Welcome, welcome, welcome back everyone! Whoo! This has been a bit of a hiatus, but then again, what's new with SoR? This next chapter has been a doozy to write, and I have been quite busy…
Donjusticia 4 months ago: *Sitting on the couch with a bag of chips in one hand, a bowl full of dip in the other, and an anime marathon on the television* I feel like I'm forgetting something…
I mean, REALLY busy…
Donjusticia 3 months ago: WHOOHOO! Rank 17 in Hearthstone! I am never setting this game down!
I was working very, very hard.
Donjusticia 2 months ago: *Riding on a roller coaster* Oh boy! Here comes the loop! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
But I managed to finally power through and get this next chapter up for you.
Donjusticia 2 days ago: *Crawling out from under a pile of empty chip bags and soda cans* Huh…I'm bored. Whelp, maybe I should start writing again. *Proceeds to rapidly type up, edit, and proofread the chapter in 2 hours flat.*
So, I hope you appreciate all the hard work I put into this. As always, it is a true delight for me to write for you, my dear readers. Thanks must also go to the likes of bladeWriter3, Shimmering-Sky, and Epsilon Tarantula for proofreading, and to all of you who submitted OCs that will be appearing in this chapter.
This chapter is especially long and PACKED with new info, so, in order to spare your minds from an info and word overload, I have decided to split this into two pieces. The part following this chapter will be posted next week, so stay tuned for that. With that all said, please enjoy.
Part 1: Chapter 15 – Mark of the Hero (Part 2)
The red holographic avatar of Roger strolled through the carnage of the battlefield, noting the uniforms of the fallen and happily finding that the majority of casualties on his side came from the largely replaceable civilian volunteers.
Academia, on the other hand, could not claim the same.
"Eighty-Five Percent of all Academia forces in this sector have been eliminated." A white GHOST drone next to Roger reported. "The remaining forces are attempting to regroup and await the arrival of reinforcements."
"Tell the other GHOST units to scour the streets." Roger ordered the drone. "Eliminate them while they're scattered and proceed to eliminate the Earthbound disciples and Common mobs."
"Command confirmed." The drone acknowledged. "Your orders for this unit?"
"I believe our young Academia lieutenant has stayed behind with a few other soldiers to cover the retreat of the rest of their forces." Roger yawned. "You will accompany me so that we can crush them as quickly as possible. Are our other forces already engaging them?"
"Field data suggests that a single civilian volunteer recently began to engage the remaining Academia forces and their lieutenant." The drone confirmed.
"That volunteer has probably been eliminated by now." Roger sighed. "But I suppose it's better than losing more valuable resources. Have all other units hold back. This should be over shortly. Erm…Alpha 005, where are the Academia forces?"
He and the drone had rounded the street corner where the hapless Lieutenant Martell and his few remaining lackeys had gathered for a final stand. But where there had once been several Academia soldiers and their monsters, there now only remained a single red-haired civilian soldier, chip blinking against his forehead as he stared blankly at an empty field covered with ash and craters.
"Alpha 005, explain." Roger prompted. "Where did the Academia forces retreat to?"
"Accessing security camera data." Alpha 005 droned, silver eyes flickering with light. "Footage shows that all Academia forces here were defeated."
"By whom?" Roger asked, "Surely not this one?"
"Records confirm that this individual defeated Lietenant Martell and all Academia soldiers who were accompanying him." Alpha 005 replied.
"And what happened then?" Roger asked, looking around at the empty field. "Did the Academia soldiers retreat back to Fusion?"
"Negative, Chief." Alpha replied, "Records show that they were destroyed by the civilian's monsters. Investigating. Local scanners show that there were spikes in psionic energy emanating from the civilian duelist, similar to the energy used to fuel the systems of the GHOST units. Most likely, this civilian soldier is a psychic duelist."
Roger regarded the civilian standing before him, stroking his chin in thought as he did.
"I've seen this one before. Bring up his records!" he ordered the GHOST drone.
"Accessing records." Alpha 005 droned. "Subject: Sayer Prieur. Tagged as: Former leader of Neo Arcadia Movement. Terrorist. Former Public Enemy #1. Lead an immense cult of loyal Psychics under the pseudonym 'Divine' after his father, Magnus Prieur, was defeated by an unknown duelist. Deposed as leader by another unknown duelist before disappearing. Reappeared approximately three years ago completely delusional and was admitted to a mental institution."
"Delusional? How do you mean?" Roger asked, curious.
"The subject reported that he had been killed by an Earthbound God and been imprisoned within the Underworld before being returned to the physical world through some arcane means involving his father, Magnus Prieur." The drone reported.
"So, he had contact with the Earthbound…" Roger mused, "…just like Sergey did…a psychic too…how did he end up here? What happened to him after he was admitted to the mental institution?"
"Subject, Sayer Prieur, was able to use his remaining allies and influence to secure a position as a participant in the Friendship Cup." The drone replied, "He defeated all other contestants and eventually faced off against Jack Atlas in the final round. Was defeated by Jack Atlas and sentenced to life labor in the Underground. Was heavily medicated to suppress psychic abilities and labored in the Underground before being conscripted as part of the directives provided by Directive Alekhine's Gun."
"And proceeded to defeat an entire Academia squadron by himself." Roger concluded, looking more and more interested. An idea began to form in his head when Alpha 005 suddenly interrupted him.
"Chief, units dispatched to Madame Kimura's Orphanage have encountered resistance." The drone reported.
"Then have our forces there suppress it." Roger growled, annoyed that he had been interrupted. "I want those hostages in my hands so I have a bargaining chip to deal with the Dark Signers."
"Chief, the resistance is coming from two Dark Signers." The drone replied.
Roger's eyes widened with shock. Briefly, a look of immense horror flashed across his holographic face before a new idea suddenly came to him.
"How long can our forces there hold?" he quickly asked.
"This unit calculates that the current force will not last longer than five minutes against the Dark Singer's combined power." The drone replied. "Sending in additional local Security forces as back-up may delay the Dark Signers for an additional fifteen minutes."
"More than enough time." Roger grinned before looking at his psychic soldier. "Outfit Sayer, no, let's call him Divine. Yes, it would seem the gods have given me a gift just when I needed it." He mused, looking very pleased with himself.
"Outfit Divine with equipment to enhance his psychic abilities, similar to what was given to Sergey, and make sure any remnants of the suppressant drug is thoroughly cleansed from his system. Order all Security forces in the local sectors to converge on Kimura's orphanage and await my orders. I want Sayer dispatched to the orphanage within the next ten minutes!"
"Command confirmed." Alpha 005 replied, riding forward before picking up Sayer and putting him on the back of his bike.
"Sergey and now Divine." Roger mused as he watched Alpha 005 and Sayer drive away on the drone's bike. "It's nice to feel like I have some good pieces again."
…
Since arriving in the Synchro Dimension with Yugo, Yuzu had heard plenty about the supposed brutality of Security. Since then, she had experienced several unfavorable encounters with the organization that was supposed to maintain peace in the city. All of those encounters had increased her dislike of their methods. But none of what she had seen Security do could compare to this.
The orphanage had been burnt to the ground, black smoke billowing into the sky from the smoldering stone, wood, and plaster. Security had gathered around the survivors, but unlike any conventional police force tasked with protecting civilians, these officers were man-handling the survivors, most of whom were not even teenagers, and preparing to haul them away in their large transport vehicles, the same vehicles they had used to nearly capture Yuzu. Despite being undead, looking at those vehicles caused Yuzu to feel as if her old electrical wounds had flared up again, causing her blood to boil.
But the anger and resentment she was feeling must have been nothing compared to what Rin was experiencing.
"You…horrible…MONSTERS!" She bellowed, voice becoming mixed with the voice of her Earthbound God before she stretched out her hand and launched blasts of black lightning into the Security vehicles, blasting out the glass of both and causing one to explode when its fuel ignited. In response, the security forces formed up into two groups of four, duel disks bared as they prepared for battle.
"Cowards! All of you!" Yene bellowed through Rin, causing her eyes and marks to light up as her body crackled with more black electricity. "Striking out against those who aren't even worthy to be considered warriors!? Unforgivable! You scum are hardly worth even being swallowed!"
It was frightening to see Rin as she was, but given all that Security had been doing, Yuzu could not object to her counterpart's rage. Still, it would be better to resolve the conflict honorably, rather than blast them with lightning like Rin and Yene seemed to want to.
"I'll take the four on the right, if you take the four on the left." Yuzu whispered in Rin's ear, causing her counterpart to turn her head and look at her before nodding.
"Alright." Rin replied. "Let's teach these punks some manners!"
Nodding her head, Yuzu leaped off the back of Rin's bike before landing in front of the four Arrest Corps officers on the right, holographic flower petal blades of her duel disk blooming to life as the device activated. Meanwhile, Rin charged towards the four officers on the left, driving them away from the inhabitants of the orphanage before activating the duel disk on her bike.
"DUEL!" Rin and Yuzu declared in unison, each facing off against their separate opponents.
"No Action Field this time." Yuzu whispered to her duel disk. "I want this duel to be short."
"Funny." the child-like feminine voice of her disk responded. "And I thought you Standard duelists always went for the Action Fields. How else could you play your precious Action Cards?"
"Sara?" Yuzu exclaimed, realizing that the voice was the exact same voice of her Earthbound God. "You're inside my disk?"
"Technically, it's my disk, and I think I've already told you that I live inside you now." The voice sighed.
"Then how are you-…?" Yuzu began before the spirit interrupted her.
"I can project my voice through my creations." Ti'ika Sara explained. "Much like how you could project your own voice through your Earthbound Disciples…if you had any."
"I see." Yuzu sighed, before drawing her opening hand and declaring, "Atashi no turn!"
Quickly looking through her hand, she nodded after deciding on her opening move.
"First, I activate the Field Magic Card, Divine Melodious Stage!" Yuzu declared, placing her field spell card on the top-most petal of her duel disk, "While this card is on the field, once per turn, if I Special Summon a Melodious monster, I can add one Melodious monster from my deck to my hand. Furthermore, my Field Spell Card cannot be destroyed while I control a Special Summoned monster, and I gain five-hundred life points during each of my End Phases for each Melodious Monster I control.
Materializing over the field, an immense opera stage filled with tiny fairy musicians bloomed into existence, gold dust falling from the bright crystal ceiling like snow as the Arrest Corps officers shielded their eyes against the immense light.
"Magic card, Ostinato!" Yuzu continued, activating a card depicting Bloom Diva wreathed in a mobius-shaped swirl of musical notes. "Since I control no monsters, I fuse Tam Tam the Melodious Diva and Mozarta the Melodious Maestra in my deck together for a fusion summon!"
The four officers recoiled in surprise as the spectral images of Mozarta and Tam Tam rose into the air, directly from Yuzu's deck before swirling together into a fusion portal as Yuzu began her summoning chant.
"Echoes of the soul! Supreme Genius! With the guidance of the baton, gather your power! Yuugo Shoukan! Now come here to the stage! Sing the song of victory! Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir!"
Unfurling the petals of her flower as she came into bloom, Yuzu's faithful Fusion Monster appeared to the field, light radiating from her tiny frame as she let out a sustained operatic note.
Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir / LIGHT / Level 6 / Fairy / Fusion / Effect / ATK 1000 / DEF 2000
"Tam Tam's effect!" Yuzu declared as her Fusion monster glowed with light. "If Tam Tam was sent to the graveyard as a material for a Fusion Summon, I can reduce the ATK of Bloom Diva by five-hundred in order to inflict five-hundred damage to my opponent's Life Points! Go! Resonating Shout!"
Letting out a high-pitched note, Bloom Diva's voice blew against the five officers, who staggered backwards before regaining their footing.
Officer 1: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP
Officer 2: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP
Officer 3: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP
Officer 4: 4000 – 500 = 3500 LP
Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir: 500 ATK
"Furthermore," Yuzu continued, as her stage lit up with light "the effect of my Field Spell Card activates. Using its effect, I add Mezzo-Soprano the Melodious Songstress from my deck to my hand!"
One of the many curtains on the stage folded away, revealing a glimmering card behind its façade. Holding out her hand, Yuzu caught the card as it flew towards her before continuing with her turn.
"I next Normal Summon Canon the Melodious Diva before Special Summoning Mezzo-Soprano the Melodious Songstress with her own effect." Yuzu continued, as two blue portals opened up above her head before canon emerged first, musical notes revolving around her like the rings of a planet, and the shy Mezzo-Soprano followed, sixteenth-note wings unfurling before she landed on the ground next to Canon and brushed her long black hair from her face, glasses glimmering with light as she smiled at the audience.
Canon the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 2000
Mezzo-Soprano the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1500 / DEF 1000
"Mezzo-Soprano's effect!" Yuzu declared, "I declare the Level of seven to change the Levels of all Melodious Monsters I control by the declared Level! Go! Harmonizing Melody!"
Bowing her head, Mezzo-Soprano let out a mild middle-ranged note, musical notes flying from her mouth before swirling around Yuzu's monsters as their levels changed.
Mezzo-Soprano the Melodious Songstress: Level 7
Canon the Melodious Diva: Level 7
Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir: Level 7
"And now for the real fun to begin!" Yuzu declared. "Using my Level seven Canon and my Level seven Mezo-Soprano as material, I overlay my two monsters in order to Xyz Summon!"
Grasping hands like old friends, Mezzo-Soprano and Canon smiled at each other before they both leaped into the Xyz Portal, transforming into two streams of gold light as Yuzu began her summoning chant.
"Serene angel flying through the music-filled air with a song of delight in your heart, spread your elegant wings now and touch the mind and heart of all who gaze upon you with your divine inspiration! Xyz Shoukan! Take your place on the stage now! Rank seven! Wing Diva the Melodious Choir!"
In a storm of feathers, Yuzu's Xyz Monster unfurled her black-and-white wings as she twirled through the air, gems in her hair net and dress glimmering in the light of the stage as she sang a beautiful aria.
Wing Diva the Melodious Choir / LIGHT / Rank 7 / Fairy / Xyz / Effect / ATK 2000 / DEF 1000 / Overlay Units: 2
"Wing Diva's effect!" Yuzu declared, "I detach the Overlay Unit, Canon the Melodious Diva in order to Special Summon Mozarta the Melodious Maestra from my graveyard!"
Spreading out her wings, Wing Diva opened up a portal in the sky through which Mozarta descended to the field in a pillar of light.
Mozarta the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Level 8 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 2000
"Wing Diva's effect!" Yuzu declared, as her monster began singing a sustained note, slowly forming a sphere of musical notes just in front of her mouth. "Each time I Special Summon a Melodious monster, I can inflict five-hundred damage to my opponent's Life Points! Go! Elegant Surge!"
Voice rising in volume, Wing Diva flapped her wings, sending the sphere of musical notes flying forward before it exploded on the ground in front of the Arrest Corps, sending the officers reeling backwards.
Officer 1: 3500 – 500 = 3000 LP
Officer 2: 3500 – 500 = 3000 LP
Officer 3: 3500 – 500 = 3000 LP
Officer 4: 3500 – 500 = 3000 LP
"Mozarta's effect!" Yuzu declared before the officers could recover. "I Special Summon Shopina the Melodious Maestra from my hand!"
Through another portal, Yuzu's second main-deck maestra appeared to the field, pirouetting before curtseying to the officers.
Shopina the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Level 7 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 2300 / DEF 1700
"With a second Special Summon, Wing Diva's effect activates again!" Yuzu proclaimed as her Xyz Monster charged up another attack, "Elegant Surge!"
Roaring with frustration, the four officers lost their footing as a second sphere of sound blasted them backwards onto their backs.
Officer 1: 3000 – 500 = 2500 LP
Officer 2: 3000 – 500 = 2500 LP
Officer 3: 3000 – 500 = 2500 LP
Officer 4: 3000 – 500 = 2500 LP
"Shopina's effect!" Yuzu continued, not losing a bit of momentum. "I target the Canon the Melodious Diva in my Graveyard in order to add it to my hand. And now," she continued, adding the card to her hand, "I will activate Canon's effect! Since I control a Melodious monster, I can Special Summon Canon to my field in defense position!"
Canon the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 2000
"Wing Diva's effect!" Yuzu declared, "Elegant Surge!"
