Part 1: Chapter 13 – Shadow of the Ravager (Part 3)
"But Onii-chan, what if a lightning bolt hits us?"
Shun was huddled next to his little sister in a thick blanket, the folds of the wooly garment covering the small six-year-old girl's head and chin so that only her small nose and pink eyes poked out from beneath. Outside their home, a large thunderstorm raged, lightning bolts illuminating the black clouds in a haze of purple and yellow light. It was beautiful to behold, but the constant peal of thunderous explosions, coupled with what Ruri had recently learned about the dangers of lightning in school, were causing the little girl a great deal of stress indeed.
Shun pulled his sister closer, stroking her short lilac hair in order to comfort her.
"Don't worry." he reassured her, "The lightning's really far away, so it's not going to his us."
"How can you tell?" Ruri asked, looking at her brother and folding her arms with skepticism.
"Well…" Shun explained, "I learned that you can actually count how many miles away a lightning strike is by counting how long it takes for the thunderclap to follow the flash."
"Huh?" Ruri asked, looking confused.
"Well, see, light travels faster than sound, so whenever you see a lightning bolt, there's always a delay before you here the thunder. See watch." Shun instructed, pointing out the window, "I'll show you."
Ruri and Shun waited in tense silence, peering through the glass of the window and the thick sheets of rain until:
FLASH!
In an instant, the dark room the two siblings were sitting in was bathed in violet light, causing Ruri to jump with fright.
"Okay, now count." Shun instructed, comforting Ruri. "One."
Ruri clutched Shun's arm before joining him with, "One."
"Two." The siblings spoke in unison. "Three, Four…"
BOOM!
Yelping, Ruri buried her head in Shun's chest, body shaking as if she were about to sob.
"That one was big!" Ruri whined.
"Don't worry." Shun reassured her. "We counted all the way to four; that means it was about four miles away. See? Nothing's going to hit us."
"How big is a mile?" Ruri asked.
"Very big." Shun replied, patting her on the back.
Ruri seemed to calm down a bit, but she remained unconvinced.
"But what if the lightning gets closer?" Ruri asked, nervously tugging at a strand of her hair. "Mommy's sick and Dad's at work."
"Don't worry." Shun replied. "The buildings in Heartland have lightning rods on them, and besides, if things get really dangerous," he continued, giving her a big hug, "I'll be here for you."
Ruri smiled back at him. "You promise?" she asked.
"I promise." Shun replied.
Ruri gazed back at Shun for an uncomfortably long time, eyes narrowing as if she didn't believe him.
"Then why did you let me die?" She asked in her fourteen-year-old voice.
Shun's eyes widened in shock. Before he could even open his mouth to reply, a massive lightning bolt suddenly burst through the ceiling of their home, striking Ruri straight in her forehead and sending Shun flying into the air in a massive explosion of heat and electricity. Screaming in horror, Shun could only watch helplessly as the flesh of his little sister dissolved away into dust until only a bare skeleton remained, like a bird that had been plucked of its feathers. The furniture in the room caught fire, and suddenly, Shun found himself reeling in pain and naked horror as he struggled to stumble out of the smoke filled room. Knocking aside bits of burning and smoking furniture, the little boy Shun struggled through the thickening cloud of pitch-black smoke, chocking and retching as he gagged on the unbreathable air, and yelping in agony as the heat burned at his exposed skin, until at last his hands clutched a doorknob. Twisting the hot metal around, Shun wrenched the door open and fell outside.
All of Heartland was burning. As a teenage Shun struggled to his feet, now clad in the ragged robes of the resistance, he could only watch with complete hopelessness as the forces of Academia annihilated the place he had once called home.
"No!" Shun screamed in agony as a horde of soldiers and their monsters continued their barbarous work of death and destruction. Activating his Duel Disk, Shun leaped onto the flaming battlefield, eyes searching for his sister who he knew was out there.
"Ruri! RURI!" he screamed.
"Shun!" the voice of his sister called. "Help me!"
Turning his head in horror, Shun spied his sister several meters away, a horde of Academia soldiers dragging her away while their commander, a tall Obelisk Force Soldier, leered at her.
"The losers must be destroyed." He sneered, before raising his hand into the air.
Shun charged forward with all his might, but before he had even made it three steps, a massive Antique Gear Golem fired a blast from its cannon, directly into his captive sister, blasting her into a thousand bloody pieces that flew up, up, up until they reached the dark clouds overhead.
Shun fell to his knees.
"AH, HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAW HAAAAAAAAAW!" The Obelisk Force Soldier laughed, not an ounce of remorse in his voice.
Shun suddenly felt drops of liquid pattering against his back, arms, hands, and head as drops fell from the sky. Looking down at his wet hands, Shun gasped when, to his horror, he saw that it was not rain that was falling, but blood, thick, hot, pungent blood. Her blood, staining every inch of his body, and showering the ground with her life essence.
The other Academia soldiers had joined their commander in laughter. As their mouths hung open with their foul mirth, blood poured from their mouths and eyes like a faucet, the ghouls continuing in their demonic laughter as if nothing was happening.
Blood was pouring onto the ground from everywhere now. It was raining from the clouds, pouring from the buildings, and gushing down the streets and gutters until Shun began drowning in it.
"Why didn't you save me!?" The voice of his sister demanded.
"Ahhhhhhhh!" Shun gagged as he sunk beneath the ocean of blood.
"Why didn't you save us!?" The voices of thousands of others cried.
Shun could do nothing. Flailing for his own life, he saw thousands of faces swimming before him in the blood, faces of people he had known before Academia had taken them from him.
"You let them take me. You let them kill me." Said Ruri as her face swam in front of Shun's.
Shun let out a wordless scream of utter agony as he drowned. Flailing his arms, he desperately tried to take hold of his sister, when darkness overtook him.
…
"RURI!" Shun screamed, suddenly feeling himself waking from his nightmare. But when he looked around to gaze upon his surroundings, he wondered if he had truly awakened after all.
Shun gazed all about his environment, but there was little to see. All around him was a vast empty expanse of void so thick with darkness, that when Shun held up his hand in front of his face, he could not even make out his fingers.
"What's happened to me?" he breathed. "Where's Ruri!?"
"Gone." A deep male voice intoned with the rumbling of a thunderstorm. "Gone because you did not protect her."
"Who's there?" Shun asked, looking around in alarm.
"Why did you fail her when Academia came?" The voice interrogated, ignoring Shun's question.
Shun began sweating, heart beating against his chest as fear and guilt took ahold of him. Before the voice, Shun felt utterly powerless, unable to respond. Visions of the dream and his own memories crowded his head as he experienced himself failing to protect her over and over again.
"I tried to fight." Shun croaked. "I gave it my all." Then, feeling rage course through his veins, Shun clenched his fist before screaming, "I'm still trying to fight! I'm still trying to save her! Where's Ruri!? I can still find her! I can still save her!"
The voice began chuckling, a low rumbling like the booming of thunder.
"Hm, hm, hm, good. You are still strong, even now. But you lack sufficient power to truly achieve your aims."
"Who are you?" Shun asked a second time. "What are you doing to me? What is this place?"
"You and I are both beings who have sworn to protect the ones they love most." The voice thundered in reply. "Both of the ones we love are being threatened with utter destruction at this very moment. You have determination, skill, and the rage to see that your enemies pay, but you are only a mortal, limited by the capacities of your weak flesh. I am an immortal being, infinite in power and strength, but cursed. Bound to rot away in this wretched Underworld without an outlet for my power. I wish to give you my power so that we both may protect the ones we love. I am the bearer of your victory, the enforcer of your justice, the source of your strength, one of the primordial gods, son of Wiraquocha, father of Jatun Waqar, the lightning that strikes his enemies down, the vulture that feeds on their corpses! I am Catequil Suwaq'ara!"
In an explosion of lightning, Shun was suddenly thrown back as the surrounding shadows were suddenly bathed in golden light, followed by the thunderous cry of a massive vulture. Eyes widening in astonishment, Shun craned his head upwards to behold the colossal form of an enormous black vulture, more than three-hundred meters tall, with a pitch black body and lines of golden energy running along every inch of its form in elegant patterns. Its legs and feet were long, with gold-tipped talons, its feathery tail was a massive triangular shape, with rectangular feathers running along the bottom. Its black-and-gold body was large and muscular, and its gigantic black wings, tomb-stone shaped appendages with long rectangular feathers, ornate golden patterns adorning the inside, and white feathers lining the edges of the wings, were equally powerful. A crown of black feathers lined the base of the creature's long neck and a large spherical wattle drooped from its chin. Its long hooked beak was a solid gold color, and its eyes, golden spheres of light that looked almost like they had been drawn upon the phantasmal creature's black body, glowed with immense light. Lightning crackled along the entire surface of the imposing creature, scattering light and heat wherever the bolts lashed out, but none came close to touching Shun.
Shun clenched his mouth in fear, yellow eyes widening in awe and astonishment as he gazed upon the creature. Shrinking before the creature's immense size and power, Shun felt like little more than a mosquito in comparison.
"You are enthralled by my majesty." The creature mused in a low rumbling tone, the beak of its mouth remaining still despite the fact that the creature was speaking. "It is overwhelming for your mortal mind to comprehend."
Shun remained frozen in place, unsure of what to say or do.
"Perhaps it would be best to come before you on a more equal footing." The creature continued, "I shall therefore deign to speak to you, man to man."
Surging with blinding electricity, the massive vulture unfolded itself in its wings, completely obscuring its head, feet, and the rest of its body from view before beginning to rapidly shrink in size. When the creature had shrunk until it was no more than a head taller than Shun, its wings unfolded, revealing a tall angelic-looking man with coppery-brown skin, vulture wings on his back, solid gold eyes with golden eye-liner, golden lines of energy running along every inch of his body like glowing tattoos, a massive bare chest, muscular arms and legs, an ornate cape and loin cloth woven from feathers and patterns of golden cloth, bare feet with talon-shaped toe-nails, and an elegant headdress of gold resting atop his head. Electricity still crackled around the body of the man, though now the light and heat were not as overwhelming as they had been before.
"I have chosen you, Shun," Said the man, voice strong and powerful, though not as deep and godly as it had been before, "to act as the harbinger of my will. I know of your intense desire to protect Ruri, for the same desire burns within me for my own daughter. Both of us have been powerless to exercise our will in the past, but now, together, both of our goals shall be met. We shall crush Academia, and all other enemies who threaten the ones we love, and build a new world where they can be safe, forever."
Shun stared back at the man, trying to process what he had just said.
"I don't understand." Shun replied, shaking his head with confusion. "Why are you bothering to help me? If you really cared about me, and are as powerful as you claim, why didn't you bother coming to me when the invasion started!?" Shun could feel his rage rising as he continued. Now that the creature was not quite so massive and imposing, he was beginning to regain his senses, and almost every fiber of Shun's being told him not to trust the strange godly creature that stood before him. "There were other people suffering in Heartland!" Shun spat, "Millions of older brothers just like me who lost their families! Why didn't you go to any of them!? What do you really want!? No! In fact, I don't care what you want! I'm saving my sister with or without your help, and I won't let you stand in my way!"
Shun continued ranting, making threats that felt emptier and emptier as he stared at the godly being, who listened patiently, face impassive and unmoving as Shun continued to vent. When Shun had finished, feeling drained and utterly helpless as he seemed to continue drifting in the empty void, with nothing but the winged vulture-man as his companion, Catequil began speaking.
"My child." Catequil soothed, cupping Shun's cheek in his glowing hand as if Shun were his own son. Shun froze in place at the touch, finding Catequil's hand to be surprisingly cold despite the feint veins of electricity crackling above the skin. Shun almost wanted to recoil from the touch, yet he felt strangely comforted by the gesture, as if he had found someone who truly understood his pain. "You are wholly justified in feeling as you do. The countless atrocities Academia have wrought upon your world, home, friends, and family have filled you with infinite burning rage and righteous indignation. It is a rage I too have felt as I have witnessed my enemy strip me of all I hold dear, and remain unpunished."
Shun looked up at Catequil, feeling strangely curious despite his reservations.
Catequil smiled down at him. "Yes, my child, I know the pain you feel. The pain of watching your loved ones get torn apart while being helpless to save them is like unto the pain of having your own flesh torn apart. Worse even. It burns you with rage and hatred and smothers you with despair. You want to rip the ones who hurt you to pieces. You want to tear into their flesh and dig your teeth into their skin, if only to hear their cries of agony, but the only cries you hear at night are the cries of your innocent loved ones who you failed to protect. I have drowned in that pain many times. Once when my Father, Wiraqocha, was thrust into this black abyss by our enemy. Once again when my wife, Aslla Piscu, fell to the hands of the same enemy, and once again when my children each were struck down and bound to this wretched realm. Decaying in this accursed abyss, I beheld millions upon millions of your kind suffer as I have, and yes, I beheld you and all your friends suffer at the hands of Academia. But just as you felt your own powerlessness in the face of such an enemy, so too I was utterly impotent and unable to help, though I truly wished to rend those murderers as I wished to rend my own enemy."
Shun listened enraptured, feeling immense pain and agony emanating from Catequil, who was now cradling his face in his hands, talon-like nails digging into his coppery flesh as the rest of his body shook with weeping. Shun suddenly felt immense pity for the creature.
"But then how can you be helping me now?" Shun breathed, throat hoarse, "And why me?"
Catequil lowered his hands from his head and looked down at Shun before smiling with a faint smile.
"You're sister, Ruri, called to me." He explained.
"Ruri?" Shun exclaimed in shock. "Called to you? How? What do you mean?"
"Even after all the horrors she has gone through, Ruri has not ceased to believe in you." Catequil explained, placing a hand on Shun's shoulder. "Youre sister continues to fight, Shun, and she has placed her faith in your strength. In her time of greatest agony, my daughter, a god like unto me, consoled her in her sorrow and gave her the strength she needed. Now your sister wishes to give the gift my daughter gave her, to you. Ruri has called upon me to give you the gift of my power. With the strength of Ruri's wishes, I have forged a faint but powerful bond with you. Though still cursed and confined to this awful place, I can share a little of my power with you, and give you the vengeance you and your sister so badly deserve!"
"Ruri led you to me?" Shun asked, eyes widening with amazement. "She's giving me the power to stop Academia?"
"And more." Catequil promised. "Now behold the fruits of my bond with you! Look upon one of my many servants who shall give you the strength to rend your enemies and save your sister!" he commanded, extending his hands into the sky above Shun's head.
Shun followed Catequil's gaze, looking up into the sky of the shadowy void to see a massive creature, a robotic condor with red-hot black armor and the body of a stealth bomber, circling above their heads, letting out the shrill cry of a predator eager to hunt down its prey.
Shun suddenly felt a card materialize in his hand.
"Ravage Raptor - Carpet Bomb Condor." Shun whispered as he gazed upon the clear card of the Dark Xyz Monster, his own eyes beginning to glow with a soft electric yellow as he began to remember his duel with Crow. "This is Ruri's gift to me. Her own wishes for my victory."
"Use my power and I can promise you victory against Academia." Catequil promised. "You shall be my own body; the embodiment of my will! Take me in as your spirit and I shall give you the might of a god! Grasp this card, the link between you and I, and you shall embody the strength of armies! The fury of the predator! The shadow of the ravager!"
Shun felt his Duel Disk materialize on his arm, raising the card into the air, he slammed the Dark Xyz Monster onto his Duel Disk, feeling intense energy pour into his being the second the card touched the blade.
"Hear me, Ruri!" Shun cried to the darkness, "I am your protector! I shall encompass our enemies in my darkness and feast upon their flesh in the night! From this day forth, nothing will stop me from keeping my promise to you!"
…
"What in the ever living Earthbound Hell is happening here!?" Emma bellowed, grabbing Kazama, "Is that Shun kid a flipping Earthbound Disciple!?"
"I didn't sense anything!" Kazama shot back, the two of them charging through the crowds of panicking Commons as about half of them stampeded from the stands in fear while the other half gave Shun raucous applause for summoning such an amazing monster. "I used my powers to check and see if there might be a dark presence in either of the contestants when the duel started, but I didn't find anything! They were completely clean before!"
"WELL HOW ABOUT NOW!?" Emma bellowed as the two of them reached the bottom of the stands before each mounting their Security bikes. "Are you seriously suggesting that kid just barely made a deal with a Dark Signer between last turn and now and became Satan spawn!?"
"Not far from the truth, unfortunately." The voice of Jack Atlas called, emanating from Emma and Kazama's marks.
"Jack?" Emma blurted, temper suddenly fading, rapidly getting replaced with surprise.
"What's going on?" Kazama asked, lifting his mark to his face and speaking into it.
"There is a Dark Signer there." Jack brusquely explained. "I can sense it. The boy is being used by the Dark Signer. He's being possessed by dark powers at this time, and that monster he summoned is his link to that power. As long as it remains, he will remain in the grip of the Earthbound."
"So you're saying that if we kill that monster, then Shun will be free?" Emma asked.
"So long as he hasn't truly accepted the darkness in his heart, yes." Jack agreed.
"Leave that to us!" The enthusiastic voice of Semal called from their marks.
"We're headed towards the track on our bikes now." Kiryu agreed. "We'll make sure to stop Shun before he hurts himself or anyone else."
"You have no freaking clue what that monster can do!" Emma spat back, "And there's an effing Dark Signer there! You're going to get yourselves killed!"
"Shun is going to die if he's not freed from the possession." The voice of Adeel calmly replied. "I can sense it. The spirit that is controlling him is sapping away his life force by the second. I fear it may very well intend to kill Shun and obtain an even stronger undead vessel."
"Another Dark Signer!?" Kazama sputtered. "Are you kidding me!? How are we supposed to fight this!?"
"I will engage the Dark Signer." Jack calmly replied. "I will need you all to engage the Dark Signers servants and protect the people in the surrounding area until I defeat the leader."
"Understood, Jack." Kazama sighed, placing his helmet over his head.
"Don't lose." Jack replied.
"You've got it, Jack!" Semal enthusiastically replied.
"We'll send these Earthbound screaming back to the Underworld." Kiryu added.
"If you EFFING get yourself killed-…!" Emma warned.
"Sorry! Losing connection!" Kiryu called back before Emma felt his connection disappear from her mark.
"If those Earthbound don't kill him, I WILL!" Emma vowed.
"Save your rage for the Earthbound." Kazama instructed. "Let's hope Crow can handle himself until we get there."
…
Current State of the Duel
Crow:
3200 LP
(Controls Assault Blackwing - Onimaru the Divine Swell and 2 set cards)
Assault Blackwing – Onimaru the Divine Swell / DARK / Level 12 / Winged Beast / Synchro / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 2000
Shun:
2300 LP
(Controls Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor)
Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor / DARK / Rank -6 / Winged Beast / Dark Xyz / Effect / ATK 2500 / DEF 3500
Crow stared up at Shun's new monster, the mere presence of the monster making him feel exceedingly uneasy. There was something horribly wrong with the so-called Dark Xyz monster. Whenever Crow tried to examine the monster with his Duel Disk, the computer would begin to go mad with error messages, as if the mere image of the card on the screen was corrupting its systems.
The state of Shun made Crow feel even more uneasy. Blood was trickling from Shun's eyes, nose, and ears as if he were suffering from radiation sickness, his eyes were glowing an electric yellow, and electricity was crackling all around his body as if he had been struck by lightning. All in all, it was making Crow feel as if his stomach were being tied into knots.
As for Shun, he could not have felt better.
"I can feel it!" Shun exulted in his head, feeling stronger by the second, "It's as if I could destroy all of Academia in an instant!"
"You may very well soon do just that." Catequil rumbled from within Shun. "Are you satisfied with my gift?"
"This is Ruri's will." Shun retorted. "I don't care about what sort of gifts you wish to give me, only that I can use this power to save her and destroy all of Academia."
"Indeed." Catequil chortled, sounding amused. "You have always been very independent, willing to fight all of your enemies alone, and all for Ruri's sake."
"For her sake." Shun agreed, eyes glowing a deeper yellow.
"But do not forget." Catequil warned. "Strong and independent as you are, you WILL fail if you rely on your own mortal strength, just as I will remain impotent if I rely on only my power. We must be as one in order to save Ruri. Else this shall be her fate."
Shun grimaced as thoughts of Ruri being tortured, abused, and murdered crowded his head. Remembering his nightmare, Shun suddenly felt powerless again, as if all of the horrific visions would inevitably happen to Ruri, and he would be unable to stop any of them.
Unless…
Shun closed his eyes. "Do it!" he breathed. "Let us fight as one! Give me the strength to save Ruri!"
"It shall be so." Catequil whispered back, "We shall crush all of our enemies! We shall bathe in their blood! We shall make them pay for what they did to the ones we love! And we shall destroy anyone who stands in our way!"
"Starting with you, Crow!" Shun shouted out-loud, his own voice mixed with Catequil's as he felt the divine entity's essence pouring into his body. "You shall be the first my monster feeds upon!"
