02 - Dawn of the Phoenix Whackos! Rise of Supernova Mars Disaster!


"Do you have to go…?" Heidi looked down at her shoes, she sounded like a child and hated it.

"I'm sorry, baby sis. Got to go where adventure takes me." Summer reached down to pinch Heidi's cheek and she furiously slapped the girl's hand away. It only made her big sister laugh; she hated being the baby of the family.

Days had passed since the strange encounter with the top-hatted man. Heidi hadn't told her sister because she didn't want to get lectured for participating in Kaijudo duels with strangers. Now they were in Ikebukuro's subway station. Grandpa stood behind holding a few of Summer's smaller bags. The shining steel train whipped soundlessly across the platform, slowing to a stop. Heidi felt a burst of desperation.

"You better write! And call! And text!"

"Us Hirazumi girls may be bad at keeping in touch, but we're always there for each other when we need it." She put a hand on her hip.

"Natsu and Tailee went off to their own colleges and important jobs, you finished college and now you're off for an archeological dig! I'm the only sister left, it's going to be so lonely…"

"You'll be fine. Hey," she made Heidi look up at her "stay in school."

The shorter girl laughed nervously, scratching the back of her head while their grandpa sighed. When the train doors opened Summer piled all her bags together and with impressive strength carried them into the train "See you guys!"

They waved her off and watched the train whisk her away. Heidi felt embittered, everyone gets to go on adventures but me. I want to play 'hero'. She'd been too young to know her parents, too young to be finishing college and starting a cool job like her sisters. Instead she was home with grandpa and failing school. I want to leave this town too.

Little did Heidi know that a white-robed man stood watching her through the crowd. In his hand he held a duel masters card that was flashing red in her direction.

"Is it her?" four younger disciples stood behind the man in similar white cloaks. One of them a tall brunette teenager, he studied Heidi from beside his master "She'd be about the same age as the rest of them."

"It seems so…" the older man answered in his deep baritone "The phoenix cards have served us well."

Later that day Heidi found herself in her room, doing anything but studying. She lay back on her bed, uninterested in video games or karaoke. She spat a ping pong ball from her mouth, watched it bounce against the wall and caught it again. Putting it back in her mouth and repeating the process mindlessly.

"Heidi!" her grandpa called upstairs. "Heidi… some people here want to see you!"

Sitting bolt upright she spat the plastic ball across the room and it bounced between her figurines and airplane models. Could it be… that weird top-hat guy?

"I'm coming down!" she thought to grab her deck before hurriedly taking the stairs. She paused on the third step, taking in the sight of grandpa uncertainly facing a group of five white-cloaked travelers, the oldest leader hooded. He lowered it at the sight of her.

"Heidi Hirazumi…"

"You guys aren't affiliated with those outer path freaks, are you?" the fear made her shout. The figures looked at each other.

"…my name is Narciel. I'm the leader of a group known as the Dawn of the Phoenix."

"Phoenix…" suddenly Heidi's dream from last week came flooding back, a songbird call within that exploding sun.

"Dawn of the Phoenix…" her grouchy grandpa unexpectedly spoke up. "You're one of those secret cult groups of Duel Masters players. I don't know what you think you want with my granddaughter… she's not as good as her sisters anyway…"

"Grandpa!"

"Actually it seems Heidi here is a wellspring of potential the likes of which our planet Aurellia has never seen before."

"Huh?" the old man squinted his eyes.

"Yeah, huh?" Heidi couldn't help agreeing. She was good, but she was still just a teenager. She didn't think she was that good.

"Follow me outside?" Narciel had bits of grey in his hair and beard, he was a tall and solid man. Outside the shop meant one thing: a Kaijudo duel. Excitement burned from within and Heidi found herself agreeing immediately. After fighting Kaido in a proper match she'd found herself craving even more of the action. She nodded and the man turned, his neutral-faced followers also heading outside the glass door.