Officer 1: 2500 – 500 = 2000 LP
Officer 2: 2500 – 500 = 2000 LP
Officer 3: 2500 – 500 = 2000 LP
Officer 4: 2500 – 500 = 2000 LP
"Setting a card face-down. Turn end." Yuzu finished, throwing down a face-down as the Officer's recovered. "And because it's my End-Phase now, the effect of Divine Melodious Stage activates, increasing my Life Points by five-hundred for each Melodious Monster I control."
Yuzu: 4000 + (500 X 5) = 6500 LP
"That's an impressive set-up." Rin called from the other side of the field. "Ruri told me you've pretty much mastered Fusion and Xyz Summoning. Why don't I show you how to Synchro Summon? Watch closely! My turn," she declared, eyes glowing a bright yellow, "DRAW!"
Revving up the engines of her bike, she raced past the standing officers before slamming two cards onto her bike's disk.
"Quick-Play Magic Card activate!" she declared, "Synthphonist Reverberation! By sending one Synthphonist monster from my deck to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon one Synthphonist Monster from my hand! Furthermore, I chain a second copy of Synthphonist Reverberation to the activation of the first Reverberation in order to do this twice! Chain link two! I send Synthphonist flutist from my deck to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon Synthphonist Clarinetist from my hand!"
Through a rippling of sound waves, which opened up a portal next to Rin's bike, her first monster, a blue haired female cyborg wearing a black tuxedo appeared to her field, twirling through the air before smiling and brushing back one of her bangs to reveal that the left half of her face was robotic, a red robotic eye glowing with light.
Synthphonist Clarinetist / WIND / Level 4 / Psychic / Gemini / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1400
"Chain Link one!" Rin continued, turning around her bike and racing past the officers once again. "I send Synthphonist Violinist from my deck to my graveyard in order to Special Summon Synthphonist Violist from my hand!"
Back flipping onto the field with a happy giggle, a petit cyborg woman, who looked like she could be Synthphonist Violinist's sister, appeared to the field. Like Violinist, she had long curly black hair and wore a feathered tri-cornered hat, though her feathers were smaller and fluffier. None of her eyes were prosthetic, but a blue chip that looked like a beauty mark blinked just below her left eye. Her left leg and left arm were prosthetic, a cute flower ribbon tied to her peg-leg for a bit of decoration.
Synthphonist Violist / WIND / Level 2 / Psychic / Gemini / Tuner / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 1100
"Now pay attention, Yuzu!" she called, "This is the real deal! Unlike most extra deck monsters, Synchro Monsters require the total levels of their materials to exactly equal their own levels! Furthermore, most Synchro Monsters require at least one Tuner and one or more non-tuners! However, my Synchro Monsters are an exception, since they can be summoned with multiple Tuners, like so! I tune my Level two Synthphonist Violist with my Synthphonist Clarinetist!"
Barely managing to process Rin's rapid dueling, Yuzu watched from her own duel field as Rin's Synthphonist Violist and Synthphonist Clarinetist morphed into a set of six translucent green rings before converging together and spinning around like coins to create a single sphere of swirling green rings.
"Energetic dance of the viola and noble resonance of the clarinet become one! Blend your rich music together, tune to each other's pitches, and unleash a new melody! Synchro Shoukan! Level six! Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy!"
In an explosion of sound, the rotating synchro rings burst into a pillar of light before an elegant cyborg woman in a winter white dress with numerous instruments sticking out like cannons, pirouetted onto the field next to Rin's bike, robotic eyes glowing with green light.
Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy / WIND / Level 6 / Psychic / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2400
"I shuffle Synthphonist Reverberation from my graveyard into the deck in order to activate its second effect and shuffle my second Reverberation into my deck in order to chain its effect to the first effect!" Rin continued, she and her Synchro Monster racing around the duel field in a circle, bike kicking up dust as the Officers struggled to keep track of her position. "Chain Link two! Using the effect of Synthphonist Reverberation, I Special Summon Synthphonist Violinist from my graveyard!"
Rising up from a black portal, Rin's Cyborg Violinist tipped her large tri-cornered hat towards the officers before dashing next to Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy's side.
Synthphonist Violinist / WIND / Level 4 / Psychic / Gemini / Effect / ATK 1700 / DEF 1000
"Chain link one!" Rin continued as another black portal appeared next to her bike. "I summon Synthphonist Clarinetist from my graveyard!"
Synthphonist Clarinetist / WIND / Level 4 / Psychic / Gemini / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1400
"Time to embrace your true power!" Rin declared. "I Normal Summon Synthphonist Clarinetist in order to unlock its gemini effect! Synthphonist Awakening!"
Crackling with electricity, the hair on Clarinetist's head stood on end before her suit transformed into spikey battle armor, and her prosthetic arm morphed into a combination clarinet and canon.
"Finally," Rin continued, "I activate the effect of Synthphonist Prodigy! Once per turn, I can Normal Summon one Synthphonist Monster in addition to my regular Normal Summon or Set! Using this effect, I Normal Summon Synthphonist Violinist! Synthphonist Awakening!"
Laughing, Synthphonist Violinist began crackling with electricity before detaching a metal violin bow from her prosthetic leg as her left arm morphed into a combination sword and violin.
"That's all for now, since I can't attack you yet." Rin finished. "Show me your worst! Turn end!"
Yuzu turned her attention back to her own duel, just as her opponents began making their moves, or at least, their predictable routines she had practically memorized by now.
"Magic card, Fusion!" the first officer declared, activating the card Roger had used to augment their arsenal. "I fuse two Goyo Regent in my hand together in order to Fusion Summon Goyo Emperor! Come forth!"
Goyo Emperor / EARTH / Level 10 / Warrior / Fusion / Effect / ATK 3300 / DEF 2500
"Next," the officer continued, "Since I control a Goyo monster, I Special Summon Goyo Regent from my hand before Normal Summoning Tsukubo Defender!"
Next to the familiar Goyo Regent, a squat portly soldier wielding a long wooden pole with a spiked T-shaped end appeared to the field before posing next to Goyo Regent.
Tsukubo Defender / EARTH / Level 2 / Warrior / Tuner / Effect / ATK 200 / DEF 2000
"Haven't seen that one before." Yuzu admitted, bracing herself against their next move.
"Using my Level two Tsukubo Defender and my Level six Goyo Regent, which is treated as a Synchro Monster, as Material, I synchro summon Goyo King! Come forth!"
Goyo King / EARTH / Level 8 / Warrior / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2000
"Tsukubo Defender's effect!" the officer continued, "If it is used as a Synchro Material, I gain Life Points equal to half the Synchro Monster's ATK or DEF, whichever is higher.
Officer 1: 2000 + (2800 / 2) = 3400 LP
"Building up their field and recovering their life points." Yuzu grimaced, thinking to herself. "Not exactly what I was hoping they'd manage to do, but fortunately, I shouldn't have to worry about too much damage from them."
"Equip Magic Card, Goyo Manriki!" the officer continued, activating a Spell Card that depicted Goyo Guardian ensnaring a monster with a weighted chain. "Since I control a Goyo monster on my field, I equip this card to Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir!"
From the spell card, a set of weighted chains shot out before wrapping around Yuzu's monster, causing the diminutive fairy to cry out in pain as its arms and legs were securely fastened in place.
"My monster!" Yuzu cried out.
"While Goyo Manriki is in play," the officer explained, "The equipped monster cannot attack and has its effects negated. Furthermore, the controller of the equipped monster takes five-hundred damage during each End-Phase."
"Five-hundred damage, during each End-Phase!?" Yuzu exclaimed, realizing what was about to happen.
"Turn end." The officer proclaimed, causing the chains to glow with energy before a similar glow enveloped Yuzu, depleting her energy.
Yuzu: 6500 – 500 = 6000 LP
"My turn!" the next officer declared, wasting no time. "I repeat my partner's previous turn! Summoning Goyo Emperor and Goyo King before replenishing my own life points and equipping Wing Diva the Melodious Choir with Goyo Manriki! Turn end!"
Officer 2: 2000 + (2800 / 2) = 3400 LP
Yuzu: 6000 – (500 X 2) = 5000 LP
"Erg!" Yuzu groaned after recovering from the second energy drain, which had doubled in intensity from the first turn.
"My turn!" the third officer declared before proceeding to repeat the previous two turns. "I equip Mozarta the Melodious Maestra with Goyo Manriki! Turn end!"
"Argh!" Yuzu growled in pain as an actual set of chains sprang out from the spell cards, binding her limbs along with more than half of her monsters.
Officer 3: 2000 + (2800 / 2) = 3400 LP
Yuzu: 5000 – (500 X 3) = 3500 LP
"My turn!" the final officer declared, repeating the last three turns a final time before ending with, "Equipping Goyo Manriki to Shopina the Melodious Maestra! Turn end!"
Officer 4: 2000 + (2800 / 2) = 3400 LP
Yuzu: 3500 – (500 X 4) = 1500 LP
"You seem to have quite a lot of bad luck when it comes to chains." Ti'ika Sara mused from within her. "Not that I don't know the feeling of being bound myself. It's quite an awful feeling, isn't it? Want some help, or do you plan on letting Rin save you again?"
"No need." Yuzu replied. "I've already prepared for this! Atashi no turn!" she declared, drawing a card from the top of her deck.
Without even looking at the card, she proceeded with her turn.
"I activate my face-down card, Melodious Illusion!" Yuzu declared, activating the card she had set during her first turn. "Targeting my Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir, I make it so that she is unaffected by the effects of my opponent's Magic and Trap Cards until the end of this turn while making it so that it can attack up to twice per battle-phase!"
Glowing with light, Bloom Diva suddenly appeared to split into a spectrum of two differently colored Bloom Diva's, which phased through the chains like beams of light before Yuzu stretched out her own hand through the chains towards her monsters.
"Battle!" Yuzu declared, as the Officers backed away in shock, "Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir, attack Goyo Emperor! Reflect Shout!"
Flying forward, the first Bloom Diva sang a high-pitched note into the first Goyo Emperor, blasting it into dust before knocking back all four officers.
Arrest Corps Officers: 3400 – 2300 = 1100 LP
"The second attack!" Yuzu declared. "Bloom Diva, attack a second Goyo Emperor! Reflect Shout!"
Nodding her head, the second Bloom Diva flew forward before proceeding to obliterate the second Goyo Emperor with her effect. Screaming with surprise, the four officers were flipped into the air before all of them landed a few yards away in a heap.
Arrest Corps Offices: 1100 – 2300 = 0 LOSE!
Yuzu Win!
"Nice!" Rin complimented from the other side of the battlefield, giving Yuzu a thumbs up.
Quickly glancing over to the other side, Yuzu checked to see how Rin was doing, expecting to see her struggling against the Arrest Corp's combos like she had. However, contrary to what she had expected, Rin's monsters seemed to be keeping the officer's well under control. She hadn't even taken any damage.
Current state of duel
Rin:
4000 LP
1 card in her hand
Controls: Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy, Synthphonist Violinsit, and Synthphonist Clarinetist
Synthphonist Clarinetist / WIND / Level 1 (reduced by 3 due to repeated use of its own effect) / Psychic / Gemini / Effect / ATK 1600 / DEF 1400
Synthphonist Violinist / WIND / Level 1 (reduced by 3 due to repeated use of its own effect) / Psychic / Gemini / Effect / ATK 1700 / DEF 1000
Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy / WIND / Level 6 / Psychic / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2400
Officer 1:
4000 LP
0 cards in the hand
Controls: Goyo Emperor, Goyo Regent, and a Tsukubo Defender set face-down with the effect of Synthphonist Clarinetist
Goyo Emperor / EARTH / Level 10 / Warrior / Fusion / Effect / ATK 3300 / DEF 2500
Goyo Regent / EARTH / Level 6 / Warrior / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 1600 / Defense Position
Tsukubo Defender / EARTH / Level 2 / Warrior / Tuner / Effect / ATK 200 / DEF 2000 / Face-down defense position.
Officer 2 and 3:
Mirror of Officer 1
Officer 4:
4000 LP
5 cards in hand
No cards on field
"My turn!" the final Arrest Corps officer declared, drawing a card from the top of his deck.
"Ever play the point game?" Rin asked Yuzu, completely ignoring the officer.
"I don't think I'm familiar with it." Yuzu admitted, not sure if she should offer to help Rin out.
"It's a little something I learned from my time in Academia." Rin smirked, a knowing expression on her face. "Basically, every time the opponent does something completely predictable, you give them some points!"
"Sounds obnoxious." Yuzu admitted.
"You have no idea." Rin replied before turning her attention back to her opponents. "So, what'll it be? Same turn as the last three?"
"Magic Card, Fusion." The officer replied, Fusing two copies of Goyo Regent in his hand together to summon Goyo Emperor.
Goyo Emperor / EARTH / Level 10 / Warrior / Fusion / Effect / ATK 3300 / DEF 2500
"Five points for using the exact same Fusion monster as the other three officers." Rin smirked. "Now are you going to try summoning Goyo Regent and Tsukubo defender before attempting to summon Goyo King?"
The officer made no reply as he Special Summoned Goyo Regent before Normal Summoning Tsukubo Defender.
Goyo Regent / EARTH / Level 6 / Warrior / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 1600 / Defense Position
Tsukubo Defender / EARTH / Level 2 / Warrior / Tuner / Effect / ATK 200 / DEF 2000 /
"And five more points! You guys are on a roll!" Rin sarcastically congratulated. "I'm especially impressed that you've fallen prey to the exact same counter I used for all your other teammates! Synthphonist Clarinetist's effect! I target Tsukubo Defender in order to change it to face-down defense position!"
Smirking, Synthphonist Clarinetist aimed its cannon at Tsukubo Defender before firing a blast of soundwaves at the monster. The squatty soldier attempted to brace himself against the blast, but was ultimately knocked off his feet before morphing into a face-down card.
Tsukubo Defender / Face-down defense position
"Naturally, since your tuner is now face-down, you cannot Synchro Summon anything." Rin lazily explained with a yawn. "Also, since Synthphonist Clarinetist's Level is already at one, I don't think I'll use its effect to reduce its level. Now are you going to try activating Goyo Manriki, just so that my Synthphonist Violinist can negate it?"
The officer clenched his fist.
"Turn end." He grunted, keeping a single card in his hand.
"And five-hundred points for a teensy bit of originality!" Rin growled, deliberately passing by the officers so close with her bike that she kicked up dirt into their faces. "My turn, draw!"
Ripping a card from the top of her deck, Rin began her turn.
"Not that I think these fools are worthy of it," Yene mused through Rin after she had glanced through the cards in her hand, "but it would be quite a shame if our new Dark Signer friend didn't get to witness at least a taste of our true power, don't you think?"
"I was thinking the exact same thing." Rin agreed before turning to Yuzu. "Watch closely, Yuzu! Last turn, I showed you a Synchro Summon, this turn, I'm going to show you how to Dark Synchro Summon! Magic Card activate! Synthphonist Revision! When this card is activated, I can send one Synthphonist Magic or Trap Card from my deck to the graveyard! Using this effect, I send Synthphonist Harmony from my deck to the graveyard."
Depositing a card into her graveyard, Rin proceeded to send Synthphonist Revision to her graveyard before immediately removing the copy of Synthphonist Harmony she had just sent to the graveyard.
"I shuffle the Synthphonist Harmony I sent to the graveyard into my deck in order to activate its second effect!" Rin declared, "Using its second effect, I add Synthphonist Violist from my graveyard to my hand before normal summoning it! Come forth!"
Front flipping through a blue portal, Rin's petit tri-corn wearing cyborg girl appeared to her field, twirling around once on her peg-leg before coyly curtsying to the officers with a playful wink.
Synthphonist Violist / WIND / Level 2 / Psychic / Gemini / Tuner / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 1100
"Synthphonist Prodigy's effect!" Rin declared, "Since my Violist was already Normal Summoned this turn, I use Prodigy's effect to Normal Summon her once again! Synthphonist Awakening!"
Rocketing into the air with a burst of electricity, Synthphonist Violist laughed with glee as her robotic limbs began morphing before her left arm transformed into a combination broadsword and viola, slightly larger than Synthphonist Violinist's own weapon, and a large metallic viola bow popped out from her leg. Landing on the ground, she cupped her viola arm/broadsword to her chin before grinning and setting her bow to the ready position.
"Synthphonist Violist's effect!" Rin declared, "Up to thrice per turn, I can target one Synthphonist monster I control in order to increase or decrease its Level by one! I activate the effect three times, targeting Synthphonist Prodigy in order to increase her Level by three! Go! Synthphonist Retuning!"