"That new monster doesn't scare me!" Crow boldly declared, trying to keep his wits about him as he observed Shun's continued descent into insanity. "I still have an attack because of the replay! Assault Black Feather –Onimaru the Divine Swell, attack Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor! LIGHTNING THRASH!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!" Onimaru roared as it flew straight towards Shun's massive monster, jagged sword crackling with electricity as it prepared to deliver the death blow.
"It is time, Shun." Catequil rumbled from within, "Show this pathetic black crow your new power!"
Shun's grin widened in response as he felt power surging through him. Without even looking at his new Dark Xyz Monster, Shun knew exactly what to do.
"Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor's effect!" he called as his massive mechanical condor let loose a savage cry, turning to face Crow's monster. "If it battles a monster, I can destroy that monster at the start of the Damage Step and inflict damage to my opponent's LP equal to that monster's ATK or DEF, whichever is higher!"
Through gaps in its red-hot metallic wings, numerous black 50 caliber cannons, the barrels glowing red-hot as if they had been dipped in magma, extended outwards before locking into place. Letting out a high-pitched angry shriek, Shun's monster let loose a hailstorm of burning bullets from the cannons, and three blazing laser beams from its three robotic V-shaped eyes. Zipping around with the speed of lightning, Onimaru managed to evade the weapons, causing the vast majority of the projectiles to shred through the glass, steel, and stone of the surrounding skyscrapers as if they were made of Papier-mâché. Fires began erupting where the lasers and bullets had struck, causing the buildings to become enveloped in thick black smoke in a matter of seconds. Crow gasped in shock, surprised that the solid vision had been that destructive, but managed to continue.
"Onimaru cannot be destroyed by card effects!" Crow called back through the explosions and fires. "So the effect doesn't work on him! Continue the attack!" Crow ordered, now determined to end the duel as quickly as possible after the violent savagery of Shun's monster.
Shun's grin grew wider until every one of his teeth were bared in a hideous grin. Even as his monster battled Crow's monster, he felt as if his very thoughts, senses, and emotions were expanding into a greater collective matrix, intermingling and merging with the thoughts of the great Dark Xyz Monster he controlled, and the deeper thoughts of the god who called himself Catequil, until they became one. He felt hunger, rage, and confidence welling up within him as his eagerness to tear Crow and his monster to pieces grew.
"The Earthbound cannot be defeated!" Shun proclaimed in a godly voice, eyes glowing bright. He was beginning to understand now, exactly what Catequil had meant. Visions of himself failing to protect his family, friends, and homeland crowded his head. He had failed to save them all because he had been too weak, but he was no longer that feeble boy, struggling to survive from day-to-day.
"I am no longer the bound god subjugated beneath the curse of my enemy!" The thoughts of Catequil rang through his head, merging with his own. "Now we are the predator! Now we are the hunter! NOW IAM THE RAVAGER!"
"Enshrouding Force Effect Activate!" Shun bellowed, "By banishing this card from my graveyard, Onimaru's effects are negated and it loses 1000 ATK. Feel my power! Enshrouding shadows!"
Opening its mouth, Shun's Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor let loose a torrent of black mist, bathing the entire sky in its darkness and causing Onimaru to stop mid-flight, before screaming in surprise and agony as his skin and armor began to dissolve away wherever the shadowy mist touched him.
Assault Blackwing – Onimaru the Divine Swell / 6000 – 4000 = 2000 ATK (Effects negated)
"What!?" Crow yelped in surprise, shocked that Shun had managed to turn the battle in his favor yet again.
"GO MY SERVANT!" Shun bellowed, "ANNIHILATE MY ENEMY! RAVAGING HELLFIRE!"
Onimaru was still swiping at the black mist, trying to wave the caustic substance away from himself, when Shun's monster rammed into him at full thrust, smashing the armored bird-man into the broad-side of its metallic wing before it grabbed Onimaru with its red-hot metallic talons, the tips digging into the screaming bird man's back and chest as his feathers burst into flame and the robotic condor bit down on Onimaru's metallic left wings with the razor sharp teeth of its beak, ripping the wings clean off its back. Discontent with the pain it had already inflicted on Crow's monster, Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor swooped down with its prey in its claws, plowing Onimaru straight through a skyscraper while its own burning body remained completely unscathed.
"I thought you Lancers were supposed to be fighting against Academia!" Crow snapped at Shun. "Why does this look exactly as vicious as what Dennis's monster did?"
Shun felt enraged by Crow's comment. Thoughts of the Lancers, especially Yuya, began crowding his head. Surely they would be objecting to Shun's tactics. But what did he care about what they thought? He had allied with them in order to fight the professor, and all they had managed to do since they began their idiotic crusade was end up getting themselves enlisted in the stupid Friendship Cup while Ruri and Heartland continued to suffer. What's more, they had even gotten in his way when he had tried to defeat Dennis once and for all. Reiji, being oh so magnanimous and charitable as he disabled the carding function on Shun's disk.
"We cannot fight Academia with the Lancer's shackles." Shun and Catequil's thoughts rumbled in unison. "They would force me to make peace with and show mercy to Academia, but I do not need them or their mercy! CARPET BOMB CONDOR!" Shun ordered out-loud, "Show the mercy I will offer my enemies!"
Roaring once again, Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor plunged its fanged beak into Onimaru's head and shoulder, drinking in its blood. As if their sense of taste were connected, Shun felt the hot salty liquid on his tongue, and smelt it in his nose, hungering for more. Still connected with his monster, Shun felt and watched as Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor continued to savage Onimaru. Slicing some more at Onimaru's limp body with its talons and teeth, the demonic monster finally grew bored with the sport and tossed Onimaru into the air, before catching the bird-man in its massive metallic gullet, swallowing it whole.
When the monster had slid down its throat, Carpet Bomb Condor stared down to where Crow was riding, watching the savagery in shock and horror, before the mechanical condor out a demonic shriek as it opened its beak to its full width, its entire metallic body glowing red-hot, and letting loose a torrent of molten metal and flame from its gullet, straight towards where Crow was riding.
Crow let out a scream of pain and horror as he swerved out of the way, the heat of the molten metal melting away chunks of the track-way and searing his skin as he managed to narrowly avoid it without getting cooked alive.
Crow: 3200 - 3000 = 200 LP
"Shun…" Ruri breathed from where she watched, astonished by the change that had come over him.
"He is quite driven." Jatun Waqar observed.
"But he's hurting!" Ruri protested. "I can feel it! I need to help him!"
"He is being helped." Jatun countered. "Yes it is not painless for him, but we are giving him what he needs to win the duel."
"I did not want this! Something is wrong with him!" Ruri sputtered, thinking back on the brother she had known. True, she had seen Shun's rage against Academia, and had known him to be a ruthless duelist when it came to fighting them. But even he was above this level of savagery, no matter how evil the opponent was. He did not revel in making people suffer before destroying them. "He's not acting like himself! Make it stop! Now!" Ruri commanded, trying to think of some ability she possessed that would enable her to do just that.
"I understand your concern." Jatun sighed. "Power does have an effect on those who acquire it, and this power is putting some strain on him. But do you think any of this was forced on him? Did you not choose to accept my power and the changes that came with it just as your brother has? And are you any less Shun's sister despite the changes that have come over you?"
Ruri bit her lip, thinking on what Jatun had said, and thinking of how she had affected Rin, Yuzu, and all her disciples after she had granted them their power. They had all changed to one degree or another, and yet they had all chosen to accept the changes.
And yet…this still felt wrong.
"I don't want Shun to become like me." Ruri wept, thinking of all she had lost since becoming what she was.
"It is out of our hands now." Jatun replied. "We only gave Shun the gift. It is up to him to either use it or reject it. Neither of us can do anything whatever he chooses. However, if you do want to help him, might I direct your attention to the track-way joining this duel field to the main highways?"
Ruri blinked away her tears before turning her head towards where Jatun had indicated and saw it. Five bikes where heading towards where the duel was taking place, one of the bikes carrying a side car with an additional passenger. All of the riders bore crimson marks.
"Who are they?" Ruri asked, suddenly feeling immense contempt and disgust towards them.
"They call themselves 'The Phoenix Guard.'" Jatun replied with equal contempt. "They are servants of Quetzalcoatl, the Crimson Dragon. Make no mistake, Ruri. They see your brother as one of the Earthbound and will hunt him down because of it."
Ruri clenched her teeth with rage.
"Piotr! Mita! Santiago! Mayumi! Hiroto!" Ruri called, speaking mentally to five of her disciples, "I need you here! Now!"
"They will not be here in time." Jatun warned.
"Then I will go!" Ruri growled, preparing to swoop down and confront the duelists.
"NO!" Jatun cautioned. "One of the riders possesses overwhelming power! A signer! We must not be caught up in battle with the acolytes when he shows up!"
"Then what do you want me to do!?" Ruri angrily spat, feeling suddenly annoyed by her companion.
"We only need to keep the Phoenix Guard at bay until Shun finishes his duel." Jatun patiently explained. "By the time Crow is defeated, the other disciples will have arrived and will be ready to assist in the fight. That's when you and I will confront the Signer. Until then, we must call upon our other servants. My own and my fathers."
"What other servants?" Ruri asked.
Deep within, Ruri could feel Jatun smiling as power coursed through the mark on her back and Jatun shared her knowledge with her.
…
"Action Magic! Sonic Blast!" Crow groaned, snagging an Action Card from the track ahead as he managed to recover from the blast, swatting away at some flames on his riding outfit while his skin blistered and burned. "If I take two-thousand or more damage and my LP drop below five-hundred, I can activate one of this card's effects and both effects if I took three-thousand or more damage!"
Shun watched Crow with a bored expression on his face, not feeling the least bit threatened. Not with the kind of power he now held.
"The first effect!" Crow continued, pointing at Shun's monster, I can target one monster you control in order to destroy it and inflict damage to your LP equal to its ATK! Take this!"
A blast of intense sonic waves began emanating from the holographic image of Crow's action card, slamming into Shun's monster. Shun's monster let out a cry, but with an angry flap of its metallic flaming wings, it dispersed the waves and continued to fly overhead, completely unharmed.
"What?" Crow exclaimed.
"Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor cannot be targeted or destroyed by my opponent's card effects." Shun nonchalantly explained, not even bothering to look at Crow as he did, "So your effect is negated."
"Oh come on!" Crow ranted, "Are you kidding me!? First that thing can't be beaten by battle, and now it can't be destroyed by card effects!?"
"I will sweep my enemies before me with overwhelming force." Shun threatened, voice booming like thunder. "You will act as the gateway to my conquest, the first of millions of bloody victories!"
"I'm not gonna be anyone's gate, least of all for a psychopath like you!" Crow shot back, "Even though the first effect of Sonic Blast didn't work, I can still activate the second effect! I draw two cards from my deck!"
"Draw as many cards as you wish." Shun retorted. "I will destroy all of them if I have to. No amount of foes will overcome me."
As if in affirmation of Shun's words, Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor let out a savage shriek, V-shaped eyes burning red and mouth drooling with molten metal like it was hungry for more prey.
"Turn end." Shun finished, staring down at Crow with a grave expression. "This is your last chance to defeat me. My next turn will be the final one."
"You can't predict the future." Crow retaliated, keeping ahold of his bike handles while ignoring the pain of the burns on his back and shoulders. "And I'm not finished yet! My comrades are counting on me! So long as I have their support, nothing can drag me down!"
"You and your filthy corpse will be dragged down to the deepest pit of the blackest hell along with your so-called comrades!" Shun thundered in a deep demonic voice. "My vengeance will not be obstructed! Even if I have to stand against an army of your insignificant comrades!"
"I don't need an army." Crow replied, clutching at his chest while he thought of Tanner, Amanda, Frank, Damon, Tony, and Shinji. "I already have six."
"What? Those six?" Shun smirked, looking off into the distance.
Crow turned his head, eyes following in the direction of where Shun was looking, when he spied five riders heading towards the track-way he and Shun were dueling on, one of the bikes carrying another passenger in a side car. While Crow didn't recognize five of the riders, the identity of the rider of the single-wheeled white bike riding several dozen meters back from the main group was unmistakable to him.
"Jack Atlas!?" Crow exclaimed, wondering what he was doing off of his throne.
Shun's sneer turned into a horrific grimace.
"Burning Soul and his other worthless Crimson Dragon lackeys!" Shun growled, eyes widening with madness while his voice thundered like the voice of a god. "Is that filthy Signer so intent on tormenting me that he would stoop to sully the day of my advent!? Perhaps I should have my comrades teach him proper respect! COME FORTH MY SERVANTS!" Shun bellowed, a wave of shadow emanating from his body before spreading over the entire field, causing Crow to reel back in his bike with surprise and terror. "COME FORTH THE SPIRITS OF PAST DISCIPLES! COME AND SERVE YOUR GOD! SMITE DOWN MY ENEMY!"
"Take flight, my Earthbound Familiars." Ruri commanded from overhead, reciting the same incantation Shun was speaking as her Earthbound God fed her the words.
Upon finishing each of their incantations, both Ruri and her brother extended a hand into the air, shooting a blast of darkness into the sky. From the dark clouds up above, Ruri heard the cries of dozens of birds-of-prey, shrieking like demonic spirits.
"Behold our servants." Jatun instructed from within Ruri. "They shall grant us the strength we need to let this duel continue uninterrupted."
"Will Shun be able to finish the duel quickly?" Ruri whispered, noticing the strain that was coming over Shun's body as he exercised more of his power. "I cannot bear to see my brother like this for much longer."
"Your brother has desired vengeance all his life." Jatun replied. "We are giving it to him at long last. Any pain he is suffering, he is suffering of his own volition, for the sake of protecting his sister, just as my father is choosing to exercise his own strength for my sake. It would be dishonorable of us to deny them their sacrifices."
"Shun." Ruri cried, tears of regret and admiration glistening in the corner of her eyes as she silently prayed that she and Shun would be able to return to the life that they had known before the war.
…
"Crow's almost dead!" Kiryu exclaimed as he read over the duel stats, revving up his engines as he attempted to reach the duel in time. "We'll be saving a corpse by the time we get there!"
"No one's dead yet!" Emma barked from up ahead. "Just focus on the mission and we'll all go home!"
"Shun's only got one Dark Xyz monster on the field." Semal agreed. "And we've dealt with monsters like that before."
"Something's coming!" Adeel shouted from his side car.
"What are you talking abou-?" Semal began before his comment was cut off when Emma screamed, "LOOK OUT!"
"Familiars!" Kazama echoed in warning, activating the Duel Disk on his bike as a swarm of winged creatures, twenty-five in total, swooped down on the riders.
Appearance-wise, they looked like a legion of ghostly angels descending from the heavens, all of them garbed in thick, pitch-black robes that covered their arms, legs, and faces. Seventeen of the creatures looked vaguely like male and female warrior monks, their faces covered by masks made of white feather and an aura of white light emanating from their bodies. Strapped to each of their right arms was an iron-black shield while a long white two-handed lance was held firmly in both their hands. White lines of energy patterned their bodies from head to toe in elegant patterns, and a pair of massive white heron wings sprouted from their backs.
The remaining eight were more demonic in appearance, their pitch-black robes and hoods failing to cover their large bird-skull heads and skeletal hands. In their hands, each of the familiars cradled a massive two-handed scythe, the head of the weapon shaped like the head of a vulture with a bladed beak. Covering each of their bodies from head to toe were golden lines of blazing lightning-yellow energy, with arcs of electricity crackling around the marks. From their backs sprouted a pair of skeletal vulture wings with black feathers.
Raising its scythe above its hooded head, one of the vulture familiars made a rapid dive into the track-way ahead of the riders, before slicing across the track-way with its scythe in a wide arc. The blade of the weapon cut clean through the stone as if it were made of paper before another vulture familiar sliced through another segment of the track, creating a wide gap between the track leading to Shun's duel and the Phoenix Guardsmen.
Kazama, Emma, Kiryu, and Semal each slammed on the breaks of their bikes, vehicles skidding to a stop before they could drive off the edge. For a few heartbeats, the gathered familiars and Guardsmen stared at each other, muscles tensed as if ready to pounce.
"Boku no turn…" Semal whispered, placing a hand on his Duel Disk, "DRAW!"
In response, the combatants each activated their own Duel Disks, Guardsmen activating theirs from their bikes while the familiars raised their scythes and shields into the air, the metal of the weapons shining with light until card zones appeared on their faces. Revving up their engines, the Phoenix Guardsmen turned their bikes around and began gunning towards another entry point while the familiars gave pursuit.
"Will they be able to defeat them?" Ruri asked as she watched from above.
"Let us hope they prove competent." Jatun sighed. "Either way, we had best send the majority after the signer."
Ruri glanced over to where Jack was riding, looking for all the world as if the presence of the spirits did not concern him.
"Well see about this." Ruri growled, before raising her hand into the air and commanding a large group of her servants to attack Jack.
…
"It would seem that the former Chief of Security was incorrect in his assumption." The Executive Council member, Gael, mused, tapping his finger on his desk.
"I thought the Earthbound were not supposed to make another appearance until five-thousand years had passed!" Gray gaped, bulging eyes growing even wider as a sheen of bright sweat shone on his forehead.
"It would appear we were mistaken." Azul whispered.
"Mistaken about what?" Reiji asked, eyeing the Executive Council members with narrowed eyes while Reira continued to clutch his head in pain while whispering "Stop hurting them." Over and over again.
The Executive Council members shifted in their seats uncomfortably before their Chairman, White Taki, spoke up.
"A similar…situation…once plagued our city before." White Taki admitted. "It happened about twelve years ago, though we had every assurance from the Sector Security Chief at the time that such an event would not repeat itself. It would seem we were mistaken about that."
"Shun mentioned the Earthbound." Reiji continued, frowning as he pushed his glasses up. "What exactly are they?"
White Taki smiled his most pleasantly condescending smile at Reiji. "Tell me, Reiji, do you happen to have ghost stories in this Standard Dimension you hail from? Any urban myths or legends?"
"We do, though I have little interest in them." Reiji replied stiffly.
"Well…suppose that a monster from one of your Ghost Stories came to life and stood right outside the window of your home." White Taki went on, grinning from ear to ear as if nothing distressing was going on outside, "Would you believe what you were seeing, or understand what it was?"
"If it was a threat, I would make sure to understand it." Reiji curtly replied.
"Ah well if only you were our Security Chief then." White Taki playfully sighed before looking about the surrounding Security Officers and adding, "No offense to our current Security Chief, of course."
"Either way, it falls on Jean-Michell Roger to protect us from this new threat." Bordeaux sighed, resting his chin on the interlocked fingers of his hands. "Otherwise, we might have to prepare to align ourselves with these new Earthbound Overlords. Correct Chairman?"
"Indeed." White Taki agreed, his all-too-enthusiastic response causing Reiji to widen his eyes with incredulity. "It is in our interest to back the winning side, though I do wonder what Jean-Michell Roger plans to do in response to this new development."
Jean-Michell Roger, it seemed, had fallen back on his usual plan.
"Send in Security!" Roger screamed at the top of his lungs, while subordinates rushed around, trying to restore power to their systems, emergency back-ups keeping only the most essential systems of the facility functional. "Stop Shun! Stop the Dark Signers! Stop the Familiars! Bring me Shun! Where's Sergey!? WHERE'S SERGEY!?"
"Sir!" a female worker screamed as she typed frantically at her desk, "We've had a security breach in engineering! There is an asset out of containment! Repeat! There is an asset out of containment!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Roger heard the voice of his head engineer scream as his co-workers fled. A few yards from him, a massive shadowy wolf-like beast with dark wings on its back, smashed through a wall of thick reinforced glass before pouncing on the panicked man, jaws clamping over the man's upper body as it shook him back and forth like a dog with a rat.
Roger's heart skipped a few beats as pure terror took hold of him, but the voices of his other subordinates were reporting still more emergencies.
"Sir! Sergey has broken free from his restraints! Security Officers tried to detain him, but he's incapacitated all of them!"
"There is a stampede at the Friendship Cup! Security officers are trying to keep the situation under control, but it is likely they will be overwhelmed unless they receive reinforcements!"
"We have a prison break in cell block U-64! The prisoner has recovered her deck and Duel Disk and is headed towards the lower prison levels of A-01 to A-99!"
Roger blinked at the last report, remembering the prisoner he had sent to U-64. If the report was correct, she was headed towards the same Cell Blocks he had sent Yuya to.
"Contact the security guards holding Yuya!" Roger angrily commanded. "I want to know where the boy is and what his status is! Whatever happens, we must not let anything happen to him!"
…
Yuya fell forward on his hands as a sudden explosion rocked the building, causing the lights in the hallway to suddenly go out. As the two Security officers guarding him stumbled about in the darkness, most of their equipment apparently getting disrupted by a sudden power surge, Yuya quickly realized that the solid-vision cuffs he had been forced to wear had instantly vanished. Leaping to his feet, Yuya seized the opportunity, sprinting down the hallway as quickly as he could in order to make his escape.
