Greetings my readers, so sorry for the incredibly long wait, but between senior year at school, National Honor Society, death of my grandfather, mother in the hospital, and my demonic sister I haven't had a whole lot a time to write. But this one is worth it as a new villain is introduced and we learn the mystery of Amber's locket from last chapter, plus some emotional moments. Enjoy!
Chapter 9: Monster in the Mist
Yuma was on top of the rooftop of a building Dueling a Number holder. He had Amber, Tori, Rio, and Shark behind him cheering him on.
Current Status of Duel:
Yuma: 4000 Life Points
Number Holder: 2400 Life Points
Yuma's Field:
Number 39 Utopia: Rank 4/LIGHT/Warrior/2500 Atk/2000 Def
Number Holder's Field:
(3x) Giant Germ: Level 2/DARK/Fiend/1000 Atk/100 Def
Holder's Turn:
"My turn, I draw!" The Holder said. "I Overlay my three Level 2 Giant Germs in order to build the Overlay Network!" The three germs disappeared into the golden portal.
"I XYZ NUMBER 96: DARK MIST!"
Out of the portal rose a strange black ball of slime. The goo began to bubble and bounce until it grew into a semi humanoid shape. It grew flabby arms from its sides, and a toothless mouth formed on the spineless glop of its body that was supposed to be its face. Instead of eyes, the number 96 appeared on its forehead, glowing a dim purple color. The sight of the new Number and its extremely bizarre appearance threw everyone into confusion. There was absolutely nothing about this Number resembled anything strong or even remotely threatening. It looked completely, almost pathetically, harmless as if its form was about to give way and melt back into a puddle of black slime.
Number 96 Dark Mist: Rank 2/DARK/Fiend/100 Atk/1000 Def
"All that trouble to only summon a monster with 100 attack points?!" Tori said.
"That thing looks like the mold the grew on that mystery take out box in the back of the fridge." Rio said, eyeing Shark.
"I end my turn." The Holder said, almost robotically.
"Then I draw!" Yuma said. "Utopia attack Dark Mist! RISING SUN SLASH!" Yuma said as his monster drew his blade and sliced the goo monster whose pieces hit its holder and coated him in goop.
Number Holder: 2400 – 2400 = 0 (LOSE)
Winner: Yuma
Yuma's friends cheered as Astral claimed the Number from the Holder's body. But when Astral held the Number in his hands, he got a strange vibe. The memory he saw was of a land, possible on Earth, but it was in ruin. What had once probably been a beautiful city was a land of death and destruction. Buildings in ruin, plants burned into ash, and worst of all there were bodies of people in the streets of various ages, all obviously dead. Then he vaguely saw four figures in front of what was most likely once a castle. They all seemed to be girls of various ages, but their clothes were tattered and they were in a circle chanting something. The ground beneath them glowed red, yellow, green, and purple with symbols in them. The chanting became audible, but only a portion of it.
"This Curse is now part of fate. There is no power that can ever change it."
There was then a flash of light. The vision faded Astral felt bad and confused. All the Numbers he has so far doesn't contain any memories of him on Earth or related to what he just saw. But then again he still only has a portion of his memories and most of the ones he did have weren't related to each other in any way. He put that out of his mind, but was unaware of what darkness the Number really contained.
Shark and Rio went home and Tori hugged Yuma goodbye. That left Yuma and Amber alone with Astral still out.
"Yuma, I've got to go." Amber said.
"Why?" Yuma asked.
"I'm meeting Dumon in the park in a little bit. I've got something for him." Amber pulled out a card from her pocket.
"Wow!"
"Yeah, I really want to ask him if he would like to possibly go on a date with me."
"Really? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I feel something about him that I haven't felt with another person before. And I really need someone in my life." Amber clinched her hand in her pocket. She then looked at Yuma who had a worried face, but Amber smiled. "Alright Yuma, I'll tell."
"What?"
"Ever since you saw my locket you and the others have been wanting to ask me about it but haven't because you're all worried that it'll bring me pain, but I'll tell you it Yuma."
The two of them went to the park and sat on a bench and Amber pulled out her blue amber lock and opened it. It had two photos in it. One was a picture of a young boy with green eyes and brown hair that he kept over his shoulder as a short side ponytail. The other one was of both her and the boy as well as two adults, both brunettes and the woman had green eyes and the man had blue eyes and also had a light beard.