Rapidly sawing at her prosthetic limb instrument, Violist began playing an energetic melody, sending waves of sound into Synthphonist Prodigy, which caused the cyborg woman to glow with green light before its level increased by three.
Synthphonist Prodigy: Level 6 + 3 = 9
"Synthphonist Revision's effect!" Rin declared as she snatched her Spell Card back from the graveyard, "I shuffle it into the deck in order to send my Synthphonist Violist to the graveyard while gaining the ability to conduct an additional normal summon this turn!"
Bowing, Synthphonist Violist slowly sank into a black portal in the ground before Rin revealed a card in her hand.
"Come forth!" Rin declared, as a pool of dark water burst out of the dry ground around her "The Dark Tuner Monster! Dark Tuner Shadow Depths!"
Leaping out of the black water, a creature that looked like the abstract representation of an anglerfish rose into the air before swimming alongside Rin through the air, immense fangs snapping at invisible prey.
Dark Tuner Shadow Depths / WATER / Level 2 / Fish / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
"Dark Tuner Shadow Depth's effect!" Rin declared, raising her arm into the air, "I target my Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy in order to increase my Shadow Depth's Level by the Level of Prodigy!"
Dark Tuner Shadow Depths: Level 2 + 9 = 11
"The time has come!" Rin and Yene declared in unison as their eyes, whale mark on their arm, and lightning bolt marks over their eyes began glowing with energy, "We dark tune our Level Eleven Dark Tuner Shadow Depths with our Level one Synthphonist Clarinetist and Level one Synthphonist Violinist in order to Dark Synchro Summon!"
Off to the side, Yuzu watched as Rin's Shadow Depths exploded into a cluster of eleven white stars, which phased through the bodies of Synthphonist Clarinetist and Violinist before mingling with the single spheres of light within those monster's bodies. Recalling her first experience witnessing a Dark Xyz Summon, Yuzu couldn't help but notice the expressions of pain on Clarinetist and Violinist's faces.
"While Synchro Monsters add the powers of their Synchro Materials together to forge a song harmonious to their own power," Rin and Yene chanted in unison, "the Dark Synchro Monsters are called forth when the powers of its materials are subtracted from one another to delve into the curtained depths and uncover negative energy! Witness its power now!"
Staring transfixed at the monsters, Yuzu watched as the spheres of light within the monsters began merging together until only nine stars remained, which immediately began to darken before exploding out from the monsters and proceeding to orbit an area of empty space, crackling with black energy as they did. Raising her hands into the air, Rin began chanting as rivers of black water poured out from the ground around Rin, slowly flooding the field.
"From the depths of the abyss, no light can break free! Rise up from the shadowy depths to spread your shadow to the surface world! DARK SYNCHRO! Rise up! Level negative nine! Earthbound Disciple Geo Kelpie!"
With the conclusion of her chant, a pillar of darkness erupted from the center of the space where the black stars were orbiting, rising into the air and burrowing down into the depths of the growing pool of water before vanishing as something immense moved just beneath the pool's surface. With a sudden roar, Rin's Dark Synchro Monster Burst free from the water on a shimmering chariot, steeds winnowing with demonic fury as their mermaid-like rider brandished her whip through the air. Recognizing the monster from Rin's duel against the Security officers and Phoenix Guard, Yuzu backed away, knowing the immense damage the monster could cause.
Earthbound Disciple Geo Kelpie / WATER / Level -9 / Sea Serpent / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 3000
"Geo Kelpie's effect!" Rin proclaimed, "Since she was summoned using three monsters as material, I can Special Summon one Level negative six or higher monster from my Extra Deck or graveyard! I use this effect now to Special Summon the Level negative six monster, Earhtbound Disciple Geo Selkie, from my Extra Deck! Come forth!"
Rising up from the water, Rin's polar bear-skin wearing monster with a leopard seal tail swam up alongside Geo Kelpie. Narrowing her eyes at the officers, she lowered her whale-bone spear into the water, causing the water around the officer's legs to freeze them in place.
Earthbound Disciple Geo Selkie / WATER / Level -6 / Aqua / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2000 / DEF 2500
"You're all probably thinking that you're going to survive this turn." Rin growled. "After all, Goyo Emperor has more ATK than any of my monsters, and your other monsters are in defense position. How about I prove you wrong?"
Extending her hand towards the pool of black water, Rin continued her turn, ignoring the officer's protests as they tried to break free from their icy restraints.
"Dark Tuner Shadow Depth's effect!" Rin declared, "I banish it, Synthphonist Clarinetist, Violist, Violinist, and Flutist from my graveyard in order to target my Earthbound Disciple Geo Kelpie and enable it to attack once for each Tuner banished with this effect!"
Rising up from the water, the ghostly forms of the monsters Rin had banished flew towards Geo Kelpie before entering into the mer-woman's chest, causing the monster to glow with energy.
"Battle!" Rin roared, rage evident on her face, "While Earthbound Disciple Geo Selkie is on my field, monsters I control inflict piercing damage! Between that and the multiple attacks my Kelpie and Prodigy are capable of, I can destroy you all many times over, but I'll be merciful! Earthbound Disciple Geo Kelpie, attack and destroy Officer one's defense position Goyo Regent! Torrential Stampede!"
Lashing at the beasts pulling her chariot, Geo Kelpie bulldozed her way through the first officer's monster, obliterating Goyo Regent and knocking all four officers back.
Officer 1: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
"Geo Kelpie's effect!" Rin roared, "Each time my opponents take battle damage, I can inflict effect damage to my opponent's Life Points, equal to the damage they took!"
Cackling with madness, Rin's monster lashed out with her whip, smacking the officer's across their backs before turning her chariot around for another pass.
Officer 1: 3000 – 1000 = 2000 LP
Officer 2: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
Officer 3: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
Officer 4: 4000 – 1000 = 3000 LP
"The second attack!" Rin roared, "Earthbound Disciple Geo Keplie, attack the second Goyo Regent! Torrential Stampede!"
Running over another Goyo Regent, Geo Kelpie sent the officers flying through the air, causing their ice prison to shatter to pieces as they splashed into the pool of water.
Officer 2: 3000 – 1000 = 2000 LP
"Geo Kelpie's effect!" Rin roared as her monster sent another lash of her whip to strike against the backs of the officers.
Officer 1: 2000 – 1000 = 1000 LP
Officer 2: 2000 – 1000 = 1000 LP
Officer 3: 3000 – 1000 = 2000 LP
Officer 4: 3000 – 1000 = 2000 LP
"The third attack!" Rin roared in unison with her own monster as it ran over another Goyo Regent.
Officer 3: 2000 – 1000 = 1000 LP
"You shouldn't have attacked my family." Rin growled as her monster activated its effect.
Officer 1: 1000 – 1000 = 0 (LOSE!)
Officer 2: 1000 – 1000 = 0 (LOSE!)
Officer 3: 1000 – 1000 = 0 (LOSE!)
Officer 4: 2000 – 1000 = 1000
"Never come here again!" Rin roared as her monster charged into the last Goyo Regent before using her whip to send all four officers flying backwards.
Officer 4: 1000 – 1000 = 0 (LOSE!)
Rin Wins!
Nodding with satisfaction, Rin shut off her duel disk before dismounting from her bike and joining Yuzu as they approached miss Kimura and her group of huddled orphans.
…
On the roof of a nearby building, a pair of Academia agents reclined in a set of lawn chairs, watching the duels with amused smiles on their faces while an antique phonograph played some gentle opera music in the background.
"It would certainly seem that Rin's Id has grown very strong in the past few days." Frederich mused as he poured himself a steaming cup of tea from a china kettle decorated with purple waves and fish. "I would estimate that her dueling proficiency has increased by a factor of about 358% at least as a result. Based on the, admittedly limited, data we collected from Sora's memories, I'd have to say that Yuzu's dueling proficiency has gone up by an even more dramatic margin, suggesting that she is a full-fledged Dark Signer and not merely another disciple. Could Ruri and Rin be focusing on converting their counterparts? What are your thoughts, Daichi?"
"Rin has always been motivated to act as your stereotypical back-alley tough girl." Daichi replied, pouring himself a glass of water from a clear pitcher next to the tea kettle. "Her need to achieve base survival in the environment of the Common's district, coupled with the positive reinforcement of self-fulfillment she receives whenever she comes closer to achieving her ambition of becoming a great duelist have worked together to establish a consistent pattern of aggressive dueling. When I first saw the tapes of her destroying the Academia soldiers, I was not so intrigued that she had lashed out against these Security Officers as I was when she apparently held back in this duel, choosing to merely incapacitate her enemies rather than kill them."
"No doubt she is much more hesitant to kill her own people than six foreigners who abducted her." Friedrich idly replied.
"You do not understand the Synchro Commons as I do." Daichi sighed. "To them, Security represents as great a threat as any of Academia's soldiers. They face the conundrum of daily facing the exact same tyranny and oppression, regardless of who their oppressors are. The fact that Rin chose to hold back here, when in both the Academia duel and this duel, friends she cared about were threatened and the enemy was largely the same, suggests to me that there is another factor in play here, motivating her to resist her urges to kill. Regrettable that I have so little information on Yuzu to work with."
"Are you suggesting that Yuzu is that factor? I sort of, good influence?" Friedrich smirked.
"Such would certainly be a possibility." Daichi shrugged. "Though I think the issue is slightly more complicated than that. No. Comparing the data from this duel to the data from her Academia duel, I am lead to hypothesize that the Rin we saw dueling in Academia was in an altered state of mind, compared to what we are seeing now, or, to put in more colloquial terms, she was almost a completely different person during the Academia duel."
"Careful, Daichi." Friedrich smirked. "It is almost like you are suggesting possession is taking place within these Dark Signers."
"Admittedly, I have witnessed far stranger things." Daichi shrugged, taking a sip of water before recording some notes in one of his many note-pads. "At any rate, I believe it would be wise for the two of us to collect more field data."
"On that, we can agree." Friedrich grunted, taking a sip of tea before reclining in his chair and idly waggling his finger as if he were conducting the opera music. "Much as I hate to admit it, it would be idiotic for us to attempt to apprehend them with their current dueling abilities as advanced as they are." He looked off into the distance, "Especially when even more Security forces are on their way. Might as well enjoy this little field study."
"Would you like a snack?" Daichi asked, holding up a bag, "I brought popcorn."
"Let me guess…" Frederich sighed, "Unsalted and unbuttered, correct?"
"And un-popped." Daichi enthusiastically added, before pouring a handful of raw kernels into his hand and popping them into his mouth with a loud crunch, much to the disgust of Friedrich, who turned away to observe Yuzu and Rin with a small spyglass.
…
Rin dashed across the field before burying herself in the arms of her caretaker, who hesitantly hugged her back, a look of immense shock and relief in her features.
"I've missed you so much!" Rin bawled, embarrassed by the flood of emotions she was experiencing as she reunited with the closest person to a mother she had. "I'm so sorry I disappeared! I must have put you through hell, wondering what happened to me! I wanted to come back, but I just couldn't, they wouldn't let me come back! But…but…oh it's so good to be back!"
"Rin…" Miss Kimura breathed, pulling the tattooed biker girl with black sclera eyes closer to herself. She had a lot of questions, but those didn't matter right now. Listening to the girl speak and feeling how she held her in the embrace, she could tell that it was the real Rin, and not just the…lookalike…Yugo had brought to the orphanage a few days ago. Speaking of which…
She looked up to the girl who was awkwardly standing a few feet away, different tattoos on her arm and face, but otherwise, the exact same features.
"Is that you…Yuzu?" Miss Kimura hesitantly asked.
"Hello, Miss Kimura." Yuzu replied with equal hesitation, rubbing the back of her neck with some embarrassment.
The caretaker looked back and forth from Rin and Yuzu. Twins? That seemed to make the most sense. It was not uncommon for orphan siblings to be separated. Still…what had happened to the two of them? Had they been given criminal markings? And those eyes…she had only ever heard vague myths and legends related to those things…but no…there were much more important things to think about now.
Rin was talking to the other children of the orphanage, hugging some of the girls closer to her age who she had been friends with.
"Where is Kristina?" Rin asked one of them, "And Lilly? What about Shuichi? The Himura twins? Why are there so few of you here?"
"Lilly ran away a couple weeks ago." One of the orphans replied, sadly. "Something about being sick of taking her anti-psychic meds. I wouldn't be surprised if she picked a fight with Security just so that they would take her to the underground. She talked a lot about needing to see her sister. As for Kristina, Shuichi, and the others…" he trailed off, tears coming to his eyes.
Rin looked over to where the orphan was looking and spied the handful of cards in Miss Kimura's hand. Dozens of them bearing the faces of people she had grown up with, some no older than two years.
"I was too slow…" Rin wept, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clenched her fists and teeth in a mixture of despair and rage.
"I thought we were dead when those invaders showed up." Another girl recounted. "One moment, we were watching the Friendship Cup, and then, before we knew it, the city alarms started blaring and a trio of masked people were herding us out with a bunch of robotic dogs snapping at our heels. Once we were all out, they destroyed the orphanage and then started to…just…make us disappear, one after the other. Security showed up before they could do it to all of us and defeated them, but then they turned on us. If it weren't for you two showing up, I don't know what would have happened to us."
Rin only appeared to be half listening. She had taken the cards from Miss Kimura and was staring at the screaming faces, a look of desperation in her face.
Yuzu knew the feelings Rin was experiencing. She had seen people she had known experience this kind of death, faces contorted in fear and agony on the picture of the otherwise blank cards as if their very souls were forever trapped within. Rin must have been desperately wanting to save them, but as far as Yuzu knew, once someone had been carded, there was no way to reverse the process.
Unless…
A thought took hold of Yuzu. Seizing upon the train of thought, Yuzu closed her eyes and attempted to reach out to someone who might indeed know of a way to save them.
"You don't need to meditate like a Buddhist monk to contact me, Onee-chan." Ti'ika Sara snickered from within. "Or wait…was it partner? I keep forgetting what you insist on me calling you."
"Sara." Yuzu pleaded, addressing the spirit by the part of its name she was most familiar with. "Please tell me. You have some amazing powers. You raised me from the dead and gave me the ability to heal people. You must have a way of bringing people back who have been carded. Please show me how to reverse the carding process."
"You mean, unbind their corporeal and ethereal essence from their spiritual phylacteries?" Sara corrected, sounding slightly annoyed.
"Unbind their…what?" Yuzu asked, completely confused. "I…I don't know. I mean…I just want you to show me how to transform them from a card back into a person."
"You humans are always getting things wrong." Sara sniffed in derision. "They've not been 'turned into cards.' That would be like saying I'm a card, when in fact, I am a completely independent, fully actualized, goddess of natural cultivation who exists independent of her spiritual phylactery, or card, as you put it, and has only given you the right to wield my phylactery and call upon my physical form as part of our eternal Dark Signer pact."
"I have no idea what you're saying." Yuzu sighed. "Just…can you help me out or not?"
"I've been wanting to help you." The spirit whined, "But whenever I try, you always push me away!
"I haven't always pushed you away." Yuzu protested, strangely feeling a little guilty.
"Well it sure feels like it." Sara sniffed. "And anyway, I don't feel like you should be treating me this way! I'm not some kind of genie who's supposed to shut up and live in her lamp except for when you summon me to solve all your problems! We're supposed to be one! We could do so much more if you'd just stop fighting me! I bet we could easily unbind those people and restore them to the physical plane of existence."
"So, will you help me, or not?" Yuzu growled, feeling herself lose her patience.
"Well…that depends…" Sara replied, causing Yuzu to suddenly feel a sensation of energy building within the marks on her arms and face. "Are you willing to deepen our bond and accept all of our powers?"
Yuzu suddenly experienced her vision blurring. Within moments, all her surroundings had darkened until she was standing in the middle of a black void, a petit young girl standing a few feet from her with shadows obscuring most of her figure.
"You and I both possess a great deal of power…but we've only been using a fraction of it." The girl continued, in Sara's voice. "To become stronger, we have to be united. I possess the powers of darkness. Your power…" she stretched out her hand, causing Yuzu's small bracelet to flash with energy, "…is the power of light. Both of us possess fundamental powers over life itself, but we're both limited to our spheres of darkness and light, respectively."
"What do you mean?" Yuzu asked, looking down at her bracelet. "I've never had any special powers. You're the one who's supposed to be the goddess here."