"HALT!" One of the Arrest Corps Officers called to him through his mask. Ignoring him, Yuya ran on, before he was suddenly stopped when the solid-vision form of Jutte Fighter materialized in front of him before swinging its Jutte at Yuya.
Yuya leaped back, barely managing to avoid the stroke of the weapon, before activating the Duel Disk that was still attached to his arm.
"I Special Summon Kiribi Lady from my hand!" The officer called, slamming down a card from his hand and causing a hooded lady with a flint-stone in each of her hands to appear to his field. "I next tune my Level two Jutte Fighter with my Level 1 Kiribi Lady in order to Synchro Summon Goyo Defender!"
In a burst of light, the Security Officer's Goyo Defender appeared in front of Yuya, shield upraised and Jutte held above its head in a defensive stance.
Goyo Defender / EARTH / Level 3 / Warrior / Synchro / Effect / ATK 1000 / DEF 1000
"Next," the Officer continued, "since the only monsters I control are Goyo Defender, I will Special Summon 2 more Goyo Defender from my Extra Deck!"
To the monster's left and right, two more Goyo Defenders appeared, completely blocking off Yuya's escape.
"Turn end!" the first Officer declared before the second officer stepped forward.
"My turn, draw!" the second Goyo officer proclaimed, drawing a card from his deck. "I activate the effect of Goyo Defender! Special Summoning three more from my Extra deck!"
Boxing Yuya in, three more Goyo Defenders appeared behind Yuya, Juttes outstretched as they advanced towards him.
Yuya eyed the advancing monsters, before placing his hand on the top of his deck.
"Ore no turn!" Yuya proclaimed, realizing there was no other way to escape, "DRAW!"
Looking through his hand, Yuya nodded before beginning his turn.
"Wait for me, Yuzu." He said to himself. "I promise I will find you and save you!"
…
Yuzu rubbed the sore spots on her arms where the chains of Rin's bike had dug into her skin. Despite being undead, Yuzu was beginning to see more and more that, for better or worse, the Earthbound had left her the ability to sense pain.
"I'm sorry about the chains." Rin apologized, removing her helmet from her head after undoing the last of Yuzu's shackles. "I was in a bit of a hurry to get you out of there."
"It's okay, I understand." Yuzu replied, shaking off the rest of the chains before looking over at Rin, who was leaning against her bike, face sweating and body heaving with exhaustion.
Concerned, Yuzu approached her counterpart before asking, "Are you alright, Rin? That last duel took a lot out of you."
"I'm okay." Rin panted, brushing off the question with a wave of her hand while looking off into the distance. "Just…give me a moment to recover."
Yuzu felt unconvinced, but she couldn't blame Rin for her attitude. They had both been through so much today already with Security and some new group who called themselves, "The Phoenix Guard," hunting them down. Remembering the second group of duelists who attacked them, Yuzu decided to address the topic.
"Who were those people who were attacking us? Those Phoenix Guard duelists." Yuzu asked.
Rin paused for a long time, looking hurt.
"They are the enemy." Ti'ika Sara rumbled from within Yuzu. "Servants of the Crimson Dragon who would see you destroyed."
Yuzu grimaced at the spirit's intrusion, but turned her attention back to Rin.
"She's talking to you, isn't she?" Rin asked. "Your Earthbound God? Mine was just telling me who they were."
"Yes." Yuzu admitted, blushing slightly. "Sorry, I'm…still getting used to this."
"You and me both." Rin admitted, folding her arms. "I guess I'm not surprised that there would be people who were scared of us, considering what we are. But I never thought I would see…him…" she trailed off.
"That boy," Yuzu replied, remembing how the young duelist had reacted when he saw Rin. "were you…close to him?"
Rin closed her eyes. "We grew up in an orphanage together. He and Yugo were two of my closest friends, until he was adopted by Miss Grayson. We would write letters sometimes after that, but I could have never known he had joined…them." She looked off into the distance again. "I wonder how much else has changed."
Yuzu was about to ask more, when she was interrupted by the sound of Melissa Claire's voice booming across the city screens, looking up at the screens she saw Shun dueling against Crow, a large monster flying above him, only, there was something off about him and his monster.
"A Dark Xyz Monster?" Yuzu asked, an incredulous expression coming over her face as she remembered Ruri's Dark Xyz Monster and how the Dark Xyz Materials had embedded themselves within the monster, just as the Dark Xyz Material in the center of this monster's chest had done.
Rin looked just as surprised as she was, closing her eyes, she began scrunching up her face in a look of deep concentration.
"I'm not sure what's going on." She said at last. "I can see where Ruri is, but she's not responding to me. However, I did see some other duelists there, more Phoenix Guard by the look of them."
"You can sense Ruri?" Yuzu asked.
"You can too." Rin replied. "We were both resurrected by her, so we both have a connection. Try reaching out to her now."
Yuzu closed her eyes in imitation of Rin before attempting to focus on Ruri. Slowly, she felt as if her consciousness were sinking into the mark on her arm before traveling through a dark current that wound its way across the city until she found herself staring through eyes that weren't hers.
Shun was continuing his duel against crow, the field encompassed in the lines of a large vulture-shaped mark. On a track-way near where Shun was dueling, Yuzu could see a convoy of riding duelists, crimson marks glowing against their arms as they fought against a group of winged creatures.
"What is going on, Ruri?" Yuzu asked, finding herself communicating with her thoughts. "Are you alright?"
"Not now." Ruri briefly called back. "I need to focus. Stay with Rin and let me and my servants deal with these people."
Yuzu sensed Ruri indicating the winged creatures dueling against the riders and understood that they were the servants Ruri was referring to.
"I'll need to show you how to summon your own Earthbound Familiars soon." Ti'ika Sara mused from within Yuzu.
Shrugging off the comment from the spirit, Yuzu broke free from the connection and found herself back in her own body, with Rin staring back at her.
"Should we go over to help her?" Yuzu asked.
Rin shook her head. "We both knew we'd be facing a lot of opposition and Ruri can handle herself. I can't say for certain how Shun managed to get ahold of a Dark Xyz Monster, but I suspect Ruri had something to do with it. Probably deciding to help him out in his duel, the little cheater. Either way, I think she'll be able to handle herself."
Yuzu nodded her head before suddenly remembering Yuya.
"Thank you for saving me, Rin." Yuzu said with a bow. "You saved my life back there, but now..." she paused, clenching her fist as she looked in the direction of the Sector Security Bureau, "They took Yuya, and I have no idea what they plan on doing with him, but I don't plan on letting them keep him there!"
"Hold on!" Rin protested, grabbing Yuzu by the arm as she tried to sprint away. "When I found you, you were getting creamed by Security! You're still learning how to use your powers. What makes you think you're just gonna waltz up to the Public Security Bureau alone and take down all of Sector Security?"
"I can't just leave Yuya behind!" Yuzu protested. "They could be hurting him right now, or worse!"
"I'm not saying to leave him behind." Rin replied. "I'm just saying we need a plan of attack. Otherwise, you'll just get captured again and then nobody is going to be helped, except maybe Roger."
"Well what's your plan then?" Yuzu snapped, growing a little annoyed.
"Look," Rin calmly explained, "there's a lot of people, including myself, who want to take Roger down right now. He's destroying my city and acting like a tyrant with his Security followers. But even so, he still has a massive army and all the city's resources at his command. We're going to need some help if we're going to take him down."
"And what help are we going to get?" Yuzu asked.
"I've been working it out with Ruri." Rin explained. "I actually heard you in your duel against Sergey. You talked about how the losers of the city are thrown into the underground facility. I…I honestly never knew about that before." She bit her lip, "I dreamed of dueling in the Friendship Cup for so long when I was little." She shook out her head, "Well, you were right. It is wrong what happened to them. They don't deserve to be imprisoned there, and I bet that the vast majority of them would agree with us. So what if we were to free them?"
Yuzu considered Rin's words. It was true, all of it. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she did need help. Yuya himself and all the Lancers who had come with him had all come to the Synchro Dimension precisely because they had needed an ally in their war against Academia. And she could not deny that the idea of freeing the people from the underground facility greatly appealed to her.
"Not to mention…" Yuzu thought, "…that my other friends are there. Gongenzaka, Tsukikage, and, admittedly to a lesser extent, Shingo."
"Okay." Yuzu agreed with a sigh. "I'll help you free them. But once that is done, I am going to free Yuya."
"I'll help you with that." Rin promised, shaking Yuzu's hand. "Now then," she asked, indicating her bike, "shall we ride, or do I have to chain you up again."
"I'd prefer to sit, thank you very much." Yuzu replied, sitting down on the bike behind Rin.
"Be safe Yuya." Yuzu silently prayed to herself. "And you too, Ruri. I hope you and Shun stay okay."
…
Shun was better than okay as he stared down at his feeble opponent. Victory was well within his grasp. All he needed was a single attack and Crow would be finished.
"Ore no turn!" Shun breathed, "Draw!"
"Shinji, Fank, Tanner, Amanda…" Crow thought to himself, "I'm counting on your strength now!" Extending his hand forward, he activated the spell card Tanner had given to him as a good luck charm.
"During your Standby-Phase, I activate my face-down Scapegoats!" Crow declared, activating his face-down card. "This Special Summons four Sheep Tokens to my side of the field in defense position! Come forth now!"
In front of Crow, a herd of fluffy puff-ball goats with stubby legs and small horns appeared to Crow's field, one pink, one orange, one red, and one blue.
Sheep Token / EARTH / Level 1 / Beast / ATK 0 / DEF 0
Sheep Token / EARTH / Level 1 / Beast / ATK 0 / DEF 0
Sheep Token / EARTH / Level 1 / Beast / ATK 0 / DEF 0
Sheep Token / EARTH / Level 1 / Beast / ATK 0 / DEF 0
"My card!" Tanner called out from where he, Chris, and Amanda were watching, huddling from the bright purple flames, which had surrounded them on all sides.
Shun stared back at Crow, a mixture of surprise and incredulity on his face.
"I'm not giving up no matter how powerful your monster is!" Crow taunted. "This card represents the strength we Commons share! No matter how weak we are, you will never be able to defeat all of us so long as we stand together!"
At this, Shun began laughing, at first merely snorting through his nose a little before erupting into a full-throated demonic laugh, which sent a chill down Crow's spine.
"Weak prey like yourself gathers in herds, true enough." Shun snorted. "But prey, no matter how numerous it becomes, is still prey, and prey is easily scattered! Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor's monster effect!" Shun declared, raising his hand into the air, "At the start of the Battle-Phase, I can detach one Dark Overlay Unit from my monster in order to give my monster two attacks during the Battle-Phase of this turn for each monster you controlled when I activated this effect! Go! Predator Savagery!"
Letting out a high-pitched Shriek, Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor spread out its metallic wings, the black Dark Overlay Unit in its chest compacting into nothingness before Shun's monster began glowing with black energy.
Crow gaped at Shun's monster as he began to slowly process what the effect meant.
"It can attack twice for each monster I control…I have four Sheep Tokens so that means…!" Crow's mouth clamped shut, all the color draining from his face.
Shun smirked. "Eight attacks this Battle-Phase. Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor, destroy him and all his bonds!"
"Not if I can help it!" Crow countered, revving up his engines and speeding forward along the track towards where an Action Card awaited him in its bubble.
Shun narrowed his eyes at Crow. "I will not let you! Carpet Bomb Condor!" he commanded, "Intercept the Action Card!"
Engines roaring, Shun's monster sped forward just as Crow began reaching for the Action Card. Feeling the massive monster coming towards him, Crow reflexively swerved out of the way, just as Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor flew past him, blasting past his bike and causing the vehicle to spin out of control as the condor deftly snagged the Action Card from the track with one of its talons before rocketing into the air and speeding towards Shun, who caught the Action Card after the mechanical bird threw it towards him.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Crow protested, as Shun held the Action Card up to his face, a strange black ooze secreting from his gloved hand before covering the Action Card. Ignoring Crow's protests, Shun waited until the black ooze had completely covered the Action Card and evaporated away before playing the card.
"Earthbound Action Card activate!" Shun declared, "Earthbound Shadow! By targeting my Rank -6 Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor, I can halve your LP and make it so that you cannot activate Flip Effects or the effects of any of your set cards!"
"Are you kidding me!?" Crow sputtered as Shun's monster rose above him, the body of the mechanical bird burning with a deep purplish-black light before letting loose a blast of dark shadow from its wings, which slammed into Crow.
Crow: 200 – 100 = 100 LP
(Crow's set card cannot be activated.)
"Continue the attack!" Shun ordered, "Ravaging Fire Storm!"
Two long hatches on the underbelly of Shun's monster opened up, exposing a bomb-bay filled with molten magma within. Flying over Crow's Sheep Tokens, the magma within the monster's belly began shaping itself into red-hot bombs which lowered themselves just beneath the two bomb-bays before the monster let them all drop down on Crow's field.
Revving up his engine, Crow began dodging bomb after bomb as they rained down on the field, each one exploding into a blast of red-hot magma, which melted away steel and concrete after making contact with the track-way. Letting out a panicked bleat, one of the Sheep Tokens began running away as fast as it could on its stubby little legs before a splash of magma caught it in the side, causing the ball of fur to disintegrate into flames as the magma melted the rest of it away.
Sheep Tokens X 3
"The second attack!" Shun ordered as the monster looped around for another attack, the cannons on its wings blazing with gunfire as it unleashed a hail of bullets against Crow's second token, which seemed to wither away into a puff of cotton as the rounds tore it to flaming shreds.
Sheep Tokens X 2
Crow sped forward as fast as he could, eyes darting about frantically as he searched for an Action Card, knowing it would be the only thing that could save him now.
Shun seemed to notice this.
"You are hoping to stall me long enough to find an Action Card." Shun breathed. "But it will not work. You will die long before you can make it! Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor, to me!"
Swooping down, Shun's Carpet Bomb Condor caught Shun in its talons, bike and all, before lifting Shun and his D-wheel off the track.
"What is he doing?" Crow thought, before Shun extended his hand towards Crow's monsters.
"Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor! Unleash your full fury! Destroy everything!"
In an instant, Crow realized why Shun had exited the track-way as he did. When Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor let loose its next attack, everything in its path began crumbling and withering away in a storm of destruction as it let loose a hailstorm of bullets, lasers, fire, and magma bombs. One of Crow's Sheep Tokens bravely leaped in front of Crow, shielding him from the attack, but all around, Crow could see that the track-way was getting torn to shreds, pieces of the track falling away segment by segment. Overriding the auto-pilot on his bike, Crow took control, managing to steer his bike across the ever narrowing track-way as his last Sheep Token got vaporized by another ferocious attack from Shun's monster.
"The final attack!" Shun declared, "Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor, attack Crow directly!"
"Not yet!" Crow countered, revealing a card in his hand. "I still have friends I can count on! Since I am being targeted for a direct attack, I can Special Summon Black Feather – Ghibli the Searing Wind from my hand in defense position! Come forth now!"
Slamming down the monster in his hand, Crow caused a feathery bird with six black-and-red wings to appear to his field.
Black Feather – Ghibli the Searing Wind / DARK / Level 3 / Winged Beast / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 1600
"Have you forgotten my monster's effect?" Shun asked. "Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor destroys any monster it battles at the start of the Damage Step and can inflict damage to the opponent equal to the monster's ATK or DEF! You lose anyway!"
"Not yet!" Crow insisted, slamming down on the accelerator and blasting forward on his bike.
"Ravaging Firestorm!" Shun ordered as his monster let loose a blast of flame from its mouth and a stream of laser blasts from its V-shaped eyes. Cutting straight through the track-way in front of Crow, a large gap opened up in the road as the blast of molten flame charged towards Crow and his monster.
"I activate a Trap Card from my hand!" Crow declared, "Black Feather Barricade! If a Black Feather monster I control would be destroyed by battle or a card effect, I can discard this card from my hand in order to prevent the destruction! Watch me, Commons!" he called, "I will win this duel for you!"
Pressing a button on his bike, Crow caused a pair of fins to extend from his bike. Charging at the gap in the track with a furious roar, Crow jumped the gap, the fins slowing the descent of his bike before the fire storm of Carpet Bomb Condor obliterated Crow's monster, the shockwaves propelling him forward and onto the track-way ahead as Carpet Bomb Condor destroyed Crow's monster by battle instead. Surging forward with the force of the blast, Crow reached out his hand and grabbed ahold of an Action Card on the other side of the track as Shun silently cursed.
"I activate the effect of the Black Feather Barricade in my graveyard!" Crow declared, "If a Black Feather Monster I control is destroyed, I can banish this card from my graveyard in order to activate one Black Feather Trap Card from my graveyard!"
"None of your Trap Cards can save you." Shun rumbled. "Your fate is still sealed."
"Not when I activate this!" Crow countered, showing Shun the Action Card he had obtained. "I chain the Action Card, Lightning Bolt, to the activation of my Trap Card! This card allows me to destroy 1 card on the field!"
"Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor cannot be targeted or destroyed by card effects." Shun retorted as his monster let out an angry shriek in agreement.
"Who said I was going to destroy your monster?" Crow taunted, causing Shun to clench his jaw in anger. Stretching his hand towards his own field, Crow continued his turn.
"I use the effect of Lightning Bolt to destroy my own face-down Trap Card!" he declared as a single bolt of lightning flashed onto his Trap Card before destroying it. "And now that that effect has resolved, my Black Feather Barricade's effect will resolve! I choose to activate the Trap Card I just destroyed!"
"What?" Shun growled, looking annoyed.
Crow laughed in reply. "Haven't you figured it out yet? Your Earthbound Shadow made it so I couldn't activate any of my face-down cards on the field. But since my trap is being activated from the graveyard, your card's effect no longer applies to it! Trap Activate! Black Feather – Final Assault!"
In front of Crow, a Trap Card displaying a swarm of Black Feather monsters, Assault Black Feather – Raikiri the Sudden Rain Shower acting as the vanguard, battling Behemoth the King of all Animals, activated before glowing with light.
"When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack," Crow explained, "Black Feather – Final Assault allows me to Special Summon 1 'Assault Black Feather' monster from my graveyard while negating both its effects and the effects of your monster! Revive from my graveyard now! Assault Black Feather – Onimaru the Divine Swell!"
…
"Get him, Crow!" Tanner begged as a bright column of light burst forth from the ground just behind Crow's bike and Crow's monster rose from the graveyard. Watching in awe, Tanner leaned over the railing of the overpass in order to get a better look as both Crow and Shun passed underneath with their massive monsters.
…
Shun's monster was shrieking in pain as the effects of Crow's Trap Card stripped it of its effects. Through his bond with the creature, Shun could also feel the pain, a furious nerve-rending agony that set his teeth grinding and his heart pounding with rage.
"We have not lost yet!" the voice of Catequil rumbled from within Shun. "We still have Rank-Up-Magic Enshrouding Force's power! By discarding one card from our hand, we can send that banished card to our graveyard and then activate it! Crow will be finished! Do it now! Discard the card in your hand or we will never be able to save Ruri!"
"Save…Ruri!" Shun breathed, struggling against the haze of his own intense pain as he prepared to discard the card in his hand.
"Save the Xyz Dimension!"
"The effect of my Trap Card makes it so both of our monsters battle right now!" Crow explained, "Furthermore, if either of us lose a monster during this battle, we take damage equal to the original ATK of those monsters! Go Assault Black Feather – Onimaru the Divine Swell! Finish the Duel!"
"Save your friends! Save your families! Save the innocents! Save the children!"
"The…children!" Shun thundered, raising his head and his hand into the air, "I activate the effect of Rank-Up-Ma-…!"
Suddenly Shun stopped mid-sentence. Through his connection with Carpet Bomb Condor, Shun felt something fall on the back of his monster. With a mental command, Shun turned the head of his Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor, and spotted a small boy dressed in rags, clinging to the black body of his monster.
"Oh no!" Shun gasped, when he spotted the boy.
"What are you doing!?" the voice of Catequil thundered from within Shun. "Finish the duel! Destroy Crow! Save the ones you love!"
Shun gritted his teeth in agony as he thought of the people from the Xyz Dimension he had sworn to protect after joining the resistance. The faces of thousands of men, women, and children came to his mind. That was right. He was a protector! He protected the people he loved, his sister, his comrades, and their families! He couldn't let this innocent boy get caught up in his war and killed because of him!"
"YOU FAILED TO PROTECT ALL THE PEOPLE YOU LOVED BECAUSE OF YOUR MISGUIDED COMPASSION!" Catequil raged, "YOU WILL FAIL AGAIN UNLESS YOU DESTROY YOUR ENEMY! NOW!"
"I won't fail this time!" Shun shouted, leaping from his bike and grabbing onto his monster's leg before clambering up on its back towards where Tanner was still desperately clinging to the monster, barely managing to avoid the places where the monster's body burned red-hot. Once he had reached his monster's back, he was nearly thrown off when Crow's Onimaru slammed its sword against his monster. Widening his eyes in panic, Shun frantically waved his arms at Crow to make him stop.
