yourself, then...for Ishikawa." That did something. "You've got to work out whatever's going on with her, right? You can't do that if you lose here. So go kick his ass, then go kick her ass!"
"I…" Yumi managed to get to both her feet, straining as hard as her legs could manage to get upright once more. "I have to…" Taking a deep breath, she grounded herself to try to calm down and focus. Brown dirt, red fire, gray buildings, clear glass, black pompadour. Push the pain and the panic away and stay in the game.
"I have to win," she finally said, raising her duel disk again. "And I won't let you do what you want."
"Truly inspiring," Izar yawned. "If you'd like to surrender, I'll accept it. Give up and you can still come with me. I won't even hold too much of a grudge."
"If your turn is done, end it," Yumi shot back, ignoring his offer entirely. She wasn't doing it to act tough; she just knew her limits, and knew that she'd collapse soon. This duel needed to end before that happened.
He scoffed. "Fine, then. The DEVIL, attack that pathetic thing!" His remaining monster charged a beam between its horns, firing it off at Butter Fly. This seemed to do nothing, as Hat-Trick Magician's Pendulum effect still protected it against destruction.
"At the end of the Battle Phase," Izar said, his plan coming into full view, "The DEVIL can destroy a number of cards on your field equal to the number of battles this turn." With a smile, he waved his hand in front of him. "Let's finally take care of those Pendulum Scales."
The DEVIL flapped its wings, several spikes oozing out of them before they launched in a gust of wind. Both of the monsters were hit, breaking apart above Yumi's head. There went her protection.
"I set a card," Izar continued. As the last card in his hand set itself, he added on a spiteful, "And now I end my turn. Go and squander yours."
"I...draw!" Yumi said, struggling to keep her footing. Her energy was almost fully drained now, so she had to work fast. Luckily, it seemed like Izar had made a mistake.
"I'm going to...activate…" Yumi stopped herself, Izar cartoonishly raising a hand to his ear while waiting for her to finish. It was like he was waiting for it.
The obvious move here was to use Burning Slugger again. No matter what she chose, it would inflict 400 damage and take Izar out. That's all it would take to end this.
But she couldn't trust the obvious move. Izar wouldn't overlook something like this; it was just too obvious. That set card had to be relevant here, it just had to be. But was it just a bluff? But what if he expected her to think that, and the real bluff was her thinking it was a bluff and charging ahead, anyway?
"Well, what are we activating?" Izar finally asked. "Don't tell me you got scared. That would be so shameful." He smiled wider. "Were you going to activate that effect? Well, it won't-" He stopped, a look of terror forming across his face.
"He actually messed up!" Kazuhiko hollered. "I knew it!"
"Well, I guess we don't have to activate anything," Izar corrected. "After all, there's no point in doing all of that. You see my set card, right? I'll just activate it the moment you try, so don't even do it." He forced a laugh, looking more suspicious by the second.
What was the act here? Did he really mess up, or was he just pretending? What would happen if she chose wrong?
It was making Yumi's already pained head hurt even more. She didn't know what to do with her single card in hand and weak monster on the field. She could still halve effect damage one time, but with how low her Life Points were, that probably wouldn't do anything.
No matter what, she had to act. "I'm activating...this!" Sliding a card into her duel disk, she raised her hand. "Pot of Greed! I get to draw two cards!" After this draw, she'd only have eight cards left. This was really down to the wire now.
"I'll make a miracle happen!" she said, taking the two cards from the top of her deck. Turning them over, her eyes went wide. This could actually work.
"I activate the Equip Magic, Multi-Tool!" It was a new card she got recently, its effect being perfect for times like this. As a small, silver tool stuck itself into Butter Fly's head, Yumi used its effect. "With this, I can raise Butter Fly's Level to 4."
Butter Fly seemed pleased by this development, showing off its new Level star proudly. "And now, I'm using Butter Fly and its Equip Cards to construct the Overlay Network!" All three of her cards rose up, transforming into beams of light as they traveled into a swirling portal.
As they did, Yumi felt something strange overtake her. Suddenly, things didn't hurt quite as bad. She no longer felt tired, her wounds now a dull annoyance compared to before. Was this Chaos?
No time to wonder about that now. "I tap into the world of chaos to create a new power! Lay waste to the world order and find form in the ashes! Xyz Summon, Rank 4! Chasm Queen – Telos!"