"Well, I am a goddess." the girl giggled, stepping a little closer, the shadows still obscuring her face and body, "But have you ever wondered, Yuzu onee-chan, why you possess that bracelet? Why it can do the stuff it does? Why there are three other people who look just like you? Why I truly chose you in the first place?"
Yuzu stared at the girl, dumbfounded by the knowing smile that seemed to be playing on the spirit's lips.
"What do you know?" Yuzu asked, throat feeling hoarse.
"I was never just calling you onee-chan out of affection." Sara smirked. "You and I are more similar than you think. You're not a normal human. You're special. A goddess. You can't remember because your essence has been fragmented…twice now…but that still doesn't change the fact that you possess the powers of creation itself. I'm a little younger than you, well, the original you that is, so I don't know everything about you, but I remember much more about your true nature than you do."
"That can't be." Yuzu protested, "I mean…I was never…a goddess!? How would I not know that if that were true?"
"I can prove it to you." Sara insisted. "Right now, you and I are falling embarrassingly short of our true potential…but if you were to accept the gifts I offer and we were to become one…"
Yuzu suddenly felt a surge of energy within her marks while experiencing a burning sensation in her pocket. Reaching inside, she pulled out the card of Earthbound God Ti'ika Sara, to find that it was glowing with burning blood-red light. Across from her, Yuzu noticed the girl rising into the air…no…not ascending…she was growing! Sara's body was ballooning in size, stretching, and transforming, until Yuzu was staring up into the face of a massive shadowy figure, taller than a skyscraper.
At once, the creature lit up with blood-red light, illuminating the dark plain to reveal an immense black sunflower with lines of scarlet energy running up its sturdy stem and into its wide flourishing leaves, which stretched out to the side like the legs of a massive millipede. A large blood-red spiral pattern illuminated the face of the sunflower, which was covered with millions of coal-black seeds, each the size of a large bathtub. The flower was fringed by thousands of blood-red petals, while six smaller sunflower heads orbited the circumference of the central flower like six moons. In the center of the main flower, a tiny young girl with cocoa-colored skin, red war paint, a small strip of interwoven vines covering her chest, long black hair decorated with flowers and a small golden headdress, and solid black eyes, stared down at Yuzu with a grin, light streaming down from the central flower like a spotlight.
"Then nothing will be impossible for us!" Sara proclaimed, youthful girlish voice suddenly becoming more mature and god-like as it reverberated through the shadowy plains.
All at once, the immense flower faded away into a cloud of shadows before the little girl was staring up at Yuzu, youthful face barely reaching Yuzu's belly. Staring down at the tiny girl, who, a second ago, had seemed to encompass all of existence itself, Yuzu felt disoriented. Was this child and that immense god the same creature? Sara looked like she could be barely Ayu's age…if that.
"So, are you ready, onee-chan?" Sara asked, holding out a tiny delicate hand.
"I…" Yuzu hesitated, still trying to process all of what Sara had said. "She had called Yuzu a goddess and had claimed that they could accomplish anything if they combined their powers. Well, that was good, right? She would probably need some godly power at this point if she wanted to find a way to save the people who had been carded and end the war. And yet…"
The distant sound of trucks pulling up and screaming children suddenly caught Yuzu's attention.
"Something's wrong!" Yuzu exclaimed, turning around to find herself standing back on the orphanage grounds, the dark plain having completely vanished from view. In the back of her mind, she could almost sense Sara impatiently tapping one of her tiny feet, a faint sensation of disappointment and impatience prodding at the back of her skull.
"I'll give it some thought." Yuzu promised the spirit before turning her attention towards a legion of Security trucks that had surrounded the grounds of the orphanage. Miss Kimura and the children with her had fled behind the rubble of the destroyed orphanage, while Rin had mounted her bike before zooming around the perimeter and firing bolts of black lightning from her hands into the turrets of the bulky trucks, disabling their weapons.
"Why…won't…you…people…just…QUIT!" Rin bellowed, sweat beading down her face as she fired another bolt of energy at one of the trucks. "Yuzu! What are you doing!? Are you gonna help me, or what!?"
Shaking off her confusion, Yuzu dashed forward before activating her duel disk, blood-red flower petals unfurling as the marks on her eye and arm lit up. In front of her, all the trucks had come to a halt, Security officers pouring out before forming a perimeter around Rin and Yuzu, duel disks raised at the ready position. Just how many people was Roger going to throw at them before he gave up?
"Leave now!" Yuzu warned. "We don't want to fight you, but if we have to, we will!"
"And I am not in the mood to give out many more warnings!" Rin added, raising her crackling lightning-infused hand into the air in a threatening gesture.
Surprisingly, all the Security officers suddenly backed away several paces. Not sure if they were really going to retreat or not, Yuzu kept her duel disk raised just in case, before noticing a line of the officers part to form a gap in their perimeter.
"What are they doing?" Yuzu asked Rin, who had pulled up alongside her on her bike.
"I'm not sure." Rin whispered back to her. "But stay focused. I've not known Security to be the kind of people to just give up."
Behind the gap of officers, a final Security transport vehicle rolled up with its backing facing the orphanage before coming to a stop. Approaching the back doors of the vehicle, a pair of officers stepped forward before throwing the doors of the vehicle open to reveal a scarred, half-starved young adult man with long crimson hair, what looked like mechanical restraints on his arms and legs, and a blinking red chip in his forehead.
Yuzu heard Rin gasp.
"Divine!? The Divine!? Enemy of the state #1!? Leader of the Neo Arcadia Movement!?" she sputtered. "You died in the underground!?"
"Targets…identified." The man Rin called Divine rasped, slowly stepping out of the truck before laboriously struggling against his restraints to raise his duel disk into the air. "Duel commencing…"
"Rin…who is he?" Yuzu asked, apprehension growing.
"Be careful, Yuzu!" Rin warned, "If what I heard about this guy is right, he's a very dangerous…"
"FIELD MAGIC ACTIVATE!" Divine's duel disk announced, "PSYCHIC GRAVITY WELL!"
Before either Yuzu or Rin could even react, Divine's eyes and body lit up with electrical energy as the air around him blurred with distortion. Around Divine, small chunks of debris began rising into the air and orbiting around his body as he slowly lifted himself into the air, defying gravity as a blast of wind smacked Yuzu and Rin in their faces. Struggling against his arm and leg restraints, Divine stretched out his glowing limbs before shouting, generating an immense shock-wave that slammed into Yuzu, Rin, and a few unfortunate Security officers, blasting them all backwards.
Action Duel instincts kicking in, Yuzu managed to right herself and land on her hands and knees. Rin, however, was knocked off her bike and blasted into the rubble of the orphanage while her vehicle was smashed into a building two blocks away.
"A psychic." Rin coughed, before managing to get back onto her feet. "You've gotta be freaking kidding me. A freaking psychic! That's just what I needed to deal with right now!"
"What's a psychic?" Yuzu asked, standing in front of Rin, who now didn't have a duel disk.
"You don't have them in your dimension?" Rin asked, clapping her hands together, bowing her head, and closing her eyes in concentration as her marks began glowing. In moments, Rin was obscured in a thick shadow, which covered her body before fading away to reveal Rin in a new outfit consisting of black-and-green knee-high boots, short shorts, a sleeveless top that left her midriff exposed, and a large duel disk with fangs over the deck slot.
"That's an interesting trick." Yuzu mumbled. "And, as far as psychics go, I've never heard of any in my dimension."
"Well, basically, we're dealing with a real-life superhuman with telekinetic mind-powers, and the ability to take solid vision a step further." Rin grunted, activating her duel disk.
"How do you take things further than solid vision?" Yuzu asked, shielding her eyes against the unnatural winds whipping around the levitating psychic man.
"There was a Psychic girl named Lilly, who grew up with me in my orphanage." Rin explained. "The state made her take some heavy medications to keep her powers suppressed, but one day, she cheeked her meds and decided to duel someone. It was traumatic for everyone to watch a duel monster get cut open to reveal actual flesh and blood."
Yuzu shivered at this, considering the implications of their current duel.
"So basically, he's going to be summoning actual monsters, as in, actual flesh-and-blood creatures to maim and kill us." Yuzu summarized.
"On the nose." Rin replied, bracing herself. "While our monsters will most likely only be solid vision toys."
"Oh, but you don't have to settle for that, darling." Rin suddenly exclaimed in Paryaqaqa's voice. "Any duelist can summon actual creatures from the spiritual realm with the right phylactery, psychic or not. It's just that most of you humans don't ever figure out how to do it. But we're a Dark Signer. I'd be glad to teach you how to focus your energy in order to-…"
"Not now, Yene!" Rin snapped, turning her attention back to Divine, who began addressing them.
"Psychic Gravity Well activates at the start of the duel." Sayer explained. "While active, Field Spell Cards cannot be activated and the field is treated as not having an active field spell card."
"A Field Spell that isn't treated as a field spell?" Rin gawked, "What on earth is the point of-…"
She suddenly paused before looking to Yuzu, who realized at the same time what her counterpart must have concluded.
"It's an anti-earthbound Field Spell." Yuzu breathed.
"Furthermore," Divine continued, shouting over the sound of the whirring debris orbiting his floating body, "Psychic Gravity Well cannot be targeted by card effects or be removed from the field, except by its own effect. In addition, monsters other than Psychic-Type monsters cannot attack unless their controller pays 1000 LP to enable them to attack, and if a player intrudes on this duel, Psychic Gravity Well inflicts 2000 damage to that player's Life Points before increasing my Life Points by the damage inflicted."
"So basically, we're trapped here and not getting any help." Rin summarized. "But the same goes for you! You'll regret coming here!"
"During each of my end phases, I must pay 2000 Life Points or destroy Psychic Gravity Well." Divine finished before drawing his opening hand. "The duel will be conducted with Battle Royal rules. DUEL!"
"DUEL!" Yuzu and Rin exclaimed in unison, responding to Divine's challenge.
"The first turn is mine." Divine called out from overhead. "Magic Card activate! Emergency Teleport! With this card's effect, I can Special Summon one Level three or lower Psychic-Type monster from my hand or deck so long as I banish it during the End Phase. Come forth! Krebons!"
In the air in front of Divine, a dimensional tear opened up, through which a spindly jester-like creature with disconnected floating limbs, a clown cap, and ethereal blocks of light orbiting its body, entered the duel field.
Krebons / DARK / Level 2 / Psychic / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1200 / DEF 400
"A tuner." Rin grunted. "Looks like he's going all-out, not that I would have expected any less from Neo Arcadia's leader."
"Okay, what was Neo Arcadia, and what did it do?" Yuzu asked.
"It's a ton of history we don't have time for right now." Rin snapped. "For now, just know that this guy used to be considered one of the most dangerous people on the planet!"
"That's comforting." Yuzu groaned, thoughts drifting to Sergey and what he had done to her. She had honestly ranked him as one of the most dangerous people she had ever known…next to Yuri at least. Could this guy actually be worse than them?
"Next," Divine continued, pulling a card from his hand and revealing it, "since I control a face-up Psychic-Type monster, I can normal summon Armored Axon Kicker from my hand without tributing, come forth!"
Leaping onto the field through a blue portal, Krebons was joined by a hulking muscular cyborg with purple and green armor and thick coiled black wires coming out of the back of its head like dreadlocks.
Armored Axon Kicker / EARTH / Level 6 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 2200 / DEF 1800
"Here it comes." Rin told Yuzu. "He's ready to Synchro Summon. And I think I know what it is!"
"How would you know that?" Yuzu asked.
"He was an infamous criminal and I watched the Friendship Cup final where he nearly beat Jack Atlas." Rin explained.
"So, this guy almost beat Jack. Great." Yuzu sarcastically replied, as Divine raised his hands into the air, "This duel just keeps getting better and better."
"I tune my Level two Krebons with my Level six Armored Axon Kicker!" Sayer proclaimed as his Krebons morphed into a pair of green synchro rings before surrounding Armored Axon Kicker, who faded into a set of six white stars.
"My flames of hatred burning through my veins," Divine chanted as heat suddenly radiated from his body, causing some of the trash orbiting his person to erupt in flames, "consume my mind with your fury and reign over this world as the undisputed tyrant of thought itself! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Arawayo! Level Eight! Thought Tyrant Daemon!"
In an explosion of white light, Divine's Synchro monster, A towering skeletal demon with gold metallic armor and wings, immense glowing gold claws crackling with electricity, and an enlarged head with a pulsating veiny brain just below the skin, appeared to the field, spreading out its claws and unleashing a resounding roar. Looking upon the monster, the way it actually breathed, twitched, blinked, and pulsated with life, Yuzu felt she understood exactly what Rin had meant when she had talked about Psychics taking duel monsters a step beyond solid vision.
Thought Tyrant Daemon / DARK / Level 8 / Psychic / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2700 / DEF 2300
"That thing's alive. It's an actual creature." Yuzu breathed, unable to quite believe it.
"All the so-called duel monsters are real." Ti'ika Sara explained within Yuzu. "It's just that only a few people can fully summon their physical being from the spirit world. We can summon monsters like that, if we work together."
"I'm not sure how I feel about that." Yuzu replied, glancing at the monsters in her hand and wondering what it would mean if she actually summoned them as real musical fairies.
"Continuous Magic Card activate!" Divine continued from overhead, winds around his body growing in intensity, "Hyper-Psychic Psionic Pulse!"
Appearing to Divine's field, a Continuous Spell Card depicting Thought Tyrant Daemon unleashing a pulse of crackling white-and-green energy, appeared before glowing with light.
"Once per turn," Divine explained, "I can pay 2000 Life Points in order to banish up to two Psychic-Type monsters from my graveyard and an equal number of 'Psychic' Magic or Trap Cards from my deck before gaining five-hundred Life Points for each card banished with this effect. Using this effect, I banish Krebons and Armored Axon Kicker from my Graveyard before banishing Psychic Blade and Psychic Dimension Breach from my deck!"
Crackling with energy, Divine suddenly screamed in pain as his Life Points dropped, before the ethereal images of the cards he banished appeared and merged inside his body, causing a second surge of energy to repair the damage to his Life Points.
Divine: (4000 – 2000) + (500 X 4) = 4000 LP
"A net loss of zero." Rin mused. "And I'm betting he banished those cards for a reason."
"It definitely wouldn't make sense for him to pay 2000 Life Points, just to gain back the same amount, even if he were thinning his deck in the process." Yuzu agreed. "He must want to banish as many of his cards as possible. Remember anything from the Friendship Cup duel?"
"It's been too long." Rin apologized. "Besides, I doubt Divine hasn't made any changes to his deck since then. What I do remember is that Thought Tyrant Daemon is definitely bad news. He actually managed to destroy Jack's Scarlight with that card, and Jack let's nobody do that!"
"Comforting." Yuzu grimaced. "More and more comforting by the second."
"I next equip Thought Tyrant Daemon with the Equip Spell, Telekinetic Charging Cell." Divine continued, slotting a card into his duel disk and causing a pair of hovering white robotic drones to fly up next to Thought Tyrant Daemon's sides before projecting a golden energy field made up of three rings of light. From where she was standing, Yuzu could feel the energy radiating from Divine's card, beyond the usual tingle she felt from Solid Vision energy.
"While equipped with Telekinetic Charging Cell." Divine explained, "Thought Tyrant Daemon does not require Life Points to be paid in order to activate any of its effects. Setting one card face-down. Turn end." Divine finished, slotting a final card into his duel disk before hanging his head down and staring at Yuzu and Rin, face a blank emotionless slate. "And at the end of my turn, the cost of Psychic Gravity Well is applied, making me pay two-thousand Life Points."
Body surging with electricity, Divine let out a cry of pain as his limbs seized up and his life points dropped.
Divine: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
Rin and Yuzu looked at each other before nodding in an unspoken agreement.
"I'll deal with him first." Yuzu said, stepping forward. "He can't duel long with that Field Spell Card draining his life like that. He'll be forced to destroy it very soon. I just need to make sure I take down his life points enough."
"Sounds good to me." Rin agreed. "I want to see what you've learned about Synchro Summoning, anyway. Just be careful of his Thought Tyrant. If I remember correctly, I think it negates effects, so plan around that."
"Got it." Yuzu acknowledged before placing her fingers on the top of her deck. "Atashi no turn! Draw!"
Looking at the card she had drawn, Yuzu managed to contain a visible frown. Her first draw had been Divine Melodious Stage, a field spell she couldn't use right now. Still, she had plenty of other options available to her.