"Stop the duel!" he begged as the two monsters grappled against each other, Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor lashing out at Onimaru with beak and talon while Onimaru deflected the blows with its sword. "Listen to me!"
"Are you kidding me!?" Crow snarled, unable to believe what he was seeing. "You flipping tried to kill me! You think I'm going to just end my turn and let you roast me with that monster of yours!? I don't think so! Assault Black Feather - Onimaru the Divine Swell, finish him off! Black lightning strike!
There was no way of convincing him, Shun realized as he leaped forward before scooping the boy into his arms. Kicking and screaming, the boy fought against him while screaming, "Monster! Monster!" but Shun ignored him, instead, choosing to focus all his attention on using the bond with his monster to lower his Carpet Bomb Condor onto the ground while gradually decreasing its speed.
"DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR VICTORY!" Catequil roared, "DESTROY CROW NOW!"
Ignoring Catequil, Shun continued his descent. Once they were close enough to the ground, Shun tossed Tanner onto the track, where he rolled forward several meters before stopping, relatively unharmed.
"Wait…" Crow suddenly exclaimed when he saw who Shun had thrown off his monster. "…did you just…"
Before he could complete his thought, Onimaru the Divine Swell sped forward with its sword outstretched, before blasting straight through the hull of the massive monster, leaving a gaping flaming hole in the robotic condor's chest. Letting out a shrill, high-pitched scream, Ravage Raptor – Carpet Bomb Condor exploded in a raging inferno of molten metal, throwing Shun fifty meters into the open air with the force of the blast.
Shun 2300 – (500 + (2500 due to the effect of "Black Feather – Final Assault")) = 0 (LOSE)
"No!" Ruri screamed from up above, turning her attention away from the familiars she was leading against the Phoenix Guard as she saw her brother falling from his monster.
…
Shun felt light and deflated as he fell through the empty air, as if all his thoughts and energy were seeping out of him. Even as his monster faded to dust, he felt the voice of Catequil fading from his mind. Had it all been a dream? Vaguely, he remembered some of the last words the spirit had spoken to him.
"You failed to protect all the people you loved because of your misguided compassion. You will fail again unless you destroy your enemy now."
"How right he had been." Shun ruefully thought, feeling tears well up in the corners of his eyes as he continued to fall through the air. "I failed to save my home, my family, my friends, everyone." He felt a weak chuckle escape his lungs, "The only person I ended up saving was some strange boy I had never even met from another dimension. Why?"
The voice of Catequil echoed in his head again.
"Because of your misguided compassion."
"It was true." Shun decided. "Academia always beat us because they had no mercy. I tried to be like them, just as fierce and ruthless, but in the end I always was my enemy's prey. Ruri…everyone…forgive me. I was too weak to save you, even when I was given the power to do it."
He closed his eyes, preparing to splatter against the ground below, one final act of failure to complete a long series of defeats when suddenly, before he could even register what was going on, he felt someone slam into him before a pair of small but strong arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace.
Gasping, Shun opened his blood-caked eyes and nearly lost his breath when he saw who had caught him. Flying through the air on a pair of ethereal angel wings, his sister, Ruri, was holding him close in a tight embrace. Only, it couldn't be her. Her eyes were black as coal, her skin was paler, and she wore a dark black robe with white highlights. And yet, everything else about her was his sister.
Shun shook his head in disbelief and shock. "Ruri?" he breathed, wondering if he had died and gone to heaven.
"I'm here for you, Shun!" the girl wept, hugging him tighter. Pressed against her skin, Shun could feel how cold the girl was, as if she had been left in a freezer. Flapping her wings through the air, the girl ascended back onto the track-way before depositing Shun on the ground. Crawling onto his feet, Shun shakily stood up, feeling the blood on his face as he looked down upon Ruri before touching her face with his hand.
"Ruri…it's really…?" Shun babbled, tears pouring from his eyes like waterfalls.
The girl nodded her head, her own tears streaming down her cheeks as she leapt forward and hugged him.
It was not a dream.
"Ruri!" he wept, lifting his sister off the ground in an embrace. At this point, he had no clue what was going, what any of it meant. All that mattered to him now was that she was here, beside him. If this were all a mad hallucination, or a dream, he hoped to never wake up.
…
Adeel was almost wishing he could wake up from the nightmare the battle against the familiars had become. Despite the fact that he could not see anything that was going on, Adeel could still hear the crash of scythes and lances against the track-way is it fell apart beneath the familiar's relentless attacks, smell the scent of blood and fire in the air, and feel every lurch of the bike as Semal continued his reckless driving through the city track-way.
"I activate the Field Spell Card, Many World's Tree!" Semal began, slamming down his Field Spell Card as two heron familiars and one vulture familiar pursued them. Above Semal's head, a massive tree, roots and branches entangling various planets and moons, appeared, spreading throughout the sky.
"I next Normal Summon, Celestial Hero Camelopardalis!" Semal continued, summoning a Knight riding a giraffe to his field, both rider and mount encased in glittering silver armor. Unsheathing a large glittering sword, the monster galloped alongside Semal and Adeel's bike, shield held in front so that the Camelopardalis constellation imprinted on its front was visible.
Celestial Hero Camelopardalis / EARTH / 3 / Beast / Effect / 500 / 2100
"When Celestial Hero Camelopardalis is summoned," Semal continued, "I can add one Ritual Spell Card from my deck to my hand. With this effect," Semal continued, pulling out a card from his deck as his monster glowed with light, "I add Cosmic Ritual from my deck to my hand before activating it!"
Upon activating the Ritual Spell Card, the sky above Many Worlds Tree darkened before becoming illuminated by an array of constellations.
"I tribute my Celestial Hero Camelopardalis and the Celestial Hero Serpens in my hand in order to Ritual Summon!" Semal declared as his two monsters flew towards the sky, each one disappearing into their respective constellations before Semal began his summoning chant:
"Legendary warrior of the night sky, connect the stars that speak of your tale and bloom upon the battlefield! Gishiki Shokan! Illuminate the darkness! Level Seven! Celestial Hero Lilium Paladin!"
Galloping down the pillar of light, Semal's monster, a female Centaur knight with Lilium flowers in her blonde hair, descended to his field, a large rectangular shield with a constellation shaped like a fleur-de-lis decorating the front over her left arm and a long silver lance in her right arm, before galloping alongside Semal and Adeel's bike.
Celestial Hero Lilium Paladin / LIGHT / 7 / Ritual / Warrior / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 1800
"Many World's Tree gains a Celestial Counter each time any player Special Summons a monster from the Extra Deck or Ritual Summons a monster." Semal explained. "And for each Celestial Counter on my Many Worlds Tree, my Celestial Hero Monsters gain one-hundred ATK and DEF."
Many World's Tree (1 Celestial Counter)
Celestial Hero Lilium Paladin 2600 + 100 = 2700 ATK / 1800 + 100 = 1900 DEF
"Setting one card face down. Turn end." Semal finished before turning to his brother, who was riding in the side car. "You're up, bro."
"I guess I'll need to be getting our defense ready." Adeel grunted, drawing a card from the top of his deck.
"Hey, I didn't leave myself defenseless!" Semal protested, Lilium Paladin cannot be destroyed by battle while she's in attack position, and I take no damage from battles involving her! It's an impregnable defense!"
"Don't tell the familiars that!" Adeel barked before continuing with his turn. "I'll start by Normal Summoning Sparkles the Canine Firefighter!"
Sprinting alongside the bike, Adeel's monster, a Dalmatian wearing a firefighter hat and cloak, appeared to his field.
Sparkles the Canine Firefighter / FIRE / Level 4 / Beast / Effect / ATK 1700 / DEF 1600
"Setting five cards face-down." Adeel finished, filling up his back-row. "Turn end. Brace yourself! It's the familiar's turn now!"
As if in response to Adeel, the Vulture Familiar dueling them swooped down, the scythe in its hand glowing with light as six cards materialized in one of its skeletal hands.
"Field Spell Card, Earthbound Petroglyph Plains activate!" the familiar rasped in a ghostly voice that sounded like the rattling of dry leaves in a cold wind. Over the track-way the Phoenix Guard were riding on, a collage of various petroglyphs depicting people, animals, and plants appeared, each petroglyph glowing with a different colored light.
"Yep." Semal groaned. "Here comes the Field Spell."
"Stay focused." Adeel instructed as the familiar continued with its turn.
"Effect activate!" it rasped, "With my Field Spell Card's power, I add Earthbound Vulture from my deck to my hand before activating it in order to Special Summon one Earthbound Vulture Token to my field!"
The ghostly familiar began glowing with yellow energy as it prepared to summon the token, but before the token could appear, Adeel retaliated.
"Trap activate!" Adeel countered, "Fight for Dominance! If my opponent summons a monster or monsters whose total ATK is lower than the ATK of a face-up Beast-Type monster I control, I can negate the summon and destroy those monsters!"
Shrieking angrily, the vulture familiar recoiled as Adeel's Trap Card unleashed a pack of ghostly hounds into the air, which attacked the familiar, disrupting the summon before the familiar managed to slice them all into wisps of smoke with a swing of its scythe.
"Nice!" Semal complimented.
"We're not done yet!" Adeel warned.
"Earthbound Vulture, activate!" the familiar shrieked, placing a second copy of the Spell Card on the blade of its Scythe.
"Oh come on!" Semal complained.
Shrieking like a vulture, the vulture familiar began glowing with golden light once more before it enfolded its entire body in its massive skeletal vulture wings. Unfurling its wings with a high-pitched vulture shriek, the familiar uncovered itself, revealing its new body, which had transformed into a gigantic skeletal black vulture with mottled red skin and scythe-like talons, golden lines of energy running across its body.
Earthbound Vulture Token / DARK / Level 7 / ATK 1600 / DEF 0
"Man that is one ugly monster." Semal whistled.
"I'll take your word for it." Adeel replied, staring up at the familiar with his blind milky-white eyes.
"Earthbound Petroglyph Plain's effect!" the skeletal vulture shrieked. "I discard four cards from my hand in order to increase my ATK by 400 for each card discarded!"
Opening its beak, the familiar sucked the last four cards, which had been in its hand, down its dark gullet before glowing with golden energy.
Earthbound Vulture Token: 1600 + (400 X 4) = 3200 ATK
"Earthbound Vulture Effect!" the familiar shrieked, "I banish three cards from my graveyard in order to destroy Sparkles the Canine Firefighter!"
"Hold on!" Semal shouted as he slammed down on the bikes accelerator, just as the familiar swooped down, its skeletal vulture body crackling with bright electricity. Swerving out of the demonic monster's way, Semal and Adeel managed to avoid the attack as the vulture sliced Adeel's monster into pieces with a single swipe of its massive talons.
"Trap activate!" Adeel declared, "Revenge of the Underdog! If a Beast-Type monster I control is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can Special Summon another copy of that monster from my deck in attack position while increasing its ATK by one-thousand! Come forth! A second copy of Sparkles!"
Sparkles the Canine Firefighter / FIRE / Level 4 / Beast / Effect / ATK 1700 + 1000 = 2700 / DEF 1600
"For the rest of your turn, monsters you control can only attack the monster Special Summoned with this effect and must attack the monster Special Summoned by this effect!" Adeel explained. "Sick him Sparkles!" he whistled to the dog, who bared its fangs at the familiar before charging towards it.
Shrieking back at Adeel's monster, the vulture familiar swooped down, talons bared. Once it reached the Dalmatian, its talons locked around the canine's body, digging deep into the flesh. Undaunted, Adeel's monster bit back, fangs sinking deep inside the familiar's neck before the dog's body exploded in a shower of Sparks.
Adeel 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP
"Oh, and I forgot to mention." Adeel smirked. "At the end of the turn this effect was activated, any monster that battled with the monster Special Summoned with this effect is destroyed."
Shrieking angrily, the vulture familiar's body dissolved away, leaving behind the humanoid vulture skeleton form it had started the duel with.
"There's a lot more where that came from!" Adeel warned. "So you'd all better back off now!"
The vulture familiar seemed to comply with Adeel's demands. Flapping its skeletal wings, it withdrew a few meters from the duel before a heron familiar took its place.
"Atashi no turn, draw." The feminine familiar sang behind its mask as six cards materialized in its hand. "With the effect of our Earthbound Petroglyph Plain, I add Earthbound Crane from my deck to my hand."
"I'm starting to see a pattern here." Semal observed.
"Careful." Adeel warned, "We haven't dealt with this kind of familiar before."
"Can't be too different from the others." Semal shrugged. "Watch this, I predict that this familiar is going to summon a token."
"I discard one card from my hand in order to activate Earthbound Crane and summon an Earthbound Crane Token." The familiar continued, placing a Continuous Spell Card in the center of its shield before enfolding its body in its large heron wings and emerging as a massive graceful white heron with a lance-like ivory beak and lines of clear white energy glowing against its body.
Earthbound Crane Token / DARK / Level 6 / Winged Beast / ATK 1000 / DEF 800
"Called it!" Semal shouted, earning him an angry punch in the arm from Adeel.
"Stay focused!" he warned.
"Oh come on!" Semal groaned. "It's not like it's a disciple! What's it gonna do?"
"I equip the magic cards Earthbound Claws and Familiar Energy to myself." The familiar hummed as its talons grew in size and its body glowed with black energy. "Earthbound Claws increases my ATK by 1000, enables me to attack all monsters my opponent controls, once each, and gives me piercing damage against defense position monsters. Familiar energy increases my ATK by a further 1000, makes it so I cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, and enables me to negate the effects of whatever enemy monster I battle!"
Earthbound Crane Token: 1000 + 1000 + 1000 = 3000 ATK
"So basically you're saying that if you attack my Lillium Paladin now…" Semal realized, eyes widening.
"Impregnable defense." Adeel angrily snorted. "Right."
"Earthbound Petroglyph Plain's effect!" the familiar called before sucking the remaining three cards down its throat to increase its ATK.
Earthbound Crane Token: 3000 + (400 X 3) = 4200 ATK
With a savage shriek, the Heron Familiar dive-bombed towards Semal's Lilium Paladin, who raised her shield in defense.
"Not on my watch!" Adeel bellowed, "Trap activate! Dire Emergency Wolves! This card Special Summons two Dire Wolf Tokens to my side of the field if my field is empty! Come forth in defense position!"
Snapping their massive jaws and howling into the air, a pair of husky grey wolves appeared to Adeel's field before baring their fangs at the familiar, who backed away before eyeing them angrily.
Dire Wolf Token / EARTH / Level 4 / Beast / ATK 1000 / DEF 2000
"It's coming back around!" Semal warned as the familiar swooped down again, heading towards Lilium Paladin.
"I told you, 'NO!'" Adeel roared. "I activate my face-down Feral Instincts in order to target one of my Dire Wolf Tokens and increase its ATK by 800 for each of my other beast-type monsters I control! In addition, until the end of this turn, you can only target the monster I targeted with this effect for attacks!"
Dire Wolf Token: 1000 + 800 = 1800 ATK
Barking angrily, Adeel's token charged towards the familiar, intercepting it mid-flight with a mighty leap into the air. Angrily beating against the wolf with its wings, the familiar drove off the token, before slicing deep into the wolf's head with its razor-sharp talons and disintegrating the monster.
Adeel: 3500 – 2200 = 1300 LP
"Adeel!" Semal shouted as his brother took the damage. "Are you alright!?"
"I'm okay." Adeel grunted. "Just keep driving the bike!"
"Please tell me you're not gonna commit suicide in this duel!" Semal growled, angrily punching Adeel in the shoulder.
"I've still got one token left!" Adeel replied, rubbing his shoulder. "And I've got a plan for when my next turn comes! You make sure you have one of your own!"
"I've got one!" Semal protested, "It just doesn't involve letting the Earthbound use my face as a beak sharpener!"
Flapping away angrily, the first heron familiar was replaced by a second heron familiar, who faced the two duelists, shield raised in front of its chest as six cards materialized in its hand.
"Atashi no turn." The familiar hummed in a more coy and playful voice. "I add Earthbound Haunted Familiars to my hand with the effect of Earthbound Petroglyph Plain's effect before activating it."
As the familiar placed the Spell Card on its shield, a swarm of ghostly creatures with serpentine bodies, short stubby arms, and wailing faces flew over, two by two, to each player's side of the field.
"Earthbound Haunted Familiars summons two Haunted Earthbound Familiar Tokens to each player's side of the field." The familiar explained in the same coy voice. "And at the end of each turn, players who do not control an Earthbound card other than Haunted Earthbound Familiar Token must destroy all Haunted Earthbound Familiar Tokens they destroy and take 500 damage for each."
Haunted Earthbound Familiar Token / DARK / Level -2 / Fiend / ATK 0 / DEF 0 / (2 on Familiar 1's field, 2 on Familiar 2's field, 2 on familiar 3's field, 2 on Semal's field, and 2 on Adeel's field).
"Great, a burn player." Semal groaned as four of the tokens began circling their bike in an eerie patrol.
"Be careful." Adeel warned, "This one looks trickier than the others."
"Setting two cards face-down," The familiar continued, placing two more cards on its shield. "and activating Earthbound Petroglyph Plain's second effect. I discard all cards in my hand in order to increase my life points by eight-hundred for each."
Familiar 3: 4000 + (800 X 3) = 6400 LP
"Turn end." The familiar tittered before two of the familiar's struck out against Semal and two more smote Adeel in the chest.
Semal: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
Adeel: 1300 – 1000 = 300 LP
"Oh you are so going down!" Semal threatened, managing to steady the bike after taking the damage. "How you holding up, Adeel?"
"Just take down the familairs." Adeel grunted, massaging his chest. "I'll take care of whatever one's you leave behind."
"Still okay." Semal replied. "Good. Boku no turn! Draw!"
Quickly examining the single card in his hand, Semal nodded before continuing with his turn.
"I activate my face-down card! Celestial Hero Supernova! By sending five Celestial Hero monsters from my Extra Deck to the graveyard, I get to draw two cards!"
Yanking two cards from the top of his deck after choosing five cards from his Extra Deck to send to the graveyard, Semal continued.
"I banish Cosmic Ritual from my graveyard in order to activate its effect!" Semal continued, banishing his Spell Card from the graveyard and causing a starry portal to open up in the ground in front of it. "With its effect, I Special Summon the Celestial Hero Serpens from my graveyard! Come forth!"
Through the portal, Semal's serpentine knight appeared to the field, shield displaying the Serpens constellation on its front.
Celestial Hero Serpens / LIGHT / Level 3 / Reptile / Effect / ATK 1200 + 100 = 1300 / DEF 1000 + 100 = 1100
"When Celestial Hero Serpens is summoned," Semal explained, "I get to add one Celestial Hero monster from my deck to my hand. With this effect, I am adding Celestial Hero Lepus from my deck to my hand! And now that that's done," Semal continued, showing the familiars Celestial Hero Lepus before adding it to his hand, "I'm going to use my Normal Summon in order to Normal Summon Celestial Hero Monoceros!"
Through a blue portal, a knight riding a silvery-white unicorn appeared to the field. In the knight's right hand was a long elegant white lance with a spiraling point like the horn of its unicorn mount. Adorning its left arm was a large circular shield with the Monoceros constellation decorating the front.
Celestial Hero Monoceros / EARTH / Level 4 / Beast / Effect / ATK 1500 + 100 = 1600 / DEF 1000 + 100 = 1100
"Once per turn, Celestial Hero Monoceros allows me to discard one Celestial Hero monster from my hand in order to add a Fusion from my deck or graveyard to my hand." Semal explained. "Using its effect I'll discard the Celestial Hero Pavo in my hand in order to add Fusion from my deck to my
hand."
Raising its lance into the air, Celestial Hero Monoceros opened up a tear in the space above it with the tip of its lance. From the depths of the tear, a copy of Fusion flew forth before flying into Semal's hand.
"I activate the magic card, Fusion." Semal declared, slotting the spell card into his bike's Duel Disk system. "Using my Celestial Hero Lepus and Celestial Hero Lacerta in my hands as Material, I Fusion Summon!"
Above his head, the ghostly forms of a female knight with a bola weapon, a bunny-ear decorated helmet, and a breastplate bearing the Lepus constellation, and a knight with a lizard-like helmet, webbed hands and feet, a long armored tail, a spear, and a shield bearing the Lacerta constellation, appeared in the center of the Fusion Portal, before blending together in a swirl of white and green light as Semal began his summoning chant:
"Celestial Hero who leaps through the forested skies with the swiftness of a hare, agile Celestial Hero who stealthily crawls across the sky, with your legendary strength combined, defy the edicts of the universe and create a new law! Yuugo Shokan! Come forth! Level eight! Celestial Hero Taboo!"
Emerging through the Fusion Portal, Semal's new monster, a mermaid-like creature clad in sparkling white armor, with a blindfold over her eyes, a sword in one hand, and a set of scales in its other hand, appeared alongside Semal, causing the familiars to shriek at the monster in anger.