The field split open, Telos floating into the air from somewhere deep in the earth. Raising its staff, a wave of energy bathed the field, both of Izar's monsters crumpling to the ground. Since both of their ATK stats were provided by an effect, having that negated meant they ended up with a pair of 0s.
She wasn't done yet, though. "Multi-Tool's effect," Yumi declared, feeling herself surge with power the longer Telos remained on the field. "If the monster it's equipped with gets used as material, I can draw a card."
Seeing what she pulled, she nodded. It took it long enough to show up, but better late than never. "It's time to finish this!" Yumi said. "I activate this! Rank-Up-Magic Violet Force!"
The card's image shined in her hand, Telos spreading its arms as another portal opened above it. "By banishing a Trap from my Graveyard, I can use Telos to reconstruct the Overlay Network!" As it crackled, Yumi recited, "Forged in the deepest depths, a new power awakens! Taste true freedom as you soar above anyone who would hold you down! Chaos Xyz Change! Appear, Rank 5! Chasm Empress – Conatus!"
Exploding out of the vortex came Telos' upgraded form. Like the previous card, Conatus activated an effect as soon as it appeared. "When Conatus is Xyz Summoned, you're no longer able to activate Magic and Trap Cards for the rest of the turn!"
Izar grit his teeth, looking to his Set card. This wasn't an act anymore; he was really upset. His card was MACRO Discord, a Trap made to respond in the event one of his monsters was targeted by an effect. It could have won him the duel if Yumi made another mistake, but now it was completely useless.
"Conatus, let's finish this!" Yumi declared. Pointing forward, she gave the command. "The End of Order!" Spinning its staff, Conatus pointed it directly at The WORLD. In a matter of seconds, the monster imploded in on itself.
However, there was no damage. "What's going on?" Yumi asked, Izar beginning to laugh. "That should have finished it."
"Close, but not quite," he said. "I use MACRO Tax's other effect. I can destroy both of the cards in my Pendulum Zones to prevent damage for the rest of the turn." He sneered, adding, "Just because you stopped me from activating new cards doesn't mean I can't use the ones already on the field."
To think he could even find a workaround to Conatus. Still, it didn't matter. Even once Telos' effect negation lifted, The DEVIL wouldn't regain its ATK. There wasn't much he could do now.
"Damage might have been stopped," Izar said, "but The WORLD was still destroyed. You know what that means, right?"
A jolt went up Yumi's spine. Could he really be about to turn things around again? No, he couldn't. That was just impossible.
"I think I'll take something interesting this time," he said with a grin. "How about...your own Resurrection of the Dead!" It was fair game, after all. The WORLD had banished it, so it was a card that could be retrieved.
"I end my turn," Yumi said, unable to do anything else to secure the win. All she could do now was hope that his next turn didn't result in anything else dangerous.
"My turn!" Izar declared, his next card seeming to impress. "Perfect. I'll start by activating Dian Keto the Cure God, giving me back 1000 Life Points." That put him at 1200, meaning he had just enough to start using more of his risky effects.
"Now it's time for the real fun to start," he said. "I'll activate Takano Yumi's Resurrection of the Dead! Come back, Macrocosmus – PAIN!" Seems like he was preparing for another Xyz play, and judging by his deck, it was probably something that could inflict direct damage. This was the end.
Or not. "You've just activated a card that affects a monster in the Graveyard," Yumi observed. "Which means I can use this...Necro Maria!" From her hand came the monster Ren had given her. This time, though, it really was working for her. She'd kept it all this time for more than just its strong effect, but to remember everything she'd learned from that day.
"Necro Maria negates that effect, then Summons itself in Defense Mode," she explained, the half-formed PAIN on Izar's field disintegrating as its escape portal from the afterlife disappeared.
"That won't stop me!" he cackled, still determined to take the win. "I take 1000 damage to Summon back Macrocosmus – JUDGMENT from my Extra Deck!" he said, his body finally starting to show the damage he'd taken over the course of the duel.
"I switch The DEVIL to Defense Mode. Now, battle!" he declared. "If not by damage, then with this effect! JUDGMENT attacks Necro Maria!" No damage would be inflicted in this battle, but that wasn't the point; it was his effect. After attacking, Izar would just need to end the Battle Phase to destroy Yumi's remaining monster with The DEVIL. While it was no guarantee of victory, it would undoubtedly set her back to square one. And with no cards in hand or on the field, she was all but certain to lose.