"The boy, Jasper, is my younger brother, and the two behind us are our parents; Kassidy and Carter." Amber told him.
"You said you needed someone in your life, did something happen to them?" Yuma asked.
"It all started a year ago. My mother was an anthropologist and my father was an archeologist. Together they helped unearth great historical finds and discoveries. They were currently excavation an ancient civilization that had suffered a disaster a thousand years ago, and they decided to take me and Jasper to see it. This family photo was taken just two days before we left. The night before me and Jasper were going to see it our parents went to go set up and make sure everything would be ready. But I couldn't contain myself so I snuck out of the motel room and followed them to the site to get a preview. However, that's when things turned bad. Unofficial my parents weren't supposed to be there, so they thought they weren't going to get caught." Amber then started to tear up.
"Who's 'they'?" Yuma asked, sensing that things were about to turn bad.
"Black market dealers who steal priceless artifacts from sites and sell the illegally. My parents were surrounded by them, about fifteen, and I was hiding behind a broken wall. The leader, or the one who seemed to be in charge, walked up to my parents and…he…shot them." Amber began to cry.
"Oh my God! Amber I'm so sorry!" Yuma said as he tried to soothe her.
"Just seconds before they were shot my parents looked directly at me as I peeked from behind the wall. 'Run'. That's what their eyes told me. Right after the shots I ran as far as I could. But then the dealers saw me and chased after me and fired some more shots. They would have gotten to me if I didn't fall into a chamber underneath the ruins of a castle. The fall should have killed me, but just inches above the floor I floated and was gently let down onto the floor. I heard them above saying that I died from it and they moved on to take care of my parents' bodies. I realized the chamber I was in was a shrine dedicated towards the civilization's ancient rulers, where prayers were held. I prayed that those guys would suffer divine punishment for what they did to my parents. But then I blacked out and woke up in the motel room with Jasper still asleep."
"Wait, how did you get to your room?"
"I don't know. When I woke up I thought that it might have all been just a terrible nightmare and my parents would walk in at any moment with some breakfast. But I looked out the window and saw the authorities around the dig site and my heart sank. It was real, but what happened after I fell into the chamber was probably worse."
"Worse than your parents being killed?"
"Fourteen of the dealers were brutally killed in horrendous ways. Some had holes the size of a soccer ball through their chests, some were impaled from jagged building pieces several feet up, and some only had limbs remaining from large piles of ash as if the rest of their bodies had be incinerated on the spot. The fifteenth barely survived, and he was the one who shot my parents. But what really doesn't add up is who he said did it. He said a girl wears a red rob, had blonde hair in a ponytail held by braids, and her eyes were blue but hollow. He said she used some sort of magic or whatever and caused all that destruction. As gruesome as it was I'm glad she did it, because my parents got justice."
"That sounds awfully close to the description of the girl that gave Ms. Frost the Number. It appears that she seems to have something to do with those ruins." Astral said.
"I just hope that you don't ever have to know the pain that I felt. I mean your parents only disappeared, so there's a chance that your parents could possibly come back. And Shark and Rio, at least their parents' death was an accident. But at least none of us are alone." Amber said as she started bawling.
"Hey Amber, it's okay. You're right, none of us are alone because you, me, Shark, Rio, Tori, Bronk, and even Astral are like family." Yuma said as he put her hand on his chest, her palm was on his golden key.
Amber started to dry her tears as she stood up. Yuma also got up with Amber's hand still on his chest. Once she dried her tears she smiled at Yuma. "Thanks Yuma. It really means a lot to me that you are my friend." She was just about to let go when she tripped on a rock, and tried to grip onto Yuma but only pulled off his key and she fell on the ground.
"Amber are you-" Yuma was then interrupted when his deck box began to ooze a thick black slime.
Amber backed away at the awful sight as the slime poured out of Yuma's deck and began to take shape until it revealed a discolored Astral. Astral's skin was now a nasty shade of black, and his body was now completely immobilized with strange tentacles pumping more of the icky slime into his limbs and face. Yuma tried to move away, but the tentacles wrapped around Yuma's legs and left arm, constricting them tightly like snakes. Yuma struggled to break free, but that only tightened the grip crushing of the tentacles.
"What the... Astral? What's going on?" Yuma cried out to his friend.