Many Worlds Tree: 2 Celestial Counters
Celestial Hero Taboo / WATER / Level 8 / Spellcaster / Fusion / Effect / ATK 2100 + 200 = 2300 / DEF 2000 + 200 = 2200
Celestial Hero Lillium Paladin: 2600 + 200 = 2800 ATK / 1800 + 200 = 2000 DEF
Celestial Hero Monoceros: 1500 + 200 = 1700 ATK / 1000 + 200 = 1200 DEF
"I will next activate Celestial Hero Taboo's effect!" Semal declared, "Once per turn, I can decrease Taboo's Level by one in order to Special Summon one "Celestial Hero" Ritual Monster from my hand or graveyard, ignoring the summoning conditions! Using this effect, I Special Summon the Celestial Hero Lepus I used to Fusion Summon Celestial Hero Taboo, Come forth!"
Celestial Hero Taboo: Level 8 – 1 = 7
Raising its scale into the air, Celestial Hero Taboo began glowing with light before a portal opened up in the ground in front of Semal's bike and the small bunny-like knight hopped out of the graveyard before twirling its bola in the air in the direction of the familiars, a mischievous expression on the bunny knight's face.
Celestial Hero Lepus / DARK / Level 3 / Beast / Ritual / Effect / ATK ? (Now treated as 0 + (200 from Many Worlds Tree's effect)) / DEF ? Now treated as 0 + (200 from Many Worlds Tree's effect))
"I next activate the effect of the Celestial Hero Pavo in my graveyard." Semal continued, stretching his hand in front of his bike and causing a white portal to appear in the ground in front of him. "Once per turn, if Celestial Hero Pavo is in my graveyard while I control a Celestial Hero monster, I can Special Summon it! Come forth now!"
Arising from the portal, an elegant winged female knight with a plume of peacock tail feathers sprouting from her helmet and her lower back appeared to the field, a pair of daggers in her hands and the Pavo constellation shining on the forehead of her helmet.
Celestial Hero Pavo / WIND / Level 1 / Winged Beast / Tuner / ATK 0 + 200 = 200 / DEF 500 + 200 = 700
"Since I summoned a Celestial Hero monster, I can use Celestial Hero Lepus's effect to equip one monster my opponent controls to itself, while increasing Lepus's ATK and DEF by the ATK and DEF of the equipped monster! I'm choosing to equip the Heron Familiar with fourty-two hundred ATK to my Celestial Hero Lepus! Go! Huntress snare!"
Throwing the bola in the air, Celestial Hero Lepus wrapped the heron in a tangle of ropes and weighted balls before tugging on the rope and pulling the struggling familiar towards itself. Shrieking in anger, the Familiar managed to disentangle itself from the ropes, transforming back into its humanoid form before Lepus equipped what had been its Token to itself.
Celestial Hero Lepus: 4200 + 200 = 4400 ATK
"And now for the fun to begin!" Semal continued, "I tune my Level one Celestial Hero Pavo with my Level now Level seven Celestial Hero Taboo in order to Synchro Summon!"
Twirling through the air, Celestial Hero Pavo morphed into a single ring of green light before encasing Celestial Hero Taboo in its light as Semal began his summoning chant:
"Celestial Heroes of legend, with your unified desires, harmonize the songs of your triumphs and call forth the mythical hero who strikes faster than the speed of light! Synchro Shoukan! Come forth! Level eight! Celestial Hero Superluminal Charger!"
Sprinting down from the sky in a flash of light, Semal's new monster, a warrior encased in white armor with futuristic metal wings, and swords made of light in each of its hands, appeared to Semal's field in the blink of an eye. Sprinting alongside the bike at its speeds, the warrior left brief after-images of itself as it seemed to defy the laws of physics with its speed.
Many World's Tree: (3 Counters)
Celestial Hero Superluminal Charger / LIGHT / Level 8 / Thunder / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2300 + 300 = 2600 / DEF 2400 + 300 = 2700
Celestial Hero Lepus: 4200 + 300 = 4500 ATK
Celestial Hero Lilium Paladin: 2600 + 300 = 2900 ATK
Celestial Hero Monosaurus: 1500 + 300 = 1800 ATK
"You cannot defeat all of us, even with that army." The vulture familiar rasped. "We are defended by our tokens and our Life Points remain whole."
"Then it's high time I whittled you all down a bit." Semal countered, "I activate the effect of my Celestial Hero Lilium Paladin! With her effect, I can target one Celestial Hero monster I control in order to change its Level to seven, and I'm choosing my Monosaurus!"
Celestial Hero Monosaurus: Level 7
"And now that that's done, I overlay my Level seven Celestial Hero Lilium Paladin and my Level seven Celestial Hero Monosaurus in order to Xyz Summon!"
Transforming into twin streams of light, Semal's two monster drained into the center of the Xyz Portal that appeared behind the bike as Semal began his summoning chant:
"Celestial Heroes of Legend, with your wills united, stand against the oncoming darkness as an unbreakable wall of defense! Xyz Shoukan! Come forth! Rank 7, Celestial Hero Great Interstellar Wall!"
Rising from the ground, a colossal knight bearing a wall-sized shield, which swirled with a galaxy of stars in a dark universe beneath its clear surface, appeared to Semal's field. Towering in the air, its immense size and shield created an imposing barrier between Semal and Adeel, and the Familiars that threatened them.
Many World's Tree: 4 counters
Celestial Hero Great Interstellar Wall / LIGHT / Level 7 / Thunder / XYZ / Effect / ATK 0 + 400 = 400/ DEF 3200 + 400 = 3600
Celestial Hero Lepus: 4600 ATK
Celestial Hero Superluminal Charger: 2700 ATK
"Lillium Paladin's effect activates!" Semal declared, "If it is used as an Xyz Material, the monster Xyz Summoned by its effect gains ATK equal to its DEF!"
Celestial Hero Great Interstellar Wall: ATK 400 + 3200 = 3600
"And now for Great Interstellar Wall's effect!" Semal declared, "Once per turn, I can detach one Xyz Material from this card in order to inflict damage to my opponent's LP equal to half its DEF! Go! Interstellar Quarantine!"
Glowing with light, Celestial Hero Great Interstellar Wall raised its shield into the air, before unleashing a force-field of starry light from its shield, knocking back all three familiars and damaging their LP.
Familiar 1: 4000 – 1800 = 2200 LP
Familiar 2: 4000 – 1800 = 2200 LP
Familiar 3: 6400 – 1800 = 4800 LP
"Trap activate!" The second Heron Familiar called after recovering from the blast, "Earthbound Retaliation! If we control an Earthbound monster when our opponent inflicts battle or effect damage, we can inflict damage to the opponent who inflicted the damage equal to half the damage inflicted and gain life points equal to the damage inflicted!"
Stretching out its lance, the familiar swooped down before striking Semal in the shoulder and withdrawing, leaving the Phoenix Guardsman groaning in pain.
Semal 3000 – 2700 = 300 LP
Familiar 4800 + 2700 = 7500 LP
"Semal!" Adeel called out, a horrified expression coming over his face.
"Don't worry!" Semal grunted, "I've still got this! Battle Phase!" he called, stretching his hand towards his monsters, "My Celestial Hero Superluminal Charger can attack my opponents directly, and if it was Synchro Summoned using a Ritual, Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz monster, it can make two attacks per turn! Go, Superluminal Charger! Attack the familiars with twenty-two hundred LP! Superluminal Sword Strike!"
Before any of the familiars could even react, Superluminal Charger flashed forward, striking down both the familiars so quickly that it left an afterimage of itself that slowly faded away as the two familiars disintegrated into dust.
Familiar 1: 2200 – 2700 = 0 LP (LOSE)
Familiar 2: 2200 – 2700 = 0 LP (LOSE)
The remaining familiar shrieked in rage as her companions faded away. Pressing his advantage, Semal continued his turn.
"Celestial Hero Great Interstellar Wall, Celestial Hero Lepus, attack and destroy those Earthbound Haunted Familiar Tokens!"
Pulling out a bow and knocking an arrow against it, Celestial Hero Lepus sniped one of the ghostly tokens with an arrow to its phantasmal forehead while Celestial Hero Interstellar Wall smashed another token with its fist.
"Turn end!" Semal finished. "It's all up to you now, Adeel! Win this duel!"
"Win?" the familiar hissed. "How do you plan on doing that when you have already fallen into my trap?"
"What trap are you-…?" Semal asked before Adeel interrupted him with, "Don't ask!"
"Trap activate!" the familiar called, ignoring both of them, "Earthbound Blood Demon! I discard one card and pay three-thousand LP in order to Special Summon my Trap Card as an effect monster whose ATK and DEF are each equal to my LP!"
Shrieking in pain, the familiar began transforming, body doubling in size and two extra pairs of leathery bat wings bursting forth from its back while the white lines on its body began to glow blood-red. When the familiar changed transforming, it looked like a demon with six wings, razor-sharp fangs and talons, and blood-stained robes.
Familiar 3: 7500 – 3000 = 4500 LP
Earthbound Blood Demon / DARK / Level -8 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 4500 / DEF 4500
"In response to my summon," the demonic familiar thundered, "I activate the effect of Earthbound Shaping from my graveyard! By banishing this card, I can Special Summon any number of cards from my graveyard as Earthbound Shapeshifter Normal Monsters, and if I do, their ATK and DEF each become the same as my own!"
Bursting forth from black portals in the sky, the images of four of the familiar's cards appeared in the sky before morphing into copies of the familiar's demonic form.
Earthbound Shapeshifter / DARK / Level -3 / Fiend-Type / ATK 4500 / DEF 4500
"Are you kidding me!?" Semal sputtered, gawking at the familiar's army of monsters.
"I'm glad I can't see this." Adeel sighed.
"During the End-Phase, I can reset Earthbound Retaliation from my graveyard to my side of the field." The familiar finished, causing her Trap Card to reappear to her field. "Now your doom is sealed!"
Adeel stared in the Familiar's direction, face set in an unmoving frown.
"Ore no turn," he began, placing a hand on top of his deck, "DRAW!"
Ripping a card from the top of his deck with a flourish, Adeel traced the brail of his card with his finger before beginning his turn.
"I activate the Magic Card, Lost Dog Found!" Adeel beginning, placing a spell card on his disk. "When this card is activated, I can Special Summon one Canine monster from my graveyard. With this effect I Special Summon Sparkles the Canine Firefighter from my graveyard! Come forth!"
Sparkles the Canine Firefighter / FIRE / Level 4 / Beast / Effect / ATK 1700 / DEF 1600
"Once per turn, if I haven't Normal Summoned a monster, I can Special Summon one Level four or lower Canine monster from my deck with Sparkles's effect." Adeel explained, "Using the effect of Sparkles, I Special Summon Balto the Canine Sled-Dog from my deck! Come, Balto, to my field!"
Appearing through a blue portal next to Adeel, a large white Husky dog wearing winter clothing and pulling a sled with supplies appeared, running alongside the bike.
Balto the Canine Sled-Dog / WATER / Level 3 / Beast / Effect / ATK 1450 / DEF 1100
"If Balto is Special Summoned, I can shuffle up to two of my Spell or Trap Cards in my graveyard into the deck, and if it was Special Summoned from the deck, I can add any number of those cards to my hand instead. Using this effect, I shuffle my Dire Emergency Wolves into my deck and add Lost Dog Found to my hand."
"And now for an Xyz Summon of my own!" Adeel continued, "Balto the Canine Sled-Dog can be treated as two materials for the Xyz Summon of a Canine monster! Using this monster I Xyz Summon!"
Barking excitedly, Adeel's monster transformed into a stream of blue light before draining into an Xyz Portal as Adeel began his summoning chant.
"Holy incarnation of the great celestial wolf-spirit, arise now to carry on the legacy of nature's artist and reclaim your divine potential! Xyz Shoukan! Be born! The descendant of the wolf creator! Chibiterasu the Celestial Canine Pup!"
In an explosion of multi-colored light, Adeel's monster, a young white wolf-pup with red markings on its fur, a large brush-like tail with a black tip, a pair of short stubby white wings on its back, and a small green cape, appeared to Adeel's field, running alongside Adeel's bike with a small paint brush in its mouth.
Chibiterasu the Celestial Canine Pup /LIGHT / RANK 3 / Beast / Xyz / Effect / ATK 2200 / DEF 1800 (1 Overlay Unit)
"Chibiterasu is a bit different from other Xyz Monsters." Adeel explained as the familiars shrieked at his monster. "Instead of its effects being fueled by its Overlay Units, its effects are fueled by the number of Ink Counters it accumulates. During each of my Standby-Phases and each time a card or cards is shuffled into the deck, it gains one Ink Counter. Furthermore, once per turn, I can detach one Overlay Unit from my monster in order to give it two Ink Counters. I will use this effect now!"
Chibiterasu: 0 Overlay Units / 2 Ink Counters
"And now to power it up even more!" Adeel continued, "I activate my face-down Trap Card, Canine Pack Instincts! This card enables me to Special Summon a Level four or lower Canine monster from my deck, and if I do, immediately after it is summoned, I can either Synchro Summon or Xyz Summon using monsters I control. Using my Trap's effect, I Special Summon Jack the Canine Lifeguard from my deck."
"Jack?" Semal smirked, glancing back and forth between Jack Atlas and Adeel's monster as Adeel's monster, a black retriever wearing a swimsuit, lifeguard whistle, and sunglasses, appeared by his side.
Jack the Canine Lifeguard / WATER / Level 2 / Beast / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1100 / DEF 900
"I didn't name them." Adeel shrugged.
"Well good because then they'd be named 'Fluffals.'" Semal quipped.
"Shut up." Adeel shot back, just as his dog, Fluffals, after hearing her name spoken, woke up from her nap in order to poke her head out over the side of the side car, tongue lolling in the wind as she enjoyed the breeze. "Using my Level two Jack the Canine Lifeguard and Level four Sparkles the Canine Firefighter as Materials, I Synchro Summon! Loyal and fierce canine companions, fight as one in the pack and give birth to the legendary canine who rules over the fiery darkness! Synchro Shoukan! Come to me! Orthrus the Legendary Canine Guardian!"
In an explosion of fire, Adeel's twin-headed Synchro Monster appeared to the field, snake tail twitching and hissing angrily.
Orthrus the Legendary Canine Guardian / EARTH / Level 6 / Beast / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 600
"Since Jack was used as a Synchro Material, its effect activates!" Adeel continued, "I can target cards on the field or graveyard up to the number of Synchro Materials used in the Synchro Summon of my Orthrus and shuffle them into the deck. Using this effect, I'm shuffling one of your Earthbound Shapeshifters into the deck and your face-down Earthbound Retaliation."
Earthbound Shapeshifters X 3
Chibiterasu the Celestial Canine Pup: 3 Ink Counters
"I will now activate Orthrus's effect!" Adeel continued, "Once per turn, I can shuffle a card from my hand into my deck in order to draw 1 card, and if the card drawn is a monster that can be Normal Summoned, I can add it to my hand and draw one more card. Any other card is sent to the graveyard. Go! Guard-Dog Howl!"
Letting out a pair of unified howls from its two flaming mouths, Orthrus sent the card in Adeel's hand into his deck before Adeel drew a new card.
Chibiterasu the Celestial Canine Pup: 4 Ink Counters
"The Card I drew is Dog Whistle, a Spell Card, so it is sent to the graveyard." Said Adeel, discarding his card. "But now that Chibiterasu has four Ink Counters, I can Xyz Summon one Amaterasu the Celestial Canine Wolf from my Extra Deck using my Chibiterasu as the Xyz Material! Slumbering Wolf-God of the old world, with the power of your descendant, reinvigorate your slumbering power and rejuvenate the chaos ravaged world with the power of your creative art!" Adeel commanded, "Reincarnation Ascension!"
"Letting out a loud howl, Adeel's monster began running in circles across the sky, trailing a stream of red paint in the air from its paintbrush wherever it went. Slowly, the red paint began to encase the young wolf pup like a chrysalis until the monster was completely covered. Then, in a flash of light, Adeel's new monster, a tall and graceful white she-wolf with red markings on her fur, three elegant tails, a pair of elegant red-and-white wings and a white-and-red cloak on its back, and a large paintbrush in its mouth appeared to Adeels field, before the monster loped slowly but gracefully down to Adeel's side.
Amaterasu the Celestial Canine Wolf / LIGHT / RANK 7 / Beast / Xyz / Effect / ATK 2900 / DEF 2600
"If Amaterasu is summoned this way, she inherits the four Ink Counters Chibiterasu carried." Adeel explained.
Amaterasu the Celestial Canine Wolf: 4 Ink Counters
"Amaterasu's effect!" Adeel continued, "Once per turn, I can detach one Overlay Unit from my monster in order to give it three Ink Counters!"
Amaterasu the Celestial Canine Wolf: (0 Overlay Units) 7 Ink Counters
"And now for the final evolution!" Adeel declared, raising his hand into the air, "Since Amaterasu the Celestial Canine Wolf has seven Ink Counters, I can Xyz Summon Shiranui the Majestic Celestial Canine Warg from my Extra Deck using my Amaterasu as a Material! Semal, lend me your power now!"
"With pleasure!" Semal replied, raising his marked arm into the air. In an instant the mark on his and Adeel's arms disappeared before a new crimson, dragon-shaped mark appeared on Adeel's back.
In response to this, Amaterasu took to the sky, paint brush swinging about in wide graceful arcs as the three-tailed white wolf began painting the image of a large red serpentine dragon, identical to the mark on Adeel's back, in the air. When it had finished its artwork, the mark and the wolf began to glow and transform as Adeel began his summoning chant:
"Invincible protector of heaven and nature, awake now from your millennial slumber with the blessings of the Crimson Dragon! Erase the darkness and destruction from this world and create a new era of peace and light! Majestic reincarnation ascension!"
In an explosion of red light, Adeel's monster completed its transformation into an even larger white wolf with nine tails, each one dipped in ink, two pairs of white wings on its back, elegant white-and-red robes with a massive circular red back piece, and a gold headdress on its majestic head.
Shiranui the Majestic Celestial Canine Warg / LIGHT / RANK 11 / Beast / Xyz / Effect / ATK 3600 / DEF 3200
Shrieking in rage and fear, the familiar and all its monsters shrank back from Adeel's shining monster, some of them using their hands to shield their eyes from the monster's blinding light.
"Shiranui inherits the Seven Ink Counters Amaterasu bore." Adeel explained.
Shiranui the Majestic Celestial Canine Warg: 7 counters
"Shiranui's effect!" Adeel proclaimed, "By removing five Ink Counters from my monster I can negate the effects of all face-up cards my opponent controls and shuffle them into the deck! Go! Harmonic restoration!"
Shiranui the Majestic Celestial Canine Warg: 2 counters
Letting out a loud howl, Adeel's monster whipped out all nine of its ink-tipped tails, brushing over the familiar and its monsters with each tail and causing the monsters to dissolve away in a swarm of flower petals, blood red as the red ink on its body, leaving nothing behind but the Heron familiar, who quivered in the air as her army disappeared.
Shiranui the Majestic Celestial Canine Warg: 3 counters
"Shiranui's second effect!" Adeel proclaimed, "Since you could very well activate the effect of one of your Spell Cards from the graveyard to counter my next attack, I will remove three Ink Counters from my Shiranui in order to make it so you cannot activate any Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Battle-Phase of this turn!"
Shiranui the Majestic Celestial Canine Warg: 0 counters
"Battle!" Adeel declared as his twin headed monster charged towards the familiar. "Orthrus the Legendary Canine Guardian, direct attack!"
Letting out a stream of two flames from each of its gaping bony mouths, Orthrus roasted the familiar, sending it flying backwards as it brushed at the flames on its wings and clothing.
Familiar 3: 4500 – 2600 = 1900 LP
"Shiranui the Majestic Celestial Canine Warg!" Adeel proclaimed, "Exorcise the Familiar! Direct attack!"
The familiar began flying away as fast as it could, but without so much as lifting a paw, Shiranui began howling in the familiar's direction, causing the winged creature to disintegrate in a cloud of golden dust.
Familiar 3: 1900 – 3600 = 0 LP (LOSE)
Adeel let out a sigh of exhaustion as his and Semal's monsters faded away.
"Are you okay?" Semal asked, looking over at his brother, while panting slightly himself.
"I didn't think I'd need to tap into the majestic power to defeat them." Adeel sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead as his and Semal's marks returned to their arms. "I guess I just wanted…to play it safe."
"I'm glad you did." Semal replied. "I don't want you taking the same beating you took earlier."
"How are the others doing?" Adeel asked, staring in the direction of the other duelists. "Are we close enough to intrude and help them?"
Semal looked ahead to where Kiryu was dueling two familiars by himself, pressing down on the bike's accelerator as he tried to catch up.