The fresh air and the country-side was beautiful, across the road was a long grassy hill. Heidi couldn't count the number of times she'd been rolled down that hill by her sisters. One morning they'd all grabbed her, bundled her into the rug on her bedroom floor and carried her out like a human-sized roll-up. Threw her down the hill while laughing, it'd been so much fun.

"The Dawn of the Phoenix is an organization that pays strict adherence to Duel Masters lore. We're as ancient as the teachings and for us it's not just about being good at the game… it's about our connection to the creatures and their world… it's about the things we've learned concerning the destiny of both our dimensions and others."

Heidi had heard this dimension-speak before "What is this about? Sounds like fanatical brainwashing to me."

"This is how we found you." Reaching into his sleeve he pulled out a Duel Masters card, but one unlike any she'd ever seen. It was glowing red. The creature on it reminded her of Kaido's terrifying Bolshack Cross NEX with its impossible strength and abilities. "It didn't start glowing like this until we came in close proximity to you."

"Is that a fire bird?" Heidi felt an unmistakable pull, her eyes stuck on the card.

"It's a phoenix. A multi-civilization race from the DM-19, travelled through time and space to get here. This one is called Supernova Mars Disaster, and it seems that of everyone alive on Aurellia it's decided on you to be the Chosen Fire duelist."

"M-me?" she blinked "How could it know me?" She would have never believed them if it weren't for "…this is just like with Kaido. He had cards from future DM sets."

"Kaido?" a girl disciple turned to her brethren "Kaido Felgrass?"

"Uh, the guy with the top hat."

"He's one of their known lieutenants." A boy answered.

"Tell us, what do you know about this outer path of darkness you mentioned?" Narciel asked of her.

"Not much… he just said they came from another dimension and that was why he had cards that've never been released yet." Heidi answered.

"I believe the reason the five phoenix cards have manifested in Aurellia now is in preparation of a threat that is just beginning to plague this world."

Without thinking Heidi took a step toward the glowing card and Narciel slipped it back up his sleeve.

"You said it chose me, right?"

"But first I will not simply hand over such awesome power. The other chosens are scattered around the globe, a few of which have even gone rogue. We can't afford to let the power that will awaken in you fall into the wrong hands. You must agree to work with us in stopping the threat."

Intense eagerness bubbled up and Heidi fought to keep it in. The call for heroism, saving the world, it was all she'd ever wanted. To be a hero. But how could she trust these creepy caped people, even if they were offering her power? Could she really up and leave Ikebukuro, her home. Help these people fight off an inter-dimensional invasion?

"Also…" Narciel interrupted her thoughts "I want to first see how you duel."

"Then kettou da, Narciel! I challenge you!" she raised her arm and pointed, quickly rising to the occasion. The four caped disciples behind him snickered.

"Oh no, child. You won't be fighting me. Timothy!" he called and the youngest brunette boy stepped forward with a serious expression. He was also a teen, maybe a year or so older than her.

"I'll accept your challenge." He stated. "Yoshi."

"Well fine! If I win you'll let me see that card!" Heidi stalked away from the house and toward the long hill. She didn't want their shop damaged if they were fighting with real creatures again.

"If you win and agree to come with us, you may certainly possess Supernova Mars Disaster." Narciel commented as they all started trekking. Heidi knew that card was for her, she could feel it. She knew that the moment it touched her hands… something special was going to happen.

Her grandpa didn't climb the steep hill, he stood and watched quietly by the road. Heidi looked across the space at the white-cloaked youth Timothy and he stared back, both level with each other as they took climbing steps. A few paces behind him Narciel followed, and behind him the other three disciples. When they got to the top of the hill they faced each other, both with hands aglow. Heidi's was red while Timothy's was white.

From between them two tables ghosted into view, becoming solid. They shuffled their decks and placed them down.

"Ikuzo, let's do this!" Heidi announced as her shields sprang forth.

"Koi, your move." The tan-skinned boy drew his hand after the cyan rectangles appeared in front of him.

Heidi studied her hand with a smirk.

"I charge fire mana and end!" the upside-down card glowed red beneath her two fingers.