"It is... Number 96... It is... trying to take control of me..." Astral forced the words out of his mouth, for his forced imprisonment had drained so much of his energy, that he was barely able to speak at all. He could practically feel himself slipping away as the corrupted Number Monster fought to possess him. "Give…give…the Numbers to…to Amber…can't let…can't let him have…th…them!" Astral said with the last of his strength.
Yuma understood and used his free hand to removed his deck box from the holster on his belt and tossed it with all his might towards Amber, who caught it in her hands. Yuma looked back at Astral to tell him the Numbers were now safe, only to gasp at the horror he saw. He could now tell that the being standing in front of him was no longer Astral, but an evil doppelgänger in his place. His skin was now completely jet black from head to toe. Red, arrow shaped markings decorated his grinning face, and his right eye was an even darker shade of black than his skin, while his other eye reflected the same gold color of the real Astral. Yuma took one look into the black eye of the dark doppelganger and shuddered with fear, he has now looked true evil dead in the eyes.
"Free! Finally, free!" The figure that had replaced Astral said. "Now to get the rest of those Numbers!"
"Yu…Yuma?" Amber said in fear. She heard Yuma talk about a being only he can see, but she knew that this monstrosity wasn't it.
"I'll take those off your hands now!" The fake Astral said as one of his arms shot out like a slimy rocket and Amber tensed. But what happened next surprised them both. He screamed in pain as a red light surrounded Amber and melted his hand. "What the Hell?!" He retracted his arm and his hand reformed, but he saw red in his veins. His looked at Amber and saw she had the key in her hands, at first he thought it was Astral's remaining power protecting her, but this wasn't the power of Astral World, it was more chaotic. "What the hell are you?!" He screamed.
Amber just stood there in fear. She didn't know what that light was, but she knew it was to protect her. 'The Numbers.' She thought. She knew what would happen if these fell into the wrong hands, and Ugly's slimy hands counted. She was about to run when the monster laughed.
"Little girl, do you want so see your friend die?!" He said in a sadistic voice as a tentacle wrapped around Yuma's neck. "Run away, and your friend's neck gets snapped! Give me the Numbers, and you two will limp away alive."
Amber couldn't decide. She didn't want to lose someone she cares about, but she didn't want to hand over the Numbers either. Then she got an idea. "Hey ass wipe, if you can win in a Duel, I hand over the Numbers, but if you're beaten you let everyone go!" Amber said.
"Oh, so if you win you get Astral back? Ha! Never!"
"What, you afraid of losing?"
"Very well, let's Duel!" He said as both of them readied their Duel disks, his was a purple lance.
Augmented Reality Vision Online
Amber: 4000
Number 96: 4000
"Let's Duel!" They both said.
Elsewhere with the Barians.
"Are you sure that this is a good idea Dumon?" Mizar asked.
"Yes. Amber can be very useful to us." Dumon said.
"But she would never leave her friend, much less trick her into helping us!" Alito said.
"Maybe, but Amber is a very strong Duelist and will be very useful to us. She beat me in her first Duel while I was concealing my power, but she gave both Mizar and Kite a beating while Mizar was in the Sphere Field."
Mizar grunted. "While I do concede that she is very powerful to have stood up to two Galaxy Eyes, even Kite's inferior one, but Amber is very loyal to Yuma and Yuma is loyal to Astral. I just don't see how she can be convinced to turn on her friend's friend. It would be just easier to brainwash her." Mizar said.
"No! And I didn't like that you brainwashing Bronk without telling us. I need to talk to Amber about this, alone. She invited me to the park and I need to talk to her." Dumon said as he opened a portal and went to the park.
When Dumon got to the park he we beyond horrified. He saw Amber on the ground in a Duel with a dark figure that looked like Astral with tentacles around Yuma.
Current Status of Duel
Amber: 500 Life Points
Number 96: 5000 Life Points
Amber's Field:
One card face down in the Spell/Trap Zone
Number 96's Field:
Unknown Monster: 4000 Atk
Number 96's Turn:
"Time to disappear little girl!" Number 96 said as he ordered his monster to attack Amber.
"Not so fast!" Amber grunted. "I activate Royal Reconstitution!" Amber's face down revealed to show several Gem Royals rebuilding a castle. "I banish all Gem Royal monsters from my Graveyard to return all monsters on your field back to your hand!" Amber's trap blasted 96's monster and it disappeared. "And the best part is that I gain Life Points equal to half of the attack points of the monster with the lowest."
Amber: 500 + 4000(1/2) = 2500
"Ugh, unfortunately I can't attack on my next turn." Amber then collapsed.