Current State of Duel
Heron Familiar:
4000 LP
Hand: 0
Field: Controls 1 Earthbound Crane Token,
Earthbound Crane Token / DARK / Level 6 / Winged Beast / ATK 1000 + 2000 = 3000 / DEF 800 + 2000 = 2800
Summoned by the effect of Earthbound Crane,
Earthbound Crane / Spell / Continuous / Discard 1 card: Special Summon 1 "Earthbound Crane Token" (Winged Beast-Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 1000/DEF 800), then, you can Special Summon 1 monster from either player's graveyard to your side of the field. While you have no monsters in your graveyard, "Earthbound Crane Token" cannot be destroyed by battle. If the token summoned by this effect is removed from the field, destroy this card. If this card is removed from the field, destroy the token Special Summoned by this card's effect.
an Earthbound Swarm Token,
Earthbound Swarm Token / DARK / Level 6 / Winged Beast / ATK 3000 / DEF 2800
has Earthbound Skies active,
Earthbound Skies / Spell / Field / Each time you summon an "Earthbound" monster to your side of the field while you have no monsters in your graveyard, you can activate this effect: Special Summon 1 "Earthbound Swarm Token". (That token's Name, Type, Attribute, ATK, and DEF each become equal to the monster summoned.
has Earthbound Consecration active,
Earthbound Consecration/ Spell/ Continuous/ While you control a Field Spell Card and have no monsters in your graveyard, increase the ATK and DEF of all "Earthbound" monsters you control by the number of "Earthbound" monsters you control X 1000.
and has a set card.
Vulture Familiar:
4000 LP
Hand: 5
Field: Empty
Kyosuke Kiryu II:
4000 LP
Hand 5
Field: Empty
"My turn, draw!" The vulture familiar shrieked, rising into the air before pulling a card from his hand and preparing to slam it onto the blade of his scythe. "Field Magic activate! Earthbound Maelstrom! Once per turn, if I control a face-up Earthbound monster, I can destroy any number of Magic or Trap Cards I control in order to increase the ATK and DEF of one Earthbound monster I control by 1000 for each card destroyed! With this in mind, I activate Earthbound Vulture to assume my battle form before setting three cards face-down!"
Slamming down the cards on his scythe, the vulture familiar enfolded itself in its wings before unfurling its wings and revealing its transformation into a skeletal vulture crackling with electricity and flexing razor-sharp wings.
Earthbound Vulture Token / DARK / Level 7 / Winged Beast / ATK 1600 / DEF 0
"Earthbound Maelstrom's effect!" the vulture familiar shrieked as the sky above it blackened in a swirling storm, "I destroy all three of my set cards in order to increase my ATK and DEF by three-thousand!"
Earthbound Vulture Token: 1600 + 3000 = 4600 ATK / 0 + 3000 = 3000 DEF
Shielding his eyes against the wind, Kiryu pressed forward, face looking unconcerned as he focused on keeping his bike upright.
"You are nothing more than my prey!" the vulture familiar shrieked as its body began glowing with electricity. "Quick-Play Magic activate! Earthbound Battlecry! Even though I cannot attack you yet, this card will enable me to damage you by inflicting damage to your Life Points equal to half my combined ATK and DEF in exchange for not being able to conduct my Battle-Phase this turn! DIE!"
"Look out!" Semal screamed as the vulture familiar shot a bolt of lightning straight into Kiryu before flying into the guardsmen, slicing at his shocked body with its claws and beak.
"Get us over to him, now!" Adeel called.
Kiryu: 4000 – (7600 / 2) = 200 LP
"No!" Kiryu called back as he threw the vulture familiar off his arm. "I've got this! Just be ready to lend me the energy in your marks!"
"You're almost dead!" Semal called back.
"Yeah…" Kiryu acknowledged, wiping some blood from his face, "but his turn is done. Isn't that right?"
The vulture familiar regarded him coldly. "Turn end!" it shrieked.
"That's all I need." Kiryu replied, placing his hand on top of his deck. "Boku no turn! Draw!"
"You have no hope of winning." The heron familiar hummed. "Our fields are too strong and your life points are too low."
"I'm not defeated till I'm dead." Kiryu countered, "And I don't intend to let death defeat me!"
"How poetic." The vulture familiar spat.
"I set two cards face-down." Kiryu began, placing two cards on his Duel Disk. "And now that that's done, I will Normal Summon Infernity Sage!"
A hooded monster with a long purple cloak and a fan in its hand appeared to Kiryu's field, face concealed behind its helmet.
Infernity Sage / DARK / Level 2 / Fiend / Tuner / Effect / ATK 400 / DEF 800
The vulture familiar began cawing hysterically at Kiryu's monster, as if laughing.
"Once per turn," Kiryu continued, ignoring the familiar, "I can use Infernity Sage's effect to discard my entire hand. With this effect I send my Infernity Beetle, Infernity Beast, and Infernity Necromancer to my graveyard!"
"Are you giving up?" the heron familiar asked as Kiryu sent his hand to the graveyard.
"It'll make sense later on." Kiryu replied with a smirk. "I next activate a face-down Infernity Deal! With this card's effect, I can send my Infernity Queen from my deck to my hand in order to draw one card!"
In front of Kiryu, the a feminine winged creature wearing black armor and wielding a scepter appeared before sinking into a black portal above the ground as Kiryu drew one card.
"The card I drew was Infernity Archfiend!" Kiryu declared, showing the familiars the card he had drawn. "With this card's effect, I can Special Summon it before adding an Infernity card from my deck to my hand!"
As Kiryu added a card to his hand from his deck, a red-haired demon with four eyes and a pair of ram horns on top of its head appeared to Kiryu's field.
Infernity Archfiend / DARK / level 4 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 1200
"I will now activate the card I added to my hand!" Kiryu declared. "Infernity Launcher! And now, since I have no cards in my hand, I can activate the effect of Infernity Laungher, sending this card to my graveyard to Special Summon my Infernity Beetle and my Infernity Necromancer from my graveyard!"
Shrieking in anger, the two familiars watched as a small horned beetle and a skull-faced demon appeared to Kiryu's field.
Infernity Beetle / DARK / Level 2 / Insect / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1200 / DEF 0
Infernity Necromancer / DARK / Level 3 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 2000
"And this is just the beginning of the Special Summons I'm going to be doing." Kiryu continued. "Next, since I have no cards in my hand, I will use my Infernity Necromancer to Special Summon my Infernity Beast from the graveyard!"
Hopping onto his field a demonic dog with bulging venom sacks on its neck began running alongside Kiryu's bike.
Infernity Beast / DARK / Level 3 / Beast / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1200
"Trash!" the Vulture familiar shrieked. "All of those creatures are nothing more than insignificant prey compared to me!"
"I tune my Level two Infernity Sage and my Level three Infernity Beast!" Kiryu countered, ignoring the familiar as his Infernity Sage morphed into a pair of green rings of light before encircling Infernity Beast in its light.
"Demonic followers of the void, commune with the empty darkness and emerge as the spiritual master who can find the light within! Synchro Shoukan! Come forth! Level five! Infernity Shaman!"
Appearing to Kiryu's field in a flash of light, a Native American-looking Shaman with a headdress of red and orange feathers, a face covered in black-and-white war paint, and a large wooden staff in its hands, appeared to Kiryu's field.
Infernity Shaman / DARK / Level 5 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2000 / DEF 2000
"And there's more!" Kiryu promised. "Next, since I still don't have any cards in my hand, I activate the effect of my Infernity Beetle, tributing it in order to Special Summon two Infernity Beetle from my deck!"
Infernity Beetle X 2
"And in case you didn't catch on," Kiryu continued, "My Infernity Beetles are both Tuners! With this in mind, I tune my Level two Infernity Bettle with my Level four Infernity Archfiend in order to Synchro Summon! Demonic natives of the void, with your combined fury, strike back at the darkness as a fearsome warrior! Synchro Shoukan! Come forth! Level Six! Infernity Tomahawk Striker!"
Appearing in a flash of light, Kiryu's monster, a Native-American warrior wielding a large tomahawk appeared to the field, feathery headdress fluttering in the wind.
Infernity Tomahawk Striker / Dark / Level 6/ Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2700 / DEF 500
"But I'm not done yet!" Kiryu declared, "I tune my second Level two Infernity Beetle to my Level six Infernity Tomahawk Striker in order to Synchro Summon again!"
Charging forward as Kiryu's second Infernity Beetle morphed into a pair of green rings, Infernity Tomahawk Striker let out a savage battle-cry before morphing into six spheres of white light as Kiryu began his summoning chant:
"In the deepest pits of the void, arise between the border of heaven and hell! Synchro Shoukan! Level eight! Void Ogre Dragon!"
Bursting forth in a flash of light, Kiryu's ace monster appeared, red orbs glowing against its scaly black skin as it let out a powerful roar.
Void Ogre Dragon / DARK / Level 8 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 3000
"Infernity Shaman's effect!" Kiryu declared as the familiars hissed at his massive dragon, "Once per turn, during either player's turn, if I have no cards in my hand, I can place one card from my deck on top of my deck!"
After placing a card on top of his deck, Kiryu next stretched his hand towards his last face-down card.
"Magic Card, Infernity Rejuvenation activate!" he commanded, "If I control an Infernity monster and have no cards in my hand, I can draw three cards from the top of my deck so long as I discard two of the cards I drew! Draw!"
The card at the top of his deck shone with immense light as he drew it, followed by two more cards which he quickly sent to the graveyard.
"Of the cards I drew, I send Infernity King and Infernity Barrier to my graveyard, while keeping the card I placed on top of my deck!"
In front of Kiryu, a royal looking demon with a large two-handed sword in its hands and an elegant orange-and-red crown on top of its head, sank into his graveyard.
"With this, I am ready for the final Synchro Summon!" Kiryu proclaimed, mark glowing on his arm, "Adeel! Semal! Lend me your power!"
"Got it!" Adeel agreed, as he and Semal stretched their right arms forward before all three of the duelist's marks disappeared and a circular dragon mark appeared on Kiryu's back.
"I pay half my Life Points," Kiryu declared, "In order to Special Summon Majestic Mirror from my hand with its own effect!"
Kiryu: 200 – 100 = 100 LP
Surging with red energy, the mark on Kiryu's black glowed like a supernova as a large mirror, whose trimmings were adorned with a wooden pattern shaped like the mark on Kiryu's back, appeared to the field.
Majestic Mirror / LIGHT / Level 1 / Spellcaster / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
"Once per turn," Kiryu explained, "my Majestic Mirror can target one monster I control in order to treat it as a Level one Tuner! Using this effect, I target my Infernity Necromancer!"
Infernity Necromancer: Level 1 / Tuner
"It's time!" Kiryu declared, "I double tune my Level one Infernity Necromancer and my Level one Majestic Mirror with my Level eight Void Ogre Dragon in order to Synchro Summon!"
Morphing into a pair of black-and-red rings that looked like shadowy flames, the two tuners encircled Void Ogre Dragon in a sphere of light and shadow. Within the sphere of light and shadow, a phantasmal image of Majestic Mirror appeared in front of Void Ogre Dragon, reflecting the dragon's appearance as the dragon began glowing with light, slowly transforming into a new creature as Kiryu began his summoning chant:
"Dragon walking between the empty borders of heaven and hell, with the blessing of the Crimson Dragon, rise forth as a mediator between light and darkness and purge the netherworlds of evil! Majestic Synchro Shoukan! Shake heaven and hell! Majestic Purgatory Dragon King – Ogre Dragonis!"
Completing its transformation, Kiryu's dragon burst free from the sphere of light and darkness, twice as large as it had previously been. Its slender body had grown more muscly and its wings had expanded to three times their original size, their membranes glowing with red energy. Its eyes swirled with black shadows like the pit of an empty abyss, and its head was crowned with large red stag horns.
Majestic Purgatory Dragon King - Ogre Dragonis / Dark / Level 10 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 3500 / DEF 3000
The heron familiar shrieked in terror, recoiling from the dragon's light, but the vulture familiar held firm, shrieking angrily at Kiryu's new monster.
"It's still not stronger than me!" the familiar roared. "I shall feast upon its flesh!"
"Battle!" Kiryu declared, "I activate the effect of the Infernity Queen in my graveyard! By targeting my Infernity Shaman, I can enable it to attack my opponent's Life Points directly! Go, Infernity Shaman! Attack the Heron Familiar!"
Placing its hands on either side of its staff, the Infernity Shaman began chanting before disappearing and suddenly reappearing behind the Familiar and whacking the frightened winged creature with its staff.
Heron Familiar: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
"I next activate the effect of the Infernity King in my graveyard!" Kiryu continued, "by targeting my Majestic Purgatory Dragon King, I can enable it to attack up to two of your monsters this turn! In addition, if it destroys a monster, the controller takes damage equal to the ATK that monster had on the field! Go! Attack the Heron Familiar's Earthbound Swarm Token!"
"Trap Activate!" the Heron Familiar countered. "Earthbound Maw! If my opponent's monster declares an attack while I control an Earthbound monster! The attacking monster is destroyed!"
"Ogre Dragonis's effect!" Kiryu countered, "Once per turn, if my opponent activates a Magic or Trap Card, I can negate the activation of that card in order to destroy it and one other card my opponent controls, before increasing my monster's ATK by five-hundred for each card destroyed with this effect! Go! Void Purge!"
Unfurling its wings, Ogre Dragonis shot bursts of dark-crimson light from the orbs on its body, obliterating the familiar's Trap Card and the familiar's Earthbound Heron Token, causing the familiar to transform back into its Humanoid appearance as Ogre Dragonis continued its attack against its remaining token.
Majestic Purgatory Dragon King - Ogre Dragonis: 3500 + 1000 = 4500 ATK
"Finish her off!" Kiryu commanded, "Majestic Void Flame!"
Throwing back its head and opening its mouth, Kiryu's monster charged up a beam of powerful red-and-black flames before blasting the fire from its mouth with a roar, disintegrating the familiar's remaining token and the familiar.
Heron Familiar: 2000 – 2500 = 0 LP (LOSE)
"And now for the final attack!" Kiryu declared, "Attack the Vulture Familiar! Majestic Void Flame!"
"You cannot defeat me!" the Vulture Familiar proudly proclaimed, swooping towards the dragon as it charged up its attack. Shrieking loudly, the familiar extended its claws outward, holographic indicator displaying its massive ATK of 4600.
"If Ogre Dragonis attacks," Kiryu explained, "it gains one-hundred ATK for each DARK monster in my graveyard during the Damage Step only, and I have eleven in my graveyard! Counterattack!"
Majestic Purgatory Dragon King - Ogre Dragonis: 4500 + (11 X 100) = 5600 ATK
Before the familiar could turn around and flee, Kiryu's dragon unleashed its flame, disintegrating the familiar into a cloud of dust with the combined damage from its own attack and the effect of Kiryu's Infernity King.
Vulture Familiar: 4000 – (1000 + 4600) = 0 LP (LOSE)
"You did it!" Semal whooped, pumping a fist into the air as Kiryu's monsters faded away and their marks returned to normal.
"We've done it." Kiryu panted, indicating Kazama, Emma, and Jack as they continued their own duels against larger swarms of familiars.
Kazama vs. Three Familiars
Current State of Duel
Vulture Familiar:
1200 LP
Hand: 0
Field: Controls two Earthbound Vulture Tokens each with 4600 ATK.
Heron Familiar 1:
2000 LP
Hand: 0
Field: Controls an Earthbound Crane Token with 3000 ATK
Heron Familiar 2:
2000 LP
Hand: 0
Field: Controls an Earthbound Crane Token with 3000 ATK
Officer Shoichi Kazama:
600 LP
Hand: 2
Field: Controls Chaos Overlord Archfiend
Chaos Overlord Archfiend / DARK / Level 7 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2600
"My turn!" Kazama declared, a circular dragon mark glowing against his back as he drew a glowing card from the top of his deck. "I'll start by Normal Summoning Dark Tinker to my field!"
Dark Tinker / DARK / Level 2 / Fiend / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1000 / DEF 1300
"Next," Kazama continued, "I'll discard one card from my hand in order to Special Summon Majestic Demon from my hand!"
Appearing in front of Kazama's bike, a horned demon with crimson robes and horns appeared, holding up a staff topped with an icon matching the circular mark on Kazama's back.
Majestic Demon / DARK / Level 1 / Fiend / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
"I double tune my Level one Majestic Demon and my Level two Dark Tinker with my Level seven Chaos Overlord Archfiend in order to Synchro Summon!" Kazama declared as his two tuners morphed into three rings of red flame which surrounded Chaos Overlord Archfiend, a bird-like demon with a flaming mane of crimson hair and two pairs of flaming bat wings, before Kazama began his summoning chant:
"Commander of Chaos, with the blessing of the Crimson Dragon, unleash your full power and dominate the forces of evil! Majestic Synchro Shoukan! Come forth! Level ten! Majestic Chaos Overking Archfiend!"
In a raging whirlwind of crimson magma, Shoichi's new monster appeared to the field. Its bird-like upper body was made completely of magma, and its lower body was a literal tornado of flame and molten rock. Three pairs of massive flaming bat wings sprouted from its burning back, four muscly arms stretched out from its torso, and a ball of flame hovered over the palms of each of its four clawed hands.
Majestic Chaos Overking Archfiend / DARK / Level 10 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 3600 / DEF 3600
"Majestic Chaos Overking Archfiend can attack all monsters my opponent controls, once each!" Kazama explained. "In addition, when it attacks a monster, it can change the ATK and DEF of all my opponent's monsters to zero! Go! Destroy all the familiars! Overwhelming Chaos Flame!"
Swirling through the air in a raging inferno, Kazama's monster disintegrated all the familiars in seconds, leaving the Earthbound enemies no time to react.
Vulture Familiar: 1200 – 3600 = 0 LP (LOSE)
Heron Familiars 1 and 2: 2000 – 3600 = 0 LP (LOSE)
Emma vs. five Familiars
Current State of Duel
Vulture Familiars 1 and 2:
1000 LP
Hand: 0
Fields: each with 1 Earthbound Vulture active, and 1 Earthbound Vulture Token with 6000 ATK.
Heron Familiars 1, 2, and 3:
1000 LP
Hand: 0
Fields: each with 1 Earthbound Crane active, 1 set card, and 1 Earthbound Crane Token equipped with 3 Earthbound Claws so that each of their tokens have 4000 ATK.
Emma:
1200 LP
Hand: 5 cards
Field: Empty
"Is that all you've got!?" Emma taunted, spitting some blood from her mouth before roaring with fury as a bright red circular dragon mark appeared on her back and the top card of her deck glowed with light, "It takes more than that to take down an old grandma bear like me! My turn! Draw!"
Squinting at a the cards in her hand, she attempted to read them before swearing loudly and pulling out a pair of reading glasses from a chest pocket in her riding suit and situating them over her nose.
"I activate Foolish Burial!" Emma barked, slamming down her Spell Card. "Using its effect, I'll send my Stygian Street Patrol from my deck to my graveyard before banishing my Street Patrol in order to Special Summon my Stygian Gun Slinger!"
Appearing through a blue portal, Emma's bike was joined by an affro-wearing cop shooting a pair of pistols in the air as it rode alongside Emma on its own bike.
Stygian Gun Slinger / DARK / Level 4 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 1900
"Next," Emma continued, "Since Stygian Gun Slinger was Special Summoned, I Special Summon Stygian Pursuer from my hand!"
Roaring up alongside Emma on a sleek and slender silver bike adorned with chrome skulls, a demonic cop wearing a horned helmet with a flashing red-and-blue light on top of its head appeared, fangs of its demonic teeth bared as it peered through a pair of night-vision goggles.
Stygian Pursuer / DARK / Level 2 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 900 / DEF 600
"If Stygian Pursuer is Special Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level four or lower fiend-type monster that is in my graveyard or banished, and if I do, its Level is changed to one! With this effect, I Special Summon my banished Stygian Street Patrol!"
Stygian Street Patrol / DARK / Level 4 – 3 = 1/ Fiend / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1200
"Now for some disciplining!" Emma barked, "I activate my Stygian Gun Slinger's effect! Changing its Level to 1 in order to inflict three-hundred damage to all your sorry Life Points! Eat Lead!"
Laughing maniacally, Emma's monster unloaded its six shooters into all of the familiars, who shielded their bodies from the hailstorm of bullets with their wings.
Stygian Gun Slinger: Level 1
Earthbound Familairs: 1000 – 300 = 700 LP
"And now, since I still haven't Normal Summoned this turn, I Normal Summon my Stygian Security from my hand!"
Stygian Security / DARK / Level 1 / Fiend / Tuner / Effect / ATK 100 / DEF 100
Once her monster had appeared to her field, Emma continued her turn.
"I tune my Level one Stygian Security with my Level one Stygian Street Patrol in order to Synchro Summon!" Emma declared as her Stygian Security encircled her Stygian Street Patrol monster in a ring of green light, "Daring rider of the burning wasteland, charge through the flames of lawlessness and beat the outlaws into submission! Synchro Shoukan! Ride into the flames! Level 2! Stygian Street Hog!"
Roaring up next to Emma on an utterly massive motorbike, a fat biker gangster with the face of a tusked boar appeared. Wearing spiked shoulder pads and thick leather armor, the pig-like monster swung a spiked cudgel through the air, squealing wildly.