"Violet Force gave Conatus an effect when I Summoned her," Yumi said. "She's inherited the Trap that was used to activate it." Clenching her fist in front of her, Yumi threw her hand forward and declared, "Conatus, use it! Holy Barrier – Mirror Force!"
"Impossible!" Izar shouted, JUDGMENT's mirror image smashing into it as it went for the attack. With that stopped, he wouldn't be able to use The DEVIL's effect, either. All that was left was to end his turn.
Yumi took a card to start her own, though what it was didn't matter that much now. "The End of Order!" she declared, Conatus launching an attack on The DEVIL and successfully destroying it. "And since Conatus has an Equip Magic as material, you take double piercing damage!"
That was a whopping 6600 sent right through Izar. "This can't be how it ends!" he screamed, the explosion blasting him with enough force to shatter the barrier around their duel, taking a good chunk of road with it. It was all way more than was needed to take out Izar's remaining 200 Life Points. Yumi had thoroughly won the battle now, her opponent laying in a smoking heap on the ground as proof of this.
For a moment, she just stood in disbelief, trying to process everything that had just happened. Soon, though, the reality that she'd just defeated Izar after all this time set in. She could hardly believe it, but that's what happened.
"I won!" she shouted, jumping for joy right as Kazuhiko ran over to grab her.
"You kicked his ass!" he said, putting her in a headlock and tousling her hair. "You hear that, creep!" he shouted to Izar. "Nobody messes with us or our planet!"
A small beep drew their attention to Yumi's duel disk. The screen displayed her victory as expected, but it also had an update on the number in the corner – it was finally at 100%.
"Lift up your arm," Alramech said, walking up beside Yumi. "That will put an end to this."
Doing as instructed, her duel disk began to pull Izar towards it. Tiny particles of light blue energy started to shed from his body, almost like he was being dematerialized. Actually, that might be exactly what it was doing. If reda absorbed energy, and Izar was energy, that might be what it was talking about at the start.
The process managed to stir Izar awake. Gritting his teeth, he slammed a fist against the ground with barely enough force to crack the street. "I'll admit to underestimating you this time," he said, seeming strangely nonchalant about what was happening. "I won't make this mistake again, though." Pointing forward, his eyes began to glow. "Takano Yumi, remember this: I will come for you, and you will regret this."
Then he smiled again, just as smug as always. "Until then, though." He gave a partial salute with his first two fingers before his entire body fell apart, dispersing into particles that were then sucked up into the duel disk.
The slot on the back of the duel disk opened again, ejecting the crystal. Its color had changed to a deep black, Yumi gingerly picking it up. It felt a little warm now but was otherwise unchanged.
Alramech was quick to snatch it from her, examining it closely. "Yes," he said, nodding. "A fake, just like I thought."
"What do you mean?" Yumi asked, utterly confused.
"Yeah, what does that mean?" Yamada said, finally walking up to the rest. "All of that was just a waste of time?"
"Not exactly," he explained, the crystal disappearing into his hand. "What Takano Yumi just defeated was an echo of the real Izar. The same consciousness, but not the same body. If I had to guess, he left it inside you once he selected you as his emissary. It's probably been biding its time for the start of the game, so when we arrived, he decided he had to do something."
Yumi sighed. "So he's still out there?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"He is," Alramech confirmed. "Along with five others."
"So a fake still did all of this," Kazuhiko said, clicking his tongue. "Unreal."
"Which is why we need everyone who can manage to fight," Yamada said, shifting the conversation back to recruitment. "From the sounds of it, you're already as much a target as the rest of us. Ready to stop with the spoiled brat act already?"
"The deal," Yumi said, sending a glare up at the general. "I join, Yuu gets to leave. I'm not changing my mind."
Letting out a deep sigh, Yamada pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine, fine. Whatever you want, you little brat." Considering she just defeated one of their main enemies, he was in no position to continue arguing.
"Count me in, too," Kazuhiko said. "If every fight's going to be like that, I can't let my friend do this alone." Yumi tried to protest, but Kazuhiko shoved a hand onto her head. "And don't you try to argue with me. You can't change my mind."
"You ca-" While she did refrain from trying to convince him otherwise, it wasn't by choice. Without Chaos flowing through her, her strength was utterly gone. Head spinning, Yumi could feel herself losing consciousness. Kazuhiko caught her, of course, her mind drifting off into a fitful sleep.