"Amber!" Dumon and Yuma said at the same time.
"Dumon?!" Amber said as she saw him.
"What is going on here?!" Dumon yelled as he ran towards her.
"Dumon, take these and run!" Amber tossed something to him.
Dumon caught it and was shocked. It was all the Numbers Yuma and Astral collected. He was tempted to take them back to Barian World, but then he had a thought. Whatever that thing was that took over Astral must be extremely powerful and seems to craved the Numbers, and if it could get its hands on other Numbers, this could get bad.
"Hey twerp, why don't be a good boy and hand over those cards. Your friend here has clearly forfeited, I win!" 96 said.
"Don't do it Dumon! Run! If that pile of crap gets those we could all die!" Amber said.
Dumon knew she was right, but he knew if he left the monster would kill them, and he didn't want his friends to die. "What if I Duel you instead?"
"Really, you would Duel me? To save your friends?" 96 said hysterically.
"Yes I will!"
"No Dumon! The deal was if I beat him!" Amber said as she put her arm on her hurt side.
"Actually little one, the terms were if I win or lose, but not who would Duel me. So if your friend wants to suffer at my hands, he can." 96 said.
"Don't worry Amber, I won't lose." Dumon said as he readied his Duel disk.
"But Dumon…well if you're gonna try to beat him, take this." Amber then handed him a card. "If you're going to Duel great darkness, you'll need great light."
Dumon took the card and was shocked. "Amber are you-"
"Yes. Kick his ugly butt back into last week!" Amber said.
"If you two are done here, let the Duel commence!" 96 said.
"Very well. Let's Duel!" Dumon said as he readied his Duel disk.
Dumon: 2500
Number 96: 5000
"Since is was your turn last, I draw!" Dumon drew his card and smiled. "I summon Holy Lightning Wings!" Dumon summoned his signature glowing scout.
Holy Lightning Wings: Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/1200 Atk/1800 Def
"Now, when Wings is Normal Summoned I can summon another Holy Lightning monster directly from my hand. I summon Holy Lightning Scepter in attack mode!" The next monster was the glowing staff/mechanical mosquito hybrid.
Holy Lightning Scepter: Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/1800 Atk/400 Def
"Now when Scepter is summoned, I can add a Holy Lightning monster from my deck to my hand!" Dumon picked his monster. "Next I Overlay my two Holy Lightnings so that I may build the Overlay Network!" His two monsters then went into the Overlay Network.
"I XYZ SUMMON HOLY LIGHTNING SAGE!"
The large saint rose out of the red portal with his book in his hands.
Holy Lightning Sage: Rank 4/LIGHT/Fairy/2200 Atk/1800 Def
"And since I summoned a Holy Lightning monster I can summon Holy Lightning Throne!" A large glowing metallic chair with a face crest came out.
Holy Lightning Throne: Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/800 Atk/1800 Def
"And when it's summoned this way I get to draw one card." Dumon drew his card, it was his Barian's Force card. "I end my turn with a face down."
"Then prepare yourself for agony! I draw!" 96 said. "I activate the effect of Milicevorous Fork in my hand! I can summon it to my field by sending Malicevorous Spoon to the Graveyard!" A black gremlin wielding a large fork made its way to the field.
Malicevorous Fork: Level 2/DARK/Fiend/400 Atk/400 Def
"Next I summon Malicevorous Knife! And when Knife is Normal Summoned I can bring back Malicevorous Spoon!" A second gremlin came to the field, this one wielding a knife. Then the Graveyard opened and out came the third gremlin, and was using a spoon as a weapon.
Malicevorous Knife: Level 2/DARK/Fiend/600 Atk/100 Def
Malicevorous Spoon: Level 2/DARK/Fiend/100 Atk/500 Def
"Now the table is set for your defeat! I Overlay my Level 2 Malicevorous Spoon, Knife, and Fork!" As the three monsters vanished Yuma and Amber had horror on their faces as they knew what was next.
"I XYZ SUMMON NUMBER 96: BLACK MIST!"
The monster that emerged was not the one the blob they first encountered. It was a blob but it sprouted two large arms, each with a set of sickle-like claws, then a pair of long, lanky legs come from the bottom, then a whip-like reptilian tail, and finally, the main body of the ball morphed into a muscular torso, but instead of a proper head growing on top a horrific, monstrous face emerged from the torso, sporting a huge set of razor sharp teeth and a pair of burning red flaming eyes. Two horns sprouted out of the top of the slimy body, with the left horn sporting the Number 96 and glowing a bright shade of purple. This was a creature of death.