Stygian Street Hog / DARK / Level 2 / Fiend / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 1000
"Since Stygian Street Patrol was sent to the graveyard, I banish my Stygian Street Patrol again in order to Special Summon a second Stygian Pursuer from my hand, before using its effect to Re-Special Summon my Stygian Street Patrol with its Level reduced to one!"
Roaring alongside the growing convoy of bikes, a second Stygian purser and Emma's Stygian Street Patrol completely filled up her field.
Stygian Pursuer / DARK / Level 2 / Fiend / Effect / ATK 900 / DEF 600
Stygian Street Patrol / DARK / Level 4 – 3 = 1/ Fiend / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1200
"Battle!" Emma declared, "When Stygian Street Hog attacks, it gains one-thousand ATK for each Stygian monster I control! Attack one of the Heron Familiar's tokens with four-thousand ATK! I don't give a crap which one!"
Stygian Street Hog: 0 + (1000 X 5) = 5000 ATK
"I activate my face-down-…" One of the heron familiars countered before she was interrupted by Emma.
"Well boo-hoo, but you can't!" Emma spat, "When Stygian Street Hog attacks, my opponent cannot activate any cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step!"
Roaring forward into the sky on its bike, Stygian Street Hog swing its spiked cudgel into one of the Heron Familiars, causing the familiar to disintegrate into black dust before getting blown away by the wind.
Heron Familiar 1: 700 – 1000 = 0 LP (LOSE)
"And now for Stygian Street Hog's other effect!" Emma declared, "During the Battle-Phase, if it battles a monster, I can use its effect to immediately Synchro Summon! Using my Level two Stygian Street Hog and my Level one Stygian Street Patrol, I am going to do just that!"
Squealing, Stygian Street Hog morphed into a pair of green rings that encircled Emma's Stygian Street Patrol as Emma began her summoning chant:
"Lone Rider of the lawless hell, take justice into your own hands and become a hero for the defenseless! Synchro Shoukan! Ride into battle! Level three! Stygian Street Vigilante!"
Swinging her chains through the air, Emma's ace monster appeared, riding its sleek cherry-red-and-black bike with pink highlights alongside Emma's own motorbike.
Stygian Street Vigilante / DARK / Level 3 / Fiend / Synchro / Effect / ATK 1300 / DEF 800
"And now," Emma continued, "Since I Special Summoned a monster, I pay half my Life Points in order to Special Summon Majestic Angel from my hand!"
Emma 1200 – 600 = 600 LP
Descending from a pillar of light, a small angel in bright crimson-and-white robes appeared to Emma's field, a pair of bright red flaming dragon wings, identical to the dragon wings depicted in the mark on Emma's back, appeared to the field, white hair flapping in the wind as it looked up at the familiars with a pair of crimson eyes.
Majestic Angel / LIGHT / Level 1 / Fairy / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
"When Majestic Angel is Special Summoned, I can use its effect to immediately use my Level three Stygian Street Vigilante, Level one Stygian Gun Slinger, and my Level one Majestic Angel to perform a Synchro Summon!"
Spreading its arms out towards Emma's Stygian Street Vigilante as Stygian Street Vigilante rode towards the Angel, Majestic Angel expanded in size, become larger and more ethereal as Stygian Street Angel rode straight through the monster's chest before transforming into three spheres of white light, which arranged themselves into a column within the angel as Emma began her summoning chant, the circular crimson dragon-shaped mark on her back glowing like a supernova:
"Majestic rider of the hellish and lawless road, with the blessing of the Crimson Dragon, become a fearless warrior of true justice! Majestic Synchro Shoukan! Ride against evil! Level five! Majestic Stygian Street Angel!"
On a silver-and-crimson bike, Emma's new monster, a female demon with a pair of angel wings sprouting from the inky wing tattoos on her back, and a pair of ram horns sprouting from her forehead, appeared to the field in an explosion of light, swinging a golden chain above her head as she charged towards the familiars.
Majestic Stygian Street Angel / DARK / Level 5 / Synchro / Effect / ATK 1900 / DEF 1400
"When Stygian Street Angel is Special Summoned, I can send a number of Fiend-Type monsters from my deck to the graveyard, equal to the number of "Stygian" monsters I control! Since I control Stygian Street Angel and two Stygian Pursuers, that's a total of three monsters! Furthermore, Stygian Street Angel gains 300 ATK for each monster in the graveyard!"
Majestic Stygian Street Angel: 1900 + (9 X 300) = 4600 ATK
"Battle!" Emma declared, "Majestic Stygian Street Angel, attack one of the Earthbound Vulture Tokens with six-thousand attack!"
Shrieking with fury, both of the vulture familiars flew toward Emma's monster, talons outstretched as they prepared to rip the bike rider to shreds.
"Stygian Street Fighter's effect!" Emma declared, "Now I know you cretins are ready to slice up my monster, but since I sent Stygian Street Fighter from my deck to my graveyard with the effect of my Majestic Monster, it means I can banish my Stygian Street Fighter in order to halve the ATK of the monster my Majestic Stygian Street Angel is battling! Go! United Biker Gang!"
From Emma's graveyard, the ghostly form of a muscly demonic biker gang man rode into the air, a blue headband on his head and Japanese kana tattooed all over his arms and chest. Rocketing past Emma's Majestic Stygian Street Angel, the muscly demon punched one of the Vulture Familiars square in the beak with a pair of bejeweled brass knuckles before Emma's Majestic Stygian Street Angel dragged it down with her chains and destroyed it.
Earthbound Vulture Token: 6000 / 2 = 3000 ATK
Majestic Stygian Street Angel 4600 – 300 = 4300 ATK
Vulture Familiar 1: 700 – 1300 = 0 LP (LOSE)
"Majestic Stygian Street Angel's effect!" Emma declared as the familiars attempted to regroup. "When it destroys a monster by battle, I can inflict damage to my opponents' Life Points equal to half its ATK! Go! Chains of Retribution!"
Swinging its chains into the air, Majestic Stygian Street Angel rose from its bike, flapping through the air on its wings before throwing the chains forward and ensnaring all three of the remaining Familiars. In a flash of light, the chains ignited, roasting all three familiars before they crumpled away into black dust.
Familiars: 700 – 2150 = 0 (LOSE)
Jack Atlas vs. 12 familiars
Current State of Duel
3 Vulture Familiars:
4000 LP
Hand: 0
Field: Each control an Earthbound Petroglyph Plain, control a vulture familiar with 6000 ATK, and a copy of Earthbound Vulture.
6 Heron Familiars:
4000 LP
Hand: 0
Field: each with 1 Earthbound Crane active, 1 set card, 1 Earthbound Crane Token equipped with 2 Earthbound Claws and 1 Familiar Energy so that each of their tokens have 4000 ATK and cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects.
3 other Heron Familiars:
6400 LP
Hand: 0
Field: Each with 2 set cards, and 2 Earthbound Shield Tokens.
Earthbound Shield Token / DARK / Level -1 / Rock / ATK 0 / DEF 3000
Jack Atlas:
4000 LP
Hand: 0
Field: Controls Red Wyrm
Red Wyrm / DARK / Level 7 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2400
And Red Demon Dragon Scarlight
Red Demon Dragon Scarlight / DARK / Level 8 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500
Red Mantle / Trap / Continuous / Activate by targeting 1 face-up attack position "Red" Dragon-Type Synchro Monster you control. Equip this card to that target. While the equipped monster is in attack position, your opponent cannot target any monsters for attacks, except the equipped monster, the equipped monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect, and you take no damage less than the ATK of the equipped monster. During each of your End-Phases, pay LP equal to the ATK of the equipped monster.
"Ore no turn!" Jack Atlas declared, drawing a card from the top of his deck. "Red Wyrm effect activate! Once per turn, I can negate the effects of all face-up Magic and Trap Cards on the field while making it so that neither player can activate any of their set Magic or Trap Cards until the end of this turn! Go! Crimson Hell Veil!"
Obeying Jack's command, Jack's Red Wyrm, a slender crimson dragon with a thin serpentine body and massive flaming red wings, unleashed a hailstorm of fire against the familiars with a flap of its wings, driving the winged creatures back.
"Red Wyrms's second effect!" Jack declared, "I can tribute this monster in order to double the ATK of my Red Demon Dragon Scarlight! Go! Red Power-Up!"
Red Demon Dragon Scarlight: 3000 X 2 = 6000 ATK
"Red Demon Dragon Scarlight's effect!" Jack declared, "I destroy all your Special Summoned monsters to inflict 500 damage to your LP for each! Crimson Hell Burning!"
In an explosion of flame, Jack's ace monster obliterated all twelve of the familiars and their monsters, leaving nothing but black ash behind.
9 Familiars: 4000 – (500 X 15) = 0 LP (LOSE)
3 Familiars: 6400 – (500 X 15) = 0 LP (LOSE)
"We have a lot left to learn." Kiryu whistled after seeing the other guardsmen finish their duels.
"Jack didn't even have to use a majestic monster to beat them!" Semal gawked. "And he was fighting five times as many as we were!"
"We're not done yet." Adeel murmured. "The easy part is over. Now there is the Dark Signer to deal with."
…
Ruri parted from her brother when she heard the sounds of her disciples approaching on their motorbikes, arriving just as the Phoenix Guard defeated the familiars.
"What's going on?" Shun asked as several Security officers dismounted from their bikes before approaching him.
"I'm sorry we have to separate again, just when we reunited." Ruri wept, but it's not safe here, and you're hurt.
"I'm not leaving you!" Shun growled, taking a shaky step forward before almost failing over as a wave of dizziness and fatigue swept over him. Dazed, Shun felt two large officers, a man and a woman, take him by his arms before guiding him to the back of one of the motorbikes. Shun wanted to fight back against them, but he was feeling so weak that he could barely lift his arms.
"I promise I'll come back." Ruri called to him as her disciples revved up their engines. "I promise I'll explain everything. But right now, I need you safe. I cannot bear to lose you again."
"Ruri!" Shun managed to scream out, before the officer on the bike held him down to the seat and roared off into the distance with the other bikers.
When her brother had disappeared into the distance, Ruri heard Jatun's voice whisper to her.
"He is here, the Signer." The spirit solemnly whispered, a note of fear and anger in her soft voice.
Ruri slowly turned around, facing the King of the Synchro Dimension as he made a stop in front of her, turning his circular single-wheeled bike to the side to regard her gravely through his helmet.
"Jack Atlas." Said Ruri, bowing her head. "I have heard much about you. Do you know who I am?"
The Signer regarded her silently for a few heartbeats before speaking.
"This duel is between you and me." He replied, signaling to the other riders accompanying him, who rode off in the direction of where Ruri's disciples had fled. "I will not let you use more innocents as your puppets."
Ruri felt Jatun's spirit rising within her as she realized the Signer had addressed the god inhabiting her, rather than herself.
"I look forward to this duel, Burning Soul!" Ruri felt the Earthbound God reply through her mouth. Tears welling up in her eyes as she felt a wave of emotion well up from within the spirit, Ruri rose into the air with her wings before she and Jatun spoke as one.
"For all the loved ones we have lost, we shall have vengeance!"
…
"It would seem that The King is engaging the Dark Signer." Bordeux observed. "But perhaps it is still early for us to decide which side The City will back, correct chairman?"
"Indeed." White Taki agreed, nodding his head. "We should all make careful considerations when deciding our alliances, wouldn't you agree, Reiji?"
"I would." Reiji agreed, eyes masked by the shine of his glasses. "Though I prefer to be a bit more…decisive."
Adjusting his glasses with a finger, Reiji suddenly turned on the security officers in the room, activating his Duel Disk as quick as a viper.
…
All was chaos in Jean-Michell Roger's control room. Despite all the threats he made, assistants who had not had chips planted in their skulls were fleeing from their desks as more and more horrific security feeds of prison riots and brutal counterattacks from Roger's security forces filled the screens.
"STAND YOUR GROUND, COWARDS!" Roger screamed, "I WILL NOT HAVE ANYONE LEAVING THEIR POSTS! I WILL HAVE ORDER! I WILL HAVE DISCIPLINE! I WILL HAVE-…!"
The rest of Roger's sentence was cut off as the entire left wall enclosing his office was torn open, a massive shadowy black wolf with large black wings, green glowing markings covering its body, the tail of a gigantic black snake, a massive scarred chest, and muscly arms that looked like the arms of a gorilla, burst inside, swiping away four workers with its claws while the debris from its entrance struck two more workers against the walls. Growling, the phantasmal abomination slowly turned its shaggy head towards Roger, eyes glowing red as blood.
Before Roger could even react, the beast was upon him, crossing the room with a single bound before pinning Roger to the ground with its gorilla-like paw, knocking the air out of Roger, and forcing the quivering man to stare up into the beast's gaping maw, drool dripping from its jagged teeth.
Roger screamed at the top of his lungs as the monster he had kept in containment lowered its massive head down to bite off Roger's own head, but just before the beast's teeth could prick Roger's sweating neck, the beast suddenly stopped.
"No." the deep emotionless voice of Sergey called from just behind Roger.
The beast lifted its head from Roger, slowly exhaling is it did so. Roger closed his eyes and held his breath as the beast's hot musty breath steamed across his face, before rolling onto his stomach to look up at one of his strongest minions.
Sergey was a foot taller and twice as broad as he had previously been, mechanical augmentations in his arms, chest, and legs showing clearly though his purple-and-green suit. A massive metallic chest-plate adorned his torso, while a bright multi-colored spiral mark shone beneath the armor. Eyes glowing a deep red, Sergey stretched out a metallic robotic hand towards the monster, who slowly backed away from Roger.
"Jibaku Kairei Geo Marchosias," Sergey Volkov growled in a deep voice, pulling out a card from his Duel Disk before holding it up in front of his monster, "return."
Bowing its head, the monster slowly knelt before Sergey Volkov, dissolving into a thick black mist before the mist began pouring into the front of the card. When all the mist had streamed into the card, Sergey reverently placed the card in his Extra Deck before looking down at Roger.
Roger slowly backed away, staggering to his feet before standing at his full height, staring up at the gigantic half-machine man.
"S-s-status report?" Roger asked, quivering with fear.
"This one stands ready." Sergey droned in a deep emotionless voice, the rest of his body remaining still as a statue.
Tears welling up in his eyes and body shaking like a leaf, Roger suddenly threw back his head, laughing like a madman.
"Good!" he cackled. "Good! Good! Good! It's about time something went my way today! Sergey, I have need of your brute strength right now! Track down and secure the following people! Sakaki Yuya, Hiragi Yuzu, Selena, Rin, Kurosaki Shun, and finally and most importantly, bring me the head of Kurosaki Ruri!"
Sergey Volkov stood silently as Roger rattled off the names. When Roger has finished, he turned briskly away, a hideous smile adorning his tattooed face as he made his way towards his first target.
FEATURED ORIGINAL CHARACTERS (IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE)
Name: Emma Grayson / Original concept by: Donjusticia / Deck: Stygian / Allegiance: Phoenix Guard / Status: Active
Name: Semal Haddad / Original concept by: kaploblast / Deck: Celestial Hero / Allegiance: Phoenix Guard / Status: Active
Name: Adeel Haddad / Original concept by: Angelight952 / Deck: Canine / Allegiance: Phoenix Guard / Status: Active
Name: Kyosuki Kiryu II / Orignal concept by: FanOfKings / Deck: Infernity / Allegiance: Phoenix Guard / Status: Active
FEATURED FAN CARDS
Shun's Extra Deck
Ravage Raptor Carpet Bomb Condor/ FIRE/ Rank -6/ Winged Beast/ Xyz/ Effect/ ATK 2500/ DEF 3500/ 3 Level -6 "Ravage Raptor" Monsters
Cannot be targeted or destroyed by your opponent's card effects. At the start of the Battle-Phase, you can detach 1 Dark Xyz Material from this card: This card can make up to 2 attacks per Battle-Phase for each monster your opponent controlled at the time of this effect's activation. If this card battles a monster, you can destroy that monster at the start of the Damage Step, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent's LP equal to the ATK or DEF of the destroyed monster (whichever is higher).
Shun's Spells
Rank-Up-Magic Enshrouding Force/ Spell/ Quick-Play/ Target 1 Xyz Monster you control: Multiply its Rank by -1. Then, you can Dark Xyz Summon 1 Dark Xyz Monster from your Extra Deck that is two Ranks higher than the targeted monster, using the targeted monster as a Dark Xyz Material. (Xyz Materials attached to that monster become Dark Xyz Materials on the summoned monster). When an opponent's monster declares an attack on a monster summoned by this card's effect, you can banish this card from your Graveyard. Negate the effects of the attacking monster and decrease its ATK by 1000. During either player's turn, if this card is banished: You can discard 1 card from your hand; Return this card to your graveyard.
Crow's Spells
Sonic Blast/ Spell/ Action/ If you take 2000 or more damage and your LP become 500 or less, you can activate one of the following effects (If you take 3000 or more damage, you can activate both effects in sequence):
1: Target 1 monster your opponent controls: Destroy it, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent's LP equal to the ATK of that monster
2: Draw 2 cards.
Crow's Traps
Black Feather Barricade /Trap/ Normal/ If a "Black Feather" card you control would be destroyed by battle or card effect, you can discard this card from your hand: Negate the destruction of that card. If a "Black Feather" card is destroyed while this card is in your graveyard, you can banish this card from your graveyard: Activate 1 "Black Feather" Trap Card from your graveyard.
Black Feather - Final Assault/ Trap/ Normal/ When an opponent's monster declares a direct attack: Special Summon 1 "Assault Black Feather" monster from your graveyard, and if you do, both the opponent's attacking monster and the monster Special Summoned by this effect have their effects negated, also, those monsters immediately battle. During the battle, if a player's monster is destroyed, the controller of that monster takes damage equal to the original ATK of that monster.
(Original concept by: Nox Descious)
Semal's Monsters (All original concepts of Semal's cards by: kaploblast)
Celestial Hero Camelopardalis / EARTH / Level 3 / Beast / Effect / ATK 500 / DEF 2100 / When you Summon this card: Add 1 Ritual Monster or Ritual Spell Card to your Hand. (You can only use this effect of "Celestial Hero Camelopardalis" once per turn).
Celestial Hero Serpens / LIGHT / Level 3 / Reptile / Effect / ATK 1200 / DEF 1000 / When this Monster is Summoned: Add 1 "Hero" Monster from your Deck to your Hand. (You can only use this effect of "Celestial Hero Serpens" once per turn).
Celestial Hero Lilium Paladin / LIGHT / Level 7 / Warrior / Ritual / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 1800 / You can Ritual Summon this card with "Cosmic Ritual". Cannot be destroyed by battle. You take no battle damage from attacks involving this face-up Attack Position card. Once per turn: You can target 1 "Celestial" monster you control; it becomes Level 7 until the end of this turn. If this card is used as an Xyz material for the Summon of a "Celestial Hero" Xyz monster, the monster summoned using this card as a material gains ATK equal to its DEF.
Celestial Hero Monoceros / EARTH / Level 4 / Beast / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1000 / Once per turn, you can discard 1 "Celestial Hero" Monster from your hand: Add 1 "Polymerization" from your Deck or Graveyard to your Hand.
Celestial Hero Pavo / WIND / Level 1 / Winged Beast / Tuner / Effect/ ATK 0 / DEF 500 / If this card is in the Graveyard and you control a "Celestial Hero" Monster, you can Special Summon this card. (You can only use this effect of "Celestial Hero Pavo" once per turn).
Celestial Hero Lepus / DARK / Level 3 / Beast / Ritual / Effect / ATK ? / DEF ? / You can Ritual Summon this card with "Cosmic Ritual". Once per turn, if you Special Summon a "Celestial" monster: You can target 1 monster your opponent controls; equip that target to this card. (You can only equip 1 monster at a time to this card with this effect.) This card's ATK and DEF become equal to the ATK of the equipped monster. If this card would be destroyed by battle, destroy that equipped monster instead.
Semal's Extra Deck
Celestial Hero Taboo / WATER / Level 8 / Spellcaster / Fusion / Effect / ATK 2100 / DEF 2000 / 1 Hero Monster + 1 Ritual Monster
Once per turn, you can decrease this Monster's level by 1: Special Summon 1 Ritual Monster from your hand or graveyard, ignoring the summoning conditions.
Celestial Hero Superluminal Charger / LIGHT / Level 8 / Thunder / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2300 / DEF 2400 / 1 "Celestial" Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
This card can attack your opponent directly. If this card is Synchro Summoned using a Ritual, Synchro, Xyz, Pendulum, or Fusion Monster as Synchro Material, this card gains the following effect: This card can make a second attack during each Battle Phase.
Celestial Hero Great Interstellar Wall / LIGHT / Rank 7 / Thunder / Xyz / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 3200 / 2 Level 7 Monsters
Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card; Inflict damage to your opponent's LP equal to half this card's DEF.