Cards Used in Order of Appearance
Pot of MACRO
Normal Spell Card
Shuffle 3 "Macrocosmus" Pendulum Monsters into the Deck, from your Graveyard and/or face-up from your Extra Deck, then draw 2 cards. You can only activate 1 "Pot of MACRO" per turn.
Macrocosmus – PAIN
DARK
Level 4
10/10
Fiend/Pendulum/Effect
1000 ATK/1000 DEF
P: If you do not have another "Macrocosmus" card in your Pendulum Zone, you cannot Summon monsters. If you Pendulum Summon a monster(s), except a "Macrocosmus" monster: Gain Life Points equal to that monster(s) ATK.
M: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can discard 1 Spell Card; Special Summon up to 2 "Macrocosmus – PAIN" from your hand or Main Deck in Attack Position, then take 1000 damage for each.
Dark Burst (Dark Eruption)
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 DARK monster with 1500 or less ATK in your GY; add that target to your hand.
Macrocosmus – SORROW
DARK
Level 4
1/1
Fiend/Pendulum/Tuner/Effect
1000 ATK/1000 DEF
P: If you do not have another "Macrocosmus" card in your Pendulum Zone, you cannot Summon monsters. You can Synchro Summon using this monster and 1 other non-Tuner monster you control or a card in your Pendulum Zone while this card is in your Pendulum Zone.
M: When this card is Normal Summoned: You can discard 1 Spell Card to target 1 Level 4 "Macrocosmus" monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it in Attack Position, then take 1000 damage.
Macrocosmus – JUDGMENT
DARK
Level 4
1/1
Fiend/Pendulum/Effect
1000 ATK/1000 DEF
P: If you do not have another "Macrocosmus" card in your Pendulum Zone, you cannot Summon monsters. When your opponent Pendulum Summons a monster(s): Gain Life Points equal to that monster(s) ATK.
M: If this card is in your Graveyard or face-up in your Extra Deck: You can Special Summon this card in Attack Position, and if you do, take 1000 damage and banish it when it leaves the field. This effect cannot be activated the turn this card is sent to the Graveyard or placed face-up in your Extra Deck.
Macrocosmus – The WORLD
DARK
Rank 4
Fiend/Xyz/Effect
? ATK/? DEF
2 or more Level 4 monsters
This card's ATK and DEF become the combined ATK and DEF, respectively, of the monsters used as Xyz Material when Summoned. Detach 1 Xyz Material from this card and banish any number of Spell Cards in both Graveyards; this card gains 300 ATK for each card banished by this effect, until the End Phase. When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 of the Spell Cards that was banished by this card's effect to your hand.
Broken Wand
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK/ DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: This card's original ATK increases by 500. When this card attacks or is attacked by a monster with higher ATK: You can return this card to your hand and end the Battle Phase.
Common Fusion
Normal Spell Card
Fusion Summon 1 non-Effect Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, using Normal Monsters from your hand, field, or Deck as Fusion Material. When the card Fusion Summoned by this effect battles an opponent's monster: You can banish this card in your Graveyard; negate that monster's effects and apply its original ATK and DEF when calculating damage until the end of the Battle Phase.
Instant Fusion
Normal Spell Card
Pay 1000 LP; Special Summon 1 Level 5 or lower Fusion Monster from your Extra Deck, but it cannot attack, also it is destroyed during the End Phase. (This is treated as a Fusion Summon.) You can only activate 1 "Instant Fusion" per turn.
Macrocosmus – PENANCE
DARK
Level 4
10/10
Fiend/Pendulum/Effect
1000 ATK/1000 DEF
P: If you do not have another "Macrocosmus" card in your Pendulum Zone, you cannot Summon monsters. The first time your opponent declares an attack with a Pendulum Summoned monster during their Battle Phase: Negate that attack, and if you do, gain Life Points equal to the attacking monster's ATK.
M: If this card is in your Graveyard or face-up in your Extra Deck: You can Special Summon this card in Attack Position, and if you do, take 1000 damage and banish it when it leaves the field. This effect cannot be activated the turn this card is sent to the Graveyard or placed face-up in your Extra Deck.