Number 96 Black Mist: Rank 2/DARK/Fiend/100 Atk/1000 Def
"What is that thing?!" Dumon said.
"It is your worst nightmare! Now Black Mist attack Holy Lightning Sage! I activate Black Mist's ability! By using one Overlay Unit he steals half of your monster's attack points! SHADOW GAIN!" The monster then absorbed an Overlay Unit in his mouth and a large vortex of darkness shrouded Sage.
Black Mist Atk: 100 + 1100 = 1200
Sage Atk: 2200/2 = 1100
"Now Black Mist! WHIPLASH WHIRLWIND!" A swarm of black tentacles destroyed Sage in a constriction of darkness.
Dumon: 2500 - 100 = 2400
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Number 96 said.
Then Shark and Rio showed up and were bewildered by what they saw.
"Shark…Rio…what are you…you two doing here?" Amber weakly asked.
"Well it's hard to explain, but I just had a feeling that something was wrong and it looks like I was right." Rio said as she helped Amber get back on her feet.
"What on Earth is going on?!" Shark asked.
"Well, that Number Yuma won today turned out to be something completely evil! It took over Astral's body and has Yuma in a death grip, it wants the other Numbers so I tried to fight it, but I couldn't and now Dumon is Dueling in my place." Amber explained.
"Can he beat that monster? What your describing sounds impossible to defeat!" Rio said.
"He might be, but I believe in Dumon." Amber said.
"My turn, draw!" Dumon drew his card. "I summon Holy Lightning Shield!" A small circular monster appeared on the field and it had a face crest in the center.
Holy Lightning Shield: Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/100 Atk/0 Def
"Now its ability activates! Since the combined attack points of all my monsters is less than the attack points of the monster you control with the lowest attack points I get so summon a specific monster from my deck: Holy Lightning Sword!" A large glowing sword came out and it too had a face.
Holy Lightning Sword: Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/1400 Atk/1000 Def
"Next I Overlay my Level 4 Holy Lightning Throne, Shield, and Sword! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network!"
"I XYZ SUMMON HOLY LIGHTNING SIEGE!"
A large glowing knight appeared and its sword and shield actually resembled Holy Lightning Shield and Sword.
Holy Lightning Siege: Rank 4/LIGHT/Fairy/2500 Atk/1500 Def
"Now by using one Overlay Unit your monster's attack points are reduced to nothing!"
Black Mist Atk: 0
"Now Siege, attack Black Mist! SLASH ZERO!"
"Fool! Even with no attack points my Black Mist is still more powerful! GO BLACK MIST, SHADOW GAIN!" 96 said as his monster absorbed an Overlay Unit and engulfed Siege in shadow.
Black Mist Atk: 0 + 1250 = 1250
Siege Atk: 2500/2 = 1250
"Now your monster is destroyed and now you're defenseless!" 96 said as Siege was destroyed.
Dumon only smiled. "The only fool is you! I activate my trap Holy Gates! Your monster is now destroyed and you take damage equal to your monster's defense points!" When his trap flipped over, what was on the card happened on the field, a large golden gate rose up from middle of the field and the gates opened, then large chains made of lightning that ensnared Black Mist and pulled Black Mist in and closed the gates. When the gates closed several lightning bolts his 96, but he didn't even flinch.
96: 5000 - 1000 = 4000
"Wow! I couldn't even deal half that much damage to him!" Amber complimented.
"I end my turn with two face downs!" Dumon said.
"Please, DRAW!" 96 drew his card and smiled.
"I activate my face down Photon Lead! It allows me to summon Holy Lightning Scepter!" Dumon said as his monster came out.
Holy Lightning Scepter: Level 4/LIGHT/1800 Atk/400 Def
"And that allows me to add another Holy Lightning monster to my hand."
"Please. I activate Xyz Reborn! This brings back Black Mist and this card becomes Black Mist's Overlay Unit!" Out of the Graveyard portal came the Number and the trap transformed into an Overlay Unit. 'Now Black Mist, attack Holy Lightning Scepter! SHADOW GAIN!" Same as before a mist engulfed the opposing monster and Black Mist gained power.