"I charge light mana and end." The taller guy set his card down and yellow tranquil light emitted from his tabletop.

Narciel stared intently from amongst his other subordinates "Timothy is one of the most skilled members of our organization… it's not likely she'll be able to beat him…" he murmured.

"I charge fire mana…" Heidi studied her hand "…and end."

"I charge water mana and summon Emeral." As Timothy spoke the amphibian cyber lord with the gold computer-helmet floated down amidst blue light. "I get to swap a shield with a card in my hand."

It's probably a shield trigger then… Heidi whipped out a card from her deck and started her turn, she added mana and then "I summon Cocco Lupia and end!" The orange crown-adorned fire bird swirled into view with an eager chirp.

"I charge more water mana then summon La Ura Giga, Sky Guardian!" The 2000 point blocker jettisoned into view, a silver-plated starship. Timothy turned his other card "Emeral ike! Break her shield!" The cyber lord jumped and Heidi cringed, an explosion of glass rained down on her hair and the table, she cried out.

"Not used to Kaijudo duels?" Narciel called from the sidelines and she ignored him.

She could feel the magic brought on by their powers. Looking up she glared at the opposing boy between his two creatures as she added her shield to her hand. Timothy was still composed and professional. The glass pieces vanished and she drew her next card.

"Alright I can't attack him… he'll just block with that guardian of his." She set more mana. "I summon another Cocco Lupia!" An identical fire bird somersaulted into existence, the duplicates looked at each other and bobbed "Your turn."

"Hm." Timothy gave his first sly smirk, drawing a card. He added more mana "I summon Hypersquid Walter!" After turning cards the blue and white bubbles of energy drifted upward before converging and an indigo cyber lord with face-tentacles leapt forth. He raised his giant hands threateningly at his opponent. "Now Emeral break another shield! Ike!"

Wet amphibian feet patted against the ground before it jumped and hit a far shield, glass pieces embedding themselves into the grassy ground. A passing wind whipped between them but their cards stayed put on the table, Heidi added yet another shield card to her hand.

"Alright Timothy, enough stalling…" she added more mana then three cards tapped "I summon Astrocomet Dragon!"

"Astrocomet Dragon?" Narciel mused.

"Her signature armored dragon already…" down from the street her grandpa craned his head and peered up at the action.

"Each Cocco Lupia reduces his cost by 2 so say hello to my ultimate creature!" Her red-armored dragon rose up, turning its long head. Each exhale emitted bursts of fire with a low rumble.

"A 6000 power double-breaker that becomes 10,000 when attacking." Timothy recited with a grimace. "…but she still can't yet, with it or her birds. My blocker's stronger…" he looked at his master on the sidelines, Narciel giving him the tiniest nod of encouragement. A sign that it was okay to go all out and defeat her. "Alright then!" he stared across at the short girl behind her massive dragon and twin fire birds. "I'm guessing your stall means you don't plan to attack? It's my move!"

His cards untapped themselves and he drew. He had only three cards in his hand, but not for long. He set mana and then all five of them tapped "I play Illusionary Merfolk! Since I have a cyber lord in play I draw three cards!" he added his additional options to his hand while the angelic one-eyed gel fish fluttered delicately. "Hypersquid Walter also lets me draw a new card every time it attacks! Ike, break her shield!" The water monster weaved as it ran, jumping and smashing a shield with its massive palm. Heidi turned around and heard her jacket rip. She turned with a glare as her opponent drew another card "Turn end."

"He's got five cards in his hand, five shields and four creatures in the battle zone… I need to step things up." Her hand flashed red as he drew a new card, grinning widely at the armored dragon. She faced upward "I hope you're ready for this Timothy. Now I tap two to summon Bolzard Dragon!" Amidst a swirl of lava a steel-plated dragon emerged and released a roar. "I also tap another three… to summon Garkago Dragon!" a red shogun-plated dragon with blades on its arms shook the ground with its landing, releasing a battle-cry of its own.

"Three dragons!" a dark-skinned boy with dyed hair spoke up among the disciples. "She's got three armored dragons this early on in the game!"