Macrocosmus – The OPPRESS
DARK
Level 8
Fiend/Synchro/Effect
? ATK/? DEF
1 "Macrocosmus" Tuner + 1+ non-Tuner "Macrocosmus" monsters
This card's ATK/DEF become 1500 x the number of materials used for its Synchro Summon. This card can attack a number of times each Battle Phase, up to the number of materials used for its Synchro Summon. When this card declares an attack: Inflict 100 damage x the number of your banished cards to your opponent.
Castel the Avian Musketeer (Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer)
WIND
Rank 4
Winged Beast/Xyz/Effect
2000 ATK/1500 DEF
2 Level 4 monsters
You can detach 1 material from this card, then target 1 face-up monster on the field; change it to face-down Defense Position. You can detach 2 materials from this card, then target 1 other face-up card on the field; shuffle it into the Deck. You can only use 1 "Castel, the Skyblaster Musketeer" effect per turn, and only once that turn.
Majesty Eclipse
Normal Trap Card
You take no effect damage this turn. During either player's turn, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; halve 1 instance of effect damage you take this turn.
Majesty Magician
DARK
Level 8
Spellcaster/Pendulum/Effect
6/4
2500 ATK/2000 DEF
P: When you Normal Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK/DEF: You can add 1 Equip Spell from your Deck or GY to your hand. Once per turn, if you activate an Equip Spell: Draw 1 card.
M: You can Tribute Summon this card by Tributing 1 monster that was originally a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. This card is treated as an appropriate target for a card that specifically designates a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK/DEF while face-up on the field or in the Graveyard (its Level and ATK/DEF do not change).
Hat-Trick Magician
DARK
Level 4
Spellcaster/Pendulum/Normal
3/7
1200 ATK/1500 DEF
P: Monsters you control equipped with an Equip Spell Card cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects once per turn each.
Leaky Umbrella
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK/DEF. If this card is sent to the GY: Reduce the next instance of damage you take to 0. The equipped monster gains this effect: Halve all damage you take.
Butter Fly
WIND
Level 3
Insect/Pendulum/Normal
4/9
900 ATK/700 DEF
P: Once per turn (Quick Effect): You can send 1 Equip Spell from your hand or Deck to the GY, then target 1 monster you control that was Special Summoned from the Extra Deck; the first time that target would be destroyed this turn, it is not destroyed (even if this card leaves the field).
Rusty Swordsman
EARTH
Level 4
Warrior/Pendulum/Normal
5/9
1500 ATK/1000 DEF
P: Once per turn, if you Pendulum Summon a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster(s): You can draw cards equal to the number of monsters Pendulum Summoned +1, then shuffle cards from your hand into the Deck equal to the number of Level 4 or lower Normal Monsters you control.
Burning Slugger
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK/DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: Once per turn: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls, then send cards from the top of your Deck to the Graveyard equal to its Level/Rank; destroy it, and if you do, inflict damage equal to its Level/Rank x 100. This monster cannot attack the turn you activate this effect.
Upstart Goblin
Normal Spell Card
Draw 1 card, then your opponent gains 1000 Life Points.
Macrocosmus – The DEVIL
DARK
Rank 4
Fiend/Xyz/Effect
? ATK/? DEF
2+ Level 4 monsters
This card's ATK/DEF become the combined ATK/DEF, respectively, of the monsters used as material for this card's Xyz Summon. When this card is Xyz Summon: You can draw cards equal to the number of materials used for its Xyz Summon, but for the rest of the turn after this effect resolves, you cannot draw any cards by card effects. At the end of the Battle Phase: You can detach 1 material from this card; destroy cards your opponent controls up to the number of times your monsters battled this turn.
MACRO Tax
Continuous Spell Card
Once per turn: You can destroy 1 "Macrocosmus" card in your Pendulum Zone; send the top 3 cards of your opponent's Deck to the GY. Once per turn, if your opponent's monster attacks a "Macrocosmus" monster: You can destroy 2 "Macrocosmus" cards in your Pendulum Zones; you take no damage until the end of this turn.
Heavy Storm
Normal Spell Card
Destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field.
Unexpected Guy (Unexpected Dai)
Normal Spell Card
If you control no monsters: Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Normal Monster from the Deck.
Premature Burial
Equip Spell Card
Activate this card by paying 800 LP, then target 1 monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon that target in Attack Position and equip it with this card. When this card is destroyed, destroy the equipped monster.