Black Mist Atk: 100 + 900 = 1000
Scepter Atk: 1800/2 = 900
"Now Black Mist! WHIPLASH WHIRLWIND!" Dumon's monster was destroyed as 96 laughed.
Dumon: 2400 - 100 = 2300
"Now I activate the effect of Malicevorous Spork in my hand! By sending it to the Graveyard my Black Mist can attack again with double the attack points! WHIPLASH WHIRLWIND!"
Malicevorous Spork: Level 2/DARK/Fiend/200 Atk/300 Def
Black Mist Atk: 1000 x 2 = 2000
Dumon: 2300 - 2000 = 300
Black Mist Atk: 1000
"Dumon!" Everyone yelled.
"This isn't good! If Dumon doesn't turn this around then he will lose!" Shark said.
"Now, I activate Number Karma! If you do not control a Number by the end of your turn you will take 500 points of damage!" 96 said as he activated his card. "Next I banish Malicevorous Spork from my Graveyard to attach Malicevorous Spoon and Fork to Black Mist as Overlay Units!" Two Overlay Units rose from the Graveyard and attached themselves to Black Mist. "I end my turn with a face down."
"Dumon." Amber said.
Dumon grunted as he got up off the ground. "I activate Diamond of Hope! This since I control no monsters I get to draw two cards at the beginning of my turn." The trap showed a large yellow diamond in a brilliant diamond cut glowing and sending light rays. Dumon then grunted in pain. He knew he couldn't let that monster win, or else not only were his friends were finished. Plus, that thing would also gain the Numbers and that would be disastrous. If he was going to win, he would need to do something drastic.
A figure appeared next to Dumon. It looked like a shining humanoid and it had a bow in his hands. "Dumon, there is great darkness in that Number. If that Number gets his hands on other Numbers, not only would it plunge this world into darkness but Barian World as well." It said.
Dumon knew what he had to do. He took out a cubed Barian Sphere Field and looked at it. What he was about to do was stupid and dangerous, but if he didn't win this Duel, a greater loss was in store. He took it and smashed it into his Barian Crystal in his bracelet on his right wrist.
"Do it Dumon! Do it for Barian World! Do it for Nash and Marin!"
"GO BARIAPHOSE!" Dumon said as the red crystals on his bracelet glowed.
"Hang on, did he say 'bariaphose'?!" Shark asked.
"Just like Mizar!" Amber said with worry. She hoped that it wouldn't mean what she thought it meant.
Dumon's body became engulfed in bright red light. His physical appearance began to modify into a much more alien appearance. His skin was completely silver, and it was decorated in silver jewelry with blue gems, except for the large red Barian Crystal just above his right shoulder. He had large blue jewel on the center of his dark grey hair and had blue war paint like markings on his face. His eyes were now grey voids and like the last Barian before him, he had no mouth.
Everyone was both in shock and surprised by this. A person who they considered a friend was really the enemy. But Amber was most devastated. She had a crush on him as he was the first person she ever Dueled, but now she didn't know what to think.
96 laughed. "So, you finally revealed your true form!" He said as everyone looked at him. "Oh yes, as a Number I can sense the presence of other Numbers, like the ones you have collected! It didn't take me long to figure out that you are a Barian when I saw your Barian Number!" 96 said.
It doesn't matter that you figured it out! You will lose! Due to Diamond of Hope I now get to draw to cards! DRAW!" Dumon drew his cards. "I activate Monster Reborn! This card revives Holy Lightning Scepter!" The Graveyard opened and the monster destroyed last turn returned to the field. "Next this card allows me to add yet another Holy Lightning to my hand!" Dumon picked his monster. "Next I play Holy Lightning Wings!" Dumon's winged monster shined brightly on the field. "And its special ability allows me to bring out Holy Lightning Mace from my hand!" A monster appeared between Wings and Scepter that was exactly what its name described; a mace. It was gold colored and was gleaming with light spikes and had the signature Holy Lightning face crest.
Holy Lightning Mace: Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/1200 Atk/1000 Def
"Now let's see if you can handle this! I Overlay my Level 4 Holy Light Wings, Mace, and Scepter! With these three monsters I can build the Overlay Network!" The three monsters vanished into the golden portal.
"I XYZ SUMMON THE LIGHT FROM MY VERY SOUL! THE ONE WHO WITH HIS ARROW OF LIGHT WILL PURGE THE DARKNESS! NUMBER 102: HOLY LIGHTNING GLORIOUS HALO!"