"Magic Card activate, 1st Movement Solo!" Yuzu declared, revealing the first card in her hand before placing it on her duel disk's upper right flower petal. "Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Melodious Monster from my deck! With this effect, I choose to Special Summon-…"
"Thought Tyrant Daemon no kouka!" Divine interrupted, face whipping up to look at Yuzu before he struggled against one of his restraints to stretch his arm towards his breathing monster, who turned its head to face Yuzu, steam billowing up from its jaws as it exhaled. "Up to twice per turn, I can pay one-thousand Life Points in order to enable Thought Tyrant Daemon to negate the activation of a card or effect and destroy it! GO! THOUGHT TYRANT DAEMON! MENTAL SPHERE SUPPRESSION!"
Unfurling its skeletal wings, Thought Tyrant Daemon let out an immense roar before rising into the air, claws, brain, and exoskeleton crackling with energy as it drew energy from Telekinetic Charging Cell before launching a bolt of energy from its forehead into Yuzu's card, obliterating it.
Sayer: 2000 LP
Yuzu shielded her eyes from the dust kicked up by the force of the blast before managing to recover.
"Right." She grimaced. "Effect negation. And not only that, but up to twice per turn, so he can still use it. And thanks to Telekinetic Charging Cell, he doesn't even have to pay any Life Points for it."
She glanced through the cards in her hand, deciding that Divine would inevitably use Thought Tyrant's effect again and trying to decide the best way to bait out the effect.
"I activate the magic card, Fusion!" Yuzu declared, slapping the card on her upper right flower petal.
She hesitated for a moment, waiting to see if Divine would counter the play, but he remained silent. Evidently, he did not consider her fusion summoning a monster to be a significant threat. Perhaps he felt like his Thought Tyrant was strong enough to counter whatever she brought out.
"Using my Quartet the Melodious Songstress and Opera the Melodious Diva in my hand as material," Yuzu continued, raising her hands into the air as a fusion portal appeared above her head and her two monsters rose to the center of the portal before converging in the center as a blur of blue and red light, "I fusion summon!
"Inspiration of the Divine, heroic song, with the guidance of the baton, gather your power! YUUGO SHOUKAN! Come forth to the stage! Schuberta the Melodious Maestra!"
Through the Fusion Portal, the first monster Sora had helped Yuzu Fusion Summon, a slender woman with long flowing orange hair, a gold mask, and an elegant black-and-orange ball gown, twirled onto Yuzu's field before raising her baton into the air.
Schuberta the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Level 6 / Fairy / Fusion / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2000
"Quartet the Melodious Songstress's effect activates when it is used as a material for the Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz Summon of a Melodious Monster." Yuzu continued, "I can add one Melodious Songstress monster from my deck to my hand. With this effect, I choose to add Contralto the Melodious Songstress from my deck to my hand."
Divine made no move to stop her, so Yuzu plucked a card from her deck and added it to her hand.
"He's not going to use up his Thought Tyrant's effect again unless he actually feels threatened." Yuzu thought to herself. "I don't want to waste another effect, but I have to prioritize certain effects above others."
Looking up at her Schuberta, who, strangely enough, seemed to look back at her as if in silent agreement, Yuzu continued with her plan.
"I activate the effect of Schuberta!" Yuzu declared, "Once per duel, I can target up to three cards in any player's graveyard in order to banish them and increase Schuberta's ATK by two-hundred for each card banished with this effect. Using this effect, I target my own 1st Movement Solo, Fusion, and the Emergency Teleport in your graveyard in order to increase Schuberta's ATK by six-hundred!"
"Thought Tyrant Daemon no kouka!" Divine suddenly declared, as if waking from a trance, the eyes of his monster lighting up with energy in response. "I negate the activation of Schuberta's effect and destroy it! GO! MENTAL SPHERE SUPPRESSION!"
Roaring with fury, Thought Tyrant Daemon stretched out one of his immense clawed hands before launching a sphere of energy into Schuberta, just as she raised her baton into the air to activate her effect. Caught in the midriff by the sphere of energy, Schuberta gasped with pain before stumbling backwards, electricity crackling against her body as she keeled over, wounded but not dead.
"Since Opera was used as one of her Fusion Materials," Yuzu explained, wiping off some dust that had blown into her face from the force of the attack, "Schuberta cannot be destroyed by card effects. And now, since you've already used up both of your Tyrant's negation effects, I can do this! Using my Normal Summon for this turn I call forth the tuner monster, Contralto the Melodious Songstress!"
Smiling in approval, Rin watched as Yuzu's new Songstress, a fairy of medium height and build with pale porcelain skin, shoulder-length brown hair, a crystal tiara on her face, and a shimmering white dress with multiple translucent green sashes over her frame, appeared to the field before singing in a deep feminine contralto voice.
Contralto the Melodious Songstress / LIGHT / Level 3 / Fairy / Tuner / Effect / ATK 1200 / DEF 1000
Yuzu looked through her field, before bringing up a screen to show the cards in her Extra Deck. Recalling everything she had learned about Synchro Summoning, she double checked to make sure that she had everything she needed to call forth her new monster.
"I activate Contralto's effect!" Yuzu declared as her fairy rose into the hair, hands to her diaphragm as she began to raise her voice, "If she is summoned, I can target one monster in my graveyard in order to Special Summon it with its effects negated! Using this effect, I target the Quartet in my graveyard in order to Special Summon it with its effects negated!"
"Trap activate!" Divine suddenly declared, shocking Yuzu, who had almost forgotten about his face-down card. "Hyper-Psychic Space-Time Teleportation!"
In response to Divine's declaration, his face-down flipped up to reveal a continuous trap depicting a large wormhole opening up with a legion of cyborg-like monsters, including the Armored Axon Kicker and Krebons, which Divine had summoned earlier, pouring out from the opening.
"Once per turn," Divine explained, "Hyper-Psychic Space-Time Teleportation enables me to pay two-thousand Life Points in order to Special Summon 1 Psychic-Type monster from my hand, deck, GY, or that is banished. I activate the effect now!"
Yuzu's eyes widened in astonishment, wondering if she had heard him right.
"But you have exactly two-thousand Life Points!" Yuzu gawked. "If you activate the effect now, you'll lose! Right?" She looked to Rin, looking for confirmation.
Rin's eyes widened before her jaw dropped, suddenly realizing something.
"You can't mean…" she exclaimed, eyes sweeping the line of officers outside the dueling field.
…
From his control room, Roger addressed one of the Security Officers.
"P-206, intrude." He ordered, a satisfied grin coming over his face.
…
With a sudden jerk, one of the Security Officers seemed to wake up before shambling towards the duel field, Duel Disk activating as he languidly drew an opening hand. The second his foot touched down on the property line of the orphanage, the hapless officer was suddenly lifted off his feet as Divine stretched a hand towards the man, who, despite his mind control, was reflexively struggling against the telekinetic grip.
"INTRUSION PENALTY! TWO-THOUSAND LIFE POINTS!" the officer's duel disk automatically declared, not a hint of mercy for the man's plight in its voice.
P-206: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
Eyes widening, Yuzu realized what was about to happen.
"STOP!" she shouted at Divine in desperation, "Don't-…!"
"Psychic Gravity Well no Kouka!" Divine declared, completely ignoring Yuzu, as he slowly closed his fingers, tightening his telekinetic grip on the struggling man, "If a player takes the Intrusion Penalty, I can inflict two-thousand damage to that player's Life Points before increasing my Life Points by the same amount! TELEKINETIC SINGULARITY!"
Divine made a crushing motion with his hand. In a blink, the Security Officer's body compacted into a sphere of solid matter, before energy streamed out from the sphere and into Divine's floating body.
P-206: 2000 – 2000 = 0 (LOSE)
Divine: 2000 + 2000 = 4000 LP
All of Yuzu's words fled from her mouth as she stared speechlessly at the remains of what had once been a human being plopping into the dirt with a sickening thud.
Rin made a choking noise, face paling before her expression twisted into one of pure hate.
"You monster!" Rin roared, stepping forward to shout at Divine with all her might, "YOU ***ING PSYCHIC MONSTER! JACK SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU IN THE FRIENDSHIP CUP FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID!"
She continued to rant at Divine, but Yuzu didn't hear most of it. Eyes sweeping the lines of Officers, she began to grasp the details of Roger's latest scheme.
"Any time Divine's life points get too low…he'll just sacrifice another person to keep him alive." She breathed. "All these people…" her eyes swept through the line of officers, noticing their faces beneath their glasses and helmets, men and women who had lives and families before their minds were taken from them, "How can I fight this?"
Within her, she felt Sara stir, but Yuzu was growing too numb to pay attention.
"Hyper-Psychic Space-Time Teleportation's effect goes through." Divine continued, speaking as if nothing disturbing had happened. "I pay two-thousand Life Points in order to Special Summon Precognate Jacker from my deck! Come forth!"
Divine: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
Stretching his hand forward, Divine shot out bolts of electricity, which ripped open a portal in the air, through which an immense crab-like machine with a translucent pod containing an engorged brain hooked up to wires appeared.
Precognate Jacker / WATER / Level 7 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 1400 / DEF 2800
"When Precognate Jacker is Special Summoned," Divine explained, I can target one monster my opponent controls in order banish both that target and Precognate Jacker. GO! FEEDBACK LOOP!" he ordered as the crab-like machine reared up on its mechanical legs before a set of projectors protruded from its front and generated a storm of vibrating shock waves, which caused both itself and Yuzu's monster to disappear.
"The opponent's monster banished by this effect will return to the hand during their next standby phase." Divine went on. "But because Precognate Jacker was banished from the field, its second effect activates! I Special Summon one Level six or higher Psychic-Type monster from my deck! Come forth! Master Gig!"
Above Divine's head, an interdimensional tear opened up, through which Precognate Jacker's crab-like legs emerged before ripping the tear wider and withdrawing. Through the dark space within the tear, an immense, egg-like machine with large spikes, golden circuitry, and a mask-like face descended to the field, looming over Rin and Yuzu, who became encompassed in its shadow.
Master Gig / EARTH / Level 8 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 2600 / DEF 1400
Once finished, he turned his head towards Yuzu, who had sunk to her knees in horror, still struggling to process the murder she had just witnessed while wondering what she could have done to prevent it.
"The final part of Precognate Jacker's effect dictates that the opponent must choose to activate one of the following effects." Divine continued, voice as cold and emotionless as ever as he regarded Yuzu. "You have the option of either inflicting damage to my life points equal to the Level of Master Gig times three-hundred, or choosing to make it so that Master Gig cannot attack or activate its effects this turn. Choose."
"We choose to inflict damage to your Life Points!" Rin roared. "That's twenty-four hundred damage that you more than deserve!"
"Only the opponent whose monster was banished by the effect of Precognate Jacker can choose which effect is activated." Divine coldly replied, not even looking at Rin as he regarded Yuzu. "Choose."
Yuzu stared numbly up at Divine before looking over at the other Security officers, and then down to where the compacted body had fallen to the ground, fluids from the deflating sphere darkening the dirt around it.
"We have to defeat him." Sara murmured from within Yuzu. "Eventually you will have to accept the reality of this war."
Yuzu closed her eyes, tears leaking out from the lids.
"I can't do it." She thought back at Sara. "If I do, Roger will just force someone else to intrude."
"You can't let your enemies hold that kind of power over you." Sara whispered back. "Your only way to win this war is to defeat Divine and all his shields. Otherwise, you will condemn even more to death by your inaction. Defeat him."
"At what cost?" Yuzu growled, clenching her fist, thoughts of what her father, Yuya, and others had taught her about dueling and what it ought to be. There had to be another way, one that did not involve trampling over the bodies of innocents to achieve her goals.
"I choose to activate the second effect." Yuzu declared, looking up at Divine. "Master Gig cannot activate its effects and it cannot attack this turn.
"What are you doing!?" Rin cried, "This is exactly what he wanted! He's just going to-…!"
"The choice is made." Divine replied, oddly smiling as his monster, which couldn't have attacked anyway, froze in place while a barrier of energy formed around it. Seeing Divine smile like that, caused Yuzu's heart to plummet as she wondered if she had really made the right choice.
"The chain resolves naturally at this point." Divine continued without emotion, "And since Contralto's effect was technically not negated, Quartet is Special Summoned to your field with its effects negated."
Yuzu closed her eyes in pain, barely noticing as her fairy seemed to materialize right next to her in a kneeling position, Quartet looking at her with what looked like a concerned expression.
Quartet the Melodious Songstress / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 400 / DEF 400
Yuzu clenched her fist in agony. Before looking into the eyes of her monster.
"I had no choice." Yuzu whispered to Quartet. "I wasn't going to let him kill someone else."
Oddly enough, Yuzu had the distinct impression that Quartet nodded in understanding. Whether it had actually happened or she had imagined it, Yuzu felt the motivation she needed to get back on her feet and continue the duel.
"I set a card face-down and end my turn." Yuzu declared, slamming a face-down onto her bottom left flower petal. "At this time, the monster summoned by Contralto's effect is destroyed. However, during the End-Phase, Quartet's effect also activates, enabling to Special Summon a Songstress Monster from my hand or graveyard. I choose to Special Summon Contralto in defense position."
Getting up, Quartet bowed before vanishing in a sparkle of gold dust and then reappearing moments later in front of Yuzu in a defensive stance.
Quartet the Melodious Songstress / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 400 / DEF 400
Rin stared over at Yuzu, who looked back at Rin with an expression of mixed sorrow and resolve. Nodding her head in understanding, Rin turned her gaze up to Divine, the psychic murderer still floating in the air like some kind of supreme god, before clenching her teeth and placing her hand on top of her deck.
"My turn…" Rin growled, "DRAW!"
Looking through the cards in her hand, Rin nodded before activating one of them.
"I activate the Magic Card, Synthphonist Inspiration!" Rin declared. "Using its effect, I reveal three Synthphonist Magic or Trap Cards in my deck before giving you the option to choose one to add to my hand! I choose three copies of Synthphonist Tuning. Go ahead and pick!" she almost spat, revealing the three cards.
"I choose the center Synthphonist Tuning." Divine nonchalantly replied, not seeming the least bit provoked.
Wordlessly, Rin shuffled the card Divine had chosen into her hand before returning the others to the bottom of her deck.
"Next," Rin continued, "I normal summon the Gemini Tuner monster, Synthphonist Bassoonist to my field! Come forth!"
Through the blue summoning portal, Rin's orange-haired cyborg girl with mechanical bassoon wings sticking out of her back appeared to the field before regarding Divine with a grim expression on her face.
Synthphonist Bassoonist / WIND / Level 4 / Psychic / Gemini / Tuner / Effect / ATK 400 / DEF 2000
"Next," Rin continued, placing another card on her disk, "I activate Synthphonist Tuning in order to add one Synthphonist Monster from my deck to my hand."
Looking up, she eyed Divine as if daring him to activate his Thought Tyrant's effect, but Divine merely hovered silently in the air, regarding her with an emotionless expression on his face. Since he didn't respond, Rin grunted before angrily ripping a card from her deck and adding it to her hand.
"I next activate the Spell Card, Synthphonist Resonance!" Rin declared, slamming down another Spell Card. "When this card is activated, I can Normal Summon all Synthphonist Monsters I control, unlocking any of their Gemini Effects! GO! Synthphonist Awakening!"
This seemed to get Divine's attention, as the psychic duelist immediately launched out his hand towards his Thought Tyrant Daemon.
"Thought Tyrant Daemon's effect!" Divine declared as his monster let out a roar, "I negate the effect of Synthphonist Resonance and destroy it! MENTAL SPHERE SUPPRESSION!"
A bolt of energy launched from the forehead of Thought Tyrant Daemon, striking the holographic face of Rin's Spell Card and causing it to violently explode in a shower of golden sparks.
Recovering quickly from the blast, Rin stretched her hand towards her graveyard before continuing her turn.
"I activate the graveyard effect of the Synthphonist Tuning I used earlier!" she declared, "By shuffling this card from my GY into the deck, I can Immediately Normal Summon one Synthphonist Monster!"
"Thought Tyrant Daemon's effect!" Divine countered, body violently sparking with energy, "I negate the effect of Synthphonist Tuning! MENTAL SPHERE SUPPRESSION!"