"Bolzard Dragon destroys an opponent's mana card whenever it attacks…" a dark-haired girl beside him spoke up. "And that Garkago Dragon, it gets 1000 extra power for each other fire creature, it's a double breaker and it can attack untapped creatures…"

"I wouldn't count Timothy out just yet." Narciel remained confident, his arms crossed.

"Let's go! Astrocomet Dragon ike! Wipe out his Hypersquid Walter!" Heidi waved her arm and the centre dragon unleashed a pillar of superheated flames, vaporizing the squid-like cyber lord. "Cocco Lupia ike, break a shield!"

"La Ura Giga blocks the attack!" Still wincing from the nearby impressive blaze of fire, Timothy tapped his blocker and the speedy ship intercepted the bird, blasting it into a mess of orange feathers. Heidi didn't react as her card flew off the table and overhead, she was already tapping her next creature. "Cocco Lupia number two, ike!" the other bird soared and Timothy's first shield was broken. "Yes!" Heidi fist-pumped.

"Shield Trigger: Spiral Gate!" The teen held the reformed water card, a whirlpool began to form around one of her dragons "Send Garkago Dragon back to her hand." Blue light blasted her card off the tabletop and Heidi angrily snatched it from mid-air. Even against three giant dragons Timothy had stood calm and collected. Impressive, she had to admit.

His cards untapped as he began his turn "I charge more mana, then summon Unicorn Fish!" The bony fish snapped its long jaws, swerving across air and whipping its tail "I send Bolzard Dragon back to your hand." The dragon fell back and sneered, vanishing. Heidi caught the card with mounting distress. The two impressive dragons she'd managed to summon in one turn sent back before she had a chance to use them. "La Ura Giga ike! Destroy Cocco Lupia!" The silver aircraft took aim before blasting forward, gunning down her last fire bird. Without her Lupias she wasn't going to get the two dragons back easy either. Her eyebrow was quivering as another card flicked up and over her shoulder. "That'll end me." The teen spoke with confidence.

Heidi's cards untapped and she drew, took a breath "I charge more mana and summon Bolzard Dragon!" the steel-plated dragon returned through its portal of dripping magma. "Astrocomet Dragon double break his shields!" Timothy's eyes widened and he ducked under his table as the stream of fire shattered the panels one at a time, the dragon turning its head to direct the scorching. He lifted himself back up and added the cards to his hand.

"Okay… I charge mana then summon two Marine Flowers, another La Ura Giga Sky Guardian and another Unicorn Fish!" the boy emptied his hand onto the field and Heidi felt her resolve dropping with each new blocker that rose up before her. Two blue tentacle-claws wormed forth and sneered, another silver aircraft jettisoned up and another bony fish unfurled. "This time I'm returning my own Illusionary Merfolk to my hand!" The tail-spin knocked his own ribbon-wreathed monster away. Timothy caught his card with a small smile.

"That's why he's not been attacking with Emeral…" Heidi noticed, glancing at his first creature, the amphibian cyber lord. "If he keeps re-summoning Illusionary Merfolk and sending it back to his hand he'll keep drawing cards, he'll use his army of blockers to hold off my dragons while his smaller creatures pick off the last of my shields… and he's always going to be able to draw more blockers." Her fists clenched as she recognized his strategy. Timothy stared forward patiently, expectantly. Heidi raised her burning hand and drew "but I'm not out yet! I charge mana and next I'm also emptying my hand, I hope this works!" Red energy flared out from behind the girl and Timothy's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you ready for my triple spell combo?"

"Triple spell combo?" The boy repeated blankly. She was suddenly so confident, this had to be a bluff. His watching teammates shifted uncertainly.

"First spell: Magma Gazer!" Four of her cards turned "Bolzard Dragon now has 9000 power and is a double breaker for the turn!" Fiery energy rained down on the smaller dragon, its muscles and jaw flexing with power. "Second spell: Relentless Blitz!" Three of her cards turned "I choose a race and this turn that race can attack untapped creatures and can't be blocked, I choose armored dragon!" Both of her dragons were now cloaked with a red aura.