The portal exploded into a massive light that was blinding. The sealed form of Dumon's Over Hundred Number rose up from it in the form of a large golden ring, a halo. The ring began to glow, enveloping the field in an aura of golden light that caused 96 to cringe. When the light receded, a shining warrior hovered over the battlefield. The warrior was robotic in appearance; the armor was a glittering gold color. Its face crest gleamed brightly on its helmet, and two long diamond shaped wings draped downward to the ground from the helmet. It's weapon of choice, a massive longbow, which was armed and drawn, the golden arrow pointed directly at 96. Lastly, a yellow 102 appeared on the right wing. The Number pulsed with glowing golden light although its body.
Number 102 Holy Lightning Glorious Halo: Rank 4/LIGHT/Fairy/2500 Atk/2000 Def
Everyone was in shock. But Rio and Shark felt something else too. It was as if the Over Hundred Number awakened something familiar in them. Amber felt something else too, only something different than what Shark and Rio fell. She felt as if something inside of her was boiling in reaction to the Number. She had the same feeling back when she was Dueling Mizar and his Over Hundred Number, but before she just shrugged it off as an effect of that Sphere Field she was in. But now that it was happening again she doubt it.
96 just laughed. "Ha! I knew you would try to summon a Number! So now I play my face down; Number Lockdown!" The face down flipping up and chains flew out of it and wrapped around Glorious Halo. "Number Lockdown targets a Number and prevents it from attacking or using its special abilities! And as an added bonus it's destroyed at the end of the turn and you take damage equal to its attack points! It's over for you!"
Everyone just didn't know what to think or feel. It just seemed hopeless for Dumon. But Dumon wasn't worried. "You think you can win, but you have no idea of the power of Barian!" Dumon picked the remaining card in his hand. "I activate Rank Up Magic Barian's Force!" As Dumon played his card the Barian Crystal on his shoulder blew up with electrical shock that spread throughout his body that caused intense pain. By putting the Sphere Field into his Crystal his body will take serious damage as he continues to wield his true powers, but he must prevail. "By using this card I can evolve my Number into a Chaos Xyz Number!" Glorious Halo broke free from his chains and became engulf in Barian energy.
"I rebuild the Overlay Network with my Rank 4 Glorious Halo! GO CHAOS XYZ EVOLUTION! COME FORTH CHAOS NUMBER 102: HOLY LIGHTNING NOBLE ARCHFIEND!"
Dumon's monster reappeared and was scarier than before. The monster was much taller now, and it had a new color scheme of navy blue armor with glowing highlights of red Barian energy. The bow it had before became a new weapon, a long blue spear with a crimson tip. Lastly Chaos Overlay Units swirled around it, but these had gold surrounding the red crystals instead of silver like the Cxyz. The Number then took a look at not the opponent in front of it, but the Duelists on the sidelines. It recognized that two of them had Numbers, but there was something about the girl his master was fond of, Amber, that was off.
Number C102 Holy Lightning Noble Archfiend: Rank 5/LIGHT/Fairy/2900 Atk/2400 Def
"It doesn't matter! So long as Black Mist has Overlay Units it's unbeatable!" 96 said.
"Not after I activate Noble Archfiend's special ability! By have him use one Overlay Unit not only is your monster's special abilities negated, but its attack points are dropped to zero!" Dumon said as his monster pierced an Overlay Unit with his spear and blasted Black Mist with red lightning.
Black Mist Atk: 0
"NOOO!" 96 said.
"Oh and it gets a whole lot worse! I can banish Holy Lightning Mace from my Graveyard to activate its special ability! When your monster loses attack points you take double the difference as damage!"
96: 4000 – 1000 X 2 = 2000
"Time to be vanquished you wretched ball of darkness!" Dumon said as he looked at his monster, which nodded back at him. "NOBLE ARCHFIEND DESTROY BLACK MIST! CHAOS THUNDER JAVELIN!"
Archfiend threw its spear right into the center of the monster's mouth and after it passed through it continued towards 96 as the monster exploded.
96: 2000 - 2900 = 0 (LOSE)
Winner: Dumon
Even after the battle was over the spear continued to fly through the air and stabbed 96 through the chest. This caused him to let go of his tentacle hold on Yuma. Red chaos spread through 96's body and it caused him to experience undesirable pain.
"What…What the hell is this?!" 96 screamed.