Semal's Spells
Many Worlds Tree / Spell / Field / Each time either player Special Summons a monster from their Extra Deck or Ritual Summons a monster, place 1 Celestial Counter on this card. "Celestial Hero" monsters you control gain 100 ATK and DEF for each Celestial Counter on this card. If a "Celestial" monster would be destroyed, you can remove 1 Celestial Counter from this card instead.
Cosmic Ritual / Spell / Ritual / This card can be used to Ritual Summon any "Celestial Hero" Ritual Monster. You must also Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal that of the Ritual Monster being summoned. During your Main Phase, except the turn this card was sent to the Graveyard: You can banish this card and Special Summon 1 "Celestial Hero" Monster from your Graveyard.
Semal's Traps
Celestial Hero Supernova/ Trap/ Normal/ Send 5 "Celestial Hero" monsters from your Extra Deck to the graveyard; Draw 2 cards.
Adeel's Monsters (All original Adeel card concepts by: AngeLight952)
Sparkles the Canine Firefighter/ FIRE/ Level 4/ Beast/ Effect/ ATK 1700/ DEF 1600
Once per turn, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower "Canine" monster from your hand or deck. You cannot Normal Summon the turn you activate this effect. You can only activate the effect of "Sparkles the Canine Firefighter" once per turn and only once that turn.
Balto the Canine Sled-dog/ WATER/ Level 3/ Beast/ Effect/ ATK 1450/ DEF 1100
When this card is Special Summoned, target up to 2 Spell/Trap Cards in you graveyard; shuffle them into your deck. If this card was Special Summon from your deck, add 1 of those card to your hand instead. This card is treated as 2 Xyz material for the Xyz Summon of a "Canine" monster. You can only use the effects of "Balto the Canine Sled-dog" once per turn.
Jack the Canine Lifeguard/ WATER/ Level 2/ Beast/ Tuner/ Effect/ ATK 1100/ DEF 900
When this card is used for the Synchro Summon of a "Canine" monster you can select cards from the Field, Extra Deck or Graveyard up to the numbers of monsters used for the Synchro Summon and shuffle those cards into their owner's deck. You can only use the effect of "Jack the Canine Lifeguard" once per turn.
Adeel's Extra Deck
Chibiterasu the Celestial Canine Pup/ LIGHT/ RANK 3/ Beast/ Xyz/ Effect/ ATK 2200/ DEF 1800/ 2 level 3 monsters
During each of your Standby-Phases, and each time a card(s) is shuffled into the deck, place 1 "Ink" counter on this card. (Max. 4). If this card would be returned to the deck, you can have this card gain 1 Ink Counter instead. You can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: Place 2 Ink Counters on this card. During either player's turn, when a monster declares an attack, you can remove 2 Ink Counters from this card: Shuffle that attacking monster into the deck.
Amaterasu the Celestial Canine Wolf/ LIGHT/ Rank 7/ Beast/ Xyz/ Effect/ ATK 2900/ DEF 2600/ 2 level 7 monsters
You can also Xyz summon this card during either player's turn by using 1 "Chibiterasu the Canine Celestial Pup" from your side of the field with 4 Ink counters as the Xyz Material. (If Summoned this way, place 4 Ink Counters on this card). During each Standby-Phase and each time a card(s) is shuffled into the deck, this card gains 1 Ink counter (MAX. 7). During either player's turn, you can detach 1 Xyz Material from this card: Place 3 Ink Counters on this card. If this card would be returned to the deck, you can have this card gain 1 Ink Counter instead. During either player's turn, you can remove any number of Ink Counters from this card to activate one of the following effects depending on the number of Counters removed:
2: Target 1 monster: That monster's ATK and DEF is halved until the end of this turn.
3: Target 1 monster: Shuffle that target into the deck.
Shiranui the Majestic Celestial Canine Warg/ LIGHT/ Rank 11/ Beast/ Xyz/ Effect/ ATK 3600/ DEF 3200/ 2 level 11 monster
You can also Xyz summon this card during either player's turn by using 1 "Amaterasu the Celestial Canine Wolf" on your side of the field with 7 Ink counters. (If Summoned this way, place 7 Ink Counters on this card). During each Standby-Phase and each time a card(s) is shuffled into the deck, this card gains 1 Ink counter (MAX. 9). If this card would be returned to the deck, you can have this card gain 1 Ink Counter instead. During either player's turn, you can remove any number of Ink Counters from this card to activate one of the following effects depending on the number of counters removed:
3: Your opponent cannot activate any Spell/Trap Cards until the end of the Battle Phase of this turn.
5: Negate the effect of all face-up cards your opponent controls, and if you do, shuffle them into the deck.
(Name the Video Game these monsters come from!)
Orthrus the Legendary Canine Guardian/ EARTH/ Level 6/ Beast/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK 2600/ DEF 600/ 1 tuner + 1 or more non-tuner monsters
Once per turn you can shuffle a card from your hand into the deck: Draw 1 card. If the card you drew is a monster that can be normal summon add it to you hand then draw 1 more card, otherwise discard the card you drew. If a card or effect is activated that would return a card(s) to the hand or deck, you can shuffle any number of cards you control into the deck: Negate that effect, and if you do, add cards from your graveyard to your hand up to the number of cards returned to the deck with this effect.
Adeel's Spells
Lost Dog Found/ Spell/ Normal/ Target 1 "Canine" monster in your graveyard; Special Summon it. That summon is treated as being summoned from the deck. When that monsters leaves the field, banish it. You can only Special Summon "Canine" monsters during the turn you activate this card. You can only activate "Lost Dog Found" once per turn.
Adeel's Traps
Fight for Dominance/ Trap/ Normal/ When your opponent summons a monster(s) whose total ATK is lower than the ATK of a face-up Beast-type monster you control, destroy that monster(s).
Feral Instincts/ Trap/ Normal/ When an opponent's monster declares an attack, you can target 1 Beast-Type monster you control: it gains 800 ATK for every other face-up beast-type monsters you control, also, your opponent can only target that monster for attacks. (These changes last until the end of this turn).
Dire Emergency Wolves/ Trap/ Normal/ If you control no monsters, Special Summon 2 "Dire Wolf Tokens" (Beast-Type/EARTH/Level 4/ATK 1000/DEF 2000). ("Dire Wolf Tokens" cannot be tributed or used as a Material for a Special Summon, except for the summon of a Beast-Type monster).
Revenge of the Underdog/ Trap/ Normal/ When a Beast-Type monster you control is destroyed by battle or card effect, Special Summon another copy of that monster from your deck in face-up attack position, and if you do, increase its ATK by 1000. For the rest of this turn, your opponent can only battle the monster Special Summoned with this effect and must attack that monster if able. At the end of the turn this effect was activated, Destroy the monster Special Summoned with this effect and all monsters that battled with that monster.
Canine Pack Instincts/ Trap/ Normal/ Special Summon 1 "Canine" monster from your deck, and if you do, you can activate this effect: Synchro Summon or Xyz Summon 1 Monster from your Extra Deck using monsters on your side of the field as materials, and if you do, and it was a "Canine" monster, you can activate 1 of the following effects based on the type of monster Special Summoned.
Synchro Monster: You can immediately activate its effect that would shuffle a card(s) into the deck.
Xyz: You can Add 4 "Ink" counters to that monster.
Kiryu's Monsters
Infernity King/ DARK/ Level 7/ Fiend/ Effect/ ATK 2500/ DEF 2600/ If this card is sent to the graveyard, you can target 2 cards on the field: Destroy them, and if you do, discard 2 cards from your hand. During your Battle-Phase, if this card is in your graveyard while you have no cards in your hand, you can target 1 DARK monster you control: This turn, it can make up to 2 attacks, but cannot attack your opponent's LP directly, also, if it destroys an opponent's monster by battle, inflict damage to the controller's LP equal to the ATK that monster had on the field when it was destroyed.
Majestic Mirror/ LIGHT/ Level 1/ Spellcaster/ Tuner/ Effect/ ATK 0/ DEF 0/ You can Special Summon this card (from your hand) by paying half your LP. Cannot be used as a Material except for the Special Summon of a "Majestic" monster. Once per turn, you can target 1 other monster you control to activate 1 of the following effects:
That monster is treated as a Tuner, also, its Level becomes the same as this card's Level.
This card's Level becomes equal to the Level of that card.
Kiryu's Extra Deck
Infernity Shaman/ DARK/ Level 5/ Fiend/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK 2000/ DEF 2000/ 1 Tuner + 1 or more non-tuners
Cannot be destroyed by battle while you have no cards in your hand. Once per turn, if you have no cards in your hand, you can place 1 card from your deck or graveyard on top of your deck.
Infernity Tomahawk Striker/ DARK/ Level 6/ Fiend/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK 2700/ DEF 500/ 1 DARK Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner monsters
When this card attacks, if you have no cards in your hand, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step.
(Original Concept by FanOfKings)
Majestic Purgatory Dragon King - Ogre Dragonis/ DARK/ Level 10/ Dragon/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK 3500/ DEF 3000
2 Tuners (Including at least 1 "Majestic" tuner) + "Void Ogre Dragon"
Once per turn, during either player's turn, when another card or effect is activated while you have no cards in your hand: You can negate the activation, and if you do, destroy that card and one other card on the field. Each time a card is destroyed with this card's effect, increase the ATK of this card by 500. If this card attacks, this card gains 100 ATK for each DARK monster in your graveyard during the Damage Step only. During the End-Phase, shuffle this card into the Extra Deck, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Void Ogre Dragon" from your graveyard.
(Original Concept by FanOfKings)
Kiryu's Spells
Infernity Deal/ Spell/ Normal/ Send 1 "Infernity" monster from your deck to your graveyard: Draw 1 card, but discard your hand during the End-Phase of the turn you activate this card's effect. If you would take damage while this card is in your graveyard and you have no cards in your hand: You can banish this card; That damage becomes 0.
Infernity Rejuvination / Spell/ Normal/ If you control a face-up "Infernity" monster and there are no cards in your hand: Draw 3 cards, and if you do, discard 2 cards.
Emma's Monsters
Stygian Gun Slinger/ DARK/ Level 4/ Fiend/ Effect/ ATK 800/ DEF 1900/ If this card is Normal or Special summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or Lower Fiend Type monster from your hand. (You can only use this effect of "Stygian Gun Slinger" once per turn). Once per turn, you can target 1 Level 5 or Lower Fiend Type monster you control: Change that target's Level to 1, and if you do, inflict damage to your opponent's LP equal to the difference between that monsters original Level and current Level X 100.
Stygian Pursuer/ DARK/ Level 2/ Fiend/ Effect/ ATK 900/ DEF 600/ If this card is Normal or Special Summoned, you can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Fiend-Type monster from among the cards in your graveyard or that are currently banished, and if you do, change the Level of the monster Special Summoned by this effect to 1.
Stygian Street Fighter/ DARK/ Level 2/ Fiend/ Tuner/ Effect/ ATK 1100/ DEF 300/ Cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect once per turn. During either player's turn, if a Level 5 or lower Fiend-Type monster you control battles an opponent's monster, you can banish this card from your graveyard: Halve the ATK of the monster that Level 5 or Lower Fiend-Type monster is battling, and if you do, negate its effects.
Emma's Extra Deck
Stygian Street Hog/ DARK/ Level 2/ Fiend/ Synchro/ Tuner/ Effect/ ATK 0/ DEF 1000/ 1 DARK Tuner + 1 non-tuner
Cannot be destroyed by battle. If this card attacks, increase its ATK by 1000 for each "Stygian" monster you control until the end of the Damage Step. Your opponent cannot activate cards or effects when this card declares an attack. During the Battle-Phase of either player's turn in which this card battled, you can activate this effect: Synchro Summon 1 "Stygian" monster from your Extra Deck using monsters you control.
Stygian Street Vigilante/ DARK/ Level 3/ Fiend/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK 1300/ DEF 800/ 1 Tuner + 1 or more Non-Tuners
Your opponent cannot target monsters for attacks except this one. You can discard any number of Fiend Type monsters from your hand: Increase the ATK of this card by 200 for each card discarded with this effect. If this card attacks a defense position monster, inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent's LP. If this card would be destroyed, you can banish 1 Fiend Type monster from your graveyard instead.
Majestic Stygian Street Angel/ DARK/ Level 5/ Fiend/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK 1900/ DEF 1400/ 1 "Majestic" Tuner + 1 "Stygian" Synchro monster + 1 non-tuner
Cannot be destroyed. When this card is Special Summoned, you can send a number of Fiend-Type monsters from your deck to the GY, equal to the number of "Stygian" monsters you control. This card gains 300 ATK for each monster in the GY. If this card destroys a monster by battle, inflict damage to your opponent's LP equal to half the ATK of this card. During the End-Phase, shuffle this card into the Extra Deck, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Stygian" monster from your graveyard.
Kazama's Monsters
Majestic Demon/ DARK/ Level 1/ Fiend/ Tuner/ Effect/ ATK 0/ DEF 0/ Cannot be used as a material for a Special Summon unless it's for the Special Summon of a "Majestic" monster. You can discard 1 card from your hand or pay 1000 LP: Special Summon this card from your hand or graveyard, but banish it when it leaves the field. Once per turn, you can banish 1 monster from your side of the field, hand, or graveyard to activate 1 of the following effects:
1. Change the Level of this card to the Level of the monster banished for this effect.
2. Add 1 "Rank-Up," "Polymerization," or "Fusion" Spell/Trap Card (Expect "Diffusion Wave Motion" from your deck or graveyard to your hand.
Kazama's Extra Deck
Chaos Overlord Archfiend/ DARK/ Level 7/ Fiend/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK 2600/ DEF 2600/ When this card battles a monster, you can have the ATK and DEF of all monsters your opponent controls each become equal to their respective ATK or DEF (whichever is lower). If a Level 10 or higher Fiend-Type Synchro Monster you control leaves the field, you can Special Summon this card from your graveyard.
(Trivia: "Chaos King Archfiend" was first created by a fan of "Yu-Gi-Oh 5 D's" in an art competition. So this is basically a fan card of a fan card).
Majestic Chaos Overking Archfiend/ Dark/ Level 10/ Synchro/ Effect/ ATK 3600/ DEF 3600/ 2 Tuners including 1 "Majestic" tuner + 1 Synchro Monster
This card can attack each monster your opponent controls once each. When this card battles a monster, you can have the ATK and DEF of all monsters your opponent controls each become 0. If this card is targeted by a card effect, you can banish this card: Negate that effect, and if you do, Special Summon this card. During each of your End-Phases, pay 2000 LP or shuffle this card into the Extra Deck.
Jack Atlas's Extra Deck
Red Wyrm / DARK / Level 7 / Dragon / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2400 / 1 "Resonator" Tuner + 1 or more monsters
Once per duel, you can activate this effect: Negate the effects of all face-up Spell/Trap Cards on the field, and if you do, neither player can activate the effects of their set Spell/Trap Cards for the rest of this turn. (Spell/Trap Cards cannot be activated in response to the activation of this effect). You can tribute this card to target 1 DARK Dragon-Type Synchro Monster you control: Double its ATK until the end of this turn. You can banish this card from your graveyard: Add 1 "Resonator" monster from your graveyard to your hand.
Jack Atlas's Traps
Red Mantle / Trap / Continuous / Activate by targeting 1 face-up attack position "Red" Dragon-Type Synchro Monster you control. Equip this card to that target. While the equipped monster is in attack position, your opponent cannot target monsters for attacks, except the equipped monster, the equipped monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect, and you take no damage less than the ATK of the equipped monster. During each of your End-Phases, pay LP equal to the ATK of the equipped monster.
Earthbound Familiars' Spells
Earthbound Skies/ Spell/ Field/ Each time you summon an "Earthbound" monster to your side of the field while you have no monsters in your graveyard, you can activate this effect: Special Summon 1 "Earthbound Swarm Token". (That token's Name, Type, Attribute, ATK, and DEF each become equal to the monster summoned.
Earthbound Consecration/ Spell/ Continuous/ While you control a Field Spell Card and have no monsters in your graveyard, increase the ATK and DEF of all "Earthbound" monsters you control by the number of "Earthbound" monsters you control X 1000.
Earthbound Maelstrom/ Spell/ Field/ Once per turn, if you control a face-up "Earthbound" monster, you can destroy any number of Spell/Trap Cards you control to target 1 "Earthbound" monster you control: Increase its ATK and DEF by the number of Spell/Trap Cards destroyed with this effect X 1000.
Earthbound Battlecry/ Spell/ Quick-Play/ Activate only if you control a face up Field Spell Card and your opponent's LP are 4000 or higher. Target 1 "Earthbound" monster you control: Inflict damage to your opponent's LP equal to half the combined ATK and DEF of that monster. (You cannot conduct your Battle-Phase the turn you activate this effect).
Earthbound Petroglyph Plains/ Spell/ Field/ Cannot be destroyed. Once per turn, the turn player can add 1 "Earthbound" or "Familiar" card from his/her deck to his/her hand. Once per turn, if the turn player controls an "Earthbound" or "Familiar" card, that player can discard any number of cards from his/her hand to activate 1 of the following effects:
Increase the ATK and DEF of one monster you control by 400 for each card discarded with this effect.
Gain 800 LP for each card discarded with this effect.
Earthbound Crane/ Spell/ Continuous/ Discard 1 card: Special Summon 1 "Earthbound Crane Token" (Winged-Beast Type/DARK/Level 6/ATK 1000/DEF 800), then, you can Special Summon 1 Monster from either player's graveyard. While you have no monsters in your graveyard, "Earthbound Crane Token" cannot be destroyed by battle. If the token summoned by this effect is destroyed, destroy this card.
Earthbound Vulture/ Spell/ Continuous/ Special Summon 1 "Earthbound Vulture Token" (Winged-Beast Type/DARK/Level 7/ATK 1600/DEF 0). Once per turn, you can banish 3 cards from either player's graveyard: Destroy 1 card on the field, and if you do, "Earthbound Vulture Tokens" you control gain 200 ATK for every banished card until the end of this turn. If the token summoned by this effect is destroyed, destroy this card.
Earthbound Claws/ Spell/ Equip/ Increase the ATK of an "Earthbound" monster equipped with this card by 1000. While equipped with this card, the equipped monster can attack each monster your opponent controls, once each, and if it attacks a defense position monster, inflict piercing damage to your opponent's LP.
Familiar Energy / Spell / Equip / Equip only to an "Earthbound" Token Monster. The equipped monster gains 1000 ATK and cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, also, if it battles a monster, negate the effects of the monster it is battling.
Earthbound Haunted Familiars/ Spell/ Quick-Play/ Special Summon 2 "Haunted Earthbound Familiar Tokens" (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level -2/ATK 0/DEF 0) to each player's side of the field. At the end of each turn, each player who does not control an "Earthbound" card other than "Earthbound Haunted Familiar Token" must destroy all "Earthbound Haunted Familiar Token" they control and take 500 damage for each token destroyed with this effect. (Players do not take damage from battles involving an "Earthbound Haunted Familiar Token").
Earthbound Shaping/ Spell/ Quick-Play/ Activate 1 Field Spell Card from your deck. During either player's turn, if you control an "Earthbound" monster, you can banish this card from your graveyard: Banish any number of cards from your graveyard, and if you do, Special Summon an equal number of "Earthbound Shapeshifter Tokens" (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level -3/ ATK ?/ DEF ?). If summoned this way, you can target 1 "Earthbound" monster you control: Those token's ATK and DEF each become equal to the respective ATK and DEF of the targeted monster.
Earthbound Familiars' Traps
Earthbound Retaliation/ Trap/ Normal/ Activate only if you control an "Earthbound" monster when a player inflicts battle or effect damage. Inflict damage to the player who inflicted the damage equal to half the damage that player inflicted, and if you do, activate 1 of the following effects:
Gain LP equal to the damage inflicted.
Target 1 "Earthbound" monster you control: That monster gains ATK and DEF equal to the damage inflicted.
During the End-Phase of the turn this effect was activated, you can set this card, but banish it when it leaves the field.
Earthbound Blood Demon/ Trap/ Normal/ Discard 1 card and pay 3000 LP: Special Summon this card as an effect monster (Fiend-Type/DARK/Level -8/ATK ?/DEF?). This is NOT treated as a Trap Card. If summoned this way, this card's ATK and DEF each become equal to your LP at the time of this effects resolution, also, it cannot be destroyed by battle or card effect.
Earthbound Maw/ Trap/ Normal/ Activate only when your opponent declares an attack while you control a face-up "Earthbound" monster. Destroy the attacking monster, and if you do, you can target 1 "Earthbound" monster you control: Increase its ATK and DEF by the respective ATK and DEF of the monster destroyed with this card's effect.
Thanks goes to Nox Descious for creating the duel between Shun and Crow, and Shimmering Sky for helping me to proofread and edit the story. More thanks goes out to all you, my readers, who continue to make this series the success it is. Prepare the CGI and "Attack on Titan" music in your brains for the next chapter, because a certain immortal species of monster will be making its advent. Until next time, stay tuned and stay awesome.