This time, the bolt of energy launched from Thought Tyrant struck Rin in the wrist, actually burning the flesh and sending Rin flying into a ruined wall of the orphanage.
"Rin nee-chan!" One of the children wailed.
"Rin!" Yuzu echoed, running to her counterpart's side before helping her back onto her feet and examining the burnt wrist.
"It's okay." Rin grunted. "I can't feel any pain. I'm just surprised Divine's that determined to keep me from using my Gemini monster's effects.
Before Rin could object, Yuzu closed her hand around the wrist before pulsing with energy, healing the burn before letting it go.
"I think Roger's probably aware of what your deck is capable of, so he's ordering Divine to make sure your monsters stay as Normal Monsters." Yuzu surmised as Rin gratefully rubbed her restored wrist with a look of admiration.
"Yeah, well he's right to try." Rin grunted. "But he still has no idea what I'm capable of! Magic Card activate!" she continued, ripping a card from her hand and slamming it onto her disk, "Synthphonist Rehearsal!"
Above the heads of the duelist, what looked like a cross between an auto-repair shot and a curtained stage appeared, robotic arms whirring to life above the curtains.
"With the effect of Synthphonist Rehearsal," Rin explained, "I can Special Summon one 'Sonic Synthphonist' monster from my Extra Deck with its effects negated and its ability to attack restricted. The spell card also requires me to shuffle the card summoned with this effect into the Extra Deck during the End Phase. Using this effect I Special Summon the Synchro Tuner monster, Sonic Synthphonist Aspirant from my Extra Deck! Come forth!"
Behind the curtains, lights turned on, revealing the shadowy silhouette of a young girl standing in the center, mechanical arms surrounding her as they worked to outfit her with various pieces of machinery. When the final piece of equipment had been attached to the woman, the woman leaped forward, flinging aside the curtains with a dramatic flourish to reveal a petit young woman with brilliant fiery red-and-yellow hair tied up with a pair of golden hair pins, what looked like a metallic head-band fused into her forehead, wide golden-brown eyes, ruby lips, a tight red-and-white dress with golden circuitry woven into the fabric, mechanical legs and feet with white rocket boots on the end, a jet-pack on her back, and a large mechanical marching band baton in her white-gloved hands.
Sonic Synthphonist Aspirant / WIND / Level 2 / Psychic / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 800
"I next activate the effect of the Synthphonist Resonance in my graveyard!" Rin declared, "I shuffle it into my deck in order to Special Summon Synthphonist Cymbalist from my hand! Join your music with the others now!" she ordered as her cyborg woman with long blonde hair, an elegant white dress, and a pair of mechanical cymbals attached to her back appeared to the field.
Synthphonist Cymbalist / WIND / Level 3 / Psychic / Gemini / Effect / ATK 1100 / DEF 1700
"I'm ready now!" Rin declared, stretching her hands towards her monsters, "I promise I'll make you pay for everything you've done! You and the person controlling you! I tune my Level two Synchro Tuner, Sonic Synthphonist Aspirant, with my Level four tuner, Synthphonist Bassoonist, in order to Synchro Summon!"
Raising her baton into the air, Sonic Synthphonist Aspirant called out encouragingly to Bassoonist before the two of them launched into the air, morphing into a set of six translucent green rings and swirling together in a sphere of green light as Rin began her summoning chant:
"Musician with the dream of eternal greatness, soothing sound of the bassoon, blend your rich music together, tune to each other's pitches, and unleash a new melody! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Storm onto the field now to bring justice! Level six! Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy!"
The sphere of green light exploded into a shockwave of wind and sound, revealing Rin's signature Synthphonist Synchro Monster, a green-haired cyborg woman with bright green robotic eyes, and a mechanical dress decorated with dozens of mechanical instruments all with their bells and openings pointing outward like cannons.
Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy / WIND / Level 6 / Psychic / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2400
"The effect of Bassoonist activates." Rin declared, as an ethereal image of Synthphonist Bassoonist appeared next to her. "Since she was used as a Synchro Material, I target my Prodigy in order to make it so that she cannot be targeted by my opponent's card effects!"
Bassoonist slowly faded away, leaving a golden aura of protection over Rin's synchro monster.
"I'm only just getting started." Rin warned. "Next, now that I have Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy, I'll-…"
"INTRUSION PENALTY!" the voice of another security officer's duel disk suddenly rang out as another officer stepped forward. "TWO-THOUSAND LIFE POINTS!"
"Wait! But! You can't just-…!" Rin sputtered, looking absolutely horrified as Divine used his powers to life the officer's body into the air.
"NO!" Yuzu roared, suddenly launching herself forward with more strength than she had anticipated and rushing towards Divine.
U-826: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
Yuzu leapt into the air, suddenly feeling an urge to smash Divine in the face before he could harm the man. However, before she could come within three feet of him, the Psychic threw out his hand, knocking back Yuzu with a shockwave of energy before effortlessly squeezing his other hand shut and compacting the screaming officer into a sphere of solid fabric and organic matter.
U-826: 2000 – 2000 = 0 (LOSE)
Divine: 2000 + 2000 = 4000 LP
Yuzu screamed as she slammed into the ground, while Rin froze in place with an absolutely horrified expression on her face.
"But I didn't even…I don't…" she sputtered, shaking her head.
"Hyper-Psychic Space-Time Teleportation's effect!" Divine declared, launching out his hand to release another burst of energy, which opened up another portal into the air.
Divine: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
"We can't keep dueling!" Yuzu cried, managing to get back on her feet. "Not like this! He'll kill all of them just to fuel his card's effects!"
"We can't stop now!" Rin shouted back, clenching her fists. "He'll kill or brain control all of us if we surrender. Our only hope is to defeat him before anyone else intrudes!"
Yuzu looked at the line of Security Officers standing outside the duel, wondering how many more meat-shields Roger would sacrifice before they succeeded in defeating the brutal psychic duelist.
"With the effect of Hyper-Psychic Space-Time Teleportation," Divine continued, "I Special Summon Space-Time Police from my deck! Come forth! Enforcer of time itself!"
To Divine's field, a futuristic police officer in a blue hat and uniform with orange orbs of energy, and a mechanical baton with wires connecting into the suit, appeared before pointing its baton towards one of Rin's monsters.
Space-Time Police / WIND / Level 5 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 2300 / DEF 1500
"The effect of Space-Time Police activates since it was Special Summoned!" Divine declared. "I can target one face-up card my opponent controls in order to banish it. Since I can't target Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy, I will target Synthphonist Cymbalist in order to banish it!"
With a hearty laugh, Divine's Space-Time Police shot a bolt of energy towards Rin's monster, prompting Rin leap into action.
"You're trying to prevent me from Synchro Summoning any more monsters this turn." Rin growled, "But I won't let you get away with that! I activate the effect of the Synthphonist Rehearsal in my graveyard! By Shuffling this card and Sonic Synthphonist Aspirant into the deck, I can target my Synthphonist Prodigy in order to give it the effects of Aspirant until the end of this turn! GO! Synthphonist Rehearsal!"
From Rin's graveyard, an ethereal image of Aspirant appeared, rocket jets fired up and a determined expression on her face as she literally passed her ethereal baton to Prodigy, who took it in her hands before glowing with the electrical energy surging through her circuits.
"Sonic Synthphonist Aspirant can, during either player's turn, enable me to immediately perform a Synchro Summon using monsters I control!" Rin declared, raising her hand into the air. "Since I won't be able to use Prodigy's effect to Normal Summon Cymbalist like I had planned, I'll have to go with this! In response to Space-Time Police's effect, I tune my Level six Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy to my Level three Cymbalist in order to Synchro Summon!"
The energy from Space-Time Police's baton opened up a portal behind Cymbalist, which began sucking the young cyborg girl into its depths. However, before she could be consumed by the singularity, Prodigy surged forward with mechanical thrusters under her dress, stretching out Aspirant's mechanical baton so that Cymbalist could grab hold of it and pull herself free before wrapping her arms around the synchro monster's waist for protection. Looking up, Cymbalist nodded her head at Prodigy, who nodded back before launching into the air like a rocket and morphing into a set of six green rings, which surrounded Cymbalist in their light as Rin began her summoning chant:
"Ascending past all obstacles! Overcoming all flaws and weaknesses! By the strength of your resolve, fly forward at twice the speed of light and lay hold on your greatest dreams! Become the mediator between sensual and spiritual and astound the world with your opulent melody! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! The awe-inspiring composer! Level Nine! Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel!"
In an explosion of lightning and wind, Rin's powerful orange-and-white haired cyborg synchro monster appeared to the field, bells on her elegant dress tinkling, instrument cannons on her body whirring to life, and chips on her face lighting up to project a holographic screen in front of her face as she analyzed Divine with a contemptuous expression in her golden eyes.
Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel / WIND / Level 9 / Psychic / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 3300 / DEF 3300
"Since the target of Space-Time Police was lost, the effect cannot resolve." Rin growled, standing next to her monster, so tiny by comparison that she barely came up to the woman's waist. "And since Sonic Synthphonist Prodigy was sent to the graveyard, I can target my Synthphonist Bassoonist in my graveyard in order to Special Summon it in defense position. Furthermore, I chain the effect of Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel to the effect of Prodigy in order to target my Cymbalist and Special Summon it from the Graveyard in defense position. Return my two monsters!" She ordered as the two cyborg women rose up from the graveyard before taking up position in the front in a defensive stance.
Synthphonist Bassoonist / WIND / Level 4 / Psychic / Gemini / Tuner / Effect / ATK 400 / DEF 2000
Synthphonist Cymbalist / WIND / Level 3 / Psychic / Gemini / Effect / ATK 1100 / DEF 1700
"You are lucky that, due to Battle Royal rules, I can't attack you. Otherwise I would destroy you right now, no matter how many meat shields you hide behind." Rin threatened. "But for now, I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Divine regarded his two opponents from where he was hovering before slowly straining against his limb restraints and placing his hand on top of his deck.
"My turn…DRAW!" Divine declared, ripping a card from the top of his deck before extending his hand towards his Continuous Spell Card. "At this time, the effect of my Hyper-Psychic Psionic Pulse activates, allowing me to add two of the cards I banished with its effect to my hand. I choose to add Psychic Blade and Psychic Dimension Breach to my hand with this effect!"
In front of the spell card, the two cards Divine had banished shimmered into existence before floating up into his outstretched hand.
"Next," Divine continued, stretching his hand towards his monsters. "I tribute Space-Time Police in order to Tribute Summon Overdrive Teleporter!"
Appearing to Divine's field was a tall man wearing a futuristic blue lab coat with gold highlights and a visor over his face.
Overdrive Teleporter / LIGHT / Level 6 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 2100 / DEF 1200
"I activate the effect of Overdrive Teleporter." Divine declared, "By paying two-thousand Life Points, I can Special Summon two Level three Psychic-Type monsters from my deck."
"Again!?" Yuzu sputtered, noticing another officer shamble forward towards the duel field. "No! You can't just! STOP!"
But before she could do anything, the effect of Divine's horrible Field Spell Card activated again, enabling Divine to crush the intruding officer into another sphere of bloody matter before absorbing the man's strength into himself.
B-277: 2000 – 2000 = 0 LP (LOSE)
Divine: (2000 + 2000) - 2000 = 2000 LP
Roaring with agony as his Life Points were drained, Divine stretched his hands towards Overdrive Teleporter, before launching a beam of energy into the monster. Rising into the air with a grin, Overdrive Teleporter stretched out his hands, which were glowing with golden energy, before firing two spheres of light into the air from his palms, opening up two portals.
"Come forth!" Divine ordered, "Psychic Commander and Psychic Redactor!"
From the portal on the left, Psychic Commander, a four-eyed cyborg in an officer uniform, hovered in the air while riding on a small hovercraft with a large frontal cannon. Next to Psychic Commander, A crazed cyborg man with immense eyes, a metallic helmet with lightbulbs, and sheets of paper in his arms with parts of the paragraphs blacked out, appeared, eyes twitching as electricity sparked against his head.
Psychic Commander / EARTH / Level 3 / Psychic / Tuner / Effect/ ATK 1400 / DEF 800
Psychic Redactor / DARK / Level 3 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 1300 / DEF 500
"The effect of Psychic Redactor activates when it is Special Summoned!" Divine proclaimed, "I can banish 1 Spell Card in my Graveyard in order to target one monster my opponent controls with a Level equal to or lower than its own in order to destroy it and prevent any player from summoning a monster with the destroyed monster's name while Redactor remains on the field. With this effect, I banish Emergency Teleport from my graveyard in order to target the Level three monster, Synthphonist Cymbalist. GO! Mad Redaction!"
Letting out a loud scream, Psychic Redactor shot a bolt of electricity from the helmet on his head, straight into Rin's monster, which screamed before exploding in a shower of sparks. Bracing against the force of the blast, Rin covered her face to prevent any dust from getting into her eyes before lowering her arm to reveal that her face had twisted into a deep scowl.
"Next!" Divine continued, slotting another card into his duel disk, "I tribute my Overdrive Teleporter in order to activate Psychic Dimension Breach! With this effect, I can either add one of my banished Magic or Trap Cards to my hand or Special Summon one of my banished Psychic-Type monsters. I choose to use the first effect, returning Emergency Teleport to my hand before activating it in order to Special Summon Mind Protector from my deck! Come forth!"
Through a dimensional portal, a small clunky robot with enlarged hands and an enlarged head appeared to Divine's field before posing next to his other monsters.
Mind Protector / LIGHT / Level 3 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 2200
"The field is set up!" Divine declared, raising his hand into the air, "I tune my Level three Psychic Commander with my Level three Psychic Redactor and Level three Mind Protector in order to Synchro Summon!"
Throwing out his hand, Psychic Commander morphed into a trio of rings, which surrounded Psychic Redactor and Mind Protector before the two monsters faded away into six spheres of white light as Divine began his summoning chant:
"Let my inner rage build till my very mind is consumed! With my passion, I call forth the lord who rules above all minds! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Descend to subjugate all erroneous thoughts to your logical patterns! Level nine! Overmind Daemon!"
In an explosive pillar of white light, Divine's new Synchro Monster, an immense winged demon similar in appearance to Thought Tyrant Daemon, but larger and with bulkier white armor over its skeletal frame, appeared to the field before unleashing an immense roar, white armor crackling with electricity as it began charging up with power.
Overmind Daemon / DARK / Level 9 / Psychic / Synchro / Effect / ATK 3300 / DEF 3000
"Once per turn," Divine explained, "I can use the effect of Overmind Daemon to target one Psychic-Type monster in my graveyard and banish it. Using this effect, I target the Space-Time Police in my graveyard in order to banish it."
An ethereal image of Divine's Space-Time Police rose up into the air before hovering in front of Overmind Daemon. Stretching out one of its immense clawed hands encased in a robotic shell, Overmind Daemon pulsed with energy, causing the monster to vanish.
"Next," Divine continued, stretching his hand towards his continuous Trap Card, "I activate the effect of Hyper-Psychic Space-Time Teleportation!"
Numb with pain, Yuzu watched helplessly as yet another Officer stepped forward to sacrifice himself to Divine's Field Spell, just so the psychic duelist could continue fueling the powerful effects of his cards. Rin meanwhile, averted her eyes, avoiding the sickening sight of the man getting crushed.
H-283: 2000 – 2000 = 0 LP (LOSE)
Divine: (2000 + 2000) - 2000 = 2000 LP
"Using this effect," Divine continued, opening up another portal with his psychic powers, "I special summon the Tuner Monster, Re-Cover, from my deck."
Leaping through the portal was a monster that, strangely enough, was nothing more than a book with a pair of stubby ethereal arms and legs floating just adjacent to the book's borders.
Re-Cover / EARTH / Level 1 / Psychic / Tuner / Effect / ATK 700 / DEF 300
"Master Gig no kouka!" Divine declared, stretching his hand towards his immense egg-like monster, which began sparkling with electrical energy. "I pay one-thousand life points in order to destroy monsters my opponent controls, up to the number of Psychic-Type monsters I control! Since I control Thought Tyrant Daemon, Master Gig, Overmind Daemon, and Re-Cover, I pay one-thousand Life Points in order to target Schuberta the Melodious Maestra, Quartet the Melodious Songstress, Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel, and Synthphonist Bassoonist, and destroy them! GO, Master Gig! Existence Erasure!"
Divine: 2000 – 1000 = 1000 LP
The center of Master Gig opened up, revealing a glowing green core at its center, which began charging up, preparing to fire.
"Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel's effect!" Rin countered, stretching her hand towards her own monster. "Since one tuner was used in her Synchro Summon, I target Master Gig in order to negate its effects until the end of this turn! GO! Synthphonic Shock and Awe!"
"Thought Tyrant Daemon no kouka!" Divine replied, "I negate the effect of Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel and destroy it!"
"I was waiting for you to do that!" Rin roared, stretching her hand towards one of her face-downs. "Counter Trap Card activate! Synthphonist Performance! Since I control a Hypersonic Synthphonist monster, I can negate the activation of Thought Tyrant Daemon's effect before shuffling it into the deck!"
Thought Tyrant Daemon fired a beam of energy from its head, aiming for Marvel. However, glowing with energy, Marvel deflected the bolt of energy with a parry from a cello-like shield on her arm before letting loose an immense blast of sound from the instruments on her back and dress. Roaring in pain, Thought Tyrant Daemon covered its ears, which were bleeding with actual blood, before vanishing as it returned to Divine's Extra Deck, its equipped Telekinetic Charging Cell falling to the ground and shattering as the equipped monster left. At that moment, Master Gig fired a pulse of green energy from its central core, aiming for Rin and Yuzu's monsters, but, before the blast could reach any of them, Marvel blasted forward at supersonic speeds before unleashing another pulse of sound from her instruments, deflecting the energy from the blast before causing Master Gig to short circuit and dim as its effects were negated.
Divine, however, looked unperturbed by the counter. Recovering quickly, he stretched his hand towards his graveyard.
"I activate the effect of Telekinetic Charging Cell!" he declared. "I can pay one-thousand life points in order to return this card to my hand!"
"INTRUSION PENALTY!" the duel disk of yet another officer called as another sacrifice stepped forward.
G-267: 2000 – 2000 = 0 (LOSE!)
Divine: (1000 + 2000) – 1000 = 2000
"This will not stop." Ti'ika Sara warned from within Yuzu. "He feels no remorse for the lives he has sacrificed. To him, they are nothing more than stepping stones to his victory."
Yuzu said nothing, too numbed by the horrific murders to respond. There were only three more Security Officers standing outside of the duel, just waiting to sacrifice themselves, meaning that Divine would eventually not be able to use his Field Spell Card to gain infinite life, but did she really have no choice but to watch them die before she could stop him?
"I next tune my Level one Re-Cover with my Level eight Master Gig!" Divine continued as his book monster rose into the air before morphing into a single green ring, which surrounded the immense Master Gig before making the Machine fade into eight spheres of white light as Divine began his summoning chant:
"Direct your rage towards your enemies and blast through them with your power! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! The ultimate psychic soldier! Level nine! Hyper-Psychic Blaster!"
Divine's next Synchro Monster was a tall humanoid soldier encased in futuristic white cybernetic armor with a pair of white wings and a blaster gun, one white and one black, affixed over each of his gloved hands.
Hyper Psychic Blaster / EARTH / Level 9 / Psychic / Synchro / Effect / ATK 3000 / DEF 2500
"I will next activate the effect of the Psychic Blade I added to my hand this turn." Divine continued, revealing an equip spell card depicting an immense sword with a wide translucent green blade and red handle. "I can pay up to two-thousand Life Points in order to equip this card to one monster I control and increase its ATK by the amount of Life Points payed. I pay 2000 Life Points in order to equip this card to my Overmind Daemon."
"INTRUSION PENALTY!" The second-to-last officer's duel disk declared, "TWO-THOUSAND DAMAGE!"
F-781: 2000 – 2000 = 0 (LOSE!)
Divine: (2000 + 2000) – 2000 = 2000 LP
As what was left of the officer's body dropped to the ground, the same sword depicted in Sayer's Equip Spell Card, materialized in one of the Overmind Daemon's hands. Grasping the immense sword, which was half the demon's own size, Overmind Daemon let out a roar before both it and the sword began glowing with energy.
Overmind Daemon: 3300 + 2000 = 5300 ATK
"He could very well destroy us if we don't act." Sara warned.
"I know!" Yuzu replied, defiantly stretching out her hand to activate her face-down. "Trap Activate!" she declared, "Legato! When this card is activated, I can add one "Melodious" Monster from my deck to my hand! I choose to add Score the Melodious Diva to my hand with this effect. Furthermore, while this card is face-up on the field, I cannot Normal Summon monsters, but as compensation, face-up Melodious Monsters I control gain two-hundred ATK and DEF for each face-up Melodious Monster I control! I control two, so both my monsters gain 400 ATK and DEF!"
Schuberta 2400 + 400 = 2800 ATK
Quartet 400 + 400 = 800 DEF
"Battle!" Divine declared, once the effect of Yuzu's trap had resolved. "I attack Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel with Overmind Daemon! GO! Mind Overwhelm!"
Pouncing, Divine's Overmind Daemon brought its sword down on Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel, who attempted to block the blow with her Cello Shield. However, the sharp blade proved far too powerful as it cleaved through the cyborg's armor, bisecting the woman in two before she exploded in a shower of sparks and scrap metal, throwing Rin back against the rubble.
Rin 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
"Next!" Divine continued, "My Hyper Psychic Blaster attacks Quartet the Melodious Songstress!"
"Quartet is in defense position, so I won't take any damage." Yuzu called back, bracing herself for the monster's attack.
"When Hyper Psychic Blaster attacks a defense position monster, it inflicts piercing damage." Divine countered. "GO! Hyper Psychic Blast!"
Levelling its cannon arms at Yuzu's monster, Hyper Psychic Blaster dashed forward before unloading a hailstorm of energy blasts from his twin cannons. Shielding her face, Yuzu got blasted back by the force of the attack as her Quartet got shredded into bits of energy.
Yuzu: 4000 – 2200 = 1800 LP
"At the end of the Damage-Step, the second effect of Hyper Psychic Blaster activates!" Divine continued. "I gain Life Points equal to the difference between Hyper Psychic Blaster's ATK and Quartet's original DEF."
Divine: 2000 + 2600 = 4600 LP
"I next activate the effect of my Hyper-Psychic Psionic Pulse." Divine continued, stretching his hand towards his Continuous Spell Card. "I pay two-thousand Life Points in order to banish Psychic Commander and Psychic Redactor from my graveyard before banishing Psychic Feel Zone and Psychic Fusion Zone from my deck and gaining Life Points equal to the total number of cards I banished with this effect times five-hundred."
Divine: (4600 – 2000) + (500 X 4) = 4600 LP
"With this done, I end my turn, paying for the effect of Psychic Gravity Well." Divine finished, groaning in pain and crackling with energy as Rin and Yuzu got back on their feet before stepping forward.
Divine: 4600 – 2000 = 2600 LP
"Before the turn ends, I activate the graveyard effect of Synthphonist Performance." Rin declared. "I banish this card in order to set a second copy of Synthphonist Performance from my deck to my field."
"The effect of my Quartet also activates." Yuzu added as a new face-down appeared to Rin's field before fading away. "I Special Summon Contralto the Melodious Songstress from my hand. Come forth!"
In a swirl of musical notes, Yuzu's tuner monster reappeared, white dress rustling in the air as she opened her mouth and began singing.
Contralto the Melodious Songstress / LIGHT / Level 3/ Fairy/ Tuner / Effect/ ATK 1200 / DEF 1000
"Since she was Special Summoned," Yuzu continued, "I can Special Summon Quartet from the graveyard with her effects negated and the condition that she is destroyed during the End Phase. Return now!" Yuzu commanded as her other songstress emerged from a black portal in the ground before taking up position next to Contralto.
"However," Yuzu continued as her Quartet began fading away in a puff of gold dust, "Because it is already the End Phase, Contralto's effect activates and Quartet is destroyed. Fortunately, thanks to Quartet's own effect, I can revive her. Return to the field now!" she commanded as the gold dust reformed into Quartet. Standing together, Yuzu's three monsters began glowing with energy as Legato empowered them all with its effect.
Schuberta 2400 + 600 = 3000 ATK
Contralto 1200 + 600 = 1800 ATK
Quartet 400 + 600 = 1000 DEF
"It's my move now." Yuzu breathed, looking to the last Security Officers before placing her hand on top of her deck.
"Divine must be stopped. Can we agree on that, at least?" Sara asked from within Yuzu.
Yuzu closed her eyes and nodded.
"Yes, Sara." She whispered. "We can agree on that. I WILL stop Divine!"
"Even if he kills the last officers to protect himself?" Sara prodded.
Yuzu hesitated for a moment before exhaling.
"Yes." She replied. "I can't hold back or he'll just kill even more people, whether or not I try to show mercy."
Sara seemed to nod.
"Perhaps we will be able to work together." She mused. "When you are ready to call upon my power, I am here."
Despite still feeling reservations towards Sara, Yuzu found herself bowing her head in gratitude.
"Thank you." She whispered, before beginning her turn.
"Atashi no turn!" she declared, face set to one of grim resolution. "Draw!"
Looking through the cards in her hand, she nodded before extending her hand towards her monsters.
"I activate the effect of Contralto the Melodious Songstress!" Yuzu declared, "Once per turn, I can declare a Level between one and five in order to change the Levels of all my non-tuner Melodious Monsters to the declared Level until the end of the turn. I declare the Level of four to change the Levels of all my monsters to four!"
Rising into the air, Contralto spread out her hands before singing a sustained deep melodic note, white dust scattering from her dress and onto the monsters she controlled.
Schuberta: Level 4
Quartet: Level 4
Once that was done, Yuzu turned her head towards Rin.
"You were right." She told her. "I was wrong to hold back against Divine. I wanted to protect the people Roger had enslaved, but all I did was enable Divine to get away with even more murder. I promise I won't do that anymore! I will use everything I have learned to defeat him once and for all!"
"We'll do it together!" Rin replied. "Once we defeat Divine here, we'll defeat Roger and make it so that he can never hurt anyone again! Now show me what you've learned!"
Nodding, Yuzu turned her attention towards her monsters, the bracelet on her arm glowing with energy as the two rings, blowing in the wind, closed together until they resembled the rings of a synchro summon.
"I tune my Level three Contralto the Melodious Songstress together with my Level four Quartet the Melodious Songstress in order to Synchro Summon!" Yuzu declared as her Contralto morphed into a trio of three rings, which surrounded Quartet and caused the fairy to fade into four spheres of white light before Yuzu began her summoning chant:
"Insightful master, though the dark silence find the hidden music and compose a masterpiece with the strength of your baton! SYNCHRO SHOUKAN! Come forth! The quiet master! Level seven! Beethovina the Melodious Maestra!"
In an explosion of white light, Yuzu's new Maestra flew onto the field with a pair of translucent wings rimmed with piano keys. She had long snow-white hair, which was tied up into an elegant hair bun, with a few curly strands bouncing against her shoulders. An ear-trumpet was affixed over her left ear and she wore a white-and-green ball gown while wielding a large white baton like a magic wand.
Beethovina the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Level 7 / Fairy / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2800 / DEF 2200
"The effect of Legato activates since a Melodious Monster was Special Summoned, Beethovina's own effect chains to the effect of Legato, and Quartet's effect chains to that effect." Yuzu continued, once her new monster had taken up position on her field. First, Quartet's effect resolves, enabling me to add Mezzo-Soprano the Melodious Songstress from my deck to my hand. Next, Beethovina's effect activates, enabling me to add Contralto the Melodious Songstress from my graveyard to my hand." Finally, Legato's effect activates since I Special Summoned a monster, enabling me to Special Summon the Contralto the Melodious Songstress I added to my hand. Come forth once again! Contralto the Melodious Songstress!"
Contralto the Melodious Songstress / LIGHT / Level 3/ Fairy/ Tuner / Effect/ ATK 1200 / DEF 1000
"Since Contralto the Melodious Songstress was Special Summoned," Yuzu continued, Its effect activates! I Special Summon Opera the Melodious Diva from my Graveyard! Come forth!"
Raising her voice, Contralto spread out her hands before opening a portal in the air, through which Yuzu's petit pink-haired Opera flew.
Opera the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 2300 / DEF 1000
"Trap activate!" Divine roared before Yuzu could continue "Hyper-Psychic Space-Time Teleportation! I pay two-thousand Life Points in order to Special Summon a second Psychic Redactor from my deck in defense position!"
Divine: 2600 – 2000 = 600 LP
Mercifully, Divine had chosen not to sacrifice the last officer to fuel his Trap's deadly effect. Yuzu, however, still flinched when Divine's mad book-keeper jumped through the portal before screaming at her and her monsters.
Psychic Redactor / LIGHT / Level 3 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 1300 / DEF 500
"Its effect activates when it is Special Summoned!" Divine continued. "I banish Psychic Dimension Breach from my graveyard in order to destroy Contralto the Melodious Songstress! GO! Mad Redaction!"
Leaping to the side, Yuzu barely managed to dodge the bolt of energy, which slammed into Contralto, obliterating the monster. However, pulling another card from her hand, Yuzu quickly recovered.
"I Special Summon Mezzo-Soprano the Melodious Songstress from my hand!" Yuzu declared as her Songstress with long hair and glasses appeared to her field while singing at a moderately high pitch.
Mezzo-Soprano the Melodious Songstress/ LIGHT/ level 4/ Fairy/ ATK 1500/ DEF 1000
"Next," Yuzu continued, stretching her hand towards her monsters, "I overlay my Level four Mezzo-Soprano with my Level four Opera in order to Xyz Summon!"
Taking each other's hands, Mezzo-Soprano and Opera both transformed into a stream of golden light before draining into the center of an Xyz Portal as Yuzu commenced her summoning chant.
"Beautiful fairy who composes the songs of the heart, raise your baton to the air and touch the souls of all with your supreme genius! Xyz Shoukan! To the stage now! The unrivaled artist! Rank four! Vivaldina the Melodious Maestra!"
In an explosion of multi-colored light, Vivaldina twirled onto the field in her black dress, pony tails held up by her bass-cleft hair clips whipping around her face as she raised her baton into the air before opening her eyes and smiling with confidence.
Vivaldina the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Rank 4 / Fairy / Xyz / Effect / ATK 1800 / DEF 1000 / O. U. 2
"Vivaldina no kouka!" Yuzu declared, "I detach an overlay unit from my monster in order to draw 1 card. Draw!"
Tearing a card from off the top of her deck, Yuzu glanced at the card, which was a copy of Canon, before deciding to add it to her hand without activating its effect.
"Next," Yuzu continued, revealing the card she had drawn at the start of the turn, "I Special Summon Sonata the Melodious Diva from my hand with her own effect! Come forth!" she ordered as her slim green-haired fairy pirouetted onto the field.
Sonata the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 4 / Fairy / Effect / ATK 1200 / DEF 1000
"But Sonata won't be staying for long." Yuzu warned, "I activate the effect of Beethovina! Once per turn, I can tribute one 'Melodious' monster I control in order to Special Summon one Melodious Monster from my deck whose Level is one Level lower or one Level higher than the monster I tribute for this effect. I tribute my Sonata the Melodious Diva in order to Special Summon the tuner monster, Descant the Melodious Diva from my deck! Come forth!"
Rising from a blue portal with a burst of speed, as she beat her hummingbird-like fairy wings through the air, Yuzu's tuner, a petit fairy with short hazel hair, tied up into braids, a short, green top and skirt, which looked like they were woven from leaves, and a harp in her hand, which trailed gold dust, appeared to the field before joining her voice with the voices of Yuzu's other monsters.
Descant the Melodious Diva / LIGHT / Level 2 / Fairy / Tuner / Effect / ATK 900 / DEF 600
"It's time!" Yuzu continued, bracelet growing brighter. "I tune my Level two Descant the Melodious Diva with my Level four Schuberta the Melodious Maestra in order to Synchro Summon!"
Hopping into Schuberta's arms, the petit Descant began singing in harmony with Schuberta, strumming her harp as she did so, before Schuberta flung Descant into the air, where she flapped her hummingbird wings a few times before morphing into a pair of synchro rings and encircling Schuberta as Yuzu began her summoning chant.
"With your baton stained with your tears, compose a new song that shall bring forth comfort and catharsis! Synchro Shoukan! Humbly take the stage now! The song of Tragedy! Tchaikovska the Melodious Maestra!"