"You might be a Number, but that body you possess is an Astral being, and they can't handle Barian World chaos!" Dumon said as his own pain started to intensify.
"Yuma catch!" Amber said as she tossed him the golden key.
Yuma caught it and it immediately glowed. "Wow!" Yuma pointed the key towards 96 and a blue light blasted out of it that caused 96 to dematerialize and when the black goo was flying off pieces of Astral was being revealed.
"96!" Astral's voice yelled. In one final flash all of the 96 goop was released from him. The goo then reassembled into a faded version of when he possessed Astral.
"You…son of a…" 96 said weakly under his breath.
"96 YOUR REAIN OF TERROR ENDS HERE!" Astral said as he held out his hand ready to retake possession of the Number.
But then a blast of red light came out of nowhere and caused a large smoke screen. When the smoke cleared it revealed that 96 had disappeared. Everyone was in shock by this. Unknown to any of them a figure was watching the Duel from the top of a building. The figure then gave a psychotic laugh.
"Number 96. Such destruction by a single Number is too valuable to let it just be sealed away again." The figure said as a card materialized in his hand. He then turned and a dimensional portal opened and went through.
Down below everyone was staring at Dumon, who turned back to his human form. The person they thought was their friend turned out to their enemy. But the person crushed by this most was Amber.
"Dumon…thank you." Astral said as he turned towards Dumon. "If you hadn't defeated 96 we would all be in a lot of trouble."
"Yes, that's why I did it. And I believe that these belong to you." Dumon said as he tossed Yuma the Duel case full of Numbers.
"Wait a minute! If your goal is to obtain Numbers, then why are you giving them back to Yuma and Astral?" Shark asked.
"It wouldn't be right if I took them in such a distasteful manner." Dumon said.
"But why did you pretend to be our friend in the first place?" Rio asked.
"So that you all might help me in the end, or at the very least not stand in my way." Dumon said.
"So you intended to just manipulate us?!" Shark accused.
"No! Despite what Astral might say, we aren't evil."
"What do mean?! You guy brainwashed Bronk plus others! How is that not evil?!" Yuma screamed.
"That wasn't me though! I'll admit we fight a little dirty, but we don't cheat!"
Amber then began to tear up and ran away. "I hate you! HATE YOU!" She yelled as she ran away.
This several shocked Dumon. He then ran after her to try and learn more, he didn't have to run far as Amber was badly injured. "Amber…I'm sorry I deceived you all, do you truly hate me?"
Amber turned around. "It isn't really you I hate, it's me."
"Why would you hate yourself?"
"Because I…I…I" Amber then collapsed.
"Amber?!" Everyone said as they rushed to her side.
Fanfic Cards:
Malicevorous Spork: Level 2/DARK/Fiend/200 Atk/300 Def
During the Battle Phase you can discard this card and 1 Fiend-type monster you control can attack again with double Atk.
Holy Lightning Shield: Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/100 Atk/0 Def
If the total attack points of all monsters on your field is less than the monster with the lowest attack points on your opponent's field, you can summon 1 "Holy Lightning Sword" from you deck.
Holy Lightning Mace:Level 4/LIGHT/Fairy/1200 Atk/1000 Def
When a monster your opponent controls losses attack points, you can banish this card from your Graveyard to deal damage equal to double the amount of attack points lost.
Holy Lightning Sage: Rank 4/LIGHT/Fairy/2200 Atk/1800 Def
2 Level 4 LIGHT Monsters
One per turn you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to switch the Atk and Def of one monster your opponent controls.
Holy Lightning Siege:Rank 4/LIGHT/Fairy/1500 Atk/1500 Def
3 Level 4 LIGHT Monsters
Once per turn you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card and target 1 monster on your opponent's field, its Atk becomes 0.
Diamond of Hope: Normal Trap
During your next Draw Phase, if you don't control any monsters draw 1 more card in addition to your normal draw.
Holy Gates: Normal Trap
When a monster you control is destroyed by battle, destroyed 1 monster your opponent controls.
Royal Reconstitution: Normal Trap
Banish all "Gem Royal" monsters from your Graveyard and return all monsters on your opponent's field back to their hand. Also you gain Life Points equal to half the attack points of the monster with the lowest attack points returned to your opponent's hand, but you cannot attack on your next turn.
Author's Notes:
Well, that wraps up another chapter! Again, I'm sorry for the long wait. But now we know Amber's backstory, and next chapter will be Dinomite! (Hah! Puns!)