"You're betting an awful lot on this turn." Timothy stated, he was still disbelieving that she could pull out a win but her confidence was overwhelming.

"Third spell!" she shouted, her final mana card turning "Fists of Forever! I choose a creature and whenever it wins a battle I get to untap it, for this turn! I choose Bolzard Dragon!" Its metal fists now burned white hot. "Ike, attack Marine Flower!" the dragon leapt forward and unleashed a superheated punch. None of Timothy's creatures could block and one of his mana cards flicked off the table, the teen's eyes widening with a horrific realization.

"Bolzard Dragon ike! Attack Unicorn Fish!" Another flaming strike. Another mana card gone.

"Ike! Attack La Ura Giga! Ike! Attack Unicorn Fish! Ike! Attack La Ura Giga! Ike! Attack Marine Flower! Ike! Attack Emeral!"

Every last card in Timothy's mana zone had been discarded. Every last creature in his battle zone had been destroyed. "One last time thanks to Fists of Forever, ike! Double break his last two shields!" Again Heidi tapped her armored dragon and the final shields were punched clear, the shards shooting off far and wide. Timothy turned back to find himself staring out against her monstrous Astrocomet Dragon. Those flames would give him third-degree burns all over his body, at the very least. The red-armored giant skulked down and he didn't feel so confident anymore. Those blazing breaths of doom.

Suddenly her creatures fizzled out and disappeared.

"And that's game." Heidi said with satisfaction, absolutely chuffed with herself.

"W-what happened?" The cloaked figures on the sidelines were astounded.

"She removed her deck." The girl spoke up "she surrendered."

"I didn't surrender! I won that game! I just don't want to seriously injure someone to make a point." The short-haired girl insisted.

"Fine." Timothy dipped his head and let out a sigh of relief. "You beat me."

Heidi had already picked up her cards and was walking over to her spectators. Narciel stepped to meet her with a grin "Impressive, chosen duelist. I believe this belongs to you." He separated his sleeves and handed her the card. Supernova Mars Disaster.

It burned brighter than ever in her touch, bathing the area in scarlet light. Heidi's wide eyes were on the card. Suddenly everyone and everything was gone: the grass, the other duelists. Heidi blinked in empty space, above her curled a gigantic red-orange phoenix that put either of her three dragons to shame. Beneath its wings hovered planetary spheres of power, blazing white eyes fixed to her with purpose. Then she flashed back to reality, a warm glow on her skin. The red light bathing the astonished onlookers.

"That settles it…" Narciel commented "Without a doubt, you are the chosen fire duelist."

"Great…" Heidi replied as the light died down and vanished "So what does that mean?"

"It means you need to come with us. We have a world to save." The older man turned and walked back to the house. The other disciples blinked at her before following. Timothy, having now gathered his deck, shot her a brief appreciative smile as he also walked by. Heidi followed them down the hill and back toward her home.

Her grandpa stood with a stern expression on his face while the white-robed men stood at a distance and watched.

"Pleeeaaassseee grandpa!" Heidi clasped her hands and begged "Oh please please please please pleaseee! I want to save the world! I want to go on an adventure! I don't wanna be stuck here alone, I hate school! Pleaseeee!"

He sighed "It sounds mighty dangerous, Heidi. Now the gods may have never given me the grandson I wanted, but I suppose being the grandfather of the legendary chosen fire duelist is as good a family legacy as any."

"Thank you! Thank you!" quickly taking it as a confirmation she dived forward to give the old man a hug. "I gotta go pack!" Suddenly she raced into the house, up the stairs to grab her things. The old man sighed again.

After filling a bag with clothes and toiletries the evening had well and truly set in. Heidi stood amidst the disciples, the brown-haired Timothy a year or so her senior. A dark-haired girl with shoulder-length hair. A dark-skinned boy with aqua-colored hair. A gaunt-faced man with sandy hair. Narciel smiled down at her with satisfaction.

"We should be off." he announced.