In a burst of light and music, Yuzu's second synchro monster a fairy with Long curly bouncy black hair tied into a ponytail with a large red ribbon, somber blood-red eyes, porcelain skin, and cherry red lips, rose onto the field on top of a blooming black lotus. Tchaikovska wore a black ballroom dress styled with green and bronze patterns, with a large red ribbon on the front of the bust, and another larger ribbon of red fabric on the rear. In her right hand, she carried a large black conductor's baton, dripping with what looked like tears.
Tchaikovska the Melodious Maestra / LIGHT / Level 6 / Fairy / Synchro / Effect / ATK 2400 / DEF 2000
"The effect of Descant the Melodious Diva activates since it was used as a Synchro Material for a Synchro Summon!" Yuzu continued, placing her hand on top of her deck, "I get to draw one card from my deck and reveal it, and if it is a Melodious Monster, I can add 1 Melodious Monster from my graveyard to my hand! Sara! Lend me your power now!" she called to her inner spirit, determined to end the duel.
In response to her call, Yuzu felt a sudden surge of power well up within her before gathering at the end of her hand, until an aura of black shadow formed at the tip of her fingers.
"Dark…!" Ti'ika Sara called from within Yuzu.
"…DRAW!" Yuzu roared, tearing off the card from the top of her deck.
Slowly turning the card around, Yuzu examined the card, a puzzled expression coming over her face.
Dark Tuner Corruption Seed.
"What is this?" Yuzu asked her spirit, wondering why Sara had helped her draw the card.
"A tool." Sara replied simply. "When it is time to use it, call upon me, and I will show you how."
"What do you mean when it's time!?" Yuzu hissed, "I need to defeat Divine now!"
"Look," Sara sighed, "I'm not trying to be rude, but…there's no way you can defeat Divine right now. Our best bet is to prepare for the turn when we can."
"You've given up on me?" Yuzu groaned, feeling her heart plummet.
"Oh, I know we'll win." Sara replied, "I just need to prepare you first. Just trust me. I will unlock our full potential."
Closing her eyes, Yuzu sighed before showing the card to Divine and continuing with her turn. Very well then. She had reached out to Sara, hoping that the spirit actually would help her, only to be disappointed. She could move on from this. She could win this duel without the spirit's help.
"I activate the effect of Tchaikovska the Melodious Maestra!" Yuzu declared, stretching her hand towards her monster, "Once per turn, I can send one LIGHT Fairy-Type monster from my graveyard in order to target one card my opponent controls and destroy it! I send Schopina the Melodious Maestra from my deck to the graveyard in order to destroy Hyper-Psychic Space-Time Teleportation! GO! Melodic Cannonade!"
Raising her baton and left hand into the air, Tchaikovska puffed out her chest before summoning a garden of large black lotus flowers, which opened up to reveal the barrels of cannons sprouting from the center of their brass-colored interiors. Conducting the cannons, Tchaikovska directed a barrage of artillery fire into Divine's deadly continuous trap card, destroying it.
"The continuous effects of both Tchaikovska and Vivaldina are also applied." Yuzu continued, "Tchaikovksa increases the ATK and DEF of all other Fairy-Type monsters I control by 500, while Vivaldina gives all Fairy-Type Monsters I control an additional 200 ATK!"
Beethovina: 2800 + 500 + (3 X 200) + 200 = 4100 ATK
Tchaikovska: 2400 + 600 + 200 = 3200 ATK
Vivaldina: 1800 + 500 + (3 X 200) + 200 = 3100 ATK
"Battle!" Yuzu declared, "I attack Overmind Daemon with Beethovina the Melodious Maestra!"
"Psychic Gravity Well's effect!" Divine countered, stretching his hand towards Yuzu. Immediately, both Yuzu and Beethovina began struggling against an invisible force, as Divine pushed them back with his telekinetic powers. "My opponent's non-Psychic monsters cannot attack unless one-thousand life points are payed for each attack!"
"I WILL PAY THE COST!" Yuzu roared, feeling energy drain from her as she forcefully pushed back against Divine's barrier, causing Divine to flinch with pain as his invisible barrier broke with a flash of electrical energy.
Yuzu 1800 – 1000 = 800 LP
Freed from the barrier, Beethovina charged forward with her baton raised against Overmind Daemon, who charged back at her with a roar, raising his own immense Psychic Blade into the air, preparing to cleave her in two.
"Score the Melodious Diva's effect!" Yuzu declared, "I discard this card from my hand in order to change Overmind Daemon's ATK to zero!"
Just as Overmind Daemon was about to bisect Beethovina with his blade, Score suddenly swooped down, creating a magical road of light, which blocked the blade before allowing to Beethovina to climb up on the other side and point her baton at Overmind Daemon's snarling face.
Overmind Daemon: 5300 – 5300 = 0 ATK
"Silent Masterpiece!" Yuzu ordered, prompting Beethovina to fire a blast of wind and music into the face of Overmind Daemon, creating a hole that pierced through its head and through its lower back.
Then, without suddenly fading away, the monster slumped over with a groan, blood pouring from the hole in its body. Blinking, Yuzu suddenly recalled what Rin had said about Psychic duelists summoning real monsters. Mercifully, Overmind Daemon's corpse slowly faded away into mist, leaving pools of blood on the ground.
"INTRUSION PENALTY! TWO-THOUSAND LIFE POINTS!" two duel disks proclaimed as the last Security officers with Divine stepped into the duel simultaneously, before each getting crushed by Psychic Gravity Well as Divine scrambled to save what was left of his life points.
F-058: 2000 – 2000 = 0 LP (LOSE!)
K-456: 2000 – 2000 = 0 LP (LOSE!)
Divine: (600 + 2000 + 2000) = 4600 LP
Raising her baton into the air, Beethovina shot a blast of energy into Divine's face, knocking the murderous psychic duelist out of the air and into the ground, where he crashed with a loud groan of pain.
Divine: 4600 – 4100 = 500 LP
Divine slowly struggled back onto his feet, limbs still sparking with energy.
"Overmind Daemon's effect activates since it was destroyed." Divine declared, raising his hand into the air before firing a bolt of energy into the sky and opening up a portal. "I Special Summon the Space-Time Police I banished with Overmind Daemon's effect! Return to me now!" He ordered as his futuristic police officer reappeared to the field.
Space-Time Police / WIND / Level 5 / Psychic / Effect / ATK 2300 / DEF 1500
"Space-Time Police no kouka!" Divine declared, "I banish Beethovina the Melodious Maestra!"
Stonily, Yuzu watched as her lead Maestra vanished into a swirling space-time portal, leaving her alone with her Vivaldina and Tchaikovska. Looking down at her life points with a sickening feeling, she realized that she could do no more.
She had failed to save any of the officers.
There was only one hope now.
"Defeat him." She whispered to Rin, who nodded her head in reply.
"Turn end." Yuzu concluded with sorrow. "At this time, Quartet's effect activates and I Special Summon her from my graveyard in defense position.
Quartet the Melodious Songstress: 400 + 500 + 200 + (200 X 3) = 1700 DEF
Once Quartet had taken up position on Yuzu's field, Rin stepped forward.
"My turn…" Rin declared, silently placing her hand on top of her deck, before glancing back at Miss Kimura and the orphan children she had grown up, who were looking at her with a mixture of awe, hope, and fear.
"I feel your compassion and fear for them." Yene rumbled from within her, "Yuzu has given us an opening. We must strike now with all our power if we are to finish off this villain once and for all! Are you ready!?"
"I swear to protect the people I love." Rin replied, placing her fingers on top of her disk. "I will not let any enemy, Academia, Security, or anyone else, harm them!"
"Dark…!" Yene called from within her activating his power.
"DRAW!" Rin called, ripping a card from the top of her deck, with a stream of shadow erupting from the tips of her fingers.
"Magic card activate!" Rin declared, slamming down the card she had drawn, "Dark Tuning! I tribute my Synthphonist Bassoonist in order to add Dark Tuner Abyss Light from my deck to my hand before Special Summoning Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel from my graveyard with its ATK and DEF changed to 0! Return now!"
Rising up from a black portal, Rin's synchro monster re-entered the duel field, instruments lighting up as her inner robotic parts whirred to life.
Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel / WIND / Level 9 / Psychic / Synchro / Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
"Next," Rin continued, "since I control a Synchro Monster, I discard my Dark Tuner Abyss Light in order to activate Dark Synchro Mirror! I target my Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel in order to Special Summon two monsters from my deck, one Dark Tuner and one non-Dark Tuner, whose total levels equal the level of Marvel! Come forth now! The Level seven Dark Tuner, Dark Tuner Chaos Maelstrom and the Level two non-Dark Tuner, Synthphonist Violist!"
In front of Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel, a large, black, full-body mirror shimmered into existence before perfectly reflecting the image of Marvel. Looking into the mirror, Rin and Yuzu watched as the reflection of Marvel slowly melted away before reforming into the image of Synthphonist Violist, and the ghostly electric eel of Dark Tuner Chaos Maelstrom. Stepping through the dark glass of the mirror like it was water, the physical bodies of the two monsters entered the field before the mirror vanished.
Synthphonist Violist / WIND / Level 2 / Psychic / Gemini / Tuner / Effect / ATK 800 / DEF 1100
Dark Tuner Chaos Maelstrom / WIND / Level 7 / Thunder / Dark Tuner / Effect / ATK 0 / DEF 0
"Now that she is on the field," Rin continued, stretching her hand towards Violist, "I'll use my normal summon for this turn to unlock the effects of Synthphonist Violist! Synthphonist Awakening!"
Grinning, Synthphonist Violist sparked with electricity, blue, beauty mark chip below her eye blinking with light while her mechanical hand morphed into a combination viola/broadsword, slightly larger than Violinist's weapon, and looking much to big for the petit monster to wield effectively. Nevertheless, with surprising strength, Violist hefted the broadsword up to her chin before detaching a metal viola bow from her peg leg and raising it to the instrumental weapon.
"I next activate Violists effect!" Rin declared, "Up to thrice per turn, I can target one monster I control in order to increase or decrease its Level by one. I use this effect on Violist once in order to decrease her own Level by one, before targeting Marvel twice to increase her Level by two! Synthphonist Re-tuning!"
Sliding the bow of her viola back-and-forth against the strings of her instrument, Violist generated an aura of green energy, which surrounded both herself and Marvel as their levels began to change.
Synthphonist Violist: Level 1
Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel: Level 11
"It's time!" Rin declared, "I Dark Tune my Level seven Dark Tuner Chaos Maelstrom with my Level one Synthphonist Violist in order to Dark Synchro Summon!"
Roaring, Chaos Maelstrom exploded into a shower of seven black stars, which embedded themselves into Synthphonist Violist, who began thrashing about in pain before stilling and fading away, leaving six black stars which began orbiting an area of empty space as Rin began her summoning chant.
"Endowed with the power of gods who rule over a world with no light, rise up from the abyss now to smite my enemy with your icy fury! DARK SYNCHRO! Arawayo! Level negative six! Earthbound Disciple Geo Selkie!"
The stars exploded into a column of black light, through which Rin's polar-bear fur clad mermaid warrior with the lower body of a leopard seal, swam out onto the field. Twirling her whale-bone spear above her head before pointing it in Divine's direction, she sent a blast of freezing air directly into the psychic duelist, knocking him back a few feet.
Earthbound Disciple Geo Selkie / WATER / Level -6 / Aqua / Dark Synchro / Effect / ATK 2000 / DEF 2500
"The effect of Chaos Maelstrom now activates!" Rin continued, as an ethereal image of her ghostly eel appeared above Selkie's head. "For the rest of this turn, if a Dark Synchro Monster I control battles, the effects of the opponent's monster are negated and its ATK and DEF are changed to zero!"
"Futhermore," Rin continued, "the effect of Violist also activates. Since she was removed from the field, I can target my Level eleven Hypersonic Synthphonist Marvel in order to increase my Life Points by her Level times one-hundred, before increasing the ATK and DEF of Marvel by the amount of Life Points I gained!"
Above Marvel and Rin's head, the ghostly form of Viola reappeared before the diminutive cyborg began playing her viola broadsword, causing both Rin and Marvel to glow with green light.
Rin 2000 + (11 X 100) = 3100 LP
Marvel 0 + 1100 = 1100 DEF
"BATLLE!" Rin roared, eyes and marks burning with green light, "I pay one-thousand Life Points in order to attack and destroy Hyper Psychic Blaster with Earthbound Disciple Geo Selkie! Polar Hunting!"
Rin 3100 – 1000 = 2100 LP
Rocketing forward like a missile, Rin's Geo Selkie swam towards Hyper Psychic Blaster with her whale-bone spear raised, grey lines of power along her body flaring with light as the effect of Chaos Maelstrom activated, causing Hyper Psychic Blaster to groan with pain as it become enveloped in an aura of shadow.
Hyper Psychic Blaster: 0 ATK (Effects Negated)
With a savage roar, Geo Selkie pierced through the body of Hyper Psychic Blaster, blood and viscera from the cyborg staining her spear and face before the rest of the monster's physical remains faded from existence. Raising her spear above her head once the work was done, Selkie rose into the air, a murderous look in her eyes, before charging down at Divine to deliver the finishing blow.
"This is it!" Rin thought as she watched. "With this, this duel will finally-…"
A scream from Yuzu suddenly grabbed her attention. Looking to where Yuzu was staring, Rin's breath left her when she spied a young girl, no older than eleven, with a blinking chip in her forehead, charging onto the duel field, a legion of dozens more civilians shambling behind her.
"INTRUSION PENALTY! TWO-THOUSAND LIFE POINTS!" the girls duel disk sang as Divine reached out with his hand, lifting the child into the air.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Yuzu cried, charging forward, eyes and marks glowing a deep blood-red.
Instinctively, Rin found herself charging forward as well, black electricity crackling against her body.
Akako: 4000 – 2000 = 2000 LP
With a roar, Rin unleashed a bolt of black lightning into Divine, who shot back a bolt of telekinetic energy of his own from his free hand before performing a crushing motion with the hand holding up the girl.
Akako: 2000 – 2000 = 0 LP (LOSE)
Divine 500 + 2000 = 2500 LP
Rin's bolt of energy struck Divine just as his struck her, sending them both flying backwards. Tears streaming from her eyes, Rin could only watch as the little girl's body slowly began to compact when-…
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Yuzu screamed, slamming into the girl and wrenching her free from the telekinetic grip before flinging her out of the duel field. She had not pulled the legs of the girl free from the telekinetic crush in time to spare them from being mangled, but the rest of the girl had been spared. She was writhing and screaming on the ground, mind control unable to inhibit her pain or reflexes, but she was alive. Enraged, Divine made a swiping motion at Yuzu with his hand, sending her flying backwards as she was struck by a blast of telekinetic energy, before Geo Selkie slammed her spear into Divine from overhead.
Divine: 2500 – 2000 = 500 LP
Rin slowly got up from the ground, feeling slight twinges of pain despite her undeath blocking most feeling. Staring up at the legions of civilians pouring out from every corner of the neighborhood to stand just behind Divine, Rin felt her heart sink into a bottomless abyss.
"Unforgivable! Utterly unforgivable!" She heard Yene rage from within her, "This duelist has absolutely no semblance of honor! COWARD! Hiding behind the bodies of mortal men, women, and children like this!? I was even trying to hold back for the sake of his mortality giving him a disadvantage against us! Rin! We must hold no punches now! Now is the time to-…"
"Turn end." Rin wept, sinking to her knees in utter despair. He had won. He had finally beaten them. She had wanted to think she could be strong, to think that she could do what was necessary to beat Roger and Academia, and save her dimension, but this was too much. She couldn't beat Sayer now, not if it meant carving a bloody path through every innocent civilian Roger had taken control of.
"Rin?" Yene called from within, "Rin?"
…
From his control room, Roger was laughing hysterically.
"Useless!" he roared, "Your struggle is utterly, utterly useless! Oh, to think that I had this asset under my thumb after I took control, and that I never exploited it! Why did I waste time with Sergey? Gallagher must have really made efforts to keep this one hidden from me. Could he have been hoping to use him against me? But no, he didn't have the means to make use of him like I could. Still, probably best to arrest him anyway. Psychic Gravity Well…such a genius Field Spell! I can't believe I didn't come up with the concept! Still, I doubt Sayer ever thought to use it like this! I'll need to mass produce it once this is over! Once I crush the Dark Signers, I'll have an army of immortal psychics to rule this, and every other dimension!"
He continued ranting to himself in this manner, the other staff members in the control room quietly working at their computers, not daring to interrupt him.
…