Golden Fiddle
Equip Spell Card
You can only equip this card to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK and DEF. The equipped monster gains these effects: This card gains ATK equal to its Level x 200 while in Attack Position and DEF equal to its Level x 300 while in Defense Position. If this card is selected as an attack target while in Attack Position: You can switch this card to Defense Position.
Resurrection of the Dead (Monster Reborn)
Normal Spell Card
Target 1 monster in either player's Graveyard; Special Summon it.
Majesty Guard
Normal Trap Card
Monsters you control cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, also halve all damage you take this turn. During either player's turn, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card from your Graveyard; halve the battle damage you take from 1 opponent's monster this turn.
Pot of Greed
Normal Spell Card
Draw 2 cards.
Multi-Tool
Equip Spell Card
Equip only to a Level 4 or lower Normal Monster with 1500 or less ATK/DEF. If this card is sent to the GY because the equipped monster was Tributed or used as material for a Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Summon; draw 1 card. The equipped monster gains this effect: Once per turn, you can increase or decrease this monster's Level by 1, or treat this monster as a Tuner, until the End Phase of this turn.
Chasm Queen – Telos
DARK
Rank 4
Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect
2800 ATK/2200 DEF
3 Level 4 monsters
You can Xyz Summon this card by using Equip Spell Cards equipped to monsters used as Xyz Material for this card's Summon. When this card is Xyz Summoned: Negate the effect of all face-up monsters on the field besides this card until the End Phase. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster while it has an Equip Spell Card as Xyz Material, inflict piercing battle damage. When this card inflicts battle damage to your opponent: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; inflict 400 damage to your opponent x the number of Equip Spell Cards in both players' Graveyards.
Rank-Up-Magic Violet Force
Normal Spell Card
Banish 1 Normal Trap Card from your Graveyard, then target 1 face-up Xyz Monster you control; Special Summon from your Extra Deck, 1 Xyz Monster with the same Type as that monster you control but 1 Rank higher, 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.) It gains this effect.
● Once only, you can activate the effect of the Trap Card banished to activate "Rank-Up-Magic Violet Force" as a Quick Effect.
Chasm Empress – Conatus
DARK
Rank 5
Spellcaster/Xyz/Effect
3300/2700 DEF
4 Level 5 monsters
You can Xyz Summon this card by using Equip Spell Cards equipped to monsters used as Xyz Material for this card's Summon. When this card is Xyz Summoned: Your opponent cannot activate Spell/Trap Cards for the rest of the turn. If this card battles an opponent's monster: You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; the opponent's monster loses 400 ATK/DEF for each Spell Card in your Graveyard, during the Damage Step only. If this card attacks a Defense Position monster while it has an Equip Spell Card as Xyz Material, inflict double piercing battle damage.
MACRO Discord
Counter Trap Card
If your opponent targets a "Macrocosmus" monster you control with a card effect while you control 2 "Macrocosmus" cards in your Pendulum Zones: Negate that effect, and if you, inflict 1000 damage to your opponent.
Dian Keto the Cure God (Dian Keto the Cure Master)
Normal Spell Card
Increase your Life Points by 1000 points.
Necro Maria
DARK
Level 4
Fairy/Tuner/Effect
500 ATK/0 DEF
When a card or effect activates that targets or would move a card(s) in the Graveyard to a different place (Quick Effect): Special Summon this card; negate that effect, and if you do, destroy that card.
Holy Barrier – Mirror Force (Mirror Force)
Normal Trap
When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Destroy all Attack Position monsters your opponent controls.
Look at me actually getting things out quickly. Hopefully, I should be able to sustain this kind of schedule for at least a little bit. I'd like to end the story sometime close to the end of the year, and that actually seems feasible right now.
Funny thing about Violet Force is that I actually thought of it before Emerald Force. It would have premiered during the duel with Rio, but I couldn't think of a way to have the effect go off, so I had to swap it with Emerald Force. She'll be using both from now on. Maybe even in the same duel.
Another funny thing is that I'm extremely mad because it wasn't until last night reading the original Duel Monsters manga that I realized I should have been translating it as "Resurrection" all this time. It even matches the syllable count of Shisha Sosei. More proof I'm extremely bad at writing.
That's all I've got for now. Lots of high-impact duels coming in the next few chapters, so enjoy a short breather next time before that starts. Thanks for reading. Share if you're enjoying. Always remember to use a VPN software before making any risky downloads.