"Take care, Heidi!" her grandpa waved from the front of the shop.

"I will! Love you!" she gave a broad wave as she followed the equally-spaced even marching of the bizarre group she was leaving with. Onward to bigger and better things, she thought to herself. Pulling out her deck and glancing again at her new card.

Funnily enough… the card didn't resemble what she thought she'd seen in her dreams. Strange. But this was undoubtedly the magical fire card that'd chosen her. Supernova Mars Disaster. She looked closer. Like Kaido Felgrass's Bolshack Cross NEX, this card was also very powerful. It had 13,000 power and evolved from three creatures: Tyranno Drakes, Dreammates and/or Humanoids. Heidi had never even heard of the first two races but she was glad that three of her humanoid creatures would suffice. This card was also a triple breaker. It had a Meteorburn effect, which seemed to mean that whenever it attacked you could discard a card beneath it to destroy all creatures with power 4000 or less. If you wanted. You could use that power three times in a duel.

She'd never held, let alone owned a card as powerful as this before. When they were further into town Heidi was still admiring it. The troupe stopped in synchronization as they waited to cross the street, Heidi accidentally bumping into the other girl. She turned and gave a bizarre look, part-exasperation and part-really-trying-to-hide-it. The result was fixed eye contact with a tight smile that Heidi tensed and laughed awkwardly at.

"We should find a motel instead of taking the subway at night." Timothy suggested.

"Heidi already stated that she's had a run-in with one of their lieutenants. I don't think we should stay in this town."

"Do temple funds really cover our travel and accommodation expenses?" the dark-skinned boy spoke up.

"They're gonna have to…" Narciel muttered. The green walkman sign lit up and they crossed the street.

It was a long walk to the station and they were stared at for their identical cloaks and mirroring strides. It was embarrassing to be seen with them. Wouldn't the guys who were trying to save the world - the heroes - be cool? When they got to the station they paid for tickets and sat on a bench and waited in the relative emptiness. One drunk waded in a zigzag fashion at the other end of the platform. Earlier today Heidi had been here seeing off her sister, feeling dejected and lonely. Now she was really leaving Ikebukuro behind.

It was fully night now and despite the fact her company were yawning and wiping crust from their eyes, Heidi felt too excited and hyperactive to be sleepy. The disciples didn't talk much apart from the odd statement or question. They were weird, home-schooled and indoctrinated. All proper without a single fun bone in their bodies.

"So tell me about the other chosen duelists." Heidi chirped. The followers glanced at each other while Narciel answered in his drawl.

"They are your age and difficult to say the least. Particularly the light and darkness duelists. Those two are remarkably more trouble than they're worth. The nature and water duelists have at least accepted their roles, but each of you are spread apart across Aurellia."

"So the other civilizations' chosens have already been found?"

"Yes you were the last." Narciel answered with a bored yawn.

"So you Phoenix Dawn guys found us all?"

"Dawn of the Phoenix," he corrected importantly. "We were the ones able to track you and we've been working side-by-side with the DMA, Duel Masters Academy because we needed their resources for air travel."

"The DMA? But they're from the other continent!"

"The DMA spared no expense in finding you all. Luckily they believe in the seriousness of this upcoming threat as much as we do." He stared away from her then, his tone signaling the end of their talk. The overhead annunciator board said they still had twenty minutes to wait before their train. One of the disciples got permission to use the vending machine, struggling with the sleeve of his cloak as he took out a can of soda and snackbar. He offered some to his brethren and they declined, so Heidi declined as well. They waited out in silence for the next train.


AN: Omg Omg, what a lovely long review acumashindorballomu! I am happy to be in the Duel Masters FanFiction club. Man I clearly need to ask you more questions about this franchise. It has dawned on me that not only is there a lot I don't know but I literally don't even know the questions I should be asking. I like how the duel in this chapter went down and I THINK it wasn't too superfluous. Any of you readers can feel free to critique as tough as you like cause as the story goes on there will be tinkering and improvements. Hopefully it'll become a great big fic and universe like other DM fics out there.